Chapter 232: The Real Culprit
Liu Qingfeng’s face suddenly turned as black as thunder. The more he emphasized the army provision would not self-ignite, the more Murong Xue insisted it did. It was obvious that this detestable girl was deliberately striking up a discordant tune.
“Since Miss Murong clings to the opinion that the army provisions could self-ignite, could you please show me how it worked?” Liu Qingfeng glanced at her with contempt.
Murong Xue chuckled, regardless of his sneer. “Of course!” She snatched some provision with her soft hand and sprayed it on Liu Qingfeng’s shoulder abruptly.
With a thundering “boom”, the provision caught fire instantly. Numerous flames leaped violently on Liu Qingfeng’s shoulder.
Greatly stunned, he hastened to flap his shoulder to extinguish the fire, but to his surprise, it turned increasingly fierce, even spreading to his sleeve in a very short time.
“Help!” Liu Qingfeng let out a scream.
“Coming, sir!” Following his order, the guards rushed forward to launch heavy punches at Liu Qingfeng’s shoulder. With the dull thumps resounding in the air, sharp pain spread to his shoulder and arm.
Liu Qingfeng gritted his teeth in pain, trying his best to keep silent in fear of embarrassing himself. His eyes were wide open, his face crimson with blue veins revealed on his forehead, which showed the excruciating pain he was enduring…
Murong Xue slightly curved up her lips. Though not intending to put her finger in another pie, she had to lend a hand this time, merely because it was about the army provisions to Nanjiang. As the saying goes, during the battle, the food and fodder should go ahead of the troops and horses. Murong Ye on the battlefield was in great need for the provision. If she couldn’t figure out the reason for the self-ignition, besides staying hungry at the front, Murong Ye would highly likely be beheaded for losing the battle…
As stubborn as Officer Liu was, he insisted that the provision would not self-ignite no matter what Murong Xue said. So, this was the only way to unravel the truth…
With the fire on Liu Qingfeng’s shoulder and arm extinguished, his stately uniform was dotted with several holes, his official cap tilted to one side.
With the smell of scorching lingering around his nose, he gave Murong a piercing stare, his face livid with anger. “What happened on earth? Why did the provision combust spontaneously?”
“There was phosphorus hidden inside,” Murong Xue said emphatically, her gaze filled with sullenness.
Phosphorus? What was that? Everyone present stared at each other in confusion.
“The phosphorus is very easy to self-ignite. As long as it gets to the flare point by being exposed to the sun, it will self-ignite immediately…” Murong Xue explained in a gentle voice.
Seemingly enlightened, officer Yuan said in a hurry, “The provision caught fire at noon, the hottest time during the day…”
Liu Qingfeng fixed his indifferent gaze on Murong Xue. “You mean there was phosphorus hidden inside?”
“Exactly!” Murong Xue nodded. “Since it’s summer now, the phosphorus hidden in the provision is very easy to get to the flare point, thus igniting the dry provision…”
She set the provision mixed with the phosphorus on Liu Qingfeng’s shoulder just because he was standing in the sunshine at that time…
“Why would such a thing exist in the army provisions?” Liu Qingfeng knitted his eyebrows.
“You should ask those with the chance to approach it!” Murong Xue said in a low voice with a meaningful stare.
Liu Qingfeng shot a piercing stare at Officer Yuan before asking coldly, “What else do you want to explain?”
“I know nothing about it, including the phosphorus mentioned by Miss Murong …” Officer Yuan tried to justify himself hurriedly.
Liu Qingfeng snorted. “Stop quibbling! You were responsible for escorting army provision, which caught fire seven or eight days after leaving the capital. You should be held accountable…”
“I promise I knew nothing about the phosphorus…” Officer Yuan retorted at once with a frown. “It’s I who was responsible for escorting the provision. Putting the phosphorus inside would be no different from digging my own grave…”
“Even if it were not you, it must have been somebody else in your army…” Liu Qingfeng snorted with contempt.
“Is there a spy in my troops?” Officer Yuan’s eyes were gleaming with hatred.
“Perhaps not…” Murong Xue seized handfuls of provision and examined carefully. “Given the same degree to which it was burned, the culprit must have sprayed the phosphorus evenly. If it was done by someone in the army, the top layer would have been destroyed completely with the lowest layer intact, because he merely had time to spray it on the top hastily.”
“So, you’re saying that…? Officer Liu squinted.
“The provision was mixed with the phosphorus before bagging. Officer Liu should interrogate the barn keepers. In that way, perhaps you can catch the real culprit…” Murong Xue murmured, her gaze as cold as ice.
Officer Liu squinted, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. If it were one of the barn keepers, the situation would be a little complicated…
“Take the barn keepers here as soon as possible. All the citizens should witness the interrogation outside the hall. If suspects appear, bring them to me at once!”
“Yes, sir!” The guards took his order and hurried out.
Before long, the director, the deputy, and the keepers were brought to the hall, standing in two rows.
The guards came up before reporting with great respect, “Officer, all the people related to the barn have been brought here.”
Responding emotionlessly, Liu Qingfeng caught a glimpse of one of the keepers with his sharp eyes before turning to the director. “Was it them who bagged the provision sent to Nanjiang?”
“Yes, sir,” The director answered calmly.
Liu Qingfeng nodded before running his eyes over the keepers for a good while with no idea of who the suspect was. He wondered whether Murong Xue could sense something questionable.
Looking askance at Murong Xue, he saw her walk among them slowly and finally stop next to someone.
He was a plain-looking guy with his hands dangling beside his body.
Murong Xue forced a smile gracefully. “It was you who put the phosphorus in the provision.”
“I don’t understand what you are talking about!” He turned to Murong Xue in confusion.
Murong Xue seized his wrist suddenly and showed his hand to the public. “The inflammable phosphorus left a very slight smell on you and dyed your palm dark red.”