Chapter Ninety-ninth Government and the People Join Forces
The next day, I arrived at the county government office early.
"Since this is the case you took over yesterday, I'll leave it to you." Magistrate Xu said to Lin Sheng.
"yes."
Magistrate Xu's eyes fell on me again: "It's good that you asked Li Jianghu to assist you. Now, isn't the imperial envoy advocating that the government and the people should be one family?
If Li Jianghu helps you solve Yang Mosheng's disappearance case and the two murder cases, it will prove that the imperial envoy's idea of 'ruling by doing nothing' is feasible.
In the future, if the common people can actively cooperate with the government, won’t it be a lot easier for us?”
Lin Sheng's face was filled with a flattering smile: "What Mingfu said is true."
"Xiao County Lieutenant, we have arranged for more inspections recently. We can't let something like this happen again."
"yes."
"Okay, you guys get busy." County Magistrate Xu said, rubbed his stomach, and slowly walked out of the lobby. He was probably a little exhausted from diarrhea yesterday.
Lin Sheng sighed heavily: "Can anyone provide clues?"
County Lieutenant Xiao shook his head: "I posted Yang Mosheng's portrait yesterday afternoon, but no one has reported it yet. I'm afraid he is no longer in the city."
"What did the jailer say? Did you think of anything else?"
"No, it's the same words: He said that Xi Zuo was a felon found by the imperial envoy and was kept in solitary confinement in the innermost room. He didn't eat even after lunch and dinner. There was residual water in another bowl next to him. He was found in it.
Arsenic." Lieutenant Xiao replied, looking at me, probably because he wanted me to know more about the case.
So I had to express my opinion: "Li has a question: when the imperial envoy found out Zhu Jiang and Dongfang Xiong, he ordered them to be sent to Chang'an. Zhu Jiang should have known that he would be severely punished, so he ended his own life. This is detailed in
If you don't eat or drink after being imprisoned, you probably want to commit suicide by hunger strike, but you haven't eaten yet, so why do you drink water?"
Lieutenant Xiao Xian nodded happily: "This Xiao also has doubts. The only answer is: Na Xizuo was bent on seeking death. He originally wanted to go on a hunger strike, but the process was too long and he would inevitably suffer. So he learned that there was arsenic in the bowl of water.
It can kill you quickly, so I drank it myself."
"Xiao County Lieutenant is saying that he took the poison himself?"
"That's right. Only in this way did he endure the pain without screaming. Otherwise, the jailer guarding outside would have discovered it a long time ago. How could he not have discovered that he was dead until breakfast was delivered yesterday?"
"Then... who gave him the poison?"
"There were ten jailers that night, and they were all interrogated. As a result, traces of tampering on the tiles were found from above the prison. It was initially concluded that someone climbed over the eaves and walls, entered from the sky, quietly entered the prison, scooped a bowl of water for him, and returned
Added arsenic and persuaded him to take the poison himself."
I thought about the scene that night when Ouyang Daxia appeared like a ghost and then disappeared like a shadow. Of course, I understood that it would be easy for him to enter the prison.
"Then...who has such high skills that he can get in and out of prison without anyone knowing?"
I asked deliberately and looked at Lin Sheng, only to see his eyebrows furrowed and his face full of sadness, not knowing what he was thinking about.
"Probably he is his master. He is definitely not the only craftsman in Xiangzhou City. He should also be ordered to deal with Li Huichun.
Because as we all know: the Huichun Hall was opened by the government after paying half of the rent, in order to facilitate more people to seek medical treatment. This was originally a move by the government to benefit the people.
Although Li Huichun was a doctor, he was also a good friend of the imperial envoy. If Li Huichun used medicine indiscriminately and took human lives seriously, it would not be his fault alone. Someone would take the opportunity to stir up trouble, question the government, and sow discord between the government and the people.
Therefore, he was very angry when his mission failed and his master's plan failed, so he did not hesitate to send someone to sneak into the prison and kill him to avoid implicating himself."
I thought for a while: "Since they have experts, why not just rescue him?"
"This..." Lieutenant Xiao hesitated for a moment and replied: "The prison is guarded by jailers. One person may be able to come and go freely, but it will be difficult to bring one person with him. Besides, spies like this generally cannot complete their tasks.
How could you spend any effort to save him and arrange a hiding place for him if you are going to die?"
My heart ached, and I couldn't help but sympathize with Yang Mosheng. According to Xiao Mu, he was originally a teacher. He joined the spy organization and came to Xiangzhou to avenge his brother. Now that his identity is exposed, Xiao Mu will not
He was kidnapped and imprisoned, and if he fell into the hands of other agents, he would probably die.
Hey, our Sky Eye Secret Agent organization is still humane. At least Xiao Mu said that we should save our lives no matter what. As for the mission, he didn't make too many demands.
"Master Lin, do you want to call the watchman and ask for a confession?" Xiao County Lieutenant asked.
Lin Sheng nodded: "Pass it on."
Lieutenant Xiao waved his hand and saw a government servant running out. Within a moment, Cheng Laoliu, who was on duty at the watch, was kneeling under the lobby in fear.
Lin Sheng smiled and raised his hand: "No need to kneel, get up and talk."
"Xie Mingfu." Cheng Laoliu was trembling a little and didn't dare to look up.
"The county magistrate is not here. My surname is Lin, and I am the chief registrar of the county government. This is County Lieutenant Xiao." Lin Sheng smiled again.
"Oh, meet the chief registrar, county captain."
"I already asked Li Jianghu yesterday. Ask him again to see if he can remember anything."
When Cheng Laoliu heard my name, he finally turned around and looked at me in surprise. His mouth trembled twice, not knowing what to call me.
I smiled and said, "Uncle Cheng, it's okay. I was also assisting the chief clerk and the others in solving the case. Think about it carefully, what did you see that night?"
Cheng Laoliu's expression finally relaxed a little: "Oh, it turns out to be Jianghu. But it scared me to death. I...I saw it all..."
"Don't be anxious, speak slowly." I comforted.
"Hey, that night, I just turned to the fourth lane of South Street, which is the street one mile in front of your house, when I suddenly heard a scream. I hurried to the corner and saw a person falling.
The person next to him had a knife in his hand, and he obviously killed him."
I asked: "Then what? Did you see the murderer clearly?"
Cheng Laoliu shook his head: "How can I dare to get closer and take a closer look? If he knew that I saw the murder, why wouldn't he kill me to silence me? I only saw his back, which is probably about the same height as you, and he wears
He is wearing a long gown and a futou on his head, looking like a scholar."
"Scholar?" I asked, "Didn't you see his face clearly?"
"No. It was a bit far away, and the moonlight wasn't too bright that night. My legs were weak at the time. After he was gone and out of sight, I slowly came over and reported to the official." Cheng Laoliu said.
"Okay, you go down first. Don't go far away recently. If you think of anything, you must report it immediately." Xiao County Lieutenant ordered.
"Yes." Cheng Laoliu breathed a sigh of relief, smiled at me, and quickly retreated.
I thought he recognized the murderer, but I didn't expect it was just a figure from behind. Maybe Ouyang Daxia deliberately pretended to be a scholar in order to lure the identity of the murderer to Yang Mosheng.
"Then... where is the knife?" I asked again.
As soon as Captain Xiao waved, a government servant came over carrying a tray.
I picked up the knife and looked at it. Yes, it was the sharp knife that Xiao Mu got from my house the night before yesterday.
"I also thought about checking the murder weapon, but it's difficult." Lin Sheng touched his beard and said: "This is a very ordinary knife. You can buy it from any knife shop in the city. It is usually used for sharpening.
Either peel or cut the flesh."
"Report to the Registrar, Wang Yicheng, the young owner of Qianbeishuwu Restaurant, would like to see you." A yamen servant ran in and reported.
Lin Sheng nodded: "Let him come in."
"yes."
Soon, Wang Yicheng was brought in. He first identified his identity, bowed, and then said with a smile: "I'm really embarrassed to come and disturb you. I just don't know if there is any news about Yang Mosheng? I am also his boss after all, and we usually have a good relationship with him.
Not bad, I really can't help but care about the progress of the case, and I ask the chief clerk for your forgiveness."
"It doesn't matter. Yang Mosheng has no relatives in Xiangzhou City. You are his friend, and it is human nature to care more. However, there is no progress in the case at present. His portrait has been posted all over the city, and no one has responded." Lin
Sheng replied, his face full of embarrassment.
"May I ask my young master, did Yang Mosheng behave abnormally before he disappeared?" I asked, thinking that I had heard Mr. Fang tell the story of the trial, and the officials there seemed to ask this question.
Wang Yicheng suddenly became excited: "Oh, by the way, the day before yesterday I thought it was almost the end of the year, so I paid him his salary and asked him to go home early. But when it was closing, the waiter came to report that the knife on the cabinet was missing.
, I suspect that Yang Mosheng took it. Could it be that he had a premonition of danger, so he took the knife to defend himself on the road?"
"What kind of knife?" Lin Sheng was also a little excited.
Wang Yicheng replied: "It's just an ordinary knife, used to remove the seal of wine jars or cut ropes."
Lieutenant Xiao stepped forward and picked up the murder weapon on the tray: "But is it like this?"
Wang Yicheng took a look and nodded repeatedly: "Yes. It's the same as this."
Lin Sheng was angry: "Then why didn't you report it to the official earlier?"
Wang Yicheng smiled: "It's okay, it's just a knife, it's not worth much, just take it. I've been friends with him for more than three months, so I'll give it to him."
"Then you lost this knife?" Lieutenant Xiao asked again.
Wang Yicheng finally picked up the knife and looked at it carefully. After a moment, he was a little confused: "This... is the same, but I really don't know if it is the one I have. Haha, this kind of chores are usually done by men, I...
…”
"Okay, send your guy here!"
"No need, Chief Secretary, hehe, I know you love the people as your own son, but there is really no need to bother with such a small matter. I just came to ask about the situation. If nothing happens, I will go back first."
"This knife is a murder weapon! How can it be a trivial matter!" Lin Sheng said sternly.
"The murderous weapon?" Wang Yicheng was startled, and the knife in his hand fell straight down, almost piercing his own foot. He was obviously frightened, and looked at me dumbfounded, and then waved his hands repeatedly: "That's
I saw it wrong just now, this... this is nothing like the one I lost at home..."
"Presumptuous!" Lin Sheng was stunned, and his official power was finally exposed: "How can you be allowed to go back on your word in the court?"
Lieutenant Xiao Xian also said: "This matter is very important, so let's wait until your associates are summoned and asked about it clearly before we discuss it."