The Passerby Hidden Guard Picked Up the Villain [Transmigration] - Chapter 27

The next day, inside the Court of Judicial Review.

Thick layers of clouds completely obscured the sun, and a strong wind set the leaves rustling. Inside the room, Xiao Hongyin fetched a crane feather cloak and draped it over He Yanzhi’s shoulders. He Yanzhi took his time sipping ginger tea until Zhao Ji rushed in to find them, breathless with the news that Sun Ruilin had finally awakened.

He Yanzhi and Xiao Hongyin exchanged a quick look before following Zhao Ji to the room where Sun Ruilin was being housed.

The man on the bed was pale. Though his eyes were open, they were cloudy and lifeless. His lips were pressed tight and his jaw remained clenched. Zhao Ji called his name several times, but the man on the bed gave no response.

“He has been like this since the moment he opened his eyes. I wonder if Lord He has a way?” Zhao Ji looked at He Yanzhi with anticipation, and Xiao Hongyin followed suit.

“I am not a doctor. Where would I get a way?” He Yanzhi felt baffled by their stares.

“Everyone in Xizhou says Lord He is remarkably capable, that one strike of your paddle can make even a dead man speak. Surely you can handle someone who is half alive,” Zhao Ji added. He recounted the rumors he had gathered from Xizhou, embellishing them until He Yanzhi’s brow twitched.

He Yanzhi simply replied, “Rumors are not to be trusted.” He walked to the bedside and asked Zhao Ji for a silver needle. “However, if you just want him to have a reaction, I can try.”

A physician happened to be in the room and handed him a silver needle from a kit. He Yanzhi pricked Sun Ruilin’s fingertip without hesitation.

“Do you still remember the words of the Crown Prince?” He Yanzhi asked. With every prick of the needle, he spoke in a confusing, indirect manner. “The thing the King of Xizhou is looking for, the Crown Prince will never speak of. The wife and children trapped.”

After a string of such phrases, Sun Ruilin’s eyes began to tremble slightly. When He Yanzhi drove the needle into his pinky finger, Sun Ruilin suddenly bolted upright and shouted, “You are dreaming!”

The room filled with joy. Zhao Ji quickly ushered the physician forward to check the man’s pulse. He Yanzhi silently set down the needle and stepped back to stand with Xiao Hongyin.

“This method is quite novel. Where did you learn it, Yanzhi?” Xiao Hongyin asked, his eyes full of curiosity.

He Yanzhi smiled. “You want to learn?”

Xiao Hongyin nodded and then shook his head, meeting his gaze. “Learning it would be useful, but since I have you, it makes no difference whether I learn it or not.”

He Yanzhi thought the brat was getting far too comfortable relying on him. He replied coldly, “Fifty taels per session. No credit.”

“Can’t you give me a few for free?” Xiao Hongyin blinked and leaned in close, trying to charm his way out.

He Yanzhi looked at the boy’s approaching face and was about to snap back when Zhao Ji called out, “He’s awake! He’s awake! Lord He, he’s awake!”

He Yanzhi walked to the bed. Sun Ruilin was looking around blankly, his mouth slightly open as he made weak, raspy sounds. “Where is this?”

“The Court of Judicial Review,” He Yanzhi replied. “There are no outsiders here.”

Sun Ruilin turned his eyes toward him. “You are?”

Zhao Ji introduced He Yanzhi. Since Sun Ruilin recognized Zhao Ji, he trusted his words. After the patient’s consciousness cleared a bit, He Yanzhi got straight to the point. “Forgive my bluntness, Lord Sun, but how exactly did you end up in this state?”

He had looked into Sun Ruilin’s background that morning. It was said that after Lord Shen Hai fell, Sun Ruilin had spoken up for him in court. This earned him the Emperor’s suspicion, making his position precarious until he was forced to resign and return home.

Hearing the question, Sun Ruilin recalled the events of the past few days. His breathing quickened. He struggled to speak, but his eyes suddenly grew cloudy again. He weakly lifted his right hand. “Protecting oneself. Protect.”

After saying those few words, Sun Ruilin fainted. Zhao Ji hurried the physician over. The physician concluded that the patient’s pulse was weak and he had simply succumbed to exhaustion. He would need to rest for a while.

He Yanzhi nodded and turned to Xiao Hongyin. “What was the last word he said?”

Xiao Hongyin thought for a moment and replied, “Ore.”

Zhao Ji gasped, lowering his voice. “Are you sure you heard correctly? The mineral veins of the empire have always belonged to the national treasury. How could the Crown Prince be involved with ore? That is the capital crime of treason!”

Zhao Ji looked at Xiao Hongyin as if the fault lay with him. He Yanzhi shot Zhao Ji a sidelong glance. “Do you not know if the Crown Prince is hiding mineral veins? We have just arrived; why are you questioning him?”

Zhao Ji realized he had lost his composure and apologized. “Forgive me, my Lord. I truly had no knowledge of this matter.”

“That is your business,” He Yanzhi said. “Since Lord Sun has told us this secret, I fear the mine has already fallen into the hands of the King of Xizhou.”

He Yanzhi pieced the logic together. The King of Xizhou, He Yu, had discovered the Crown Prince was hiding a mine. He then framed the officials who knew about it to extract the secrets of the veins. Sun Ruilin was one of those who knew. To find out more, they would have to wait for him to wake up again.

“You are right, my Lord. We must report this to the Crown Prince immediately,” Zhao Ji said, hurrying to take his leave.

“We?” He Yanzhi looked at Xiao Hongyin. The boy had no reaction and was looking down, deep in thought.

It made sense. Xiao Hongyin was clever and surely saw through He Yanzhi’s intentions. He Yanzhi had been intentionally nudging him away from He Yu, hoping he would not repeat the mistakes of the original book. Connecting with the Crown Prince was a step in the right direction.

Xiao Hongyin snapped out of his thoughts and met He Yanzhi’s gaze. A slight smile played on his lips. “Why are you looking at me like that, Yanzhi?”

“I am looking because I want to. Is that not allowed?”

Xiao Hongyin let out a soft laugh. They talked a bit more and left the room. Near the study, they saw a registrar knocking urgently on the door.

“What is it?” He Yanzhi asked.

“Reporting to the Lord, no trace of refugees has been found in the city, nor have any bodies been discovered.” The registrar handed over a file.

He Yanzhi scanned it, his expression turning serious. “Has the area outside the city been searched?”

The registrar shook his head. “The men sent out of the city were all blocked.”

He Yanzhi set the file on the desk with a sharp thud. “Who is bold enough to block the Court of Judicial Review?”

The registrar bowed his head even lower. “It is the Ministry of Justice, my Lord.”

Even though it was noon, the room felt as dim as evening. He Yanzhi stood by the window, half of his body hidden in the shadows. He frowned, dismissed the registrar, and sat back at his desk, rubbing his temples.

“Zhou Xie moves quite fast,” Xiao Hongyin noted, bringing He Yanzhi hot tea and pouring a cup for himself.

“Zhao Mengjie is the Vice Minister of Justice, yet even he can do nothing. It seems the Ministry of Justice.” He Yanzhi looked straight ahead and murmured, “The King of Xizhou truly has the momentum of someone looking to take the throne.”

It was no wonder Zhao Mengjie went to Xizhou to find help. It seemed there was truly no one left in court to oppose He Yu.

Xiao Hongyin sipped his tea, appearing less anxious than He Yanzhi. “If we cannot go out of the city, then we won’t. The people might still be inside the city for all we know.”

He Yanzhi sighed and looked at him. “How do you know they are in the city?” A hint of suspicion flashed in his dark eyes. Ever since they arrived at the capital, the boy’s performance seemed as if he had prior knowledge. He Yanzhi even wondered if Xiao Hongyin had been replaced.

Xiao Hongyin blinked innocently. “I am no prophet. It is just a guess. If you disagree, we will find a way out of the city.”

He Yanzhi leaned back in his chair, thought for a moment, and downed his tea. “Forget it. Let us search the city first.”

News of their intention to leave reached Zhao Ji quickly. After finishing his tasks, he rushed to He Yanzhi with bad news. “Lord He, the Court of Judicial Review is surrounded.”

Zhao Ji was sweating. “I tried to return to the Ministry of Justice just now, but I was blocked by a group of soldiers who refused to let anyone out. I could only send a message back secretly. You should go take a look outside.”

He Yanzhi’s face darkened. He exchanged a look with Xiao Hongyin and walked toward the gate. The guards of the Court of Judicial Review did not ask questions, but as soon as they stepped outside, soldiers with blades blocked their path.

“Who are you to dare block an official?” He Yanzhi looked around and realized that hundreds of soldiers had surrounded the building.

The soldiers remained firm. “By order of the Minister of Justice, we are searching the city for those who caused trouble at the Zhou residence yesterday. We ask for your understanding, my Lord.”

“What does catching criminals have to do with me? Move aside!”

Before He Yanzhi could finish, Xiao Hongyin stepped in front of him, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword and drawing it slightly. The pressure was so intense that the soldiers all drew their blades in response. The atmosphere was thick with tension.

“Catching criminals has nothing to do with you, Lord. You may move about as you wish, but my subordinates are searching certain areas thoroughly, so I must ask you to take a detour.”

The words were polite, but when He Yanzhi moved left, the soldiers blocked the path. When he moved right, they placed iron caltrops in the middle of the road.

“This is too much!”

He Yanzhi, who was not known for his good temper, reached for Xiao Hongyin’s sword to start a fight. Xiao Hongyin quickly pressed his hand down and whispered, “There is no need to waste time with them. Let us go back.”

He Yanzhi turned and walked away in a huff. Xiao Hongyin sheathed his sword and followed him back into the Court of Judicial Review. Once they were inside, the leader of the soldiers smirked and signaled his men to keep the building so tightly guarded that not even a fly could get through.

The doors were slammed shut. He Yanzhi and Xiao Hongyin walked deep into the building, arriving at the place where the Shen Hai files had been burned.

“Today’s act should fool them for a few days. We must move quickly.”

This was the most remote corner of the Court of Judicial Review. Behind the wall was a bamboo forest where no one ever went. Hearing the sound of heavy footsteps approaching, He Yanzhi and Xiao Hongyin scaled the wall and vanished before the soldiers could find them.