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墨書 Inktalez
But what does all this have to do with the Six Cases?
"Knowing this allows us to connect the cases and make deductions," Nie Qiuyuan said.
"The case involving Deputy Minister of Revenue Liu Muqing seems, at first glance, to be a result of the Ma Family's Second Uncle-in-law incurring debts and attracting thieves. When the thieves attempted to kill Second Uncle-in-law Wang Rong, they mistakenly killed Lord Liu, who was trying to persuade Wang Rong to turn over a new leaf. However, based on the Wound from a Blade, this case is linked to the others as part of the same group. Therefore, we must consider whether Lord Liu was truly a victim of mistaken identity. What is the real purpose behind this case?"
"This leads me to think that Lord Liu's position as Deputy Minister of Revenue is significant. There are two Deputy Ministers of Revenue in the court, overseeing specific affairs, and Lord Liu happens to manage the Department of Storage and the Department of Expenditures. This means that Lord Fang Xuanling, the Treasurer, theoretically falls under his jurisdiction."
"Ah?" I couldn't help but interject. "Could this case also involve Lord Fang Xuanling?"
Nie Qiuyuan nodded and said, "Liu Muqing is well-regarded for his character; it's widely known in court. Lord Fang trusts him greatly and often assigns important tasks to him without worry. In Fang Xuanling's heart, there may be no one he trusts more than Liu Muqing. Based on this, I deduce that one key to the Azure Peak Private Warehouse is in Fang Xuanling's possession, while the other key likely belongs to Liu Muqing."
I was stunned. Could it be that this seemingly accidental murder actually had its sights set on the Azure Peak Private Warehouse?
"Their goal likely isn't just about wealth; at least, it's not solely for that reason," Nie Qiuyuan dismissed my thoughts directly. "Lord Fang learned of Lord Liu's death after returning from a covert visit. Consequently, despite his exhaustion from travel, he immediately took the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Justice to Cuihua Mountain. That was definitely not just for leisure. Lord Fang's actions further confirm my earlier deductions."
"Well then, since these cases are all perpetrated by the same Murderer, we should analyze them according to Brother Luo's earlier line of reasoning, right? Autumn?" I fell into deep thought.
Nie Qiuyuan smiled with a hint of something special and praised me, "You're very clever."
The compliment from my idol made me incredibly happy. When I looked up, I met Luo Dachun's surprised gaze. It suddenly struck me that I had inadvertently created distance in how I addressed them; since my return, I hadn't referred to Nie Qiuyuan as 'brother' anymore.
It was troubling—how could I navigate this relationship? How could I avoid hurting Luo Dachun?
For someone like me to handle such complex emotional issues was indeed a daunting challenge. So I pretended nothing had happened and returned to analyzing the problem at hand.
"In the records of the Deputy Case of the Ministry of Revenue, it states that at the scene where Lord Liu was attacked, all valuables were looted. However, this is merely a distraction to mislead us. The key point is that all items on Lord Liu were taken as well, leaving him with only a handkerchief. As for the key to the Private Warehouse, such an important item would not be something he would feel secure leaving anywhere; he would carry it with him. This means that the key was also taken!"
Nie Qiuyuan nodded with a smile.
I continued to elaborate on my thoughts: "This is precisely why Lord Fang had to set off immediately for Cuihua Mountain to check if there was a problem with the Private Warehouse. Therefore, the incident involving the attack on Deputy Liu must lead to Lord Fang Xuanling going to Cuihua Mountain to inspect the Private Warehouse as soon as he hears about this case. What they want is exactly this!"
If that is the case, what they desire must be the wealth within the Private Warehouse.
"You are quite right; in the case of the Minister of Rites, their goal is indeed this," Nie Qiuyuan took over to explain further. "They want Lord Fang to go to Cuihua Mountain, which serves a dual purpose. If luck is on their side, they might even discover the location of the Emperor's Private Warehouse and gain wealth without effort. However, this objective could not be realized because Fang Xianling decisively chose not to go to the Private Warehouse after realizing something was amiss. It was precisely this decision that ensured the safety of the Private Warehouse."
"Yet at that moment, their main objective had already been achieved: making Fang Xianling 'accidentally' witness a good show at a location he was bound to pass."
Ah? So it turns out that when Fang Xianling encountered those three people at Cuihua Mountain, it was not by 'accident' that he learned some important information; rather, he had fallen into their trap?
"Because it was 'accidentally' obtained, he would firmly believe in the authenticity of what he witnessed. But if you think about it carefully, was it really just an 'accident'? On Fang Xianling's path into Cuihua Mountain, there appeared an Apricot Blossom Grove they had never seen before. Once they entered the grove, everyone dispersed. Such a forest is clearly abnormal; it should be some sort of maze formed by trees. Once you enter, your sense of direction and walking path are entirely under the control of those who set up the formation."
"So Fang Xianling did not just happen upon that Cottage; he was destined to arrive there and overhear the conversation inside?"
"Exactly. Otherwise, it wouldn't explain why after entering the grove, people became disoriented, yet at the moment Fang Xianling was attacked and in dire straits, everyone's sense of direction suddenly returned. This indicates that they wanted at that moment for his protectors to believe that it was merely 'coincidental' that the sun came out so they could find their way and 'coincidentally' arrive just in time to rescue Fang Xianling."
If that's true, then what Lord Fang Xuanling happened to overhear from those three enemies was not any crucial intelligence but rather all information intended for him by his adversaries!
So what would be achieved by implanting this information?
"From what has been recorded of those people's conversations, their words are cleverly vague and ambiguous. Their dialogue is enough to convince someone that they are planning something extremely threatening but lacks certainty. Fang Xianling will remember their words and ponder them repeatedly until General Fan Chengchu from Left and Right Garrison reports back to Lord Fang about his case."
"Originally, these cases should have been reported to the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple, and not immediately to Lord Fang. However, General Fan's situation was different. At that time, General Fan was responsible for the defense of the Ritual Ceremony, which was originally set by Zhongshu Province and organized by the Ministry of Revenue. Therefore, if there were any issues regarding the grand ceremony, it would inevitably be reported to Chancellor Lord Fang at the first opportunity. Coincidentally, the Murderer deliberately left a flaw that made it obvious this was not a suicide but a murder."
"Fang Xianling would certainly become alert right away, sensing that something was amiss behind the Ritual Ceremony. Then, recalling the conversation of three mysterious individuals—those who could only approach that person in such a manner—Fang Xianling would vaguely associate it with the Topknot Ceremony of the Ritual Ceremony and grow concerned. However, Fang Xianling is not like the Jade Balance Bureau; the Jade Balance Bureau was established directly by the Emperor, and even Fang Xianling does not know everything about it. He cannot grasp all Six Cases as we do. Therefore, with the information he currently possesses, he can only worry but cannot be certain."
"The Ritual Ceremony is an extremely important event; it cannot simply be halted. The Eight Holy Monks are revered figures and must not be casually disrespected. Thus, mere suspicion cannot hinder the progress of the Ritual Ceremony. Moreover, Fang Xianling is meticulous and would not let doubts arise without taking action. So what would Fang Xianling do?"
"Fang Xianling would look at those people's faces; he would try to identify them!" I blurted out.
Nie Qiuyuan glanced at me approvingly and said, "Exactly. As long as he identifies whether there is someone among the Eight Holy Monks whom he has seen before, he can dispel his doubts; this is quite simple. However, executing it is not so easy because the Eight Holy Monks are selected for the ceremony and must head to the altar immediately afterward. Therefore, the time available for identification is limited to..."
"The Thanksgiving Ceremony! The gathering of the Eight Holy Monks in the main hall during the Thanksgiving Ceremony is their only opportunity!"
"Precisely. However, if a high-ranking court official enters the main hall at this time and recklessly tries to identify someone among the Eight Holy Monks—if that person is not present—it will inevitably lead to gossip and even cause panic, affecting the Ritual Ceremony. The Bopo the Divine Monk presiding over the Thanksgiving Ceremony has come from Zhu Lai Da Tang, and Fang Xianling must have received him and is familiar with him. Therefore, Fang Xianling will definitely choose..."
"As long as Fang Xianling disguises himself as a monk beside Bopo the Divine Monk and quietly enters the main hall to make an identification, he can ensure everything goes smoothly!"
But if that's the case...
I, Luo Dachun, and Guilin all stared wide-eyed in shock, frozen like wooden sculptures.
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