Imperial City Investigative Department

Chapter 148 Secret Chat in the Palace ([-]) [-]nd Watch

When everyone returned to the mountain road, Wu Chen knew the way to the Taoist temple. When they arrived at the Taoist temple, it was already getting dark.

Wu Chen stood in the Taoist temple and asked the sophomore: "If you were the eldest brother, how would you search?"

The second grader pointed to the pitted ground in the courtyard and said: "The courtyard will naturally be dug, and the house will also be carefully inspected. If there is a dark room, we will definitely be able to find it. We all have experience in this area. We can knock on the wall to distinguish the sound. If you move the things in the house, nothing will fall, so how can you not find the dark room?"

Wu Chen nodded, looked at the sky, turned his head and said to Guo Xuan, who was still barely alive, "You ask the government servants to measure the length and width with steps in each room, and then go around the house and use the same steps to measure the length outside the house. Width, see if there is a big difference."

Guo Xuan seemed to understand, nodded repeatedly, but didn't move. Instead, a few yamen servants beside him divided the work and went directly to execute it.

Wu Chen shook his head, then looked at Song Gu and Yu Shi'an again.

Yu Shi'an had been listening to Song Gu's report all the way, and the sophomore would turn his head to add a few words from time to time. Yu Shi'an listened very carefully. Now he has a general understanding of the whole case and what Wu Chen has done.

For a while, Yu Shi'an couldn't digest that this case was related to Prince Cheng, let alone the possibility of using living people to make alchemy in the cave.

Yu Shi'an stood aside with his hands behind his back, thinking about the speculation he had made with Commander Gao Qian before he left. They all expected that the five-color jade case was related to the competition for the crown prince, and it must be a contest between the prince and the prince, that is, the sons of the official family. The rivalry between the relatives, because at the time they never thought it was framed, both Gao Qian and Yu Shian felt that someone wanted to create a gap between the Privy Council and a certain prince, so Gao Qian told Yu Shian: Don't participate in the investigation, listen carefully, watch carefully, Don't make a sound, don't be someone else's pawn.

Gao Qian has held the military power for many years, he has been in the first rank of the official position, and has won the trust of the officials, because he has never participated in party disputes, never married with foreign relatives, never formed cliques for personal gain, and with military merits, he has rarely been corrupted as an official , His descendants strive for success, he does not need to pave the way and build bridges, whether it is a scholar, a military officer, or a scholar, the sons and grandchildren have made some achievements in their respective fields. Neither work well.

But actually, how could Gao Qian not pay attention to the current situation?How could there really be no party feathers?

Yu Shi'an was also a military commander. He has a bold personality. He looks careless, but he is actually very careful. This is why Gao Qian ordered him to come to Yang'an County. He didn't come here to ask someone to explain. If it wasn't for Wu Chen, he would offend him. He, Yu Shi'an will show a calm attitude that is rarely seen among officials in Kyoto.

Just like now.

Seeing Yu Shian's solemn expression, Wu Chen couldn't help but ask, "Deputy Envoy Yu has pretty much understood the case along the way, can you give me some advice?"

Yu Shi'an glanced at Wu Chen, but said nothing.

Song Gu answered quickly: "No matter who it is, you should calm down after hearing it at first."

……

This statement is true. When Wu Chen was looking for the secret room used by Tibetans, in the Wende Hall of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, Emperor Jingyun Li Hengzheng was holding the heavenly book written by Wu Chen, and had a secret conversation with Chen Zhong, and even served him on weekdays. The old eunuch Liu Jinzhong was dismissed.

Li Heng was of medium build, thin, and approaching his age, his temples were already graying, but his eyes were piercing and his expression was clear.

Wende Palace is the place where Li Heng usually reads and practice calligraphy, and rarely used it to meet foreign ministers. Chen Zhong entered the palace in a hurry today, and Li Heng knew it was a big event just by looking at the time, so he directly announced Chen Zhong to enter.

Li Heng sat in front of the desk in normal clothes and read the note in his hand several times. Chen Zhong sat on the embroidered pier beside him with a solemn expression.

The Wende Hall was quiet for a while, and the quietness made Liu Jinzhong, who was standing outside the hall, uneasy, that something big was about to happen!
"Prince Cheng! My uncle is notoriously laid-back. He wants to live forever, I believe. Alchemy, soul-hunting, hundreds of lives, what does he want to do? Want to usurp the throne... Why wait until today?" Li Heng Rubbing the note in his hand, he asked blankly.

Chen Zhong thought about it, and replied respectfully:
"Since ancient times, there have been many people who have sought immortality. Taoist alchemy is not new, but how could hundreds of human lives be used, and there is even a theory of soul-stirring? I know Wu Chen. If he hadn't found evidence, he wouldn't have Just now, it was found out that someone had framed Laojie Mountain, and now it has been found out that Prince Cheng had such an act on Laojie Mountain. It seems that someone is anxious to let the emperor know about this, even though the word "Prince Cheng" is followed by the word "to be investigated" , but since Prince Cheng can be found, it seems that Prince Cheng has something to do with this matter."

Li Heng sullenly waited for Chen Zhong's next words.

"Prince Cheng practiced in closed doors on weekdays, did not fight for power or profit, and even his own children and grandchildren seldom interacted with each other... This old slave is guilty, and even the people in the investigation department are slack towards Prince Cheng. Who would push him out like this? Prince Cheng doesn't interfere with the affairs of these people in the capital...Wu Chen doesn't know the trivial matters in the capital, since he wrote Prince Cheng, it's probably him."

"Prince Cheng..." Li Heng touched the golden lion paperweight on the book case: "Let someone watch carefully first, and report his every move. Don't startle the snake and wait for news from Yang'an County."

Chen Zhong bowed and answered, "Yes."

"Dare to use the death of five hundred soldiers to expose the prince, why don't you dare to tell me?" Li Heng frowned, with obvious anger in his tone.

"The old slave thought, there are two possibilities for this matter, one may be that this person may not have evidence in hand, knowing that even if the secret report is made, the emperor will verify it before making a decision, the emperor may directly ask him to investigate, but he knows He couldn't find anything."

"He couldn't find out, why did Wu Chen find out the clues in a few days?"

Chen Zhong replied respectfully:
"Wu Chen, very human! This is also a chance. If the old slave hadn't met Wu Chen in Anping County, no one would have made any progress in investigating the five-color jade case. Please think about it, your majesty, using your life to make alchemy This matter is far more despicable than witchcraft, how could you not try your best to cover it up? The old slave is guilty, and the investigators have not found any information beforehand, so it can be seen that they cover up their methods. The old slave thinks that the second possibility is that this person has no secrets. The right to play, but there must be some power in his hands, otherwise it would be impossible to find out the news that the five-color jade was transported to the capital."

Li Heng tapped his fingers rhythmically on the desk a few times, and said:

"I thought it was the princes... I grew up, but after thinking about it, this matter is too heavy, and it is difficult to protect myself after injuring the enemy. It is not something they can do... But my uncle, since when With this ability, you can hide it very well. Since you can hide it so well, even your people can be fooled, so who knows? If you take action, you will lose the lives of five hundred soldiers!"

(End of this chapter)