Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 261 Coordinating Pressure
"Has nothing happened on Lu Bing's side?"

"It seems to be almost certain..."

"Ha! Is this kind of probing really meaningful?"

While Lu Bing was completely drunk, Hai Yue was taking a walk in her courtyard. With a quick glance, she pieced together the original details of the case.

According to the clues gathered, the six Imperial Guards who guarded Wang Zuo's house on the night of the fire had all received great favors from Wang Zuo and were all highly skilled in martial arts. This is why they were able to serve as the Commander-in-Chief's personal guards and protect his safety.

However, this elite guard was silently killed by the enemy without giving any warning.

Based on the current progress, the answer is obvious.

"Wang Zuo deliberately poisoned himself and was tormented by the poison for nearly a year, becoming weak and emaciated and bedridden. With this foundation, the thief was able to take the first step in blackmailing him."

"The reason why the six guards were so easily killed when the arson was carried out that night was not because the thieves were too strong, but because Wang Zuo suddenly turned against them in order to find the antidote."

"Bai Hui and the others never expected that the Commander they had sworn to protect would actually collude with the thieves to kill them!"

thus.

Another question has also been answered.

The two charred corpses died in different ways: the one in Wang Zuo's house was burned to death before death, while the one in Guo Xun's house was burned after death. Why is there such a difference?
Because when Wang Zuo slaughtered his subordinates, he ultimately felt a pang of reluctance. Perhaps it was Bai Hui, or perhaps one of the other five Imperial Guards, who had not died at the time and still had a breath left. But in order to repay Wang Zuo's past kindness, this person watched as Wang Zuo changed his clothes and put on his ornaments...

At last.

They were burned alive.

"He ruthlessly murdered his closest confidants, just to convince the traitors of his defection..."

"How cruel!"

Haiyue pondered as she strolled along the cobblestone path, her clothes brushing against a few autumn chrysanthemums, carrying their faint fragrance.

It must be said that the former residence of Prince Xing is indeed elegant and pleasant after renovation, no wonder the officials who were able to move in regarded it as a great honor.

But what if these guys knew that the thieves were also hiding among them, and that it was with the tacit approval of the Emperor and the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

In a sense, this is treating the lives of the court officials as a joke.

The fire that night could have really killed people.

Because it was discovered early and evacuated in time, the emperor and officials left the palace immediately, but dozens of people still died under the collapsed buildings.

Haiyue stayed behind to examine the bodies and identities of those people.

Without this step, no one would care; at most, they would just make a mark on the imperial archives after their southern tour.

The lives of servants are so lowly.

But the same thing.

Next, an insider was hidden within the southern inspection team. During the entire process of setting up the scheme, it was hard to guarantee that other disturbances would not occur, endangering innocent people.

At that time, how good will the fate of the subjects be?
Wang Zuo was willing to sacrifice himself, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the rest of his officials to create a death trap.

Jiajing was willing to sacrifice others to set up the scheme.

Haiyue was unwilling to be the one sacrificed.

"Wang Zuo's assassination agent should have succeeded!"

"The first step, poisoning;"

"The second step is to slaughter his subordinates;"

"The third step was to allow the bandits to abduct Guo Xun, and even return to falsely accuse him of colluding with the White Lotus sect, and to strip him of his title of Marquis of Wuding;"

"The thieves, on the other hand, have captured Guo Xun, which is their biggest weakness."

“It is clear that Guo Xun, whom Wang Zuo claims was killed by the White Lotus Sect, was killed by the sorcerers, and Wang Zuo witnessed it with his own eyes. Yet Guo Xun is still alive. This is a heinous crime of deceiving the emperor. I am not afraid that Wang Zuo will not submit.”

"The thief who was lured out after such a painstaking effort must be the true leader of the White Lotus Sect or the Liyuan Society."

"The latter is more likely!"

Haiyue knew that in ancient feudal societies with low productivity, the White Lotus Sect would always have fertile ground to survive and could never be completely eradicated.

It can only be said that when the country prospers and the people live in relative peace and contentment, the White Lotus Sect finds it difficult to spread its teachings and its power is relatively weak; but once the dynasty is in turmoil and war breaks out, they can immediately raise the banner of rebellion and receive a hundred responses. In fact, the slogans of each uprising can even meet the needs of the working people at that time.

In comparison, the Liyuan Society is far more sophisticated and has fewer followers.

Suppressing monarchical power, rectifying the laws and regulations, and seeking the well-being of all people—such slogans sound grand and noble, but in reality, they are lofty and unrealistic, like castles in the air, detached from reality and lacking any real foundation to take root in the local area.

If such a secret society can truly be eradicated by first capturing its leader, then there is indeed a chance to uproot it completely.

Combined with the special occasion of the emperor's southern tour, it was indeed a rare opportunity.

Haiyue doesn't believe he's the only one who can catch the thief, nor does he underestimate Wang Zuo's scheme, but he must avoid becoming an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of this ruthless character's plan.

Thinking of this, he stopped and made a plan: "You can only be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against thieves for a thousand days. We need to make both sides feel some urgency!"

"Hai Hanlin!"

About half an hour later, Tao Dianzhen appeared behind him, a hint of unease in his eyes. He had wanted to expose Wang Zuo's crimes, but was stopped and made to reflect on his actions, realizing he had been too impulsive.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard is fearsome and intimidating, capable of stopping a child's nighttime crying. Wang Zuo is a commander deeply trusted by His Majesty. To try and take down such a figure is indeed overestimating one's own abilities...

"Wang Zuo is definitely suspicious; we need to investigate him thoroughly!"

"Just go ahead and do it; I'll take care of everything! I'm here to help!"

However, upon hearing Haiyue's two words, Tao Dianzhen's body trembled, and a look of joy appeared between his brows. He instantly cast aside any thoughts of hesitation or retreat: "Yes! This humble Taoist will certainly not fail in his mission!"

Haiyue said, "You need to send someone to protect that Imperial Guard who witnessed the incident, and also spread the word that there is such a witness..."

Tao Dianzhen's eyes flickered, and he immediately said, "This humble Taoist understands!"

That night, the imperial guard heard a group of thieves escaping outside the palace. The hostages they were carrying were struggling, and their cries for help sounded like those of the old Marquis Guo Xun.

However, based solely on the testimony, it is difficult to prove that Guo Xun was not dead at that time.

After all, if this matter reaches His Majesty's ears, and Wang Zuo says the other party misheard, who will the Emperor believe?

That's what it means to have little influence when you're in a lowly position.

Moreover, the palace caught fire that night, and the officials were all fleeing in chaos. It is indeed possible that the imperial guards misheard the cries for help.

But if Guo Xun is indeed not dead, and this news reaches the ears of those who are interested, then things will be different.

A guilty conscience needs no accuser, so naturally they'll kill to silence the culprit!
When the time comes, catching them like turtles in a jar will be strong evidence!

Tao Dianzhen returned to his residence and immediately gathered the elite disciples of Chaotian Palace together to begin making arrangements.

These recluses were all handpicked by him. They not only had a desire to improve themselves, but also possessed considerable martial arts skills, making them capable of fighting even against a large number of elite members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

After everyone had finished preparing, Tao Dianzhen straightened his Taoist hat, bowed solemnly, and said frankly, "The path to success for our Taoist sect rests on this one battle. I hope that all of you fellow disciples will give it your all!"

"I'll do whatever Senior Brother Tao commands!"

……

"hateful!"

Wang Zuo paced around the room with his hands behind his back, then suddenly turned around, his sharp gaze landing on one of the people: "You actually made such a mistake, why didn't you say so earlier?"

The man, dressed as a member of the Imperial Guard, with his hat brim pulled low, spoke in a calm voice: "Who would believe the words of a mere Imperial Guard? Just ignore him!"

A cold glint flashed in Wang Zuo's eyes, and his voice suddenly turned cold: "You all ultimately do not understand the Emperor's heart!"

He walked to the window with his hands behind his back, gazing in the direction of the imperial bedchamber: "When I met His Majesty that day, although he did not say it explicitly, how could I not see the doubt in his eyes? His Majesty clearly felt that I had a long-standing grudge against Guo Xun, and that my words were inevitably biased. However, since Guo Xun is already dead, His Majesty is unwilling to investigate further..."

But now—

Wang Zuo suddenly turned around, his robes rustling sharply in the wind: "Rumors are circulating among the Imperial Guards that Guo Xun is not dead, and some have even heard cries for help. This is completely different!"

The man dressed as a member of the Imperial Guard fell silent, and seemed to frown slightly: "So, we have to shut this person up?"

"Of course!"

Wang Zuo said coldly, "How can we allow such rumors to spread unchecked?"

The man dressed as an imperial guard said, "Since the Commander-in-Chief feels this is inappropriate, then send someone to handle it."

"Bastard!"

Wang Zuo flew into a rage, slamming his hand on the table without making a sound: "Are you a blockhead? Can't you see such an obvious trap? Spreading this kind of information is just to lure my Imperial Guards into action, so we can catch them red-handed! Those Taoist priests, they're really tired of living!"

The man dressed as an imperial guard looked at the palm print on the table, and his voice changed: "Since the Commander-in-Chief knows who the other party is, why can't you take action directly and eliminate this group?"

"His Majesty has cultivated Taoism since childhood and treats these people outside the secular world with special regard. If the Embroidered Uniform Guard clashes with the Taoist sect, the consequences will be unpredictable regardless of the outcome!"

Seeing the other party hesitate, Wang Zuo suddenly took a step closer, his voice low but each word sharp as a knife: "This mess was caused by your people, so you'll have to clean up that witness yourself. Once he's dead, I'll shut that old man up!"

He suddenly narrowed his eyes: "Could it be... that you don't have the ability?"

The man dressed as an imperial guard said, "It's not that we can't take action, but it's really unnecessary to make a big fuss over a mere imperial guard witness. If it arouses suspicion from others, wouldn't it be a loss?"

Wang Zuo sneered: "In the end, it all comes down to incompetence. Trash has no right to cooperate with me!"

The man dressed as a member of the Imperial Guard changed color: "Wang Zuo... don't push your luck!"

"Who exactly is pushing their luck?"

Wang Zuo laughed in anger, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists: "Guo Xun is indeed a weakness, but if you think you can control me with that, you're simply delusional!"

He reached out and grabbed the other man by the collar, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "Since you bunch of good-for-nothings only know how to ruin things, and you're going to drag me down with you anyway, let's just go all out now!"

The man dressed as an imperial guard struggled for a moment, then, sensing the danger, his voice softened immediately: "Commander, please calm down, I will go back and report immediately..."

Wang Zuo coldly replied, "Report? Report to whom?"

"He is none other than 'Emperor Yuan'!"

The man straightened his back, his eyes gleaming with fervor: "Once that person steps forward, all the problems will be easily solved!"

(End of this chapter)