An important official of the imperial court was awakened by his chamberlain and hurried over.
On the dragon couch, Li Er sat majestically, silently, waiting for the others. Everyone did not speak and waited patiently. When Qin Huaidao came in, he just nodded and did not dare to break the silence in the hall. Li Jing waved and Qin Huaidao walked quickly. They came forward and stood side by side without saying much.
After waiting for a while, several ministers came in a hurry. When Li Er saw that everyone he had summoned had arrived, he said: "My dear friends, I have disturbed everyone here in the middle of the night. There is really a big matter that needs to be negotiated. Something strange has happened to the Lu family's mansion. There was an attack, the whole attic collapsed, a fire broke out, and the owner of the house was killed on the spot, let’s talk about it.”
Fan Yanglu was one of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes, with huge influence. No one dared to be careless and they all thought quickly. Qin Huaidao pretended not to know and looked thoughtful, but what he was thinking about was what Li Er said. Why didn't Li Er point it out and return it? With Du He present, does he still not know the inside story, or does he want to cover up something and save the prince's face?"
A minister came out of the crowd and shouted angrily: "Your Majesty, please make the decision for me, the Lu family. Previously, Lu Jiansheng, an outstanding member of the new generation in the family, was brutally killed. Now someone is killing the superior. The old minister is terrified. If he doesn't arrest him, How can the city of Chang'an live peacefully if the murderer lives there? Can all the officials live peacefully?"
"Don't be impatient, Mr. Lu, I will uphold justice." Li Er said in a deep voice, his eyes staying on Qin Huaidao for a few seconds, with a certain meaning.
Qin Huaidao's heart skipped a beat. Was it exposed? It shouldn't be.
Soon, Qin Huaidao adjusted his mentality, kept silent, did not answer the phone, and watched the situation develop.
The official surnamed Lu sadly shouted: "Your Majesty, the murderer must be the same person. Please, Your Majesty, please investigate carefully. Otherwise, Mrs. Lu will have to investigate and save herself."
These words were threatening. Li Er frowned slightly, but did not get angry. He looked at the crowd and asked, "Everyone, tell me, what should be done about this?"
No one in the room was a fool. In the middle of the night, the Holy Spirit called people for questioning instead of directly sending people to investigate. He made it clear that he didn't want to really investigate and didn't say anything. He looked at his nose and his heart. Qin Huaidao saw that everyone was confused. I didn't want to say it, I had some vague guesses, and I didn't say anything.
The main hall was eerily quiet.
Seeing that the official surnamed Lu did not support him, he felt sad and said unwillingly: "Your Majesty, the murderer must still be in Chang'an City. As long as the city is searched, the real murderer will be found, and Chang'an will be restored to peace."
Li Er wished that all the five surnames and seven eyes would collapse, and wanted to investigate early, but he couldn't say this, so he looked at Li Jing, who stepped forward tacitly and said: "Your Majesty, it is the duty of the Criminal Department to track down the murderer. However, there are no clues, and the city is full of people searching for him. Will there be too much noise and cause public outrage?"
"What do the sentiments of the common people mean? The head of my family, the Chang'an family of the Lu family, was brutally murdered. This matter is serious and must be thoroughly investigated, otherwise all the officials will be uneasy."
Li Jing ignored the other party and only looked at Li Er.
Li Er was a little embarrassed. When he saw Qin Huaidao who was silent, his heart moved. Li Jing was too honest and inappropriate for such a disruptive matter. When Qin Huaidao came to the door, he immediately asked: "Master Qin, do you think we should search the whole city?"
This is a redundant question, and I made it clear that I don't want to investigate.
Qin Huaidao understood immediately that he wanted to cause trouble for himself. He understood it and looked at the official named Lu and said: "The hundreds of officials mentioned by Mr. Lu are uneasy. I don't know if I am one of the hundreds of officials."
Everyone was a little confused when they heard what the problem was, but Li Er laughed. Sure enough, Qin Huaidao was the one who wanted to make trouble.
The official surnamed Lu didn't think much and said: "Of course, isn't Mr. Qin worried about being attacked at night?"
"Master Lu, these are two questions. I will answer your first question first." Qin Huaidao smiled lightly. Seeing Li Er's suppressed smile expression, he couldn't help but complain in his heart - this guy is not a son of a man, he talks so much.
But he said: "The Lu Mansion was attacked, and I feel very at ease. Therefore, please stop mentioning things like 'all officials feel uneasy'. Who are you trying to scare here? Your Majesty?"
"You——" The official surnamed Lu was so angry that he was speechless for a moment.
Qin Huaidao continued unceremoniously: "As for the second question, even if I am worried about someone attacking me at night, won't it happen? Are there not many sneak attacks on me? Do I have any requests or threats?
What did the Holy One say about the uneasy feeling of all the officials?"
"Your Majesty, I do not mean to threaten you at all. Please be more careful, Your Majesty." The other party panicked and said quickly.
When Li Er saw Qin Huaidao helping to win the game, he felt satisfied and said calmly: "It's fine if you don't. Tell me, what happened to the Lu family?"
The other party hurriedly said: "Back to the Holy Land, I heard from the servants in the mansion that they only heard a huge noise, and then the attic collapsed and caught fire. There was no trace of the murderer."
"Master Qin, tell me what you think." Li Er raised the ball to Qin Huaidao again.
Qin Huaidao saw that Li Er didn't want to investigate, and he was eager to muddy the water. He solemnly said: "Your Majesty, I would like to ask Mr. Lu a few detailed questions. I don't know what to do."
"allow!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Qin Huaidao had the imperial edict, so he was justified in asking. He looked at the official named Lu and asked: "Master Lu, is the only one in the house who was killed?"
"There are also some servants, some of whom were obviously beaten to death."
"That is to say, except for the head of your family and some servants, no one else is implicated, is that true?" Qin Huaidao asked. Seeing the other party nodding, there was a flash of hesitation in his eyes, but he still didn't say anything. He knew Du He's identity in his heart.
Specially, involving the prince, the Lu family is not exposed.
Qin Huaidao looked at Li Er and saw a curious look on his face, and his heart moved. Didn't Li Er know that Du He was in the Lu Mansion? After thinking about it, it was very possible. The attic collapsed and it would take some time to clean up. I'm afraid Li Er really
I don’t know, this is interesting.
Since the prince wants to do something, let's do it together.
Thoughts flashed through his mind, and Qin Huaidao said loudly: "Your Majesty, I ask the Ministry of Punishment to mobilize people to cordon off the scene, investigate the cause, and find out what happened. A huge attic collapsed with a loud noise. This is unreasonable. There is nothing like this in the world.
I don’t think this is going to be a thunderous punishment from heaven to punish disloyalty.”
"You...are talking nonsense." The official surnamed Lu became anxious.
Qin Huaidao went to smile lightly and said: "Master Lu, if it weren't for the thunder and punishment from heaven, what else in the world could make an attic collapse instantly? If so, we should find out the truth to prevent the people of Chang'an City from being nervous and some people with ulterior motives.
Take advantage, what do you think?"
"I……"
The official surnamed Lu didn't know what to do for a while. His original intention was to ask the court to track down the murderer, not to investigate the scene. But if he refused, wouldn't he feel guilty?
Li Er heard something, looked at the other person and asked: "Why, you don't want me to send someone to investigate? Is there something fishy? If you don't investigate, how can you know who the murderer is?"
"This?" The official named Lu was confused.
Qin Huaidao took the opportunity to ask: "Why, you are the one who asked the Holy Father to track down the murderer. You also said that all the officials would be uneasy if the truth was not found out, and now you are not allowed to investigate the scene. What are your intentions?"
"Your Majesty, I am not trying to stop you. The accident happened in the backyard of the house. Once we send someone to investigate the scene, we may hit the family members and cause a lot of inconvenience."
"What's the difficulty? Transfer more people. It's just one night. It won't take too long." How could Qin Huaidao let the other party get what he wanted? He pursued the victory and said: "Master Lu, if you don't give me one night, I have to suspect that it's God.
As a punishment for thunder, you, Mr. Lu, were worried about spreading the word and affecting your reputation, so you blocked the investigation."
For this reason, if you still persist, you will be trying to hide it and cannot explain it clearly.
The ancients valued reputation more than life, and the five surnames and seven hopes were even more important. Without reputation, the great family would have no foundation. The official surnamed Lu gritted his teeth and said: "There is no thunder punishment from heaven. I, the Lu family's scholarly biography
At home, we must abide by etiquette, abide by our duties, never violate discipline and law, behave upright, sit upright, and can withstand investigation."
"It's better to conduct an on-site inspection than to say a thousand words." Qin Huaidao sneered and did not let up at all.
"These are two different things. I, the Lu family, are not afraid of investigation, but if the imperial court sends people into the house, bad rumors will spread, which is not good. Therefore, I do not agree to pursue the investigation. At worst, the matter will be exposed. I, the Lu family, will admit defeat.
."
After a few words, the whole place was in an uproar.
They are all human beings, so I can see something weird here.
Li Er also saw that there was something wrong, but the main reason was that he did not complain, and the court could not continue to investigate. He looked at Qin Huaidao, who understood and smiled: "Master Lu's reasons are a bit biased. Isn't it really a punishment from heaven?"
"no."
"If it is not a punishment from heaven, then I have to suspect that there is something weird here." Qin Huaidao said and cupped his hands towards Li Er on the imperial steps: "Your Majesty, I suspect that the Lu Mansion is researching some kind of terrible weapon, and I lost control for a moment, causing
The attic collapsed and burned. Mr. Lu refused to let the court investigate. He had evil intentions and was suspected of rebellion."
Everyone knows that Qin Huaidao is good at messing around and making accusations, but unexpectedly he underestimated him. When his upper lip and lower lip collided, he was suspected of being a rebel, and his logic was self-consistent, making it difficult to refute.
If there really was a weapon that could collapse the attic, would this be a big deal?
Li Er suddenly remembered that Qin Huaidao had mentioned that he could make a weapon that could blow up mountains to open roads. He immediately thought that the murderer might be Qin Huaidao, but he didn't care. As long as the other party's surname was Qiwang, he was one of his. Since Qin Huaidao wanted to investigate, there must be someone.
The reason was: "Master Lu?"
"Chen...chen..."
"What, you can't tell me? If you don't give me a reasonable explanation, I will never tolerate this matter, Duke Wei."
"I'm here." Li Jing hurriedly stepped out of the queue. He also suspected that the murderer was Qin Huaidao. Since Qin Huaidao wanted to investigate, it was natural for him to do it. He said loudly: "Your Majesty, the crime of rebellion shall be under the supervision of the Supervisory Office."
Li Er also reacted, nodded with satisfaction and said: "Master Qin, I will leave this matter to you. Anyone who dares to obstruct a thorough investigation will be treated as an accomplice and must give me an explanation tomorrow morning."
"I obey the order!" Qin Huaidao was secretly happy. With this excuse, it was not easy to find out some clues. He said loudly: "Your Majesty, I kindly ask you to resign and go to investigate here to prevent someone from destroying the evidence."
"Yes!" Li Er agreed.
Qin Huaidao left in a hurry, left the palace, rode a white-tied crow and went straight to the Ministry of Communications. The distance was not very far. He impulsively shouted to the guard at the door: "Send the order, except for those on duty and guarding the government offices, all other personnel of the Supervisory Office
Go out and move quickly."
"Follow the order." The other party agreed and hurried in to report.
Not long after, Fang Yiai and Li Yixie rushed out of the mansion with a group of soldiers and horses. Qin Huaidao didn't explain much and led a large army to the Lu mansion. Everyone was curious, but showed good discipline and followed closely without asking any questions.
behind.
There was no one on the streets in Chang'an City at night. The patrolling Imperial Army came up for questioning. They learned that they were investigating the case under orders and did not stop them. They quickly arrived at the Lu Mansion. Qin Huaidao shouted: "Fang Yiai."
"exist!"
"Take five hundred people and surround the Lu Mansion for me. No mosquitoes will be allowed to fly out, and no one will be allowed to enter."
"Follow the order! Follow me." Fang Yiai waved his hand and left with his troops.
"Li Yixie! Follow me into the government to investigate the case. If you dare to stop me, you will be shot without mercy."
"Follow orders."
The group rushed into the house, frightened the Lu family, and screamed repeatedly. The servants were running around. Qin Huaidao saw that the fire in the backyard was still there, and rushed over looking for the light. Soon he saw the attic that had not been burned yet, and the fire was burning.
There were many servants carrying water to put out the fire, and some elders were on hand to take command.
Everyone was startled when they saw a group of officers and soldiers approaching. They stopped and watched. An old man stepped forward and asked, "Who are you and what are you doing? I'm going to sue you for breaking into a private house without permission."
"Get away and wait for questioning. If you dare to run around, I'll chop you down." Li Yixie rushed up and scolded him, with a fierce look on his face, as if he could draw his sword at any time.
Qin Huaidao strode forward and saw that the fire was not very big and could be extinguished by pouring more water. He shouted: "Don't stop, keep putting out the fire. Who has the final say here."
"I'm Lu Lin, are you the Protector?" the old man asked uncertainly.
"Lu Lin, right? It's easy to handle if you know me. I'm handling the case according to orders. No one can stop me, otherwise I will be punished with the same crime. Where is your master's study?" Qin Huaidao asked coldly.
"We are handling the case according to the order. Where is the imperial edict? Take it out and take a look at it," the other party asked.
Qin Huaidao stared at the other party with fierce eyes and said coldly: "I don't like to say what I said a second time. Where is the study? You can choose to say it or not. If you don't say it, you will be punished as an accomplice and be executed immediately."
"Qiang!" Li Yixie drew his sword in cooperation and placed it across the opponent's neck. He was ready to attack if he disagreed. Having been on the battlefield, Li Yixie's murderous aura was equally astonishing.
Seeing that Qin Huaidao was not playing his cards according to common sense, the other party was so angry that he was shaking all over, but he did not dare to be harsh anymore and said: "I will take you there, what do you want to do?"
"Just lead the way." Qin Huaidao scolded.
The old man did not dare to talk nonsense anymore and honestly led the way. Qin Huaidao pointed at a school captain and said: "Take your people for a walk. Others will surround the scene. Other than putting out the fire, no one else is allowed to do anything."
"Follow the order." Everyone accepted the order with a roar.
Li Yixie escorted the old man forward, Qin Huaidao followed, and a group of soldiers also quickly followed.
The group walked through a courtyard and soon came to a side room. When they opened it, they saw that it was very large and lit with candles. One could see bookshelves filled with various books. Various calligraphy and paintings were hung on the walls. In the corners of the room,
There are also some valuable antiques on display.
"Wait outside and don't allow anyone to approach." Qin Huaidao warned the soldiers and entered the study.
Li Yixie grabbed the old man and motioned to wait at the door.
The old man turned livid with anger and cursed: "Bandits, you are simply committing robberies. I want to file a complaint. Mr. Qin, don't think that you can do whatever you want just because you are in the sky. Fan Yanglu is not afraid of you."
"Li Yixie, if he dares to talk nonsense again, find a piece of rag to plug his mouth." Qin Huaidao warned without looking back. He carefully looked around and analyzed the possible hiding places of important secret messages. Only by getting some useful secret messages can he
Kill the Lu family, otherwise it won't make much sense.
It's unlikely that there are books on the bookshelf, and the desk is clearly visible. There are no drawers. Could it be hidden in porcelain bottles? Qin Huaidao looked at the several exquisite porcelains placed in the corner and felt that it was unlikely. There should be a mezzanine darkroom or something like that.
, then looked at the old man: "Tell me, where is the darkroom?"
"There is no darkroom. I, the Lu family, are upright and have nothing to hide." The old man scolded angrily.
Qin Huaidao saw that the other party didn't look like he was lying. He probably didn't know anything about it, so he didn't continue to ask. He looked around carefully and gradually landed on a calligraphy and painting. The calligraphy and painting were a bit large and vertical. The ropes fixing the wall underneath were very clean, and the ropes fixing the wall underneath his calligraphy and painting were very clean.
The rope is a little dusty.
The dust is not big and difficult to detect without looking carefully. It looks different if it is clean. There is only one explanation: it is often untied. Qin Huaidao stepped forward and pulled the red silk rope, untied the slip knot, opened the calligraphy and painting and took a look. There was a hole in the wall.
There is a rosewood box inside the hole.
Qin Huaidao's eyes lit up, he took out the box and opened it. Inside was a pile of house deeds and land deeds, with a letter underneath. He picked it up and opened it and saw that it was written by Lu Dongzan. It started with a bunch of flattery words, and Fan Yanglu
He boasted that he was unparalleled in the world, and then mentioned that Fanyang Lu's papermaking industry was unparalleled and that he had contributed a lot in printing books. He admired him very much, and then proposed to purchase a large number of papers and books. He did not mention the names of the books, but requested any kind.
Get a set, whether it is Confucian classics or miscellaneous studies, and I am willing to buy it at 10% higher than the market price.
After reading it, Qin Huaidao keenly grasped the key point and asked: "Did Fan Yanglu sell paper and books to Tubo?"
"Sell it, it's a normal transaction, what's wrong with it?" the old man asked angrily.
"Give me a copy of the list of books for sale." Qin Huaidao said coldly. He kept the letter close to his body and did not touch the contents of the box. He added: "Watch it. I will not touch your belongings and put them back as they are.
." After saying that, Qin Huaidao put it back into the secret compartment intact.
The old man couldn't understand what was causing Qin Huaidao's trouble. Who else was interested in taking advantage of the opportunity to make some money? If he really took it, he would have a lot to say. But this one didn't want anything, but took a letter. The old man had seen the content of the letter.
It was just a purchase letter, so I didn't pay attention to it and said, "I'll find the book list for you."
Qin Huaidao signaled Li Yixie to let go. After regaining his freedom, the old man stepped forward and took out a book of Analects of Confucius on the bookshelf. When he opened it, he found an account book with records inside. He quickly turned to one of the pages, tore it off and said: "This book trades
I can’t give you all the record books.”
Qin Huaidao was not interested in the transaction ledger of the Lu Mansion. He took the list and looked at it. It was full of book titles. It was divided into two parts. The upper part contained Confucian classics and historical books and various Buddhist scriptures. The lower part contained miscellaneous books on various manufacturing and smelting.
, breeding, planting and medicine and other technical books.
Seeing this, Qin Huaidao's head exploded. This was to support the enemy. Whether it was Confucian classics or Buddhist scriptures, Qin Huaidao didn't care, but how could such technical books be leaked out, especially smelting? Tubo mastered iron-making technology and improved it.
If the quality of the swords and guns were compromised, it would be the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty who would suffer.
An unknown fire rushed straight to the top of his head, Qin Huaidao asked: "Where is the book?"
"It was delivered five days ago, so normal transactions are illegal?" the old man asked angrily.
Qin Huaidao controlled his anger and asked: "Has Tubo been transported away?"
"Then I don't know. It should have been shipped away. Lu Dongzan said that King Songtsan Gampo of Tubo was very interested in the Confucianism of the Tang Dynasty. He has admired it for a long time and is eager to see it as soon as possible. He probably got the book and shipped it away overnight."
"Assholes, you Lu family deserve to die!" Qin Huaidao could no longer control his anger, slapped him and shouted: "Take him away, everyone in the house will look at him."
"Follow the order." Li Yixie didn't understand why Qin Huaidao was so angry, but without any hesitation, he controlled the person again, put a sharp knife on the opponent's neck, and escorted the person away.
Qin Huaidao went out and told the captain outside: "You personally lead a team of people to guard the study. No one is allowed to go in and take anything. Otherwise, it will be punished as a rebellion."
"Follow the order." The captain was startled and quickly remembered that the rebellion would involve the Yi tribe.
Returning to the scene of the fire, Qin Huaidao saw that the fire was almost gone, so he asked the soldiers to help clean up the ruins and dig out the people buried underneath. Prince Li Chengqian was causing trouble behind his back, so don't blame yourself for being rude.
Due to insufficient manpower, Qin Huaidao ordered all the men in the house to be arrested and cleaned up. Hundreds of people worked together at a fast pace. An hour later, two corpses were dug out. Both were charred and beyond recognition, and it was impossible to identify who they were.
Qin Huaidao couldn't identify who Du He was when he stepped forward, but it didn't matter. People in this era liked to wear a jade plaque with their name engraved on it. Qin Huaidao took off a jade pendant from the waist of a burnt corpse, and it was black.
Yes, let someone bring some water to wash it, and a "Lotus" character will appear.
"Li Yixie!"
"arrive!"
"Keep an eye on the scene and keep everyone in the Lu Mansion under separate custody. Don't make any trouble and wait for me to come back." Qin Huaidao said and left in a hurry, heading straight for the gate.
Li Yixie hurriedly caught up and said uneasily: "Sir, do you want to send a team of people to follow? The road may not be peaceful, so be careful."
"That's fine!" Qin Huaidao agreed.
Li Yixie quickly called a team of people to follow.
When the group came to the gate, Qin Huaidao saw an army rushing over, led by Su Dingfang, and asked curiously: "Commander Su, why are you here?"
"Back to your lord, the general has been resting. He heard from the people on duty that there is action. Your lord is leading the team. We are the soldiers. How can we not join the lord and make the decision without authorization and bring people here? Please forgive me."
Su Dingfang quickly explained.
Qin Huaidao smiled: "I don't blame you. I'm not used to having personal soldiers. I will definitely take you with me next time I have an action. You're here just in time. Come with me." He said to the pair arranged by Li Yixie.
He waved his hand, signaling to go back.
"Get in formation and escort your Excellency." Su Dingfang shouted.
One hundred pro-troops rushed up quickly and surrounded Qin Huaidao. Qin Huaidao saw that this was not going to work and said to Su Dingfang: "One group went forward ten feet to open the way to the palace, and one group went ten feet behind to prevent sneak attacks. There are two groups on the left and two on the left.
Walk along the streets and houses, while others pass with me."
"Follow the order!" Su Dingfang didn't know why Qin Huaidao did this, but he knew that Qin Huaidao was a good leader and a man who was good at fighting. He must have deep meaning in doing this, and without questioning, he quickly ordered the generals and made proper arrangements.
The group walked forward quickly, and Su Dingfang soon discovered the beauty of doing so. The group in the front was scouting the road. If there was an ambush, they could know in advance. The group in the rear could also prevent sudden attacks. As for the left and right wings, the soldiers walked close to the street.
, firstly, it can prevent someone from suddenly rushing out of the room, or shooting arrows through the window for a sneak attack. Secondly, from someone hiding on the roof for a sneak attack, you can quickly break down the door and enter the house to counterattack, suppress the enemy, and cover the team to avoid it.
A group of ten people, a hundred people divided into six groups, and there are 40 people. Even if there is a sneak attack, they can be blocked for a while, and the people are scattered, so it is not easy to be wiped out all at once.
Wanting to understand the key, Su Dingfang admired Qin Huaidao more and more. He followed closely behind him, staring at the surroundings with vigilance, and his whole body tensed up, as if facing a formidable enemy.
The team marched for a short distance, and Qin Huaidao suddenly felt something was wrong. He looked in one direction warily and shouted loudly: "Stop advancing and be on guard around you."
Everyone raised their crossbows to defend themselves. They were all veterans of the Yulin Guard who had been on the battlefield, and no one panicked.
Su Dingfang looked at the empty streets in front and behind him and found nothing unusual, so he couldn't help but ask: "Sir?"
The sudden murderous intent made Qin Huaidao alert. No matter who the murderer was, whether he was still alive or not, he had to investigate. But he still had important things to do. He had to enter the palace as soon as possible to face the saint. He pointed in one direction and said: "Commander Su, then
There is murderous intent on the side, and the killer can't do anything. He gives up the assassination and runs away. You lead two teams to catch up. If you find the killer, quickly give a warning. If you follow him, come to the palace to meet up. Be careful."
"Sir, it is not safe to divide our troops at this time."
"Execute the order." Qin Huaidao insisted.
Seeing Qin Huaidao's firm tone, Su Dingfang did not dare to say anything and led two groups of people to chase after him.
"The others maintain their formation and move forward at full speed. The target is the palace gate!"
Qin Huaidao shouted in a deep voice and ran forward in large strides.