Chapter Seventy-Four: A Good Deed a Day
Discovering that the mastermind behind the assassination was the Martial Command Bureau did not signify the end of the case. Many matters still required verification.
Moreover...
The Mischievous Child System had not issued a reward. This meant that the answers provided by those assassins were not entirely correct. At most, the case was connected to the Martial Command Bureau, but the true mastermind was someone else.
Chang’an County.
Inside the county office.
Li Zhi summoned Sun Jiali and said, “County Magistrate Sun, this case must be investigated further. We cannot let the real culprit go unpunished!”
Sun Jiali was taken aback. “Your Highness means... the mastermind behind the assassination is not the Martial Command Bureau?”
“Of course not!”
“Ah?”
Sun Jiali’s heart skipped a beat, and he complained, “Since Your Highness already knew the Martial Command Bureau was not the real mastermind, why did you have me execute those criminals? Now, who am I supposed to interrogate?”
“The Martial Command Bureau!” Li Zhi replied. “Though those assassins didn’t reveal the real mastermind, I believe the Martial Command Bureau is deeply involved. They must know who the real culprit is!”
“Well...” Sun Jiali nodded slowly.
“I will send men to the Martial Command Bureau right away! I’ll arrest all involved and interrogate them!”
“No need, Magistrate Sun!” At that moment, Cheng Yaojin entered from outside the courtyard. “I’ve already reported this matter to His Majesty! Soon, the Martial Command Bureau will be apprehended. Just wait here!”
At noon.
The sun blazed overhead, scorching the earth.
Li Zhi prepared a dish of chilled snow pears, savoring each bite with great pleasure.
Zhao Wu, Captain of the Valorous Cavalry Guards, escorted more than a hundred prisoners to the county office.
“Greetings, Prince of Jin!”
“No need for formality!”
Zhao Wu bowed and reported, “Your Highness, these are the captains of the Martial Command Bureau. All have been arrested and brought to the county office! His Majesty instructed that Your Highness and Magistrate Sun should interrogate them, then report to the Imperial Library!”
“Understood!”
Li Zhi glanced outside and saw over a hundred captains from the Martial Command Bureau detained.
“Thank you, General Zhao. Take them to the cells in the back.”
“Yes, sir!”
After Zhao Wu left,
Cheng Yaojin said, “Among the sixteen divisions of the Southern Office, Zhao Wu’s Valorous Cavalry Guards are the strongest!”
“They’re skilled in martial arts as well!”
“He’s truly a rare young talent! Your Highness should cultivate a relationship with him—it can only be beneficial!” Cheng Yaojin advised.
“How does he compare to you?” Li Zhi asked.
“Uh...” Cheng Yaojin’s face darkened instantly. “Your Highness, must you compare everything to me? I’m a veteran who’s roamed the battlefield for half my life. This is an insult!”
“Hahaha, just joking!” Li Zhi laughed casually.
The members of the Martial Command Bureau were handed over to Sun Jiali for further interrogation.
Li Zhi, meanwhile, found himself with leisure and said to Cheng Yaojin, “With Magistrate Sun handling the case, we needn’t worry. General, do you want to visit the Eastern Market?”
“Certainly!”
The Eastern Market was located in the eastern part of Chang’an, free from curfew restrictions and brightly lit through the night.
In this sense...
The Eastern and Western Markets were the most bustling areas in Chang’an!
Many traveling merchants preferred to go there.
“Why does Your Highness suddenly want to visit the Eastern Market? Is there something you wish to buy?” Luo Tong asked.
“You guessed right! I want to purchase some ingredients to prepare for the Culinary God Tournament. The Eastern Market should have them, right?” Li Zhi made up a story.
He could only use yellow clay for the tournament—what use were ingredients?
His true purpose was to hunt for treasures!
In ancient times, treasures were everywhere!
Artifacts from the Shang, Qin, Han dynasties—all existed, yet no one collected them.
Such a waste!
While no one cared, he’d quickly gather a batch and profit greatly in the future!
The Eastern Market.
People streamed back and forth, forming a river of humanity.
Cheng Yaojin placed his hands on his hips and said, “Here, people from all walks of life gather—utter chaos! Fights, brawls, troublemakers—they happen daily. Yet, the authorities rarely intervene.”
“Why?”
“Have the authorities become mere ornaments?” Li Zhi and Luo Tong asked in unison.
“Not quite!” Cheng Yaojin explained, “There are over a million people in Chang’an, with nearly half in the Eastern and Western Markets—many don’t even have permanent residences. At sunrise, they enter the city to sell goods; at sunset, they leave. With such a massive, transient population, it’s hard for the authorities to manage in detail. As long as no one loses their life, they prefer not to interfere!”
“I see!”
Though itinerant vendors brought chaos to Chang’an, they also brought convenience.
Weighing both sides,
It seemed reasonable.
...
...
On the streets of the Eastern Market, many vendors had stalls. Li Zhi walked over to take a look. “Tang’s farming tools are too outdated. Someday, I must improve them!”
“Farming tools? What’s there to improve?” Cheng Yaojin snorted, pointing to the distance. “Your Highness, the ingredients you want are over there...”
“No rush!”
Since he was here, he’d certainly explore thoroughly.
Li Zhi resembled a child, bounding and skipping off elsewhere.
Luo Tong followed closely.
Cheng Yaojin chased after them. “Your Highness, be careful!”
“Passersby, don’t miss out! Genuine tiger skin, only one hundred Kaiyuan coins, guaranteed authentic!”
“Brooms for sale—good quality, reasonable price!”
“All kinds of weapons available!”
...
The shouts of vendors filled the air, catching Li Zhi’s attention.
He spotted a bronze short sword and rushed over. “Boss, how much for this bronze sword?”
“Young master, you have a keen eye! This bronze sword is a relic from the Qin dynasty—said to have been used by Emperor Qin Shi Huang himself, priceless! Just now, a buyer offered three hundred thousand, but I didn’t sell. Since you and I are kindred spirits, I’ll let you have it for fifty Kaiyuan coins. What do you think?”
A bronze sword supposedly worth three hundred thousand, sold for fifty?
Such a price difference!
Li Zhi was still stunned...
Cheng Yaojin snorted, “Old man, are you trying to trick our young master?”
“You dare ask fifty coins for this broken sword?”
Luo Tong picked up the sword, examined it, and tossed it back on the board. “A worthless sword—wouldn’t take it even if it were free! At most, five coins... You’re a swindler; your price is outrageous!”
“Uh...” The sword seller was embarrassed!
In the Tang dynasty, bronze swords were less useful than ordinary iron swords. With advances in sword-making, iron swords were tougher and sharper, favored by swordsmen.
No one used bronze swords anymore.
Their value had plummeted.
“Five coins... that’s far too little. Young master, please look carefully at this bronze sword—it’s truly a treasure! If you’re willing to pay ten coins, I’ll sell it to you!”
“Deal!” Li Zhi agreed without hesitation.
“Luo Tong, pay him!”
“But...” Luo Tong hesitated, then protested, “Young master, please look carefully—this is just a broken sword, not a treasure!”
“I know!” Li Zhi weighed the bronze sword in his hand. “It’s not a treasure, but it’s useful to me! Besides, the old man is pitiful—at his age, he’s still out here doing business. Giving him ten coins is a good deed for the day.”