Xiangyi Prefecture, Linyao City Hall Posthouse.
Officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Inspectorate, and the Dali Temple who came from the capital all lived here. On the order of Emperor Yongping, they came to Xiangyi Prefecture to thoroughly investigate the disappearance of Xu Yuanzun.
That's right, missing.
Xu Yuanzun completely disappeared from the world. No one was found alive, and no body was found after he died. He was not missing!
After returning without success day after day, the officials of the three offices finally became impatient, especially since they had to endure all kinds of rumors from the young master of Xu Mansion every day.
"Gong Dai, I still think that we should go to Anshun County to check on those eighteen horse thieves!"
The one who came to Dali Temple this time was Liu Zhongda, the chief minister of Dali Temple, who was known as the God of Judgment in Dali Temple.
However, this time the three yamen gathered to investigate the case, and the leader was Dai Duo, the left minister of the Ministry of Punishment.
What Liu Zhongda wants to do must be approved by Dai Duo.
"No hurry, no hurry!"
Faced with Liu Zhongda's requests in recent days, Dai Duo, an old man, has always had this attitude.
The head of the Inspectorate is Chen Zheng, the imperial censor, who is known as a good old man in the Inspectorate. But if anyone underestimates Chen Yushi because of this, then he will be in trouble.
Chen Zheng, who had been serving as censor of the Procuratorate for twelve years, had only submitted eight impeachment papers, and these eight impeachment papers were all based on solid evidence and the final word.
Because of Chen Zheng's impeachment, Emperor Yongping beheaded thirteen officials and deprived two nobles of their titles.
Therefore, this Yushi Chen is the kind of person who does not take action easily but will cause big troubles when he does.
This time the three yamen cooperated to investigate the case, and Chen Zheng's arrival was specially named by Mrs. Xu Mansion. Apparently he thinks that only this person can tell the truth.
Liu Zhongda admired Chen Zheng very much, but besides admiring him, he also wanted to challenge Chen Zheng's reputation.
This is why he repeatedly suggested going to Anshun County to investigate.
In his opinion, as long as the identity of the so-called horse thief in Anshun County is confirmed, the matter will have a breakthrough.
"Mr. Dai, we can't find anything in Fucheng, so what's the use of staying here?"
Liu Zhongda looked at Dai Duo, really anxious.
Dai Duo laughed and said, "Zhongda, I can't eat hot tofu in a hurry."
"Nowadays, Xiangyi Prefecture is facing a long drought. Both the people and local officials are busy rushing to plant seeds. Do you think it makes sense for us to go to Anshun County at this time?"
"Being an official means not only cultivating the sacred heart, but also understanding the sentiments of the people."
"The people are the most valuable, the country is the second most important, and the king is the most important!"
"You, don't sacrifice the good for the weak!"
Dai Duo didn't know that he wouldn't gain anything in Fucheng, but going to Anshun County now was just disturbing the people.
In his opinion, there is actually no need to investigate this case.
The Xu Mansion dispatched private troops, saying it was to clean up the family, but in fact they were trampling on the court's laws.
That Xiaoyi Lang Xu Huaiyi was a person canonized by the Holy Emperor.
We have already broken away from the Xu Mansion, so why should the Xu Mansion clean up the family
Nowadays, when someone comes out to do dirty things and something goes wrong, they think of the imperial court and the laws of the Tang Dynasty. It's a joke.
Liu Zhongda was criticized and educated by Dai Duo. He looked educated on his face, but he didn't care in his heart.
But Chen Zheng stood up after hearing these words, bowed respectfully to Dai Duo, and said: "Listening to Dai Gong's words is worth ten years of reading. Chen Zheng thanks Dai Gong for his teaching!"
"Ling Zheng, please stop teasing me!"
Dai Duo laughed, "Do you still need me to teach you these principles? You have been doing this all these years!"
"Duke Dai praised me!"
"What I did before I was promoted to official position was just an injustice on the road."
"Now that this has happened, I have to send a letter to the Holy One to do something practical for my official position."
When Chen Zheng said this, Dai Duo became happy and said: "You can teach me!"
Liu Zhongda, on the other hand, looked at Chen Zheng in surprise, as if he couldn't understand why Chen Zheng did this. He had already experienced the hardship of being an official, and he had had enough and didn't want to experience it again.
"Mr. Dai, please go back first!"
Chen Zheng smiled and said goodbye to Dai Duo immediately.
"go Go!"
Dai Duo waved his hand casually.
When Chen Zheng left, Liu Zhongda also resigned.
However, Liu Zhongda did not go back to his room in the post house. Instead, he left the hospital and went straight to a courtyard not far away. Here lived the leader sent by Xu Mansion to Xiangyi Mansion to investigate the case. .
He is still the son of Duke An Tai.
Well, he’s still a bastard!
Xu Yuanzi!
As Xu Yuanzun's third brother, his biological mother was just an ordinary maid in the Xu Mansion, so his presence in the Xu Mansion was very low.
This time, Xu Yuanzi was sent to Xiangyi Mansion by Antai Gong Xu Huairen, which Xu Yuanzi never dreamed of.
The person who had been eating and waiting for death suddenly realized that he seemed to be able to do something. Xu Yuanzi felt extremely excited.
However, when he arrived at Xiangyi Mansion, he found that things were completely different from what he had imagined.
Shen Wansheng, the prefect of Xiangyi Prefecture, met him and didn't take him seriously at all.
As for the court officials who were traveling with him, they all ignored him.
He was the son of the Duke, and to be so disliked made Xu Yuanzi feel extremely humiliated, but he still had to endure it.
Then, when Xu Yuanzi found out that there was no progress in the case, he started to complain.
Although he did not dare to say anything in front of Dai Duo and others, the words he said behind his back were loud enough and reached the ears of Dai Duo and others.
…
Liu Zhongda couldn't persuade Dai Duo to go to Anshun County, so he had to find another way.
And this other method is Xu Yuanzi.
Liu Zhongda, who is eager to solve the case and make meritorious deeds, and Xu Yuanzi, who is eager to express himself, are very similar. They only met once and reached a consensus.
Then, Xu Yuanzi led his people, together with Liu Zhongda, out of Linyao City and headed straight for Anshun County.
Not long after Liu Zhongda met Xu Yuanzi and left the city, the news reached Shen Wansheng's ears. Shen Wansheng waved his hand and didn't take the matter seriously.
Liu Zhongda may have some abilities, but he is too eager for quick success. If he hangs out with useless snacks like Xu Yuanzi, he will have to end his fun sooner or later.
…
Dai Duo in the posthouse also had the same judgment.
After learning that Liu Zhongda had instigated Xu Yuanzi to go to Anshun County, the old minister just waved his hand and told the people below to calm down and let them do what they wanted.
However, what no one expected was that within half an hour of Liu Zhongda and Xu Yuanzi leaving the city, Liu Zhongda fled back to Linyao City in great embarrassment.
Xu Yuanzi is dead!
The Xu Mansion guards who came with Xu Yuanzi were also dead!
"Walk!"
After receiving the news, Dai Duo immediately joined Shen Wansheng and led a large group of people out of the city.
On a seven-mile slope outside the city, on the official road outside a dense forest, corpses were lying everywhere.
The ownerless horse stood there and neighed.
Xu Yuanzi was shot through the throat with an arrow.
The guards of the Xu Mansion were also killed by arrows, and all of them only received one arrow.
"Report it!"
After inspecting the arrows and wounds on everyone present, Dai Duo's face looked ugly.
Shoot!
Another shooting!
The first three servants of the Xu Mansion who had an incident in Anshun County were all shot dead.
Now, Xu Yuanzi and his guards were also shot.
"Mr. Dai, there is only one murderer!"
After Chen Zheng found the location where the murderer was standing at that time, he made some careful observations and finally came to this conclusion.
One person and a bow shot and killed more than a dozen of Xu Mansion's highly skilled guards, but none of these guards escaped. It seemed that these people didn't even have a chance to dodge.
"But, this is impossible!"
"How can a person shoot arrows so fast?"
Chen Zheng was somewhat doubtful about life.
Just now, he carefully counted, including Xu Yuanzi, there were thirteen people in total.
What kind of marksman does it take to kill thirteen people in such a short period of time with just one bow!
Anyway, Chen Zheng couldn't figure it out.
"Are you sure it's just one person?"
Dai Duo pondered for a moment and looked up at Chen Zheng.
Chen Zheng nodded and said, "I really only saw the mark left by one person."
“Go look again, especially in the trees!”
"Also, where is Liu Zhongda?"
One man, one bow, and in just a few seconds, he could kill twelve guards of the Xu Mansion without missing a beat. This method is unbelievable, like a ghost, a god, a fairy, or a demon.
"Dai Gong, my subordinate is here!"
Liu Zhongda walked out from behind. Compared with the high-spirited person not long ago, he was now as wilted as an eggplant beaten by frost.
"Tell me, what was the situation at that time?"
"Go back to Duke Dai!"
Liu Zhongda was in a daze, as if he was recalling the previous scene, but also seemed to be afraid.
"At that time, Xianguan and Master Yuanzi were walking side by side. Suddenly an arrow flew towards him, and Master Yuanzi fell from his horse immediately."
"The next moment, arrows are coming like rain."
"When the official came to his senses, there was no one left alive!"
"Xiaguan doesn't know why the other party spared Xiaguan. Xiaguan really doesn't know anything!"
Liu Zhongda really regrets it now.
He hated himself for why he was eager for quick success and why he went to Xu Yuanzi. If he had not gone to Xu Yuanzi, then none of this might have happened.
Xu Yuanzi is dead, the guards are all dead, but he is alive.
How to explain this
Even if he is proven innocent, will the Antai Guild spare him
"Dai Gong, I will be lowered to the rank of official..."
"You go down first!"
Dai Duo looked at Liu Zhongda and waved gently.
"Dai Gong, Dai Gong is a divine person!"
When Liu Zhongda retreated sadly, Chen Zheng turned back and said, "Xiaguan listened to Dai Gong's words and went to look at the tree. There were slight trampling marks on the tree."
"According to my preliminary judgment, there are six perpetrators in total!"
"They are all sharpshooters!"
Chen Zheng glanced at Dai Duo meaningfully, but this sentence had too much meaning.
A marksman is not unusual.
However, it is too strange for six sharpshooters to come together.
In the Tang Dynasty, not just anyone could gather such a number of sharpshooters.
"Lingzheng, be careful what you say!"
Dai Duo glanced at Chen Zheng and said, "As ministers, we just have to do our duty." (End of Chapter)