Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Fu Jiu didn't know Zhou Shan, but he had seen Zhou Shan's portrait. However, to prevent any mistakes, he still called Bao Chengle and took him to Luoyun Town.

Chen Shao did not stop him.

After telling him to be careful on the road, he waited until he and his men rode away before he withdrew his gaze and continued to ask Song Baotian: "What is the name of the new miner and how old is he?"

Seeing that she knew everything, Song Baotian said anxiously, "I heard Wang Chengye call him Zhou Qixin. Wang Chengye is the mine supervisor of Xinzi Cave. I don't know exactly how old he is, but he looks like he is less than 30."

Judging from the degree of wear on the remaining teeth, the miner who was preparing to blast the mine with gunpowder was indeed less than 30 years old. To be cautious, Chen Shao further confirmed: "How tall is it and how much does it weigh?"

Song Baotian estimated: "He's about five feet tall. His father is a butcher, and his family has plenty of food and clothing. He must weigh at least 140 to 150 kilograms."

Gu Feiyan suddenly asked: "Since his family has enough food and clothing, why does he come here to work as a miner?"

Song Baotian lay on the ground and said, "I heard from Wang Chengye that he has two older brothers at home. Both brothers followed his father to become butchers. He didn't want to compete with his two brothers for business, so he became a blacksmith a few years ago."

Blacksmith? Chen Shao's mind moved, and he quickly asked, "Where can I be a blacksmith?"

Song Baotian said uncertainly: "It should be in Luoyun Town."

Seeing that he was hesitant and obviously not telling the truth, Gu Feiyan coldly rebuked: "Where are you? Tell the truth!"

Song Baotian kowtowed twice and defended himself with a trembling voice: "It's not that I don't tell the truth, it's really... Luoyun Mountain is such a big town, there are always people coming and going to do business, who doesn't go to the town to do business nearby? But Wang Chengye said that the blacksmith shop where Zhou Qixin used to work was on Luoyun Mountain. Luoyun Mountain has many trees and dense forests, and wild boars roamed there in the early years. I thought it was ridiculous, so I concealed it."

Gu Feiyan frowned slightly, feeling that there was something wrong with this so-called blacksmith shop. She glanced at Chen Shao and saw that she didn't seem surprised, so she shut up unconsciously.

Chen Shao gave her a look, indicating that he would tell her in detail later, and then continued to ask Song Baotian: "You used to be a blacksmith, why did you suddenly come to the mine?"

"It was said that the blacksmith shop withheld his wages, and he was so angry that he beat up the foreman and was kicked out." Song Baotian glanced at Gu Feiyan and said, "He changed a few blacksmith shops and was not satisfied with them, so he came here."

Chen Shao: "Did Wang Chengye say all this?"

Song Baotian nodded: "Yes."

Chen Shao: "Did he tell you this on his own initiative, or did you find out from others?"

Song Baotian: "Most of the time he took the initiative to say it."

Chen Shao: "Did he tell everyone, or just you?"

Song Baotian: “I have told many people about this.”

Chen Shao: "Who arranged for Zhou Qixin to go to Xinzidong?"

Song Baotian: "Edward Yang."

Chen Shao: "Since Zhou Qixin was born a blacksmith, he should have a lot of scars on his body, right?"

"I don't know if there are any on my body," Song Baotian replied, "but my hands are densely packed with them, so there are quite a few."

The height, weight, age and scars on the hands all matched, and the identity of the body that had blown up the mine with gunpowder was finally confirmed.

but……

If the person who used gunpowder to blow up the mine was really Zhou Qixin, and he had previously established the Jia and Nu Bureaus in the previous dynasty of the Prince's Party in Luoyun Mountain, then it is very likely that the place where they developed gunpowder was also there.

Chen Shao shook her head secretly. Since it was Sun Guishan who took the initiative to send someone to invite her to Mengshe Prison, then Luoyun Mountain must have been cleaned up long ago. Even if she went there now, it would be difficult to find any useful evidence.

Moreover, although the iron mine collapsed many days ago, we must not give up until the last moment, so no matter what, we can only wait until things here are over before going over there to take a look.

but……

They can go to Luoyun Mountain later, but they can arrange people to arrest or secretly monitor the former princelings’ accomplices in Yunnan County who were confessed by Bao Chengle and Ma San now.

After making up his mind and thinking for a while, Chen Shao asked, "Who asked you to stay in Mengshe Smelting Prison?"

Song Baotian secretly glanced at Gu Feiyan and replied, "It's Lord Sun."

Chen Shao: "Is it Sun Guishan or Sun Guihe?"

"It was Sun Guishan," Song Baotian answered hesitantly, "but it was Sun Guihe who invited him to his home, saying that he was following Sun Guishan's instructions."

Chen Shao: "When Sun Guihe invited you, besides saying it was Sun Guishan's order, did he say anything else?"

Song Baotian glanced at Gu Feiyan again and hesitantly said, "Sun Guishan also said that if the General Fuguo suddenly withdrew the army, the Metallurgical Supervisor would definitely be in trouble. Whether for the sake of the Metallurgical Supervisor or the General Fuguo, I must stay and help them."

Gu Feiyan sneered twice sarcastically.

Song Baotian said awkwardly: "Although I am not the chief mine supervisor, they give me the same monthly salary as the chief mine supervisor."

After a pause, he continued, "I didn't stay here just for the money. When I followed General Feng, I always worked hard. If you don't believe me, you can ask General Feng for confirmation. I have followed General Feng for many years. Although I lost my mother, I still have a father and children..."

"After you returned to the Metallurgical Bureau, did Sun Guishan and Sun Guihe come to you again?" Since ancient times, it has been difficult to be both loyal and filial, so Chen Shao could not comment on his choice. He waited patiently for him to finish, and after letting him rest for a moment, he continued to ask, "It counts whether they asked you for help or asked you questions."

Seeing that Gu Feiyan no longer sneered, Song Baotian felt a little relieved and replied, "In the first one or two years after I came back, I would occasionally ask me about the situation at the mine, but later on, it became rare."

Chen Shao deliberately slowed down his speech: "What kind of situation are you mainly asking about?"

Song Baotian's body stiffened slightly, and he took two steps back unnaturally. He swallowed hard several times before answering vaguely, "I just asked about how much iron ore could be mined each year when the General Fuguo was in charge of the Metallurgical Supervision, and how many weapons could be produced. These are all in the account books left by General Feng, and I didn't hide them from him."

Chen Shao looked at his trembling hands and asked slowly, "It's all in the account book, but he still asked you. He should have asked you more than this."

Without waiting for his answer, he continued, "Did I ask you which general under the General of the State you have a closer relationship with, or whether you are still in contact with General Feng?"

Song Baotian's hands went limp and he fell to the ground.

Under Gu Feiyan's sharp gaze, Song Baotian quickly stood up and kowtowed, saying, "I deserve to die, General, please kill me!"

Gu Feiyan stood up and slowly walked to him. She lifted his chin with her toes and flipped him over. She looked down at him and asked, "Who have you contacted?"

Song Baotian said with a look of death: "I deserve to die, General..."

Gu Feiyan interrupted him coldly: "You stayed in the Metallurgical Prison for your family, right? Come here, bring Song Baotian's family to me immediately!"

Song Baotian got up in fear, kowtowed several times, and said quickly: "General, please spare my life. I did not intend to betray General Feng. It was Sun Guishan who captured all my family members and took them to Yunluo Mountain. If I did not follow his orders, he threatened to kill them. I had no choice but to betray him."

After he finished speaking, he confessed seven names in succession.

After hearing this, Gu Feiyan's face was as gloomy as water: "The clouds fell from the mountain?"

"It's Yunluo Mountain," Song Baotian cried bitterly, "Not only did they use the steel and iron from the Metallurgical Supervision Bureau to privately manufacture weapons in Yunluo Mountain, they were also secretly researching a powerful weapon that could break mountains and destroy cities. Zhou Qixin came to the Metallurgical Supervision Bureau just to try out that powerful weapon to see if it could destroy the iron mines of the Metallurgical Supervision Bureau!"

Chen Shao grabbed Gu Feiyan's arm and called someone in to take him out and put him under strict supervision before letting go of her hand. He said carefully, "Don't trust everything he says!"

And explained the reasons why it could not be fully trusted.

Although Chen Shao did not understand psychology or behavioral science, Song Baotian's actions when answering questions, such as stepping back unnaturally, swallowing saliva, and uncontrollable shaking of his hands, were typical signs of guilt or lying.

"Yunluo Mountain is not far from here," Gu Feiyan said, "Whether he is guilty or lying, we will know once we go over there! The Metallurgical Supervisor cannot be short of people, you stay here, I'll go over!"