Chapter 86 Eight Bull Crossbow

Feng Shenyu placed the white chess piece in his hand on the chessboard with a snap and said:

"If it were me, I would point one at the palace, and the remaining two at your house and mine."

When Li Yueyao heard this, her hands trembled for a moment.

A black piece fell from his hand onto the chessboard, rolled twice, and fell to the ground.

Feng Shenyu picked up the black piece and put it back into Li Yueyao's hand.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I've already sent Yu Zhan to investigate. There will be results soon."

Li Yueyao held the black piece in her hand tightly and said nothing.

Sure enough, not long after, Yu Zhan came to report:

"My dear, an eight-bull crossbow was found on a restaurant outside the west gate of our mansion."

"Where are the other two?"

“Not found yet.”

Fengshenyuqi said calmly:

"If I'm not mistaken, one of them is on the palace wall directly opposite the north rear gate of Your Highness's residence."

Li Yueyao nodded after hearing this: "That makes sense, it's located on a high ground and is directly facing the backyard of my house.

The range of the Eight Ox Crossbow is enough to cover the entire backyard of my house."

After finishing speaking, he said: "Qianlou."

Qian Lou came in in response.

"Go to the palace and inform His Majesty of this matter. Have Feng Qing take swift action to apprehend the man."

After hearing this, Qian Lou retreated quietly.

After Fu Shou left, Nanny Qin continued to guard the door.

Half an hour later, Nanny Qin came in and said:

"Your Highness, Shaoqing Huan sent someone to report that the clues have been traced to Pushan Temple.

There is something strange about Pushan Temple, but the search has been hampered. Today, the Queen's mother, Lady Wei, is offering incense at Pushan Temple."

Li Yueyao listened with a blank expression and said in a cold voice:

"Send Gan Hong with the Azure Dragon Order to Pushan Temple to assist Shaoqing Huan.

Anyone who interferes will be charged with the crime of treason and attempted assassination of Your Majesty."

"Yes."

Another half hour passed, and Qian Lou returned from the palace in a dishevel, sweating profusely, his face pale, and with dust on the hem of his clothes.

Nanny Qin saw him at the door, stopped him, and tidied him up before he came in to report.

"Your Highness, as you expected, there is indeed a disassembled Eight Oxen Crossbow on the palace wall, hidden right in front of our backyard."

Li Yueyao sighed and said, "Feng Shenyu, guess where the last Eight Oxen Crossbow is?"

Feng Shenyu reached out and picked up the chess box, fiddled with the chess pieces inside and said:

"Has Longguangmen investigated?"

Fu Shou said, "We've checked, and there's nothing unusual. General Feng is searching everywhere in the palace."

Feng Shenyu supported his chin with his hand and rubbed the chess piece in his hand from time to time.

After a while, he said, "If the opponent is from Nanli, who do you think they would most want to eliminate, besides you, me, and Your Majesty?"

"The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion." Li Yueyao thought for a moment and said.

"That's right. Back then, the Duke of Zhenguo almost destroyed the Southern Li Kingdom. The people they hate the most are the lineage of the Duke of Zhenguo."

Li Yueyao turned to look at Qian Lou and said, "Ask Chen Yue to search the area around the Zhenguogong Mansion.

Also, tell the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo to guard the door carefully and be careful when entering and leaving."

"Yes."

After Qian Lou answered, he turned and left.

The meals served at noon had been reheated three times, but Li Yueyao and the other person seemed to be stuck on the chessboard, not moving at all.

Nanny Qin and Qian Lou noticed that the air pressure in the study was too low, so no one dared to come up and persuade them to have dinner.

An hour later, Qian Lou came in again and said:

"Your Highness, Pushan Temple has been destroyed. It is indeed the Nanli hideout.

Huan Shaoqing rescued Wen Ruliang, a doctor from the Ministry of Works, but Wen was tortured and dying.

Li Yueyao heard this and said, "First, send someone to call the director of the Imperial Hospital to come to the mansion.

Cuiwei, go get that bottle of Heart Protecting Pill and have someone deliver it to Wen Ruliang to take. Bring him here so I can see him myself."

Qianlou and Cuiwei responded in unison.

Half an hour later, Gan Hong brought people to carry Wen Ruliang into the mansion.

Li Yueyao and Zhao Yuanzheng went together to see Wen Ruliang.

"The external injuries are severe, but the internal organs are intact. He has lost too much blood and is in a coma, but his life is not in danger. First, a blood-replenishing pill."

Cui Yu was standing nearby with a medicine box. After hearing this, she found the blood-replenishing pill from the box and gave it to Wen Ruliang.

Dean Zhao was treating Wen Ruliang's external injuries nearby.

Li Yueyao signaled Cuiyu to leave the bottle of blood-replenishing pills behind, and then left with her people.

Fan Yong sent someone to report: "Your Highness, a thief's hideout was discovered in Jiashanfang. There are a large number of weapons inside, but no one has left."

Li Yueyao nodded and asked, "Where is Huan Shaoqing?"

Feng Shenyu continued, "We must continue to pursue the clues."

Just as the two of them finished talking about Huan Shaoqing, they heard someone come to report.

"Your Highness, Shaoqing Huan has traced the case to Jiashanfang and has already merged with Minister Fan's forces."

Li Yueyao nodded.

Feng Shenyu asked, "Has the Eight Oxen Crossbow been found near the Zhenguogong Mansion?"

"Chen Yue reported back, but nothing was found."

Feng Shenyu frowned and said, "That's not right. If it's not the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, then where is it?"

Li Yueyao also shook her head.

Qian Lou said from the side, "Your Highness, could it be at Prime Minister Gao's residence?"

Feng Shenyu and Li Yueyao both turned to look at him, motioning for him to continue.

"Your Highness, if Prime Minister Gao and the Nanli people are not in the same group, then the Nanli people's target is very likely him."

Feng Shenyu nodded and said, “That makes sense.

If we follow this logic, we should also check the residences of Duke Cheng'en, the Prince of Qin, and the Prince of Jin."

"Yes."

As Qian Lou left, Gan Hong's voice rang out:

"Your Highness, Wen Ruliang has woken up and wants to see Your Highness."

Feng Shenyu stood up and helped Li Yueyao up, and the two went to see Wen Ruliang together.

Wen Ruliang had just woken up, his face was haggard, he endured the pain in his body and said in panic:

"Lei Jing...blow up the weapons depot...quickly..."

Feng Shenyu and Li Yueyao's expressions changed drastically.

"Are you saying that a man named Lei Jing is going to blow up the weapons depot?"

"Yes... hurry up... at 11:00... three... quarters..."

Feng Shenyu's face turned cold after hearing this:

"Your Highness, please stay in the mansion and don't go anywhere. I will go there myself."

Li Yueyao nodded and called Chen Yue over, saying, "Go with Yu Zhan and protect the Right Prime Minister."

Chen Yue took the order and went out with Feng Shenyu.

After Feng Shenyu left, Li Yueyao became restless at home.

As the hour of You approached, the sky gradually darkened.

The Duke of Zhenguo finally returned and came to report on his investigation.

"Your Highness, there are indeed clues at the assassination scene. In addition to using a large amount of Nanli medicinal powder, they also have this kind of arrow."

As he said this, he handed the arrow in his hand to Li Yueyao.

Li Yueyao looked carefully at the short arrow in her hand: "Is this tail feather a goshawk feather?"

"Indeed, Your Highness. The twelve imperial guards, with the exception of the Left and Right Mighty Guards and the Left and Right Brave Guards, all use goshawk-feathered arrows.

The rest of the Left and Right Yulin Guards, Left and Right Qianniu Guards, Left and Right Yingyang Guards, and Left and Right Qianyu Guards all used golden eagle feather arrows.

However, there are still some differences in the feather arrows used by each guard, mainly look at this."

The Duke of Zhenguo skillfully removed the arrowhead, only to see the word "Xiao" printed on the iron where the arrowhead connected to the shaft.

Li Yueyao frowned: "Is this the arrow of the Xiaowei?"

"That's right. When we went to the outskirts of the capital that day, our escorts were all Yulin Guards. Where did the arrows from the Xiaowei come from?"

"I can only say that the Xiaowei are suspects, but it's not necessarily them. Perhaps they have lost an arrow?"

The Duke of Zhenguo had been running all day and was tired and thirsty. He was holding a teacup and drinking tea in big gulps. When he heard this, he quickly put down the teacup.

He shook his head and said, "No, Your Highness, do you think this arrow is new?"

Li Yueyao took a closer look and found that it was indeed a brand new arrowhead. The tung oil on the arrow shaft seemed to have not dried completely yet. It shone brightly under the light and there was not a single scratch on it.

"Yes, it's very new."

"The arrows used daily by each guard are all dried in the shade for at least six months, until they are completely dry.

This kind of freshly dried tung oil is only available at the Ordnance Inspectorate. This one has just been made, aired for less than six months, and hasn’t been sent to the Treasury Department yet.”