Chapter 267: Gaining momentum

When Li Qing rushed to the ruins of the Guifang again, it was almost dusk, and the drizzle over Gusu was still falling. You could occasionally see the boatwoman holding a long bamboo artemisia, and the boat quietly passed through the same narrow river beside the narrow street.

Many guards surrounded Li Qing's carriage and were running on the curved and narrow road. This was a rare scene in Suzhou. Passers-by avoided it early. When they arrived at Fengqiao, the governor Cui Huan and the magistrate of Wucheng who were notified by Li Qing also arrived in a hurry.

"Mr. Li, is there any urgent matter?" Cui Huan lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and walked to Li Qing and asked.

Li Qing was silent, but he walked straight to the well. The wheels on the well had been burned, and the remaining wood was lying obliquely on the well. After a while, he picked up a bluestone as big as a fist and threw it in. After a while, he heard a 'dong!' sound. The stones entered the water in a muffled voice. According to the interval, the well was at least five feet deep. He reached out and touched the wall of the well. The tentacles were covered with moss, which was extremely smooth and had nowhere to borrow power.

"Mr. Cui, I remember you said that someone jumped into the well and escaped, but I felt that the possibility of jumping into the well and surviving is extremely small. Governor Cui thinks there is something strange about it?"

After Li Qingyi reminded him, Cui Huan also walked to the well and looked inside and said, "What is the meaning of the minister? Is there a traitor among them?"

"Yes, there must be a traitor, otherwise how can we transport 100,000 taels of silver?"

Li Qing pointed to the well and sneered: "This person who jumped into the well and escaped is the biggest suspect."

"I just heard about jumping into a well and didn't see it in person."

Cui Huan turned around and waved to the Wucheng County Magistrate standing in the distance and shouted: "Mr. Zhou, please come here."

The magistrate of Zhou County was nearly forty years old and was a Jinshi in the 27th year of Kaiyuan. He had a pancake face and a few white pockmarks looked like sesame seeds on the cake, which was particularly eye-catching. On the night of the fire, he was the first official to arrive at the scene.

After hearing the governor called him, County Magistrate Zhou hurriedly stepped forward and bowed: "Sir, what are you asking?"

"I'll ask you, you said that you were escaping from the well. Then did you see him fishing him out of the well with your own eyes?"

County Magistrate Zhou thought for a while and shook his head, "I didn't see it with my own eyes. The scene was very chaotic at that time, and there were many people trying to put out the fire. Someone helped a deacon covered in water. He said he was jumping into a well to escape. I didn't think about it carefully, so it was taken seriously."

Cui Huan and Li Qing looked at each other and asked again: "You have placed those surviving people. Do you know where they live? Especially the one who jumped into the well."

"Everyone at the lower level knows that the man who jumped into the well is surnamed Hu, and he lives near the Changmen."

Suzhou Changmen is not far from Fengqiao, about three miles away. In order to go back to Guanyi, the group arrived at Changmen in just a quarter of an hour.

"That's the Deacon Hu family," County Magistrate Zhou pointed and stopped in surprise. He saw that the three floors of the old house were surrounded by people. The people standing outside stood on tiptoe and talked a lot, wondering what had happened?

"Does go, there's someone coming from the government!" The crowd immediately split into one road. County Magistrate Zhou led a few people into the house. Cui Huan was about to follow, but Li Qing caught him.

"Let's go one step later!" Li Qing shook his head, no need to look at it anymore. This must be because the other party discovered this loophole and killed someone first.

After a moment, County Magistrate Zhou walked out of the house with heavy steps and whispered: "All six of them are dead."

"How did you die?" Li Qing continued to ask.

"Report to the Minister, they seemed to be attacked while eating, and they all died in the living room, all with throat cuts. Their hands were the same, and they still had body temperature."

Li Qing thought for a while and said, "In the same room, and the same way of death means that the murderer took action very quickly and completed the murder without waiting for them to run away. This is not something that ordinary people can do. They must be someone with high martial arts skills, and their body temperature is still there, so the murderer must be still in the city."

Li Qing suddenly turned to Cui Huan and said, "Mr. Cui, please close the city immediately and search door to door, especially carefully searching people from the capital."

Soon, the four gates of Suzhou City were closed, and several teams of yamen runners, led by local guards, began to check household registrations from house to house and count the number of people. In fact, Li Qing also knew that there was no military participation, and this kind of search was not very effective. It was just a form of going through the scene. Without any evidence, anyone could be the murderer, and no one could be the same. His real purpose was to take the opportunity to find King Qing’s base camp in Suzhou.

When the lights were held, the search ended quickly, without any clues. Today's discovery was like a soap bubble. As soon as Li Qing touched it, he burst and left no trace. The first day he came to Suzhou ended in such a fulfilling and disappointing way.

In Chang'an, night also fell, but there was no drizzle. A crescent moon hung in the sky, the air was cold and dry, and the lights in the Prince Qing's Mansion were lit early, and lights were lit in every room. This was Li Cong's habit. He didn't like darkness. He liked the light in front of him. Even sleeping had to light the lights until dawn, which was in sharp contrast with his dark heart.

In recent days, Li Cong has suffered from insomnia almost every night. The deposed prince is like a stock market that is falling continuously. Countless positive rumors are echoing, but nothing substantial is released. Li Heng is still sitting high in the East Palace, and Wang Zhongsi is still locked in the Heavenly Prison of Dali Temple. Everything seems to have stopped abruptly. Li Longji no longer makes any statement, and just hangs King Qing and King Yong in the air without death.

"Your Highness, just take a rest!" The old butler stood at the door of the study with his hands down, like a cuckoo clock that yelled regularly, begging King Qing to rest again and again, "bang" a flying inkstone smashed out, smashing a big hole in the wall beside the old butler. Li Cong's vicious voice came from the study: "Get down, if you talk more, I will order someone to chop you."

The old butler was shocked. While he was hesitating, Li Cong's military advisor, Taoist Wang, came from behind. He bowed his hand and smiled at the old butler, "Don't worry about him anymore. He wants to rest and sleep directly in the study."

"But, the prince hasn't closed his eyes for three days!"

Mr. Wang gently patted the butler on the shoulder and advised: "You go back! Let me enlighten him, it will definitely be effective!"

The old housekeeper had no choice but to go. Military Secretary Wang turned around and knocked on the open door, and whispered: "Your Highness, can I come in?"

"Ah! Mr. is back!" A haggard face flashed behind the screen. After three days of sight, he had obviously lost weight. His face was blue, his eyes were swollen, and his eyes were covered with red silk. Li Cong grabbed Wang Junshi's wrist and said almost in a pleading tone: "Sir, let me wait so hard, you are finally back."

Military Secretary Wang returned to Zhongnan Mountain three days ago. He just returned. He knew human nature well and chose the right time to leave temporarily, but to stay with King Qing better. This is just like fishing. Just pulling and pulling hard may not be able to catch the big fish. If you put it in place appropriately, you can easily drag the big fish ashore.

"Your Highness, don't be anxious first, sit down and say slowly. I heard that your Highness has not been asleep for three days. The old master is deeply worried. Eating well and sleeping well is the way to maintain his health for a long time!"

Wang Junshi changed the topic and smiled faintly: "King Qing must be worried about the affairs of the Eastern Palace!"

"It's exactly this!"

Li Cong held his hand and said angrily like a child: "Sir, I can sleep with peace of mind after I have solved the danger in front of me."

Military Secretary Wang smiled slightly: "Your Highness thinks why is it dangerous?"

"Sir, please sit down and talk."

Li Cong personally pulled a chair for Military Advisor Wang and asked him to sit down. Then he sighed and said, "But he heard the sound of the stairs and no one came down. The change in the East Palace came in full force, but now he suddenly fell silent. Could it be that he ended in vain like last time?"

"Your Highness is wrong. This time is definitely different from last time. The reason why the emperor is silent is because he is waiting, and isn't he the darkest before dawn?"

"Wait?" King Qing shook his head incomprehensible, "The prince and Wang Zhongsi were arrested for a close encounter. This is the time. Why do you have to wait? I really don't understand, please teach me."

Military Master Wang pondered for a moment, and Fang Xuxu said: "I can't guess what the emperor is waiting for. However, judging from the emperor's actions, he has been planning for a long time. The prince probably cannot escape his palm this time. The overall situation has been decided. It's only time to depose the prince. I'm not worried about this. What I'm worried about is Suzhou. Once the arson case in the cabin is found by Li Qing, it may ruin your highness's major affairs and make King Yong a waste of money."

Li Cong was just happy to hear it, but the last words of Mr. Wang made him creepy. It was true. News came from Suzhou that Li Qing and King Yong had colluded, and that the enemy party was likely to turn to support King Yong. Once the arson case in the Guifang was found, how could the father spare himself?

Thinking of this, Li Cong couldn't help but secretly hated Li Linfu. If it weren't for his instigation, how could he have done that stupid thing? In the end, he became a tiger. He hurriedly said: "I have ordered my husband to suspend his actions and not alert him!"

"No!" Wang Junshi shook his head slowly, and a gloomy smile appeared in his eyes. "Now, there will be something wrong, but we can't use our people. Does Your Highness understand what I mean?"

Li Cong hesitated for a moment and stuttered a little, "Sir, do you mean to distract Li Qing from the spot?"

"This is just a side effect. The real purpose of the old Taoist is to take advantage of the chaos to kill Li Qing. Isn't King Yong also powerful in Suzhou? If you find out that Li Qing's death was done by King Yong, what effect do you think will be in the end?"

Li Cong was stunned for a while, then suddenly realized. He quickly stood up and bowed deeply to Mr. Wang, "Sir, I am worthy of being my son's wife. I will obey my words."

At this time, there was a sound of footsteps outside, and there was a vague sound of carriages and horses in the distance. The old housekeeper hurried over and reported at the door: "Prince, Li Xiangguo sent someone to deliver some local specialties. Should we collect them or not?"
Chapter completed!