Chapter 41: Dangerous Rhyme
After listening to Bai Zhaosu's intermittent words, everyone thought of her horrific experience of witnessing the death of her relatives in the sea of fire and surviving a near-death experience. Even an adult would not be able to bear it, but now she was able to endure the pain and narrate everything in detail and clearly. She had such a tenacious heart at such a young age, which made them admire this princess who had been neglected in the past.
Qian Deng gently stroked her hair to comfort her, then asked, "I wonder if the princess saw clearly that day and discovered the assassin's characteristics?"
"I remember they all wore green belts around their waists, probably as a mark... But they were all tall and strong, very skilled at killing, and, and..." She struggled to think of adjectives, "Just like the men who fought in wars, they definitely didn't have a figure like the County Lady's sister!"
"Thank you, Princess, for testifying and clearing my name," Qian Deng said loudly. "No wonder the true murderer tried so hard to stop the princess from telling the truth. The entire truth is hidden in the scene she witnessed—including the missing three sacred treasures, the murderer's characteristics, the ringing of the bell to lure the tiger away from the mountain to kill the princess, and the whole story of the royal family's annihilation. Mr. Xue, since you refuse to admit your crime, I will reveal all the inside stories to you, and convince you wholeheartedly."
"I know the county lady desperately needs to clear her name, but forgive my dullness. I truly don't understand how what the princess just said can reveal the truth, or prove I'm the murderer." Xue Xiyang's expression was a little strange, but recalling everything Bai Zhaosu had just said, he felt he had done nothing wrong, so he refused to admit it. "After all, how could I have anything to do with this? When the ceremony ended that day, I left with everyone else, and the three sacred vessels were clearly still well-preserved on the incense table. Furthermore, the princess confirmed that the assassins were well-trained veterans, and I'm the Minister of Music of the Tang Dynasty. How could I have found so many soldiers in Kucha to join my forces? Moreover, when the princess was in trouble, I was outside the palace and had never even set foot inside. How could I have done something to conceal the truth?"
His arguments were clear and well-reasoned. Not only the people from Kucha, but even Cui Fufeng and Ling Tianshui cast inquiring glances at Qiandeng.
The accompanying Grand Commandant, who had been involved in most of these incidents, was even more puzzled and asked, "Are you serious, County Master? I remember the general course of events in these cases, and I'm afraid it's difficult to connect them to this Xue Lecheng, right?"
"Yes," the captain of the guards also scratched his head. "When the princess was in trouble that day, I was on duty at the palace. I was the first one to lead the men up to the bell tower to round her up, but I really didn't see any figures at the time! Besides, isn't this Xue Lecheng a musician and dancer? What connection does he have with the murderer who killed so many people and the bell ringer who came and went without a trace?"
"It is precisely because Xue Lecheng is proficient in music and dance that he can set up invisible and intangible means to achieve all this!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the spirit hall was bewildered and stunned: "This... is there such an invisible and intangible method of committing a crime in this world?"
"The day the three sacred artifacts disappeared, the thing that puzzled me the most was actually the glazed blue lotus. The blue lotus was secured within a golden cage. Since they were trying to steal it right under my nose, they naturally needed to be as quick as possible. Logically, they should have taken the golden cage and the blue lotus together. The golden cage was designed to fit the blue lotus, so if it could hide the blue lotus, why didn't they just take the cage away? Instead of going to all the trouble to dismantle it, remove the blue lotus, and then put it back intact?"
Thinking of the intact golden cage, the Grand Commandant couldn't help but wonder, "Exactly! This is truly illogical! After all, stealing from under the County Master's nose is inherently risky, and should be done as quickly as possible. Why was the other party so audacious as to linger at the scene and carry out such a meticulous, time-consuming, yet pointless undertaking?"
"This move is certainly not meaningless. Firstly, I am the only one with enough time to unlock the golden cage, thus confirming my identity as the thief of the sacred artifact. Secondly, Master Xue can use this to clear himself of the charge of stealing the sacred artifact, as he would not have the luxury of time to linger near the sacred artifact in such a public spotlight."
"That is indeed the case. Although I was in the shrine that day, the main music for the ceremony was the flute, and I was the one playing it. So, may I ask, County Lady, did the sound of my flute ever cease from beginning to end?"
"No, Master Xue's flute music was the main theme throughout the whole song."
"You must hold the flute with both hands when playing it. Even though I was indeed in the Spirit Hall that night, not far from the sacred instrument, my hands never left the flute. How could I have opened the golden cage and stolen the Glazed Blue Lotus while playing the flute? Does the county lady think I have a third hand?"
"No, I've told you. You're using invisible and intangible means. You didn't need to physically touch them." Qian Deng looked him straight in the eye, his voice clear and understanding. "During the shrine's sacrifice that day, Master Xue led the musicians in seating on the steps, while you chose to stand beside the incense table—the spot closest to the Glazed Blue Lotus. At the time, I remember Master Cui expressing surprise, saying that Master Xue's rhythm was too dangerous. Generally speaking, music for rituals should be low and deep, not so high."
Cui Fufeng naturally remembered this incident and nodded slightly: "Indeed, I was surprised by it that day."
"This is truly a false accusation. I don't know how to defend myself." Xue Xiyang, looking aggrieved, explained, "If it were an ordinary ceremony, we would naturally use ordinary music. But back then, we came to escort the spirit of Prince Changhua, so the music we composed would have been inspired by folk tunes praising the King. To match that tune, the music was naturally high-pitched and passionate. Could it be that the harmony inside and outside the hall that day had already been forgotten by the County Lady? What's wrong with my arrangement?"
Many people who had been inside and outside the shrine that night nodded in confusion as they recalled the scene. "Yeah, could it be that just because the tune was played at a different pitch, it could mean someone could kill someone and steal something? That's ridiculous!"
"Legend has it that Wonderful Sound Bodhisattva can travel through countless Buddhist realms with her various musical instruments. But that is, after all, a Buddhist method. Using music to kill and rob is unheard of." The monks, listening, found the accusation incredible. "Amitabha, how could a mere mortal possess such magical powers, stealing the Three Sacred Instruments by playing a flute?"
"No, it's not a magical power. In fact, it's just a kind of music theory that we don't see often. Speaking of which, perhaps all the masters present have heard of it."
Qian Deng said this as he took out an old paper bag he was carrying, opened it, and took out an object to show the monks: "Masters, have you ever heard of the incident in the Thousand Buddha Cave where someone donated a glass bottle from the Western Regions, but a monk struck a chime nearby, causing the precious blue glass to crack and shatter?"
Wrapped in layers of old paper was the piece of debris that the old monk who rang the bell picked up and hung next to the bell tower.
Although only a fragment was left, the light, thin and brittle azure glass still shone brightly.
The monks naturally knew about this, and one of the elders immediately said, "I did hear about this. This glass bottle was given by a merchant from Fulin (note: Italy) to be used for placing incense and flowers before the Buddha in the Thousand Buddha Caves. However, because the glass is brittle and thin, I heard that the loud noise caused it to shatter. It's really regrettable."
"The glass was too thin, causing it to shatter when struck. So, do you all remember the countless sounds of the sheng, xiao, guanpi, konghou, and pipa within this sanctuary that day?" Qiandeng's gaze passed over Xue Xiyang, who was forcing himself to remain calm, and pointed to the incense table, which had been burned to the point of only a few wreckage. He said slowly, "Don't forget, one of the three sacred national treasures on the table was as thin and brittle as glass, easily broken."
"Glass Blue Lotus!" Almost everyone present had participated in the ceremony that day, and many people blurted out the name.
Qian Deng fixed his gaze on Xue Xiyang and asked, "With your astonishing musical prowess, Master Xue, playing the flute with such a high and dangerous pitch, with constant adjustment, and with the help of the other instruments nearby, it shouldn't be impossible to make the delicate petals of the glass lotus shatter with the vibrations of the music, right? Furthermore, with everyone singing together at that time, the cacophony of music would naturally mask the subtle cracking of the glass lotus. Then, all you had to do was wait until you were gathering up your instruments and pretend to accidentally tip the golden cage over. The glass fragments would then slide through the cracks and be collected by you without a sound."
"According to the county lady's speculation, it is indeed possible." Xue Xiyang's face showed a mocking smile, but the smile did not reach his eyes, making him look a little frivolous. "But how can the county lady use such unfounded speculation, which is not impossible but not necessarily probable, to convict someone?"
"And..." The captain of the imperial guards had been involved in this case before, and was very familiar with the entire process. He couldn't help but ask, "When the Northern Prince died in the palace pavilion, the county lady was the first to discover it, and we arrived shortly thereafter. I witnessed with my own eyes that the glazed blue lotus was completely inserted into his heart. If it had been shattered when it was stolen, how could he have used it to assassinate the Northern Prince?"
"Indeed, at the moment, everything is just my speculation. Whether it is true or not remains to be confirmed."
Qian Deng said this, then turned to the monks and asked, "Masters, after the Northern King's accident, we discovered that the murder weapon was the Glazed Blue Lotus. We immediately went to the Spirit Hall to investigate the whereabouts of the national sacred artifacts. We discovered that all three sacred artifacts on the incense table had disappeared, leaving only an empty golden cage. I wonder where you kept the golden cage?"
The old monk replied, "The sacred vessel has always been kept in the storeroom of the Huguo Temple. So even though only the empty golden cage remains, it has been sealed and wrapped in cloth and returned to its original location. The storeroom has always been locked and guarded by a special person, so no one has touched it."
"Then please send someone to fetch it here, Master, so we can take a closer look at the golden cage and confirm my suspicions."
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