Chapter 2770 Reasoning About the Case, Half of Dafeng's National Destiny

Seeing that the officials of the Ministry of Justice were seeking benefits and avoiding harm, and kept silent, the eunuch pressed his hands, straightened his face, and said seriously.

"Sit down, everyone. The Sangpo Lake case involves a lot of things. His Majesty attaches more importance to it than the tax silver case. He specially appointed me as the governor to urge you to handle the case. The night watchman came just in time, so I don't have to talk to you again later."

This eunuch obviously favored Xu Qi'an, or more accurately, the night watchman. I'm afraid it has something to do with Wei Yuan. Xu Qi'an clasped his fists and returned to his seat.

Song Tingfeng was very cooperative. He ran forward to pull out the gold medal, presented it with both hands, and said respectfully.

"My lord, your gold medal."

Xu Qi'an looked at everyone in a demonstrative manner, stretched out his hand to take it, nodded and said.

"Yes!"

Xu Qi'an portrayed himself as a desperate and reckless man, which could solve many problems in the future. If the people of the Ministry of Justice and the government office want to compete for credit, they have to think about it first. The guy they need to face is a psychopath who draws a knife and kills people at the slightest disagreement.

As for what kind of trouble this would cause later, Xu Qian'an didn't care. First, he believed that Wei Yuan would protect him from the wind and rain. Second, if the case could not be solved, he didn't need to worry about the follow-up. Either he died or left the capital forever.

Eunuch Liu drank a sip of tea, looked around at everyone, and then said slowly,

"There are people missing in the three yamen. These missing people are most likely to be Die, helping the thieves to secretly smuggle gunpowder. What do you think of this matter?"

The prefect of Jingzhao was the weakest among the three parties, and he spoke first.

"This government has sent people to check the families of the nine deceased. They are still in the capital and have no idea about the disappearance of their relatives. This government infers that the nine people did not escape, but were silenced."

Eunuch Liu nodded slightly, indicating that he knew, and looked at the officials of the Ministry of Justice again, waiting for their report.

"There must be more discs hidden in the three yamen, and the more hidden discs are that they killed people to silence them and liquidated those who knew about it."

An official in the Ministry of Justice who was in charge of this side stood up and told his guesses and clues.

Eunuch Liu frowned and pondered. He had expected the complexity of the case and was not surprised.

Xu Qian'an listened silently. Since he stayed to attend the meeting, the detained people were not very useful. Because as long as he listened to the conversations between the officials of the Ministry of Justice and the government offices, he could get the information he wanted to know.

"I'm afraid that not only the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Rites, but even the Ministry of Works has discs."

"I have investigated their family background and interpersonal relationships. With their abilities, they are not enough to smuggle so much gunpowder from the gunpowder factory. Therefore, there must be someone in the Ministry of Works who secretly assisted, and the official position is not small."

"Gunpowder is a strategic material that the court attaches great importance to. Various confidentiality and anti-theft measures are very strict and complete. Without the assistance of senior officials from the Ministry of Works, this matter cannot be done."

A head of the police in Jingzhao Prefecture stood up and said his guess. The logic was clear and reasonable. Everyone nodded continuously and looked at the head of the police with new eyes.

A eunuch beside Liu Gonggong was writing furiously, as if he was taking notes and recording everyone's conversation. This is a common method used by eunuchs to tell tales.

In this kind of occasion, if you say something wrong, it will be known to Emperor Yuanjing, so everyone speaks very cautiously, thinking again and again before daring to speak, so as not to be pitted by this dead eunuch.

Eunuch Liu, wearing a python robe, looked at the night watchman and Xu Qian'an and asked.

"Master Xu, don't keep silent. As the chief officer of the night watchmen, have you gained anything?"

Officials from the government office and the Ministry of Justice looked over at the same time. The officials from the Ministry of Justice took a gloating attitude and decided to criticize Xu Qi'an immediately and humiliate him if he said anything wrong. Scholars are actually very good at fighting, but not in terms of force.

"I did gain something!"

Xu Qi'an nodded. He didn't want to say it at first, because the Ministry of Justice and the government office were competitors, and there was no reason to share clues with these dogs.

But just now, noticing the little eunuch taking notes and the unconcerned communication between the Ministry of Justice and the government office, Xu Qi'an suddenly realized that this might be an opportunity to show off.

Show it to His Majesty the Emperor. Not surprisingly, this transcript was to be handed over to the emperor for review. Imagine that after reading the transcript, Emperor Yuan Jing found that the Ministry of Justice and the government office were actively discussing, giving clues, and working hard to solve the case, but the night watchmen's office was silent.

What would Emperor Yuan Jing think? Although sharing the information was a bit of a loss for Xu Qi'an, the credit had been recorded on paper.

"I went to Sangpo Lake this morning to check. If you want to blow up the entire Yongzhen Mountain and River Temple and the high platform, the amount of gunpowder required is extremely huge."

"Smuggling such a large amount of gunpowder, even if you do it cleanly, it will not withstand investigation. Except for the Shangshu and the two assistant ministers, no one in the Ministry of Works can use such a large amount of gunpowder, and they can sit in their current positions, so they should not be so unwise!"

"Is it possible that it was transported in from outside the city?"

Xu Qiyan shook his head, which was also the most confusing part for him, and retorted.

"Let's not talk about the outer city first. The inner city has to collect a tax for entering the city, and the soldiers guarding the city will check the goods. The imperial city is even more impossible. How can such a conspicuous thing like gunpowder be smuggled?"

Eunuch Liu listened quietly to Xu Qiyan's reasoning, very seriously. The little eunuch who was responsible for taking notes on the side was writing quickly, and the faster he wrote.

Xu Zisheng put down the teacup in his hand. He had already figured out the matter. He was a little tired from the meeting and wanted to end it quickly, so he spoke up.

"What is transported is not gunpowder, but raw materials. Among the raw materials of gunpowder, sulfur and charcoal are not precious things. Especially in winter, the capital's charcoal consumption is very terrible. The only difficulty is saltpeter, which is a material strictly controlled by Dafeng. !”

"So, the key to solving the case lies in the saltpeter mine!"

Xu Zisheng stood up, looked at Xu Qian and others, and said with a smile.

"I remember that you, the yamen, once discovered a saltpeter mine in Taikang County, but it was all mined. It is suspected to be the work of remnants of the Ten Thousand Monsters Kingdom. You seem to be the person in charge of this case!"

Xu Qian was shocked when he heard this. He immediately connected all the clues and said excitedly.

"No, they are just trying to spread suspicion. They want to divert our attention and gain time to escape from the capital."

Eunuch Liu frowned. He found that he could not understand the conversation between the two people.

The high-ranking ministers of the Ministry of Justice and Chen Fuyin remained calm and confused. The others looked at each other in confusion. They also couldn't understand what Xu Zisheng and Xu Qian were talking about. They always felt that they had missed an episode.

"There are nine missing people, three from the palace, three from the Ministry of Rites, and three from Dali Temple. If they want to transport the gunpowder to Posang Lake, they still need one person's help!"

"I remember that the day before the royal family's ancestor worship ceremony, a small flag officer of Jinwu Guard was killed, right? It seems that it was your watchmen who took over!"

"He should have been silenced. You can check the rest by yourself. I was a little tired, so I left first!"

Xu Zisheng bowed his hands to the Minister of Punishment and Eunuch Liu, and then took a step forward. Under the surprised gazes of everyone, he left the Punishment Department unhurriedly. I have nothing to do today, so I will listen to the music!

Eunuch Liu's face was calm, and he was not angry at all. He was a person close to Emperor Yuan Jing, and he was somewhat aware of Xu Zisheng's special status. He did not dare to show off his authority in front of this person who even Emperor Yuan Jing was afraid of.

In Xu Qi'an's mind, countless clues connected together, and he instantly locked onto one person, Jin Wuwei Zhou Baihu. This person was the boss of Xiaoqi Guan who had been silenced. As long as he was arrested and tortured, everything would be known.

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an couldn't sit still anymore. Xu Zisheng had already deduced the truth of the matter. If he couldn't catch the murderer, he would never have a chance to show off, so he left immediately.

"Eunuch Liu, gentlemen, I still have something to do with the Ministry of Works, so please leave first."

"The watchman is coming with me."

Xu Qian's expression was as usual and his tone was relaxed, as if pretending that nothing happened, he quickly led the people to evacuate.

The officials present were not fools. Although they did not understand Xu Zisheng's words and Xu Qi'an behaved normally, his repeated changes in expression did not prevent them from inferring that Xu Qi'an had discovered important clues.

The demon tribe acted like an old sow wearing a bra, one set after another, like a brothel full of customers, and very orderly. Xu Qi'an couldn't figure it out at first, which made the officials present even more confused. They wanted to take credit, but they didn't. That brain can only stare.

Unfortunately, Xu Qi'an was a step too late and missed the point. Zhou Baihu left Kyoto City on the day of the ancestor worship ceremony and disappeared without a trace. This clue was considered broken.

At dusk, Eunuch Liu returned to the palace before the city gate closed. Under the service of his godsons, he changed into casual clothes, took a bath, and drank tea before meals.

A young eunuch hurried in and spoke softly.

"Godfather, Your Majesty sent someone to invite you."

Eunuch Liu pinched the center of his brows, his head was full of mush, and he said angrily.

"knew!"

Eunuch Liu took a sip of water, asked his son to change clothes, and put on a python robe. As soon as he stepped out of the threshold, he suddenly thought of something.

"Bring us the file, the one our family brought back today."

The young eunuch went back to the house to get it, and went all the way to the Jingxin Hall. After the announcement, Eunuch Liu was led into the hall and saw Emperor Yuan Jing who was wearing a Taoist robe and a long beard.

Emperor Yuan Jing did not meditate or work. He held the scroll in his hand, but his thoughts were not in the book. He glanced at Eunuch Liu and spoke in a very calm tone.

"Liu Rong, I sent you to supervise the case. It's been a day, what have you gained?"

Eunuch Liu was shocked. He had been working in the palace for decades and knew Emperor Yuan Jing's temper very well. The more Emperor Yuan Jing behaved like this, the more depressed he felt.

When asked if the case was false, Emperor Yuan Jing was about to lose his temper. Eunuch Liu was frightened for a while, but then he felt lucky, saying that he was lucky to have been prepared, and luckily he had gained something today.

"Your Majesty, this is a summary of today's case, and I am about to show it to you."

Eunuch Liu took out a thin booklet from his sleeve. Emperor Yuan Jing's personal eunuch, dragging Fuchen in his hand, came over to take the book and handed it to Emperor Yuan Jing respectfully.

Emperor Yuan Jing put the book aside, took it, and looked at it carefully. As he watched, his eyebrows were raised, and anger was brewing in his eyes.

"The whole article is nonsense. The people in the Ministry of Justice and the government are becoming more and more useless."

Emperor Yuan Jing said reproachfully. He glanced at Eunuch Liu, who was so frightened that he trembled. Emperor Yuan Jing threw the book aside, his tone was devoid of emotion, but became more and more permeable.

"Where's the watchman's office?"

Eunuch Liu lowered his head and reminded carefully in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, they are all at the back!"

Emperor Yuan Jing raised his eyebrows, picked up the book again, and continued reading. As he watched, his furrowed brows relaxed unconsciously, and the impatience between his brows slowly faded away, and he actually looked attentively.

Emperor Yuan Jing changed from lying on his side to sitting upright. His face became more and more solemn, and his eyes became sharper and sharper.

The two eunuchs unconsciously slowed down their breathing, fearing both disturbing His Majesty and causing bad luck. In the end, when Emperor Yuan Jing put down the book, the immortal spirit of twenty years of cultivation was gone, and only the majesty and sharpness of the emperor on earth remained.

Eunuch Liu's forehead was already sweating. He thought His Majesty would be satisfied, but judging from the situation, it seems to have had the opposite effect?

"Send an order!"

Emperor Yuan Jing's face was as cold as ice, his tone was serious, and he said coldly with murderous intent.

"The Taikang County Magistrate was derelict in his duty, causing hundreds of deaths and injuries to the gray households around Dahuang Mountain. He was dismissed from his post, imprisoned, and executed in the autumn of next year.

After saying this, Emperor Yuan Jing frowned, stared at the book in his hand, and murmured in a low voice.

"Xu Zisheng, really powerful, but it's a pity that I can't use him! "

Emperor Yuan Jing did not mention Xu Qi'an, because Xu Qi'an himself was guilty, his merits should be put last, and the reward was not to kill him.

"I obey your orders!"

Eunuch Liu heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this, as if relieved of a heavy burden, thinking to himself that Xu Zisheng was indeed special, even His Majesty was very afraid of him, and what he did today was correct.

Eunuch Liu left the Jingxin Hall, and Emperor Yuan Jing stood up and walked to the window, looking at the dark night sky, mysterious and profound, and spoke after a long time.

"Send an order to lift the ban on the inner and outer cities of Kyoto!"

After that, Emperor Yuan Jing walked deep into the hall, sat on the futon, closed his eyes and meditated, with only one thought in his mind.

"Second-rank scholar! I hope you don't hinder my pursuit of immortality! "

All the clues Xu Qi'an had found were cut off. He was anxious like an ant on a hot pot. The investigation of the case was deadlocked and he had no clue. In desperation, he could only come to Wu'an Marquis Mansion to ask Xu Zisheng for advice.

Xu Zisheng sat lazily on the chair, looking listless. He narrowed his eyes slightly, glanced at the confused and impatient Xu Qi'an, and said lightly.

"What, Zhou Chixiong escaped, you missed it!"

Obviously Xu Zisheng had thought of all this a long time ago, but he just didn't say it during the day, which made Xu Qi'an certain that since Xu Zisheng had already expected it, he must have had a countermeasure, and he had found the right person.

"Please give me some advice, Lord Xu. I am helpless now!"

"Don't be impatient. The water here is deep. You just need to wait patiently. Don't worry about your life! "

Xu Zisheng did not instruct Xu Qi'an, but looked up at the top of his head. There was a clear air rising from the depths of his eyes. A vast dynasty and national destiny suddenly came into view. The purple air was vast, like a cloud column, straight into the sky, which made Xu Zisheng envious.

"I have seen your luck. You have a deep luck and continuous blessings. Even if the emperor dies, you will not die!"

Xu Zisheng said that Emperor Yuan Jing died, which scared Xu Qi'an. At the same time, a trace of doubt rose in his heart. His luck was indeed not normal. He could pick up silver every day when he went out, and the money he spent on listening to music in the brothel was almost picked up in vain.

"Master Xu, is my luck a little abnormal? I have felt something was wrong for a long time!"

Xu Qi'an looked solemn, staring at Xu Zisheng. He had also asked Chu Caiwei of the Sitianjian to help him look, but there was nothing surprising.

"Small breasts and no brains, the female apprentice of the supervisor seems to be unreliable!"

"Wrong? ! "

Xu Zisheng smiled when he heard this, and his smile made Xu Qi'an feel uneasy and uncomfortable.

"That's right, you should not let people check your luck in the future, otherwise if they really see something, you will be miserable!"

Xu Zisheng looked at the purple air in the sky, his expression became more serious, and kindly reminded Xu Qi'an that not everyone was as upright as him, who held half of Dafeng's national destiny. Facing such a huge national destiny, it was easy to have evil thoughts and use means to devour Xu Qi'an's luck.

Xu Qi'an's heart trembled, and he immediately knew that his luck was probably very strange. He secretly decided not to let anyone check his luck in the future.

"You don't have to worry, your luck is covered, and few people can see the abnormality! "

Xu Zisheng comforted Xu Qian'an with a few words, then picked up the teacup, and the intention of seeing him off was very obvious.

Xu Qian'an felt heavy in his heart, but he did not stay. This visit not only did not gain anything, but made him even heavier. He knew that there was something strange about him, which made him uneasy.

There are hundreds of government offices in Dafeng Capital. Apart from those unorganized clerks and those in the military system, there are as many as 10,000 officials who eat official meals. Among them, only one-tenth can attend the morning court, and the officials, nobles, and clans who can enter the Golden Palace and talk directly with the emperor are only more than 100 at most.

The civil and military officials who were waiting outside the Meridian Gate at Yinshi gathered in twos and threes, talking about some family matters, with needles hidden in cotton.

"Your Majesty has been more diligent in attending court recently."

"The imperial examination is coming soon."

"Your Majesty was not so diligent in the imperial examination last year."

"Of course it was because of the Sangpo Lake case. Alas, it is a troubled time. His Majesty is going to lose his temper today, so don't offend him."

"We are just civil officials, and the Sangpo Lake case has nothing to do with us."

"Oh, then who does it have to do with?"

Everyone smiled at each other. Who does it have to do with? Of course it has to do with the leader of the five guards in the capital, and of course it has to do with the night watchmen who are responsible for protecting the capital and the royal family. Naturally, it has to do with the leader of the night watchmen's office, Wei Yuan and Wei Qingyi.

In front of the Meridian Gate, Wei Yuan was dressed in blue, standing alone, and was out of tune with the surrounding civil and military officials. Wei Yuan was a very special person. There was no eunuch with more power than him in the court. Even the eunuchs around the emperor did not hold much power.

Only Wei Yuan was different. He was not only the leader of the night watchman's office, but also the chief censor of the Censorate. Both offices had the power to supervise the officials.

Emperor Yuan Jing's meaning was very clear. Wei Yuan was my knife. Whoever disobeyed would have his knife fall on his neck. Wei Yuan was not only the knife that Emperor Yuan Jing pushed out to check and balance the officials, but also played a role in attracting hatred.

Civil and military officials did not dare to hate the emperor, but they could vent their emotions to Wei Yuan. At present, the Yongzhen Mountain and River Temple was destroyed. Emperor Yuan Jing, who had been lazy for a long time, went to court today. It was obvious that he had a lot of anger to vent. Wei Yuan must be the first to bear the brunt, and the civil and military officials were happy to eat melons.

At the beginning of the Mao hour, the heavy sound of the bell echoed in the dark night sky, which seemed desolate and lonely. The civil and military officials entered from the slowly opened east gate, while the royal family entered from the west gate.