Holy Bone

Chapter 1533 Who dares to question the case that the Criminal Investigation Department wants to handle?

The Bi'an horse-drawn carriage of the commander of the Criminal Investigation Department has not appeared in front of the people of the capital for a long time.

Every time a Bi'an carriage was seen, something big was about to happen, causing a great uproar in the capital.

Take the most recent time when he saw the Bi'an carriage for example. How domineering was the Marquis of Shenwu that time. He first demolished the temples worshipped by the Indians, and then drew his bow and shot the merchants from the Rakshasa Kingdom in the street. He made sure that every arrow hit its target and killed all of them outside the imperial city.

Many people witnessed the scene that day.

It was a sensation.

Far from blaming Marquis Shenwu for committing crime in the street and being brutal and domineering, the people of the capital city praised him highly. They all praised Marquis Shenwu for his heroic deeds and for demonstrating the prestige of a country.

Those Indians and Russians were so bold as to kidnap the criminal investigation officer and attack the imperial court. They deserved death. If they didn't kill them with five horses or tore them apart, it would be too easy for these foreign races.

Today, the solemn Bi'an carriage pulled by four northern horses, carrying the majesty of an official office, appeared again in front of the people of the capital. A large group of inspectors in official uniforms and carrying knives surrounded the carriage, which immediately caused a commotion among the people.

  The streets were buzzing with discussions. Everyone already knew that Jin An was returning to the capital today, and they were all curious about why the Marquis of Shenwu had just returned to the capital today and had brought out the Criminal Investigation Department in full force. What major case was he going to investigate?

Then they all discussed what kind of major case could have attracted such attention from Marquis Shenwu that he set out on a non-stop journey right after returning to Beijing.

Wherever the Criminal Investigation Department passed, more and more people gathered to watch the fun. Everyone followed the team curiously, wanting to see what was going on.

Spice shop.

Under the shouting orders of several deputy commanders, the personnel of the Criminal Investigation Department dispersed and surrounded the entire spice shop.

In the high-rise attics of the surrounding towns, people heard the noisy commotion outside and went to the windows and balconies, looking in the direction of the noise. They saw the scene where the people from the Criminal Investigation Department were surrounding the spice shop with torches in their hands.

So many torches formed a huge circle of fire, illuminating the night sky. The sounds of people shouting and horses neighing were endless. Looking down from above, it was quite spectacular.

The spice shop was in chaos at the time. There were many shady people hiding inside. When they suddenly saw the Criminal Inspection Department surrounding the spice shop in such a high-profile manner, they all thought that they were coming for them.

Anyone who was involved in a spice shop knew one thing: the spice shop was the territory of the palace eunuchs and nobles. No one in the court would conflict with these popular figures around the emperor for the sake of a spice shop.

This spice shop has its own rules, and no outsider can interfere. Even if the three major judges in the capital have long arms, they cannot reach into the spice shop.

Because the spice shop was not only related to the interests of the eunuchs, but also because many concubines in the palace purchased their cosmetics and spices from the spice shop.

All the imperial concubines in the harem have families with strong backing. With so many forces intertwined and interests involved, even the three major judges cannot reach into the spice shop.

This resulted in the spice shop having its own rules, and no forces other than the eunuchs were allowed to interfere, so it had always been peaceful. This in turn attracted many people from all walks of life, including some desperate criminals, who gathered in the spice shop and used it as a safe hiding place.

The spice shop cannot be moved. This is almost an unspoken rule that is recognized by everyone in the capital, from high-ranking officials to foreign businessmen.

As a result, the spice shop, which had been peaceful for many years, was suddenly broken today. Seeing the Criminal Inspection Department surrounding the spice shop, as if they were going to take action against it and set a precedent, it was like a stone that caused a thousand waves and shocked many people.

Curious people began to ask around, wondering who the Criminal Investigation Department was here to arrest in the Spice Shop, but no one knew the answer.

  This has caused even more controversy among the people. Some people said that Marquis Shenwu had become so arrogant that he bullied his master and even dared to touch the spice shop. Didn’t he know that the concubines in the palace were behind the spice shop?

Some people secretly criticized in their hearts that the Marquis of Shenwu was a martial arts immortal and the best in martial arts, so he really didn't need to be afraid of the noble family behind the imperial concubine.

Everyone kept this kind of thing in their hearts and didn't say it out loud, to avoid bringing disaster upon their entire clan.

At this time, the loud shouts of several deputy commanders of the Criminal Investigation Department attracted the attention of all the onlookers.

"The Criminal Investigation Department is investigating a case. Some stubborn spies from the Steppe Khanate are hiding in the Spice Shop, intending to take revenge for the destruction of their country. We have received orders to thoroughly investigate all personnel in the Spice Shop. No one is allowed to enter or leave. Anyone who resists will be considered a traitor and thrown into the Criminal Investigation Department's water dungeon. Anyone who resists with weapons will be killed on the spot."

Several entrances and exits of the spice shop were blocked by the deputy commander and his men. Several deputy commanders announced the blockade of the spice shop one after another. When they heard that the remnants of the Steppe Khanate had hidden in the capital, it caused a huge commotion.

The attack on the capital by the Great Wizard of the Steppe Khanate not long ago is still vivid in our memory.

Although most ordinary people were not clear about the details and did not know that it was the Great Wizard of the Steppe Khanate who came in person to attack, they all knew that it was the Steppe Khanate who did it and wanted to enter Beijing to assassinate the emperor.

When the people heard that the Criminal Investigation Department was here to capture spies from the Steppe Khanate, they showed expressions of expecting this. Given the tense situation in the world today, this reason was the most reasonable.

This was the reason Jin An told Deputy Commander Sun on the way here.

This reason could be used to evade everyone from top to bottom. Even if some officials wanted to report him afterwards, they would have to carefully consider whether it would make them suspected of being a spy and colluder with the enemy, and whether it would arouse the emperor's suspicion, and whether it was worth it.

When you are in the court, every step up is not easy.

There is only one spot, but there are dozens of eyes staring at you.

If you take a wrong step, you will be attacked by other parties and fall into an irretrievable situation.

Emperors have always been suspicious of each other. Officials are most afraid of being suspected by emperors. Even if there is only a little suspicion, their future career will be ruined.

Now is the best time for him to seize the opportunity and wipe out his dissidents.

However, there are always some fools who fail to see the situation clearly and try to use eggs against stones at this critical juncture, or try to please those in power and are used as cannon fodder without realizing it.

There was still chaos in the spice shop. At this time, a eunuch with several followers came to Deputy Commander Sun who was blocking the way and asked who gave the order to block the spice shop. They also asked if there was any evidence that there were spies from the enemy country hiding in the spice shop.

This eunuch was wearing official uniform and belonged to the ninth rank. No wonder he dared to confront the deputy commander of the Criminal Investigation Department.

Eunuchs are divided into those without official rank and those with official rank.

Eunuchs with official ranks can wear official uniforms, and if their official ranks are high, they can also wear court robes.

Among these eunuchs with official ranks, the most distinguished were the eunuchs who served the emperor's family. People outside the palace often called these eunuchs "Zhong Guiren". For example, the eunuchs favored by the empress were called "Zhong Guiren" by people outside the palace.

Deputy Commander Sun was riding on horseback with a sword in his hand. He looked coldly at the poor eunuch in front of him. He was so stupid that he still couldn't see the situation clearly.

He was just a ninth-rank eunuch with no real power, so it was not necessary for the Deputy Commander of the Criminal Investigation Department to dismount and greet him. Deputy Commander Sun ignored this dying man and began to give orders to other people in the Criminal Investigation Department to prepare to enter the spice shop for a search.

"If you see anyone suspicious, take them back for questioning."

"If you encounter resistance, kill without mercy."

"Don't let a single fly out of this spice shop today."

Deputy Commander Sun's three orders were full of heroic spirit, and the brothers in the Criminal Investigation Department were deeply moved. They all sang "yes" with great morale.

The hundreds of people responded in unison, with murderous aura that shook the eardrums. The momentum was like a march to war. The eunuchs who had lived in the palace for a long time and lived a life of luxury had never seen such a murderous scene before, and they took a step back in shock. When he realized that he was actually stage fright in public, he was in the spice shop but lost to the Criminal Investigation Department in terms of momentum. If this scene was seen by many people, how could he survive in the spice shop and among his peers in the future? Thinking of this, he stepped forward a few steps in anger and asked Deputy Commander Sun in a stern tone: "You, the Criminal Investigation Department, dare not even say who gave the order. Are you bending the law for personal gain and using public tools for private purposes? You know you are disturbing the people! That's why you dare not say it!"

Deputy Commander Sun looked down at the poor man in front of him, and the look in his eyes as if he was looking at a dead person became more obvious.

At this time, Jin An's voice came from the Bi'an carriage, and his voice was calm and without any waves: "This is the order from this commander."

"Why, you, a ninth-rank eunuch, are qualified to question the case that my Criminal Investigation Department is handling?"

"The commander has not answered my last question. Do you have any solid evidence that the spice shop is hiding a spy from the enemy country? If the commander can tell us the other party's surname and name, and the house where he is hiding, we will immediately assist the commander in capturing the enemy spy and sacrifice ourselves for the court." The ninth-rank eunuch still refused to give way and wanted to continue blocking the way and questioning.

He was confident of his status as a eunuch and his position in the spice shop, and thought that the Criminal Inspection Department would not dare to really become an enemy of the entire Ministry of Eunuchs except for verbal intimidation. However, he misjudged the situation. A ninth-rank official with no real power dared to block the Criminal Inspection Department's commander's car in the street.

Inside the Bi'an carriage, Jin An's voice remained calm: "Deputy Commander Sun, if there is obstruction of resistance to the law, how should the crime be convicted?"

Because he had received instructions on the way here, Deputy Commander Sun answered without hesitation: "Deem him treasonous and will be imprisoned."

Jin An: "How should we convict if we encounter repeated obstruction?"

Deputy Commander Sun warned in a cold voice: "At a time when the two countries are at war, we should use severe punishments and kill without mercy."

"Why don't we arrest this traitor? After we clear out the spice shop, put him and the other suspects in the water dungeon and torture them severely to see if there are any remaining accomplices." Deputy Commander Sun gave an order, and immediately a dozen people came with shackles and shackles to tie up the ninth-rank eunuch and his entourage.

Seeing that the Criminal Investigation Department was actually going to torture him away as a prisoner, the eunuch in the ninth-rank official uniform was so angry that he was speechless. He subconsciously pushed away the yoke that was about to be put around his neck.

What greeted him was a flash of icy cold light, snap!

The knife raised and the head fell, blood splattered ten steps away.

Deputy Commander Sun held a bloody long knife in his hand and said murderously: "This person has repeatedly obstructed the Criminal Investigation Department from enforcing the law. After investigation, it was found that his identity as a eunuch was fake. He is actually a spy from the Prairie Khanate lurking in the capital. He deserves death for his crime."

"Come here, take away the body of this traitor and bring it back to the Criminal Investigation Department with the rest of the suspects for strict interrogation to see if there are any other accomplices."

Plop, plop! The followers were so frightened that they all knelt on the ground, their faces pale.

Seeing the corpse falling to the ground and splashing blood, with hot blood gushing out of its headless neck, many screams were heard from the crowd watching the excitement.

Most people's pupils dilated and they took a deep breath.

It was not until then that they realized the seriousness of the situation. The Criminal Investigation Department was serious this time and really wanted to extend its tentacles into the spice shop, which was different from the previous small-scale operations.

Anyone who tries to make trouble may end up killing someone.

Moreover, the person who was killed was a ninth-rank eunuch.

Perhaps even the eunuch who was killed could not have imagined that the Criminal Investigation Department would actually execute him in the street.

He naively thought that the worst possible outcome would be that he would be imprisoned by the Criminal Investigation Department, and that someone from the Ministry of Internal Affairs would soon come to rescue him. That was why he dared to stop the Criminal Investigation Department several times in order to dampen his prestige and make people realize that the Spice Shop was the territory of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and they would no longer dare to interfere.

He was certain that the Criminal Investigation Department would not really fall out with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

All I can say is that this person's death was not unjust. He did not consider his own weight and dared to get involved in any muddy water. He even got caught between the Martial Arts Immortal and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and sought death.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs may not take the commander of the Criminal Investigation Department seriously, but they dare not ignore the martial arts immortal.

As the Criminal Investigation Department took action against the eunuchs, the capital city was in turmoil at this moment. Pieces of intelligence were urgently delivered to various parts of the capital, and many people were destined to stay awake all night.

Someone is calling for help from higher levels.

Someone is spreading the news to the outside world that the Criminal Investigation Department is suspected of going to war with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

With this example of killing the chicken to scare the monkey, the subsequent large-scale search of the spice shop by the Criminal Investigation Department immediately became much smoother, and there were no more obstacles. Even the local tyrants had to stay quiet at this moment, patiently waiting for the people who went out for help to bring back news.

The spice shop was a mixed bag, with some fugitives wanted by the government hiding there. Sporadic gunfights occurred during the search, but under the pressure of several deputy commanders, these sporadic gunfights were quickly ended.

During the search, no big fish were caught, only a dozen small fish. A dozen eunuchs were found in the spice shop, but the big fish that Jinan and Fatty Li were looking for was not found.

These eunuchs were stubborn and nothing could be obtained from the interrogation. They all stared angrily at the murderer sitting in the Bi'an carriage, as if they wanted to kill him with their eyes.

Suddenly, a criminal investigation officer came hurriedly, whispered something to Deputy Commander Sun nervously, and handed him a talisman to drive away evil spirits.

The talisman was almost completely burned, leaving only a fragment the size of a fingernail.

Everyone in the Criminal Investigation Department has a talisman drawn by an old Taoist priest to ward off evil spirits.

It seems that this spice shop is home to not only all kinds of people, but also some evil spirits.

Deputy Commander Sun's face changed when he took the fragments of the exorcism talisman. He did not dare to delay and rode his horse to the front of Bi'an's carriage. Then he dismounted, reported the situation, and handed over the fragments of the exorcism talisman.

The person who lifted the curtain of the carriage was not Jinan, but an old Taoist priest in a yellow Taoist robe.

There was silence in the Bi'an carriage for a while, and soon the old Taoist priest was seen lifting the curtain and nodding to Deputy Commander Sun, asking him to lead the way.

Among the noble families, there has always been a saying that one ounce of spices is worth one ounce of gold, which shows how great the profit of spices is.

Due to the low status of merchants, few nobles were directly involved in the spice shop business, but this did not mean that the upper class would give up this huge piece of fat meat.

As a result, a situation was created where the spice shop was controlled by eunuchs with disabled and lowly bodies.

Behind these eunuchs are the power of the concubines' families in the harem.

  The merchants doing spice business in the spice shop can be roughly divided into three types: the first is the Han people, who almost monopolize the entire spice shop business;

The second group was merchants from the Western Regions, who traveled thousands of miles across the Desert Silk Road to bring their own spices to Kangding, exchanging them for scarce silk, tea, porcelain, ironware, medicinal materials, etc., in exchange for goods from their own country.

The third is the South Asian spices brought from the southern mountains and small overseas countries.

Nanyang spices were also very popular in the noble circles of the capital. For example, frankincense and ambergris were tributes that only emperors could afford. Another example was Nanyang's agarwood and sandalwood, whose aromatherapy effects were much more lasting than those of local spices such as caltrop, angelica, pepper, cinnamon, and magnolia.

The story of exorcism talismans begins with South Asian spices...