The Hanlin Academy is located two streets away from the Ministry of Justice, right on the east and west ends. It took a horse-drawn carriage less than half a cup of tea to get there.

When everyone entered, many people had gathered at the entrance of the Hanlin Academy, all talking about the scene in the courtyard:

"It's so horrific! I've never seen so much blood in my life!"

"The murderer was so ruthless. He accidentally cut off the head of the deceased by letting Academician Niu accidentally do it."

"...We bachelors have become murderers, and our scholarly spirit has been stained with blood. This courtyard won't be haunted in the future, right?"

As soon as Yun Xi heard that someone was afraid of being haunted, both Yun Xi and Qing Guo turned their attention to the frightened Hanlin official, and couldn't help but slow down their pace, falling some distance behind Lu Qingfan and his group in front.

Even if someone retorts: "What are you talking about! Looking at our bachelor's behavior, we are not criminals!"

"That's right, it's all in vain that Hanlin has been taking care of us these days. Professor, junior, what you said is really unconscionable!"

"That's because you didn't see the scene inside..." The man who was retorted shrank his shoulders, showing that he was really scared.

Lu Qingfan has sharp ears and eyes, so these sounds naturally did not escape his ears.

The Hanlin Academy is a holy place of scholars once pointed out by our ancestors. It has been peaceful and quiet for several years. There has never been a death, not to mention a petty theft.

Nowadays, seeing such a cruel murder is enough for a scholar like this to drink a pot.

When everyone was approaching, Fan Zhi took the initiative to clear the place. Ran Piao and Ren Danqing from behind shouted loudly: "The Ministry of Punishment is on an errand, give way, give way!"

Ah Shan at the rear blocked the Hanlins, preventing the many Hanlins who stretched their necks, watched the fun, or lamented from coming forward to destroy the scene of the crime.

When they got closer, Yun Xi and Qing Guo put on their ankle boots, and Lu Qingfan stepped aside to let Yun Xi's master and servant go forward.

"Mr. Niu, are you okay?" Yun Xi glanced at Niu Jingyuan, who was leaning on the corridor and was limp and pale.

Niu Jingyuan had been reading books for half his life, but this was the first time he saw a corpse...especially the corpse whose head had been accidentally cut off by him. At this moment, his heart was broken, and it took him a while to recognize that the person was Yun Xi.

He pointed tremblingly at the slightly open door in front of him, indicating that the crime scene was there.

Yun Xi nodded, and her clear eyes fell in front: In the bookstore with a slightly open door, the blood on the ground was almost flowing to the door; there was a tight steel wire between the two doors, and the blood on it was still dripping.

, making the originally mysterious and bloody crime scene increasingly filled with a psychedelic air of death.

Yun Xi took another step forward and saw the headless corpse sitting on the chair; the head fell on the side of the library door, and the hideous and frightened expression of the deceased silently told the despair of the dying person.

"The ancestral mausoleum of the deceased was a sixth-rank lecturer at the Hanlin Academy. He was always responsible for compiling and recording the bibliography and files of Academician Niu. Today, Academician Niu went to the library to check the bibliography on time as usual, but found that the door could not be opened."

Ran Piao, who had already asked for several confessions, stood by the door. At first sight of the blood, he was dissuaded from entering, and raised his voice to Lu Qingfan and Yun Xi, who were entering.

"Scholar Niu is a real person, and he heard the ancestral mausoleum inside the house calling for help, so he locked the door hard in desperation, and the result..."

The result was that the ancestral tomb in the house was missing.

Yun Xi had already seen that Zu Ling's mouth was stuffed with a handkerchief. In panic and fear, the cry for help must have been indistinct. Niu Jingyuan was eager to save people, but instead it led to a tragedy.

With clear eyes, he carefully examined the traces around the corpse. After hearing this, Lu Qingfan said "hmm" and went inside the book pavilion.

The library of the Hanlin Academy is so large and contains so many books that it is truly spectacular.

Lu Qingfan stood in the bookcase and looked around, but he could hardly see his head.

His eyes narrowed and his gaze fell on the traces in the library.

"Sir, it may be difficult to find clues in the Book Pavilion. Firstly, there are many people from the Hanlin who come to the Book Pavilion every day; secondly, many officials in the imperial court and the examiners who compile policy papers often come and go here recently."

So even if there are any clues left, I'm afraid it will be difficult to turn into evidence.

Ran Piaoren was outside the place where the crime took place, but he was concerned about the place where the crime took place, so he had a very clear idea of ​​the situation in the Hanlin Academy.

Over here, after a brief investigation, Yun Xi and Qing Guo placed the body and prepared to take it to the Ministry of Punishments for autopsy.

"Sir, let's go first." Yun Xi greeted Lu Qingfan, and Lu Qingfan nodded.

He walked out of the library and saw that the murder weapon hanging on the door had been carefully removed by Yun Xi and taken away. The blood stains on the ground were still shocking.

Lu Qingfan couldn't help frowning and said to Master Ran: "Master Lao, seal this place." The implication is that no one is allowed to enter in these days.

"What will we do if we are not allowed in?"

"Yes, sir, the Ministry of Punishment will settle the case as soon as it is settled. It cannot delay our compilation of the scientific research policy, right?"

"Compiling ancient books about famous people is also a big project, and we can't delay it even for a day!"

…

For a time, doubts arose one after another in the Hanlin Academy, and they all disagreed with Lu Qingfan sealing the library, which would delay the progress of everything.

Literary people all have that persistent tenacity in them. Lu Qingfan didn't say a word, pursed his thin lips slightly, and signaled Ran Piao to just go ahead and do it.

"Shilang Lu, you can't even listen to a word of this big guy's words!"

"Yes! How great is the Ministry of Justice? Without our Hanlin Academy, how could we have all the civil and military officials!"

"That's right! Open the library!"

"The library is not allowed to be sealed!"

…

"This is not possible, sir!" Niu Jingyuan, who finally regained some energy on the ground, stood up holding the pillar and persuaded Lu Qingfan: "The imperial examination is about to take place. This is a very important matter for Jiangnan students. We must not

Delaying the rollout."

The Shugeku is the hall that the Imperial Academy admires all over the world. It is also the place where the foundation of the Ming Dynasty and the civilization of the ancestors are passed down.

If Niu Jingyuan alone cannot open the library, compile history books, write ancient biographies, and major scientific research projects will be delayed and shelved, wouldn't he become a sinner in ancient times?

"The person who committed the murder was the lower official. The lower official is willing to bear the responsibility for the crime. The library must not be sealed..."

"Master Niu!" Lu Qingfan sternly stopped what he was saying, and reminded him in a cold voice: "Officials of the Hanlin Academy are all pillars of the future country. As a fifth-grade bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, you are the leader of the world's scholars, and you have been wronged and accepted.

I judge the case indiscriminately, only trying to be vague and perfunctory to make up for the overall situation. How should the three departments act in the future? How can I maintain the dignity of the court?"

Niu Jingyuan was startled. He was only thinking about the importance of the general affairs in the library, but he forgot that his role as a model for the world's scholars was even more important.

"Your Excellency admits that he is guilty of murder. It is a matter of high justice to protect the country and should not be taken lightly! We, the students, must bear this in mind and appreciate your sacrifice!"

Suddenly, a young man in the crowd talked about "the virtue of righteousness", and actually thought that Niu Jingyuan's confession of guilt for all the matters in the bookstore was "high righteousness".

Lu Qingfan said nothing and said loudly: "Take it."

The officer on the side immediately detained the scholar-looking Hanlin official without saying a word.

There are actually many ignorant people who agree with what this scholar said, which is simply ridiculous!

"What I said was from the bottom of my heart. What Academic Niu did was truly righteous. Why did you target me?" The scholar-official was still unconvinced and retorted as stubbornly as an ox with its neck stiffened.

"Stupid stuff!"

Lu Qingfan said coldly: "You talk so much about benevolence and righteousness, but you make the wronged confess their guilt, use 'high righteousness' to kidnap the innocent, and use the false accusation of injustice to 'justify the world's righteousness'. What kind of 'righteousness' are you talking about?!"

His deep dark eyes were like the bright cold moon in the sky, and his deep and deep voice was like the ringing of bells that shocked people's hearts: "If everyone in the world behaves like you, etiquette and laws are broken, and the people are wronged, how will the laws of our Ming Dynasty exist? In the future,

Where is the justice of the people? If there is no justice for the living, who should the historical records and records of the deceased be passed down to?"

Those in the past should be in awe, and the people in front of them should be righteous above all else.

What Lu Qingfan said is hard to argue with.

The Hanlin officials who had shouted in agreement just now lowered their heads in shame, and the stubborn scholar officials who were pinned to the ground like cows also became silent.

"The library will be sealed for two days. During this period, the Ministry of Punishment will spare no effort to solve the case. If the case is not solved, the library will be opened after two days according to my instructions."

"Thank you, sir." Niu Jingyuan burst into tears at Lu Qingfan's words. He had no other choice but to bow down and express his gratitude.

Ran Piao and Ren Danqing, who were standing by, looked at each other and thought that these slanderous scholars deserved to be criticized.

Is it human language?!

"Oh my God...is that still our lord?" A-Shan, who had never seen such a scene before, bumped Fan Zhi's arm and whispered: "Didn't you say that your lord is 'taciturn'?"
Chapter completed!