r18novel Page 486
Page 486
Xu Qi'an then stood there, stunned.
Because some of Li Chang'an's poems, including the invention of monosodium glutamate printing, entered Xu Qi'an's mind.
This is definitely another time traveler!
Xu Qi'an analyzed all the information in his mind again, but ultimately did not change his conclusion.
Moreover, Li Chang'an must be from the same time and space as me, otherwise how could he be so skilled at keeping a beautiful secretary?
He pondered, "It seems... I share the same fate as Lord Fan; there was another transmigrator before me!"
"But Ye Qingmei was a science and engineering woman, which left Fan Xian with the path of becoming a plagiarist."
This Li Chang'an is clearly a nouveau riche; he's plagiarizing poems and making money all the time, he has no intention of leaving me any opportunities..."
"That's not right. They didn't know I could time travel, so why would they leave it for me?"
In Xu Qi'an's view, the beautiful Xu Lingyue had obviously been taken by Li Chang'an.
That's quite something... It seems Li Chang'an was either a high-ranking official or a wealthy man before he transmigrated!
Xu Qi'an had only been in the world for half a day, and his mood was in turmoil as his mind was bombarded with all sorts of chaotic information.
Ultimately, he decided to wait and see for the time being.
"Whether they are high-ranking leaders or wealthy people, they are definitely not kind people. We cannot casually reveal our identity as time travelers."
After the jailers left, Xu Xinnian went to his cell with a heavy heart.
"Cijiu, what brings you here?"
Hearing Xu Qi'an's gentle greeting, Xu Xinnian was somewhat surprised, knowing that his cousin's tone had never been pleasant.
“My academic title has been revoked, but the teachers at the academy are protecting me. The case has now been taken over by the night watchmen. Lord Li said that we must atone for our crimes by performing meritorious service, which is why I came to discuss this with you.”
Xu Qi'an blurted out, "Li Chang'an can't just take advantage of others, so why isn't he putting in any effort?"
Xu Xinnian didn't react for a moment, and said with a longing look, "Miss Fuxiang is happy to be taken advantage of, and besides, this has nothing to do with Lord Li taking advantage of the brothel."
Actually, what Xu Qi'an meant was that since Li Chang'an was keeping Xu Lingyue as a mistress, they couldn't just sit idly by.
"Ci Jiu, what can we do about such a big case? If we had a way, we wouldn't be locked up."
Xu Xinnian glanced at Xu Qi'an, then shook his head dejectedly. "Lord Li said that if the two of us can't come up with a solution, then it means that I've wasted my time studying, and all those years of being a 'quick-witted' person have been for nothing."
He said that only by redeeming ourselves through meritorious service can we truly be exempt from punishment, so we still have to rely on ourselves.
The original owner was a Kuaishou user in Changle County, essentially a local police officer, and had handled some cases.
Xu Qi'an frowned and tried to say, "How about... you bring the case file over so I can take a look?"
Xu Xinnian said, "I've seen it all, let me tell you."
The case file was top secret, but Xu Xinnian had paid someone to see it before he went to find Li Chang'an.
"No, the case file needs to be read in text. The details of the case are all in the text. Write it down."
Xu Qi'an felt that judging the case based on the case file was a basic skill for Kuaishou (a Chinese short video platform), and it wouldn't be considered as revealing the identity of a time traveler.
Xu Xinnian did not doubt Xu Qi'an's abilities at all. He directly summoned a jailer, brought pen and ink, and wrote down the key details of the case file.
Because Li Chang'an had said that the only hope for the Xu family to get out of trouble lay with Xu Qi'an, who had actually handled cases. Since everyone has their own expertise, Xu Xinnian fully cooperated with all of Xu Qi'an's requests.
Watching Xu Xinnian write so earnestly, Xu Qi'an couldn't help but sigh.
"What a handsome man."
"roll!"
Xu Xinnian cursed. If it weren't for Li Chang'an, he wouldn't have believed that his stubborn cousin could solve the case.
Shortly afterward, Xu Xinnian handed the case file to Xu Qi'an.
The case was not complicated. Three days ago, at 6:30 a.m., Xu Pingzhi was escorting 150,000 taels of tax silver to the capital. When he was crossing the bridge on Guangnan Street, a sudden strong wind arose, startled the horses, and they rushed into the river.
Then came a deafening explosion, sending the river water soaring six zhang high, creating towering waves. The soldiers found only 1,200 taels of silver; the rest had vanished without a trace…
Among the testimonies given by those present at the scene, many believed that it was the work of a demon.
The back hall of the Ministry of Justice.
This case is somewhat different from the previous ones; it has been directly taken over by the Ministry of Justice.
Minister Sun's expression was solemn, but Li Chang'an opposite him remained as steady as a mountain.
Behind Li Chang'an stood Chu Caiwei, beaming with smiles, and Li Yuchun, meticulous in his work.
This matter alarmed the emperor, who directly dispatched the Imperial Observatory to participate. Wei Yuan also sent a team of night watchmen to Li Chang'an, with Li Yuchun being the leader, Yinluo.
"Lord Li, I'm begging you, please take a look at the case file."
Minister Sun looked mournful. The emperor had given them two days left, and Li Chang'an had promised Wei Yuan that the case would be solved in three days, so there were still two days left.
However, after Li Jinluo came to the Ministry of Justice, he neither looked at the case files nor asked about the case. He just drank tea and chatted with the young girl from the Imperial Observatory about MSG, and even talked about perfume.
Only Li Yinluo, who was meticulous, handled the case seriously, reading the case file several times, and looked extremely anxious.
"Lord Li, Minister Sun, perhaps we are going in the wrong direction. This case may not be the work of a demon."
Minister Sun said, "Xu Pingzhi keeps saying he is innocent, and no one else has changed their story. We have already confirmed that there is no demonic aura nearby."
Then, the second-rank official said bitterly, "If it wasn't a demon, how could the silver have disappeared, and why did a huge wave several meters high surge up in the river!"
He was furious, and his gaze drifted intentionally or unintentionally to Li Chang'an. He saw Li Chang'an say something that made Chu Caiwei blush.
What time is it? Li Jinluo is still teasing the little girl. Could it be that the military order you gave Wei Yuan was fake?
This year is the year of the capital's investigation; if this case isn't solved, the Ministry of Justice will be in deep trouble.
"Lord Li...please say something!"
The second-rank official bowed to Li Chang'an, so Li Chang'an had no choice but to look at Li Yuchun.
"What are the Xu brothers doing?"
Li Yuchun said, "Xu Xinnian asked someone to check the case file, and then he and Xu Qi'an are studying the case file together."
boom!
Li Yuchun suddenly shuddered because Minister Sun slammed his hand on the table.
"Do you think criminals can just look at case files like that? Bring both of them up here!"
Before long, Xu Xinnian and Xu Qi'an were brought to the main hall, both of them trembling with fear.
Xu Qi'an, in particular, was completely dumbfounded. Li Chang'an was really trying to take advantage of Xu Lingyue for free, not only refusing to help but also kicking her when she was down.
He had just deduced a clue in prison, and now he was going to prosecute the brothers for peeping at the case files.
Didn't you, Lord Li, say that Xu Xinnian should consult with you? Without the case file, how can you consult with him?
He looked up and saw Li Chang'an, whose expression was even more serious than that of the bureau chief before he transmigrated.
Damn it, could it be a corrupt official at the department head level who time-traveled...?
Minister Sun was already annoyed, and seeing the Xu brothers made him furious. "You two were peeping at the files, you deserve to be executed!"
Xu Qi'an cursed inwardly. Could it be that Minister Sun was causing trouble, and that he had wrongly accused Li Chang'an?
Li Chang'an said calmly, "Xu Xinnian, Xu Qi'an, if you can find the silver, you won't have to die. Hurry up and think of a way."
Xu Qi'an's prison uniform was covered in blood, and he was in pain all over his body. He had just deduced a few clues.
But if he reveals that clue, his identity as a time traveler will be exposed.
If he hadn't revealed it, Li Chang'an could have protected Xu Lingyue, and perhaps even managed to bribe his way out of Xu Lingyin's situation.
Xu Qi'an's original self was not close to Xu Lingyue, so Li Chang'an might not save her. Moreover, because he had privately reviewed the case file, he might be sentenced to death by that dog of a minister.
Xu Qi'an was displeased. He had just transmigrated and hadn't even had a chance to enjoy the advantages of feudalism like Li Chang'an, with women on both sides, before he was forced to start over.
His inner calculations shifted rapidly, but in the end he decided to take the plunge.
Because the original owner of this body was so unpopular, if he didn't save himself, he might become the only one to follow his second uncle.
He could reveal a little chemical knowledge and then claim it was something he learned from an alchemist.
The worst outcome would be that Li Chang'an discovers that he is a time traveler and then silences him.
Either way, death is inevitable; finding a way to save oneself offers a glimmer of hope.
After all, anything is possible. Maybe Li Chang'an was a good person before he traveled through time.
"My lords, there's something fishy about this case!"
Before anyone could react, Xu Qi'an continued, "Guangnan Street is a full thirty li from the South Gate. With the speed of a slow horse, it's impossible to get there in a quarter of an hour after passing through four bustling markets!"
"However, the people who got up early along the way all saw the horses rushing into the river!"
Therefore, there is only one truth!
Xu Qi'an seemed to hear an exciting background music, his whole body was filled with power, and he stood up with high spirits. At the same time, he saw a slight smile on Li Chang'an's lips.
"boom!"
"How dare you! Kneel down!" Minister Sun roared, making Tuo Moxing's brains spin. Clearly, Tuo Moxing hadn't quite caught up and hadn't understood Xu Qi'an's reasoning.
Xu Qi'an immediately knelt down obediently, secretly cursing the bureaucrats of this era as being truly pig-brains.