Chapter 7 What a coincidence? "Young Madam is here too, what a coincidence, in...

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"Most of the places Zhang mentioned are within Yancheng. She also pointed out that Chen Tongqing and his servants and confidants haven't been away for long periods of time in the past two months. She's very clear about this."

What Zhang suspected earlier was that Chen Tongqing had gone out too many times without any explanation, which was too similar to his previous behavior of being a playboy and wandering around with women. He had been quiet for a long time since he fell ill. Zhang suspected that he had returned to his old ways, which was why she was dissatisfied with the investigation.

This means that the place where the ship is hidden must be on the coastal border of Yancheng.

It sounds like a narrow range, but in fact, for merchants who have been immersed in the local area for many years, they know all the ways in various places. Everyone has told the guards on the way to invite people, and they have also thought about it on the way. When Yan Siqing said it, they expressed their opinions and quickly listed at least twenty place names. Some of them were in the remote sea areas along the river in Yancheng, mostly swamps or barren forests with no roads, or they were coastal mountains bordering other cities, which were seldom visited by people.

The most senior official, Xu Chou, handed over the list he had written down. Yan Siqing, who had just finished drinking tea in the small inner hall, took a look at it: "Hulu Valley, Luojiao, Zhang's Stone Forest, Yanggong Village, Xianzhepo, Lin Gong's hometown..."

Almost all places that meet the requirements and that outsiders would never think of are included.

It was quite detailed. Liu'er, the maid who was also from this city, silently matched the place names in her mind. Then she looked at these stewards and her brows relaxed a little.

Xu Chou bowed his head and said, "Madam, everything is here. Is there anything else you need to add?"

Yan Siqing had already read it, put down the paper, and pressed it with her fingers. Her nails were plump and clean, with a light touch of powder, and her voice was very clear.

"Add another Red Claw Forest."

Xu Chou was surprised and couldn't help but wonder, "This place is dry, with many reefs and silt. Even the land route is difficult to travel. There are many mosquitoes, and the road is narrow and covered with weeds. Cattle and horses are reluctant to tread. Locals rarely go there, so it's not suitable for harboring ships or transferring cargo."

"I wonder if the criminals, if they succeed, will they sail the ship to another place and then transport some spices back to Chen Tongqing and other participants to share the spoils?"

"I always feel that although these places need to be surveyed, it's a bit far-fetched to say that they are consistent with the work of criminals. There is absolutely no need for them to hide expensive spices and large ships in Yancheng. What if they are discovered?"

The clues revealed by the Chen Tongqing couple gave them a logical basis for speculation, but upon closer thought, they did not quite fit in with the criminals' utilitarian motives.

Isn't the purpose of hijacking a ship for wealth? Why do it?

The other stewards were quiet and didn't say much, but Liu'er looked at Xu Chou twice more. This steward was the most dignified and capable, and he was also one of the few who dared to argue with the lady. Sometimes he even seemed to be hostile to her.

Yan Siqing was not anxious and spoke gently, "In the past, this place has had a lot of rain, especially in the past six months. The water has risen, and small boats can travel to various rivers by water. Our Shen family is a large shipping merchant, and most of the customers we deal with are wealthy people. Sea transportation with large ships is no problem, but don't underestimate the small boats and water transportation of small businesses in various places. They can easily make a living by taking advantage of small roads."

Xu Chou did not refute, but repeated his subsequent suspicions, which seemed to intensify his dissatisfaction with Yan Siqing's inference. Other managers had to get involved. Some were afraid that Xu Chou would offend his boss, and some felt that Xu Chou was too stubborn. After all, they were under investigation, and whether there was definite evidence or not, they had to be thorough and careful. It would not be a big deal to check everything, which was better than being ambushed for no reason.

As they were arguing, Yan Siqing raised his hand to interrupt them and said, "I am just informing you, not asking you to judge me."

"Why, did I hire an official?"

These words were indeed very serious. Xu Chou was stunned and his face turned red. He probably didn't expect Yan Siqing to suppress him like this. Others also didn't expect this and remained silent for a while.

Then they followed the instructions and went down to prepare to dispatch coolies from grain stores in various places to participate in the investigation and search.

Can there be more manpower than the coolies in the dry food store?

The manpower that Shen could mobilize at one time was sometimes more powerful than that of the county magistrate. After all, the latter was not very able to mobilize the local garrison, and could usually only use thirty or forty runners from the county government.

However, this time they parted on bad terms. Before leaving, Xu Chou looked at Yan Siqing coldly and said a few words. Yan Siqing was indifferent, so he turned away.

Not long after, Zhang Diao, the steward, quietly found Yan Siqing. After a moment's deliberation, he cautiously mentioned, "Madam, the place I reported is the Red Claw Forest, but for some reason, Steward Xu didn't record it on the list. Fortunately, Madam, you know our area well and brought it up, otherwise it would have been missed."

Then, why did Xu Chou erase this place?

Some suspicions have already surfaced.

Zhang Diao saw that Yan Siqing's expression became a little colder and he didn't dare to say anything.

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After sending someone to investigate and having a quarrel at the door, they got on the carriage.

The carriage passed through an alley and arrived at a teahouse at the back of the alley.

It was neither too far nor too near, so the people in the carriage were certainly unaware of it, but it was clearly visible to everyone.

Ruozhao stood behind the balcony pillar and glanced twice, then asked Jiang Hui who was watching the carriage go away.

"Where do you think she's going to investigate the lost ship now, Prince?"

"Ruoqin followed your instructions and made inquiries. There aren't many places to hide a boat, but for the locals, it's not difficult to find a secret place. After all, this place is a coastal transit point with both land and water access."

Ruoqin took out a map, which contained a detailed record of all the places in Yancheng. It was so detailed that once Yan Siqing saw the map, he could be sure that the other party was definitely from the court.

Jiang Hui withdrew his gaze only after the carriage had turned. Thinking of the young lady and the steward arguing at the door just now, he raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Go to the county government office."

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"Chen Tongqing is in prison. If he knew that Madam had already discovered the clues, I wonder if he would give up the cover-up and directly help Madam reveal the location of the other party's hidden ship."

"He's already beyond redemption and certain death. If he gives in and surrenders to his wife, he might be able to save his wife and children. Doesn't he have any thoughts? Or does he hold such a deep grudge against his wife that he's even endangering his family."

Liu'er hopes so, as this will save a lot of effort and hard work.

Yan Siqing also hoped that it would happen, but he also knew that the probability of this happening was low, so his expression was somewhat indifferent.

"He has many children outside. If he doesn't acknowledge them, the current ironclad evidence linking him to the tenants will only implicate the Lin family and others. If he acknowledges them, the other culprits might also take care of his illegitimate children. That's why he's keeping his mouth shut."

Wife and children?

That Chen Tongqing is not a good husband.

Liu'er: "Then, Madam, do you still want to find someone to accompany you?"

Yan Siqing was not comfortable discussing matters with He Zhihong alone, so she would usually find someone else to discuss matters with, so that it would be easier to announce the matter to the outside world and stop gossip. Previously, the person she had consulted was the old coroner Zhang, but now things were urgent, so it was not convenient to send an elder around like she would summon the subordinates.

"No need. It's already come to this point. There's no need to worry about reputation."

"As long as Master He doesn't mind."

There is always trouble around a widow, let alone doing business. No matter how careful you are, you cannot control what others say.

Yan Siqing looked at the bustling scene outside the window with a cold look on his face.

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As Yan Siqing entered the county government office and passed the screen wall inside the mansion accompanied by his legal advisor, he heard a voice that was unfamiliar but vaguely familiar.

"Master He is so young and has made great achievements in governing the local area. It is really rare. Moreover, he is still single. Why doesn't he get married?"

"Is there any place I need to be introduced to?"

"I will definitely give Master He a happy marriage."

"Otherwise, the man will be too old and weak to have children, so he should get married quickly."

He Zhihong saw Yan Siqing's figure and said politely, "Thank you, Mr. Jiang. I am very busy and have no time to think about marriage. But Mr. Jiang is old enough, why haven't you gotten married yet?"

He Zhihong is over 28 or 29 years old, and is indeed not young anymore. If he were in another place, he would have been married and had children long ago. Especially when he grew up with Jiang Hui, the contrast was too tragic. Liu'er subconsciously downplayed the dangerous impression that Jiang Hui gave her, and only felt that the young and talented county magistrate could not even compare to Mr. Jiang's boots.

Jiang Hui also noticed Yan Siqing approaching, and his posture on the chair became even more lazy. "I'm still young."

"Only twenty-one."

“It’s time to work hard for the future.”

"Besides, I haven't met anyone I like."

"Young Madam is here too. What a coincidence, meeting you here?"

As he spoke, he glanced at He Zhihong and saw that he stood up, as if to greet Yan Siqing. He then stood up as well. He had never liked getting close to people and looked down on everyone, but he still stood close to He Zhihong, following him closely. In this way, he appeared in front of Yan Siqing, standing out from the crowd, half a head taller than the latter.

Yan Siqing was not blind. At first glance, he seemed to see a short mushroom emerging from the side of the solitary poplar standing in the wilderness.

The young lady paused and did not come any closer.

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