The supervision room of the palace is also divided into many workshops, there are small handicraft workshops for processing gold and silver jewelry, and there are also machine rooms for weaving silk products.

These craftsmen are also elites, all of whom are masters in various industries, and more than 100 people have all been gathered at this time.

Li Mi was also a little clueless, even if he made an unannounced visit, it was difficult to find the person who refined the asphalt in a short time, and now he had to gather everyone in one place.

These palace guards are also well-informed, but they have never seen anyone investigate a case like this, and they have found more than 100 people in this Wuyang, how can they find the murderer from them?

In the eyes of ordinary people, this kind of action has no effect at all except to startle the snake and scare the murderer away.

However, Li Mi did just that, and he was not untargeted, since he chose such a plan, Li Mi naturally had enough confidence.

After all, it's the middle of the night, and it's a cold winter, so people are getting up from bed, and everyone is a little annoyed, and these people are also quite resistant.

However, the palace guards are not something that these lowly craftsmen can resist, and they can only hang their heads one by one.

Li Mi asked them to line up in six rows, each row of about twenty people, and then walked around quickly, and everyone only paused for a few seconds before deciding where to stay or not.

It only took three or five minutes to go down this circle, and most of the more than 100 people were reduced by half, and those who left went back to rest, but those who stayed were a little nervous, because they had already heard that this Li Mi was invited by the prince to investigate the arson case!

These craftsmen don't matter, after all, they are all lowly people, and they are at the mercy of others like rootless duckweed, but the guards are different.

They don't recognize Li Mi's ability, seeing Li Mi so nonsense, making decisions entirely based on their own preferences, it's child's play!

The prince asked them to follow Li Mi, but not only to cooperate with Li Mi, but also to supervise Li Mi, this guard leader will inevitably be unable to hold back, and say to Li Mi.

"Master Li, I dare to ask, how do you judge whether these people are innocent, and on what basis do you decide whether they will stay or not?"

Li Mi had already sensed the dissatisfaction of the guard, and was about to explain, but Xiong Tingbi next to him was the first.

"The arsonist has done such a thing, and he can't get out of the palace, no matter how hard his mind is, he will not fall asleep at night, but always stay awake, pay attention to the progress of the case, and think about the next action."

"Therefore, those who are sleepy-eyed and drowsy are all heartless, lungs, and ghosts, and they are initially excluded, so that the scope of the investigation can be greatly narrowed."

As soon as Xiong Tingbi said this, the guard couldn't help but be surprised, and said in his heart that even the martial arts warrior beside Li Mi could see that he had no clue, and it was no wonder that people said that interlacing was like a mountain, although they were all dancing with guns and sticks, but they were not investigators, and they really didn't know how to look at things with their eyes.

However, he was still a little suspicious, and at this time he said to Li Mi: "This is just a preliminary screening, that is, those foolish worms have been brushed away, and there are still more than forty people present, how to select from them?" ”

Li Mi didn't speak, and it took a few more minutes, and he just walked in front of everyone, carefully observed for a moment, and then decided whether these people would stay or not.

This time, there were only about twenty people left, and half of them were brushed off!

The guards didn't dare to ask Li Mi again, turned to Xiong Tingbi and said, "Why is it this time?" ”

Xiong Tingbi didn't hide it from the guard, and explained to him: "The reason why Governor Li came to supervise the construction of the house is because asphalt was found in the thing that caused the fire, which is an auxiliary material for smelting and forging, and if you are not an insider, an outsider will not be able to know. ”

The guards were also abrupt, because he also knew that asphalt was rarely used by insiders, and there were few blacksmith shops in the entire Wuchang City, and only the superintendent of the palace could afford to use such materials.

After all, it is an auxiliary burning and forging, just like burning silver, how can an ordinary blacksmith shop afford it?

But what is the inevitable connection between the departure and stay of these people and asphalt?

Xiong Tingbi couldn't say why at this time, but he still said to the guard: "People who often forge hold a hammer all day long, and their palms must be covered with calluses, and those who weave and embroider all year round usually refer to the cocoons in the belly and the silkworm reeling silk, because they are often soaked in warm water, the wrinkles of the hands will be more serious......

"Lord Li must have ruled it out by observing everyone's palms."

Xiong Tingbi was not sure, the reason why he was able to come to this conclusion was because when Li Mi screened these people, his attention was focused on their hands, and even for individual people, he would grab the palm of the other party's hand and carefully observe it before deciding to stay.

Therefore, Xiong Tingbi came to the above inference based on this, and the janissary guard was also impressed, and now when he looked at Li Mi, his eyes were completely different.

However, Xiong Tingbi obviously did not say it right, or did not say it comprehensively and completely.

Li Mi turned his head and said to Xiong Tingbi: "What Brother Shibaoka said is not bad, but in addition to the cocoons on his hands, there is one detail to pay attention to, that is, their arms. ”

"Arms?" Xiong Tingbi was also a little confused, and at this time, he saw Li Mi pointing to the arm of a craftsman and explaining to Xiong Tingbi and the guard.

"In this smelting and forging room, you need to come into contact with the flaming iron juice, whether it is a furnace or a forging, it is inevitable that there will be sparks splashing, these iron stars will burn their arms, leaving spots and burn marks on their arms, if there are these traces, it means that they are from the smelting and forging room, and there is no need to be so troublesome to compare the roster."

When the guards heard this, they took a closer look, and the fact was that this was really the case, and they couldn't help but sigh in their hearts, these are obviously phenomena that are very easy to see in life, but they all ignored them, no wonder Li Mi was able to become a detective in Suzhou Mansion!

Not enough, he also found a problem, there are a few people whose arms are very white and clean, but they are still left by Li Mi, which is a bit puzzling.

"What Lord Li said is not unreasonable, but these people have no scars on their arms, why were they also left by Lord Li?"

When the three of them saw that the leader of the Praetorian Guard had pointed them out, they lowered their heads one by one, for fear that any slight movement or expression of their own would be enough to attract Li Mi's attention!

Li Mi walked up to the three of them and said with a slight smile: "If I'm not mistaken, the three should be the masters of the smelting room, right?" ”

The three of them immediately raised their heads and said to Li Mi in unison: "Yes." ”

The janissary was even more surprised, because he was on an errand in the palace, but even he didn't know that these three people were stall heads, why could Li Mi be able to see it?

Could it be that this Li Mi investigated the situation of the palace in advance, and privately spied on the internal affairs of the palace, which is not a good thing!

Thinking of this, the guards inevitably showed hostility towards Li Mi, Li Mi saw that the guards were not good, and subconsciously pressed the handle of the knife, shook his head and smiled bitterly, and said to the guard.

"Don't be nervous, the reason why these three arms are clean is because they wear leather gloves when they work, and you see, the front half of their forearms are white, but the rest of them are dark."

The Praetorian Guard was suspicious and pulled up the sleeve of the master, and the situation was really as Li Mi said!

However, he was also a little puzzled, and asked Li Mi: "This arm is protected by leather gloves, and it is understandable that there are no scars and no blackening, but why are they blacker than their arms?" ”

Li Mi looked at the master, and then patiently explained to the guards: "It is very hot in this smelting room in winter, whether it is a master or a junior apprentice, they will take off their clothes when they work. ”

"This is the first, if you don't take off your clothes, you will sweat profusely, your clothes will be wet and dry, you will be sick alternately, and you will be easy to get sick, and secondly, if you sparks are splashing, it is easy to ignite your clothes, and it is the safest way to take off your clothes, three masters, am I right?"

When the three masters heard Li Mi's words, they couldn't help but be surprised, because Li Mi's thin skin and tender flesh were clearly like an official, not like they had done such a lowly job, how could they know the details of the industry?

"Adults are knowledgeable and knowledgeable, and what they say is not bad." One of the masters should have seen some of the world, and at this time he also flattered Li Mi.

At this time, the guards were completely convinced of Li Mi, but there were still about twenty people left, and all the ones that could be used were used, so how should they continue to investigate?

Li Mi looked at the three foremen and said to them, "The ones who stayed are all from the smelting room, right?" ”

"Yes."

"Not bad?"

"Not a bad one."

"That's good, the official has something to ask you, if someone lies, the prince blames it, it's not as simple as rolling up the bed and getting out, do you understand?"

Li Mi's answer with this master, the guards also listened to it, he thought that Li Mi was just a preliminary screening, and there were some discrepancies in the end, but he didn't expect it to be not bad at all!

Those people listened to Li Mi's warning, and they also became cautious, and they didn't dare to breathe, because the fire in the palace had already spread, and Li Mi was clearly here to find the arsonists, they were just lowly people, if they didn't behave well, let Li Mi take it as a scapegoat, but they would be as wronged as June Feixue!

Seeing that these people understood, Li Mi didn't say more, but instructed them: "Put your hair up, it's really not decent." ”

When the guards drove them out of the bed, they didn't have time to tie their hair, and at this time their hair was scattered, which was really ugly.

Li Mi walked over again, let go of seven or eight people, and there were only about twelve people left on the scene.

"What is your lord doing this time?"

Li Mi smiled and explained to him, "You have all been exposed to asphalt, am I right?" ”

The foreman immediately nodded and said to Li Mi: "Exactly, I and the other twelve people are responsible for refining asphalt, so the old man is curious, how did the adults pick out our people one by one?" ”

Li Mi didn't explain, turned his head to Xiong Tingbi and said, "Brother Shibaoka knows the mystery of this?" ”

Xiong Tingbi didn't expect Li Mi to test him like this, but he was also a person who refused to admit defeat, so he immediately walked in front of these people, observed them back and forth two or three times, and checked their hands and feet according to Li Mi's train of thought, but in the end he still had no clue.

Li Mi saw that Xiong Tingbi was a little lost, and he no longer sold Guanzi, and was about to explain, but saw a young craftsman take a step forward and say to Li Mi.

"Refining asphalt will produce poisonous smoke, so we will cover our mouths and noses, and the fire will bake our faces, so the skin and flesh under our mouths and noses will be whiter than those above, besides, we will be tied with a cloth all day long, and there will be traces behind the ears and cheeks, and adults will not be able to see it, but they are afraid that it will be difficult to ......."

Li Mi couldn't help but be surprised, turned his head, and saw that the man was only a teenager, with clear eyes, black face and white teeth, and a square face, not like a flamboyant person.

"Who are you, how dare you talk nonsense!" The guard was also a little annoyed, and said that Lao Tzu was the guard next to the prince, and he was not as active as your craftsman's brain?

Xiong Tingbi looked at it again and again, but he couldn't see any clues, at this time, you, the craftsman, stood up and said this, where did everyone's face go?

However, this young man's next words shocked everyone!

"I'm the person you're looking for, and I set the fire in the Xitang!"