Chapter 95: Entering the bustling city for the second time
The Ministry of Punishment conducted an overnight investigation on this list, but the progress was extremely slow in the absence of documents. In the end, Prince Zheng took action and secretly reminded Cai Hezong, the Minister of Household Affairs, to collect the documents early, and then all the missing persons on the list were identified.
Source.
There are a total of nineteen people on the list, all of whom are women. The youngest is only seven or eight years old, and the oldest is only in his early twenties. All of these people have disappeared in the past three years. The strangest thing is that the Ministry of Punishment has never received any information.
Who is going to report to the official? Therefore, he knows nothing about human trafficking, the dark market, or even Tan Cen and Changsun Wuzheng.
"Nineteen women have gone missing in the past three years. This list is just the tip of the iceberg. How many people are missing outside the busy city and beyond Ruoshui?" Su Yan pushed away the bamboo pole blocking the way. The investigation of the case was originally full of excitement.
She was interested, but the deeper she went, the more angry she became. That kind of anger made her tense up, but she had no outlet.
Brothers Su Yan and Wang Yan were wearing bamboo hats, tattered linen clothes, and crude ropes wrapped around their waists. They were wearing straw sandals and walked heavily into an alley in the busy city.
The three of them all wore human skin masks. Due to the special potion applied on them, the skin was itching due to sunlight and skin friction. Su Yan couldn't help scratching his chin and softly cursed 'charlatan'.
In the corner of the busy city, there is a place called 'Heiyu Fang'. It is the smallest, shabbiest and least populated of all the streets in the downtown area. In the early years, there were shops, teahouses, and various small businesses. Later, for unknown reasons, this place was the only one with the smallest population.
The old, weak and sick remained and it became a desolate place.
Su Yan discovered that a considerable number of these missing people were from Heiyu Fang. It seemed that the reason why Heiyu Fang was losing money was due to the continuous disappearance of people. This was the reason why Su Yan came here.
Wang Yan followed Su Yan cautiously and was silent all the way. However, Yang Lian and Su Yan were chatting enthusiastically. At this time, the conversation was about to start, but suddenly a voice came from the other side of the dilapidated wall.
‘嘤嘤-嘤嘤——’
The expressions of the three people instantly became tense. They stood in a row in the same posture, turned their heads and stared at the wall on the left, and held their breath.
‘嘤嘤-嘤嘤——’
Su Yan reacted most quickly and immediately climbed over the wall of the square, followed closely by the Wang Yan brothers.
What his eyes could see was a gray-haired old man sitting nestled among a pile of rotten wood and yellow and smelly pots and pans. Those bowls looked unusable. Behind them was a room that felt like the wind.
The wooden house was about to collapse. The door panel was crooked and the lock was missing. Su Yan glanced over and saw that there were no other furnishings in the house except a pair of low stools and a table. There was a lifeless air everywhere, just like this couple.
The movement of the three people climbing over the wall caused the old couple's cries to stop abruptly. They wiped away tears and looked at Su Yan, suddenly holding them tighter in fear.
"Don't get me wrong, old man. The three of us brothers passed by here and heard the cries. We thought you were being bullied so you jumped over the wall. Please forgive me!" Su Yanji hurriedly explained, while retreating to the corner, not daring to disturb them anymore.
The old man was dubious and just said: "We are fine, we are just thinking about sad things. I feel sorry for the three little brothers."
"It doesn't matter, it'll be fine." Su Yan wanted to say some words of comfort, but unexpectedly found a portrait of a woman hanging in the corner of the wooden house. The candles seemed to have just been lit, and there were sacrifices placed on the memorial tablet.
The name "Chen Ajiao" is written on it. There is a small mound at the foot of the inconspicuous courtyard wall, and a stone tablet is erected. The name of Chen Ajiao is still engraved on it. Because the small mound is surrounded by bamboos, so the first three
When the person came in, he didn't notice it. Su Yan repeated the name, and it always felt familiar in his heart. It was Wang Yan who reminded him that Chen Ajiao was one of the missing persons!
Su Yan was inexplicably startled and broke into a cold sweat. Looking at the portrait again, it seemed that he suddenly came to life. The faded red clothes were as bright as stained with blood. The person in the portrait suddenly closed his eyes, and a line of blood and tears flowed down the clothes.
The blood dripped down and filled the ground...
Su Yan hurriedly avoided looking, adjusted his mood, and then said to the old man: "I don't know if you are paying homage to an old friend, but you are being rude." After saying that, he collected the only piece of silver from Wang Yan, walked over carefully, and placed it in front of the old man.
On the small square table, he said to them, "There is nothing good in traveling around the world. I earned this money by running errands for others, so I should take it as an apology."
The old man glanced at the money, raised his gray eyes, looked at Su Yan for a long time, and said, "My little girl has been missing for two years. She has not been seen alive or dead. She probably died outside. We are old husband and wife."
He's weak and won't live long, little brother, please take your money back quickly, we won't need it!"
It seems that the tomb is a cenotaph.
"Missing? Didn't you report it to the official?" Wang Yan couldn't help but ask them.
The old man seemed to have been touched by what he said, and shed tears again. After a while, he said, "It's useless to retaliate!"
However, Changsun Wuzheng made it clear that no one had ever reported someone missing, which is why the dark market became more and more rampant, reaching the point where it is out of control today. Su Yan felt that there must be something fishy, and immediately asked: "You went to report it yourself?
Official? When the case was reported to the official, who was the judge? Is it the current Lord Changsun, or someone else?"
"I don't know what Mr. Zhangsun is. I am illiterate and don't know how to report to the official. I asked a letter writer to go there. During that time, I always asked him to help. That gentleman is also a good person. He doesn't ask for money and helps wholeheartedly.
We poor people, I think, he is better than those officials!"
"Help you?" Su Yan smelled a clue, "You mean, the letter writer has also helped other people, is he also a reporter?"
"Yes," the old man wiped away his tears, and the pain just now subsided a little. "In addition to the younger daughter, there are many daughters from several families nearby who have also disappeared. It was all the help of that gentleman. During that time, he was in the government office.
He is a very good person, working back and forth with various households! In addition to this, he also writes letters for us on a regular basis, and he also ghost-wrote the New Year's couplets."
"He is indeed a good man. Old man, our three brothers are illiterate, and we would like to write a letter to our parents and relatives far away to report that we are safe. I wonder where that gentleman lives?"
The old man stood up tremblingly, pointed to the east and said: "You leave here and go east through the two squares, which is the 'Qinghe Square' where he lives. That is the best place in the busy city."
Indeed, Qinghefang can be said to be the cleanest place in the busy city. It is close to the mountain and built along the river. Compared with other places, the layout here is more neat. Passing through the Qinghefang archway hung with copper bells, you can see it at a glance.
The main street can be seen to the end.
Due to the small area of Qinghefang and the neat arrangement of the houses, the three of them found Mr. Letter in a short time and lived in a corner tile-roofed house with a dilapidated doorway, a wall that was in disrepair, and even a lot of weeds growing there.
.This person's surname is Wang Dan, with a cool character. He is seven feet tall, has a delicate face, and exudes a scholarly temperament.
Su Yan met Wang Liang on the pretext of seeking a letter, exchanged a few words with him, bought the letter, and left.
Yang Lian remembered that when he was in the "Tian Shang Shui", Mr. Su was just like this time, rambling here and there without focusing on the key points. The explanation at that time was "take a long time to catch the big fish", but later he didn't see the guy getting up.
What role does it play? At this moment, could it be fishing again?
Su Yan explained to them: "The thread has been put out. If you don't collect it today, you will collect it tomorrow. If you don't collect it tomorrow, you will collect it one day. Even if you don't collect it, I just need to get what I want at that time and don't reveal my identity. Don't."
Don’t ask for too much.”
"So what did Mr. Su get from that person this time?"
"I have three questions. One: Is he someone close to Tan Cen? Have I met him? Two: What else does he do besides writing letters? Three: His whereabouts and origins. I have confirmed the first question.
, I have never seen it. As for the last two questions, I can already guess a thing or two from his words."
"Guess what?" the two brothers asked at the same time.
"He should have participated in the imperial examination, but his reputation was not good enough. Apart from writing letters to people, he has no merit. As for his whereabouts... he should be away for a few days every month."
Yang Lian couldn't help but wonder, he had been present during the entire conversation, and Mr. Su didn't ask anything except talking about irrelevant topics! He scratched his head and couldn't figure it out. Su Yan had no choice but to explain: "I live in
People in the bustling city are just barely surviving, how many of them can stand out? And he is obviously knowledgeable but he has fallen to this. If you think about the twists and turns, most of them are losing his reputation, maybe more than once, otherwise why is he so violent? "
"It's amazing!" Yang Lian clapped his hands and exclaimed: "Then, how does Mr. know how many days he will be away every month?"
"Didn't you notice that there is a Guanyin statue in his house? Although it is not jade, it is still a good thing. How can ordinary people afford it? So I deliberately mentioned the jade shop, and he was indeed interested, so he gave it a try
When he mentioned Yunlai Pavilion again, his eyes were shining! As long as a person has been to Yunlai Pavilion once, there will be a second and third time. Therefore, he should leave every month to go to the colorful flowers and green willows.
The place.”
Wang Yan seemed to have thought of something key, and immediately said: "The jade shop releases goods in the middle of every month. There are more than ten pieces in each month, and they are all valuable. It is rare for ordinary people to get one or two pieces. Wang Liangwu
The Guanyin in the middle should be from Jade Stone Square, a scholar who wrote letters, where did he get the money? I guess, he may not be a scholar who has lost his reputation, maybe he is a retainer of some official, or maybe he is a hidden stake in the busy city!
"
"This question is left to you two brothers. It's better to choose a different day than to hit it. You two will immediately go to Yushifang and Yunlai Pavilion to check."
Yang Lian asked: "Even if I ask, what does it have to do with this case?"
"Maybe it doesn't matter, but as long as we find out clearly, we can confirm his identity, and maybe we can also find out other places he has been to besides Yunlai Pavilion and Jade Stone Square. I will continue to check every house in the busy city, and I will do it simultaneously with you.
, there will be no delay.”
Yang Lian reluctantly agreed, but Wang Yan suddenly thought of something and said, "Just in case, I'd better report to Lord Changsun and ask him to send some people to keep an eye on Wang Liang."
Wang Yan was worried that the appearance of the three of them would arouse Wang Liang's vigilance, so he sent some people in disguise to lurk in Qinghefang, so he felt at ease.
Su Yan couldn't help but admire him, this child was really attentive.
To the south of Qinghe Fang, separated by two squares, is Moshi. This square is located in the southeast corner of the busy city, the most remote place. Compared with Heiyu Fang, this place is slightly more noisy.
Su Yan came all the way and did not dare to stay, but he could also see many strange things. For example, the stalls placed in the streets and alleys mostly sold vegetables and game. This was not a big deal, but in the dark alley behind the stalls, there were
I could vaguely see a few panic-looking people coming in and out, carrying sacks, so there must be something bad there.
Most likely they were kidnapped.
There is no archway in Moshifang, only two swaying stone lions at the entrance. Walk along the dilapidated stone road into the main street, pass through the sparse crowd, and turn into a small road. The shops on both sides of the road are closed, and there is no one there.
, but there was a lingering little ghost following her all the way. Su Yan felt someone was following him as soon as he stepped into Moshifang, so he was deliberately led into a secluded place. This winding road was perfect for setting up an ambush.
Su Yan turned a corner and quickly hid in the dark. He pulled out a relatively thick stick from the firewood pile beside him. When the kid was about to turn the corner, he rounded his arms and struck at it.
.Only a wailing sound was heard, and the kid fell to the ground.
She is actually a little girl of eleven or twelve years old! Her withered hair is disheveled and her clothes are in tatters. Only her face still looks like a little girl.
Su Yan didn't know what to do for a moment, so he took a few steps forward and poked the girl's face with a wooden stick. Fortunately, she still had breath.
Just as he was about to help her up, he felt a sudden pain in his waist. Su Yan pushed her away in a hurry: "You are so young and you don't learn well enough to do such a shameful thing. Why don't your adults care about you?" He cursed in his mouth.
Then, he grabbed the dagger from the girl's hand, and when she fell to the ground unable to move, he controlled her in the corner regardless of the wound, "What is the purpose of following you all the way? Who sent you here?!"
"You are not from the downtown area, who are you?!"
The little girl's rhetorical question caught her off guard. The meaning behind her words was not like those of Tan Cen's group. Su Yan lifted her up from the corner and carried her deeper into the alley, where she couldn't see her fingers, which was perfect for scaring people.
"I see that your behavior is suspicious, and I don't know what you are planning in your mind. Hurry up and tell the truth. I will spare you once!"
The little girl stopped saying a word, and stared at her angrily with a pair of dazzling eyes in the darkness. Su Yan had no choice but to let go of her hand, muttering: Weird, he is not an enemy, but actually an enemy.
A girl with a brain problem!
Su Yan didn't want to stay any longer and just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, but she heard the person behind her calling her, "You are not a bad person."
Su Yan looked back at her, looking at the girl opposite, whose beautiful eyes as bright as the moon were filled with tears. She looked so out of place in the dark and damp alley. She seemed to be an official lady who grew up on the long street.
Jinyi enjoys the glory, but the reality tells her that the girl in front of her is stuck in the quagmire and has no food to eat.
"What about you? Are you a bad person?" Su Yan asked her with interest.
"Neither am I, but they are!"
"Them? Who are they?!"
"The powerful one!"
Su Yan was stunned and continued to ask: "Who is the powerful one?!"
"There are two of them, one is tall and has a scimitar on his waist, and the other has a scar on his forehead. I know them all when they turn into ashes!"
The scar on your forehead?
Su Yan realized that he was getting closer to the truth.
The little girl went over and grabbed Su Yan's sleeve and asked in a low voice: "Are you here because you lost your family?"
"What do you mean, your family members are missing?"
The little girl took two steps back warily: "I didn't, but I saw you went to a brothel, and also went to Heiyu Fang and Qinghe Fang. So, are you someone sent from the imperial city? Are you investigating the downtown area?"
?”
Su Yan couldn't help but look at her with admiration. This little girl had such skills and had already followed her twice. What made her hair stand on end was that she didn't notice it at all! This person didn't go to the Ministry of Justice for training. It was a waste of talent.
!
Su Yan explained to her: "I am not an official, but I am here to investigate the case. Little sister, how did your family disappear? How are those two people related to the disappearance of your family? Tell me everything.
I will definitely help you find your family!"
The little girl stared at Su Yan, frowned again, and asked her cautiously: "Are you really here to investigate the case?"
"You little girl is so interesting. One moment you suspect that I am here to investigate the case, and the next moment you suspect that I am not here to investigate the case. You can fall out faster than flipping through a book!" Su Yan was a little helpless, "Since you have been following me for so long.
, you must know a thing or two about me, do you think a bad person would be as sincere as me? If I am not here to investigate the case, why should I disguise myself and go to every corner to investigate?"
The little girl's eyes gradually became firm, and without saying a word, she just took Su Yan's hand and walked back out of the path.
The sky was getting darker and the downtown area had plunged into darkness. Only a dying candle barely illuminated the lobby of the little girl's home, which was a shabby tile-roofed house without windows or doors.
The yard was abandoned, overgrown with weeds, and under the moonlight, there was no beauty, only a kind of trembling fear.
Su Yan pulled the girl into his arms. She only reached Su Yan's waist. She was small and spoke softly.
"You... live alone?" Although Su Yan asked this, he was also aware of the girl's situation.
The little girl cowered in her arms and said, "My sister and I depend on each other. My sister was kidnapped at home a year ago. If I hadn't been hiding under the bed, I would have been caught too."
The lobby is lifeless. Not only here, but everywhere you look, it doesn't look like anyone has lived there.
"Where have you been hiding this year?"
"The brothel, the shopkeeper there took me in, let me live, and provided me with two meals a day, so I can survive today."
Su Yan understood that the girl did not follow her at first, but she probably overheard their conversation in the brothel and followed her.
"Are the two men you mentioned the same bad guys who kidnapped your sister?"
The little girl nodded with red eyes.
Su Yan hurriedly found a piece of firewood from the yard and drew a scar on his forehead, "Is this a scar?!"
The girl brought the candle and looked closely. After just one glance, she nodded firmly: "I recognize it even when it turns to ashes. It's this scar!"
It seemed that it was really him. He was really hard to find, and it took no effort at all!
Su Yan immediately returned to the academy and asked Fo Zhen to draw a portrait of a man with a scar, planning to send it to a brothel the next day to identify the girl.