Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 256 It was actually him who came back from the dead...

The southern inspection team set off shortly after noon, and the journey could not be delayed.

Upon hearing that there might be a traitor within the ranks, Jiajing resolutely accepted the request to investigate the case.

He ordered a hundred Imperial Guards and Imperial Soldiers, along with an old eunuch familiar with the servants, to rummage through the ruins of the collapsed houses, count the corpses one by one, and confirm their identities.

Haiyue and Lu Bing stayed behind to supervise the investigation, and it took them two full days to find out all the missing persons.

A total of 67 people went missing on the night of the fire.

"Sixty-five bodies that perished in the fire were found here."

"Focusing on the side courtyard where the Embroidered Uniform Guards resided, four charred corpses that could not be identified were discovered in succession. Together with the two charred corpses from before, they should be the six people who went missing during the patrol!"

"Judging from the autopsy findings, there were marks on the bones indicating sharp blades, suggesting that the body was burned after death!"

Standing before the six charred corpses, Lu Bing watched as a white sheet covered them and concluded, "That's right, the patrolling Imperial Guards were killed by the thieves. Four of their bodies were thrown into the burning house to destroy the evidence, while the other two were disguised as Mr. Lu and Guo Xun to mislead us! These thieves are definitely still in the southern inspection team, and there are definitely quite a few of them!"

"Let's go! Back to camp to eliminate the traitors!"

Haiyue deftly mounted her horse.

The reason he stayed for two days to examine the remains was to have a legitimate reason for his actions.

The entourage on the southern tour were no ordinary people; they were either elite soldiers from various camps or close associates of nobles. To select from this group who had acted suspiciously on the night of the fire, relying solely on guesswork would be difficult to convince the public, even with Lu Bing's assistance.

But now that the imperial edict is in our ears and the case is on record, returning to the ranks to punish the wicked and arrest people is like wielding the imperial sword, allowing us to act expediently.

Leaving the last group of people to collect the bodies, the two men, along with their soldiers, spurred their horses and hurried towards the main force.

According to the itinerary of the southern tour, the next stop was the Weihui Imperial Palace in Henan, which was only a few days' journey away, so it was just in time.

However, before they even reached Weihui, a familiar figure rode up on the official road and greeted them: "Boss!"

"Hong Qi?"

Lu Bing's expression changed immediately: "Why are you here? Has something happened to His Majesty?"

"Your Majesty is alright..."

Hong Qi approached, his chest heaving and sweat beading on his forehead, clearly having traveled at breakneck speed. He hesitated for a moment before replying, "The commander has returned!"

Hai Yue's eyes flickered, while Lu Bingze's eyes widened: "Who did you say came back?"

"The commanders have all returned!"

Hong Qi hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "The Commander is unharmed!"

"Okay...okay!"

Lu Bing was both delighted and surprised, but overall, his delight far outweighed his surprise: "It's good that you're alright, sir! Let's go! Let's go quickly!"

Haiyue originally wanted to ask for more details, but seeing Lu Bing's expression, she didn't say anything more and followed him.

As expected, the southern tour group had arrived at the Weihui Palace in Henan. The group entered the main hall and saw Zhu Houcong sitting in the main seat, with seven or eight important officials seated there, including Wang Zuo, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Seeing that his master was truly safe and sound, Lu Bing's eyes reddened, and a heartfelt joy welled up between his brows. He knelt down and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty!"

Zhu Houcong's eyes shifted slightly: "Wenfu's return is just in time. I am very pleased that Minister Wang has returned safely. What's even more remarkable is that he is still as sharp as ever, with both wisdom and courage. While feigning to maneuver, he actually stormed the enemy's lair and even beheaded the enemy leader before returning!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Zuo hurriedly rose from his seat and kowtowed: "Your Majesty is terrified! The traitor was able to sneak into the palace and set it on fire, and even take the life of Marquis Wuding. It is truly due to my inadequate supervision..." As his forehead touched the ground, his voice trembled slightly: "Your Majesty's decision to not only not punish but also reward you is truly a virtue as virtuous as Heaven!"

Lu Bing was suddenly stunned.

Several days later, Guo Xun suddenly "came back to life" and tearfully told the emperor that he had stumbled upon the bandits' trail that night and had no choice but to feign compliance to infiltrate the enemy's lair. He claimed that he would not only clear his name of being old but also regain the emperor's favor by virtue of his merit in suppressing the bandits!

Wasn't this the cunning scheme that Guo Xun was about to implement, which he had originally analyzed?

What now...

He became "Mr."
Lu Bing subconsciously raised his head and looked at Wang Zuo's back, recalling the many times he had been taught and instructed, and finally focusing on the entrustment he received that night.

His throat bobbed slightly, and his gaze unconsciously turned to the throne, only to meet Zhu Houcong's deep, dark eyes.

His gaze held a thunderous glint, yet remained as still as a deep well, reflecting only his own image.

Lu Bing's heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly lowered his head, completely at a loss for what to do.

"You may dispense with the formalities, Your Excellency!"

Zhu Houcong remained expressionless. He first waved his hand at Wang Zuo, then looked at Hai Yue, who had a calm expression: "Mingwei, do you have any case to report?"

Haiyue bowed, took out the case file, and succinctly recounted the fire and casualties at the Zhao Prefecture Palace. He concluded by saying, "In my opinion, the arsonist is still in the camp. We should investigate him thoroughly!"

"Oh?"

Zhu Houcong raised a slender eyebrow: "Does Minister Wang think there are still traitors within?"

"We must be on guard!"

Wang Zuo solemnly reported, "Your Majesty, the mastermind behind this rebellion is Zhao Quan, the White Lotus Sect's chief clerk. This man originally intended to defect to the Mongol Tartars and establish a White Lotus stronghold beyond the Great Wall. However, he was besieged in the capital and, in his resentment, attempted to commit treason under the pretext of Your Majesty's southern tour!" Zhu Houcong's face darkened: "These White Lotus bandits are so arrogant, treating my southern tour guards as mere decorations?"

"of course not……"

Wang Zuo hesitated for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "What I am about to say may disgrace the posthumous name of Marquis Wuding!"

Zhu Houcong said indifferently, "Speak!"

Wang Zuo slowly said, "I believe that this leader of the White Lotus Rebels is in cahoots with Marquis Wuding, which is why he was able to enter the palace at night!"

Upon hearing this, everyone around was greatly surprised.

This accusation is extremely serious, and importantly, it's not just baseless.

It should be known that Marquis Guo Xun of Wuding was involved in the Li Fuda case several years ago, and was suspected of being the backer of the White Lotus, turning the rebel into an official of the Ming Dynasty.

That major case also led to the demotion and conviction of a large number of officials.

Many former disgraced officials have now returned to the court, and one of them is present.

It was Mao Bowen, the Minister of War who led the army to conquer Annam and made unparalleled contributions.

He was now a favorite minister of the emperor, and upon hearing this, his expression became somewhat uncertain, and he subconsciously glanced at another person.

The second-in-command, Yan Song, was also present, but he remained silent, not showing any reaction.

Regardless of the change in atmosphere in the hall, Zhu Houcong's expression turned solemn, and he said in a cold voice, "What is the purpose of Marquis Wuding's collusion with the White Lotus Sect?"

"Our aim is to regain divine grace!"

Wang Zuo directly changed his form of address: "That night, Guo Xun intended to take advantage of the chaos to harm me and then save the emperor to gain merit. However, although I am no longer as brave as I used to be, I still have some vigilance. I noticed the abnormality in advance and retreated in time, thus preventing his evil plan from succeeding!"

Zhu Houcong asked, "If that's the case, why was it Guo Xun who ultimately perished?"

Wang Zuo said, "It was only because Guo Xun ultimately underestimated the vicious nature of the White Lotus Cult. When the fire broke out, those thieves actually tried to assassinate the Emperor! I don't know if Guo Xun still had a conscience and a trace of loyalty, or if he knew that His Majesty was protected by the elite Embroidered Uniform Guard and that the White Lotus demons would have no chance to get close. The two sides ended up fighting... In the chaos, those thieves killed Marquis Wuding!"

“I was lying in ambush at the time and heard the sounds of fighting. I inadvertently revealed my presence. Seeing that I could not directly confront them and was worried that they would take risks and alarm Your Majesty, I lured them away by posing as the Commander-in-Chief.”

"The thieves indeed fell for the trap. They tied up the minister, replaced his body, and took the opportunity to escape from the palace."

"I originally intended to repay Your Majesty's kindness with my life, but Heaven has blessed Your Majesty, and the rebels have actually started their own internal strife."

"I then took advantage of their animosity and cleverly sowed discord, finally managing to kill the bandit leader Zhao Quan before I could return to report!"

Finally, Wang Zuo prostrated himself and bowed twice, solemnly reporting: "The matter concerning Marquis Wuding that I have described is not entirely based on my own observations. Some details were heard from the White Lotus heretics, while others were verified by the Imperial Academician Hai. I dare not make any rash judgments. I humbly beg Your Majesty to examine the matter carefully before making a decision!"

Upon hearing this, Mao Bowen could no longer contain himself and stepped forward, saying, "This old minister believes that Commander Wang's words are absolutely correct. The case of Marquis Wuding and Bailian should be thoroughly investigated to correct His Majesty's opinion and to serve as a warning to others!"

Zhu Houcong glanced at the two ministers, then turned to the Second Grand Secretary Yan Song: "What does Minister Yan think?"

Yan Song, seemingly drowsy from the warmth of the palace stove, suddenly awoke with a start. He calmly straightened his sleeves and slowly reported, "This old minister is unfamiliar with the ways of criminal investigation and dares not speak presumptuously. I humbly request Your Majesty's decisive and wise rule!"

Zhu Houcong paused for a moment, then sighed deeply: "I truly did not expect that Guo Xun would stoop so low in his old age. Investigate this case thoroughly. If the accusation of colluding with bandits is true..."

He paused briefly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "The imperial court's favor and the Marquis of Wuding's hereditary title should be revoked without exception!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Everyone said in unison.

No one in the room sympathized with Guo Xun; on the contrary, several people hated him to the core.

For example, Mao Bowen, the Minister of War, was able to vent his anger even though Li Fuda couldn't overturn the case and Guo Xun was plunged into an abyss of no return, losing even his hereditary title.

"Let's eat!"

After the matter was settled, Zhu Houcong waved his hand, and even Haiyue and Lu Bing took their seats to enjoy a royal banquet.

To be honest, it wasn't as delicious as I'd imagined. Plus, the real mystery of the case hadn't been explained yet, so Haiyue ate rather listlessly. She glanced at Lu Bing and saw that he was numbly shoveling food into his mouth.

After the meal was finished, the officials took their leave, and Lu Bing followed Wang Zuo back to the courtyard of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Speechless all the way.

Once inside, Wang Zuo turned around and spoke first: "Wenfu, aren't you happy to see me back?"

"Of course I'm happy!"

Lu Bing forced a smile: "Ever since I saw the charred corpse in the house, I thought you had been murdered by thieves, and I haven't been able to sleep at night these past few days. However, I was rash and made unfounded speculations before the Emperor, which may have aroused His Majesty's suspicion..."

After hearing this, Wang Zuo smiled dismissively: "I see. It's rare to see someone think this way. But you've overestimated Guo Xun's abilities. He's no match for me, and those White Lotus demons can't cause any trouble under my nose!"

"Sir, you are truly brilliant!"

Lu Bing cupped his hands in greeting, then suddenly his expression hardened, and he looked intently at his respected teacher: "Sir, you... you're not coughing anymore?"

(End of this chapter)