Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 173 The prince who doesn't want to be a famous detective is not a good governor

After listing in great detail "a part" of the forces that had motives to be "unfavorable" to him, he suddenly realized that "there are always evil people who want to harm me".

Li Ming decided to change his approach.

We cannot use the motive of the crime as a breakthrough point to screen out possible suspects in this assassination.

Because the breach is so big, it is almost wider than a river that has burst its banks.

Based on this idea, it would be a bit too extreme to ask the Anti-Counterrevolutionary Committee to invite everyone to have tea one by one.

The motive for the crime cannot be traced, the perpetrators are unclear, and the method of committing the crime is simple and unpretentious.

So what other areas can we break through?

"The time and place of the crime..."

It is easy to understand why they took action outside the palace.

Because Li Ming himself was also thinking of a crooked way to kill a talented person named Wu in the palace without anyone knowing, but he couldn't find any opportunity.

But he went outside every other day, giving the killer plenty of opportunities.

"But why did you do it today, on my way to the West Market Pharmacy?"

Because there were so many opportunities to take action, the time and place chosen by the killer had a slightly different meaning.

Perhaps it can be a real breakthrough in grasping the truth.

Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that the other party has only made up their mind and made preparations today.

But if you are skeptical, one question stands out:

"Why wait until now?"

It has been about a month since I returned to Chang'an, so I have plenty of opportunities to kill him.

No matter whether it was when he had just returned from Liaodong and had not yet established a firm foothold, or when Li Shimin had just set up the stage for the competition for the throne and his own power in Chang'an had not yet been cultivated.

These are all good opportunities to get rid of him quietly.

Why wait until today when he has gained power and the eyes of the emperor and all the officials in the court are on him?
Don't you think this is too conspicuous?
Is it really because the mastermind behind the scenes was not ready to take action until today?

"But the other party is not prepared either."

In retrospect, the preparations for this assassination could be described as very crude.

There were only two people dispatched, and no advanced tactics such as "flanking" were used.

It is the simplest "shooting from behind". If you hit the target, great news. If you miss, there is no remedy.

As a result, Li Ming escaped smoothly.

This is enough to prove that the mastermind acted in haste.

However, this does not mean that the mastermind had no thoughts about himself before and it was a crime of passion.

Because the murder weapon was poisoned.

However, this kind of poison that kills instantly upon contact is not easy to obtain in Chang'an.

“That is to say, the mastermind behind this had already planned something against me, and even prepared the poison.

"It's just that something happened when the other party was planning, causing him to act in advance..."

This would explain why the assassin was prepared but not completely ready.

Following this line of thought, the next question is about to come out:
"What caused the other party to act so hastily? Did something happen to him, or did I do something unintentionally that affected his decision?"

If it's the former, then there's no solution.

if the latter one……

"What have I done lately?"

It is true that Li Ming has been expanding his influence, but this is a gradual process.

There is no obvious time node.

Today is no more special than any other day.

It can even be said that compared to his reckless eating at the beginning, Li Ming's eating manners these past two days have been relatively elegant, and he has not obviously been provoking his three brothers.

"Then why did the other party choose to take action today even though they were taking the risk of not being fully prepared?"

Li Ming couldn't figure it out, so he could only put the issue aside for the time being.

The last remaining breakthrough point is the location of the action.

"Is there any hidden meaning behind killing me in Xishi? Or is it simply because there are so many people in Xishi and it's easy for them to take action?

"But I went to the West Market early in the morning, and there weren't many people there...

"and many more!"

Using location as the entry point, Li Ming finally found the highlight.

"I'm so stupid. My mind was full of palace fighting. How come I didn't even see such an obvious flaw?!"

He slapped his forehead in annoyance.

Schedule, the problem lies with his schedule today!
How did the other party know that Li Ming would definitely leave the palace today and go to West Market?
Not to mention how big Chang'an is.

Just considering the vast area of ​​West Market with its intricate streets and vendors, it is impossible for an assassin to cast a wide net and try his luck.

What's more, he went there at the opening time today, and the vendors were still late.

This is not a normal time to go shopping.
However, he was still blocked by assassins in Xishi.

What does this mean?
This means that the other party knew his schedule for today in advance.

What is his schedule today?
"I'm meeting Sun Simiao... I'm investigating the Jiucheng Palace incident!"

This thought made Li Ming shudder.

If this guess is correct...

That means the mastermind of the assassination was not trying to stop Li Ming from competing for the throne?
Instead, they are trying to stop him from investigating the mastermind behind the Jiucheng Palace incident? !
Or is this just a coincidence?
“No, it’s not a coincidence…

"This is not the first time that the other party has prevented me from meeting Sun Simiao."

Li Ming fell into deep memories.

The last time he wanted to meet Sun Simiao was half a year ago.

At that time, he was preparing to set off for Liaodong, but in order to wait for Dr. Sun who was returning from collecting herbs, he deliberately delayed his departure for a few days.

As a result, Sun Simiao did not wait for the arrival of the emperor, but instead received urgent news about internal and external troubles in Pingzhou.

As a last resort, he had to temporarily put the meeting plan on hold and go to Liaodong first.

But when they arrived in Pingzhou, they found that it was a false alarm and the internal and external troubles had been settled.

Looking back now, it seems like an attempt to lure the tiger away from his mountain lair.

In other words, whenever he wanted to meet Sun Simiao and find out the truth about the Jiucheng Palace incident, there was a force stopping him.

That power may not necessarily want to kill him, but once his behavior is out of control, it will raise the butcher knife without hesitation!

That is to say...

"The person who assassinated me, the person who caused internal and external troubles in Pingzhou, and the person who actually planned the Jiucheng Palace Incident...

"The mastermind behind these three incidents is the same person, or at least the same force!"

Li Ming's breathing suddenly became rapid.

I was wrong. It seemed that I had really wronged my three brothers.

The main reason why he got caught was not the fight for the throne, but Jiucheng Palace?!
Who is the mastermind behind this?
How could he have such great power that he could even arrange for Goguryeo to launch a drama of both verbal and military attacks on the border half a year ago?

Just to lure Li Ming to Liaodong early and make him miss the opportunity to meet Sun Simiao?
What a big deal!

"This black hand is not ordinary. The power is so huge, but it has not yet revealed its true form..."

If investigated directly, it would undoubtedly be very difficult and dangerous.

Li Junxian is doing this job.

Li Ming doesn't think he is more powerful than his "adopted sons".

But if you look at it from another angle, the doubts in this case are as obvious as fleas on a bald head:

"How did the mastermind of the assassination know that I would visit Sun Simiao early this morning?!
"Who leaked my schedule to him?"

Li Ming's expression suddenly twisted.

There is a traitor beside him!

Although he is not the kind of person who comes and goes without a trace, he has not made himself like a nationally protected animal.

But he doesn't have the habit of making big statements.

Very few people knew that he was going to meet Sun Simiao today.

And they are all people he is close to and trusts.

"Huh..." Li Ming let out a long breath and smiled bitterly at himself:
"I really don't want to doubt the people around me..."

But this is probably just wishful thinking.

If the mastermind cannot be caught, catch the traitor first.

Again, he wants to keep an "open mind" and take all possibilities into consideration.

The decision to meet Sun Simiao was made only yesterday. It has only been a day, so he is not so forgetful that he would miss any step.

"First, we should investigate the source of the news. Lai Junchen...

"Because I promoted him to a deputy position and cut off his path to making money, he is angry with me?"

"Well... the possibility is very slim."

This was not the first or second time that he had criticized Lai Junchen for his corruption. This time, he criticized Lai Junchen's corruption very highly and let it go lightly so as not to cause Xiao Lai to become psychologically unbalanced.

From a rational analysis, without Li Ming, everything Lai Junchen had, including the spy network he had worked so hard to organize, would have no need to exist and would collapse in an instant.

Even if Xiao Lai was blinded by hatred for a moment and really wanted to kill Li Ming.

It is also impossible to provide Li Ming with information about Sun Simiao and then kill him on his way to meet Sun Simiao.

Are you afraid that others don’t know?
Even if we take a step back and give Lai Junchen some intelligence.

He also doesn't have the time or ability to get the deadly poison.

"Well, my Purge Committee should still be trustworthy."

Li Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

As for Yuchi Xunyu, who accompanied him throughout the whole process and saved his life, he was cleared of suspicion at the first opportunity.

Very good, there is no problem with his fourteen parties, and we are all still brothers.

"So……"

Li Ming's mood just became cheerful, but immediately fell to the bottom again.

Apart from the intelligence personnel from the north and south factories, no one would have known that he would go to meet Sun Simiao today.

Only those in Lide Hall are left.

"Li De Hall... This doesn't seem to be the first time...

"Half a year ago, I think I accidentally leaked my plan to meet Sun Simiao while having dinner in Lide Hall. Then the news of the incident in Pingzhou came in, disrupting my plan..."

Li Ming couldn't remember the details of what happened half a year ago.

But the scene of yesterday's dinner is still vivid in my mind.

He excitedly told his mother that he was going to see Dr. Sun today.

His mother smiled at him tenderly.

The other concubines left by Li Yuanji, that is, Li Ming's concubines, were also at a table, listening to his chattering with a smile on their faces.

The old eunuchs who came to Lide Hall to help from time to time would intersperse among them, serving dishes and helping out for the women in the hall.

Then, the Fifth Aunt, also known as Wu Meiniang, came to visit.

"Is it Wu Meiniang?" A fire ignited in Li Ming's eyes, and then quickly went out.

It's impossible. When Wu Meiniang came, Sun Simiao had already passed this topic.

This assassination has nothing to do with her, although Li Ming's plan to kill her remains unchanged.

This means all the other people in Lide Hall and his relatives who live with him day and night.

All are suspects.

"First eliminate A Niang."

This isn't some fantasy novel where a bad guy takes away a loved one's body. Yang would never do such a stupid thing without any motive.

"Is it that old eunuch, or those concubines left by my mother's original wife..."

Li Ming was thinking with a heavy heart.

The palms and backs of his hands are all made of flesh and blood. They are the uncles and aunts who watched him grow up and teased him since he was a child.

Even if there is no blood relationship, they are no different from family members.

They would betray me one day...

Li Ming found it unbelievable.

"Except for one person...

"Auntie Wang."

Aunt Wang was born in the Wang family of Taiyuan. She was Li Yuanji's favorite concubine and was always jealous of his mother Yang.

This fight lasted for nearly twenty years, even when the two of them lived in Lide Hall and Yang was promoted to Defei, but they were still fighting.

Because of this, Li Ming and this mean aunt did not have a good relationship.

"If it was her...she would have a motive to betray me, because it would make my mother look bad.

"As for what consequences this will cause, it is beyond the scope of her little brain that has lived in seclusion for a long time to think about."

When his eyes shifted to Wang, Li Ming recalled another detail -

When he talked about this with his family last night, he did not mention "Sun Simiao".

He always called him "Dr. Sun".

Therefore, the Yang family and others also referred to him as "Divine Doctor Sun".

The only one was Aunt Wang, who kept talking about "Sun Simiao".

It even accurately summarizes Sun Simiao's characteristics:
Little old man.

Li Ming had never seen her before. She was a woman who had lived in the harem for a long time...

"We can't be arbitrary. I heard that many of the imperial doctors in the Shang Pharmacy were students of Sun Simiao. It's not surprising that Wang had connections with him..."

Li Ming was conducting an intense brainstorming session.

How can we tell whether there is something wrong with Wang?
Lide Hall is Li Ming's home.

There was a traitor in the family, which made him feel like a thorn in his throat.

Be sure to remove it as soon as possible.

And wasn’t the mysterious mastermind behind the Jiucheng Palace Incident also a thorn in the throat of the Tang Dynasty?

The key figure in this series of events is...

"Oops!"

Li Ming suddenly realized his blind spot in thinking.

The person who is really in danger is Sun Simiao!

Now that the mastermind has already fallen out with him, he is willing to kill even the prince.

So how difficult is it to silence an old doctor?
Since the mastermind knew about it, Li Ming went to Xishi to meet Lao Sun early this morning.

Then wouldn’t Sun Simiao’s own itinerary be indirectly exposed?

"Damn, the opponent's back-up plan is here!"

Li Ming rushed out of the study.

…………

Changsun Wuji was blinded by the parent-child relationship between a certain governor and His Majesty, and came to the door of Lizheng Hall with a gloomy face.

It just so happened that Li Shimin was being provoked by the governor to sow discord between him and his legitimate sons, and he came out with a gloomy face.

"Uh, greetings, Your Majesty." Changsun Wuji saluted hurriedly.

Li Shimin glared at him:
"Humph! If you dare to harm my descendants, I will never forgive you!"

After saying this, he rode away angrily, leaving Changsun Wuji alone and disheveled in the wind.

No, Your Majesty, I have already changed jobs to work at the Prince of Jin's Mansion, why do you think I am being blamed again...

He was speechless.

Fortunately, His Majesty still allowed him to enter the Lizheng Hall.

Following the eunuch along the fixed route to the room of Prince Jin Li Zhi, I happened to meet a very well-proportioned little girl who had just come out of Li Zhi's room.

"Mingda pays his respects to his uncle." A-zi Li Mingda greeted Changsun Wuji politely, his beautiful big eyes covered with a thick haze.

Zhang Sun Wuji asked with some distress:

"Your Highness, is there something on your mind?"

"Oh, Pheasant... My brother Li Zhi is sick with a fever and has no appetite. I am very worried." Li Mingda sighed.

Chang Sun Wuji stroked the pigtails of his obedient niece and said to comfort the sister who had been kept in the dark:
"Don't worry, your brother just has a minor ailment, it's nothing serious."

"I'll ask for your good wishes, uncle." Li Mingda left with a heavy heart.

Changsun Wuji came to Li Zhi's bedroom door and knocked gently.

Li Zhi was sitting on the bed, just about to take out the book hidden under the quilt to read.

When he heard the knock on the door, he was shocked, stuffed the book back, lay back on the pillow, and said weakly:

"come in."

When he saw that it was his eldest grandson uncle, his spirits suddenly brightened up, he sat up, and said with a look of half excitement and half worry:

"Uncle, although your strategy is indeed useful, after your slightly exaggerated interpretation of the symptoms, my father has indeed shown a lot more care for me in the past few days.

"But I always feel uneasy. I wonder if I am deceiving my father by doing this."

He perfectly portrayed the look of an honest man who did something bad for the first time.

Facing the "honest" Li Zhi, Zhangsun Wuji could only comfort him with kind words:

“Your Highness did not lie, your illness is real.

"It's just that you were so patient in the past because you were afraid that Your Majesty would worry, but now you are no longer patient and have revealed the painful side of your illness to Your Majesty."

It makes pretending to be sick sound fresh and refined.

After this explanation, Li Zhi felt much better, but his brows, which had just relaxed, immediately frowned again:

"Uncle is worried?"

Your Majesty's children are indeed extraordinary, and each of them can read people's expressions...

Zhang Sun Wuji sighed in his heart and told the truth:

"I'm afraid... Your Highness still needs to pull himself together, get off his sickbed, and do something that will convince the world as soon as possible.

"Rather than just relying on winning your Majesty's fatherly love.

“Perhaps, this is the key to further progress.”

He tactfully told his nephew to stop pretending to be sick and to get up and work.

It was you who told me to pretend to be sick, and it was also you who told me not to pretend. In the end, you said both the positive and negative things... Li Zhi keenly realized that there was a reason for Changsun Wuji's change of attitude.

"Uncle, what happened?"

"Ugh……"

Changsun Wuji then told Li Zhi about how Li Ming escaped danger but caused His Majesty to lose composure in a way that was recorded in history.

The general idea is, don't compete head-on with Li Ming for your father's love.

If you fail to win the fight, you will bring shame upon yourself.

Li Zhi's eyelids twitched when he heard this.

A feeling of sadness suddenly arose in my heart for no reason.

His filial piety towards his father was based on the example of the ancients and he strictly followed the requirements of filial piety.

When his father had a sore, he sucked the liquid with his mouth; when his father left the capital, he cried bitterly; when his father returned to the capital, he followed him in the carriage.

And his father's love for him also complies with the rules of etiquette and law.

When has he ever broken the rules?
Although Li Zhi was influenced by Confucianism since childhood, he disdained any behavior that broke the rules.

But deep down, didn't he ever wish his father would break the rules for him?
"I see."

Li Zhi got up in a gloomy mood and bowed deeply to his eldest grandson uncle:
"How can I achieve real results and make His Majesty and the world recognize my ability? I hope my uncle can teach me."

Changsun Wuji's nose felt sore.

If Crown Prince Li Chengqian had been as well-behaved and sensible as Prince of Jin Li Zhi, there wouldn't have been so many twists and turns, and he wouldn't have given Yang's son the opportunity to take advantage of him!
"Go to the Duke of Ying's mansion and discuss important matters with Li Shiji."

…………

“Dead…dead?”

West Market, Taikang Pharmacy.

The entrance of the medicine shop where Sun Simiao had originally planned to purchase some medicinal materials today was now crowded with people.

Li Ming sat in the arms of the imperial guards, riding on horseback, and squeezed through the crowd of onlookers.

Finally I could see clearly what everyone was watching.

It's a corpse.

The body of an octogenarian.

(End of this chapter)