Late at night, a thunderous knocking sounded at the door of the Justice Departnt of Luoyi.
In Luoyi, the Justice Departnt is an awkward kind of governnt office, ranked neither high nor low, but it deals with the various illegal and forbidden matters of the nobles.
In Luoyi, anyone without a background cannot survive, so the Justice Departnt often ends up being a scapegoat.
More often than not, the Justice Departnt plays a diating role. When minor issues arise, they deal with them casually, but for major ones, they are directly handed over to the Ministry of Justice.
Being rudely disturbed at such a late hour, the rotating deputy supervisor of the Justice Departnt jolted awake and rushed out, relieved to see that the visitor was Duke Tian, Tian Jiayu.
Duke Tian, Tian Jiayu, has been out of luck lately and isn’t a highly powerful figure in the court, so he’s not too difficult to deal with. However, since he personally ca to report a case, it must be taken seriously.
But after hearing the content of Duke Tian, Tian Jiayu’s case report, the deputy supervisor’s head was spinning threefold.
The case is of great value, but what makes it worse is that it involves the West Patrol, Xio Qiangu, making it an even bigger deal!
What kind of person is the West Patrol, Xio Qiangu?
He’s soone who, if you accidentally offend, you won’t even know how you died,
No one would dare provoke West Patrol, Xio Qiangu easily. Not even the Ministry of Justice would take that risk.
"Lord Tian, could you be mistaken? How could West Patrol, Xio Qiangu, commit such theft?" The deputy supervisor didn’t say what kind of person Xio Qiangu is.
Would a thief need to personally take action?
Would a thief leave such a glaring flaw?
"Of course there is no mistake, I have a Shadow Capture Jade Slip as evidence!" With Duke Tian, Tian Jiayu presenting the Shadow Capture Jade Slip, the deputy supervisor’s face imdiately turned sour, "This....."
"Perhaps the deputy supervisor doesn’t understand what I an! My aning is, the thief impersonated West Patrol, Xio Qiangu, to commit the cri. It’s an outrageous slander, and it also harms the reputation of West Patrol, Xio Qiangu.
It would be best to notify West Patrol, Xio Qiangu, so he can prepare in advance. Also, my butler will accompany you to warn and explain the situation!" As a politician who has maneuvered through the court for quite so ti, Duke Tian, Tian Jiayu, knows how to maximize his interests.
After this theft, his loss was so severe it nearly made him spit blood. But after the incident, he started to use it to profit himself, such as currying favor with West Patrol, Xio Qiangu, showing his wisdom, and garnering a small favor from Xio Qiangu. Why not?
"Alright, I’ll arrange soone imdiately....."
"For Xio Qiangu’s side, it’s best if the Deputy Supervisor goes personally. Of course, the investigation should also comnce imdiately. Besides, I’ve reported to the Imperial Guard Yan, and they’ve also begun action." said Duke Tian, Tian Jiayu.
The deputy supervisor pondered for a mont and did not oppose, as it might help sell a favor to Xio Qiangu, which wouldn’t be bad.
Then, he took Duke Tian, Tian Jiayu’s butler straight to the Mansion of the Duke of the Secret Kingdom to inform Xio Qiangu, presenting their na and a visiting card to request an audience with Xio Qiangu!
But before the visiting card could be presented, the guard captain at the mansion’s gate tore the card to pieces right in front of the deputy supervisor.
"Deputy Supervisor, what do you count as? Disturbing my master’s rest in the middle of the night? Have you lost your mind or are you brainless?"
"With the trivial matters of the Justice Departnt, how dare you co find us at the Secret Kingdom’s Duke Mansion? Do you not open your eyes to see who are the deities within the Secret Kingdom’s Duke Mansion?"
"The Junior Heavenly Officer, Old Master Xio, and West Patrol, Old Master Xio, could easily expose the trivial matters under your rear end, ending you.
Are your eyes on your behind or have you lived in vain all these years?
Do you not have even a little insight?
If soone involves us, you should imdiately either kill them or bind them and send them to our mansion, yet you have the audacity to disturb my master’s rest over sothing so trivial?
Have you wasted these years on a dog’s life?
Scram!"
The final ’scram’ was spat out with flecks of spit, along with the pieces of the visiting card thrown onto the deputy supervisor’s face, directly igniting his blood fury, making him almost want to kill the bastard in front of him.
Despite being a high official holding a Low Grade Red Seal in Great Zhou, he was humiliated by a re house slave like this?
The official rank system in Great Zhou is divided by seals into nine levels and twenty-seven ranks: Grey, White, Qing, Lan, Chi, Gold, Zi, Black, and Colored Marks.
Each seal’s color intensity is divided into three ranks: High, dium, and Low. The highest official is the High Grade Zi Seal, such as the Grand Sect Leader holding a High Grade Zi Seal.
Zi Seals are mostly held by nobles, while Dukes hold Zi Seals, and up from Black, it gets complicated, with Princes able to hold Black Seals, and only the Holy Emperor can use Colored Marks.
Given the deputy supervisor’s Low Grade Red Seal, it is the thirteenth rank official, a mid-to-high ranking official, yet at this mont, he was humiliated to this degree by a house slave; how could he not be angry?
However, as ntioned earlier, the position of deputy supervisor is just a position for taking abuse. Otherwise, it’s either not lasting long or not living long.
The deputy supervisor in front of him had sowhat gotten used to it.
Ordinary nobility he could not provoke, let alone soone like the West Patrol, Xio Qiangu.
Taking a deep breath, forcing down his anger, the Junior Director of the Security Departnt turned and left.
He had already decided, that since he had been here, at dawn tomorrow he would treat this as a major case and hand it over to the Ministry of Justice, and then wash his hands of it.
However, just on his way back to the Security Departnt, above a mansion in Luoyi, suddenly rose an ordinary Warning Talisman. Such Warning Talismans were only internal alerts for the mansion and had nothing to do with their Security Departnt or the Imperial Guard.
But, in this short hour on the return trip, he saw at least three mansions raise the Warning Talisman, giving the Junior Director of the Security Departnt an ominous premonition.
Not even waiting for him to return to the Security Departnt, one of his trusted subordinates, black and blue all over, t him with tears in his voice and reported, "Sir, you must go back and see, our Security Departnt is almost smashed!"
"What’s happening?"
"Six houses!"
"Altogether six houses, including three Marquis Mansions, two Duke’s Mansions, and one Prince Mansion have had their Treasure Vaults plundered, and now they’ve co to report it. Your subordinate just said you left to handle a case, and the butler of that Prince Mansion kicked ."
For the complaints of his subordinate, the Junior Director of the Security Departnt did not have the mood to care at that mont, the Treasure Vaults of six nobles being stolen was indeed a major case, if not handled well, not only his current post but even his future prospects or life could be implicated.
What astonished the Junior Director of the Security Departnt was that when he returned to the departnt, the noble mansions that ca to report the theft had risen from six to eight!
Including Tianzhou Duke Mansion, there were already nine.
With nine noble mansions being robbed, the Junior Director of the Security Departnt could already foresee his own downfall, if no leads were uncovered, being thrown into prison would be the least of his worries.
The Junior Director of the Security Departnt acted like a humble grandson, plastering a smile and inquiring house by house, after each inquiry, he suddenly discovered all the thefts pointed to one man—West Patrol Xio Qiangu.
West Patrol Xio Qiangu had brazenly entered their underground treasure vaults for theft.
Even with the Junior Director’s limited political sense, he understood that soone was targeting West Patrol Xio Qiangu.
Would West Patrol Xio Qiangu be so foolish in doing such a thing?
Currently, there stood two Princes, two Dukes, and four Marquises in the Security Departnt, these nobles each held official posts in court, with countless tangled ties.
Not to ntion West Patrol Xio Qiangu, even one of the eight Princes of Political Affairs wouldn’t dare do such a thing.
But the problem was, aside from focusing on West Patrol Xio Qiangu, where would the Security Departnt find this master thief?
Judging by this master thief’s ability to rob nine houses in one night, it was clear the Security Departnt couldn’t apprehend this thief.
This burden, they absolutely couldn’t bear!
Where to find soone to take the fall?
Isn’t it obvious, West Patrol Xio Qiangu!
Reflecting on the grievance suffered at the Mansion of the Duke of the Secret Kingdom, the Junior Director felt a surge of resentnt.
Anyway, he had already been to the Mansion of the Duke once, and everything was clear, no one could pinpoint bla.
Thus, the responsibility had to fall on West Patrol Xio Qiangu, as all the nobles who reported the theft saw it was West Patrol Xio Qiangu committing the cri.
As for clearing his na, that was West Patrol’s own affair now.
Imdiately, the Junior Director of the Security Departnt recounted his visit to the Mansion of the Duke of the Secret Kingdom in front of the nobles, explaining that he was rebuffed.
Then, according to procedure, they recorded the incident, listed the missing goods, compiled the case file, and would deliver it to the Ministry of Justice the next day.
In one night, the robbing of nine noble mansions had already beco a monuntal case, beyond what their Security Departnt could handle, not just the Ministry of Justice, even the Heavenly Patrol Departnt would need to be alerted.
Yet, the Junior Director underestimated the capability of this mysterious thief, for within the two hours he spent recording and compiling case files, twelve more noble mansions ca to report theft.
Making the Junior Director’s heart tremble with fear!
At last, even his hands started to tremble as he registered the cases, this was indeed a truly monuntal case.
But before he could finish registering, the gatekeeper’s trembling voice echoed, "Prince....Xun....the Heir.....has arrived!"
The words ’Prince Xun’ imdiately gave the Junior Director a shiver of fear.
Not only him, but all the nobles and their butlers waiting in the Security Departnt nearly knelt to pay homage upon hearing the announcent.
Only upon hearing ’Heir’ did their minds ease, inwardly cursing the gatekeeper for scaring them.
But the Junior Director of the Security Departnt wore a grim face as he went to greet them, could it be that Prince Xun Manor was also robbed?
"What is your Security Departnt good for? Allowing such rampant robbery within Luoyi, even our Prince Xun Manor was robbed, huh?" In a roar, Prince Xun Heir kicked the Junior Director flying.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as the Junior Director tumbled back, his face instantly turning green.
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