I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 748: Lord Su cuts off the root of the problem
Xiao Li is naturally the suspect who delivered food to the deceased.

When Zhang Zhongjing discovered arsenic poisoning and Su Yao began to investigate food and water sources, he knew his tracks were exposed. While everyone's attention was focused on the case, he hanged himself.

This cut off the clues that Su Yao had worked so hard to find.

Huang Wan took a deep breath, stepped forward and clasped his fists, saying:

"Lord Su has unraveled the mystery and found that the criminal knew he could not escape justice, so he committed suicide out of fear of punishment. Now that the clues have been cut off, I will intensify my efforts and conduct a new investigation to get to the bottom of this matter."

Su Yao glanced at Huang Wan coldly and thought to himself.

Although Huang Wan's attitude was respectful, there was a sense of evasion in his words, and it was obvious that he did not want to pursue the matter further.

Su Yao knew in his heart that there were probably a lot of power conflicts in the court involved. As the Inspector of the Imperial Guards, Huang Wan naturally did not want to offend anyone easily.

But Su Yao will not let this go easily.

He said coldly:

"Captain Huang, this matter concerns the reputation of this marquis and even more so the face of the court. You must do your best and not slack off in the slightest."

Huang Wan quickly bowed and agreed, but secretly groaned in his heart.

He knew that this champion marquis was not someone who could be easily fooled. If he were to notice that he was being perfunctory in the slightest, the consequences would be disastrous.

Therefore, Huang Wan had no choice but to bite the bullet and once again order a check of all the people in the prison, and at the same time send more personnel to conduct an in-depth investigation into the background of the deceased.

During the investigation, it was found that Xiao Li was from a small family in Yanshi County and had a good relationship with other people in prison.

Previously, because Dong Zhuo was causing chaos in the capital, the areas around Luoyang had also suffered from him many times.

Dong Zhuo still took the aristocratic families into consideration and did not exploit them too harshly, while ordinary people and small families were given special attention.

Xiao Li's family suffered greatly from this. They ran out of food and even their young son starved to death. In prison, he frequently asked his colleagues for help with rice to get through the difficulties.

However, in recent days, Xiao Li suddenly became generous. Not only did he repay the money and favors of his colleagues, he also frequently treated people to drinks. When his colleagues asked him the reason, Xiao Li simply said that he had received help from a noble person.

"Now it seems that this so-called nobleman took advantage of Xiao Li's special status in the prison to facilitate his actions in secret."

"And this nobleman must have some great means. He was able to obtain the rare arsenic poison and kill people without anyone noticing."

"But he probably never expected that the devil is as powerful as the way is. The first time he used Xiao Li to attack, the Champion Marquis saw through his trick, and this chess piece was ruined."

Two days later, Huang Wan reported the clues obtained from the investigation to Su Yao.

However, that was where his clues ended.

The whereabouts of that noble man were secretive. Xiao Li, who had received his favor, deliberately concealed the identity of this noble man so that even his family members did not know who he was.

Although Huang Wan interrogated Xiao Li's family members and checked the information of everyone in the prison, there was no new progress.

Champion House.

After listening to Huang Wan's report, Su Yao frowned, tapped the table with his fingers, and fell into deep thought:
"A noble person has helped me... No one knows who this person is. The power behind this is hidden deep enough."

"So, we can only close the case here?"

Huang Wan heard the dissatisfaction in Su Yao's words, and became more and more uneasy. He quickly said:
"My Lord, I have tried my best, but this man is too cunning, and the clues are cut off here."

"But please rest assured, my lord. I will continue to investigate and will not let go of any clues."

Su Yao waved his hand, signaling Huang Wan to leave.

He knew very well that in this chaotic world, various forces were complicated and it was not easy to find out an enemy hiding in the dark.

However, this matter cannot end here.

After Huang Wan left, Su Yao looked at the two counselors beside him:

"Wenhe, Wenruo, how do you think we should deal with this matter?"

Jia Xu hesitated for a moment, stroked his beard and said:
"My Lord, this matter may seem simple, but in fact, there are undercurrents."

"The person behind the scenes was able to quietly poison and kill people in the Sili Xiaowei prison at this time. It is obvious that he came prepared. His purpose is self-evident, which is to disrupt the master's plan."

Xun Yu also nodded and continued:

"Yes, Wenhe is right. Right now, the prince wants to make Princess Wannian the emperor, and there is already a lot of opposition in the court. This person's move is to add fuel to the fire and make the prince's situation even more difficult."

Su Yao nodded slightly and snorted coldly:
"They are just some small fry who are not worthy of being on the stage. They are just plotting and scheming. They will not affect the overall situation." "However, this matter cannot be left alone. Since he dared to attack me, we must teach those who have evil intentions a lesson to serve as a warning to others."

Xun Yu shuddered at the profound meaning in Su Yao's words, and hurriedly advised:
"My Lord, in such an extraordinary period, since there is no clear evidence, the first priority should be to enthronize the princess."

"The thieves' conspiracy is just to disrupt your majesty's plan. As long as the ceremony goes smoothly and the princess ascends the throne, their conspiracy will naturally fail. There is nothing to be afraid of."

Xun Yu’s suggestion was very prudent. Right now, nothing in the world was as important as the princess’ ascension to the throne.

In just a few days, the preparations for the grand ceremony will be completed. It would not be wise to stir up trouble now and cause shock to the court.

However, Jia Xu had a different opinion on Xun Yu's suggestion:

"While Wen Ruo's words make sense, acting in this way may appear cowardly and will be detrimental to future plans."

"Oh? What suggestions does Wenhe have?" Su Yao asked.

Jia Xu stroked his beard, walked forward and started talking.

Compared with Xun Yu's conservative advice, Jia Xu's strategy seems very direct.

Now that the conspiracy has been uncovered, both the criminal and the murderer have died in the Sili Xiaowei's prison. However, Huang Wan has been unable to find the real murderer for several days and has been unable to solve the case.

In this case, we can take the opportunity to dismiss him from his post as Inspector of the Capital Region and take this important position in the court into our own hands.

"The Sili Xiaowei is not only in charge of inspecting and appointing officials and investigating illegal activities, but also has a full quota of 1,200 soldiers. He is truly a powerful position."

Jia Xu said slowly, with a gleam in his eyes:
"If you can master this position, it will be of great help to you in stabilizing the government and implementing new policies."

Su Yao nodded slightly to show his agreement. He knew the importance of the Sili Xiaowei. If he could control him, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance his influence in the court.

"Wenhe's plan is very good, but Huang Wan is an important official in the court after all. Without solid evidence, it may be difficult to convince the people to dismiss him hastily." Xun Yu frowned and expressed his concerns.

Jia Xu smiled slightly and said confidently:
"How difficult is that? Although Huang Wan tried his best to investigate the case, he was ultimately unable to find the real culprit. This was his dereliction of duty."

"Your Excellency may take this opportunity to submit a letter to the court, impeaching him for his incompetence and requesting his removal."

"At the same time, you can recommend a trusted person to take up this position, to demonstrate your impartiality and your determination to promote people based on their talents."

When Su Yao heard this, a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

Jia Xu's strategy was simple and crude. He directly seized power from Huang Wan and took away the power of the Inspector of the Imperial Capital. Even if the opposition had the intention to do so, all the troops in Luoyang City were in Su Yao's hands, so they could only bite their fingers and accept their fate.

It can be said that this is a strategy of removing the fuel from under the cauldron.

However, as Xun Yu said, Huang Wan was a famous official of his generation and enjoyed great reputation among the scholars. Even the overbearing Dong Zhuo had to hold him in high esteem.

Now, he is one of the heroes who first raised an army to fight against Dong Zhuo in the Chang'an Rebellion. If we act rashly and dismiss him from office, it will easily intensify the conflict at this time when there is an urgent need to unite the forces in the court.

Xun Yu still spoke out against Jia Xu's plan, and asked Su Yao to act prudently and not to cast an unfavorable shadow on the happy event of the empress's ascension to the throne at the critical moment.

Faced with the disagreement between the two counselors, Su Yao pinched his chin and fell into deep thought.

What kind of strategy should be adopted?
After a moment, Su Yao came up with a plan and said thoughtfully:

"Although Huang Wan failed in his duties, he did make great contributions and tried his best this time. It would be too harsh to directly remove him from office."

"However, Wenhe's suggestion is very important. It is absolutely not acceptable for such a powerful position that not only holds military power but also performs independent monitoring, interrogation and arrest, to be in the hands of someone whose attitude towards me is unclear."

"What does your Excellency mean?"

Xun Yu and Jia Xu looked at each other, not understanding what Su Yao meant.

Su Yao chuckled:
"You don't have to resign from your position, but your power must be reduced!"

"As the saying goes, a new king brings a new atmosphere. Taking advantage of the fact that Wannian has ascended the throne, I have decided to implement a reform of the official system and divide the power of these old officials!"

"what?"

"what?!"

"Official system reform?"

When Su Yao said this, Xun Yu and Jia Xu were both stunned, and then their eyes showed horror.

Obviously, they didn't expect that the champion would have such a bold idea.
(End of this chapter)