Chapter 12 Bribing "The people from the Canal Transport Bureau are here."
"Madam, Chen Tongqing has just confessed. He intervened in your ship's shipping because he knew you were connected to the Japanese pirates. He risked breaking the law for the sake of national justice. In fact, those spices were simply your token of allegiance to the pirates."
"As for the report of the lost ship you just mentioned, I have no records here, so I'm afraid I can't support your story... Naturally, I'll need your cooperation with the patrol camp's investigation."
"Madam, please go with Lin Shaowei."
He Zhihong spoke slowly, with a straight face and a straight face, as if he was an upright official, and he also wanted to say that you abide by the law.
The Shen family was struck by lightning. The onlookers did not know the truth and were whispering to each other. After all, it was the county magistrate who said it.
Could it be that Yan Siqing really betrayed his country and colluded with those damned Japanese pirates?
However, the common people who were more sensible and knowledgeable showed sympathy. How could they dare to say anything when faced with the powerful county magistrate and the Lin father and son? They were of low status and had little influence, so they could only protect themselves.
I can only watch silently as Yan Siqing falls into the same danger as before.
In the cold wind, the lamp was shaking, and the candle inside, which seemed stable, was flickering, as if it would fall over and burn the paper shell in an instant.
Yan Siqing stood at the gate of the Shen family, her long shadow alone swallowed by the darkness behind her.
"Master He, Young Master Lin, if this case requires it, my Shen family has been framed, but since it is related to the case, someone must accompany the investigation, and it should be me, the head of the Shen family, who should go to cooperate."
"You may not know that my granddaughter-in-law hasn't been handling this business recently. She's been busy taking care of the children. Only I, an old woman, am in charge. This business was also handled by me."
Zhou came forward and pulled Yan Siqing behind her.
He Zhihong's expression paused slightly, and he subconsciously looked at Lin Chenguang, who continued to sneer, "You are an old lady with one foot in the coffin, don't take the responsibility for your granddaughter-in-law. Can you take responsibility for things related to the law by just talking nonsense?"
"However, if you, an old woman, want to accompany your granddaughter-in-law to the prison to take a look, you can also monitor how I interrogate your granddaughter-in-law. That would be a good idea."
"Someone, take him away!"
He is just a businessman. How much more time can he waste here?
Yan Siqing is a widow, and she caused me such a great loss in the past. Let me settle all the new and old grudges together!
Lin Chenguang was rampant and shouted, and the guards surrounded him.
Seeing He Zhihong's expression, the officers dared not help. They could only watch helplessly as Yan Siqing and Zhou, who had treated them well in the past, were about to be surrounded and taken away...
A group of servants from the Shen family surrounded them and tried to stop them.
Liu'er and others stood in front.
Zhou took a deep breath, as if he had no choice but to accept his fate. Being an official was a public matter, and the public was God's will.
The Shen family is just ordinary people.
Unable to resist.
Zhou felt inexplicably sad, as if she had aged a lot in an instant, and even dared not look at Yan Siqing.
She knew that the Shen family was sorry for the latter.
A gentle palm grabbed Yan Siqing, who did not move, but held her with his backhand.
Zhou was stunned to see Yan Siqing walk past her and stand in front of her. Surrounded by the servants who were surprised and seemed to have found a backbone to support her, she faced such a ferocious force with her thin figure gracefully, her hair fluttering in the night wind.
"Master He, Master Lin, have you ever considered that those arrested previously would have given two confessions? If one was taken to the county government office and the magistrate refused to acknowledge it and treated it as a false accusation, then how could the other be denied by the Guangzhou Canal Transport Bureau?"
"If I remember correctly, three years ago, when the imperial court cracked down on bandits in Narrow City, the Canal Transport Bureau was also appointed by the court to take charge of the matter. However, in the end, it was General Lin who took the greatest credit. I think we served in the same dynasty. Now, if it comes to matters related to maritime border defense, the Canal Transport Bureau also has the responsibility and authority to participate. Moreover, since the incident happened in Yancheng, and my Shen's Company's shipping is under the control of the Canal Transport Bureau, then according to the law, the first department to intervene is the Canal Transport Bureau. If the Canal Transport Bureau intervenes, not only will General Lin of Narrow City be unable to overstep his authority, but neither will the Guangzhou Patrol Battalion."
"If the Patrol Battalion wishes to participate, they must review the case with the Canal Transport Bureau at the same level, or apply to the Jiangnan Province department for a transfer to take full responsibility for the case."
When Yan Siqing said this, Liu'er and others suddenly remembered that before they went to Lin Gong's hometown, when they learned that this matter was related to Xiacheng, their wife was silent for a while, as if she was worried, and then she secretly discussed with the chief steward Xu Chou for a long time. Xu Chou did send three spies to track Zhang Diao, but their wife also sent the guards who succeeded to go out in a hurry. At that time, Liu'er thought that the latter were for assistance, or that the wife did not trust Xu Chou, her former first confidant. Now it seems that the guards were going to the Guangzhou Canal Transport Bureau.
But the double confession must have been prepared earlier, which also means that his wife has been wary of County Magistrate He for a long time and does not trust him that much?
He Zhihong and Lin Chenguang were both shocked beyond words, but He Zhihong felt even more embarrassed and fearful. He knew that once the Canal Transport Bureau got involved, the situation would be very difficult to predict. The Lin family alone couldn't guarantee victory, unless the powerful person Lin An was clinging to was willing to invest more...
Compared to He Zhihong's wavering and uncertainty, Lin Chenguang has no foundation after all. He relied on his family's support and backdoor access to get his official position. He is a second-generation rich man who is arrogant and extravagant. After the setbacks three years ago, he seems to have been polished and has become more sophisticated, but in fact, his resentment is even greater. He originally thought that he could take revenge as long as he could, but was stopped by Yan Siqing's prepared backup plan. He was more embarrassed and had uncontrollable anger in his surprise.
Without consulting He Zhihong, she angrily shouted, "How ridiculous! Yan Siqing, you're just a woman, and you think you can scare me with your little cleverness? It takes at least three hours to get to Guangzhou and back. Not to mention whether what you said is true, how could the Guangzhou Canal Transport Bureau be so prompt? They came here right away after getting the confession? What are you waiting for! Arrest her!!"
The reason for being so anxious is not entirely stupid or reckless.
Lin Chenguang didn't believe that a woman like Yan Siqing could have such great ability to calculate power and scheme. She must be bluffing!
When the others heard this, especially He Zhihong who had been wavering at first, they calmed down. That's right, he was just caught off guard and didn't think about the time difference. Regardless of whether the Canal Transport Bureau intervened or not, as long as he arrested Yan Siqing and locked him up first, used some powerful means to make him confess, and then died in the Canal Transport Bureau without any evidence, then... the rest would not be important.
Even if the Canal Transport Bureau has a grudge against Lin An, can they still pursue him for a dead person?
He Zhihong felt relieved and immediately waved his sleeve to order all the yamen officers to come forward and cooperate with the guards of the patrol camp to surround the people in the Shen Mansion and capture Yan Siqing.
The situation became dangerous again. The two men were desperate and wanted to capture Yan Siqing as soon as possible.
I knew in my heart that she was smart, and I was afraid that she might have some other tricks up her sleeve.
The relationship has become so bad that if we fail to take it down, we will suffer heavy losses, especially for He Zhihong.
Lin An and his son were not afraid of the Shen family. After all, He Zhihong was just a small county magistrate, so he still had some concerns.
In another alley, the air was thick with blood. Ruoqin looked at the situation outside and realized how dangerous it was, so he looked at his own prince sitting on the horse in front.
Don't ask, just wait for the latter to give the order.
The moonlight was cold, shining brightly on the wall of the house, and was blocked by the wall of the Shen Mansion next to it. Only a little fluffy light fell dimly on the head, unable to get close to the group of shadows stepping on the corpses in the alley.
It was so dark, the man on horseback looked at the situation outside coldly, raised his hand, and gestured to retreat.
Um?
No matter what, are you going to kill someone with a borrowed knife?
Ruoqin suddenly realized, and a look of regret flashed in his eyes, but he also took a step back with the long sword sheathed at his waist.
Blending into the deeper darkness of the night.
The group of bloody black shadows retreated, but a group of people in official robes outside approached.
The young man on the horse had a cold look in his eyes, his slender fingers clasping the small crossbow on his wrist, motionless, his gaze sweeping over Yan Siqing, a little puzzled: Obviously, everyone in this restless night, all faces seemed ordinary and worldly, both dark in the night and relying on the faint light of torches and lamps, only she seemed to be detached from everything, with her own moonlit glow, calm and quiet, standing on the not-so-high steps of the Shen family's gate, being protected sincerely by the people around her as if they were sacrificing their lives. Then, she was neither fragile and tragic, nor did she sacrifice herself tragically, but used her cold and indifferent eyes to fight back against Lin Chenguang and others who had all the advantages.
Such magnanimity made Jiang Hui feel that if he showed up now, it would be a blasphemy to her.
Sure enough, she said it.
"Gentlemen are noble and look down upon money, but there are also many people who do value money."
“You don’t lack money, but others do.”
so?
Suddenly, Jiang Hui thought of it - the Shen family is the richest family in Yancheng and other cities, and the coastal cities are also wealthy in the empire. She has a huge amount of liquid money under her hands. More importantly, she has always been a person who is willing to spend money to manage the overall situation in the long run. She has countless people acting as her eyes and ears, and she doesn't even need to bet her future like He Zhihong.
For example, the tea owners who grow tea on mountain roads all over the place, the boatmen at the major plank road docks, and the coolies who come from hundreds of villages to work in her shop.
Whenever an official team passes through the aisle, can anyone be more sensitive than the common people?
So she knew that someone from the Canal Transport Bureau had arrived.
Regardless of whether they enter the city or not, as long as they enter the territory of Yancheng, she has a way to make them take action.
At this time, on the tea mountain beside the official road of Yancheng, looking down, you can see the Shili Teahouse which is operating as usual. The tea master Li, who had received Jiang Hui during the day, was blowing a breath of hot tea, glancing at the snowflake silver ingot on the table, and the cooing pigeon cage in the yard.
He smiled slightly.
——————
And as Yan Siqing's words fell.
The sound of horses arrived.
"People from the Canal Transport Bureau are here."
"We've reached the city gates. We're using the official order to open them!"
He actually came.
This sounds really impressive!
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