Chapter 18: The Judicial Department's Junior Official of the Ministry of Punishment

  "Get out of here, you blind thing!"

  The horsemen riding on the outside were officials from the Ministry of Justice and Luoyang Prefecture. As soon as the beggars approached, their whips rose up and struck down without hesitation. The beggars did not expect these men to be so fierce, and the first two beggars could not dodge in time, receiving two lashes each, crying out in pain "Ah yo".

  Seeing that these people are not good company, those beggars knew they had found the wrong target and didn't dare to speak, turning around to escape immediately.

  "Hey! No hitting!"

  Xie Douwei suddenly let out a loud shout, stopping the several bailiffs. She turned her horse's head and walked towards the beggars. Qiao Junyu and Tang Zong didn't know what she was going to do, so they reined in their horses and stopped there. Xie Douwei rode up to the beggars, and her face, which had been as cold as frost, finally softened.

  Several beggars didn't understand her intention, and their faces showed some fear. Xie Muwen looked them up and down, then reached into her sleeve and pulled out several Kaiyuan Tongbao coins. She raised her hand, and one of the beggars suddenly came to his senses, hastily holding out both hands. The heavy coins clinked as they fell into his hands, and the beggars were overjoyed, hurriedly nodding their heads and bowing: "Thank you, noble person! Thank you, noble person!"

  Xie Douwei raised an eyebrow, his eyes cold as he sneered: "Look at you all, with your limbs intact and robust bodies, can't find any work to do to earn a living, but instead want to go beg. Truly despicable! You'd be better off stealing or robbing than being a beggar!"

  Several beggars nodded like chicks pecking at rice: "Yes! Yes! Yes! The nobleman's teachings are!"

  Xie Toudou looked at them with a pleased expression, but in fact, he didn't take it to heart. He couldn't help but sigh and glare at them with a "hate iron for not becoming steel" look, then turned his horse around and hurried back.

  Luo Yang Wei Tang Zong and Criminal Department's Fa Cao Can Jun Shi Qiao Jun Yu, these two law enforcement officials couldn't help but exchange a bitter smile after hearing her words. Seeing her return, Qiao Can Jun hastily changed his expression to a smiling one and said: "Thanks to the benevolent heart of the Lord, you can be so compassionate even towards those beggars."

  Xie Douwei said calmly: "If it weren't for the fact that there was no other choice, who would be willing to humble themselves and become a beggar? Even if you can't help, there's no need to drive them away like a mad dog."

  Qiao Zan Jun didn't want to continue the conversation, and awkwardly coughed, saying: "The captain is right, please look ahead, we are approaching Yang Lang Zhong's residence."

  They walked along a main thoroughfare in Luoyang City, with compacted yellow earth underfoot and rows of elm trees and pagoda trees on either side. Behind the trees were deep drainage ditches, and behind the ditches stood high walls about one zhang tall, enclosing grand mansions, temples, and Taoist monasteries with flying eaves and multi-story buildings.

  Occasionally, one can see a grand mansion with its own large gate opening directly onto the city street on the wall of the alley. The gate is flanked by two rows of spears and guarded by armored soldiers and powerful slaves. This is the residence of high-ranking officials above the third rank, who are specially permitted to open their gates onto the main street according to regulations. Ordinary people's doors can only face inward into the alley.

  Not far ahead is the gate of Xiūwén Fāng. Yang Míngshēng, a Langzhong in the Ministry of Punishment, held an official position below the third rank, and his mansion was naturally also built inside the alley.

  When Qiao Junyu and others entered the Xiwenfang, they did not cause any sensation. Almost every house in the alley had some officials living inside. The officials socialized extensively, coming and going without any ordinary people around. It was common for noble guests to visit their homes. The most officials lived in Xiwenfang, and it was normal for people with status to come and go.

  Today, all officials do not need to attend the morning court session, and it is even more common for guests to come and go among officials early in the morning. The Tang Emperor originally had to attend the morning court session every day, but in the second year of Xianqing (656 AD), in May, the prime ministers petitioned Emperor Gaozong, saying that the world was at peace and there were not many political affairs to deal with, so they asked His Majesty to attend the court session every other day. From then on, the imperial court changed to a single-day attendance system, where officials would attend the morning court session one day and take the next day off.

  Qiao Junyu and his party directly entered the home of Yang Mingsheng, a Langzhong in the Ministry of Punishment.

  The Langzhong of the Ministry of Punishment is the third-ranking official in the Ministry of Punishment, second only to the Minister of Punishment and the Vice Minister of Punishment. For major cases, the Langzhong of the Ministry of Punishment must, on behalf of the Vice Minister of Punishment, jointly with the Censor-in-Chief and the President of the Supreme Court, form a three-branch panel for trial. When the imperial court issues an amnesty decree, it is announced by the Langzhong of the Ministry of Punishment on behalf of the Ministry of Punishment, making his power extremely weighty.

  Yang Mingsheng, the Langzhong of the Ministry of Punishment, was only in his forties, but his hair had already begun to turn white, and the muscles on his face were somewhat slack, so the wrinkles appeared particularly deep. He was tall and slender, with a long neck, a hooked nose like an eagle's beak, and a pair of sharp eyes that seemed to gleam like those of a vulture searching for food, inspiring fear in all who beheld him.

  Especially the two deep nasolabial folds on both sides of his nose, which made his face look cold and stern. As the third in command of the Tang Dynasty's Ministry of Punishment, Yang Mingsheng had always been strict with his words and never joked around. In the Ministry of Punishment, he was known for being serious and harsh. Even Ge Qianyu, a military advisor who had worked with him for many years, had rarely seen him smile.

  At this moment, he was talking and laughing, his old face like a chrysanthemum in autumn, even the wrinkles on his face were stretched out like chrysanthemum petals. His smile, of course, was directed at Mei Hua Nei Wei Guo Yu'e Xie Muwen Xie Niang, and Yang Langzhong, who had never been talkative or smiled in front of Tian Hou Nei Wei, also broke the example.

  "Please, Commander Xie, this way."

  "Please come in."

  At that time, the title of "adult" still specifically referred to close relatives and elders, so in official circles, people only addressed each other by their official positions. Even a county magistrate addressing a prime minister would be called "Prime Minister So-and-so", while the prime minister would address him as "County Magistrate So-and-so". In their conversation, they would refer to themselves as "a certain person". If the county magistrate was unwilling to humbly call himself a lower official or humble job, it wouldn't be considered impolite. That's why Xie Mowan and Yang Mingsheng addressed each other in this way.

  Yang Mingsong smiled and invited Xie Muwen into the inner study, while Qiao Junyu and Tang Zong sat down in the living room. Yang Mingsong listened to Xie Douwei explain the cause and effect of the matter in the inner study, and said with a sigh: "Don't worry, Xie Douwei, since it's the Empress Dowager's order and Zhou Shilang's appointment, I will do my best to find the murderer."

  Xie Muwen smiled and said: "This matter is of great importance, so I'll have to entrust it to Yang Langzhong!"

  Yang Mingsheng slapped his palm three times and shouted: "Tang Shaofu, Qiao Canjun, come in and talk!"

  The two entered the study, exchanged greetings and sat down. Yang Mingsong looked at Tang Zong, the prefect of Luoyang, and asked in a deep voice: "Have personnel been sent to inspect the city gate?"

  "Lang Zhong, rest assured. Before any of the city gates of Luoyang were opened, I had already sent people to inspect them. Anyone with injuries on their shoulders will not be allowed to leave the city!"

  "Hmm!"

  Yang Mingsheng nodded, his lips pursed, making the two nasolabial folds under his nose even deeper, like two deep gullies extending from his aquiline nose to the left and right. He thought quietly for a moment before saying slowly: "General Qiao!"

  Qiao Junyu, who was originally kneeling on the guest seat, immediately straightened up and bowed his head, saying: "Yes!"

  Yang Mingsheng said: "You immediately inform the governor of Luoyang, dispatch personnel to conduct a thorough search of each of the 103 wards in the city. The prefectural government is responsible for the 103 wards, and each ward is responsible for its own Wu Hou Pu Zi. Each ward will designate one street or alley, and conduct door-to-door searches. At the same time, issue a proclamation: those who harbor hidden people, once discovered, will be punished along with the person being harbored! Furthermore, informers will be rewarded!"

  "Promise!"

  "Moreover, Beicheng is where the granary is located. All of them are grain warehouses, and it's unlikely that anyone will enter easily, but it's also the easiest place to hide. You immediately instruct the officials of the granary to lead people to inspect each warehouse. Also, in Luoyang, there are three markets, all of which open after noon. We can arrange for people to guard the market gates and inspect merchants and travelers one by one as they enter. Other places such as inns, taverns, brothels, and slave markets, etc., are also dens of vice and should be thoroughly investigated!"

  "Promise!"

  "Tang's minor official..."

  Xie Douyu sat aside and watched, Yang Mingsheng instructed one by one, in an orderly manner. Xie Douyu did not mention that she had encountered two small thieves while chasing the assassin last night. She believed that those two small thieves had nothing to do with the assassin, but if she said it out loud, these two people would inevitably be in big trouble.

  Her "brother" was just a little thief, perhaps because of the love for the house and the crow, so when introducing the case, she only hesitated slightly and skipped over the little thief who stole at night.

  "Big Brother..."

  Xie Muwen couldn't help but indulge in those bittersweet memories, until Tang Zong and Qiao Junyu's movements to bid farewell startled her. Xie Muwen hastily collected her thoughts and stood up, saying: "In that case, I'll trouble you, sir. I'll quietly await the good news from your medical skills. I won't disturb you further, so I'll take my leave now!"

  Yang Ming stood up with a smile and said: "I, Yang, will definitely go all out, so don't worry."

  Xie Muwen said with a smile: "Good, if there's any news, please let Lang Zhong inform me in time."

  "Hehe, that's natural, Yang sent a gift to Commander Xie."

  "How dare you, sir! You're being too polite."

  "Thank you, sir."

  The two walked side by side outwards, with Tang Zong and Qiao Junyu following behind them.

  These two men still do not know what crime the person they are pursuing has committed, or why he was arrested. However, having been in official circles for a long time, they naturally understand that most cases handled by the Imperial Guard are either unsavory or extremely important, so they don't ask too many questions; it's better to wade through such muddy waters as little as possible.

  Yang Mingsheng smiled and sent Xie Muwen to the second hall door, Xie Muwen turned around and bowed his fist: "Lang Zhong Liu Bu, certain this farewell!"

  Yang Mingsheng stood at the foot of the stairs, raised his hands in a high salute, and bowed to Xie Niangzi, saying: "Slow walk!"

  Xie Muwen and Tang Zong, Qiao Junyu walked towards the front yard, Manager Liu replaced the host to continue seeing them off. Yang Mingsheng did not leave, but stood at the door, thoughtfully looking at their backs. After Manager Liu sent away the guests, he hurried back to his side and said: "Young Master, you haven't had breakfast yet, if you delay any longer it will get cold..."

  Yang Mingsheng waved his hand and said, "Hold on for now, I need to think about some things. Bring it into the study later."

  "Yes!" Liu Guanshi responded with a single word and quietly retreated.

  Yang Mingsheng returned to the study alone, sat down with a flourish, stroked his beard, and pondered slightly: "Assassinating the emperor is a huge matter, would the assassin still be hiding in Luoyang City? Moreover, where else could they hide, but instead came to Xiwenfang, where there are more official residences. It's likely that they intentionally want to implicate others."

  Yang Mingsheng's eyes flashed, and he pondered for a moment, seemingly unaware of what he was thinking about. A faint, cold smile appeared on the edge of his lips...

  Note: Kaiyuan Tongbao was not the big coin cast only in the Kaiyuan period of Tang Xuanzong, but also the copper coins cast during the Gaozong period were called Kaiyuan Tongbao.