The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 61 The Spy Emerges! The whole story of this night is finally clear!
It is located north of Duting Post Station and behind Juxiangzhai.

There is a separate courtyard here.

There is only one house in the courtyard.

But this house is very large, with an area comparable to the total area of ​​ten rooms in Meixiangzhai.

"This is the warehouse of Duting Post Station. It is locked all year round. Except for the periodic purchase of supplies to replenish the warehouse, and when new guests come to stay and need to retrieve bedding and other supplies, few people come here normally."

As Cheng Chumo led the way, he pointed to the large house guarded by the Jinwu Guards and introduced it to Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly.

As he walked, he silently calculated the distance in his mind, as well as the time it would take to hurry here from Ma Fuyuan's room.

“After leaving Meixiangzhai, first pass Lianxiangzhai, where officials of Bingzhou reside, then pass Juxiangzhai, where envoys reside. Then turn north at the intersection, walk about a hundred steps, then turn left, walk about eighty steps, and you will arrive at the warehouse.”

"The distance isn't far, but it's not particularly close either. There are quite a few places to pass through, and the journey takes less than 15 minutes..."

Liu Shuyi asked Qin Wuyuan, the courier who was nervously following beside him, "Courier Qin, is this the only way from Meixiangzhai to the warehouse, or are there other routes?"

"Just this one."

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's question, Qin Wuyuan did not hesitate at all and quickly replied, "Duting Post Station is only a temporary residence for high-ranking officials and envoys. It only needs to meet their simple daily needs, so the design focuses on practicality and is not too complicated."

"The entire Duting Post Station is almost entirely connected by one road. As long as you follow the road, you will pass through almost every part of Duting Post Station."

Liu Shuyi nodded knowingly.

At the same time, he thought to himself: "There is only one road that can be traveled, so the murderer must also take this road to move the body, but this road passes through two inhabited courtyards..."

"Isn't the murderer afraid of being discovered halfway through?"

"The rooms were empty last night, not only the storeroom, but several courtyards were also empty. Why did the murderer specifically choose the storeroom? Did he think that no one usually came to the storeroom and that the murder wouldn't be discovered in a short time?"

"Or there are other reasons..."

While deep in thought, he followed Cheng Chumo into the warehouse courtyard.

There was no snow in the courtyard, and the ground paved with bluestone slabs was flat and clean.

A quick scan revealed not a single drop of blood.

It's clear that the murderer was extremely cautious and meticulous, taking every detail he knew to the extreme.

"Open the door!"

Cheng Chumo arrived at the warehouse and gave orders directly to the Imperial Guards.

Liu Shuyi glanced at the lock hanging on the door and asked, "General Cheng, when you arrived, was the lock intact, or had it been damaged?"

"Intact and undamaged".

Cheng Chumo said, "There was no sign of damage. When I found the locks were in such good condition, I almost thought there was nothing wrong with the warehouse and let my guard down."

"No signs of damage?"

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes, then looked at Qin Wuyuan again and said, "Qin, I wonder how many keys you have to the Duting Post Station's warehouse, and who has them?"

Qin Wuyuan hurriedly replied, "There are only two. One is in my hands, and the other is in the hands of the postmaster."

"When opening the storeroom, must you or the postmaster come here in person, or will you hand the keys to your subordinates and let them come and open the door themselves?"

"Naturally, it should be left to the subordinates..."

Fearing that Liu Shuyi would think he was being negligent, Qin Wuyuan quickly explained, "Our Duting Post Station is not a lucrative place. The storerooms only contain things like bedding, candles, cups, and charcoal, which are not particularly valuable items. Moreover, there are guards constantly watching over the front and back gates, so it's impossible to take large items like bedding out under their noses."

"Therefore, I have no need to worry that anyone will be greedy and want to steal anything."

"Moreover, during the years I have served in this position, I have indeed not lost anything."

Seeing Qin Wuyuan nervously explaining to him in detail, as if he were some kind of monster, Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "Don't worry, Qin, I won't overthink it."

Qin Wuyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I wonder if the keys to Qin the Postmaster and the Postmaster are still in their possession?" Liu Shuyi continued to inquire.

"My servant is still here."

As he spoke, Qin Wuyuan reached into his waistband and pulled out a bunch of keys. He searched carefully, then pointed to one of the larger keys and said, "This is the key to the warehouse."

Liu Shuyi glanced at it and saw that Qin Wuyuan's key didn't have many scratches, so it didn't seem to be used very often.

The person who frequently visits the warehouse should be the postmaster or his subordinate.

He said to Cheng Chumo, "Later, General Cheng will send someone to the post station manager to confirm whether the key is still there."

"I'll have someone confirm it right away."

Cheng Chumo knew that Liu Shuyi only had one day, and time was of the essence, so he immediately turned around and ordered the Imperial Guards to set off.

Liu Shuyi kept in mind the support and help he received from Cheng Chumo and others.

"Let's go check out the scene."

Without delay, he went straight into the warehouse.

Upon entering the warehouse, the view became dark.

The warehouse has few windows and only one door, so the lighting is not very good.

Even in broad daylight, it still felt dim.

The warehouse is filled with rows of shelves, some large and some small.

On the large shelf, sets of bedding were placed, wrapped in cloth to prevent dust from settling in.

On the small shelf were cups and candles.

People walk among the shelves, but because the shelves obstruct their view, they can only see shadowy figures, not clearly.

Cheng Chumo carried a lantern to illuminate the dimly lit warehouse and said, "The murder took place at the very back of the warehouse."

The group followed Cheng Chumo, weaving through the narrow path in the middle of the shelf.

As he walked, Liu Shuyi noticed that there were fewer and fewer items on the shelves, until finally, the shelves were completely empty.

He looked at Qin Wuyuan and said, "Has the warehouse always been like this? There's only something on the shelves near the door?"

"Yes."

Qin Wuyuan nodded: "We only need to store a limited amount of things, so that's all we can fit."

"So when you come to store or retrieve supplies, you won't go to the innermost part either?"

"Yes……"

Qin Wuyuan said, "There are no supplies inside, so we don't need to go in... However, we will arrange for someone to clean the inside and outside every month."

Upon hearing this, Du Gou said to Liu Shuyi, "It seems this is why the murderer chose this place."

"No one usually comes to the warehouse, and it's dimly lit. Besides, even if someone does come, they won't go inside..."

"In this way, when he kills someone, he can make sure that no one will bump into him, and he won't be afraid that Ma Fuyuan will shout out... After killing someone, even if there isn't much time to clean up the scene, unless it's the monthly cleaning day, no one will come to the innermost side and find anything unusual."

"If you hadn't deduced that Governor Ma's room wasn't the crime scene, and had General Cheng lead men to search it thoroughly, the secret here might not have been revealed until next month's cleaning day, but by then..."

Du Gou's expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "It's estimated that chaos has already broken out in Hebei, and it's all too late!"

Upon hearing Du Gou's words, Qin Wuyuan's face turned deathly pale.

Although he didn't know about the conversation between Liu Shuyi and Liu Yuanming last night, he could guess the seriousness of the case from the court's reaction after it happened.

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly, agreeing with Du Gou's words.

"arrive!"

At that moment, Cheng Chumo's voice rang out.

Everyone quickly looked up.

Upon seeing this, Qin Wuyuan and the others' pupils contracted.

On the black marble floor, illuminated by the dim light and the soft glow of lanterns, a large pool of scarlet blood came straight into their view.

The bloodstain was two feet wide and an inch long at its thickest point. Just as Liu Shuyi had said, a great deal of blood flowed out during the beheading.

And around this pool of blood, there were many splattered blood spots.

Because the warehouse did not require insulation, the temperature inside was no different from the outside. The bloodstains were completely frozen, and the scarlet blood was shocking, almost identical to the blood in Ma Fuyuan's room.

Looking at this scene, Zhao Feng couldn't help but say, "Now I finally understand why the murderer could fake the scene so realistically. He recreated the scene he saw here directly in Ma Cishi's room, and it was incredibly realistic!"

Cheng Chumo and the others nodded repeatedly.

Without delay, Liu Shuyi took the lantern from Cheng Chumo and began to examine it carefully.

Seeing this, everyone else immediately fell silent, afraid of disturbing Liu Shuyi.

Based on the amount of blood, Liu Shuyi determined the location for the decapitation.

He stood in front of the bloodstains, looking down at the thick layer of blood at his feet, his eyes growing increasingly deep.

"This is where the beheading took place... So where the killings took place?"

Liu Shuyi looked up and glanced around.

"This place doesn't look like a respectable place at all... Why would Ma Fuyuan come here?"

"Did they come willingly? Or were they kidnapped by the murderer?"

"The official robes showed no signs of struggle, so they were most likely not stolen..."

"If he wasn't kidnapped, why would he be so wary? What reason could there be for him to come here alone in the middle of the night?"

As Liu Shuyi pondered, his gaze swept across the ground.

At that moment, his eyes suddenly flashed.

He took five steps forward and came to the narrow path between the two shelves.

He looked down at the pool of blood on the ground, then looked up, stood on the bloodstain, and turned his head to carefully observe it from all sides.

"Ok?"

Liu Shuyi's eyes suddenly narrowed.

"What's wrong? Did you find something?"

Everyone had been watching Liu Shuyi intently. When they saw Liu Shuyi's unusual expression, Cheng Chumo quickly stepped forward to ask him what was wrong.

Liu Shuyi raised his hand and placed the lantern in front of the shelf on the right.

As the lantern drew closer, a bloodstained scratch on the shelf came into view.

Looking at the scratch, Liu Shuyi raised his fingertip and gently touched it, and a picture immediately appeared in his mind.

In the dimly lit warehouse, Ma Fuyuan arrived when suddenly he heard a whooshing sound behind him, and a dagger darted out from the darkness like a venomous snake...

Could it be that way?

A thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.

"Master Liu..."

At that moment, a series of footsteps approached rapidly, and Wang Gui's voice followed.

Liu Shuyi looked up at Wang Gui, who was panting as he said, "This humble official relayed what Assistant Minister Liu said to Military Advisor Cui..."

"Oh?"

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow and asked, "What did he say?"

Wang Gui hurriedly said, "Military Advisor Cui said that he does have important clues about the case to tell Assistant Minister Liu, but the matter involves some secrets, so he wants to tell Assistant Minister Liu in person."

With an explanation, it's no longer some condescending statement like "you'll regret it if you don't listen"...

Du Gou couldn't help but look at Liu Shuyi, his eyes filled with emotion.

Just as Liu Shuyi said, Cui Lin's attitude changed significantly as Liu Shuyi became more forceful and assertive.

His eyes were thoughtful, and he couldn't help but analyze himself, wondering if he was being too accommodating and too old-fashioned.
If I were to face Cui Lin, would I be bullied by him, thus wasting my already limited and precious time?
Liu Shuyi glanced at Du Gou, who was deep in thought, and nodded slightly in his heart. Du Gou was too principled and too gentlemanly. In good times, this was not a bad thing, but if he was in adversity and encountered those who deliberately made trouble for him, he would definitely suffer.

Fortunately, Du Gou was not a stubborn person. He liked to think things through and knew how to reflect on himself, so he was willing to offer some advice.

He looked at Wang Gui and said, "It seems that Military Advisor Cui has understood the current situation. That's good."

"Let him come."

Now that the case has been investigated to this point, he has some guesses about the truth.

But a few more pieces of the puzzle are still missing to find the killer.

He had a premonition that Cui Lin would send him the few remaining puzzle pieces.

"it is good!"

Wang Gui nodded emphatically upon receiving Liu Shuyi's reply.

Actually, he wasn't having an easy time either. On the one hand, he was determined to cling to Liu Shuyi's coattails in the future, so he had to show enough loyalty and support to Liu Shuyi.

But Cui Lin is not only from the powerful Qinghe Cui family, but also the judicial officer of Bingzhou. Moreover, his rank will surely be promoted again upon his arrival in Chang'an... Regardless of his status or position, he is someone Cui Lin cannot afford to offend.

Therefore, caught between the two, Wang Gui was extremely cautious.

No one dares to offend.

Fortunately, Liu Shuyi did not make things difficult for him. He simply asked him to pass on a message before allowing Cui Lin to come and see him.

Otherwise, if Liu Shuyi continues to ignore Cui Lin, Cui Lin might get angry and turn around to cause trouble for him, at which point he would really be in a difficult situation.

Wang Gui didn't dare to delay, so he ran there and then ran back.

"Liu Yuanwailang, the postmaster's message has arrived."

As soon as Wang Gui left, Cheng Chumo came to Liu Shuyi's side.

He said, "It has been confirmed that the postmaster's key is still in his possession."

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly, not surprised by the result.

Judging from Liu Yuanming's calculations while in prison, they had long been preparing to provoke a conflict between the imperial court and the former subordinates of Prince Xi. Therefore, the killing of Ma Fuyuan, the leader of the Hebei Circuit officials, last night was probably not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Since it was premeditated, they naturally wouldn't leave any hidden dangers in something as trivial as the keys.

After all, if he were to steal the key on a whim, and the postmaster or Qin Wuyuan discovered that the key was missing, they would probably come to the storeroom to check the situation immediately, and in that case, he would be exposed.

Therefore, it is normal if the key does not appear to have any problems.

Qin Wuyuan cautiously asked, "Could it be that when we handed the key to our subordinates to unlock the warehouse, someone secretly made a new key? If so..."

His expression was somewhat grim: "Could the murderer be someone from Dutingyi?"

Upon hearing Qin Wuyuan's words, everyone's hearts stirred, and they all looked at Liu Shuyi.

Then Liu Shuyi gently stroked the jade pendant at his waist with his fingertips. After pondering for a moment, he said, "The possibility is indeed very high."

Qin Wuyuan felt a chill run down his spine. He gritted his teeth and said angrily, "Who on earth is so audacious as to commit such a murder?!"

Liu Shuyi glanced at the embarrassed and annoyed Qin Wuyuan and said, "Courier Qin knows the people of Duting Post Station best. If you were to guess, who do you think is most likely?"

"This……"

Qin Wuyuan was stunned for a moment.

But soon he shook his head: "I dare not guess, and I can't guess either. Everyone in the post station is normal. I've known them for the last time, and we've been together for a year or two. I really can't imagine who would have such a wicked mind!"

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly, but did not force Qin Wuyuan to find a suspect.

He pondered for a moment, then said to Cheng Chumo, "General Cheng, let's have a private chat."

Cheng Chumo was taken aback, and then, bewildered, he and Liu Shuyi went to a secluded corner.

He asked curiously, "Master Liu, what's wrong?"

Liu Shuyi looked at him and asked, "Has the entire Duting Post Station been searched? Are there any places that haven't been searched yet?"

Cheng Chumo said, "After discovering the problem here, you stopped the search. Why?"

His heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked, "Is this not a place for killing?"

“General Cheng, there’s no need to worry. This is indeed a place where people are killed and beheaded,” Liu Shuyi reassured Cheng Chumo, then continued, “However, the search should continue.”

Cheng Chumo frowned, puzzled, and asked, "Since you've already found it, why continue the search?"

Liu Shuyi stroked his chin and said something that left Cheng Chumo completely baffled: "There should be two more things hidden inside the Duting Post Station."

"There are two more things? What are they?"

Cheng Chumo thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up as if he had thought of something. He said, "Is it the clothes the murderer wore when he committed the crime? He chopped off the head, and so much blood splattered out. It must have splattered on his body too. Is this what you're looking for, Liu Yuanwailang?"

Liu Shuyi shook his head with a smile: "To keep warm, there is a charcoal brazier in every room. If you want to dispose of bloodstained clothes, one night is enough to burn them to ashes."

"Given the killer's caution, it's impossible for them to leave such a flaw."

"Huh?" Cheng Chumo blinked his big eyes, then said, "That's true. If I could think of that, the murderer, being so cunning, couldn't possibly not have thought of it."

He was completely baffled: "Then what are the other two things you mentioned?"

"Could it be the murder weapon? But the blood on a murder weapon can be easily washed off, it's even easier to clean than clothes..."

Liu Shuyi still shook his head: "It wasn't the murder weapon either."

As he spoke, he glanced at Qin Wuyuan and the others who were curiously looking in this direction in the distance, then approached Cheng Chumo and whispered what he was looking for to Cheng Chumo.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Chumo...

"What!?"

"W-w-w...are you serious?"

Cheng Chumo's expression changed drastically.

His eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

The thing Liu Shuyi asked him to find was so shocking that he could barely speak.

Liu Shuyi looked at him intently, his voice serious, and said, "I'm not joking."

"But……"

Cheng Chumo swallowed hard, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say.

Liu Shuyi said, "General Cheng, you must search carefully, leaving no place unchecked!"

"If you can find it, it will be a huge help to me."

"If you can't find it..."

Liu Shuyi frowned: "Then I was wrong, proving that all my directions were wrong... Then things are really troublesome."

Cheng Chumo's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "You're so capable, you've never missed a case. Don't worry, I believe in you! I'll personally oversee the search, even if it means digging three feet into the ground, I'll find what you're looking for!"

Liu Shuyi nodded: "Don't tell anyone what I asked you to find. It would be best if you could find it, but if you can't, others won't know and it won't shake their confidence. We have limited time. If their confidence is shaken, then there really won't be any chance."

Cheng Chumo had never shouldered such a heavy responsibility before.

He swallowed again, took a deep breath, and said, "I understand!"

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly: "Go ahead, I'll wait for your news."

Cheng Chumo nodded emphatically, turned around and walked out, but after taking only two steps, he suddenly stopped.

Then, he turned to Liu Shuyi and said, "If you can't solve the case within a day, I will throw a tantrum and beg Father to plead with His Majesty for your life. You helped me unconditionally before, and I won't stand by and watch you get into trouble."

Having said that, he did not hesitate any longer and strode away with the Imperial Guards.

Liu Shuyi stood still, his eyes fixed on Cheng Chumo's departing figure. After a moment of silence, he suddenly smiled.

When he first transmigrated, all he wanted was to survive, so he was very ambitious and had a clear purpose in making friends with anyone and doing anything.

Unexpectedly, this earned her the sincere affection of Cheng Chumo, a man with a straightforward personality.

Liu Shuyi adheres to only one principle in his conduct and work.

He will sincerely repay those who are good to him.

Those who treat him badly will be repaid a hundredfold.

Cheng Chumo treated him sincerely, and he would repay him sincerely in the future.

And it wasn't just Cheng Chumo...

Liu Shuyi then looked at Du Gou, who was still diligently searching for clues, Zhao Feng, who was even more anxious than himself, and the cold and beautiful coroner in another room, who was dissecting his own body and removing his stomach...

They were like sunshine and rain, giving him, a sapling that had just appeared in the Tang Dynasty, a sense of taking root.

"Master Liu, Military Advisor Cui has arrived..."

At that moment, Wang Gui's voice came from afar.

Liu Shuyi took a deep breath, suppressed his chaotic thoughts, and allowed calmness and rationality to take over the investigation.

He turned around and saw Wang Gui leading a handsome man of about thirty years old, exuding an air of nobility and arrogance, hurrying towards him.

Watching Cui Lin stride forward without showing any panic or loss of composure, Liu Shuyi nodded slightly in his heart, thinking, "He truly is a member of the Cui family of Qinghe."

Cui Lin is merely a member of a collateral branch of the Cui family, yet he possesses such magnanimity. One can only imagine how noble and arrogant the direct descendants of the Cui family must be.

"This humble official, Cui Lin, the Judicial Advisor of Bingzhou, has met with Assistant Minister Liu."

Cui Lin approached Liu Shuyi and bowed respectfully.

His bowing movements were fluid and graceful, pleasing to the eye, as if he had been specially trained. Compared to Wang Gui, it was like the difference between a professional and an amateur.

It's so good that even if you wanted to find fault with it, you couldn't.

The profound family background displayed everywhere made Liu Shuyi understand once again the difference between those from aristocratic families and those from non-aristocratic families in this era.

He smiled and said, "Military Advisor Cui, there's no need for such formalities."

Cui Lin then straightened up.

His back was as straight as a long spear, and his eyes were fixed on Liu Shuyi, with a scrutinizing look hidden in them.

Before Liu Shuyi could speak, he said, "I have important clues about this case that I would like to report, but this matter involves some secrets. I hope that you, Lord Liu, can ask all irrelevant people to leave for the time being."

"No one is waiting?"

Liu Shuyi glanced at Du Gou and Zhao Feng who were walking over and smiled, "The irrelevant people you mentioned, are you referring to County Lieutenant Wang, who has been busy taking statements for me? Or Vice Minister Du, whom I specially invited to assist me in the investigation? Or perhaps Clerk Zhao, who came with me from the Ministry of Justice to investigate for me?"

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Wang Gui subconsciously frowned.

Du Gou and Zhao Feng both paused, their eyes fixed on the imposing Cui Lin, a dark glint flashing in their eyes.

Cui Lin's expression changed slightly.

He didn't expect that his plan to use the case to sow discord between Liu Shuyi and the others would be instantly detected by Liu Shuyi.

Moreover, Liu Shuyi's words ruined his plan and made him offend everyone instantly.

He felt a chill and subconsciously looked at Liu Shuyi.

He saw Liu Shuyi looking at him with a half-smile, and the way he looked gave him the strange feeling that Liu Shuyi, who was much younger than him, was just like the head of the Cui family, able to see into people's hearts and was unfathomable...

This made him feel a chill instantly envelop him, and he dared not have any more thoughts of retaliating against Liu Shuyi. He hurriedly said, "This humble official did not mean that... If Lord Liu thinks that everyone can listen, then this humble official will naturally have no objection."

Liu Shuyi chuckled meaningfully: "Is that so?"

This meaningful question was like a slap in the face to Cui Lin, causing his expression to change repeatedly.

He initially thought Liu Shuyi was just a young and impetuous man with some talent for investigation, so he underestimated Liu Shuyi and thought he could easily set traps for him.

Unexpectedly, Liu Shuyi, despite his youthful appearance, was no less cunning than the old fox.

"Of course." He nodded quickly.

Seeing that Cui Lin's sharpness and arrogance had indeed subsided somewhat, Liu Shuyi nodded slightly before getting down to business.

"Then please tell me, Military Advisor Cui, what clues do you have to tell me?"

After being reprimanded by Liu Shuyi, Cui Lin no longer dared to act rashly.

He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Before that, I have something I would like to ask you, Assistant Minister Liu."

"explain."

"I wonder if Assistant Minister Liu can ascertain when the murderer committed the crime?"

Between the hours of Chou (1-3 AM) and Yin (3-5 AM).

"Just as I expected!" Cui Lin's eyes flashed.

Listening to his words, Liu Shuyi had a guess in mind and said, "Could it be that Military Advisor Cui... discovered something unusual at that time?"

Did Cui Lin wake up at that time?
Upon hearing this, Du Gou and the others immediately looked at him.

Then Cui Lin's eyes flickered a few times, and he nodded, saying, "Yes."

Zhao Feng was delighted: "Military Advisor Cui woke up at that time? Did he hear something?"

"I wasn't woken up by any noise..."

Cui Lin shook his head and corrected Zhao Feng: "It was because I heard some noise that I woke up."

His words were somewhat convoluted, and even Du Gou didn't quite understand them at first.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Liu Shuyi said, "You mean, you got up at that time specifically to eavesdrop on something?"

"Eavesdropping!?"

Several people were startled.

Cui Lin was also somewhat surprised by Liu Shuyi's reaction, not expecting Liu Shuyi to understand his words so quickly.

He did not hide anything; he had Li Shimin's written order, and he dared not conceal it, saying, "Eavesdropping is inaccurate; surveillance is more appropriate."

"Surveillance? Surveilling whom?"

Du Gou couldn't help but press for an answer.

He never expected that last night, not only did a murder occur in this small post station, but there was also a dignified judicial officer who was secretly spying on people.

Zhao Feng and Wang Gui also looked at Cui Lin with curiosity.

Cui Lin took a deep breath and said, "Last night at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), Governor An and I sneaked into Juxiangzhai to monitor Xueyantuo Yehu Bazhuo and other envoys."

This sentence startled Zhao Feng and the others.

The amount of information is truly overwhelming, and the number of people involved is quite astonishing!
The Prefect An that Cui Lin mentioned was An Qingxi, the Prefect of Bingzhou who had come with him from Bingzhou to Chang'an to report on his duties.

As the secondary capital, Bingzhou's governor held a higher rank than the governors of lower and central prefectures, being a high-ranking official of the third rank!
Even in Chang'an, this rank would be considered noble!

Who would have thought that a high-ranking official of such a noble position, a third-rank governor, would stay up late at night and sneak into the envoy's courtyard with his judicial advisor to spy on and monitor the envoy!
If this gets out, who knows what kind of trouble it will cause.

If the Xueyantuo envoy finds out, it will directly affect the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the Xueyantuo!
After all, the leader of the Xueyantuo this time was Bazhuo, the eldest son of Xueyantuo Khan Yinan. His position as Yabghu was equivalent to that of the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty.

Their status was special, far more prestigious than that of ordinary envoys.

Even the smallest incident that Ba Zhuo encountered in the Tang Dynasty could escalate directly to the level of diplomatic relations between the two countries, affecting the newly established relationship between them.

What exactly were Cui Lin and An Qingxi thinking, that they would take such a huge risk to do this?

Zhao Feng and his group couldn't understand it.

Du Gou directly voiced his doubts.

Liu Shuyi also kept a close eye on Cui Lin.

Cui Lin smiled wryly and said, "Do you think Governor An and I would stay up all night in this cold, dark night to keep an eye on them? Aren't we doing this for the safety of the Tang Dynasty?"

"For the Tang Dynasty?"

Du Gou frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

Cui Lin looked at Liu Shuyi and the others with a serious expression and said, "As you all know, Bingzhou is a strategically important military location, and we often clash with the Turks to the north."

"Before we set off for Chang'an, we captured a Turkic spy in Bingzhou City."

"The spy was suicidal. After we captured him, he committed suicide, but we found a letter on his body."

"A letter?" Liu Shuyi's heart skipped a beat. "That letter... is it related to the Xueyantuo?"

Du Gou and the others felt a chill run down their spines.

The Tang Dynasty helped the Xueyantuo establish a state and was even willing to deepen its relationship and cooperation with them. If the Xueyantuo secretly colluded with the Turks, it would be a bad thing for the Tang Dynasty!
Cui Lin shook his head: "The main content of that letter is about the defense and troop deployment in Bingzhou."

"This has nothing to do with Xueyantuo, does it?" Zhao Feng asked, puzzled.

“I haven’t finished yet,” Cui Lin continued, “but it mentioned something: the Turks have planted a spy in the envoy group. This person will do something in Chang’an to buy some time for the Turks’ recovery.”

"Is the mission planted with agents? To buy time for the Turks' recovery?"

Upon hearing this, the group instinctively straightened up.

The Turks have been plagued by internal strife for the past year.

Yinan had the opportunity to establish the Xueyantuo Khanate because he seized the opportunity and, with the support of the Tang Dynasty, established an independent state based on the Tiele and a small number of Turks.

Therefore, the Turks did need time to recover and avoid being attacked by the Tang Dynasty.

Some of the Xueyantuo people originated from the original Turks, so it was entirely possible for the Turks to plant people within the Xueyantuo.

Thinking of this, everyone couldn't help but feel nervous. If the Turkic spy really succeeded and did something in Chang'an, not to mention whether it would cause great chaos, just the fact that he was hiding in Xueyantuo could directly affect the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and Xueyantuo.

It is even possible that this would cause the Tang Dynasty to sever ties with the Xueyantuo, thereby cutting off the Tang Dynasty's hard-won influence in the northern desert.

A treacherous scheme to kill two birds with one stone!

Liu Shuyi said, "So, as soon as you arrived at Duting Post Station, you set your sights on the Xueyantuo envoy delegation?"

"Yes!"

Cui Lin did not hide anything and continued, "However, the letter did not mention which country's envoy it was. As far as we know, other countries' envoys will also arrive in Chang'an in a few days. We cannot be sure whether Turkic spies are hiding in the Xueyantuo envoy group, so we dare not report to the court easily, so as not to affect the diplomatic relations between the two countries."

Liu Shuyi nodded: "Therefore, you chose to monitor them first to see if there are any problems?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you choose the hour of Chou (1-3 AM)?" Liu Shuyi continued to ask.

“We received intelligence that this spy might act at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM).”

"intelligence?"

Liu Shuyi knew that Cui Lin was using intelligence to relay information, which meant that the source of this information might be a Tang Dynasty spy hidden among the Turks. He couldn't reveal any information about the spy, so he didn't ask about the source of the intelligence, but directly asked about the result: "Have you discovered any spies?"

Cui Lin shook his head: "No."

“We’ve been watching for almost an hour, but there’s been no movement from Juxiangzhai. Governor An said that the intelligence might be wrong, or that the Turkic spies might think that there are too many people in Duting Post Station and that the operation would expose them, so they terminated the operation.”

"Because there were many people in the Xueyantuo delegation, some of whom might wake up at any time, we were afraid of being discovered and having no way to explain ourselves. So, after seeing that the Turkic spies had not taken any action, we returned to our rooms to rest."

Liu Shuyi nodded, understanding the reason why Cui Lin wasn't sleeping.

He thought for a moment and said, "You didn't find any trace of the Turkic spies, but you were awake when the murderer committed the crime, and you happened to be hiding in Juxiangzhai, the only place the murderer would take to get to the warehouse..."

"You also said you had an important clue to tell me..."

"so……"

He stared at Cui Lin and said, "Did you see someone go to the warehouse?"

"You saw someone heading to the warehouse? Really?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Feng and Wang Gui immediately looked at Cui Lin nervously.

Then Cui Lin stared intently at Liu Shuyi and said, "Master Liu is indeed clever; nothing can be hidden from you."

He nodded: "That's right! I saw a sneaky figure heading towards the warehouse!"

"who!?"

"Qin Wuyuan, the envoy of Duting Post Station!"

"It's him!?" Everyone was shocked.

　The investigation is almost over; the truth will be revealed in the next chapter.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)