Tang Dynasty Prison Administration

075: The Lianhua Case in Qingzhou

After a long pause, Su Wen slowly stood up from the ground, approached Cui Changfeng, and bowed, saying, "Brother Cui, thank you so much for your help this time. Otherwise, my brothers and I would probably be in grave danger!"

Cui Changfeng returned the greeting, saying, "These people intend to rebel and kill innocent people. Although I have been away from the court for a long time, I am still a henchman of the Tang Dynasty. Participating in the suppression of the rebels is my duty, so there is no need for thanks!"

Su Wen looked at Cui Changfeng and asked softly, "Brother Cui, as a former Commander of the Thousand Bull Guards, how did you end up like this?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Changfeng smiled slightly and said, "To be honest, I was tired of the power struggles in the court, so I resigned and returned to Qingzhou to become a lowly ghostwriter. Although I don't have much money, I'm quite free!"

With that, Cui Changfeng bowed and said, "It's been a long time since I've experienced such a fierce battle. After this fight, I'm actually a bit tired, so I'll take my leave now!"

After speaking, Cui Changfeng took his spear and walked towards the tunnel exit. After a few steps, he stopped, turned back to Su Wen and the others, and bowed again, saying, "Young Master Su, the court is far more dangerous than the martial world. I hope you will be careful. We'll meet again someday!"

Su Wen responded with a greeting and returned the greeting, saying, "Until we meet again!"

After Cui Changfeng left, Su Wen looked at Cheng Nianci and said, "I never expected Madam Cheng to have such amazing skills!"

Cheng Nianci simply smiled and said, "I'm too dirty, I'm going back to take a shower!"

After saying that, Cheng Nianci left.

Su Wen kept staring at Cheng Nianci's departing figure. Xu Ge stepped forward and said with a hint of mischief, "Master, you're already so old and still haven't married. Why don't you..."

Su Wen merely rolled his eyes at Xu Ge and said coldly, "Don't talk nonsense. This Cheng Nianci is definitely not an ordinary person. She can use the Mo Dao (陌刀), and she's very skilled at it. I remember that according to the military law of the Tang Dynasty, ordinary people, even ordinary soldiers, never even have access to the Mo Dao. Do you think a mere sword bearer like her can use the Mo Dao?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ge looked at Su Wen with a frightened expression and said timidly, "Master, she was just trying to save you, and you're thinking about this?"

Su Wen looked at Xu Ge and said, "This woman is definitely not simple. Xu Ge, go and find someone to investigate her background. I feel like she's hiding something big!"

Xu Ge was once again shocked by Su Wen's words. He didn't expect that he would investigate the person who saved him. Xu Ge was about to speak.

Su Wen said, "Don't talk about saving my life. What if she's a spy deliberately planted by the Mahayana Lotus Sect? Believing someone without knowing their background isn't gratitude, it's foolishness!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ge suddenly realized what was going on and quickly responded!

......

That night, the streets of Qingzhou Prefecture were filled with flickering firelight as soldiers began searching the city. Once captured, they were taken out of their rooms, brought to the door, forced to kneel, and beheaded!

To ensure that Qingzhou City wouldn't become a ghost town like before, Su Wen specially arranged for constables to beat drums and gongs in the streets, shouting: "The people being arrested this time are traitors, the Right Battalion squad and its captain Du Yu, who attempted to rebel. Their entire family will be executed immediately, and Du Yu's entire clan will be exterminated!"

Su Wen, on the other hand, didn't sleep all night, tossing and turning in bed unable to fall asleep.

Su Wen didn't know if what he did was right or wrong. Since he couldn't sleep, he simply didn't sleep and lay in bed to recall the whole case.

What is currently confirmed is that all the deceased were women, their eyes were gouged out, and they had lotus symbols between their eyebrows. The lotus symbol should represent the Mahayana Lotus School, but why were their eyes gouged out?

From Xu Ran's words, we can infer that the owner of the peony flower shop died as a sacrifice, as did Wen Ci. The owner of the peony flower shop died in a manner similar to that of the other women, but with some differences.

Other women only had lotus flowers drawn between their eyebrows. Does this mean they were of lower status? Because judging from the way Wen Ci and Mudan died, dying while lying on lotus flowers clearly indicates a higher status.

Xu Ran's final attempt to remove his own heart was likely an attempt at sacrifice. Considering Wen Ci's death, it's probably true that male sacrifices involve removing the heart and abdomen, cleaning all the internal organs, and then stuffing them back into the abdomen.

It's just that time was probably too tight, which is why the person who killed Wen Ci didn't have enough time to complete all of this!

Xu Ran and Du Yu both looked like rough men. They didn't have the ability to draw such an exquisite lotus flower between the eyebrows of the deceased, nor the patience to clean the deceased thoroughly. Therefore, this person must be skilled with a knife, extremely good at painting, and probably also knowledgeable in medicine!

Previously, it was learned from some of the deceased's family members that most of the deceased had not participated in any cults.

Aside from these clues, Su Wen remained completely unaware of what they were trying to do.

The eyes are clearly of utmost importance in the Mahayana Lotus School!

Just then, Su Wen thought of the most important clue.

That is, those people who seem to be controlled by drugs. They are clearly being manipulated by someone, by drugs and medicine!

Su Wen felt a chill run down his spine as he realized a possibility.

He used to discuss medicine with his classmates when he was in school, since studying forensic medicine also requires learning some medical knowledge!

Su Wen recalled that the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic mentioned that when yang enters yin, one falls asleep; when yang exits yin, one awakens.

In other words, when yang energy enters yin energy, a person falls asleep; when yang energy exits yin energy, a person wakes up.

Ancient people believed that the eyes are the switch for the body's yang energy. When you close your eyes while sleeping, the yang energy is shut off; when you open your eyes when you wake up, the yang energy is released.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the eyes and the sun have a close relationship. The concept of yin-yang balance in the human body and the unity of heaven and earth thus closely links the eyes with the sun.

Thinking of this, Su Wen had an idea: this kind of drug that controls people might need a very special medicinal ingredient.

The eyes are considered to be something that can communicate with heaven and earth, so the murderer uses human eyes as medicine to control others!

With this in mind, Su Wen already had a general idea of ​​what direction he should explore next.

That's medicine!

The moment Su Wen thought of medicine, the words "Gastrodia elata powder" immediately came to mind.

Although this medicine is only an anesthetic, it should be noted that datura flowers themselves are a type of medicine that can affect the human nervous system. If other medicines unknown to Su Wen are added to it, along with human eyes, although the human eyes do not have any effect.

However, adding large amounts of drugs that can numb and affect the nerves can, over time, cause people to become mentally impaired or even die.

Judging from their condition, they were like zombies, with dazed expressions and frantic behavior, which most likely indicates that they had been taking this drug for a long time!

Then, after special training, such as Xu Ran needing to use a horn to control those people, this is enough to prove this point!

Thinking about this, Su Wen finally understood the intricacies of the matter, and this also gave him clues on how to continue the investigation!