In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 1063 King Qin!

Zhang Bin handed the document to Liu Heiying.
The light from the oil lamp shone on the paper, revealing neat and clear handwriting.

Liu Heiying took the document, ran his fingertips across the paper, and scanned each word with his eyes, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

"My lord, the assassin's black clothing is made of fine linen specially supplied by the Imperial Textile Bureau in the capital."
This type of hemp was only supplied to the Beijing Garrison and the Embroidered Uniform Guard; it was never circulated among the general public.

The needle and thread used were double-stranded twisted yarn, a technique unique to the Imperial Textile Bureau in Beijing, which ordinary tailors did not employ.
The oilcloth on the knife handle is a specialty of Beijing.

The hemp thread in the soles is a specialty of Wanping County on the outskirts of Beijing; its fibers are coarse, tough, and durable.

Zhang Bin added from the side, his tone carrying a certain certainty:

"Judging from these clues, these assassins are probably from the capital, and may be members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard or some other elite unit."

Could it be that we arrested members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and they are retaliating intentionally?

Liu Heiying didn't reply. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his brows furrowed, and the more he looked, the more he felt something was wrong.

"Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence?" he suddenly asked, his voice low.

"A force capable of silently sending fifty people into Daning City and meticulously planning an ambush,"

How could so many obvious traces be left behind?

This is practically a deliberate attempt to tell us they're from the capital.

Zhang Bin was taken aback, then frowned:

"Does Your Excellency mean that these clues are false?"

"It may not be fake, but it's too deliberate."

Liu Heiying stood up and paced back and forth in the room:

"A truly meticulous plan will erase all traces, rather than leaving a bunch of clues that point to something specific."

These assassins hid poison in their mouths, refusing to confess even at the cost of their lives.
This suggests that the person behind this was afraid of revealing their identity, yet they left so many traces in the capital, which doesn't make sense.

He turned to look at Zhang Bin:
"Immediately send someone to the army to have Qin Yuanfang and Zou Jing bring men over to examine the body."

"Yes! This subordinate will go immediately!"

Zhang Bin didn't dare to delay and quickly walked out of the interrogation room.

Not long after, two figures walked in one after the other.

The one in front is Qin Yuanfang, in his twenties.

He was slender, clad in black armor, with a long sword at his waist.

His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, carrying the scrutinizing gaze unique to a scout.

The next one is Zou Jing, also in his twenties.
Dressed in black official robes, with a serious expression, he exuded an undeniable air of authority.

"Your humble servants Qin Yuanfang and Zou Jing greet Your Excellency!" the two bowed in unison.

"No need to be polite."

Liu Heiying waved his hand and pointed to the document:
“Take a look at these autopsy results. I feel like something’s not right. I want you to examine the body yourself and see if you can find any other clues.”

The two men took the document and quickly flipped through it.

Qin Yuanfang frowned after reading it:
"Sir, the clues are too obvious; it's as if someone deliberately placed them there."

Zou Jing nodded in agreement:
"This is indeed illogical. If it were truly a powerful force in the capital, they wouldn't be so blatant. They're probably trying to frame someone else."

"Then I'll have to trouble you," Liu Heiying said in a deep voice.
"The bodies are all inside. Take some men and examine them carefully, don't overlook any details."

"As ordered!"

The two responded in unison, then turned and led several trusted men into the backyard.

In the backyard of the city garrison headquarters, fifty corpses were neatly arranged in three rooms.
The severed head, arms, and legs have been reassembled.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of blood.

Qin Yuanfang squatted down and, by the light of the oil lamp, carefully examined the clothes of a corpse.

His fingers brushed across the black fabric, then examined the needlework, his brow furrowing slightly.
"It is indeed fine linen from the Imperial Textile Bureau in Beijing, and the needlework is also done in the style of the Imperial Bureau. There's no mistake."

He then picked up the corpse's hand and examined the dirt under its fingernails:

"The soil under my fingernails was yellow, mixed with a bit of wood ash."

It doesn't resemble the soil from the outskirts of Beijing, nor does it resemble the soil from Daning; it resembles the loess soil of Northwest China!

Zou Jing then took out a sharp short knife.

A small cut was made at the corpse's wrist.
He examined the blood's clotting state and then looked inside the corpse's eyelids:

"The body had not been dead for long, about an hour."
There were no signs of struggle before death, indicating that the poison took effect very quickly.

The military headquarters had four similar poisons in stock, and this one matched the toxicity of poisonous herbs extracted from the Northwest.

He turned to his bodyguards behind him and said:

"Turn the body over and examine the abdomen."

The guards stepped forward and laboriously turned the stiff corpse over.

Zou Jing, holding a short knife, carefully sliced ​​open the corpse's abdomen.
A foul odor, a mixture of blood and sour smell, wafted towards us.

The surrounding crowd remained calm, but several clerks frowned, looking uncomfortable.

Seeing this, Liu Heiying frowned slightly and looked at Zhang Bin:
"The city defense troops are soldiers on the battlefield, how can they be so delicate?"

Replace these clerks with veterans and transfer them elsewhere.

"Yes"

Zhang Bin felt bitter inside, but dared not refute it.

Military clerks who are both literate and have battlefield experience are a rare breed.
This change will probably take a lot of effort.

Zou Jing used the tip of his knife to lift the stomach pouch, gently sliced ​​it open, and the contents fell onto the snow, instantly freezing into a hard lump.

Qin Yuanfang took a closer look and frowned:
"It's just crumbs of steamed buns and some chopped pickled vegetables, common foods in northern China, nothing special."

"Inspect the next body!" Zou Jing said in a deep voice.

Next, the group examined five more bodies.
His stomach was mostly filled with steamed buns and pickled vegetables, with the occasional piece of coarse grain bread.
They all appear to be ordinary northern foods, with nothing unusual about them.

Zhang Bin couldn't help but say from the side:
"Could it be that we're overthinking things? These are just assassins sent from the capital, but they're used to a simple diet?"

Qin Yuanfang shook his head and squatted down beside the sixth corpse.
He pinched a small piece of stomach contents between his fingers, smelled it, and then rubbed it between his fingernails:

"No, look at this."

As the crowd gathered around, they saw him holding a small, brownish-white ball between his fingers.

"Mashi!"

Zou Jing leaned closer to take a look, his eyes narrowed, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The crowd around looked bewildered, and Liu Heiying quickly asked:
"what?"

Zou Jing took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

"Therefore, the TuTu Ma Shi, a specialty of Northwest China during the Yuan Dynasty, was made by rolling dough into rolls about the size of a thumbnail."

After being cooked, it is stewed with mutton and vegetables, resulting in a rich broth.

This type of noodle originated outside the Great Wall and is still called "ma shi" in the Xi'an area today; it is a unique food of Northwest China.

Qin Yuanfang searched through the corpse's stomach contents for a while and found a small, hardened crumb of dough:
"And this is a Shaanxi-style 'tuotuo' steamed bun."
Made with unleavened dough, slowly baked over a low flame, resulting in a hard exterior and a soft interior.
This is the type of flatbread used in roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) and paomo (pita bread soaked in mutton soup), which is completely different from the sweetened flatbreads commonly found in Beijing.

"Shaanxi?" Liu Heiying looked bewildered. The next moment, his pupils suddenly contracted, his fists clenched tightly, and his whole body exuded a chilling killing intent.

"Xi'an!"

Everyone was stunned by these words!

"Examine the remaining bodies thoroughly, dismantle them all!"

Liu Heiying's voice carried a subtle, sinister undertone.

No one dared to delay and they quickly examined the remaining bodies.

The more Liu Heiying investigated, the heavier his heart became.

Of the remaining forty-odd corpses, more than thirty had stomachs containing food specializing in Northwest China.

Steamed pork with rice flour, mutton stew, oil tea, and water-smooth noodles
All of these are unique dishes from Xi'an and the surrounding areas!

"How...how is this possible?" Zhang Bin was so shocked he couldn't speak.

"The clues clearly point to the capital, so why is my stomach full of Northwestern food?" Qin Yuanfang stood up, brushed the snow off his hands, and looked grave.
“Sir, that makes sense.”

Those traces in the capital were deliberately faked, with the aim of framing the powerful figures in the capital and making us mistakenly believe that they were the work of the Embroidered Uniform Guard or court officials.

But the food in the corpses' stomachs didn't lie; they weren't from Beijing, but from the Northwest!

Zou Jing nodded in agreement:
"And look at their bone and muscle condition."
Years of horseback riding and archery have left thick calluses on the soles of my feet and dry, cracked skin.

They are more like soldiers from the northwestern border army or grassland tribes, definitely not assassins trained in the capital.

Liu Heiying stood rooted to the spot, his aura terrifyingly low.

His brows furrowed into a deep frown, and the murderous intent in his eyes was almost tangible.

He didn't speak, but slowly raised his hand and gave instructions to Qin Yuanfang and Zou Jing:

"Continue the investigation; don't miss an inch of the remaining corpse."
Under fingernails, strands of hair, linings of clothing—no detail, however small, can be overlooked.

"Yes!"

The two responded in unison, then turned and resumed their inspection, their movements even more meticulous than before.
They even carefully scraped off and collected the mud from the soles of the corpse's shoes.

Liu Heiying then turned to look at Zhang Bin, his voice as cold as ice:

"Zhang Bin, how many restaurants in Daning City serve Northwest cuisine?"

Zhang Bin shivered, quickly composed himself, and after a moment of careful recollection, his tone tinged with uncertainty:
"My lord, there are only two places. One is called Sai Shang Ju, located on Gulou Street in the south of the city. The owner is from Shaanxi."
Another one is called Mobeilou, located near Anhe Street in the north of the city.
The owner moved from Northwest China to Beiping (Beijing) in his early years, and later settled in Daning, specializing in mutton and various Northwest-style noodles.

"Only two?"

Liu Heiying raised an eyebrow, his gaze growing even more profound.

Seeing this, Zhang Bin's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly whispered a reminder:

"Sir, could it be... could these people be hiding near these two restaurants?"

Did you buy food nearby, which is why it left a trace in your stomach?

He spoke very carefully.

If these people really are from the Northwest, then this matter has far-reaching implications.

Liu Heiying scoffed, his laughter filled with a chilling undertone:
"Buy food nearby?"

Zhang Bin, you've been in the military for so many years, don't you understand one thing?
One coincidence is an accident, two coincidences are luck.

But when there are too many coincidences, they cease to be coincidences!

He paused, his tone becoming more stern:
“In Daning City, there are at least twenty or thirty restaurants serving the style of the capital region, and there are four of them near Kanglelou.”

Since they are wearing clothes and using items from the capital,
Why insist on eating Northwestern cuisine?

The differences between northern and southern cuisines are not easily erased.

"Fifty assassins, skilled in military formations but never on the battlefield, were able to infiltrate Daning City silently."
With all these events and incidents piling up, do you still think it's just a coincidence?

Zhang Bin was rendered speechless by his question.

Cold sweat broke out on his back again, and although his lips moved, he couldn't utter a single word.

Liu Heiying's eyes were sharp as knives as he stared at him and said, word by word:

"Investigate! Arrest everyone at Sai Shang Ju and Mo Bei Lou restaurants!"
The shopkeeper, the waiters, the cooks, and their families—not one can be missing.
Bring them all to the city garrison headquarters for interrogation in turn!

"In addition, block off three streets near these two restaurants, and prohibit anyone from entering or leaving!"

They searched house to house, checking doors, windows, cellars, woodsheds, and rooftops.
Don't overlook any place where people can hide!

We must find the assassins' hiding place!

"Be quick and discreet, don't alert the enemy!"

If even a suspicious person gets away, you'll be out of a job as the deputy commander!

Zhang Bin's face turned ashen, and he quickly bowed to accept the order, his voice trembling slightly:

"Yes, sir! I'll take care of it right away!"

After saying that, he turned and ran outside, his steps so hurried that he almost staggered.

Inside the morgue, Qin Yuanfang, Zou Jing, and several guards were still examining the bodies.

The light of the oil lamp flickered on and off.

The images reflected on these disemboweled corpses looked particularly sinister.

Liu Heiying did not leave; he remained standing in the center of the morgue, his expression terrifyingly sinister.

A thought became clearer and clearer in his mind, but it also made him more and more terrified.

His Highness the Crown Prince is seriously ill, which is the most sensitive taboo in the Ming Dynasty at present.

Yun'er is a key general in the border region, personally promoted by the Crown Prince.

He was one of the Crown Prince's most trusted lieutenants in the army, a fact that was no secret to anyone in the court or among the people.

With the crown prince seriously ill, undercurrents are swirling in the struggle for the throne, and various factions are poised to make their move.

They wanted to get rid of Yun'er and weaken the Crown Prince's power.
They then shift the blame to other factions in the capital, incite internal strife, and reap the benefits.
To have such ambition and methods, and to be able to mobilize forces in the Northwest,

The identity of the person behind this is almost obvious!

King of Qin!

Liu Heiying's breathing became slightly rapid.

He abruptly closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.

There is no conclusive evidence yet, so we cannot draw any conclusions prematurely.

Everything will have to wait until the people at the restaurant are interrogated and their hiding place is found.

As time passed, the stench of blood in the morgue grew stronger.

The air, mixed with the chill of ice and snow, made it almost impossible to breathe.

Qin Yuanfang and Zou Jing, accompanied by their personal guards,

They examined all fifty corpses, leaving no stone unturned, not even the bits of food stuck between their teeth.

Finally, the two approached Liu Heiying and reported with solemn expressions.

Qin Yuanfang spoke first:
"Sir, all the bodies have been examined."

In addition to the previously discovered food residues from Northwest China,
We also found obvious training marks on the seven bodies, which were unique to the Northwest Army's stick training marks.

In addition, the poison they used

Its composition perfectly matches that of a poisonous plant commonly found in Northwest China, but it is extremely rare in central Beijing.

My assessment is that these assassins were most likely sent by forces in the Northwest.

Liu Heiying nodded slowly, his face expressionless, but his guesses were becoming clearer and clearer.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and said in a deep voice:

"okay, I get it."

He turned to look at his personal guards, Qin Yuanfang, and Zou Jing, his tone stern and leaving no room for argument:
"No word of any findings from today's examination of the body shall be divulged to anyone."
You can't tell even your closest family members!
Anyone who dares to leak this information, regardless of who they are, will be court-martialed and executed without exception!

"Yes!"

Everyone responded in unison, their voices filled with awe, and no one dared to slack off in the slightest.

Liu Heiying nodded in satisfaction and turned to walk out.

The black armor gleamed coldly under the oil lamp.

The armor plates collided, producing a crisp sound that was particularly jarring in the silent morgue.

He needed to go to the military headquarters immediately to tell Yun'er about these discoveries.
This matter is too complicated for him to handle alone.

As I stepped out of the city garrison headquarters, the night was deep.

Fine snowflakes began to fall from the sky again.

It landed on his shoulders and hair, instantly melting into water droplets.

The streets were deserted.
Only the occasional sound of the city defense troops' patrolling footsteps could be heard, carrying a hint of menace.

Liu Heiying mounted his horse and flicked the reins.
The black horse neighed and galloped off towards the direction of the military headquarters.

(End of this chapter)