Guo Wanjin's head was still there, and a pool of blood overflowed to the edge of the table and fell to the ground.
In the final analysis, the status of merchants was still low. Therefore, Xue Bai told Lu Linghao not once or twice that he would blame the Guo family.
"The sage asked me to find out the real culprit behind the Lishan assassination case. These are the only powerful people in Yanshi County. If they are not the county magistrate, they are the recorders."
Xue Bai said, patted Guo Wanjin, and continued: "This is the best candidate, and we all know in our hearts that he is not unjust."
When he came to Yanshi, he saw a tangled mess of disadvantages, but it was impossible to get rid of Lu Linghao, Gao Chong, Guo Huan, Song Mian, Guo Wanjin... He had to divide them, like demolishing a house, brick by brick.
.
So I chose the simplest case of selling a good man for a short time to start with, first targeting the most marginalized merchants and appeasing the most authoritative county magistrate.
When Song Mian came to approach him, he said a lot of things in order to defraud Wang Yi's evidence, and his words revealed his contempt for merchants; when it was discovered that Guo Wanjin was related to health care homes, occupation of people's fields, smuggling and other things; when he secretly
If you buy those orphan girls... you can be sure that Guo Wanjin has the lowest status and can be used to open up the situation, thereby involving the entire chain of interests.
Of course Lu Linghao didn't agree, so Xue Bai gave him a hard knock.
Impersonating Zhang Sanniang was very simple, and he didn't even arrange it himself, because what he wanted was very simple - to find a reason to destroy the secret house, frame Guo Wanjin, and force him to rebel against him.
Du Jin was very worried, fearing that Li Twelve Niang would be recognized and that the Zhang family in Shangzhu would cause trouble. Xue Bai didn't care at all and just patted her on the back to comfort her.
"It doesn't matter, I am an official. As an official, Lu Linghao and Gao Chong can force honest peasants to become rebels. Can't we force a true rebel to rebel?"
Forge a person of noble status and send him to a secret house, and then take someone to search him out, testify against him, and force him... It was a very simple design from the beginning, but someone was led away, and it was only because of the convenience.
For example, just the word "noble" makes Song Li still confused and doesn't care whether Zhang Sanniang is real or fake.
Zhang Sanniang is fake, but these people have never thought about it. Is it fake that the orphans in the nursing home were sold?
Ten hectares, twenty hectares, and hundreds of hectares of common people's fields were designated as health care fields. They just hoped that the orphans would have someone to rely on, but they were all sold. When Xue Bai raided the secret shop, these powerful gentry kept it secret from beginning to end.
The only thing I care about is whether the saint's cousin is unhappy.
The fake Zhang Sanniang's emotions were like a thin thread, leading people to dance and show their ugly appearance. Lu Linghao was frightened, Song Li was confused, Guo Huan avoided the matter, the Guo family father and son hurried over, and Gao Chong jumped over the wall in a hurry.
Of course they had doubts, but judging from others, they felt that Xue Bai did not dare to be counterfeited, but why did Xue Bai not dare? He had already offended the two daughters of the Zhang family to death.
If he loses his relationship with the Zhang family in Chang'an and does the practical things at hand, the worst he can do is that Zhang Queyi will sue him in front of the saint afterwards... If he doesn't sue, his connections in Chang'an will be useless.
On the other hand, when the local officials drew their swords against each other when they had a disagreement, why did they care about Zhang Quyi? Xue Bai was not afraid of him when he dealt with the prince or Li Tan.
People are all realistic and bully the weak and avoid the strong. The winner who survives will naturally have the opportunity to make amends afterwards...
Lu Linghao also had to consider this issue from a practical perspective.
"Death is dead."
He sighed, made up his mind, and said, "Then let's go with this result."
As a county magistrate, you have to think from the perspective of a county magistrate. Now that Guo Wanjin’s head is used to close the case, the Lishan assassination case and the Zhang Sanniang case can be solved together, and the profits can also be divided. This is the best choice.
.
Dealing calmly with the best results is the most basic thing an official should do. Lu Linghao looked down on Gao Chong's attitude that everything must be under control. Can he fully control it?
"Go and call Prime Minister Gao back and tell him that the county has important matters to discuss with him."
"Here."
After receiving the order, an official left the county office to look for Gao Chong. If Gao Chong accepted the result for the sake of the county magistrate, the situation would be temporarily calmed down.
After arranging this matter, Lu Linghao turned to Xue Bai and said with a stern face: "This county will let Prime Minister Gao settle the matter, and you will also stop me and don't cause any more trouble!"
If this matter comes to an end temporarily, it will mean that Xue Bai has opened a hole in Yanshi County and opened up the situation. There is nothing wrong with it.
He then responded: "This is natural. I came to Yanshi just to be able to do business. If the Prime Minister of Gaoxian County doesn't touch me, the matter will be over."
Lu Linghao nodded, believing that Xue Bai was not capable of going against Gao Chong and what he said must be the truth.
"You should also apologize to Prime Minister Gao soon. You are an official in the same county, and you don't let him know before you do anything. This is wrong."
"Yes." Xue Bai refused to wait for Gao Chong at the county office and asked, "Can the Ming government allow me to temporarily retire?"
"What? Are you still afraid that he will kill you in front of the county?"
"Presumably Prime Minister Gao Xian will give the Ming government this face." Xue Bai said nicely, "It's me who is timid."
"Okay, after the county calms him down first, you and I can have a good talk."
Xue Bai withdrew from the order, and Qi Chou stepped forward to report: "County Lieutenant, County Magistrate Gao released all the traffickers and asked them to go to Sanguan Temple Lane to deal with the slaves."
"We'll go there too."
~~
At the gate of the post house, a waving stick knocked down the lantern hanging on the eaves of the door.
Both parties fighting were unarmored, and only some of them had swords.
Gao Chong's face was grim, and he was surprised that the guards brought by the fake Zhang Sanniang were really skilled.
In this regard, he was more cautious and did not rush to order the men of the Cao Gang to attack inside. Instead, he asked them to force them up, force the opponent into the post house again, and surround them.
While he was observing, he was thinking, why did Xue Bai have these men? These people are much stronger than ordinary rogues.
Out of fear of the powerful, for a moment even he doubted whether this was really a Zhang family guard.
"Gao Xian Cheng." An official rushed over and said, "The county magistrate asked the county magistrate to go back to the office to discuss important matters."
"Go and reply to the county magistrate. Let's talk after I capture these monster thieves."
Not as Lu Linghao wished, this time, Gao Chong did not have the attitude of calming down the matter.
~~
The fight continues.
The one who pretended to be the steward of the Zhang family was Shi Zhong, a subordinate of Da Xi Yingying, and the guards of the Zhang family were all associates of Fengweilou. Some were the original thugs of Da Xi Yingying Casino, and some were thugs trained later.
Dozens of people seemed like a lot, but Du Jin had finally transferred them from Chang'an. Fortunately, the people he met were all servants and watermen.
Under siege at this time, more and more people came from the Cao Gang, and many people here were injured. With Aunt Gongsun leading the disciples to help them, they retreated to the attic and used the attic to defend themselves.
"My boss." Shi Zhong hurriedly climbed up to the high pavilion and reported to Du Jin who was observing the situation: "It seems that Gao Chong has no intention of giving up."
Du Jin thought to himself, that would be troublesome.
She is the person who understands Xue Bai's intentions best. She knows that getting rid of Guo Wanjin and his son is only the first step. Although Xue Bai is willing to take his time step by step, she is afraid that Gao Chong will not give him a chance easily.
"It doesn't matter." She replied with a calm expression on her face: "If you just hold him back, you will have every opportunity to defeat him."
It is said that strong dragons cannot overwhelm local snakes, but seeing that Yanshi County is full of snakes, it only depends on how many Xue Bai can catch, in case he is bitten by one of them.
~~
Kuixingfang, the residence where Xue Bai temporarily lived.
A hand pushed against the door, and a section of his index finger was broken.
With a "squeak" sound, the door was pushed open, and there was no one in the courtyard.
Li San'er walked inside and ordered his men to search for Xue Bai's family. He recalled the night when he killed Wang Yansiam.
Over the past three years, he had given Wang Yansiam many opportunities, but finally killed him. Unexpectedly, when Wang Yansiam died, a more difficult Xue Bai appeared.
So sometimes killing is not necessarily a good thing.
"Qu Shuai, everyone disappeared, only they were found.
Several servants and slaves were driven into the lobby, screaming: "Don't kill me, we were sent by the county magistrate..."
It can be seen that they know Li Saner.
"Where is Xue Bai's family?"
"Except for a concubine, the county captain did not bring any children. They are all guards. The staff's family was taken away by a young man with small eyes in the afternoon."
"What young man with small eyes?"
"What's your name, Du Wulang? He said he has to take people to Luoyang to be safe."
"Where's Yin Liang?"
"Yeah, I'm leaving too."
"Did they take anything?"
"A small cloth bag, square and square, filled with books..."
Li San'er looked up at the roof beams and thought seriously for a while.
His brain probably doesn't work very well, and he needs to concentrate fully when thinking about things.
Du Wulang and Yin Liang had found evidence of smuggling and sent Xue Bai's family members to Luoyang? No, if this is the case, it is impossible for Caobang not to know about it.
They were hiding in the county town. It must have been Ren Mulan's kid who helped hide them.
"The things the magistrate is looking for must still be in the city. You should take people to search the places where thieves often stay."
"Okay."
At the same time, some of his subordinates came and reported: "Commander Qu, we have found Xue Bai. He is at the county office. But... the county magistrate ordered that he not be touched."
"Why?" Li San'er was surprised.
"The villain doesn't know, but the county magistrate sent someone to warn the county magistrate, saying that this is the end of the matter tonight."
"Weird."
Li San'er raised his head again and thought.
Although he came from a rough background, he had great ambitions. He began to read and write in the past two years, and often used his brain to think about problems, because he would also be an official in the future, and he must be a high official.
"Is he handsome?"
"I understand." Li Saner thought very seriously, and after a while he came back to his senses and murmured: "If you are an official, you are a mother if you have breasts."
"Qu Shuai, what do you mean?"
"The county magistrate was negotiated by Xue Bai. To put it bluntly, it was 'coercion and inducement'."
Li San'er somewhat despised Lu Linghao, an official who only looked at the situation and had no persistence, and had no bones.
The next moment, someone hurried over. Looking through the firelight, they saw that they were the people around the county magistrate Gao Chong.
"What does the county magistrate say? Is this just a matter of following the county magistrate's orders?"
"The county magistrate asked Qu Shuai to send more people to the post house and get rid of Xue Bai quickly."
"But the county magistrate?"
"Don't worry about the county magistrate. Xue Bai sent people to pretend to be royal relatives and raise dead soldiers. The evidence is conclusive. Killing him is a done deal, so Magistrate Lu can only hold his nose and admit it."
"I understand." Li San'er obeyed the Gao brothers' resolute attitude, waved the people around him and said, "You can go to the post house to help Gao County Cheng."
"yes."
"For the rest, follow me to the county office and let the county magistrate see what is done."
A group of people rushed to the county office, and someone came to report the news on the way: "Commander Qu, Xue Bai went to Sanguan Temple Lane."
"What is he doing there?"
"Still trying to show official power, arrest those Guo family traffickers again."
"I really think I am the county captain of Yanshi."
Li San'er couldn't help but smile.
He understood Xue Bai's thoughts and felt that he had reached an agreement with the county magistrate and could do whatever he needed to do. This is what officials are like, they always feel that problems can be solved by using some resourcefulness and negotiating some conditions.
But he wanted to make Xue Bai understand that this was not Chang'an. In the realm of Yanshi, no amount of conspiracies and tricks were of any use. In the end, it was Li Saner's sword that greeted him.
Li San'er didn't show much murderous intent on his face, and said leisurely: "He can die in the same place as Wang Yansiam."
~~
Sanguanmiao Lane.
Some of the slaves rescued from the dark house were placed here, anxiously waiting for their fate to change.
Among them was a woman named Hongxia, who was a slave at Luhun Villa. When she was questioned, she heard the county captain say, "When the time comes, we can set up a factory and live a new life." She has been looking forward to it.
suddenly.
"Bang!"
The courtyard door was kicked open, and the traffickers from the secret house rushed in. The slaves screamed and fled in all directions.
The men laughed loudly and rushed in to catch people. Before Hongxia had time to run, someone grabbed her hair and slapped her in the face. Then she was pushed to the ground and the other party began to tear off her clothes.
"Let me go!"
"Haha, you don't recognize me anymore. I picked you up at Luhun Villa. You're a slut who seduces young men... call me, you're a slut."
Hongxia thought to herself that she was not a prodigal, so she opened her mouth to bite the opponent, but was immediately punched hard again, hitting her head on the ground and feeling dizzy.
The next moment, someone shouted: "Run! The county captain is here again!"
"..."
"According to the order of the county magistrate, take all these prisoners back to the prison!"
Amidst the shouts, Qi Chou was the first to run up, with the aura of a squad leader, and said: "Who dares to run? Squat down for me!"
In fact, Lu Linghao, the county magistrate, is still very intimidating to ordinary people. Some people were so frightened that they squatted down with their heads in their hands, while others turned around and ran away.
Hongxia got up in a panic, trying hard to cover her body with the rags she was wearing. When she looked up, Lieutenant Xue County had strode in, and she immediately burst into tears.
Xue Bai heard the crying and ordered people to find some clothes to put on these women.
"County Lieutenant." Qi Chou hurriedly reported: "Eight escaped and five were captured."
"I heard that there was a man who led these traffickers and was very familiar with this house. Was he involved in the killing of Wang Yansiam?"
Qi Chou responded: "That's Xu Ba. He's not selling slaves for the Guo family. He's a subordinate of Li San'er from the Cao Gang... He should have been involved in the killing of Wang County Lieutenant."
"You settle here."
After Xue Bai said that, he took Jiang Hai, Xue Xin and others to chase him. As he walked, he said: "We must capture Xu Ba. This person participated in the killing of officials and is an important witness."
At this time, the city gate was closed, and whistles sounded occasionally in the streets, like birdsong.
Xu Ba and several traffickers fled in a hurry. They had no direction at all and almost fled eastward. However, a few boys jumped out from the street and pointed at them and shouted, which scared them and they fled westward.
After bumping into pedestrians several times, they thought of a hiding place...
Xue Bai followed the birdsong and chased him slowly.
There is another strange thing. Both Gao Chong and Li San'er are looking for him, but he keeps going back and forth in this county and has never been caught.
In short, after chasing southwest for a while, a half-grown child suddenly ran past in the night and said: "County Lieutenant, we are here."
…
Li San'er also heard the chirping of birds. After several times, he suddenly realized that it was Ren Mulan's thieves who were spreading the news.
"Xue Bai ran away, let's chase him."
He walked very quickly, chasing after the birdsong, and gradually reached the southwest corner.
From a distance, he could already see Xue Bai's blue official robe turning down the alley next to Xingfu Temple and chasing Xu Ba into the sealed house.
Li San'er chased after him, knowing that there was no other entrance or exit on the surface, so he had someone block it.
"Xue County Lieutenant, you are an official. Why did you run away when you saw me? Didn't you show off your official power to me a few days ago?"
"Li San'er?"
"Okay, I told you that I want to make friends with Lieutenant Xue County." Li San'er said leisurely.
You can use the county magistrate to scare others, but you can't scare him and Gao Chong.
He brought more than 20 people with him and signaled eight of them to go into the alley to chase Xue Bai, while he followed behind with a knife in his hand.
Suddenly, his ears twitched and he swung his knife to chop upwards.
Above the alley, there was a man holding a knife between two walls. His ankle was cut off by Li San'er's knife.
The man fell to the ground and screamed in agony.
Li San'er raised his knife with both hands and struck him with a slash, killing him directly.
"Ambush me?!"
"kill!"
There were five other figures jumping down from above, holding swords to kill Li San'er.
Xue Bai pretended to chase people, but actually used those children to force Xu Ba into a secret house with the purpose of ambushing Li San'er.
But at this time, there were many people around Li San'er, who had extraordinary martial arts skills, and they were all his people inside and outside Yanshi County. Since he saw through this little ambush trick, he could quickly mobilize people as long as he avoided it.
"Kill over, Xue Bai is inside."
Li San'er, however, was a very talented person and was bold. At this time, he did not retreat but advanced, with some excitement in his eyes.
Although he had been muttering to himself not long ago that the plans of the county officials were not as good as cutting him down with a single blow, now he was excited that an official was willing to ambush him.
After all, the opportunity to kill an official does not come around every day.
The desperadoes who were wallowing in the rivers and lakes were much more ruthless than the guards. They cut down the ambushers and rushed into the dark room.
Several Cao gang men behind them were also injured, and they were sent to inform Gao Chong, asking the county magistrate Gao to send more men.
The secret workshop has been sealed, but due to Xue Bai's intrusion, several seals have been destroyed.
Li San'er was at the back. Although the night was dark, from time to time he could still see the blue official robe running past quickly. He arranged for his subordinates to outflank him, while he quickened his pace.
"Lieutenant Xue County, stop hiding. You are not as familiar with this place as I am. If you can't hide, you might as well have a chat with me."
Xue Bai did not answer.
Li San'er said again: "You are an official and I am a thief. The moment you set a trap to kill me, you have already lost. It shows that you can't deal with me through official means, because the Yanshi County Department and this corrupt court
It’s already rotten. You want to be a good official, but what’s the use of being a good official?! Come on, I’ll tell you what to do.”
He was right, he was indeed much more familiar with the terrain of the dark house. Although his movements were calm, his pursuit speed was very fast.
Ahead is a long corridor that leads to two courtyards, and both courtyards already have subordinates sent by Li San'er.
"Xue Xin, you take Alang away, I'll stop him." Jiang Hai shouted, holding the knife in his hand, and turned around.
Li San'er sneered and asked the men behind him to fight with him, while he walked around the long corridor, passed through the shortcut among the flowers and trees, and quickly caught up with Xue Bai.
"Brother, let's go quickly!" Xue Xin turned around and struck with his sword.
At this time, there were only two people following Li San'er, who all rushed to meet him. Li San'er blocked Xue Xin's attack with a knife, and rushed towards Xue Bai.
"The county captain looks down on him like this..."
"call!"
The man wearing the blue official robe suddenly turned around and slashed with his sword.
Only this sneak attack exceeded Li San'er's expectations. He was still reaching out to press Xue Bai, and when he was caught off guard, he turned around, but although he avoided it, his left arm could not be taken back, and was split into two pieces with a knife.
Li San'er felt pain and stepped away.
He looked up and saw that the person in front of him was not Xue Bai, but a middle-aged man who had experienced vicissitudes of life and was holding a single sword in his hand and slashed it down again.