Lian Yu said: “These several cases together involve over a hundred people. Unless this Magistrate Huang is truly a clean official, these people couldn’t possibly all be threatened or bribed into telling this great lie, unless…”

“Unless he really is a clean official.”

Lian Qin immediately followed up.

As soon as she said this, she immediately received scorn from everyone.

But they couldn’t find any answers. Even someone as composed as Lian Jie was getting anxious, saying in a low voice: “Lian Qin, I’ll call you grandpa if you stop talking, okay?”

The originally tense atmosphere suddenly erupted in laughter. Lian Qin was angry and glared at Lian Jie, pretending to hit him.

She also caught a look from Lian Yu and immediately became as quiet as a mouse seeing a cat. Only then did Lian Yu say: “Unless… all the people we secretly investigated are Quan Feitong’s or Huang Tianba’s people.”

“Your Majesty means…”

Gao Chaoyi was shocked. Beside him, Si Lanfeng also looked stunned but slowly continued: “Chancellor Quan replaced the original common people, even replacing the neighbors of these interviewed people.”

About ten men in the room, plus White Tiger, all fell into shocked silence.

After a long moment, Yan Da gritted his teeth and sneered coldly: “This Huang Tianba is a local snake, and with Quan Feitong’s power, what Your Majesty said is very possible! In the previous Fengji case, they switched corpses; this time they’re pulling a switch, simply replacing people too!”

Gao Chaoyi said: “Looking at that Magistrate Huang’s smiling demeanor, he’s exactly this type of formidable character.”

“Minister Gao, that’s boosting others’ morale while diminishing our own.”

Si Lanfeng said coolly. Gao Chaoyi tensed, his expression immediately darkening. Both Lian Yu and Yan Da glanced at him.

Lian Jie had already lowered his voice: “Lanfeng, His Majesty doesn’t need people who don’t know restraint.”

Si Lanfeng seemed shocked and hurriedly bowed his head, saying “Yes.”

Gao Chaoyi sneered inwardly. I heard your talent rivals Li Zhaoting’s, but however proud you are, you must know limits.

But this internal strife was naturally less important now. Everyone paced and pondered strategies.

But Lian Jie, being the one who best understood Lian Yu’s thoughts, saw Lian Yu slightly close his eyes in contemplation and said: “Sixth brother must already have an idea, but I wonder…”

He hesitated slightly, not knowing why Lian Yu hadn’t spoken yet. Hearing this, Lian Yu nodded but his expression remained profound and grave.

Finally, seeing everyone’s tension, he spoke calmly: “Though we’ve already investigated these involved people, officially speaking, Chancellor Yan and Vice Minister Gao still need to investigate. We must keep up appearances. Of course, having prepared testimony in advance, finding flaws would be very difficult. But there’s still another group of people where we might find a breakthrough.”

He paused slightly here. Everyone was stunned. Lian Qin, demonstrating great initiative, muttered: “What other people are there? Only the prisoners in jail sentenced to major punishments and death remain.”

Hearing this, everyone’s eyes lit up – how could they forget this important link?

But thinking further, they all darkened.

Almost simultaneously thinking the same thing. Even Qinglong, who only obeyed Lian Yu and wasn’t involved in court affairs, understood the logic: “If Chancellor Quan can arrange this scheme outside, the death row prisoners in jail have probably also been replaced.”

“No, that’s not necessarily so.”

At this moment, Yan Da thought of something: “Since these have been sentenced, the Ministry of Justice must have records and documents. Though Xiao Yue leads the Ministry of Justice, I have people there. Most of these cases were sentenced before that impeachment memorial reached the Ministry of Personnel.”

Lian Qin clapped and laughed: “That means many officials in the Ministry of Justice have seen these prisoners’ faces. Replacing family members outside, even mine owners and workers is easy, but these death row prisoners wouldn’t work. Chancellor Yan and Vice Minister Gao can conduct interrogations. Even if threatened beforehand, they’ll definitely be able to extract something.”

“I don’t believe that when we bring up sixth brother, they’ll still listen to that Quan Feitong!”

“Didn’t you hear sixth brother say earlier that even if these death row prisoners were wrongfully accused and framed by rich people bribing Huang Tianba, their family members outside have all been replaced and captured in secret. Would they still dare appeal their grievances or tell the truth?”

Lian Jie quickly poured cold water on her head.

Lian Qin was deflated and stood there speechless for a long time.

Lian Yu had naturally thought of this point long ago, which is why he had been deep in thought for a feasible method until they anxiously asked, then he spoke up.

Suddenly, everyone’s slightly raised morale quickly deflated again.

At this moment, Lian Yu, who had been pacing by the window thinking for a long time without speaking, said something quite earth-shattering.

“There’s still one chance. When Chancellor Yan and the others go to investigate that prison, since these people are threatened, they naturally won’t tell the truth. But what if we go under other identities?”

“Other identities?”

Everyone perked up, almost asking simultaneously.

Lian Yu’s eyes sparkled like stars, his lips slowly curving upward.

“We’ll disguise ourselves as subordinates of Quan Feitong, Li Zhaoting, or Huang Tianba and conduct a nighttime investigation of Minshan Prison.”

While one side faced difficulties and made plans in the quiet night, at another inn in Minshan Prefecture, a young person and a youth were casually watching guests coming out for late-night snacks from the second-floor balcony.

These two – one plain and thin, one handsome with a cold expression – were precisely Judge Li and her loyal brother Leng Xue.

The two had arrived at Minshan Prefecture that morning but had stayed at this unremarkable inn for the entire day.

Seeing Suzhen resting her chin on the railing and sighing, Leng Xue said irritably: “Feng Suzhen, you’re the one who wanted to come to Minshan, and you’re the one lounging around here like you’re on vacation. What exactly are you up to? Wouldn’t staying in the capital be much more comfortable?”

Suzhen cried out softly, her face full of frustration: “Brother Leng Xue, I’m not here on vacation – I’m here on serious business.”

“Then what are you doing staying at this inn for a day?”

“I can’t figure out what to do! Should I go find Murong Liu or Li Zhaoting?”

“Murong Liu came secretly – you know where he’s staying? Would he let you find him? Li Zhaoting… if you openly go find him, would he pay attention to you? Also, even if you found them, what would you do? One comes to handle the case, one comes to sabotage it. And you?”

“Leng Xue, I realize you’ve gotten smarter – birds of a feather really do flock together. That’s why I’m worried! I’m thinking of a strategy – how to make Li Zhaoting handle this case fairly, justly, and openly, to deal with Huang Tianba rather than protect him, so Lian Yu can’t find fault. This would kill three birds with one stone!”

As she murmured this, she suddenly saw Leng Xue’s expression change with surprise, his gaze falling on the inn’s entrance.

Suzhen looked over and, seeing who had arrived, was immediately shocked.