Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 107: Finding Some Benefits for the "Dog Father"
"Unless you're the murderer!"

The Eighth Prince's tone was very gentle, with a warm, spring-like quality. When it reached the Seventh Prince's ears, he felt as if thunder had struck his ears, and his legs felt weak and powerless.

"Clap!"

The seventh prince collapsed limply to the ground: "I'm not the murderer, I'm really not the murderer, I didn't do it, you can't frame me..."

The Eighth Prince gently helped the Seventh Prince up: "Please calm down, Seventh Prince. I will investigate the case as soon as possible, find the real culprit, and clear your name."

"Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Your Highness!"

The seventh prince was no longer arrogant as before, and obediently stepped aside like a little quail.

Li Zhaoting and Feng Suzhen went to the crime scene.

The crime scene was extremely chaotic.

The room was a mess of blood-red patterns. The Goguryeo prince had at least thirty to fifty wounds crisscrossing his body, and seven or eight sword wounds on his face. His fatal wound was a sword piercing his chest, the sword energy penetrating his heart, and blood gushing out like a pump, completely disrupting the scene.

This is not how a killer would operate.

He kills only to kill, and draws only one sword.

This is how the "murderer" committed the murder.

The "murderer" may kill out of revenge, may be paid to kill, or may have a special mission. They will devise a complete plan before killing and destroy the scene after killing to completely erase their traces.

In this era, there is no DNA verification, fingerprint verification is very inaccurate, there is only simple trace detection, and even the coroner's manual does not have a complete system.

A complete system of forensic science would not be established until decades later, when Song Ci was born and summarized it in "Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified".

Of course, it's not that there were no coroners, but rather that there wasn't a complete system. Coroners existed very early on; historical records from the Qin Dynasty contain accounts of footprints.

Footprints are very important traces.

Footprints can be used as evidence in many cases.

The pattern of the shoe can be deduced, or the height can be estimated based on the height ratio, thus narrowing down the scope of the examination.

The murderer had clearly considered these things.

He first pressed the pressure points on the Goguryeo prince, then swung his sword and slashed him, cutting him until he was covered in blood, using the blood to smear the scene and completely destroy the traces at the scene.

This is Feng Suzhen's reasoning.

Li Zhaoting did not agree with Feng Suzhen's reasoning.

This reasoning has a serious flaw.

Even if the Goguryeo prince's acupoints were sealed and he couldn't make a sound, and all the tables and chairs around him collapsed while he was fleeing, didn't the guards hear him?

Where did the guards go?

Li Zhaoting asked around.

Soon, I got a frustrating answer.

To ensure the "prince's privacy," the guards outside his bedroom were all Goguryeo warriors. Unfortunately, the prince had a flaw: he was extremely fond of women.

The crown prince cannot live without women.

Especially after arriving in the bustling Central Plains, he was so captivated by the beauties of all shapes and sizes that he lost his mind. As soon as he checked into the Tongwen Hall, he immediately ordered people to find singing girls.

During this period, of the "Four Great Asian Sorceries," only makeup techniques were mature. Without the skillful hands of doctors, the women of Goguryeo were far less beautiful than those of the Central Plains.

As the saying goes, living in the capital is not easy!
The courtesans in the capital are all top-notch.

She excels in beauty, talent, and temperament.

To become the most beautiful courtesan, one needs at least one skill that is highly refined. Some are exceptionally beautiful, some are proficient in musical instruments, and others are excellent cooks. These courtesans are a complete disadvantage to the Goguryeo prince.

After enjoying it once, every night, the Goguryeo crown prince would pay homage to Emperor Wu of Wei and ask the classic question that Cao Cao had asked when he entered Wancheng.

Last night was no exception.

To have a good time, the Goguryeo crown prince ordered his guards to go back to sleep, all of them far from their bedrooms. Only the palaces further away were guarded by the Song imperial guards.

"Who was the songstress last night?"

Li Zhaoting summoned the chief eunuch from Goguryeo.

"Ah~ this...we..."

The old eunuch was trembling with fear and stammered.

Is this question difficult?

Li Zhaoting waved his hand, and the surrounding imperial guards drew their weapons with a whoosh. More than twenty spears were pointed at the chief eunuch's vitals. If he dared to shirk responsibility again, he would be considered the murderer. The seventh prince's eyes darted around, clearly indicating that he had some bad ideas.

The words of the Eighth Prince reminded him.

Who is the prime suspect?

The seventh prince!
Can the seventh prince become the crown prince?
As long as the King of Goguryeo can still have sons, and as long as his uncles and aunts have sons, the situation will be unstable.

What should we do most right now?

We must resolve this case as quickly as possible. No matter who the murderer is, even if they are a courtesan or a prostitute, and even if they are maliciously framed, we must not get involved in this case.

The topic of "the Goguryeo crown prince being murdered after soliciting prostitutes in the middle of the night while on a diplomatic mission to the Song Dynasty" is extremely unsightly for the Goguryeo royal family and very advantageous to the seventh prince.

The Seventh Prince roared, "Speak! Did you kill the Crown Prince? Believe me or not, I'll skin you alive!"

The old eunuch looked miserable. Seeing that the Seventh Prince wanted to use him as a scapegoat, he hurriedly said, "The woman we found last night wasn't a courtesan, but a commoner from the capital."

"Ok?"

"Last night, the Crown Prince was strolling around when he saw a stunningly beautiful woman. He fell in love at first sight and ordered us to capture her and take her back. And then..."

The old eunuch's legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees.

Li Zhaoting sneered, "You deserve to die!"

Feng Suzhen asked, "Speak! Where are the women you kidnapped? Were they killed? If you dare to tell even half a lie, I'll chop you into a human stick!"

Li Zhaoting reached out and grabbed the old eunuch's shoulder. With a snap, his left shoulder was crushed by sharp claws.

"This servant...this servant couldn't find her! I didn't see that woman. That woman is an assassin!"

The old eunuch grimaced in pain, wildly biting and clawing. This story is not entirely fabricated; for assassins, using a beautiful woman as a weapon is a common tactic.

In the martial arts world, the ratio of men to women is 80/20.

Assassins in the underworld, 40% male and 60% female.

Women account for 60% of killers.

Although the most famous are Zhongyuan Yidianhong, Pinggu Yidianhong, Liu Fenyu, Sima Xue, and Meng Xinghun, there are no female assassins because they all have aliases.

Male assassins need to create a buzz around their reputation.

Female assassins must maintain strict secrecy; apart from their agents, no one knows their true identities. The identities they use are all pre-arranged aliases.

Some were courtesans. Others were young girls selling flowers.

Some of them were old women selling roasted chestnuts.

Some of them were elderly beggars begging on the streets.

Some would cultivate women based on the target's interests; the most famous example is Gao Xiaofeng, who studied the history of the Ming Dynasty and could make someone fall in love with just one sentence.

Let's analyze it along this line of thought.

It is known that the crown prince of Goguryeo was fond of women.

If you want to assassinate someone, the best way is to use a honey trap. A courtesan's identity is too obvious and easy to be discovered. It would be better to disguise yourself as a poor commoner.

The Goguryeo crown prince wouldn't dare kidnap noblewomen, but he certainly would.

This is something that's not convenient to talk about.

The surrounding guards will be completely cleared out.

After the assassination is completed, you can disguise yourself as a palace maid.

The palace maids and eunuchs were all counted.

This indicates that the other party has an inside contact at the Tongwen Guan (School of Combined Learning).

Or perhaps the assassin was actually a palace maid who disguised herself as a commoner to lure the Goguryeo crown prince.

They come without a trace and go without a sound.

This is the simplest killing move.

It is also the most unsolvable trap.

Intrigues and schemes don't require years of planning.

The more you plan, the easier it is to be exposed.

The most difficult case to solve is not the series of cases Conan encounters, but the one where, while hiking one night, he takes a dislike to someone, kicks him off a cliff, and then walks away, never to return in this lifetime.

Even Sherlock Holmes was helpless against this kind of case.

The same applies to killers.

Instead of devising a messy case, it's better to use a honey trap. The margin for error is very high, and even if you don't manage to escape, there's still some room for maneuver.

Li Zhaoting and Feng Suzhen quickly analyzed the case, wrote it into a file, and presented it to the Eighth Prince. Li Zhaoting subtly implied that his father had lived in the south for several years and was familiar with the southern climate, so he would find it very difficult to adapt to returning to the Central Plains.

The Eighth Prince, understanding the implied meaning from the music, declared that he would appoint your father as a special envoy, representing the Song Dynasty and stationed permanently in Dali.

No responsibilities, double salary.

Officials in the Song Dynasty received very high salaries.

There are many redundant staff who only take money but do nothing.

Li Nanxing does not belong to this category.

Li Zhaoting is neither a constable nor an official; investigating cases is not a voluntary act of kindness, and he needs to receive something in return.

"Tiger Cub" made a contribution to "Dog Father".

Let alone double the salary, even giving Li Nanxing ten times the salary would be reasonable. Even if Wang Anshi were to judge, he would say that the prince did the right thing.

If Li Nanxing is not rewarded, Li Zhaoting must be rewarded.

Tiger didn't want to be an official.

The "dog father" happily accepted everything!
The credit for "Feng Shaomin" belongs to Feng Shaoqing.

When Feng Shaoqing's three-year term is over, coupled with the merits accumulated by Feng Suzhen, he will be promoted to become one of the six vice ministers, which is a promising future.

The Eighth Prince asked, "Do you mean that the assassin is mixed among the palace maids, and that we need to investigate the palace maids?"

Li Zhaoting waved his hand: "Besides that, I also want to check which singers the Crown Prince of Goguryeo has chosen these past few nights. I need a specific list."

"why?"

"Let's assume this is a hired murder case. The person behind it would inform the assassin of some of the target's habits, but to carry out an assassination of this level, they would definitely have a few of their own people verify it in person. I suspect that in the past few days, the songstresses that the Crown Prince has been in contact with have assassin spies. They have confirmed the Crown Prince's preferences and sent out the corresponding assassins."

"Tell me more about it."

"The Goguryeo crown prince was lustful, but lust doesn't mean he'll take any woman. He always has his likes and dislikes. Some people like women who are slender and can dance on a palm, some like women with curvaceous figures, some like widows, and some like mountain girls. If I'm not mistaken, the Goguryeo crown prince liked ordinary, naive girls from common backgrounds."

How do you know so much?

"My father taught me in Dali."

"Dali teaches this?"

Have you ever heard of the King of Zhennan in Dali?

"Ahem~ No need to say anything! I understand!"

The Eighth Prince coughed awkwardly twice.

The Eighth Prince had obviously heard of Duan Zhengchun's prestigious reputation, and it was perfectly reasonable for Li Nanxing to teach Li Zhaoting these things in advance.

The old eunuch quickly produced the list.

As the Crown Prince's personal eunuch, the old eunuch was responsible for recording his daily activities, which contained detailed information.

Li Zhaoting quickly skimmed through the names.

Yihong Courtyard, Xiaohuaxi, Baihualou...

Shuyu, Lanwan, Xuetang, Meidie...

Which brothel is most likely?

Feng Suzhen suddenly asked a question.

"I'm not very familiar with brothels!"

Li Zhaoting astutely gave the correct answer.

Li Zhaoting is indeed not very familiar with him.

During his time in the capital, he was either traveling around with his three concubines, causing deaths everywhere, or teaching his disciples. He really didn't have time to listen to music in brothels.

"Let's go take a look tonight."

"The two of us?"

"Ever since Young Master Feng surpassed Yelü Yancai, the most sought-after courtesans in the brothels have been longing for you! They all want you to leave behind a few pieces of your calligraphy so that they can raise their own value."

Li Zhaoting raised his eyebrows, his expression full of provocation.

Feng Suzhen: (へ╬)
(End of this chapter)