Early the next morning, after the curfew, Gui Wanqiu took Liu Xin to a four-entry house in Chongbeifang. Shao Shiwang would not come here on weekdays. There was a team of guards guarding the house. Liu Xin did not come forward. After waiting for about a moment, Gui Wanqiu came out with the letter and handed it to Liu Xin.
Liu Xin got the letter and did not check it on the spot. Instead, he told Gui Wanqiu to be careful with himself, then hurriedly left and returned to the Wenxuanfang Hundred Household Office.
By the time he returned to Baihu Station, all the people in Baihu Station had been transferred by Liu Licheng. Liu Licheng was going to disperse them all and focus on investigating those demonic people who were hiding.
Liu Xin is currently in a heated fight with Dongchang, and Liu Licheng is unwilling to pay attention to him. However, it is completely within Liu Licheng's authority to remove all his subordinates and leave him unavailable. Liu Xin was helpless. Fortunately, Senior Brother Cheng, a civil servant, was not transferred.
I briefly told Senior Brother Cheng what happened last night, and Senior Brother Cheng said that although the Dog Slaughter Sect is a killer organization, it also has its own unique advantages in intelligence. Perhaps we can really find the group of northern barbarians behind the scenes through Gui Wanqiu's line.
Liu Xin didn't wait long, explained the matter clearly and hurried to the imperial city with the letter.
He now needs to investigate Fan An through Yuan Dongxiang. The people behind the scenes are anxious to eradicate Gui Wanqiu and Gui Qinchen in order to eliminate some evidence and attract everyone's attention.
Liu Xin judged that Fan An must be one of the insiders. And now he only has two endings. One is to be rescued. It is very likely that the secret method developed by the Royal Horse Supervisor has a complete copy in his body.
Although the eight horse-raising eunuchs in the Royal Horse Prison are studying the same secret technique, each of them is studying in a different direction. Horse-raising techniques are different from martial arts secrets. Horse-raising techniques can be studied separately and combined from breeding, feeding, training and other aspects.
At the beginning of the Royal Horse Supervision case, the time interval between the murderer's crimes was very long, and then it suddenly accelerated. In addition to the reason why Dongchang began to investigate, there is another possibility that the real murderer has obtained the secret technique in the hands of others, and this move has already He was discovered by others, so he was killed and silenced.
According to this logic, Liu Xin believed that this person had obtained the complete secret of horse breeding. At this time, Gui Qinchen suddenly exposed his cultivation and broke out of the imperial city, maybe he was covering for this person. As for why this person needed Gui Qinchen to cover him, the only possibility was that his cultivation level was not high enough to force his way out of the imperial city, or that he wanted to use a more secretive method to leave the imperial city.
But the key point is that this person was probably in the imperial city last night.
In the imperial city, apart from the emperor's family, there were only eunuchs, maids, and guards who could stay in the imperial city after the palace gates were locked.
Fan An is the most suspicious person who meets this condition and is related to Gui Wanqiu and Gui Qinchen.
When he arrived at the gate of the Imperial City, Liu Xin found many Dongchang fans hurriedly leaving the city. Liu Xin felt that something had happened for no reason, so he quickened his pace, checked his waist badge and entered the Imperial City. Before he arrived at the Dongchang Yamen, he saw Go to the familiar Wang Zhangban.
When I stepped forward to inquire, I learned that another murder had occurred in the Royal Horse Eunuch. This time, the two remaining horse eunuchs were all dead!
Liu Xin immediately understood that he was a step too late, and his previous guesses were overturned. Fan An may just be a chess piece, being ruthlessly abandoned at this time.
Stopping there and thinking for a long time, Liu Xin suddenly thought of a question and asked Wang Zhangban about the whereabouts of Yuan Dongxiang, only to find out that Yuan Dongxiang had been summoned by the Admiral of the East Factory and did not know when he would be back. Wang Zhangban went to the gate of the imperial city to ask for the records of entering and exiting the city in the past few days.
This was what Yuan Dongxiang ordered Wang to do, and it coincided with Liu Xin's idea, so Liu Xin immediately agreed to go with him.
A moment later, Liu Xin and Wang Zhangban returned to Dongchang Yamen, their faces gloomy. The Imperial City Gate is guarded by the Jinwu Guards. The Jinwu Guards and the Dongchang Jinyi Guards are on separate routes, and there is no entry and exit list for them. After all, in addition to ministers, there are also nobles from the palace who enter and exit the Imperial City. The whereabouts of these noble people are not something people at the level of Liu Xin and Wang Zhangban can check.
"Liu Baihu, I guess we have to wait until Yuan Qianhu comes back to get the entry and exit list. Those Jinwu guards are deliberately making things difficult for us, huh!" Wang Zhangban was very angry, but he had nothing to do.
Liu Xin neither got the roster nor saw Yuan Dongxiang, so he retreated and asked to go see the death scenes of the two eunuchs.
Wang Zhangban asked someone to take Liu Xin with him, while he himself went to report to Yuan Dongxiang.
Both eunuchs died of poison. The identification of the poison had long been revealed, and it was also Meng Yuansan. Liu Xin entered the scene where the two eunuchs died, both in their own rooms, and the people in Dongchang had experienced the time of death of the two eunuchs, which was at midnight and Haishi last night.
Fan An died in Zishi.
Both of them died very late. Most people would either be ready to rest at that time, or they would already be lying on a comfortable bed. But both of them died at the table in the room. Liu Xin subconsciously thought that these two people might have been receiving guests when they died!
But Dongchang's report made it very clear that both of them lay on the table and died silently, with nothing on the table.
Nothing!
This is the point of doubt. Except for some obsessive-compulsive disorder, who sits at the table in the middle of the night and doesn't give himself a cup of tea, or get some pastries and snacks.
It's a little too unreasonable to just sit on the table and then die from the poison.
It's impossible for Yuan Dongxiang not to discover this suspicion, but now he doesn't know when Yuan Dongxiang will come back from Admiral Dongchang. He can't wait. The people behind the scenes have already gone to the stage of erasing the traces of Fan An. If he is erased again next If some clues were dropped, he might not be able to find the real culprit.
At this point in time, the case has barely come to a conclusion. If the officials are good at perjury and false confessions, they can already write closing statements at this time.
But that's just a fool's errand, and the emperor is not stupid enough to not see it. If you want to win the emperor's attention, you have to really show some merit and ability.
The key is the roster!
Since Yuan Dongxiang asked Wang Zhangban to go to Jinwu Guard to take out the roster, he would not have thought that Jinwu Guard would use various reasons to shirk it. But Yuan Dongxiang still let Wang take charge, indicating that he thought there was no obstacle to this matter.
The problem is Kingo Wei Na!
After leaving the scene of the eunuch's death, he found a Dongchang fanzi and asked him about the location of the guard guarding the city gate. He hurried over.
On the road, they met the hurried Wang Zhangban again. The two met, their eyes met, and everything was unspoken.
After Yuan Dongxiang learned about this, he must have reacted immediately.
It had been half an hour since they had gone to the Imperial City to ask for the access list. Wang Zhangban took the admiral's token and went directly to the Jinwuwei warehouse. His current authority was enough for him to bypass the city gate guard and directly retrieve the list. .
Liu Xin chose to look for the guard.
In the imperial city, the Han generals and warrior battalions of the Jinyi Guard were responsible for the internal guard duty, while the other guards of the Shangzhi Guard took turns to guard the outside of the imperial city. The garrison task of Chengtianmen has always been carried out by the flag guard.
The flag-hand guards are responsible for His Majesty's travels, and when the emperor travels, he must exit from Chengtian Gate. The flag-hand guards stationed at Chengtian Gate make it convenient to accompany the emperor anytime and anywhere.
The guard at the gate of the city today seemed to be a member of the Banner Guards. Liu Xin had forgotten his last name, so Wang Zhangban called him by his last name.
I asked some of the flag-bearer guards at the city gate. No one saw where the guard had gone. Logically speaking, the guard was not allowed to leave without permission while he was on duty.
Liu Xin immediately realized the problem. He left the Imperial City and found Senior Brother Cheng with his eyes closed at the entrance of an alley outside the Imperial City.
Fortunately, he brought Senior Brother Cheng with him. Liu Xin was so blessed to bring Senior Brother Cheng out with him today, because there was no one in the Baihu Office except for a few scribes, so Senior Brother Cheng was idle. I didn't expect it to come in handy now.
Senior Brother Cheng is holding a dry tobacco bag in his hand. This is something he must bring with him when he goes out. He usually hides it in his sleeve and is not easy to notice. Sometimes he can take it out for use.
For example, right now, there are no restaurants, tea shops, or roadside stalls outside the Chengtian Gate of the Imperial City. He can only rely on the wall in a daze, doing nothing. If you have nothing in your hands when you close your eyes and meditate, pedestrians passing by may feel weird, but holding a dry tobacco bag will give people the feeling that they are waiting for someone.
Feeling Liu Xin's footsteps, Senior Brother Cheng opened his eyes and looked over.
"Is the matter done? So quickly."
Liu Xin shook his head, and after approaching, he briefly recounted the situation in the imperial city: "Senior Brother Cheng, have you seen where the city gate guard went?"
Senior Brother Cheng shook his head, and Liu Xin suddenly showed a look of regret. Then when Senior Brother Cheng nodded, Liu Xin couldn't help but look doubtful.
are you kidding me?
Senior Brother Cheng explained calmly: "I didn't see it, but someone did."
Liu Xin immediately understood that it was the secret investigation team.
"Approximately how long have you been away?" Senior Brother Cheng asked.
Liu Xindao: "I guess that person left after Wang Zhangban and I left. It's been half an hour now!"
Senior Brother Cheng put the dry pipe back into his sleeve and patted the dust behind him, which was rubbed against the wall.
"Half an hour, it's not long, I should still be able to catch up."
After saying that, Senior Brother Cheng walked out of the alley, merged into the crowd, and quickly disappeared into the distance.
Liu Xin stopped and waited. About a quarter of an hour later, Senior Brother Cheng returned from the opposite direction where he went.
"I'm in Bianyifang now, and the place I want to go to seems to be Taipingfang. I've caused a little trouble, so if I go now, I should still be able to catch up!"
Liu Xin nodded and immediately set off with Senior Brother Cheng.
Liu Xin felt that it was very possible that the recent entry and exit list of the imperial city had been taken away by the guard. Since this man took the list away in a hurry, it meant that there were clues in the list.
But why didn't this person destroy the roster? It would be easier that way... No, destroying it would be useless. Not having a roster would only make the investigation more difficult. If you want to check, you can still find out. Everywhere in the Imperial City The government office also has a light clock, and it will indicate when to light the clock, when to leave, the reason, etc.
No matter what happens, there are so many eyes in the imperial city and they can always find clues.
Many thoughts quickly passed through Liu Xin's mind. Senior Brother Cheng had been in the Imperial Capital for more than ten years, especially near Bianyifang, so he led Liu Xin through several alleys and entered Biianfang.
Lu Xingfa, the flag bearer and guard of Baihu, had already taken off his official uniform and put on the clothes of an ordinary businessman. After Liu Xin and Wang Zhangban were dealt with by him at the city gate, he immediately made an excuse to leave, took the time to go back home, handed the roster to his nephew, and asked him to find a place to hide.
Then he came to Bianyifang and was about to go to Taipingfang. However, in Bianyifang, he was targeted by a group of gangsters for some reason. He wanted to take action several times, but he endured it. What he needed most now was to keep a low profile. .
Lu Xingfa responded kindly and even gave him a few taels of silver he was carrying, but the gangsters refused to let him go. So while pushing and shoving, he and the gangsters gradually left the main street and came to the side. The entrance to the alley.
He saw the right opportunity and jumped into the alley. The gangsters didn't react for a while.
A man who should be the gang leader frowned and looked at Lu Xingfa who disappeared into the alley. He is a spy from the covert investigation team and was ordered to intercept this man.
Lu Xingfa suddenly burst into the alley at this time. He probably just wanted to leave, but if he pursued him, the former might be suspicious.
Therefore, he did not catch up, but made a hahaha and left here with a group of younger brothers.
Lu Xingfa, who disappeared in the alley, did not actually go far. Instead, he hid at the corner of the alley and waited quietly.
He was testing because the gangsters appeared too coincidental and pursued him relentlessly. The targets of harassment by gangsters in the imperial capital are usually foreign businessmen. Although he is also dressed as a businessman now, he is tall and should not be the target of these gangsters, so he is careful.
The gangsters didn't catch up. Lu Xingfa was silently relieved. He quietly leaned out, ready to see if the gangsters had really left. What he didn't expect was the face of a young man looking at him with a smile. he.
The two looked at each other, and Lu Xingfa's expression suddenly changed. He immediately turned around and wanted to leave, but there was a numbness in the back of his head, and he lost consciousness the next moment.
Liu Xin walked to the alley, looked at Lu Xingfa who was half leaning against the wall and passed out, and squatted down to search for the latter. Senior Brother Cheng stood aside with an indifferent expression.
"There's nothing!" Liu Xin stood up and said, "It should be hidden somewhere. He has been somewhere before."
Lu Xingfa changed his clothes and probably went somewhere first, and the roster should have been hidden there.
Senior Brother Cheng picked up a piece of paper. This was the latest information he got on the road. It was written in cipher text. After interpreting it carefully, he said: "This man's name is Lu Xingfa. He went back home before coming here. He was in Liuhefang , so half an hour has passed, but he is still here. After he returned home, his nephew went out and went to a brothel somewhere in the outer city. It seemed that he wanted to hide there. "
Liu Xin glanced at the note in Senior Brother Cheng's hand and thought to himself, hadn't the sect's secret investigation team already gathered its tentacles over the years? Why is it still so powerful? Or is it that the power here in the imperial capital has not been reduced?
The unnecessary thoughts disappeared in a flash, and Liu Xin looked in the direction outside the city, and said with a smile: "Since our people have been targeted, we will definitely not let the fish escape. With Senior Brother Cheng here, he is really reliable. !”
Senior Brother Cheng also smiled and said: "It's all the credit of the senior brothers!"
An hour later, the time is right.
In the East Factory, Yuan Dongxiang finished listening to the report of Team Wang.
"The roster has disappeared together with Lu Xingfa. Someone has been sent to check." Wang Zhangban said.
Yuan Dongxiang was dressed meticulously, his hair was not messed up at all, and his expression was indifferent. He put down the tea cup, straightened himself, and his eyes immediately fell on Wang Zhangban:
"Check the records in the imperial city for the past few days. All ministers on duty in the imperial city, regardless of rank, who have problems with their duty time in recent days must be carefully investigated."
Wang Zhangban: "Yes!"
Just as Wang Zhangban was about to leave, a Dongchang fan came quickly outside the door and reported: "Qianhu, Jinyiwei Baihu Liu Xin wants to see you!"
"Let him in!" Yuan Dongxiang said calmly.
Not long after, Liu Xin walked in quickly, holding a roster in his hand.
"Yuan Qianhu, I found the list of entry and exit of the imperial city in recent days!" Liu Xinyang raised the book in his hand, and then said: "On the way here, I briefly looked through it and found a very suspicious person. His name is Jian Fangliang, an official. To serve as a bachelor. Time is running out now, Hara Qianhu, do you want to take the person directly?"
Yuan Dongxiang's expression changed, and he looked a little confused.
Liu Xin saw Yuan Dongxiang's face and thought that Yuan Dongxiang was struggling with the identity of Jian Fangliang. After all, this person was Qingliu, and he was the top two in Xuyang in the second year. Although Wufu looked down on civil servants, civil servants like Jian Fangliang Although the rank is not high, the important thing is Qingliu, that is, the spokesperson of scholars, and the face of scholars. Arresting them hastily can easily cause backlash from civil servants.
Seeing Yuan Dongxiang's face becoming more and more tangled, Liu Xin suddenly became anxious and simply described the suspicious aspects of Jian Fangliang: "Yuan Qianhu, Jian Fangliang has been in and out of the imperial city too frequently in recent days, and he does not look like he is on duty normally. And he The hours he was on duty in the past few days happened to cover the death time of several horse-raising eunuchs. More importantly, he was on duty in the Wenhua Hall. On the right side of the Wenhua Hall is the Warrior Barracks, and not far to the south is the Royal Horse. Prison. After he entered the Imperial City yesterday, he didn't leave the Imperial City all night, and he left the Imperial City in a hurry early this morning!"
After talking about these doubts, Liu Xin looked at Yuan Dongxiang, whose expression still did not improve. Just when Liu Xin was wondering about the unusual behavior of the original Qianhu in Dongchang today, Yuan Dongxiang spoke:
"Liu Baihu, did you feel like you stepped on something on the way here?"
Liu Xin was stunned and lowered his head in confusion.
There was an unknown yellow-brown object under his feet. Liu Xin raised his feet slightly, and there was a sticky feeling on the soles of his feet. He subconsciously turned sideways and looked behind him, and saw a row of vague footprints extending outside Yuan Dongxiang's check-in room... .
Ah...this is so embarrassing...
Liu Xin's face was not red but he was out of breath and turned around. He cupped his fists and said solemnly: "Yuan Qianhu, we have to hurry up!"
Yuan Dongxiang looked at Liu Xin speechlessly, frowning.
After a long time, he said to the Wang Zhangban on the side: "Order some people and set off to get them."
...
After a while, he continued: "Master Wang, go to Liu Baihu and bring me the booklet...and then find someone to clean it up!"
Manager Wang looked at Liu Baihu with a strange expression, stepped forward to take the roster from Liu Xin's hand, and handed it to Yuan Dongxiang.
Yuan Dongxiang took out a piece of silk cloth for wiping weapons from his arms and pinched the roster.
Liu Xin: "???"
Are you a germophobe?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder + mysophobia = Yuan Dongxiang.
