Standalone Northern and Southern Dynasties

Chapter 57 Su Chao
Su Ze recalled the Yongkang Floating Bridge, which was a huge floating bridge leading to the outer city of Luoyang. When Su Ze, who had just crossed it, first saw this floating bridge, he was deeply shocked.

Su Ze really couldn't imagine how skilled craftsmen in the Northern Wei Dynasty built this magnificent floating bridge.

Yongkang Bridge was built on the Luo River, and in a relatively wide area of ​​the river. This floating bridge is particularly wide, and there is a road in the middle of the bridge that can accommodate horse-drawn carriages.

Because the Luo River is turbulent and the water is deep where the Yongkang Bridge is built, it is impossible to build the bridge foundation in the water.

Finally, the craftsmen in charge of the construction came up with the idea of ​​building a floating bridge.

They first connected the two banks with cowhide rafts, and then built a wooden bridge on the rafts.

As for how to keep the wooden bridge above the cowhide raft floating in the Luo River stable, this was not something Su Ze could understand.

The Yongkang Bridge was built very high in order to cross the wide Luo River. The bridge itself is also a famous tourist attraction in Luoyang. Standing on the bridge, you can overlook the scenery of Sitong City and Siyi Pavilion.

In Su Ze's opinion, this case was even more bizarre than the one he had committed. Yongkang Bridge was not far from Siyi Pavilion, but it was at least two hundred steps away, and Yongkang Bridge was very busy. How could someone draw a bow and shoot an arrow on the bridge without being discovered by passers-by?

Time passed minute by minute, and when the sun went down, Li Daoyuan ordered the officials to light the candlesticks to illuminate the entire hall, allowing Su Ze and the young man to read the volume.

Li Daoyuan did not rush the two of them. He just ate a little bean rice in the evening, and spent the rest of the time carving words on the bamboo slips with a knife and pen.

It was not until the hour of Hai (21:23-:) that Su Ze finished reading all the bamboo slips related to the Siyi Pavilion case. The young man also finished reading all the bamboo slips at the same time.

Li Daoyuan raised his head and looked at the two of them. He first asked Su Ze:
"Captain Su, which case do you think we should start investigating?"

Su Ze hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Report to the governor, we should start the investigation from the Siyi Pavilion case."

Li Daoyuan did not comment, and then looked at the refined scholar beside Su Ze and said, "Ling Chuo, what do you think?"

The young scholar crossed his arms and said, "Reporting to the governor, Chuo also thinks that we should start the investigation from the murder case in the Siyi Pavilion."

Li Daoyuan said: "Tell me your reasons."

This young scholar said from an angle that Su Ze could not imagine:

"In Longhua Temple, all the offerings collected by the Mahayana sect demons were taken away. This gang of thieves wore armor and held shields, but they still took away these valuables. This shows that the thieves who attacked Longhua Temple were after money."

"Thieves seeking money are nothing to worry about, as they will certainly sell the stolen goods after getting the money."

"Chao heard that there is a ghost market in Mangshan, north of Luoyang City, which is open on the first day of the new moon. As long as we destroy the ghost market, we may be able to find clues."

After listening to what the young Confucian scholar said, Su Ze felt cold sweat breaking out on his back!
Fortunately, I entrusted Su Dao to sell the stolen goods in the ghost market, and I went there in the previous new moon.

Otherwise, I would really fall into this young man’s trap!
Moreover, this young man pointed out his purpose of "seeking wealth" very directly.

Perhaps the purpose of attacking and killing the Mahayana demons was not entirely for the sake of wealth, but this was also one of Su Ze's key motives.

It seems that I relied too much on the system and underestimated the smart people of this era.

Su Ze secretly warned himself that he must be careful in the future and not let Su Dao go to the Beimang Mountain Ghost Market to sell the stolen goods in the next new moon.

Li Daoyuan then revealed a hint of a smile. He nodded and said, "No wonder Duke Danyang recommended Ling Chuo to me. As expected, like you, brother, Ling Chuo also has the talent to assist the king!"

"It is a great honor for the Su family to have two brothers like you in martial arts!"

Wait, Su's martial arts?
Su Ze thought that Liu Gui had guessed that Su Ze was a Wugong Su family member a few days ago, but he didn't expect to see a real Wugong Su family member so soon. Fortunately, he didn't recognize the wrong ancestor.

Li Daoyuan looked at Su Ze and said:
"This gentleman's surname is also Su, the same as Captain Su."

The young scholar bowed to Su Ze and said, "I am Su Chao, the martial arts master. Nice to meet you, Su Lang."

Sure enough it was him!

The young man before him was none other than Su Cho, an important official of the Western Wei Dynasty who would later assist Yuwen Tai of the Western Wei Dynasty in establishing the official system and draft the "Six Edicts" to reform the Western Wei system. He and Yuwen Tai became a model for monarchs and ministers in later generations!
At this time, Su Cho should not have been appointed as an official yet, but his elder brother Su Liang had already entered the officialdom and should have served as a military officer in the military headquarters of Danyang Duke Xiao Baoyin.

During the Battle of Fushan Weir, Li Daoyuan also served as a military supervisor, coordinating the battles between Li Chong and Xiao Baoyin, so he could be considered to have some friendship with Xiao Baoyin.

Li Daoyuan had no roots in Luoyang and his subordinates were weak and alone, so it was normal for Xiao Baoyin to recommend his trusted brother to work for Li Daoyuan temporarily.

Li Daoyuan introduced Su Ze and said:
"Captain Su's father was once a Yulin Lang, and he was in the Forbidden City with me back then."

Hearing that Su Ze's father had served as a guard, Su Chuo asked, "May I ask where Captain Su came from?"

Su Ze immediately said, "I am a commoner from Luoyang. My grandfather was selected by Emperor Xiaowen to serve as a Yulin Lang because of his outstanding martial arts skills."

Hearing Su Ze say this, Su Chao did not continue to ask, but he did not look down on Su Ze because of his humble family background. Instead, he looked at Su Ze and asked:

"Why did Captain Su also think that we should start the investigation from the Siyi Pavilion case?"

Why? You can't say that you committed the Longhua Temple crime yourself, right?

Facing the gazes of Li Daoyuan and Su Cho, Su Ze could only bite the bullet and say:

"Because of the Six Towns."

Li Daoyuan was surprised at Su Ze's answer, while Su Chao stared at Su Ze.

Su Ze could only continue, "I have a good friend who is the envoy of the Six Towns. He told me about the current situation of the Six Towns."

"When Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital from Pingcheng to Luoyang, the Six Garrisons were the northern barrier of our Great Wei. At that time, the Rouran were so defeated that they dared not move south."

"But now the six towns are exhausted, and the Rouran people often attack the north."

"After much trouble, the Rouran king fled to Luoyang. I heard that the Rouran king has been asking the royal family to escort him back north, and even asked to marry a royal family girl. This wolfish ambition is known to everyone."

"The murder at Siyi Pavilion, the left and right attendants of the Rouran King were killed, and his beloved falcon was stolen. The Rouran King can take this opportunity to make a big fuss again."

Su Chao continued, "Captain Su, what you mean is that this is all a self-torture trick by the Rouran king? The servants were killed and the falcon was stolen because the Rouran people were crying thief?"

After hearing what Su Ze said, Li Daoyuan was a little shocked.

Su Ze's analysis of the situation in the north was similar to what Li Chong had explained in his home, but who was Li Chong? He was the "crouching tiger" of the Wei Dynasty, whose reputation shook the world, and he was one of the most knowledgeable ministers in the court who knew military affairs best.

But Su Ze, a small Yulin soldier, was able to have such insight and point out the problems of the Six Garrisons and the grassland.

This ability to see the big picture from the details, just as Su Chao's analysis just now, is an amazing political talent!
(End of this chapter)