Catching Monsters

Chapter 649 Where is the evidence?
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun dared not be negligent in the slightest. If it were not something urgent, Xiao Jingzhi would not have sent someone to summon him to the palace in the middle of the night.

Jiang Yun quickly dressed and went outside. The carriage from the palace was already waiting outside the Jiang residence.

"Gentlemen, what has happened? Why has His Majesty summoned us in the middle of the night?" Jiang Yun asked in a deep voice, looking at the eunuchs who had come to fetch him, whose expressions were rather strange.

The eunuchs all looked rather grim, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what was wrong.

"Lord Jiang, we servants are not clear about this matter either. You should go into the palace first."

After boarding the carriage, the three eunuchs drove it at breakneck speed towards the palace.

And soon, Jiang Yun realized something was wrong. Normally, when Xiao Jingzhi summoned someone, he should go directly to the Imperial Study.

This time, however, the three eunuchs quickly led him toward Feng Yu's residence.

Feng Yu's residence was a small house located in the front courtyard outside the palace, among a row of houses where the eunuchs lived.

The three eunuchs who had brought Jiang Yun led him to the door and then stopped.

Jiang Yun pushed open the door and entered. He soon saw Xiao Jingzhi, Jiang Xing, and Master Lingxin inside.

At the same time, Jiang Yun's gaze naturally drifted down to the ground.

A corpse was lying there.

"Eunuch Feng."

Jiang Yun's pupils dilated slightly as she stared at the scene before her in disbelief. She knew Feng Yu had only recently left her home; how could he suddenly…?

Jiang Yun quickly stepped forward and grasped Feng Yu's pulse, but there was no pulse at all.

"No need to check anymore. When I found Eunuch Feng, he already had no pulse." Master Lingxin put his hands together and sighed softly.

Jiang Yun took a deep breath, his eyes turning colder, and looked at Master Lingxin, asking, "Master, who did this?"

“It’s still unclear at the moment.” Master Lingxin shook his head, then pointed to Feng Yu’s chest: “Eunuch Feng’s fatal wound was in his chest; he died from a knife wound.”

Jiang Yun's face was extremely ugly. She knew that from the moment she met Feng Yu until now, she had received many favors and care from Feng Yu.

In a way, Feng Yu had done him a great favor.

“Brother Jiang, alas.” Xiao Jingzhi sighed, also not expecting this to happen. He slowly said, “I summoned you here today so that you would find the murderer who killed Eunuch Feng.”

It should be noted that Feng Yu was a powerful expert at the second rank, yet he was killed right under the nose of the imperial city.

For Xiao Jingzhi, Feng Yu's death was not a big deal.

After all, Feng Yu was the late emperor's personal eunuch, and could not be considered Xiao Jingzhi's confidant.

However, anyone who dares to attack Feng Yu near the imperial city would be committing a grave offense.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do it even if you don't give the order." Jiang Yun squatted beside Feng Yu's body, looking at the scene before him in a daze, clenching his fists, and his eyes became heavy.

Seeing this, Xiao Jingzhi slowly said, "After examining Eunuch Feng's body, let him be buried with honors. Considering that Eunuch Feng has followed His Majesty the late Emperor for so many years, he is granted special permission to be buried in the imperial mausoleum. His tomb will be located near the late Emperor's mausoleum, so that he can continue to serve the late Emperor even in the afterlife."

Inside the room, Jiang Xing's eyes flickered with emotion. It wasn't unprecedented for eunuchs to be buried in the imperial mausoleum, but it was extremely rare.

This was the greatest honor for a eunuch.

"I am tired. Strengthen the defenses of the capital city in the coming days."

After saying that, Xiao Jingzhi turned and left, and Jiang Xing quickly followed.

After seeing Xiao Jingzhi off, Jiang Yun immediately began to examine Feng Yu's injuries. It was clear that Feng Yu had fought with someone before he died.

Master Lingxin, who was standing nearby, said, "I rushed over as soon as I heard the commotion, but I was too late. It seems that Eunuch Feng did not last long in the hands of the murderer."

"In other words, the person who killed him must have been a first-grade expert."

"However, there are only so many first-grade experts in the capital, excluding the experts from the Tongyou Guard."

"Only Buddhist temples remain, along with Confucian masters."

"But most of the great Confucian scholars were indifferent to fame and fortune."

“Those eminent Buddhist monks would never easily take someone’s life…”

Knife wound.

Jiang Yun's face darkened, and he suddenly thought of a master knife user.

Dan Tiangang.

Was it Shan Tiangang who killed Eunuch Feng?
What's the motive?
Jiang Yun held Feng Yu's slightly cold hand, his face grim.

At this time, Xiao Jingzhi returned to his palace with Jiang Xing. Jiang Xing served him personally, bringing hot water for Xiao Jingzhi to soak his feet.

As Jiang Xing massaged Xiao Jingzhi's feet, he sighed and said, "The death of Eunuch Feng is quite a loss for His Majesty."

"Eunuch Feng is experienced and steady, making him the most suitable candidate to lead the Tongyou Guard for His Majesty. Alas, what a pity."

“Yes.” Xiao Jingzhi also took a deep breath and couldn’t help but sigh, “Now, I have to reconsider who should take charge of the Tongyou Guard.”

"Jiang Xing, what do you think of Jiang Yun?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xing respectfully replied, "Lord Jiang is indeed a very suitable candidate. He is loyal enough to His Majesty, has sufficient strength, and most importantly, is intelligent and resourceful."

"but."

"Lord Jiang is now in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and is already very busy. Everyone in the Embroidered Uniform Guard is his confidant."

"If he were to take charge of the Tongyou Guard again, I fear he would lack the energy. Moreover... His Majesty needs more talented people at his disposal. He cannot leave all the work to Lord Jiang alone."

Although Jiang Xing spoke kindly, he was subtly reminding Xiao Jingzhi that Jiang Yun already wielded enough power, and that allowing Jiang Yun to further control the Tongyou Guard would not conform to the royal family's principles of personnel management.

Xiao Jingzhi understood this principle, of course. He asked, "Should we bring Eunuch Qin back to continue in charge of the Tongyou Guard?"

Jiang Xing's eyes darted around, and he said, "Ever since the late Emperor passed away, Eunuch Qin has been guarding the imperial mausoleum and focusing on cultivation. This servant visited him twice on behalf of His Majesty." "He is currently only engrossed in cultivation and probably has no interest in this matter."

Xiao Jingzhi sighed and slowly lamented, "In my vast Zhou Kingdom, is it possible that I cannot even find a person in charge of the Tongyou Guard?"

"Where is Li Wangxin? He..."

Jiang Xing slowly said, "Your Majesty, I do have someone in mind. What do you think of Mr. Ye Xiuyuan?"

“Mr. Ye?” Xiao Jingzhi was taken aback. He had never considered Ye Xiuyuan before, because Ye Xiuyuan did not have any magical cultivation.

How can one gain the respect and obedience of the experts under the command of the Tongyou Guard?
Xiao Jingzhi frowned, his expression displeased, and asked, "Did Mr. Ye ask you to bring this up? Or..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xing's expression changed slightly. He hurriedly knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this servant has spoken out of turn."

"This servant only thought that Mr. Ye is knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, and is also an extremely intelligent person. He should be able to handle the Tongyou Guard matter well."

"I have absolutely no other selfish motives."

Xiao Jingzhi lay down and said, "Alright, we'll discuss this later."

……

Late at night, Qi Da led over a hundred Imperial Guards, acting on Jiang Yun's orders, to the site of Feng Yu's death. They carefully examined the scene, hoping to find some clues about the murderer.

Jiang Yun, with a cold expression, accompanied by Master Lingxin and leading over a hundred Imperial Guards, quickly arrived outside the outer city, outside Ye Xiuyuan's courtyard.

He took a deep breath before stepping forward and knocking on the door.

Not long after, the door was opened, and it was Fang Zhihong who opened it.

"Jiang Yun." Fang Zhihong's face darkened upon seeing Jiang Yun, and he coldly snorted, "Why are you here?"

"Where is Shan Tiangang?" Jiang Yun asked in a deep voice.

Fang Zhihong subconsciously glanced at Master Lingxin next to Jiang Yun.

Then, Jiang Yun pushed him aside and strode into the courtyard.

"The others are staying."

After Jiang Yun and Master Lingxin entered the courtyard, Ye Xiuyuan, who was inside the house, soon came out carrying a scroll.

"Lord Jiang, it's been a long time. Why are you in such a bad mood?" Ye Xiuyuan said with a smile, then said to Fang Zhihong, "Make tea and welcome our guest."

Jiang Yun took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his anger.

After inviting the two to sit down in the pavilion, Ye Xiuyuan personally brewed tea for them.

"Shan Tiangang is not here today. If Lord Jiang has anything to say, just tell me," Ye Xiuyuan said with a smile.

Jiang Yun asked in a deep voice, "Eunuch Feng died today."

"Oh, really? That's a pity." Ye Xiuyuan's expression remained completely calm.

Jiang Yun stared intently into his eyes and said in a deep voice, "You and Eunuch Feng are old acquaintances. This courtyard was arranged by Eunuch Feng."

"The furniture and furnishings were all arranged by Eunuch Feng."

"Now that you've heard the news of his death, you seem quite calm. Did you know about it beforehand?"

It's worth noting that Feng Yu and Ye Xiuyuan had quite a bit of contact in the capital. Even if they weren't friends, they were still acquaintances.

Upon learning of the death of an acquaintance, Ye Xiuyuan's eyes showed no surprise.

He didn't even ask himself how Feng Yu died.

"Everyone dies eventually." After brewing the tea, Ye Xiuyuan said slowly, "If I'm not mistaken, this master should be the renowned Master Lingxin."

“Master Lingxin is a Buddhist, and should know that, according to Buddhist teachings, the cycle of birth and death is liberation.”

“A man like Eunuch Feng has suffered since childhood. Now that he has been freed from this life and will be reborn in the Pure Land, it should be considered a joyous occasion.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun's expression darkened. Before coming here, he had only suspected that Shan Tiangang was behind it.

Seeing Ye Xiuyuan's attitude made him believe this guess even more.

The main reason is that there aren't many people in the capital who could kill Feng Yu in such a way; there are only a handful.

However, the vast majority of people would not easily take action against Feng Yu.

Seeing the anger in Jiang Yun's eyes, Ye Xiuyuan calmly said, "Jiang Yun, I don't want any conflict with you. You are a person of good fortune, and those who clash with you will most likely not have a good ending."

"But that doesn't include me."

He poured Jiang Yun a cup of tea and placed it in front of her, saying, "Drink this tea, and we'll be friends."

"As for Feng Yu, his fate is sealed, and he is destined to die today."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun knocked the cup of tea to the ground, then reached for Ye Xiuyuan's collar: "Come back to the Imperial Prison with me, and let's see if you'll confess!"

Just as he raised his hand, a large sword suddenly fell from the sky. Jiang Yun hurriedly withdrew his hand, and with a bang, the tea table in the pavilion was cleaved in two by the sword.

Dan Tiangang also descended from the sky, landing in front of Ye Xiuyuan. He stared coldly at Jiang Yun and said, "Jiang Yun, do not be rude to Mr. Ye."

"Don't think you're safe just because you brought this old monk along. Do you really think I can't kill you?"

Master Lingxin glanced at the broadsword in Shan Tiangang's hand, clasped his hands together, and slowly said, "Amitabha, Benefactor Shan's demonic nature remains unchanged, and he has even caused Eunuch Feng's death..."

"Bald monk, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Who said I killed Feng Yu?" Shan Tiangang sneered and slowly said, "What? Just because I'm a member of the demonic path, you can frame me so easily?"

"Where's the evidence?"

(End of this chapter)