Chapter 113: The Truth 2 Zeng can reveal the princess’s whereabouts…
Xie Wuhen looked at the Wuyou Teahouse that had been burned into ruins, but what came to his mind was the scene when he walked into the teahouse on a rainy day and saw Su He and Zeng Yidao playing chess together.
Winter is coming soon, and there won’t be rainy days like that anymore.
What's more, there will be no Worry-Free Teahouse in the future.
And in the future, will she come back?
He looked up at the gray sky, feeling bitter in his heart.
Wu Sheng walked around the rubble and hurried over to report, "Boss, I just looked around again, and I really can't find Zeng Yidao's body."
Xie Wuhen asked, "When the fire started, were our people busy putting it out?"
Wu Sheng replied, "A few people helped put out the fire, but others stayed around the teahouse and didn't see Zeng Yidao escape."
He didn't escape, nor was he burned to death. Could it be that this person just disappeared from the face of the earth?
Xie Wuhen was silent for a while, then ordered, "Send the burned residents to the clinic first."
Wu Sheng clasped his fists and replied "Yes", then turned and left.
Xie Wuhen also walked around the ruins, and in two inconspicuous corners, he suddenly found some oil stains with a colorful luster.
He picked up some oil with his fingertips and sniffed it. As expected, it was kerosene, and it was the kind of kerosene that was banned by the imperial court.
Anyone who can get this flaming oil must be either rich or noble.
Maybe, it was someone in the palace.
It seems that someone doesn't want Zeng Yidao to live.
Or maybe someone doesn't want him to come into contact with Zeng Yidao?
In the dim morning light and the bleak autumn wind, the scene is bleak.
A fire not only destroyed the Wuyou Teahouse, but also burned the surrounding businesses to ashes.
Some people were sighing, some were crying, and some were bending down to clean up things from the ruins.
Some even knelt and cried out, "Oh my God, why are you so blind? Without this shop, how will my family survive?"
Heaven and earth are unkind and treat all things as straw dogs.
In this world, the strong are respected and the weak are despised. The strong can just move a finger and the weak will be doomed.
Xie Wuhen felt an inexplicable grief and anger in his heart. After taking care of the injured, he ordered Wu Sheng to investigate the person behind the arson.
Wu Sheng was a little worried: "If the arsonist is really someone from the palace, should we... continue investigating?"
Xie Wuhen replied coldly: "Investigate further."
Afterwards, he ordered the Dali Temple officials to start digging the ruins.
By dusk, almost the entire ruins had been dug up, but no trace of Zeng Yidao was found.
At this time in Changle Palace.
Chuanzi hurried into the palace to report, "Your Majesty, Zeng Yidao's life or death is still unknown."
Concubine Shu had just finished washing and was applying facial cream. Upon hearing this, she closed the cream cap and gently stroked the delicate skin on her face: "It seems that I used too little kerosene and the fire was not big enough."
Chuanzi replied: "Right now, Xie Wuhen is still at the fire scene, digging through the rubble."
Concubine Shu smiled disdainfully: "Who cares whether he is alive or dead? Anyway, if we can't find him, then Xie Wuhen will definitely not be able to find him either."
Chuanzi lowered his voice and said, "My Lady, Xie Wuhen has already sent people to find out the source of the kerosene."
Concubine Shu paused and asked in a cold voice, "Is Zhou Qiaomu settled properly?"
Chuanzi replied, "I have already given Zhou Qiaomu a generous sum of money as instructed by the Majesty. He will certainly not say anything nonsense."
Concubine Shu thought for a moment and shook her head: "Since Xie Wuhen has already found the kerosene, I'm afraid a few hundred taels of silver won't be enough to settle this matter."
Chuanzi asked, "What does the Queen want?"
A cruel look appeared on Concubine Shu's face. "In this world, the words of the dead are the most reassuring." As she spoke, she raised her white and smooth hand and made a "killing" gesture on her neck.
Chuanzi understood instantly: "I will do it right away."
"Wait." Concubine Shu stopped him and whispered, "Remember, be quick and swift, and don't leave any evidence behind."
Chuanzi replied, "Don't worry, Your Majesty." Then he turned and left the house.
The sky was completely dark and the moon rose. The silver moonlight and the pitch-black ruins intertwined into a vivid light and shadow, like a dream.
Xie Wuhen sat on a wooden sleeper beside the ruins, staring at the bright and dim light and shadows in a daze.
Xiao Liuzi reminded him, "Boss, you've spent the entire day here. Why don't you go back home first and come back tomorrow?"
Xie Wuhen replied hoarsely: "How can we go back if we haven't found the person yet?"
Xiao Liuzi choked and didn't know how to answer.
Wu Sheng hurried over at the second watch.
He first went to the Xie Mansion and rushed here after knowing that his master had not returned home. "Boss, I found out that the fierce fire oil was recently seized by Zhou Qiaomu, the leader of the Zuo Qianniu Guard."
Xie Wuhen asked: "Since it was seized, why was it leaked?"
Wu Sheng replied, "I had intended to personally go and ask Zhou Qiaomu about the situation, but I didn't expect him to have fallen into the Qingshui River and drowned two hours ago after drinking."
Xie Wuhen secretly clenched his fist: "This speed of killing and silencing people is really fast."
Wu Sheng replied, "What the boss said is correct, but this person was very quiet and left no trace at the scene. I then made some private inquiries and someone revealed that Zhou Qiaomu was in close contact with a eunuch named Chuanzi in Changle Palace."
Xie Wuhen looked towards the vast night sky: "As expected, it is Changle Palace."
Wu Sheng was somewhat helpless: "Once Zhou Qiaomu died, the clues were cut off. What should we do now?"
Xie Wuhen answered irrelevantly, "Shufei is afraid that we will find Empress Duofu's child. She thinks that child will threaten the Second Prince's position."
Wu Sheng suddenly realized: "It seems that Concubine Shu didn't know that she was a princess."
Xie Wuhen thought for a moment and looked at the ruins in front of him again: "Then we must find Zeng Yidao."
Only through Zeng Yidao can we find out where the child is.
Wu Sheng was a little embarrassed: "How do I find it?"
Xie Wuhen ordered: "Search in these ruins."
Wu Sheng choked up, "But we've already dug through this ruin once."
He answered fiercely: "Then dig again."
There was a hint of despair in that harsh voice.
For several months, he had been searching for people. It seemed that the longer he searched, the more people he had to look for. From the beginning, it was Empress Duofu, then Empress Duofu's children, then his wife, then Zeng Yidao...
It seemed like God was playing one joke after another on him.
By dawn the next day, the entire ruins had been dug up again.
But after digging for a long time, I still found nothing.
Xie Wuhen called An Zi and asked him again about what happened during the fire.
Anzi had described it to him several times: "I really can't remember anything anymore. I also hope that you are still alive, but I really watched you... die in the sea of fire..." After saying this, tears welled up in his eyes again.
He didn't know whether the master was dead or alive, but he couldn't let this Shaoqing keep staring at the master. It was safer to say that the master was "dead" than to say that he was "alive".
Xie Wuhen asked, "Why didn't he escape from the sea of fire with you?"
Anzi replied, "Master, you said that someone deliberately set the fire to kill him. Even if he escaped the flames, he would surely die."
Xie Wuhen stared at him gravely: "So, you witnessed your husband turning into a man of fire?"
Anzi did not witness his master turning into a fire man. He only saw the rising flames and the master's back disappearing in the flames, but he could not tell the truth.
He answered the question irrelevantly: "I never said a word of falsehood."
Xie Wuhen didn't make things difficult for him and said, "You go down first."
Anzi went down obediently.
Then Xie Wuhen began to move through the ruins, as if he was looking for something, or cleaning something. When he reached the original lobby of the teahouse, he suddenly stopped, squatted down and looked closely at the floor under his feet.
The teahouse floor was made of wood. After a fire, it would either be burned to charcoal or become soft under the erosion of water and fire. However, the several-foot-wide floor under his feet was very strong.
He stomped his feet on the floor a few times, and there was a "dong dong" sound from the floor.
Listening carefully, the "dong dong" sound was obviously more hollow than other sounds.
He called the officers and ordered them in a deep voice, "Pry up this floor."
The officers hurriedly brought out iron shovels, and two officers simply used knives. Together, they finally pried open the entire floor, and then worked together to lift and turn the floor over.
The floor was extremely heavy. On the surface it looked like wood, but when you turned it over, you would find that it was actually a whole piece of iron.
There was a dark entrance under the floor, with several steps leading down.
Xie Wuhen ordered: "Bring a torch."
Wu Sheng handed over a torch and said, "Boss, I'll go down with you."
Xie Wuhen said "hmm" and walked into the entrance with a torch.
It was just an underground secret room, not very big, only about ten square meters. The two walked down the stairs, passed through a porch, and saw Zeng Yida sitting in the room.
He was making tea inside the house.
Because the light was dim, a candle was burning on the tea table.
"Your Excellency Shaoqing is really capable. He actually found Zeng's secret room." He spoke in a light tone and with a calm expression, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
Xie Wuhen handed the torch to Wu Sheng, then sat on the other side of the tea table, face to face with Zeng Yidao.
After not seeing each other for a few days, there was a hint of loneliness and determination in the eyes of both of them.
Xie Wuhen chuckled: "As expected, a cunning rabbit has three burrows. Mr. Zeng is very scheming."
Zeng Yidao poured him a cup of tea and said, "Someone wants to kill me, so I must be on guard."
Xie Wuhen's words hinted at something: "Isn't it possible that the people Mr. Zeng wants to guard against aren't just the arsonists?"
Zeng Yidao also smiled slightly: "It's a pity that Zeng was always one step behind."
Xie Wuhen stared at him for a moment, then took off his sword and placed it on the tea table with a "pa" sound: "But the people who want to kill Mr. Zeng today are not just the arsonists."
Zeng Yidao put down the teapot and asked calmly, "Sir Shaoqing, are you threatening me?"
Xie Wuhen took a sip of tea and answered calmly: "I am just telling the truth."
"If you kill Zeng, Master Shaoqing will never be able to find your junior sister's child again."
"If Mr. Zeng keeps silent, what's the point of me keeping him here?"
Zeng Yidao pretended to be casual: "Your Excellency, please know that I am not afraid of death."
Xie Wuhen said jokingly, "If you're not afraid of death, why bother digging this secret room?"
Zeng Yidao paused and was speechless for a moment.
But he was always as dignified as jade. Even though he was seen through, he still took two sips of tea calmly and said in a calm tone: "It seems that the emperor has issued an ultimatum to the Shaoqing."
Xie Wuhen replied, "Therefore, I have also issued you an ultimatum. If you insist on not revealing the princess's whereabouts, I will take your life today."
Zeng Yidao glanced at the long sword on the tea table. The sword was like condensed black ice, with a sharp edge and murderous aura. It was obvious that it was bloodthirsty.
He said: "Zeng can tell us where the princess is, but Zeng has a condition."
Xie Wuhen asked: "What are the conditions?"
Zeng Yidao replied, "I would like to meet the emperor behind the Shaoqing."
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