Chapter 111 Gao's House
The current emperor has indulged in sensual pleasures and his body has long been hollowed out. He has been taking elixirs in recent years.
Some of the elixirs were presented by Taoists, and most were collected by Zhao Mingde for the emperor, but the emperor's health was getting worse and worse.
Before Su Yan came to the capital, the emperor was seriously ill and had been on the verge of death. Zhao Mingde did not allow anyone to see the emperor.
The emperor was very dissatisfied with the fact that the elixirs he had taken for many years had never been effective, so he asked someone to come up with a dirty trick.
How about using people to grow medicine?
"The corpse you mentioned is actually the one who ate too many pills and couldn't hold on. You have to go and find out the real cause of death. They plan to chop her up, remove the bones and throw them into the alchemy furnace to make new pills. These pills will be given to the women to eat for a year, and then the bones will be removed and cooked into delicacies, and then..."
Su Yan guessed part of it, but he never expected that they would actually remove bones and take meat. They were cannibalism!
Zhao Mingde is truly a disaster!
Liang Yi said: "I have never taken the matter of elixirs seriously. Emperors of all dynasties have always wanted to achieve immortality. It is understandable that my father is looking for elixirs. But I did not expect that he would go to this extent."
No matter who came up with the idea, the elixir would eventually be presented to the emperor. Liang Yi was already a stranger to him, and now he felt that they were not of the same kind.
He only hated that he was born into a royal family.
Su Yan asked: "The people in Gao's house probably don't know who the elixir is presented to, right?"
"They definitely don't know," Liang Yi said, "Zhao Zong pleaded guilty, and Baiyun Temple pushed all the blame on Zhao Zong. The matter was settled when it came to Zhao Zong. Zhao Zong said that the elixirs were for himself, and he wanted to live forever."
They didn't believe this, but the only person who had contact with Baiyun Temple and Gao's house was Zhao Zong. They had no evidence to prove that it was related to Zhao Mingde, and they couldn't prove that the emperor had taken these pills.
Even if it can be proven, it is probably difficult to say now. If the emperor eats human flesh, the impact will be very bad if this matter gets out. Even if Shi Yangui returns, the emperor will not allow him to continue investigating.
Su Yan's mind moved slightly, "Is Shi Yan Gui still in the capital?"
"No longer. I went to Shi's house to look for him, and Shi Pei said he hadn't come back yet. It was really strange."
“Who is handling the matter?”
"The deputy general of the Changwei Army is here. With him watching Shi Er, even if Shi Er wants to destroy the evidence, he won't dare to be too presumptuous. As for the other officials...to be honest, it's too late for them to hide now."
Zhao Zong was not the only one in the painting studio. There were also several officials who had defected to Zhao Mingde.
These people were not on the list. If Zhao Qiujin had not set the fire, no one would have known that they had defected to Zhao Mingde.
Su Yan has been exposed and it is not appropriate for her to show up again. Liang Yi plans to take her to the mansion first.
Originally Liang Yi wanted Shi Yangui to help Su Yan find a place to hide, but now he can only follow Liang Yi closely.
The Gao residence incident caused a huge uproar, and people on the street were discussing it.
When the carriage reached Changjie, Liang Yi saw Shi Er and a few others searching an inn.
Liang Yi informed Su Yan, and the two got off the carriage and walked towards Shi Er.
Shi Er saw Su Yan and said expressionlessly, "How dare you walk around?"
Liang Yi said: "At this moment, you still want to help Zhao Mingde? You have to see the situation clearly. It is only a matter of time before Zhao Mingde steps down."
"Who can guarantee that they will win this game?" Shi Er was unmoved. "Your Highness, instead of worrying about me, you should worry about Su the coroner. Zhao Zong... Zhao Zong has already confessed his guilt. Zhao Mingde sent someone to visit him. Zhao Zong will tell Zhao Mingde everything that happened. Miss Su, you will definitely be targeted."
It was she who risked her life to sneak into Gao's house, and it was also she who shouted in front of Yan Fang that there was a dead body in Baiyun Temple.
Su Yan also knew that doing so was very dangerous, but she had no choice. She couldn't help but save those twenty-something people.
Time was urgent, so she could only try to make the matter as big as possible.
When Su Yan was a slave, his motto was to keep himself safe.
No matter how outrageous the leader is, she can always make him feel happy.
She didn't want to have too much kindness in her heart, nor did she dare to have it.
But when she saw more than twenty dying people lying in front of her, she couldn't just consider her own safety.
Maybe not smart enough, maybe too reckless, but that's all there is to it.
Su Yan had already calmed down, "If Minister Shi can say a few good words for me, I should be able to live a few more days."
Shi Er lowered his voice, "Zhao Mingde will definitely find a way to get Zhao Zong out. Zhao Zong's Chuyun Tower is not just a name. The blood on their hands can dye the Yellow River red. You'd better leave the capital, otherwise Zhao Zong will definitely take revenge on you."
Su Yan smiled, "You seem to know Zhao Zong very well."
"I……"
Liang Yi said: "Don't you know? It was Zhao Zong who appreciated him, promoted him, and recommended him to Zhao Mingde. The relationship between the two of them is very close."
Shi Er rarely disagreed with Liang Yi.
Su Yan observed Shi Er's expression carefully.
In her opinion, the relationship between Shi Er and Zhao Mingde did not seem that simple.
Getting rid of Zhao Zong is equivalent to uprooting Chuyun Tower.
The leaders of the army are popular among the people. They are willing to work for Zhao Zong, but not necessarily for others. Yun Xing reminded her.
Zhao Mingde sent other people, but they were not convinced.
If Zhao Mingde came in person, he could have calmed them down, but ever since Shi Yan returned to the capital, Zhao Mingde stayed in the palace all day and never went out again.
Everyone knows that to catch a thief, one must first catch the leader. As long as Zhao Mingde dies, the group under his command will be leaderless. The emperor is still alive, and Shi Yangui is eyeing them covetously. His power will disappear in an instant.
Therefore, Zhao Zong must die. As long as Zhao Zong dies, the Chuyun Tower can be taken down.
But now only Zhao Mingde can see the emperor, and Zhao Zong works for the emperor. What if they really let him make up a story and take him away?
Su Yan said: "Minister Shi seems to be very worried about Zhao Zong."
"Worried?!" Liang Yi was indignant. "You are really not a good person. They want to eat people! Haven't you seen how pitiful those girls are? You are still worried about Zhao Zong! You should kill all his clans!"
Su Yan reminded: "Zhao Qiujin is his daughter. According to what you said, Zhao Qiujin should also die."
He was the one who took the blame for Su Yan.
"That's right, it's too unfair to kill all nine clans. Well, just cut Zhao Zong into pieces."
Su Yan did not stop Liang Yi from venting his anger.
She noticed that Shi'er's eyes were touched when he heard this.
Back in the carriage, Su Yan lifted the curtain and looked at Shi Er's lonely back.
It's so weird.
Liang Yi asked: "Why do you always keep an eye on Shi Er? Are you worried that he might do something bad? Alas, I actually thought he was different from Zhao Mingde and the others, but now... I'm not sure anymore."
Su Yan said: "Is there any way to check Shi Er?"
"Check him?"
"Check the relationship between Shi'er and Zhao Zong. He was very lonely just now. It seems that they have a close relationship."
Liang Yi pondered, "It can be said that they have a mutual understanding, so it's normal for him to feel bad. But if you want to investigate, then go ahead and investigate. I'll go find my second brother and ask him to investigate."
"Your Highness?"
Su Yan thought of the scene where the prince cried bitterly over Concubine Liang's body. For some reason, she always felt something was weird.
Su Yan asked: "What is the relationship between His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Zhao Zong?"
"Second brother pretends to agree with Zhao Mingde, so he should have a good relationship with Zhao Zong, what's wrong?"
Su Yan thought for a while and said, "You can ask the prince for help."
"kindness?"
"He is the crown prince, the future emperor, the one most qualified to inherit the throne. Zhao Mingde is an obstacle to him, and he will definitely want to dethrone Zhao Zong."
This was a matter of course for Liang Yi, and he didn't understand why Su Yan had to give it special consideration.
Liang Yi said seriously: "You don't doubt that my second brother has really surrendered to Zhao Mingde, do you? This is absolutely impossible. You can completely trust my second brother. He treats me very well."
When he was bullied in the past, it was the prince who stood up for him.
Compared to the crown prince, my father trusted Zhao Mingde more. The crown prince also had a hard time during that period. The crown prince was like a timely help to him and the only warmth in the cold palace.
Seeing this, Su Yan stopped explaining to Liang Yi and said, "No matter what happens, we are still friends. Just remember this."
Liang Yi smiled, "Of course we are friends. It would be even better if we could find Brother Yun back!"
The prince was efficient and delivered the message to Liang Yi in the afternoon.
"It's really strange. Shi Er said he was born in a poor family, but he actually lived in the capital and had good food and clothing. His father... It's strange. His father seems to be just an ordinary citizen, but... it seems no one has ever seen him."
Liang Yi handed the secret letter to Su Yan, "Hurry up and take a look. I can't understand it."
Su Yan muttered, "He really wants Zhao Zong to die quickly."
"who?"
"Nothing." Su Yan opened the secret letter and read it. "There is indeed something wrong with Shi Er's background."
Liang Yi asked: "Is there something wrong with his parents?"
Su Yan said, "There is no evidence yet. Look at where he lives, Changsongfang. The houses here are not cheap. If he really came from a poor family, how could he afford to live in a house in Changsongfang? Even if it is a small courtyard, it would cost a lot of money."
Liang Yi was confused when he heard this. "Do you know how much the house is worth?"
Su Yan said seriously: "If you live a few thousand more years, you will know to be more sensitive to housing prices."
Liang Yi: “…”
Su Yan sighed, "No, a few years later, you will be a royal relative and you can choose any villa you want."
Liang Yi touched Su Yan's forehead and said, "Are you crazy? You want to live forever? Don't take any pills!"
Su Yan said: "We have to let the prince continue to investigate."
"Chashir's house?"
Su Yan shook his head, "Go check Zhao Zong, check the woman he had an affair with, and check his past."
This time the prince took a little longer and only delivered the message to Liang Yi the next day.
Although Zhao Zong did not take a concubine, he found many young women behind his wife's back.
Many years ago, a pregnant woman went to Zhao Zong's house to cause trouble, but was chased away by Zhao Zong.
When Zhao Zong's wife heard about this, she tried to find the woman, but discovered that she had disappeared without a trace.
Liang Yi was extremely shocked when he received the news. He finally knew what Su Yan wanted to find out.
"You suspect Shi Er is Zhao Zong's son? Zhao Zong secretly raised him in the capital? This is unbelievable, but in terms of age... it seems to match," Liang Yi said with mixed feelings, "My second brother sent someone to tell us that he will handle this matter, and we don't have to worry anymore."
Su Yan raised his eyebrows, "Your Highness is really anxious."
Five days later, Zhao Zong was sentenced to death.
According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, people sentenced to death needed to have their files checked repeatedly and be executed in the autumn.
But Zhao Zong's sentence was to be served in three days, which was quite quick.
The "cannibalism" case caused an uproar in the capital, and the people were resentful, so the emperor had to quell the public anger.
With this tendency, officials who had been oppressed by Zhao Zong wrote to the emperor one after another, and Zhao Zong was the most suitable person to close the case.
Of course, the most important thing is Zhao Mingde’s attitude.
It is said that Zhao Mingde, who had spoken for Zhao Zong, changed his attitude 180 degrees and resolutely executed Zhao Zong, and the emperor also accepted this result.
When the notice was posted, the people all applauded. Zhao Zong was no longer a person they could contact, and they thought that he was really the mastermind behind the scenes.
Liang Yi reported the good news to Su Yan who was hiding in the mansion, "You didn't see the scene. My second brother said that Zhao Zong's wife went to the palace to see Zhao Mingde and cried bitterly. Zhao Zong actually raised a child outside without telling her, and they even had a son! Zhao Mingde got angry and ignored Zhao Zong."
Su Yan was applying rouge on her face.
With this face, she couldn't leave the house at will, so she had to learn the art of disguise.
"He has a good relationship with Zhao Zong's wife?"
Liang Yi smiled and said, "That's his sister's daughter. I heard that his parents passed away early and his sister raised him. In order to raise his brother, she married a butcher. The butcher had a bad temper and would beat and scold her at any time. She endured it for the sake of her brother, but was eventually beaten to death by the butcher."
The butcher sent Zhao Mingde to the palace to be a eunuch. After Zhao Mingde came to power, the first thing he did was to send the butcher's family to see the King of Hell.
This family died a very tragic death, especially the butcher.
Zhao Mingde starved him for several days, then cut off pieces of his flesh, cooked them in front of him, and forced him to eat his own flesh.
The butcher was reluctant at first, but when he saw Zhao Mingde's ferocious look, he wolfed down his meat.
As for other tortures, he suffered them 180 times.
"It's hard to describe how good Zhao Mingde was to his niece, but he didn't give up on Chuyun Tower. Before Zhao Zong died, he would definitely find a way to go to Chuyun Tower."
Su Yan said: "We need to find someone to keep an eye on him."
Liang Yi said: "Don't worry, my second brother has made all the arrangements. It's a pity that Brother Yan Gui hasn't come back yet. With him here, it will be convenient for you and me to do things."
Su Yan smiled faintly, "Don't you have your second brother?"
The search for Gao's residence had just ended when the yamen runners discovered a large number of human bones at the bottom of the lake in Gao's residence, and also found human bones that had not been completely burned in the alchemy furnace in Baiyun Temple.
Everyone in Gao's house was thrown into prison.
Liang Yi asked, "Do you know someone named Yu Dong in the mansion? I heard that she called you by your alias every day in prison."
Su Yan guessed that she might have realized that the incident at Gao's house was related to Su Yan, so she called her name.
Liang Yi said: "Originally I was too lazy to tell you, but she was in prison shouting for you to find someone, did you promise to help her find someone?"
Su Yan shook his head in confusion, "We don't have much contact, who is she looking for?"
Liang Yi said: "You said you were looking for... Fu Yue? I think that's her name."
Su Yan remembered that Fu Yue was Yu Dong's daughter. She once mentioned that Su Yan was similar to her daughter.
She carefully recalled what happened that day, and suddenly exclaimed, "She deliberately let me go to the secret passage."
"Yudong?"
Su Yan said in a deep voice: "Chen Yu and Huan Yi are unreliable, how can Yu Dong trust them? Yu Dong has not come yet, she probably knows that I will enter the secret passage."
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