The best county magistrate

It was already the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, spring was approaching quietly, and the people who had frozen to death could no longer be seen in the small alleys in the capital city.

After entering Liuyinglu and listening to music for a while, Zhang Biao took Chu Xinran and the maid named Caihe over.

"Second brother, thank you for your hard work. What I'm singing today is the poem about funeral flowers. It's not bad. Just sit back and listen to it for a while."

As he spoke, Yang Xuanchen smiled at Chu Xinran, "Master Chu and I will chat for a while..."

The three of them found another thatched cottage and sat down around the heater in the house.

"Lord Chu, we met at noon...I am Yang Xuanchen, the young master of Zhan Shifu."

As he said that, he personally poured a cup of tea for Chu Xinran and the maid, "Your Majesty asked me to thoroughly investigate the Yelujin case, so I invited you here, and also invited Haihan."

"You're welcome, Mr. Xiao Yang. It's a great blessing for me to be able to return to my hometown again. You don't have to be so polite."

Chu Xinran was very clear about his position. He kept his posture very low, chatted with Yang Xuanchen for a while and then got down to the topic.

"That night, I, Hua Zigan, and I who lived in Rongshan hosted the delegation. When we returned to the State Guesthouse, Yelujin was still fine."

"Do you have anyone to suspect?" Yang Xuanchen asked.

Chu Xinran thought about it seriously and then shook his head, "We all eat and drink the same. If Mr. Xiao Yang said it was poisoning, then the three of us will definitely be infected."

"But we didn't, and Hua Zigan and I left together..."

Having said this, he paused, with a suspicious expression on his face, "If there is any suspicion, Brother Rongshan is the most suspect."

Ok?

Why is it Zhu Rongshan? Why shouldn't it be Hua Zi?

Could it be that Zhu Rongshan was on duty at the National Military Hall that day, so he was suspected?

"I have some friendship with Master Zhu, but from what I know about him, he shouldn't be the poisoner, right?" Yang Xuanchen tentatively mentioned.

Chu Xinran was convinced. He turned to look at the woman beside him and said, "Caihe, please tell me what happened that day."

Caihe nodded after hearing this, "Mr. Xiao Yang, that day Master Zhu Rongshan gave Mr. Yelu several boxes of cakes, but Mr. Yelu didn't eat them. Instead, he gave us a few maids."

"Then not long after Master Yelu returned to the room, his laughter and crying came from the room..."

As Caihe continued to narrate, Yang Xuanchen's brows twisted into the character "Sichuan".

From the appearance point of view, there is no problem!

Even if the most vulnerable link to poisoning, such as the cakes sent by Zhu Rongshan, has been eliminated, then how did Yelujin get poisoned?

Moreover, Chu Xinran doubted his friend Zhu Rongshan but did not doubt Hua Ziqian. It seemed that the method of poisoning was very understandable.

"Miss Caihe, can you tell me about Zhu Rongshan and Hua Ziqian?"

Seeing that Caihe was a little confused, Chu Xinran explained to her and helped her recall the situation at that time.

"The Master Zhu you mentioned looks quite honest and doesn't look like a poisoner."

"I have an impression of that Hua Zi. He is quite personable, but the way he looks at us is very uncomfortable..."

Hearing this, Yang Xuanchen touched his chin and began to think deeply.

It would be one-sided to judge whether a person is capable of poisoning based on his appearance. Judging from Caihe's words, she is somewhat suspicious of Hua Ziqian.

"So in your opinion, do you think Hua Zigan is the one who poisoned me?"

Caihe shook his head and denied it.

The three people stopped communicating in the thatched cottage and fell into silence. Suddenly Zhou Xinran knocked on the door of the thatched cottage and walked in.

In line with the mentality of three cobblers trying to stand up to Zhuge Liang, Yang Xuanchen invited her to sit down together.

"Miss Xinran, if a person suddenly becomes upset, laughs, cries, and does unpredictable things..."

After hearing this, her hand shaking the teapot and pouring water couldn't help but shake.

Then he looked at Yang Xuanchen with wide eyes and disbelief, "Is there such a person again?"

I'm blanching, what do you mean reappearing? Has such a person ever existed before?

This aroused Yang Xuanchen's interest. He chased and asked, "Have you seen it before?"

"Yes, I've seen it before!"

"I remember that five years ago, I entertained several high-ranking officials in Liuyinglu. One of the officials suddenly went crazy..."

After hearing the story of that year, Yang Xuanchen patted the table in front of him and seemed to have an epiphany.

"The one who died was the Chief of Honglu Temple, right... That makes sense!"

The three of them looked at Yang Xuanchen, who suddenly became excited, and were a little confused.

He did figure some things out.

The Prime Minister of Honglu Temple died five years ago, and immediately after Hua Zigan came to power, this person with vested interests is the biggest suspect.

In addition, Yelujin's death was quite similar to that of the Si Cheng, so Hua Zigan was the biggest suspect.

If it could be discovered what kind of poison could cause people to become insane without a sound, then Yang Xuanchen would be one step closer to the truth.

"Miss Caihe, can you recall again whether Hua Ziqian and Yelujin had any personal contact?"

After hearing this, Caihe closed his eyes and thought for a long time, then suddenly opened his eyes, "Yes! I met Mr. Yelu alone before his death, but it was only two or three days before Mr. Yelu's death!"

"What did they say and do?" Yang Xuanchen asked excitedly.

She nodded and continued, "I was serving on the side that day, and all they talked about were polite words, with nothing of substance."

"Finally... In the end, Hua Zigan gave Lord Yelu an incense burner. I have seen that incense burner. It is quite heavy, but it is very beautiful. Lord Yelu likes it very much."

incense burner!

Could it be that the poison was administered through the incense burner?

Yang Xuanchen stared at Caihe closely and asked again: "Is there anything special about that incense burner?"

"I don't know how to put it, it's just pretty good-looking." After Caihe said this, he thought about it and continued.

"By the way, Master Yelu had a hard time falling asleep. That night he used the incense burner to light incense, and told us the next day that he had a good night's sleep..."

If this incense burner is the tool for poisoning or the substance of the poison, then I have reason to take down Huazi.

It's a pity that this incense burner is far away in Northern Liao... No, just now Zhou Xinran said that a minister of Honglu Temple died five years ago, so would this minister have this incense burner in his home?

It seems like we need to send someone to check.

The few of them chatted for a while, and after Yang Xuanchen asked some random questions, he sent them to Chu's house.

Before he and Zhang Biao left the gate of Liuyinglu, a messenger came from Honglu Temple, saying that the Northern Liao delegation was hosting a banquet for students from Jixia Academy and Imperial College at the State Guesthouse tonight.

Tomorrow is the literary battle. If you don't have a good rest tonight, why do you have to have a banquet?

Is your brain going crazy?

Seeing that it was still early, Yang Xuanchen and Zhang Biao rushed to Mengpo Zhai first, because today was the release day of the hardcover version of The Story of the Stone.

When they were about to turn from Liujiang Street to Xuegong Street, they saw Gu Li and Yu Chi and Bao Yu. Yang Xuanchen, who was sitting at the front of the carriage, smiled and waved to them.

"Three of you are traveling together. Where did you come from and where are you going?"

Gu Li rolled his eyes at him and turned his head away. Yu Chi snorted and ignored him.

But it was Bao Yu who was more enthusiastic. He stepped forward and took one of Yang Xuanchen's arms, "Mr. Xiao Yang, let's go to Mengpo Zhai with me."

"I heard that the stone recorded the hardcover..."