Chapter 120 Chu Ji

In the south of the city, common people gathered around a charred herbal medicine shop, pointing and talking. The police kept driving them away, but they still couldn’t stop the crowd from watching the excitement.

"How could it burn like this in broad daylight?"

"It's not burnt, it's fried!"

"What's going on?"

"I don't know. I was busy sweeping the floor early in the morning when I suddenly heard a loud explosion. I went out to see that Huichuntang was burnt to a crisp. It was a pity for Doctor Chu, a well-known miracle doctor, who was killed in the explosion."

"What? The one who died was actually Divine Doctor Chu? Why have so many evil things happened in Chang'an recently? Two days ago, a wine shop owner in the north of the city was also killed in an explosion, and that day was the Lantern Festival."

"Alas, I wonder if the king's immorality has angered the heavens, which has led to all kinds of divine punishment in Chang'an. Since last year, there have been constant murders in Chang'an, and there has been no peace."

"Tsk, you can't say such things!"

Amid the noise of discussion behind him, Ming Huashang stood at the door of Huichuntang and looked carefully at the exhibits in the store. Ming Huazhang came out from the back room, and Ming Huashang asked, "How is it?"

"Like Qian Yi, he was blown to pieces, looking like charcoal. What kind of gunpowder is this that is so powerful?"

It was blown up like this, even if we asked the coroner to perform an autopsy, he would have no idea where to start, and it would be difficult to extract any clues from the body. Ming Huashang sighed slightly and said, "Qian Yi was killed in the explosion, and the doctor who had prescribed medicine for Liu was also killed in the explosion. I know I can't make a preconceived decision, but isn't it too coincidental?"

Ming Huazhang explained the tasks to the officials in an orderly manner, and signaled Ming Huashang to follow him with his eyes, and walked towards the backyard: "Don't rush to draw conclusions, first go and ask this Chu the Divine Doctor how he was bombed."

The deceased, Chu Ji, was a well-known miracle doctor and the heir of the century-old Huichuntang. When the incident happened, Huichuntang had just opened and there were no customers in the store except Chu Ji and the medicine boy.

The medicine boy's face was black and white, and he sat in the backyard medicine shop blankly, looking lost. He heard footsteps and turned around to see a man and a woman walking together. The man was wearing a gorgeous official robe. As he walked in, the messy medicine shop seemed to become cramped in an instant.

The medicine boy stood up, his voice trembling: "I have seen you, sir. I was not the one who killed the master. I know nothing!"

Ming Huazhang said: "No one says you are the culprit. You just recount the whole situation in detail, and the government will decide the right and wrong."

The medicine boy said tremblingly, "The clinic opened at noon as usual. I opened the door at about noon. The master asked me to go to the back to prepare the herbs while he sorted out the medicine cabinet. Then I kept cutting the herbs in the back. I don't know how long it was, but suddenly I heard a loud explosion. I was startled and ran to the front hall to see. I saw the master lying on the ground, surrounded by fire, blood and flesh on the ground, and a broken arm flew to the door. The master was still breathing at that time. I was so scared that I ran out to call for help, but when I called back, the master had died."

The medicine boy started to cry again, looking extremely frightened. Ming Huashang saw that the panic on the medicine boy's face was not fake, so she asked, "Did anyone come to Huichuntang from the time the door was opened to the time the explosion occurred?"

The pharmacist shook his head in confusion: "I was cutting the medicine in the back, I don't know."

Ming Huashang asked, "Have you ever heard any suspicious noises? For example, your master talking or arguing with someone?"

The medicine boy shook his head subconsciously, paused, and said uncertainly: "Master went out for a while, does it count? I was cutting herbs at that time, and suddenly heard Master asking 'Who is it?' I thought Master was calling me, so I ran to the front hall. But Master didn't notice me. He came back from outside with a package and complained 'Who is knocking on the door again?' I saw that it had nothing to do with me, so I came back to continue preparing herbs. Then, I heard the explosion."

Ming Huachang's expression froze. So the package was most likely gunpowder! She hurriedly asked, "What kind of package was it?"

The herbalist gestured with his hands: "It's about this tall, this long, and looks pretty heavy. I thought it was a medicinal herb, so I didn't pay much attention to it."

"Do people often leave packages at your door?"

"It's not that often." The medicine boy said, "Some people who can't afford the medicine will give us eggs and cloth from their own homes to pay for it. Some people also go outside the city to pick wild vegetables and bring them to our medicine shop, which can at least pay for it."

Ming Huachang was thinking, it seems that the murderer hid the gunpowder in the package and placed it at the door of Huichun Hall, knocked on the door to remind Chu Ji and left immediately. Chu Ji thought it was another thing for redemption, so he took it in without any precautions and opened it, and was immediately killed by the explosion.

Ming Huashang asked, "Has anyone come to see your master in the past few days?"

The medicine boy shook his head. Ming Huashang took out Liu's portrait and asked again, "Have you seen this woman recently?"

The medicine boy stared at the portrait for a while, and still shook his head. Ming Huashang was surprised: "Think about it carefully, it doesn't matter if it was recently, or a few months ago."

The medicine boy raised his head and thought for a long time, still with a confused look on his face: "I don't remember."

The medicine boy was frightened, and Ming Huashang could not continue to question him. She looked around and asked, "Can I take a look here?"

The medicine boy glanced at Ming Huazhang's official robes and nodded fearfully. Ming Huachang walked through the workshop, picked up various medicine-making tools and asked, "Are you the one who usually prepares the herbs?"

"The master personally prepared the key herbs, and I did the rest."

Ming Huashang looked at the pile of herbs and asked, "Can you handle all this work?"

The medicine boy lowered his head and said hesitantly, "I can always get through it by sleeping a few hours later. Master is afraid that someone will learn the prescription, so he never lets anyone get close to the workshop. I have to be recognized by the master to learn from him. There are so many things to do, which shows that the master values ​​me."

Ming Huashang looked at the fourteen or fifteen-year-old medicine boy, then at the heavy labor of preparing the medicine, and sighed deeply: "How old are you? Your master is so selfish to exploit a child like you in order to protect his secret recipe."

The medicine boy timidly said good things about his master: "Not really, there was a senior brother before. It's just that my senior brother died of poisoning while preparing herbs, so these things happened to me."

When Ming Huazhang heard about the death, he instinctively asked, "When did it happen?"

"Six years ago."

The death of the shopkeeper Feng happened three years ago, and the incident at Huichuntang happened before the murder, so it should not be related. Ming Huazhang could not tell whether he was disappointed or relieved. Seeing the cowering and frightened look of the medicine boy, he did not want to embarrass a child, so he motioned Ming Huachang to come out and talk.

The two of them walked to a deserted place, and Ming Huashang asked, "Second brother, do you think that this explosion and the incident at Jinxiu Tower a few days ago were caused by the same person?"

Ming Huazhang said solemnly, "I can't be sure. But judging by the power of the explosives and the time interval, it is very likely that the same murderer was responsible."

Ming Huashang said, "If the two cases were really committed by the same person, then this person is too scary. Chu Ji's death can at least explain two things. First, the murderer is very familiar with Huichun Hall and knows the opening time and Chu Ji's habits. Second, the murderer's explosives have improved. After Chu Ji saw something of unknown origin, it is impossible for him to ignite it himself. The explosives should have been ignited in advance and hidden in the package. Chu Ji did not know the truth and happened to bump into the explosives when he opened it."

Ming Huazhang and Ming Huashang looked at each other and saw the worry in each other's eyes. Such a powerful gunpowder, with a delay mechanism, means that anyone could be a victim, and it is simply impossible to guard against.

Ming Huazhang could no longer stand, and walked out quickly, saying, "This man is far more dangerous than an ordinary murderer, and he must be arrested as soon as possible. I will have someone check the neighbors, and I don't believe that no one saw who put the package at the door of Huichun Hall."

Ming Huazhang went to arrange the yamen runners, but Ming Huashang did not go out. She was still pacing in Huichun Hall. Finally, she stopped at the only wall that was not affected by the explosives.

There are many plaques hanging on the wall. A piece of ebony with the newest color and brightest quality is hung at the top, with the four characters "Great Physician's Sincerity" written on it. Therefore, it was not affected by the explosion and still looks very impressive.

Ming Huachang looked at it for a while, called the medicine boy and asked, "Did your master hang these?"

The medicine boy looked up and replied, "These are the plaques that patients gave to Huichuntang. Some are from our master, and some are from our great-grandmaster and great-great-grandmaster."

Ming Huashang asked: "Which piece belongs to your master?"

“The top one.”

Ming Huashang thought to herself that it was as expected. She secretly raised her eyebrows, thinking that this miraculous doctor Chu Ji hung his own plaque at the top, and he didn't look as loyal, filial, and respectful to his teacher as the rumors said.

She thought about it and asked, "This plaque looks very new. Does your master clean it often?"

The medicine boy replied seriously, "This was delivered a few days ago. The master was very happy and immediately had it hung on the wall. It has not been wiped yet."

"Who sent it?"

"I don't know." The medicine boy said, "The person who brought the plaque said that someone ordered a plaque in their store and specifically sent it to Doctor Chu of Huichuntang, but did not leave a name. Maybe it was a patient who didn't want to reveal his name, and he received a favor from my master in the past, so he quietly sent a plaque to me."

Ming Huashang nodded. It was normal for a medical practitioner to receive a plaque of gratitude, but when she looked at the words on it, she always felt indescribable strangeness.

She remembered that "The Great Doctor's Sincerity" was written by the King of Medicine in Qianjin Yaofang, which specifically talks about the morality of practicing medicine. When patients thank doctors, shouldn't they give them plaques like "The Hanging Pot Helps the World" or "The Reincarnation of Hua Tuo"? Why should they give the King of Medicine a plaque admonishing medical ethics?

Ming Huashang stared at the plaque, thinking that maybe she was overthinking. She was about to look somewhere else when she heard a wave of greetings from behind. Ming Huashang turned around and saw Jingzhao Yin coming.

Jingzhao Yin stood at the dark crime scene, looking unhappy. He noticed Ming Huashang, who lowered her eyes and saluted Jingzhao Yin from a distance.

Jingzhao Yin asked: "Why are there unrelated people in such an important place?"

The official next to him was a little embarrassed and said carefully: "Jingzhao Yin, this is Ming Shaoyin's sister, she is not an unrelated person."

“本官竟不知，什麽時候官員的親屬，也能随便出入現場了。”京兆尹冷冷掃過官差，“不如，你來教本官規矩？”

官差冷汗涔涔，忙道不敢。明華裳雖然聽不到他們說了什麽，但看旁邊人的臉色，也知道絕不是好話。她不欲讓下面人為難，遠遠對那邊笑了笑，就自己出去了。

走出回春堂，陽光驟然刺入眼睛。身邊人來來往往，每個人都很忙，明華裳用手擋住眼睛，茫然了一會，決意去找明華章。

此刻明華章正挨家挨戶詢問。斷案沒那麽多靈機一動、神機妙算，更多的是繁瑣而重複的笨工夫。明華裳被衙役領到明華章跟前，明華章看到她，驚訝問：“你怎麽出來了？”

明華裳不想挑撥他和長官的關系，笑了笑說：“裏面味道太嗆人了，出來走走。”

明華章想到剛才衙役說京兆尹來了，沒有再問，道：“你在旁邊休息一會，很快我就問完了。”

明華章問了一條街，終于在最後一家問到些像樣的線索。這戶人家的老婆婆出去倒水時，無意看到有人在回春堂門口放了東西，然後就低着頭走了。只可惜老婆婆眼睛昏花，兼之對方穿着鬥篷，她沒看到具體長相，只記得對方個子不算高，但長得很瘦。

老人家說話颠三倒四，口齒也不清晰，明華章一直耐心聽着，等終于問完，日頭已經升到當空。

明華裳看着手中只有一個背影的畫像，愁的頭都大了：“連正臉都沒有，這可怎麽找？”

“但至少可以确定，投放炸藥之人身材瘦削。”當着衆人的面，明華章依然鎮定自若，冷靜地鼓舞士氣，“有了進展就是好事。接下來去查近期大量買火藥的人，定能找出他。”

明華裳嘆氣，如今也唯有這樣了。

·

來了長安後，女皇的身體就一直不大好，今日城裏又傳來炸死人的消息。遷都至今，事端不休，這不得不讓女皇多想，大唐的龍首之都長安，是不是克她？

女皇靠在榻上，雖然面無表情，但無人敢大聲出氣。控鶴監的宮女跪在榻下，流利地總結今日玄枭衛傳上來的有價值的消息。這裏面最值得關注的，無疑是和爆炸相關的事，宮女說到最後，小心加了一句：“雙璧說這兩起爆炸很可能是同一人所為，請命調查此事。”

女皇聽到熟悉的名字，難得主動提問：“雙璧？”

“是。”宮女說完垂下頭，不敢窺探天意。女皇靜靜靠了會，平淡說：“允。”

“雙璧還說，此案關系重大，僅憑他自身無法勝任，請求援助。”

女皇随意點點頭，說：“傳令給他們組，一起行動。之後無論他需要什麽，只要不過分，就都允了。”

宮女聽到女皇的态度，心裏轉了一圈，明白了。她禀報後就輕手輕腳離開，等人走後，女皇看着空蕩蕩的紫宸殿，第一次發現大明宮是這樣大，這樣空。

她下意識想喊人，然而真開口時，她卻思忖了許久。

叫誰來呢？上官婉兒避出去了，現在不在殿外，其他宮女畏畏縮縮的，看着叫人掃興；太平貼心，但每一句話都在揣度她的心意；二張兄弟太吵，女皇現在沒心情消遣；太子、相王她信不過，梁王、魏王倒是可信，但她着實累了，不想聽他們耍心機。

思來想去，女皇貴為天子，竟連一個能陪她安心養病的人都找不出來。女皇靠在榻上，望着面前金碧輝煌的紫宸殿，輕輕扯了扯唇角。

這煌煌大明宮，還是她說服高宗皇帝建的。年輕時眼光總是那麽高，看什麽都覺得不夠，老了才知宮殿太寬敞，會壓得人喘不過氣來。

上官婉兒在女皇身邊侍奉多年，早鍛煉出一副玲珑心竅。她知道有些時間不能去打擾女皇，便主動找事離開。她悠然穿行在大明宮中，度量控鶴監的人應當走了，才施施然回去。

她帶着人推門進來，本來姿容怡然，儀态萬方，等看到女皇歪在榻上，她霎間吓得花容失色，驚慌地撲過來：“陛下，您怎麽了？”

女皇龍體不适的消息很快傳遍宮廷，禦醫從屏風後出來，外面的人聽到聲音，紛紛起身。

禦醫看着這天下最有權力的一家人，垂下眼眸，微微拱手行禮：“臣給諸位殿下請安。陛下龍體無恙，只是氣急攻心，日後還需好生将養，忌勞累，忌動怒。”

對于尋常人家的老太太，這是很容易實現的事情，然而對一個帝王來說，這些話無異于空談。李武兩家人都認真應下，禦醫也不在意他們聽沒聽，又将醫囑說了一遍，便行禮告退。

禦醫走後，在場中人面面相觑，最後是太子打頭，去內殿探望女皇。

女皇卸了發冠靠在榻上，女官們跪在榻邊，為女皇捏腿。太子只掃了一眼就趕緊垂下頭，反倒是太子妃韋氏，忍不住瞥了好幾眼，才有些驚訝地收回視線。

她第一次意識到，原來，那個強悍到不可理喻的女人，那個讓她喘不過氣來的婆母，竟然已經這麽老了。

女官們無聲讓開位置，太子跪坐在女皇手下，韋妃跟着坐在太子身後。她的視線自然而然落在女皇的手上，哪怕保養得宜，依然能看出這雙手老了，上面甚至長出醜陋的斑點。

韋妃忍不住看向自己的手。原來，慣握玉玺和權杖的手，老了以後也會長斑；曾經那個一句話就能讓她從雲端跌落淤泥的太後，如今也和尋常老妪一樣。

殿內安安靜靜，李武兩家都沒有說話，不知道在想什麽。最後，還是太平公主先開口道：“母親，您怎麽了？”

太子作為皇儲，自然跪在離女皇最近的地方，二張兄弟雖然身份不夠，可是有女皇的寵愛依仗，他們也擠在榻邊。

女皇緩緩掃過他們的臉，在場有她的男寵、兒女、侄兒、孫子孫女，每個都是年輕美麗，青春正好。他們自以為掩飾的很好，然而在以識人著稱的女皇面前，他們那點小心思，實在不堪一擊。

外面層出不窮的爆炸，是不是就是他們中某一個人主使的呢？就算和他們沒關系，他們聽到女皇病倒的消息時，想的到底是老母親的安危，還是女皇死後，皇位就終于回到李家了？

女皇注意到，太子的嫡長子李重潤在張昌宗挨過來時，嫌惡地皺了皺眉，将自己的衣袖抽走。

李重潤才十九歲，還是少年人心性，喜惡不加掩飾，然而正是因此，他下意識的嫌棄才深深刺痛了女皇。

為什麽不想碰張昌宗的衣服呢，因為嫌棄二張兄弟髒。為什麽嫌棄髒呢，因為他們在侍奉他年老體衰的祖母。

韋氏是她的兒媳，女皇本也沒指望過韋氏真心對她，可是李重潤是東宮嫡長子，她的皇位繼承人。她将皇位傳給李家，如今她還沒走，下下任繼承者就敢嫌棄她的男寵。

女皇心中震怒，面上卻不動聲色，說：“今日長安城中又有爆炸案，聽說，民間已興起王道失德的說法。”

衆人靜了靜，東宮一家深深低頭，生怕女皇注意到他們。魏王眯了眯眼睛，笑着道：“姑母，您這是說什麽話？大周奉天承運，國祚綿長，百姓擁戴您還來不及，怎麽會說這種話？定是有心人散播謠言。”

在場姓李的人都坐不住了，太平公主涼涼掃了魏王一眼，笑着對女皇道：“母親，一群愚民胡亂編排而已，不值得您上心。女兒這就去懲治亂嚼舌根的人，五日內定平息謠言。”

女皇淡淡道：“你管得了他們說什麽，還能管得住天下百姓想什麽嗎？自遷都以來，長安接二連三出事，如今更是出現了爆炸。上天降火本就是兇兆，無論爆炸到底什麽原因，百姓只會看到人被無緣無故燒死，他們懷疑是天子失德，降下天譴，在所難免。”

衆人默然，飛快琢磨女皇的意圖。魏王拿不準姑母的心意，但将主動權掌握在自己手中總沒有壞處，他立刻說道：“侄兒願為姑母分憂，徹查此事。”

太平公主一聽心道壞了，趕緊給兩個兄長使眼色。臨淄王嘴唇微動，想要請命，被相王按住。

臨淄王很不服氣，但相王卻給兒子飛了個眼刀，示意他不許出頭。

如今太子是三兄，他們家已不是皇儲了。這等瓜田李下之事，自該乖覺遠離。

最後，太子在衆望所歸中，開口道：“既然百姓質疑皇室失德，兒臣作為太子，理當為母親分憂，向天下人自證。兒臣請命調查此案，望母親成全。”

女皇既然已經決定傳位于李，這種事就只能交給太子。她掃了眼優柔寡斷的三兒子，很不喜他的軟弱愚笨，但還是說道：“傳令下去，令左羽林軍、京兆府聽從太子調遣，全力調查長安爆炸一事。”

Troops were frequently dispatched to the north of the city, and the battle-hardened people of Chang'an had long been numb to this. Only Su Yuji, who was out buying vegetables, smelled something unusual.

Sure enough, she found the secret code on the wall she passed by every day. She went to the secret contact point and received a new mission.

"Monitor the Twins."

At the same time, Xie Jichuan, Ren Yao and Jiang Ling also received new tasks.

"Team up with Shuangbi to investigate the Chang'an bombing."