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Night fell, at the Marquis of Weiwu's residence.

The imposing Marquis, a portly middle-aged man, sat in his chair with a grim expression.

There were two beautiful women in the hall, one of whom was kneeling, weeping bitterly, her face streaked with tears.

Another beautiful woman offered quiet words of comfort.

The second daughter mysteriously disappeared today. Considering the carriage collision before the incident, Marquis Weiwu concluded that his daughter had been kidnapped.

He mentally reviewed the possible enemies. Political enemies were unlikely, since his hereditary title had gradually been relegated to the fringes of power in the capital.

Of course, the powerful nobles who banded together remained a significant interest group.

However, there is a difference between the whole and the individual; Marquis Weiwu does not recall having a political enemy who would go so far as to kidnap the women in his household.

As for enemies, there have been no recent conflicts.

"The master has already reported it to the authorities and notified the Imperial Guards at the city gate. Don't worry, Ying'er will be found."

"Sister, Ying'er is a frail woman. If something happens to her, even if she is found, she won't survive."

Marquis Weiwu's face twitched, his expression growing increasingly grim.

Just then, a servant rushed in, shouting, "My lord, the young lady has been found!"

Marquis Weiwu and his two wives rushed to the front hall, where they saw their daughter, who looked haggard and still had tears in her eyes, as well as the Imperial Saber Guard who had brought her back.

After instructing the steward to send the Imperial Saber Guard away with a reward, Marquis Weiwu examined his daughter for a moment, then breathed a slight sigh of relief, "Ying'er, what happened?"

Zhang Yuying was held in her weeping mother's arms, sobbing, "It was the son of Vice Minister Zhou who kidnapped me. He not only wanted to tarnish my innocence, but also planned to kill me to silence me."

He immediately recounted what he had seen and heard, vividly describing how he escaped the wolf den while the guards were not paying attention.

"My lord, you must do justice for me, and for Ying'er!" Zhang Yuying's birth mother trembled with anger.

"My lord, Zhou Li's repeated humiliations of Ying'er are also humiliations of my manor," the principal wife said in a deep voice.

Marquis Weiwu flew into a rage, slamming his fist on the table and shattering it, trembling with anger. "That Zhou fellow has gone too far!"

The next day.

Meridian Gate, East Side Gate.

The civil and military officials attending the court session were surprised to find that Marquis Weiwu had arrived in full armor, though no weapon was hanging from his waist.

That day, something interesting happened in the imperial court.

Marquis Weiwu, clad in armor, entered the palace, brought forth the merits of his ancestors, and tearfully accused Vice Minister Zhou.

They shouted, "Our ancestors fought bravely for the emperor, risking their lives, yet your daughter is being bullied and Your Majesty does not protect her. Does this not chill the hearts of all the soldiers and warriors?"

The matter has escalated significantly.

The culprit, Zhou Li, was completely bewildered. "When did I kidnap the second young lady of the Zhang family? I don't even know it."

Emperor Yuanjing was furious and ordered the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate to handle the case and provide a result within two days.

As a suspect in the case, Zhou Li's first stop was the Censorate.

The person in charge of interrogating him was the Imperial Censor who patrolled the city.

The official, Principal Sixth Rank official, sat down at his desk and, without saying a word, gave Young Master Zhou a beating.

After beating Zhou Li until he cried out in pain, the judge slammed his gavel and demanded, "Zhou Li, is the courtyard where the Marquis of Weiwu's illegitimate daughter is imprisoned your private residence?"

"Yes!" Zhou Li could only admit.

It was common for powerful nobles to buy private residences in the inner city; when Zhou Li bought the courtyard, he didn't ask anyone else to handle the transaction.

The property deed is in his name, and there are also documents from the government office confirming the purchase of the house.

"Since it's your property, there's no need to say anything more. Sign and put your fingerprint on it!"

Two constables stepped forward; one presented a confession, while the other forced Zhou Li to sign it.

According to the procedure of review by the three judicial departments, after the Censorate completes its review, the judgment is submitted to the Ministry of Justice. If the Ministry of Justice does not agree with the Censorate's result, it will request a retrial.

So Young Master Zhou was sent to the Ministry of Justice, where his treatment underwent a dramatic change.

With plenty of wine and meat, the Ministry of Justice in charge of the trial thoughtfully found a doctor to apply ointment to Young Master Zhou's bloody buttocks.

After several hours of "interrogation," the Ministry of Justice overturned the Censorate's findings, determining that Zhou Li was innocent and that someone had framed him.

The case file was transferred to the Court of Judicial Review.

Without saying a word, the Dali Temple gave Zhou Li another beating. After a thorough interrogation, the Dali Temple overturned the Ministry of Justice's verdict and found Zhou Li guilty.

The next day, seeing that the Court of Judicial Review, the Censorate, and the Ministry of Justice each had their own version of events and had not given a result, Emperor Yuanjing ordered the three departments to conduct a joint trial, thus escalating the case.

The Court of Judicial Review dispatched one Chief Justice and two Assistant Chief Justices; the Ministry of Justice dispatched two Vice Directors and four Principal Clerks; and the Censorate dispatched two Imperial Censors on patrol.

A total of eleven officials jointly tried the case.

The three judicial branches in the joint trial were: the Ministry of Justice believed Zhou Li was innocent and that he had been framed; the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate unanimously found Zhou Li guilty.

The two sides argued for a whole day without a clear winner, so naturally there was no resolution.

As dusk fell, a man in white robes from the Bureau of Astronomy was summoned to the yamen by an official.

"By order of His Majesty, I have come to assist in the investigation." The official in white from the Bureau of Astronomy stated his purpose, then looked at Zhou Li kneeling before the hall and shouted:

"Zhou Li, did you kidnap Zhang Yuying, the illegitimate daughter of the Marquis of Weiwu?"

Zhou Li shook his head repeatedly. "I didn't, it wasn't me, I've been framed."

The officials stared intently at the white-robed Bureau of Astronomy.

The man in white declared righteously, "He's lying!"

Zhou Li's face was deathly pale.

Three days later, Vice Minister Zhou was dismissed from his post and exiled to the army for embezzling state funds and failing to properly educate his son. His son, Zhou Li, was exiled to the Southern Frontier.

Fifty riders leisurely traveled along the official road, with Second Uncle Xu leading the way, his horse galloping swiftly in the spring breeze.

After news of Vice Minister Zhou's downfall arrived, Xu Pingzhi spent the entire night drinking with Xu Qi'an and Xu Erlang. They felt both the exhilaration of revenge and the relief of being relieved of a heavy burden.

The two brothers rode behind Xu Pingzhi on horseback. Xu Erlang said, "There's something I'd like to ask you, elder brother."

Xu Dalang glanced at him sideways. "I'm curious why Zhou Li would admit to this crime, or rather, why the powerful figures in the court like Marquis Weiwu couldn't see through this rather clumsy frame-up?"

Xu Erlang pondered for a moment and said, "I've only thought of part of it. For Vice Minister Zhou's political enemies, whether Zhou Li is innocent or not is not important. They will seize this bargaining chip and use it to destroy Vice Minister Zhou."

"For Marquis Weiwu, this was an opportunity for revenge. He couldn't defeat Minister Zhou before because he had no help, but now this was a golden opportunity. So he went to court in full armor that day, causing a great stir in the court."

"As for whether his daughter was kidnapped by Zhou Li, he might have doubts, but without sufficient evidence, it is clear that this young master Zhou, who has repeatedly humiliated his daughter, is more hateful."

"What I don't understand is that Zhou Li didn't do this. Vice Minister Zhou and his accomplices knew perfectly well that he should have taken countermeasures."

"Why do you think I went to the Bureau of Astronomy that day?" Xu Qi'an laughed heartily. "Do you even remember what an eighth-rank Bureau of Astronomy is called?"

Xu Xinnian "eighth-rank Qi-Watching Master," had a sudden flash of insight in his eyes.

"During the tax silver case, the astronomers from the Bureau of Astronomy were involved in the investigation and trial, which shows that His Majesty relies on the Bureau of Astronomy." Xu Qi'an looked ahead, beaming with pride.

"The case seems illogical at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it turns out there are no clues left behind. Hmm, I'm a professional in this area. Add to that the factional strife, and the case is destined to be troublesome and difficult to investigate. Therefore, the simplest and most effective method, of course, is to find a diviner from the Bureau of Astronomy."

Xu Xinnian was completely convinced. "So, my elder brother bribed the sorcerers of the Bureau of Astronomy."

"Vulgar!" Xu Qi'an spat, then said frankly, "How can you call it bribery when it comes to Alchemist? It's an exchange of equal value!"

He paused, then said, "Cijiu, remember this: in this world, apart from blood relatives, all friends and enemies are based on 'interests,' especially in officialdom."

No one is kind to you for no reason, and no one hates you for no reason. Even your closest friend will only befriend you if your existence serves a positive purpose for them.

"When you enter the court as an official in the future, I hope you will be a capable minister, not an incorruptible one," Xu Qi'an instilled his personal wisdom in his younger brother, slowly adding, "Remember, blend in with the world."

To groom a junior subordinate to become the Grand Chancellor of the Great Feng Dynasty, one must first mold him into one's own shape. Otherwise, what's the use of cultivating a Grand Chancellor who is incompatible with one's principles?

Xu Xinnian gazed into the distance and declared loudly, "Let's blend in with the world. What if I get lost in the fog of power in the future?"

"That's up to your own fate. Of course, if Cijiu becomes a treacherous minister who wreaks havoc, your elder brother will clean house," Xu Qi'an said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"Fine!" Xu Xinnian retorted sharply, "If you become a ruthless warlord one day, I will too."

I feel like I've set a flag for myself. Xu Qi'an coughed and looked at Xu Pingzhi: "Second Uncle, you must be our witness."

"Get lost!" Xu Pingzhi turned around and cursed, "You keep talking about infighting, do you think I don't exist?"

P. S.: Originally, I wrote a full 6,000 words for the part about interrogating Zhou Li, in order to highlight the factional struggle and the despair of the evil villain Zhou Gongzi.

To this end, I also looked up the ancient procedures for solving cases.

Later I realized, why did I give so much attention to such a minor character? Didn't that disrupt the flow of the narrative? With that much space, I could have focused on my aunt...

So I extracted the essence, highlighted the factional struggles, and shortened the trial process. That stuff wasn't very interesting to write, and I doubt you'd like it.

This part of the story involving Vice Minister Zhou marks the beginning of this entire volume.