Li Xin pulled Li Shui aside and asked in a low voice: "Are you really going to kill him?"
Li Shui shook his head: "Now I have the absolute initiative and I am not in a hurry to kill people. When Niujiao and Dungjin wake up, it will not be too late to kill people if the evidence is conclusive."
Li Xin nodded in agreement.
Li Shui directly asked Bai Shu to tie up Zhao Tuo and other ten people, and then put them in prison.
Bai Shu did this very happily.
He already had great admiration for Li Shui, not to mention what happened last night, he also felt something was wrong.
Zhao Tuo's people clearly wanted to kill people and silence them.
After Zhao Tuo was imprisoned, Zhao Tuo's one hundred soldiers were also put under guard. As for the remaining three thousand troops, they were given a lecture by Li Xin and stationed nearby honestly.
Horns and Dungjin are important witnesses. They were seriously injured and could not withstand the bumps of the carriage and horses. So everything has to wait until they wake up.
The next day, Horns and Dungjin started to have a fever.
In this era of lack of medical treatment and medicine, Li Shui can only rely on their immunity.
The two of them have been unconscious and sometimes talking nonsense.
Li Shui ordered people to record all their nonsense.
Most of the nonsense was about how Zhao Tuo beat them so hard.
Although no one in the world has used nonsense as evidence, it is better than nothing. If the horns and dung gold really can't wake up, this nonsense will have to be brought out.
Li Shui, in addition to checking the injuries of horns and dung gold, wandered around Gaoshan County every day.
Wherever he went, there were always some people saluting Li Shui respectfully.
But Li Shui was worried and didn't pay much attention to it.
Bai Shu knew that Li Shui was busy with the horns, so he didn't bother him with other worldly matters.
So even though he stayed in Gaoshan County for several days, Li Shui really didn't know that Gaoshan County was going to be renamed Banxian County, nor did he know that everyone in Gaoshan County was full of admiration for him.
…………
In Xianyang City, Li Si has already met Zhao Tuo's messenger.
After the messenger breathlessly delivered Zhao Tuo's message, Lisun's lungs suddenly hurt from anger.
waste! What a waste!
If you can't do this little thing well, what's the point of living?
At this moment, Li Si really wanted to yell.
But he endured it. As an important minister in the court, he had a respected position and was respected by others. It was best to remain calm.
So Li Si took a deep breath, waved his hand to the messenger, and said, "Go down and have a rest."
The messenger agreed and hurried out.
As a result, as soon as he walked out the door, he heard a sputtering sound behind him. It seemed that Li Si had already started smashing things.
The messenger was so frightened that he walked faster.
Li Si smashed it. Then he sat down panting.
After venting, the whole person became much calmer.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and began to think about countermeasures.
Zhao Tuo had messed up two things in a row, and Li Si already wanted to give up on this idiot.
After all, the fact that Zhao Gao was killed by his pig teammates should really serve as a warning.
But Li Si hesitated for a while and decided to help this idiot again.
The reason is simple. Zhao Tuo is considered a talent in terms of fighting anyway.
Moreover, if one's own people fail to save him every time, it will be difficult to win over people's hearts as time goes by. Why not use Zhao Tuo as an example to show to others.
Li Si sighed, stood up slowly, and said to himself: "No matter what, let's find a way to bring the person back."
Li Si was almost certain that if he did not come forward, Zhao Tuo would not be able to come back, and he might be killed by Li Shui on the way.
What can't that daring guy do?
…………
Li Si arrived at Ying Zheng's study.
Ying Zheng seemed to be in a good mood today, so he asked Li Si to sit down, and then asked with a smile: "What's the matter?"
Li Si said: "Today I received a letter asking for help, from Zhao Tuo."
Ying Zheng suddenly looked unhappy: "Zhao Tuo? Is he the Zhao Tuo who led three thousand men and horses, spent countless money and food, but had no merit in size?"
Li Si was a little helpless, His Majesty's memory is really good.
He smiled bitterly and said, "Yes...it's that Zhao Tuo."
Ying Zheng said: "I have asked him to return to Xianyang a long time ago. Fortunately, this person has been patrolling in the south and delayed for a long time. Until today, no one has been seen."
"Is he still in danger? What danger is he in? A general, with three thousand people, is in danger in our land of Great Qin?"
Li Si also felt a little embarrassed. However, he still bit the bullet and said: "Zhao Tuo wrote that he took people to the vicinity of Gaoshan County. As a result, he happened to meet Huaiguzi and the two had a dispute. He was detained by Huaiguzi."
Ying Zheng said lightly: "It turns out that Huaiguzi also went to Gaoshan County."
Li Si was a little puzzled. Looking at Ying Zheng's expression, he didn't seem surprised at all.
Ying Zheng pointed to the memorial on the table and said calmly: "This was sent by the Magistrate of Gaoshan County not long ago. He requested that Gaoshan County be changed to Banxian County."
Li Si looked confused: "Changed to Banxian County?"
Ying Zheng hummed lightly: "The Magistrate of Gaoshan County said that Gaoshan County is the place where Huaiguzi made his fortune. Most of the people here have seen Huaiguzi, and many of them have even eaten at the same table as Huaiguzi."
"They heard that Shangjun's Villa is booming, and just for a visit, you have to pay 100,000 yuan. So they are envious."
"Therefore, the county magistrate hopes that I will allow them to change their name. Maybe it will attract some people to go there and make some money."
Ying Zheng looked at Li Si: "What do you think?"
Li Si was a little distracted and said in a daze: "It doesn't hurt to change the name. If it can really make the people have enough food and clothing, it will be worth it. I'm just afraid that other counties will follow suit and bring some chaos to the governance."
Ying Zheng nodded: "That's true."
Li Si coughed dryly and said to Ying Zheng: "Your Majesty, I just thought of it. Since this Gaoshan County is the hometown of the Exiled Immortal, then the powerful officials in the county may have high regard for the Exiled Immortal."
Ying Zheng smiled and said, "That's true."
Li Si said: "If this is really the case, even if Zhao Tuo has three thousand troops, he will not be able to protect his own safety. His message said that the banished immortal meant to kill him."
Ying Zheng was surprised: "Huai Guzi wants to kill Zhao Tuo?"
Li Si said: "Exactly."
Ying Zheng asked again: "Why?"
Li Si said: "I don't know this clearly. The messenger worked his way out. Zhao Tuo may be in a critical situation, and he didn't have time to say more, so he didn't elaborate."
Ying Zheng sighed and said: "No matter whether Zhao Tuo has made meritorious service or is incompetent, how can Huai Guzi be good at killing an army general?"
Li Si nodded: "Yes, yes."
Ying Zheng added: "Huai Guzi, you should be measured. You are probably teasing Zhao Tuo."
Li Si lowered his voice and said: "Your Majesty, please don't forget that banishing an immortal has a gold medal for immunity from death. If he kills Zhao Tuo at all costs and uses the gold medal for immunity from death, what can be done?"
Ying Zheng was slightly stunned and thought: Huai Guzi is not stupid. My gold medal has already clearly hinted at it. Does he really want to use it?
However, Ying Zheng thought about it and ordered someone to call Wu Jiao.
Ying Zheng said to Wu Jiao: "Go to Gaoshan County and call Huaiguzi back. He said it was my will. Whether Zhao Tuo is guilty or guilty, he should be taken back to Xianyang and punished. He is not allowed to punish himself privately."
Wu Jiao responded: "Yes."
Ying Zheng added: "If Huai Guzi resists the decree, it will be regarded as treason."
Wu Jiao responded again.
Ying Zheng waved his hand and said, "Go, go immediately, don't stay."
Wu Jiao went out, took two followers, and several fast horses, and galloped away to Gaoshan County.
…………
"Wake up, Dung Jin is awake." Li Shui was sleeping when a guard hurried in to report.
Li Shui quickly came out and followed the guards to see Dung Jin.
Dung Jin had indeed woken up and was leaning on the couch drinking water. In just a few days, he had already lost a lot of weight.
After Dung Jin saw Li Shui, he opened his mouth, as if he wanted to salute, but he didn't have the strength at all.
Li Shui waved his hand: "No need to be polite."
Dung Jin glanced at Li Shui gratefully.
Li Shui looked at the horns on the low couch next to him. The horns are still burning.
Li Shui shook his head and thought: The three generations of dung gold diggers are indeed different from ordinary people. This immunity, tsk tsk tsk...
In the afternoon of that day, Niujiao's condition also improved greatly. First his fever went away, and then he woke up.
Li Shui also invited the wet nurse from Baishu Mansion over to give the horns and dung gold a good nutritional supplement.
By the next day, although the two men were weak, the most dangerous stage was over. They could walk slowly while holding on to the wall and answer Li Shui's questions.
Therefore, Li Shui decided to interrogate Zhao Tuo in the county government office.
Zhao Tuo and his confidants, plus nine soldiers, were brought up tied up.
In addition to these nine people, Qin soldiers who had abused horns and dung gold were also kidnapped.
Twenty people in total.
Zhao Tuo had been in prison for a while. He was not well fed or clothed. His hair was disheveled, his face was haggard, and his whole person was very decadent.
After he saw Li Shui, he shouted loudly: "Huai Guzi, a scholar can be killed but not humiliated. How can you do this to me?"
Li Shui rolled his eyes: "Are you considered a scholar? Just because of the ugly things you did?"
Zhao Tuo shouted again: "I am the general of Qin Dynasty, why do you judge me?"
Li Shui sighed: "After today, you are no longer a general. How can a dead man lead troops to fight?"
Zhao Tuo's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
In the past few days, Li Shui sent people to scare him from time to time, which made him a little crazy. Even when the jailer passed by, he felt that Li Shui was about to take action.
Li Shui did not ask Zhao Tuo directly, but asked the nine people: "Tell me, how did Deaf Tao die?"
The nine people said tremblingly: "After Deaf Tao entered the courtyard, he searched for the whereabouts of the horns and dung gold."
"Suddenly, a figure jumped out from the smoke. Judging from his appearance, he was clearly Dung Jin. I saw Dung Jin grabbing Deaf Tao's clothes with his left hand, and snatching Deaf Tao's weapon with his right hand. Then he stabbed Deaf Tao hard. He was stabbed in the face."
"I wanted to catch the thief, but when we arrived, we found that the dung gold had been hidden in the smoke and disappeared. The deaf Tao was lying on the ground, lifeless."
The words of these nine people were exactly the same. Their rhetoric was taught in advance by their confidants.
Li Shui said with a smile: "Why don't you say that about horns and dung gold?"
Later, the horn dung gold and the woman were brought up.
They told the truth, but they stayed in the well and had no idea what was happening outside.
They didn't know who killed Deaf Tao, but they were sure that it had nothing to do with Dung Gold.
Li Shui crossed his arms and asked the nine people, "What do you say?"
These people insisted that it was Dung Jin and his gang who were colluding in the confession.
Li Shui waved, and two pawns carried Deaf Tao's body up.
Li Shui pointed at the corpse and said, "You just said that Dung Jin grabbed Deaf Tao's sleeve with his left hand and Deaf Tao's weapon with his right hand, and stabbed him through?"
"Dungjin uses a spear, not a dagger. If you use a spear to pierce someone at such a short distance, do you think Dungjin is extremely powerful?"
"And I have already seen the spear used to kill Deaf Tao. The spearhead is not sharp, and is even a bit blunt."
Li Shui threw a spear over and said to the nine people: "Deaf Tao has been dead for a few days. This body is easier to stab than when he was alive. If you have the ability to stab the body through, I will spare it." you."
None of these nine people dared to try.
At the critical moment of life and death, they couldn't help but glance at their confidants. Many people are thinking: What kind of bullshit story are you making up? It’s really going to kill people.
The confidant lowered his head and said nothing.
Li Shui said to the nine people: "Don't look at others, now we are deciding your life and death. I will give you another chance. How did Deaf Tao die?"
The nine people said one after another: "Maybe Dungjin has been exercising all year round and his right hand is particularly strong. We can't do it, but Dungjin may not be able to do it."
Li Shui nodded and called in a few more Qin soldiers.
These Qin soldiers were all from Zhao Tuo's camp and were very familiar with Dung Jin.
These people testified one after another, saying that Dung Jin's right hand was indeed powerful, but it did not have extraordinary strength, and it was impossible to stab people through.
Li Shui asked the nine people again: "Do you admit it?"
These nine people still found excuses.
Li Shui was a little helpless and said: "That day, the small courtyard was filled with smoke and dust. Your hands were all stained with a lot of soot. Judging from the marks on the spear, the nine of you were holding this long spear together. The spear pierced Deaf Tao with great force."
Bai Shu, who had been watching from the side, came over to take a look and said in surprise: "It's true, there are indeed nine pairs of finger prints on it."
The nine people all cried out: "Maybe it was someone else's hand."
Li Shui raised his palm and said calmly: "People's fingers have different patterns, which are called fingerprints. Come on, please print out their fingerprints and compare them."
The clerk from Gaoshan County immediately brought some pieces of white paper. After rubbing out the fingerprints, he compared them with those on the spear. His eyes suddenly lit up: "They are exactly the same."
The nine soldiers added: "Maybe there are other people's fingerprints that are exactly the same as ours."
Li Shui rubbed his temples: "It's impossible, the fingerprints are different. I'm too lazy to verify them one by one. Anyway, you are not unjust if I kill you. Come on, pull them out and behead them in public."
These nine people were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they begged for mercy again and again.
Li Shui smiled and asked, "Have you admitted your guilt?"
Li Shui's amiable attitude gave these soldiers some illusions that they shouldn't have, so they all said, "We plead guilty and beg the banished immortal to be given a lighter sentence."
Li Shui smiled even more kindly: "Then tell me who ordered you."
I was a magician in the Qin Dynasty
