Chapter 93:
The former county magistrate's house, just the various furniture in it, the total price is not less than 80 guan.
Everything was fine for the past three years, why did he suddenly resell furniture and run away?
Manager Li couldn't figure it out. He was confused. If the money couldn't be recovered, would it be on him? If he had known better, he would not have been greedy for the one or two transaction fees and let another broker take over.
It's all my fault that damn Butler Wang, a filthy bad guy, was so evil-minded and set his sights on him.
Manager Li was cursing in his heart and crying, not knowing what to do for a while.
Next to him, Xu Yi lowered his eyes and looked at him crying and mad, and reminded him kindly: "Although Butler Wang has been running away for half a month, he still has to go to the Yamen to report to the official. This matter is not your fault. You should do it." I won’t blame you.”
“…Yes, yes, it’s not me, Li, who is reselling the furniture. I shouldn’t be allowed to pay the money.” After thinking about it, Agent Li suddenly stood up and held him back. Xu Yi's sleeves.
Under Xu Yi's confused look, he made a tearful plea and said sadly: "Xu Xiaoguan, you have to save me. Although I am a broker, I never collect money randomly and the prices are always fair. I I thought, if I go to report to the official, there is no proof, how can the county captain believe my words? You also know about this, so you have pity on me and follow me to report to the official."
Xu Yi was silent . .
He was indeed present at what happened today. Judging from the change in Manager Li's demeanor and his unconscious appearance, it really didn't look like he was conspiring with Butler Wang to make a fake move.
...
Half an hour later, in the yamen.
Xu Yi never thought that he would encounter such a thing even when he was visiting a house.
Pan Wenji, who was sitting in the high hall, had the same idea.
After hearing what Manager Li was crying and telling, Pan Wenji did not make an immediate conclusion. Instead, he called the yamen and asked him to find out the origin of Butler Wang.
"Doctor Xu, do you have anything to say after hearing what he said?" Then, Pan Wenji looked at Xu Yi, who was standing like a pine tree, and asked in a deep voice.
Xu Yi took half a step forward, bowed and said: "Back to Captain Pan, the scene was exactly as Manager Li said. However, I am a little confused. In the neighborhood of Butler Wang, Butler Wang and his family went to Fucheng to find their relatives. , If this is true, will he tell others? This sounds more like a cover-up."
He lowered his eyes and returned to his original position.
The atmosphere on the court was silent for a while, Pan Wenji frowned, he also thought of this.
Steward Wang seemed to be thinking a lot, and perhaps his words were just to mislead others.
Not long after, the officer who went to investigate Butler Wang came back and reported that Butler Wang was named Wang Shun and was not from Yanting County. He came from other places fifteen years ago and settled down in Yanting County.
Seven years ago, the former county magistrate came to Yanting County to take office. He needed a housekeeper to look after the house, so he rented one from the Yahang. This person was Wang Shun. However, this Wang Shun is indeed as others said. He is quite talkative and his words are very pleasing. The former county magistrate trusted him very much. Not only did he give him the right to be a housekeeper, but he also continued to serve him after leaving Yanting County. He stayed here to guard the house and spent dozens of dollars to buy him a house with three rooms.
After Pan Wenji learned this information, he asked his subordinates: "What else is there? Can you go to Yahang to ask for more information?"
"I reported to the county captain that I have contacted the broker who originally pulled the strings and learned that Wang Shun signed the lease a month ago. The letter has expired."
In other words, as early as a month ago, this Wang Shun was no longer the steward of the former county magistrate.
The case would not come to a conclusion for a while. Pan Wenji looked at Xu Yi and Agent Li in the audience and told them to go back first and the matter would be investigated and dealt with strictly.
Manager Li raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and knelt down gratefully to thank him.
Xu Yi on the side bowed his hands and bowed, then slowly exited the Yamen lobby.
After coming out of the yamen, Manager Li invited Xu Yi to a restaurant for dinner in order to express his gratitude.
Xu Yi thought for a moment, lowered his eyes and looked at his empty stomach, but did not refuse.
In order to go to the Yamen with him to report the crime, they missed lunch. When we arrived at the restaurant, it was very quiet. There was only one table with guests eating.
Manager Li called the waiter to the store and asked him to serve a pot of tea first, and then ordered two plates of lotus meat cakes and braised cabbage.
Then, he wanted wine, but Xu Yi stopped him.
"I don't drink." Xu Yi said quietly.
Manager Li was slightly stunned, but still asked the waiter to get ready quickly without asking for wine.
When the teapot and tea bowl were brought, Manager Li took the initiative to pour tea for Xu Yi and said loudly: "Thank you, Mr. Xu. This matter has nothing to do with Mr. Xu, but I wasted half a day for someone. I'm really ashamed."
He He poured the tea and drank it in one gulp, as if he had mistaken the tea for wine.
It turned out that the tea was too hot. He covered his mouth with his sleeve with wide eyes and swallowed the hot tea with a blushing face.
Xu Yi: "..."
"Slow down."
After his reminder, Manager Li's face turned slightly red again after a long time.
After eating without saying a word, the waiter brought the dishes to the table. They were both very hungry. Without saying any more polite words, they ate quickly with bowls and chopsticks in hand.
At this time, Agent Li discovered that Xu Xiaoguan's food looked elegant, but he did not eat it slowly, nor did he look like he was gobbling it down. Instead, he chewed his food slowly and carefully. However, he always eats quickly, but this little official was not outdone by him.
Manager Li had a bowl of rice and he finished it too.
Just when Manager Li felt that Xu Yi was a god, the meal came to an end.
The two of them put down their bowls and chopsticks one after the other. Xu Yi smiled and said thank you for the hospitality.
Manager Li called the waiter to add tea and asked hesitantly: "Now that this has happened, Mr. Xu Xiaoguan, do you still want to buy a house?"
After asking, Manager Li was worried that Xu Yi would stop looking for him because of this incident. Bought a house. After all, this matter is very unfavorable in the eyes of others. If they still want to buy a house, they will avoid it.
Xu Yi pondered for a long time and asked him: "Is this matter not important to Manager Li?"
Manager Li sighed: "Even if something big happens, this manager's business will still be done, otherwise my whole family will have to do it." There is no one to rely on. The hateful Butler Wang doesn't know where to go. I'm afraid this case won't be settled so quickly. "
He is also an experienced agent. After being tricked once, he thought a lot when he woke up. .
"Pan County Lieutenant has always enforced the law impartially. He will not let this case be settled hastily. Presumably it will not affect the foundation of Agent Li." Xu Yi said pointedly.
Hearing what he said, Manager Li nodded happily. He finally understood that Xu Xiaoguan was still willing to buy and sell the house through his hands.
Three days later, the case spread in the streets and alleys of Yanting County.
The people in the county were talking a lot, and they were all curious about who Butler Wang was. They were so courageous that they even dared to steal the house of the former county magistrate.
As a result, when those wealthy families heard this, they looked at the housekeepers and housewives rented from their homes, and their eyes changed.
Afraid of hiring a white-eyed wolf like Butler Wang, who had received so many benefits from the master's family and was secretly causing harm behind the scenes, they restrained the housekeepers and housekeepers below.
The housekeeper and the women in charge said: "..." They felt miserable, and they all cursed the king, the housekeeper, for a good death.
What's even worse is that the servants who also bear the surname Wang are afraid of having anything to do with Butler Wang and frankly say that they really don't know Wang Shun.
...
This incident caused more or less noisy ripples in the large courtyards of each household. Within a few days, many slaves who had made mistakes in private were kicked out by their masters.
The sales were sold and the returns were returned. The commotion lasted for several days before it gradually subsided.
At this moment, Xu Yi was playing Go in his yard with Pang Boyi, who was visiting his home.
The Xu family did not have a chessboard. Pang Boyi asked Uncle Pang to bring the chessboard.
Xu Yi himself can't play Go, but he has learned it before. Therefore, his moves are clumsy and always fall into unexpected places. In fact, he kills Pang Yi by surprise.
Pang Boyi raised his eyes and asked him: "Where did you learn this chess game?" He added silently in his heart, it was a bit too stinky.
Xu Yi said: "When I was studying, I read it in books and played chess with my classmates a few times. It's just that I'm not good at playing chess and rarely play chess with others."
Pang Boyi laughed out loud: "I can see it."
After the chess was played, Pang Boyi asked Uncle Pang to put the chessboard away.
Xu Yi was relieved that he no longer had to play chess, and he personally made tea for Pang Boyi.
"Pang Guanren came here today. Isn't he specifically looking for me to play chess?" Xu Yi asked Pang Boyi directly when he saw Pang Boyi's leisurely look.
He couldn't guess Pang Game's identity.
Only once, when he heard the conversation between Pang Boyi and Pan County Lieutenant, he concluded that this man had been an official but had resigned for unknown reasons.
As for why the two of them appeared playing chess, we have to talk about it from last month.
Since Pang Boyi's headache stopped recurring, in order to thank Xu Yi, he often asked Uncle Pang to bring him various kinds of food.
Xu Yi could have a reason not to collect valuable things, but it would be unjustifiable not to collect such seasonal vegetables and fruits.
After this two visits, the two families became more and more familiar with each other.
Pang Boyi looked at him and asked, "You want to buy a house?"
"Does Pang Guanren know?" Xu Yi looked into Pang Boyi's sharp eyes and asked calmly.
Pang Boyi said with a smile: "The whole Yanting County is aware of the fact that the housekeeper surnamed Wang resold the furniture of the former county magistrate's house. You were the one who followed to report to the official. How could I not know?"
That's the case.
Even County Lieutenant Pan is Pang Boyi's friend. With this relationship, County Lieutenant Pan can know a lot of information as long as he is willing.
Xu Yi thought of this and didn't ask such stupid questions anymore. He just said: "I want to buy a house. Unfortunately, there is something wrong with the house. I don't know if I can still buy it."
Pang Boyi narrowed his eyes: "Maybe you can still buy it." You can get a bargain."
Xu Yi looked at him after hearing this.
Pang Boyi didn't hide anything and revealed the progress of part of the case to him.
It turns out that the reason why Butler Wang was reselling furniture started a month ago. At that time, the lease agreement between him and the former county magistrate had expired, so the former magistrate sent a letter saying that a new steward would come to take over. he.
Not only that, the former county magistrate also accused him in a letter of not doing things well and wanted to take back the house he bought for him.
Steward Wang was naturally unwilling. Not only was he unwilling, but he was also so cowardly that he secretly transported every piece of furniture in the house to the Changsheng Treasury and sold it. Not only that, even the house that the former county magistrate bought for him to live in was also mortgaged to the Changsheng Treasury.
The furniture was resold for 118 guan of silver, and the house was mortgaged for 55 guan of silver, which added up to a total of 173 guan of silver!
With so much money involved, Pan Wenji was troubled. If Wang Shun was not caught and brought to justice, it would be difficult for the former county magistrate to deal with it.
Xu Yi was speechless when he heard it. It turned out that the story inside was like this.
...
Not long after, a donkey cart hurriedly arrived in Yanting County.
As soon as the donkey cart arrived at the county seat, it immediately headed towards the county government office. A middle-aged man dressed as a butler got out of the donkey cart.
This middle-aged man is none other than Butler Cheng, who was sent by the former county magistrate to handle the matter.
Butler Cheng handed the post in his hand to the yamen official. The yamen official opened it and immediately ran to the back office to find Captain Pan.
"Who did you say is here?" Pan Wenji frowned as he looked at the flustered appearance of the Yamen servant.
The Yamen official held up the post with both hands and lowered his head and said, "The steward of the magistrate of Xingyuan Prefecture is here." The
magistrate of Xingyuan Prefecture is the former county magistrate. After he was transferred from Yanting County, he appointed the magistrate of Xingyuan Prefecture as a fifth-rank official.
Even though Yanting County was not under the jurisdiction of Xingyuan Prefecture, County Captain Pan still did not dare to neglect Butler Cheng.
He asked the Yamen servant to invite the people to the back Yamen to talk.
As for what the two said, others did not know. However, after Butler Cheng came out of the Yamen, he went directly to Manager Li.
Manager Li was shocked when he saw Butler Cheng and almost knelt down and begged for mercy.
As a result, Butler Cheng didn't put on any airs and asked him to get up and talk.
Butler Cheng sat on the chair and spoke slowly: "Master Zhizhou ordered me to take the message. You are also innocent in this matter. Zhizhou doesn't care about you. It's just that the matter has come to this and we can't delay the sale of this house. I thought at that time Is the customer who wants to buy this house still there? "
As the chief steward of Zhizhou, he still has many things to deal with and cannot stay here for a long time.
And Zhizhou has already spoken, no matter what, this matter must be done within ten days.
When Agent Li heard this, he immediately thought of Xu Yi. He said, "There was a small official named Xu who wanted to buy this house before, but..."
Butler Cheng raised his eyelids and looked at him: "Just how?"
Agent Li Not daring to take Qiao, he immediately said: "The price reported to Xu Xiaoguan at that time was four hundred and thirty guan, but now that there is no furniture in the house, I am afraid that the house will not be sold for that price."
The East Street lot Gold is expensive, and the former county magistrate is unwilling to lower the price. This 430 gu of silver is already higher than other people entering the hospital. Now that this matter is involved, it will be even more difficult to sell.
Obviously, Butler Cheng also knew about it, and he said: "It doesn't matter, you can send a post for me, saying that I want to see him."