Since I met you, people are dying every day

In desperation, Ye Sirui blurted out: "Tang Lianggong is dead!?"

Ma Lu was also surprised, "The old man is dead?"

The guards looked at them in amazement, and Ye Sirui realized his impoliteness, stopped the horse house, and said: "I offended you, and I was also surprised. Mr. Tang is in his prime, how could it be..." He carefully worded his words while thinking about the guards. look.

The guards were not sad, only angry, "Master Tang was killed!"

"Who did it?" Ye Sirui was surprised again.

"Who knows, there are quite a few people who want to harm him." The guard muttered softly.They probably didn't care about Tang Lianggong's life or death, they just resented that someone dared to insult the state government.

After Ye Sirui announced his departure, he said nothing more.Because the prisoners were to be escorted, one or two prison carts were prepared, so Ye Sirui simply took the carriage.He opened the curtain and looked out, and couldn't help sighing, feeling depressed.He didn't have a deep friendship with Tang Lianggong, and he was even a little bored with this man, not to mention very sentimental, but once it was a farewell, he felt somewhat sighed in his heart.

This matter was related to the court officials, and it happened in Pu County where the state government is located. After the return trip, Ye Sirui had to run around to investigate and let the dead rest in peace.He caught a glimpse of Xia Tian passing by, flung down the curtain and leaned back on the back cushion.

The murders happened one after another, and they couldn't rest in one breath.Xia Shu still didn't give him any response.The carriage bumped, Ye Sirui leaned on the carriage with his arms folded regardless of his appearance.But from childhood to adulthood, he has experienced so many murders since he was a small county magistrate. How chaotic is the government and people's livelihood outside?It is said that except for the vassal king, the country will be peaceful and the people will be safe after His Majesty will rule personally, but six years have passed in a blink of an eye, why is it still like this?

He actually figured out a feeling of pity and compassion, and laughed for a while, and then thought of those skinny and dirty victims, and then silently looked serious.He gradually understood what Xia Shu wanted him to do: walk into those people, see their lives, and listen to their conversations. Only in this way can he know what those people are thinking.The children in Guishanli may be looking forward to reading and literacy, but the victims in Bing County only ask for a bite to eat.His loyalty to the country and the words of a sage from elementary school are just empty words for these desperate people.

What about Tang Lianggong?Did he understand?Ye Sirui recalled that when the inn caught fire, Tang Lianggong slapped him and scolded him for being sent to death. Before his son could be rescued, he came to ask him what to do with the food and lodging of those whose houses were burned down.At first he only complained about Tang Lianggong's reckless behavior, but now he slowly figured it out.The people Kong Taiping bribed included two acquaintances, judges, and officials, but not Tang Lianggong.Tang Lianggong is really old-fashioned, not prudish.However, after all, he was still too rigid to restrain his subordinates.

Tang Lianggong would not end well if things hurt his kind, how many people did he offend?

At noon in autumn, Ye Sirui shivered.

Although they were on the road day and night, the escort of the prisoners was much slower than when they came.Staying at the inn along the road, Ye Sirui still lives with Xia Shu.Xia Shu had no objection to this arrangement, but other than that, he didn't say anything.

It was already September when we entered Pu County.Along the way, many people who looked like scholars dragged their families back with their mouths. When Ye Sirui asked, he found out that this year's autumn in the capital had been postponed for some reason, and the students just returned from the exam.

The imperial examination is a major national event, how can it be postponed casually?Think about it, there must be a big change.But this matter is far away after all, this thought passed in Ye Sirui's mind.A group of people went straight to the state government office.

Tang Lianggong was an official ordered by the imperial court. Although he died unexpectedly, he still had to be mourned according to the ceremony.They came back late, not even in time for the funeral.Tang Lianggong didn't have a house, so he lived in the inner yamen, and the state yamen was whitewashed.

As soon as Ye Sirui came back, he was told that the Deputy Prosecutor of the Division of Prosecutors and Prosecutors had arrived with his successor Zhizhou.Ye Sirui had no choice but to go back to his original residence, hurriedly changed his clothes and went to see him.Ye Sirui heaved a sigh of relief that it was not Master Zhu, the envoy who came.But he didn't know the temperament and preferences of the deputy inspector, and he didn't have time to find someone to inquire about.The other party is a Shangguan with a fourth-rank official residence. It would be rude for him to come a step late.

With all kinds of thoughts in his mind, Ye Sirui hurried to the main hall.There are two people sitting in the hall, drinking tea and chatting.Ye Sirui bowed to the person on the right, "Your Majesty, I have seen the Deputy Chief Inspector." He bowed deeply, and waited for a long time for the other party to say slowly: "Excuse me." Then he looked up and bowed his hands to the person on the left: "See Master Zhizhou."

Zhizhou is on the same level as Qianshi, but the person on the left sits on the chair without any intention of returning the courtesy.Ye Si didn't recognize him, so he shifted his gaze to the Deputy Chief Inspector.

"Please take a seat, Ye Qian." The deputy inspector said.

Ye Sirui sat down on the chair he had left, "I haven't asked the names of the two adults yet."

"My surname is Zheng, and the single name is Qi, Qi of Qishuitangtang." Zheng Qi introduced himself, and then turned to the new Zhizhou, "This Zhizhou lord is called Li Xiang. .”

"Your official, Ye Sirui, has a strange character, and I have admired you two for a long time. It is really impolite to fail to welcome the two lords because I have returned from a long journey, and I hope the two lords will be kind to you." Zheng Qi has no impression of this person, but the name Li Xiang is somewhat It sounds familiar, Ye Sirui pulled himself together to think about it, but he couldn't remember where he heard it.

At this moment, Li Xiang said: "Master Ye, you are welcome, you and I are old acquaintances."

Ye Sirui looked at him with a half-smile, and didn't know whether it was good intentions or malicious, so he could only say: "Master Li is full of energy, and he looks familiar at first sight."

Zheng Qi smiled and said, "I don't know what the origin is?"

Li Xiang picked up the tea bowl, picked up the tea soup with the lid of the cup, stared at Ye Sirui and said kindly: "The next official used to be the county magistrate of Dong'an County, and later he was transferred to other places, and the successor was Master Ye. Do you think you are old acquaintance?"

Ye Sirui finally got the answer, but it wasn't the answer he wanted. He clenched his left hand in his sleeve and slowly smiled.Li Xiang was the magistrate of Dong'an County before him.Ye Sirui still remembers that it is always a mystery what role the former magistrate played in the child abduction case involving the county magistrate and Dian Shi.It is impossible for Li Xiang not to know that Ye Sirui wrote to impeach him, so what does this kind appearance mean?

Zheng Qi didn't know what was going on, so he just laughed, "Sure enough, we are old acquaintances! If that's the case, I can rest assured. Since you two are old, I think you can handle the case together and live up to the court's expectations." Both of them agreed.

After some politeness, Zheng Qi asked about the Bing County case.Ye Sirui said solemnly, "Your Majesty is about to talk about it. This case involves far more than a mere Bingxian county magistrate." He started from the beginning, talking about the mysteries of Kong Taiping's account book, the secret room in the bedroom, and the disguise. Silver into tea leaves.Zheng Qi frowned more and more, Li Xiang looked unpredictable while drinking tea.After the lecture, Ye Sirui said: "The two co-prefects, the judge and the officials of the Zhongzhou Yamen in the account book have all received gifts from Kong Taiping. I implore them to be arrested together for interrogation."

Zheng Qi looked at Li Xiang, "How does Master Zhizhou feel?"

Li Xiang put down the tea bowl and smiled slightly, "Master Zheng is the deputy inspector, and the next officer will follow your orders."

Zheng Qi said: "You are the magistrate, they are your assistant officials, of course you have the final say."

Ye Sirui thought it was not good.Sure enough, I heard Li Xiang say: "Master Ye is like a god in judging cases, I admire it. It's just that it's shocking to say that the second official of the state government accepts bribes. Does Mr. Ye have evidence?"

"Isn't Kong Taiping's account book considered evidence?" Ye Sirui asked.

Li Xiang smiled unhurriedly and said: "Master Ye, don't worry, they just collected a few urns of tea." Seeing that Ye Sirui was trying to defend himself, he continued, "None of us know that the county magistrate Kong sent it to you." Is it tea or silver, but you just happened to find both, is there any other evidence?"

"There is also Kong Taiping's testimony."

Li Xiang was thoughtful, and asked Zheng Qi for advice, "My lord, is it written in the official document submitted by Lord Ye that Kong Xiancheng identified the second official of the prefectural yamen as accepting bribes?"

Ye Sirui pursed his lips. "No." Zheng Qi also asked Ye Sirui: "Why didn't you write?"

The answer is obvious at a glance.Ye Sirui didn't know who the official document would go through, if he wrote all the officials of the state government, maybe the official document would never reach the inspector.That's why he planned to escort Kong Taiping back to meet the inspector directly.Now it seems that Li Xiang is also clear about the content of the official document. "The lower official was negligent."

Zheng Qi let him go and asked Li Xiang: "So, you don't agree to arrest them?"

"I really think it's wrong. Firstly, the evidence is not sufficient." Li Xiang smiled apologetically at Ye Sirui, "It's child's play to convict with only one account book or one-sided words. Secondly," his voice gradually deepened, "Master Tang's bones are not yet cold, It would be unreasonable for me to wipe out all his second officials." He shook his head and sighed, his acting skills were perfect.Ye Sirui sneered in his heart.

Zheng Qi seemed to be convinced by him, nodded again and again, and asked Ye Sirui: "What do you say?"

Ye Sirui smiled reluctantly and said: "What Master Li said is very true."

A hammer is fixed.

Ye Sirui returned to the house angrily, it was the first time that Cha Ming saw him so annoyed that he couldn't even speak.Ma Lu, who was drinking tea with his legs crossed, sat down hastily.Xia Shu handed him a cup of tea, "How is it?"

"What else can I do? Enemies are extremely jealous when they meet!"

"Enemies?"

Ye Sirui drank the tea in one gulp and sat down on the chair.The house was neatly tidied up, but compared with the guest room in Bing County, it was too shabby, let alone the main house in He Lin County that he was used to living in. "Do you still remember that there was a case in Taohuazhuang when you were in Dong'an?"

"Remember." Xia Shu said.

"The new magistrate is Li Xiang, the former county magistrate of Dong'an at that time. I still feel that he and Dong Xiang are ambiguous. After all, the owner of Taohuazhuang is still from his hometown."

There was a killing intent in Xia Shu's eyes.Cha Ming tremblingly came up for a refill, and Ye Sirui poured another cup of tea. "It's also strange. How did he get promoted so quickly? It's only been a few years since he left the county magistrate? He was promoted to the prefecture?"

"You got promoted faster than him, so what do you say?"