Tibet

Shi Jingzhong is old, but he is still very busy. Since he successfully tricked the emperor Li Heng into Luoyang, Shi Jingzhong has once again become famous. Countless wealthy and famous people have invited him to visit Feng Shui. His business has been scheduled until March.

After finally finishing all the business in Luoyang, he rushed to Chang'an without stopping.

His destination was Guangcheng Palace, a few miles east of Chang'an. As soon as he sat down, without even having a sip of hot tea, the inner guards came to the door.

Shi Jingzong was not afraid of the Plum Blossom Guards in Luoyang. He had good relations with many senior officials of the Plum Blossom Guards. He even read Feng Shui to the Plum Blossom Guards commander Wang Siyi. His calculations were very accurate and he said that Wang Siyi would make a profit in the northeast. Wang Siyi immediately rewarded him three times. For a hundred taels of silver, he was also given a protective iron plate to ensure that he would not be disturbed by the Plum Blossom Guard.

But Shi Jingzong was afraid of the Chang'an Internal Guard. He had done a lot of dirty things back then and was afraid of being liquidated.

Shi Jingzong walked out of the room tremblingly. Several internal guard sergeants were standing in the yard outside. They showed him a bronze medal for the first captain, "We are internal guards. Please come with us, Taoist Master Shi."

Shi Jingzong's legs trembled, and he forced himself to calm down and said, "Did I break any laws?"

The school captain smiled and said: "If you break the law, you won't be able to use the word "please". Don't be nervous, Taoist priest. We just have a case to ask the Taoist priest to help us investigate."

Shi Jingzong breathed a sigh of relief and said quickly: "Let me clean it up!"

"There is no time for the Taoist priest to take care of it!"

"Soon! Soon! All at once."

Shi Jingzong hurriedly went back to hide the belongings on the table, and then went out with a few commonly used magic weapons.

Walking to the gate, he asked tentatively: "If it is an old case, I need to get a few other magic weapons."

The captain smiled slightly: "Don't bother me, it's a new case, not an old one!"

The big stone hanging in Shi Jingzong's heart fell. He had not committed anything in the past two years, but he had done a lot of dirty things more than ten years ago, as long as he did not settle old scores.

Soon, Shi Jingzong was invited into the carriage and followed the inner guard away.

Ten days have passed since the last failed arrest. There has been no news about the assassin. Li Chenghua is under great pressure. The regent's family is still living in Zhen'an Building. Today is New Year's Eve!

Although the regent never put pressure on her, she knew that the fifteenth day of the first lunar month must be the deadline. If the case could not be solved on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, she would be embarrassed and would have to resign.

Li Chenghua paced back and forth. Even though it was New Year's Eve today, she had no intention of celebrating the New Year. She was waiting for news from Shi Jingzong. There must be a reason why His Highness asked her to find Shi Jingzong, but there were some things that His Highness did not say clearly.

At this time, his subordinates reported at the door, "Qi Dutong, Shi Jingzong is here and waiting in the interrogation hall."

The interrogation hall and the interrogation hall are both places where suspects are examined. The difference is that the interrogation hall is gentler and does not have the gloomy dungeon like the interrogation hall, with walls full of torture instruments and murderous burly men.

Li Chenghua and several of his men quickly came to the interrogation hall. Shi Jingzong was sitting at a table drinking tea. When he saw Li Chenghua walking in, he quickly nodded and bowed.

Li Chenghua waved his hand, "Please sit down!"

Shi Jingzong sat down uneasily, and the recorder also sat down next to him, picking up his pen and preparing to record.

Li Chenghua said slowly: "The reason why I asked Daoist Master Shi to come to the internal defense is because there is a major case and I want to ask the Taoist Master to assist in the investigation!"

"No problem, as long as I can help, I will do my best!"

Li Chenghua nodded, "Recently, a group of assassins came to Chang'an. Their goal is to assassinate the regent. Now they are hiding in Chang'an. We only have two clues. First, this group of assassins were sent by the feudal town of Hebei; second, They are Turks."

"Ah! It's Ashina."

Shi Jingzong blurted out, and he immediately bit his lip and swallowed the next few words.

How could Li Chenghua allow the other party to regret at will? She knew that words blurted out without consideration are often the most valuable.

Li Chenghua said coldly: "Does Taoist Master Shi want to protect the assassin and become a member of the assassination case?"

Shi Jingzong smiled bitterly and said: "Because Li Dutong's two clues suddenly reminded me of a person, but I don't have any evidence and I dare not say nonsense!"

"Who did you think of?" Li Chenghua asked.

Shi Jingzong had no choice but to sigh and said: "I thought of Ashina Chengqing!"

Li Chenghua was startled, "Wasn't Ashina Chengqing killed by Li Huaixian in the melee in Youzhou?"

"not at all!"

Shi Jingzong shook his head, "He did not die. He escaped from Youzhou and went to Samarkand in Sogdia. He is the deputy priest of the Eastern Zoroastrian Region. The high priest is An Lushan. Ashina Chengqing is in Samarkand." After staying at Daguangming Temple for a few years, he came back to preach. He preached in the Jinshan area of ​​the grassland. As a result, he provoked a war between the two Geluolu tribes. He was hunted down by Jinshan Geluolu people. He fled to Youzhou, and later I don’t know.”

"How do you know this?"

"Last month Ashina Chengqing's brother Ashina Chengqing came to me to borrow money. He said that he had a sum of money with his brother Ashina Chengqing and would pay it back to me after he got the money. Then I asked He was afraid that I would not lend him money, so he told me everything about Ashina Chengqing’s situation.”

Li Chenghua felt like he was just waking up from a dream, Ashina Chengqing! An Lushan's number one assassin, I always thought he was dead, so I didn't think about him. I didn't expect that he was alive and entered Youzhou.

"Where can I find this Ashina Chengqing?" Li Chenghua asked quickly.

Shi Jingzong still shook his head, "I don't know, but you can go find Ashina Chengxiu, he knows more than me, and he is in Chang'an now."

"Where is Ashina Chengxiu?"

"You can go to Pingkangfang to look for him. I heard that he opened a milk wine workshop, which specializes in providing milk wine to various restaurants in Pingkangfang. He told me personally."

At noon, various restaurants in Chang'an were doing their last business of the year. After providing lunch, they closed down and waited until the fifth day of the first lunar month to open again.

Ashina Chengxiu was also a poor Turkic nobleman. He was thin and made a living by selling wine in Chang'an. He had just asked for a sum of money from a restaurant when someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw that several big men had surrounded him.

"Who are you?" Ashina Chengxiu thought he had encountered robbers and was frightened.

A big man showed a bronze plaque, "We are the inner guards, please help us investigate a case!"

A carriage stopped in front of them, and whether Ashina Chengxiu was willing or not, he was carried into the carriage by the inner guards.

Soon, Ashina Chengxiu was taken to the interrogation hall, and at this time, Shi Jingzong had been released.

Now it was Ashina Chengxiu's turn. Ashina Chengxiu was forced to sit down. He said with horror, "I didn't break the law. My name is Shi Xiucheng. I'm an ordinary citizen who abides by the law."

"You are not an ordinary citizen!"

Li Chenghua walked in and said coldly, "You served as the chief clerk of the warehouse of An Lushan's army in Youzhou. After An Lushan's defeat, you fled to Luoyang and hid your name for several years. Two years ago, you came to Chang'an and opened a Shiji Winery. Your name is Ashina Chengxiu, right?"

Ashina Chengxiu's face turned pale. He clasped his hands and begged, "Although I worked as a logistics worker for An Lushan for several years, I have never killed anyone or harmed anyone. I am just an ordinary civil servant who has been in Youzhou."

Li Chenghua said coldly: "According to the arrest warrant issued by His Royal Highness the Regent, all officials who worked for An Lushan and Shi Siming are guilty as long as they have not been pardoned by the court. You are absconding for fear of crime, which is aggravated!"

Ashina Chengxiu knelt down, "I really haven't done anything against the will of heaven and earth, please forgive me!"

"Your crime is clear, and begging for mercy is useless, but if you can make meritorious contributions, you may be pardoned, otherwise you can only be exiled to death!"

Ashina Chengxiu reacted immediately and kowtowed, "I am willing to make meritorious contributions to atone for my sins!"

Li Chenghua nodded, "We are catching your brother Ashina Chengqing, who is hiding in Chang'an now, it depends on what clues you can provide!"