Chapter 1491: Partial Disclosure

"Whether the tall skeleton is Dou Anzhi or not, we cannot draw a conclusion yet. We can only say there is a fifty percent certainty. Even if we dig up the imperial examinations from that year, so what? Whether there was a substitute examinee, one test will tell. Old Mu, you don't need to be so panicked."

Chen Guanlou was very certain.

If what Eunuch Wang Hai said was true, and this current Official Dou couldn't recite the examination essays from that year, heh, the so-called substitute examinee matter would be baseless.

"My lord seems very confident?" Medical Official Mu speculated.

Chen Guanlou chuckled, "The reason I am investigating this matter is, firstly, because of interest. You also know I like the truth and don't like being kept in the dark. Secondly, I am very curious about the current Official Dou. If he is fake, what did he rely on to muddle through for over ten years and deceive everyone? This person is a talent!"

Talents are hard to come by!

Chen Guanlou was purely satisfying his own curiosity, and helping Dou Shu along the way. Both parents were dead, and children avenging their parents is loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness, which are qualities praised in this era.

Cowards are despised, and women are the same.

"My lord's curiosity is too great! If the identity of the skeleton is confirmed, what does my lord intend to do? Are you going to report it to the authorities?"

Chen Guanlou shook his head, "Reporting to the authorities is the worst strategy. He is an official, so naturally, we must use officialdom methods and play by officialdom rules. Old Mu, you don't need to worry. This matter will not implicate you; you just need to accompany me to watch a good show."

His expression was half-smiling, seemingly looking forward to the subsequent development.

Medical Official Mu sighed, "The longer one lives, the more monsters and demons one sees. In this day and age, anything is possible."

"Old Mu, have you encountered any difficult matters? You might as well tell me, I'll come up with an idea for you."

Medical Official Mu didn't hide it either and said in a low voice, "That Imperial Concubine Jing in the palace seems to have set her sights on this old man."

"Why do you say that? You aren't good at obstetrics and gynecology; she has no reason to set her sights on you."

"Who says not." Medical Official Mu was worried, "The Taiyi Academy is urging me to be ready to enter the palace at any time. What can this old man do? I can't just say no."

He was so worried that his brows were tightly furrowed, and he seemed to have aged a few years out of thin air.

Chen Guanlou could only soothe him to think more openly, saying that it might be a good thing. At any rate, Imperial Concubine Jing was now a favored concubine and was pregnant. After Emperor Jian Shi met Imperial Concubine Jing, he seemed to have become a love-struck fool.

Medical Official Mu nodded, and could only comfort himself this way.

Chen Guanlou handed the gold ring to the shopkeeper of the Marquis's mansion's jewelry shop.

After waiting for two days, the shopkeeper told him there was a result.

It was a style from about fifteen or sixteen years ago, the craftsmanship of craftsmen from the south. If they wanted to find the craftsman who made this ring, it would take some time.

"If we can find the craftsman, can we also find the receipt for ordering this ring back then?"

"Of course we can find it." The shopkeeper said so: "The account books of jewelry shops must be kept for at least several decades. This gold ring is at most fifteen or sixteen years old, so there must be a record in the account book, and there will also be a receipt. It just takes some time to search."

"Then find it! I will pay for the silver needed. Can you determine which jewelry shop's finished product it is?"

"For now, we can only determine the general range; as for which shop's craftsman made it, we need to send people to investigate."

Chen Guanlou pondered for a moment, "Give me the clues, and arrange someone who knows the business for me. I will arrange for people to investigate, but I need your people to distinguish the truth from the false."

The shopkeeper pondered for a moment, "If Lord Lou doesn't mind, this old man will arrange for my son to follow the investigation. My son has learned this craft and can also appraise it. In the future, if there are no accidents, my position will be inherited by him."

The implication was that his son was an all-around talent who already possessed all the requirements of a jewelry shop manager. He understood the craft, the styles, and the value. He had fully mastered all kinds of professional knowledge in the industry.

"Fine! You make the decision on this matter. Let him prepare, and set off in two days."

This time Chen Guanlou didn't go to Eunuch Wang Hai, but went to find the Minister of Justice, Sun Daoning.

This case is not suitable for public disclosure for the time being, but it can be partially disclosed.

Even the excuse was ready-made.

"There is a missing person case, and a skeleton suspected to be the party involved has been found, but the identity cannot be confirmed. There is only a ring, and we need to confirm the identity through the ring. Why don't you arrange for a few brothers from the Six Shanmen to investigate?"

"What missing person case? How come this official doesn't know?" Sun Daoning was half-believing.

Chen Guanlou said half-truthfully: "Someone entrusted me privately, and precisely because it is uncertain, I didn't alert the government. I am also thinking of investigating it clearly first before reporting it to the government. It saves the government's manpower and financial resources. Don't worry, the expenses needed for the investigation and the travel expenses for the personnel are all covered by the other party. The key is that this investigation requires the intervention of official personnel so that when reporting the case in the future, the evidence can be ensured to be true and valid."

Sun Daoning looked suspicious and didn't quite believe it, "When did you start taking on investigation lawsuits? Your business is expanding quite fast!"

"Can't you think of me a little better? Can't I do a few good deeds?" Chen Guanlou was dissatisfied; with his good character, why did they suspect he had bad intentions every time?

Did he have so many previous convictions?

"I believe you will do good deeds. It's just that you have never been involved in this kind of thing, and you don't do investigation and case-solving. Why are you acting against the norm this time? Tell me first, what is the name of the missing person?"

"I don't know! I only know the surname is Dou!" Chen Guanlou started talking nonsense.

"Surname Dou?" Sun Daoning frowned, "There aren't many people with this surname. Among the capital officials, this old man only knows one. Does it have anything to do with that Official Dou?"

"It should have nothing to do with it." Chen Guanlou denied it flatly and insisted on denying it.

"Really?" Sun Daoning was half-believing, feeling uneasy in his heart. His intuition told him that Chen Guanlou's words seemed to be half-true and half-false.

"Absolutely true!" Chen Guanlou looked at the other party with extremely sincere eyes, "When have I ever lied to you."

"There have been few times when you didn't deceive this old man." Sun Daoning snorted twice, "This old man will only ask you one thing: is there any risk in this matter?"

"There is definitely no risk; it's just a normal investigation." Chen Guanlou said so.

"What this old man is asking is not the investigation, but whether there is any risk in the whole case. Don't play dumb with me." Sun Daoning was dissatisfied and played the trick of avoiding the important and dwelling on the trivial with him again.

Presumptuous!

Chen Guanlou pondered for a moment, "I think there is no risk. Even if there is a small risk, it belongs to someone else and has nothing to do with the Ministry of Justice."

"Really has nothing to do with it?" Sun Daoning just didn't believe it.

"Old Sun, we have been friends for so many years, and you still don't believe me. Have I ever pitted you? Have I ever framed you?"

Sun Daoning:...

It seems, perhaps, maybe, there hasn't been.

"Forget it, forget it, I'll give you four people, is that enough?"

"Give me a note, and I'll find four experienced agents. Remember to file it!"

"Still need to file it? What exactly do you want to do? It's fine for outsiders to call the people of the Six Shanmen agents, but you also call them agents. As a colleague in a brother unit, it's not appropriate for you to do this. Don't call them that next time."

"Fine, I won't call them agents. Filing it is just in case we really find clues, to facilitate the fixing of evidence so as to avoid buck-passing."

"You think quite a lot." ===== CHAPTER 1492 =====