xymnovel 078: The Lianhua Case in Qingzhou
078: The Lianhua Case in Qingzhou
As for why Su Wen was able to taste the flavor, it was all because Su Wen had worked in criminal investigation for three years. In order to remember what the flavor was, he boldly licked it once. Although he only licked a little bit, that flavor was unforgettable for Su Wen.
This smell is a very peculiar stench, but once anyone has smelled it, it is hard to forget!
Previously in Luoyang, Su Wen had already requested the Sage to ban Diyejia. Now it seems that these people have mixed Diyejia with other things to create something else, and are using the flower shop to hide it.
This is just like drugs in later generations. As soon as one is banned, another is immediately developed, resulting in more and more types of drugs that are becoming impossible to ban!
Su Wen thought about how the consequences would be unimaginable if this thing appeared on a large scale. His great nation almost died because of this thing!
After capturing and interrogating the owner of the flower shop, Su Wenxu must immediately go to Chang'an to meet the Emperor and inform him of the whole matter!
Su Wen glanced at the constables and said, "Take everyone back to the county office. I need to interrogate them one by one. Seize the flower shop and post notices informing the people that if anyone has taken any powder from the flower shop owner, they should immediately bring it to the county office. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"
"yes!"
Upon hearing this, the women who had been watching were all shocked. At this moment, one of the women immediately stepped forward, took out a small, two-finger-sized brocade box from her shoulder bag, and handed it to Su Wen, saying, "Shangguan, this is powder that the shopkeeper gave me this morning when he was still here. He said that after taking it, it can calm the nerves, make one's skin whiter, and also make one thinner and more beautiful. It's a good thing, so I took it. I saw you vomit just now. Is this something bad?"
Su Wen took the box, smelled it, and compared it with the powder inside the box; it was indeed the same.
Su Wen looked at the woman and said, "This thing is a poison, it's addictive, similar to Five-Stone Powder, but even more toxic!"
Upon hearing this, the woman looked terrified and said, "Luckily, I wanted to adorn my shoulder today and hadn't gone home yet, otherwise wouldn't I have..."
Su Wen shouted, "This stuff not only makes you addicted, it turns you into mindless zombies controlled by it!"
"what!"
The women looked surprised. At this moment, one of them raised her hand and said, "My aunt took a box back yesterday. Can I go back now and ask her to take it to the county government?"
Upon hearing this, Su Wen replied, "Not yet. You need to go to the county government first. I need to ask you some questions. If everything is fine, then I will let you go home!"
One of them asked, "Sir, we are all innocent women; going to the county government might damage our reputation!"
Upon hearing this, Su Wen frowned. Indeed, this was not the future. In ancient times, if a person with a clean record entered the county government office, even for a routine questioning, they would be pointed at and gossiped about if they were seen by others!
After thinking for a moment, Su Wen said, "Then we'll question you one by one here, and won't let you go to the county government office, so as not to ruin your reputations!"
After saying that, Su Wen walked upstairs and said, "Go into the rooms one by one to be questioned. If there are no problems, you may leave!"
After a series of inquiries that took about an hour or two, it was discovered that these employees were all slaves rented by the shop owner, not completely bought out. Moreover, almost none of the employees knew anything about the shop owner, not even his surname.
As for the florists, they all paid tuition to learn, and almost all of them were students who failed the imperial examinations.
They had no idea about the shop owner's background. The shop owner taught them how to make floral decorations, and paid them according to the number of people who had made floral decorations each month. The wages were relatively high.
The only difference was that the shop owner often discussed matters of agriculture, national politics, and military affairs with them.
Su Wen knew that this was actually the shop owner selecting talent. If there were any outstanding individuals among these unsuccessful candidates, they would be given priority in development. If not, they would extract tuition fees from them.
Judging from this, these floral decoration shops throughout the Tang Dynasty may have recruited and developed many talented people.
The Tang Dynasty is truly in danger now!
Su Wen ordered his constables to take all the money back to the county government to be turned over to the national treasury, and to shut down the hairpin shop. Now all that was left was to wait and see if they could catch the shop owner.
The case in Qingzhou could be declared solved, but in reality, it was not solved at all, because the whereabouts of the real mastermind, Yi Tian, are still unknown!
As dusk fell, Xu Ge rushed back and saw Su Wen sitting on the steps. She hurriedly went up to him and said, "Master, I've found out! The ghost doctor in the ghost market said that someone has recently developed an extremely special drug called 'Night Cleansing Powder,' which can produce unparalleled pleasure and make people lose weight and improve their figure!"
Upon hearing this, Su Wen replied, "I already know. Have you found out if anyone is selling them?"
Xu Ge shook his head: "I don't know, but I heard from the Ghost Doctor that he knows quite a few foreign merchants. They said that in Dunhuang Shazhou and the Western Regions, there are people selling it, but they don't use gold or silver to exchange for it. They use the finest tea and brocade. It's said that a small box of Pure Night Powder requires at least three catties of tea or three bolts of brocade to exchange for it!"
Su Wen understood immediately upon hearing this.
Tea and brocade were very important necessities for foreign countries in the Western Regions. They could use these items to exchange for warhorses and weapons!
"It's Dunhuang Sandbar again!" Su Wen frowned and said, "It seems we need to petition the Emperor to allow us to investigate Dunhuang Sandbar!"
Just then, a constable rushed into the county office. Upon seeing Su Wen and Xu Ge, he immediately announced, "An urgent message, delivered by Su Wen!"
Su Wen quickly stood up and took the envelope from the constable, saying, "Thank you. You can go and rest now. Someone, give him a hundred coins as a reward!"
The constable, panting, bowed and said, "Thank you!"
Su Wen opened the letter, which read: "Your Excellency, the Emperor, has decreed that Lu Xing, the Prefect of Shazhou in Dunhuang, has been murdered. Several bizarre cases have occurred in Shazhou in the past month, and several important border generals and officials have been killed. Therefore, Su Wen is hereby appointed as the Acting Prefect of Shazhou and concurrently as an Imperial Envoy. After the case of Lianhua in Qingzhou is thoroughly investigated, Su Wen shall immediately assume his post in Shazhou without fail!"
Su Wen glanced at Xu Ge and said, "As expected, it seems the other side made moves on both Shazhou and Qingzhou almost simultaneously a month ago. Shazhou is closer to Tubo, so it seems Yitian wants to use Tubo's power to attack Shazhou!"
Xu Ge said, "But we don't know when our case here will be solved, so why are we being sent to Shazhou again?"
Su Wen said, "The case in Qingzhou is basically solved. We only needed to catch the owner of the hairpin shop to complete it, but it seems he's already escaped and will be difficult to catch!"
Before he could finish speaking...
A soldier rushed in from outside and bowed to Su Wen, saying, "Greetings, Junior Minister Su. An hour ago, a thief captured the owner of a hairpin shop and is now being held in the Right Battalion. The Military Commander has ordered me to come and question Junior Minister Su!"
Upon hearing this, Su Wen was immediately excited and asked, "Why not bring them directly instead of keeping them in the army?"
The soldier reported, "Reporting to Minister Su, during the arrest operation, we discovered several Tibetan spies fleeing with the owner of the hairpin shop!"
Upon hearing this, Su Wen frowned and said, "It really is related to Tibet. Take me there immediately!"
The soldier replied, "Yes, sir!"