Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 257 The Reason for Not Coughing
"Mingwei!"

When Haiyue returned to her residence, she saw Yan Shifan waiting anxiously outside. Upon seeing him, Yan Shifan greeted her excitedly: "How's the case going?"

Haiyue informed them of the progress.

Yan Shifan listened with a mixture of excitement and emotion: "That commander is really something. He captured the bandit leader directly, leaving us no chance to contribute. Fortunately, Old Dog Guo is gone, which puts a weight on my mind..."

Even in his decline, Guo Xun was still the most prominent nobleman. He once held military power and placed his cronies in the army. Even Zhang Cong and Gui E, who were newly appointed nobles in the Grand Rites Controversy, showed him deference.

Although Yan Song has risen to prominence, the consequences of truly making a mortal enemy of such people are unpredictable.

Now, things are really going well. Guo Xun has been killed by the White Lotus sect members, and his conspiracy has been exposed. He is even losing his title of Marquis of Wuding. Yan Shifan is naturally overjoyed and relieved.

"Guo Xun was arrogant and domineering back then, and he made many enemies. I'm afraid Donglou isn't the only one who feels this way!"

Haiyue said calmly.

"what?"

Yan Shifan's eyes flickered upon hearing this: "Does Mingwei mean there's more to this case than meets the eye?"

"There are indeed two questions that are difficult to explain at present."

Haiyue said, "First, even if the White Lotus Demon had a conflict with Guo Xun and killed him, why would she go to such lengths to take his body away?"

"Secondly, the difference lies in the manner of death of the two charred corpses. One was burned to death before death, and the other was cremated after death. Why is there such a difference?"

Yan Shifan thought for a moment, his expression changing slightly, and said in a low voice, "Investigating Wang Zuo won't be easy. Getting past Commander Lu will be difficult..."

It's really hard to handle.

According to the general hierarchy of the imperial court, Wang Zuo's status was not as high as Guo Xun's, and his power at the peak was not as illustrious as Guo Xun's. However, within the southern tour group, Wang Zuo was definitely much more difficult to deal with than Guo Xun.

Exposing Guo Xun's conspiracy can also be achieved with the help of Lu Bing and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Wang Zuo was Lu Bing's teacher and the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If he really had rebellious intentions, the threat would be too great.

'Perhaps this is why His Majesty remains calm. The elite troops accompanying the emperor on his southern tour are all under the command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If Wang Zuo is pushed too far at this juncture, the consequences would be unimaginable!'

Taking this into consideration, Haiyue said in a calm tone, "Commander Wang has always been loyal and trusted by His Majesty. Good fortune will surely come to him. What I am worried about is that the White Lotus Demons may have other schemes and tricks. The execution of the bandit leader may not be a deliberate attempt to mislead us and make us less vigilant."

"Excellent! Excellent! Those traitors dared to set fire to the palace, showing their extreme arrogance and considerable cunning. It was far too easy for Commander Wang to capture the leader alone..."

Yan Shifan thought for a moment and perked up: "Mingwei, I have a lot of experience in suppressing the White Lotus Sect. Today marks one year and seventeen days since I wiped out the White Lotus Sect thieves, and the two hundred and fifty-third day since I captured the White Lotus Sect thieves from Liyuan. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know!"

'You remember it so clearly…'

Haiyue smiled and said, "I won't stand on ceremony with Donglou. You should also contribute to the investigation into the traitor!"

"it is good!"

Yan Shifan accepted the task and went off with great enthusiasm.

Haiyue watched his figure disappear into the distance, then stood quietly under the corridor waiting.

Before long, a light footstep, as light as falling leaves, approached from afar. Tao Dianzhen came up behind him, raised one palm in a Taoist salute, and said with genuine joy, "Hai Hanlin has returned safely, which puts my mind at ease. If there is anything I need to do regarding the arson case, please give me your orders!"

"it is good."

Hai Yue nodded slightly and briefly explained the progress of the case. She solemnly said, "That night, suspicious people frequently moved between the Imperial Guards and the residences of nobles. Their behavior was secretive. Please send someone to investigate immediately. Report to me as soon as you find any clues!"

"Yes!"

Tao Dianzhen went off excitedly to accept the order.

Both of them were eager to make merit and quite capable, and they were not particularly afraid of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

If they were to take the lead, they might actually be able to find some clues.

Haiyue then returned to her room, took a bath, changed her clothes, brewed some tea, and began to enjoy it.

When Lu Bing entered the house, he saw this leisurely and contented scene.

Lu Bing's eyes flickered slightly, and he subconsciously asked, "Is the case no longer being investigated?"

As soon as he said it, he regretted it.

As expected, Haiyue looked over, and her gaze made him feel even more guilty, so he immediately turned his head away.

Just as I was about to leave, I heard my friend's gentle voice: "The Classic of Filial Piety says, 'If a father has a son who remonstrates with him, he will not fall into injustice.' Children have a responsibility to advise their parents to avoid unjust things, otherwise it is unfilial. But that's a general principle. In fact, if my parents really did something against the law, I would cover for them..."

Lu Bing paused for a moment, then slowly walked over and sat down in front of him, saying in a low voice, "Kindness should be kept secret."

There is a saying in the Analects of Confucius, "The father conceals the wrongdoing of the son, and the son conceals the wrongdoing of the father. Uprightness lies therein." Confucius believed that kinship ethics were superior to legal accusations. He believed that protecting family ethics would consolidate the foundation of society. If fathers and sons, or husbands and wives, accused each other, the family would disintegrate.

Later, Emperor Xuan of Han issued an edict clarifying that "sons who conceal their parents and wives who conceal their husbands are not guilty," directly elevating ethics to law. In the early period, it was also required that "the younger generation conceals the elders' secrets," but in the Tang Dynasty, this was expanded to allow for both concealment and protection.

But there are exceptions.

For example, if someone commits a heinous crime and covers it up for their family, then the whole family is doomed. "Of course, I believe my parents wouldn't do anything so heinous..."

Haiyue continued, "Otherwise, my conscience wouldn't be at peace, and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. After all, there are not only the closest relatives in this world, but also the righteousness of heaven, earth, ruler, parents, and close friends. If I violate those, I would have no face to face others!"

"Heaven, Earth, Ruler, and Parents... Heaven, Earth, Ruler, and Parents..."

Lu Bing sighed deeply and said with a wry smile, "Mingwei is indeed good at persuasion. In any other situation, I would cover for you, sir, but this involves the crime of deceiving the emperor. I really don't know what to do..."

Haiyue said, "If they really go astray, what you need to do is not to bury your head in the sand, but to make them stop as soon as possible. If they are stubborn and do not see the truth, it will be too late to regret it when the truth comes out!"

Lu Bing said in a hoarse voice, "I know... but sir... I don't know if he has any problems..."

Once those words are spoken, the answer is self-evident.

Haiyue asked directly, "What's the suspicious point?"

Lu Bing closed his eyes briefly: "After you returned, your illness suddenly disappeared. Whether you were reporting to His Majesty in the palace or talking to me in private, you never coughed once!"

'tuberculosis……'

Haiyue's eyes flickered, and she immediately recalled Lu Bing's description: Wang Zuo had been unwell recently, coughing repeatedly and losing weight, seemingly showing symptoms of tuberculosis, but it was not contagious, and it was impossible to determine for the time being whether it was tuberculosis in later generations.

But in any case, an old man over fifty years old, who experienced the fire that night, fought wits and courage against the thieves, killed the thief leader, and returned to the southern tour, would normally have a greater chance of his chronic illness recurring and becoming seriously ill if he experienced such a setback. But now he has suddenly recovered: "Does Commander Wang have any explanation for this?"

"I just asked directly..."

Lu Bingdao said, "The gentleman told me that people feel refreshed when they have good news. After he captured the leader of the White Lotus bandits, he felt refreshed. If I hadn't told him, he wouldn't have even noticed that he had stopped coughing!"

Haiyue narrowed her eyes slightly: "Has the imperial physician examined you?"

Lu Bing shook his head: "The gentleman is quite resistant to the Imperial Hospital, saying that he already knows the prescriptions written by the imperial physicians by heart, and has already taken the decoctions..."

"Neither before nor after, did any imperial physician give a clear diagnosis for her?"

Haiyue said in a deep voice, "Then how can we prove that Commander Wang is ill?"

Lu Bing's gaze sharpened: "What do you mean? If it's not illness, then what is it..."

The words stopped abruptly.

Haiyue spoke his mind: "If it's not an illness, then there's another possibility—poisoning!"

"Poisoning can also cause a variety of symptoms, such as persistent cough and emaciation. The medicine prescribed by Commander Wang is intended to suppress the poison, but it cannot completely eradicate it, inevitably leading to gradual weakness!"

Lu Bing hissed, "So, if that's the case, the reason you're not coughing now is because..."

"The poison has been neutralized!"

Haiyue said, "This is the guess that best fits the discrepancy between the before and after! Besides the cough, does Wenfu have any other details that can corroborate this?"

"Have!"

Lu Bing began to recount what Wang Zuo had said that night.

At that moment, he felt like he was being given a deathbed message, and he was both worried and puzzled.

Needless to say, the concern was obvious. What was puzzling was that although Wang Zuo was bedridden and his health was not as good as before, he was not yet terminally ill. So why would he have the idea of ​​making arrangements for his death?

"If you were truly poisoned, it must be because you realized the poison was becoming uncontrollable and you feared you wouldn't live much longer, which is why you said those things to me?"

"No! I have to go and ask them myself!"

Seeing Lu Binghu stand up, Haiyue reached out and pulled him back: "Wait! Sit down!"

Pressing Lu Bing down, Hai Yue pushed the teacup towards him and said in a deep voice, "The poisoning of the dignified Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard must have some powerful connections. Now that he has been inexplicably cured, what kind of speculations will arise? You must first provide a plausible explanation and then find concrete evidence before you can question him face to face!"

Lu Bing was stuck.

Pick up the teacup.

I noticed that my hands were trembling slightly.

"Goooooooooo!"

After finishing his tea, he took a deep breath and slowly said, "The reason why you didn't make a fuss before and chose to prepare the medicine yourself to suppress the poison is very simple. As the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he certainly couldn't show weakness to the enemy. Moreover, he would rather die of a long illness than succumb to the threat of the deadly poison. That's why he entrusted me with his last wishes!"

Haiyue nodded: "Now, how can we detoxify?"

"We discovered the antidote from the White Lotus Sect's leader, killed him, and successfully obtained it. As for the reason for concealing it, it was because we didn't want to appear weak to the outside world..."

Lu Bing raised his voice, his eyes showing delight: "Doesn't this make sense?"

"Indeed!"

Haiyue stared at him: "But Wenfu, if we follow your analysis, then the prime suspect in secret dealings with the White Lotus Sect is no longer Guo Xun!"

(End of this chapter)