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墨書 Inktalez
"White Horse Temple," the monk said, his body tense. Although there was no evidence, it reminded me of a story." Night continued speaking as he pulled me forward. I listened intently, completely unaware that it was rather inappropriate for two solitary individuals of opposite genders to be holding hands.
"Zhenzhen, have you ever heard of the Crimson-Haired Spirit Officer, Dan Xiongxin?" Night Phantom posed a question that felt oddly reminiscent of a time long past.
Dan Xiongxin—there was no way I hadn't heard of him. Although he wasn't in our textbooks, he was everywhere in storytelling and television dramas. Before coming here, the criminal police team often played the "Gossip" DVD in the car, which happened to feature Shan Tianfang's storytelling of "The Sui and Tang Dynasties," starting with Dan Xiongxin's segment.
As it turned out, Dan Xiongxin had a deep-seated feud with my brother, Li Shimin!
According to the books, Dan Xiongxin was described as a robust figure wielding a wolf-tooth spear. He was the lord of Luzhou Eight Li Two Virtuous Village in Shanxi and the leader of the green forest heroes across nine provinces during the Sui Dynasty, nicknamed "Crimson-Haired Spirit Officer." He was known for his righteousness in the martial world and was also referred to as "Loyalty Beyond Clouds," akin to Guan Yu. When Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan, was still Duke of Tang and headed to Taiyuan for his appointment, he was ambushed by treacherous men and mistakenly killed Dan Xiongxin's brother. Consequently, Dan Xiongxin chose not to support the Tang but instead allied himself with Wang Shichong.
Later on, when Wang Shichong was defeated by Li Shimin and surrendered, Li Shimin ordered the execution of Dan Xiongxin and his fellow generals. Dan Xiongxin's friend Xu Maogong pleaded with Li Shimin for mercy on behalf of Dan Xiongxin but was met with a firm refusal. Dan Xiongxin comforted Xu Maogong, saying it was alright; he knew he would die. Xu Maogong expressed his loyalty, stating he would take care of Dan Xiongxin's family after his death and even cut off a piece of his own flesh for Dan Xiongxin to eat, vowing not to forget their original oath. After consuming it, Dan Xiongxin went to his death.
Thinking about it this way, Dan Xiongxin seemed like a great hero while my brother Li Shimin appeared rather ruthless. However, there seemed to be no other choice; if they killed him, great contributors like Qin Qiong and Xu Maogong would be heartbroken; but if they spared him, he would remain an unyielding enemy. Reflecting on the incident at Xuanwu Gate made it clear how my seemingly gentle brother would decide matters when faced with significant issues.
"Since you know about him, that's good," Night said with an understanding look. "When Dan Xiongxin was executed, all his subordinates were supposedly executed too; however, that wasn't entirely true. The emperor publicly claimed this was the case, but during my time at Mirror Gate, I investigated this matter. Three of Dan Xiongxin's most capable generals were not executed. They saw how things were unfolding and did not wish to oppose the Tang dynasty nor did they want to serve under them; thus Li Shimin let them go."
"This..." I wanted to say something but hesitated for a moment.
"What is it?"
"I feel like the emperor's character doesn't seem like that!"
A person who could kill even his own brothers would not show mercy when certain individuals posed a threat to his future. Wisdom and compassion are often seen as opposing traits; however, when both coexist within one individual, that person becomes incredibly formidable. If such a person were to rule, their reign would be solidified through history—a blessing for their followers and for the common people alike.
This is how my understanding of Li Shimin deepened after I saw him in person.
Night smiled slightly, "You're not wrong, so there must be some hidden truth behind this."
The Night Phantom began to narrate. It turned out that these three individuals were indeed hiding a significant secret.
Before the uprising against the Sui Dynasty, Dan Xiongxin's Luzhou Eight Li Two Virtuous Village was a place of immense wealth; otherwise, Dan Xiongxin wouldn't have been able to be so generous and become a leader among the Seven Provinces and Thirteen Routes Green Forest Heroes. In reality, after the uprising began, Dan Xiongxin found himself caught between various factions, feeling both conflicted and depressed. Therefore, he did not use all the resources from Erxian Manor to recruit troops but instead hid most of it away.
Perhaps there would come a time when it would be of great use. That was likely his thought.
However, he himself could not wait for that moment. The wealth from Erxian Manor was drawn on a treasure map, divided into three parts, each entrusted to one of his most trusted generals.
Indeed, those were the three individuals that Li Shimin had let go.
I felt something suddenly illuminate in my heart. At the beginning of the founding of the nation, everything must have been scarce. Li Shimin focused on this wealth but knew that coercion would not work; hence he let them go while keeping them under surveillance, hoping to take his time with it. Now it seemed that others were also interested in this treasure.
Sure enough, Night continued, "The three generals later became monks at White Horse Temple. This matter is top secret, so no one knows their identities as monks. Regarding that wealth, Dan Xiongxin never mentioned how he arranged it. As for how to identify these three individuals, those from Erxian Manor all have special tattoos on their bodies. Therefore, when Mirror Gate captured the monks and stripped them of their clothing for inspection, they were likely looking for these three."
If an organization needed this wealth and was competing with the emperor for it, then their goal was most likely treason!
Thinking of this made my heart race. Everything suddenly made sense. Ren Pingsheng set up this trap to make it impossible to identify the perpetrator and their motives. First, it severed the connection between the incident and Mirror Gate; second, it had to cover up Mirror Gate's intent to acquire the treasure and possibly their treasonous plans.
My earlier intuition turned out to be true. When I first heard about Mirror Gate, I sensed that their principles directly opposed those of Li Shimin; they would inevitably become enemies. Seeing this confrontation looming closer, it seemed we had already taken our sides.
"Night," I couldn't help but tighten my grip on his hand. "What does Nie Qiuyuan plan to do about this?"
Night Phantom hesitated for a moment before finally responding, "Those three have already fallen into Ren Pingsheng's hands. With our current situation, it's very difficult to retrieve them. So, this piece is likely lost. What we can do now is to inform the Emperor of everything as quickly as possible."
The path of autumn is my path. I bit my lip and quietly followed Night as we ran forward. Suddenly caught up in the vast whirlpool of historical events, my thoughts became a bit chaotic.
Ahead, Night Phantom suddenly stopped, and I couldn't react in time, crashing into his back. I almost let out a startled cry, but he quickly covered my mouth with his hand.
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