Chapter 83: Guesses About The Assassination
Night had reached its darkest moment, with torches blazing in the streets and alleys.
Wei Jiao did not first look at the corpses scattered on the ground, but scanned the surroundings, recognizing that this place was some distance from the street where the incident occurred, but very close to the alley where they had rented a place at the time of the incident.
He quietly gazed at the undulating rooftops, combining what he had just seen on the street and the traces of the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s investigation, outlining countless shadows approaching an alley from different directions.
That dog thing said he perceived being followed and deliberately led those people away from the alley to avoid involving others.
But those people were dead men who would surely strike the moment they lurked into the alley and spotted the target.
How could they wait to be led away by her?
He narrowed his eyes; running to the street might be another possibility.
The dead men were pursued and killed while fleeing.
That dog thing really would do something like that.
Back in Zhao County, he had dared to act before the Embroidered Uniform Guard could.
As for the small alley side, there must surely be accomplices.
But going to investigate now, the traces would surely have been cleaned up, and the Imperial Guard had also gotten involved; he had no need to go.
Better to keep eyes on that dog thing for a clearer picture.
“Captain, these corpses are not from the same group.”
The voice of an Embroidered Uniform Guard came.
Wei Jiao withdrew his gaze and looked at the corpses.
Unlike the corpses scattered on the street earlier, the corpses here were entangled together.
For example, two men lay by the wall, one with a knife in his hand piercing the other’s heart…
“But this one was immediately killed by others who chopped his neck.” An Embroidered Uniform Guard pointed out the wound on the corpse for Wei Jiao to see.
“These two corpses over here killed each other.” Another Embroidered Uniform Guard said, pointing at the two lying in the middle of the road.
Wei Jiao walked over and saw that these two had each stabbed through the other with a knife.
“These people are clean, no clues to their origins.” An Embroidered Uniform Guard said.
Wei Jiao squatted in front of the corpses, checking their faces, hands, feet, and skin one by one, even leaning in to sniff the flesh wounds, and soon stood up, pointing at two of them: “These two are with the dead men from the street.”
The Embroidered Uniform Guards nodded without any doubt.
“Then these two should be accomplices of that Miss Yang.” An Embroidered Uniform Guard said.
Wei Jiao shook his head: “Doesn’t seem like it.”
Doesn’t seem like it? The Embroidered Uniform Guards were somewhat puzzled and couldn’t help looking down at the corpses.
These people were all wearing plain clothes convenient for night travel, with no patterns or accessories on their bodies; at first glance, they looked like one group.
“Their killing techniques don’t match.” Wei Jiao said, glancing at those corpses.
Not as good as that dog thing.
That dog thing had good skills, so his accomplices wouldn’t be bad either.
Moreover, from the dead men’s postures and the traces of fighting at the scene…
Wei Jiao raised his eyes and scanned the streets and alleys, as if he could see several people rushing over, colliding with the shadows by the wall, then engaging in a chaotic melee…
He narrowed his eyes.
“It looks like there was another group.”
Interesting. Wei Jiao narrowed his eyes toward the night, waving his hand.
“Take all the corpses here away, clean up the traces, don’t let others discover them.”
……
……
“Father! So late…”
Marquis Yichun’s third son Chai Yuan, wearing only nightclothes wrapped in a cloak, entered the room and saw the water clock nearby—perhaps it should be said so early, as midnight had passed and dawn was still far off—and shouted in annoyance.
“What does that old man Yang Bin take our family for? Endless nonsense?”
Duke Ding’an had come knocking in the middle of the night again, saying there was a major matter to see the Marquis.
Because the last time Duke Ding’an had called at night, the Marquis had indeed seen him, and after the meeting had even entered the palace to see His Majesty, so the doorkeeper reported to the steward on duty, who neither stopped him nor first consulted Chai Yuan, but directly went to wake Marquis Yichun.
Chai Yuan was woken by Marquis Yichun’s summons, right when he was most sleepy, especially after drinking and making merry with his newly bought beautiful concubine until late into the night before sleeping.
Chai Yuan was angry but dared not not come, and upon hearing it was Duke Ding’an again, he got even angrier.
As his words fell, Marquis Yichun, who was applying a hot towel to his eyes, grabbed a brocade handkerchief and threw it at him.
“Was it you who did it!”
The brocade handkerchief hit his body without pain, but Chai Yuan was startled: “I, what did I do?” As he spoke, he mentally reviewed everything he had done recently…
Nothing worth enraging his father, just minor things like selling offices, encroaching on fields, and monopolizing shops.
Marquis Yichun looked at him: “The child from the Yang Family was ambushed and killed tonight.”
Chai Yuan was stunned for a moment, then remembered who the child from the Yang Family referred to, and laughed heartily, clapping: “Great, well killed, well killed.”
“Great what!” Marquis Yichun shouted, “If she had died at the beginning, that would be great; now dying in the capital, what good is it for you and me! You fool, can’t you use your brain when doing things!”
Chai Yuan was stunned again, finally realizing what his father meant.
“Father, it wasn’t me.” He said, “You told me to pretend not to know, so I ignored it.”
In fact, he hadn’t taken it seriously at all.
So many years had passed, that woman was dead, just a child, and a girl at that, who wouldn’t threaten the Crown Prince position of the Prince of Donghai, no need to care.
Marquis Yichun scrutinized him: “Really not you?” He recounted tonight’s events, “Duke Ding’an said that at White Horse Town, the child was also pursued and killed, not robbed by mountain bandits.”
At this point, he slightly furrowed his brows.
He remembered the White Horse Town incident; Ji Ying had come to report, saying some vague words about investigating or not.
Before Ji Ying left the capital, he had told him to pay attention to certain people along the way, including that woman at White Horse Town.
When he heard that woman had died, he was surprised, but dead was dead; he told Ji Ying to suppress the matter locally and never mention it again.
“Father, really not me.” Chai Yuan swore to heaven, “I’m not that idle; I’d long forgotten about this woman.”
Marquis Yichun frowned; then who did it?
Few knew this woman’s identity, even fewer knew of the child’s existence, let alone daring to act like this.
Those who wanted to do it and dared to…
Marquis Yichun thought of something and looked at Chai Yuan with furrowed brows: “Go have Qin Fu come over.”
Qin Fu was the chief eunuch in front of the Empress.
Chai Yuan was stunned, then realized: “Father, you think it was big sister who…” At this, he advised, “Even if it was big sister, don’t scold her; her doing this is perfectly reasonable…”
Marquis Yichun raised his hand and smashed the teacup at him: “I have to ask, don’t I! If it really was her, I need to handle the aftermath for her! Can’t kill people so sloppily!”
That was true; to actually kill right on the street, big sister the Empress had it too easy, she didn’t even know how to scheme anymore.
Chai Yuan said cheerfully: “I’ll go right now.”
There were plenty of ways to kill without blood; he could teach the Empress some.
But just as he turned, he thought of something else.
“Father, are you entering the palace? I’ll have them prepare carriage and horses.”
With such an assassination in the capital at night, the Emperor couldn’t possibly not know, and since it involved Duke Ding’an’s young lady, they probably needed to go cover it up.
Marquis Yichun shook his head and picked up the brocade handkerchief again: “I’ve arranged for Che Ji to go; it’s his duty. He can report to the Emperor; if we get too involved, it’ll be worse.”
Chai Yuan still didn’t leave, thinking of the details just mentioned: the Embroidered Uniform Guards were present at the time, and that Wei Jiao was the Emperor’s dog.
No need to give him separate instructions?
Marquis Yichun applied the now-not-hot brocade handkerchief to his face, his voice muffled: “No need. He’s the Emperor’s dog, but he’s not stupid. He’ll weigh the pros and cons, speak when he should, stay silent when he shouldn’t.”
Father had already made arrangements; Chai Yuan understood, asked no more, wrapped his cloak, and left.
The room fell quiet again, but Marquis Yichun did not take the remaining bit of night to rest; instead, he called out for someone.
An old servant entered.
“Where is Ji Ying now?” Marquis Yichun asked.
The old servant took a few letters from a rack nearby, looked at them under the lamp, and said: “He should have reached Yu County.”
Marquis Yichun’s voice came from under the towel: “Have him come back.”
