Chapter 520: Striking First

Chapter 520: Chapter 520: Striking First

Wang Yiming stood at the gates of the Ministry of Justice, his face expressionless but his heart inevitably tense.

Though success or failure would not negatively impact his career, it would mean missing a rare opportunity to make a public appearance and earn merit—an opportunity quite precious for someone like Wang Yiming not involved in frontline investigations. He certainly did not want to waste it. So in his heart, he silently wished a hundred times that the people in the Major Case Department were clever enough to see the bait Lord Shen had tossed them, and wouldn’t foolishly ignore it.

After waiting a long time, Wang Yiming finally received a smiling reply from Li Qing, saying that Qin Xiuyuan’s corpse had already begun to decay and was no longer suitable for examination. Was this a polite refusal?

"The Xuanqing Guard has techniques specifically for handling decayed corpses. I ask Constable Li to send another message." Wang Yiming was inwardly delighted, but had to keep his face taut, forcing himself to appear angry.

"Sorry, Vice Officer Wang. What I just relayed was Lord Xue’s order, which is the decision of the Major Case Department." Li Qing now felt emboldened. Since Xue Gui said the Xuanqing Guard could not touch the corpse, there was no chance the other side would get in. Besides, she’d been notified last night that the preliminary case file might undergo changes, so it was imperative to keep the Xuanqing Guard’s hands tied.

Li Qing would never know what the Ministry of Justice higher-ups were thinking, nor did she care. Whatever Xue Gui told her to do, she did. Letting these Black Skin from the Xuanqing Guard hit a wall amused her to no end.

Wang Yiming displayed his hidden talent again, his expression subtly shifting to one of "I’m infuriated but holding it in, don’t push your luck", which made Li Qing secretly delighted.

"Constable Li. The case is murky, the only direct clue is Qin Xiuyuan’s corpse. Your department’s investigative methods are crude and amateurish—the preliminary case file is even worse than what a Xuanqing Guard rookie would assemble. Is this the attitude a true investigator should have? Or is this how the Ministry of Justice handles all its cases?"

"Vice Officer Wang! What’s that supposed to mean!" Li Qing’s temper was not a gentle one. Even though she’d enjoyed Wang Yiming’s ’frustration’, being spoken to so bluntly still stung. The mana coursing through her began to stir, prompting several governmental officials nearby to quietly prepare to intervene.

"Constable Li should know what I mean. You Major Case Department people have the right to lead but don’t work, going through the motions and even blocking us from investigating—shouldn’t there be an explanation? Or do you think the Xuanqing Guard is easy to push around?" Wang Yiming did not back down, and even at the Ministry gates, his hand was resting on the hilt of the Yanji Saber.

Honestly, if anyone dared to act so arrogant at the Xuanqing Guard Commander’s Office entrance as Wang Yiming was now, they’d have been torn apart on the spot. But the Ministry of Justice? They really didn’t dare be that hard on Wang Yiming and his trademark Black Skin uniform.

"Vice Officer Wang, spouting nonsense is the Xuanqing Guard’s style, I suppose?"

"The Xuanqing Guard always addresses matters, not people. If your preliminary case file can’t withstand scrutiny, can’t anyone point that out?"

Li Qing took a deep breath, suppressing her anger in her chest before replying, "You know that’s only a preliminary file. Since it’s just a draft, it isn’t complete. Each department investigates differently. You favor rash leaps, we favor steady progress. With your impatience, Vice Officer Wang, I fear you must suffer often?"

Li Qing’s retort had an undercurrent of snideness, but it was clear she was being forced by Wang Yiming’s pressure into showing some attitude of her own.

"Oh? So you mean the Major Case Department will alter the facts in later files?"

"That isn’t something Vice Officer Wang needs to know. If you wish to inquire, have Lord Shen speak directly with Lord Xue. I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t be keeping you company. Please leave." Casually making a cupped hand salute, Li Qing didn’t give Wang Yiming a chance to speak further, turning and leaving immediately.

Wang Yiming did not persist either. With a darkened face, he watched Li Qing walk back into the Ministry gates before turning to leave himself. The fierce look he wore now was far from his usual image—on closer inspection, one might even detect faint traces of Shen Hao’s aura in it.

But no one else would know that the uglier his current expression, the more pleased Wang Yiming was inside. Judging by Li Qing’s behavior today, Shen Hao’s plan could already be considered a success. The so-called "incomplete case file" and "don’t rush" were all empty words and delaying tactics—the real purpose was to revise that original preliminary draft.

As for how they’d alter it? Wang Yiming was certain they meant business now.

...

Puffed up with anger, Li Qing had just returned to the office when Xue Gui’s gatekeeper immediately summoned her to Xue Gui’s Public Office.

"How did it go?"

"Reporting to My Lord, Wang Yiming just left. He was extremely aggressive, accusing us of ’being given the lead but not doing the work’, showing obvious contempt for the Major Case Department—there was an unmistakable undercurrent of rivalry. As you instructed, I refused their request for a second autopsy and told them there would be updates to the case file. That finally got rid of him.

But, My Lord, Wang Yiming must be acting on Shen Hao’s orders. If he comes again tomorrow, how should we handle it?"

Brushing them off once or twice was fine, but treating the other side like fools would cause trouble. The Xuanqing Guard was not an agency the Major Case Department or even the Ministry of Justice could toy with.

"They’ll definitely come again. But next time it won’t be Wang Yiming—it’ll be Shen Hao himself. They’re shrewd, always riding the momentum, certain we’re caught between the Qin Family’s influence and won’t dare lay everything bare. Their tactic is to push us, step by step, in hopes we’ll lose composure. Once that happens, the entire Ministry will fall behind in principle; if they then escalate it to the upper court, the label of ’currying favor with the prince’ will stick to us and the Civil Servant Group, and control of the case will pass neatly into their hands.

Tsk, tsk, what a scheme. He truly deserves the name ’Evil Star’; his evil intent is hard to avoid."

There was some admiration in Xue Gui’s tone, but also mockery, for by sharing this much with Li Qing, he showed he was completely aware. In fact, he hadn’t figured out all the crucial points himself. Only yesterday, after consulting with his superior, Minister of Justice Ma Xuanlin, did he receive some of that analysis.

Of course, facing Xuanqing Guard’s relentless pressure, Ma Xuanlin didn’t delay either. That very night, he brought Xue Gui to the estate of Left Minister Ye Lansheng, where four of the Six Ministries’ Ministers (except for the Minister of War) were also present... Recalling that scene still made Xue Gui uneasy.

With such a show of force, the principle decided upon was clear: never let the Xuanqing Guard take the lead in the investigation, and never let them pin the label of ’currying favor with the prince’ on the Ministry of Justice or the Civil Servant Group. As for the finer operational details, those were left to Xue Gui to handle as the man on the scene.

As for Prince Shou... to quote Left Minister Ye Lansheng: Prince Shou would have to be compensated at another opportunity.