Chapter 54: If the enemy goes, I can go too! Liu Bian draws his sword!
"The clue is not broken!"

Bao Zheng frowned and thought deeply. After a moment, he shook his head and said:

“We cannot guarantee that Li Ru or Yuan Wei will not tell others about the Six Seals of the Emperor and the Imperial Seal.

“However, the seal is related to the state system and is a serious matter. There are many people and it is impossible for too many people to know about it. But will those close to them know the relevant secrets?

“Then we can make two assumptions—

“First, Li Ru secretly informed the generals of the Xiliang Army that someone knew where Li Ru hid the seal.

"Since even 'Wang Fang' (White Tiger) doesn't know about the seal, then the candidate must be Dong Zhuo's trusted generals - Niu Fu, Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, and Zhang Ji!
"Among them, Niu Fu is the most suspicious. He is Li Ru's brother-in-law and Dong Zhuo's son-in-law, so they have the closest relationship.

"Secondly, if Grand Tutor Yuan Wei knows about the seal, will he tell the children of the Yuan family? For example, Yuan Ji, his most favored heir?

“At that time, after Your Majesty turned defeat into victory and took control of Chongde Hall, he ordered the Jinyiwei to go to the Taifu Mansion to confiscate the property. However, because the Western Liang Army and the five schools of the Northern Army were in a standoff and did not retreat, a lot of time was wasted.

“By the time the Imperial Guards arrived at the Grand Tutor’s residence, Yuan Ji and other members of the Yuan family had already fled.

"So, if the six imperial seals and the imperial seal are in their hands, will they flee with them? Where will they hide them? Will they have already been sent out of the capital?
"It should be noted that Qiao Mao's forged edict was stamped with the real seal! So did the seal fall into Qiao Mao's hands, or into the hands of Yuan Shao behind him? Was the forged edict written in Bohai County stamped with the real seal?

"Or did they write a false edict in the capital to purge the emperor's court, stamp it with the real seal, and then just try to spread the false edict?"

...

At this point, Zhuque affirmed, "The seal must have still been in the capital at that time. The forged edict to Qiao Mao was written, stamped with the real seal, and then sent to him!"

...

"How can Commander Zhu be sure?"

Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce both asked in surprise.

...

Suzaku said:

"The princes of the world are besieging the capital from all directions. If the seal is given to Qiao Mao, or to Yuan Shao behind him, he can write it in the East County area as soon as he wants.

"Then Qiao Mao forged an imperial edict to announce to the world, ordering the princes to come to the capital to purge the emperor's side. The princes will not attack at the same time so quickly. There is not enough time!
“In fact, after Qiao Mao issued the forged edict, the princes took action immediately, as if they had known about it in advance.

"According to what Zhang Yang, the governor of Shangdang, and Wu Kuang, the governor of Henei, said, they also received a secret decree in private, which was stamped with the real seal, including the six seals of the emperor, the seal for sending troops, and the seal of the imperial throne.

“So we can infer that they wrote the edict in Luoyang, the capital, the center of the world, and then sent it to the princes from all over the world.

"That's why the princes in Guandong, Guanxi, Guanbei, and Guannan almost unanimously called for the siege of the capital, with such a huge momentum."

...

"Commander Zhu is right, but we can't be completely sure! It is said that there is a method called carrier pigeons to send messages. If they use this method, they can send messages in the morning and arrive in the evening! But this is a possibility!"

Bao Zheng nodded with a serious face and said: "Then let us continue to assume that the Imperial Seal and the Six Seals of the Emperor are still in the capital!

"Then we can only trace in these two directions - the generals of the Xiliang Army and the children of the Yuan family!
"The parties involved have all been beheaded in public. Some are dead, some have escaped. We can only start with the people they have come into contact with."

...

"Let's start with the Yuan family's children."

Gongsun Ce looked through the information and briefly mentioned a few key figures, among which Yuan Ji was the most prominent and most likely. He focused on Yuan Ji's life and deeds in the capital, and then said:

"On the day of dethroning and enthroning, Your Majesty was able to change the situation at will. After seeing through Yuan Kui's schemes, he arrested Yuan Kui in court and ordered the Imperial Guards to search the residence of the Grand Tutor. However, Yuan Ji and other members of the Yuan family had already fled!

"Did the Xiliang Army deliberately delay time? Who tipped off the enemy? The Royal Guards confirmed that there was no secret passage. How did they leave Yuan's mansion? How did they escape? With so many people leaving, was there anyone around who saw them?
"Also, on the night of the dethronement incident, Yuan Ji used his connections in the Yuan family to bribe the jailer and sneak into the prison to meet with Grand Tutor Yuan Wei. Was there any hidden secret behind his taking such a risk?
"Afterwards, Yuan Ji was hunted down by the Xuanjia Army and the Jinyiwei, and finally fled to the Northern Army's Fifth School, intending to instigate a mutiny by the former infantry lieutenant Wu Kuang. However, he was stopped in advance by Li Siye and captured on the spot.

"Did Yuan Ji come into contact with anyone during his escape? Did he stay in any place for too long? Did he have any suspicious traces during his escape? Are there any clues to follow?"

...

After hearing this, the Jinyiwei gained something different.

Suzaku frowned and said:

"The Yuan family's children fled before the Jinyiwei arrived. We, the Jinyiwei, have been investigating the truth and conducting a close investigation around the Yuan residence, but we haven't gained much.

"However, Yuan Ji took a risk that night to meet Yuan Wei, and was later hunted down by our Jinyiwei and Xuanjia Army.

"We did not conduct an in-depth investigation into Yuan Ji's escape route, the approximate location where he was lost, and the specific location where he was later found."

At this point, Suzaku looked at his subordinates and said:

"Immediately retrieve the marching records of our Jinyiwei and Xuanjia Army. Gather all the Jinyiwei and Xuanjia Army soldiers who participated in the pursuit of Yuan Ji that day, and review them carefully. Don't miss any details!"

"promise!"

The Jinyiwei retreated immediately.

...

"Then it's the Xiliang Army."

Gongsun Ce's words drew back the attention of Zhuque and other Jinyiwei. He briefly described the summarized intelligence data and then inferred:
"At that time, the Xiliang army was divided into the southern and northern armies. The southern army, under the command of Wang Fang and Xu Rong, firmly sided with Your Majesty. The northern army, under the command of Niu Fu and other generals, fought against them.

"It was later learned that Niu Fu and other generals were stubborn and unyielding because they participated in Yuan Wei's conspiracy with Dong Zhuo in the first year of Zhongping (184 AD) -

"They allowed the Yellow Turbans to grow stronger, forcing the imperial court to be unable to suppress them and to delegate military power, which led to the defeat of the Jizhou front and the imperial court was forced to delegate military power.

"This is a heinous crime that will implicate all nine generations of my clan, and I am afraid that Your Majesty will punish me later. Therefore, I have been playing both sides and secretly colluding with the Yuan family.

"Moreover, Niu Fu accepted the advice of Yuan Shao's adviser Xu You - he designed to kill 'Wang Fang', burn grain and grass, and cause chaos in the capital, forcing the capital to burst into a food shortage panic, in order to help the princes to purge the emperor.

"According to Xu You's performance, they are willing to use external force to intimidate your majesty at all costs and force him to withdraw the decree to kill Yuan Wei.

"Then at this time, if Niu Fu knew the news about the seal, would he tell Xu You? And would Xu You convey it to Yuan Shao?"

...

Bao Zheng frowned and shook his head:

“If Niu Fu and Xu You knew the whereabouts of the seal, or possessed it.

"They could have used the imperial seal to force His Majesty to retract his order. The imperial seal is a matter of state, and His Majesty would have considered it carefully. But they didn't.

"So I think they probably don't know where the seal is, or they are still investigating."

...

"Speaking of Xu You, there is something I need to let you know."

Suzaku thought for a moment and said:

"In addition to Yuan Shao sending his adviser Xu You to stay in the capital, Yuan Shu's advisers Yang Hong and others are also in the capital. I don't know what they are doing, and their whereabouts are unknown!

"This is what we know openly. As for how many more people are secretly involved, we, the Jinyiwei, have no way of knowing for the time being!"

...

Upon hearing this, Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce subconsciously looked at each other, as if they were making eye contact.

Bao Zheng immediately said:

"What we can be sure of at the moment is that the line between Yuan Ji and Yuan Wei is temporarily blocked. After the Jinyiwei finds Yuan Ji's escape route, we will conduct on-site investigation, collect evidence, question relevant personnel, and make assumptions.

“As for the Xiliang army, Niu Fu, Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, Zhang Ji and other generals are already dead. The Jinyiwei can investigate their deeds after entering the capital, their words and deeds after the dethronement incident, search the camp, etc.

“See if you can find some details and look for new breakthroughs.”

...

"I will ask the Royal Guards to investigate carefully."

Suzaku thought for a moment and said:
“Although these main criminals died, many people related to them survived.

"When the Western Liang army was fighting against the five schools of the Northern Army, Zhang Xiu was angry with Niu Fu and other generals because his uncle Zhang Ji died in the battle. Generals such as Xu Huang under Li Jue also defected in the battle, so they were spared death and made meritorious contributions while serving their sentence."

...

"I wonder if we can go to the Xiliang military camp to investigate? It would be best if we could question the relevant personnel."

Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce's eyes lit up. If someone involved investigated and combined the intelligence information, they might come to a different discovery.

On-site investigation, witness questioning, evidence identification, suspect investigation, etc. can all restore the course of the crime, and every step is extremely important!

They are investigating the "case of lost seal", but it is also a criminal investigation process!
I thought the main criminals in this case were either dead or escaped, but since there are still related people, it is natural to question witnesses.

...

"Naturally."

After Zhuque finished speaking, it was suddenly dawn. She looked at the time and it was three quarters past the hour of Yin, which was probably a little after four in the morning but less than five.

Unexpectedly, they were busy all night investigating and collecting evidence, studying intelligence data, conducting logical reasoning, and tracing the direction.

After Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce's guidance in case analysis, logical reasoning, and direction of solving the case, the Jinyiwei finally stopped being like a headless fly and had a general direction.

This also shows that the two of them are indeed talented in solving cases!

Thinking of this, Suzaku asked, "After a busy night, do you want to take a break?"

...

Take a short...break?!

Shouldn't you just get off work?!

Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce looked at each other, both speechless, but they didn't want to delay.

Bao Zheng bowed and said, "Commander Zhu, as the saying goes, the first effort will weaken the second and the third will be exhausted. Let's go directly to the Xiliang military camp to investigate."

Zhuque nodded, expressing her deep satisfaction. She was just being polite, and luckily the two didn't take it seriously.

They washed up briefly, cleaned their faces with clean water, and gradually became more alert after working all night.

But Gongsun Ce has fair skin and can clearly see dark circles under his eyes, but Bao Zheng's skin is dark and not so obvious. Although he didn't rest, he still needed to take care of his internal organs.

The group came to the South Market stall to have breakfast. South Market, Horse Market and Gold Market are one of the three major commercial districts in the capital, similar to the future central business district. Jinyiwei official office and other government departments are near South Market.

They separated and looked for their own types of food to satisfy their stomachs.

Bao Zheng came from a poor family. He had an old mother who was a doctor and occasionally helped the government with autopsies. He passed on his medical and anatomical knowledge to his mother, which played a crucial role in investigating cases.

Because of his family situation and the fact that it was not easy for his mother to support his studies, Bao Zheng was always frugal. He mainly had wheat cakes for breakfast. If he was a little more extravagant, he would have a bowl of soy milk and six or seven copper coins to satisfy his hunger.

However, because of the deliberate arson by the grain merchants in the capital, there was no grain left in the capital. In addition, the roads were blocked by the war, so many supplies could not be brought in. In recent days, the prices of goods in the capital have gradually soared, and the price of wheat cakes has also risen accordingly.

When I asked today, I found out that wheat cakes, which normally cost only six copper coins, have skyrocketed to thirty, which is equivalent to a five-fold increase.

Bao Zheng suddenly felt reluctant to eat, but Gongsun Ce, who was not far away, saw Bao Zheng's hesitation and came over to pay for him. Compared with Bao Zheng's frugality, Gongsun Ce's breakfast was much more expensive.

There are grilled meat, grilled eggs with leeks, etc., with a balanced nutrition. Prices are soaring, but Gongsun Ce has an extraordinary family background and can afford this little money for food!
It's not that Gongsun Ce didn't want to treat Bao Zheng generously, but Bao Zheng had his own principles. Their friendship was that of gentlemen, unmixed with money, fame or gain, and Bao Zheng was not a person who liked to take advantage of others.

Just like now, Bao Zheng refused again.

"Bao Heitan, investigating the case requires more energy. Just pay me back when you have money." Gongsun Ce said helplessly.

"Okay, Gongsun Bailian!" Bao Zheng finally accepted it.

The two of them called each other by their nicknames, which showed that they had a special relationship. There was no need to calculate so carefully, but Bao Zheng had his own principles: "I will return you as soon as possible!"

"As you wish."

Gongsun Ce had refused before, but now he knew that Bao Zheng was not just being polite but was just like that, so he stopped being pretentious.

The two of them were not particular about details and had breakfast on the roadside.

At this time, Zhuque and other Jinyiwei also bought their own breakfast and gathered together.

When Bao Zheng saw it, he found that they were even worse off than him. The steamed corn bread was eaten with boiled water. The corn bread was made of mixed grains and was so cold and hard that it could make your teeth fall out!

As for why it is not heated, firewood is the most important thing. Heating is very expensive!
"Are the treatments of your Jinyiwei so bad?" Gongsun Ce asked curiously, "I remember that the Jinyiwei commander's salary was 2,000 dan, which is comparable to the salary of the five lieutenants of the Northern Army?"

"During this special period, I volunteered to reduce my salary and serve the country for free!"

Zhuque swallowed the food, thought for a moment and then put the folding fan in front of his mouth, then spoke:

"Moreover, there is news from the palace that His Majesty's breakfast has become oatmeal porridge. If we eat too well, wouldn't that be overstepping our authority?"

After hearing this, Gongsun Ce suddenly felt that the barbecue had no taste!

"Alas, Your Majesty is indeed kind and merciful!"

Bao Zheng understood that this was His Majesty's gesture of sharing weal and woe in difficult times. If his superiors set an example, who would dare to waste money?

Thinking of this, Bao Zheng felt that his wheat cakes were too luxurious!
However, the communication with the vendor made Bao Zheng realize something. He said:
"The prices in the capital have skyrocketed because of the blocked roads and the war, making it difficult for supplies to enter. Conversely, it is also difficult to transport them out."

Gongsun Ce was stunned for a moment, then woke up in shock:

"They would definitely not dare to check in a priceless treasure like a seal. If it is lost, all their efforts would be in vain. Therefore, they would definitely let important people carry it with them when leaving the capital.

"Given the current obstacles and war, if such an important person leaves, he will definitely be discovered by both the enemy and our army. So, the seal is indeed still in the capital, but I don't know who has it?!"

Bao Zheng nodded.

All things are difficult at the beginning, but as long as they find a breakthrough, everything will be much easier.

"Da da da--"

When everyone finished breakfast and prepared to set off for the Xiliang military camp, a Jinyiwei spy suddenly rode up on horseback and brought news to Zhuque.

After hearing this, Suzaku nodded and said, "I understand."

Zhuque immediately looked at Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce:

"I can't accompany you to the Xiliang Army camp. Take my token. The Xiliang Army Commander Wang Fang will take good care of you. If you have any questions, you can go to him."

"We got it!"

Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce bowed in reply.

There was some curiosity in their expressions. They wondered what had happened that made Zhuque want to leave in such a hurry. Was it related to the seal?

But I didn’t dare ask more!

Perhaps seeing their confusion, Zhuque said to them as he mounted his horse, "The Sour Jujube coalition was defeated last night."

After saying this, Suzaku went straight to the palace.

This was clearly good news, but after Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce heard it, they were delighted at first, and then their expressions became a little serious!

The happy thing is——

The Suanzao coalition was defeated, and the troops from the capital must have opened up a passage to the east through Hulao Pass. As long as they crossed the Yellow River, they could stop the enemy at Sishui Pass and eliminate the threat to Henei together with Wang Kuang, the governor of Henei.

The troops of the Guandong princes were divided into two groups: the Suanzao coalition attacked Hulao Pass and the Henei coalition attacked Sishui Pass.

The siege of Hulao Pass has been lifted, and the siege of Sishui Pass is only a matter of time.

At this point, the military operations of the Guandong princes against Hulao Pass and Sishui Pass ended in failure!
The trade routes, trade, etc. can be restored, and the soaring prices of materials in the capital will be alleviated.

But what made them look solemn was——

They were summoned to investigate a case. If this passage was opened, the enemy could use many ways to transport the seal out of the country!
By then, how can we trace the whereabouts of the seal in such a vast world? !

Your Majesty has spoken clearly that he will pardon them regardless of whether they can find the whereabouts of the seal.

However, the seal is related to the state system. If its loss becomes a big deal, it will affect the reputation of the Han Dynasty and the stability of the country.

The obverse of the imperial seal is engraved with eight seal characters "Mandate from Heaven, May you live long and prosper forever" as a token of the "imperial power is granted by Heaven and is legitimate and orthodox."

This is destiny!
If the news of the loss of the seal spreads throughout the world, then ambitious people will fan the flames and add fuel to the flames, spreading rumors that the Han Dynasty has lost its mandate and its power!
At that time, the world will be in chaos, and many heroes will rise up and compete for the Central Plains!

Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce were both loyal and patriotic people. As they were still students, they were full of passion to serve the country. Naturally, they did not want to see the country in turmoil and the ruins of the country!
This made them realize that time was of the essence! They had to find clues as soon as possible and not let the murderer take the seal out of the capital!

"Let's go to the Xiliang Army camp on Beimang Mountain immediately." Bao Zheng said in a deep voice.

Gongsun Ce nodded and said, "It's a long way to go. I'll rent some horses and we'll set off right away."

This time, Bao Zheng did not refuse!

The two men, along with two Jinyiwei, rode their horses to the Xiliang army camp in Beimang Mountain.

……

Deyang Hall.

Zhuque reported every detail of last night's battle at Sour Jujube.

The Suanzao coalition was defeated, Qiao Mao was killed in battle, Yuan Shao forced his way across the Yellow River and fled, and countless people were killed and wounded. The coalition army of the princes lost more than 10,000 people, captured more than 30,000 people, and seized countless food and supplies, as well as nearly a thousand war horses.

This is a good news!
Suzaku said:

"The Suanzao coalition forces that attacked Hulao Pass were defeated, and the news spread to the other side. The Henei coalition forces that attacked Sishui Pass will definitely flee. Wang Kuang, the governor of Henei, will definitely pursue them while they are victorious!

"From now on, the princes of Guandong can no longer pose a threat!

"Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun and other generals deserve the most merit in the battle last night. Zhang Liao personally praised their merits. He abandoned the dark and joined the light, turning his back on the enemy in battle, which is truly a meritorious service to make up for his mistakes.

"It was reported that Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Yanzhou Governor Liu Dai and others had already come to the capital to apologize, and they would arrive around 6 a.m.

"Qin Qiong expressed his military action. He decided to follow suit and transport the heads of Yuan Kui and the Xiliang army generals to Xuanyuan Pass in the south of the pass to attack the Luyang coalition forces including Yuan Shu, Sun Jian, Kong Rong and others!"

It is now 3:30 pm, almost 5:00 am. Liu Bian has already woken up to work and deal with state affairs. He only sleeps four hours a day, which can be said to be very diligent in governing the country.

After hearing this, Liu Bian's serious face softened a little.

The defeat of the princes in Guandong opened up the trade routes and trade in Guandong. Although there are still some impacts, the prices in the capital will gradually recover.

Even Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou, was able to raise food and fodder to alleviate the food crisis in the capital.

In this way, the dark clouds hanging over the capital and the crisis that worried Liu Bian were suddenly greatly alleviated!
Steady and good!

"Now the situation has changed, it's our turn to show our swords!"

Liu Bian's gentle expression gradually turned into a murderous one, and the murderous aura in his eyes seemed to be real:
"The Yuan family is the main culprit for those traitors besieging the capital. The turmoil in the capital, the food crisis, and the loss of the seal were all caused by the Yuan family! Now that Yuan Shao has fled to Jizhou, how can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed?!"

Zhuque's expression suddenly became solemn!

The hidden meaning is that they have decided to take action against Yuan Shao!
With the Yuan family's network of connections, Jizhou in the North China Plain was fertile and had a prosperous population, and was praised as having "ten years of grain support and a million soldiers in armor." If Yuan Shao could gain a foothold in Jizhou, it would be possible for him to make a comeback and grow stronger.

Liu Bian wants to nip the danger in the bud!

"After Liu Bei and his men arrived in Beijing, they were summoned to the palace immediately!"

"I obey your orders!!!"

In Liu Bian's mind, he had already laid out the world and woven a net. At this time, the defense line in Guandong was loose, so he naturally wanted to cover Jizhou as soon as possible and eliminate Yuan Shao, the thorn in his side.

Liu Bei's unexpected rise was either due to his own outstanding abilities or the butterfly effect caused by the influence of Liu Bian.

But these are not important!

What’s important is that, considering Liu Bei’s loyalty to the Han Dynasty and his benevolence, Liu Bian was willing to give him a stage for development!

It depends on whether Liu Bei can grasp it well!

Are you really that loyal and patriotic?
The emperor's ability to see qi can be seen at a glance!
After Zhuque left, Liu Bian suddenly became excited and wrote seven large characters in a flamboyant style on Qin Qiong's report.

Cao Zhengchun had been standing by, head bowed, listening attentively. At this moment, he glanced at the person and felt as if he was being stabbed in the back, exposed.

Kou can go, so can I!

……

(End of this chapter)