Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Kang Tian was already waiting in front of Wuzidong.

Chen Shao nodded at her and looked around.

The surroundings were no different from before the conflict.

"As expected of elite soldiers who have experienced hundreds of battles, they took control of the situation within ten breaths after those rebels rushed out." Kang Tian looked around with her and praised sincerely, "They killed those who were killed, arrested those who were arrested, and those who escaped escaped. It only took two cups of tea and dozens of rebels were dealt with, and none of the elite soldiers were injured. If I hadn't been at the entrance of the cave when the incident happened and witnessed the chaos with my own eyes, I would have suspected that I was dreaming."

Thinking of the ten elite soldiers who followed Gu Feiyan to Yunluo Mountain and never came back, Chen Shao showed no joy on his face.

It's getting dark.

Kang Tian didn't notice that her expression was wrong, and continued, "I looked carefully. Those rebels were brought here by Lord Sun a few days ago. He said they were here to help rescue people."

After a pause, he continued, "Fortunately, there are elite soldiers blocking the way, so it didn't affect the rescue."

Chen Shao interrupted him and said, "Have you arranged everything for the people coming up later?"

Kang Tian smiled, "It has been arranged."

Chen Shao looked at him.

Kang Tian said: "After the rebels started the rebellion, the miners were more or less frightened. I was worrying about how to comfort them, but unexpectedly a group of people came up and said that they were ordered by the adults to come to participate in the rescue. Most of these people who came up were relatives of the miners who were killed. When they entered the mine and saw the bodies of the miners that had been dug out, their eyes were red. After assigning them where to dig and how to dig, they started working hard without my urging."

"No one is clamoring to save Sun Guishan?" Chen Shao asked.

Kang Tian shook his head: "No."

"That's good."

Chen Shao didn't ask any more questions.

As for how to deal with those traitors, she planned to wait for Gu Feiyan to wake up and let her decide.

After checking everything that Kang Tian had prepared one by one and making sure they were correct, Chen Shao put on all kinds of protective gear according to common sense. Then, he took the special searchlight from Fu Jiu's hand and took Kang Tian to carefully enter the rescue passage leading from the Ninth Lane of Renzi Cave to the Ninth Lane of Xinzi Cave.

Fu Jiu also wanted to follow in.

Stopped by Chen Shao.

Fu Jiu reluctantly stayed at the entrance of the alley.

The smell in the ninth alley of Xinzi Cave had dissipated a lot, and the searchlights did not show any unusual signs, but Chen Shao did not relax his vigilance. After about thirty steps into the cave, he reminded Kang Tian: "If you feel any discomfort, don't bear it, and leave immediately."

Kang Tian replied in a muffled voice: "I know."

Chen Shao turned around and looked at him: "Not used to it?"

It was indeed not comfortable. My eyes, nose, and mouth were covered. Although it did not affect my breathing, I always felt that I would be unable to breathe in the next moment. However, Kang Tian did not say anything, but just said: "It's okay."

"If you feel uncomfortable, just leave immediately. Don't force yourself." Chen Shao reminded him again and shone the lantern towards the collapsed supporting beams. "Where are the saw marks?"

"Here." Kang Tian took two quick steps and shone the lantern towards a wooden beam leaning against the mine wall.

Chen Shao walked over and looked in the direction where his light was shining.

This is a cross section of a wooden beam.

The cross section has three smooth sections, but with saw marks of varying ages, and one section has a crack caused by being broken with force.

The overall saw marks are inclined from left to right.

Judging from the fact that the inclination angles of the three saw marks are almost the same, it was done by one person in three batches.

Judging from the tilt, this person is left-handed.

After looking at the cross-section of another wooden beam and making sure that his judgment was correct, Chen Shao checked all the wooden beams in the rescue cave. After finding no more artificial saw marks, he followed the faint pungent smell lingering at his nose and slowly walked to a section of bamboo tube in the corner.

After taking a look at the lamp in his hand and finding no unusual flickering, Chen Shao put the lamp aside with confidence. He used a copper crowbar and tweezers to carefully push aside the ore that was pressing on the bamboo tube and moved the bamboo tube to an open area.

The bamboo tube was about one foot and two inches long. Judging from the powder sprinkled on the outside, it was filled with a mixture of saltpeter and sulfur. Judging from the scattered fuse, it should be a hemp rope soaked in oil.

This is a simple bomb that has been destroyed.

Chen Shao breathed a sigh of relief, checked the surroundings again, and then walked out of the rescue cave holding the bamboo tube bomb.

Judging from the clues currently available, they resorted to using gunpowder as a desperate measure after human sabotage failed to achieve their goal when the iron mine was leaking water but had not collapsed.

If the purpose of taking the risk of using gunpowder was to cover up Sun Guishan's impersonation, then why did they delay in solving the problems of water seepage in the mine and sawn wooden beams in an attempt to cause the iron mine to collapse quickly?

Before Chen Shao could figure out what was going on, Chan Yi came over and said, "Sir, General Gu is awake!"

Woke up?

Chen Shao took the bamboo tube bomb and quickly returned to the military tent.

Gu Feiyan leaned against two soft pillows, holding a cup of hot water, her face grim.

Seeing Chen Shao entering the tent, she turned her head and after seeing what she was wearing, her eyes immediately fell on the bamboo bomb in her hand: "Did you take it out from the rescue cave?"

Chen Shao said 'hmm', put the bamboo bomb on the desk, and asked, "What's going on?"

Gu Feiyan suddenly laughed twice.

Chen Shao raised his eyebrows.

Gu Feiyan said: "I thought you would care about my health first."

"Didn't Chan Yi tell you that I was the one who bandaged your wound?" Having said that, Chen Shao still sat over, took her hand, and felt her pulse.

"You bandaged me?" Gu Feiyan looked down at herself, then raised her eyes to look at her, "Then you have to be responsible for me."

"How do you want me to take responsibility?" Chen Shao asked.

Gu Feiyan handed the cup of water to Chan Yi: "Leave Sun Guishan and his gang to me to deal with."

Chen Shao laughed: "That's it?"

Gu Feiyan said slowly: "After the search of Yunnan County is completed, if you are willing to give me an extra 10% of the money and grain, I don't mind."

"Sure." Chen Shao smiled, "But in exchange, you don't have to go back, how about that?"

"What? I asked for 10% more money and food from you, and now you want me to marry you?" Gu Feiyan asked.

Chen Shao smiled: "Just ask if you agree or not."

Gu Feiyan also laughed: "Let me think about it."

Chen Shao said generously: "You can take your time to think about it, there is no rush."

Gu Feiyan chuckled twice and got down to business: "If you hadn't told me, I would have planned to stay. They must have made a lot of privately made weapons in the cave they dug halfway up Yunluo Mountain. Unfortunately, we arrived too late, and most of the weapons have already been moved away by them."

"This is inevitable." Chen Shao was very calm. "Since I arrived in Hongyuan County, they have probably started to move. By the time I found out about the existence of the Prince's Party of the previous dynasty, they would have almost moved away. This is one of the reasons why I hope you stay."

Although Gu Feiyan already had the answer in her mind, she still asked, "Do you know where those privately made weapons were moved to?"

Chen Shao knew that she already had the answer in her mind, but he did not expose it, and still replied: "I have some guesses, but I am not sure yet. Let's wait and see what General Li says."

Gu Feiyan nodded and talked about the attack on them: "I have been smart for many years, but I didn't expect to fall here today."

He snorted and continued, "They didn't move all the weapons. They left some in the cave as bait. After I found the weapons in the cave, I was checking them out when a few people dressed as miners came out from the depths of the cave pulling a carriage. When they saw us, they abandoned the carriage and ran away. When I led my men to chase them, an accident happened."

"So," Chen Shao took over her words, "Song Baotian deliberately confessed those words in order to lure us over. The princelings of the previous dynasty wanted to catch us all in one fell swoop."

Gu Feiyan looked at her and questioned: "If the princelings of the previous dynasty wanted to get rid of you, they would have a better chance in Hongyuan County than here. Why didn't they do it in Hongyuan County and wait until now?"

Chen Shao did not answer but asked: "They have been planning for hundreds of years, why haven't they taken action yet?"

Gu Feiyan didn't say anything.

Chen Shao looked at the bamboo bomb on the desk: "Compared to why they didn't do it in Hongyuan County, I want to know why they did it here?"

Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Kang Tian reported from outside the military tent: "Sir, there is a new discovery in Xinzi Cave!"