Detective in the Red Chamber

【Second Update】

They said they were going together, but Su Xingfang made a sedan chair, and Sun Shaozong took a carriage, so they naturally went their separate ways on the road.

So Sun Shaozong sneaked in to go through the road map drawn by Huang Bin, and carefully studied and compared it along the way.

Those two fake monks were really daring masters. They walked this way, walking around densely populated places, as if they were not afraid of being recognized by their acquaintances.

But think about it carefully, Monk Daoyan lives in the other garden of Wangfu, and his disciples have always only been active in Daxing County. How many people in Wanping County recognize them?

Not to mention that the two masters and apprentices deliberately 'defected' from Taoism to Buddhism.

Even Yang Hancai, who used to be 'intimate' with his comrades, looked carefully for a long time before he recognized Dao Yan's apprentice, let alone others.

but……

Since the two masters and apprentices are walking on the main road, if there is no accident, they will definitely not take the initiative to walk into the alley.

What method did the murderer use to lure the two of them to a secluded place?

To know whether these are two charlatans, or two scammers on the run, there is no doubt that they are highly vigilant.

If according to the original inference, some of the beggars took revenge, it would be even more unreasonable-the two of them held the lives of 24 beggars in their hands, and even if they were confident that they would not be noticed, they would definitely Be wary of beggars.

If it was internal strife among the gang, maybe it could be explained, but the black post and the way of sending the corpse to Dali Temple for provocation were obviously not something the gang could do.

Strange, this is really strange!

Although it took a long time to interrogate just now, the journey by car is only more than a quarter of an hour-this is still taking care of Su Xingfang who is sitting in a sedan chair.

Because Chen Jingde had been ordered to arrive at Anrenfang in advance, after Sun Shaozong and Su Xingfang got out of their cars and sedan chairs, some government servants in Dali Temple had already launched a house-to-house search.

Seeing this, Su Xingfang hurriedly stepped forward to ask for orders: "Sun Shaoqing, I happen to have more than a dozen policemen with me, so you might as well send them out for interrogation."

This time he went to Dali Temple to report on official business, and he brought all his support, including the bearers, there were still less than 20 people. In addition, this is the jurisdiction of Wanping County, so it is justified to send people to join the search.

So Sun Shaozong said 'thank you' and nodded in agreement.

Su Xingfang immediately waved his hand, and more than a dozen Wanping County guards, led by a middle-aged police officer, joined in the blanket search and interrogation.

This errand that disturbed the people was naturally supervised by Chen Jingde. As for Sun Shaozong and Su Xingfang, they temporarily requisitioned a tea shed by the roadside.

Seeing that he was seated one after another, Su Xingfang took out a hand stove from his arms, put it on the corner of the table and laughed at himself: "In the past two years, I have been in charge of a county's government affairs. Political achievements, who would have thought that this body would become more and more useless."

As he spoke, he picked up the teacup again and took a few sips of the hot soup. After the hot soup drank, his complexion became slightly rosier.

Most of Sun Shaozong's thoughts were on the case, and only after hearing him speak like this did he realize that his complexion was pale, as if he lacked energy and blood.

So he turned the teacup in his hand and persuaded with a smile: "It's good for the magistrate of Su County to be diligent in government affairs, but you must also understand the truth of going too far. If you have time to spare that day, you might as well learn some routines for strengthening your body with me."

"how?"

Su Xingfang's eyes lit up, and he said happily: "Master Sun is going to teach me martial arts? If you can learn a little or two from Master Sun, you will be able to go in this world!"

As he spoke, he seemed to have accidentally moved his heart and lungs, and hurriedly covered his mouth and coughed a few times.

With the body and bones of a tuberculosis ghost, he still wants to rule the world?

Sun Shaozong was speechless: "It's just to strengthen the body. With the bones of Suzhi County, it's better not to expect to gallop on the battlefield."

The two chatted for a few words, then unconsciously turned to the case. Just as you were analyzing each other, suddenly Chen Jingde came running over with his robe in his hand.

Before he got close, he heard him yelling: "My lord, my lord! I have found the scene of the crime!"

Discovered so quickly?

Sun Shaozong didn't feel delighted, but felt rather strange—the case related to the black post, which one is not full of suspense?

But in this case, the clues were easily found.

Although he was suspicious in his heart, Sun Shaozong still beckoned Su Xingfang to meet him, and ordered Chen Jingde to lead the way, and was going to investigate first before making a conclusion.

The three of them, together with a few yamen servants, walked about [-] steps, and saw a lot of yamen servants surrounded by an alley, and the leader was the middle-aged head arrester from Daxing County.

"I have seen you, my lords!"

The middle-aged head catcher held the scabbard and cupped his hands, then pointed to the depths of the alley, and said excitedly: "The villain found an abandoned yard at the bottom of this alley, and the lock seemed to have been touched by someone. Looking at the hands and feet, I pried open the door and went in to check, and I found some residual blood!"

It turned out that people from Daxing County found the clue.

Sun Shaozong cast a scornful glance at Chen Jingde, this fellow reported the report with joy just now, if he didn't know it, he thought he found it out by himself.

Since it was found out by his subordinates, Su Xingfang felt that he had a good face, so he took the initiative to order: "Then what are you waiting for, quickly take us there to find out!"

The middle-aged headhunter gladly accepted the order.

He slanted his shoulders and led the crowd into the alley. Not far from the bottom of the alley, he saw two yamen servants standing in front of an open gate, chattering about something.

"My lords, this is the place! The villain just now..."

The middle-aged Catcher leaned sideways, pointing at the gate and was about to explain a few words, when he suddenly heard a crisp sound of 'boom', vaguely like the movement of a bowstring breaking.

Immediately afterwards, there was another series of crisp sounds, and dozens of short arrows were suddenly shot out from the mottled wall at the bottom of the alley!

"Get out of the way!"

In this haste, only Sun Shaozong, who had experienced the battle, responded in time.

He yelled violently, grabbed Su Xingfang and Chen Jingde who were on the left and right, and stuck them to the wall on the left.

In the next second, screams filled the entire alley!

Five or six yamen servants were shot by the short arrows, and the middle-aged headhunter who led the way was the first to bear the brunt, with a total of ten short arrows in his body.

Seeing him throwing himself to the ground, exhaling more air than inhaling, constantly spitting blood and froth, it was obvious that he would not survive.

And thanks to his fat body, Sun Shaozong and others who hid behind him in time were all unharmed.

However, Sun Shaozong didn't relax his vigilance, and pulled Chen Jingde and Su Xingfang back slowly.

"Thank you, sir, for saving my life!"

Chen Jingde regained his strength a little bit, and immediately threw himself to the ground in gratitude.

But he didn't know that the reason why Sun Shaozong pulled him in just now was to use him to fill in the gaps - if the middle-aged headhunter couldn't block the short arrow that was shot, he should be used as a meat shield.

Even pulling him back right now, he still has the intention of using him to block the knife at the critical moment.

Of course, Sun Shaozong would never tell Chen Jingde the truth.

But he said that the three of them withdrew about ten steps away, and Su Xingfang finally recovered, but his first move was not to thank Sun Shaozong for saving his life, but to shake off Sun Shaozong's pull with all his might, and rushed to The middle-aged headhunter who was dying.

"Uncle! Uncle! Are you all right, Uncle!"

But it turned out that the middle-aged captor was Su Xingfang's own uncle!

fastest update

Chapter 722 Inside the Wall and Outside the Wall

[The third update, the promise of six updates in two days is done. 】

Although Su Xingfang didn't seem to have any organs touched after Su Xingfang rushed forward to let out his grief, Sun Shaozong still cautiously stayed in the distance, and only returned to the alley after more government servants arrived.

At this time, the six yamen servants who were shot by the arrows all turned black and died - the arrows were obviously coated with poison!

Chen Jingde was terrified of this, and relied on the support of others, so he didn't sit down on the ground.

Zuo Zuo didn't need a meat shield anymore, so Sun Shaozong naturally didn't bother to care about him anymore, so he asked a policeman for an iron ruler, and then stuck to the wall and came to the place where the poisonous arrow was shot.

When I looked closely, I realized that there were many holes dug out in the earthen wall, but because it was located in the depth of the alley, and the wall was mottled, so it was impossible to find those holes without getting close.

Sun Shaozong tried to poke it with an iron ruler, but he couldn't get in, so he ordered: "Come here, a few people, go over the wall and have a look, and see what mechanism is arranged inside!"

Seeing the dead bodies in this place, several yamen servants in the vicinity seemed a little cringe.

"I come!"

At this time, I saw Huang Bin coming out more and more, rolled up his robe sleeves neatly, first climbed up the door stack along the open door, and then climbed over the earth wall from the door stack.

"grown ups!"

That is, just after landing, he heard him exclaim from behind the wall: "There are a lot of hand crossbows behind this!"

hand crossbow?

Hearing that he was safe and sound in the back, several yamen servants turned over and reported through the wall after a while, saying that there was also a desolate courtyard behind the wall, and there was no other mechanism besides these hand crossbows.

Hearing is believing, seeing is believing, Sun Shaozong was about to turn over to have a look too—the detour was too far—but Su Xingfang came from behind with tears streaming down his face.

"Master Sun."

He arched his hands and said in a hoarse voice: "Su Mou wanted to see your demeanor, but he never thought that he would kill uncle."

Speaking of this, he shook his head slightly, his face becoming more and more bitter: "My mother only has this younger brother, and now that something is happening, I don't know how to be sad--Su really doesn't want to care about it now, let alone look into it. case, I can only say goodbye with a brazen face."

Listening to his sobs, Sun Shaozong felt quite sorry - he was kind enough to help, but turned his uncle into it instead.

I wanted to say a few words of comfort, but it was too flimsy and meaningless, so I had to give a deep salute in the end, and solemnly promised: "Brother Su, don't worry, Sun will definitely find out the real culprit, and I will respect Uncle for justice!"

After that, he personally sent Su Xingfang into the sedan chair, and then returned to the depths of the alley, and climbed over the earthen wall neatly.

Sure enough, just as Huang Bin said, there was a wall of hand crossbows behind the earthen wall, and they were hand crossbows with one string and three arrows.

Under the premise of not destroying the scene as much as possible, Sun Shaozong carefully took one for inspection, and found that the structure of this thing is very delicate, but the workmanship can only be said to be unsatisfactory.

According to inference, the effective range of this thing is about twenty steps. If three crossbow bolts are loaded at the same time, the range will be further reduced, and the accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

This should be something produced by a small workshop. Compared with the hand crossbow of the same specification equipped by the military, the quality is several grades lower, but in some special cases—such as just now—the power is still quite impressive.

The murderer even smeared poison on it, which was obviously to put Sun Shaozong to death!

more importantly……

Not only is this thing not cheap, but it is also not something that can be produced in batches in just a day or two—at least in small shoddy workshops, there is absolutely no such possibility.

In this way, the inference of the beggar's revenge seems to be untenable.

Even if the beggar security chiefs have the financial resources, it is unlikely that they will purchase so many contraband in advance-you must know that such a quantity is enough to be punished as treason!

But since it wasn't a beggar's revenge, who killed Dao Yan's master and apprentice?

What would be his purpose for killing Dao Yan's master and apprentice?

Sun Shaozong looked at the hand crossbow repeatedly, and couldn't help deducing it, but he couldn't figure it out.

At present, it is known that there is a feud with Daoyan's master and apprentice, and he is capable of arranging so many hand crossbows. I am afraid that there is only King Zhongshun.

But the problem is that King Zhongshun has already brought this matter to the emperor, so there is no need to use such means...

That's it.

Let's take a look at the scene first to see if there are any traces left.

Thinking this way, Sun Shaozong began to check the situation of those hand crossbows one by one.

At this time Huang Bin came up again, pointed to one of them and said, "My lord, please take a look at this hand crossbow first."

Sun Shaozong followed his instructions, but saw that among the many empty hand crossbows, there was still a hand crossbow that had not been activated successfully.

Judging from the location of the visit, this should not have been intentionally missed by the murderer, but because the mechanism was flawed, so it was not triggered successfully.

Thinking of this, Sun Shaozong immediately moved closer, and looked carefully at the brackets of each hand crossbow, and found some tiny traces of wear and tear.

This should be the trace left by something that was attached to it, and when it was triggered, it was pulled violently, causing the crossbow to be fired.

and many more!

If this is the case, someone must have triggered the mechanism on his own initiative!

Could it be that……

"In the eyes of a villain, the thief might have been hiding behind this earthen wall just now, otherwise how could he trigger the mechanism at the right time?"

This Huang Bin's thinking coincides with Sun Shaozong's.

but……

Is it really that simple?

Sun Shaozong kept his composure, checked all the hand crossbows again, and then raised his voice and said: "Deputy Chen Si, follow the example of the uncle of the magistrate of Su County, and try to say a few words to the entrance of the alley where he was standing at that time." try."

Chen Jingde listened to his orders, although his legs were still a little weak, he had no choice but to tremblingly, and came to the place where the middle-aged government servant's body was buried, and imitated his previous appearance, and said: "My lords, this is the place..."

"Louder!"