In the inner courtyard of Hao Mansion, a brand new stone slab was turned over.
Under the stone slab is new soil filled in the morning.
Li Xuan stood in front of the stone slab, holding her sword and meditating.
The housekeeper of the Hao Mansion stood aside with an uneasy look on his face.
At this moment, a burst of rapid footsteps sounded.
Immediately, a group of Qianniu Guards broke into it, and the leader was Su Baotong, whom Li Xuan was most familiar with.
Li Xuan turned his head and frowned: "Why is it you, General He Zhonglang?"
"There seems to be some movement among the Turks in Gudefang. General Zhonglang will rush over there personally." Su Baotong solemnly handed over his hands.
"Although it's a bit sensitive now, General Zhonglang should also be able to distinguish the more important and the more important." Li Xuan looked a little unhappy, but he didn't know that He Wei was avoiding trouble.
It's not just ordinary people who can do anything in the Shuling's house in the Tang Dynasty.
It is the beginning of the new year again, and even the Tubo people will not come to tease Tang Zhongshu Ling at this time.
"General Zhonglang is also afraid of what the Turks have in mind at this time." Su Baotong lowered his head and forced a smile.
Li Xuan was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I guess this is a reasonable excuse."
The Tang Dynasty and Tubo are about to start, the Western Turks are not stable, and the people of the Eastern Turks are also ready to make moves behind the scenes.
If the Turks in Chang'an cause trouble again at this time, it will be no small trouble.
But in the final analysis, I am still hiding.
Something happened to Zhongshu Ling's family, but Xian Yinqing, who came to the pole, actually had other things in his mind.
Can't you tell which one is more important?
However, Li Xuan knew that there were too many things involved behind this matter. If he really found out something that shouldn't be investigated, he would die without knowing why.
…
Li Xuan turned to look at the housekeeper Hao Zhong, and said calmly: "Give me a copy of the life story of everyone in the family."
"Everyone?" Hao Zhong was slightly stunned.
"You heard that right, everyone, including your master." Li Xuan raised her eyebrows and glanced at Hao Zhong.
Hao Zhong looked ugly, but in the end he handed over his hand and said: "Here!"
"Tell me, what's going on?" Li Xuan looked at Hao Zhong coldly and asked, "If I remember correctly, the empty stone slab here should have been trampled by Hao Xiang. Why did it collapse again?" Filled in?"
"This was arranged by the master. He was afraid of hurting others, so he quickly filled up the hole and replaced the slate with new ones." Li Zhong quickly explained.
"I can see that the stone slabs in your yard are quite new. What's going on?" Li Xuan looked at the entire front yard of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Stretching from the gate to the backyard courtyard, all are the latest stone slabs, only the one under Li Xuan's feet has been lifted.
"Half a month ago, my family went out to find someone to replace it. Who would have thought that it would be tampered with." Hao Zhong couldn't help but look a little ugly.
"You mean, someone took advantage of the slate replacement half a month ago to hollow out the ground here, and then waited until today to be stepped on by Hao Xiang and fall down?" Li Xuan looked at Hao Zhong speechlessly.
Hao Zhong nodded matter-of-factly and said: "He must be deliberately trying to hurt my master, and it doesn't have to be today, it could be any day. With my master's age, he is lucky. If he is not lucky..."
If you are unlucky, of course the person will be gone.
"Are you sure that the person who stepped on this place must be your master?" Li Xuan asked calmly.
Hao Zhong nodded unexpectedly and said: "Of course, the servants in the family use the gravel roads on both sides. I am the only one who usually walks here."
"Where are your young master and young master?" Li Xuan asked in surprise?
"The young master and the young master don't come here often." Hao Zhong lowered his head slightly, with some hidden meaning in his expression.
Hao Chujun's wife passed away a long time ago, and he has two sons and two grandsons, but only the eldest son Hao Beisou and the eldest grandson Hao Xiangxian are with him to serve him.
In addition, Hao Chujun was an upright man, and his son and grandson were not very close to him.
Li Xuan nodded slightly, and then said: "What about those people who replaced the slates?"
"Run away." Hao Zhong clenched his fists and said bitterly: "The people from Dali Temple searched the whole city today and couldn't find those people."
Hao Chujun's fall happened this morning, so very early, the emperor asked people from Dali Temple to come and investigate the case.
Li Xuan and the others came over just after the Earth Festival ended in the afternoon. People from Dali Temple searched for the whole day but found no results.
"Interesting." Li Xuan sneered slightly.
This hand seemed very difficult to confuse people, but Li Xuan smelled a familiar smell.
The real purpose of this deliberate method of finding someone to blame is to conceal the real perpetrator.
At this moment, a burst of rapid footsteps sounded.
Immediately, Su Baotong and his men appeared, raised their hands to Li Xuan and said, "Report to the prince, I found it!"
…
In the bamboo forest in the backyard, a pool of soil was deliberately scattered in the bamboo forest.
It is surrounded by a circle of white gray. Compared with the outside of the circle, it looks extremely conspicuous.
Countless dead leaves fell on the ground, but except for places where people have stepped on it, it was basically very clean.
"It seems that there is a smart person, and he also knows not to mess up the bamboo forest." Li Xuan squatted and picked up some frozen soil that was not very dry. She looked up at Su Baotong and said, "It looks like the hands and feet were moved last night." , someone really wants to take action against Hao Xiang."
Su Baotong bowed and said, "Your Majesty, do you want to continue the investigation?"
"Check, call all the servants in the mansion to the front room and interrogate them one by one." Li Xuan ordered directly.
Su Baotong didn't ask why and just handed over his hand: "Here!"
Su Baotong led the people away, and Li Xuan stood in the bamboo forest, looking around.
There are wooden doors separating the front yard, middle yard and back yard, which are locked every night.
This is indeed not difficult for those who are interested, but it also reveals some clues.
Li Xuan walked down the bamboo forest, then walked towards the courtyard gate, and then walked towards the front yard step by step.
He made as little noise as possible, after all, Hao Chujun was still resting.
In the side room in the front yard, more than a dozen servants and maids were already standing outside, looking uneasily at the Qianniu Guard standing at the door.
Li Xuan stood under the arch and glanced at everyone with cold eyes.
After a moment, he frowned slightly, turned around and asked, "Is everyone in the house here now?"
Hao Zhong glanced around and finally said in surprise: "Dongxue didn't come."
"Who is Dongxue?" Li Xuan clenched the long sword in her hand instantly.
Hao Zhong said quickly: "Dongxue is the maid in the young master's house. She entered the house last autumn."
"Last year?" Li Xuan raised an eyebrow.
"Dongxue is from Silla. The young master won it from a bet with others last year." Hao Zhong looked slightly embarrassed.
Hao Chujun's eldest grandson, Hao Xiangxian, was a weak man but stubborn in character. He never took advantage of his friends playing tricks, and it was rare for him to win a maid back from a bet.
"Who are you betting with? Whose name is it? Where is your home?" Li Xuan turned around in an instant. In an instant, he already had a new goal.
"He is a businessman from Yangzhou. I don't know his last name. Anyway, it is a rare victory for the young master... But since then, the young master has never gone out to play. He studies hard at home every day and prepares for this year's imperial examination." Hao Zhong's face inevitably showed a hint of relief.
"Where are they now?" Li Xuan's tone softened.
"Serving in the master's room." Hao Zhong replied immediately.
Li Xuan nodded, took a deep breath, and said, "Okay, tonight, remember not to let him return to his yard."
"Why?" Hao Zhong couldn't help being stunned. At this time, Li Xuan had already passed by him and walked towards the back.
Two Qianniu Guards stood aside solemnly.
…
The delicate and frail little girl in the cyan skirt and pink shoulder gauze has now turned into a corpse.
"Dongxue felt a little uncomfortable when she woke up today, so she stayed in the house all the time. She was fine when we delivered the meal at noon." Chu Qing, a maid in the same uniform, knelt on the ground, shivering, but still explained The truth.
Li Xuan nodded calmly, and then asked: "How is her relationship with your young master? After I heard that he got her, your young master rarely goes out."
Chu Qing smiled bitterly and said: "It's all other people's nonsense. The young master has no special feelings for Dongxue at all. It's just that the young master is cautious. After finally catching an advantage once, he will never export it again." Go, and since the family is tight, I can just concentrate on my studies."
"That's it." Li Xuan said slightly. In one sentence, he had an intuitive impression of Hao Xiangxian.
Looking at the body, Li Xuan asked casually: "So, have you ever seen Dong Xue getting close to anyone outside the house?"
"No." Chu Qing said subconsciously, but then, her face couldn't help but pause slightly.
"What have you thought of?" Li Xuan raised his head and glanced at Hao Zhong, who was standing at the door with a confused look on his face, his eyes faint.
"Yes." Chuqing hesitated, but still said: "But occasionally some Silla people who are in poverty come nearby, and Dongxue will help them."
"Can people from Silla come here?" Li Xuan frowned and asked directly: "This is Xingdaofang, how can we let people from Silla come here?"
Silla Square is located in the south of Taiji Palace, facing the Suzaku Gate.
In a place like this, the shopkeepers will automatically ask those who are poorly dressed to leave.
Not to mention that on the surrounding long streets, police officers from Chang'an and Wannian Counties will diligently interrogate anyone acting suspiciously and then drive them away.
How could we let these people come in and "pollute Xingdaofang"?
"They are all servants of wealthy families nearby." Chu Qing lowered her head and said softly.
"Are there many people from Silla around here using Silla people as servants?" Li Xuan looked up at Hao Zhong.
Hao Zhong smiled awkwardly and said, "Silla slaves are cheap."
Li Xuan took a deep breath. He didn't expect that even the prime minister's family would care about these things.
But think about it, if it's only half a day, it's really a lot of expenses year after year, not to mention that there are still people who are secretly deducting money.
"Here comes someone." Li Xuan said.
Su Baotong stepped forward and cupped his hands: "Your Majesty."
Li Xuan lightly kicked her right foot, and a blue embroidered shoe was kicked out from under the bed. It happened to flip over, and there was still wet soil underneath.
Hao Zhong's expression immediately changed.
Li Xuan turned around with a stern expression: "Send an order to dispatch two teams of Jinwu Guards to enter Xingdaofang, then enter each house, find all the Silla people in each house, take them to Qianniu Prison, and interrogate them severely. , no one should be left out.”
"Here!" Su Baotong walked away quickly.
Li Xuan lowered her head, looked at the body of the Silla maid with white lips in front of her, and shook her head slightly.
Why does the matter involve the Silla people again?
How dare the Silla people act so wantonly and assassinate the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty? Aren't they afraid of renewed war between the Tang Dynasty and Silla?
Is it really what they did, or someone framed it.
Li Xuan whispered softly: "Everything went so smoothly today!"
(End of chapter)
