33 Chapter 033

◎Add fuel to the fire◎

Xie Mingzhuo had expected Fan Zhao to do something bad.

I just didn't expect his methods to be so simple and crude. But this simplicity and crudeness was a fatal blow to merchants without any background.

After being arrested by the police and taken to the yamen on the opening day, who would dare to go into the shop to buy things in the future?

Lin Fan led her straight to the Third Class Yamen to pick someone up.

"Huang Ding is the leader of the Zhuang troop, not my responsibility," he explained on the way. "I'll go patrol Yeshui Street later and clarify things with the neighbors."

Xie Mingzhuo showed gratitude: "Thank you, Team Leader Lin."

"You're welcome. You've been brought into this misfortune without any cause."

As they were talking, they had already arrived at the third shift office.

Xie Mingzhuo arrived in time, and Li Jiuyue and the other three did not suffer much, only their hair was a little messy.

To express their gratitude, the six people sincerely invited Datong Manager and Lin Team Leader to dinner. Datong Manager declined the invitation, saying that he was busy with work, and so did Lin Team Leader.

As for County Magistrate He, his small grocery store was not worthy of such honor.

The opening was interrupted, so the six people simply closed the store and returned to Zhuangyuan Lane to rest.

Not long after I returned, Yao Sanniang came to my door.

"Are you all right?"

"It's alright," Li Jiuyue said thankfully. "Luckily, I have the talisman given by Sanniang. Otherwise, I don't know how much torture I would have endured in the government office."

Yao Sanniang breathed a sigh of relief: "I'm glad you're okay."

"By the way, the talisman has been taken away."

"I understand." Yao Sanniang simply nodded. "Since you've been frightened, just rest for a few days. There's no need to rush back to business. If you have any difficulties, come find me directly in Carp Lane."

As she spoke, she handed over a purse.

"No, no, no." Li Jiuyue quickly refused, "Sanniang, please take it back quickly. We are not at the end of our rope yet."

Seeing that she didn't seem to be forcing herself, Yao Sanniang withdrew her hand and said with a smile, "Okay, don't be shy when you have difficulties."

"Sanniang, you've saved us so many times, I don't know how to thank you."

"We're all friends, it's only natural." Yao Sanniang looked at Xie Mingzhuo, "As long as Second Mother doesn't find me boring, it's all right if she comes to visit more often."

Xie Mingzhuo naturally agreed.

After Yao Sanniang left, the six people closed the door and returned to the house for a meeting.

The interruption of business was not a bad thing. At least they had dealings with Datong Coach and Horse Trading Company and met the people in power in the county government.

Grassroots officials are not only familiar with all local affairs, but are also most sensitive to the slightest disturbance in the local area.

The county magistrate was in charge of the taxation and the household registration of the entire county. He was on good terms with the manager of the Datong carriage and horse business, so even if there was no dirty connection between them, he must have known something about Datong.

The fast-track yamen runners were responsible for patrolling and arresting people. They had trampled on almost every piece of land in the county and could probably recognize where a tree had grown.

No matter how secretly King Liang's troops hid, it was impossible for them to leave no trace.

After going over the matter in his mind, Xie Mingzhuo said, "The grocery store will remain open tomorrow."

"Your Highness, I'm afraid Fan Zhao won't let this go," Li Jiuyue said. "He is the magistrate's son after all, and County Magistrate He won't let him down again and again."

Xie Mingzhuo didn't take it to heart: "If Magistrate Fan had known better, he wouldn't have allowed him to continue making trouble. If he didn't know better and allowed Fan Zhao to abuse his power, he wouldn't have been able to hold on for long."

"Your Highness is right."

The back house of the county government office.

Fan Zhao sat in the shade of a tree, drinking herbal tea, and glanced at Lin Fan.

"Team Leader Lin, do you know why I called you here?"

Lin Fan stood under the scorching sun and said with a polite smile, "Please explain clearly, Master Fan."

"Don't play dumb with me," Fan Zhao patted the armrest and said coldly, "Who gave you permission to assault your fellow yamen official without permission?"

Lin Fan asked, "Are you talking about Huang Ding?"

"Why, have you beaten other people?"

"Mr. Fan misunderstood." Lin Fan said seriously, "I beat him only because he deserved it."

"You--" Fan Zhao stood up and pointed at him angrily.

Lin Fan ignored his rudeness and continued calmly, "Master Fan, Huang Ding openly slandered the County Venerable. I was so indignant that I couldn't help but interrupt him."

"What slander?" Fan Zhao was stunned.

"He said that with the County Magistrate here, County Magistrate He will be dismissed sooner or later, and yamen runners like me will all be dismissed and sent home."

“…”

"The County Magistrate is a kind-hearted man and would never do such a thing as crossing the river and destroying the bridge. Huang Ding's words not only slandered the County Magistrate's reputation, but also attempted to sow discord among the officials in the yamen and gain personal benefits. For such a mischievous person, County Magistrate He was magnanimous in only punishing him with the whipping of the prison."

Fan Zhao and his servants were stunned.

Originally, I just wanted to teach Lin Fan a lesson, but who would have thought that he would bring up the righteousness? How should I proceed?

Lin Fan bowed and said, "Master Fan, I still have official business to attend to. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

"Wait a minute!" Fan Zhao suddenly came to his senses and called out to him, "Lin Fan, right? This young master is warning you, don't interfere with what I do from now on..."

"Shut up!" An angry voice suddenly came. A man in a green official robe strode into the yard and glared at Fan Zhao fiercely.

"father……"

"Team Leader Lin, my son has been naughty, please forgive me." Fan Biqing ignored the unfilial son and turned to look at Lin Fan, "You still have official business to attend to, so I won't delay you."

Lin Fan bowed and clasped his fists: "Your Excellency, I am sorry for your words. I will take my leave first."

He left the backyard swiftly, and when he heard the magistrate's voice scolding his son behind him, he showed no extra expression.

At the corner, the yamen runner Xiao Ba came out and said with a smile, "Well, the county magistrate arrived just in time, didn't he?"

Lin Fan smiled and said, "Thank you for making this trip for me."

"Hey, why are you being so polite to me?" Xiao Ba asked curiously, "Did Lord Fan scold Master Fan?"

"I don't know." Lin Fan looked around and saw no one. He whispered, "Xiao Ba, go find someone and find out what the grudge is between Master Fan and the Liuliu Grocery Store."

"Okay, leave it to me!"

At the Prince of Liang's Mansion in the eastern suburbs, a piece of information was presented to the study.

After flipping through it, Prince Liang handed it to Xie Yu who was standing beside him, and chuckled, "Sanniang is quite kind-hearted."

Xie Yu quickly finished browsing and agreed, "It's rare for Sanniang to make a friend, but this friend is not presentable."

A mere merchant actually troubled the prince's daughter to come forward, and he was not afraid of shortening his life.

"Let her be, as long as she's happy." King Liang waved his hand, "You go down first."

There was nothing unusual about the Liuliu Grocery Store, so it was not worth his attention.

Xie Yi respectfully took his leave and returned to his own yard.

After thinking for a moment, he called his confidant and instructed him, "Go and quietly tell Xie Yu the news. He never likes to see Sanniang happy."

As night fell, the yamen staff were dismissed.

Lin Fan returned home and had just finished cooking three dishes when the yamen runner Xiao Ba pushed the door open and walked in.

"It smells so good, boss. Your cooking skills are no worse than Jun Zailai's chef." He sat down at the table as usual, but was hit on the back of his hand by the chopsticks.

"Go wash your hands."

"I know, I know." Xiao Ba hummed and went to the well. "You are the most particular in the whole government office."

Lin Fan filled two bowls of rice and sat down to eat.

After Xiao Ba cleaned his hands and ate half a bowl to satisfy his hunger, he asked, "What did you find out?"

"This Fan Zhao is such a piece of shit." Xiao Ba mumbled with rice in his mouth, "Do you know why he arrived half a month later than his father?"

"Why?"

"When his father took office, he was enjoying the pleasures of life and couldn't bear to leave his new acquaintance, Sister Hua."

Lin Fan hummed, then said, "What's the grudge with the Liuliu Grocery Store?"

"On the way here, we met in a dilapidated temple, where we were taking shelter from the rain. He flirted with Li Jiuniang and her group, and Yao Sanniang saw us and gave him a good scolding."

Lin Fan understood.

"Thankfully, with the help of Yao Sanniang, Meng Erniang was able to ask the manager of Datong to come forward." Xiao Ba quickly finished his meal and filled another bowl. "But after today's commotion, I'm not sure if the grocery store can stay open."

Lin Fan smiled. He had been patrolling the streets that afternoon to help clarify things for the grocery store. He had also heard about the grand occasion at the store that morning and thought the store's business model was quite interesting. There were many people interested in it, so it should be able to continue operating.

But Fan Zhao is indeed a trouble.

"My parents are arranging a marriage for me," Xiao Ba said with his chin in his hand, "I'll go and see the one after I have some vacation."

"Congratulations." Lin Fan chewed his food slowly. "Since we're getting married, I'll temporarily hand over the night patrol to someone else. Regain your energy and don't let your in-laws look down on you."

Xiao Ba said in surprise: "Thank you, boss!"

"I remember you were patrolling the alleys southwest of the main street."

"Boss, you have a really good memory," Xiao Ba chuckled, "Carp Lane, Zhuangyuan Lane, and Wutong Lane are all managed by Dali and me."

Lin Fan nodded: "Starting tonight, I'll go in your place."

"Ah?" Xiao Ba was surprised. "Boss, are you really going there in person?"

"I'm alone, so it's more convenient than you having a family. It's settled. You should go back and rest early after eating."

Xiao Ba was moved and said, "Boss..."

"Okay, eat quickly, and then go back quickly after eating. I still have to go on night patrol."

"yes!"

Zhuangyuan Lane.

In the dark alley, Yang Yunkai was like a wisp of black smoke, lightly crossing the courtyard wall and returning to the house.

"Your Highness, I have received two pieces of information."

"No need to be so polite, just speak."

Yang Yunkai stood up and said, "I have checked the official roads and side roads outside of Anlu County. On a road west of the city, I found very deep wheel tracks leading to Bishan, thirty miles away. There are people from the Inspection Office along the way, so I dare not rashly investigate."

The Inspection Office was under the jurisdiction of the local prefecture and county, and was usually located at important checkpoints and roads. It was responsible for inspecting pedestrians and arresting thieves.

But in King Liang's territory, who knows who the Inspection Office obeys.

Yang Yunkai was right to be cautious.

"Deep wheel tracks indicate there's a large load of cargo on the truck. Bulk cargo is transported through the mountains, so it's either timber merchants or there's something else going on." Xie Mingzhuo was used to listing all the possibilities first, then eliminating them one by one.

Timber is also pressed into trucks, and it is normal to travel back and forth in the mountains and forests.

Yang Yunkai spoke at the right time: "The second piece of information comes from the secret report of Lu Yushi of Henan."

The secret report was first transmitted to the capital, and then delivered to Xie Mingzhuo through the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Anything that Lu Lian could write into the secret report was definitely not a trivial matter.

"What did you say?"

"He disappeared after an argument with the Zongdu Commander. He concealed his identity and secretly investigated the Left Minister of Henan. Following the clues, he tracked down the Datong Carriage and Horse Trading Company and discovered a private iron mine."

Before the Qi Dynasty, the iron mines were state-owned. Later, due to various reasons, the state-owned iron smelters declined, and the government allowed the existence of private mining.

Many people took advantage of the opportunity, made a fortune, and became well-known miners.

Private iron ore mines...

The private production of muskets and iron-based silver is closely related to iron ore.

Xie Mingzhuo pondered for a few breaths and asked, "Who is the owner of that iron mine?"

"My name is Wang Xin. I was originally a street thug. By chance, I got an iron mine."

"How old are you?"

"Fifty-three."

Xie Mingzhuo's heart skipped a beat and he met them.

Yao Sanniang half-seriously said that her father wanted to marry her to an old man over fifty years old, so that it would help her father expand his business routes.

I'm afraid that what is being opened up is not a trade route, but a bloody road to the throne.

As long as there is war, there will be bloodshed and sacrifice.

Xie Mingzhuo cannot stop the invasion of foreign enemies, but she hopes to resolve the internal strife without bloodshed.

"Where is the mine?"

"North of Henei County, Huaiqing Prefecture, close to Shanxi."

King Liang was able to recruit someone from such a distant place, which shows his ability. However, considering that King Liang's uncle was once the commander-in-chief of Henan Province, it is not surprising.

It is really easy for a commander-in-chief to secretly support a gangster with no background to become the owner of an iron mine.

Now that King Liang's uncle has passed away, although Wang Xin continues to cooperate with King Liang, people's ambitions will expand.

He was no longer satisfied with being a tool, but wanted to have a relationship with King Liang.

If King Liang married his daughter to him, he would rise to prominence and become a royal concubine when King Liang ascended the throne.

Maximizing profits is a businessman's forte.

In the original text, King Liang will manipulate his troops in late June, disguised as an insurgent army, and capture the capital.

At that time, the uprising army had a legitimate reason to rebel because of the public opinion that the "royal family has no morals". Now that the snow disaster has been successfully resolved and the emperor's popularity among the people has greatly increased, King Liang should keep his troops in place for a short period of time.

But the fact that the troops were able to be dispatched in late June was enough to prove that King Liang's troops were ready and could be deployed at any time as long as the time was right.

It is urgent to deal with King Liang.

Even if King Liang can wait, Wang Xin cannot. If Wang Xin cannot wait, Yao Sanniang really has no time.

She must take the initiative, and this attack must be enough to stir up conflicts within Prince Liang's Mansion.

That day at Jun Zai Lai Restaurant, Zhang Zhide mentioned that Lai Tou had established connections in Dongjiao.

The King of Liang commands the army, and the Crown Prince is highly regarded by him. Both of them would certainly look down on those ruffians in the gang.

As we all know, King Liang had only two sons, the crown prince Xie Yi and the second son Xie Yu.

Xie Yu was born to a concubine and was Xie Yu's biggest threat. As long as Xie Yu died, he could become the crown prince, or... the future crown prince.

The only one who could go along with the bald head was the slightly weaker Xie Yu.

Xie Mingzhuo's thoughts suddenly changed, and he ordered, "Find someone to teach that bald-headed thug a lesson, and tell him, 'Don't take useless people as your masters.' Do it in a more secretive way."

Yang Yunkai understood immediately and retreated.

That night, Lai Tou had a great time in the gambling house and took his little brother home. Before he even entered the house, a black cloth bag was put over his head and his mouth was stuffed, and then fists fell like hail.

His younger brother didn't escape either.

While he was lost in thought, he seemed to hear someone say something disdainfully, "How foolish! You actually chose a loser as your master."

It’s still official language!

In Anlu County, almost no one spoke Mandarin except for the scholars who were preparing for the imperial examinations. However, there was one exception, and that was the Prince Liang's Mansion in the eastern suburbs.

Those people came from the capital and were used to speaking Mandarin. They also thought they were superior because they spoke Mandarin to the peasants.

They are from Prince Liang’s Mansion!

*

There are no secrets in the county town.

At least the fact that the gang leader was beaten could not be concealed from the yamen officials and the local residents.

Not long after Lin Fan arrived at the government office, Zhang Zhide found time to sneak out and look for him. He asked mysteriously, "Brother Fan, did you know that Baldy got beaten up last night?"

"Being beaten?" Lin Fan was surprised. "Who did it?"

"I don't know. He had a mask over his head, so he couldn't see anything. I only heard the other person speaking Mandarin." Zhang Zhide nudged him with his elbow. "Tell me quietly if you did it. I won't tell anyone else."

Lin Fan shook his head helplessly: "Really not."

Lai Tou has established connections with Dongjiao and has been acting a little arrogant recently. He did intend to warn the other party, but he hasn't had the time yet.

And when it comes to the eastern suburbs, he will do it without leaving any trace.

The person behind the scenes beat up Lai Tou directly, either because he didn't know that Lai Tou had already established a relationship with Dongjiao, or even if he knew, he had someone to rely on and wanted to deliberately make a big fuss.

The former can be ruled out because Baldy has shown off outside more than once.

"Which warrior did it?" Zhang Zhide touched his chin.

Lin Fan: "Do you know who Lai Tou hooked up with in the East Suburbs?"

"After thinking about it, he is the only one who can look down on Baldy." Zhang Zhide raised two fingers, representing the second son of Prince Liang's Mansion.

"Is there anyone in Anlu who dares to teach him a lesson openly?"

"It's not that blatant," Zhang Zhide said. "I had a mask on my head, so I didn't see who did it."

Lin Fan asked with a smile, "Is there anyone in Anlu who is used to speaking Mandarin?"

"You mean--" Zhang Zhide widened his eyes, swallowed his words, and then raised an index finger, pointing specifically at the Prince of Liang's Mansion.

He didn't think about the scholars at all. First, the scholars didn't have the ability to beat up the boss of the industry. Second, although the local scholars could speak Mandarin, they mostly used slang in their daily lives.

Lin Fan didn't comment, only saying, "I'm going to patrol the streets."

He was patrolling along Yushui Street with a few of his men. When they came to the Liuliu Grocery Store, they stopped and took a few looks.

The grocery store reopened, and the novel business model once again attracted a lot of customers, and the store was packed.

"Business is booming." Xiao Ba peeked in. "I wonder what they're selling? Why are there so many people?"

Ren Dali said in a muffled voice, "My cousin came to see it yesterday and said that most of the things here are new and interesting things from the capital, and you can try your luck and win five taels of silver!"

"What?!" Xiao Ba's eyes widened. "Five taels of silver? How do you try your luck?"

Dali looked around and pointed, "Look, that dart. If it hits the bull's eye, it's worth five taels."

"I remember that Huang Ding arrested the grocery store owner yesterday because of his dart skills." Xiao Ba said with anticipation, "Boss, your aim is excellent. Do you want to give it a try? A few more darts will be enough for you to marry a concubine."

Lin Fan grabbed the back of his neck and said with a forced smile: "Are you patrolling or shopping?"

"Patrol! Patrol! Be gentle, boss! It hurts!"

Lin Fan let go of him: "Let's go."

After patrolling the streets, Lin Fan asked the two to return to the government office first.

He walked through several alleys, gradually moving away from the downtown area, and headed towards the most chaotic place in the county - Heideng Lane.

Just as he reached the alley, a hand attacked from behind. He reacted very quickly, grabbed the other person's arm, and turned to look.

"Tuiguan Shen?" Lin Fan immediately let go and looked at the court magistrate in plain clothes with a look of surprise. "Didn't you go to Yingshan County? Did you investigate the case?"

Chen Shi clenched his fist, tapped his shoulder, and said, "With your skills, it would be a shame if you didn't come to the government office. The case is not yet clear, so there is no other way. You have to return to Anlu first."

"More than a dozen murders, and no clues at all?"

"It's strange," Chen Shi frowned. A vertical scar ran through his left eyebrow a third of the way down, giving him a rather menacing look. "Just when I thought I had a clue, I received an order from the prefect to return to Anlu immediately."

Lin Fan remained silent upon hearing this and did not comment.

"But I found this at the crime scene." He took out a bullet and said with a certain amount of satisfaction, "It was hidden very well. I guess the perpetrator didn't clean up the scene carefully enough, so I found it."

Chen Shi's ability to handle cases is obvious to all, especially in the trace examination at the crime scene, where he often notices details that ordinary people tend to overlook.

Lin Fan raised his eyebrows: "Was the victim shot to death?"

"That's not the case. They were all hacked to death with swords. There are no bullet punctures or scratches on their bodies. I think it was an accidental discharge of the musket."

"The musket is not an ordinary weapon."

"That's right." Chen Shi gripped the bullet tightly and said in a muffled voice, "I wanted to follow the clue of the fire gun, but was recalled by the prefect at the critical moment."

"Um."

Chen Shi exhaled a breath of foul air. "Do you still remember the fire at Longxing Cloth Shop in Xinjie not long ago?"

"I remember," Lin Fan nodded, "I personally led people to put out the fire."

"You and I investigated that case together. The shop burned down completely, and there were no casualties. However, the shop owner was missing, and the shop assistants were clueless. So we closed the case as an accidental fire."

"Indeed."

Chen Shi shook his head. "But I did find a few iron lumps in the ruins that looked like silver ingots. We've been investigating cases for years, so we've seen everything. 'Iron-clad silver' isn't something rare."

"Um."

"I thought that even if the fire case couldn't be solved, the case of counterfeiting silver ingots could be solved, right?" Chen Shi looked distressed. "But when I reported it to the prefect, it was rejected."

Lin Fan patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "But you're here."

"You still understand me. If the prefect doesn't allow me to investigate, I'll investigate on my own."

The population of Heideng Lane is extremely complex, but it is also the place with the most information.

Lin Fan was familiar with the place, but Chen Shi was here for the first time.

"Brother Lin, are you here to investigate a case?" Chen Shi perked up at the mention of the case. "What case?"

Lin Fan shook his head: "I'm just asking someone for information."

"Oh." Chen Shi said casually without asking any further questions, "After the case is over, shall we go out for some fresh air together?"

Lin Fan smiled and said casually, "Okay, why don't we go climb Bishan together?"

"Bishan?" Chen Shi was surprised. "Have you forgotten? Bishan is where the mausoleum was built in the eastern suburbs. Except for the craftsmen and the stone-carrying carts, no one else is allowed to enter or leave."

"I really forgot." Lin Fan lowered his eyelashes. "That's such a pity. I've been in Anlu for ten years and never had the chance to enjoy the scenery of Bishan."

"It's not just you. Many people who are ten or twenty years older than you have never been to Bishan." Chen Shi comforted.

Lin Fan accepted the comfort and changed the subject.

*

"Bishan? You can't do that!"

"Why?" Xie Mingzhuo asked in confusion as he sat in the courtyard, helping Aunt Jin thread her needle. "This is my first time in Anlu. I've already explored the county town and wanted to go outside the city. I heard there's a beautiful mountain in the western suburbs. I'd love to go hiking there."

Aunt Jin quickly waved her hands, moved closer to her, and whispered, "This isn't a secret, but no one has ever spoken about it. It's not surprising that you didn't know about it since you just arrived in Anlu."

"But my aunt is from Anlu."

"She was only nine when she passed away. It's not surprising that she didn't know."

"What is it?" Xie Mingzhuo asked with curiosity.

Aunt Jin looked around and whispered, "It's just a rumor. The man from the eastern suburbs took a fancy to Bishan's feng shui and wanted to build his tomb there. But he never really admitted it, so everyone else is just guessing."

Guess?

Xie Mingzhuo didn't think so. This kind of speech must have been released intentionally by the Prince of Liang's Mansion to guide the people.

A clear ban on people entering or leaving Bishan might have sparked rebellious sentiment among the people, but the speculative speculation of "building a mausoleum" would have kept people away.

People at that time were still quite respectful of funerals, especially the prince's tomb, which no one dared to disturb.

As a result, the frequent appearance of deep tire tracks on the road to Bishan is not uncommon.

Building a mausoleum requires stone and wood. The prince's mausoleum is naturally as luxurious as possible. Ordinary stone and wood are not considered good and can only be purchased and transported from other places.

It all makes so much sense.

Even the government officials who ran all over the county didn't dare to set foot there easily. No wonder no news got out.

Yang Yunkai didn't find out because few people would talk about "where the prince lived after his death".

Only the old hands in Anlu County know about this.

"So that's how it is." Xie Mingzhuo said thankfully, "Thank goodness Auntie reminded me, otherwise if I had gone there rashly, I'd probably have been accused of offending the royal family."

Aunt Jin took the needle and thread, pressed down the needle with a thimble, and glared at her. "Why are you being so polite to me? The inkstone you gave Dalang that day, he used it very well. He said it was a top-quality She, She inkstone. It's such a valuable item, and you gave it to me just like that. What did I say?"

Xie Mingzhuo liked her straightforwardness and couldn't help but laugh: "Got it, I won't say such things again in the future."

"That's right!"

The two chatted for a while, talking about everything from one end of the alley to the other. No matter how trivial the matter was, it became interesting in Aunt Jin's mouth.

After telling the latest news, Aunt Jin turned her attention to Xie Mingzhuo.

"I heard from Sanniang's subordinates that you will follow Jiuniang to run the shop, get married here, and never go back."

This was the statement made to the outside world by the dilapidated temple, and Xie Mingzhuo nodded.

"Then why don't you go to the shop?"

"My aunt said that she would ask me to come after the shop is stable."

Aunt Jin thought about the yamen runners arresting people yesterday and nodded in fear: "She's thoughtful."

She was sewing the sole of a shoe in her hand, but her eyes kept glancing at Xie Mingzhuo's face.

Xie Mingzhuo laughed: "Auntie, if you have anything to say, just say it."

"Then I'll be frank." Aunt Jin put down her needlework and cleared her throat. "You want to find a husband here, right?"

Xie Mingzhuo: “…”

I see, this is to introduce her to someone.

I created the character myself, and it’s hard to deny it now.

She lowered her head and said nothing, which in Aunt Jin's eyes was just a shy girl.

"Well, don't be shy. Men should marry when they are old enough, and women should marry when they are old enough. There's nothing shameful in saying it," Aunt Jin said with a teasing smile. "You are one of the most beautiful and intelligent people in Anlu County. You won't have trouble finding a husband. And it doesn't matter if you're tall; your children will be tall too."

Xie Mingzhuo: “…”

"If you trust me, I can help you look at each other?"

"It's too much trouble for you, Auntie." Xie Mingzhuo wanted to refuse.

Aunt Jin waved her hand: "What trouble? Not at all! It's settled."

Xie Mingzhuo had no choice but to resort to his ultimate strategy: "These matters still have to be decided by my aunt."

"Then wait until she comes back and I'll tell her."

When Li Jiuyue returned to her residence, Aunt Jin really came to discuss the matter.

"Nineth Mother, Second Mother is not young anymore, do you want to settle down earlier?"

Li Jiuyue: ???

The princess's marriage is decided by the emperor and the queen, and she wouldn't dare to interfere even if she had a hundred courages.

She couldn't help but look at Xie Mingzhuo.

Xie Mingzhuo lowered his head shyly.

Li Jiuyue understood that this was a polite refusal, so she smiled and said, "We appreciate Jin Niang's kindness, but I just returned to Anlu, and my shop is not stable yet, so it's not appropriate for me to find a husband for Er Niang at the moment."

"I understand your painstaking efforts." Aunt Jin was grateful for her love for her niece. "You're worried that Second Mother will be bullied in the future before she's established herself."

"Yes." Li Jiuyue patted his chest, "I was really scared by what happened yesterday."

Aunt Jin said mysteriously, "If Second Mother could marry a good husband, would you still be worried about the stability of the shop?"

"If there really was a good husband, he would have been engaged long ago. How could it be our turn?"

"Look for it, there's always someone out there," Aunt Jin advised. "If you meet the right person, you can settle down early even if you don't want to get married. If you don't want to look for someone now because your life is unstable, you won't be able to find one later even if you want to. Isn't that reasonable?"

What she said made so much sense that Li Jiuyue felt that if she continued to object, she would be really ungrateful and would also go against what she had said in the dilapidated temple.

But since it involved the princess, she didn't dare to make a decision on her own.

Fortunately, Xie Mingzhuo spoke up: "With my aunt and my aunt checking for me, I'm naturally relieved."

Li Jiuyue smiled and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Lady Jin."

"Leave it to me."

*

After leaving the dark alley, Chen Shi invited Lin Fan to have dinner together, and Lin Fan happily agreed.

The two did not go to a luxurious restaurant, but only ordered two bowls of rice noodles and two servings of pickled vegetable and shredded pork noodles at a roadside restaurant.

Chen Shi must have been extremely hungry. He finished a bowl of rice noodles first, then slowly ate another bowl of noodles. He said, "Don't the bald head and the others listen to you? Why do you still want to go to Heideng Alley to inquire about the news?"

"Things are different now." Lin Fan picked out the coriander from the bowl.

Chen Shi laughed at him: "If you didn't want to eat, why didn't you say hello to the boss?"

"Thinking about things, forgetting."

"Forgot?" Chen Shi looked at him carefully and asked sharply, "What happened?"

Lin Fan lowered his eyes: "The county magistrate has called up a long-standing cold case and asked me to lead an investigation."

"Oh? What unsolved case?" Chen Shi was only interested in the case.

"The case of a missing woman." Lin Fan sighed softly, "You should have heard about it. The government has received many such cases in the past two years, but they all ended up being unresolved."

Chen Shi understood: "Fan Biqing is a man who likes to protect himself. If he wants to make achievements in Anlu, he can only focus on the county school and murder cases. The missing woman case is indeed a good start. If he can catch the kidnapper, it can be considered a good deed. What a pity..."

He paused, his face showing indignation, "It's a pity that he doesn't know that the clues of this case point to the eastern suburbs. Even the prefect cannot go to the eastern suburbs to arrest people."

Lin Fan hummed, then buried his head in his noodles.

"You didn't remind him, and you still want to continue investigating?"

Lin Fan said seriously, "The County Master has given an order, and I dare not disobey."

"Why are you pretending?" Chen Shi laughed at him. "I don't know you yet. You just wanted to find out. Now that you have a reason, you must be so happy."

The yamen runners all obey the orders of the county officials. Without the orders of the county magistrate, county magistrate and others, they are not allowed to touch the case privately.

Lin Fan remained silent.

"Have you really thought it through? That's the eastern suburbs. Believe it or not, if you hand the clues to Fan Biqing, he can immediately lock the case file back into the storage room."

Lin Fan raised his head: "If there is injustice that cannot be redressed, what is the difference between the government and the gangs?"

Chen Shi was stunned for a moment, then he smiled and said, "Good boy."

*

"What did you say?" The bald man had a plaster on his face, making his already ferocious features even uglier. "What did he find out?"

"I just asked some questions about Master Fan."

"Nothing else?"

“No more.”

Lai Tou couldn't understand why there was anything so interesting about Fan Zhao's preferences. Could it be that Lin Dabantou was trying to curry favor with that young master Fan?

How is that possible?!

"What on earth does he want to do by asking this?"

A man as thin as a bamboo pole stood out. His right little finger was missing, cut off at the root.

"I heard that Lin Fan offended Young Master Fan, and Young Master Fan threatened to fire him from the county government. Do you think he's asking about Young Master Fan's past to set him up?"

"Hiss, that's right." The bald man suddenly realized and sneered, "I didn't expect our big boss Lin would do something tricky."

The thin man said, "Boss, do you want us to do Master Fan a favor?"

"Favors?" Baldy snorted coldly, "He's just the son of a county magistrate. I'm from the eastern suburbs now. Can anyone ask me to do you a favor for you?"

The thin man smiled flatteringly and said, "Boss is right. Now that you have become the prince's mansion, even the county magistrate will have to bow to you when he sees you from now on."

"Hahahahaha," the bald-headed man thought it was just as it should be, and asked smugly, "Do you know why I followed the Second Young Master instead of the Crown Prince?"

Thin man: "I don't know."

He rolled his eyes in his heart, naturally because the prince looked down on you.

"Hmph, do you all think I'm stupid?" The bald man thought about what happened last night and felt a surge of anger in his heart. Worried that his younger brother had underestimated him, he took this opportunity to explain, "Although the prince has the favor of King Liang, he has a very fatal weakness. Do you know?"

The thin man lowered his voice: "No son?"

"That's right." The bald man was in high spirits. "As a prince without a son, do you think he can keep his position?"

"I can't sit still." The thin man said with admiration, "Boss, you are wise. It's natural that you will have a better future if you follow the second young master."

Baldy nodded with satisfaction: "That's it."

"But Boss, you are the Second Young Master's man after all, yet you had someone do something shady last night. Can we ask for justice from the Second Young Master?"

Baldy was suddenly stabbed in the lungs, and his face changed. If he really had the ability to seek justice from the young master of the Liang Palace, would he have let that yellow-haired brat Lin Fan suppress him for several years?

"What nonsense are you talking about? Get out of here."

The thin man left without hesitation.

He left the fighting shop, pulled up his sleeve to cover his right hand, and blended into the crowd inconspicuously.

After walking around several streets and alleys, we finally walked into a house.

"Brother Lin." He closed the door and said cautiously, "No one is following."

Lin Fan was standing in the yard drying clothes. He glanced back at him and said casually, "Thank you for your hard work. There's some black plum juice on the stove. Have a bowl to quench your thirst."

"Okay."

The thin man went into the kitchen, brought out a bowl of plum juice, stood behind Lin Fan, and took a few big gulps before he recovered.

"Brother Lin, why did you ask me to lie to Lai Tou and say you were asking about Fan Zhao?"

Lin Fan shook out his clothes, hung them on the rope, and asked, "Does he think I've fallen to the point of resorting to underhanded tactics?"

Before County Magistrate Fan took office, Lin Fan was highly regarded by the county magistrate and the county magistrate, and he also subdued the ruffians in the county and was in the limelight.

But now, he has offended the son of the county magistrate. The county magistrate will definitely be dissatisfied with him and will support other squad leaders. Lai Tou has climbed up to the eastern suburbs again and will no longer be obedient to him.

Being unable to get along with either the black or white worlds, it was clear that Boss Lin was on the decline.

"That's right." The thin man hesitated, "Are you deliberately showing weakness to make Baldy relax his guard?"

Lin Fan didn't answer. He put the empty basin back on the basin rack and wiped his hands with a dry cloth.

"Brother Lin, the thing you really want me to find out will take a few days." The thin man was a little shocked, but also a little curious. "But why are you asking about women with many children?"

It sounds really creepy.

Lin Fan said gently, "I can't tell you."

"I understand. I won't ask anymore."

"Well, be careful when you go back."

*

In Zhuangyuan Lane, it was late at night. Yang Yunkai climbed over the courtyard wall again and brought back information.

Xie Yu didn't move at all even though Baldy was beaten. This was within Xie Mingzhuo's expectations.

There was no need for Xie Yu to confront the prince head-on just for a bald head.

But the beating of Baldy was just an appetizer.

The Crown Prince has never had a child, and King Liang has never thought of changing the Crown Prince for many years, simply for the sake of balance.

If the Crown Prince has no son, he will not plot to usurp power, nor will he stab his father in the back after his achievements are complete. He can also suppress the growth of his second son.

The King of Liang is already over sixty years old, while the Crown Prince is in his prime and is involved in military training. If he has a son, he may easily develop the ambition to replace his father and accomplish his great cause.

But without a son, even if he usurped power, he would only be making things difficult for Xie Yu.

From the perspective of King Liang, it would be best for the Crown Prince to have another son after he takes control of the capital.

For the prince, the sooner he has an heir, the sooner he can settle down.

This is the hidden contradiction between Prince Liang and the Crown Prince.

The conflict between the crown prince and the second son is clear. The latter covets the position of crown prince. Because the crown prince has no son, his ambition and self-confidence are infinitely magnified.

How could a prince without an heir be expected to remain calm? The slightest disturbance was enough to throw him off his composure.

Xie Mingzhuo whispered, "Send someone to the streets to spread the rumor that 'The Crown Prince has indulged in excessive sexual activity and is suspected of being impotent.' If possible, it would be best to use the people in the fighting business to tell you the truth."

A man who desperately wants to have a son will definitely work hard in bed, and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is indulging in sex.

Fortunately, Yang Yunkai lowered his head, so the princess didn't see his "torn" expression.

These words coming from the princess' mouth always make people feel uncomfortable, but when you think about the fact that the princess had once "robbed the third place winner of the imperial examination", you will feel relieved.

The next day, the news that the "Prince was impotent" spread throughout the county, and the news came from the bald man.

Zhang Zhide was drinking tea. Upon hearing this, he took a sip and almost sprayed Lin Fan who was standing opposite him. He quickly turned away.

"Brother Fan, does Baldy really have the guts to do that?"

Lin Fan laughed: "Maybe."

The second young master of the eastern suburbs counterattacked quickly. After being called a waste, he directly stabbed the other party in the lungs.

The harm is minor, but the insult is profound.

The prince absolutely cannot tolerate this.

At Prince Liang's Mansion, Xie Yu cleared the table and said through gritted teeth, "Xie Yu, you are so kind!"

Upon hearing the news, Xie Yu rushed to the county town in person and urgently summoned Lai Tou to a private residence, where he scolded him harshly.

Baldhead's face was full of grievance: "Second Master, please understand, I really didn't ask anyone to spread it."

"No matter whether it is true or not, Xie Yu will not let it go." Xie Yu clenched his fists, his eyes gloomy and dark.

In this case, we should strike first.

【Author’s words】

A big chapter of ten thousand words!