The envoys and retainers set off on time the next day, transported the goods to Hangu Pass by boat at the post station, and then loaded the car from Hangu Pass, and went straight to Daliang. According to the rules, they traveled all the way, and every time they went to a county seat, they would show the festival symbols, visit the county officials, and arrange free accommodation and food. Five days later, the convoy arrived at the confinement center, and after completing the formalities, the guard arranged for them to stay in the pavilion. After dinner, the messenger quietly appeared in the pavilion, and the retainers, disguised as him, immediately changed their clothes with him, and the whole convoy did not make a wave, as if nothing had happened.

At night, the pavilion suddenly burst into flames, and in the firelight, the post keeper screamed in despair: "The fire is on, save quickly!" But there was no sound soon.

The sky-high flames were discovered by the guards of the city, and the drums were immediately beaten. It was a wilderness where the Wei clan hunted, and there were no inhabitants except for guards and a few maintenance personnel. In the middle of the night, Lieutenant Yu finally dispatched a hundred soldiers out of the city to fight the fire, but the pavilion had been burned to ruins!

Yu Zhong reported the fire to Da Liang, who learned that among the dead were Qin envoys, and immediately reported to the crown prince, and it was already early afternoon. The prince was shocked when he heard this: the messenger he had just met with him yesterday, and when he saw that he was mysterious, he was a little accused of making a fuss, but today there was bad news. The prince felt that he had unconsciously fallen into a political whirlpool, unfathomable!

Before he had time to think carefully, the prince informed the messenger who had come to report that he would immediately go to the prison to inspect it, and asked him to send someone to accompany him. After the Wei envoy left, the prince immediately called the young master, the five doctors and the public attendant, and arranged for himself to go to the prison to inspect in person, and on the other hand, asked the five doctors to send ten people to Xianyang to report the annihilation of the mission. The reason why ten people were sent was to be on guard that if someone attacked on the road, it would also ensure that the news could reach Xianyang.

When the envoy arrived, the crown prince set out with fifty retinues, leaving one attendant to guard the house. The five hundred Wei soldiers who were responsible for guarding the prince also formed a team at the same time, and went out to guard the four guards, surrounding the prince's convoy of fifty people.

After the prince left, the prince immediately returned the ten swordsmen and explained to them the news to Xianyang, and the ten swordsmen changed and left in turn.

From Liangxiyi to the thirty-mile road in the middle of the road, the car will arrive at a while. The guards and lieutenants were already waiting in front of the pavilion that had been burned to ruins, and the scene of the fire in the pavilion had also been surrounded and guarded by Wei soldiers, and no idle people were allowed to enter.

Accompanied by the guard, lieutenant and envoys, the prince and his entourage of 50 people entered the pavilion site, 10 people followed the prince, 10 people dispersed to the surrounding area to guard, and 10 people entered the fire site to explore. The remaining twenty remained ten paces away, ready to be dispatched. Because they knew that the prince and they came to explore the site and look for suspicious signs, the guards did not stop the exploration of the Qin people, but only sent people to follow them, and they were not allowed to move around.

Ten bodies were placed side by side in the courtyard, and there were no traces of death anymore. The corpse had been charred and dehydrated, and it was no longer possible to make out who was who. The three attendants watched the ten corpses very carefully, taking notes on the wooden slabs from time to time.

The prince said: "Where is the goods?" ”

With a regretful expression, he said, "All destroyed by the ashes!" ”

A Wei pawn led an entourage to a corner of the main room, and some burnt pearls could still be faintly seen in the ashes. The lieutenant held a copper belt hook and said, "But this thing is still alive through the fire, and I would like to return it!" ”

One of his attendants took the copper belt hook from the prison guard and handed it to the prince. The prince took it, and there were traces of burning on the belt hook, which was slightly deformed, but the basic style was still there. The prince stepped in and asked as he walked, "Where is the poster?" Can I get advice? ”

The guard said regretfully: "The post officer also lost the sea of fire, and there was no corpse in his body." ”

The prince raised his eyebrows with interest and said, "Is it possible to obtain?" ”

Led by a Wei pawn, the prince and his entourage came to the corpse of the post officer, and sure enough, it was burned beyond recognition. An attendant stepped forward to investigate, but was stopped by Wei Pawn. The prince looked at the confinement guard suspiciously, and the confined guard said: "The deceased of the city dare not work with the power of the great country. ”

The prince said: "The post official has lived in the pavilion for a long time, and he knows the water and fire, and his death is also unusual, and it should be tested!" ”

The lieutenant interjected: "How can the Wei people allow the Qin people to probe!" ”

Shou shouted: "Rude! You have to be rude to the prince! The lieutenant hurriedly bowed.

Confined to the guard: "Wei people are rude to teach less, and I wish the prince to stay away." With a slap of the head, let the prince go elsewhere. When the prince saw that the two of them were both literate and martial, he would not allow himself to explore, nor would he insist, so he waved his hand to his entourage, and followed the prison guard to other places.

The area of the fire was not large, and it was quickly completed. Yu Zhongshou repeatedly apologized, and said that he had written to the king of Wei and asked for a heavy punishment. Now the prince is here, dare to ask for punishment!

Naturally, the prince could not be punished, but said: "I am willing to investigate his responsibility and show mercy to the deceased!" “

The envoy stepped forward and said, "Xinlingjun will be able to get to the bottom of this case in person." It is rewarded, and it will not dare to be less! “

The prince said: "In this way, I would like to receive the friendship of the king!" “

After surveying the scene of the fire, the prince ordered ten people to be retained. There was a lack of coffins in the confinement, and the prince said: "It is ten sons, all of whom are ordered by the king to enter the Liang, die in the mission, and die in battle." ”

Beginning with the crown prince, each of the fifty men took off his coat and wrapped it around the charred corpse; Looking for the guards to borrow a plow and a water jug, on a mound not far from the post, fifty people worked together to dig a wide cave and bury the ten people in the same hole. He erected a high sealed soil, found a door panel that was not yet complete from the pavilion, and wrote on it with coke "The Tomb of the Ten Dead Men of Qin Dafu Mo and Others". At that time, the remnant sun was like blood, shooting out of the heavy clouds, and all the Qin people gathered in front of the tomb, offering water as wine; Finally, under the guidance of the crown prince, the Qin people sang "No Clothes" together: "How can it be said that there are no clothes? with the Son. Wang Yuxingshi, repair my spear. Enmity with the Son! How can you say that you have no clothes? With the Son. Wang Yuxingshi, repair my spear halberd. Work with the son! How can you say that you have no clothes? with the Son. Wang Yuxingshi, repair my armor soldiers. Walk with the son! "One sigh and three songs, for a long time.

Before the singing was finished, the young master suddenly lost control, fell to the ground, and cried bitterly. The others didn't know what to say, thinking that the young master was grieving excessively and had lost self-control, so they stepped forward to persuade and help the old man up. Only the prince didn't say a word and watched coldly.

After the simple funeral was over, the prince and his entourage returned to the pavilion, and the Wei soldiers were still guarding outside, surrounding the Qin people in the middle until they entered the post.

As soon as the prince entered the pavilion, the remaining attendant came over to report that a retainer had escaped from the confinement post and returned to the pavilion! The prince was overjoyed, and immediately ordered him to be sent to his room, and the others separately summarized what they had seen, and the young master presided over it.

When he entered his room, he had not yet changed his clothes, and one of them followed, quickly closed the door, and fell to the ground, crying bitterly.

The prince sat down and said, "Don't be sad, doctor, and be detailed. ”

This person is the messenger who rushed to the pavilion last night, Doctor Qin Mo. After not seeing him all night, Qin Mo described him as haggard, and almost completely changed into a person.

Qin Mo said: "The prince forgives the sins of his ministers. I really don't know that there is such a catastrophe! ”

The prince said: "In the midst of all difficulties, get out, the doctor has to work!" What happened at night, but ten people did their best, and no one resisted it? ”

Qin Mo said: "I'm afraid that there is medicine in dinner, and all the ministers sleep peacefully, although there is something to do, there is no way to save it." The ministers returned a little late, and they did not get food, but they had to escape. ”

The prince said: "How can you get rid of it? ”

Qin Mo said: "He entered the pavilion, although he stepped lightly, it was not silent. The minister woke up, he had arrived at the door, kicked it open with his foot, and the three of them should be one, and covered his mouth and nose on the table, and he retreated in despair. I retreated, but I escaped by the window, and fortunately escaped with my life. ”

The prince said: "Why didn't you make up for the makeup seat?" ”

Qin Mo said: "The minister is not in the column, and he is not seated." The retainers wanted to let themselves sit in the ministers, but the ministers did not allow it, and they lay alone under the window, but fortunately they died. And the retainers were harmed by him. ”

The prince said: "Those who are kind to their subordinates will be blessed." ”

Qin Mo said: "The minister doesn't dare to be alone, and he is willing to follow suit." ”

The prince said: "The doctor is good at leaving a useful body for the country!" ”

Qin Mo choked up and said, "I would like to follow the prince's orders!" ”

The prince also wanted to ask about the details of the incident, but Qin Mo couldn't recall it in detail, and as soon as he recalled it, his face showed pain. The crown prince knew that these retainers were Qin Mo's henchmen, and their friendship with them was not shallow, and it was by no means an ordinary master-servant relationship, so he was no longer reluctant, comforted him for a while, and let him rest. Alone indoors, quietly recalling the whole story and the major background behind it, thinking about his own countermeasures. Strategically, the opponent's arrangement has completely failed: first, he has not been able to prevent the Empress Dowager's comments from being conveyed to the crown prince; Second, killing people has failed to cut the grass and eradicate the roots. When a politician tries to cover himself by killing people, his political career has basically come to an end, and he is only left with a dying struggle. So although the prince feels that the crisis is around him, he is full of fighting spirit! The black hand behind it will soon be revealed.

There was a sound of footsteps in front of the prince's door, and a swordsman opened the door and said, "The young master and the five doctors are waiting to worship the prince." ”

There are no lights in the room. The prince stood up, went to the door, told the swordsmen to put the cordon farther away, and conversed with the ministers in front of the door in the twilight light: the prince sat inside the threshold, and the young master, the five doctors, and the three attendants sat on the ground outside the threshold.

The prince said: "What do you see? ”

A public attendant said: "The ministers carefully inspected his corpse, although he was burned and curled up, but he was lying on his back, and there was no fighting to catch it." It was burned after his death, but he died in the fire. ”

A public attendant said: "Looking at the fire, the fire in each room starts from the inside and extends to the outside of the wall. Is there something that is lost in every room, and there is no way to save it? They will also set fire from the house! ”

The five doctors said: "So the matter is very clear. The thieves entered the house and killed the ministers, and burned the corpses to destroy the traces, in order to get away with it. ”

The prince said, "Who can do this?" ”

The five doctors said: "This is the realm of Wei, the land is close to the beam, and the powerful one of Wei is also." ”

The prince said: "The cost of destroying these ten sons is not small, what is the meaning?" ”