“You filthy man, is that child in your house mentally ill?”
Su Su ran into the study, and only then did the feeling of being stared at disappear. It was strange that she, a ghost, could feel so uncomfortable under the gaze of a five or six-year-old child.
“You’re the one who’s ill, your whole family is ill. Oh, I forgot, your family is long gone,” Xu Qi An retorted mercilessly. He had forgotten his aunt’s earlier joking remark and thought Su Su was insulting the little bean.
“Creak…”
Xu Qi An closed the study door. He initially wanted to pour a cup of tea for Li Miaozhen, but considering they might have to examine a corpse soon, it wasn’t the right time for tea, so he didn’t serve any to his guest.
Li Miaozhen didn’t waste words either. She took out her Earth Book fragment, gave it a gentle shake and a black shadow fell out, landing on the study floor with a “thud.”
With his keen senses, Xu Qi An smelled a strong scent of blood.
He stared at the headless corpse for a moment, then asked, “Where’s his soul?”
A headless corpse alone couldn’t explain much. Since Li Miaozhen said it was a big deal, she must have used Daoist methods to summon the soul.
Li Miaozhen tapped her sachet, and a wisp of green smoke rose gracefully, forming in mid-air into a middle-aged man with a blank stare and blurred features, who mumbled, “Blood massacre for three thousand li, blood massacre for three thousand li, please send troops to suppress…”
The Holy Maiden of the Celestial Sect looked grave. “His soul is damaged. To know the rest of the content, we’d need to nourish the soul. Given the extent of the soul’s damage, it would take at least two months.”
Xu Qi An glanced at her and scoffed, “In two months, it’ll all be too late.”
Li Miaozhen glared at him, “Then what do you suggest we do?”
She truly didn’t know what to do. With only this one clue, neither head nor tail, how could they investigate the truth?
Su Su’s beautiful eyes, clear as black and white, gazed at him intently. She knew that with Xu Qi An’s case-solving ability, he wouldn’t be as clueless as her master.
Su Su was both expectant and curious, wanting to know from what angle he would analyze the situation.
Xu Qi An pondered briefly, then bent down to remove the corpse’s clothing. After a thorough examination, he said, “Unless I’m mistaken, he should be from the North.”
Li Miaozhen’s eyes immediately lit up, and she asked, “What’s your basis for that?”
She had watched the shameless Number Three examine the corpse throughout but hadn’t drawn the same conclusion.
“The environment shapes the people. From the appearance and skin, one can tell where the deceased is from. Without a head, and with the ghost’s face too blurred… to determine where this headless corpse is from, we have to verify from the body’s details.”
Xu Qi An lifted the corpse’s right hand and said, “Look, besides the calluses on his palm, there’s also a thick callus on his index finger. Using a knife or sword wouldn’t produce this kind of callus.”
Su Su and Li Miaozhen looked closely, and indeed it was so.
The beautiful ghost blinked her eyes and said coquettishly, “Then what weapon did he use? Don’t keep us in suspense.”
Li Miaozhen, however, showed a look of realization: “It’s a bow.”
As expected of a female general who’s been in military camps, her reaction is quick… Xu Qi An nodded, “That’s right, this person was skilled in archery.”
Su Su tilted her head and argued, “How does this prove he’s from the North? I feel like you’re making this up. There are many skilled archers, couldn’t he be from the army?”
Li Miaozhen nodded in agreement.
“Yes, Miss Su Su makes a good point. For example, there’s a skilled archer right next to you who’s not from the army.”
Xu Qi An winked, his hands not stopping as he spread the headless corpse’s legs, saying:
“Look carefully, there are no calluses at the base of his thighs. If he were a long-term horseman from the military, there would be calluses there. Not being from the army, yet skilled in archery, this fits the characteristics of Northerners. Jianghu people from various parts of Da Feng are not skilled in using bows.”
Northerners are skilled with bows and arrows; even ordinary adult males can draw a bow. From what Xu Qi An knew, the standard equipment for jianghu people from the northern states when traveling included a knife and a bow.
Sometimes, they might not even have a knife, using daggers and short blades instead, but they would never be without a bow.
At this point, Su Su came up with another counterargument: “Or, he could be an archer in the army.”
Xu Qi An sneered, “Who would send an army archer to deliver a message? If I’m not mistaken, this person is most likely a jianghu member from the North. As for what exactly he was trying to convey, who commissioned him, and who silenced him, I don’t know.”
Li Miaozhen silently exhaled and said with satisfaction, “Then I’ll leave this matter to you to handle. As a silver gong of the night watchmen, you must deal with these things.”
Su Su also breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that although this man was lecherous and annoying, he was truly capable.
His analysis was reasonable and well-founded, and she was quite convinced.
She and her master had been completely at a loss, not knowing how to proceed with the investigation, but as soon as it was handed over to this man, there was immediately a lead.
Although Su Su often complained about Li Miaozhen meddling in affairs that didn’t concern them, and although she liked to absorb men’s vital essence, she knew she was a kind-hearted ghost.
If the matter of the headless corpse couldn’t be properly resolved, both she and Li Miaozhen would feel burdened.
Therefore, this highlighted Xu Qi An’s good qualities, bringing a tiny bit of sense of security.
…
After arranging guest rooms for Li Miaozhen and Su Su, and instructing the cook to prepare some snacks, Xu Qi An returned to the study. He put the corpse into the Earth Book fragment, took the remnant soul, and rode his small mare to the government office.
“I remember Lord Wei saying that there were frequent battles in the North, and Da Feng had suffered consecutive defeats. The civil officials submitted memorials criticizing the Northern Garrison King, but Emperor Yuan Jing forcibly shifted the blame to Wei Yuan, stripping him of his position as Left Censor-in-Chief.”
“A blood massacre for three thousand li… I can’t imagine. Such a major event… why haven’t I heard about it before? It’s crucial, and Lord Wei must be informed immediately.”
The small mare galloped to the government office. Xu Qi An handed the reins to the clerk on duty at the entrance and hurried towards the Righteous Qi Tower.
“Sir Xu, Lord Wei just ordered to prepare a carriage. He’s about to enter the palace,” the guard downstairs replied.
Entering the palace… That’s just wrangling with Emperor Yuan Jing and the civil officials, wasting time… Xu Qi An put on a stern face: “Don’t waste words, go in and announce me.”
“Yes…” The guard tactfully ran into the tower.
After receiving confirmation from the guard, Xu Qi An rested his hand on his sword and climbed the steps. He saw Wei Yuan sitting behind his desk, his eyes, weathered by the years, looking at him calmly and gently.
He was still wearing a cyan robe, but it was embroidered with intricate cloud patterns, with a cyan flood dragon on the chest.
This was the court dress Wei Yuan wore when attending court or having an audience with the emperor.
“You only have the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. If you have something to say, say it quickly,” Wei Yuan spoke bluntly to his confidant.
“Since Lord Wei is in such a hurry, I’ll keep it brief,” Xu Qi An wasn’t in a good mood either. He directly took out the jade fragment and gave it a gentle shake.
Thud… The headless corpse fell onto the clean and tidy tea room floor, polluting the pristine floor.
Wei Yuan was somewhat shocked, his eye twitching slightly. He said in a deep voice, “What’s going on?”
“Li Miaozhen arrived in the capital today and is currently staying at my mansion,” Xu Qi An said.
“Hmm!”
Wei Yuan nodded, not caring about this. He stared at the headless corpse and said flatly, “But what does this have to do with this corpse?”
Xu Qi An grinned, “It has everything to do with it. She discovered this corpse eighty li outside the capital. The head was cleanly cut off with one stroke.”
“Li Miaozhen, being the meddlesome person she is, summoned the deceased’s remnant soul to inquire about the situation. Who knew…”
He deliberately paused, wanting to create suspense, but seeing Wei Yuan’s displeased expression, his heart skipped a beat. Fearing that his salary for the month after next might be deducted for stepping out with his left foot first, he immediately said:
“The soul said one sentence. Well, Lord Wei, you can see for yourself.”
He took off the sachet Li Miaozhen had given him, untied the red string, and a wisp of green smoke rose gracefully, forming in mid-air into a man with blurred features and a blank stare, who mumbled repeatedly:
“Blood massacre for three thousand li, blood massacre for three thousand li, please send troops to suppress…”
Wei Yuan’s pupils suddenly contracted, his gaze fixed sharply on the remnant soul.
He was silent for a few seconds, then asked, “What leads do you have?”
This wasn’t a question, but a statement. It seemed he was certain that Xu Qi An must have made some discoveries.
Indeed, the young silver gong he appreciated had never disappointed him. Xu Qi An reported, “This humble official has preliminarily determined that he is from the North and was killed on his way to the capital to report the news.”
He explained his deductions in detail.
“Da Feng hasn’t had any recent battles, except in the North. Lord Wei, I fear the situation in the North might be worse than we imagine. But why hasn’t the court received any corresponding reports?”
“We haven’t,” Wei Yuan shook his head, his brow slightly furrowed. “Do you suspect the Northern Garrison King is falsely reporting military intelligence?”
Xu Qi An looked at Wei Yuan, “That’s not surprising. What surprises this humble official is, if the Northern Garrison King is falsely reporting, why hasn’t the yamen received any intelligence?”
The night watchmen’s covert agents are spread throughout the nine states. How could there be no news of such a major event as a blood massacre of over three thousand li?
“At the beginning of the year, I reassigned most of the covert agents to the Northeast, leaving very few in the North. News is inevitably delayed,” Wei Yuan said helplessly.
The covert agents were all sent to the Northeast? What does Lord Wei want to do, fight the Witch Cult?… Xu Qi An suddenly realized and didn’t pursue the question further. “Then what does Lord Wei think we should do about this matter?”
Wei Yuan glanced at the water clock in the corner of the room and said, “I’ll go to the palace for an audience first. I’ll take the corpse and the soul with me. You don’t need to concern yourself with this matter anymore.”
After Xu Qi An nodded, he added, “Now that Li Miaozhen has arrived in the capital, the Celestial-Human agreement will soon end, and the capital’s security will improve greatly.”
“During this time, who knows how many spies have sneaked in to gather intelligence. Fortunately, with the Supervisor watching, they can’t stir up much trouble.”
“Tell Li Miaozhen to be careful. In these unusual times, she shouldn’t leave the city at will or cause any trouble. Be wary of potential dangers.”
“Potential dangers?” Xu Qi An asked.
Wei Yuan glanced at the water clock again and spoke very quickly, “I’ll only tell you about the dangers she might face: First, danger from the court. Second, the danger of spies from other countries. You can figure out the reasons yourself. I must go to the palace now.”
He snatched the sachet from Xu Qi An’s hand, quickly left the tea room, and instructed the clerk as he walked, “Bring the corpse, come with me to the palace.”
…
In the Imperial Study.
Besides Emperor Yuan Jing, there were sixteen people gathered, including Prime Minister Wang Zhenwen, the Minister of Revenue, other third-rank officials, dukes, nobles, and the Chief Supervising Secretary.
Chu Xianglong, with a pale face, stood among the officials, his head slightly bowed, silent.
He had taken medicine given by the Bureau of Astronomy and Astrology’s artificer and could soon get out of bed and walk, but the internal injury of his meridians being severed couldn’t recover in the short term. However, as long as he didn’t exert himself or engage in combat, with good care, he could recover in about a month.
Emperor Yuan Jing frowned and said, “Wei Yuan hasn’t arrived yet, we don’t need to wait!”
Then, he swept his gaze over the assembled ministers and said, “The Northern Garrison King has asked the court for 300,000 taels of military pay and 250,000 dan of grain and fodder. What do you ministers think?”
The Minister of Revenue was the first to jump out in opposition, saying, “In the 36th year of Yuan Jing’s reign, Jiang Province suffered great floods; Jing Province had a severe drought; Yu Province had a locust plague, and the court had to allocate grain for disaster relief several times.”
“The two great granaries of Da Feng in Yu Province and Zhang Province don’t have much left, we can’t gather that much.”
Emperor Yuan Jing pondered, “What about redistributing from various provinces?”
The Minister of Revenue replied, “Even with the Grand Canal, gathering grain from various provinces would be time-consuming and labor-intensive. By the time it reaches the border of Chu Province, considering what people and horses would consume along the way, I’m afraid less than half would remain. This is not a good strategy.”
Just as he was speaking, a eunuch stopped at the door of the Imperial Study.
Emperor Yuan Jing raised his hand, interrupting the Minister of Revenue, and looked towards the eunuch at the door, “What is it?”
“Lord Wei has arrived,” the eunuch said.
Emperor Yuan Jing’s expression remained unchanged, “Let him in.”
The eunuch withdrew, and a dozen seconds later, Wei Yuan entered the Imperial Study, taking his usual position without making the slightest sound.
Emperor Yuan Jing said with displeasure, “This won’t work, that won’t work, can you ministers only refute me?”
The Left Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong’s heart stirred, seizing the opportunity, he stepped forward and said, “Your subject has a strategy.”
Emperor Yuan Jing nodded, “Please speak, Minister Yuan.”
Yuan Xiong said, “The court can temporarily add a corvée labor called grain transport duty. Order the common people to be responsible for escorting the grain and fodder.”
Emperor Yuan Jing’s eyes lit up slightly, this was indeed a brilliant strategy.
So-called corvée labor is unpaid labor service activities that the court conscripts from people of all classes. If the common people were responsible for escorting grain and fodder, supervised by official soldiers, then the court would only need to bear the expenses of the official soldiers, while the common people would solve their food problems.
This way, not only could it ensure that the grain and fodder wouldn’t be depleted by the time it reached the border, but it would also save a large sum of transport costs.
“This is an excellent strategy!” Emperor Yuan Jing smiled.
Yuan Xiong breathed a sigh of relief. As long as His Majesty adopted his strategy and was greatly pleased, the aftereffects of the imperial examination fraud case would be minimized.
After the palace examination, once Xu Xinnian achieved good results, it was imaginable that there would inevitably be a counterattack from Grand Secretary of the Eastern Palace Zhao Tingfang, and Wei Yuan would kick him while he was down.
His position as Left Censor-in-Chief wasn’t yet stable, and he might be removed at any time. He needed to save himself.
Prime Minister Wang stepped forward, bowed, and said, “This plan will bring disaster to the country and harm the people. Yuan Xiong should be executed!”
“Your Majesty, it’s spring plowing season, a busy farming time for the people. We cannot add more corvée labor now. Since ancient times, food has been the people’s heaven. Nothing should disturb the people during spring plowing.”
“Moreover, there were continuous natural disasters last year, and the people don’t have much surplus grain. This plan is no different from adding fuel to the fire, pushing people towards death.”
Left Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong’s brow twitched, and he was about to refute when he heard Chu Xianglong coldly laugh and say, “Prime Minister Wang loves the people like his own children, this general admires that. However, aren’t the people of various regions in Chu Province also subjects of Da Feng?”
“Is Prime Minister Wang turning a blind eye to their lives and deaths?”
Prime Minister Wang calmly said, “The court has stationed 86,000 military households in the North, giving each household six mu of land, with military fields totaling 5,000 qing. Every year…”
“There have been no wars at the border for a long time, and the various regions of Chu Province have had good weather for years. Even without grain requisitions, according to Chu Province’s grain reserves, they could last for months. How did they suddenly become short of money and grain?”
“I’m afraid those military fields have been encroached upon by certain people.”
Chu Province is the northernmost province of Da Feng, adjacent to the territories of the northern barbarians.
Chu Xianglong, relying on the support of the prince, showed no fear and coldly snorted, “Have you scholars ever fought in battles or led troops, apart from just talking? You enjoy yourselves in the capital, not knowing how hard it is for the soldiers at the border.”
“Your Majesty, the barbarians are coming fiercely this time, and several major battles have already occurred since the end of last year. The prince is invincible and has won every battle. If we delay the opportunity to fight due to shortage of grain and lack of logistical support, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
Emperor Yuan Jing nodded, “I naturally know of Prince Huai’s valor. How are the northern battles now?”
Chu Xianglong saluted and said, “The prince’s use of troops is divine, and his bravery is unparalleled. Those barbarians, after suffering a few defeats, don’t dare to confront our army head-on anymore.”
“They can only rely on their swift cavalry to plunder everywhere. Although our army has the upper hand, we are exhausted. I request Your Majesty to distribute military pay and grain so that the soldiers know that the court hasn’t forgotten their merits.”
Prime Minister Wang frowned slightly.
Since last year’s end, after the impeachment accusing the Northern Garrison King of not leaving the city to fight, the reports from the North indeed said that the Northern Garrison King had won several victories, and the barbarians’ invasion of the border had been contained.
Duke Cao immediately said, “The Northern Garrison King has worked hard and achieved great merits, we certainly can’t hold him back. Your Majesty, the grain transport duty is a win-win strategy. Moreover, if we can’t pay out the military salaries, I’m afraid it might cause a mutiny in the army, losing the big picture for the sake of small details.”
“Even if there are some improprieties, we should settle accounts after autumn. We shouldn’t withhold grain and military pay over this matter.”
Several nobles expressed their agreement.
In matters of the battlefield, they were experts, with more say than the civil officials.
Prime Minister Wang said in a deep voice, “Your Majesty, this matter needs careful consideration.”
Emperor Yuan Jing ignored him and said, “What do you other ministers think?”
Seeing this, the other ministers began to relent, replying, “We should certainly fully support the Northern Garrison King.”
His Majesty’s inclination was obvious, and there was no use in them saying more.
Several core members of Wang’s faction secretly signaled to Prime Minister Wang, telling him to be cautious. Everyone in the court had witnessed how much His Majesty trusted the Northern Garrison King.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have granted the Northern Garrison King the Zhenguo Sword years ago.
Emperor Yuan Jing looked at Wei Yuan, “Minister Wei, you’re an expert in military law. What’s your view?”
Prime Minister Wang immediately looked toward Wei Yuan.