Criminal investigation in ancient times

In Dali Temple, the people from the Marquis of Ping'an made a fuss, and seeing that no one answered and they didn't get any benefits, they quietly carried the corpse away.

On the way back, a young man said: "Master, our young master died unjustly! The prime minister must have killed our young master to vent his hatred! After all, we are a prince's mansion, relatives of the emperor, and we were bullied by an official to such an extent. It’s okay.” After speaking, he fell to his knees and began to cry loudly.

Upon hearing this, Dong Zhiqian, the Marquis of Ping'an, felt ashamed and angry, and ordered his servants to carry the body to Prime Minister Sima's door.

Sima Yun was still in the palace discussing with the emperor about the soldiers and horses in the northwest. After hearing the report from his servants, he hurriedly confessed to the emperor and hurried back to the mansion.

Seeing the dead Dong Zhuo's body in front of the door, seeing Jing's injury and thinking of his second son who died tragically, his head suddenly "buzzed", his hands tightly clutched the boy next to him, and he almost fainted.

When Ping An Hou saw him, he said angrily: "Sima Yun, my son has no grudges with you in the past, and has no grudges in the near future. Why do you want to kill my son like this?! Although a son died in your family, it was not my son who killed him." Yes, you are so cruel to kill my child, give my child back!"

Sima Yun took a deep breath for a while before he calmed down and said, "Dong Zhiqian, listen, I didn't order your son to be killed, nor did I order anyone to be killed. Now my son's bones are still in the mourning hall. You won’t kill innocent people randomly, what does the tragic death of your concubine have to do with me now?! You actually put the corpse in front of my house, you really lack virtue!”

Ping An Hou spat: "You old thief, if you didn't harbor resentment, how could my child die in exactly the same way as your son, with a broken neck?! Tell me, why?!"

After listening to Sima Yun, doubts flashed in his mind, as if something surfaced but he didn't catch it.After all, I am a little bit irrational when I am getting older and being overwhelmed by Ping An.Chao said to the housekeeper: "Get rid of these people! A Hou Ye who has no power and power dares to act presumptuously in front of my door! Today I said that whether the old man bullies others or is powerful and domineering, drive them all away! Whether you want to drive them away or not Swing it with a big stick!"

Seeing Sima Yun in Ping An Hou, he was really angry. He was so frightened that he hurriedly asked his servants to carry his son's body back. Before leaving, he didn't forget to scold Sima Yun a few words.

Speaking of which, Sima Yun felt a little uncomfortable when he came back from the palace that day, he was so angry with Dong Zhiqian that he felt chest tightness and shortness of breath.When I got up at night, I fell to the ground and didn't get up.The servant girl was terrified, and hurriedly called Sima Zhaoyan. The eldest son Sima took the sign and invited the imperial doctor who was on duty overnight in the palace. I couldn't speak anymore, and lay straight on the bed with only one hand moving, and I couldn't even swallow the saliva in my mouth, which flowed down the corner of my mouth.

In modern times, Sima Yun called it a stroke. In ancient times, when the medical skills were not yet developed, it was basically an incurable disease.

As soon as the news spread, the government and the public were shocked. The emperor was furious, and directly cut off the title of the Marquis of Ping An, and the whole family was demoted to common people.

The pillar of the Sima family has fallen. The eldest son, Sima Zhaoyan, has a calm temper and thinks a lot about everything, but he doesn't have the guts of his father, let alone the skill of old man Sima.Even though Sima Yun left him a lot of confidantes, it is difficult to achieve a great career, and the youngest son is too young and lacks experience, so he cannot support the family business either.There are five other bastards, except for the youngest who is twelve this year, none of them are outstanding.The Sima family can be regarded as the curtain call from the political stage of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Zhang Yaozhi of Dali Temple couldn't believe it when he heard the news, so the old man was so powerful that he was so sick that he couldn't speak? !I can only sigh that the world is impermanent.

After Prime Minister Sima had such an incident, the court suddenly became a little chaotic. Prime Minister Sima was a royalist party, and the officials who looked after him were all firmly on the side of the emperor.No matter you are the prince, prince or prince, stand aside for me.Because he is a high-ranking official, even other parties never dare to jump in front of the stage.

After what happened to him, although the top was calm, the power below began to divide. In addition to the loyal royalists, a group of young officials gradually moved closer to the princely party.

Now the eldest prince is nineteen years old. The imperial concubine is the daughter of Prime Minister Li Qian. Her mother’s family is powerful and firmly supports the establishment of the eldest son as the crown prince. The youngest prince is only ten years old this year. The relationship between people is not very good, the little prince Zhou Yongzheng is born intelligent, and he matures precociously than ordinary children.He knew that the elder brother was different from his father, his father was indifferent by nature, so he could accommodate these many brothers, but the elder brother was a man of vindictiveness, once he sat on the throne, he would definitely cut grass and leave no roots.The emperor has been obsessed with refining elixirs for the past few years, and his body has been hollowed out long ago. He looks strong now, but in fact he has few years left. If the emperor dies suddenly, what should he do...

Although the little prince doesn't show his talents, he quietly began to recruit talented people, and many people silently joined the little prince's faction.

Officials in the imperial court were busy looking for backers, but only a few princes lived at ease. The third prince went out for a walk in the morning every day, and talked about poetry and painting with old friends in the afternoon.

The fifth prince was helping the emperor deal with the daily affairs of the court, and he was busy with his feet on the back of his head.The Twelve Princes haven't shown up these days, they are in the mansion every day and never leave the mansion or see guests.

Needless to say, the Eighth Prince, you can almost see his shadow in the Qinlou Chu Pavilion. The Ninth Prince is as low-key as always. It is said that he paints at home every day and never goes out.

***

On the second day Zhang Rui didn't go back to the school, so Zhang Yaozhi greeted the school and left him in Dali Temple for the time being, making plans when the case was over.

Early in the morning, Lin Xiaomin and Lin Xiaoze got into the carriage separately, while Zhang Rui and Lin Xiaoqing took the carriage to Dali Temple together.

The weather has started to warm up in the past few days, the snow on the road has melted, and the roads and alleys are full of melted snow.When the carriage arrived at Dali Temple, the two separated and went to their own offices.

Zhang Rui was assigned to the previous study by Zhang Yaozhi again.Jiang Shuo also sent over the related files of this case, and placed them on the table a full foot high.Zhang Rui twitched the corners of his mouth, and resigned himself to reading one book after another.

Because the matter involved the third prince, Dali Temple had no choice but to report it to the emperor.The emperor was a little tired from being stimulated by the news of Prime Minister Zuo's stroke in the past few days, so he just waved his hand and let Dali Temple do whatever he wanted.

Zhang Yaozhi said inwardly: "Whatever it is?"Is it possible that the third prince should be captured and locked up in Dali Temple for torture? !

It is definitely impossible to take down the third prince. Since the emperor has been told, the third prince will know sooner or later, so he might as well ask.

When Zhang Yaozhi went to the third prince's mansion, the third prince was admiring paintings with his old friend.After the servants informed, the third prince immediately called people in.

"Oh, rare visitor, rare visitor, why is Mr. Zhang free to sit in my residence today?"

Zhang Yaozhi clasped his hands and said: "I have seen the Third Prince, how can I come out for a stroll, this is not for...cough" The old fox coughed.

The others understood and said: "Since the prince has something to do today, I will not bother the prince. I will come to visit another day." Everyone dispersed, leaving only Zhang Yaozhi and the third prince.

The prince said: "I don't know if there is anything you want to talk to me alone?"

Zhang Yaozhi: "Smart people don't speak dark words, presumably the prince has already known about the case of the Sima family, and the emperor attaches great importance to it."

The third prince smiled, rolled up the picture scroll on the table and said: "I have indeed heard that Mr. Zhang came to my house to investigate the case?"

Zhang Yaozhi shook his head and said: "That's not necessary, but there is one thing that needs to be cleared up by the prince."

Third Prince: "Master Zhang, but it's okay to say."

Zhang Yaozhi said: "I heard that the Jianyin Pavilion is the prince's private property?"

The third prince nodded and said, "Indeed, what's wrong with that?"

Zhang Yaozhi: "There is nothing wrong with it. I heard that there is a female lute maker in the piano shop who only makes three lutes a year?"

The third prince smiled and said: "You are talking about Yuniang, that little lady is really tricky, and she only makes three of them a year. Does Master Zhang also want to make one?"

Zhang Yaozhi said embarrassingly: "I don't have any interest in music, but this case involves this luthier named Yuniang, but right now I can't find anyone. It's really difficult for me, so I have to go to the Third Prince to inquire."

The third prince thought for a while, stroked his beard and said, "Master Zhang, you mean that Yuniang is related to this case? ... Impossible, this Yuniang has nothing to do with the Sima family at all, it is impossible to participate in this matter .”

Zhang Yaozhi clasped his hands and said, "Then, can the lord tell the lower officials the names of the pipa customers that Yuniang has sold in recent years?"

The third prince said: "This is fine, just wait, I will ask my servants to make a copy of the list and send it to Dali Temple."

Zhang Yaozhi: "That's it, I would like to thank the lord, and I will take my leave." After saying that, he left the palace with his entourage.

The third prince looked at Master Zhang's back and frowned. He tapped the scroll lightly on the table, his eyes were deep and he didn't know what he was thinking.

Not long after Zhang Yaozhi and his party returned to Dali Temple, a man in Tsing Yi came to Dali Temple in a carriage.

Duan Xiaobai saw that man from afar, and looked familiar from the back.It was only when I got closer that I realized that it was the sky-blind man who was in the piano shop that day.

Tsing Yi said humanely: "Brother, under the order of the Third Prince, I am going to Dali Temple to find Mr. Zhang, how can I get there?"

Duan Xiaobai raised his eyebrows and coughed lightly, his voice turned into a low voice. "My lord, please come with me."

The man in Tsing Yi nodded, listened carefully to the footsteps, and followed Duan Xiao to Master Zhang's study.

"My lord, there is a son who said that he came to look for your lord under the order of the third prince."

Zhang Yaozhi: "Come in."

"My lord, be careful of the threshold." Duan Xiaobai stretched out his hand and pushed the door open.

The man in Tsing Yi raised his feet and walked in, then suddenly turned his head and said: "The piano shop has newly made a Xiangtan wood pipa, if you like it, I will prepare it for you."

Duan Xiao was dumbfounded and said, "You... how do you know it's me?!"

The man in Tsing Yi smiled and pointed to his nose: "I don't just listen, different people have different tastes, and you...have a unique taste." After speaking, he turned and went into the study.

Duan Xiao was stunned for a while and thought to himself: Is this person a dog?