Yu Zhixiao lives in the west of the city. There are three squares there. His residence is in the same square as the drug store used in the Houshan murder case, which is called Yonghe Square. It is only separated by a street. There are other houses in front and behind his residence, separated by an alley.
Every house has a wall, and the whole area is relatively regular. But there are hundreds of households in this area alone, not to mention the other two houses in total.
After Wang Yan informed Changsun Wuzheng of Su Yan's plan, Changsun Wuzheng immediately sent more than thirty people, disguised and concealed their weapons, and dispatched by brothers Wang Yan. As night fell, brother Wang Yan immediately led the troops to the west of the city.
Yang Lian was still childish and a little careless, but at this critical moment, he also restrained his temper and led a team of more than ten people to disperse to search the houses across the street from Yu Zhixiao's residence, while Wang Yan searched all the surrounding houses.
Residents.
As the night progressed, every household gradually extinguished the lights and fell asleep. Only the men in black who jumped on the walls and rooftops were still not tired.
After the rooster crows, a shallow red and white light glows in the sky, illuminating each house little by little.
The shopkeeper of Chengxi Pharmacy got up early in the morning, carried a chamber pot, and came out humming a little tune. He leisurely went to pour the chamber pot in the alley next door. After walking a few steps, he suddenly screamed. He saw people lying around in front of him.
A group of people had their necks wiped. He was so frightened that his hands softened and the chamber pot fell to the ground.
The dead people were lying deep in the alley, with their eyes wide open and many bloody holes on their bodies.
A young man walked out of it. The knife in his hand had just been wiped clean, but there were still some blood stains that could not be wiped off. The young man was shocked when he bumped into the shopkeeper, and the shopkeeper was so frightened that he could not walk and hesitated.
Said: "I passed by, but I didn't see anything..."
The young man glanced at the dead man at his feet and cursed in annoyance: "I forgot there is an old man here!"
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper fainted on the spot. When he woke up, he was already in his bed. He took his son's hand and said he had killed someone. But when he went to check in the alley, there was no dead person, and even the blood stains had disappeared.
The shopkeeper still insisted that he saw it when he went to pour the chamber pot. There was obviously a young man with a knife, and all the people he killed were at his feet. He had seen those people before, and they had always lived in this house, and they were only a few meters apart.
An alley! My son didn’t believe it, so he told him that he must have had a nightmare. Look, your chamber pot is still next to the bed. There is still your night urine in it!
The shopkeeper rubbed his eyes. Oh, it's really yellow. It looks like he got angry from eating too many supplements in the past few days. It's really his own!
The shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief, patted his chest and said: Fortunately it was a dream.
In the yard not far away, Wang Yan looked at his younger brother for a long time, but still couldn't help laughing. Yang Lian blushed and muttered: "What's so funny? You've been laughing for half an hour!"
Wang Yan blamed himself very much. He shouldn't have laughed at his younger brother. Then he took a deep breath and pretended to be calm: "Thank you for holding in your urine all night, otherwise, the old man would have gone to the government to report the case! This is the urine,
It’s really sexy, what did you eat?”
"Isn't it just that I've been too tired recently and wanted to replenish myself?" Yang Lian looked at his brother's mocking look on his face and blushed even more, "Stop laughing! I had no choice but to give him something if I hadn't
The chamber pot has been restored to its original state, now we have to go to the Ministry of Punishment to explain it!"
"Okay, okay, I won't argue with you anymore. Let's go. Everyone has almost moved. Let's go and report to Mr. Su and Mr. Changsun." Wang Yan dragged his younger brother over, put his arm around his shoulders, and got into a car.
carriage.
After Changsun Wuzheng settled the sixteen abducted women one by one, he invited Su Yan to the study. When he opened the door, he bumped into Zuo Qing, holding a bowl of tea, and raised his cold eyes to look at them.
a long time.
In the end, he just responded with a faint smile.
Su Yan ignored him and chased after Changsun Wuzheng and said, "Sir, those sixteen women have all met Yu Zhixiao. Yu Zhixiao will definitely not be able to escape their involvement at the moment, but our target is Tan Cen.
If you give me three days, I will definitely be able to find Tan Cen's flaws in him!"
Changsun Wuzheng slowly opened the window, then sat in front of the desk, took a sip of hot tea, and then said: "Zuo Qing, the person you have chosen is indeed very talented, but it is a pity that he is a girl, otherwise my punishment department would definitely
If I ask you for her, my punishment department will become famous!"
Zuo Qing bowed and said with a smile: "My lord, you are joking. Su Yan is just a teacher. She only intervened in the case because students from the academy were involved. She had no choice but to do so."
"But what about this time? You recommended her this time. Aren't you optimistic about her ability to solve crimes? Such talents cannot be wasted in the academy."
Zuo Qing stopped talking and just smiled, a fake smile that would remain unchanged for thousands of years.
Su Yan looked at Zuo Qing in surprise. It turned out that Xilou did not mention it accidentally, but Zuo Qing did it intentionally. Why did he recommend him?
"May I ask, why me?" Su Yan couldn't help but ask.
"Because you have a simple identity and a single background, and you are not from Rongguo. The most important thing is that you are a woman. Women are the easiest to hide from others. Mo Fei monitors the academy and even the entire Ruoshui. I have no one to use, so you naturally become the best
Candidate."
"No one is available?" Su Yan couldn't believe his ears. He looked at Changsun Wuzheng and then at Zuo Qing, "Xilou, Yansheng, and those contestants who have appeared in martial arts competitions to recruit brides, aren't they all
Your people?"
"They are all familiar faces, so they are not available."
"Since you are here, Lord Changsun must be on the same side with you, right? In fact, I should have discovered why the Ministry of Justice, which has always been neutral, suddenly sent two young men who just took office to help me. It turns out that it is you."
"We are all our own people, don't worry too much." Changsun Wuzheng broke the deadlock: "Miss Su, Zuo Qing has good intentions, but at the same time, there is really nothing we can do. Mo Fei's power is at the top of the world, and his eyes are all over the country. We must be extra cautious in selecting you.
Naturally, it has Zuo Qing's purpose, but don't worry, we will definitely ensure your personal safety."
"What about the Ministry of Punishment? The Ministry of Punishment earns so many new faces every year, why don't you go check it out and let me go? My life is not worth anything anymore?"
Changsun Wuzheng was a little embarrassed. He kept tapping his fingers on the table, but he didn't know how to explain it. Zuo Qing slowly explained: "Before I came, Ruoshui was full of smoke, officials protected each other, traitors were in power, and the people at the bottom were suffering. Mr. Changsun
Although he is the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, he is isolated and helpless, and it is not easy to maintain it to this day. However, there is also Mo Fei's spy in the Ministry of Justice. Lord Changsun knows who it is, but there is no way to eradicate it. Therefore, the Ministry of Justice is not safe, and only those two are still there.
Young people who have not reported to the Ministry of Justice can still be used."
"Is it so dangerous?" Su Yan subconsciously looked at the darkness around him, and suddenly had the illusion that there were eyes everywhere.
Changsun Wuzheng sighed slightly: "It has been more than ten years. In the past, there was still Empress Yu who suppressed His Majesty, and there were singers who stabilized the court. Mo Fei did not dare to act rashly even if he had different intentions. Unfortunately, once Empress Yu died, Rong Guo became Mo Fei's.
The world!"
Su Yan never thought that he would hear about his aunt from Changsun Wuzheng. The look in his eyes seemed to indicate that he had a different feeling for his aunt. To be able to maintain such feelings after ten years must have gone deep into his bones...
Su Yan had a guess in her mind that shocked her.
"It's up to you to collect information about that group of women. If it's useful, record it. I'll still send you Brother Wang Yan. Don't look at them as fledglings. Anyone who can be included in our punishment department, no matter whether they are new soldiers or old soldiers, has their own merits.
The eldest brother, Wang Yan, is cautious and careful, and can investigate the parts of the case that ordinary people cannot. His ability is very strong, and he will not be limited to the Ministry of Punishment in the future!"
"What about Yang Lian?" Su Yan asked him.
Changsun Wuzheng showed a trace of helplessness on his face: "I have a close friend who once fought alongside me and later died in the battle. Before he died, he entrusted his young son to me. I must take good care of him."
"So, Yang Lian is not Wang Yan's biological brother?"
"They all don't have the same surname, so they certainly don't have the same father and mother."
"But……"
"Did Yang Lian say that he took his mother's surname?"
Changsun Wuzheng looked out the window, but Su Yan found that there were tears in the corners of his eyes.
"Yang Lian was born to a close friend of mine and was the only son in the family. After his father died in the war, his only mother also went with him, leaving behind an infant child. I found a family for him, and the head of the family was a merchant from Jiangnan.
A son has just turned three years old, and he is Wang Yan. This family has a harmonious family, which is the most suitable. But somehow, Wang Yan knew Yang Lian's identity, so he has been indifferent to this unrelated child since he was a child. But when the Ministry of Punishment opened the examination
When recruiting, he still brought Yang Lian with him."
"It turns out that there is such a story..." Su Yan sighed, and couldn't help but think of himself. Even though Wang Yan hated his unrelated brother so much, he still couldn't let him go at the critical moment, but he needed himself the most in Fozhen.
When I did, I let go of my hand.
Su Yan hurriedly left. The housekeeper was outside the door. When he heard the noise, he immediately followed her and led her to the residence where the victims were staying.
After Su Yan left, Changsun Wuzheng finally asked what he had been hiding in his heart for a long time: "This Mr. Su is like someone who jumped out of a rock. He is extremely intelligent and courageous, but I
But you feel that her use to you is more than that, right? Her identity should be more than simple."
"What do you want to say, sir?"
"Zuo Zhang's matter has come to this, and you still want to hide it from me?"
Zuo Qing didn't react at all, but said lightly: "My lord has guessed it, just don't tell her."
"I won't interfere with your plans. I'll listen to whatever you want. I'll naturally be happy to do whatever you want me to do." Changsun Wuzheng stared at him and suddenly asked: "But there is one thing I want to ask you. What happened ten years ago?"
Are you really sure that Murphy did it?"
Zuo Qing frowned and turned to look at him: "What do you mean, sir?"
"Ten years ago, the Xuan family case and the palace fire happened in the same month. Since the fire was planned by Mo Fei for a long time, how did he manage to control the Zhao Guoxuan family thousands of miles away?"
"Mo Fei has many men, so it is easy to send a few people there. In order to obtain the complete book of weapons, he went to great lengths to create a massacre. This is his character."
"Perhaps, a book of weapons can make the whole world go crazy, haha!"
Changsun Wuzheng still had doubts in his heart. At that time, Mo Fei only focused on power and position. To him, the weapon list was nothing more than a tool to please His Majesty. But compared to the mere weapon list, eradicating the queen and the prince was the shortcut to the pinnacle of power. What's more?
, the Xuan family is thousands of miles away and poses no threat to him. The only connection with Kyoto is with the singer family.
But Zuo Qing didn't believe it. There was only hatred in his eyes.
In the warm and bright room, the girl stood behind the screen, her beautiful figure clearly visible on the screen. Su Yan was stunned. In her memory, she had only seen her master. She was still young at that time, and her master was not there either.
To avoid taboos, he would always take off his shirt in front of her, wave a cattail leaf fan on a hot day, and lead her to the street to get ice cubes while cursing the weather. Kuai Feng Town is not big, but there is a wealthy businessman from Chu City, and he doesn’t know
How to bring ice cubes. In short, during the hot summer days at that time, wealthy businessmen always gave free ice cubes to people in the town to cool off.
Although the memories are beautiful, they are also short-lived. Su Yan returned to reality with a smile on her lips. She felt that the time at that time was the best.
"Girl." Su Yan knocked on the door, "The door is not closed, sorry to disturb you."
The woman hurriedly packed herself up and came out. She was pretty, with a pair of fox eyes, which were made even more charming by a little bit of powder.
She said timidly: "It is a sin of a common girl to open the door to change her clothes. Please punish her!" She then knelt down and kowtowed.
Su Yan hurriedly stopped: "I'm not an official. Which woman have you ever seen who is an official?"
The woman looked up and realized that she had recognized the wrong person, so she was willing to stand up, but she still said timidly: "That is also a noble person here, a common girl..."
"Aren't they all human?"
The woman was stunned and didn't know how to answer.
Su Yan helped her onto the imperial concubine's bed and asked her, "Are you from the city?"
The woman shook her head: "He's from Huangyazi Town."
Huangyazi Town?
"It's near Ruoshui. It's said to be a town, but not many people live there. There's no government office. There are only a few officials sent by Ruoshui City."
Su Yan had never heard of such a town before and continued to ask her: "Then what is your name? How did you get kidnapped to Ruoshui City?"
Su Yan's words touched on her sadness. The woman wiped her tears and said: "Fang Hui, a peasant girl, has a poor family and only has a father with a leg disease to depend on. The peasant girl has no skills, so she wants to find a job as a sweeper.
It happened that a notice was posted outside the town, calling for a group of women to serve the officials, and the monthly wages would be ten copper coins!"
"The civilian girl asked the person who posted the notice, and he said that his sister also worked in the official's house, and she got twenty copper coins a month, so I was tempted. But I didn't expect that it was a trap!"
When Fang Hui got emotional, tears rolled down her cheeks and she couldn't say a word. Su Yan didn't know how to comfort her, so he could only spread his arms and pat her shoulders gently. Fang Hui's mood became calmer and he continued: "
We were all locked up in one place, in the dark every day, and confined in a house. There were many guards, and there was no chance of escape. Anyone who tried to escape would be caught and then beaten severely. Some people couldn't bear it and hung themselves.
, someone was beaten and maimed alive, and they threw her outside to be eaten by wild dogs!"
"Someone died?"
She closed her eyes in pain, as if she didn't want to remember, but the memories always tortured her.
"The civilian girl is the only one who has ever escaped. She ran away for a long time. Unfortunately, there was only a small chance that the civilian girl could escape from the city gate!"
"Wait, city gate? The place where you were imprisoned for the first time was also within the city?"
She nodded: "That place was very remote. I only remember that it was dark and there were no homes around. I ran for a long time before I saw some lights. Those lights were strange and distorted, and... there were ghosts screaming!" She realized.
Su Yan cast a strange look and quickly explained: "Maybe I was too scared at the time and just ran to the city gate. I heard it wrong or saw it wrong."
Su Yan was not discouraged and asked again: "Among the people with you, has anyone been there?"
"I heard from Xiaoying that she had been there, and she stayed there for two days before arriving at Yonghefang. But all of us were covered with black cloth on the road and we didn't know the route at all."
There is always a gap in every secret. If everyone recalls some clues and puts them together, they may be able to find the location.