Firefly Journey

Chapter 256 Thunderous Sound from an Earthenware Pot (3)

The Lu family's reception room.

A large group of people, all dressed in fine clothes, gathered in the spacious room. They were all high-ranking officials and dignitaries from Yunzhou.

In the very center sat Lu Xianju, the patriarch of the Lu family. Among all the prominent families in Yunzhou, the Lu family was superior to the others, and the number of high-ranking officials in the Lu family was also far ahead of others.

Basically, the Lu family is the leading family among the prominent families of Yunzhou.

This banquet was initiated by Lu Xianju. Its purpose, of course, was to deal with the imperial envoy.

Lu Xianju originally thought that since some outsiders were arrogant and dared to mess with him, he should teach them a lesson, show them the rules, and let them know who the real kings and queens are in Yunzhou.

But to everyone's surprise, those two extraordinary individuals turned out to be imperial envoys sent by the Emperor. Now things were really awkward; the Emperor was just looking for something to use against you, and now it had come to you.

Lu Xianju acted decisively, selling Lu Huai to gain a brief respite.

However, their ugly faces have already been exposed to the imperial envoy. Judging from their appearance, they have completely offended him, and from now on, the Lu family will definitely not have a good life.

Therefore, he summoned the prominent families of Yunzhou to discuss and come up with a solution.

Among them, Wu Hao, the head of the Wu family, said, "Why not go all the way and make sure he can't leave Yunzhou? The reason given is that he was attacked by bandits."

Lu Xianju shook his head.

Why do you think they didn't bring guards?

Because if guards come along, it's highly likely that they will protect the guards, rather than being protected by them.

Extraordinary beings are the pinnacle of martial prowess in this world, capable of easily accomplishing things that ordinary people cannot.

How powerful must a bandit be to take them down?

That being said, I have the ability to take down superhumans, so I must be a superhuman myself. Why would I become a bandit? Am I out of my mind?

Moreover, the strength of the two is a mystery, but judging from the fact that Bai Shanzi and the other two were instantly killed, they must be quite strong. Even if you turn Yunzhou upside down, you might not be able to find any superhumans stronger than them.

The path of murder is destined to fail.

At this moment, an old man with rat-like whiskers said, "He is first and foremost a human being, and only then a provincial governor."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xianju suddenly understood and smiled knowingly.

"Brother Zhu, do you have any brilliant ideas?"

The old man with the rat-beard, Zhu Jinyun, stroked his beard and said, "Before coming to the banquet, I had already found out that the imperial envoy's surname was Duan and his given name was Feibai. His ancestral home was in my Yunzhou, in a small place called Qingzhu Town."

His father was Duan Tiexiong, a lieutenant in the rear guard, who died many years ago in the Battle of Kolumbutz.

Besides, he also has a mother at home, who, as far as I know, is currently staying in his hometown of Qingzhu Town.

"So you mean..." Lu Xianju squinted.

"Arrest his mother," Zhu Jinyun said. "I don't believe he'll dare not comply."

“Very well then, then regarding this matter…”

To be honest, this kind of thing is not honorable. Lu Xianju hesitated and was still thinking about having someone from among them come forward.

However, when the aristocratic families of Yunzhou suffer, your Tiger Head Lu family is the first to be affected, and the other aristocratic families are only second. At this time, you still want to play tricks. Who can't see through it?

For a moment, no one spoke.

Lu Xianju's wishes were dashed, and he couldn't care less about anything else. If he didn't take action soon, the Lu family would be in grave danger and face annihilation.

So he said in a deep voice, "Lian'er, did you understand what Uncle Zhu said just now?"

The middle-aged man who had been serving Lu Xianju took a step forward, nodded, and said, "I understand. I'll take care of it right away."

Lu Xianju smiled and glanced at the crowd below.

Everyone remained silent. It was best not to say anything about this; everyone could just keep it to themselves.

……

……

Green Pine Inn.

As the morning sun shone, Lin Yuanran and Duan Feibai left the inn and headed to the prefectural government office to examine the body.

During the journey, Lin Yuanran said, "Brother Duan, after yesterday, I suddenly felt a sense of unease."

Duan Feibai smiled: "What worries come from?"

Lin Yuanran said, "We have basically figured out the background of the Lu family. Although they are called a prestigious family, their behavior is no different from that of bandits."

"Since they're bandits, it's not surprising they'd use any despicable methods. We're alright, we're superhumans, but you still have family in Yunzhou."

Lin Yuanran hit the nail on the head, expressing his concerns.

What he considered, Duan Feibai, as a son, would not have overlooked.

"I've thought about it, no need to worry about it."

"Do not care?"

Lin Yuanran asked in confusion, "Aren't you worried about your mother?"

Duan Feibai explained with a smile, "You forgot, you met 'Twin Swords' Orlando in our Qingzhu Town."

Lin Yuanran instantly understood: "You've discussed it with him?"

"No."

"No?"

"Don't worry, since he came to Qingzhu Town, the town's security has improved a lot, so the problems you and I are worried about don't exist."

"Ok."

……

The two arrived at the yamen, and He Changqing was extremely cooperative, personally leading them to the morgue.

It's a tragedy, really. No matter how beautiful Gu Bingyan was in life, now she can only be placed with someone else, unable to be laid to rest. The whole room is filled with an unpleasant smell.

The coroner lifted the white cloth, revealing the body of a young woman.

Normally, a person who has been dead for a month would have already decomposed.

However, the State of Chu was so vast that there were always some unsolved cases. In many cases, the corpses, as direct evidence, needed to be carefully preserved before the facts of the case were clear.

At this point, extraordinary materials are needed to preserve the original appearance as much as possible.

Yunzhou is an important prefecture in Jiangnan Circuit, so it is quite normal for the Taiqian government office to have this kind of technology.

On the stage, Gu Bingyan closed her eyes, her smile serene. The marks of the beatings described by the witnesses had all disappeared after a month.

"Are you sure there are only signs of beating, and no wounds left by sharp weapons?" Duan Feibai asked.

The coroner had worked in the Yunzhou government office for many years and had seen many high-ranking officials and dignitaries, but this was the first time he had met an imperial envoy sent by the court, so he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

The coroner took a breath and said, "Reporting to you, sir, the deceased only had fist and foot injuries."

Duan Feibai had asked before and found that the coroner had no connection with the Lu family, so there was no deliberate concealment.

Of course, it's also possible that he hid it very well. However, the coroners in the major government offices had another working mechanism: when encountering major or unsolved cases, many coroners would examine the body together. They came from all over the country, some even being transferred from the capital, to ensure the highest possible credibility.

The coroner in front of us is a prime example.

Duan Feibai covered the body with a white sheet. He himself had no professional knowledge and couldn't figure it out. He knew that trying to find the cause of death by examining the body was not a viable approach.

"Interrogate Lu Huai," Duan Feibai said.

He Changqing complied and ordered the yamen runners to bring Lu Huai out of the jail.

The two, along with the officials from the prefectural government, arrived at the main hall. Duan Feibai, without any ceremony, sat directly in the main seat.

Taiqian is a major government office, and usually has a deputy position available for trial when needed.

Lin Yuanran and He Changqing stood on either side.

Before long, the yamen runners brought Lu Huai over, and the questioning began.