Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 231

While talking with Li Mu, he was also assessing the situation of Lü Qing's visit with Zhang Liang and Xiang Bo. The Hall Master accurately timed his return from Yan Gui Ridge and happened to meet the three of them on a path through a plum grove.

"Brother Zifang and Brother Xiangbo, I have failed to greet you properly. I am truly sorry." With a smile, he stepped forward and clasped his hands in greeting. At Lu Wei's signal, Lü Qing nodded, slowed his pace, turned and left, leaving the three of them undisturbed.

“Brother Lu has tens of thousands of disciples and is a very busy man. Naturally, he wouldn’t be as idle as we are.” Zhang Liang said with a smile. Xiang Bo was in a bad mood because he was far away from Chu and had just seen his friend. He forced a smile and nodded slightly in agreement.

“These are all mundane matters, nothing compares to Zifang’s leisure.” He gestured towards the plum grove, and Lu Wei led the two of them, turning left and right, until they finally arrived at a slightly wider open space where there was a stone table.

It's a pity we didn't prepare any drinks in advance, but the environment here is also suitable for talking with Zhang Liang and Xiang Bo.

“My meeting with Brother Xiang in the State of Chu was by chance, and what’s even more coincidental is that we both became acquainted with Brother Lu. It’s truly fate.” Zhang Liang did not sit down like the other two, but instead broke off a sprig of green plum at the edge of the open space, gazing at its emerald green color with admiration.

After he finished speaking, Lu Wei learned the reason for their acquaintance from Xiang Bo's brief introduction. Lu Wei first expressed his regret for the fate of the State of Chu, and then asked about their next plans.

Zhang Liang had gained profound insights from his travels and needed to organize them; naturally, he needed to return to Xiaoshengxianzhuang in Sanghai City.

Moreover, the State of Qi will definitely become the target of Qin's attack next, and as the third-in-command of Xiaoshengxianzhuang, he must have a lot of affairs to attend to within the village.

Xiang Bo has become separated from his clansmen, and he doesn't know where to find the other members of the Xiang clan who survived the war. Although the Xiang clan has its own secret emergency communication method, it will take some time to gradually confirm each other's safety.

During this period, Xiang Bo was mostly forced to wander.

“I see…” Lu Wei pondered for a moment, then said cheerfully, “Brother Xiang’s identity is special. If he is discovered by the Qin people, he will definitely be in danger. As a friend, I cannot ignore this.”

"Although Dazeshan may seem like a farmland, it is actually a place with many forces behind various eyes. However, Sanghai is still safe. Gonggongtang also has a branch in Sanghai City. If Brother Xiang doesn't mind, why don't you go to Sanghai with Zifang and stay at the Gonggongtang branch there for the time being?"

“Brother Lu is absolutely right. It will be more convenient for Brother Xiang to have someone to look after him when he goes to Sanghai.” Zhang Liang turned around and agreed with Lu Wei’s opinion, and took the opportunity to say, “Moreover, with the help of the Confucian and Agricultural schools, it will be easier for Brother Xiang to get clues about what he wants to investigate.”

"Oh?" Lu Wei asked, his tone as Zhang Liang had expected, "Brother Xiang, is there anything else you want to investigate?"

"It is the youngest son of the King of Chu, Xiong Xin. It is because of this that I cannot go to Sanghai and must part ways with you two." Xiang Boken entrusted this matter to Zhang Liang, whom he had only known for a short time. He trusted Lu Wei even more, so he told him everything: "This is a task that the General gave me before the battle."

"A mission?" It was Zhang Liang's turn to show his doubt, as Xiang Bo had not told him about this beforehand.

"Zifang, I apologize. It is of great importance, and I dared not speak of it lightly on the way." He looked ashamed, but Zhang Liang did not take it to heart: "Brother Xiang is carrying an important mission, so it is good that you are being cautious. I will not blame you."

"We have heard rumors about Crown Prince Xiong Xin of Chu. This matter is indeed of great importance. May I ask what your mission is, Brother Xiang?"

After the two understood each other, Lu Wei, with an air of righteousness, interrupted and asked about the important matter.

"As per the General's orders..." Xiang Bo's eyes gradually hardened: "If the State of Chu fails, I will need to pretend to be wandering the world with the 'Crown Prince of Chu'!"

...

The question of whether it was Xiong Xin or Mi Xin is something Xiong Qi wouldn't hide from Xiang Yan. So Xiang Yan knew the truth and then assigned this task. It's likely that it wasn't just for Xiang Bo: just as he wasn't sure if they would lose the battle, nor could he be sure that Xiang Bo could escape from the defeated army.

Xiang Bo believed he had a mission to fulfill, so although he was still in a bad mood after being rescued by Zhang Liang, he did not show excessive sadness.

The task itself is actually quite easy to understand; it's simply about using 'Bear Heart's' fake whereabouts to cover up the real whereabouts... provided that 'Bear Heart' exists.

Knowing the truth, Lu Wei speculated that all the information indicated that the rumors about Xiong Xin were fabricated by Xiong Qi, and these exaggerated performances were intended to confirm the existence of Xiong Xin.

If one were a Qin citizen, even without knowing the truth, this sudden surge of information concerning Xiong Xin would undoubtedly indicate that someone was deliberately manipulating things behind the scenes.

Therefore, it would not be difficult to suspect the already deceased Xiong Qi as the instigator.

Suspicion about Xiong Qimu would naturally arise.

The benefits of Xiong Xin's existence are self-evident. The Chu generals, including Xiang Bo, who were assigned this task, had barely escaped death on the battlefield, and now they had to put themselves in danger again for a false identity. It's truly lamentable.

The reception of Zhang Liang and Xiang Bo left some traces in Daze Mountain. Just in case, after the two left, the Hall Master assigned A Yu to personally take charge of cleaning up these traces.

Lu Wei didn't want to concern himself with the rumors about Xiong Xin. He already had Mi Lian in his hands, and he had already spread his network by sending disciples to find Ying Bu. If nothing unexpected happened, Mi Xin would be in Ying Bu's hands. The most important thing was to capture him and then control both of the King of Chu's children.

If the plot goes astray and Mi is distracted, it's not a big deal.

It was only because of Xiong Xin's rumor that Mi Lian's value to herself was greatly reduced, resulting in some loss.

In the following days, Lu Wei continued to devote most of his attention to discussing matters with Li Mu. One day, just after returning from Yan Gui Ridge, an unexpected message from an outer disciple caused him to frown:

Situ Wanli is dead...

When the body was first discovered, the blood was still warm. Zhang Er, the head steward of the Four Mountains Hall, disregarded everything else and hurriedly sent his disciples to inform the hall masters of the matter.

After nodding to indicate that he understood, Ji Yan walked in from outside the hall with his hands clenched and a shameful expression, head bowed as if waiting for a reprimand, as soon as the disciples of the Four Mountains Hall left.

"Did you do this?" Lu Wei asked casually.

“Situ Wanli discovered something he shouldn’t have discovered…” Xiao Yan’er nodded in apology and explained the reason.

As a gambler, Situ Wanli possessed remarkable observational skills. One or two instances of cheating might fool him, but if it happened repeatedly, it was impossible for the other party to remain completely unaware.

But with Zhang Er as cover, it would never have come to the point where they had to silence him.

"I asked Zhang Er to find an opportunity to persuade him to keep quiet, but I didn't expect Zhang Er to kill him directly..." Ji Yan said hesitantly in a low voice.

"You didn't do it yourself, but instructed Zhang Er?" Lu Wei's brows relaxed, his face expressionless, but his doubts deepened and became more serious: There's something wrong here!

Ji Yan was always calm, and Zhang Er was also a clear-headed person. The Hall Master originally thought that the two of them had to die because Situ Wanli had accidentally stumbled upon their plan or overheard something. However, Ji Yan meant that she did not intend to kill anyone.

Given Ji Yan's words, Zhang Er would be even less likely to act impulsively, unless something else had happened at the Four Mountains Hall.

Chapter 263 The Murderer's Identity

"Yes, it was the encrypted password that I sent this morning by a medical academy apprentice. When the disciples of the Four Mountains Hall came to report the news, the apprentice had already been taken into control by me, so he wouldn't leave any clear clues in the Four Mountains Hall."

After Ji Yan briskly explained the general course of events and the cleanup measures she had taken, her tone became strange as she spoke: "Zhang Er isn't an impulsive person. I don't understand why bloodshed and death occurred..."

"Send all those who know what you've done to Jing County," Lu Wei said calmly as he stood up and walked past Xiao Yan'er. "Then find yourself a solitary confinement cell. I'm going to investigate the scene now."

"Yes..." Ji Yan admitted her mistake sincerely and showed no resistance to being confined.

According to her description, this accidental death should not have happened, but the fact that Situ Wanli was able to discover her contact with Zhang Er was itself a serious mistake.

Entering the solitary confinement room is an opportunity for Ji Yan to deeply reflect on the reasons for his mistakes and consider how to correct them in the future.

As for the cause of Situ Wanli's death, he needs to go to the crime scene to obtain more useful information.

The Siyue Hall is located at the southernmost part of the Dazeshan Mountains. Due to the terrain, it is the hall that is furthest away from the two adjacent halls among the six halls.

Gonggong Hall is closest to Siyue Hall, followed by Kuiwei Hall. Other halls require taking a longer route to reach the scene of the crime. Therefore, even though Lu Wei only set off after talking with Ji Yan, he was still the first to arrive at the scene.

The crime scene was the main hall of Siyue Hall. As soon as he entered, Lu Wei's pupils contracted subtly: it looked too much like it.

This was definitely not the result of Zhang Er acting on Ji Yan's orders!

...

The main halls of the six rural halls have slightly different interior layouts due to the different preferences of each hall master, but the six halls share the same origin and their overall floor plan is consistent.

The hall is used for meetings in the front and rest in the back, with an additional vacant room whose use is determined by the hall master.

Situ Wanli died in his own rest room, his bronze axe and twin swords lying scattered to the side, bloodstains all over the floor.

The most striking thing about the corpse was Situ Wanli's expression upon death, which was filled with disbelief and a hint of terror...

Judging from the overall layout of the crime scene, the posture of the body, and the expression of the deceased, it was deliberately imitating the death of Zhou He in Gonggongtang nine years ago!

"Hall Master Lu..." Zhang Er was carefully recording the scene with his disciples when he saw Lu Wei enter. He clasped his hands in greeting and was about to do so when Lu Wei shook his head and stopped him. The Hall Master told him to take his disciples and go out with him.

No damage must be done at the scene, and we must wait until all the other hall masters have arrived before discussing this matter.

“This case is complicated. You are the head steward of the Four Mountains Hall.” After coming outside, Lu Wei gave Zhang Er a serious look, then looked at the other disciples of the Four Mountains Hall equally: “You were all trusted confidants of Brother Situ before his death, but now you will all be listed as suspects!”

"Before the other four hall masters arrive, confirm when you last saw Brother Situ!"

Lu Wei received the news from the Four Mountains Hall at noon, and the other hall masters did not arrive until evening.

Although the Zhu family's close friendship with Situ Wanli was somewhat superficial, they were still the second to rush to Siyue Hall upon hearing the bad news, followed by the Tian brothers, Tian Meng and Tian Hu. Tian Mi, who was second only to Gonggong Hall, was the last to arrive.

When the hall masters saw Situ Wanli's corpse, all of them except Tian Mi's expression changed drastically.

"The murderer is the guy who killed Brother Zhou He!" Tian Hu couldn't contain his emotions and immediately shouted loudly upon discovering the various similarities at the crime scene.

Tian Meng stared at the corpse, ignoring it. He simply glanced at the expressions of everyone present, then remained silent with a grim face.

Zhu Jia approached the corpse, his face filled with sorrow, though his mask concealed his grief.

He personally examined the wounds on Situ Wanli's body and helped him close his eyes: "Brother Lu was the first to arrive and also examined the body. What do you think of the situation?"

"The murderer's swordsmanship is sharp..." Facing the Zhu family's questions and the gazes of others, Lu Wei calmly stated his personal judgment: "But Brother Situ has three sword wounds on his body. Compared with the case of Gonggong Hall many years ago, the situation is actually not the same. It should be that the murderer deliberately arranged it like this to make us think of that time... It is a copycat crime."

“That’s right. Brother Situ has three sword wounds, one on his thigh, one on his left shoulder, and one on his throat. Of these, only the throat wound is fatal.” Zhu Jiajiang explained in detail what Lu Wei was trying to say.

Although he didn't know much about swordsmanship, he was clear about what kind of wounds could cause death: "Besides, Brother Situ also has several other hard injuries caused by collisions."

"The murderer killed Brother Situ after a fight, although the process may have only taken a few moves, but it is vastly different from the instant kills by Brothers Tian Zhong and Zhou He!"

"The murderer is so cruel. It's really creepy here. Gentlemen, how about we go outside and talk?" Tian Mi crossed her arms, looked at the specks of blood splattered on the wall, and shivered slightly.

"..." No one responded to her. Only Tian Hu, who couldn't stand Tian Mi's deliberately weak appearance, turned his head and snorted coldly.

"Now that you esteemed hall masters have finished examining the scene, may we first collect Hall Master Situ's body?" Seeing the awkward silence, Zhang Er clasped his hands and stepped forward, his words seemingly echoing Tian Mi's speech.

"Alright, let's go out." Zhu Jia stood up, giving Tian Mi and Zhang Er some face: "Zhang Er, tell us again in detail what happened at Siyue Hall today."

------

"At the beginning of the morning, Hall Master Situ got up early, went to Shuangjiang Ridge for a brief inspection, and returned at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

Outside the main hall of the Four Mountains Hall, Zhang Er gathered information from the disciples at headquarters who had seen Situ Wanli that day and reported the situation to the five hall masters.

Although the six halls are now highly independent, they have to temporarily unite because of the death of one of their hall masters.

"After returning, Hall Master Situ seemed to want to be alone for a while. He dismissed all the guards and disciples, and went into the Hall Master's Hall by himself. He never came out again."

"It wasn't until 9 AM that I went to the Hall Master's office to inquire about some matters within the Hall, but I didn't expect that Hall Master Situ would already be there..."

In the end, Zhang Er sadly lowered his head.

"So you're saying you were the first disciple to discover the body, and that you were the only one who found it?"

Tian Meng's eyes sharpened instantly, and he spoke before the Zhu family could.

"Yes, but after I found the body, I immediately called the other disciples." Zhang Er understood why Tian Meng would ask this question, and he defended himself with composure: "At least ten disciples in the hall can testify for me in terms of time. It is impossible for me to kill the hall master in a breath or two."

“We will investigate this.” Zhu Jia did not think Zhang Er was a possible suspect. The reason was simple: even Tian Hu subconsciously knew that the setup of this murder scene was very similar to Zhou He’s death nine years ago, which meant that although the murderer was probably not the same person as nine years ago, he should have at least seen the crime scene nine years ago.

Nine years ago, Zhang Er had not yet joined the peasant family, let alone had the opportunity to learn the specific details of Zhou He's death, because Situ Wanli was also unaware of this matter.

However, the investigation should still be conducted, in order to prove Zhang Er's innocence.

But when you think about this, something strange comes to mind: if it has been said that the murderer saw the crime scene at least nine years ago, how many people could have been at the crime scene nine years ago?

Lu Wei! Tian Hu! The Zhu family themselves! And a few of the Gonggong Hall disciples.

Such a target is rare, so the case doesn't seem that difficult to solve.