My Wife is Unbeatable in the Whole World, Touch Me If You Dare!-Chapter 82 - 80 Drawing a Prison

Li Nuo hadn't even finished one cup of tea when a figure walked in from outside.

Li Anning took a teacup, poured herself a cup of tea, and sat next to Li Nuo, saying, "The County Magistrate's Office is just that, much smaller than the Ministry of Justice..."

Li Nuo thought she would quickly return to her Ministry of Justice after her visit; why was she sitting down and having tea now?

County Captain Wang and the others would be back soon. He had brewed this pot of tea unnecessarily.

But since she wasn't in a rush to leave, Li Nuo couldn't waste this opportunity.

After all, she was the first person from Legalism he had met, and she was from the high realm of Legalism.

Li Nuo often read in books that a fourth realm Legalism practitioner could instantly create a "Drawing a Prison" with a single thought, something he had never witnessed firsthand.

He slowly stood up, somewhat expectantly, and said, "Miss Li, could you perform 'Drawing a Prison' for me to see? Don't get me wrong, I'm not doubting your cultivation; I just wish to experience it..."

"Sure."

Li Anning did not hesitate and generously nodded. She said, "Take a step forward and see."

Li Nuo took a step forward, and the next moment, he felt a pain on his forehead as if he had hit an incredibly thick wall.

Yet, there was nothing in front of him.

He tried in different directions a few times, with the same result. It seemed there was an invisible wall around him, confining him to a small space.

Was this 'Drawing a Prison'?

Truly impressive.

The unique ability of the fourth realm of Legalism, corresponding to the imprisonment among the Five Punishments, could harness the power of the laws of nature and Earth to create a domain.

A prisoner within the domain could not leave, and no outsider could enter, trapping the person alive in place.

Although martial artists were also remarkable, not to mention the fourth realm, even a fifth realm Martial Arts Grandmaster didn't have such an ability.

This was the specialty of the Philosophy of a Hundred Schools.

After bumping into countless invisible barriers, Li Nuo had enough experience and said to Li Anning, "Miss Li, I have seen enough. Please let me out."

Li Anning tilted her head and smiled, saying, "Not unless you tell me what exactly you've discovered. Otherwise, you better stay in there obediently."

"..."

Li Nuo realized that compared to a fourth realm practitioner of Legalism, he was still too naive.

Back at home, he was manipulated by the six-year-old Song Ning'er; and out here, he was being played by another woman.

If his wife were here, would he let her be so presumptuous?

Ah, this woman also seemed to be of the fourth realm; he wasn't sure if his wife could defeat her, and even if she could, she shouldn't fight her, as after all, the other was a princess...

Since coming to this world, this was the first time Li Nuo had felt utterly overwhelmed by both strength and background.

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A moment later, he sat back down, sipped his tea, and said, "Actually, it's nothing much. I just detected something unusual in Han Zhuo's eyes."

Li Anning asked, "What thing?"

Li Nuo slowly said, "When he learned that his mother committed suicide to not hinder his studies, his eyes should show sadness, pain, and guilt, but there absolutely shouldn't be any joy. Therefore, I've sent someone to investigate him at Qingfeng Academy. We should have results soon..."

The existence of the "Law Code" was unbelievable, so Li Nuo resorted to his classic excuse.

Li Anning listened, astonished, and incredulously said, "You could see all that?"

She only saw Han Zhuo's sadness and distress, believing him to be a filial son. To discern so much emotion from someone's eyes—was that even possible?

Was this guy just making things up to deceive her?

A figure entered the room, bowed to Li Nuo, and said, "My lord, the investigation you ordered has been conducted."

Li Nuo was a bit surprised. "So soon?"

After realizing that the old woman's son might be problematic, he had immediately arranged for someone to investigate him. However, he hadn't expected that, while County Captain Wang and his men were still on the road, the investigation would already be completed here.

The guard said, "Around Qingfeng Academy, there's a base of the Spiegel Bureau. Since Han Zhuo has a small reputation in Qingfeng Academy, it wasn't difficult to gather information about him."

It wasn't the first time that Li Nuo had heard of the "Spiegel Bureau," which seemed to be a secret intelligence agency under Daxia, controlled by his own father. It seemed his guards were also from the Spiegel Bureau.

Li Nuo looked at him and said, "What did you find out?"

The guard spoke slowly, "Han Zhuo, a student from the A class at Qingfeng Academy, excels in all Six Arts, especially Mathematics and painting. A few years ago, he was exceptionally admitted to Qingfeng Academy as one of their highly regarded seed students. There is a high possibility that he will become an Advanced Scholar in the next Imperial Examination..."

Li Nuo nodded, indeed this person had specialties, as the Law Code listing his portrait had lit up—but Nuo wasn't sure if it was due to Mathematics or painting.

However, that wasn't what Li Nuo was concerned about. He looked at the guard, saying, "What else?"

The guard continued, "Although the Imperial Examination is still half a year away, some high-ranking families in Chang'an have already noticed Han Zhuo. It is said that the youngest daughter of Marquis Huaiyang has taken a liking to Han Zhuo for his talents and looks, and wants to make him her husband..."

Li Anning sipped her tea, unsurprised by such matters.

In Daxia, officials could only emerge from the Imperial Examination; thus, outstanding academy students could become the new favorites of officialdom and were the target of various noble families and power groups in Chang'an.

If they were to wait until after the Imperial Examination to recruit them when they had become Advanced Scholars, the competition would be too fierce, and the cost much higher.

Therefore, some prominent figures in Chang'an would choose to recruit them while they were still students.

Taking sons-in-law was their most common strategy.

Li Nuo looked at the guard and said, "Continue."

The guard went on, "Han Zhuo has already agreed to marry the daughter of Marquis Huaiyang's Mansion, but that lady seems to have some reservations about Han Zhuo's mother. She has publicly stated that she doesn't want to live with Han Zhuo's mother after marriage, which once caused an argument between them..."

Upon hearing this, Li Anning frowned.

The intelligence from the Spiegel Bureau was beyond doubt.

The Marquis of Huaiyang, being a titled noble not among the courtiers, was a true authority in Chang'an.

The daughter of the Marquis, having been pampered from birth, was accustomed to not having to care for others, which was normal.

But Han Zhuo's achievements today relied on his old mother's diligent efforts over more than a decade. If he were to discard his mother, who gave birth to him and struggled to provide for his education, to climb the social ladder after gaining success, how would he be different from an animal?

If he really did that and the court found out, even if he had already become an official, he would be stripped of his title, severely punished with a hundred strokes, and banned from serving for life.

Between a noble's daughter and his mother, he could only choose his mother—there was no other choice.

Li Anning finally realized something and frowned, "Could it be that Han Zhuo's mother didn't hang herself because she was seriously ill and unwilling to burden her son, but rather she did it to facilitate the marriage between Han Zhuo and the daughter of Marquis Huaiyang?"

If his mother were alive, moral pressure would of course prevent Han Zhuo from abandoning her to marry into a powerful family.

But if his mother passed away, Han Zhuo wouldn't have to make that choice.

Once he ranked at the top, as long as he observed a year of mourning after the Imperial Examination, he could immediately take office and neither his marriage nor his prospects of having children would be affected.

Li Nuo shook his head. If she went to her death without her son's knowledge, Han Zhuo's portrait wouldn't have appeared in the Law Code.

He paused for a moment, then said, "I suspect Han Zhuo instigated his mother's suicide."

Li Anning looked at Li Nuo, her eyes revealing shock, and asked, "Evidence?"

Han's mother going to her death unbeknownst to her son, versus being encouraged by her son to die, carried entirely different implications.

If his mother's death was unknown to Han Zhuo beforehand, then this case would be a tragic act orchestrated by a great mother for the sake of her son's future, and Han Zhuo would face no punishment.

But if her death was instigated by her son, it would be an egregious violation of moral and familial duty.

According to Daxia Law, such indirect matricide demanded a death by hanging!

Even if a neighbor had induced Han's mother to hang herself, as long as the neighbor didn't physically assist, the most they could be sentenced to was three years of imprisonment.

But Han Zhuo was her son, and in Daxia, filial piety was paramount. Matricide was one of the gravest sins; even merely harboring the thought, without carrying it out, was considered intolerable by both moral and legal standards.

Li Nuo's evidence was the Law Code.

But he could only shake his head and say, "There is no evidence."

This time, Li Anning did not argue against Li Nuo. Although there was no proof, having judged countless cases, she deemed his suspicion not unfounded based on the information investigated about Han Zhuo.

She pondered for a moment, then asked, "What do you plan to do next? He's an academy student, and without concrete evidence, we can't torture him—those students are not to be trifled with..."

While these young students didn't hold official positions, many were future officials.

The court always placed high importance on them.

If they were to gather and sit in front of the government office, even if they said nothing and did nothing, just sitting there quietly, the chief official's annual performance review would definitely be failed.

Pei Zhe, who had been standing outside for a long time, realized he couldn't continue like this.

This case, if messed up, could cost him his official title.

He hastily walked in and said urgently, "My lord, about this case—I have a strategy that might be worth trying..."