Knife splashing

Chapter 789 Mysteries of Jinling
The back hall of the Jinling government office was filled with the wafting fragrance of sandalwood incense.

The atmosphere on both sides of the long mahogany table was tense and ready to fight.

The prefect of Jinling sat in the main seat. He had a fair complexion, puffy eyes, and unconsciously twirled his beard with his fingers, his eyes darting around.

Beside him stood the Prefectural Magistrate of Yingtian Prefecture, his square face taut and his lips pressed into a thin line. Several local officials below him all bowed their heads in silence, none daring to speak.

Zheng, the former commander of the Duwei Division, was also present. He stood up straight, but his knuckles on the hilt of his sword were slightly white. He looked gloomy, but his eyes were full of helplessness.

He glanced furtively at Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan sitting opposite him, opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed the words back down, feeling only a sense of frustration in his chest.

“Young Master Li…”

The prefect of Jinling coughed and forced a smile, his tone drawn out with the characteristic cadence of an official: "The incident at Huai Shu Village is horrifying, and I am deeply saddened to hear of it. However, this matter is of great importance, involving heretical cult members, and will be investigated by the Commandery in conjunction with the Xuanmen lineage."

"Young Master's righteous assistance has uncovered the cause of Commander Tian's sudden death. This prefecture will certainly report to the court and request commendation for Young Master. As for the Lin Family Trading Company case..."

He drew out his words and looked at the prefect.

The magistrate next to him immediately chimed in, his face full of flattery: "Lin Yaozu colluded with Japanese pirates, causing chaos in Yangzhou, a crucial transportation hub. The evidence is conclusive, and the Ministry of Justice has issued a decree ordering the Hangzhou Prefecture to preside over the trial."

"This is a decision made by the central government, and it's set in stone. Our Jinling Prefecture has no right to interfere. It's fine for you, young master, to use the Qiankun Academy's token to observe the people's conditions, but to meddle in local criminal cases and interfere in imperial cases is... overstepping your bounds!"

Without wasting words, Li Yan looked directly at Commander Zheng.

He had long anticipated that getting the Lin family out wouldn't be so easy.

The officials in Jinling are all more or less connected with those two families, and given the current power of the Kaihai faction in the court, they will certainly not handle the matter impartially.

So he went directly to Commander Zheng.

Tian Qianhu, a military commander in the capital, was murdered, and the local area was infiltrated by the Cocoon Clothes Cult.

If he didn't want to die, he naturally couldn't stay out of it any longer.

Sure enough, Commander Zheng coughed, his brows furrowed, and said in a deep voice, "Your Excellency, the matter of Huai Shu Village is of great importance. Commander Tian's death is clearly inextricably linked to the 'Cocoon Robe Cult,' and we have already learned the true culprits, those few people..."

"Commander Zheng is mistaken!"

Another official from a local prominent family interrupted, saying, "The death of Commander Tian was caused by sorcery, and the Lin family's collusion with the Japanese is documented in black and white! How can they be confused?"

"The Qiankun Academy token is prestigious, but it has no jurisdiction over the laws and punishments of our Great Xuan! Young Master Li, we appreciate your hard work, but don't let yourself be used and get involved in trouble you shouldn't be involved in."

He was from the Lu family of Suzhou, so he naturally spoke with more confidence.

"Right or wrong?"

Li Yan took a sip of tea and slowly began to speak.

The voice wasn't loud, but it drowned out the noise inside the hall.

"Hundreds of people in Huai Shu Village were turned into silkworm cocoons alive by a cult under the name of 'divine silkworms,' and their life essence was sucked out. This is outrageous!"

"Commander Tian was responsible for escorting the prisoners, yet he was turned to ashes by the evil creature 'Old Man in the Forest' in the wilderness of Jurong. This is outrageous!"

"The weavers and artisans of Wuzhong were driven to desperation by exorbitant taxes and levies, and turned to a heretical cult in order to survive. This matter... is an even greater tragedy!"

This strike, imbued with the spirit of the fist, went straight into everyone's minds.

His gaze swept over the officials whose expressions were changing: "You said that the presiding judge in the Lin Family Trading Company case is far away in Hangzhou and the case files are sealed. I will go to them myself."

"But within Jinling City, the sudden death of Commander Tian, ​​the Huai Shu Village massacre, and the cult 'Cocoon Clothes Cult' using silkworm silk to control the people and plotting internal collaborators—each and every one of these events... cannot be separated from our involvement!"

"The Jinling Prefectural Government and the Military Command are responsible for protecting the territory and ensuring the safety of the people, as well as investigating illegal activities. Now that the cult is rampant and the evidence is right under their noses, they are using excuses such as 'lack of authority' and 'the case has already been decided' to shirk their responsibilities, sit idly by and watch the evil atmosphere grow stronger, and even... go so far as to obstruct the investigation?"

He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold, carrying a chilling aura, "Is it powerlessness, or... unwillingness? Or perhaps, fear of pulling up a radish and bringing out the mud, implicating certain people who shouldn't be implicated?"

"Li Yan! How dare you!" The prefect slammed his fist on the table, his hair and beard bristling. "How dare you speak ill of an official appointed by the court and slander your superior in the very courtroom?!"

The prefect's face darkened: "Young Master Li, I respect you as a member of the Qiankun Academy and have been lenient with you. However, the laws of the court cannot be disregarded! The Military Command will thoroughly investigate the matter of Huai Shu Village. As for the Lin family case, there is no room for change! If you continue to cause trouble, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze into a block of iron.

……

Meanwhile, the excavation and cleanup work in Huai Shu Village was also in full swing under the guidance of local Taoist priests.

With the Commandant in charge of monitoring the situation, no one dared to do anything wrong.

One by one, twisted human figures, wrapped in thick silkworm cocoons and long since lifeless, were carefully carried out from the underground chamber of the ancestral hall and arranged in an open space in the village, a shocking sight.

The corpses of those "divine silkworms," ​​which had been poisoned to death by Long Yan'er's special powder and were the size of wild boars, were also dragged out. Their hideous mouthparts were exposed to the sunlight, causing the soldiers and runners cleaning up the scene to vomit and turn pale.

More importantly, several letters with illegible handwriting and bloodstains were found in the kang (heated brick bed) in Zhou Dayong's house.

The letter was secretly written by Zhou Dayong in despair. It detailed how the "Cocoon Clothes Cult" envoy used secret methods to prolong life as bait to lure villagers into worshipping the "Silkworm Goddess," and how he forced the villagers to contribute their young and strong laborers to enter the underground cave to "serve the divine silkworm," ultimately turning them into cocoons.

The letter also mentioned the names of several nearby villages that also worshipped the "Silkworm Goddess," and how he was misled into using a specially made bell to lure "Old Man in the Forest" to kill Tian Qianhu. It was clearly stated that this was to silence him and prevent Tian Qianhu from investigating the mystery behind the Lin family case!

These bloody and irrefutable pieces of evidence were rushed to Nanjing by fast horses.

The atmosphere in the hall gradually became subtle.

Looking at the evidence in his hand, Commander Zheng felt a chill of fear and said sternly:
"Your Excellency! Your Excellency! The death of Commander Tian was indeed a cover-up by a cult! Zhou Dayong's suicide note points directly to someone pulling the strings behind the scenes, attempting to obstruct the truth of the Lin family case! This is no ordinary criminal case; it is a cult wreaking havoc on the country and shaking the very foundations of the nation!"

"It is the duty of the Commandery to request the Prefectural Government to immediately issue a document to the surrounding prefectures and counties, and thoroughly investigate the cult's stronghold! At the same time, the Lin Family Merchant Guild case has many suspicious points and must be retried!"

"The intervention of Young Master Li from Qiankun Academy is perfectly reasonable and legal!"

"Anyone who dares to obstruct us further is guilty of having a guilty conscience and is protecting evil!"

He was also anxious; if this matter wasn't clarified, he feared he would be in jail.

Looking at the evidence, coupled with Zheng Qianhu's almost murderous gaze, the prefect of Jinling broke out in a cold sweat and lost his previous imposing manner.

The two powerful families are indeed not easy to offend, but these major cases all occurred in Nanjing. Moreover, there is the Taihu Lake demon chaos. If things are not handled properly, they could be accused of dereliction of duty, leading to the rise of a cult, or even being an inside agent of the demon army.

At that point, confiscating their property and exterminating their entire family would be the least of their worries!

Just then, hurried and orderly footsteps came from outside the hall.

A yamen runner stumbled in, his voice tinged with panic: "Report! Your Excellency! Lord Qiu, the Chief Justice of the Capital City, and Lord Chu, the Vice Commissioner of the Northern Garrison Command, have arrived outside the yamen with imperial edicts and orders from the Ministry of War!"

Everyone in the hall was immediately shocked.

Before they could go out to greet them, two officials dressed in dark official robes, with a deep and unfathomable aura, strode into the back hall.

The leader had a handsome face, three long wisps of beard, and his eyes flashed with lightning between opening and closing. His robe was embroidered with ferocious beast patterns, and a jade plaque engraved with cloud and thunder runes hung at his waist.

It was Qiu Mingyuan, the Chief Justice of the Xuanji Temple.

The man beside him, Chu Qianshi, was burly and had a face as hard as iron. He wore the black iron scale armor that was unique to high-ranking military officers of the Commandery, which exuded the bloody aura of the battlefield. Hanging at his waist was a dark tiger tally!
Qiu Mingyuan's gaze swept across everyone in the hall, pausing briefly on the evidence on the table and on Li Yan, before he announced loudly: "Priest Qiu Mingyuan, by imperial decree and order from the Ministry of War, has come to Jinling to oversee the 'Cocoon Robe Sect's' disturbances and the remnants of the Japanese pirates!"

"All officials of Jinling Prefecture must cooperate fully and without fail! Anyone who is negligent, shirks responsibility, or obstructs will be considered an accomplice and executed without mercy!" At the same time, the Ministry of War officer raised the command token in Chu Qianshi's hand, its cold light gleaming.

The words "immediate execution without pardon" struck the hearts of the officials in Nanjing like a heavy hammer.

The prefect and the vice-prefect's faces turned deathly pale instantly, devoid of any color, their bodies trembling slightly, their previous toughness and evasion completely gone.

They hurriedly rose and bowed deeply: "Your humble servant... Your humble servant obeys! We will fully cooperate with Commander Qiu, Vice Commander Chu, and Young Master Li to eradicate the evil and restore order to the world!"

The atmosphere in the back room changed abruptly.

Qiu Mingyuan and Chu Zhenyue acted swiftly, immediately taking possession of all the evidence from Huai Shu Village and listening to Li Yan's brief report on the tragic state of Huai Shu Village, the cause of Tian Qianhu's death, and the connection between the Lin family case and the cult. Both men wore extremely grave expressions.

The two men set off from the capital to come because of the death of Commander Tian, ​​which angered Eunuch Zhao Wujiu, and the chaos in Jinling.

On the way, they received another message from Li Yan, which was delivered by Jin Yanmen, so they hurried even faster.

With their addition, Li Yan was no longer in a passive position in Jinling.

After the handover was completed, Qiu Mingyuan went to the side room of the Commandery and looked at Li Yan. He spoke in a gentle tone with a hint of discussion: "Young Master Li's methods are superb and his contributions to the country are invaluable. The entire Xuanji Division and the Commandery will remember this."

"But as you, young hero, surely know, the current situation in Jinling is dire. The demon Leiyin possesses the Yangzhou Cauldron and has gathered her demon army at Taihu Lake, directly threatening Jinling! The city is also in turmoil. With the 'Dragon Throwing Ceremony' imminent, Jinling must not be allowed to descend into further internal strife!"

Li Yan glanced at him indifferently and said nothing.

Seeing this, Qiu Mingyuan took a step closer and lowered his voice, saying, "Let me be frank, the Lin family case has far-reaching implications, involving wealthy gentry and even some officials in Jiangnan, and it cannot be clarified overnight."

"If we investigate this further now, it will surely shake Jinling and cause panic among the people. It may even be used by the demonic sect to disrupt the 'Dragon Throwing Ceremony' and shake the morale of the troops at the front. This would be a tragedy for our friends and a delight for our enemies!"

"My intention is to temporarily place the Lin family business and its members under the care of the Commandery to ensure their safety. The irrefutable evidence that you, young master, have uncovered in the cases of Huai Shu Village and the murder of Tian Qianhu, along with the suspicious aspects of the Lin family case, shall be jointly submitted by me and Vice Commissioner Chu to the Emperor via express courier service."

"Once the 'Dragon-Surrendering Ceremony' is successfully completed and the chaos in Taihu Lake is quelled, the imperial court will surely dispatch a capable imperial envoy to work with the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review to thoroughly investigate this case, clear the innocent's name, and uproot the corrupt officials and bigwigs! What do you think, young master?"

Li Yan's gaze sharpened slightly, and he instantly understood Qiu Mingyuan's meaning.

The reason is simple: the two powerful families have deep roots and cannot be allowed to cause trouble at this time.

After all, the "Dragon Throwing Ceremony" is the most important thing right now.

"Let's do as Lord Qiu says." Li Yan cupped his hands and said, "I'm grateful for the safety of the Lin family. I only hope that when the demonic aura is swept away and the cauldrons are returned to their rightful place, the innocent will not die with resentment, and the greedy will not go unpunished!"

"Rest assured, young master! The laws of the land are clear, and this is an outrage against justice!"

Beside him, Chu Zhenyue's voice rang out, like the clash of swords, "Lin Yaozu and the others are safer in the Duwei Division prison than anywhere else! I, the Vice Commissioner, guarantee it with my own head!"

Li Yan nodded, his face expressionless.

…………

That night, in the flower hall of a secluded mansion in the south of Jinling City.

The traditional string and wind instruments have long since been removed, leaving only a stifling silence and anxiety.

The bright lights illuminated faces that were either pale or somber.

Among those present were officials in plain clothes, as well as wealthy and powerful men dressed in fine clothes and exuding an air of grandeur. They were the people in charge of the Lu family of Suzhou and the Xie family of Qiantang in Jinling, as well as the local officials whose interests were intertwined with theirs.

"It's over... it's all over!"

A portly man in a silk robe asked in a trembling voice, “How could those peasants from Huai Shu Village have left a letter?”

"Priest of the Mysterious Ritual! Commander of the Northern Garrison Command! Commander of the Ministry of War!"

An official, his face ashen, exclaimed, "How did the people from the capital arrive so quickly? Qiu Mingyuan is a notorious lackey, and with Chu Zhenyue, that killing machine... they're clearly after us! The Lin family case..."

"Why panic!"

An elderly man with a dignified demeanor and refined appearance suddenly slammed his hand on the tea table.

He was Xie Yunzhi, the Xie family's head in Jinling. Unlike the others, he remained calm and said in a deep voice, "I have already inquired. Qiu Mingyuan said that he would prioritize the 'Dragon Throwing Ceremony' and the Taihu Lake battle, and has temporarily suppressed the Lin family case."

"This is our chance to catch our breath!"

"Suppressing it for a while won't suppress it forever!"

Lu Mingyuan, a relative of Lu Gongyuan, the Lu family's representative in Jinling, had a sinister look on his face. "The Lin family case is not important. The evidence is conclusive. Leaving a few small fry won't make a difference. The key is the 'Cocoon Clothes Cult'!"

“Those peasants claim that we forced them to join a cult, which is a taboo of the emperor. The most urgent task is to quickly investigate the evidence against the Silk Bureau.”

What's the point of saying all this now?

Xie Yunzhi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "The evidence has been cleared, but what about the money? Who will make up for the shortfall?"

One of the officials cautiously asked, "What about Japan..."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yunzhi's eyes flashed with anger. "What nonsense are you spouting! No one is allowed to mention matters in Japan!"

Seeing that the officials were silent with their heads down, he softened his tone and comforted them, saying, "We have only just gotten involved in the silver mines over there. We will only start to profit after we get through this period. And we must not let the court know."

"As for the group of people from the capital... With the 'Dragon Throwing Ceremony' just around the corner, we just need to cooperate properly, and someone will come looking for trouble for them."

"While you are still alive, go to the Jinzhou bank to borrow money as soon as possible to cover the losses, then destroy the account books. The court will have no way to find fault with us!"

"Old Xie's plans are flawless!"

"As Xie Weng wishes..."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and raised their glasses in celebration.

What they didn't notice was that in a dark corner, a rat was turning around and scurrying into a hole, burrowing in the dark and damp underground for a long time before finally darting out from the alleyway and sewer.

Soon, the mouse was caught by someone, squeaking and squeaking.

The one catching the mouse was Lü San.

After listening, he frowned slightly and said to Li Yan beside him, "These people are indeed suspicious, but they have nothing to do with the 'Cocoon Robe Cult'. It seems they are digging for silver in Japan."

"Japan?"

Li Yan seemed to be deep in thought.

He vaguely remembered that there seemed to be silver mines in Japan.

Could it be that these guys have already gotten their hands on Japan?
But judging from their words, they are not affiliated with the Cocoon Cult.

Why did the Cocoon Robe Sect kill Tian Qianhu?
A thought flashed through Li Yan's mind, "Let's go back to the Commandery!"

He had a feeling that there might be deeper secrets hidden in the Lin family's case...

(End of this chapter)