Chapter 125 How Powerful?

At this time, the number of pedestrians on the street gradually increased.

Most of them were merchants trying to make a living, servants and women in charge of purchasing for their families, and yamen runners and officials who needed to report for duty.

Even in such torrential rain, they still have to go out.

Therefore, when passing through Zhennan Street.

People passing by noticed the judges outside the house facing the street.

Unable to resist their natural curiosity, most would step forward and ask the onlookers who were braving the rain.

"Brother, what's going on inside? It's a complete mess."

"A horrific case has occurred. I heard that the corpses inside are piled up, with necks bent up to the back bones."

"Look at the face of the Chief Detective, he looks so anxious and irritated."

"Clues were already scarce, and then we ran into a torrential downpour. The kid's footprints were trampled to pieces by the rain."

The Shu dialect rose and fell, making it easy for passersby to hear clearly.

Each of them had a look of fear on their face.

In times of peace, how much bloodshed do ordinary people have ever witnessed?

That is, when pigs were slaughtered during festivals, or when villains were sentenced to beheading by the prefectural government, they could see some blood outside the East and West Markets.

You might have been scared at the time, but it's all in the past now.

But it's different when it comes to major cases involving lives.

Until the murderers are caught, the people around will always feel uneasy at night.

At that moment, a figure walked out of the grand courtyard.

It was Fang Hongxiu, the centurion of the Shuzhou Criminal Investigation Department, who was in charge of investigating the case.

She was very beautiful, with fair skin, red lips, slightly upturned eyebrows, and a pair of captivating eyes.

Her tall and voluptuous figure, accentuated by the bright red robes of a high-ranking official, exuded a heroic air and a unique dashing charm.

Fang Hongxiu stood under the eaves, scanning the surrounding onlookers.

After checking one by one, no suspicious personnel were found to have returned to the scene, which inevitably left me somewhat disappointed.

Based on her years of experience investigating cases, a small percentage of perpetrators will return to the scene of the crime to watch it again.

Some wanted to know the progress of the investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department, while others were proud of their own actions.

Especially the case behind her.

The victim died a gruesome death and was clearly from a wealthy and influential family. In addition, the scene was so clean that it looked like it had been swept.

This was enough for her to judge that the murderer was a meticulous, calm and experienced person.

Such people often reveal their flaws in inconspicuous places.

Thinking about all this, Fang Hongxiu straightened her expression, cupped her hands in greeting to the surrounding people, and said loudly:

"This case is of great importance. If any of you know any clues, please go to the Ministry of Justice to report them at any time."

"If the clues are helpful to this case, my Criminal Investigation Department will also give a certain amount of money as a reward."

Before he could finish speaking, and before the surrounding people could even begin to discuss it, several forensic officers came running in from outside.

The tall young man at the head of the group had a serious expression, or rather, a somewhat flustered look.

Upon arriving, he didn't even bother to bow. "My lord, something's happened! We've found out who's inside..."

Fang Hongxiu raised her hand to interrupt him, and led them directly into the courtyard before signaling them to continue.

"The person who died was Liu Jing, the sixth young master of the Liu family in Jingzhou, who was the owner of Linglanxuan a few days ago."

Are you sure?

"My lord, I dare not speak rashly on such matters."

"Liu Jing..."

Fang Hongxiu's face immediately turned solemn as she looked towards the Dingyuan Marquis's residence not far away.

"Made by the Xiao family?"

But the Liu family had already backed down, and there were rumors that the Xiao family would call it quits.

Fang Hongxiu couldn't figure out why the Xiao family had taken action.

But deep down, he knew that this case was likely to cause some trouble.

...

Given that such a major case occurred so close to the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence, the Xiao family naturally received the news very quickly.

Even before it became that specific, the servants who went out to buy supplies would still mention it when they returned.

Soon, people in the front yard, middle yard, and back yard were all talking about it.

Ge Laosan got up very early and, oblivious to everything, fed the horses and put on the reins.

Although he was busy with his hands, he was also thinking about some things.

His expression kept changing, clearly indicating that he wasn't in a good mood.

He was supposed to accompany Wang Lixing on inspections of the pharmacy these days, and also take care of some personal matters.

Unexpectedly, the aunts in the backyard insisted that he drive them out for a drive, saying that the son-in-law said he was a very steady driver and easy-going.

Ge Laosan felt extremely conflicted upon hearing this.

He never imagined that his usual friendly banter and attempts to build a closer relationship with the fledglings would have such an impact.

Although he was happy to see the fledglings react this way, he had important things to do in the near future.

How could I stay with those girls forever?

But there's nothing we can do.

Before returning home last night, Granny Shan's granddaughter specifically instructed him that she would be going out again today and told him to prepare the carriage early in the morning.

Grandpa's.

Shuzhou is just a small piece of land, what's so interesting about it?

Ge Laosan cursed under his breath, but he moved quickly, preparing the carriage before leaving the stable and arriving at the front yard.

Then I heard several servants and soldiers saying:

"I heard that the sixth young master of the Liu family was found dead in the yard this morning, and his death was quite gruesome."

Ge Laosan's heart skipped a beat, but he walked over with a smile on his face as usual.

"What are you talking about? It sounds like someone died."

"Third brother, can you guess?"

"Guess my ass, hurry up and tell me."

Then the armored soldier said in a low voice, "Last night, that young master Liu from Jingzhou died."

Upon hearing this, Ge Laosan's expression changed slightly.

He knew Liu Jing's background and purpose better than many others in the mansion, and couldn't help but ask:

"How did he die?"

"Of course he was killed."

"I heard that not only he died, but also his guards, staff, and others who came with him. Every single one of them was killed..."

Seeing the soldier make a chop gesture at his neck, Ge Laosan muttered to himself.

It shouldn't have been done by the people from the Punishment Hall, right?

If the Second Master of the manor gives the order, I'm afraid trouble will break out within the Xiao family.

Ge Laosan was well aware of the ambitions of Xiao Wang and Xiao Dongchen.

If they could even come up with the treacherous plan of burning down the granaries of three towns, it wouldn't be impossible for them to secretly kill the eldest son of the Liu family in Jingzhou.

Just as he was thinking about these things, he heard someone say, "Moreover, the place where Young Master Liu died is not far from here, just to the west."

west?

Old Ge's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but ask a few more questions: "The west side of Zhennan Street?"

"Yes, it's just five miles away over there."

Following the direction he pointed, Ge Laosan looked and saw, five miles away to the west, the body that had died last night...

Suddenly, a figure appeared in his mind.

--fledgling!

Thinking back to the strange smell he had caught on Chen Yi last night, Ge Laosan felt increasingly certain that it was possible.

I only pondered for a moment.

He began to waver again, almost unconsciously.

After all, he knew that Chen Yi had only been involved in martial arts for a short time and did not practice diligently. At most, he was only a martial artist at the lower level of the ninth rank.

Given Liu Jing's status, his guards must be at least at the seventh rank.

Do you think fledglings can kill them?

As Ge Laosan pondered these things, he looked towards the backyard and, after some hesitation, made a decision.

Whether or not it was done by a fledgling, he had to test it out.

We must not allow the chicks to encounter any unexpected situations.

Just then, Ge Laosan saw three figures pass through the porch.

One of them was bouncing and tinkling, its sound growing louder as it approached.

It was Pei Guanli, Shen Huatang, and Xie Tingyun.

From a distance, Pei Guanli waved with a grin, "Third brother, third brother, hurry up, prepare the horses and let's go."

"Let's go for a stroll outside the city today. I heard that the Chishui River has risen sharply after the heavy rain, it must be spectacular."

"Right, Sister Tingyun, Sister Huatang?"

Xie Tingyun, holding an umbrella, nodded indifferently.

"Please wait a moment, I'll be right back."

Although Ge Laosan wore a smile on his face, he couldn't help but curse inwardly.

With these several aunts around, it's inconvenient for him to do anything he wants.

...

Inside Chunhe Garden.

Chen Yi managed to get a good night's sleep last night, only getting up to wash and dress after Pei Guanli left.

As Xiaodie straightened his clothes, she asked, "Young Master, are you going to the pharmacy today?"

Thinking of his plans from last night, Chen Yi replied with no answer, then asked, "Did Pei Guanli and the others go out?"

Xiaodie smiled and said, "I went out after breakfast, and Sister Huatang and Sister Tingyun came with me."

Why didn't you go?

"Young Master..."

Xiaodie's smile froze, and she pouted, saying, "You almost got lost last night, I dare not let you go out alone again."

However, a hint of lingering fear appeared on her face, and she said mysteriously:

"Son-in-law, there is another matter this morning."

"I heard from the shopper in the front yard this morning that..."

"Young master, isn't that scary? So, next time you can't take the alleyways again, just in case..."

Upon hearing the news that Liu Jing and the others had been discovered, Chen Yi was not too surprised and chuckled as he patted her on the forehead.

"Say less unlucky things."

Xiaodie covered her head, "People are just worried about the son-in-law's safety."

Chen Yi understood her good intentions, smiled and offered a few words of comfort, then went downstairs to have breakfast with Xiao Wuge.

During this time, he naturally inquired about the situation of Xiaodie and the others when they went out yesterday.

Upon learning that Pei Guanli had gone shopping in the West Market and even had Ge Laosan come along to carry her things, he couldn't help but secretly give her a thumbs up.

For now, stall Ge Laosan to prevent him from having a chance to run away.

He knew that compared to the conflict between the Xiao and Liu families, the burning of grain in the three towns was an even more earth-shattering event.

Even though the three towns are heavily guarded, the secretive nature of the Hidden Guards should allow them to accomplish this.

However, this matter is quite difficult, and even if Chen Yi were to do it, he would have to plan it carefully.

Besides finding the right person and the right time to make a move, it is even more important to ensure that he is not implicated.

Every detail requires a lot of time and effort to plan.

"In short, we can't let Ge Laosan go out when he has a free time."

After the meal, Chen Yi had no plans.

He then decided to continue teaching Xiao Wuge how to play chess, and asked Xiao Die to ask Mr. Sun Fu if he had any free time.

Since he had decided to become a teacher at Guiyun Academy, he needed to find a plausible reason for it.

After much thought, only Old Sun, who had a tacit understanding with him, was a suitable candidate.

Others, perhaps.

Xiao Wan'er was cooperative, but she would often ramble on and on.

She would probably say things like, "Your brother-in-law should have made this decision a long time ago. There will be someone else to take over as manager of Jisheng Pharmacy. Don't worry."

The old man's mind was focused on the Xiao family, the Liu family, the Dingyuan Army, and the trade market.

I reckon he was mostly just giving me the runaround and couldn't offer any advice.

Considering the relationship between the old master and Mr. Yue Ming... it's best not to provoke him.

The old man was spared from thinking about his deceased wife again.

Before Chen Yi could even tell Xiao Die to go out, a soldier came to report:

"Son-in-law, someone has arrived."

Chen Yi was somewhat surprised and couldn't think of anyone who had contacted him.

Liu Quancai had only been here for two days, and everything should have been normal at Jishi Pharmacy.

I just visited Baicaotang yesterday, so Wang Jiying won't be coming either.

Who is it?

"Lord Li Huaigu, Councilor of the Provincial Administration Commission."

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and then ordered him to invite the person in.

He had just been thinking about getting closer to Li Huaigu last night.

This person then took the initiative to come to us.

Could it be that Mr. Yue Ming was getting impatient and sent him as an intermediary?

To be honest, Li Huaigu's arrival was very timely.

He is clearly a more suitable candidate than Mr. Sun.

Not long after.

Li Huaigu, dressed in casual clothes, walked in with an umbrella. He seemed relieved when he saw Chen Yi sitting in the pavilion with chess and cards in front of him.

"Brother Qingzhou, I apologize for disturbing you."

"Brother Fang Gui, you're too kind. Please have a seat."

Li Huaigu sat opposite him, but instead of mentioning Guiyun Academy, he asked:

"I heard that Brother Qingzhou has been in charge of Jishi Pharmacy recently. Do you know any famous doctors in Shuzhou?"

Chen Yi looked at him with some surprise, "If I remember correctly, Brother Fang Gui's family is also a family of doctors, right?"

"Brother Qingzhou, you are joking. My father's medical skills are only good for treating colds and flu, so we can't be considered a family with a long medical tradition."

"So you came to ask me about famous doctors...is someone sick?"

Li Huaigu nodded and said with a wry smile, "Brother Qingzhou probably doesn't know yet, but your brother Chen Yunfan, he..."

"He has been sick for four or five days."

"I originally thought he was faking his illness, but I didn't expect to find out when I visited him yesterday that he was actually bedridden."

Chen Yi's expression immediately turned strange, and he couldn't help but ask, "How exactly is he bedridden?"

Li Huaigu said with a wry smile, "He was fast asleep, as if he were drunk."

"I saw doctors during that time, but they couldn't find anything wrong with me."

"With the summer harvest in Shu Prefecture already over, the Provincial Administration Commission urgently needs to go to the counties to inspect the granaries and collect taxes, but it just so happens at this crucial time..."

"Having no other choice, I have come to Brother Qingzhou for help to see if I can find a miracle doctor."

"..."

Chen Yi now understands the cause of Chen Yunfan's illness.

What he didn't expect was how powerful the Divine Intoxication was.

(End of this chapter)