Chapter 148 Armor

Ming Huashang quickly ran to Zhaocai's side, but instead of checking the wound, she searched for his clothes. As expected, Ming Huashang found an exquisite gold medal in Zhaocai's purse.

Ming Huashang had accidentally glanced at it when she was examining the body just now, but she didn't pay attention and put it back into Zhaocai's purse. It was not until now that she realized that Zhaocai had been around her all these years, so how could she not know what Zhaocai had?

But Ming Huachang had never seen Zhaocai wearing this gold medal.

Moreover, Ming Huachang carefully examined the gold medal. It was half the size of a palm, thin and small. It looked like a decoration, but there was a word "empty" engraved on it in small seal script. Apart from that, there were no other patterns.

In Zhaocai's words, this is too "unlucky". She would not like this style of jewelry, let alone wear it with her. So why did it appear in Zhaocai's purse?

Ming Huashang almost immediately realized that this was left by the murderer.

Why did he leave a gold medal on the corpse of Zhaocai? What did he want to say?

In a flash, Ming Huashang thought of the riddle of the characters at the third crime scene. Everyone thought that the character left by the murderer was "Ming", and Zhaocai was mistakenly killed by the murderer as Ming Huashang. But what if they all guessed wrong?

Ming Huashang quickly recalled the scene of Yan Jingcheng's explosion. There was a sun and moon pattern carved on the top of the pavilion, and a couplet outside read "No one cares when the sun rises, and the water flows freely when the moon is bright." Yan Jingcheng's body fell under it, and only the gold ornaments on his body remained in their original state. Xie Jichuan said that something seemed to be missing from Yan Jingcheng's body, but when Zhaocai died, a gold medal of unknown origin appeared on his body.

Sun, moon, sky.

Could it be that...

Ming Huachang's eyes suddenly widened. Su Yuji saw Ming Huachang suddenly talking to herself, and touched her shoulder with some concern: "Are you okay?"

Ming Huashang turned around abruptly, grabbed Su Yuji's wrist tightly, and said excitedly: "I know who the murderer's real target is! Oh no, the Flower Festival Saint is going to leave the palace to light lanterns, Furong Garden is in danger!"

Su Yuji was confused by what she heard, and had to hold Ming Huashang down and force her to calm down: "What are you talking about?"

"He wants to kill the king." Ming Huashang's eyes were clear and bright, like burning sparks, blazing and shining. "The next person he wants to kill is not Zhaocai, nor me, but Her Majesty the Queen!"

The sun and the moon are in the sky, and there is only one person in the world with this name.

Empress, Wu Zetian.

At this time, the sound of ceremonial music could be heard faintly from Zhuque Street. Ming Huachang's face suddenly changed, and she was very surprised: "This seems to be a ceremonial procession that can only be used by the emperor when traveling. However, today is clearly the 14th. Didn't the saint say that we should go to see the Flower God Lantern on the 15th of February? Why is it a day earlier?"

·

After receiving the reply from Princess Taiping last night, Ming Huazhang has been sitting by the window, staring at the night scene over the eaves without moving.

There is no moon tonight, the universe is vast, and the stars are moving.

Ming Huazhang thought of the time not long ago when he went to Hu County to visit Song Yanbai's parents, the stars in the sky were also so grand and brilliant.

The two elderly people said numbly that they had accepted their fate. They had been dissatisfied with their son's accidental death and had appealed repeatedly. However, even with the support of kind-hearted people, they were still powerless.

After the investigation, the Jingzhao Prefecture upheld the original verdict. Chu Ji was highly respected, so how could he plot against his apprentice? Song Yanbai died of accidental poisoning due to carelessness when preparing medicinal materials.

Song's father and mother tried their best, but nothing changed. They went from being angry to being numb, and now even they themselves think that maybe their son really remembered the wrong medication and killed himself.

Ming Huazhang sighed in silence. He casually asked who was the person who helped them organize the evidence and encouraged them to file a complaint. The old man said it was a man named Liao.

Lord Liao... Ming Huazhang suddenly had an idea and thought of Liu.

During the previous discussion, they tried hard to find common points between the deceased and found nothing. In fact, the deceased in the first two cases had one thing in common besides Liu, that is, they had both reported the case.

It's just that no one discovered their crime, so they all had to leave and continue to enjoy their wealth, fame and fortune.

Like a spark in the darkness, Ming Huazhang immediately remembered more things. Not only the people on the list had gone to Jinxiu Tower to see the Centennial Lantern, but also government officials. Before the Lantern Festival, the government had to inspect the lights and candles throughout the city, and this matter had always been the responsibility of Jingzhao Prefecture.

Who can clearly restore the details of the unsolved cases in Chang'an that have been sealed for many years, and know which people were acquitted despite being guilty? Who can kill Hei Hu silently in the prison, and who can accurately let the murderer go before Jingzhao Prefecture closes the net every time?

These clues are like a web, ultimately pointing to one person.

Liao Yushan, a "mediocre official" who had served as a judicial officer in Chang'an for ten years and was just promoted to Jingzhao Yin last year.

When Ming Huazhang returned from Huxian, he already suspected Jingzhao Yin. However, accidents happened one after another. Li Chongrun was beaten to death, Yongtai County Lord was born, Zhaocai was killed, Ming Huachang was unconscious, and Ming Huazhang was busy dealing with the aftermath. He had no time to go to Jingzhao Prefecture to confront Liao Yushan.

However, what happened today was enough to confirm Ming Huazhang's guess. Ming Huachang was devastated by Zhaocai's death and was not at the scene. Ming Huazhang also took leave due to family matters. Jingzhao Prefecture, under the command of the chief, successfully caught a suspect. The suspect was crazy and unable to defend himself. Everyone naturally thought that this was the murderer.

A madman is indeed the perfect scapegoat. Last time, Liao Yushan wanted to frame He Yong, but Ming Huazhang and Ming Huashang were present. The two of them were more serious and asked more questions, so Liao Yushan could not continue the drama of forcing He Yong to confess under torture, and had to release He Yong. This time, without Ming Huazhang and Ming Huashang interfering, he finally got what he wanted.

Turning the tide at the last minute and solving the case in time should be a great achievement. However, did Liao Yushan go to such great lengths just to achieve merit?

He has many ways to do it, so why does he have to kill people?

Unless he had a reason to kill.

Ming Huazhang slowly clenched the secret letter in his palm. He knew that as long as he opened the letter, he would know the answer.

When Princess Taiping's confidant sent a letter to Ming Huazhang, he also attached a piece of news. Jingzhao Yin rushed to solve the case before the deadline. The empress dismissed everyone and summoned him alone in the palace. The content of the conversation is unknown. After he came out, the empress ordered to advance the schedule of the Flower Festival and leave the palace to light the lanterns tomorrow.

Just as where an animal runs when it is frightened tells us where its nest is, so too does what a person does when he realizes he is in danger tell us what he cares about most.

Ming Huazhang didn't believe that Liao Yushan didn't know that he was already suspected, but he still went to the palace to report on his duties, just to persuade the empress to leave the palace a day earlier. What did he want to do?

Ming Huazhang sat quietly for a long time, and finally tore open the secret letter.

Last year, someone in Xuanxiaowei betrayed and leaked the whereabouts of Shuangbi to King Wei, which almost caused Ming Huazhang to be discovered by King Wei. In order to find the traitor, Ming Huachang deliberately spread false information, and King Wei's people really ambushed at the meeting place that day. This shows that there must be a traitor among those who handled their information.

Ming Huashang cleverly used the daily lock-up rules of the palace gates to create a time difference. She deliberately delivered the message before the palace gates were locked the night before, and met up early the next morning, but the ambushers still arrived before them. To deliver the message in such a short time, only the first group of people leaving the palace could make it in time.

In this way, the scope of the traitor has been greatly reduced. Ming Huazhang originally planned to find out the traitor by himself. He did not agree with Princess Taiping's approach, so he did not want to rely on her help. But now, Ming Huazhang wavered.

As long as the result can be achieved, it seems that no matter what means are used. Princess Taiping has been in the court for many years and has great influence. Using her is the fastest and most convenient way, so why not?

So Ming Huazhang sent a message to Princess Taiping, asking for the list of members of the Control Crane Supervisor who would be leaving the palace in the near future. The Control Crane Supervisor was the head of the Xuanxiao Guard, and the identity of each member was a secret. However, such a core secret was delivered by Princess Taiping in just one hour.

Ming Huazhang scanned the list line by line and noticed a person among them.

Every day, a special eunuch from the Konghe Supervisory Commissioner would go out of the palace to make purchases and take the opportunity to send and receive information. At the same time, an eunuch named Zheng left the palace in the evening when "Shuangbi" delivered the false news and in the early morning of the next day.

Ming Huazhang went to check Zheng Zhengzhi's scope of responsibility, and coincidentally, Changshoufang was included in it.

Ming Huazhang sighed silently. At this point, everything was clear.

His boss, Liao Yushan, is also a person with a dual identity like him.

Jingzhao Yin also served Xuanxiaowei. So he knew which case to imitate to cause the most sensation, bring out the two jades, and gain merit in front of the King of Wei. If Ming Huazhang remembered correctly, during that time, the King of Wei was making the Flower God Lantern to please the Queen.

In other words, it was only after Liao Yushan knew that Prince Wei was going to offer a lantern to the Empress that he began to think of joining Prince Wei.

Liao Yushan went through so much trouble, tried hard to please the King of Wei, and even used innocent people to take the blame in order to close the case. He set off explosions in Chang'an and tortured people into confessing in front of everyone, totally ignoring the supervision of the historian. What was he so eager for quick success that he almost committed suicide?

Before he knew it, the sky in the east was turning pale, and it was daybreak. Ming Huazhang seemed to be stung by the light, and he reached out and covered his eyes.

Ming Huazhang and Jingzhao Yin had little interaction, and he had seen Liao Yushan coughing up blood several times, which showed that Liao Yushan's health was already very bad. Liao Yushan knew that he would not live long, so he was anxious to complete his plan before he died.

He was so crazy because he had never thought about the future. His goal from the beginning was to kill the king.

For the first time, Ming Huazhang felt the sunlight was blinding. He covered his eyes, and the world was as dark as a stagnant pool. He thought, if he did nothing and let Liao Yushan kill the empress, then the world would return to the hands of the Li family.

It will all be over. The death of Li Chongrun and Princess Yongtai, the injustice of his father, the sorrow of the Li family having to destroy their family ties and humanity in order to protect themselves, all these sufferings will be resolved.

In the enclosed darkness, footsteps approached from afar. Her voice suddenly pierced through the chaos like the light of heaven: "Second brother, I found the answer!"

It's her, no, why did she wake up?

Ming Huazhang was startled, especially when he saw Ming Huachang running in the cold wind with only a thin cape on and her long hair loose, his face turned cold. He immediately stood up, walked quickly down the stairs, and caught Ming Huachang.

When he touched Ming Huashang's cold hand, his face became even more angry. He quickly took off his coat, wrapped Ming Huashang tightly, and scolded her, "Why did you come out wearing so little?"

Ming Huashang had no time to pay attention to her clothes. She held Ming Huazhang's hand tightly and said, "Second brother, I know who the murderer is. He is Jingzhao Yin. The mystery he left behind in the last case was not Ming, but the sun and the moon in the sky. He is likely to harm the saint during the Flower Festival!"

Ming Huazhang's expression was calm and even. Ming Huachang realized something was wrong belatedly: "Second brother, you knew this a long time ago?"

Ming Huazhang said nothing. He wrapped Ming Huashang tightly and took her to the house. He had been sitting here all night, and the tea had already gone cold. He had never used a charcoal basin before. Ming Huazhang looked around but couldn't find anything to keep warm. He could only place Ming Huashang on the couch, half-kneeling in front of her knees, and warm her with his hands.

Ming Huazhang had long, slender fingers, distinct skeletons, and narrow, thin palms. He could easily wrap both of Ming Huachang's hands inside. He carefully warmed Ming Huachang's hands and whispered, "I know. But isn't this good, too?"

Ming Huashang was completely stunned when she heard this: "What?"

"A loyal person can't have a good ending, but a snitch can rise to the top. What's the need to protect such a dynasty? It was she who brought cruel officials, bloodshed, and disaster to the Tang Dynasty. She forced my father to death, assassinated my elder brother who was only seven years old, and promoted the trend of snitching. Just because of the word "rebellion" without any evidence, she could raise the knife to kill women and children who were powerless. All the princesses of the Li family were killed by her. Now, she has beaten her grandson and nephew to death for the sake of two male favorites. Is such a tyrant worth saving?"

Ming Huashang's expression gradually became serious. She looked at Ming Huazhang seriously and said, "But she is also your grandmother. Have you forgotten that we have said before that even guilty people should be punished by law. There is justice in the world, and we cannot stand by and watch them die."

"But, is there really justice in this world?" Ming Huazhang's voice was cold and his pupils were dark. He seemed to be asking Ming Huashang, but also himself.

He once firmly believed that the innocent are innocent and that a gentleman is virtuous, and that if one is poor, one should take care of himself, and if one is rich, one should help the world. However, what he got was the tragic death of his relatives and rivers of blood. The things he guarded were mired in the mud, and the people he wanted to protect the most almost lost their lives.

He put those great principles into practice, but he couldn't do anything well. He hated the empress for using power to whip human nature, forcing the crown prince and the prince of Xiang to watch Li Chongrun die in order to protect themselves, but what he did was no different from what the empress did.

The Duke of Zhenguo also gave up his own daughter for him, and if necessary, he would also give up Shangshang for him. Is all this really worth it?

When Ming Huazhang looked at the sleeping Ming Huashang, he regretted countless times why he left Beijing and why he abandoned her to pursue the so-called truth. If he had not left that day and stayed with Ming Huashang, Zhaocai might not have died.

But then Ming Huazhang asked himself again, if he was there that day, and learned that Li Chongrun and Wu Yanji were caned at Danfeng Gate, how would he choose? On one side is a blood relative, and on the other is his adoptive father who has given him a new life. Would he put the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion in danger in order to save Li Chongrun?

Although he had not personally experienced it, Ming Huazhang repeated the scene of that day over and over in his mind. Every time he made a choice, he became more disgusted with himself. He could not save anything. For someone like him, was it really useful to cling to a gentleman's arch?

Since he sent the letter to Princess Taiping yesterday, Ming Huazhang has finally given up his fearless nobleness like a lonely swan. If everyone in the world is like this, then what does it matter if he walks in the mud? His beliefs and pride gradually wavered, and he began to wonder, as long as he can get the desired result, he doesn't need to care about the means at all?

Letting the Queen die was a way he had not expected, but it would lead to the same result.

The empress died, and the throne naturally had to be replaced. The prince was the most legitimate heir. He had been pursuing for ten years, and he realized it effortlessly.

If that was the case, why did they expose Liao Yushan? After Liao Yushan blew up the empress, he would definitely not survive, and he would also be the perfect scapegoat for the Li family.

Ming Huachang looked at Ming Huazhang quietly, then suddenly raised his hands and hugged Ming Huazhang tightly. Ming Huazhang subconsciously wanted to break away. He was the brother and should protect his sister. How could he lean on her? But Ming Huachang increased his strength and refused to let go. Ming Huazhang was afraid of hurting her, so his strength weakened. Finally, he seemed to have exhausted his energy and blood, and leaned on Ming Huachang's shoulder tiredly.

Ming Huashang hugged him and said, "Second brother, you will always be the moon in my heart. As long as you are here, the bright moon of the Tang Dynasty will be here. If you believe in fairness and justice, then evil will never prevail over good in this world, and light will eventually defeat darkness."

"I have never blamed you. I fell ill before because I blamed myself for being useless and unable to protect anyone. Zhaocai is gone, and I can't bring him back, but at least I want to protect you."

"There is still justice in this world. Let's find it together."

Ming Huazhang rested his forehead on Ming Huachang's shoulders. She had been seriously ill and was only wearing thin clothes. Ming Huachang could clearly feel how thin she was. However, such a thin shoulder was full of strength, like water, extremely yin and soft, but it could always gather again after being broken up.

Ming Huazhang's turbulent emotions gradually calmed down. He stretched out his hands and tightly hugged Ming Huachang's back, as if he had infinite strength again.

She is his soft spot that he wants to protect, and also his indestructible armor. With her around, he has the courage to face everything.

"good."