Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 258: All Clues Point to a Truth

September 10th, the twelfth year of the Jiajing reign.

Chengtian Prefecture, Huguang.

The imperial carriage slowly entered the territory. The curtains were slightly rolled up, and a familiar scent of his homeland quietly seeped in. Zhu Houcong raised his hand to stop the procession and stepped down from the imperial carriage alone.

Huang Jin held the imperial cloak and followed silently behind, a look of nostalgia inevitably appearing in his eyes.

Chengtian Prefecture was upgraded to a prefecture in the tenth year of the Jiajing reign. It was originally called Anlu Prefecture, but because it was the area where the Jiajing Emperor ascended the throne and where the Emperor's mausoleum was located, it was appropriate to change the prefecture to a prefecture, just like the story of Fengyang.

Therefore, the prefecture was named Chengtian, and Zhongxiang County was attached to it, to honor the mausoleum.

It has been less than three years since then, and the original prefecture and county structure has not changed much.

For example, the green willows lining both sides of the official road, leading directly to the Prince's Mansion, were very familiar to Zhu Houcong and his servant Huang Jin.

The figure of that boy who studied in the Prince's Mansion thirteen years ago still seems to appear faintly under the shade of the trees.

"Boom boom boom——"

Zhu Houcong was strolling down the street when he suddenly heard the bell ringing. He turned to look at the bell tower in the distance.

In his youth, he could hear the bell every morning while reading aloud. Now, the evening bell is ringing out, and it sounds exactly the same as he remembered.

Huang Jin sensed His Majesty's mood and whispered, "My lord, shall we follow the path?"

"Let's go! Call Wenfu over too!"

Zhu Houcong chuckled lightly: "Back then, you and Wenfu followed behind me, and you still are now..."

Lu Bing quickly stepped forward and came to the back, following silently with his head down.

Huang Jin was somewhat puzzled.

Lu Bing, who is usually full of energy, seems rather listless these days.

Zhu Houcong, however, paid no attention, lost in his own memories: "I remember, those stone steps in front of the bell tower, it always seemed like I could never walk up them..."

In fact, as you walk further, the stone steps are much narrower than you remember.

A gust of wind swept by, scattering willow catkins across the ground. The prince, holding a book and brimming with ambition, turned from the depths of time to become the king of the entire land.

"In the thirteen years since I ascended the throne, I have reformed the abuses of the time, eliminated the redundancies and excesses, destroyed Annam, and recovered Jiaozhi, bringing joy to the whole country and peace to the world!"

"I have not yet reached the age of thirty, yet I have already accomplished unparalleled feats; the future is long..."

"And what kind of golden age will it usher in?"

Just as Zhu Houcong was feeling triumphant, he suddenly felt empty and couldn't help but sigh.

Huang Jin never concerned himself with politics; his round face only held a gentle smile, and he never made such remarks.

Lu Bing, however, was ambitious. In the past, he would have said that the Mongol Tartars in the northern grasslands were also a major threat and should not be taken lightly. He believed that if he could take over the Hetao region and sweep away the northern desert, it would be an unparalleled achievement.

But he had other thoughts on his mind and did not respond, his mind wandering.

"Let's go back!"

Zhu Houcong finally glanced at Lu Bing and spoke calmly.

The emperor and his ministers strolled back into the southern tour group and officially stayed at the former residence of Prince Xing.

According to the itinerary, the next two weeks would be for the emperor to oversee the progress of the restoration of Xianling Mausoleum, hold a grand sacrificial ceremony to announce his achievements to his ancestors, and then, naturally, move his father's memorial tablet into the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

These tasks were mainly carried out by officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial, while the accompanying officials simply stood respectfully on either side.

To be able to occupy a place in the emperor's most precious memories of his hometown is already an unparalleled honor.

But there are a few people who are not content to just be background figures.

After a thorough investigation, Yan Shifan came forward to report: "Mingwei, I have not failed you! Through my investigation, I have obtained a crucial clue. A servant testified that three nights before the arson, he saw a person dressed as an imperial guard entering and leaving the residence of Marquis Wuding!"

Hai Yue's gaze sharpened: "Did you get a clear look at its appearance?"

Yan Shifan looked regretful: "The man's hat brim was pulled low, making it difficult to see his face. We could only say that he was over five feet tall, with a robust build and a swift gait. The servants disappeared in the blink of an eye."

"However, this confession is quite credible."

Yan Shifan took out a scroll of notes from his sleeve: "I questioned several servants, and they all testified that the servants who testified were indeed loitering near the noble residence at the time. I went there again to see for myself. The pillar where the servants were standing happened to be a blind spot. When the thief came out of Guo Xun's residence, he was spotted by the servants. But if the thief was inside the residence, it would have been difficult for him to notice someone in the corner..."

Haiyue nodded in praise: "Donglou's investigation was meticulous."

"Ha ha!"

Yan Shifan grinned, his proudest achievement being: "I followed the possible escape route of the thief, investigating every servant and maid, scattering gold beans one by one, and finally determined that the most likely location for the thief to disappear was in the courtyard of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard's courtyard..." Hai Yue's eyes flickered slightly: "Were Guo Xun's servants also taken by the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"I already took it!"

Yan Shifan has investigated: "Ever since Commander Wang accused Guo Xun of colluding with the White Lotus heretics, the servants of the Marquis of Wuding's residence have been arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and interrogated rigorously. According to what they've heard, these servants have confessed that Guo Xun frequently lured them away in the courtyard recently, leaving them alone to do unknown things..."

Haiyue said, "So, based on this, the Embroidered Uniform Guard proved that Guo Xun colluded with the White Lotus Sect?"

"Yes! The Marquis of Wuding's mansion is completely finished!"

Yan Shifan sneered: "In the case of Li Fuda before, it was still a case of protecting a suspect. Now, in order to regain the Emperor's favor, Guo Xun has simply taken a risk and has really colluded with the White Lotus Sect. He himself is dead, and he can't even keep his title!"

"No!"

Haiyue slowly shook her head: "It's hard to say whether that 'Imperial Guard' is a member of the White Lotus sect, but their motives are wrong. Guo Xun's painstaking efforts this time are to gain the Emperor's mercy by feigning weakness, hoping to regain the Emperor's favor through the Great Rites Controversy, is that right?"

Yan Shifan exclaimed in surprise, "Yes! But he failed..."

"But Guo Xun didn't know he would fail, did he?"

Haiyue said, "Given this man's arrogant nature, the fact that he's willing to lower himself and pretend to be old must mean he's been planning this for a long time. Donglou, think about it: he practiced in his residence for a long time, even deceiving those around him, before rejoining the southern tour team. With all that effort, how could he know that he would fail and seamlessly transition into colluding with the White Lotus sect?"

"Considering defeat before considering victory..."

Yan Shifan came up with an excuse, but after thinking about it, he realized that the Marquis of Wuding was always arrogant and would not be so cautious: "Tsk! It is indeed strange. If it were not to regain the Emperor's favor, why would he collude with the White Lotus sect?"

Haiyue countered, "The key question is, does Guo Xun know that the person who contacted him was a member of the White Lotus sect?"

"what?"

Yan Shifan was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized: "Mingwei means that, just like when he accepted Zhang Yin's bribe back then, he didn't know that the person was actually the White Lotus Demon Li Fuda, and Guo Xun was tricked?"

"Not bad!"

Haiyue said, "Someone as stubborn and self-willed as Guo Xun sometimes falls into the same trap twice. If someone is using this method to set up a scheme against him, it means they have thoroughly understood his nature and their methods are incredibly cunning!"

Yan Shifan pondered and said, "So, the person who impersonated an Imperial Guard disappeared in the courtyard of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the end. Hiss! Could it be... that one of them set a trap for Guo Xun?"

Haiyue said, "The most urgent task is to find the 'Imperial Guard' who made contact with Guo Xun, check the duty records for those days, and see who has abandoned their post!"

"This is not easy to investigate. The Imperial Guards are notoriously lax, even with the Emperor himself present..."

Yan Shifan smiled wryly, then stopped halfway through his sentence and abruptly stood up: "Very well! How can an easy case showcase my talent? Mingwei, just wait for good news!"

Not to mention that the young Grand Secretary went to solve the case by throwing beans, almost at the same time, Tao Dianzhen entered and reported: "Hanlin, I have a crucial clue to report!"

"explain."

"That night, imperial guards witnessed Lord Guo being abducted from the palace by a group of thieves, and he was still struggling on the way!"

"Are you sure it's Marquis Guo Xun of Wuding?"

Haiyue's expression turned serious again: "Commander Wang can confirm before His Majesty that Lord Guo had a conflict with the White Lotus demons and was immediately harmed. How could there be any movement when he left the palace?"

Meeting his intense gaze, Tao Dianzhen hesitated for a moment, but remembering the deep-seated hatred and humiliation he felt from being hung up and whipped by the Embroidered Uniform Guard in Chaotian Palace, he took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "This matter is of great importance, how dare I make a rash judgment?"

"According to eyewitnesses, a burly man was seen carrying a bound person on his back. The person's limbs were all tied up, and there seemed to be something stuffed in his mouth."

"During the struggle, the gag came loose, and it emitted a cry for help—"

"The Imperial Guards heard it clearly; it was definitely the voice of Marquis Wuding!"

Haiyue interrupted, asking for details: "How could the Imperial Guards remember the Marquis of Wuding's voice?"

Tao Dianzhen explained: "According to this person, the Marquis of Wuding was knocked down by the Imperial Guards a few days ago, and he was there when people helped him up..."

"At first, I thought I had misheard, after all, there was no way Lord Guo could appear there. But then the bandits immediately gagged the old lord and beat him on the head until he was unconscious before fleeing. That's when I realized something terrible had happened!"

Haiyue's gaze sharpened: "Why has such an important matter been delayed in being reported?"

Tao Dianzhen straightened his Taoist robe and wide sleeves, took two steps forward: "That eyewitness was just a night patrol guard, how dare he speak ill of nobles? Besides, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has now confirmed the crime of Marquis Wuding colluding with the White Lotus Sect..."

He suddenly lowered his voice, almost squeezing it out between his teeth: "In my humble opinion, the one who is truly in cahoots with the White Lotus Demons is probably not Marquis Wuding, but that Commander!"

Haiyue was silent.

He did not reveal to anyone the possibility that Wang Zuo was poisoned and then detoxified, and the current progress of the investigation and various clues all seem to point to one thing.

Seeing that the man remained silent instead of reprimanding him, Tao Dianzhen's heart pounded. Seizing the opportunity, he summarized: "Regarding the two points of doubt raised by Hai Hanlin, I have pondered them for many days and have finally figured out one of them—"

"Commander Wang reported to His Majesty that Guo Xun died after colluding with the White Lotus Sect, and that the court wanted to strip him of his title. However, if the court were to issue an edict stripping him of his title, Guo Xun might reappear at any time. Wouldn't this living Marquis of Wuding become a fatal handle to control the Commander?"

"This is the key to why thieves must take the prisoners alive, but also leave behind charred corpses at the scene!"

(End of this chapter)