Li Xuan and Jiang Hanyun had been busy in Lanyue House for quite some time before they returned to the Liudao Division's Zhuque Hall together in a carriage.
Jiang Hanyun was clearly in a bad mood, her chin rested on one hand, seeming to gaze blankly out of the window; Li Xuan, on the other hand, was preoccupied with his thoughts—firstly about the significant incident on the river, which he had already asked Jiang Hanyun details about, but his superior didn't know the specifics either for the time being; secondly, about Situ Zhong, who had targeted him without explanation.
Just as Li Xuan had become immersed in his thoughts, Jiang Hanyun suddenly flicked his forehead. "What are you thinking? Didn't you hear me talking to you?" she asked with an abruptness that roused him.
"Ah?" Li Xuan lifted his head, only to realise that Jiang Hanyun was curiously staring at him.
He immediately pushed aside all of his distractions and thoughts, then declared formally with a bow, "I was lost in thought about the case, so I was momentarily distracted. May I ask what you inquired, ma'am?"
"I asked what are your thoughts about the case involving Miss Wei Shi?"
The gaze in Jiang Hanyun's eyes, usually so vibrant, was now cold and stern, "I have already had the case file reviewed. Wei Shi did not lie. Three girls under fourteen years old were brutally tortured to death by a group of nobles. Those people are nothing more than beasts!"
After giving the matter a moment's thought, Li Xuan spoke honestly,"This case has already been closed and buried. If you, Xiaowei, wish to revisit it, it will offend many people. If you sympathize with Wei Shi, it is sufficient to keep her out of their clutches to demonstrate your benevolence. However, if you insist on finding justice for the girls, I am willing to do my utmost to assist!"
Li Xuan, being only two years out of social initiation, still had a burning youthful passion. As such, he expressed his intent to assist with a fervor.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Hanyun looked at him, somewhat surprised, "I never expected you to have such a strong sense of justice. I merely asked for your opinion, and yet you seem eager to reopen this old case."
Her expression abruptly hardened, "I seem to recall that you were scheduled to work the late shift with Ma Chenggong yesterday, weren't you? You've got guts, Li Xuan, to dare to shirk your duty and spend the night in a brothel."
Li Xuan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and cold perspiration broke on his forehead—he hadn't thought that Jiang Hanyun would recall that.
By the time the pair returned to Zhuque Hall, Situ Zhong had already brought over all the accused.
However, the situation became awkward as Zhuque Hall was now deserted—Jiang Hanyun couldn't even find enough staff to bring the case to court.
The two were left with no choice but to create a placeholder record for the case before sending Wei Shi and her two companions to the prison cells in the courtyard of Zhuque Hall, postponing the trial for later.
As Li Xuan was diligently recording the case files, a young man of roughly the same age as him suddenly entered from the outer courtyard.
"Li Dalu?" Li Xuan looked over in perplexity.
This was his original body's closest servant—the servant he was most satisfied with and closest to. Not only was he reliable and tactful, but he also had impressive martial skills .
But at this moment, his face was white, and he was drenched in sweat.
"Young Master, something has happened at home. The Capital City has sent a scolding edict criticizing the Earl for neglecting his duty and dismissing the Earl's position as Tidu of the Caojiang Navy and ordered the Earl and the Princely Heir to stand by for further investigation at home."
Li Xuan's gaze flickered slightly—he could barely believe what he was hearing. He had been suspecting that something might happen at home, but he hadn't expected the situation to be this serious.
Chilled to the bone, he thought, when he first time-traveled here, he had been glad to have become the son of an official, but was the expiration date really this short?
"How did it escalate to the point of dismissal? Did they give a reason?"
Li Dalu shook his head; a look of bewilderment was evident on his face.
Li Xuan knew that he wouldn't get any answers from Li Dalu and promptly got up and briskly headed for the door.
※※※※
The Zhuque Hall of the Liudao Division was a fair distance away from the Earl Chengyi's mansion. However, Li Xuan arrived at the door of Earl Chengyi's mansion in less than seven minutes of galloping on horseback.
When the view of the mansion gates filled Li Xuan's eyes, his heart immediately sank.
The Li family of Chengyi, despite being earls, were one of the most prominent aristocrats in the court. They had almost always inherited the title of tidu of Caojiang Navy, seldom with broken lines of succession. Although the position was not high, it had ample perks. The tribute from the merchant ships, food ships, and salt ships on the river alone were enough to feed the Chengyi Earl's family until their mouths overflowed with oil.
So, even late at night, the entrance to the Chengyi Earl's Mansion was usually filled with carriages, a gathering of splendid figures. But today it was unusually quiet, with only three to five carriages parked at the entrance, all belonging to the mansion itself.
Despite it being the height of summer, there was a desolate feel to the place.
"Where's the old man?" Li Xuan alighted from the horse and made straight for the entrance. Not until he was nearly at the central courtyard did the Housekeeper of the Earl's mansion come to meet him.
"Young Master, the Earl and the Princely Heir are both in the study. The Earl has instructed that you should go there as soon as you return."
At that moment, Li Xuan felt a pang of apprehension. He feared that he would slip up and that his cover would be blown open. He thought about how heartbroken the original Li Xuan's parents would be if they knew their son was dead and a stranger took his place—the stranger would no doubt be treated as a demon.
Apart from that, there was a sense of repulsion and dread in Li Xuan—this was because he did not know how to interact with his family members due to his previous life experiences.
This had to do with his childhood—Li Xuan was the child of divorced parents. Because of his congenital heart disease, his parents had divorced and started new families when he was seven.
At first, Li Xuan couldn't come to terms with it. Soon he found himself unwanted in both his parents' families. He started to rebel and distanced himself from his relatives.
Even his grandparents, who raised him, were not close to him. Their relationship was more like that of a landlord and tenant—they barely spoke to each other throughout the year.
For many years, Li Xuan had grown accustomed to being alone, but upon arriving in this world, he suddenly had several close relatives. Furthermore, the original Li Xuan was very close to these relatives, which was a cause of major headache for him.
When Li Xuan stepped into the study of Earl Chengyi, he quickly realized his fears were not unfounded. His father, the incumbent Earl Chengyi Li Chengji, and older brother, the Princely Heir Li Yan Li Yuanhui, both turned to look at him. Both of their gazes were filled with surprise and a scrutinizing curiosity.
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