Humans in All Heavens: Starting with Detective Dee

When Zhou Yi was watching the TV series, he wondered why Di Renjie went straight to the earthen kiln after arriving in the capital.

That doesn't make logical sense.

It turns out that Wu Zetian wrote this matter in a document she gave to Di Renjie.

That makes sense.

Clearly, Wu Zetian, as the first female emperor in history, was indeed talented and resourceful.

She didn't want to tell Di Renjie that Liu Jin was in the earthen kiln.

However, she herself probably already guessed that the case of the mission was related to the case of the kiln fire.

Otherwise, there would have been no need to include the mission case and the fire and attack on the earthen kiln in the document.

What are your thoughts?

Di Renjie took the document and then asked a question.

"What audacity! Absolutely outrageous!" Zhou Yi exclaimed.

"Yes," Di Renjie said, squinting his eyes and sighing inwardly.

Just then, a constable came over with Di Renjie's luggage.

"Grandpa, everything is ready."

Zhou Yi stepped forward and took the item.

Di Renjie smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

"Serving the master was not hard work, but it's just that the master is leaving like this."

"What should our county do?" the yamen runner asked.

"His Majesty will likely assign you a new county magistrate."

During my absence, the county magistrate's assistant will temporarily assume the duties of the county magistrate.

"You all need to handle this matter properly."

"Yes, sir."

Di Renjie looked at Zhou Yi: "Di Chun, let's go."

"Yes, sir."

Zhou Yi carried the package in front, while Di Renjie followed behind.

The two left the county government office and came to the dozen or so soldiers who had delivered the imperial edict.

Of course, these were just imperial edicts. For someone as important as Di Renjie, Wu Zetian would not have simply sent a dozen or so people to protect him on his return to the capital.

In addition to the dozen or so messengers, he was protected by a guard of over a hundred men.

Consider that in the third part, when Li Han, the official in charge of the Ministry of Water Resources, went to Yangzhou to investigate a case, he was protected by a guard of fifty imperial envoys.

How could someone like Di Renjie only have a dozen or so people protecting him?

The TV series probably had fewer actors because Director Qian wanted to save costs.

The carriage was already prepared next to us; it was a brand new carriage, and in addition to the carriage, there were more than a dozen fast horses beside it.

"My lord." The messenger stepped forward.

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's go."

"Please get into the carriage, sir," the imperial guard said respectfully.

"Um."

The guards helped Di Renjie into the carriage.

Di Chun went up to drive the carriage.

A dozen guards mounted their horses, forming two groups, one in front and one behind, to protect Di Renjie's carriage.

"drive……"

The group then joined the imperial guards responsible for protecting Di Renjie.

With hundreds of people protecting them, they were treated to good food and drink wherever they went along the way, much better than Zhou Yi received in Pengze County.

A few days later, dust filled the official road.

A procession of over a hundred people traveled along the official road.

Suddenly a rider galloped up from the front; judging from his clothes, he seemed to be an official.

"Whoa!" The man rushed to the imperial envoy's guards and pulled on the reins.

He looked at the imperial envoy's guard.

"Excuse me, is this Lord Di Renjie's entourage?"

"That's right, who are you?"

"This humble servant is a public servant of Jiangzhang County, and has an urgent official document to deliver."

Sensing the carriage stop, Di Renjie lifted the curtain and looked at Zhou Yi, who was driving: "Why did you stop?"

"Sir, it's a constable from Jiangzhang County with an urgent official document to deliver."

After saying this, Zhou Yi got off the carriage, walked forward, and waved to the official.

The official stepped forward, knelt down, and took out a document: "Lord Di, this is an urgent document from Lingzhou forwarded by the Ministry of Justice. It must be delivered to you immediately."

Zhou Yi stepped forward, took the document, and handed it to Di Renjie. Di Renjie took the document, opened it, glanced at it, and was immediately shocked.

With a wave of his hand, Zhou Yi understood what it meant.

He stepped forward, signed the document, and sent the official back.

……

Late at night, outside the post station in Jiangzhang County, the imperial envoy's guards patrolled continuously.

Inside the room, Di Renjie frowned, clearly deep in thought.

At the desk, he was sketching and writing something on a blank sheet of paper with a calligraphy brush.

"Strange, strange, strange..." Di Renjie uttered several strange words in a row.

At this moment, Zhou Yi pushed open the door and walked in with a cup of tea, gently placing it on the table. Seeing that Di Renjie was deep in thought, he immediately walked to the side without disturbing him.

Upon seeing the teacup in front of him, Di Renjie raised his head, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed.

"Di Chun, you've come at the right time. You haven't seen this document yet, have you? Come and take a look."

As he spoke, he picked up the urgent dispatch from Lingzhou that the official had given him earlier and handed it to Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi stopped pretending and took the book directly to read it.

The document above details the true culprit in the mission case, the number one wanted criminal, Li Yuanfang, who has committed another major crime in Lingzhou, killing twenty-one people, including Lingzhou constables.

"Di Chun, what's your opinion on this matter?"

Di Renjie asked with a smile.

Zhou Yi closed the document and said directly and definitively, "Master, it's obvious that there's something fishy about this."

"Oh, tell me about it."

Based on Zhou Yi's previous performance in solving cases, Di Renjie no longer regarded Di Chun as a steward, but as someone who could discuss cases and provide him with inspiration.

He now desperately wants to gain some inspiration from the Book of Changes.

"Master, let's set aside whether Li Yuanfang orchestrated the murder of the delegation."

He is at least certainly not the main culprit.

Di Renjie remained silent, stood up, and slowly paced back and forth, clearly waiting for Zhou Yi to continue.

"After the real mission was killed, the fake mission went to Chang'an, and Li Yuanfang was hunted down by various forces outside."

The mission, however, swindled the reward and vanished without a trace.

There's no way a main culprit could be out there being hunted down and nearly killed.

However, his own men went into hiding.

Moreover, having committed such a heinous crime, I believe the mastermind's motives must have gone beyond the small amount of wealth the emperor bestowed upon the delegation.

The risks and profits are too disproportionate.

This is a matter of annihilation of nine generations of one's family.

Their purpose was obvious: to rebel.

Only the profits gained from a successful rebellion can offset the risks of such a momentous undertaking.

Since the intention was to rebel, the purpose of killing the true mission was quite clear.

That would be to provoke a war between the Turks and the Great Zhou.

They've already achieved their goal, so why let Li Yuanfang run around outside?

If such a large delegation could hide, how much less could Li Yuanfang, a mere individual, possibly hide?

"Ha ha."

Zhou Yi's words clearly pleased Di Renjie, who stopped and looked at him.

"Di Chun, after this case is over, you don't have to be my housekeeper anymore, okay?"

"With your current abilities, it's a waste of your talents to be my steward. How about I recommend you for an official position in the Dali Temple afterwards?"

"Huh? To Dali Temple?" Zhou Yi was a little surprised when he heard this, obviously not expecting Di Renjie to do this.