Everyone knows that the Ministry of Punishment is a gate of hell, and every brick and tile is filled with an icy air.
Naturally, Kyoto Prefecture is not as cold and dark as the Criminal Department, but the room specially used for interrogation in Kyoto Prefecture is extremely dark. It seems to be to put pressure on the prisoners on trial. There are various torture instruments around the interrogation room, and they are also specially equipped.
There are two fierce soldiers carrying ghost-headed swords.
When the young Taoist priest Xuanzhen was brought into the interrogation room of the Kyoto Prefecture, he felt that his legs were weak, and he would have almost collapsed if the officials hadn't held him back.
There was a lamppost standing in the corner, with lights burning inside, but the lights were deliberately not too bright.
Xuanzhen was escorted by the officers and fell to his knees. He heard a low voice from in front of him: "Xuanzhen, I don't have time to talk nonsense with you. The palace is still waiting for the case to be concluded. Tell me, why did you hire a murderer to kill someone?
Where is the assassin called Shadow Arrow now?"
Xuanzhen suddenly raised his head, his face turned pale, and he lost his voice and said: "Hire... hire a murderer to kill someone? I... I didn't!"
"Still speaking arrogantly?" Judge Zhou, who was in charge of the interrogation, looked gloomy and sneered: "We all know the cause and effect clearly, and you are still making excuses? When you were serving Master Hongling, you were often beaten and scolded by Master Hongling. You have some thoughts in your heart.
You are resentful, so you hire a murderer to kill someone, right?"
"No." Although Xuanzhen was horrified, he also knew that once he was convicted, he would definitely die. He immediately shouted: "I did not kill the master of the temple. I...I did not hire a murderer to kill him. I am unjust.
It is unjust."
"Our Kyoto Prefecture is impartial and impartial." Judge Zhou said sternly: "If we didn't have conclusive evidence, we would not have arrested you. Are you wronged? The real Hongling was murdered by a Taoist boy. That was wrong. That night you gave
Don't think we don't know that Hongling's tea was laced with medicine to make it easier for assassins to commit crimes. I have been handling cases for many years, and with a glance, I know who is guilty and who is innocent. That night, the Prime Minister asked you personally, what did you say that day?
If no one goes to see the real person at night, he is obviously lying."
Xuanzhen changed his color in horror and immediately said: "I...I can't say it!"
"Of course you can't say it." Judge Zhou said coldly: "Because you know that Shadow Arrow is going to assassinate a real person that night, and Shadow Arrow is the assassin you hired. Of course you can't say it."
"No, no." Xuan Zhen said anxiously: "I didn't hire Shadow Arrow. That night...that night the viewer wanted to meet a woman."
"Woman?" Judge Zhou was startled, and then sneered: "That's nonsense. The master of the temple is a monk, how could he see a woman in the middle of the night? Xuanzhen, death is the most important thing. You murdered the real man, do you still want to damage his reputation?"
?”
"It's really a woman." Xuanzhen said anxiously: "The temple owner asked me to wait at the side door at night. Someone would want to see him, so I waited at the side door. In the middle of the night, there was a woman knocking on the door, so I took her there.
I met the real person, and then... and then left. Later, someone heard a strange noise coming from the viewer's yard, and I ran over, only to find...that the viewer had been shot.
"
Judge Zhou said angrily: "That's nonsense. You said a woman went to see a real person in the middle of the night. Who do you think she is?"
"I don't know her either. She's...a woman, and...and she's dressed very richly. I...!" Cold sweat broke out on Xuanzhen's forehead.
"Shut up!" Before Xuanzhen could finish speaking, he heard a sharp scolding coming from behind him. Xuanzhen turned around and saw an official standing behind him with his hands behind his back, with a cold look on his face. He snorted coldly and turned around to leave the interrogation.
In the room, Judge Zhou immediately stood up and followed him out quickly.
"Master Fu Cheng, you...?" Seeing the official standing not far away, Judge Zhou hurriedly stepped forward.
Kyoto
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Tang Jing, the prime minister of the government, looked stern and said in a deep voice: "Judge Zhou, what are you trying? The prisoner is talking nonsense, and you even ask who it is. He is obviously talking nonsense, and you still want to follow his words.
Question? This case has even been investigated by Mr. Chen from the Purple Clothes Prison, and the whole case is clear. Today’s interrogation is just to ask him to sign and sign as soon as possible, so there is no need to talk nonsense.”
Judge Zhou said hurriedly: "Bizhi... I understand!"
"I think you don't understand." Tang Jing said with a cold face, "Not to mention that the case has been revealed. Even if it is not clarified, we still have to close the case as soon as possible. Why do you think Mr. Chen personally intervened in this case?
He does not really want to get involved in this case, nor is he helping Kyoto Prefecture solve the case, but he hopes that we will give the palace an explanation as soon as possible."
Judge Zhou's body was shaken, and Tang Jing sneered: "That old Taoist priest was the royal alchemist, and was killed under the eyes of the emperor. If the case cannot be solved for a long time, where will the court's face be? Three days to solve the case is already the limit, if
If the delay continues, everyone in the world will feel that the court is incompetent, and this major case that happened at the feet of the emperor cannot be solved quickly, and even the saint's face will be damaged. Since Mr. Chen has already brought his intention, we are still dragging our feet here.
Are they all going to get stabbed?" Staring into Judge Zhou's eyes, he asked softly: "Do you know why the Ministry of Punishment threw this case over?"
"Humble job...low job, stupid person!"
"Lu Butang is so shrewd. He knows very well that this case has no other requirements. It only needs to be concluded as soon as possible, and the fewer people involved, the better." Tang Jing whispered: "For such a case, Lu Butang naturally
I don’t have any interest. I just went through the motions and found a reason to close the case. I didn’t understand it at first, but when Mr. Chen came over, I understood it immediately. Master Hongling was not an important official in the court, so even if he just found a reason to close the case,
The Taoist priests in the Taoist temple didn’t dare to say anything about the case, and it was even less likely that anyone would cry out for the old Taoist priest. When he was alive, the old Taoist priest was the royal alchemist, but after he died, he was no longer as good as a dog."
Judge Zhou came to understand, sweat broke out on his forehead, and said: "I understand, sir. Don't worry, I will make him sign the confession within an hour."
"That's very good." Tang Jing sighed: "Master Fu Yin is waiting for the confession to arrive, and immediately prepares a document to submit it. By the way, Xuanzhen's mouth, don't let him implicate other people, not even one, if it really involves him
To others, this case cannot be finalized for the time being, and we are the only ones who are unlucky."
"Understood!" Judge Zhou said with cupped hands: "I am humble enough to come up with a confession as soon as possible." He turned and returned to the interrogation room.
As the sun sets, outside a high gray wall in the south of Kyoto, there is a small river. This is a branch of Raoshui. It is quite wide. Just a few meters away from the white high wall, the river water is clear. A stone bridge connects both sides of the river.
.
Under the gray stone bridge, the water flow is as slow as a mirror, reflecting the shadow of the small bridge and the green branches on the side of the road stretching out to the water. It looks quiet and beautiful. Occasionally, a gust of wind blows by, causing ripples on the water surface.
The scenery here is beautiful, but few people dare to get close to it.
Because this square courtyard is where the Purple Clothes Prison is located.
In a rather dim room in the Purple Clothes Prison, an old man without a trace of beard sat on a slightly old chair, closing his eyes slightly and looking at the traces of light projected from between the window lattice.
The sunset looks as calm as water.
"The case in Kyoto Prefecture will be closed soon." Standing in front of the old man was Chen Xi, the young prisoner in purple clothes. His body was upright, but his voice was respectful: "Obviously, this case will be over soon."
A slight smile appeared on the old man's lips and asked: "Chen Xi, who do you think the murderer is?"
"At least it won't be Shadow Arrow." Chen
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Xi said respectfully: "Shadow Arrow has been in the capital for two months. We have found out where it appeared in these two months. However, after the death of Master Hongling, Shadow Arrow was like a drop falling into the sea.
Yu Yu has completely lost his trace, and my subordinates are incompetent and cannot even confirm whether he is still in Kyoto."
The old man smiled and said: "It seems that Shadow Arrow is really capable. He has been in the assassin business for many years, so he has some abilities." He changed to a more comfortable position and leaned on the chair, and said calmly: "I don't care about Shadow right now.
Where is the arrow? I'm just curious as to who framed the Shadow Arrow and shot the old Taoist priest."
"My subordinates have inspected the scene. Shadow Arrow was fighting with people in the forest that night. At least two arrows were shot, but both arrows missed and sank into the trunk of the tree." Chen Xi said softly: "However, both arrows were taken from the trunk of the tree.
He pulled it out, put it in the arrow box and left it at the scene. Without careful investigation, it would have been impossible to find that Shadow Arrow had interacted with people in the forest." His last words were naturally mocking the officials in Kyoto Prefecture.
"Shadow Arrow is a third-grade weapon, and my archery skills are passable." The old man smiled and said: "At that distance, if you can dodge his arrows, your opponent's strength is naturally far superior to his, at least at the fourth-grade Zhongtian realm.
"
Chen Xi said: "Yes. The murderer subdued Shadow Arrow. There was no trace of blood at the scene. Naturally, he did not kill him, but he let Shadow Arrow leave his bow, arrows and clothes, and then used these to conceal his identity and shot the old Taoist priest. The murderer may not be
He wants to frame Shadow Arrow, but my subordinates believe that the real purpose is to conceal his identity and confuse the clues so that we can't investigate."
"The murderer is very smart." The old man said with a smile: "He is only in the fourth level of Zhongtian, but he wants to attack a Taoist priest. Does he have a grudge against the old Taoist priest, or is he being instigated by others?" He shook his head and sighed, thinking of something, and asked
: "You said there were other people at the scene that night?"
"There are traces of a carriage." Chen Xi said: "Judging from the depth of the traces, there should be two people in the car. In addition to the driver, there was another person riding in the carriage." After a pause, he continued: "The person riding in the carriage was not a shadow.
Arrows, Shadow Arrows have always been single-handed, and when he went to Changsheng Temple, he did not know how to ride in a carriage. In addition to refining elixirs, Master Hongling also prepared some medicines, among which were highly poisonous. The poison was quenched on the arrow clusters of Shadow Arrows.
The requirements for poison are very high, and he doesn't like ordinary poisons. My subordinates judged that Shadow Arrow secretly had a deal with Master Hongling and purchased the poison from an old Taoist priest."
"You mean, on the night when the old Taoist priest was killed, Shadow Arrow went to buy poison from him?"
"No." Chen Xi said with certainty: "My subordinates went to Kyoto Prefecture and looked at the arrows in the arrow box. There were still more than a dozen poisonous arrows left in it, which proves that Shadow Arrow and the old Taoist priest had already traded before.
After Shadow Arrow came to Beijing, except for the attack on Qin Xiao that night, poison arrows were not used elsewhere. Therefore, the subordinates judged that the poison would not be used up so quickly in the previous transaction. Shadow Arrow went to the Taoist Temple that night, and there were
Purpose."
"What purpose?"
"I'm not sure, but there is a possibility." Chen Xi's body was as straight as a javelin from beginning to end, and his voice was as calm as water, without any emotion: "Qin Xiao was hit by an arrow that night, and the shadow arrow thought he would definitely die, but Qin Xiao afterwards
But he was alive and well. The assassination attempt by the Shadow Arrow failed, so he doubted the potency of the poison and went to see the old Taoist priest. It was probably because of this."
"Very good." The old man sat up, with a look of relief in his eyes: "Chen Xi, after many years of experience, you can now stand alone." Then he was silent for a moment, and finally asked: "Shadow Arrow has a problem with Qin Xiao, the old Taoist priest
He and Qin Xiao also had a dispute. On the street, Qin Xiao had a conflict with the old Taoist priest. That night, the old Taoist priest was shot and killed. In your opinion, is it possible that Qin Xiao was the murderer? Or, in other words, he was related to this.