There is a god in the sky

Chapter 369 Joint Trial by the Three Judicial Offices 10

The common people were unaware of the changing political landscape of the court, and even if they heard that the emperor intended to depose the crown prince, it didn't concern them much.

Shen Lan took a liking to the pepper powder sold at the Hu people's stall and bought a bag at a high price.

Sui Feng joked, "Miss Shen, are you planning to cook your own food in the wild?"

Shen Lan put the pepper powder away and said to them, "It's damp and cold in the mountains. Pepper can help dispel the cold."

Pepper powder has an even greater use: as a makeshift concealed weapon.

Last time, I used up all the sleeping pills in the secret passage. I didn't come prepared, so I bought a packet of pepper powder just in case.

They walked out of the city and saw Zhao Jinxiao waiting for them in a pavilion outside the city.

He only brought two subordinates with him, dressed in peasant attire, keeping a very low profile.

"Commander Zhao, enough with the nonsense, please come with us."

Xiao Ji led the way.

Zhao Jinxiao remained silent, and the group continued their journey in silence.

Qianjia Village is familiar to everyone, after all, it is the official road leading in and out of the capital.

The villagers rested early, and their arrival, apart from causing a few large yellow dogs to bark, did not disturb the villagers.

Once they entered the village, Shen Lan took over as the guide.

Zhao Jinxiao asked curiously, "How did you discover that place?"

Shen Lan told her the truth.

“There is a secret room in Minister Tong’s study. This place is located at the exit of the secret room.”

"Oh? So it was you who broke into the Tong family's house at night! And that's why Dong Siqing burned down the Tong family's study, wasn't it?"

Although Zhao Jinxiao had heard that Shen Lan knew martial arts, he thought it was just fancy footwork, after all, she was a coroner and a painter.

These two things have absolutely no connection to martial arts masters.

"It was me." Shen Lan admitted directly that she had told Zhao Jinxiao about the secret passage with the intention of having him report it to the emperor.

"The Tong family's assassins were able to kill and send messages silently in the city, perhaps by using secret passages to enter and exit," Xiao Ji deduced.

The group walked further and further off the beaten path, and had already passed through the very center of the village.

"The place is near the foot of the mountain, and the surrounding houses are scattered."

After walking for about fifteen minutes, several houses came into view, but they were completely deserted.

Shen Lan walked to the outside of the house and checked the markings on the door. "Fortunately, no one has been here."

She pushed open the door and led them to the corner she had discovered.

He moved the firewood aside, took out a dagger, and started digging in the corner of the wall.

Zhao Jinxiao had no idea what they had discovered and was completely baffled by what he saw.

In the middle of the night, why are they here to undermine us?

He initially thought that some important person was hidden here.

"Wait, I think I saw golden light." Zhao Jinxiao's subordinate rubbed his eyes.

Zhao Jinxiao stepped forward, stared at the spot, and then lit a torch to approach the place where Shen Lan was digging.

"Gold? It really is gold!"

Shen Lan stepped aside to make it easier for him to come forward and check.

She had already tested it with a dagger and was certain that the wall was made of gold.

What's unclear now is exactly how much gold was used to build this house.

After completing this task, Shen Lan bid farewell to Xiao Ji and went up the mountain with Suiying.

The village at the foot of the mountain looks very peaceful; it seems that the commotion in the mountains doesn't reach this area.

That means that Marquis Pingyang's troops are not on the mountain near Yishan Academy.

"Brother Suiying, let's split up. Jiufeng Mountain is so big, and there are only two of us. We might not find it even by dawn."

Sui Ying shook her head. "My lord repeatedly instructed me not to leave your side. Besides, I have a way to contact Marquis Pingyang."

Shen Lan saw him take out a bamboo whistle, and the sound it made was like a bird's chirp.

They headed west, to the place where Shen Lan and the others had found the abandoned cave.

After walking for a long time, Shen Lan suddenly heard an echo, three long and one short bird calls, which should also be made by the same kind of whistle.

As they followed, a figure jumped down from the tree.

"signal."

Suiying spoke a coded message, and the man nodded, "Please follow me."

Shen Lan followed behind them, her eyes scanning the surroundings.

In the height of summer, the mountains were lush with vegetation, making it even harder for her to find her way than the last time she visited.

Marquis Pingyang led the Imperial Guards into the mountains, which should have caused quite a stir, but it seems they haven't even found anyone.

When they met Marquis Pingyang, he was studying a map with several generals.

The map of Jiufeng Mountain is said to have been drawn by a wandering Taoist priest from a previous dynasty. He once said that the mountain was rich in spiritual energy and was the most suitable place for cultivating immortality.

It is said that the Taoist temple he built back then is now the location of Yishan Academy.

"You two have come so late at night, is there any special news?" Marquis Pingyang asked, somewhat surprised to see the two of them.

Xiao Ji was a civil official, and it was not appropriate for him to participate in military affairs.

Shen Lan replied, "My master and Commander Zhao are investigating a case in Qianjia Village at the foot of the mountain."

What case are you investigating?

"The Emperor ordered the three judicial departments to conduct a joint trial of the Tong family's case, but there is currently a lack of evidence."

Marquis Pingyang sneered, "Does it matter whether there's evidence or not when His Majesty wants to handle a case?"

That being said, wasn't the reason Marquis Pingyang would appear in these mountains also for the sake of evidence?

Find evidence that the Tong family was raising assassins, wipe out the Tong family's military force, and cut off the Crown Prince's support—this is what the Emperor wants to do.

"Lord Marquis, you have been in the mountains for many days, but you still haven't found Headmaster Tong?"

"That old fox is probably in the mountains. I've been sending people to surround the academy, and they're all calm and collected. They must be kept under control by some kind of magic pillar."

He pointed to a corner of the map and said, "This Vulture Peak Mountain has been almost completely searched, except for this southwest corner."

Behind this spot is a cliff, and in front is a dense forest; even if someone were hiding in the mountains, they wouldn't be visible.

"I plan to take some men over there first thing tomorrow morning. You may all go back; the results will be revealed tomorrow."

Shen Lan looked at the map and pointed to a location.

"This is the place where Suiying and I found that assassin last time. We learned from him that their lair is within ten miles of this place."

The information he revealed indicated that the number of assassins the Tong family kept was unknown, and that they operated from multiple bases.

You've searched the mountains for days without finding a single place; perhaps the Tong family has brought their assassins into the city.

Shen Lan also felt that Tong Yiwen was in the mountains.

The other masters of the Tong family were imprisoned in the imperial prison, and the crown prince was confined to his quarters, but there was still a mastermind strategizing behind the scenes.

"What a cunning fox! I really want to burn all these mountains down!"

If this were on the battlefield, the Marquis of Pingyang might have done the same thing long ago.

However, this place is too close to the capital, there are still many villages at the foot of the mountain, and there is an academy with hundreds of students on the mountain. We cannot act rashly.

Shen Lan's hand moved slowly along a line, finally landing on Yishan Academy.

"On another note, doesn't Your Excellency think that Yishan Academy is the best location, easy to defend and difficult to attack, with ample reserves?"

Shen Lan remembered something.

Tong Yiwen went into seclusion for a while, but during that time, things big and small in the academy seemed to keep happening non-stop.

Does this mean that he secluded himself in the academy?

They all thought he would hide his base deep in the mountains to avoid attracting attention, but what if he did the opposite?