Chapter 86: "Why, are we going to arrest them all?"
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There is a separate kitchen in the backyard. In fact, every single-family courtyard in the hot spring villa has a large kitchen, which is even divided into large and small kitchens. There are even more in the main courtyard. There is a large backyard behind the kitchen, with a partition. There are pens for raising poultry, cattle, sheep, etc. at the edge of the partition.
The grass and trees provide shade and keep out the odor, so that the nobles will not be disturbed from enjoying themselves.
When Yan Siqing and the others arrived, there was a burning smell.
In the spacious yard, all the birds, including the cages, were burned to death.
The fire is orange-red.
Xie Juanshu was advised by the housekeeper and others to avoid this place. What if?
The little bird's crazy look just now was very obvious.
"Wait."
Although Xie Juanshu's face was pale, he held the handkerchief tightly. When he heard the footsteps, he turned around and walked quickly towards them.
She whispered to a few people and explained the whole thing.
"At first, the symptoms weren't obvious, but because we'd been told to keep an eye on it, we immediately went on alert. After a while, it started acting strangely, a bit like it had chicken pox. It started circling and tearing its feathers. I immediately ordered it to be burned..."
There are some chicken feathers on the edge.
Because the chicks were fragile and not as strong as the big roosters, the effect took effect quickly. But Yan Siqing did not expect it to be so fast, and his brows were furrowed.
Wei Tingzhong is old and has experienced many battles and witnessed many major events. This scene is not enough to scare him. He is still calm now, with his eyes lowered, observing the strange expression on Guoyan Siqing's face.
"If it is said that the other party used human medicine to cultivate the plague, after seeing this verification, does Lord Yan also find it incredible?"
Yan Siqing: "Well... usually not this fast."
"In this world, apart from deadly poisons like arsenic that take effect quickly, most infectious diseases are chronic. Because of their severity, the person has already died suddenly, and bystanders will notice something unusual and dispose of the body."
"This kind of disease is generally transmitted only through close contact. If you only touched a corpse but didn't get any blood or saliva on it, it's actually not that bad."
"Human skin and clothing already form a layer of isolation."
"The poisonous liquid from the flesh is already diluted, far less toxic than blood or saliva. If it's fed to chickens, it can be so contagious. If the other party has mastered this technology, they don't need to resort to any schemes or tricks."
To put it bluntly, they can just poison the source of the water that the local people drink, and the chaos will be perfect for them to dominate the area and rebel.
So Yan Siqing couldn't believe it, and other people also felt it was scary and unusual.
"But one thing is certain...it is contagious, right?"
Wei Tingzhong asked expressionlessly.
The purpose of investigating the person behind the scenes is as follows. Now, they have to decide how to deal with everyone in the hot spring villa.
Should I turn it off or release it? How to cut it off?
Wei Tingzhong was not like Jian Wuliang who liked to act like a loach or let Yan Siqing take the blame. He looked at Yan Siqing purely based on his trust in her judgment.
Yan Siqing; "The water we usually drink..."
Xie Juanshu said, "The hot spring water isn't drinkable. For daily use, we use water from the local stream. Even when we do, it's because the stream isn't carrying enough water. We also use hot spring water from the hot spring channel for boiling and cooking. I've asked around, and they say the village has plenty of water, which is replenished daily. We don't use water from the mountain for the kitchen."
"The hot spring water in the waterway is generally only used in the mountains and indoor hot spring pools."
That is, few people drink this kind of water.
Only those who had used the indoor hot spring were left.
Yan Siqing is useless, and someone like Jiang Hui who is injured will not take a hot spring bath, but people like Huai Xuan who are born to enjoy life and have nothing else to do are likely to have taken a hot spring bath.
After all, there is a hot spring pool indoors, which is a great convenience. Even in Chang'an, there is no such enjoyment, so few people use it.
Sure enough, Xie Juanshu smiled bitterly.
"If you want to ask about this, the situation may not be second."
The difficulty now is that many people have used hot springs, but we don’t know who has been infected and what the symptoms will be.
This was also what they had just investigated as quickly as possible to confirm - anyway, as long as there was a possibility of infection, it was necessary to seal it off.
Because if you let it out, the consequences will be even worse.
Your Majesty is in Chang'an, and Guanzhong City is next to Chang'an.
Yan Siqing lowered her eyes and drank some water, knowing that Wei Tingzhong would only consider this one thing.
so......
As expected, he directly ordered a blockade.
But the reason must be more pleasant, otherwise just saying that it might be contagious... these nobles will go crazy and will not be willing to obey, even if Wei Tingzhong is the emperor's order.
So what's the reason?
After all, Jian Wuliang and Wei Tingzhong both had experience in handling criminal cases and controlling people. They exchanged glances and developed a tacit understanding.
After all, Xie Juanshu was focused on specifications. Although she had read thousands of books, she did not have much experience in handling affairs. After all, the people in the Xie family were elites who had gone through several rounds of screening, and there were very few people who needed her to suppress, interrogate and grasp.
I couldn't keep up for a while.
But Yan Siqing drank the tea herself, freed her other hand, poured a cup, and moved it to her.
"Thank you, Miss. It's only for you."
“They didn’t.”
"Are you happy?"
Xie Juanshu was stunned.
Yan Siqing said: "It is not the lack of wealth that worries us, but the inequality."
"But with something like illness, it has to be the other way around."
————————
What is worrying is not the lack of wealth but the inequality.
Use public interest and equality to prevent people from gathering together to revolt for common interests.
What about being sick?
Xie Juanshu understood and picked up the cup of tea. After drinking it, he used the tea to refresh his mind and face people with clear eyes. He glanced at Jian Wei, then looked at Yan Siqing and blinked, "Because the hot spring pool needs to be cleaned and replaced every time after use, so as to keep it tidy, so I have a list here."
"It seems that there can only be a few names on the list."
"Isn't that right, Lord Yan?"
——————
The nobles who were originally "protected" in their personal residences were always uneasy and kept asking about the situation outside, wanting to know what the results of the investigation were and whether it would harm their own safety and interests. As a result, they heard some noises.
Some people saw some imperial doctors or physicians hurriedly and stealthily going to a place.
Some people saw that the weapons were all stored in one area, so their defenses relaxed.
Some people saw that the Xie siblings were worried, and asked the housekeeper to send a secret letter back to their family.
Some people noticed that Yan Siqing and the other two officers in charge of the investigation seemed to be arguing, disagreeing, and on the verge of a fight.
Soon they all knew everything - the direction of the imperial physician and the soldiers was in the courtyard where the royal family gathered, and the reason why Yan Siqing and the other two were arguing was whether to release the people and who to release.
What happened?
Some people...intercepted the secret letter.
Huaixuan is really brave, and she is the least afraid of Xie.
"Mother, aren't you afraid of what the Xie family will say? Those old men are always talking and bullying Sister Juanshu."
Huai Xuan rolled his eyes. "My mother and I have no vested interests in the Xie family. We rely entirely on the emperor's favor to survive. The Xie family is hollow and weak, with no successors. You and I are a useless pair, a tortoise and a mung bean. No one should blame anyone. What's wrong with blocking his secret letter? I just took a look and helped send it out after reading it. It didn't delay them at all."
Princess Huimin was stunned.
It seems to make sense.
My mother is indeed quite capable! She's not useless at all!
When the secret letter was opened, Huaixuan's expression turned grim. Huimin came over to take a look and exclaimed, "Ah? The two uncles also took a hot spring bath? An infectious disease? And the dead were... just the four of us..."
Of the four members of the royal family, the three oldest siblings were infected?
Huimin was terrified, her eyes red, almost in despair, and she started crying. Huaixuan looked at her and said, "Why are you crying? It's just a suspicion, not a confirmed diagnosis. The medicine has been given to us."
"You're jealous of Sister Yan, isn't it because she's brilliant enough to make you feel ashamed of yourself? The other side of jealousy is recognition."
"Silly child, acknowledge the accuracy of this recognition. It must be a fact that you have thoroughly compared and verified from all aspects, big and small. It is much more reliable than the reputation falsely created by others."
"She is from the Yan family, whose medical knowledge is unrivaled for three dynasties. She wouldn't joke about her family's reputation. Since she gave me the medicine, she must be confident about it."
"In other words, even if it's a serious illness, we're the first to be treated by her, so we can get the earliest treatment."
"And the situation now is better than I thought. Fortunately, your two uncles are with us."
ah?
Tears hung on her eyelashes, and Huimin seemed to understand but not quite.
I understand the first part, but not the second part.
Why is my mother sneering?
Huaixuan returned the secret letter to its original state and asked his confidant to seal it again, but he also arranged for someone to spread it quietly.
"Just say that the doctors are coming to us."
Huimin: "Ah, if people knew about us...would we be ostracized in the future?"
Huai Xuan: "The incident happened between you and me. They were already involved, but no one dared to speak. The two who dared to speak were with us, so they were even more afraid to speak." "Now it's their turn to make a decision."
What's the decision?
——————
infectious disease?
What disease?!
Plague? ! !
These nobles were furious and anxious in their rooms. Their first reaction was to break through the guards and escape from the hot spring villa.
Just at this moment, the quarrel between Yan Siqing and the other two seemed to have come to an end.
The defenses were lax.
He said he would let these people go.
"Really?" An official asked doubtfully.
"Of course it's true. You can pack your things now, and you'd better hurry."
"The situation with the prince and his men... may not be very good. We don't know what their tempers will be. The three masters are very worried."
"Everyone, please leave as soon as you can."
After hearing what they said, the official's family was extremely anxious and wanted to leave immediately.
but!
The official suddenly stopped them, politely told the guards they needed to think about it, and then closed the door.
"Leave? Do you want to die?! Can't you see the situation?"
"Leaving can avoid these risks, but do you think two princes and a princess are dead? Don't they hate us for being able to leave?"
"And if anything happens to them here and we run away first, what will His Majesty think?! I'll give up my career!!"
The rules of officialdom are there, and any experienced person knows what is important and what is not.
It has been a taboo since ancient times to abandon one's master in times of crisis and escape!
His wife and children were terrified, “What if they really get infected…”
The official rubbed his brows. "You said you've been to a hot spring? Didn't you guys go there too?"
“.....”
"The Xie family is registered, so it's impossible that they didn't know about this. On the other hand, they're only concerned about the princes and princesses, not our lives. I guess Wei Jian and the other two are shirking responsibility and don't want to share the burden of everyone's safety. If they only focus on those few and handle it properly, they can get away with it."
"What if we go out and get sick..."
This official was completely obsessed with conspiracy theories, and the more he thought about it, the worse it got, because he knew full well that his family had soaked in hot springs before.
In his opinion, Yan Wei and the other two knew that they could not bear the huge pressure to trap everyone, and they could not afford to offend them, so they let go of those who were not so important first.
Leaving behind the most important... the two princes who are suspected of being infected.
Don't worry about anything else.
ah?
Now the Xie family lied and that was the result. If the three chief officers didn't care, they would be going out to seek their own death!
"As long as they are here, they are responsible."
"Listen to me and stay. This way you won't offend the prince and his men, and you'll still be taken care of."
"I'm not that stupid."
——————
The game has begun and the momentum has built.
But the situation belongs to the murderer, and the momentum is what those involved have to do.
All that can be manipulated is the human heart.
From behind the high-rise window, overlooking the commotion in the courtyards, Xiaoyun asked, "You seem quite certain these people won't leave, but I thought they'd still rush out of fear of death."
These days, infectious diseases can really kill people.
These nobles cherish their lives, so how could they take risks?
"Is it because they don't dare to offend the royal family?"
Yan Siqing looked indifferent. He turned around and disappeared into the house, his words as light as drizzle.
"Do you think these people really know nothing about Fan Xianglou and the two princes?"
"A foreign businesswoman like me, with my little cleverness, can only glimpse a tiny glimpse of the light and shadow that penetrates through the branches and leaves of the towering trees that have taken root and entangled the city of Chang'an."
"It seems like the truth."
"In fact, it is something that others have taken for granted."
These princes and ministers may not admit that they are one of them, and are an unknown part of the princes' followers.
Even if it is neutral, if it can be neutral, then how can its sense of smell be ordinary?
Xiaoyun stood there in a daze for a moment, then sighed, turned around and followed.
Go with Yan Siqing to meet the two princes, and...a few others.
——————
Xie Juanshu was able to cooperate, but the risks involved were unavoidable. Wei Tingzhong and Jian Wuliang also followed the king's orders and fulfilled their duties.
A dangerous move.
Fortunately, the situation was under control. Those people were not stupid, but they were not the smartest either, so they were still trapped.
What can be calculated is not people, but human hearts.
"Where are the princes?"
"Them? They are the ones who are most afraid to leave."
The princes were in a situation where they were most dependent on the four princes when they were around, and they dared not make any noise at all, because if anything happened to their four older brothers, they might be the ones who benefited.
Although they are still young and naive, they will be able to do it in a few years. The ministers will observe them.
Some ministers are already paying attention to the intelligence and achievements of these little princes in their studies.
And the brothers obviously knew it too.
If I escape now, not only will I show no brotherhood, but I will also be held accountable by my brothers later - what if my brothers are not dead?
Even in the eyes of the emperor and senior ministers, his moral character is flawed.
What is the best performance at this time?
When Yan Siqing arrived, several young princes came to the door of the two princes. They were not even as tall as Yan Siqing's shoulders. Their eyes were red and they were about to cry. They were afraid that something might happen to their two brothers, so they insisted on taking care of them.
Some of them have already brought their spare clothes, vowing to live and die with their brothers.
The two princes in the room: "......"
Xiaoyun: “…”
The royal family is indeed...full of talent.
The Jiang family has many dragon children.
——————
Neither Wei Tingzhong nor Jian Wuliang could coax these little princes.
There is no need even if Yan Siqing comes.
In her life, she only had the patience to coax her own daughter.
Forget about the rest.
Jian Wuliang was also impatient. Due to his status, he felt inferior, so he handed the task of feeding the baby to General Wei, who had been tortured by Jiang Hui in his youth. He stepped aside and went to Yan Siqing to whisper to her whether she was cautious.
What to be cautious about?
In fact, they are worried that they themselves are among them and may be infected.
Who knows.
The murderer's methods are a bit strange and hard to guess. What if they are the real target?
Yan Siqing noticed the other party's concern and whispered back, "I've used the medicine and taken care of it. If there are any symptoms, I'll treat them. I'm a doctor and I'll keep an eye on it, and so will you."
At the moment, whether it was her colleagues who shared the same responsibilities or the friendship they had developed while investigating the case together, she felt more or less grateful. Before she separated to deal with the previous "illusions", she also checked on the conditions of these people, and even took Xie Juanshu's pulse and examined him, just to get a rough idea and have a general understanding.
While the two were talking, there was chaos on the side.
"so good?"
"Will you join me on the battlefield, my young uncles?"
When he turned around, Jiang Hui, who was notorious for being in charge of armed protection, was standing at the end of the corridor.
Eyes full of impatience.
Like the Jade-faced Yama.
Several little princes: "!"
Jian Wuliang touched his nose and snorted, but still took a step away from Yan Siqing.
Jiang Hui had nothing else to say. He walked over and stood behind. He was not carrying any sword or knife, and he was still wearing long clothes, looking like he was recuperating from his injuries.
His eyes swept over the little uncles.
After a moment, the entrance was quiet.
——————
A blocked room, the door opens, someone goes in, and the door closes.
Heavily guarded, impenetrable.
Prince Ling and Prince Lie originally sneered at the younger brothers outside for their good acting skills, but then Yan Siqing and the others arrived.
The hostility between the two men began to rise.
After opening the door, there were more than two princes in the room.
There were lamps hanging on the eaves outside the door, and the light was dim. Yan Siqing and a few others were standing at the door.
When Chen Cangyu looked up, she saw Yan Siqing... Behind her, Jiang Hui stood tall and straight.
He narrowed his eyes and said nothing.
From the moment he was called over alone and saw the two princes and the others, he knew that tonight's "accident" would be quite troublesome.
They are trouble to Yan Siqing and the others.
It is also a huge trouble for them.
————
Prince Ling looked at them coldly as they entered, then laughed angrily, "Lock us up here? Lord Wei, you wouldn't use some big accusation to deceive us, would you? Just to control us here..."
Prince Lie was good-tempered. He wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and sighed, "Don't be so angry, Fourth Brother. We're here for vacation and the holidays anyway, so it won't hurt to stay a few more days. I think there must be a reason why Lord Wei and Envoy Yan Zhuque made such a decision. The murderer must be caught."
"But, by holding us in solitary confinement, do you think the murderer is among us?"
Prince Ling glared, "Third brother, don't be a good person. I just want to know the inside story. What does this mean? Are all of us suspects?"
"If it weren't for the general, the number one scholar, the headmaster, and the Liao family here, I would have thought that the three chief criminal officers were actively participating in the factional struggle and wanted to eliminate our two princes."
That's a powerful statement.
Prince Ling was also merciless in his words, full of complaints and sarcasm.
And there are...more than a dozen people sitting here, in total.
They were all people of different identities, and they were all surprised when they were invited.
Three people from the Liao family, the top three in the imperial examination, two monks from the White Horse Temple (Liaochen and deputy abbot Tingzang Master), the president of the academy Wen Huaizhi, Prince Ling and Prince Lie, General Xuanwei Qi Wuhui (Chen Cangyu), and two officials (one of them is the director of the Ministry of Rites Cai Kangxin, and the Minister of War Liu Duandao).
If we also include the Xie Juanshu siblings who were involved.
There are thirteen people in total.
The thirteen people were facing Yan Siqing and his four companions.
Across the air, it seemed like a confrontation, like a game.
Compared with these people, the three people from the Liao family are the most ignorant and innocent. Even the old grandmother suspects that there is something wrong with their family's feng shui.
How did this happen?
But since he was found, he must be involved.
She looked fixedly at Yan Siqing who walked in.
————
After a while, Yan Siqing sat on the other side of the table, and Jian Wuliang was about to respond to King Ling's aggressive criticism.
Jiang Hui also wanted to respond to the other party's implication of "helping others in factional struggles."
It was very abrupt, and it was Yan Siqing who spoke first.
"When Lord Wei was discussing border military strategy with His Royal Highness, someone was suspected of eavesdropping."
"Before they caught anyone, they were already dismembered."
"After investigation, we found that this person entered the mountain through the sling used to dump garbage in the back mountain. If he wasn't a traitor, what could he be? After we discovered his presence and cordoned off the area for investigation, he was immediately killed, and the person behind this also poisoned his body."
"Even if this attack doesn't kill all the royal family and ministers here, it will at least delay the chief commander, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, preventing him from leaving tomorrow, or even reaching the border to take charge."
"The corpse was found to be a poisonous person who had been raised for a long time."
"From Fanxianglou."
She told the story in a leisurely manner, mixing truth with lies.
The reality is hidden in the falsehood, and the words are manipulated within the reality to forge the falsehood.
There is indeed evidence, as it has been found before. As for which type of murderer it points to, the three of them were wavering during the discussion and it was difficult to determine, but when speaking to these people, they could focus on a certain direction.
Suspected of being a traitor.
If these four words are followed by "traitor", it is difficult to deny the suspicion.
This can rationalize the two actions of "closing and investigating", and King Ling can hardly refute it.
Moreover, the word "Fan Xianglou" stunned many people.
Prince Ling's expression was a little unusual, but he quickly concealed it. Prince Lie touched his chin, a little confused.
Chen Cangyu glanced at Prince Ling and suddenly said, "So, Lord Yan singled out all of us for gathering here. He must have found out the flaws of the person behind the crime. We all fit the suspicion, so he listed us here for the final investigation, right?"
Jiang Hui looked at him coldly, and Jian Wuliang also glanced at him twice.
This dead ex-husband... is he so proactive?
Although it was clear that he was not the right person, his expression was rather obscure, and those who did not know his identity were somewhat surprised.
Xie Juanshu frowned. She had thought this person was weird before, but now...
There was a cold, pointed quality to this man.
Jian Wuliang glanced at him and told him some details of his previous investigation.
Yan Siqing looked at the new favorite in the palace opposite him.
"The deceased's money bag was basically dry, except for a part of it being soaked by the sauce from the marinade. It had never been wet, probably because it had been placed inside. But the hair on the deceased's head was also completely dry."
"According to our previous inference, he left the Dali Temple before it rained on the 14th, went to see someone at Fanxianglou in Chang'an, received money and medicine, and then left Chang'an and headed straight for Guanzhong. But if we calculate the time, no matter when he arrived in Guanzhong, it must have been raining by the time he reached the back of Wenquan Mountain. If he came alone, it's impossible that he didn't get wet."
"At least he'll get wet when he's on the sling. There's nowhere to hide."
"But he did it—either because he possessed the art of flying and escaping, or because he could have left the Dali Temple, found Fanxianglou, gotten beaten, taken medicine, bought meat, left the city, arrived in Guanzhong, and then rushed to the back of Wenquan Mountain overnight in just one day. He had to take a long detour to avoid the Xie family's guards who blocked the nearby mountain forest path, sneak into the mountain, and get on the rope... all in one go."
"It's almost like a supernatural technique, it's impossible to achieve."
"Unless—he has a carriage escort, and this carriage can pass inspection directly without a thorough search, and can even pass through the plank road and forest defense line to drive on the mountain road outside."
"That's because they've purchased a hot spring villa or property here, so they have direct access."
"I've looked at the register, and there are 36 people who came by carriage. Among them, those who were not searched and who own property and live nearby are all of you here."
It’s impossible to search for princes or something like that.
Wen Huaizhi has a high status and already has roots here. Not to mention the real estate, he is regarded as a literary giant by everyone in the local area. This party was jointly organized by him and the Xie family. How could they search him?
The same goes for the three top scorers, who are the emperor's disciples and the biggest attraction of the party. Everyone comes to admire their elegance, and the guards will not search them.
The Liao family already had roots here, a good reputation, and had both old and young members. They had a good relationship with the Xie family and also lived nearby.
There is no need to ask about the eminent monk from the White Horse Temple; it was Xie who sent someone to pick him up in a carriage.
There are various reasons for the others, among which the hidden jade is the most special.
Jiang Hui: "General Qi, are you not feeling well? You don't even want to ride a horse anymore and have to take a carriage."
It's like you drinking water.
Chen Cangyu said indifferently: "Your Highness is joking, there is another reason."
Prince Ling raised his eyes and said, "I invited them here in a carriage from my palace. The reason for using a carriage is that General Qi was appointed by His Majesty and has received grace. He brought some literary collections to give to the three talented people, so he was escorted here by a carriage."
"It's a pity that something like this happened before I could even deliver the goods..."
"According to what you said, this carriage is where we were chosen as suspects?"
"Then how will you determine which of us is the true murderer who killed this traitor today?"
This is the main reason why they are screened here.
But if there is no other evidence or clues, what’s the point of screening it out?
"What? Are we going to arrest them all?" Prince Ling was full of resentment and looked at the Minister of War Liu Duandao. The latter looked calm and looked at Jiang Hui and Wei Tingzhong.
"I also have responsibilities regarding border affairs. You two should be aware that this case cannot drag me down for too long. Please..."
He looked at Yan Siqing: "Miss Yan, please find out the result as soon as possible."
He didn't use "Mr. Yan".
Dissatisfaction and contempt have surfaced.
Yan Siqing was very calm and said in a formal manner, "Please tell me your alibi from yesterday to now."
According to their speculation, the person was killed at this time, so they need to prove that they did not have the time to commit the crime.
Everyone was silent for a moment, then started to speak.
There were witnesses to all of them, except for one person.
Jian Wuliang: "Um...it's you again, Master Liaochen."
Liaochen touched his bald head and sighed, "Yeah, it's me again."
What should I do?
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