Although Magistrate Qin had executed many criminals before, this was the first time he had witnessed someone die so close before his eyes. His robe was splattered with quite a bit of blood, and he struggled to compose himself, saying with a trembling voice, “Second Young Master, what should we do now?”
Li Shimin didn’t speak, only looking at Feng Cheng, who, despite claiming he feared nothing, still harbored a trace of fear deep down and hastily said, “You don’t need to look at me. He was always the one keeping that record. Apart from him, no one knows where he hid it!”
After having Li Feng’s corpse carried away, Magistrate Qin asked, “Second Young Master, shall we use torture on these few?”
Li Shimin thought for a moment and said, “First put them in prison. I want to go look at Li Feng’s house.”
Following his words, after having Feng Cheng and the others imprisoned, he and Yunyi and the others went with Li Shimin to Li Feng’s house. The latter lived in two blue-tiled rooms. When his wife learned of his death, she held her young child and cried herself to death, overcome with grief.
Duan Zhihong quickly led people to search the house inside and out, but did not find that household registration record. Li Feng’s wife also knew nothing about it, only saying that ever since Li Feng was dismissed from the office, his spirit had been crushed, he drank heavily every day, and didn’t care whether his wife and children had enough to eat or were hungry. However, starting from about a month ago, Li Feng suddenly stopped drinking heavily, his whole person seemed much more spirited, and he had brought home several strings of cash, but when asked what it was about, he refused to say.
Yunyi stepped forward and said, “Second Young Master, could he have buried the record in the soil?”
Li Shimin shook his head, “I’ve already looked around. Whether inside or outside the house, the soil shows no traces of recent disturbance. Even if he really buried it in the soil, it’s definitely not here.” Saying this, he walked to Li Feng’s wife and asked, “Do you know what places Li Feng has been to recently?”
Li Feng’s wife wiped her tears and said, “I don’t know much about his affairs, but I did see him come back with a record book once, only I can’t read, so I don’t know if it’s the household registration record you mentioned.”
Yunyi’s spirits lifted as she quickly asked, “Where did she hide that record?”
Li Feng’s wife shook her head, “I don’t know. I only saw it that once. The next day after he went out and came back, I never saw it again.”
Her words disappointed Yunyi, thinking they had a clue, but it turned out to be another dead end. Li Shimin said from the side, “Do you know where he went?”
Li Feng’s wife thought carefully, “Oh right, when he left, he took a string of copper coins. I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was going to buy wine to pay respects to his deceased father. I suppose he must have gone to his father’s grave.”
Li Shimin immediately asked Li Feng’s wife to take them to Li Feng’s father’s grave. After walking around the grave mound in a circle, Li Shimin pointed to a patch of yellow earth that showed signs of recent disturbance and said, “Zhihong, dig here.”
Duan Zhihong responded and crouched down to dig. When he had dug to about a foot deep, he found an oiled paper package. After opening the oil paper wrapping, he said excitedly, “Second Young Master, it’s really here!”
Hearing this, everyone knew that the household registration record must have been found. Sure enough, after Li Shimin had looked through it, he said happily, “That’s right, this is the household registration record!”
Magistrate Qin let out a long sigh of relief, “Finally found it. Who would have thought he would bury the household registration record in this grave soil. How cunning.”
“He thought that by dying, he could forever conceal the location of this household registration record, not knowing that he had already inadvertently revealed the place where he kept the household registration record.”
“This is what they call having a hundred secrets but one oversight!” After examining the household registration record, Magistrate Qin said to Wu Laosan, “According to what’s recorded here, you are indeed over fifty years old. When we return to the office, I will strike your name from the conscription list. You can rest assured.”
Wu Laosan fell to his knees with tears streaming down his face, “This commoner thanks Your Honor for your keen observation and for restoring justice to this commoner. Thank you, Your Honor!”
Magistrate Qin helped him up, “If you want to thank someone, thank Second Young Master. All of this was investigated by Second Young Master.”
Wu Laosan nodded repeatedly, pulling Yunyi to walk before Li Shimin, saying with tears of gratitude, “The great kindness and virtue Second Young Master has shown to my daughter and me, even if we died ten thousand times, we could not repay even one part of it!” With that, he was about to kneel down, but Li Shimin quickly supported him, “Uncle Wu, please don’t say such things. Actually, speaking of it, I should thank Uncle Wu. If not for you, I wouldn’t have known about Lu Sheng’s collusion with Li Feng and their unauthorized tampering with the household registration records.”
“No matter what, Second Young Master is the great benefactor of my daughter and me. Please accept this commoner’s bow!” Wu Laosan insisted on bowing, and Li Shimin couldn’t refuse, so he had to turn aside and reluctantly accept the courtesy, then quickly helped them up.
At this time, Magistrate Qin came over with a face full of shame, “Thank you Second Young Master for helping this official investigate Lu Sheng’s case. This official… is truly ashamed.”
Li Shimin said gently, “This past month, Magistrate Qin has been busy with conscription matters, so some oversights were inevitable. Shimin understands.”
Magistrate Qin said gratefully, “Thank you Second Young Master for your understanding!”
“As for Lu Sheng, the Feng father and son, and those few who bribed Lu Sheng to tamper with their ages to avoid conscription, please handle them according to law, Magistrate Qin. Shimin won’t interfere too much.”
Magistrate Qin naturally agreed readily. After cupping his hands to bid farewell to Li Shimin, he left with his people. After they left, Li Shimin walked to the relieved Yunyi and said with a smile, “Are you at ease now?”
Yunyi smiled and curtsied, “If not for Second Young Master this time, Father would definitely have been conscripted to the battlefield. Second Young Master’s kindness, Meixue will never forget for the rest of her life.”
Li Shimin smiled and said, “Uncle Wu gave me such delicious and tasty pheasant. How could I not repay the favor?”
His words made Yunyi and the other laugh. Wu Laosan then said, “If Second Young Master is not in a hurry to leave, why not come to my house for a simple meal?”
Li Shimin said with a smile, “Then Shimin thanks Uncle Wu.”
“I should be the one thanking Second Young Master for honoring us with your presence.” Saying this, Wu Laosan said to Yunyi again, “Girl, you accompany Second Young Master back. I’ll go ahead to buy some vegetables. At home there’s only some preserved meat and radishes, nothing good to eat.”
“I know, Father, you walk slowly.” After Wu Laosan had gone far away, Yunyi looked at Li Shimin’s handsome profile, “Having Second Young Master suffer the humiliation of being spat upon to help my father and me, Meixue feels truly sorry.”
Li Shimin said dismissively, “I’ve already forgotten about that matter, and you don’t need to keep it in your heart.”
Yunyi nodded silently. After walking a few steps, she suddenly stopped and said with a complex expression, “Second Young Master, why do you help me like this?” Whether it was the Wang Wei incident, or the case of Feng Chunxiu’s murder, or today, it was all Li Shimin trying his best to protect her. Otherwise, she would not be able to stand here safely!
A trace of tenderness flashed through Li Shimin’s eyes, which he quickly concealed, and he said with a light laugh, “That day I wrongly accused you of being an assassin. Now… consider this some compensation.”