fifth form

Chapter 3085 Cases That Can't Be Investigated
"The victim has returned!"

"Was the Crimson Sky Sword stolen from Lord Dongfang's house?"

"If we lose His Majesty the Great's sword, even ten heads wouldn't be enough to pay the price!"

……

When Zhang Xuezhou returned to his residence, it was already surrounded by dozens of constables from the Jingzhao Yin Prefecture. The usually deserted alleyways were now filled with onlookers.

The officials who arrived late were of little use; of course, even if they had been there, they wouldn't have been able to do anything.

The groups under the jurisdiction of the imperial court's power departments are compatible downwards, but not upwards.

The scope of investigations by public officials usually does not involve monks. If the investigation involves a high-ranking monk, it usually requires the intervention of a high-ranking official.

Zheng was the current Prefect of Jingzhao at the time, and he stood at the gate with a dark expression on his face.

The Jingzhao Yifu was a balancing tool, its real purpose being to deal with conflicts between the central government and local authorities, as well as the power of local magnates. As for things like buying and transferring property and maintaining public order, those were insignificant matters.

Without much thought, Zheng knew perfectly well that he had reached the end of his official career.

If the Crimson Cloud Sword is stolen, the person who could steal it must be a force he cannot afford to offend. If the theft is discovered, he will be killed; if it is not discovered, he will be held accountable by the imperial court.

A demotion can be followed by a promotion, but a lost life cannot be recovered. Zheng had no choice but to accept the demotion.

Such things were common in the Jingzhao Prefecture. The longest term of office for a Jingzhao Prefecture official was only two or three years, while the shortest was only two or three months before being replaced.

However, having climbed to the position of Jingzhao Yi, which was second only to the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, Zheng was indeed unwilling to accept being dismissed from his post.

This was also the reason why his face was so dark, but if Zheng were asked to think of a solution, he wouldn't be able to come up with one either.

In short, he was tricked by this obscure official of the imperial court.

"Lord Dongfang!"

When Zhang Xuezhou rushed back to the mansion, Zheng's heart sank.

"Your Excellency, you must stand up for me!"

Listening to Zhang Xuezhou protesting his innocence, Zheng felt that all his suspicions were being confirmed.

"Lord Dongfang, why don't you go back to your residence and check it out to see what exactly is missing?"

Hearing Zhang Xuezhou shouting that the Jingzhao Prefecture should take charge without knowing anything, Zheng felt a headache coming on and had to remind Zhang Xuezhou.

"I got married recently and received a thousand taels of gold and eight thousand strings of cash..."

"Wait, wait, Lord Dongfang, we have questioned them carefully, and your gatekeeper confirmed that the thief only ran away with a sword on his back and did not steal any of your money!"

"A sword! Oh dear, that's the precious sword His Majesty entrusted to me for safekeeping!"

Zhang Xuezhou shouted, then rolled up his sleeves and hurriedly entered the mansion.

"It's over!"

After the victim confirmed the situation, Zheng felt a deep darkness in his heart and followed with heavy steps.

He took a few steps forward and waved to the constables, signaling that no one else was allowed to enter the mansion, even his two adjutants were ordered to stop outside the mansion.

There were few people in the mansion; everyone was ordered to stay outside and not disturb the scene.

Of course, Zhang Xuezhou's mansion was indeed deserted. The only mistress worked in Changxin Palace and did not employ any servants. The three or five friends he invited were not regular guests who lived in the mansion for a long time, but rather relatives of Wei Qing, the Grand Master of the Palace. The guards and protectors came from the residence of Princess Guantao.

After the theft at the mansion, no one entered, and even though the officials from the Jingzhao Prefecture arrived late to maintain order, everything remained exactly as it was. "Where's my sword? Who took my sword?!"

Zhang Xuezhou yelled and stomped his feet, jumping up and down.

Zheng initially wanted to signal the other party to be quiet, but ultimately did not stop them, since he was only losing his official position, while the other party would most likely lose his head.

"Where is the Grand Astrologer's inspection?"

"How could the thieves have managed to evade the Grand Astrologer's inspection so perfectly? Could it have been done by someone from the Grand Astrologer's Office?!"

"The Imperial City has nine districts and two hundred and fifty-six roads, each guarded by imperial guards. How did the thieves manage to avoid all the guards during the day?"

"Oh, the thief didn't flee along the road, so he must have hidden in some high-ranking official's mansion?"

"Or are the thieves from the residences of some high-ranking officials?"

……

With a series of shouts, Zhang Xuezhou almost revealed all of Zheng's thoughts and judgments at that time, and the matter had reached a dead end.

Behind is the residence of Princess Guantao, in front is the residence of Marquis Pingyang, and if you go further ahead is the residence of Marquis Zhuang Qingzhai of Wuqiang, which then leads to the residence of Li Cai.

Li Cai was an official with a rank of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure), neither a member of the imperial family nor a marquis. Among the potential owners of the mansions involved in the case, he was the lowest in status. Logically, he should have been an easy target to take the blame. However, the problem was that Li Cai had a cousin named Li Guang. Both of these cousins ​​had become officials through their genuine military achievements. It would be difficult to promote one of them, let alone offend both.

Zheng had already given up, and ignored Zhang Xuezhou's clamor.

Even if Zhang Xuezhou asked the emperor to investigate, he could only go through the motions, and if he couldn't find anything, so be it; at most, it would be his dereliction of duty.

"That thief can't leave the Imperial City, so he must be hiding in a nearby mansion. I need His Majesty to conduct a forced search. Lord Zheng, you must search carefully, place by place!"

"Lord Dongfang, I have heard some things and suspect that the thieves may have used the Shadows to hide and thus entered your residence. This may involve some schools of thought that use the Shadows to hide!"

Zheng had no choice but to try to dissuade Zhang Xuezhou, urging him to calm down a bit.

If this matter is investigated and a falling out occurs, but if it is not investigated and the person is mistakenly identified as having a connection with the thief, the owners of these mansions will inevitably harbor resentment. This is a very difficult situation, and everything still needs to be carefully considered.

"A school of thought that hides in the shadows, I know that. My uncle Jin Chang is a master of the Yin-Yang school. He is particularly good at stealthy theft and is now a first-class guest of the Prince of Huainan's mansion. So this matter should be related to the Prince of Huainan's mansion!"

"No, no, no, the Yin-Yang School isn't the only ones skilled at hiding. And if the guards could spot them, their hidden strength couldn't be too high. Besides, how could my uncle possibly steal my nephew's things!"

Zheng then pinched the flesh of his left hand hard with his right hand, almost turning it blue.

If it were his own private occasion, he felt he would slap himself hard.

It was already difficult enough to check the four surrounding mansions; if the Prince of Huainan's mansion were added, how much ability would he have to maneuver between them?

“Since Lord Zheng knows that there are other schools of thought, he must know the origins of these petty thieves,” Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed. “If we keep an eye on the officials with many followers in this area, we should be able to find a clue!”

"Lord Dongfang..."

Zheng clenched his teeth, forcing the words he wanted to say to stay stuck in his throat.

It's good to say nothing, but the more you say, the more mistakes you make.

Zhang Xuezhou's words were directed at the official with the most retainers in Chang'an. This official was Prime Minister Tian Fen, who was also the younger brother of the current Empress Dowager. He held great power and all his retainers possessed true self cultivation. He had nearly five thousand retainers under his command, a mixed bag of all sorts of people.

The upper limit of skill in stealth lies in Jin Chang of the Prince of Huainan's mansion, while the lower limit lies in Prime Minister Tian Fen's side.

If Zheng was bound by the name of the Crimson Sky Sword, he would have had no choice but to investigate.

But investigating such matters will inevitably offend one party; if the investigation is successful, it will immediately lead to conflict; if the investigation fails, it will be considered a dereliction of duty.