"Stinky man, is there something wrong with your child's head?"
Susu jogged into the study. Only then did the uneasy feeling disappear. It was really strange. She actually felt uncomfortable being stared at by a five- or six-year-old child.
"You're the one who's sick. Your whole family is sick. Oh, I forgot that your family is long gone. "
Xu Qi'an retorted mercilessly. He had already forgotten his aunt's joke and thought that Susu was mocking the little bean.
"Squeak …"
Xu Qi'an closed the door of the study. He wanted to pour a cup of tea for Li Miaozhen, but considering that there might be an autopsy, it was not the right time to drink tea, so he didn't serve the guest tea.
Li Miaozhen didn't waste any time. She took out the fragment of the Book of the Underworld and shook it gently. A black shadow fell on the floor of the study.
Xu Qi'an, with his keen five senses, smelled a strong smell of blood.
He stared at the headless body for a moment and asked, "Where is his soul?"
A headless body alone couldn't prove anything. Since Li Miaozhen said it was a serious matter, she must have used some Taoist method to summon the soul.
Li Miaozhen patted the sachet, and a wisp of green smoke rose in the air, turning into a middle-aged man with dull eyes and a blurry face. He murmured, "Three thousand miles of bloody massacre, three thousand miles of bloody massacre, the imperial court must send troops to suppress …"
Tenzō Shōnin's face was heavy, "His soul is damaged. If we want to know what happened next, we can only nourish his soul. Based on the degree of damage, it will take at least two months."
Xu Qi'an looked at her and snorted, "Two months later, it will be too late."
Li Miaozhen stared at him, "Then what do you think we should do?"
She really didn't know what to do. There was only one clue, and there was no beginning or end. How could she find out the truth?
Susu's beautiful eyes stared at him. She knew that with Xu Qi'an's ability to solve cases, he would definitely not be as confused as her master.
Susu was both expectant and curious about this. She wanted to know from what angle he would analyze it.
Xu Qi'an thought for a while and bent down to remove the clothes on the body. After a careful examination, he said, "If I'm not mistaken, he should be from the north."
Li Miaozhen's eyes lit up, "What's the basis?"
She watched the shameless number three examine the body, but she didn't come to the same conclusion as him.
"Different places nurture different people. From the appearance and skin, we can tell where the deceased is from. Without a head, the face of a ghost is too blurry … Therefore, to determine where this headless corpse is from, we have to verify the details of the body.
Xu Qi 'an lifted the corpse's right hand and said, "Look, apart from the calluses on his palm, there is also a thick layer of calluses on his index finger. This kind of calluses will not appear when using knives or swords."
Susu and Li Miaozhen took a closer look. Indeed, it was so.
The beautiful female ghost blinked her beautiful eyes and said in a sweet voice, "What kind of weapon was that? Don't keep us guessing."
Li Miaozhen had a look of realization. "It's a bow."
She was indeed a female general who had been in the army for a while. She reacted quickly … Xu Qi'an nodded. "Yes, this person is good at archery."
Susu tilted her head and retorted, "How can this prove that he is from the north? I think you're just making it up. There are many people who are good at archery. Why can't he be from the army? "
Li Miaozhen nodded in agreement.
"Yes, Miss Susu is right. For example, you have a person who is good at archery, but he is not from the army. "
Xu Qi 'an winked, but his hands did not stop moving. He separated the legs of the headless corpse and said,
"Look carefully. There are no calluses at the base of his thighs. If he was in the army for a long time, there would definitely be calluses on his thighs. He is not from the army and is good at archery, which fits the characteristics of northerners. Jianghu people from all over Daibun are not good at using bows. "
Northerners were good at archery. Even an ordinary adult man could use a bow. According to Xu Qi'an's understanding, Jianghu people from several states in the north went out with a knife and a bow as standard.
Sometimes, they didn't even have a knife and used daggers and short blades instead, but they couldn't do without a bow.
At this time, Susu came up with another rebuttal. She said, "Or he is an archer."
Xu Qi'an sneered. "Who would send an archer to deliver a message? If I'm not wrong, this person is most likely a Jianghu person from the north. As for what he wanted to convey, who sent him, and who killed him, I don't know. "
Li Miaozhen breathed out silently and said with relief, "Then I'll leave his matter to you. As the silver gong of the night watchman, you should deal with these things."
Susu also breathed a sigh of relief. She felt that although this stinky man was lecherous and annoying, he was really capable.
His analysis was reasonable and well-founded, so she was very convinced.
She and her master were confused and didn't know how to continue investigating, but after handing it over to this man, they immediately found a clue.
Although Susu often complained about Li Miaozhen being a busybody, and although she liked to absorb men's essence, she knew that she was a kind female ghost.
If the headless corpse wasn't dealt with properly, she and Li Miaozhen would have a psychological burden.
Therefore, this highlighted the fact that Xu Qi'an's kindness could bring them a little sense of security.
…
After arranging a guest room for Li Miaozhen and Susu, and ordering the cook to prepare some snacks, Xu Qi'an returned to the study and stored the corpse into the Nether Tome fragment. He asked for the remnant soul and rode the mare to the yamen.
"I remember Duke Wei saying that there were frequent wars in the north, and Daibun had lost many battles. The civil officials had written to impeach the King of Zhenbei, but the Yuanjing Emperor had forcefully pushed the blame to Wei Yuan and stripped him of his title as the Left Imperial Censor.
"The massacre of three thousand miles, I can't imagine, such a big event … Why haven't I heard of it before? This is a serious matter, I must report it to Duke Wei immediately. "
The mare galloped to the yamen. Xu Qi'an handed the reins to the official on duty at the door and hurried to the Pavilion of Noble Spirit.
"Xu Yinluo, Duke Wei has just ordered for a carriage to be prepared to enter the palace," the guard downstairs replied.
Enter the palace … Even if he entered the palace, it would be a waste of time arguing with the Yuanjing Emperor and the civil officials … Xu Qi'an's face was stiff. "Don't talk nonsense, go in and pass the message."
"Yes …" The guard tactfully ran into the building.
After receiving confirmation from the guard, Xu Qi'an held his saber with one hand and climbed the stairs. He saw Wei Yuan sitting behind the table, his eyes filled with the vicissitudes of life, looking at him calmly.
He was still dressed in green, but it was embroidered with complicated cloud patterns, and there was a green flood dragon on his chest.
This was the official robe that Wei Yuan wore when he attended court or entered the palace to meet the emperor.
"You only have the time to brew a cup of tea. Spit it out." Wei Yuan's tone wasn't polite when he spoke to his confidant.
"Since Duke Wei is in such a hurry, I'll make it short." Xu Qi'an wasn't a kind-hearted person. He took out the jade fragment and shook it gently.
Thud … The headless corpse fell into the clean and tidy tea room, staining the clean floor.
Wei Yuan was somewhat shocked. The corner of his eyes twitched slightly as he asked, "What happened?"
"Li Miaozhen arrived in the capital today, and is currently staying at my residence." Xu Qi'an replied.
"Mm!"
Wei Yuan nodded. He didn't seem to care about this at all. He stared at the headless corpse and asked placidly, "But what does this have to do with this corpse?"
Xu Qi'an grinned, "It's a big deal. This corpse was found about eighty miles away from the capital. It was decapitated in a clean and neat manner.
"Li Miaozhen is a busybody, so she summoned the remnant soul of the deceased and asked about the situation. Who knew … "
He deliberately paused, wanting to keep Wei Yuan guessing. But when he saw that Wei Yuan didn't look too good, his heart skipped a beat. He was afraid that his next month's salary would be deducted because he stepped out of the house with his left foot.
He immediately said, "The soul said something. Mm, Duke Wei, take a look at it yourself."
He took out the sachet given by Li Miaozhen and untied the red string. A wisp of green smoke appeared in the air and turned into a man with a blurry face and dull eyes. He murmured and repeated,
"Three thousand miles of bloody massacre, three thousand miles of bloody massacre, please send troops to suppress …"
Wei Yuan's pupils shrank as he stared at the remnant soul. His eyes were extremely sharp.
He was silent for a few seconds and said, "What clues do you have?"
This wasn't a question, but a statement. It was as if he was certain that Xu Qi'an had found something.
Sure enough, the little silver gong that he appreciated never let him down. Xu Qi'an reported, "My preliminary conclusion is that he is a northerner. He was killed on his way to the capital to deliver the news."
He explained his conjecture in detail.
"There has been no war in Daibun recently, except in the north. Duke Wei, I'm afraid the situation in the north is worse than we thought. But the imperial court didn't receive the corresponding report? "
"No."
Wei Yuan shook his head and frowned. "You suspect that the King of Zhenbei gave a false report?"
Xu Qi'an looked at Wei Yuan. "This isn't strange. What I'm curious about is, if the King of Zhenbei gave a false report, why didn't the yamen receive the news?"
The night watchman's spies were all over the nine states. How could there be no news of such a big event as Three Thousand Miles of bloody massacre?
"At the beginning of the year, I deployed most of the spies to the northeast. Very few of them were left in the north. It's inevitable that the news is blocked." Wei Yuan said helplessly.
All the spies were deployed to the northeast? "What does Duke Wei want to do? Fight the Witchcraft Cult?" Xu Qi'an suddenly understood and stopped asking. "Then, Duke Wei, how do you think we should deal with this matter?"
Wei Yuan looked at the water leak in the corner of the room and said, "I'll go to the palace to meet the emperor first. I'll take the corpse and the soul away. You don't have to worry about this matter."
When Xu Qi'an nodded, he said, "Since Li Miaozhen has come to the capital, the appointment between heaven and man will end soon. The security of the capital will be much better.
"During this time, I don't know how many spies have sneaked into the city to inquire about information. Fortunately, the Supervisor is keeping an eye on them, so they won't be able to cause any trouble.
"Tell Li Miaozhen to be careful. This is a critical period. She shouldn't leave the city at will. Don't cause trouble. Be prepared for possible danger."
"What kind of danger?" Xu Qi 'an asked.
Wei Yuan looked at the water leak again and said quickly, "I'll only tell you the possible danger she might encounter. First, the danger comes from the imperial court. Second, the danger comes from spies from other countries. You can think of the reasons yourself. I have to go to the palace now. "
He snatched the sachet from Xu Qi'an's hand and quickly left the tea room. As he walked, he ordered the officials, "Bring the corpse and enter the palace with me."
…
In the imperial study.
Other than the Yuanjing Emperor, Wang Zhenwen, the Minister of Revenue, and other third-ranked officials, dukes, nobles, and officials had gathered. There were a total of sixteen people.
The pale-faced Chu Xianglong stood among the officials. He lowered his head slightly and did not say a word.
He had taken the pill given by the Celestial Commissioner and was able to get out of bed and walk. However, the internal injuries caused by his broken meridians could not be healed in a short period of time. However, as long as he did not use his Qi or use force, he would be able to recover in a month or so.
The Yuanjing Emperor frowned and said, "Wei Yuan is not here yet. There's no need to wait!"
Then, he swept his gaze across the officials and said, "The King of Zhenbei has asked the imperial court for 300,000 taels of military pay and 250,000 dans of grain and fodder. What is the meaning of this, my dear officials? "
The Minister of Revenue was the first to object. He said, "In the 36th year of Yuanjing, there was a flood in Jiang Province, a drought in Jin Province, and a locust plague in Zhou Province.
"There is not much left in the two Daibun granaries in Yu Province and Zhangzhou Province. We can't afford it."
The Yuanjing Emperor pondered and said, "How about we transfer it from each province?"
The Minister of Revenue replied, "Even if we can transport it, it will take a lot of time and effort to collect grain from each province. By the time it reaches the border of Chu Province, there will be less than half of it left. This is not a good plan."
As they spoke, the eunuch stopped in front of the imperial study.
The Yuanjing Emperor raised his hand and interrupted the Minister of Revenue. He looked at the eunuch at the door and asked, "What is it?"
"Duke Wei is here." The eunuch said.
The Yuanjing Emperor did not show his emotions. He said, "Let him in."
The eunuch left. Ten seconds later, Wei Yuan stepped into the imperial study and stood in his usual spot. He did not make a sound.
The Yuanjing Emperor was displeased. He said, "This won't do, and that won't do. Do you only know how to refute me?"
The Left Imperial Censor, Yuan Xiong, took the opportunity and stepped forward. He said, "I have a plan."
The Yuanjing Emperor nodded and said, "Please speak."
Yuan Xiong said, "The imperial court can add a temporary corvee service called grain transport. The people will be responsible for transporting the grain. "
The Yuanjing Emperor's eyes lit up. This was indeed a good plan.
The so-called corvee service was a labor activity that the imperial court recruited people from all walks of life for free. If the people were responsible for transporting the grain and the soldiers supervised them, then the imperial court would only have to pay for the soldiers' meals while the people would have to take care of their own food.
This way, not only could the grain be transported to the border without any damage, but it could also save a lot of money.
"This is a good plan!" The Yuanjing Emperor smiled.
Yuan Xiong heaved a sigh of relief. As long as the Emperor adopted his plan, the imperial court would be happy and the repercussions of the imperial examination fraud case would be minimized.
After the court examinations, if Xu Xinnian achieved good results, he would face the retaliation of the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, Zhao Tingfang, and Wei Yuan would kick him when he was down.
He had not even stabilized his position as the Left Imperial Censor. He might be removed from his position and had to save himself.
Wang Shoufu stepped forward and bowed. "This plan will harm the country and the people. Yuan Xiong must be executed!
"Your Majesty, it is now the spring ploughing season and the people are busy with their farming. We cannot add more corvee service. Since ancient times, food is the most important thing to the people. No matter what, we cannot disturb the people during the spring ploughing season.
"In addition, there have been many natural disasters last year and the people do not have much food left. This plan will only add fuel to the fire and force the people to their deaths."
The Left Imperial Censor Yuan Xiong raised his eyebrows and was about to retort when he heard Chu Xianglong snicker. "Wang Shoufu loves the people as if they were his own children. However, are the people of Chu Zhou City not the people of Daibun?
"Grand Secretary Wang is turning a blind eye to their life and death?"
Grand Secretary Wang said indifferently, "The imperial court has stationed troops in the north for eighty-six thousand households, each household given six mu of land, the number of military fields reaching five thousand hectares. Every year …
"There has been no war at the border for a long time and the weather has been good. Even without the requisition of food, the Chu Zhou City should be able to last for a few months. Why is there a shortage of food and money all of a sudden?
"I am afraid that the military fields have been taken over by someone."
Chu Zhou City was the northernmost state of Daibun and was next to the territory of the Barbarians.
Chu Xianglong had the support of the Prince and was not afraid at all. He coldly snorted, "Scholars, besides using their glib tongues, have they ever fought a war or led an army? You enjoy life in the capital, but you have no idea how hard it is for the soldiers at the border.
"Your Majesty, this time the Barbarians are coming at us aggressively. There have been many battles at the end of last year. Your Highness is invincible and you have won every battle. If the lack of food and the logistics cannot be replenished, the consequences will be unimaginable. "
The Yuanjing Emperor nodded. "Of course I am aware of Duke Huai's bravery. How is the war in the north? "
Chu Xianglong cupped his fists and said, "Your Highness, you are a god in the art of war. After the Barbarians suffered a few defeats, they do not dare to fight our army head-on.
"They can only rely on the speed of the cavalry to loot everywhere. Although our army has the upper hand, we are exhausted. Your Majesty, please distribute the food and pay so that the soldiers know that the Imperial Court has not forgotten their contributions. "
Wang Shoufu frowned.
Since the end of last year, when the King of Zhenbei was accused of guarding the city, the reports from the north did say that the King of Zhenbei had won many battles and that the Barbarians' invasion of the border had been stopped.
Duke Cao immediately said, "The King of Zhenbei has worked hard and performed great deeds. We cannot be a burden to him. Your Majesty, transporting food and labor is the best of both worlds. Moreover, if the soldiers' pay is not distributed, it may cause a mutiny in the army. We will lose the big for the small.
"Even if there is something wrong, it should be dealt with after autumn. We should not detain the food and pay for the army. "
The nobles all expressed their agreement.
They were experts on the battlefield and had more say than the civil officials.
Wang Shoufu said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, this matter needs to be discussed at length."
The Yuanjing Emperor ignored him and said, "What do you think?"
Seeing this, the nobles all relented and reported, "We will fully support the King of Zhenbei."
His Majesty's inclination was obvious. There was no point in saying more.
A few key members of the Royal Faction secretly gave Wang Shoufu a look, telling him to be careful with his words. Everyone in the court knew how much His Majesty trusted the King of Zhenbei.
Otherwise, he would not have bestowed the King of Zhenbei with the National Treasure Sword.
The Yuanjing Emperor looked at Wei Yuan and said, "Subject Wei, you are a military law expert. What do you think?"
Wang Shoufu immediately looked at Wei Yuan.
