The Word of Heaven

Chapter 188 It’s over
It's written in black and white, very clear.

Each of the lines of words that caught Gu Zhuo's eyes was a question that many people had been deliberately avoiding in recent days. The ink was not sharp, but gave people a sense of being sharp.

If he guessed correctly, these words were written by the queen herself.

The first question on the white paper was very direct, and it was about the Purification Mantra.

It is an indisputable fact that on that day, Gu Zhuo stepped into the clear and empty world formed by the Purification Mantra in full view of everyone in order to heal his own injuries.

The supervisor even mentioned this matter himself before his death.

Eunuch Cao looked at Gu Zhuo and asked seriously, "Mr. Gu, you have never been exposed to the Taoist practice methods in the past twenty years of your life. You only have one friend, Chu Jun, in the Taoist sect. How come you have such a transcendent attainment in the Purification Mantra that even the Supervisor himself has to feel inferior to you?"

Gu Zhuo didn't say anything.

Eunuch Cao didn't mind his silence. His eyes fell on the white paper and the second question written by the Queen herself.

"This problem is still related to the Purification Mantra. The Purification Mantra also has an impact on the Dao heart. Therefore, when Song Jinglun used the Purification Mantra to attack you, it must have been his most real thought at the time. But he changed his mind in an instant. This whole process is unreasonable."

Gu Zhuo listened quietly without saying a word.

Eunuch Cao still didn't care. He looked into Gu Zhuo's eyes and finally asked, "Why do you think the eunuch wanted to kill you?"

The room fell silent.

Just when he thought he wouldn't get an answer today and was about to leave the blank paper... he heard something.

"What do you think about these three questions?" Gu Zhuo suddenly asked.

Eunuch Cao shook his head and said, "I am just a person who brings you words. I have no opinion on these issues."

Gu Zhuo added: "What if I can't give a reasonable explanation?"

After a moment of silence, Eunuch Cao said helplessly, "Master Gu, please don't embarrass me."

Gu Zhuo seemed to be thinking about something, and said, "So you are really just a person who brought a message."

Eunuch Cao said, "That's right."

"There is an answer to all three of these questions."

Gu Zhuo looked at him seriously and said in a gentle voice, "In order to prevent you from taking my words and her words and running back and forth between the two sides all day long, I'd better not say anything."

Eunuch Cao suddenly fell silent.

Gu Zhuo smiled gently and said, "Let someone else come and talk to me. Even if she doesn't want to see me, it shouldn't be you who comes to see me."

……

……

The building is not empty even though people are gone.

Yu Sheng was on the other side of the room, listening to the conversation the whole time.

She looked no different from an ordinary girl and was eating a bowl of crab roe porridge for breakfast.

Midsummer had not yet arrived and late autumn was still far away. She didn't know where she found such a plump crab to cook such a bowl of porridge that was so delicious.

Gu Zhuo walked up to her side.

Yu Sheng moved the bowl of porridge away naturally and asked casually, "What do you think now?"

Gu Zhuo was somewhat speechless. He glanced at the fluffy braid that she gently placed on her shoulder and said, "Actually, I'm not good at judging these things."

Yu Sheng said, “I didn’t think you were good at it either.”

As she spoke, she took a mouthful of porridge, her eyes so satisfied that they were as bright as the sky after the rain.

Gu Zhuo said: "But I'm not worried."

Yu Sheng asked, "Because I'm here?"

Gu Zhuo hummed.

"Forgot to tell you."

Yu Sheng looked at him and said, "Actually, I'm not good at conspiracies and schemes either."

Gu Zhuo said: "I don't think you've ever been good at it either."

Yu Sheng stopped talking.

She had said this a moment ago.

Gu Zhuo looked at her and suddenly asked, "Have you made a breakthrough?"

Yu Sheng hummed calmly.

Gu Zhuo asked, "Were the crabs caught from Cangshan Mountain?"

This time Yu Sheng was really surprised.

She was a little curious and asked, "How did you know that?"

Gu Zhuo said: "Guess."

Yu Sheng was quiet for a while, then said seriously: "I'll count your share next time."

Gu Zhuo said, "You're welcome."

These are all casual remarks and have nothing to do with the current situation in the capital.

Just like the sun rising from the other side of the mountain, whether people see it or not, it always acts according to its own principles.

This may seem ordinary, but it is precisely these ordinary words that can often give people great firm belief.

……

……

On the afternoon of the same day after Eunuch Cao left, a new guest came to visit.

Logically speaking, this guest should not have been involved in this case, but he had a deep connection with Taoism and had once been a disciple of Xuandu. His attainments in Taoism were even higher than those of the Supervisor.

In such a great country as Qin, there are definitely not many people who can be compared with him in terms of Taoism.

Then he is certainly qualified to make a judgment on the mystery of the Purification Mantra.

This person is Qing Xiaoyue.

Gu Zhuo had had a conflict with this person, but in fact he had only met him once - in the deepest part of Yunmengze.

Although Qing Xiaoyue was ordered to follow him closely after that, the two had never really met, let alone said a single word to each other.

Therefore, today is only the second time we meet.

Gu Zhuo looked up at the blue moon.

Qing Xiaoyue was still unkempt. His clothes were not tattered, but they were far from neat. He looked like a wild Taoist priest living in the mountains.

However, he learned from Pei Jinge and many others that this person's temperament when doing things was completely opposite to his appearance, almost demanding.

"I had no intention of getting involved in this matter."

He looked at Gu Zhuo and said, "So I rushed back from outside."

Gu Zhuo asked, "Are you healed from your injury?"

Qing Xiaoyue was slightly startled, then she laughed and said, "Is this a greeting?"

Gu Zhuo shook his head and said, "It's mainly because I think your life is too hard."

Hearing this, Qing Xiaoyue looked into his eyes, and did not see any extra meaning in them, only normal emotions.

"Why do you think so?"

"Why else?"

Yu Sheng’s voice rang out.

Unlike the previous time when Eunuch Cao visited, this time she was next to Gu Zhuo instead of behind the screen.

She went on to say, "You were injured by Yingxu last year, and before you recovered from your injury, you fought a battle with Wuyoushan to save Lin Wanyi. You haven't been able to rest until today. Isn't it normal to say that you have a miserable life?"

Qing Xiaoyue was silent for a long time, then said, "It seems to be true."

The next moment, the corners of his lips curled up.

A smile mixed with bitterness and melancholy emerged.

Qing Xiaoyue looked at Yu Sheng, sighed and said, "So in order to make my life a little less miserable, shall we solve this problem as soon as possible?"

Yu Sheng looked at Gu Zhuo.

Gu Zhuo hummed.

Yu Sheng said no more.

Qing Xiaoyue looked at this pair of senior and junior siblings and felt more and more that it was the right choice for her to stay away from this muddy water. What a pity.

"It's still the same three questions, let me briefly answer them," he said.

Gu Zhuo said: "Then answer in order?"

Qing Xiaoyue nodded.

Gu Zhuo said calmly: "The first question is why I can use the Purification Mantra to resolve my own injuries. The reason is actually very simple, because my talent in cultivation is unparalleled in the world."

Qing Xiaoyue was silent, wondering what kind of nonsense reason this was.

After a moment, he continued, "What about the second question? Why do you think Song Jinglun suddenly changed his mind?"

Gu Zhuo said: "Of course, this has something to do with me. At that moment, Song Jinglun was immersed in obsession. The reason why he was able to break free and wake up in an instant was because I said four words to him."

Qing Xiaoyue said: "Which four words?"

"It's time to wake you up."

Gu Zhuo said as a matter of course: "With the method of Zen Buddhism, the sound of morning bells and evening drums."

Qing Xiaoyue looked at him with a complicated expression. She was silent for a longer time than before and said, "What do you think about the third question? Why does the Supervisor want to kill you?"

Gu Zhuo said with regret: "I think it's because of jealousy."

Qing Xiaoyue was speechless.

This reason was so powerful...he didn't know what to say.

It seems ridiculous, but it is actually absurd.

However, if you look at it from the deepest level, doesn’t this make sense?
Gu Zhuo sighed and said with emotion: "Looking back now, I can more or less understand the feelings of the Supervisor at that time. No matter who you are, you hide in a small building and ignore the spring and autumn. You practice hard for decades and think you are close to the Tao. But you accidentally find a young man who is no less capable than you. It is inevitable that your Tao heart will be unbalanced, and then you will be invaded by the inner demon, and finally you will be filled with murderous intent."

Qing Xiaoyue remained silent.

Yu Sheng looked at Gu Zhuo and wondered when did you become such a shameless person?
Qing Xiaoyue said: "The supervisor has practiced for many years, his Tao heart will not be lost so easily."

“This is a normal situation.”

Gu Zhuo said: "However, the Supervisor was in charge of repairing the old imperial city formation at that time, and there were two talismans that would affect the Tao heart."

Qing Xiaoyue did not ask any more questions, because this reason was indeed powerful, and said, "I will investigate this matter. You said that the Supervisor was jealous of you, do you have any evidence?"

Gu Zhuo said calmly: "During the entire process of the renovation of the old imperial city, except for the final finishing touches of the last talisman, I was present throughout and made many suggestions. This matter is also recorded in the notes of the officials of the Wangjing Imperial Observatory."

Qing Xiaoyue said: "So what you mean is that the prison discovered your talent during this process, and therefore became jealous of you, and after realizing that you were trapped in the killing situation set by Wuyou Mountain, he decided to go with the flow?"

Gu Zhuo smiled slightly and said, "Yes."

Qing Xiaoyue didn't say anything else. He just nodded to the two of them and turned and left.

The room fell silent.

I don’t know how long it took, but Yu Sheng’s voice rang out.

“The Purification Mantra is the Tao.”

"The sound of the morning bell and evening drum is the Dharma."

"He is proficient in both Buddhism and Taoism. His talent in cultivation is unprecedented and will never be surpassed. The Supervisor became jealous and eventually murdered him."

She said: "How do you think Qing Xiaoyue is feeling now?"

"It doesn't matter."

Gu Zhuo shrugged and said, "Anyway, I'm in a good mood now."

…………

Just like Qing Xiaoyue, no one expected Gu Zhuo to give such an explanation, and many people were surprised.

Then, two questions arise.

How can we prove that Gu Zhuo is not talking nonsense?

How should we let him prove himself?

The jealousy theory cannot be proven because the supervisor is already dead and we cannot infer what he was thinking based solely on what others say.

As for the theories of Taoism and Buddhism... the imperial court can't just put a bunch of profound and difficult skills in front of Gu Zhuo and ask him to comprehend them thoroughly within a limited time, right?
The best way, of course, is to have someone come forward and discuss Taoism and debate with Gu Zhuoxing, so as to judge his attainments in Taoism and Buddhism.

The problem is that no one is willing to do this right now.

The case of Jian Zheng’s death involves too many things. Once you are involved, it is difficult to extricate yourself, not to mention that this kind of judgment involves the key direction of the entire case, and the responsibility itself is too heavy.

If Qing Xiaoyue can make judgments on Taoism, what about Buddhism?

Master Daoxiu handed in his resignation in late winter last year and is no longer the imperial master of the Qin Dynasty, so it would be inappropriate to ask him to help with this matter.

As for the other Zen sects... In view of what Gu Zhuo did in Cihang Temple, and at a time when Master Daoxiu remained silent, no temple dared to cross this Zen ancestral temple and get involved in this matter without permission.

……

……

Despite this, there has been some progress in the case.

With the issuance of an imperial decree, the Celestial Patrol Department was forced to open its doors and allow various government offices to join forces to begin investigating everything related to the case, and then extend the investigation from this case to every corner of the Celestial Patrol Department.

The Ministry of Revenue can check the account books, the Ministry of Personnel can check the employment...all departments can find things to check.

As the person involved, De Qiusi was the first to bear the brunt and was under extremely heavy pressure during this process.

Especially those officials, whether intentionally or unintentionally, insisted on asking him over and over again about the incident in which Gu Zhuo stepped on his face in the street, and even asked him if there was any difference in the severity of the first kick and the second kick, on the grounds that this might be a unique means of exchanging information.

Even though De Qiusi was so angry that he slammed the table on the spot and then was too weak to repeat what he had already said, the official in charge of the interrogation still did not give up, believing that there must be something fishy going on.

This is undoubtedly revenge.

As for why revenge?

In past years, the Sky Patrol was fully worthy of the description of being extremely powerful. They acted more or less recklessly, so offending people was natural.

Even though those big figures who stood at the center of power in the Qin Dynasty, such as the Prime Minister, would not be affected by this at all, they were very clear that similar things had happened.

As long as the general direction of the whole thing does not go astray, it would be fine to let the people below take this opportunity to vent a little, not to mention that this is what the intention is.

……

……

"Master!"

De Qiusi opened his eyes wide, pointed at his own face, and cried out in grief: "How are they slapping me in the face? They are slapping you in the face!"

At this time, Si Zhu was sitting opposite him, calm and relaxed, and said: "Someone told me that you thought about dying before Gu Zhuo found those two people in Wuyou Mountain, right?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the place suddenly became quiet.

De Qiusi was silent for a moment, then lowered his head and said, "Yes."

The chief said: "Since you were reluctant to let yourself die at that time, why are you so sad about the humiliation now? This is what you should have thought of at that time."

When he said this, his tone was one of sincere questioning, because he was confused.

De Qiusi said with a trembling voice: "I...I thought I could bear it."

Si Zhu said: "Just like you think you can kill Gu Zhuo?"

De Qiusi didn't dare to speak.

The Sizhu sighed and said, "It's actually my fault."

Hearing this, De Qiusi subconsciously wanted to agree, but then he realized that this idea was extremely rebellious, so he restrained his thoughts as quickly as possible.

But this was enough for the commander to realize what he was thinking.

"Looking back now, if I had not accepted you as my disciple before I went into seclusion, you would have had a better path to follow and would not be in this situation now."

The head of the department said with emotion: "Since I have never disciplined you, what right do I have to blame you for your mistakes now?"

De Qiusi looked up at him, then lowered his head in silence.

The head of the department said: "Just get through this period of time, this matter will soon have a result."

De Qiusi was very surprised when he heard this, and asked in confusion: "Is there any progress on Gu Zhuo's side?"

The head of the department turned a deaf ear to him and said, "When this case is settled, you should leave the Sky Patrol Department. This place is not suitable for you."

After saying this, he patted De Qiusi on the shoulder, then stood up and left.

There were quite a few people standing outside the courtyard.

The master walked through it and then walked with the person at the end.

That man is the prime minister.

Since Your Majesty regained control of the country, the court situation in the Qin Dynasty has been stable, with few signs of unrest.

Therefore, the Chief Secretary and the Prime Minister are real old acquaintances.

The prime minister asked, "Are you sure you want to leave?"

"It's time to leave."

The chief officer walked with his hands behind his back and said, "It would be disgraceful to continue making a fuss about this case. I have to give an explanation to the queen."

The prime minister sighed and said, "I think many people in the court will be surprised by this."

"What's so surprising?"

The chief said with a smile: "It is time for me to enjoy my old age."

……

……

The next day, there was an uproar in the court.

The chief officer took the blame and resigned, saying that the blame lay with himself for serious negligence in the death of Jian Zheng, which led to the current disastrous situation.

The Queen kept the memorial and did not send it out.

For a moment, no one in the God's Capital cared about anything else and everyone was trying to find out the details.

At a time when the weather was stormy, the chief made this sudden decision, and everyone in the Sky Patrol Department was in a panic.

Even Chen Chi, a disciple from a sect, was greatly affected.

Not to mention the ordinary deacons who were admitted to the Sky Patrol Department through the summer festival.

At the same time, most people knew that the case of Jian Zheng’s death was about to end.

Yes, almost no one lost their lives in this case, but it was really enough.

The Chief left the Sky Patrol, the place where he had invested countless efforts, and returned to old age as soon as he came out of seclusion.

The status of the Sky Patrol Office plummeted as a result.

This is undoubtedly a major event during the Zhengsheng period that deserves special mention.

No matter how picky a person is, they can't say more about this.

The head of the department established the queen's authority by his concession, and the power left vacant after the decline of the Astronomical Survey Department should be enough to satisfy the appetites of various government offices.

As for Gu Zhuo and Pei Jinge?

In the eyes of everyone, they were able to escape unscathed after killing the Supervisor, so what was there to be dissatisfied about?
……

……

The palace outside the capital.

Qiuzhi stood beside Gu Zhuo, smiled and said, "Actually, I think this is about right."

Gu Zhuo asked softly: "Really?"

"What else is there to be dissatisfied about?"

Qiuzhiwusuo said, "You heard it. Master said something to me before he died. He said that for people like us who are not presentable, it is good enough if others are willing to take you seriously. It can be regarded as treating you sincerely."

Gu Zhuo said: "There is no last sentence."

"No."

Qiuzhi sighed and said, "But I know that's what Master meant. I've been watching you these days and I know that what you said and did was all for the sake of making this case go on."

Gu Zhuo turned his head, looked at him and asked, "Do you think I have tried my best?"

"At least you didn't lie to me."

Qiuzhi smiled and said, "So I have never regretted agreeing to you. After all, when doing business, there is no such thing as a guaranteed profit. I understand the principle of being responsible for your own profits and losses."

Gu Zhuo thought for a while and said, "It sounds reasonable."

Qiuzhi liked this sentence very much, raised his eyebrows and said: "Although I have basically no education, I still understand a lot of principles."

Gu Zhuo said: "No matter what, you should find a place to stay here first and wait until this matter is settled."

Qiuzhi thought the scenery here was even beautiful, and couldn't think of any reason to refuse, so he nodded and agreed immediately.

……

……

After chatting with Qiuzhi, Gu Zhuo left the palace.

After many days, he stepped into the prosperous capital again.

The City Gate Division received the news at the first opportunity, and they thought that he didn't care much because the case of Jianzheng was about to come to an end and he would be free without having to rely on the protection of Her Royal Highness the Princess.

Gu Zhuo's next destination was not some place, but Pei Jinge's residence.

Deep inside the mansion.

Pei Jinge sat in a rocking chair, looking at the wind chimes under the eaves, and said lazily: "What do you think now?"

Gu Zhuo said: "It's too natural."

Pei Jinge said: "Yes."

Gu Zhuo said: "Perhaps their relationship is even more solid than ours."

Pei Jinge glanced at him, frowned, and said seriously: "Be careful when using the word relationship."

Gu Zhuo understood what she meant. He looked at the beautiful spring scenery in the garden, shook his head and said, "I didn't mean that. She would never do such a thing."

Pei Jinge said: "It is impossible for him to do this because of something like this."

The two of them spoke in a very confusing way, but fortunately they both understood what they meant.

The "she" in Gu Zhuo's words of course refers to the queen, and the "he" in Pei Jinge's words is the Lord Si.

So what else could it be?
Of course, the most vulgar thing is that the spring scenery in the garden cannot be contained.

"So what do you think now?"

Pei Jinge asked: "Do you want to continue investigating this case?"

Gu Zhuo laughed at himself and said, "Then this will really make everyone unhappy."

Pei Jinge said calmly: "But this is exactly what you are best at. You have made this choice many times in the summer festival and at Cihang Temple."

"Yes."

Gu Zhuo looked up at the sky, thinking about Qiuzhi's satisfied smile which was not false.

After a long silence, he said, "What about you? What do you think now?"

Pei Jinge turned his head to look at him, shook his head and said, "I'm not satisfied."

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(End of this chapter)