Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 1002 A Loyal Heart Repays a Former Master
"what's your name?"

"Your Majesty, my name is Shu Huxie."

"Is he Zong Hao's guard?"

"Yes... I grew up with Saburo since childhood. We are close friends and family, like brothers."

When did you discover that Zong Hao had been murdered?

"This morning, just as dawn was breaking."

"There are nine of you in total, didn't you arrange for someone to be on duty?"

"...I am so exhausted, and I am in Chang'an...Your Majesty, there must be something fishy about this. My family has come all the way from Linhuang Prefecture to Chang'an, and we have endured so much hardship. How could we possibly commit suicide so easily?"

Wanyan Liang looked at Wanyan Zonghao, who had been placed on the bed, and met his still unclosed eyes for a moment before sighing, "Of course I know... Was there not even the slightest movement last night?"

Shu Huxie's face was ashen: "There wasn't a single sound, Your Majesty. Although I am extremely tired, I am still alert. If there were even the slightest sound, it certainly wouldn't have escaped our ears."

Wanyan Liang looked at the "last will and testament" in his hand, which described Wanyan Zonghao's mental journey, roughly about the decline of the country and his desire to die before the country's demise.

After exchanging words, the constables and coroners of Chang'an Prefecture hesitated for a moment before approaching Wanyan Liang.

The coroner spoke first: "Your Majesty, the marks from the rope used to hang oneself are right in front of the ears, while the marks from Wanyan Liushou's hanging are all around his neck. This must be... this must be..."

Wanyan Liang nodded in agreement: "Someone must have strangled him."

The coroner dared not continue speaking.

The old criminal investigator then interjected, "Your Majesty, I investigated the scene but found no signs of movement. The walls and doors were not damaged. There were some footprints outside the walls, but those were the porch where servants and maids had walked, so the traces were easily lost."

Wanyan Liang slowly said, "In other words, the coroner said that someone murdered Zong Hao, while the criminal investigation team said that no one came here. So, was there a murderer or not?"

Several government officials immediately knelt down and kowtowed, filled with extreme fear.

Wanyan Yuanyi strode over, first bowing to Wanyan Zonghao's corpse, then dismissing the others before solemnly addressing Wanyan Liang: "Your Majesty, I believe that whether there is a murderer or not is irrelevant now."

Wanyan Liang was incredibly intelligent, and he immediately understood that Wanyan Yuanyi was advising him to handle the matter calmly.

Wanyan Zonghao was definitely killed; there is no doubt about that.

Just as the guard named Shuhu Xieye said, he had traveled a thousand miles through wind and snow, finally arriving at the last stronghold of the Jin Kingdom, only to commit suicide after eating one meal. It seemed strange no matter how you looked at it.

So who killed Wanyan Zonghao? Or to put it more bluntly, which force was behind it?

It should be noted that Wanyan Zonghao was the Prefect of Linhuang Prefecture, and had no connection with Guanzhong at all. He arrived in Chang'an almost alone in just one day. Even if they had made enemies, it would not have happened so quickly!

Is it the State of Song?

There's a tiny chance, but isn't it a bit too far-fetched for the Song state to risk exposing its spies just to kill a mere air force commander?

Moreover, the State of Song was already in a mess, so why would it care whether other people were dirty or not?
That extremely proper Prime Minister Lu doesn't seem like that kind of person!
Then there's only one possibility.

Since the defeat at Fufengkou, in which the Jin army suffered heavy losses, the small Jin court in the west has found it difficult to maintain stability, and all the forces are eager to make a move.

However, since the Jurchens, Han Chinese, and Tanguts were all surrounded and killed by the Song army, the forces of these groups were able to maintain a delicate balance.

However, everyone knows that this balance is fragile, like dancing on three eggs. With the slightest external intervention, the chickens and eggs could easily be destroyed, and the nest could be overturned.

This external force could be Zhang Congjin and Li Shiyan, two generals from the Song state; it could also be Pusan ​​Zhongyi leading troops from Luoyang to reinforce Guanzhong; or it could be the Han army pressing in from Jin.

Oh, and now we also have to count the Mongols who might attack the Ordos region.

Originally, Wanyan Liang thought that if there were no major changes, he could still maintain a basic level of dignity. However, Wanyan Zonghao was killed on his first night in Chang'an, which clearly showed that a certain political force had actually formed and had begun to consciously clip Wanyan Liang's wings.

This is why Wanyan Yuanyi hoped to handle the matter quietly.

This massive political force is currently operating in the shadows, and it's impossible to know exactly how many people it has involved. If we were to launch a large-scale investigation, it would only alert them.

If the two sides were to clash in Chang'an, the Jin dynasty would be doomed. "Your Majesty, for now we can only be patient and say that Zong Hao committed suicide out of shame," Wanyan Yuanyi said in a low voice. "It won't be too late to investigate when the Grand Marshal or the Crown Prince leads the troops back to Guanzhong."

Wanyan Liang turned to look at Wanyan Zonghao's corpse again, gritting his teeth as he said, "Zonghao just came to seek refuge with me, and he died so mysteriously, yet you expect me to tolerate it?"

Wanyan Yuanyi shook his head: "Of course, it's not that Your Majesty should just endure it, but that we'll settle accounts later. Your Majesty, given the current situation, you have to swallow your anger for now."

Wanyan Liang remained silent for a long time.

By afternoon, Shu Huxie, who was outside the mansion, had also received the result personally approved by Wanyan Liang.

After Wanyan Zonghao arrived in Chang'an and told Wanyan Liang the news of the destruction of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he felt ashamed that he had failed to defend his territory despite being a regional governor, and committed suicide.

This outcome was naturally unacceptable to Shu Huxie, yet he ultimately could not seek justice from Wanyan Liang.

"So we came to you. Explain yourself clearly on the spot: have you found any trace of the murderer?"

In an abandoned courtyard in Chang'an, Shu Hu stared at the bound yamen runners, his smile utterly ferocious: "If you can give me a straight answer, you might have a way out; but if you dare to give me a shred of decency..."

As he spoke, Shu Huxie drew his wrist-cutting knife and slashed a bloody gash on the yamen runner's forehead.

"Ah! Uh..." The constable had just let out a scream when another Jurchen warrior pressed his mouth down, silencing his subsequent screams.

"I'll talk, I'll talk," the constable said with a mournful face after his mouth was released. "There really wasn't a trace found..."

Seeing that Shu Huxie's expression also turned stern, the constable's mind raced: "However... however, before coming here, Chief Li specifically instructed me to just muddle through and not to say a word even if I find anything."

Shu Hu Xie also slapped the bailiff's face with a blood-stained dagger: "Just who is your superior, Head Constable Li, that he dares to fool His Majesty in front of everyone?"

"Commander Li may not have much of a background, but his nephew is a general of our Great Jin Kingdom. With that status, everyone will treat him with respect. In the current situation, even the county magistrate is unwilling to offend military men, let alone street-cleaning tigers like us?"

"A general?! Who is that?!"

"General Hu Chong".

"How did he strike up a conversation with your Sergeant Li? Don't tell me it was a private conversation he had with Sergeant Li in his room!"

“Of course…of course not…He has two trusted guards living in Anyefang. In the past, they were the ones who spoke to us and gave us money.”

Shu Hu patted the constable's head and said with a smile, "You're very good, very honest, and I like you very much."

"Keep an eye on him."

After giving the order, Shu Huxie also came to the door and whispered to the others, "It seems that things will fall on Hu Chong."

In the darkness, someone spoke, but their voice trembled slightly: "This is a proper general. His words carry a hundred times more weight than anyone else's. There are only a few of us. Are we really going to fight him?"

"It's not necessarily Hu Chong... It's also possible that he's covering for others."

"There's no way we can get him off the hook."

Amidst the hushed chatter, Shu Hu Xie suddenly roared in a low voice, "What kind of foolishness have you all committed?! What is the situation now?! The garrison commander is dead, Youyan is gone, Linhuang Prefecture is lost, and our tribe and families are gone too! In this vast world, there is nowhere left for us to go!"
If we cannot fight to the death to overturn the verdict on the case of the garrison commander, regain His Majesty's favor, and let His Majesty witness our loyalty and righteousness, how will we live in the future?!

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

After a moment of silence, someone asked in a low voice, "Fourth Brother, we're new to Guanxi and don't know anyone here. What are you going to do?"

Shu Hu Xie was certainly not a famous detective, but his method was straightforward and full of martial spirit: "Hu Chong is indeed a great general, but I don't believe that he doesn't take off his armor when he sleeps, or that he is surrounded by a large army when he eats. Let's follow the clues and search all the way up, and we'll eventually find the end!"

"Then, kill those who should be killed and arrest those who should be arrested. His Majesty will always be able to uphold justice! Whether it is for the loyalty of a subject or for one's future prospects and advancement, this matter must be done!"

Shu Huxie's words made everyone nod in agreement.

Seeing that they had barely reached a consensus, Shu Huxie breathed a sigh of relief: "Get a good night's sleep tonight, have a hearty meal tomorrow, find a carriage, take this yamen runner, and let him take us to get to know people and the way! Ha, I really don't believe that a mere Han general can cause any trouble!"

(End of this chapter)