No taboos

Chapter 499 Extraordinary Skill (8,000 words)
The quarters of Xu Bo and his three companions were located at the northernmost end of the camp, close to the canal and the military camp.

To see Her Highness the Princess, one must pass through the barracks of three hundred armored soldiers.

At this moment, Xu Bo and the other two were pale-faced and their eyes were unfocused... They were all shocked out of their wits by the news brought by Mr. Lan!
Xu Bo subconsciously reached for the teapot next to him, but his hand trembled and he couldn't press it down for a long time.

The four of them accompanied His Highness on his journey south from Beidu.

They were rivals and their relationship wasn't good. If Lu Qiuyan had only been murdered, they would have shed a few tears on the surface, but in their hearts they would have celebrated: Good riddance!
Why didn't you die sooner!

But now Luqiu Yan might have been... eaten.

It sent chills down their spines, and they couldn't help but imagine themselves in the situation...

Mr. Lan's face was solemn. Even when facing these three talented young men from Beidu, whose backgrounds were all extraordinary, he showed no mercy and regarded each of them as a suspect!
Boom!Boom!
Mr. Lan only gave them a little time before forcefully banging on the table: "Alright, I have questions for you regarding Luqiu Yan!"

Xu Bo finally placed his hand on the teapot, barely managing to lift it to pour tea. However, due to his trembling hand, the lid bounced and made a gurgling sound, and only half of the tea fell into the cup.

When was the last time you saw Luqiu Yan?

Xu Bo finally managed to drink the tea, and it felt as if a medicinal pill had been dissolved in it. He quickly calmed down and recalled, "About an hour ago, this row of barracks was completed, and General Shi led us here..."

General Shi was the leader of the three hundred armored soldiers, the captain.

It is called Stone Array.

Xu Bo paused briefly before continuing, "Everyone lost to Xu Yuan and lost face. Nobody wanted to talk, so they all went into their barracks and never came out again."

He pointed to the row of four barracks, and said to the westernmost one, "That's Luqiu Yan's barracks. His neighbor is Sun Shou. You can ask him if he heard anything."

Sun Shou was taken aback for a moment, then immediately realized what he meant and said with displeasure, "What do you mean by that?"

Xu Bo's words were clearly intended to deliberately focus suspicion on Sun Shou.

"You live next door to Luqiu Yan, and the two of you are always at odds. Luqiu Yan also bets that he likes to visit you the most—these are all facts!"

Mr. Lan raised his hand, interrupting Xu Bo: "No need for further words. Sun Shou, answer the question."

Sun Shou gritted his teeth: "This military camp is in chaos. I'm just a craftsman, and my senses aren't very sharp. How could I possibly hear any unusual noises coming from next door?"

Mr. Lan coldly replied, "You are also a pill cultivator. Pill cultivators have a very keen sense of smell. Can you detect any unfamiliar scents?"

Sun Shou was furious. "I'm not one of those mastiffs!"

But now he dared not offend Mr. Lan any more, and could only suppress his anger and shake his head: "No, a seventh-rate alchemist's nose is not that magical."

After a pause, he added, "But there are indeed some strange things."

About half an hour ago, General Shi sent someone to deliver food, but none of us had an appetite, so the three of us left it at the door.

But when the armored soldier delivering the food knocked on Luqiu Yan's door, there was no response, so the soldier simply left it at the door and left.

Mr. Lan nodded, which meant that Lu Qiuyan had likely "disappeared" half an hour earlier.

He then looked at Meng Zhi: "Is there anything you want to say?"

Meng Zhi shook his head, biting his lip and remaining silent.

Ever since he learned about this, his stomach has been churning, and he feels like he's about to vomit.

He ruined his image as a tough martial arts practitioner.

Mr. Lan then waved to the three of them: "Go back."

The three of them returned to their respective barracks.

Behind them were two armored soldiers who helped them close the doors and windows and then stood guard at the entrance.

Mr. Lan went into Luqiu Rock's barracks and examined it carefully.

There were no signs of a struggle.

There is no blood.

Lu Qiuyan brought a rattan trunk containing his change of clothes and some personal belongings.

The box was placed neatly at the foot of the bed.

Mr. Lan opened the box, and the contents did not appear to have been disturbed.

The doors and windows were intact, with no signs of forced entry. Mr. Lan shook his head.

He couldn't find any clues on his end.

He wasn't good at this kind of thing anyway.

"I wonder how the interrogation of the Lord is going..."

Mr. Cao was in charge of interrogating Xu Yuan and the people from the Exorcism Division.

However, neither Mr. Lan nor Mr. Cao believed that Xu Yuan was the murderer.

Xu Yuan had absolutely no criminal motive!

This case is truly unbelievable and perplexing!
The culprit behind it all, the one who truly wanted to harm Xu Yuan, was clearly Xu Yuan.

No one expected that Mr. Wenqi would suddenly have the idea to drag His Highness to Xu Yuan's place for a free meal.

However, Mr. Wenqi also said that there was no poison in this "meat-like" dish, nor was it laced with any Gu worms, curses, or other sorcery.

Even if you were to eat it, it would only make you feel disgusted.

It wouldn't really do anything to Xu Yuan—the mastermind behind the scenes killed a prominent family like Lu Qiu Yan, offending the Lu Qiu family to the death, just to annoy Xu Yuan?
Moreover, since this case occurred within the princess's camp, it was bound to come to light sooner or later.

With the princess's power, the entire Ming Dynasty will surely investigate this matter thoroughly.

It's almost impossible for the murderer to escape.

After much thought, Mr. Lan concluded that there was only one possibility: evil spirits!

Only a madman would commit such a simple act of evil.

But what kind of evil spirit would do evil in such a "subtle" way?

……

Mr. Cao ordered the entire camp to maintain a relaxed exterior but a tight interior.

He suspected that all of this might be related to the military camp next door.

So from the outside, everything in the camp looked normal. If the murderer was really in the military camp, we couldn't alert him.

However, inside, he ordered his armored soldiers to surround everyone in the Exorcism Division.

The princess's guests and advisors were also strictly forbidden from stepping out of their rooms.

Mr. Cao interrogated Liu Hu first.

"Why am I so unlucky!" Liu Hu shrank back, as if all his energy had been drained by evil spirits.

"I can live out the rest of my life comfortably as a county official. I'm already so old, why should I bother going out and making a living..."

"As expected, ambition leads to misfortune."

What kind of status does Princess Ruicheng have? Such a big incident happened in the princess's camp, wouldn't it cause a bloodbath?
Liu Hu felt that he was doomed to die this time.

He can't do anything, and he can't count on Lord Xu—Lord Xu is in dire straits himself right now.

Mr. Cao interrogated him repeatedly for half an hour.

They asked about every detail of the cooking process, but found nothing suspicious.

Mr. Cao frowned, lowered his head, and walked quickly to the princess's door.

He knocked gently on the door: "Your Highness?"

His Highness vomited several times and was in very poor condition, looking sickly.

"Come in," His Highness's voice called out, and Mr. Cao pushed open the door and entered.

"Did you get anything out of them?"

Mr. Cao shook his head: "Your subordinate is incompetent."

The princess waved her hand: "It's not your fault, this isn't what you're supposed to be doing."

Mr. Cao seized the opportunity to say, “Your Highness is right. I also think that we probably can’t solve this case on our own, but there is someone who is just right.”

"explain."

“Ma Tianshou,” Mr. Cao said, “His Highness previously sent someone to summon him to Champa to oversee the situation. He should arrive by tomorrow at the latest.”

Their exorcism department handles bizarre cases.

Like Mr. Lan, Mr. Cao also felt that it must be the work of evil spirits!

His Highness leaned weakly against the soft couch, propping his head up with his hand, and asked, "What about tonight? Ma Tianshou won't be here until tomorrow at the earliest. If evil spirits are causing trouble, I'm afraid they will take action tonight."

Mr. Cao's expression was stern, and he said decisively, "Restrain the 'Imperial Guard Garden' and protect only His Highness."

"I will gather all reliable men and have them stand guard outside. Tonight, our only task is to ensure Your Highness's safety."

Mr. Cao added, "With Mr. Wenqi in charge, Your Highness's safety should be assured."

"Yushouyuan" is that camping artifact similar to "fire curtain".

However, the standard must be higher than that of the fire curtain.

By concentrating the "Guardian Garden," the power that could originally cover the entire camp is concentrated in His Highness's barracks, making it extremely difficult for even third-rate evil spirits to break through.

Mr. Cao did this to abandon those "unreliable" people, such as the people of the Exorcism Division, and Xu Bo and the other two.

A hint of reluctance flashed in His Highness's eyes.

Although she didn't have a good impression of Xu Bo and the other two, they had known each other for a long time, and they had always tried their best to make her famous.

The Exorcism Division has over thirty members; with Xu Yuan's strength, protecting himself shouldn't be a problem, but what about the other captains...?

His Highness thought for a moment and then slowly said, "Actually, besides Ma Tianshou, there is another person who is also very good at investigating strange cases."

Mr. Cao frowned and advised, "Your Highness, the suspicion against him has not yet been cleared. Moreover, he is too deeply involved in this case..."

His Highness looked directly at Mr. Cao and asked, "Does the Master think it could be him?"

Mr. Cao did not answer, but stubbornly insisted: "It concerns His Highness's safety. We need evidence, not what I think."

His Highness shook his head: "Is the evidence necessarily reliable? What if it's forged?"
However, reason and logic cannot be faked.

Xu Yuan had no reason to do this. You and Mr. Lan both know he's innocent, and I believe he's innocent too.

Mr. Cao said anxiously, "Your Highness! You mustn't act rashly!"

His Highness, however, was very stubborn: "Bring Xu Yuan here. I will speak with him personally."

Mr. Cao shook his head: "Your Highness, even if this case were handed over to Xu Yuan, he might not be able to solve it. Why take the risk?"

"Go immediately!" His Highness's expression had become stern.

Mr. Cao stamped his foot, sighed deeply, and turned to leave.

Mr. Cao knew that he couldn't persuade him anymore. Even if he disobeyed, His Highness would personally go and release Xu Yuan.

Because what Your Highness cultivates is the "method of the mind".

The "Heart Method" is not widely circulated among the common people, and very few people know about it.

But this is one of the royal "laws".

The goal of cultivation is to achieve "doing whatever one pleases".

It's not about acting recklessly, but about following your own heart in everything.

In the Northern Capital, Your Highness always tries to outdo Miss Jinxi in everything, because she herself desires to compete.

His Highness believed Xu Yuan was innocent and did not want innocent people to die unjustly because of him, so he wanted Xu Yuan to solve this strange case.

Then she will definitely release Xu Yuan.

Your Highness's "Mindful Method" is of a very high level, already reaching the fifth rank!

These promotions were achieved by His Highness doing as he pleased, competing with Miss Jinxi, and advancing step by step.

Most of the so-called "prodigies" in the Northern Capital are no match for His Highness.

It's laughable that people like Xu Bo show off in front of His Highness every day, but their abilities are actually inferior to His Highness's...

Xu Yuan was also placed under separate guard in the barracks.

Since the incident, Xu Yuan has been repeatedly reflecting on the entire process.

Unfortunately, we have too few clues at the moment and haven't been able to figure things out.

The only slightly strange thing is that Liu Hu once said that the feel of the meat was different when he cut it.

Xu Yuan thought of another aspect: "This case will probably end up in the hands of the commander."

"The commander won't arrive until tomorrow. What a pity. Overnight, the mastermind behind the scenes has probably erased all traces."

The door suddenly opened, and Mr. Cao walked in.

Xu Yuan looked solemn; it was indeed time to "interrogate" him.

Xu Yuan was mentally prepared and did not feel humiliated.

After all, I am one of the people involved in the case.

"Come with me." Mr. Cao said this with a stern face and then turned to leave.

Xu Yuan was somewhat puzzled. Why not ask here? Could it be that His Highness also possesses a similar "lantern" craftsmanship?
If the craftsman's object is placed at the door, the people inside the house cannot lie.

Xu Yuan used this craftsman's tool to set up a special interrogation room in the government office.

Mr. Cao walked slowly, delaying the time, and was still thinking about how to change His Highness's mind.

But the camp was only so big, and Mr. Cao had already arrived before he could come up with a plan.

Mr. Wenqi was waiting at the door—he was specially invited by Mr. Cao.

Mr. Cao still maintains that Xu Yuan's suspicions have not been cleared, and that His Highness's request to see him is a very risky move.

Mr. Wenqi must be there to protect them.

In this camp, only Mr. Wenqi can reliably defeat Xu Yuan.

Mr. Cao and Mr. Lan were only fourth-rate, but after Xu Yuan easily defeated Xu Bo and his group of four, neither of them felt they could beat him.

Mr. Wenqi was getting impatient: "So long-winded!"

“You people, you already have a conclusion in your hearts, but you lack confidence and are afraid of everything.”

"It's really not a pleasant experience."

"I already regret entering this princess's residence."

Mr. Wenqi grabbed Xu Yuan with one hand and pushed open the door with the other, and the two went inside together.

"That kid's here," he called into the house.

Princess Ruicheng has already tidied her appearance.

She sat upright in her chair, exuding the grace and majesty of a princess of the dynasty.

After Xu Yuan stepped forward to pay his respects, His Highness said in a loud voice, "Do you have any ideas about this case?"

Xu Yuan shook his head: "I cannot deceive Your Highness. Before the investigation, I was also completely clueless."

"If I were to entrust this to you, how many days would it take to break it?"

"This humble official cannot guarantee it," Xu Yuan said, bowing his head. "However... this humble official can boast that I am experienced in solving strange cases. I am always faster than Lord Jialing."

Mr. Cao stood behind him, his face flushed with anger.

But he was only angry for a moment.

What they said is true.

His Highness seemed somewhat dissatisfied with Xu Yuan's answer: "If you weren't confident, how could I have entrusted this case to you? Besides, you're involved in the case and are a suspect."

Xu Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness has already made up your mind, and there is no need for me to persuade you."

Mr. Cao couldn't help but glance at Xu Yuan. This kid actually had some ability to see through people's hearts!

Princess Ruicheng did not deny it, but said, "You only have one night. If there is no progress in this case, you will obediently return to your cell tomorrow when Ma Tianshou arrives. Do you understand?" Xu Yuan nodded, clasped his hands in a bow, and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Highness!"

Then, Xu Yuan turned and left, leaving only one sentence: "It's already dark, and time is precious for us."

……

The first person Xu Yuan asked was Liu Hu.

Mr. Cao followed behind Xu Yuan the whole time, and after a while, Mr. Lan also arrived.

Xu Yuan's question and Mr. Cao's question were completely different.

Xu Yuan only asked one question: "When that wild goat was presented to you, was it intact?"

“It’s intact,” Liu Hu said. “I personally used a sharp knife to skin, butcher, and debone it…”

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Yuan had already quickly left.

Mr. Cao and Mr. Lan were caught off guard and quickly followed.

What's your trick?
Is the question answered in just one sentence?

Without turning his head, Xu Yuan asked, "Mr. Cao, have all those ingredients been assigned to be guarded?"

Mr. Cao was somewhat displeased: "I am indeed not from the Exorcism Bureau, and I am not as proficient as you in handling cases, but don't underestimate me. I do know about this kind of thing. As soon as a case is filed, I immediately send people to keep those ingredients under strict guard."

Xu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief: "My Lord has done a great service."

Mr. Cao was taken aback by what he was told.

It was as if he was praising himself—but it didn't seem like a praise at all. He had done something he was supposed to do, and this kid thought it was an exceptional performance?!
Liu Hu and his men dug a stove pit, and the remaining ingredients were placed on the cutting board next to it.

This place was in the open air and was surrounded by twenty armored soldiers.

But after dark, these ingredients began to change strangely.

Among the armored warriors were also alchemists, who continuously spewed fire from their bellies in all directions to dispel the evil spirits in the darkness.

He dared not burn the ingredients directly, as that would destroy the evidence.

But this method only treats the symptoms, not the root cause, and he knows it probably won't last long before the blood-stained ingredients turn into evil spirits.

After Xu Yuan arrived, he went straight to the rest of the wild goat.

After looking through it, it was indeed a wild goat.

Mr. Cao said, "I have already checked it."

If there were any problems, they would have been discovered long ago.

Xu Yuan frowned, and after a moment, he gently touched the wild goat with his finger.

The "No Taboos" destiny, imbued with the power of fate, landed on the wild goat.

Mr. Cao, Mr. Lan, and the twenty armored soldiers around them all gaped in astonishment.

A layer of murky light was peeled away from the wild goat, revealing a human corpse underneath!

The body has been dismembered...

"This, this..." Mr. Lan stammered.

Mr. Cao suddenly realized: "Is this some kind of trickery that turned people into sheep?"

This trick was so clever that they were all fooled.

Including Liu Hu.

Xu Yuan used his life-saving technique to break the sorcery, and only then was the truth revealed.

Xu Yuan, however, still frowned and turned the corpse's head around: "It's not Luqiu Yan!"

Mr. Cao and Mr. Lan looked closely and, sure enough, it was an unfamiliar face!
"It's not Luqiu Rock!" the two exclaimed again. "Where did Luqiu Rock go?"

Everyone thought the victim was Lu Qiuyan, but now it's proven not to be him. So... Mr. Cao felt extremely uneasy: "Is Lu Qiuyan the murderer?"

Xu Yuan did not answer, but pointed to the corpse and asked, "Do either of you know this person?"

Mr. Cao and Mr. Lan shook their heads together.

Xu Yuan said, "Have all of His Highness's entourage identify him."

He paused, then added, "If no one recognizes it, then Your Highness, please try to identify it as well."

Mr. Cao gritted his teeth and agreed: "Okay."

……

Xu Yuan made a breakthrough in a very short time, and His Highness was very pleased when he learned of it: "My judgment was indeed excellent!"

Mr. Cao was still uneasy: "If Xu Yuan did this case, it would be easy for him to find clues."

Princess Ruicheng glared at him, and Mr. Cao realized he had been making a fuss over his words. He bowed to the princess and went out to run his errands.

Her Highness, alone in her room, suddenly turned deathly pale. She clasped her hands in front of her and prayed softly, "Please, please, please let someone recognize me! I can't bear to look at a dead face; I'll have nightmares tonight, and I'll scare people into a cold sweat..."

……

When Mr. Cao went to make arrangements, Mr. Lan was by Xu Yuan's side.

One of the two was always keeping an eye on Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan checked the other ingredients again and found no problems. He then stroked his chin, walked to the side, found the most inconspicuous spot, and sat down to think.

Mr. Lan was standing right behind him.

The prince's entourage, arranged by Mr. Cao, came in batches to identify the bodies.

Those who came shook their heads, none of them recognizing the person.

Xu Yuan never raised his head.

After the three hundred armored soldiers and the prince's staff had all identified them, Xu Bo and the other two were finally brought over.

Xu Yuan suddenly looked up.

Mr. Lan was puzzled: Could it be...?

The three stepped forward and took a look. Xu Bo and Sun Shou both shook their heads, but when they got to Meng Zhi, the martial artist exclaimed "Eh!" and after examining him carefully, said, "It's Hou Shiqian."

Mr. Lan gave Xu Yuan a deep look; he had indeed guessed correctly.

Xu Yuan got up and walked over.

Mr. Cao had already asked Meng Zhi, "Who is Hou Shiqian?"

“He is the nephew of Liu Tong, the commander of the Five Cities Garrison of Beidu,” Xu Bo interjected.

Meng Zhi didn't care and scratched his chin, saying, "When I was in Beidu, I would occasionally go to Lu Qiuyan's gambling den to play a few rounds. I've seen this guy with Lu Qiuyan."

Xu Yuan asked, "So, he knows Lu Qiuyan?"

"We know each other, and we seem to have a close relationship."

Xu Yuan suddenly looked at Sun Shou beside him: "You didn't recognize him?"

Sun Shou was clearly flustered: "Huh? I... I don't know Hou Shiqian."

Mr. Cao shouted sternly from the side, "Sun Shou! Tell us everything you know! This matter is of great importance. If you know something but don't report it, your family won't be able to save your life!"

Sun Shou shook his head repeatedly, refusing to speak even if it meant death: "I really don't know this person, and Mr. Cao forcing me won't help."

Xu Yuan nodded and said, "In urgent situations, we should act expediently and examine the soul."

Sun Shou's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Is your company always this ruthless in handling cases?

There was no preferential treatment whatsoever for the children of prominent families?

At this moment, Mr. Cao frowned: "Are there any highly skilled spiritual practitioners in the Champa government who can examine souls without harming people's lives?"

Xu Yuan understood immediately and shook his head without hesitation: "There are no such talents in remote border areas and impoverished rural areas."

Regardless of whether it actually exists or not, you should say no at this point.

Sun Shou's face paled even more.

Then I realized that this was southern Jiaozhi, not northern Du.

I had long heard that the local methods of interrogating souls were extremely brutal, involving simply killing the soul to extract it for interrogation!

“The Cao family magistrate…” Sun Shou’s voice was pleading.

Mr. Cao frowned: "Is that so...? That's not a good solution. Although it's true that in urgent situations, one should act expediently..."

Then Mr. Cao seemed to have made up his mind: "Naturally, His Highness's safety is more important. I'll take charge. Exorcise the soul!"

"If the Sun family seeks revenge in the future, Your Highness will surely protect me!"

Xu Yuan was about to call for help when Sun Shou cried out, "No need—"

"...I confess."

Xu Yuan and Mr. Cao nodded silently, one of them saying, "Then tell us quickly."

Another person added, "We still need to find a way to verify whether what you're saying is true or false."

The first one then added, "So it's best to tell the truth."

"Otherwise, you'll suffer even more later."

Mr. Lan scratched his beard in bewilderment: When it comes to swindling people, one is old and the other is young, one is in the south and the other in the north, how come they have such a tacit understanding?!

“This matter originally had nothing to do with me,” Sun Shou said with a mournful face, and then spilled the beans: “It was Lu Qiuyan who deliberately lured Hou Shiqian to his family’s gambling den to gamble.”

Hou Shiqian lost all his money, so Lüqiu Yan lent him some, figuring that Hou Shiqian had his uncle's connections and could always pay it back.

"Later I heard that the two of them actually became friends. The Five Cities Military Command had a batch of military equipment to purchase, and Hou Shiqian wanted to take it over, but he didn't have the capital to do it, so he went to Lu Qiuyan."

"Luqiu Yan was even more greedy. He not only wanted to win this arms procurement deal, but also wanted to manufacture this batch of arms himself, so he came to ask me if I could help them forge them."

Mr. Cao, I only met Hou Shiqian twice, accompanied by Lü Qiuyan.

Xu Yuan then asked, "Since there was such cooperation, why is Hou Shiqian dead and Lu Qiuyan missing now?"

"I don't know either," Sun Shou said with a mournful face. "The batch of military equipment that the Five Cities Military Command wanted was actually not difficult to forge. I also thought it was an opportunity to make quick money, so I agreed to Lu Qiu Yan's request."

But before I came out this time, I made all sorts of preparations. When I went to ask Lu Qiuyan, he suddenly and inexplicably scolded me.

I guess this deal fell through, so all the preparations I made before were for nothing?
I prepared 30,000 catties of refined iron in advance to forge this batch of weapons, and spent several days coordinating and running around. Now it's all been for nothing.

I was unhappy about it, so I asked Luqiu Yan to reimburse me for the money. But Luqiu Yan is a real miser; he won't part with a single penny.

We argued in secret a few times, and almost came to blows.

So along the way, this jerk kept harassing me and forcing me to make bets with him...

But what exactly happened between him and Hou Shiqian, I really don't know.

Xu Yuan nodded and then asked, "Was Hou Shiqian from Jiaozhi who came after you?"

Sun Shou shook his head: "I really don't know."

Mr. Cao and Mr. Lan shook their heads together: "It's unlikely. We've been keeping an eye on things, and there's no way they're following us."

Xu Yuan then asked Sun Shou about some details of their meeting in Beidu, and then had Sun Shou taken away.

After Sun Shou left, Xu Yuan asked Xu Bo and Meng Zhi, "Do you have anything to report about Sun Shou and Lü Qiu Yan?"

Lord Xu's instigation was undisguised, but very effective.

Your Highness brought four admirers with you on this trip to Jiaozhi.

If you eliminate two at once...

Xu Bo and Meng Zhi racked their brains.

Meng Zhi thought for a while, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "I remember now. The last time I saw Hou Shiqian at Lu Qiuyan's gambling den, he and Lu Qiuyan were heading to a private room on the second floor."

As I opened the door, I caught a glimpse of a figure from behind, and now that I think about it, it looked a lot like Liu Tong!

He's a martial arts practitioner, so it's normal for him to know Liu Tong.

This time, even without Xu Yuan's analysis, Mr. Cao could see the anomaly himself:
Since Liu Tong had entrusted the arms business of the Five Cities Military Command to Hou Shiqian, he would no longer personally handle it.

When it comes to the arms trade, most people think of the huge sums of money involved.

However, the Five Cities Military Command is an exception.

Their job was to manage tasks such as pursuit, firefighting, and maintaining order in the city within the capital.

The weapons they used were nothing more than swords, spears, halberds, armor, and shields.

In addition, there are things like "water hoses" used for extinguishing fires.

Moreover, there are five commanders of the Five Cities Garrison, and Liu Tong is only one of them, so his share is not large.

There is absolutely no need for him to personally go to the gambling den to negotiate in his capacity as commander.

There are probably other dealings between Liu Tong, Hou Shiqian, and Lü Qiuyan.

That was the real reason Hou Shiqian lost his life!
Seeing that Meng Zhi had come up with an idea, Xu Bo, not wanting to be outdone, said, "I have heard some rumors before. It is said that Lu Qiu Yan, when drunk, boasted to someone, um..."

He paused deliberately, pretending to carefully choose his words: "In short, it was somewhat disrespectful to His Highness. He also said that he was a close friend of Hou Shiqian, and thus became acquainted with Liu Tong."

Liu Tong acted as a go-between, enabling him to secure a supply route for weapons to the Beijing garrison.

The most disrespectful boast to His Highness would be something like, "The old prince has already secretly promised His Highness to him."

Mr. Cao's eyes were slightly cold.

Regardless of whether Xu Bo fabricated the story or not, this matter must be thoroughly investigated after returning to Beijing!
We must not let these fools tarnish His Highness's reputation.

As for Xu Bo, Mr. Cao had already grown somewhat disgusted with the fellow.

Xu Bo continued, "It seems that some businesses, believing Lu Qiuyan's words, have given him money in an attempt to get in touch with the Beijing Garrison."

The Beijing garrison... it's truly a complicated situation.

Two hundred years ago, the Beijing Garrison was already a large-scale operation, with a registered population of 200,000.

When it came time to fight, the entire Beijing garrison couldn't muster 50,000 troops.

Among them, the elite force numbered no more than two thousand.

Of course, things have changed dramatically now. For example, the "Shenji Camp" is now part of the Beijing Garrison.

But the "Five Military Camps" remained consistently dilapidated.

Nine out of ten people in the capital dare to boast to outsiders, "I can get in touch with the Beijing garrison." Among these nine, there is indeed one who, if you give him a few hundred taels of silver, can take you to see a high-ranking officer.

These "paths" almost all lead to the Fifth Army Camp.

Did Luqiu Yan also do something like this?
Hou Shiqian deceived Lü Qiuyan, who in turn deceived merchants from other places.

In the end, the deal fell through, and they didn't want to give back the money...

Mr. Cao whispered the whole story to Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan waved his hand and said, "Let's not worry about those things, let's just focus on the case at hand."

Xu Yuan then asked, "The most important question now is, where did Luqiu Yan go?"

Mr. Cao and Mr. Lan were at a loss again: Where could they find Luqiu Rock?

Xu Yuan first had Xu Bo and Meng Zhi taken away, and then said, "I have a way, but it's a bit illogical. Please bear with me, gentlemen."

The two said, "Just do it. As long as you don't endanger His Highness, and you find Luqiu Yan, we'll take responsibility for whatever happens!"

Xu Yuan chuckled and pointed at Hou Shiqian's corpse: "Let this thing mutate!"

"What did you say?!" Mr. Lan shouted, his eyes wide.

Are you crazy? His Highness is in the camp, and you still want to deliberately make the corpse change?
Mr. Cao's eyes flickered slightly: "You mean... Hou Shiqian was most likely killed by Lu Qiuyan, and this corpse has become strange, so it might be driven by the resentment before its death to seek revenge on Lu Qiuyan?"

(End of this chapter)