Chapter 53: King Qi "Didn't she investigate the case?"...

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Jiang Hui was a bastard, and he still had a fierce look on his face. He slowly packed up the plasters and other things and closed the lid.

Yan Siqing was uneasy and didn't want to look at him. She went behind the screen to sort out her clothes. After the other person left, she didn't care.

The door is closed.

She leaned against the wardrobe, bent over, held her forehead, and let out a breath. Her expression was not good, showing forbearance, distress, and confusion.

She didn't understand Jiang Hui anymore.

"A brave warrior on the battlefield, though young, would never be so reckless and change his ways."

"I saw that he was very decisive in dealing with the crisis, so I agreed."

“How could it be…?”

So are men really so easily controlled by lust? Is making a promise as easy as drinking water?

But she clearly saw coldness and shrewdness in men like Chen Cangyu.

The difference between the Shen family and the royal palace was immense, so Chen Cangyu was naturally not as high and mighty as Jiang Hui.

Didn't the former also calmly calculate her value and discard her like a worn-out shoe for the sake of his future or something else?

She had never told anyone else about her understanding of Shen Zangyu and her judgment of him. Not even Zhou and her only daughter knew about what happened between them, let alone what she thought of what happened back then.

Most people, like the rest of the world, believe that it was a last resort and that it is the loyalty and open-mindedness that a martyr's widow should have.

Not really.

What she felt most deeply was: it turns out that people are so untrustworthy and so cold-hearted.

Yan Siqing would never try to understand, comprehend or judge a man, or even multiple men, unless it was related to her own safety or interests.

Because she has experienced the most "excellent" choices of this kind of man who is outstanding in the eyes of the world, and she has suffered.

She herself is an excellent person, and if she puts herself in the position of Shen Cangyu, she is confident that she can handle things and solve problems better.

Then she naturally looked down on these men's so-called helplessness.

On the other hand, when she looked at Jiang Hui, she had the template of her deceased husband as a reference.

After comparison, I feel it is very strange.

The other party has been overturning her inherent prejudice and cognition about men, and after she reshapes her judgment of him, he returns to the secular world again.

Worldly desires and impulses, the stubbornness and tyranny of power.

This is not normal.

He is a general and should know that a promise is worth a thousand gold. He should also know that she will never understand the collapse of this trust.

Unless the other party is sure that they can keep her trapped.

But he couldn't do it, because once he arrived in Chang'an, he would not be able to make decisions.

Wait, Changan?

General Yan of Prince Yan's Mansion... Soldiers of White Horse Temple...

Yes or no....

She vaguely realized something, but fell asleep before she could figure it out.

She pressed her finger against her temples and suddenly felt something was wrong. She looked towards the table in a trance.

Box.

Plaster box.

The location where it is placed and the habit of plaster finishing.

Jiang Hui actually learned all of this, but she only sorted it out in front of him once, which meant that he was always paying attention to the box at that time.

Wasn't he controlled by desire and thinking only of flirting with her?

How could I still be distracted...

unless....

He deliberately took advantage of her distraction and anger to sort it out...but actually mixed pills in it.

Poisonous gas emanated from the box.

Colorless and odorless.

She smells...

Poisoned.

The moment Yan Siqing fell unconscious.

"I've been hunting eagles all year long, but I was blinded by geese."

A thought came to her mind.

And at the moment she fell, the person who had already left...a ghost fell from the roof again, as silently as a lone eagle, and raised his hand to catch her strangely.

Be steady and hold it carefully.

——————

There were already quite a few people in the dining hall early in the morning.

Princess Huaixuan and the others probably did not sleep well last night, because the White Horse Temple was a Buddhist temple often worshipped by saintly monarchs, and the royal family and nobles did not dare to be arrogant. They all came here under the pretext of "respecting Buddha and being polite" and "eating vegetarian food to nourish the mind". It was not convenient for them to set up private kitchens at home and make a living extravagantly, so they would come to the vegetarian hall to eat light meals to maintain their reputation.

But before Princess Huimin could even take a bite of her mixed vegetarian dish, she heard her mother eagerly ask Jian Wuliang, who had come over: "Where's that Master Yan? How's he? Was he in danger last night? Where is he now? Why didn't he come to dinner?"

She was asking about people, but the people in the dining hall were listening to things.

They all looked sideways.

At this time, there were naturally many more people in the dining hall than when Yan Siqing and the others entered the temple, because most of them entered the temple before the rainstorm, and some even practiced meditation here for a long time. It was not necessarily the case that they were all royal relatives, but there were families of ministers in the court, and some elderly elders from aristocratic families. Because of the recent frequent strange phenomena in Chang'an, Buddhists were disturbed by the beliefs in ghosts and gods, so they came here to seek peace. There were also some literati who were used to traveling and living as guests. Chang'an was the center of the country, so there were even more people practicing meditation.

This is common.

Arranging the most remote Jingxin Courtyard for Yan Siqing was the result of Jian Wuliang's calculations, it was also because most of the guest houses were full, there were identity restrictions in the royal villas, and some upper houses were occupied by big families like the Xie family all year round. They would rather not have people living there than not have anyone live there, so the living quarters were compact, and the host and others had no choice.

If you count it this way, there are quite a few permanent residents. Many people come to the dining hall to eat early in the morning. Except for the royal private room, which is separated, it is also open and has no other doors. The tables and chairs outside are all treated equally.

Therefore, people outside and nearby could also hear the conversation between Huai Xuan and Jian Wuliang.

Jian Wuliang is easy to show his bad face to everyone. After all, the Dali Temple investigates all civil and military officials, so there is no need to be close to any of them. The more terrible his reputation is, the more likely it is that he will gain the emperor's trust. Although this approach is lonely and has few supporters, it also has the greatest benefits. Loyalty to the emperor is always correct.

But there was really no need for him to do that to these princesses and princesses, as there was no vested interest. If the latter had found some trouble, the emperor would have just laughed it off. He, a mere minister, could not publicize it to redeem himself. It would have been both impertinent and embarrassing to do so.

So he bowed and replied, "Greetings, Your Highness. I did not see Young Master Yan this morning. I did go to Jingxinyuan. He must have been tired last night and had already rested. I thought of meeting him in the dining hall to discuss the progress of the case. Although there was a sudden incident last night, Young Master Yan is fine and uninjured."

He also answered all the questions in detail, and did not avoid the important issues, but he also implicitly told everyone that he and Mr. Yan were working on the case together, and the latter contributed a lot, so much so that he had to discuss the case with him.

Everyone knew about what happened last night, and most of them sent people to find out something, but no one asked as directly as Huaixuan did.

While hiding from the rain in the courtyard, another family caught up with them. Although they were trembling with fear in the presence of Xie Rong and Huai Xuan and tried to avoid them, they happened to have witnessed the brief but effective game between Yan Siqing and Jian Wuliang, and were deeply impressed by her.

The old man patted his granddaughter's arm and told her to be more polite and not to reveal too much.

This matter is not easy to get involved in.

"That person is not simple either. There may be some breakthrough in the case, otherwise the young minister would not have mentioned it. It is not as scary as the commotion last night. There is no need to rush to leave the White Horse Temple."

The girl nodded and asked curiously, "Grandma, did Mr. Yan solve the case?"

Others were still guessing what kind of help Mr. Yan had given Jian Wuliang to stabilize the case last night, but she spontaneously thought: it must have been Mr. Yan who solved the case single-handedly, and Jian Wuliang had asked for help from others.

The old man said, "How do you know she solved the case?"

The girl blushed and said embarrassedly: She is so handsome, comparable to the top scholar in the imperial examination. Jian Shaoqing is a bit like the Monkey King in front of her.

The Monkey King is definitely not as smart as the gentleman.

Right.

The old man saw through her, touched her head, and found it funny, "In the past, you little girls were all shouting for Xie Jiulang."

The girl was stunned for a moment before she realized that Xie Rong was there too, with his sister beside him.

But since when did she stop being so excited for Xie Jiulang?

Hmm...it seems like it was yesterday when it was raining. I caught a glimpse of her and kept catching a glimpse of her...

"That's in the past."

"Grandma, we should look forward...but Young Master Yan hasn't woken up yet? Isn't she coming to dinner?"

The girl looked around expectantly, forgetting the ghostly mishaps she had been worried about, and was not in a hurry to call her relatives to leave the White Horse Temple to avoid the disaster.

Here, Huai Xuan's eyes flickered, but he didn't pretend. He looked at Jian Wuliang twice and spoke with genuine concern, "So why did those big roosters suddenly crow at the corpse last night?"

Just waiting for this.

Jian Wuliang didn't come here to eat. When the Dali Temple was busy, there was nothing they could do. It was common for them to go hungry all day. He didn't sleep all night and came here, not just to see Yan Siqing.

He had already surveyed the area and, seeing it was packed, he spoke up, "Your Highness, it's not ghosts or spirits. The rooster's crowing was also due to natural causes. In fact, we've already seen clues to this case. Last night, a suspected murderer even attacked from the back hills while we were investigating the mysterious cause of the victim's death. This betrays his presence, and it's definitely not a ghost."

"The small arrow has been preserved, and all the evidence has been taken care of. I am ready to report to Your Majesty at any time so that we can track down the true culprit, solve this case, and relieve the anxiety of the people of Chang'an."

He spoke, but didn't go into detail. He only gave the result, but his words were very firm. He insisted that the murderer was definitely not a ghost, and even mentioned that the murderer had already struck again!

The Dali Temple is the Dali Temple after all, and everyone was shocked when they heard it.

"Did a human really do this?"

"Damn it! Who is so cruel? He killed five people in a row, including officials and nobles of the dynasty!"

"Is it true? Could it be that the Dali Temple is trying to shirk responsibility..."

Others murmured in their hearts but did not dare to question directly. Huai Xuan was also half-believing and half-doubting, but as a member of the royal family, she was still sensitive - she did not want the talk of ghosts and gods to disturb Chang'an for too long, which was not conducive to the stability of the court and would naturally affect the rule of the royal family, so she stopped asking.

He just spoke because he understood Jian Wuliang's thoughts and took the initiative to bring it up.

However, Xie Rong did not have such foresight and thought. He asked as soon as he opened his mouth, and did not allow Xie Juanshu to stop him or cover his mouth.

"So how did it spontaneously combust? It instantly reduced a person to ashes. Is there such a horrific method in the world?"

"It was so scary. I was scared to death last night."

Huai Xuan: “….”

If all the members of the Xie family were like this, if all the members of the aristocratic families were like this, with nothing but a pretty face but no brains.

How nice it would be.

Jian Wuliang twitched his lips and glanced at Xie Jiulang: The fact that Yan Siqing was arranged by Jiang Hui to pretend to be Xie Jiu's identity is not really an attempt to curry favor with the Xie family, but rather an insult to her talent.

This Xie Jiu is really stupid.

He didn't understand what he meant: the first-hand report on the case required an audience with the emperor. How could the Dali Temple reveal the inside story to everyone before the murderer was caught? Let the real murderer know the concrete evidence they had?

In fact, the biggest evidence is that the Dali Temple has searched for insect eggs in the corpse, but this thing can also be destroyed. The murderer took action last night, and he might have intended to burn down the entire Zen room and the corpse. By then, no matter whether the insect eggs were burned or the hiding golden phosphorus insects flew away, the corpse would be destroyed together with the body. The Dali Temple would no longer have a way to prove that this case was not a ghost case.

If it weren't for the purpose of calming down the rumors, he wouldn't have mentioned this today.

But he couldn't refuse Xie Rong directly, because other people saw this and started to ask questions.

Jian Wuliang said with a straight face, "The so-called ghost and god theory is nothing more than the strangeness of spontaneous combustion. It is inexplicable, so there are rumors of long-tongued ghosts causing evil. In fact, the spontaneous combustion method is related to the "world's strange poison". It was poisoned by humans. The five deceased were poisoned due to a conspiracy. The poison entered their throats and then spontaneously combusted. This kind of poison, I will personally consult the doctors of the Imperial Hospital for identification."

Since he said so, Xie Rong believed it and asked why the rooster was crowing. Was it also poisoned?

There was an extra piece of rice cake in the bowl, and he turned around.

Xie Juanshu smiled calmly: "Those chickens have nothing to do with you."

"Eat first."

"younger brother."

Xie Rong shuddered: "..."

No one complained anymore. After all, most people had good eyesight and were sure it wasn't a ghost or god. Then every household had guards, and the highest military force in the entire empire was on their side. Jian Wuliang also took the initiative to contact the local garrison to strengthen the defense, and everyone felt relieved.

Huai Xuan: "I am at ease with your Excellency Shao Qing's work."

Jian Wuliang: "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness."

He breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at the dining hall, wanting to find Yan Siqing, but found that he had not arrived yet.

So tired? Did you sleep so soundly?

He was just beginning to wonder, but then he suddenly remembered: the other person was a woman, weaker in body, and he had long forgotten that she was a woman...

When making fun of yourself.

Suddenly I noticed someone standing at the door.

He was shocked, and everyone else was shocked too.

Everyone saluted.

"Greetings, His Royal Highness Prince Qi."

Huai Xuan frowned, "Greetings, my brother. Are you here?"

Prince Qi does not look like Prince Yan Fengzhang, who has the aura of a dragon. He has the appearance of an imperial father and son. He is more gentle and harmless like his mother. When he squinted his eyes, he smiled like a fox. After greeting Huai Xuan, he looked at Jian Wuliang.

"This case has been rife with rumors, and it concerns the safety of the nation. This prince has been practicing Buddhism and praying to the Buddha. Last night, I learned of the unexpected developments in the case, and I am deeply concerned. After all, my sister Huaixuan and little Chilin are here, as well as the two children of the Xie family. If any are harmed, I, as the parent here, cannot shirk my responsibility."

"Master Jian, my father is not here. Although there are laws and orders to report, it is difficult to catch the murderer during a rainstorm. The murderer may still be hiding in the White Horse Temple, threatening everyone at all times. If necessary, we need to seal off the White Horse Temple, but according to the law, the White Horse Temple does not have the authority to do so. We must wait for Your Majesty's order, okay?"

Jian Wuliang bowed and saluted, "Your Highness is right. I am indeed waiting for your Majesty's order."

After all, blocking the entire White Horse Temple is no small matter.

But he really didn't know that Prince Qi was in the White Horse Temple.

The situation was troublesome, very troublesome.

Jian Wuliang had a very bad premonition. At this moment, Prince Qi said slowly, "It's okay. I have just sent people to seal off the entire White Horse Temple."

"After all, according to the law, this king's authority can do it."

"Is it right?"

Everyone was even more shocked, and Jian Wuliang could only agree.

Prince Qi said solemnly, "So, could you please explain to me the details of the case?"

"This will determine whether or not I should send someone to escort the princess and the others out of the White Horse Temple and back to Chang'an."

There is no way.

Jian Wuliang had no power to refuse and could only agree. This was not the place to report.

He was about to go out with King Qi.

Prince Qi said nonchalantly, "Go call Chi Lin and the Master Yan he is protecting."

"Didn't she investigate the case?"

Jian Wuliang: “…”