Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 265 Unraveling the Mystery
The Imperial Guard's compound.

A thick stack of files lay on the desk.

Tao Dianzhen rubbed his wrist.

There were a total of seventy-seven Imperial Guards and patrolmen who spent the night there.

The twenty-eight Taoist priests on duty at Chaotian Palace.

All detailed testimonies have been entered.

Just doing this task takes up almost a whole day.

To be fair, he didn't think it was necessary.

Because many people clearly had no opportunity to kill Hu Sandao, they were also repeatedly questioned, and even their daily interactions with Hu Sandao were recorded.

Will this really help in figuring out how the deceased was murdered?
Haiyue opened the file and, as she scanned it, suddenly said, "Hu Sandao's original name was Hu Fei. There are various explanations for why he is called 'Sandao' (Three Knives)."

"Some imperial guards said that Hu Fei was the third son in his family and liked to use and hide knives. He often boasted that he had three precious knives at home. Over time, others called him 'Three Knives'."

"Some imperial guards said that Hu Fei could defeat the enemy without a fourth strike, and that he could finish the battle with the first three strikes. Hence he was called 'Three Strikes,' which was a respectful title."

"The Imperial Guards also said that Hu Fei's first three strikes were powerful and impressive, but then he became disorganized. The nickname is quite ironic..."

"Why are there so many different opinions about the same twelve regiments of the Imperial Guard?"

Tao Dianzhen guessed, "This person must be a big braggart, hence the many rumors and conflicting opinions."

Haiyue asked, "In your opinion, how good is Hu Sandao's martial arts?"

Tao Dianzhen stroked his beard and analyzed: "If we're talking about true talent and skill, if Hu Sandao were truly a master swordsman, he should have been selected for the Embroidered Uniform Guard long ago. The fact that he's relegated to a lower-ranking position shows that his martial arts skills are ultimately limited. However..."

He then changed the subject: "Among the Imperial Guards, this man is quite skilled. It was no easy feat for him to sneak close to the thieves that night without being detected. If it had been an ordinary soldier, he would probably have been killed long ago!"

Haiyue nodded slightly: "That makes sense."

Tao Dianzhen frowned: "In that case, this matter is even more puzzling. Although Hu Sandao is not a top expert, he is not an ordinary person. Even if a powerful enemy launches a surprise attack, he should have a chance to deal with it. Moreover, how could he die so silently in front of everyone?"

Haiyue asked, "What was this person's last message?"

"'Your Majesty, spare my life'?"

Tao Dianzhen asked in surprise, "How could he have alarmed His Majesty? Could it be that he is talking nonsense out of fear?"

"This 'Son of Heaven' may not necessarily refer to His Majesty..."

Haiyue warned, "There's another thief who dares to overstep this authority!"

"Yuan Tianzi, the leader of the Li Yuan Society?"

Tao Dianzhen had previously participated in the arrest of Fan Jing'an and had personally heard the name of the bandit leader of Liyuan Society revealed by him. He was deeply impressed and immediately moved: "Was this person killed by 'Yuan Tianzi'?"

Haiyue said, "That's not impossible."

"This this……!"

Tao Dianzhen paled.

While those with superior martial arts skills can be defeated by force, such unpredictable and mysterious methods of killing are impossible to guard against.

Does that bandit leader of the Liyuan Society really possess such terrifying abilities?

"Letting a witness die in full view of everyone, without even being able to determine the cause of death..."

Haiyue said, "This method of killing seems incredibly skillful, but excluding other possibilities, it might just be a simple killing technique that requires a lot of preparation and is subject to many restrictions!"

"what?"

Tao Dianzhen was taken aback upon hearing this, then his eyes lit up with wild joy: "Has Scholar Hai solved the mystery of this case? Where is the thief now? I will go and capture him right away!"

That's the "Prince of Yuan"—the leader of the Liyuan Society!
If we can capture him, how could the emperor not look at him differently?

His mind raced, and his gaze swept intently over everyone present.

The imperial guards who lived with them, the soldiers who patrolled at night, and even their fellow disciples from Chaotian Palace.

At this moment, they all became suspicious people in his eyes!

"Not urgent!"

Haiyue wasn't as agitated as the other person and shook her head: "I only thought of one possibility based on these testimonies, but this method requires seeing the body..."

"We are willing to help Hai Hanlin and retrieve the body!"

How could he not be anxious? Tao Dianzhen gritted his teeth and uttered a resolute statement.

Taking a corpse from the Imperial Guards is a dangerous business; you might be killed on the spot.

But fortune favors the bold. If you don’t even dare to take that risk, how will you ever have a chance to climb the ladder of progress?

"The body must be retrieved..."

Haiyue pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "However, you must not confront the capital commander directly; we need to find an opportunity!"

The commotion from the interrogation alerted those around them, and people kept peeking in from outside the courtyard. Just then, Yan Shifan slipped in, approached the two men, and asked with concern, "Mingwei, how is the case progressing?"

Haiyue said, "We are still trying to solve the mystery of this murder case."

Yan Shifan said in a low voice, "His Majesty will be hosting a banquet for his ministers tonight. My father's intention is for this matter to be resolved as soon as possible..."

The Emperor's biological father, Prince Xingxian, has entered the Imperial Ancestral Temple. This southern tour has been a great success. At this time of celebration, it would be unwise to make a big fuss over the life or death of a mere imperial guard. Of course, Yan Shifan also knew that the death of this imperial guard was probably related to the evidence against Wang Zuo, but now that the man was gone, they had already lost a round. They should make a clean break and not dwell on it.

"What! It was 'Yuan Tianzi' who killed them?"

However, when Haiyue revealed her theory about the murderer, Yan Shifan's attitude changed drastically: "This is a golden opportunity! Move! We must move tonight! We must get that body back!"

Seeing this, Tao Dianzhen immediately bowed and said, "This humble Taoist is willing to obey the orders of Hanlin Scholar Hai and Young Master Yan!"

He knew he couldn't claim all the credit for this, but if he could curry favor with this old man, he would be guaranteed to make a profit.

"When we meet the Emperor, that will be the best time for you to launch a surprise attack on the Embroidered Uniform Guard compound."

Haiyue instructed, "Remember, there's no need to fight the Embroidered Uniform Guard to the death. Just use your power to intimidate them. If they refuse to budge an inch, then use a feint attack."

"understand!"

……

"My lords, please!"

In the main hall of the Xingwang Mansion, candles burned brightly on gilded animal-head candlesticks, illuminating the hall as if it were daytime.

Zhu Houcong sat upright in the main seat, dressed in casual clothes, and raised his cup in a gesture of greeting; the fine wine in the glass cup rippled.

"Congratulations to His Majesty!"

The ministers responded in unison, and for a moment, ivory chopsticks lightly tapped on celadon bowls, and golden goblets clattered together with a clear, continuous sound.

Servants moved about like a flowing stream, presenting delicacies one after another.

After several rounds of drinks, a warm atmosphere gradually filled the room.

Yan Song sat at the head of the table, with a humble smile on his face, and occasionally raised his glass to toast his colleagues.

The ministers glanced at the second chancellor out of the corner of their eyes, and seeing his composed demeanor, they couldn't help but feel respect for him.

Even Mao Bowen, the Minister of War, had the same thought.

This southern tour was arduous, and the emperor even experienced a fire. There was no time for leisurely sightseeing. However, being able to leave his mark on the emperor's unique memory would be of great benefit to his future career.

Recently, Grand Secretary Yan has been favored by the Emperor. After returning to the capital, he will likely achieve even greater success!

Compared to Yan Song's widespread attention, Wang Zuo's position was much lower, and he remained relatively unknown, eating and drinking alone.

Firstly, although the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard held a second-rank official position, it was ultimately not as important as the Grand Secretary or the Minister.
Both of them are known for their low-key nature and are often overlooked in large settings, which is something people have long been used to.

However, just as Wang Zuo was drinking alone, he felt a gaze fall upon him.

He looked up and met Haiyue's gaze.

A fierce glint flashed in Wang Zuo's eyes as he deliberately raised the wine cup in his hand, his brows furrowed in a defiant manner.

Haiyue smiled slightly, raised her teacup, and her face still held a touch of gentle elegance.

This move has also attracted the attention of some people, who, combined with the previous conflict, are paying close attention.

One was a commander who had led the Embroidered Uniform Guard for over a decade;

The other was a newly favored nobleman who was personally bestowed a courtesy name by His Majesty.
These two got into a conflict; who will have the last laugh?
Some people even speculated that since the Hanlin Academy had previously invited another commander, Sun Weixian, it might mean that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was about to undergo a change of leadership.
During this time, even Zhu Houcong glanced over, watching the two ministers arguing, a look of great interest flashing in his eyes.

The emperor knew perfectly well what Wang Zuo was doing;
However, the emperor was particularly pleased that Haiyue dared to confront the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, simply because of a suspicion that was difficult to verify.

As the saying goes, "Time will tell," and the loyalty of both He and Lu Bing was demonstrated during this southern tour.

Of course, the truth need not be revealed before Wang Zuo's plan succeeds, so as to avoid alerting the enemy.

The two favored ministers, one old and one new, engaged in a tense standoff during the banquet, only parting ways after the event.

On the way back, Haiyue's steps were noticeably more hurried than usual.

From afar, Yan Shifan and Tao Dianzhen could be seen standing in the courtyard, with a corpse covered by a white cloth at their feet, indicating the success of the seizure of the body.

However, Yan Shifan looked stunned, and Tao Dianzhen's brows revealed even more panic.

What happened?

Upon hearing this question, Yan Shifan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he was momentarily speechless.

Tao Dianzhen said in a trembling voice, "Please...please let Scholar Hai take a look in person!"

The moment the white cloth was lifted, everyone held their breath.

Hu Sandao's hideous death remained, but now a bluish-purple palm print was clearly imprinted on his exposed chest, with the outline of the five fingers clearly visible.

"His sternum was shattered, and his internal organs were torn apart..."

Tao Dianzhen's voice was hoarse: "These are signs that he was killed by a master's palm strike, but when we examined the body last night, more than a hundred pairs of eyes clearly saw that there were no wounds on his chest, and when we pressed on his chest, his sternum was completely intact!"

Yan Shifan scratched his head: "The murderer killed this imperial guard with a single palm strike, but the injury was delayed in showing for several hours. I just asked Master Tao, and he said that even martial arts masters couldn't do that..."

"Horrible! So terrible!"

Tao Dianzhen's face turned ashen: "I have traveled the world, and I have never seen such divine skill, let alone witnessed it with my own eyes. The methods of this 'Prince of Abyss' are simply beyond human capability!"

Compared to the two's utter terror, Haiyue leaned closer to examine the corpse, then suddenly smiled and said, "My previous deduction was correct. 'Yuan Tianzi's' method of killing was indeed that simple!"

(End of this chapter)