Investigation and Discoveries

Inside the Pingxing County government office. The prefect of Daxing Prefecture sat trembling in the seat of honor, not daring to utter a word. As the local father-and-mother official overseeing an entire prefecture, his word was law throughout Daxing. Even when high officials descended from the imperial court, they treated him with courtesy. Yet before the two men facing him today, he could not muster an ounce of backbone. One was Master Zongjian, Court Head of the Xumi Court of Great Vajra Monastery. Having diligently cultivated the Vajra Dragon-Elephant Art for decades, he possessed a Great Vajra Palm whose force swept through anything in its path. He normally managed all affairs concerning the monastery's external branches, and his word was final. If Master Zongjian's sheer martial aura subdued the prefect so thoroughly that he dared not act rashly, then the other man crushed him entirely through status. Zhao Yu, the Prince of Zhenxi. Commanding three northwestern prefectures and holding fifty thousand elite troops in the palm of his hand, he was someone before whom the prefects of Longshan, Qing'an, and Fengming—men of identical rank to the prefect of Daxing—were no better than servants. Moreover, rumor had it that this lord was eccentric and overbearing. Back when he served as a hostage prince in the capital, he had kept the city's arrogant second-generation nobles bowed in terror, going so far as to snap the leg of the Minister of Justice's son. Yet these two mighty figures, who were on famously bitter terms, had now gathered at the Daxing prefectural office, demanding to cooperate with him on an investigation. Were it not for the impossibility of defying imperial orders and his profound reluctance to abandon his official robes, the prefect would have happily surrendered his seal of office and fled on the spot. "Dare I ask Prince Zhao and Master Zongjian, what plan of action do you wish to take?" the prefect asked with cupped hands. Wang Yu had discussed the plan with Li Yunxiu before coming, so he showed no hesitation. "First, take us to see the cook's body." At this point, Wang Yu looked up with a faint smile. "I hear this cook's son is a lay disciple of Great Vajra Monastery?" A divine light flickered in Master Zongjian's eyes. Beside him, an affable middle-aged monk spoke up ahead of him: "He is merely an escort runner for the Xingshun Escort Agency. It is the agency's chief escort who is our monastery's lay disciple. "Furthermore, the cook's son was dispatched on an escort mission to Wanghai Circuit half a month ago and has not yet returned. We have already sent men there to search for him, but there is no telling when they might find him." This middle-aged monk was Honghai of the Xumi Court. Worldly-wise and tactful, he had happened to be away on monastery business when Zongjian visited the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor, otherwise the two sides might not have come to blows back then. With that, the group made their way to the morgue in the rear courtyard. On the Prince of Zhenxi's side, Wang Yu was flanked by Li Yunxiu, with Wei Gutong and Yan Ziyu accompanying them, while Zhao Shan and Zhao He had gone strolling through the streets with Qianqian and Ardai. On Great Vajra Monastery's side, Zongjian was accompanied by Honghai and Hongyue. Far from trying to take the lead, they walked behind Wang Yu's entourage. Zongjian recalled Sect Master Zongshan's instructions: *Great Vajra Monastery has a clear conscience. Zhao Yu may throw all the mud he likes, but he would never dare truly frame us. Junior Brother, there is no need to clash with him. Simply observe his investigation. If he succeeds, assist in apprehending the bandits; if he fails, let him be.* When the party reached the morgue, a coroner was on hand to explain. Fortunately, it was the bitter cold of the twelfth lunar month, so even after four days, the cook's corpse had developed no foul odor. "His throat was cut in a single stroke, clean and decisive," the coroner said, pointing to the wound. "When the strike fell, the victim was seated before the table. The assailant drew his blade head-on and swept it upward in a reverse slash. They likely knew each other." Everyone leaned in to examine the wound. Honghai was the first to speak. "The wound is even and the technique swift. It severed the windpipe cleanly without nicking the bone. The distance and force were both measured to perfection. An expert did this." Wei Gutong took a look and observed, "He did not pierce the throat with the tip of his saber. Rather, he employed a pushing-saber technique, sweeping across with the middle and forward sections of the blade. That is why the edges of the incision are slightly shallower." "Hm?" What Honghai pointed out was plain to see, but Wei Gutong's observation was something the others only realized after hearing it. "It is indeed so! Mr. Wei possesses remarkably sharp eyes," Zongjian commended. A horizontal sweep and a pushing slash produced extremely similar wounds on a throat; even if the edges were slightly shallower, the difference was nearly impossible to discern without Wei Gutong's trained eye pointing it out. "There are many saber masters in the world, but those accustomed to using a pushing-saber technique can be counted on one's fingers." Hongyue's eyes brightened. Though resentful of the Prince of Zhenxi's mudslinging, he despised the faction that had dared operate right under their noses in Daxing Prefecture even more. Honghai counted on his fingers. "The Xiao family's Jade-Cleaving Saber, Saber Horse Hall's Taibai Saber, and the Peng family's Five-Tiger Gate-Breaker Saber all feature pushing-saber strokes as signature techniques." Zongjian shook his head. "The Xiao family belongs to imperial royalty. They would never resort to such shadowy deeds." Wei Gutong mused, "Saber Horse Hall trades in sabers and horses across Hebei Circuit. While hardly an orthodox sect, they have never engaged in robbery without capital." Yan Ziyu spoke up last. "Though the Peng family is not a great aristocratic clan, they possess a long lineage and an upright reputation. Most of their disciples work as escorts or estate guards; they would hardly stoop to this." Honghai spread his hands. "Then who else could it be?" Li Yunxiu smiled faintly. "No rush. At the very least, we now know our opponent commands an expert with a saber. Let us head to the garrison camp in Pingxing County." Turning to the prefect of Daxing, she added, "Prefect Liu, please summon the garrison officers and soldiers who guarded the gates of Pingxing County, Wushe County, and Fuli County on the day of the incident." Prefect Liu cupped his hands and promptly dispatched messengers on swift horses to summon the men. Half a shichen later, the party arrived at the encampment of the Xionglue Army. Centurion Zhang dropped to his knees to beg forgiveness, but Wang Yu helped him up. "So long as you performed your military duties according to orders, you are not to blame for what happened." "Thank you, Your Highness!" Centurion Zhang led the party into the camp. "That evening, the Pingxing county magistrate personally brought food and drink to treat the troops. Following standard protocol, I divided my men into three watches to eat separately. Even after the third watch finished their meal, nothing seemed amiss. I still have no idea what trick they used. "Only when prefectural soldiers woke us the following morning did we discover that all thirty wagons had vanished. I immediately led my men to surround Pingxing County and hauled the magistrate out from under his blankets. He claimed to know nothing, and only then did we find the cook who brewed the tea dead." The party inspected the encampment. The ground where the heavy carts had been parked was relatively hard, and beyond the camp perimeter, carriage tracks ran crisscross and chaotic, making it impossible to tell in which direction the stolen wagons had gone. "Regardless, there are only three possible directions: east, west, or north," Prefect Liu remarked. "Because directly south lies the Yellow River." A moment later, the magistrates, county lieutenants, gate captains, and prefectural soldiers from Pingxing and the other two counties had all assembled. Drawing upon her experience at Yumen Pass, Li Yunxiu immediately inquired whether any escort caravans or merchant trains had passed through on the morning the treasure was stolen. Yet to everyone's surprise, there had been none. Now, even Li Yunxiu looked puzzled. "Could they have broken into small groups to avoid drawing attention?" Prefect Liu speculated. Li Yunxiu shook her head. "That would only make them easier to spot, and it would require a vast number of trusted confidants. Otherwise, the treasure would have been divided up and stolen before it got anywhere." Hongyue spoke in disbelief, "Could they have flown away on wings?" The magistrate of Fuli County volunteered, "They might not have taken the official post road through the town. To the northeast of my county, a mountain path cuts through a gorge, bypassing Fuli County altogether and leading straight to Kaiyan Prefecture." The magistrate of Wushe County added, "Beside our town, there is also a road skirting the river. The winter is dry and rainless right now, making it passable. It allows travelers to bypass the county seat and head toward Hangu Prefecture." Li Yunxiu nodded. "Mountain paths rarely see heavy wagons. With no rain recently, if heavy carts passed that way within the last few days, tracks will certainly remain." Prefect Liu immediately sent men galloping along both routes to investigate. With no further clues to be uncovered for the moment, the party dismissed the county officials and soldiers and returned to the Pingxing County office. Li Yunxiu pulled Centurion Zhang aside to give him a few quiet instructions. Afterward, Wang Yu's group returned to their guesthouse, only to see Qianqian and Ardai happily returning hand in hand, with Zhao Shan and Zhao He trailing behind them laden with large and small parcels. Qianqian was the first to ask, "Is the case solved already?" Li Yunxiu could not help but roll her eyes at her. "They managed to steal thirty large wagons without making a sound and vanished without a trace. Do you think uncovering them is that easy?" Qianqian gave a timid, delicate smile, looking utterly fragile. "Well, Sister is renowned for her brilliant intellect. I thought Sister would see through the thieves' petty tricks at a single glance." The three monks from Great Vajra Monastery could not help wearing amused smiles, and even Prefect Liu's lips twitched upward before he quickly composed his face and took his leave. Li Yunxiu's mouth twitched. Changing the subject, she turned to Ardai. "Did you two enjoy yourselves in the town?" Ardai knew she could not help with the investigation and dared not get caught between Li Yunxiu and Qianqian's verbal sparring, but she felt safe answering this question. "Sister Qianqian showed me around quite a few places, and we bought plenty of local snacks and pastries!" Ardai said hastily. "We were worried you all would be exhausted from investigating and miss your meal, so we brought them back especially for you!" Zhao Shan and Zhao He raised the paper packages in their hands. Li Yunxiu let out a soft huff. She knew perfectly well that Qianqian harbored no such kindness toward her and had certainly bought them for Wang Yu and Wei Gutong's couple, but since she benefited as well, she said nothing more. The group went inside to sample the snacks and pastries. Now that no outsiders were present, Wei Gutong asked Li Yunxiu, "Does the Princess Consort suspect that the thieves took the route through Wushe County, or the one through Fuli County?" Taking different paths carried vastly different implications. An eastern route led straight toward the imperial capital region, hinting at ties to the imperial court. A northern route pointed toward the border armies and the steppe, hinting at an alliance with the steppe barbarians. Li Yunxiu smiled faintly. "Does Senior Wei truly believe they took either of those two roads?" Yan Ziyu looked curious. "If not east and not north, they couldn't possibly have gone west back toward Fengming Prefecture, could they?" Li Yunxiu replied serenely, "Why couldn't they have gone south?" "To the south is the Yellow River," Yan Ziyu pointed out. "There are no ferry crossings nearby. The Yellow River is iced over, so boats cannot sail, yet the ice layer is too thin to bear foot traffic. How could they go south?" Li Yunxiu shook her head. "Senior Yan, you are thinking in terms of ordinary people. But for someone with a premeditated plan, commissioning an icebreaking ship fitted with a ram would hardly be difficult." Yan Ziyu was taken aback. She then heard Li Yunxiu look toward Wei Gutong and ask, "Does the saber technique of Dulong Fortress include a pushing-saber form?" "Dulong Fortress? Zhong Yulei?" Wei Gutong froze in surprise. "You suspect him?" Li Yunxiu said, "If that man harbors rebellious ambitions, laying his hands on this shipment of treasure makes complete sense." Ever since learning that Dulong Fortress was taking in displaced refugees, Li Yunxiu had harbored suspicions about him. Otherwise, not even the Great Bandits of Mount Qi or the Sixteen Strongholds of Taihenglan would dare rob this treasure. Wei Gutong said gravely, "Zhong Yulei wields a Fish-Scale Purple Gold Saber, delivering heavy, crushing strikes. Naturally, he is skilled in pushing-saber forms." Li Yunxiu nodded. "Back at the encampment, I already instructed Centurion Zhang to send men along the riverbanks to investigate. If all goes as expected, we will have discoveries by tonight." Ardai said blankly, "But earlier outside, you said we hadn't discovered anything." Li Yunxiu chuckled. "There were too many people present. I had no way of knowing whether there were Dulong Fortress spies among the Daxing officials. To prevent them from destroying the evidence, one cannot simply blabber everything out without care like certain people do." Qianqian: "..."