Chapter 880
Sowing discord
Pan Yun looked at this, then at that.
Excellent, the case discussion and analysis meeting has successfully transformed into a military decision-making meeting.
The cause of the late emperor's death was once again set aside.
Of course, Cao Nai and Xue Xuan, the organizers, did not shelve the case. They did not go to the battlefield and hardly participated in military affairs, so they still focused on this case.
As soon as he stepped out of the tent, Cao Nai hurriedly caught up with Xue Xuan: "Lord Xue!"
Xue Xuan stopped and turned to look at him.
Cao Nai asked in a deep voice, "Lord Xue, putting aside the evidence, do you really think that Arazhiyuan was responsible for this case?"
Hsueh Hsuan: "I never discuss a case without evidence."
“But the birdman is nowhere to be found. We don’t know his background, and even the suspects, Esen and Arazhiyuan, are in the enemy camp and cannot be interrogated. We also have no way to verify the evidence. How can we investigate?” Cao Nai said in a low voice, “I know you are quite talented in criminal cases. You must know something. I need you to give me a definite answer: did Arazhiyuan do this?”
Xue Xuan didn't give it to him and left in silence.
Discussing the case without evidence violates his principles.
He knew that this case would likely remain unsolved, perhaps even a hundred years from now, without an answer.
Unless the birdman who killed the emperor comes forward to confess and provides relevant evidence.
Xue Xuan returned to his room, where the lights were on. Xue Shao was inside. The table and the floor were covered with various files, all of which he had brought from the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of War, and the Northern Garrison Command when he came with the army.
Among them, the intelligence report on the Mingying Sect was laid out on the table, and Xue Shao was looking down at it intently.
Xue Xuan stopped in her tracks.
Xue Shao snapped out of his reverie, put down the intelligence report, and looked up at him: "Second Uncle, is there any progress in the case of His Majesty's murder?"
Xue Xuan didn't answer his question either, but instead asked, "Where were you on the day of the incident?"
Xue Shao stood in front of the desk, his back to the oil lamp. The light shone on his back, not illuminating his face, which was hidden in shadow. Xue Xuan could not see his expression.
His voice was steady as he answered as usual, "In the guest courtyard."
Xue Xuan: "With the army pressing in, you actually stayed in the guest house in the city?"
Xue Shao: "My friend was seriously injured and in great danger at the time. I was worried about him, so I didn't go out."
Xue Xuan looked up and stared at him intently. Although he knew that his second uncle couldn't see the expression on his face, Xue Shao still didn't dare to show anything unusual. He lowered his eyes and stared at his toes, avoiding his gaze.
Xue Xuan asked expressionlessly, "The friend you're talking about is Pan Yun?"
"Yes, she went to rescue the emperor the night before last, but returned seriously injured."
Xue Xuan naturally found out about this; Cao Nai, one of the organizers, was present at the time.
Pan Yun led five Imperial Guards and five scouts to the enemy camp around 9:00 PM on the 14th night of the 9th month of the 10th year of the Zhengtong reign to rescue the emperor.
According to reports from the Imperial Guards and scouts, they met the emperor and engaged in a fierce battle with Oirat soldiers, the Oirat Grand Preceptor, and his eight lamas in the main tent.
Many of them were seriously injured, with Pan Yun being the most severely injured.
Because they were seriously injured, the emperor believed they were not entirely confident they could bring him out safely, and therefore refused to escape with them.
They fought all night and returned to the city at 1:45 AM on the 15th of September. After a brief report, Pan Yun vomited blood and fell into a coma. On the 16th of September, the emperor was taken to the outskirts of Datong Prefecture and died. In order to retrieve the emperor's body, Kuang Ye ordered people to forcibly break Pan Yun's seclusion.
There are witnesses to every coming and going.
but……
Xue Xuan stared intently at Xue Shao. Pan Yun was a cultivator. How could someone who could lead ten people to sneak into the enemy camp without being seen by the other courtyard?
Previously, he had only suspected it, but now, seeing his nephew's reaction, Xue Xuan was certain. No one knows a son better than his father, and he and Xue Shao understood each other even better than biological father and son.
Xue Shao suddenly realized this and felt that he shouldn't have listened to his uncle and helped him organize the case files.
He immediately prepared to leave: "Uncle, it's late, I should go back and rest..."
"You guys are really bold!" Xue Xuan's voice was almost inaudible, but it still clearly reached Xue Shao's ears in the silence.
Xue Shao paused, stopped in silence, and pursed his lips without saying a word.
Xue Xuan walked around the files on the ground, slowly approached his nephew, stared at his downcast eyes, and after a long while, closed his eyes again and waved his hand weakly, saying, "Let's go, go back and rest."
Xue Shao took a step back, bowed respectfully to his uncle, and then left.
Xue Xuan's eyes shone brightly in the darkness. He stood there for a long time until the third watchman's drum sounded outside. Only then did he move his stiff hands and feet and sit back down in his chair.
That's right, discussing a case without evidence violates the law; we still need to find evidence, we still need to find evidence...
But Xue Xuan still felt as if a stone was pressing on his heart, heavy and unbearable.
Xue Xuan had always known that Xue Shao was even more unconventional than him.
But he never expected that he would be so bold.
It would not be surprising if the emperor died on the battlefield, or was tortured by Esen, or committed suicide.
But on the battlefield, while being held hostage and threatened by the Ming Dynasty, he was shot and killed on the spot...
In that instant, only one thought flashed through Xue Xuan's mind: this action was probably done by the officials left behind to guard the border.
But who is so bold as to propose and do something so outrageous?
He had suspected Kuang Ye and Cao Nai, but he never expected that it was a group of Taoist priests and his nephew who were behind it.
They didn't even hold official positions in the court.
Xue Xuan gave a bitter smile.
Many people shared his suspicions about the border officials, including the Empress Dowager.
If Yu Qian hadn't requested the imperial edict to establish the Prince of Cheng as emperor on the fifteenth of September, and the emperor hadn't died on the sixteenth of September, the Empress Dowager and the court might still have doubted the Prince of Cheng.
The Empress Dowager now trusts the Prince of Cheng, but she doesn't trust the civil and military officials at the border, especially those accompanying her. If the true culprit isn't found, these people might face consequences upon returning to the capital...
Where can we find the evidence?
Yu Qian's approach was much simpler. The next day, he sent Chen Huai out to provoke the camp, demanding that Esen hand over Arazhiyuan, who had murdered the emperor.
Since Zhu Qiyu brought a large army to reinforce the camp, Esen had suffered more losses than wins. At this time, he had already begun to consider retreating. Upon hearing Chen Huai's insults against the camp, he also began to suspect Arazhiyuan.
Arazhiyuan naturally protested his innocence, shouting, "Grand Tutor, they are trying to sow discord!"
Esen smiled and said, "Of course I know they are trying to sow discord. The Han people are cunning, how could I trust them?"
Arachika breathed a sigh of relief, his complexion immediately returning to normal. He patted his chest repeatedly and assured the Grand Tutor, "My loyalty to the Grand Tutor is as clear as day!"
He smiled and nodded in agreement.
After Arazhiyuan left, Yesen's smile faded, and he asked his confidant, "Has Arazhiyuan been getting quite close to Toghtog Bukha lately?"
"Yes, even now, Arazhiyuan still calls him Khan."
The Khan of the Oirat was named Toghtoa Bukha, but he was controlled by Grand Tutor Esen like a rabbit.
After Esen unified the Mongol tribes, his personal guards and confidants privately called him the Great Khan and did not acknowledge him as Toghtoa Bukha.
However, Arajiwon had his own tribe, and it was clear that he did not fully acknowledge Esen.
Esen's expression was somber; no one knew what he was thinking. (End of Chapter)