prosperous age

"What, dead?"

Early in the morning, Liu Shouyou received the news, and his hair stood on end.

If word gets out about this, I'm afraid my job as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard will be over.

He felt a pang of regret; he should have gone back to the yamen to rest last night instead of running off to the outer residence.

"Has everyone been brought under control? Has anyone been exposed?"

As Liu Shouyou hurried towards the Northern Garrison, he asked anxiously.

"Sir, all the officers on duty have been detained separately, and the coroner has also been taken to the prison."

The centurion hurriedly replied.

He reacted quite quickly in this regard.

Upon arriving at the scene, they found the person was already gone, and immediately detained everyone who had been in or out of jail that day, and everyone who had been in contact with them.

If a perfectly healthy person suddenly disappears, someone must have done something shady.

He simply didn't know that the dead man was trying to frame someone from the Eastern Depot, which is why he hadn't considered the internal situation.

They thought it was something else entirely, but they knew this person was deeply involved, and that very day he might have been locked up in the imperial prison.

However, since one side came prepared, it naturally wouldn't leave any trace.

Even if he personally guards them, those who are destined to die will still die.

Although Zhang Jing hadn't read many books, people who engage in scheming and plotting are inherently wicked, so he naturally thought of the worst-case scenario.

Therefore, after much thought, the best course of action is to kill the person.

As for why they didn't take action in the Ministry of Justice prison, it's because they knew the situation there.

It's difficult to set up due to strict supervision and limited time.

However, within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, through personnel transfers, the Embroidered Uniform Guard planted spies within the Eastern Depot, but the Eastern Depot also took the opportunity to plant spies within the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

If you want someone to drug you, there's no safer or more reliable way than having those ruthless guys do it.

Moreover, these people knew the rules of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

If it gets out, the whole family will be in trouble.

It's not a small matter; they're going to destroy it.

Therefore, even if they are suspected or interrogated, they will remain tight-lipped and refuse to admit anything.

Even if someone is beaten to death in prison, it's better than having their family implicated and suffering as a result.

However, eventually, they had to take action, and it was impossible to be completely without leaving any clues.

Since it was poison, once an investigation is launched, the scope will be narrowed down to those few people.

We can only gamble on whether he can pull through.

Inside the imperial prison, the dark passageways were filled with people, all of them officials of rank.

At this moment, everyone stood there like wooden statues, not daring to make the slightest sound.

It's not uncommon for people to die in the imperial prison, but this person was just brought back, and it was someone the emperor wanted to deal with, so there's a lot more to it than that.

"My lord, the person was poisoned. In my humble opinion, the person must have eaten ephedra first and then aconite, which caused the poisoning and death."

These two substances are fine to take individually, but if taken together within a short period of time, it's no different from ingesting arsenic.

The coroner was an old man in his fifties, a man of great experience and knowledge.

In addition, this craft has a long history, whether it was learned through apprenticeship or passed down through family, there are many stories and a lot of knowledge about it.

Many of their testing methods seem incomprehensible to later generations. After all, although they were the same kind of people as forensic doctors, later forensic doctors evolved more from Western medical anatomy.

The methods of coroners have long been lost.

"Ephedra, that stuff is spicy, how could it be?"

Liu Shouyou squatted down next to the coroner and said in a low voice.

"Sir, he must have taken ephedra first, then aconite. There are still residues in his mouth, as if he tampered with his food."

The old coroner pried open the monk Deqing's teeth and gave Liu Shouyou some pointers.

"As for ephedra, it is suspected to be water. Water was delivered to the prison three times a day and meals were given out twice a day. It must have been done around that time."

After all, the water used in the prison cells was well water from the backyard.

The old coroner only made a brief comment, and that was it.

There was too much bitter well water in the capital, and they couldn't possibly prepare water for the prisoners, so they simply boiled bitter water for them to drink.

What could be put in that kind of water that would make people taste it?

"Aconite is highly poisonous. We first mixed ephedra into the water to mask the poison with the last bit of bitterness, but by then people were already slightly sluggish."

After consuming aconite, even if one realizes something is wrong, it will likely be too late to cry for help.

The old coroner's words merely confirmed that the great monk's death was not natural, but rather a setup.

"Put everyone who had come into contact with the water and food in separate custody."

"We must interrogate him and expose this traitor."

Liu Shouyou turned around and instructed the guard who was kissing beside him.

Immediately, Liu Shouyou stood up, feeling a little dizzy from the exertion.

He staggered a few steps but still managed to get out of the prison.

All officials automatically lined up on both sides of the passage, making way for the middle passage.

"Guard this place well, and interrogate each person one by one."

Liu Shouyou strode out, as he needed to report the matter to the Grand Secretariat and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs immediately.

Compared to those below who knew nothing, Liu Shouyou knew the situation all too well.

The only person capable of doing this is that damned eunuch from the Eastern Depot.

Liu Shouyou could also guess that the other party had sensed the danger and instinctively chose to sever the connection.

The key point is that the person was transferred to the Embroidered Uniform Guard before the operation was carried out. This shows how powerful the Eastern Depot's infiltration of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was, and at the same time, it also put the blame on itself.

Having served as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for so many years, I fear his time is drawing to a close.

Liu Shouyou didn't covet the position, but he was still resentful at being framed and forced out.

The others followed Liu Shouyou out of the prison and gave a few instructions to the few people who came out with him.

Within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, skilled investigators were assigned specific tasks, one for each of them, to interrogate relentlessly until they uncovered the truth behind the scenes.

Liu Shouyou had already planned out the short distance from the cell to the prison gate.

The only way is to follow the clues and pin the blame on Zhang Jing.

Furthermore, the high monk's suspected identity as a White Lotus Rebellion bandit, and his connection with Zhang Jing, helped him get things done.

Zhang Jing and the Great Monk were accomplices. Knowing that the Great Monk had been arrested, Zhang Jing painstakingly plotted to kill him in order to cover up his own identity.

As long as it involves Zhang Jing, I don't need to force myself to commit any crime.

Because all the clues connect, even if Zhang Jing isn't considered a member of the White Lotus sect, he is someone deeply connected to them.

The palace would never give anyone with such a questionable identity any space.

If you're lucky, you'll be sent out; if you're unlucky, you might be silenced.

In the inner court, there was no grand trial; suspicion was dealt with cleanly as soon as it arose.

Before long, Liu Shouyou arrived at the palace.

He first went to the Directorate of Ceremonial to see Zhang Hong, explained the situation to him, and Zhang Hong immediately smashed his teacup.

"How did you manage the Embroidered Uniform Guard? It's been infiltrated to this extent."

The memorial and the imperial decree were exchanged within a day of each other, and they were already preparing to kill him.

Zhang Hong was furious, but he was undeniably clever. Without giving any instructions, he simply said, "Find out who did it and bring them to justice."

"Yes, sir. I will find the person."

When he answered, Liu Shouyou almost uttered the words "do his best".

However, he couldn't say that at this time; he had to be sure that he could get things done.

"At the Qianqing Palace"

Liu Shouyou hesitated, looking at Zhang Hong, hoping to get his protection. "I'll mention it when I go to the Qianqing Palace later. You go to the cabinet and explain things clearly. Perhaps the Emperor will ask you questions."

Zhang Hong thought for a moment, then said those words and waved his hand.

He didn't care how they framed him; he'd let Liu Shouyou and Wei Guangde handle it.

Wei Guangde cherished his reputation, but this man valued it even more than Wei Guangde.

Liu Shouyou left the Directorate of Ceremonial and then hurriedly went to the Cabinet.

News from the Embroidered Uniform Guard certainly doesn't spread as quickly as it does from the Six Ministries and Five Temples; in fact, civil officials might instinctively block out news from there.

So even though half a day had passed, Wei Guangde, sitting in his duty room, hadn't heard a single word.

However, this matter cannot be kept secret for long, since it has already been reported to the palace and will spread throughout the city in just half a day.

Liu Shouyou, his forehead covered in sweat, strode into the duty room and, across the desk, recounted what had happened in the Northern Garrison Command.

"Is the Eastern Depot so powerful that it can command your Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

When Wei Guangde heard that the senior monk had been poisoned, his heart tightened.

"It was my oversight that led to the arrest and interrogation of all the suspects."

"I believe that as long as we find the person who did it, and follow the trail, we can close the case."

Whether Liu Shou mentioned the person from the Eastern Depot or not, Wei Guangde, with his knowledge, could naturally guess.

At this point, the person was killed by him, and some things can never be proven by the dead, but that is precisely the most fatal thing.

They can pin any crime on them, and there's no way to refute it because there are no confessions.

In truth, the head monk was innocent; he was dragged into this situation without even realizing it, and then lost his life.

Actually, the things he did weren't really that big of a deal.

However, since it involves the darkest departments of the imperial court and the power struggles among the higher-ups, only a nobody like him can be sacrificed.

"Yes, we must find out who's behind this, otherwise no one can protect you."

This concerns His Majesty's safety; you can handle it yourself.

Wei Guangde simply said that the current situation is much better than previously expected.

Some things that were originally not planned to be done, if it was really Zhang Jing who made them, then it can be said that he made a terrible move, a terrible move that could have ruined him.

Perhaps he thought that as long as he cried and claimed ignorance in front of His Majesty, he could believe that the elixir was made by a highly virtuous monk and therefore effective, so it was sent to the palace.

But he forgot that the pills he sent were not for ordinary people, but for His Majesty, the supreme ruler.

In matters like this, it's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.

His fate was sealed the moment the kill order was issued.

Now we'll see how the Embroidered Uniform Guard works, piecing together the evidence layer by layer until they implicate Zhang Jing, at which point the truth of the case will be revealed.

Perhaps even before the emperor speaks, the empress dowager in the palace will take his life.

This is the best possible outcome.

Liu Shouyou left the cabinet but didn't dare go far, lingering outside the cabinet.

Sure enough, not long after, a eunuch from the Qianqing Palace came looking for them.

When Liu Shouyou left the palace and returned to the Northern Garrison, the officers who had come into contact with the water and food had already been detained and interrogated separately.

They all got tortured, and nobody thought they needed evidence first.

Liu Shouyou only took one trip to the imperial prison, looked at the people on the racks, and returned to the main hall without saying a word.

"No one was missed?"

Liu Shouyou simply asked his personal guard a question: Today's matter was being overseen by his trusted confidant, and he no longer trusted anyone else to handle it.

No, everyone who had contact with them is inside.

"It's only the beginning; no one has confessed yet."

The guard said in a low voice.

"Bring their families here and search them."

Liu Shouyou then gave another order.

The perpetrator may be one person or two.

However, since it's no longer a big deal, it's now affecting him, so he has to resort to underhanded tactics, even threatening his family's lives.

At this moment, Liu Shouyou could actually guess what those people were thinking.

They definitely want to hold on to the bitter end to avoid implicating their families.

Perhaps someone used something against them to threaten them, or made some promise.

With this in mind, Liu Shouyou had an idea.

"Detain them. I want to see their family profiles and find out which of them are gamblers."

This is to inquire about these people's situation from their colleagues, and what possible incriminating evidence they might have against themselves and their families.

A group of Imperial Guards rushed out of the Northern Garrison Command and soon brought back a large number of people. The weeping and wailing along the way instantly became a scene in the capital.

There were both old and young people, and they were all members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. It had been so many years since I had seen them in the capital.

Wei Guangde wasn't keeping an eye on the Embroidered Uniform Guard; it was his own business to clean house, and he didn't need to worry about Liu Shouyou.

Liu Shouyou knew that His Majesty had summoned him, and after the meeting, he also received a note from Zhang Ji, which detailed Zhang Jing's activities that day.

In the morning, they were in the White Tiger Hall of the Eastern Depot, and in the afternoon, they entered the palace.

Upon hearing the news, Wei Guangde had Zhang Jing accompany the Wanli Emperor all afternoon, being unusually attentive.

But this is normal; they simply collect some more treasures and present them to the emperor for his amusement.

He did a very good job of cultivating a close relationship with the emperor, always trying to get close to him and collecting treasures to send to him.

It's no wonder that Emperor Wanli doted on him so much, especially after he learned what had happened in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Wei Guangde didn't believe that Emperor Wanli was unaware of the suspicious circumstances; this matter was most likely related to Zhang Jing.

All I can say is that the emperor seems to be an actor as well, and he acted very well, managing to fool Zhang Jing.

An emperor, sitting on that throne, cannot possibly be completely without suspicion of those around him.

Especially after something goes wrong, that level of vigilance will rise infinitely.

At this point, their feigned compliance is likely a sign that they are wary of Zhang Jing, but they don't want to alert him before the Embroidered Uniform Guard has a clear understanding of the situation.

The bloodshed within the Imperial Guard prison was unknown to the outside world, but two days later, Liu Shouyi appeared in the cabinet office looking haggard with bloodshot eyes.

"Two traitors within the Embroidered Uniform Guard and a subordinate of the Eastern Depot are implicated in the case."

The man from the Eastern Depot was originally a lowly commander in the Northern Garrison. The two men were his subordinates, who were promised to promote their families and receive a reward of one thousand taels of silver.

The two stopped contacting each other and each went about their own business.

"What about people?"

Wei Guangde and Zhang Hong sat in chairs and looked at Liu Shouyou, asking him a question.

“Once that person enters the palace, I will interrogate him.”

"Report the news to the palace immediately."

Liu Shouyou lowered his head and spoke his thoughts.

Arresting someone at this time inevitably made Zhang Jing wary.

Once he enters the palace and arrests people, even if he wanted to protect them, he wouldn't be able to.

"Okay, do it."

The miscellaneous scholar would arrange for someone to be stationed outside the Qianqing Palace, and as soon as he came out, he would arrest the person.

Zhang Hong spoke first.

Since there was no evidence linking Zhang Jing to the case, it was naturally difficult for the internal authorities to arrest him.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard has already found out; all that's needed is a confession before they can proceed.

"Go and prepare, we'll go into the palace and tell them."

Zhang Hong and Wei Guangde exchanged a glance, and then he spoke. (End of Chapter)