The corpse's identity

"You stinky man, is your child out of their mind?"

Su Su jogged into the study, and the feeling of being pricked on the back finally disappeared. It was strange that she felt so uncomfortable being stared at by a five or six-year-old child.

"You're the one who's sick, your whole family is sick. Oh, I forgot your family members are all gone."

Xu Qi'an retorted without holding back, having forgotten his aunt's joking remark that Su Su was insulting the little bean.

"Squeak"

Xu Qi'an closed the study door. He intended to pour Li Miaozhen a cup of tea, but considering that an autopsy might be performed soon, it wasn't the right time to serve tea, so he didn't.

Without wasting words, Li Miaozhen took out a fragment of the Earth Book, gave it a gentle shake, and a dark shadow fell down, landing with a "thud" on the floor of the study.

With his keen senses, Xu Qi'an detected a strong smell of blood.

He stared at the headless corpse for a moment, then asked, "Where is his soul?"

A headless corpse alone doesn't prove anything. Since Li Miaozhen said it was a big deal, she must have used Daoist School methods to summon a soul.

Li Miaozhen patted her sachet, and a wisp of smoke curled upwards, transforming in mid-air into a middle-aged man with a vacant stare and blurred features, muttering, "Blood slaughter across three thousand miles, blood slaughter across three thousand miles, please send troops to quell this."

The Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect said gravely, "His soul is damaged. To know what happened next, we need to nourish it. Depending on the degree of damage, that will take at least two months."

Xu Qi'an glanced at her and scoffed, "Two months from now, it'll be too late."

Li Miaozhen glared at him. "Then tell me what to do?"

She truly didn't know what to do. With only this one clue, and no clear beginning or end, how could she possibly uncover the truth?

Su Su gazed at him with her clear, bright eyes. She knew that with Xu Qi'an's ability to solve cases, he certainly wouldn't be as clueless as his master.

Su Su was both expectant and curious about this, wanting to know from what angle he would analyze it.

Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment, then bent down to remove the clothes from the corpse. After examining it closely, he said, "If I'm not mistaken, he should be from the North."

Li Miaozhen's eyes lit up instantly, and she pressed, "What's the basis for that?"

She witnessed the shameless Number Three examining the entire body, but did not reach the same conclusion as him.

"The environment shapes the people; one can tell where the deceased is from by their appearance and skin. Without a head, the ghost's face is too blurry. Therefore, to determine where this headless corpse is from, one must examine the details of the body."

Xu Qi'an lifted the corpse's right hand and said, "Look, besides the calluses on his palms, this person also has a thick layer of calluses on his index finger. You wouldn't get these calluses from wielding a knife or sword."

Su Su and Li Miaozhen looked closely and, sure enough, it was so.

The stunningly beautiful female ghost blinked her lovely eyes and said in a sweet voice, "What weapon is that? Don't keep me in suspense."

Li Miaozhen then looked enlightened. "It's a bow."

As expected of a female general who had spent time in the military camp, she reacted quickly. Xu Qi'an nodded. "That's right, this person is skilled in archery."

Su Su tilted her head and retorted, "How can that prove he's from the North? I think you're making it up. There are plenty of skilled archers; could he be someone in the army?"

Li Miaozhen nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Miss Su is right. For example, there's someone skilled in archery next to you who isn't in the military."

Xu Qi'an winked and, without stopping his hands, parted the legs of the headless corpse and said:

"Look closely, there are no calluses on his upper thighs. If he were a soldier who rode horses for a long time, he would definitely have calluses on his thighs. He's not from the army, yet he's skilled in archery, which fits the characteristics of a northerner. Jianghu people from various parts of Great Feng are not good at using bows."

Northerners are skilled with bows and arrows; even ordinary adult men can draw a bow. According to Xu Qi'an's understanding, the standard equipment for martial arts practitioners in several northern states when they go out is a knife and a bow.

Sometimes, a knife can be omitted, and a dagger or short blade can be used instead, but a bow is indispensable.

At this moment, Su Su came up with another counter-argument, saying, "Or perhaps they are archers."

Xu Qi'an scoffed, "Who would send archers to deliver a message? If I'm not mistaken, this person is most likely a martial arts expert from the north. As for what he actually wants to convey, who commissioned him, and who killed him, I have no idea."

Li Miaozhen silently exhaled a breath of stale air and said with relief, "Then I'll leave his matter to you. As the Nightwatchers, it's your duty to handle these things."

Su Su also breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that although this stinky man was lecherous and annoying, he was actually quite capable.

After a well-reasoned and logical analysis, she was quite Qi Ingestion.

Both he and his master were completely baffled and had no idea how to proceed with the investigation, but after handing it over to this man, they immediately found a clue.

Although Su Su often complained that Li Miaozhen was meddling, and although she liked to absorb men's vital energy, she knew that she was a kind-hearted female ghost.

If the headless corpse is not handled properly, both she and Li Miaozhen will have a psychological burden.

Therefore, this highlights Xu Qi'an's good qualities, as he can bring a tiny bit of a sense of security.

After arranging guest rooms for Li Miaozhen and Susu, and instructing the cook to prepare some snacks, Xu Qi'an returned to his study, stored the corpse in the fragments of the Earth Book, retrieved the remnant soul, and rode the mare to the yamen.

"I remember Duke Wei saying that there were frequent battles in the north and the Great Feng suffered repeated defeats. Civil officials submitted a memorial to impeach the Prince of Zhenbei, but Emperor Yuanjing forcibly shifted the blame to Wei Yuan and removed him from his position as Left Censor-in-Chief."

"A massacre spanning three thousand miles! I can't even imagine such a massive event. Why haven't I heard of it before? This is of utmost importance; we must report it to Duke Wei immediately."

The mare galloped to the yamen, and Xu Qi'an handed the reins to the clerk on duty at the gate before hurrying off to Haoqi Tower.

"Xu Yinluo, Duke Wei has just ordered the carriages to be prepared; he's going to the palace," the guard downstairs replied.

Going to the palace would only mean arguing with Emperor Yuanjing and the civil officials, a waste of time. Xu Qi'an said sternly, "Enough with the nonsense, go in and announce our arrival."

"Yes," the guard replied sensibly and ran into the building.

After receiving confirmation from the guard, Xu Qi'an placed one hand on his sword, ascended the steps, and saw Wei Yuan sitting behind the table, his eyes, weathered by time, looking at him gently and calmly.

He was still dressed in a blue robe, but it was embroidered with intricate cloud patterns, and a blue dragon was painted on his chest.

This is the court dress that Wei Yuan wore when attending court or entering the palace to meet the emperor.

"You only have the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, speak quickly if you have something to say." Wei Yuan spoke to his confidant, his tone rather impolite.

"Since Duke Wei is in such a hurry, I'll get straight to the point." Xu Qi'an, not one to mince words, simply took out a jade fragment and gave it a gentle shake.

The headless corpse fell onto the clean and tidy tea room with a thud, staining the pristine floor.

Wei Yuan was somewhat startled; his eye twitched slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "What's going on?"

"Li Miaozhen arrived in the capital today and is currently staying at my residence," Xu Qi'an said.

"Um!"

Wei Yuan nodded, unconcerned, staring at the headless corpse, and said calmly, "But what does this have to do with the corpse?"

Xu Qi'an grinned. "It's very important. She found this body eighty miles outside the capital. It had been beheaded with a single, clean stroke."

"Li Miaozhen, being a busybody, summoned the remnant spirit of the deceased to ascertain the situation. Who knew..."

He paused deliberately, wanting to keep Wei Yuan in suspense, but Wei Yuan's unpleasant expression, his heart skipped a beat. Fearing that his salary for the next two months might be deducted for stepping out the door with his left foot first, he immediately said:

"The spirit said something, well, Duke Wei, you can see for yourself."

He took the sachet given to him by Li Miaozhen, untied the red string, and a wisp of green smoke rose up, transforming in mid-air into a man with a blurred face and dull eyes, muttering repeatedly:

"A bloodbath stretches for three thousand miles, a bloodbath stretches for three thousand miles! We beg the imperial court to send troops to quell this!"

Wei Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted as he stared intently at the remnant soul, his gaze sharp and piercing.

He paused for a few seconds, then asked, "What leads do you have?"

This is not a question, but a statement of fact. It seems to indicate certainty that Xu Qi'an must have made a discovery.

As expected, the young man he admired never disappointed him. Xu Qi'an reported, "This subordinate has preliminarily determined that he was a northerner who was murdered on his way to the capital to deliver a message."

He explained his speculation in detail.

"The Great Feng has been at peace recently, except in the north. Duke Wei, the situation in the north is probably worse than we imagined. Yet the court has not received any corresponding reports?"

"No."

Wei Yuan shook his head, his brows furrowing slightly. "You suspect that the Prince of Zhenbei has lied about military intelligence?"

Xu Qi'an glanced at Wei Yuan, "This is not surprising. What I find strange is, if the Prince of Zhenbei falsely reported military intelligence, why didn't the government office receive the information?"

With the Nightwatchers's spies spread throughout the land, how could such a momentous event as the massacre of three thousand miles go completely unnoticed?

"At the beginning of the year, I transferred most of my spies to the Northeast, leaving very few in the North, which inevitably led to a blockage in communication," Wei Yuan said helplessly.

"Have all the spies been deployed to the Northeast? What is Duke Wei planning? To attack the Witch God Cult?" Xu Qi'an suddenly realized, and stopped asking. "Then, Duke Wei, how do you think this matter should be handled?"

Wei Yuan glanced at the water drain in the corner of the room and said, "I will go to the palace to meet the Emperor first. I will take the corpse and soul with me. You don't need to worry about this."

After Xu Qi'an nodded, he added, "Now that Li Miaozhen has arrived in the capital, the covenant between Celestial Person and man will soon end, and the security in the capital will be much better."

"During this period, I don't know how many spies have infiltrated to gather intelligence, but fortunately, with the supervisor keeping an eye on them, they can't cause any trouble."

"Tell Li Miaozhen to be careful. In these extraordinary times, she shouldn't leave the city unnecessarily, shouldn't cause trouble, and should be on guard against potential dangers."

"What potential dangers?" Xu Qi'an countered.

Wei Yuan glanced at the water clock again and said rapidly, "I'll only tell you the dangers she might face: First, the danger comes from the imperial court. Second, the danger comes from spies from other countries. Figure out the reasons yourself; I have to go to the palace."

He snatched the sachet from Xu Qi'an's hand, strode out of the tea room, and ordered the clerk as he left, "Take the corpse with you to the palace."

The Imperial Study.

Besides Emperor Yuanjing, the Grand Secretary Wang Zhenwen, the Minister of Ministry of Revenue, other third-rank officials, dukes, nobles, and supervising secretaries, a total of sixteen people, gathered together.

Chu Xianglong, pale-faced, stood among the officials, head slightly bowed, silent.

He took the pills given to him by Warlock Bureau of Astronomy, and was soon able to get out of bed and walk again. However, the internal injuries caused by the severed meridians could not be healed in the short term. Nevertheless, as long as he did not use his internal energy or engage in martial arts and took good care of himself, he could recover in a month or so.

Emperor Yuanjing frowned and said, "Wei Yuan hasn't arrived yet, there's no need to wait!"

Then, he swept his gaze across the assembled officials and said, "The Prince of Zhenbei has requested 300,000 taels of silver for military pay and 250,000 shi of grain and fodder from the court. What is your opinion, my esteemed ministers?"

The Ministry of Revenue was the first to object, saying, "In the 36th year of Yuanjing, Jiangzhou suffered a great flood; Jingzhou suffered a great drought; and the prefecture was plagued by locusts. The imperial court allocated grain for disaster relief several times."

"The two Great Feng in Yuzhou and Zhangzhou have very little grain left; we can't raise any more."

Emperor Yuanjing pondered for a moment and said, "How about allocating them from various prefectures?"

The Ministry of Revenue replied, "Even with the Grand Canal, collecting grain from various prefectures would be time-consuming and labor-intensive. By the time it reaches the border of Chu Prefecture, I'm afraid less than half will be left. This is not a good strategy."

As they were talking, the eunuch stopped at the door of the imperial study.

Emperor Yuanjing raised his hand, interrupting the Minister of Ministry of Revenue, and looked at the eunuch at the door. "What is it?"

"Duke Wei has arrived," the eunuch announced.

Emperor Yuanjing, without showing his emotions, said, "Let him in."

The eunuch withdrew, and a dozen seconds later, Wei Yuan stepped into the imperial study, standing in his usual spot without making a sound.

Emperor Yuanjing said displeasedly, "This won't do, that won't do either. Are all you ministers capable of only contradicting me?"

Left Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong's heart stirred. Seizing the opportunity, he stepped forward and said, "I have a plan."

Emperor Yuanjing nodded. "Minister Yuan, please speak."

Yuan Xiong said, "The imperial court can temporarily add a corvée labor service called 'grain transport service,' ordering the people to be responsible for escorting grain and fodder."

Emperor Yuanjing's eyes lit up slightly; this was indeed a brilliant strategy.

The so-called corvée labor was a labor activity that the imperial court conscripted from people of all social classes to perform without compensation. If the common people were responsible for escorting grain and fodder, and the officials and soldiers supervised them, then the imperial court would only need to provide for the food and supplies of the officials and soldiers, while the common people would have to solve their own food problems.

In this way, not only can the grain be guaranteed to be undamaged when it is transported to the border, but a large amount of grain transportation costs can also be saved.

"This is a good strategy!" Emperor Yuanjing laughed.

Yuan Xiong breathed a sigh of relief. As long as His Majesty adopted his plan and was pleased, the aftermath of the imperial examination fraud case would be minimized.

After the palace examination, if Xu Xinnian achieves good results, it is conceivable that he will face a counterattack from Zhao Tingfang, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, and Wei Yuan's opportunistic attacks.

He hasn't even secured his position as Left Censor-in-Chief yet; he might be dismissed soon, so he has to save himself.

Chief Minister Wang stepped forward, bowed, and said, "This plan has brought disaster to the country and its people; Yuan Xiong should be executed!"

"Your Majesty, it is the time of spring plowing, a busy time for the people. No additional corvée labor should be imposed. Since ancient times, food has been the most important thing for the people. Nothing should disturb the people during the spring plowing season."

"Furthermore, last year was marked by a series of natural disasters, leaving the people with little food. This plan is tantamount to adding fuel to the fire, pushing people to their deaths."

Left Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong's brow twitched, and he was about to retort when he heard Chu Xianglong sneer, "Chief Minister Wang loves the people like his own children, and I admire him. But, are the people of Chuzhou not also subjects of the Great Feng?"

"Does Chief Minister Wang truly disregard their lives?"

The Grand Secretary Wang said calmly, "The imperial court has stationed 86,000 households of troops in the north, each household receiving six mu of superior land, totaling 5,000 hectares of military land annually."

"The border has been peaceful for a long time, and the weather in Chuzhou has been favorable for many years. Even without the requisition of grain, Chuzhou's grain reserves can last for several months. How come we are suddenly short of money and food?"

"I'm afraid those military farmlands have all been seized by some people."

Chuzhou is the northernmost state of the Great Feng, bordering the territory of the northern barbarian tribes.

Relying on the backing of the prince, Chu Xianglong was fearless and sneered, "Have any scholars ever fought a war or led troops, except for talking? You enjoy yourselves in the capital, but you don't know how hard the soldiers on the frontier suffer."

"Your Majesty, the barbarians are coming in strong this time, and several major battles have already taken place since the end of last year. The Prince is incredibly brave and has won every battle. If the shortage of food and supplies prevents logistical support and delays our advance, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Emperor Yuanjing nodded. "I am well aware of the Prince of Huai's bravery. Now, how is the war in the north progressing?"

Chu Xianglong clasped his hands and said, "Your Highness is a master strategist and unparalleled in bravery. After suffering several defeats, those barbarians dare not confront our army head-on."

"Our army, though possessing a significant advantage, is exhausted and can only rely on the speed of our cavalry to plunder everywhere. We implore Your Majesty to distribute military pay and provisions, so that our soldiers may know that the court has not forgotten their contributions."

The chief minister frowned.

Since the impeachment at the end of last year accusing the Prince of Zhenbei of refusing to leave the city, reports from the north have indeed stated that the Prince of Zhenbei has won many battles and curbed the barbarian invasions on the border.

Duke Cao immediately said, "The Prince of Zhenbei has made great contributions, and we cannot hold him back. Your Majesty, transporting grain is a win-win solution. Furthermore, if the military pay cannot be paid, it may cause a mutiny in the army, resulting in a greater loss for a smaller gain."

"Even if there are improprieties, they should be addressed later. The rations and military pay should not be withheld in connection with this matter."

Several nobles expressed their agreement.

They were experts on battlefield matters and had more authority to speak on them than civil officials.

The Grand Secretary Wang said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, this matter requires careful consideration."

Emperor Yuanjing ignored him and said, "What do you, my dear ministers, think?"

Seeing this, the officials readily agreed, replying, "We will certainly give our full support to the Prince of Zhenbei."

His Majesty's inclination is clear; further discussion is futile.

Several key members of Wang's faction secretly gave Wang, the chief minister, a look, signaling him to Jinyan, as the court was well aware of how much the emperor trusted the Prince of Zhenbei.

Otherwise, the Prince of Zhenbei would not have been bestowed with the national treasure sword back then.

Emperor Yuanjing looked at Wei Yuan: "Minister Wei, you are a master of military law, what is your opinion?"

The chief minister immediately looked at Wei Yuan.

P. S.: I did some research, hence the late update.