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 slightly 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."
"I didn't know that when officials' relatives could come and go at will." Jingzhao Yin glanced at the official coldly, "How about you teach me the rules?"
The official was sweating profusely and said he dared not. Although Ming Huashang could not hear what they said, she knew from the looks of the people around her that it was not good words. She did not want to embarrass the people below her, so she smiled at them from a distance and left.
Walking out of Huichun Hall, the sunlight suddenly pierced into her eyes. People were coming and going around her, and everyone was very busy. Ming Huashang covered her eyes with her hands, and after a moment of confusion, she decided to look for Ming Huazhang.
At this moment, Ming Huazhang was going door to door to inquire. Solving a case does not involve many sudden inspirations or brilliant calculations, but more tedious and repetitive work. Ming Huashang was brought to Ming Huazhang by the yamen runners. When Ming Huazhang saw her, he asked in surprise, "Why did you come out?"
Ming Huashang didn't want to sow discord between him and his superior, so she smiled and said, "The smell in there is too pungent, let's go out for a walk."
Ming Huazhang thought of what the yamen runner had just said: Jingzhao Yin had arrived, so he did not ask any more questions and said, "You can take a rest on the side. I will finish my questions soon."
Ming Huazhang asked all the way down the street, and finally got some decent clues from the last house. When the old woman of this family went out to get some water, she accidentally saw someone put something at the door of Huichuntang, and then walked away with his head down. Unfortunately, the old woman's eyes were blurry, and the other person was wearing a cloak, so she didn't see his specific appearance. She only remembered that the other person was not tall, but very thin.
The old man spoke incoherently and his speech was unclear, but Ming Huazhang listened patiently. When he finally finished asking questions, the sun was already high in the sky.
Ming Huashang looked at the portrait in her hand, which only showed a back view, and was worried: "There's not even a front view of the face, how can I find it?"
"But at least we can be sure that the person who placed the explosives was thin." In front of everyone, Ming Huazhang remained calm and composed, calmly encouraging morale, "It's a good thing to have progress. Next, we will check who has bought a large amount of gunpowder recently, and we will definitely find him."
Ming Huashang sighed. This was all that was left now.
·
After coming to Chang'an, the Queen's health has not been good. Today, news came from the city that someone was killed in a bombing. Since the relocation of the capital, there have been many incidents. This made the Queen think more. Is Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, unlucky for her?
The queen leaned on the couch, her face expressionless, but no one dared to speak out loudly. The maid of the Crane Control Bureau knelt under the couch and fluently summarized the valuable information that the Xuanxiao Guards had passed on today. The most noteworthy thing here was undoubtedly the matter related to the explosion. At the end of her speech, the maid carefully added: "Shuangbi said that these two explosions were likely caused by the same person. Please investigate this matter."
The Queen heard a familiar name and asked, "Twin Bi?"
"Yes." The maid lowered her head after saying this, not daring to guess God's will. The Queen leaned back for a moment and said calmly, "Yes."
"Shuangbi also said that this case was of great importance and he could not handle it alone, so he asked for help."
The Queen nodded casually and said, "Tell them to form a team and act together. From now on, no matter what he needs, as long as it is not excessive, it will be granted."
After hearing the empress's attitude, the maid's mind turned around and she understood. After she reported it, she left quietly. After everyone left, the empress looked at the empty Purple Palace and realized for the first time that the Daming Palace was so big and so empty.
She subconsciously wanted to call for help, but when she actually opened her mouth, she thought for a long time.
Who should she call? Shangguan Wan'er had avoided the palace and was not outside the palace now. The other palace maids were timid and it was disappointing to see them. Taiping was considerate, but she was trying to guess her feelings with every word. The two Zhang brothers were too noisy, and the empress was not in the mood to have fun now. She did not trust the crown prince and the prince of Xiang, but she could trust the prince of Liang and the prince of Wei, but she was really tired and did not want to listen to their tricks.
After much thought, the empress, who was the emperor, couldn't even find someone to accompany her and recover from her illness. The empress leaned on the couch, looking at the magnificent Purple Palace in front of her, and curled her lips slightly.
This magnificent Daming Palace was built by her persuading Emperor Gaozong. When I was young, I always had high standards and felt that everything was not enough. When I got older, I realized that the palace was too spacious and would make people feel suffocated.
Shangguan Wan'er had served the Empress for many years and had developed a keen mind. She knew that she could not disturb the Empress at certain times, so she took the initiative to find an excuse to leave. She walked leisurely through the Daming Palace, and only went back leisurely when she knew that the people who controlled the Crane Supervisor should have left.
She pushed the door open with her people. She was originally very graceful and elegant, but when she saw the empress leaning on the couch, she was frightened and turned pale. She rushed over in panic: "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"
The news that the Queen was unwell quickly spread throughout the palace. Doctor Yu came out from behind the screen, and the people outside heard the sound and stood up one after another.
Doctor Yu looked at the most powerful family in the world, lowered his eyes, and bowed slightly: "I greet all the princes. Your Majesty is in good health, but he is angry. You need to take good care of yourself in the future, avoid fatigue and anger."
For an ordinary old lady, this is something that can be easily accomplished, but for an emperor, these words are nothing but empty talk. The Li and Wu families both agreed seriously, and Doctor Yu did not care whether they listened or not. He repeated the doctor's instructions and then bowed and left.
After Doctor Yu left, everyone present looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, the Crown Prince took the lead and went to the inner hall to visit the Queen.
The empress took off her hair crown and leaned on the couch, while the ladies knelt beside the couch and massaged her legs. The prince only took a glance and quickly lowered his head, but the crown princess Wei couldn't help but glanced at her several times before looking away in surprise.
For the first time, she realized that the unreasonably strong woman, the mother-in-law who made her feel suffocated, was actually so old.
The ladies silently made way for the prince, who knelt down at the feet of the queen, and Concubine Wei followed and sat behind him. Her eyes naturally fell on the queen's hands. Even though they were well maintained, it was still obvious that the hands were old, and even had ugly spots on them.
Concubine Wei couldn't help but look at her hands. It turned out that the hands that were used to holding the imperial seal and the scepter would also have spots when they got old; the empress dowager who could make her fall from the clouds to the mud with just one word was now just like an ordinary old woman.
The palace was quiet. Neither the Li family nor the Wu family spoke. No one knew what they were thinking. Finally, Princess Taiping spoke first, "Mother, what's wrong with you?"
As the crown prince, he naturally knelt closest to the empress. Although the two Zhang brothers were not of high status, they had the favor of the empress, so they also squeezed beside the couch.
The Queen slowly scanned their faces. There were her male favorites, children, nephews, grandchildren, all of whom were young, beautiful, and in their prime. They thought they had concealed it well, but in front of the Queen, who was known for her knowledge of people, their little tricks were really vulnerable.
Were the endless explosions outside caused by one of them? Even if it had nothing to do with them, when they heard the news that the queen was ill, were they thinking about their mother's safety, or that after the queen's death, the throne would finally return to the Li family?
The empress noticed that the crown prince's eldest son, Li Chongrun, frowned in disgust and pulled away his sleeves when Zhang Changzong came over.
Li Chongrun was only nineteen years old, still a young man with a youthful temperament, and did not conceal his likes and dislikes. However, it was precisely because of this that his subconscious dislike deeply hurt the empress.
Why didn't he want to touch Zhang Changzong's clothes? Because he thought the two Zhang brothers were dirty. Why did he think they were dirty? Because they were serving his elderly and frail grandmother.
Wei was her daughter-in-law, and the empress had never expected Wei to be sincere to her, but Li Chongrun was the eldest son of the Eastern Palace and her heir to the throne. She passed the throne to the Li family, and now that she has not left, the next heir dares to dislike her male favorite.
The empress was furious, but she remained calm and said, "Today there was another explosion in Chang'an. I heard that people are saying that the king's way is immoral."
Everyone was silent, and the Donggong family bowed their heads, fearing that the empress would notice them. The King of Wei narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, "Aunt, what are you talking about? The Great Zhou is under the rule of Heaven, and the country is long-lasting. The people support you so much that you can't wait to say such a thing. There must be someone spreading rumors."
All the people with the surname Li present could no longer sit still. Princess Taiping glanced at the King of Wei coldly and said to the Queen with a smile, "Mother, these are just a bunch of fools making up stories. It is not worth your attention. I will punish those who are gossiping and the rumors will be quelled within five days."
The Queen said calmly, "You can control what they say, but can you control what the people of the world think? Since the capital was moved, Chang'an has been in trouble one after another, and now there is an explosion. Fire from heaven is a bad omen. No matter what the cause of the explosion is, the people will only see people being burned to death for no reason. They suspect that the emperor has lost his virtue and that it is inevitable that he will be punished by heaven."
Everyone was silent, trying to figure out the Queen's intentions. The King of Wei was unsure of his aunt's intentions, but it would not hurt to take the initiative himself, so he immediately said, "I am willing to share your worries and investigate this matter thoroughly."
Princess Taiping felt bad when she heard this, and quickly winked at her two brothers. Prince Linzi moved his lips slightly, wanting to ask for his life, but was held down by Prince Xiang.
Prince Linzi was very dissatisfied, but Prince Xiang gave his son a look, signaling him not to stand out.
Now the crown prince is the third brother, and his family is no longer the crown prince. Such things should be avoided.
Finally, the prince spoke in front of the public, "Since the people are questioning the royal family's misconduct, as the prince, I should share your concerns and testify to the world. I beg you to investigate this case, and I hope you will agree to it."
Since the empress had already decided to pass the throne to Li, this matter could only be handed over to the crown prince. She glanced at her indecisive third son and disliked his weakness and stupidity, but still said: "Send the order to the Left Winged Guards and Jingzhao Prefecture to obey the crown prince's orders and make every effort to investigate the explosion in Chang'an."
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."
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