sbdcsierra Chapter 116 Urging the Progress of the Case
Chapter 116 Urging the Progress of the Case
Nangong Ming saw Liu Yu walk in, picked up the sword beside him and tossed it to him. "Practice with me for a while."
Liu Yu took the attack, and Nangong Ming attacked him. He swung his sword to block and dodged to the side, then retaliated with his own sword.
The two clashed swords in the courtyard, exchanging blows and exchanging techniques.
The two swords clashed, producing a clanging metallic sound that broke the morning's tranquility in the courtyard.
As dawn broke, sunlight streamed through the courtyard wall and fell upon the two of them.
The blade reflected light, occasionally dazzling the eyes. The hazy mist in the courtyard began to dissipate, and fine beads of sweat appeared on the foreheads of the two men.
After a thrilling duel, the sound of swords fell silent. The two sheathed their swords, and a servant handed them towels. Nangong Ming wiped the sweat from his face.
“No, I’ve neglected my martial arts skills during this time.” Nangong Ming said seriously, “Starting today, I will exercise every morning, and you will accompany me.”
Liu Yu wiped the sweat from his face, looked incredulous upon hearing this, and then said with a grin, "Young Master... it's so cold today, why don't you sleep a little longer? You can practice your sword at noon! You don't need to get up so early."
"The early bird catches the worm, you know?" Nangong Ming said casually. "Of course, you should exercise in the morning. From now on, you'll be in charge of waking me up."
After saying that, he walked into the house, leaving Liu Yu standing there in a daze.
He looked helpless, secretly thinking, "I hope you don't throw a pillow at me when I go to call you tomorrow morning."
Morning this morning
Yesterday, the government office received another murder case, which was different from the previous two cases of heart-ripping.
The victims were a middle-aged couple. Both of them had their hearts removed, and their bodies were missing to varying degrees, as if they had been eaten away.
Compared to the previous two cases, the victim's death this time looked even more gruesome.
The severity of this case has sparked discussion among officials.
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Ye stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, in just a few days, three strange cases have occurred in which four people have died. Not to mention us, I'm afraid the people are already talking about it."
"If the murderer is not found soon, it will inevitably cause panic among the people."
The Imperial Censor, Lord Tang, stepped forward and echoed, "Your Majesty, I believe the Prime Minister is right. With such a series of heinous cases occurring, I fear that if this continues, it will only cause widespread panic. I urge Your Majesty to order the Jingzhao Prefecture to solve the cases as soon as possible and bring the murderers to justice."
The prime minister and the censor-in-chief were talking, and the other officials below echoed their sentiments.
Xiao Yue frowned slightly. He had anticipated this outcome when he submitted today's memorial.
He was under a lot of pressure at this time, as he had no clue about these three cases and made no progress.
Seeing so many officials express their opinions, Emperor Sukang turned his gaze to Xiao Yue, "What have you found out so far? Is there any progress in the case?"
Xiao Yue looked troubled, took a deep breath, and looked at Emperor Sukang, saying, "Your Majesty, I have personally gone to the scene to investigate these past few days. Apart from the body, there are no useful clues at the crime scene, no witnesses or physical evidence."
“Your Majesty…” An official stepped forward and said, “According to what Prince Jin just said, doesn’t that mean there’s been absolutely no progress in the case? At this rate, when will the case be solved?”
Xiao Yue lowered his eyes slightly. He had indeed not found any strong evidence and could not refute her.
Even the possibility that the murderer was a woman was overturned after the couple was reported murdered yesterday.
If there were even the slightest progress, I could argue with them, but in reality, there has been absolutely no progress.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Sukang's expression darkened slightly. He wondered if he could withstand the pressure from the officials in such a major case.
Prime Minister Ye continued, "Your Majesty, this case has had a terrible impact. In case the perpetrator strikes again and harms innocent people, this case should be solved as soon as possible."
"Your Highness is still young and unfamiliar with criminal cases. Moreover, you have only recently arrived in Jingzhao Prefecture and are inevitably unfamiliar with the details of the case. It would be better to transfer it to the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review so that the case can be solved as soon as possible."
The Minister of Justice and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review stood upright to the side, having not joined the crowd in their commotion. They knew that some cases were not so easy to solve.
There are still countless unsolved cases piling up in the archives, which they can't solve just by talking.
When the Minister of Justice heard the Prime Minister mention their Ministry of Justice, he simply stood straight to the side without saying a word.
Who would willingly take on a difficult case?
After listening carefully, Minister Yu of the Court of Judicial Review stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that although the Prince has only recently taken over the Jingzhao Prefecture and is not yet very familiar with handling cases or solving them, no one is born with these skills."
"This case will be a good opportunity for Your Highness to gain experience. Once the case is solved, it will prove your abilities and gain the trust of others."
"Your Excellency," Lord Yu said to Prime Minister Ye beside him, "Isn't that right?"
After hearing Lord Yu's rebuttal, Prime Minister Ye snorted coldly: "Experience is certainly possible, but this case is too difficult. The murderer may strike again. If it cannot be solved, it will inevitably cause panic among the people."
Prime Minister Ye turned to Lord Yu and said, "Could it be that even your Court of Judicial Review is not confident about this case?"
When Lord Yu saw that the Prime Minister was targeting him, he realized that if he continued to argue, he would inevitably suffer a loss, so he stopped arguing with him. The old fox was no match for him.
He smiled slightly and said, "Prime Minister, you are overthinking it. We are just offering our opinions. Everything still depends on His Majesty's decision."
Emperor Sukang simply sat on the dragon throne and watched them go back and forth, competing with each other. He usually waited until they had finished talking before speaking, otherwise he would get so tired that his throat would be hoarse from replying to each of them!
He coughed lightly and said, "What the Prime Minister said makes sense. Such a shocking case needs to be solved as soon as possible, otherwise we will not be able to appease the people. If this goes on for a long time, the people will inevitably complain and say that the court is useless."
Emperor Sukang then looked at the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and said, "I think what Minister Yu said makes sense. Since Prince Jin is not yet familiar with handling cases, let's take this opportunity to let him learn properly and hone his skills."
He then looked at Xiao Yue: "Prince Jin, you need to pay more attention to this case and bring the murderer to justice as soon as possible. I, the ministers, and the people all have high hopes for you. You must not let them down!"
Xiao Yue was filled with mixed emotions upon hearing this, but he still agreed: "Your subject will do his best to solve the case as soon as possible."
"Since this case is still being handled by the Jingzhao Prefecture, Your Highness needs to act as soon as possible," the Prime Minister said earnestly to Xiao Yue.
After the morning court session ended, the civil and military officials walked out of the palace.
Xiao Yue frowned, his face full of worry, and slowly walked out with the crowd.
"Third brother..."
"Third Brother..."
Prince Yu and his brothers called out to Xiao Yue from behind. Prince Yu put his arm around Xiao Yue's shoulder, and the brothers comforted him as they walked toward the palace gate.