I inherited my grandfather's Tang Dynasty assets.

Chapter 37 Re-investigating the Yang Wanli Case

Fan Tao hadn't expected this at all, and in his shock, he immediately gave the order.

Master Yuming was already in a daze, and only after he was subdued did he react. He struggled desperately, shouting as he did so.

"I am innocent! I am innocent!"

"The truth behind the deaths of the two young masters of the Hu family is so complicated and full of twists and turns."

Why does this woman insist that Yang Wanli was wrongfully executed? Could there truly be another hidden story?

No one expected that today's Ascension Ceremony would end in this way. Even though Master Yuming was still loudly defending himself, no one believed him anymore.

Many people who had paid were clamoring for Yuminglou to refund their money, while others were praising Fan Tao's wisdom and prowess, saying it was unbelievable that he had solved such a complicated case.

Fan Tao instructed the county magistrate to handle the remaining matters, and then immediately returned to his official residence.

The mystery that had troubled him for days was finally solved. Fan Tao even felt like he was dreaming. If it weren't for Shennong's guidance, he would never have imagined that it was related to someone like Yuming Zhenren, let alone solved the case.

As a result, the murderer went unpunished, and Hu Wenbo and Hu Wenyuan died unjustly.

However, this case involves the Yang Wanli case from five years ago, which gives Fan Tao a real headache. His uncle was one of the presiding judges in that case.

If there is indeed a wrongful conviction, and now that the matter has become public knowledge, the case may be overturned. Would this affect my uncle?

Taiji Palace, Imperial Garden.

Li Shimin was admiring the flowers with Changsun Wuji. Looking at the beautiful scenery before him, Li Shimin gently picked a flower.

"My dear minister, the flowers here were planted by Guanyinbi herself. In the blink of an eye, four years have passed since she left."

"For His Majesty to care for the Empress so much, she could rest in peace with a smile on her face."

Li Shimin let out a deep breath and waved his hand with a smile.

"My dear minister, there are no outsiders here today, so there's no need for us to be so formal. Guanyinbi is your sister, and you are my brother. That night at her bedside, I made a promise to her. Do you remember?"

Changsun Wuji felt a chill run down his spine and immediately realized that Li Shimin's true intentions were not what they seemed.

After their father, Changsun Sheng, passed away, their half-brother, Changsun Anye, drove the young siblings and their mother out of the house.

The brother and sister were raised by their maternal uncle, Gao Shilian. Gao Shilian nurtured them carefully and later discovered Li Shimin's talent, actively facilitating the marriage between Lady Changsun and Li Shimin.

Therefore, they are not only siblings, but also depend on each other for survival in times of hardship, and have a very deep bond.

Four years ago, on a summer night when Empress Zhangsun was on her deathbed, he was by her side and remembered everything that happened.

Empress Zhangsun suffered from chronic illness and was almost unable to speak at the time. She was barely breathing and did not write much about Li Shimin's will.

Besides expressing reluctance to part with him and hoping that he would be a good emperor in the future, the most important thing was to get Li Shimin to promise that Li Chengqian would be the crown prince and inherit the country in the future.

Considering the recent changes in Li Chengqian, Changsun Wuji understood Li Shimin's intentions and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Is Your Majesty referring to the Crown Prince? I have heard that the Crown Prince's temperament has changed drastically in the past few days. He has not only driven out all those scoundrels from the Eastern Palace."

He discarded everything related to the Turks and spent his days either studying or observing recent national affairs.

Changsun Wuji knew what Li Shimin was going to say, so he naturally steered the conversation toward that topic. Sure enough, Li Shimin immediately smiled.

"That's right. He suddenly became like this after returning from the Shennong Temple. This matter must be related to that Shennong envoy."

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince said that from now on, without the consent of the Shennong Envoy, neither he nor any of us can actively seek him out."

"I know, but what methods did he use to make Chengqian see the error of his ways and be completely transformed? Aren't you curious, my dear minister? One day I will go and see him."

"My dear minister, in your opinion, is Chengqian's current change genuine?"

Li Shimin also questioned Li Chengqian and Du He, who were traveling with him, but the two of them seemed to have agreed beforehand, and gave the same answer: they had only played a game with the Shennong envoy and exchanged a few words.

Li Shimin did not press him for answers, but he remained curious about it.

"Your Majesty, since the Crown Prince is unwilling to say more, it must be because Shennong gave instructions. It is best not to ask too many questions, lest the Crown Prince revert to his old ways."

Now he finally resembles a crown prince.

Li Shimin stroked his beard and smiled, revealing a long-lost, heartfelt smile.

"That's precisely why I didn't press him for answers. After all, he's your nephew. From now on, you can visit the Eastern Palace more often, understand?"

Changsun Wuji glanced at him and immediately bowed in agreement.

"Your humble servant obeys the imperial decree."

Li Shimin pointed at him and shook his head.

"You old fox, you're always so cautious."

Changsun Wuji was extremely intelligent. He was well aware that his position was very sensitive, and that every emperor throughout history had to guard against interference from his maternal relatives.

Therefore, to this day, Changsun Wuji has not held any important position, and both Crown Prince Li Chengqian and Prince Wei Li Tai have deliberately kept their distance from him.

But today, Li Shimin's intention was all too clear: to have him visit the Eastern Palace more often. This implicitly conveyed that Li Shimin was very satisfied with Li Chengqian's changes, and if he could maintain this, the position of Crown Prince would be secure. This was also a signal to the entire court.

At the same time, it was also an opportunity for him to monitor Li Chengqian, to see if he was just putting on a show or if he was truly repentant, and to find out the specific details about him and that Shennong envoy.

"By the way, Your Majesty, two hours ago, something happened at the Immortal Cultivation Hall that is related to that imperial merchant named Yang Wanli from five years ago."

"Oh? Yang Wanli? Is that the merchant who poisoned the silk? Wasn't his entire family executed?"

Li Shimin had some recollection of this person.

Changsun Wuji nodded slightly, and then recounted the whole story.

"Such a convoluted case! This Fan Tao is quite a promising talent."

As Li Shimin spoke, he seemed to suddenly remember something, and stared intently at Changsun Wuji.

"Fan Tao? Is he the one who frequents the Shennong Temple?"

"Indeed, it is him. This old minister knows a bit about this case. Fan Tao's uncle, Fan Yue, is one of the current Vice Ministers of the Court of Judicial Review. Five years ago, he was appointed Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and he was the presiding judge of the Yang Wanli case."

Li Shimin frowned slightly.

"What about Liu Dewei? What's his version of events?"

The Liu Dewei he mentioned was the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review in the early years of the Zhenguan era. Later, due to his outstanding political achievements and remarkable talent, Li Shimin appointed him as the Prefect of Jinzhou in the seventh year of the Zhenguan era.

In the eleventh year of the Zhenguan era, he was transferred back to Chang'an and appointed as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He was one of the ministers he trusted most. He also knew Fan Yue, who was a member of the Fan family in Chang'an and one of Liu Dewei's two deputies.

Now that Fan Tao has brought up this old case, and since it may be related to the person at the Shennong Temple, he has no choice but to take it seriously.

Besides, those were more than thirty lives lost. After the upheaval at the Ascension Ceremony, the whole city knew about it. How could he, as the emperor, ignore it and sit idly by?

"Your Majesty, Lord Liu was in Jinzhou at the time and should not know much about this. I believe this case should be reinvestigated. If it is indeed true that Hu Shanren conspired with the people of the Imperial Wardrobe."

"We must immediately seek justice for Yang Wanli and his family; only in this way can we demonstrate the Emperor's virtue."