37 Chapter 037
◎Just what I wish◎
There were too many people in the county government office to discuss private matters, so the two agreed to meet at Lin's house after the office to discuss in detail.
Zhang Zhide quickly finished his official business, asked someone to inform his family, and then went to visit Lin Fan's home.
Lin Fan had just finished making the last dish and brought it to the table, and the two of them sat down casually.
Zhang Zhide took a few bites from the bowl and said, "Now it's time to tell me what you're thinking."
"To be honest with you, Brother Zhang, I've never considered getting married before." Lin Fan held out his hand to stop him from trying to persuade him, a hint of self-mockery on his face. "I also never believed in the words in poetry and prose that say 'our chance encounter is just what I wish for.' We just met once in the weeds of the wilderness. How can that mean I can live with you forever?"
Zhang Zhide raised his eyebrows: "What about now?"
Lin Fan put down his bowl and chopsticks, sat upright and said seriously, "I'm not afraid of Brother Zhang laughing at me. That day, she was a bystander, and I was the Lion Dancer. As soon as I saw her, I felt, I felt..."
"The sky seems to be blue, the clouds are white, and the flowers in my heart are blooming, right?" Zhang Zhide said with a teasing smile.
Lin Fan also smiled: "That's right."
"In that case, why are you still dragging your feet? Just marry her!" Zhang Zhide was very disappointed.
"No matter what, I have to ask her first," Lin Fan said. "I can tell she has no intention of getting married, and I don't want to offend her."
Zhang Zhide disagreed: "Girls are all reserved. Even if she likes you, she won't show it. Why bother yourself? Why not ask a matchmaker to come to your house and ask? If you don't know how to do it, I'll take care of it."
"Thank you, Brother Zhang."
After Lin Fan thanked him, he did not respond to his proposal. Instead, he took out a letter from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.
"What is this?" Zhang Zhide took it.
Lin Fan said solemnly, "I have to go out of town on business tonight. If I arrive on time tomorrow, please return this letter to me. If I cannot arrive tomorrow, please give this letter to the prefectural magistrate, Shen."
"You..." Zhang Zhide suddenly realized what was happening and clutched the envelope tightly, saying, "What are you going to do? If you want to send it off, do it yourself."
It was already dark. Lin Fan stood up, lit the lamp, and brought it to the corner of the table. The candlelight illuminated half of his face.
"Brother Zhang, if I can return, I will ask the matchmaker to propose marriage. If I can't return, let's just leave it at that."
Zhang Zhide stared at him for a long moment. Seeing that he remained unmoved, he sighed, carefully put the letter away, and nodded. "I've taken note of your words, but I hope to return them to you unopened tomorrow."
"Thanks for your good wishes." Lin Fan picked up the teapot and filled two cups with water. "It's not a good time to drink tonight. I'll have tea instead of wine. I'll offer a glass to Brother Zhang."
Zhang Zhide picked up his teacup and said with embarrassment, "Brother Fan, do I have to go for this?"
"I have to go."
"Okay." Zhang Zhide stood up suddenly, bumped his teacup against his, raised his head and drank it all in one gulp. "Brother Fan, I don't obey anyone in the government except you."
Lin Fan also raised his hand to the cup and drank it all in one gulp.
The back house of the county government office.
Fan Zhao couldn't sleep because of the pain in his legs. Thinking about all the troubles he had experienced since coming to Anlu, his anger grew stronger and stronger. He pounded the bed and shouted, "Someone come!"
The servant quickly pushed the door open and came in: "Master, I'm here."
"My dear, I'm in so much pain!"
"I'll go find a doctor."
"What a bullshit doctor!" Fan Zhao picked up a porcelain pillow and threw it at the servant. The porcelain pillow fell to the ground and broke into pieces.
The servant trembled like a sieve and fell to his knees.
"Damn it! They're all against me!" Fan Zhao grew angrier the more he thought about it. "Damn Anlu! Even a merchant dares to bully me. And that Lin, a mere servant, actually dares to harm me like this!"
Servant: "Master, calm down. Once the master is seated, you can take revenge however you want. But don't get yourself hurt by your anger, or those lowly people will be secretly happy."
"I can't swallow this!"
"Young Master, a gentleman's revenge is never too late." The servant rolled his eyes several times, crawled to his knees beside the bed, and whispered, "But I have a plan. I guarantee that those Lin and Li won't dare challenge you again."
Fan Zhao panted and looked at him, "Oh?"
"I heard that the leader of the Yitian Gang, the largest gang in Anlu, is called Lai Tou."
"I know this, what nonsense are you talking about?" Fan Zhao looked impatient.
The servant continued boldly, "This bald guy used to listen to Lin Fan, but recently he found another backer, and Lin can no longer control him."
"Seriously?" Fan Zhao was intrigued. Lin was usually so powerful that even his father didn't dare confront him directly. "Who can suppress his arrogance?"
The servant pointed to the east: "Those who live in the eastern suburbs."
It goes without saying who lives in the eastern suburbs.
Fan Zhao suddenly realized and asked in surprise, "How could the Lord of the Eastern Suburbs actually look down upon a warrior?"
"Whether they look down on you or not is just a matter of their words," the servant advised. "Young Master, you are the son of the county lord. How can those ruffians compare to you? If you can make friends with the young masters of the eastern suburbs, why would you be afraid of a mere servant?"
"Who said I'm afraid of him?" Fan Zhao glared, "I'm just worried about putting my father in a difficult position."
The servant slapped his own mouth and said, "I said the wrong thing. The Master is considering the overall situation and is not going to bother with Lin."
Fan Zhao snorted coldly: "Although you said the wrong thing, you did have a point. As long as I get to know the master of the East Suburbs, do I still need to look at the face of the surnamed Lin?"
"Young Master is wise."
"Do you know which gentleman the bald man is hooking up with?"
The servant held up two fingers.
"I think it's him," Fan Zhao said confidently, "I'm the son of the county magistrate. If I want to get to know him, he has to be the prince."
The servants naturally flattered him: "Of course, the prince is the most noble person in Anlu besides the prince. However, the prince rarely goes out, so his whereabouts are difficult to find out."
"What's the big deal?" Fan Zhao said disdainfully, "If you go to places like Ningxiang Pavilion and Yuchun Tower, what kind of news can't you find out?"
The servant said with admiration: "I understand."
"When I meet the prince, I'll see if you, Lin, still dare to act arrogantly." When he thought about his enemies being trampled under his feet in the future, he felt a surge of pleasure in his heart.
The domineering Lin Bantou left the city at night.
He was wearing a green official uniform inside and a black coat outside. He was walking quickly on the path leading to the western suburbs, and was surrounded by half-human-high weeds.
After much investigation, the source of the missing woman's case was finally pointed to the western suburbs.
However, there is an inspection office on the West Suburb Road, and there are people guarding the mausoleum who patrol in shifts, so the possibility of sneaking in during the day is very small.
But there is another road that leads to Bishan in the western suburbs. This road is little known to people and only he has climbed it to survive.
In the dark, Yang Yunkai was planning to lure away the officers and soldiers from the Inspection Office, but he stopped when he saw this.
He wanted to follow and investigate, but this road was not a "road". It was full of weeds and shrubs. Not only would it be easy to get lost, but walking at night would also alert the other party.
Lin Fan chose this "path" without hesitation. He must have known what he was doing and had made sufficient preparations.
He could neither help nor follow, so he could only choose to quietly return to the city to report.
Xie Mingzhuo was not surprised to hear this.
Lin Fan may seem gentle, but he is actually quite defensive. He is very careful with his words and actions. He will definitely not let his guard down when investigating the Prince's son. It would be surprising if he didn't have a backup plan.
But, is it really that easy to break into the forbidden area in the western suburbs where King Liang is so cautious?
The reason why Prince Liang was able to hide for so many years was not just because of his title of prince.
"Old Yang."
"I am here."
"Follow the trail from a distance and provide timely support when necessary."
"Yes." Yang Yunkai responded but hesitated, "What if my identity is exposed?"
Xie Mingzhuo smiled and said, "You and I are just following the master's orders to investigate the Longxing Cloth Shop robbery case."
Longxing Cloth Shop was the source where my great-aunt discovered the fake silver ingots and muskets.
With this excuse, it would be reasonable for them to come here in disguise. Even if the other party had doubts in their hearts, they would not be able to guess their true identities.
After nearly a month in Anlu, he still hadn't found a suitable breakthrough. As the head of the county government, Lin Fan was sharp-minded and meticulous in his actions, so it was impossible for him to know nothing about the western suburbs.
The fact that he dared to take the risk and secretly visit the western suburbs late at night at least shows that he is a person who is dedicated to solving the case and is not afraid of power.
He is just the right person to serve as this breakthrough point.
If they could recruit such people for their own use, it would be more convenient for them to act in Anlu.
Yang Yunkai understood and said, "I understand."
Being in a foreign land, even as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Yang Yunkai could not wantonly alarm the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He had to ensure that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had not been infiltrated by King Liang before he could secretly command in the name of a superior.
But it takes time.
At this moment, it would be most appropriate for him to take action personally.
The night grew darker, the clouds blocked the moonlight, and the mountains and forests were dark and silent.
Lin Fan walked along the route he remembered, stopping and starting, and finally saw a large tree with a strange shape.
Ten years later, it is still flourishing.
Above the big tree is a steep mountain wall with a few trees growing sporadically on it. They struggle to emerge from the cracks in the rocks, spreading out their lush branches and leaves, and clinging tightly to the rocks with their tough roots, trying to survive.
The forest was dark and he could not see the road ahead. In order to avoid attracting attention, he could not light a torch.
Lin Fan reached out and grabbed a protruding rock.
Thanks to ten years of juggling training, he is agile and good at using his strength.
The cliff is not flat. The protruding rocks, climbing vines and trees rooted in the rock wall can help him climb to the top of the mountain.
By the time Yang Yunkai followed the trail to the bottom of the cliff, Lin Fan was almost at the top of the mountain.
He climbed onto a tree, breathing as lightly as possible, and put his ear against the cliff wall to listen to the movement on the top of the mountain.
“Bang!”
At the sentry post on the top of the mountain, a man slapped his own face mercilessly, pinched a flying insect to death with his fingers, and threw it away impatiently.
Another person woke up from his sleep and asked hurriedly: "What happened?"
"Nothing, just a bug."
"Oh, that scared me. I thought someone was coming up."
"Tsk!" The man swatting the bugs shook his head. "We've been guarding for years, and we can't even see a ghost. How could there be someone there?"
"Yeah," the sleeping guard muttered as he lay down again and closed his eyes, "It's just like being in prison."
The sentry post on the top of the mountain has the widest view, and can see the three sides of the mountain slopes and visitors from outside the mountain. The cliffs behind it are difficult for ordinary people to climb and are out of the observation range.
For more than ten years, no one approached the "Prince's Mausoleum", and the guards gradually became lax.
This mountain belongs to the eastern peak group of Bishan, and is some distance away from the core peak group. Because it looks like a gourd, it is named "Gourd Peak".
It only serves as a barrier to block outsiders, standing between the county town and the "Prince's Mausoleum".
Its existence is particularly critical. Apart from the prince himself and the "craftsmen", only the prince can get involved.
This place is secretive enough. Lin Fan guessed that the prince might have hidden the woman here.
Hiding in the palace or a farm outside, he could indeed prevent the government from investigating by virtue of his status as the crown prince, but he could not avoid his brothers' interference.
It is impossible for a prince who is crazy about having a son to leave his weakness - a pregnant woman - within the reach of the enemy.
Deeper in the green mountains, perhaps there are even greater secrets hidden, which cannot hide people either.
The prince’s only choice is Hulu Peak.
Lin Fan clung quietly to the mountain wall until the guard began to snore and fell into a deep sleep. Then he suddenly exerted his strength, lightly leaped onto the flat ground on the top of the mountain, climbed to the sentry post, took out the incense from his arms, and put it under the noses of the two men.
With each breath, the two fell into a complete sleep.
The night enveloped the entire mountain, without a trace of light.
It was already midnight and he had to leave the mountain before dawn.
A small path extends from the top of the mountain down. It is a path trampled out by the guards going up and down the mountain all year round, and it is clearly separated from the grass next to it.
Even though it was dark, Lin Fan could still tell.
He walked along the path, taking cautious steps to avoid triggering any traps that might be on the mountain.
Not only the top of the mountain, but also the mountainside and foothills are guarded. These guards usually rest in the houses on the mountain.
In order to avoid the trap, Lin Fan spent more than an hour before he finally crossed the path safely.
The clouds and mist dissipated, and under the bright moonlight, you can vaguely see a wooden house hidden in the mountains not far away.
Dozens of wooden houses were lined up in a row, some of them had lights on, and voices could be faintly heard.
Lin Fan found a place with the best view but not easily discovered. He breathed slowly, quietly hidden in the bushes and grass, and observed the movements of the wooden house.
The moon was setting, and it was time to return. But since he had managed to sneak in here, he couldn't just give up.
He wanted to wait a little longer, perhaps he could find more clues and obtain more evidence.
Wait a little longer.
He made up his mind and continued to lurk in the quiet mountains and forests.
The morning glow was brilliant, pouring down from the sky and falling into the mountains and forests. There were sounds coming from the wooden house one after another.
But it was also time for the guard change.
We can't wait any longer.
Lin Fan turned around decisively, intending to return to the top of the mountain.
At this moment, a clear bell sound came from the wooden house, and more than a dozen rooms opened at the same time.
A burly man rushed into the house and drove out a dozen women.
They lined up in a row on the corridor. Some were pregnant, while others did not look pregnant. After being scolded by the men, they all began to walk around the corridor.
Being far away, Lin Fan couldn't see their appearance clearly and couldn't match it with the description in the case file, but the appearance of such a scene in the mountains and forests was unusual.
Judging from the tone and behavior of these men, these women were definitely not their relatives.
They should be the women abducted by the prince.
Lin Fan didn't stay any longer and turned back to the top of the mountain.
Observing the cabin wasted time, so he quickened his pace to leave before the sentry shift changed.
There was a faint sound of people not far behind him. They should be the guards going to the sentry post for their shift change.
Lin Fan walked lightly through the mountains and forests.
"Who is it?!" Suddenly, someone on duty asked in a stern voice.
As luck would have it, among the guards on duty this morning, this person had excellent hearing and could hear even the slightest unusual movement.
Lin Fan quickly hid in the bushes and held his breath.
"Boss, there's no one here."
Boss: "I just heard footsteps coming from the front."
"Let's go take a look."
The two men searched the grass on both sides along the mountain road, but found nothing unusual.
The boss's eyes lingered carefully on the ground, then suddenly paused. He hurriedly took a few steps forward and squatted down to check the fresh footprints on the grass.
This definitely wasn't left over from last night's shift change.
He narrowed his eyes, gripped the sword at his waist, pulled it out little by little, and gradually approached the bushes along the creases of the grass leaves.
Lin Fan was in such a hurry to dodge that he didn't have time to cover up the traces on the ground.
The two men were getting closer and closer, and their auras were becoming more and more ferocious.
He touched his Adam's apple, rubbed his stiff cheeks, and imitated the voice and tone of the guards on the cliffside last night, clutching his stomach and crying out in pain:
"Oh, Boss, it's me. I have diarrhea and it hurts so much."
The circus troupe taught everything, and he learned everything, ventriloquism being one of them.
Although I can't learn it perfectly, even if I can do 70% or 80% of it, I can still convince people.
The two guards paused.
"It's Hu Zi, why did you come down here without permission?" The guard followed the boss and asked hesitantly.
"I saw a rabbit and wanted to eat its meat, so I ran after it. Halfway through the run, I suddenly had diarrhea and the rabbit ran away... Ouch, ouch, it hurts again..."
The boss put the knife back into the sheath, seemed to relax, and said casually: "Then you continue, I'll go up first-"
The broadsword was suddenly drawn out and chopped at the bushes without mercy.
In order to avoid the vital part of his neck, Lin Fan cut a scar on his left shoulder, leaving his skin and flesh exposed.
In a flash, he dodged the blade, nimbly approached the boss's side like a snake, and elbowed him in the temple. Due to the pain in his shoulder, he only used 70% of his strength.
The latter was hit hard on the head, his vision went black, his arms instantly became weak, and the broadsword fell into the ground. Lin Fan kicked it away and at the same time reached out to twist the neck of the other guard.
Before the boss could come to his senses, he moved as fast as lightning and also broke his neck.
The two men fell to the ground silently without uttering a cry.
Lin Fan didn't need to avoid traps on his way back, and his speed was much faster than when he came in. He had to get back to the top of the mountain before the effect of the incense wore off.
He had no intention of killing anyone, he just wanted to return to the county town quietly, but now he had to kill the guards on the top of the mountain to prevent the two from waking up and finding that their shift had not changed and reporting the news in time.
Lin Fan casually tore off a piece of cloth to bandage the wound to stop the bleeding. When he reached the top of the mountain, the two guards were still unconscious.
He stretched out his hand and cut off the life of the two people.
The blow just now was so fierce that the bone was almost visible, and the clothes around the shoulder were stained with blood.
He endured the pain and began to climb down.
It’s unknown how long the shift at the top of the mountain lasts, but no matter how long it is, as long as the people who should go down the mountain don’t do so, it will definitely attract attention.
Time is running out.
He had to rush back to the county town as soon as possible, get the letter signed by the county magistrate before the news spread, and search the base where the "missing woman was hidden."
I believe that County Magistrate Fan will not make things difficult for him for the sake of his achievements.
His left arm suddenly lost strength and he slid down the rock wall. Sharp rocks and vines scratched his clothes and pierced his flesh. He only stopped when he stepped on a tree.
It was only ten feet away from the bottom of the cliff.
Lin Fan gritted his teeth and climbed down the cliff again.
As his feet touched the ground, he suddenly lost all strength and fell against the hard rock wall.
I am almost out of energy. How can I return to the county town?
He looked up at the big tree right in front of him. If it weren't for this tree, he would have died.
Lin Fan stared at the tree for a moment, then tried his best to stand up. Just as he was about to take a step forward, his pupils suddenly shrank, and before he could react, his hand had already struck the other side.
There's someone else here?!
He had lost too much blood and had been climbing back and forth, and was already exhausted. Under normal circumstances, he would have been able to capture the opponent, but now, he was easily subdued by the opponent.
Lin Fan's vision went dark and his heart couldn't stop sinking.
Was his whereabouts exposed? When was it exposed? Will the woman imprisoned on the mountain be killed to silence her? Who is this person?
"Team Leader Lin," the man raised his head, "you are injured."
He had the lower half of his face covered, but Lin Fan recognized him at a glance from his features.
"Yang Da?!"
【Author’s words】
This copy has less than 100,000 words left to finish, and Lin Fan is the male protagonist.
Muah~
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