At this time, Abbot Yuan Shu had already explained the meaning of Empress Wu becoming the Empress according to Da Yun Jing Shu. Behind an incense burner table in the side room, a person suddenly stood up and shouted at the top of his lungs, "The Empress becoming the Empress is an irresistible trend, following the will of heaven and the will of the people! Everyone, if you agree with the Empress becoming the Empress, please come here and sign your name. After you sign your name, you can take a liter of rice home! "
As soon as the man finished speaking, two shirtless men behind him carried a rice bucket and placed it next to the incense burner table. They put their hands on their hips and looked at the common people below the steps. A few other men carried bags of rice on their shoulders and poured the rice into the bucket. In a short while, the shining white rice had sprung up.
When the people saw this, they all rushed forward. Someone anxiously shouted, "I don't know how to read, what should I do? I also want to sign my name, I also want to agree with the Empress becoming the Empress! "
That person's face lit up with joy. With one hand holding the blank booklet and the other holding the inkstone, he shouted, "If you don't know how to sign, just put your fingerprint. Come, come, come. After you put your fingerprint, you can get the rice!"
Di Renjie frowned again and said in surprise, "Imperial Censor Fu You Yi?"
Yang Fan was beside Di Renjie. When he heard this person's identity, he couldn't help but take a look at that person.
If he had chosen to 'persuade' in order to obtain the throne, then the person standing there now would be him, right?
This Fu You Yi was not very old, only in his early thirties. He wore a round collared robe with wide sleeves and a soft hat. He was dressed like a scholar and his facial features were regular, giving him a good appearance. He shouted loudly, his face flushed with excitement.
After all, there were not many people who did not bow down for five buckets of rice. Who cares who becomes the Empress? Only a fool would not do such a thing if they put their fingerprint on a liter of rice. The people eagerly came forward. Some of the people who did not hear the news beforehand and came to the temple to pray today were glad that they encountered such a good thing. They all rushed forward and put their fingerprint on Fu You Yi. Then, they used their lapels to carry a liter of rice and left happily.
Di Renjie glanced at Fu Youyi in disdain and said to Yang Fan, "Let's go!"
The group left the altar and went around the side of the Hall of Great Strength to the front of the second hall, and then continued forward.
Along the way, Di Renjie observed his surroundings. Yang Fan accompanied him calmly.
He had also heard that when Di Renjie was in charge of the Supreme Court, he handled thousands of unsolved cases in a year, and no one complained. He knew that Di Renjie was a master of torture, but as long as he was not a god who could connect with Yin and Yang, and could capture Shenke Miao's soul for questioning, Yang Fan was confident that he would not be traced back to him.
Even if Di Renjie suspected him and had the ability to eliminate the obstacles from Xue Huaiyi, investigate his experience in Luoyang, and confirm that he was the murderer, he would not have a trace of evidence unless he continued to investigate and sent someone to Jiaozhi to find out his origin and confirm that there was no such person as Yang Fan there.
But it was not easy to do this. Di Renjie was a third-rank official of the imperial court. At the critical moment when the Empress was about to ascend the throne, would he put his energy into investigating this criminal case? Not to mention other things, just rescuing Hei Ya Chang Zhi would involve most of Di Renjie's energy. How could this old man have the leisure?
Di Renjie walked all the way back. When he walked near the Sutra Depository, he looked around and pointed to the high temple wall on the left. He said, "Tiangong Temple is full of incense and people come and go. With such a high wall, if he wanted to climb over without being discovered, then this is the most likely path."
Yang Fan looked around and nodded in agreement. "Yes, if someone really forced Miao Shenke to commit suicide, and this person appeared in broad daylight, then this is the most likely place!" He pointed to the gap between the Sutra Depository and the temple wall and said, "Although there are fewer tourists here, it is not to the extent that there is no one. If I were the murderer, I would pretend to relieve myself and choose to climb up from that gap. "
Di Renjie nodded and pondered for a moment while stroking his beard. He glanced at Yang Fan and said, "You said that if this person appeared in broad daylight, then this is the most likely place. That is to say, there is also the possibility of him appearing at night?"
Yang Fan said, "Although Luojing has a curfew and people are not allowed to go on the streets at night, this ban is not a problem for those who can fly over eaves and vault over walls. People with good skills can naturally visit at night."
Di Renjie's white eyebrows slightly wrinkled and said slowly, "If that person sneaked into the Miao family at night, then it is even more impossible to find. But … "
He turned his head and looked at the temple wall that was nearly three feet high. He smiled and said with certainty, "If such a person really exists, he must have sneaked in in broad daylight!"
Yang Fan was shocked and hurriedly pretended to be puzzled. He asked, "Uncle, why do you think so?"
Di Renjie narrowed his eyes and stroked his beard. "Because Miao Shenke hanged himself in the afternoon. If someone sneaked in in the middle of the night, then the time should be the night before. If Miao Shenke wanted to commit suicide because of this, it is impossible for his family to not have any abnormalities when he woke up in the morning. He also would not have left no words for his family."
Di Renjie pondered and said, "I have asked his disciple, Du Xian. That day, Miao Shenke did not have any abnormalities and taught him calligraphy as usual. He even wanted to drink tea. This does not seem like a person who wants to die. Therefore, that person should have sneaked in in the afternoon and met Miao Shenke when Du Xian left to brew tea for Miao Shenke. "
Yang Fan calmly walked over and stretched out his hand to pat the sturdy high wall. He looked up at the top of the wall that was more than three feet high and nodded. "What Master Di said makes a lot of sense!"
Di Renjie said, "After Miao Shenke's death, the news was reported to the palace. The Empress had sent a servant to carefully examine his body. There was not even a scratch or bruise on his body. There were no signs of a struggle. During the process, he was also not drugged to cause his death or coma. Therefore, this' hanging himself 'is very likely that he walked onto the noose of his own accord. The person who came could make him take the initiative to die with just a few words … "
Di Renjie took a deep breath and put his hands behind his back. He slowly walked under the high wall.
After a round of investigation in the Miao family, Di Renjie also believed that Miao Shenke did not hang himself of his own accord. Logically speaking, it was the Empress who issued a secret edict to force him to commit suicide. This was the most reasonable explanation. However, the Empress had already admitted that she did not kill him! Empress Wu did not have any reason to hide this.
Therefore, this case would not be easy to handle because no useful evidence could be found at the scene. They could only deduce from the scene that the murderer was familiar with the Miao family's residence and was agile. The experienced servant had already examined Miao Shenke's body. From the constriction marks, he did not fake the scene of hanging himself after being strangled to death. He was indeed hanged to death.
To make Miao Shenke willingly take the initiative to die, the murderer either knew Miao Shenke's current situation and faked the Empress' edict to force him to commit suicide, or had enough reason to make Miao Shenke believe that since he had come, even if Miao Shenke did not want to commit suicide, he would undoubtedly die.
But in this case, the scope was endless.
It was possible that the murderer was trying to figure out the Emperor's will to cater to the killing. It was also possible that the murderer had a personal grudge against Miao Shenke.
If it was a personal grudge, it would be even harder to investigate. Miao Shenke had been Empress Wu's confidant for so many years. Many secrets that could not be divulged were planned and executed by him. If he did not know these secrets, he would not be able to identify the suspect. If he wanted to know these secrets, he had to ask Empress Wu herself.
Could he ask Empress Wu how many people she had secretly punished over the years? Could Empress Wu tell him these things? Perhaps even Empress Wu herself had forgotten how many people she had killed. Miao Shenke was dead. The person who was most concerned about the cause of his death was probably the Empress. But the biggest obstacle to investigating this case was also the Empress …
Di Renjie smiled bitterly and said to Yang Fan, "Nephew, leave two people here. After the abbot of the Heavenly Palace Temple finishes his lecture, ask him if there have been any unusual people entering and leaving the Heavenly Palace Temple recently. Especially on the day Miao Shenke committed suicide, ask if anyone saw any unusual people near the Sutras Depository. Although the chances are slim, it is still appropriate to ask."
Yang Fan quickly agreed and turned to Zhang Xitong. "Brother Zhang, you …"
Zhang Xitong did not wait for him to finish and said, "I understand, I understand. Zhang Qi, Tian Yan, you two stay here. After the abbot of the Heavenly Palace Temple finishes his lecture, you two can interrogate him! "
The two strong soldiers responded and retreated to the side.
Di Renjie looked around again, then walked out.
Yang Fan accompanied Di Renjie out. After walking out of the noisy Heavenly Palace Temple, he glanced at Di Renjie's back and quickly caught up with him. He asked, "Uncle, what should we do with this case?"
Di Renjie put his hands behind his back and looked at the palace. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Nephew, what do you think?"
Yang Fan said, "This case is full of doubts. There must be something fishy about it."
Di Renjie said, "Yes, but this case is full of clues, and we still don't have a clue. If you want to peel the silk from the cocoon, you have to go back to the source, and this source … is difficult! Difficult! Very difficult! "
Di Renjie shook his head. The group silently crossed the Tianjin Bridge and returned to the front of the palace. Di Renjie said, "Hei Chi Changzhi has been escorted back to the capital. At this moment, he is either in the Luoyang Prefecture or the Ministry of Justice. Nephew, send a quick brother to the Luoyang Prefecture to find out. We will go directly to the Ministry of Justice and see where he is now. I want to see him."
As soon as Yang Fan turned around, Zhang Xitong said with a smile, "I understand, I understand. Yue Ziqing, go to the Luoyang Prefecture. We will accompany Assistant Minister Di to the Ministry of Justice. If Hei Chi Changzhi is being held in the Luoyang Prefecture, come back and report as soon as possible!"
Yue Ziqing agreed and rushed in the direction of the Luoyang Prefecture. The others followed Di Renjie to the Ministry of Justice.
Yang Fan whispered, "Uncle, the Minister of Justice is now Zhou Xing. This person … is it appropriate for you to intervene in his case?"
Di Renjie said, "How could I not know that it would be better for me to consult the Empress first? It's just that if I don't know what crime Blacktooth Chang Zhi has been arrested for and what evidence he has, even if I ask the Empress, she will not allow me to intervene. Although it is not appropriate to see Hei Chi Changzhi first, I believe that the Empress will not be suspicious of me because of this. "
Yang Fan hesitated, "Uncle, I mean, Minister Zhou …"
"Oh …"
Di Renjie smiled and said, "You mean Zhou Xing? Zhou Xing is a kind person and easy to talk to. Moreover, when this old man was in charge of the Supreme Court back then, he was a small official under this old man. This little bit of face, he will definitely give this old man. "
Zhou Xing, one of the four most ruthless officials of the Tang dynasty, whose cruelty could make children stop crying, was actually kind and easy to talk to? Yang Fan could not believe his ears.
Di Renjie winked at him and said with a mischievous smile, "You have not interacted with Zhou Xing before, have you? If you do not believe this old man, you can see for yourself later. Hehe, as long as you have not fallen into his hands, he will definitely be polite to you! "
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
