Chapter 23 Madam Shen? Yan Siqing: "Streams are commonly used...
Yan Siqing: "The stream is a common place, with people coming and going. It's impossible to hide the severed hand, unless it's haunted by a water ghost."
"We naturally don't believe in water ghosts, but if we were to speculate on human involvement, it would be difficult for the murderer to secretly place the severed hand down to scare people, because it would be difficult for the murderer to guarantee that the villagers wouldn't accidentally see him when he did so."
"Unless the murderer went into the water late last night and hid the severed hand in a puddle, making sure it could be seen during the day, so people would think it was a water ghost."
"No one was washing clothes that day. The villagers were busy offering sacrifices to their ancestors and praying for blessings and praying to the water ghost. This is also something the murderer knew in advance."
"Then we need to secure the severed hand firmly to the bottom of the pit, and be able to float up just in time for the next day."
Jiang Hui: "No rope."
Yan Siqing: "I see a palm-sized white spot on the joint of the severed hand. I suspect a heavy object was pressed against the bottom of the puddle. Once the object dissolved and shrank in the water, the pressure was relieved. The force of the current pushed the remaining block, and the rotten and swollen severed hand floated to the surface."
Will it dissolve and become lighter?
What is this heavy object?
strangeness!
Jiang Hui suddenly realized: "Salt? Large pieces of coarse salt!"
Yan Siqing: "I remember that some old villages in Licheng were once small salt states, capable of producing salt."
"Perhaps this village is one such ancient village, but it's not recorded in the records. During the war, there was no one to regulate it, so it's not surprising that it was mined privately. After the country stabilized, these places disappeared on their own, fearing that they would be liquidated. Furthermore, Taizu was lenient and believed that survival in troubled times was human instinct. Therefore, he didn't dwell too much on the past, and many people were able to escape disaster."
"But the salt wells must have been well hidden. Otherwise, if they were to be made public, other people would surely harm them. Once they were reported, the authorities would pursue the matter, and it would be difficult to escape punishment."
She has been doing business for many years, has countless contacts, and has met many salt merchants. After all, salt business is the economic lifeline of the country, and those are the real wealthy people.
Jiang Hui also knew about this, but he didn't connect the two things at the moment!
But the person in front of me is knowledgeable and has always been extraordinary.
Jiang Hui: "It's spring, humid and rainy. The severed hand should have been rotten and bitten, but its skin and flesh are still well preserved. I'm afraid it's because of the salt."
"Then the rest of Li Duogu's body, besides his severed head, must have been hidden in the salt well by the murderer."
"Madam, you are very perceptive. You must help me solve this problem."
Yan Siqing was not modest and cautious this time, because when it comes to serious matters, shirking responsibility will hinder the timing, so he said, "No need, there is God's will here."
When Jiang Hui heard this, he suddenly realized: when she said it was not necessary, she was admitting that she was sure of it, but there was no need to stay and solve the matter.
So she knew the murderer? Or at least her modus operandi.
Jiang Hui: "I thought you would leave some room for the local people's livelihood."
Look at how well she pays those boatmen and the laborers at Shen's grain store.
Yan Siqing didn't know if this person was mocking him, "This is your home turf, Your Highness. It's up to you to decide whether there's room for maneuver or not."
"You also said that time is of the essence and we have business to attend to."
"We have to leave tomorrow."
"It all depends on God's will tonight."
"It comes from the will of God that Your Highness has personally set."
Both of them looked casually at the purse that Jiang Hui had thrown on the table when he bought the chicken, and a piece of silver ingot was exposed in it.
Jiang Hui had deliberately shown off his wealth before because he speculated that the source of deaths in the village was related to money. Since killing was for money, and the wealth was right in front of him, the other party must have been unable to restrain his greed.
Could those four suckers be richer than these fat sheep who came from other places to escort treasures?
And she was the only one who could see through his impulsive design.
Jiang Hui found it difficult to look away, but when he noticed Yan Siqing avoiding his gaze, he paused and lowered his head to drink the chicken soup.
——————
Not long after, the village chief brought some people to the door, and they were very polite. They gave some water and showed them some freshly baked steamed buns.
"It's the old well water from the village, which is drawn from the mountain spring. It's magical. You know, the stream water here is probably not very useful for you now..."
That must be the case. Everyone felt sick when they thought of the severed hand.
Jiang Hui deliberately said, "There's still well water? I didn't see any well when I first entered the village."
The village chief had a subtle expression and pointed in a direction. "Licheng is the gateway to the coastal waters of our inner region, connecting us to Yancheng and other places. Our village has a good harvest thanks to the abundant water resources, but it's still not as good as other places. There's a village ten miles north of our village that has salt and alkali production. During the war, there was no one to supervise it, and they can still make salt using the ancient method using the old well water. We all buy salt from them, and we're very envious."
It's like you're talking without saying a word.
Jiang Hui raised his eyebrows, "Is there still one now?"
The village chief deliberately left the conversation vague, changing the subject to other villages. "Well, probably not anymore, but because the imperial court has banned it, these old wells have long been abandoned. Only the original well that draws water from the mountain spring is still in use. The government sends people to inspect it every year. If anyone violates the law by selling salt privately, their property will be confiscated and their head will be beheaded."
"You outsiders can't go to the government and say anything nonsense, otherwise the village will suffer."
Jiang Hui: "It's okay. This is something you locals are good at. We outsiders don't have the time for that."
village head:"....."
Ruo Zhao and others kept the water and put it into the empty kettle.
I didn't refuse the steamed bun either.
The village chief asked them how many days they would stay. When he learned that they were leaving the next day, he felt regretful and said a few words before leaving.
The courtyard gate was closed, and Jiang Hui picked up the steamed bun with his sword, his face expressionless.
Everyone took a rest.
After a long journey, people are naturally tired, and soon some of them fall into a deep sleep...
————
Late at night, in the stillness of the house, eight masked shadows sneaked up to the outside of Old Wang's courtyard, but they didn't have to climb over the wall because someone took out an iron lock key... quietly inserted it into the keyhole, turned it slightly, and the lock opened.
Eight people entered the house one after another. The two female assassins did not make any movement.
Several rooms in the entire Wang family courtyard were silent. One of the eight people, a young man with sunken cheeks, touched the loose black cloth on his face and held down one of them. The latter had just run straight to the room where Yan Siqing was. After being pulled away, he was still a little angry, but the young man was cautious and checked carefully.
I found that none of the steamed buns were eaten.
Didn’t eat?
That person collapsed? Is he trying to trick us?
The young man's eyes flickered, and he checked the kettle and water bag on the table in the middle courtyard. He weighed them and checked the amount inside, and found that a lot of them had been drunk.
"Oh, these people are so smart, they think there's something wrong with the steamed buns. So they don't eat the steamed buns and only drink water, but they don't know that the water is the problem."
"It has to be us again. What's that called? Making a feint to the east and attacking in the west! Hey!"
He felt relieved and gestured to others.
Done, go inside!
They each went to a different room, ready to pry the locks and enter, their knives already drawn. The doors of other rooms were all opened, but the anxious young man tiptoed towards Yan Siqing like a rat spirit. Before he could insert the knife handle into the crack of the door and unbolt it, a dark shadow fell silently from the roof.
As it fell, it smacked him on the back of the neck like a ghost.
The man rolled his eyes and fell to the ground, but before he hit the ground, Jiang Hui, who had come down from the roof, raised his foot and used his boot to push the man's abdomen to the side.
Just then the door opened.
The two female assassins were well-groomed and dressed in simple combat attire.
They don’t care whether the water or the steamed buns are problematic or not. They just refuse to eat or use them and wait for “God’s will” to come to them.
It really is God's will. These villains are so bold. The deaths of the four people before must be related to them!
But is the door open?
Jiang Hui had previously reminded that catching the turtle in the jar was one thing, but not disturbing Yan Siqing's sleep was the first order. Ruo Zhao and the others had all received the order, so this was the only room that was not allowed to be entered by any bad guys.
These two female subordinates will not disobey orders.
That means Yan Siqing got up by herself and wanted to see what was going on outside.
After Jiang Hui guessed it, he looked away and turned his body to avoid seeing anything.
But Yan Siqing had actually changed her clothes and walked out.
————
The eight villains had not entered the yard yet. Except for Yan Siqing, all the people in the yard were martial artists. They were very good at identifying positions by sound and could easily defeat ten people alone. So the two female secret agents in the house opened their eyes almost at the same time, touched the sharp blade under the pillow, and also touched each other's fingers. They determined the enemy's position through finger communication and reached an agreement.
One of them looked at the bed and found that Yan Siqing had woken up and was looking at them calmly.
His eyes were gentle and cold.
Even though she was tired all day, due to the current situation, she was able to stay awake and remain extremely calm, without showing any signs of fatigue.
To be honest, the two of them were in awe of Yan Siqing, and once the latter woke up, they could not act rashly.
The other person looked coldly at the sneaky figure outside the window, raised an eyebrow, and did not move.
Because there are still people outside.
Unexpectedly, it was not Ruo Zhao who took action, but the prince himself.
The two secret guests were surprised and obeyed Yan Siqing's opinion even more.
Open the door when you say you want to.
But after the door opened, Yan Siqing did not leave. Instead, she stood behind the threshold, holding her laced robe close to her body, her long black hair draped over her shoulders, and leaning against the pillar, she calmly said to Jiang Hui, "Your Highness, please come in."
Jiang Hui was originally avoiding the issue, fearing that this person would be bound by ethical norms and maintain chastity. He also felt that he really didn't want to ruin the other person's reputation, even though these people were all his subordinates.
He thought he had been restrained and meticulous.
But she...is not that particular.
His first reaction was to turn around, but he stopped himself and lowered his voice with a hint of ferocity, "What do you mean?"
Yan Siqing was stunned for a moment, then patiently explained, "We have something to discuss, so we don't want to make a big noise."
She was thinking about serious matters, because she had only had a brief conversation with Jiang Hui during dinner before, leaving room for each other. They were not in a relationship where they could entrust each other with their thoughts and work together. If they really waited for the bad guy, it meant that their judgment was correct, and they had to deal with it next. There was no need to delay the opportunity because of etiquette.
She was afraid that her plan might be different from Jiang Hui's, so she had to talk further.
The stewards who were familiar with Madam Yan knew that although she seemed dignified and polite, as long as the overall situation was prioritized, any loss of reputation due to personal matters would be acceptable, so at this time she would not think about maintaining boundaries with Jiang Hui.
But when Jiang Hui crossed the threshold with a red face and awkwardness, she saw it, understood, and was speechless for a moment.
Jiang Hui hesitated, "It's not a good idea for just the two of us, right? How about we go to the main hall?"
Two secret agents: "......"
Your Highness, we are both still alive.
Yan Siqing didn't look at him. "Can you let the person you knocked unconscious come in with you?"
Jiang Hui suddenly came to his senses, his face turned even redder, and he glanced coldly at the young man outside.
Is this bandit worthy of this?
But she was serious about her business and couldn't delay, so he said "oh" and went out to bring the person in like carrying a chicken.
Yan Siqing didn't care about anything else, only asking how to wake him up directly, "We need to use him to make the following arrangements. Otherwise, if we rely solely on human nature to handle things here, it will take a long time and cause trouble."
She thought this man would ask for details, so she would have to explain everything in detail before letting him make the final arrangements.
result......
Jiang Hui: "No need for medicine, that's it."
He took out a silver needle and stabbed it directly.
Yan Siqing: “….”
She knew a lot about medicine, but she kept it hidden and didn't reveal it. She only showed some superficial knowledge of trauma treatment. After all, she didn't understand it at all and it didn't make sense.
But this guy is really... stabbing randomly.
The young man's eyes widened and his mouth was tightly covered. Good, he was awake.
Yan Siqing: "Your Highness, is this needle..."
Have you had your acupuncture points done?
The two female secret agents hesitated to speak.
Jiang Hui said expressionlessly, "It's okay, the wound is very small."
Just pull it out.
With a sizzle...a line of blood spurted out.
“!”
Before Yan Siqing could say anything, Jiang Hui said quickly, "It's okay, just block it. My eyesight is very good."
And he is quick with his hands and eyes.
The needle was inserted back into its original position precisely, blocking the delicate wound.
The bleeding stopped.
His eyesight is indeed very good.
youth:"!!!"
Living King of Hell?
Jiang Hui was calm and composed: "Madam, please don't look at me like that. I'm not just stabbing randomly. I have practiced before."
Yan Siqing: “….”
Jiang Hui: "Look, isn't he alright? And he's awake now. If you torture him, how can he refuse to answer?"
Ruozhao had already reached the door and informed them that he had controlled everyone else. No noise was made and everyone was still quiet on their side.
Ruozhao understood the situation immediately and glared at the young man with a ferocious look. "For money, they can even drug and assassinate passersby like us, let alone the villagers who know them well and are easy to deal with."
"What water ghost? It's just a greedy ghost among humans!"
"If they don't confess, we can just hand them over to the authorities to avoid delaying the important affairs of the young master and the lady."
"If he doesn't agree, just keep pricking him. I have more needles. Don't they love money? That's fine."
"Sir, Madam, you come and pick what's convenient for you."
He took out a complete set of needles from his clothes, shining silver.
Yan Siqing held his forehead and spoke gently.
"There's no need for such bloodshed. Harmony brings wealth."
"No need to torture him. I don't need him to explain what I want to know."
She didn't even bother to ask the man's name, which surprised Jiang Hui even more. He was curious about how she could have known so many clues when she had just arrived in the village. How could she have known so many things about four deaths in the past two weeks just by observing the stream for a while?
Yan Siqing was saving time and didn't explain much. "I just need him to go back and report the news, otherwise the neighbors will get suspicious."
"Just give him some medicine that will rot his intestines if there's no cure."
youth:"!"
He looked at Jiang Hui, then at Yan Siqing, his eyes widening.
"Madam, spare my life!"
"Please ask your husband to let me go!!"
Yan Siqing's expression changed, "What nonsense, we are not..."
Jiang Hui tried to calm the curve of his mouth, but said: "What my cousin said makes sense. It is true that harmony brings wealth."
"This person doesn't have to die."
As soon as he stretched out his hand, the female assassin immediately handed him a black pill and stuffed it into the young man's mouth.
After giving some instructions, Yan Siqing heard the man apologize in a low voice, "I didn't expect that calling us cousins would cause misunderstandings. It might be that Ruozhao and I usually call you "Madam", which caused people to misunderstand. How about we stop calling you that in the future and treat you as my unmarried cousin..."
Calling her cousin is inappropriate in itself, so why doesn't he mention it?
Yan Siqing: "Your Highness is polite. It's just that this person is seeking medical advice when he is ill. That's all. But misunderstandings like this really need to be avoided. You and Lord Ruozhao can call me Madam Shen Shao. That way, no one will misunderstand."
She really has a way.
Jiang Hui twitched the corner of his mouth, raised his sword and turned around.
"Next time I'll call you aunt."
What is Madam Shen?
Hidden jade? Ha!
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