Chapter 123: Phoenix and Li Anning's First Confrontation
At the door of death row.
The jailer who led the way curled his lips and said, "You are still stubborn even when you are about to die. The Ministry of Justice has been very good to you. When you get to the Dali Temple, do you think you will still have the energy to protest your injustice?"
The death row is at the innermost part of the Ministry of Justice prison and has a separate gate.
The prison boss opened the door, and Li Nuo and Li An Ning walked in. They saw a young man with ordinary looks clinging to the bars of the cell and shouting.
Li Nuo looked at Li An Ning and said, "If he really killed the Huang couple, he wouldn't have publicized it. Once the Thieves Sect knew that the Huang couple were dead, he would be expelled from the Sect."
Li Anning was surprised and asked, "You suspect he is not the murderer?"
In fact, she had doubts, but all the evidence pointed to this person. Perhaps he did the opposite and made a big fuss about the theft from the Huang Mansion just to cover up the fact that he had committed murder.
Li Nuo thought about it and said, "We'll know if it's true or not after we give it a try."
Although he already had the answer in his mind, he had to make Li Anning and the people from the Ministry of Justice believe it.
He walked to the cell and said to the young man, "You said you didn't kill them. Didn't you make a noise when you broke into the house and woke up the Huang couple, and then killed them to silence them?"
The young man seemed insulted and said in a trembling voice: "You, you, you, go out and ask around. When have I ever failed to break into Wang Zhaodong's house and steal money? They drank that night and slept soundly, so it was impossible for me to wake them up..."
Li Nuo and Li An Ning temporarily left the death row and went to ask the steward and the chief who was in charge of Zhao Dong.
The result was surprising.
This guy's title of the king of congestion is not just boasted.
When it comes to street stealing skills, Zhao Dong is not even ranked among the best.
But just in terms of this one item, even several guardians recognized his ability.
Because of his excessive bias, the pickpocket's skill in cutting hair was too poor, and he was very good at picking locks and snatching things. If he tried to steal in the street, he would most likely be caught on the spot. The risk was too great, so Zhao Dong had no choice but to break into houses and rob.
To this end, he practiced hard the art of clearing the blockage, and gradually became famous among the thieves.
Li Nuo walked back to the death row and said to the king of arbitrariness: "Don't say that the Ministry of Justice didn't give you a chance. As long as you can prove that you really have this ability, the Ministry of Justice will consider re-investigating this case..."
After a moment.
A government office in the Ministry of Justice.
Li Nuo locked the paperweight in a cabinet in the government office, and then said to Zhao Dong: "I will lie on the bed inside in a while. If you can come in from outside without me noticing, open the cabinet and take out the paperweight, I will believe what you say."
Zhao Dong nodded and said confidently: "Don't worry, sir, it's a piece of cake."
After Zhao Dong walked out of the room, Li Nuo locked the door of the yamen from the inside.
He walked to the deepest part of the yamen, where there was a bed, which was used by Li An Ning for his daily naps.
The distance between this bed and the yamen entrance is closer than that between the room of the master of the Huang Mansion and the entrance.
Li Nuo pulled open the curtain beside the bed and spread some files on the floor beside the bed. Li An Ning glanced at him and asked, "What are you doing?"
Li Nuo said: "I sleep on the floor."
Li Anning rolled his eyes at him and said, "We are investigating a case involving three lives. Can you please be more serious? How can what you hear while sleeping on the floor be the same as what you hear while lying in bed?"
She lay down on the bed and moved inside on her own initiative.
Since she doesn't care, there is no need for Li Nuo to insist.
What's more, what she said makes sense.
Li Nuo lay down beside her. The bed was not wide to begin with, and with two people lying on it, it seemed a little crowded.
In this way, the situation on the night of the crime was almost perfectly simulated.
The room was quiet. Li Nuo closed his eyes and could hear Li An Ning's gentle breathing.
Neither of them spoke, just lying quietly on the bed.
Li Anning tilted his head to take a look and sighed softly in his heart.
Her first time sleeping with a man was also gone.
But since I've given him so many firsts, it doesn't really matter...
I don’t know how long it was, but there was a knock on the door.
Li Nuo got off the bed, walked to the door, opened the door of the yamen, and saw everyone from the Ministry of Justice looking at Zhao Dong in surprise.
Zhao Dong handed a paperweight to Li Nuo and said, "Look, sir, I didn't lie to you, did I?"
Li Nuo walked back to the room and found the cabinet was locked.
He used the key to unlock it, and the paperweight inside was gone.
During this period of time, this person not only pried open the door bolt, sneaked into the room, opened the cabinet, and stole the paperweight inside, but also locked the cabinet again. When leaving, he even remembered to put the door bolt back in place.
Li Nuo and Li An Ning, while awake, did not hear the sound of Zhao Dong entering the room.
Not to mention the Huang couple who were fast asleep after getting drunk.
Although Li An Ning was also amazed, he still said, "Even if his stealing skills are superb, people can make mistakes and horses can stumble. It is not ruled out that he made a mistake that night and made a noise. It is also possible that the Huang couple got up at night and ran into him..."
From common sense, Li Anning's suspicion is not unreasonable.
But Li Nuo already knew the answer.
He thought for a moment and said, "Take him to the crime scene and take another look."
Not long after, Li Nuo and Li An Ning brought Zhao Dong to Huang's house again.
As soon as Zhao Dong entered the room where the crime occurred and saw the mess on the floor, he was stunned for a moment and immediately said, "I didn't do this. Although I stole some gold and silver jewelry, I locked the cabinet afterwards and didn't leave clothes everywhere. Who did this? It's so careless. Isn't this obviously telling the owner that something is missing from the house..."
The highest level of burglary is to leave no trace. As long as the owner does not check, he may not even know that he has lost something.
Even if it is discovered later, there will be no way to investigate.
Only a novice thief would make a mess of the scene like this.
Zhao Dong looked at the crime scene with disdain and said, "Sir, this was definitely not done by a thief. The work was done so crudely, the thief can't afford to lose face..."
Li Anning also somewhat believed that the Huang couple was not killed by this person.
Otherwise, his acting skills are just too good.
She looked at Li Nuo and said, "Could it be that after he left, another thief happened to break into the Huang family, and while searching for valuables, he woke up the Huang couple and killed them to silence them?"
Li Nuo did not answer. He walked to the door, observed the door bolt, and suddenly asked Zhao Dong: "Did you put the door bolt back to its original position after you left that day?"
Zhao Dong nodded and said, "Of course, this is the most basic procedure. Every time I finish stealing, I will put the bolt back in."
Li Anning couldn't wait any longer, so he tugged at Li Nuo's sleeve and said, "What did you find? Tell me..."
Li Nuo pointed to some marks on the door bolt and said, "These are the marks left by Zhao Dong when he opened the door bolt. Judging from these marks, this door bolt has never been opened by a second person..."
Before leaving, Zhao Dong closed the door from the inside.
After him, no one else came in.
But the Huang couple died.
Li Anning thought for a moment, pointed at Zhao Dong, and asked Li Nuo, "You mean he's lying and he killed the person?"
Zhao Dong sat down on the ground and cried out, "Oh my god, why are we back here again?"
Li Nuo shook his head and said, "The housekeeper of the Huang Mansion said that when he came in the morning, the door of this room was open, and the Huang couple died inside. Either Zhao Dong was lying, or it could be that the second person who came in used other methods to open the door and did not leave any marks on the door bolt. When he left, he was in a hurry and forgot to close the door. Or he deliberately did not close the door. How could a murderer take the time to restore the door bolt after killing someone..."
Li Anning looked doubtful: "Any other methods?"
Li Nuo explained: "Using your true Qi to open the door bolt will not leave any marks on it."
Li An Ning said: "This is impossible. To do this, one must have a cultivation base above the True Qi Realm. If a warrior is at the True Qi Realm, killing the Huang couple would be a piece of cake. It is impossible to leave so many traces of a fight in the room..."
Li Nuo asked back: "What if he is pretending?"
Li An Ning also realized something and murmured, "You mean, after Zhao Dong, a martial artist above the True Qi Realm came here and killed the Huang couple, pretending to be ignorant of martial arts and leaving some traces of fighting at the scene, so that we would not suspect him..."
If this is true, then the murderer's plan is perfect.
Based on the traces left at the scene, the authorities would certainly think that this was a case of burglary and murder.
In nine out of ten cases like this, the murderer cannot be found and the case ends up being left unresolved.
The murderer probably didn't expect that there would be someone who could catch all the thieves in one fell swoop. He would rather catch the wrong person than let him go and caught the thief from the crowd.
Of course, it doesn't matter if the thief is caught.
At this point, based on the evidence, the thief will become his scapegoat.
In fact, if it weren't for Li Nuo, Zhao Dong would have been convicted.
Li Anning still cannot understand where his god-like intuition comes from.
After investigating till now, she also had a vague feeling that Zhao Dong might not really be the murderer who killed the Huang couple.
Li Nuo didn't expect that this case would be so complicated.
The murderer chose a very good time. If it weren't for the warning of the code, he would have been fooled.
The question is, how did the murderer know that Zhao Dong was going to steal that night?
Li Nuo looked at Zhao Dong and asked, "Who else knew that you were going to steal from the Huang family that night?"
Zhao Dong got up from the ground and said, "I was passing by here that day when I saw the Huang couple returning home drunk, so I made this plan on the spur of the moment. Generally speaking, drunk people like this sleep deeply at night, which is the best time to take action..."
Even Zhao Dong himself acted on impulse, so naturally he had no idea who the murderer was.
Unless he was originally from the Huang Mansion and was seen by him when Zhao Dong was taking action.
But this possibility was ruled out from the beginning.
All the servants who were in Huang's house that night were present that day, and Fadian did not react at all at that time.
Either the murderer had been targeting the Huang couple for a long time, and Zhao Dong's action gave him the opportunity to frame them.
But the Huang couple had no enemies, and Li Nuo had checked their business competitors but did not find any problems.
Now he was totally out of ideas.
Because of this case, he uprooted the thieves and added more than a thousand days to his lifespan.
But the case itself still has no result.
After finding out this much, Li Nuo has done everything he can.
Although it was a bit regrettable, what he gained during the investigation process far exceeded his expectations.
I originally thought that I could only gain ten days of life, but the final gain was more than a hundred times what I expected.
When Li Nuo and Li An Ning walked out of the room, they heard two heads of the Ministry of Justice discussing something in the yard.
Although the Huang couple were wealthy, they had no children.
Not only that, Mr. Huang also has no brothers or sisters.
After the couple died, there was no one to inherit their property. According to the laws of Daxia, all the property of the Huang family would be confiscated by the government and added to the national treasury.
The two heads of the Ministry of Justice therefore felt that they had to leave descendants no matter what, otherwise after their death, all that they had worked hard for would be taken advantage of by the imperial court.
Speaking of the Huang family's property, Li Nuo suddenly remembered something.
If the painting hanging in the Huang couple's bedroom is an authentic work by Gu Youzhi, then all the Huang family's assets combined may not be as valuable as this painting.
Thinking of this, Li Nuo turned around and walked back to the room.
The Phoenix One-Day Experience Card had expired long ago. When Li Nuo stood in front of the painting again, he could no longer see the mystery in it.
For a moment he was unsure whether he had made a mistake in his judgment.
Compared to wasting a day of life, it is more cost-effective to call the phoenix over.
After a moment.
In Yuyin Pavilion, Fenghuang, who was arranging flowers, looked at Li Nuo and asked, "Where are we going?"
Li Nuo said: "I have something I want to ask you for help with. I can't explain it in a few words. Anyway, just follow me. Don't worry, I won't do anything to you..."
Phoenix glanced at him.
What do you mean by rest assured that nothing will happen to her?
She has such a beautiful face, such a good figure, and is so talented. So many men have bad intentions towards her. Why should she feel at ease?
This sentence is really hurtful, okay?
But she was already used to being hurt by him, so she put down the flower branch in her hand and said, "Wait a minute, I'll put on some makeup..."
Li Nuo said: "Don't touch up your makeup, I'm in a hurry, I'll be back soon."
Seeing how anxious he was, Fenghuang had to give up the idea of touching up her makeup.
However, when she walked into a mansion and saw Li An Ning, she regretted not putting on some makeup on the way.
It was obvious that the woman didn't dress up well today.
If I put on some carefully prepared makeup, I could make up for the shortcomings of my figure and easily surpass her.
Li Nuo walked into the room, but did not see Fenghuang following him.
Turning around, I found Fenghuang standing in the yard. I didn't know what he was thinking, but there was a mysterious smile on his face.
Li Nuo cleared his throat and said, "Here."
Fenghuang came back to her senses, put away her fantasy, and followed Li Nuo into the room. She was startled by the messy room and the dried blood at first. She glanced and found a painting hanging on the wall. She was slightly startled, walked up quickly, and said in surprise: "It turned out to be Gu Youzhi's "Dwelling in the Mountains". Such a similar imitation is rare in the market..."
As she approached, the expression on Fenghuang's face gradually changed. She looked at the painting carefully and said in shock, "No, this is not a replica, this is the original, the original painting of Gu Youzhi's "Dwelling in the Mountain", how could it be here!"
Li Nuo looked at the shocked Phoenix and asked, "Are you sure it's authentic?"
Fenghuang said confidently: "I have seen Gu Youzhi's original work. This "Dwelling in the Mountain" is undoubtedly authentic, but this painting has been lost for ten years. How did it appear here?"
Li Nuo asked in confusion: "Lost?"
As Fenghuang continued to look at the painting, she said, "Gu Youzhi's Dwelling in the Mountains was originally a treasured possession of the current emperor of Daxia. More than 20 years ago, his majesty awarded the painting to the crown prince. Ten years ago, the crown prince died of illness, and the East Palace was robbed. Many treasures were stolen, and this painting was also lost. I didn't expect it to be here..."
Li Nuo was stunned when he heard this.
He never expected that a small businessman could be related to the royal family.
The Huang couple are unlikely to be the thieves who sneaked into the Eastern Palace.
The East Palace is heavily guarded, let alone the two of them, even Li Nuo doesn’t have the ability to do so.
Could it be that the thief didn't know the value of the goods and the Huang couple bought them when they were selling the stolen goods?
Beside Li Nuo, Li Anning had a dazed look on his face.
Although she didn't have much impression of her father.
But the prince doted on her very much at that time.
Her mother died early, and the Crown Prince often came to the palace to see her, and every time he brought her a lot of fun and delicious food.
When the crown prince passed away, she cried for a long time.
Hearing these things suddenly brought back some long-lost memories.
Li Nuo looked at the painting on the wall.
Now that we know its origin, of course we should return it to its original owner.
Now that the prince has passed away, the painting should be taken back by the royal family.
Although no one knew why the treasure stolen from the East Palace appeared here, it seemed to be God's will. After ten years, the treasure finally returned to the royal family.
When looking at the "Mountain Dwelling Picture", Li Nuo's hand habitually rested on a half-person-high vase below the painting.
This is due to some professional habit.
Some wealthy families will not leave their belongings outside for safety reasons.
They often build secret compartments in bedrooms or other places, and the switch is usually a wall tile, a vase, or a potted plant, etc.
There was a shop in Chang'an run by disciples of the Mohist school that specialized in designing these mechanisms.
Some habitual thieves, when breaking into houses, will habitually press and turn these things when they see them.
Li Nuo also subconsciously turned the vase.
But the vase seemed to be stuck to the ground, not moving at all.
He was a little surprised, looked down at the vase, and used a little strength.
Snap...
As the vase slowly turned, the ground in the corner of the room gradually sank, revealing a row of steps extending downwards.
He and Li Anning looked at each other. This might be where the Huang couple stored their valuables.
Of course, they all belong to the imperial court now.
Soon, people from the Ministry of Justice moved wooden boxes out of the underground secret room.
After opening the boxes, what Li Nuo saw were boxes filled with mountains of gold and silver.
In addition to these, there are also some precious jewelry, jade, antiques, calligraphy and paintings.
The Huang family's financial resources are far stronger than they appear to be.
Fenghuang's eyes lingered on several ancient paintings, and she said in great surprise: "Wu Zan, Chen Tang, Wang Xi, Zhang Yunze..., although the original works of these painting masters are not as good as Gu Youzhi's "Mountain Dwelling", they are also priceless treasures..."
Li An Ning looked at the gold and jade ornaments, and a look of surprise appeared in his eyes. He murmured, "These are all things from the palace. How could the Huang family have them?"
Li Nuo also showed surprise on his face.
If there were only one or two royal items, it would not be surprising.
The eunuchs, palace maids, and even female officials in the palace would often steal things from the palace and sell them outside the palace.
But there are far more than one royal item here.
Then I think of Gu Youzhi's "Dwelling in the Mountain" and the theft in the Eastern Palace.
Could it be that the Huang couple were really the thieves in this case?
If we can solve this old case, it will be a great gain.
Although Li Nuo is still in a bottleneck period, once he breaks through, his cultivation level will probably increase slightly.
Li Nuo thought for a moment and said, "Let's go back to the Ministry of Justice and investigate the Huang couple carefully."
He looked at Fenghuang and said, "Miss Fenghuang, please go back to Yuyin Pavilion first. Sorry for the trip."
Phoenix didn't say anything, but muttered to himself in his heart.
This guy really comes when I call him and goes away when I dismiss him.
If he didn't need her help, he probably wouldn't even set foot in Yuyin Pavilion.
This won't work.
She nodded and said, "Okay."
When she turned to leave, she saw dried blood on the ground. Her feet suddenly went weak and she fell on Li Nuo.
Li Nuo reached out to support her and asked in astonishment: "Miss Fenghuang, what's wrong with you?"
Fenghuang held her forehead and said, "I have never been able to stand the sight of blood since I was a child. I feel a little dizzy..."
Li Nuo thought to himself, she is worthy of being called a phoenix.
A little weaker than he thought.
If she had seen what happened, she would have fainted.
But no matter what, she was the one who invited the person, and he had to send her back safely.
Li Nuo held her arm and said, "Can you still walk? I'll take you back first."
Phoenix tried and said helplessly: "My legs are a little weak and I can't take a step."
Li Anning glanced at Fenghuang.
Faint at blood?
Why didn’t you feel dizzy just now?
What should I do during those days every month?
They are all women, don't think she doesn't know what she is thinking.
Li Nuo was in hesitation.
Phoenix fainted and couldn't walk.
Carry her out, it's not appropriate. The first hug is gone, and the first princess hug must be saved for the main wife.
It doesn't seem appropriate to carry her on my back, and she may not be willing to do so.
But he couldn't just leave her alone.
Just when Li Nuo was in a dilemma, Li An Ning took the initiative to come over and said, "Let me carry you out."
Fenghuang was slightly stunned, then said: "This is not good, Her Highness the Princess is worth a million gold..."
Li An Ning glanced at her and said, "It's okay. We are both women, there is nothing to be ashamed of. You can't let a married man carry you, right?"
Phoenix saw this and didn't know what to say.
Li An Ning leaned over and Phoenix gently lay on her back.
She easily carried Phoenix on her back and walked outside.
Although she is a practitioner of law and her physical fitness is not as good as that of a warrior, she is more than capable of carrying a woman on her back.
But I have to say, this woman is really heavy.
Although some parts of her are not as plump as mine, other parts are better than hers.
Li Anning's palms supported the two round and perky parts of Fenghuang's waist, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart, such a beauty, I wonder how many men can be fascinated by her...
Song Jiaren, oh Song Jiaren, there are so many vixens out there eyeing your husband, this time, you owe me a favor...
(End of this chapter)
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