Chapter 36
War breaks out on Cybertron, Daiyu captures Wei Zhentian seven times!
"As the saying goes, the world, after a long period of division, tends to unite; after a long period of unity, tends to divide. Cybertron is no exception..."
"Optimus Prime led the Autobots in a three-hundred-year war against the Decepticons, resulting in a stalemate. Optimus Prime perished by Daming Lake, while Megatron was imprisoned under Five Finger Mountain. Then, a beautiful girl fell from the sky..."
Who is Lin Daiyu?
"Lin Daiyu was the daughter of the Rongguo Mansion. In her previous life, she was the Crimson Pearl Fairy. In this life, she came to repay her debt of tears. When she fell, she landed right on the wreckage of Optimus Prime, activating its energy core..."
"Optimus Prime said, 'Miss Lin, you are the reincarnation of a fairy herb, and I am a spirit made of iron skin. We were one family five hundred years ago...'"
As Hua Xi continued talking, she had more and more questions—why did Lin Daiyu have to repay with tears? Was Jia Baoyu a transformed version of Ba Tianhu? Did Wang Xifeng possess the fighting power of the Tongmai Realm?
When he got to the part where Daiyu used the flower-burying hoe to pry open Megatron's breastplate and retrieve the AllSpark, Xu Xian was no longer sure what he was rambling on about. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, his voice became more and more indistinct, and finally he fell completely silent.
...
When he woke up the next morning, a little foot was kicking his chin.
Hua Xi turned sideways, her head resting on the foot of the bed along with the turtle's, her toes sticking up at the head of the bed, facing Xu Xian's face.
The turtle's beady eyes had already opened, and it was silently watching Xu Xian.
Xu first removed the foot from his chin, pulled her onto the bed, and covered her with the blanket again.
Hua Xi turned over, muttered "Megatron, your AllSpark has fallen...", and then fell into a deep sleep again.
Xu Xian stood by the bed, glanced down at the little girl, chuckled, and quietly pushed open the door to go out, heading towards the Inspection Department.
...
At the entrance of the Inspection Department, Mo Feichang's sedan chair was parked.
Old Feng sat on the carriage shaft adjusting his whip. When he saw Xu Xian coming over, he waved to him and said, "Xu Xiaoqi, today is the day of the joint trial by the three judicial departments. Lord Mo is going to the palace."
The sedan curtain was lifted slightly, and Mo Feichang's voice came from inside, "You come along too."
Xu Xian was taken aback. "My lord, I am but a lowly officer..."
"Xiaoqi is also the organizer of this case, so let's get started."
"oh."
Xu Xian mounted his horse and followed behind the sedan chair.
...
Upon arriving at the palace gate, Mo Feichang alighted from his sedan chair, and Xu Xian also dismounted, intending to hand the reins to Lao Feng. Lao Feng scoffed.
"I only train Lord Mo, you brat—"
Xu Xian leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Taibai Tower tonight, it's my treat."
Old Feng snatched the reins, his face crinkling with wrinkles.
"I have high hopes for you, kid. Besides, we're all colleagues, so why talk about treating each other? Helping out is the least I can do! Hurry up and give me the horse, don't keep Lord Mo waiting!"
Xu handed him the reins, chuckled, and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Feng."
Then he quickly followed Mo Feichang, who had already entered the palace gate.
As soon as he caught up, Mo Feichang, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, spoke without turning his head.
"Mr. Xu, do you know that officials in the Inspection Department are not allowed to escort prostitutes?"
Xu Xian paused for a moment, then said seriously, "My lord, you misunderstand. I have a deep friendship with Commander Feng, we fought side by side. The battle at Jingzhou was fierce and chaotic!"
"It's just a drink for him now. I've heard that the food and drinks at Taibai Tower are good, and that Mr. Xu is very principled and doesn't do anything reckless."
Mo glanced at him, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over his empty waist. "Where's the knife?"
"I was interrupted yesterday."
Xu Xian glanced down at his waist; there was only an empty scabbard left. "I haven't had time to get a new one yet."
As Mo walked, he spoke, "I have some scrap metal there; I can forge a weapon. What kind do you want?"
"Scrap metal?"
Xu thought for a moment,
"I'll use a knife then, I'm used to it. A straight knife is best, with a thick back and a narrow blade, about three feet long is enough. The blade doesn't need to be too wide, a narrow blade cuts meat quickly, and a thick back can withstand heavy blows. Three feet is just right, any longer..."
"Silence!"
Mo Feichang suddenly stopped in his tracks. Xu Xian looked up and saw that they had already reached the entrance of the palace.
Xu Xian followed Mo Feichang into the main hall. There were already people in the hall. Emperor Jingyuan sat in the main seat, with a dignified appearance, slightly white hair, and his hands folded on his knees.
Sitting next to him were Qiu Bojun, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Zhou Tingfu, the Minister of Justice.
Mo walked along, introducing each item to him in a low voice.
Qiu Bojun still had his neat goatee and stood ramrod straight, while Zhou Tingfu was a round-faced fat man who kept tapping his fingers on the armrest, looking very uncomfortable.
Xu Xian followed Mo Feichang in bowing and paying homage.
Emperor Jingyuan's gaze fell on Xu Xian. "Minister Mo, who is this?"
"Xu Xian, a junior officer in the Inspection Division, was the one who investigated and handled the cases involving diplomatic missions, tax revenue, and missing children on the front lines."
Emperor Jingyuan nodded slightly and looked Xu Xian up and down.
"Young hero, when I was your age, I was still grinding ink in my studio, and you have already solved three major cases."
"Your Majesty flatters me. I was merely doing my duty."
Emperor Jingyuan nodded and gestured with his chin toward his attendant, Park Bu-sung, "Let the fourth prince in."
When Shen Tai was brought in, he staggered a little. He had been locked up in the Imperial Clan Court for three days, and some stubble had sprouted on his beard, but his eyes remained clear.
He knelt before the imperial desk and kowtowed to the emperor, then raised his head and glanced across the hall.
His gaze paused briefly as he passed by Xu Xian.
Qiu Bojun used his words of power again in front of everyone.
He walked up to Shen Tai, and the word "sincerity" remained the same.
Under the influence of Confucian and Taoist teachings, Shen Tai's body stiffened slightly, but the words he uttered were exactly the same as those from three days ago—the shelter was not built by him, the Gu Master was not his person, he did not embezzle tax money, and the letter was not written by him.
Qiu Bojun withdrew the incantation, bowed to the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, what the Fourth Prince said is all true."
Zhou Tingfu gestured for the pharmacist behind him to come forward.
The third-rank physician carried his medicine box to Shen Tai's side, opened his eyelids to look at him, and then took a silver needle, pierced his fingertip, and dripped a drop of blood into the medicine.
The medicine showed no abnormalities.
The physician put away the silver needles and bowed to the emperor. "Your Majesty, there are no Gu worms in the Fourth Prince's body, nor any traces of being parasitized by Gu worms. His memory also shows no signs of being eroded by Gu methods. If there were, his blood would turn black when added to the medicine. However, the Fourth Prince's blood is clear as ever after being added to the medicine."
Shen Tai turned to stare at Xu Xian, his eyes red and his voice hoarse.
"Father! Your son is innocent! The Investigation Department has wronged me, and may even be deliberately framing me! Especially this Xu Xian! He single-handedly pushed the case forward, and all the so-called evidence was found and interrogated by him alone!"
"Why would he do this? Who's behind him? The Crown Prince? The Third Prince? Or someone else? He's plotting against me!"
Xu Xian frowned slightly, calmly meeting Shen Tai's gaze.
"Your Highness, I have only relied on evidence and witness testimonies, and have never forged a single word in any of the confessions."
"The tax silver deposit records were altered by the Ministry of Revenue itself; the Gu insect pastries from the pastry shop were seized from Ji Feng; the dark room in the dye house was identified by the missing child Yan Jun; and the Gu master's confession was signed under the personal supervision of Lord Mo in the interrogation room of the Investigation Department."
"This humble servant has no grudge against Your Highness and has no reason to falsely accuse you."
The hall was quiet for a few moments.
Emperor Jingyuan was silent for a moment before speaking, "Since that's the case, the fourth prince is naturally innocent. The remaining missing tax silver still needs to be investigated. It would be good if we could find out where it went."
He turned to Mo Feichang, "Minister Mo, mobilize the investigation departments of each state and make sure to find the other hideouts of the Gu Masters. I must not hear any more news of missing children."
Mo bowed deeply to accept the order.
Emperor Jingyuan added, "If Mo Fei is promoted one rank and restored to his original position, Xu Xian will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold."
Mo Feichang, accompanied by Xu Xian, expressed their gratitude and withdrew from the main hall.
...
Xu Xiancai spoke only after they had walked all the way to the palace gates.
"My lord, is this case being closed so hastily? The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review's influence and a pharmacist from the Ministry of Justice can overturn the evidence we uncovered? What's the point of the trial then?"
"If the power of words worked, what would be the point of our Inspection Division? If the power of pharmacists worked, would we no longer need to arrest any Gu masters of the third rank or higher?"
"Optimus Prime led the Autobots in a three-hundred-year war against the Decepticons, resulting in a stalemate. Optimus Prime perished by Daming Lake, while Megatron was imprisoned under Five Finger Mountain. Then, a beautiful girl fell from the sky..."
Who is Lin Daiyu?
"Lin Daiyu was the daughter of the Rongguo Mansion. In her previous life, she was the Crimson Pearl Fairy. In this life, she came to repay her debt of tears. When she fell, she landed right on the wreckage of Optimus Prime, activating its energy core..."
"Optimus Prime said, 'Miss Lin, you are the reincarnation of a fairy herb, and I am a spirit made of iron skin. We were one family five hundred years ago...'"
As Hua Xi continued talking, she had more and more questions—why did Lin Daiyu have to repay with tears? Was Jia Baoyu a transformed version of Ba Tianhu? Did Wang Xifeng possess the fighting power of the Tongmai Realm?
When he got to the part where Daiyu used the flower-burying hoe to pry open Megatron's breastplate and retrieve the AllSpark, Xu Xian was no longer sure what he was rambling on about. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, his voice became more and more indistinct, and finally he fell completely silent.
...
When he woke up the next morning, a little foot was kicking his chin.
Hua Xi turned sideways, her head resting on the foot of the bed along with the turtle's, her toes sticking up at the head of the bed, facing Xu Xian's face.
The turtle's beady eyes had already opened, and it was silently watching Xu Xian.
Xu first removed the foot from his chin, pulled her onto the bed, and covered her with the blanket again.
Hua Xi turned over, muttered "Megatron, your AllSpark has fallen...", and then fell into a deep sleep again.
Xu Xian stood by the bed, glanced down at the little girl, chuckled, and quietly pushed open the door to go out, heading towards the Inspection Department.
...
At the entrance of the Inspection Department, Mo Feichang's sedan chair was parked.
Old Feng sat on the carriage shaft adjusting his whip. When he saw Xu Xian coming over, he waved to him and said, "Xu Xiaoqi, today is the day of the joint trial by the three judicial departments. Lord Mo is going to the palace."
The sedan curtain was lifted slightly, and Mo Feichang's voice came from inside, "You come along too."
Xu Xian was taken aback. "My lord, I am but a lowly officer..."
"Xiaoqi is also the organizer of this case, so let's get started."
"oh."
Xu Xian mounted his horse and followed behind the sedan chair.
...
Upon arriving at the palace gate, Mo Feichang alighted from his sedan chair, and Xu Xian also dismounted, intending to hand the reins to Lao Feng. Lao Feng scoffed.
"I only train Lord Mo, you brat—"
Xu Xian leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Taibai Tower tonight, it's my treat."
Old Feng snatched the reins, his face crinkling with wrinkles.
"I have high hopes for you, kid. Besides, we're all colleagues, so why talk about treating each other? Helping out is the least I can do! Hurry up and give me the horse, don't keep Lord Mo waiting!"
Xu handed him the reins, chuckled, and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Feng."
Then he quickly followed Mo Feichang, who had already entered the palace gate.
As soon as he caught up, Mo Feichang, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, spoke without turning his head.
"Mr. Xu, do you know that officials in the Inspection Department are not allowed to escort prostitutes?"
Xu Xian paused for a moment, then said seriously, "My lord, you misunderstand. I have a deep friendship with Commander Feng, we fought side by side. The battle at Jingzhou was fierce and chaotic!"
"It's just a drink for him now. I've heard that the food and drinks at Taibai Tower are good, and that Mr. Xu is very principled and doesn't do anything reckless."
Mo glanced at him, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over his empty waist. "Where's the knife?"
"I was interrupted yesterday."
Xu Xian glanced down at his waist; there was only an empty scabbard left. "I haven't had time to get a new one yet."
As Mo walked, he spoke, "I have some scrap metal there; I can forge a weapon. What kind do you want?"
"Scrap metal?"
Xu thought for a moment,
"I'll use a knife then, I'm used to it. A straight knife is best, with a thick back and a narrow blade, about three feet long is enough. The blade doesn't need to be too wide, a narrow blade cuts meat quickly, and a thick back can withstand heavy blows. Three feet is just right, any longer..."
"Silence!"
Mo Feichang suddenly stopped in his tracks. Xu Xian looked up and saw that they had already reached the entrance of the palace.
Xu Xian followed Mo Feichang into the main hall. There were already people in the hall. Emperor Jingyuan sat in the main seat, with a dignified appearance, slightly white hair, and his hands folded on his knees.
Sitting next to him were Qiu Bojun, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Zhou Tingfu, the Minister of Justice.
Mo walked along, introducing each item to him in a low voice.
Qiu Bojun still had his neat goatee and stood ramrod straight, while Zhou Tingfu was a round-faced fat man who kept tapping his fingers on the armrest, looking very uncomfortable.
Xu Xian followed Mo Feichang in bowing and paying homage.
Emperor Jingyuan's gaze fell on Xu Xian. "Minister Mo, who is this?"
"Xu Xian, a junior officer in the Inspection Division, was the one who investigated and handled the cases involving diplomatic missions, tax revenue, and missing children on the front lines."
Emperor Jingyuan nodded slightly and looked Xu Xian up and down.
"Young hero, when I was your age, I was still grinding ink in my studio, and you have already solved three major cases."
"Your Majesty flatters me. I was merely doing my duty."
Emperor Jingyuan nodded and gestured with his chin toward his attendant, Park Bu-sung, "Let the fourth prince in."
When Shen Tai was brought in, he staggered a little. He had been locked up in the Imperial Clan Court for three days, and some stubble had sprouted on his beard, but his eyes remained clear.
He knelt before the imperial desk and kowtowed to the emperor, then raised his head and glanced across the hall.
His gaze paused briefly as he passed by Xu Xian.
Qiu Bojun used his words of power again in front of everyone.
He walked up to Shen Tai, and the word "sincerity" remained the same.
Under the influence of Confucian and Taoist teachings, Shen Tai's body stiffened slightly, but the words he uttered were exactly the same as those from three days ago—the shelter was not built by him, the Gu Master was not his person, he did not embezzle tax money, and the letter was not written by him.
Qiu Bojun withdrew the incantation, bowed to the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, what the Fourth Prince said is all true."
Zhou Tingfu gestured for the pharmacist behind him to come forward.
The third-rank physician carried his medicine box to Shen Tai's side, opened his eyelids to look at him, and then took a silver needle, pierced his fingertip, and dripped a drop of blood into the medicine.
The medicine showed no abnormalities.
The physician put away the silver needles and bowed to the emperor. "Your Majesty, there are no Gu worms in the Fourth Prince's body, nor any traces of being parasitized by Gu worms. His memory also shows no signs of being eroded by Gu methods. If there were, his blood would turn black when added to the medicine. However, the Fourth Prince's blood is clear as ever after being added to the medicine."
Shen Tai turned to stare at Xu Xian, his eyes red and his voice hoarse.
"Father! Your son is innocent! The Investigation Department has wronged me, and may even be deliberately framing me! Especially this Xu Xian! He single-handedly pushed the case forward, and all the so-called evidence was found and interrogated by him alone!"
"Why would he do this? Who's behind him? The Crown Prince? The Third Prince? Or someone else? He's plotting against me!"
Xu Xian frowned slightly, calmly meeting Shen Tai's gaze.
"Your Highness, I have only relied on evidence and witness testimonies, and have never forged a single word in any of the confessions."
"The tax silver deposit records were altered by the Ministry of Revenue itself; the Gu insect pastries from the pastry shop were seized from Ji Feng; the dark room in the dye house was identified by the missing child Yan Jun; and the Gu master's confession was signed under the personal supervision of Lord Mo in the interrogation room of the Investigation Department."
"This humble servant has no grudge against Your Highness and has no reason to falsely accuse you."
The hall was quiet for a few moments.
Emperor Jingyuan was silent for a moment before speaking, "Since that's the case, the fourth prince is naturally innocent. The remaining missing tax silver still needs to be investigated. It would be good if we could find out where it went."
He turned to Mo Feichang, "Minister Mo, mobilize the investigation departments of each state and make sure to find the other hideouts of the Gu Masters. I must not hear any more news of missing children."
Mo bowed deeply to accept the order.
Emperor Jingyuan added, "If Mo Fei is promoted one rank and restored to his original position, Xu Xian will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold."
Mo Feichang, accompanied by Xu Xian, expressed their gratitude and withdrew from the main hall.
...
Xu Xiancai spoke only after they had walked all the way to the palace gates.
"My lord, is this case being closed so hastily? The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review's influence and a pharmacist from the Ministry of Justice can overturn the evidence we uncovered? What's the point of the trial then?"
"If the power of words worked, what would be the point of our Inspection Division? If the power of pharmacists worked, would we no longer need to arrest any Gu masters of the third rank or higher?"