April 23rd was a good day for everything. I watched the sky at Taichang Temple at night and concluded that the weather would be fine and the sky would be clear and high.
Zhuque Street was closed in the middle of the night. Numerous Jinwu guards with swords hanging around their waists stood on both sides of the street with a solemn look. They stood from dusk to dawn without any signs of fatigue, not even swaying.
At the beginning of the morning, when the sky first dawned, a long and deep horn sounded outside Chengtian Gate. The sound was high-pitched and loud, soaring into the sky.
The thin sunlight was shining down, and the dragon and phoenix rings on the hilt of the sword shone coldly in the morning sun. The Jinwu Guards had a sentry every five steps and a post every ten steps. The solemn murderous intent on their faces made them crowd onto the road to watch carefully. The people were frightened back several steps and did not need to shout loudly. The bustling people did not dare to make any more noise.
Shortly after the horn sound stopped, a mighty procession of honor guards filed out from Chengtian Gate.
The first few carts were filled with important ministers of the court. One of them was extremely spacious and the paving was extremely thick. Sitting in it was the very favored Mr. Jiang Shen and Mr. Jiang Ge.
Others seemed to favor him, but Jiang Shen felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
Since the end of the provincial examination, although the fraud case has not implicated him, he feels like a mirror in his heart. He has long been suspected by Emperor Yong'an. Although this refutation of his begging for bones is just a matter of face. That’s all.
If he took this face-saving attitude seriously, he would be too naive.
In the ups and downs of the officialdom, even the relationship between father and son and master and apprentice is not reliable, let alone this thin relationship of face.
Moreover, ruthlessness is the most important thing for an emperor. The person sitting on the dragon chair can control people's hearts and judge the sky and balance, but he cannot be ruthless.
Jiang Shen felt that this gorgeous carriage was like a gorgeous cage, sending him to a place of death without burial.
These carriages drove through the long street, causing a crowd of people to shout and point. The important ministers in these carriages were all people they looked up to in their lives.
After the canopy carriage, two rows of Jinwu guards holding twelve dragon flags followed closely. Behind them were the Sinan chariot, the Jiligu chariot, the Egret chariot and the Luan chariot, which were pulled by four horses and driven by a strong and upright driver. The flag car, the evil car and the Pixuan car.
These carriages and horses cannot be seen by ordinary people. In the past, there were many wars, and His Majesty could not go out to the capital once a year. In recent years, the world has become prosperous and the government has gradually become more popular, so His Majesty has become interested in going out to the capital every year. But as he got older, he traveled once a year and his body couldn't bear it.
Such a grand scene is even more rare to see.
The Guiding Ceremony Guard is very powerful, but what the people are most looking forward to is the Guiding Ceremony Guard. The young talents in the Guiding Ceremony Guard are the most eye-catching, not to mention the 12 rows of Yulin troops who are at the front. Yu Bufan, even though he was holding a horizontal sword and a bow and arrow, riding a tall horse, and wearing silver scale armor, his coldness could not hide his handsome appearance.
The carriages and horses of high-ranking courtiers, Jinshi scholars, envoys from various countries and relatives of the emperor who accompanied the driver also followed the ceremonial guard.
That's it for high-ranking courtiers, envoys from various countries, and relatives of the emperor. Those who are too old, too young, and too young are nothing to behold. Even if there are a few who are worthy of attention, they cannot reach high places.
On the contrary, most of the top three teams in Jinke are young talents. They cannot reach the top three, but they can still be kept in mind.
Either dashing or gentle, Jinke Sanjia walked through the long street, immediately attracting cheers from countless young ladies and young wives.
The more daring ones threw sachets, beaded hairpin rings, handkerchiefs and other things at these three people.
Cui Jingchu, the youngest and second-place finisher, was too embarrassed to raise his head. His face was red and he was almost knocked off his horse.
The clatter of horse hooves gradually faded away, the morning light gradually brightened, and the bright yellow flags and banners covered the sky and the sun. The color looked particularly bright and dazzling, and the momentum was magnificent.
Behind the flag formation, followed groups of low-ranking courtiers and guards. Most of these people came from noble families. Their families had money and status. They did not expect to be promoted or make a fortune. They just occupied official positions and lived around day by day. They were not that kind at all. I care about the official image and look lazy and somewhat unpresentable.
There are also officials who got up too early and naturally lacked energy and energy. They were swaying on their horses, and they would open their mouths and yawn from time to time, causing tears to flow from their eyes.
It's really unsightly.
The majestic guard of honor and guides had already walked onto Zhuque Street, and only then could Emperor Yong'an's car and guard of honor drive out of Zhuque Gate.
The jade chariot that Emperor Yong'an was riding on was surrounded by forty-one healthy and good-looking chariots, driven by Taipusi Qing. Outside, there were also the Beiya imperial guards who surrounded the jade chariot, allowing many who wanted to see the saint's grace. The common people couldn't see Tianyan at all, and they were a little disappointed.
Liu Shengsheng, the general of the Beiya Forbidden Army, clung to the side of the jade chariot, never leaving, his tiger eyes roving back and forth among the crowd, a glint in his eyes.
Following the jade chariot was the chariot of the princess, the concubine of Emperor Yong'an.
Emperor Yong'an decreed that when he went to Yuhua Mountain to escape the summer heat, all the princes and princesses should accompany him, including the young princes and princesses.
The concubines and princesses all went there by car, while the princes went there on horseback.
Emperor Yong'an made such a decree because he wanted to train the prince.
He is getting older and older. Although he is shouted "long live" all day long, no one can really live for ten thousand years. To this day, even if he does not establish a prince again, he still has to prepare for the Great Jing Dynasty in a hundred years. Do more planning.
When His Majesty travels, there are many people accompanying him. In addition to the Bei Ya Imperial Guards who are wearing silver scale armor and holding bows, arrows, ban swords, and Mo Dao, there are also countless chambermaids and palace ladies. The chamberlains and palace ladies are holding peacock fans, Small round fan, square fan, Huanghui, Jianghui and Xuanwu buildings.
These people were all the attendants of Emperor Yong'an, and they were closely following the jade chariot that Emperor Yong'an was riding in. They all looked serious and calm, and they made no sound while walking, and no one whispered.
The entire driving ceremony was extremely solemn and solemn, even the breathing was uniform, and no one dared to show any signs of slackness or relaxation.
Emperor Yong'an's car drove slowly up Zhuque Street, while Jin Zhong and Yu Xin led forty-eight regiments of infantry, twenty-four regiments of cavalry, and twelve flag regiments at the end of the entire regiment.
Until this grand cavalry, which symbolized the emperor's power and status, completely walked out of the Golden Light Gate, with more than 5,000 people in attendance, the grand emperor's trip was only halfway through.
After seeing Emperor Yong'an's Luan driving out of the Golden Light Gate, the carriages and horses of the courtiers and their families who had been waiting for a long time on Zhuque Street also followed closely behind and drove towards the Golden Light Gate.
As the envoy of the Internal Security Department, Han Changmu should have followed the ceremonial guard, but he had other errands. He just rode his horse to patrol the outside of the ceremonial guard. His purple robe was blown up by the wind, which gave him a chilling feeling. .
He watched Luan drive the ceremonial guard out of the Golden Light Gate, then rode his horse in the opposite direction to meet the convoy of courtiers and family members. He found the carriage with the emblem of the Han Dynasty in the bustling team, and hurriedly rode over. The car curtain asked in a low voice: "Is A Yao here?"
The car curtain moved slightly, and a ray of sunlight that gradually became brighter fell into the car. Han Changyun lay lazily in the car, not even bothering to open his eyelids: "Brother, why are you only asking that fierce girl? Don’t even think about asking me.”
Han Changmu was stunned for a moment: "What are you asking for?"
Han Changyun raised the car curtain with a splash, pointed at his cheek, and said with a sad face: "Brother, didn't you notice that I'm thin? Didn't you notice that the carriage was bumping so hard that I almost fell apart?"
"..." Han Changmu said in a cold voice with no expression on his face: "No."
"..." Han Changyun howled at the top of his lungs: "Brother, you don't feel sorry for me anymore!"
Han Changmu couldn't stand listening any more, so he lowered the car curtain with a "swish" sound.
Just when Han Changyun was moaning and complaining to Han Changmu, the boy driving the car suddenly turned his head, with a stern expression on his face, and said angrily: "Master Qi thinks the small car can't drive well, you can get out of the car and walk!"
Han Changyun looked out from the gap in the slightly swaying car curtain and saw that pretty face that was smiling but not smiling. Although he was not convinced, he couldn't beat her, so he could only shrink his neck guiltily, with the corners of his mouth hanging down, a look on his face. Dare to be angry but dare not speak.
He couldn't afford to offend this dominatrix. If he offended her, she would really dare to kick him out of the car and let him walk.
Han Changmu saw the boy driving the carriage and said in shock: "Ah Yao, why are you dressed like this?" He turned to look at Jin Yu who was also sitting on the shaft of the carriage: "Aren't you driving the carriage? Why did you let Ah Yao drive the carriage? , she is still injured."
Jin Yu smiled guiltily, quickly grabbed the reins from Yao Yao, and whispered: "Look, I said it, if the prince sees you driving the car, he will definitely scold me."
Yao Yao snorted.
Han Changyun shouted in the car at the right time: "Brother, it's not my fault to drive the bus. I asked her to sit in the car, but she refused and insisted on driving outside. She acted as if I was a bad person."
"..." Yao Yao was extremely embarrassed and twisted uncomfortably on the shaft of the car.
Han Changmu looked at Yao Yao, then at Han Changyun, and sneered: "Aren't you? What did you do to A Yao to make her avoid you like a snake and a scorpion?"
"The conscience of heaven and earth!" Han Changyun shouted injustice: "Brother, I like that kind of soft little girl. Yao Canjun is good-looking, but she is fierce. She starts fighting at the slightest disagreement. This is not the least bit like her. , I see her just like I see you, she is my brother, what can I do to her? I am not a hungry beast!"
"...you," Han Changmu almost spat out, staring at Han Changyun and pointing wordlessly.
Yao Yao was so angry that he laughed and taunted without looking back: "Master Qi, you have such a mouth, God bless you for not being beaten to death!"
"Yeah, I think so too. They all said that I have such a mouth, and it's a blessing from my ancestors to be alive to this day." Han Changyun excitedly patted Yao Yao on the shoulder, feeling quite happy to see his confidant.
"..." Han Changmu really couldn't imagine how he could have such a stupid brother as Han Changyun, so he decisively decided not to pay attention to him anymore. If he said another word to him, his life would be shortened.
Yao Yao looked at Han Changmu and then at Han Changyun, feeling a little weird. It was rumored that Han Changmu was not on good terms with his younger brothers, and naturally he was not close to this younger brother, but now it seems that this is not the case.
It can be seen that the rumors are false.
But if this disagreement was an illusion made in front of others, then why didn't the two of them maintain this illusion in front of her.
It seems that she and Han Changmu haven't gotten to know each other well enough yet.
Han Changmu naturally knew that Yao Yao had noticed something was wrong. He did not explain much and asked Yao Yao in a low voice: "Do you want to ride a horse with me?"
Yao Yao frowned slightly and shook his head: "The injury of my humble position has not healed yet, so I'm afraid it will delay the speed of my lord."
Han Changmu felt a little disappointed in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He lowered his voice and said, "Two people died in the dungeon of the Internal Security Department last night."
Yao Yao was stunned for a moment, and was about to ask something more, but Han Changmu had already urged his horse to go away.
She lowered her eyebrows slightly and quickly thought clearly about the meaning of this meaningless sentence.
The case of the Qingxu Palace bombing could no longer be dragged on, so Han Changmu had no choice but to hand over the papers. As expected, Emperor Yong'an was furious and sentenced the Chen brothers to death.
It's not that Qiu Hou asks to kill him, he kills him immediately.
This shows how much Emperor Yong'an hated these two brothers.
Of course, the Chen brothers are not innocent in killing people to pay for their lives, but after all, their feelings are pitiable.
Yao Yao took a deep breath, leaned against the car door, and closed his eyes slightly.
I wonder if one day she will be able to use this trick to escape from her shell.
Yuhua Mountain is more than 100 miles away from Chang'an City. If you drive your horse quickly, you can reach it in one day. However, Emperor Yong'an traveled with a royal chariot, and his chariots and retinues numbered five to six thousand people. In addition to the courtiers and their families, Hao With a convoy of tens of thousands of people, the journey is naturally not that fast.
Therefore, the team had to rest for a night on the way. Emperor Yong'an could stay in the post, but the other retinues had to camp on the spot. However, there were so many people traveling with them that the wilderness could not accommodate them all. People with really low official positions might not be able to accommodate them all. There was no place to camp, so he had to sleep in his carriage for the night.
After nightfall, the convoy arrived just sixty miles away from Yuhua Mountain. The already tired people and horses were exhausted and it was difficult to move forward.
Emperor Yong'an's car has arrived at a post more than sixty miles away from Yuhua Mountain. This post was specially built for His Majesty to go to Yuhua Mountain to escape the summer heat. Although the post officials and post soldiers are arranged to be stationed on weekdays, Not open to visiting officials.
After Emperor Yong'an decided to go to Yuhua Mountain to escape the summer heat, the post was jointly taken over by the Internal Guard and the Yulin Guard. The Internal Guard was responsible for the survey and the Yulin Army was responsible for the garrison.
When Emperor Yong'an's chariot arrived, Han Changmu and Jin Zhong, the commander of the right guard of the Yulin Army, knelt in front of the post gate to greet them. Behind them were a group of post officials and post soldiers who knelt down and did not even dare to raise their heads.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, the interior and exterior of the posthouse have been cleaned up. I am waiting to greet you." Han Changmu said respectfully.
Emperor Yong'an called out and said loudly: "It's been a long time coming."
Han Changmu bowed and said: "I will be loyal to His Majesty and I dare not speak of hardship."
Emperor Yong'an said nothing more and walked into the hotel, followed by the concubines behind him.
Although this hotel is not as splendid as the Yuhua Mountain Palace, the original intention of its construction was to allow His Majesty to rest during his summer vacation. Therefore, it was also built to be extra spacious and much more magnificent than ordinary hotels.
After Emperor Yong'an and his concubines, princes and princesses were settled, Han Changmu and Jin Zhong handed over the garrison and rushed their horses towards Chang'an City.
A convoy of tens of thousands of people stopped in the wilderness sixty miles away from Yuhua Mountain. Dots of lights meandered for ten miles, and the tents were stretched for miles. The nearest tent was only fifty miles away from Yuhua Mountain. Five miles.
There is a place to rest, but eating is not so convenient.
Emperor Yong'an and his concubines, relatives of the emperor, and envoys from various countries who lived in Guanyi had royal kitchens to cook, but the courtiers and their families who camped in the wilderness had to do it themselves.
Of course, if you don't bring your own cook, the cook in the hotel will also set up a big pot in the wilderness for everyone in the convoy to use.
Behind Han Mansion's Convoy Pavilion Station, it is about sixty-five miles away from Yuhua Mountain.
There were only a few people in the Han Mansion. The two masters and their followers only had twelve or three people, and they set up five tents.
The wind is strong in the wilderness, the strong grass is low, the shadows of the trees are whirling, and they make a rustling sound.
The deep black ink-like sky hangs low, connecting with the boundless wilderness. There is a faint clear moon in the sky, surrounded by clouds, and the moonlight is looming.
Piles of bonfires were lit in the open space between the tents. Pine branches and dead wood were filled into the fires. The flames jumped several feet high and made a "cracking" sound.
The soldiers on duty patrolled back and forth between the various camps, their armor making a clanging sound.
Han Changmu rushed to the Han Mansion's tent and saw several people sitting around a blazing bonfire. The firelight reflected on their faces, making them look red.
Han Changyun leaned forward and didn't know what he said to Yao Yao. Yao Yao suddenly laughed and his face, which was usually a bit indifferent and heroic, became a bit more charming against the red light of the bonfire.
Han Changmu tied the reins to the tree trunk, walked over, squeezed in and sat down between Han Changyun and Yao Yao, and asked expressionlessly: "What are you talking about, so happy?"
Han Changyun saw Han Changmu's expression of concern. He turned around and glanced at Yao Yao, who was calmly down. He raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he had spied some secret. He covered his mouth and shook his head: "No, I didn't say anything."
He put his arm around the shoulders of the maid who was waiting beside him, and hooked her chin sluttyly: "You didn't say anything, right?"
The maid blushed with embarrassment and nodded repeatedly.
Han Changmu couldn't bear to look at him, and said to Yao Yao with a serious face: "Stay away from him, so as not to lead you astray."
Yao Yao was stunned and speechless. It seemed that the relationship between Han Changmu and Han Changyun was indeed not very good. The seemingly harmonious relationship last night was actually her illusion.
Han Changyun is a person who loves to enjoy things. The mutton he had marinated in advance was roasted on the bonfire. Next to the fire was the plum blossom stuffed wine he brought from Beijing. There were also cooled sesame cakes and various snacks in the food box. Just heat it up and eat it.
Seeing him carrying out various kinds of food, Han Changmu was particularly disapproving and snorted lightly, with a strong disdain and sarcasm in his voice.
Han Changyun was not angry, he turned slightly, looked over Han Changmu, looked at Yao Yao and said with a smile: "No matter what you suffer, you can't suffer from your own mouth, right, Miss A Yao."
Yao Yao nodded repeatedly: "Isn't it? The world is really hard, and if you don't eat well, it will add to the pain."
Han Changyun simply felt that he had found a soulmate. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't defeat Han Changmu, he would have pushed this annoying guy far away.
Seeing Han Changyun and Yao Yao talking lively back and forth, Han Changmu felt astringent in his heart, and the roasted and fragrant mutton tasted like chewing wax, tasteless.
As the night got darker, the bonfires in front of the tents gradually went out. People who had been running around all day got into the tents of various houses, listened to the chirping of insects one after another, and reluctantly fell asleep.
Han Changyun drank a few more sips of wine and had already entered the tent with his arms around the maid.
Han Changmu and Yao Yao were both on errands and did not dare to drink, so they ate a few more pieces of roasted meat.
Yao Yao held a branch as thick as his thumb and started to light a weak bonfire. Thinking of Han Changmu's vague words at noon, he finally lost his patience and asked in a low voice: "They are leaving the capital." Already?"
Han Changmu knew it well and didn't say it so bluntly. He just said "hmm" in a low voice.
After a moment of silence, Yao Yao sighed: "It's a pity, I can only remain anonymous from now on."
Han Changmu didn't agree with this and said calmly: "It's not a pity to live."
Yao Yao was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled. A thought screamed in her heart. She asked without thinking too much: "Will Sir Shi still have compassion for others?"
Han Changmu met Yao Yao's pair of apricot-like eyes, and his heart moved slightly. His cold star-like eyes suddenly shimmered, and he pursed his lips: "Then it depends on who is right."
There is something in Yao Yao's words: "Yes, the principles of law are nothing more than human relationships?"
Han Changmu raised his eyebrows slightly and pursed his thin lips into a straight line. He looked cold and solemn, but a gentle smile leaked from his eyes: "Humanity is just humanness, there is no legal basis."
Yao Yao thought this was a trap and was waiting for her to jump into it willingly. She was not that stupid and would fall into a trap.
She narrowed her eyes, like a cunning fox, and said with a smile: "But what if the decapitator committed the crime of killing the nine tribes?"
Han Changmu actually guessed what Yao Yao wanted to ask, and smiled lightly: "That's okay."
Just four faint words caused an uproar in Yao Yao's heart. She turned her head and suppressed her agitated mind until it was as calm as a dry well. Then she turned her head and said slowly: "My lord, you are really brave. ."
Han Changmu thought that after saying these words, he would see Yao Yao's moved expression and hear her say something else, but nothing unexpected happened, and he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
He was excited for a moment and raised his hand. Just as his hand was about to fall on Yao Yao's bun, she unexpectedly tilted her head and avoided his hand.
Both of them were a little embarrassed and speechless for a moment.
At this moment, Meng Suige hurriedly turned over and dismounted. As soon as he approached the bonfire, the cold dew on his body turned into pale mist.
He lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty, something happened."
Meng Suige has been at the forefront since the ceremony left the capital. If it were not a major event, he would never be able to turn back.
Han Changmu's expression suddenly changed and he asked coldly: "What's wrong?"
Meng Suige looked around and whispered: "Two corpses were found in the woods fifty miles away from Yuhua Mountain."
Han Changmu's heart skipped a beat. Ever since Emperor Yong'an ordered to go to Yuhua Mountain to escape the summer heat, this road has been surveyed many times by the Qianniu Guards. The day before the emperor left the capital, the Qianniu Guards even put this road under martial law. , ordinary people cannot come in at all.
If something goes wrong at this time, it's either done before the Qianniu Guard arrives, or there's something wrong with the Qianniu Guard.
Han Changmu's face turned gloomy. He stood up and said sternly: "Where are you? Take me there."
"I'll go too." Yao Yao also threw away the branches in his hands and followed Han Changmu out.
Han Changmu turned his head and glanced at Yao Yao, and said worriedly: "Can you bear your injury?"
Yao Yao smiled casually: "Don't worry, sir."
The three men galloped on horseback, piercing through the thick and irreversible darkness of night. Mountains, rocks, streams, desolate forests and decaying grass passed by in a flash, and the journey of more than ten miles was approaching in an instant.
The dense forest was not very big, just on the edge of the wilderness, but the trees were tall and lush, and the fallen leaves were piled on the ground all year round without being cleaned. A smell of old decay and mildew filled the forest.
Several internal guards were guarding the edge of the forest. When they saw Han Changmu and the others approaching on horseback, they hurried forward to greet them and saluted: "My lord, we are in the forest."
Han Changmu dismounted, threw the reins to the inner guard, and followed Meng Suigai into the forest very quickly.
The place where the body was found was located in the middle of the dense forest. The humidity was heavy and the smell of decay was even stronger.
A deep pit was dug in the ground, and the two corpses were lying in the pit. Outside the pit was damp new soil.
Three thin black dogs circled back and forth around the pit, sticking out their long tongues and making loud hissing sounds.
The three inner guards guarding the edge of the pit pulled the rope to calm the thin dog.
Meng Suigai pointed to the deep pit and said: "The low-level officials were patrolling here. The small dog suddenly barked at the forest. The low-level officials felt something was strange, so they came in to check and found traces of new burials in this place. When they dug up, they found the body."
Han Changmu nodded: "Where is the Qianniu Guard?"
Meng Suige pointed to the vague figure not far away: "The Thousand Niu Guards are patrolling outside the forest. I have already asked. They arrived here three days ago and checked with fine dogs. No abnormalities were found. Yesterday during the day, they also used fine dogs to check, and there were no abnormalities. At this time, all the fine dogs they brought with them rushed to Yuhua Palace."
Han Changmu was slightly condensed. The person who did this obviously knew the Qianniu Guard's behavior and took advantage of the loophole. However, they did not expect that this time it was not only the Qianniu Guard who patrolled in advance, but Emperor Yong'an also sent internal guards. The company inspected along the way.
If not, this loophole would have really allowed them to slip through.
Han Changmu said quietly: "dig out the body."
Several internal guards claimed that they were, and hurriedly carried the two corpses out of the pit and placed them on their backs on the dead leaves.
Han Changmu and Yao Yao came closer with lanterns and took a closer look.
Both of them were men. They had not been dead for a long time, and their bodies showed no signs of decay. However, their faces were so badly damaged that they could no longer be seen clearly.
Yao Yao frowned slightly: "Sir, these two people were injured in the neck and killed with one knife. They died cleanly and without any sign of torture. There was obviously no deep hatred between the murderer and the deceased. They were just for the purpose of killing, so destructive." I didn’t hide the appearance of these two evil people just to vent my anger, I thought it was just to cover up the appearance of these two people.”
Han Changmu nodded with deep understanding: "Look, their nails are all intact, and there are no signs of painful struggle. The injuries on their faces should have been caused after death." He paused slightly, then turned to look around at the deep surroundings. Jungle: "There are no houses nearby, and the Qianniu Guards have cleared the road here three days in advance. Ordinary people cannot enter. Only the officials, soldiers and followers responsible for His Majesty's summer vacation can pass through with the corresponding documents. "
Yao Yao said "Yes", and together with Meng Sui, they rummaged through the corpses. After a moment, she shook her head: "Sir, there are no documents on these two people to prove their identities."
This result did not surprise Han Changmu. He nodded slightly: "Since the murderer destroyed the faces of these two people, how could he leave documents that can prove their identities?"
Yao Yao looked at the clothes on the two of them and thought: "Sir, these two are wearing coarse cloth and short brown. One is indigo and the other is dark brown. The edges are seriously worn. Both of them wear dark cloth shoes. , the soles of the shoes are also badly worn, from this it seems that these two people are not of high status, they are both coolies."
Han Changmu naturally noticed it. He picked up one of the hands and looked at it: "This person has thick arms. There are extremely thick calluses on the inside of the thumb of his left hand. There are old burns on his fingers and the back of his hand. However," he looked carefully. He looked at this man's nails and said, "But his nails are neatly trimmed and there is no dust at all. He must be a very particular person."
Yao Yao also picked up the other person's right hand and frowned slightly: "This person's hand also has the same calluses in the same position, but it's on his right hand. Look, sir." She pointed to the person's right hand: "Is it calloused?" The position is almost the same and the arms are thicker.”
Meng Suige was puzzled: "What kind of person would grow exactly the same calluses, and one is on the left hand and the other on the right."
Han Changmu raised his hand and made a gesture.
Yao Yao tilted his head and thought for a moment, then stretched out his hand towards Han Changmu: "Sir, do you have a dagger?"
Han Changmu was stunned for a moment, then bent down and pulled out a short blade from the leg of his leather boots, and handed it to Yao Yao along with the scabbard: "What do you want a dagger for?"
Yao Yao said nothing, pursed his lips, held the handle of the knife according to the calluses on the hands of the two men, and made various movements back and forth.
But every movement was not smooth, and she shook her head slightly.
Han Changmu saw what Yao Yao was doing, and he frowned and said, "The calluses on the hands of these two people don't look like they were left from handling swords all the time." He paused slightly and took off the short brown hair on the body. He came down, pointed at one of the corpses and said: "This person has a thick left arm, and the other person has a thick right arm. But except for the thick arms, there is no other part of their body that is like a martial arts practitioner. Next The board is not stable enough.”
Yao Yao lowered his eyebrows and looked at it, feeling quite strange.
So how did the calluses on these hands stay?
Han Changmu took two brown shorts and examined them carefully.
Both of them were killed by a sword. Judging from the wounds, they were just ordinary double-edged swords. Any iron shop in the East and West cities could make them. There was nothing special about them. The murder weapon was obviously not found. What a clue.
After the two men's throats were cut, a large amount of blood spattered out. Most of it sprayed onto the crime scene, while a small part fell on their clothes. The blood mainly gathered on the collar and chest, dyeing the shorts brown through.
The blood has dried completely, and the fabric is stiff where it is stained with blood.
The smell of blood and the smell of earth were mixed together, making it difficult to distinguish.
If the internal guards had not brought a fine dog to investigate, they might not have found these two corpses at all.
Han Changmu looked at the short brown carefully, and suddenly his eyes shrank, pointing to the upper part of the clothes below the chest, and whispered: "A Yao, come and see, what is this?"
Yao Yao hurriedly came over to take a look.
I saw that there were dots of mottled stains in that area, the color was slightly darker than the color of the clothing, and the edges of the traces were not very clear, as if the stains had penetrated into the clothing and slowly spread.
Yao Yao took the clothes and smelled them, frowning slightly and saying in disbelief: "It smells like oil."
Han Changmu's expression changed slightly, and he picked up another brown shorts. He also found stains of different sizes in the same location. The shape looked similar to the previous one.
An idea flashed in Yao Yao's mind, she changed her position, held the dagger, and gestured back and forth. After a moment, she suddenly said: "My lord, I know what these two people do."
Meng Suige showed joy and interrupted and asked: "What do you do?"
Han Changmu seemed to have thought of something, and nodded: "I thought of it too."
Yao Yao and Han Changmu Yao looked at each other and said in unison: "These two are both chefs."
"Cook?" Meng Suigai couldn't believe it: "How could he be a cook? How can you tell that he is a cook?"
"Yes, it's the cook. Both of them are cooks in the kitchen." Yao Yao held a dagger in one hand and pointed at the stains on the short brown with the other hand, and gestured to Meng Suige: "Mr. Meng Qi, look , are they calluses left by the chef's cooking, are those stains the traces of oily oil splashing on the clothes from years of cooking?"
Meng Suige suddenly realized: "It's true, it's exactly the same." He paused slightly: "Then why is there a callus on the right hand and a callus on the left hand."
As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at Han Changmu who looked at him like a fool. He hurriedly slapped his forehead, laughed and shook his head: "Yes, it's because he was stupid because of his humble position. Anyone with a callus on his right hand must be left-handed."
Han Changmu looked intently at the stretch of the camp. The dots of campfires were already extremely weak, like dim stars scattered across the wilderness.
He thought: "There are no cooks in the post. There is only one postmaster and four postmen stationed and cleaned every day. Every year, the saint decrees to go to Yuhua Mountain to escape the summer heat. These four people will clean the post in advance. Quietly. Waiting for the Yulin Army to take over."
Yao Yao also knew about this and nodded slightly: "So, these two cooks are not from Guanyi, and the people living near this road are ordinary people, and their families cannot afford cooks."
Meng Suige asked: "What if this person was originally a resident of this neighborhood, but he is also a cook, working in a restaurant or a wealthy family?"
Han Changmu shook his head: "There are no wealthy families here, let alone restaurants and inns. If you are a cook, there is no need to come here. Although this forest is not the place where they were killed, they can be in Qianniuwei's With corpses buried right under your nose, I guess the place of murder shouldn’t be far from here.”
Meng Suige's heart skipped a beat and he quickly called several internal guards to look around carefully.
Han Changmu said attentively: "There is only one place where a cook is needed around here."
Yao Yao and Meng Sui looked at each other and said in unison: "This is the Yuhua Mountain Palace."
Han Changmu said seriously: "Yes, it is the Yuhua Mountain Palace."
Yao Yao looked at the two unrecognizable corpses, and her heart skipped a beat: "Sir, if it was just to kill people, there was absolutely no need for the murderer to destroy the faces of these two people, unless it was," she hesitated.
"Unless it's for Li Daitao," Han Changmu said solemnly, "There must have been some Xiaoxiao disciples in the palace."
"What!" Meng Suige exclaimed. Thinking of where he was now, he quickly lowered his voice and said, "Sir, what's the matter? The saint will arrive at Yuhua Mountain tomorrow. In the palace If a bad person mixes in, then the safety of the saint, sir, what can I do?"
Han Changmu's face darkened: "It is obviously impossible to invite the saint back to Luan now. We can only remove the hidden dangers in the palace." He suddenly had an idea and whispered to Meng Suige: "Immediately pass a message to Gu Chen Feinu, Let him secretly control the cooks and helpers in the palace and strictly interrogate them. Everything must be done in secret and no panic can be caused."
Meng Suige responded yes and hurried to the dense forest to pass the letter.
Han Changmu raised his eyes and looked at Yao Yao, his expression a bit solemn.
Yao Yao's heart skipped a beat, as if he guessed what Han Changmu wanted to do, and hurriedly said: "My lord, you don't have to worry about the injuries caused by your humble position. Just say what you have to say."
Han Changmu smiled: "You are quite clever."
Yao Yao raised his eyebrows.
Han Changmu said quietly: "You can't be careless when visiting the palace, but the Holy Emperor is here and I can't leave."
"I understand, Beizhi will rush to the palace immediately." Yao Yao said before Han Changmu finished speaking.
Han Changmu was still worried about Yao Yao's injury. He thought for a moment and then said, "Ask Meng Suige to go with you so that you can have someone to take care of you on the way."
"No need!" Yao Yao hurriedly refused: "Meng Suige is your personal attendant. It doesn't matter if you follow a humble position. The injury caused by the humble position is nothing. Traveling under the stars at night is nothing. Don't worry, sir."
Han Changmu glanced at Yao Yao and saw that her expression was firm and did not seem to be fake, so he agreed.
Yao Yao breathed a subtle sigh of relief.
She was eager to rush to Yuhua Mountain first. She would have to lose three years of her life by being together with the crazy Han Changyun and the scheming Han Changmu all day long.
After deciding the matter, Meng Suige also wrote the letter and gave it to Han Changmu for review.
Han Changmu said calmly: "Let me add that Yao Canjun will set off for Yuhua Mountain immediately."
Meng Suige glanced at Yao Yao in surprise. He knew how badly she was injured, but seeing Yao Yao's calm face, he said yes, added a sentence, put the letter into a small bamboo tube, and wrote it out with The mouth was sealed with wax and tied to Fei Nu's leg.
Fei Nu passed through the forest, and there was a violent turbulence in the dense forest. It circled over the dense forest, changed its direction, penetrated the thick and irreversible night, and flew all the way to Yuhua Mountain.
