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Li Jue was always broad on the outside but deep on the inside, cunning and calculating, with emotions that never showed on his face. After the Sovereign ascended to the throne, he decisively concealed his brilliance and maintained a low profile in his dealings with others. Although he had contributed to the rise of the dynasty, he was well aware that the Sovereign did not trust him. Thus, when the Sovereign granted him a surname, he accepted it without hesitation and changed his name to avoid any taboo. However, deep down, he constantly reminded himself that he was neither Li Jue nor Li Shiji, but Xu Shiji!
In the past two years, due to the pressing circumstances, the Elder Ministers gradually left one by one, forcing him to step into the spotlight. He participated in three campaigns against Liao and achieved significant victories, earning widespread acclaim for his military accomplishments. Yet, Li Jue felt anxious and unsettled.
He placed great importance on Xu Zhen, sometimes treating her as if she were his own adopted son. However, when Xu Zhen came to discuss strategies with Liu Shenwei, he merely brushed them off.
He understood very clearly that he could not afford to get involved in any private conflicts at such a critical moment!
The Sovereign's health was deteriorating rapidly, and death was imminent. Who would be most worried? Was it Changsun Wuji, who had always assisted the Crown Prince? Was it Fang Xuanling, who was elderly and in no better health than the Sovereign? Or Wei Chi Jing De, who spent his days seeking immortality through alchemy and was superstitious about ghosts and gods?
None of them; it was Li Jue!
The Sovereign unexpectedly promoted Xu Zhen, a young and capable individual, to a high position and tailored a team for her. He even entrusted her with Beitun Camp and Five Hundred Riders. What was this for?
It was to prevent anyone from seizing control of the court and to protect Li Zhi!
Changsun Wuji and Li Jue represented civil and military power respectively; even if they had no rebellious intentions, the court officials would still align themselves with these two figures. Civil officials tended to gravitate towards Changsun Wuji while military generals looked up to Li Jue.
If the Sovereign trusted Li Jue, then they could supervise each other without needing to promote Xu Zhen.
The reason the Sovereign promoted Xu Zhen was so that when Li Jue was at a disadvantage, she could fill the gap among military leaders and balance Changsun Wuji!
In other words, Li Jue had already seen his future. Once the Sovereign ascended to a higher realm, he would surely be dismissed or exiled. At that time, Xu Zhen would need to lead the military forces to counterbalance Changsun Wuji's group of civil officials!
If he were wise enough to keep a low profile and successfully pass through Li Zhi's evaluation period, perhaps his career could still return to its former state. However, if he made any missteps that caught Li Zhi's attention, once dismissed, there would be no chance of returning to court!
At such a critical moment, he had no choice but to politely send the Xu Zhen out of the residence. Unlike him, the Xu Zhen was a trusted confidant appointed by the Sovereign. Even if the Xu Zhen did something to defy Li Zhi, ultimately, Li Zhi would not be able to touch her. If he took action against the Xu Zhen after Li Shimin's death, the benevolent and filial image he had cultivated for so long would collapse in an instant.
Killing a minister entrusted with heavy responsibilities by his father after ascending the throne would only place him in an unjust position.
Thus, the Xu Zhen was safe—safer than Li Jue!
However, the current Xu Zhen was not as shrewd as Li Jue and could not see through the intricacies of the situation. After leaving Li Jue's residence, she felt somewhat gloomy.
Liu Shenwei followed the antidote recipe given to him by Moya and returned to the Imperial Medical Office to prepare the antidote, hoping to alleviate the Sovereign's chronic poisoning.
Meanwhile, the Xu Zhen headed to Minister of Works Yan Lide's residence to inquire about the progress of a certain matter. That matter was her greatest trump card; if it weren't for Yan Lide and Ginger Sage Li Chunfeng being extremely trustworthy individuals, she would not have entrusted such an important task to them.
Long ago, when she entered Liangzhou and discovered pyrite among Zhang Jiunian and others' mines, she had set this plan in motion. Now that it was finally time to implement it, how could she not be concerned? This was related to her final escape route!
The Xu Zhen's carriage stopped at the side gate of the Minister's residence. Logically speaking, having become the Duke of Wuan and also being the Left Tunwei Grand General, she was fully qualified to enter through the main gate. However, she preferred to keep a low profile. Moreover, with the entire court focused on her every move, it was impossible for her not to be discreet.
"Ah, it's Lord Xu! Please follow me inside to rest; I will inform Minister Alang immediately!" The steward of Yan's residence hurriedly came out to greet her as soon as he saw the Xu Zhen get out of the carriage.
The Xu Zhen often visited Yan's residence and was quite familiar with this steward. She did not stand on ceremony and was about to enter when she noticed someone standing by the door.
The person appeared to be no more than twenty years old, dressed in a round-collared robe with a tightly cinched belt. Standing tall with an extraordinary demeanor, he gave off a very clean impression. He slightly raised his head and briefly made eye contact with the Xu Zhen; his eyes were clear as a spring and possessed a wisdom that belied his age!
"Who is this person? What brings him here?" The Xu Zhen casually asked the steward. The steward snorted lightly and explained, "This person claims to be a judge from Bianzhou who has been falsely accused and is here to seek an audience with our Alang..."
"How does someone seeking redress for miscarriage of justice end up at the Minister of Works' residence?" The Xu Zhen couldn't help but feel puzzled. She kept recalling Yan Lide's life story but couldn't make sense of it, so she decided to ask the young man directly.
"May I ask your name and what brings you to seek out Yan the Minister?"
The young man likely sensed the noble status of Xu Zhen, yet he maintained a respectful demeanor as he bowed to her, saying, "I am Di Renjie, the Left Judge of Bianzhou. I have been wrongfully accused and have come to seek assistance from Yan the Minister..."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhen's heart jolted!
"Di Renjie! Is this young man really Di Renjie? No, that's not right. Di Renjie did indeed serve as Left Judge of Bianzhou and was falsely accused by a minor official. Later, he received help from the Minister of Works and was recommended as a Legal Officer for the Bingzhou Governor's Office. However, the Minister of Works he sought help from was not Yan Lide but rather his brother Yan Liben! There was quite a gap in time between those events!"
Xu Zhenxin was astonished. Although he stirred up trouble, how could this Butterfly Effect possibly bring forth Di Renjie? Could it be that he has some connection with Elder Di?
He initially intended to send Di Renjie away directly, but then recalled that this young man would eventually become Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty. It would be wise to establish a bond; if he forced him away, it might discourage this future Detective from becoming Detective Di, and such karmic repercussions would surely fall upon Xu Zhen.
Thinking this through, Xu Zhen chuckled lightly and said, "Are you not the son of Governor of Kuizhou, Di Zhi Xun? At such a young age, you have already passed the Mingjing Class examination as Di Huaiying?"
Di Renjie was taken aback that Xu Zhen knew his father's name and his courtesy name. He quickly bowed again and asked, "Indeed, I am just a humble boy. May I ask if you are an acquaintance of my father?"
Xu Zhen merely laughed softly and advised him, "Young friend, you have been wrongfully accused; you should seek out someone from the Department of Punishment. Why have you come to the Minister's residence? Our meeting here is fate; let me give you a token of our encounter."
Before Di Renjie could respond with thanks, Xu Zhen ordered her servant to fetch paper and ink from the carriage. With swift strokes, she wrote a letter and handed it to Di Renjie.
"Take my letter to Deputy Minister Yan of the Department of Punishment. However, young man, sometimes enduring hardship can lead to unexpected blessings. Since you've been wrongfully accused, you should investigate the details yourself to clear your name; that is what a true gentleman would do. The esteemed Yan the Minister is responsible for overseeing the construction of the Emerald Palace, Jade Blossom Palace, and even Zhaoling. If everyone came seeking him like you do, he would surely be overwhelmed."
Xu Zhen chuckled again while Di Renjie's face flushed with embarrassment. Yet he was also deeply impressed because at that time, the Assistant Minister of Justice was Yan Liben, brother to Yan Lide. Seeking help from him would be much easier than approaching Minister Yan Lide himself. Moreover, Xu Zhen's words had sparked his pride.
After Di Renjie accepted the letter, Xu Zhen gently patted his shoulder and walked into Yan's residence. Di Renjie stood there in a daze, unable to react even to properly send off Xu Zhen.
The Assistant to the Minister of Justice was just an official of the Fourth Rank. Although Yan Liben might not necessarily clear his name, Di Renjie, inspired by Xu Zhen, was determined to uncover the truth himself. With Yan Liben's words, investigating the case became exceedingly convenient!
Di Renjie was unaware that his visit to Yan Liben, aided by a letter from Xu Zhen, had made Yan Liben regard him with newfound respect. Once he solved the case, he would further attract Yan Liben's attention, leading to Yan Liben recommending him for a position as a legal officer in the Governor of Bingzhou's office. Eventually, he would enter the Dali Temple and become an assistant there, embarking on the path of a detective!
After calming his emotions, Di Renjie realized that Xu Zhen's carriage was still waiting outside. He approached and asked, "Brother, may I ask which noble from the Court that was just now?"
The coachman glanced at Di Renjie as if looking at a country bumpkin and snorted lightly, "With your kind of eyesight, you dare to seek an audience at the Minister's residence? Even my master Alang, the current Duke of Wuan, State Minister, and General Xu Zhen wouldn't recognize you!"
Some people are like this; lacking ability themselves, they enjoy flaunting their masters. Di Renjie paid no mind to it initially, but as he reflected on it later, he slapped his thigh in excitement and thought to himself, "So that's General Xu Zhen! I... I actually received a recommendation from the Grand General... My heavens!"
Di Renjie had certainly heard of Xu Zhen! He had always idolized her. Xu Zhen had infiltrated enemy camps alone during the Battle of Tugu Hun to rescue Li Jing in Ganzhou, quelled rebellions in Qizhou, defeated Hou Junji, and crossed rivers into Liaodong during the Goguryeo War on two occasions to save the day. All these deeds flashed through Di Renjie's mind like a stream of light, causing him to tremble slightly.
The recommendation letter in his hand felt more precious than gold or jewels!
He repeatedly recalled what Xu Zhen had said to him; his blood began to heat up as he unknowingly walked towards Yan Liben's residence at the Department of Punishment.
He looked up at the plaque on the residence and chuckled. He tucked Xu Zhen's letter back into his clothes and turned to leave. The afternoon sun shone upon him, making him appear much taller and seemingly more mature. His demeanor became increasingly confident!
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