Chapter 4: Corpse Cage
The tenth day of the first lunar month, the hour of midnight.
The streets of the inner city had already been secretly filled with spies, waiting for strange things to happen. The spies were not told the exact characteristics of their targets, they only knew that they might be carrying a shoulder pole and pretending to be a Zoroastrian monk, or someone else in other costumes, who might appear in places like the Censorate, Kaifeng Prefecture, the Shangshu Province, or the Dali Temple to perform magic or spread nursery rhymes.
These places were not far from the inner city, either on the east and west sides of the Imperial Street or on the north and south banks of the Bian River, all within the small area of the inner city. However, the spies endured the cold wind until midnight, when the bustling crowd gradually dispersed, and there were no people on the streets. No one jumped out to spread rumors or do other strange things.
Bao Zheng was stationed outside Xihua Gate, in the courtyard to the north of the military camp in front of the palace. This was the backyard of the most inconspicuous and cold government office in the inner city - the Military Head Introduction Office.
After sitting there for a whole night without any response, the person waiting became anxious and could not resist the sleepiness any more, so he had to sleep in the back room.
As soon as he fell down, he had a nightmare. In the dream, a skeleton was hanging cross-legged three feet above his head, making a terrible laugh, not an ordinary laugh, but a kind of clacking sound, like an unoiled spinning machine turning.
At noon in the morning, Bao Zheng was awakened by the sound of night watchmen outside. He got up and asked his subordinates, but no secret report had been submitted all night. It seemed that he had waited in vain.
He stood up and drank a cup of cold tea, and continued to look through yesterday's witness testimonies, looking for doubts that might have been missed. Half of the testimonies were asked by himself, and the other half were asked by Xu Chong, the personal military officer. Xu Chong was the military officer who answered questions fluently at the scene yesterday. He was originally a junior officer in Luzhou Road. He happened to come to the capital on official business. He was considered a stranger with no connection to the local government, and was picked up by Shi Quanbin to serve Bao Zheng.
All these testimonies came from thirteen people who saw the demon rising into the sky the night before yesterday, including five adults and eight children. Their testimonies were both written and pictorial. These old Baos had seen it many times, and they all said the same thing, which showed that they all saw the same thing.
He couldn't help scratching his head. The truth seemed to be more complicated than he thought. These testimonies did vaguely point to the absurd things in the underworld, which was what he could not tolerate the most. However, he could not find any useful clues at the scene to overturn the testimonies. He once thought that there might be a skeleton hanging by some ropes, and the person who manipulated everything should be hiding in the jujube tree. But now it was winter, and the bare trees obviously could not hide people. Moreover, the cloud did not go straight up and down, but went towards the palace. Especially the man named Li Dadan, who passed over his head. People often say: There are ghosts and gods three feet above your head. Could it be true?
"Could it be that there is really a demonic magic?" A thought suddenly popped up in his mind. But after a moment, he immediately found it ridiculous. How easily believe the words of a few naughty boys and fools? If the person behind the scenes couldn't even deceive them, how could he plot a rebellion? If he was at the scene, he would probably be able to see through the mystery.
Just as I was thinking about it, Yang Wei De came in from outside with a few booklets under his arm.
"Mr. Bao, you look so energetic?" Yang Wei De saluted. He couldn't see the complexion of Bao Zheng, who had a sullen face, so he just flattered him randomly.
"Did Yang Shaoqing gain anything?"
"Last night I was at home searching for the notes my father left behind when he investigated the Hat Monster thirty years ago. I found several drawings based on the testimony."
"Oh, thank you for your help."
Yang Wei De unfolded a few pieces of paper on the table, on which were drawn eyewitness pictures of the hat monster incidents that occurred several times in the eastern and western capitals in the second year of Tianxi.
"Please look, sir. This was drawn by people who witnessed the hat monster entering the capital in May. This was drawn by several people who witnessed the hat monster entering the capital in June. This was drawn by people who witnessed the hat monster appearing in Yingtianfu in July."
Bao Zheng carefully looked at the three pictures. They looked very similar in appearance. They really looked like the Fanyang bamboo hat worn by the infantry, but without the tassel. Bao Zheng took out the picture he had drawn yesterday based on the testimonies of the witnesses in Yulin Street. After comparing the four pictures, they were surprisingly quite similar. He dared not say whether this picture book from thirty years ago was induced or swapped. Yesterday, this picture book was signed by all the dozen witnesses. The fingerprints were right under the picture book.
"Yang Shaoqing, in your opinion, could it be the hat monster from thirty years ago?"
"I dare not say for sure. But since there is a hat demon in the prophecy, the main messenger must want to make a connection."
"According to the order of the nursery rhyme, the so-called hero's tomb mentioned in the first sentence is tentatively the grave of Shan Xiongxin. The hat monster in the second sentence entered the deep palace, which did happen. The third sentence, the concubine died early, also came true. How could this thief's calculations be so accurate?"
"I don't know either. But the previous ones are useless. Let's see when the fourth line, 'the wronged souls are piled up in the cage', will come true?"
"Yes, but no one reported any abnormality in the death row cells of the government offices last night. The death row prisoners who were sentenced to death last year were all executed in the autumn. There were only six prisoners executed in the three prisons. I have also read the files of these six people, and they are not implicated in the rebellion against Wang Ze in Beizhou."
"Don't be discouraged, my husband. Maybe it's just a matter of time."
"time?"
"It is now known that the fifth line of the prophecy of the dragon swallowing Fu Guang and bowing its head will happen on the second day of next month. Therefore, the events of the fourth line that happen before this date will also be considered as fulfillment of the prophecy."
"That does make sense." Bao Zheng nodded reluctantly.
"If it has not happened by the second day of the second month, or if the sky is overcast and the people of the capital cannot see the solar eclipse, the power of this prophecy will have diminished by 70% to 80%, and the crisis will have passed."
Bao Zheng didn't know why Lao Yang could think so lazily, although what he said was not wrong.
"Yang Shaoqing, you and I have responsibilities, how can we take chances?"
"I am just making this assumption, but I will never take it lightly."
"Okay ," Bao Zheng waved his hand to let the deputy Yu Hou Xu rush over, "What's the rumor outside?"
"Since the night before yesterday, rumors have spread everywhere. There are rumors in all parts of the capital, and even the tile houses are making up stories."
"Make up a story?"
"Yes, in fact, there were stories about the hat monster eating people during the Tianxi period a few years ago. One of the most famous stories is called "Wang Sizhong's Three Golden Arrows Suppressed the Hat Monster." It's just that no one has told the story for a long time. Last night, someone in the West Market dug out an old book to tell the story. Guess what? It was so popular that it was hard to get a seat. The outside of the dungeon was packed with people."
"Does the listener look panicked?"
"We watched carefully in the dark, but no one was alarmed. They just thought it was a strange story. Many people were not satisfied after listening to it, and continued to imitate it in the tavern, telling their friends in a vivid way."
"People's hearts are still at peace?" Bao Zheng laughed bitterly. This could be considered good news.
"Yang Shaoqing, in your opinion, how should the prophecy after the fifth sentence be interpreted? If you can understand it, you can seize the initiative."
"I have also pondered over it for a whole night. Although the meaning of "Swallowing the Light and Bowing to the True Dragon" is obscure, but compared with Shen Kuo's calculation of the solar eclipse, it should be the solar eclipse on the second day of the second month. As for the sixth sentence: "The hidden fire dog shakes the country", its meaning is still unclear. But the seventh sentence: "The Huo Dou in the wine and food are in conflict", the Huo Dou and the fire dog should be the same thing. The so-called Huo Dou Star Lord is actually a fire dog, who is responsible for setting fires in the human world."
"If the Fire Dog and the Wrath Fighter are the same thing, then the shaking of the country and the conflict over wine and food should also have the same meaning?"
Bao Zheng reacted quickly and thought of a profound question.
"Zunzuzhechou means winning without fighting. If it is in contrast to the shaking of the country, it may mean..."
Yang Wei De didn’t dare to say the following words, or at least he didn’t want to say them himself.
"Is it implying that there will be a palace rebellion, and someone wants to win without fighting and take over?"
"Perhaps."
Bao Zheng pondered for a moment and realized that this topic should not be further discussed.
"What about the phrase 'Ghost Heroes, Groups of Monsters, Leaders'?' Shaoqing Yang, do you have any advice for me?"
"This sentence is the most difficult to understand. The ghost hero, the group of monsters, and the general are unrelated to each other. It is really not easy to guess the intention."
"So, is the King Ze's glory in the sky just a hint that Wang Ze will be reborn?"
"It not only hints at Wang Ze's rebirth, but also has a deeper and more sinister intention."
"Is it this word?"
"Exactly."
"I only know that this character was created by Wu Zetian. Before she ascended the throne, she gave herself the name Wu Zetian to enhance her female power."
"That's right. Wang Ze's rebellion started with Maitreya Buddhism, and Wu Zetian claimed to be the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha, so Wang Ze once told the believers that he was the reincarnation of Wu Zetian, and there should be a "ze" in his name. It is said that Wang Ze often appeared in front of the public in women's clothing, claiming to be neither a shepherd nor a female, which was quite bewitching."
"From this perspective, this nursery rhyme is closely related to Maitreya Buddhism."
"But when the character was first created, there were several interpretations. It could be interpreted as the name Wu Zetian, or it could be interpreted as the sun and the moon in the sky, with yin and yang in harmony. In addition, there is a partial interpretation, which is not to separate the sun and the moon, but to interpret it as just the light in the sky."
“Isn’t Ming the light?”
"That's right. When you make this interpretation, there is a strange light in the sky that is neither the sun nor the moon. This kind of dazzling light is the same as shining." Yang Wei De took a piece of paper and a pen and wrote the word 'shining' on the paper.
"It seems that the mystery lies in this word trick."
"That's right. That's why, from ancient times to the present, whenever a prophecy comes out, it always takes precedence because it seems to be true but not true. It's not easy to guess the meaning of the prophecy in advance."
Bao Zheng remained silent. It seemed that he had to accept the fact that the enemy was in the dark and had the upper hand.
From now on, the only thing their temporary government office can do is to wait.
From this day on, Concubine Zhang performed the funeral ceremony with the rites for a queen, and a month of national mourning was scheduled to end on the eighth day of the next month. The city of Bianliang temporarily put a stop to its former peace and prosperity, and the fourth prophecy never came true.
The capital was immersed in a peaceful agitation. People were waiting for something to happen with mixed feelings. When the people in the city talked about the hat monster, they were mostly excited, but not panicked. It was probably because entertainment was prohibited during the national mourning period, and the Lantern Festival was also not allowed. It was really boring, so having such a thing as a topic of conversation was better than nothing.
It’s the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the White Bone Demon and the nursery rhymes he left behind are still the main topic of conversation in the city of Bianjing after dinner.
Unlike Yang Wei De, who just hoped nothing would happen, Bao Zheng was troubled by the enemy's silence, which meant there were no further clues. Now he could only send spies to the streets to collect intelligence.
The conspiracy planners and the Song Dynasty court have started gambling. The outcome is still unknown, but the underground gambling houses set the odds to decide the winner every day. The folk gambling game only bets on one thing: will the monster appear today? Every noon, the gambling house sells two kinds of lottery chips. The short lottery represents that the hat monster will not appear that day, called "one"; the long lottery represents that the hat monster will appear today, called "old". Each lottery chip costs 100 coins. At 9 o'clock every day, depending on whether the hat monster appears or not, the winner can be exchanged for 170 coins. Some people don't care about the length of the lottery, just draw lots and buy any lottery chips to try their luck.
Although the gambling houses survived under the strict prohibition of the government, they firmly stood on the side of the court. Xu Chong obtained information: the banker only bets on the first number, while the players can do as they please.
Bao Zheng also paid attention to information every day, including changes in the stalls. Three days ago, a buy ticket could be exchanged for 170 wen, but in recent days it could only be exchanged for 120 wen. The pragmatism of the common people was indeed impressive.
Lao Bao guessed that the secret opponents should also be collecting betting data from the game to assess the direction of people's hearts after the first phase of the operation. The general public is still just a spectator who likes to watch the fun and does not mind the trouble. They have no idea that they have been involved in this conspiracy, and how they are ultimately involved will determine the fate of the empire.
Yang Wei De would report to the Military Headquarters outside Xihua Gate every day, pretend to ask questions to the detectives, then walk around the yard with his hands behind his back, as if thinking about something. He was nowhere to be found at lunch. Wen Yanbo only sent his servants to come a few times, and he asked for leave saying that he was feeling uncomfortable all over. He has been missing since the investigation began.
