In Susong County, the ruins of the city are covered with black traces of the mass burnings.
Some scattered people were rummaging through the ruins for usable items, and occasionally someone carried a charred corpse passing by on the street.
Although nearly a month has passed, there are still corpses everywhere that have not been cleaned up. Most of them were buried by collapsed roofs and burned to the color of coke.
In the northeast corner of the county, in a ruins opposite Guansheng Temple, Jiang Fan peeked out from behind the remaining brick wall. The temple door opposite was deserted, and it took a long time for anyone to come in or out.
This is one of the few remaining buildings in Susong. It is close to the corner of the city wall on both sides and faces the street on the south. Therefore, it luckily escaped the fire and is now the seat of Susong County Government.
During the rogue invasion of Anqing, Susong suffered the most. Thirty to four percent of the people in both Qianshan and Taihu survived. Only in Susong, almost the entire city was massacred and the houses were almost burned down.
"We can't wait any longer today. Even if he is not left alone, we will arrest him and leave."
Jiang Fan looked back and saw that the speaker was a middle-aged man with a Chinese character face. This man's name was Yuan Zheng. He was chosen from Bu Kuai. He and Jiang Fan were neighbors, and they had run several errands together. It was Jiang Fan.
Someone you can trust.
Standing next to Yuan Zheng was Guo Fengyou. This person was asked by Pang Yu to take him with him. He had been a helper in the past, but because of his outstanding performance when intercepting Hanako at the city gate, Jiang Fan also trusted him.
Both of them wore black scarves on their heads, while Jiang Fan wore a square scarf. The three of them pretended to be merchant masters and servants returning from an outing.
Jiang Fan whispered to Yuan Zheng, "Brother Yuan, don't worry, the squad leader told me to be absolutely sure before taking action.
We had discussed before that the time to take action would be at dusk, when he comes out alone, so that no one will notice when he leaves the city."
Yuan Zheng frowned and said to Jiang Fan, "Although there are not many people in this city, more and more people come back to look for relatives.
We three outsiders, with a carriage, will always attract attention if we stay here for a long time, and in the end we might be caught by our friends."
Jiang Fan shook his head and said, "It is indeed not advisable to stay for a long time, but I can't set a time limit, otherwise I will mess up my position."
Yuan Zheng looked at Jiang Fan and asked, "Why are you arresting this person?
Don’t worry about losing your head.”
"The class leader told me not to tell, and you can't ask.
But brother, I can guarantee that you won’t lose your head.”
After Jiang Fan finished speaking, he turned to Guo Fengyou, "What did Brother Guo say?"
Guo Fengyou was observing from a brick hole. After hearing this, he looked at Jiang Fan and said, "According to what the squad leader said, it is right not to set a time limit, but I think we can start now."
Jiang Fan and the other two were stunned, and Yuan Zheng couldn't help but ask, "How could we arrest the man behind the scenes before he came out?"
"My friend only went out once in two days, and he took three people with him. It was not easy to wait for the right time.
It’s really difficult to wait for a long time, so we might as well go in and catch him if he doesn’t come out.”
Guo Fengyou's face flashed with excitement, then calmed down again.
Jiang Fan thought for a moment and then said, "Brother Guo, did you count the number of people?"
Guo Fengyou nodded, "Two days ago, I counted the people in this temple. Except for the curtain friends and Chen Shifu, there were only eleven people who showed up. Among them, only seven looked like husbands and servants, and four others looked like they were
Guan Xiang should invite Li Lao Shu Shu and others who lived in the temple. There were more than thirty people who came to the temple to do business, and five of them came twice.
Today, thirteen people went in and twenty-one came out. There are only three people in the temple at this time. It will be easy to get him in there."
Yuan Zheng was stunned for a moment, "Can you remember this?"
Guo Fengyou said confidently, "I am a city gate watcher, so I have to have good eyesight. When I used to guard the city gate, I would count people and play."
Jiang Fan looked at Guo Fengyou for a while and said, "I heard from the cook who was out yesterday that Chen Shifu takes a nap in the afternoon every day. This is the time for him to take a nap. There are no officials in the yamen. When you enter, you should be greeted by the clerk. .”
After the three of them discussed for a while, Jiang Fan slapped his leg fiercely and said, "It's done! Brother Yuan goes and brings the car over. He knows me. You talk to him, Fengyou, and I will be responsible for identifying him."
After Jiang Fan took off his turban and put on a square hat, Guo Fengyou closed his eyes and calmed down for a moment. He walked out of the ruins and strode into the temple gate. Jiang Fan was behind him, his head lowered and his square hat hanging down. , blocking his face.
There was no one inside the door. There was a man sweeping the floor at the door of the hall. He looked up and saw the two of them and asked, "What are you two doing?"
If you are begging for food, there will be none here."
Guo Fengyou adjusted his breathing and said politely, "I'm not here to beg for food. After hearing the bad news about Susong, the head of the family rushed back from Anqing to find his relatives. He has already buried his relatives and friends. Hearing that the county government moved here, he wanted to do his best for Susong. I have put in some effort, but I don’t know who is in charge of the county government?”
When the sweeper heard this, he glanced inside, and two people came out. Jiang Fan peeked and saw that the first person was the friend of the curtain, and coughed lowly.
Guo Fengyou felt a little nervous when he knew that the real master was coming, but there were only a few people in the temple, so even if he was discovered, they couldn't hold him back, so he felt a little more relaxed.
The friend of the curtain took a moment to look at the two people's costumes and realized that they were not the master's family, so he asked, "I wonder where your master is?"
How can we put in some effort?”
Guo Fengyou said respectfully, "The master's house is in Tongluo Lane, but he is too sad to walk.
I was in a hurry when I came back and didn't bring much with me, but I heard that the county government was short of expenses and wanted to donate a carriage."
The curtain friend's face softened, but he still looked at Guo Fengyou with some vigilance, "Your accent is slightly different from Anqing's. Are you from Fucheng?"
"The villain is from Qianshan County. He has been with the master in Fucheng for less than three months. Your Majesty heard it true."
The curtain friend said, "Then just bring the carriage. I am your guest, and I would like to thank Xiangzi on your behalf."
Jiang Fan secretly complained that this friend seemed unwilling to go out.
Guo Fengyou's mind was racing, and he said calmly, "My master, I still have something to ask for.
Several relatives and friends at home have received the corpses. The Qingming Festival is approaching. The host family wants to help them erect tombstones, but there is a shortage of writers in the city. Thinking that there are many scholars in the county government, they want to ask someone to write a few epitaphs. As long as they are suitable for use, the host family will The family does not stingy with money."
After hearing the words "spending money", the secret agent turned his eyes a few times and suddenly lost his vigilance. He thought that this was what the owner really meant, and the donation of the carriage was just a cover.
There are so many people passing away in Susong City this time that there are not even enough people to bury them. Everything is indeed lacking. Now relatives and friends from all over the place are coming one after another. Anyone who sells coffins, stone tablets and the like can be sold at a high price, and epitaphs can be written on them. It's even more popular.
But writing an epitaph is not just about writing a name. It also needs to be polished based on the life of the deceased dictated by the family members. To be very effective, it must be profound and fantasy. It takes a lot of time, and you must meet the host's family before you can write it.
After thinking for a moment, the friend behind the scenes said, "Tongluo Alley is not far from here, and we are doing some charity work, so I will go with you."
Jiang Fan breathed a sigh of relief, but still buried his head for fear of being recognized.
Guo Fengyou said happily, "Our carriage is waiting outside the door. Come this way, sir."
The curtain friend told the attendant and followed Guo Fengyou out of the temple gate. There was a covered carriage parked on the west side, with a groom standing next to it. The curtain friend did not look at these servants, and got on the carriage directly, and the carriage headed south. Let's go in the direction of Tongluo Alley.
The groom didn't say anything, and just led the horse in front of him. There was a lot of debris along the way. The man behind the scenes didn't look at it, so he closed his eyes to rest.
After a while, the carriage stopped. The friend opened his eyes and saw that it was not Tongluo Alley at all, but a secluded ruins.
He knew something was wrong, and when he was about to get out of the car in panic, a face appeared in front of him.
The man looked at him with a half-smile, and the servant and groom who had just spoken stood on both sides, each holding a sharp short blade.
"Who are you? Do you know me? Do you know me..." The curtain friend said half a sentence in a panic, and suddenly recognized the person in front of him. He couldn't help but shrink back and screamed, "You, that horse is so fast, what are you going to do?" Oh, please spare my life!"
Jiang Fan looked at him with disdain, "I'm here to take revenge, but I don't have to kill anyone. You let me get the benefits and save you from death. If you want to survive, do as I say and don't seek death yourself."
The screen friend was shaking all over and was speechless. Jiang Fan said to Yuan Zhengdao, "You accompany him in the car. After I leave, Brother Guo will drive."
Yuan Zheng nodded, pushed his curtain friend in, sat on the hood of the car, and lowered the curtain to block the view of outsiders.
Guo Fengyou asked Jiang Fan in a low voice, "Which line should we take?"
Jiang Fan frowned and thought for a moment. They planned two routes. He looked up at the sun and whispered back, "Go south and hire a boat to go ashore at Congyang."
...When Pang Yu returned to Tongcheng, he met Jiang Fan at the Ye family's old house. At this time, Jiang Fan had just returned from Songyang, and his face was full of dust.
This time back to Tongcheng, Pang Yu wanted to wait for the news about Jiang Fan, and also to complete the procedures for donating students to prisons, because donating to prisons required candidates at the county level, and the place where money was donated before was in the capital, which was beyond Pang Yu's expectation. What's interesting is that not only the Ministry of Revenue is collecting money, but the Ministry of Work is also doing this business.
During the Tianqi years, the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Accounts were competing for business, and they were also collecting donations and supervising money. Collection of money was originally the responsibility of the Ministry of Accounts. Logically, the Ministry of Accounts had the advantage, but the Ministry of Industry did not distinguish between silver and gold, and would accept even the smallest amount, thus engaging in vicious competition. , so all those who donated prisons went to the Ministry of Industry, and all their money went into Jieshen warehouse, seriously disrupting the market order, and creating a mess for those who donated prisons.
It was originally three to four hundred thousand taels per year, but due to the price war, in the end the total was less than one hundred thousand taels. After Chongzhen came to the throne, it was all transferred to the Ministry of Household Affairs, but it was also a verbal instruction, and the Ministry of Works did not completely let go.
Because Chongzhen was even more short of money, he set a very standard price. The price of three hundred and fifty taels for Junxiu children was set by the Chongzhen Dynasty. The payment was also more convenient. The chief secretaries of various places collected it on their behalf. The list was submitted to the Ministry of Household Affairs once a month. Eliminate the need for people to travel around.
However, there was no Chief Secretary in Southern Zhili, so the Southern Ministry of Household Affairs collected the donations, so Pang Yu only needed to complete the formalities and go to Nanjing to complete the donation. His student registration was also at the Nanjing Imperial College.
This time, he had already completed the examination in Anqing, which proved that he had no bad deeds and was indeed handsome, meeting the requirements of a handsome man among the people.
After returning home and completing the county government formalities, we can set off after arranging matters for the two shifts.
The friend was imprisoned in a small courtyard in the old house of the Ye family, and was guarded by Lao Yuan alone. Those who delivered meals every day could only be placed at the door, and no one else could enter.
The two of them went in for another round of questioning, but the man behind the scenes didn't resist at all and confessed everything. He even wrote down the charges and took his fingerprints as required.
At this time, both of them were relieved. The situation was consistent with what they had deduced, and Chen Shifu had already caught his little tail in his hands.
With this layer of protection, Jiang Fan felt relaxed. He knew that Pang Yu was going to Jiangnan, so he said to Pang Yu, "The squad leader can wait until he comes back from Suzhou before going to Susong, and let Chen Shifu worry for a few more days.
At that time, when the squad leader went there, he responded to all requests."
Pang Yu smiled and said, "Captain Jiang is right, but we not only have to consider how to put pressure on him, but also how much he can withstand."
Jiang Fan looked thoughtful, and Pang Yu waited for him to think about it for a moment before saying, "Chen Shifu concealed the information about the coming of the rogue bandits, which led to the death and injury of all the people in the city of Susong. He also attempted to kill people and silence them before. If any of these are exposed, it will be a capital crime."
.
But Susong had fallen after all. Even if he had the excuse to patrol the river, he still had to worry about the imperial court being furious and punishing all the officials who had fallen into the city and lost their land. It was almost a month now, and he must be worried every day. At this time, his secret friend disappeared.
Already."
After Pang Yu finished speaking, he looked at Jiang Fan, "What do you think he will think?"
Jiang Fan raised his head and said, "He may think that the secret friend is absconding in fear of crime to avoid being implicated by him."
"anything else?
Do you think that the secret agent is going to expose him?"
Jiang Fan squinted his eyes and thought for a moment and said, "No, if one person's selfishness traps the lives of all the people in the city, no one involved will survive. That friend is not like a fool and will never fall into the trap."
Pang Yu nodded and said, "That's right. You should always consider other people's interests, which are nothing more than life and death, fame and wealth."
Jiang Fan bowed to show his humility, but with Pang Yu's affirmation, his thinking became more active, "The other option is that Susong was out of order after the robbery, with looting happening everywhere, or he might have died inexplicably by a robber.
.”
Pang Yu smiled and said, "That may be the situation that Chen Shifu hopes for the most, but there is another situation that he fears the most."
"The secret friend fell into someone else's hands."
"This other person has countless possibilities."
Pang Yu paced slowly in the room, "It could be his political enemy, his enemy, or he could just be someone seeking money.
He would guess countless times in his mind that if people think too much, they will often scare themselves. Since he is so afraid of death and has been frightened for a month, the possibility of this person's mental collapse is not small, no matter if he is just scared.
Even if he dies, he still confesses to the court, which is of no benefit to us."
"Then do you want me to go to Susong?"
Pang Yu said easily, "No, I'm going to Suzhou. It's the same boat ride anywhere along the river, so I'll start from Susong and meet Mr. Chen on the way to reassure him and talk about some business."
"Can the little man stay by your side?"
"I have important matters here that need to be handled by Captain Jiang. I don't trust others to handle them."
Jiang Fan subconsciously straightened his chest and said, "Excuse me from the squad leader."
"Take a few people who are on the fast track and establish a foothold at Anqing Pier.
Before I come back, you have to find out the gangs at Anqing Pier, the Yahang faction, the green leather thugs in the city, and the gentry forces behind each of them."
Jiang Fan's eyes were firm. Judging from what Pang Yu explained, Pang Yu's goal was to be in Anqing, and he was by no means a person without plans.
"Remember not to use your Kuaishou identity."
Pang Yu paused for a moment and then smiled and said, "The Shengtang Pier is a must-win for me. Chen Shifu is in charge of water transportation and river defense. You will have many opportunities to meet him in the future."