Chapter 303 Suspension and Investigation
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The autumn wind from the distant mountains blew into the county government office, and the large fields of brilliant golden chrysanthemums beside the two of them shook like waves of wheat.
Zhao Duan looked at the Taicang prefect bowing to him. His expression was strange at first, but then it turned calm.
"Are you teaching me how to do things?"
The native Sun Xiaozhun didn't understand the jokes from the other world and said with a serious face:
"Sir, I dare not. I only hope that you will put the greater good first."
"What a great way to prioritize the overall situation," Zhao Duan sneered, his expression displeased.
"Sun Futai, what you said is, in the final analysis, you still want to protect yourself for the sake of the overall situation, right?
Do you want me to accept your suggestions, go through the motions, and not delve deeper? But you seem to be mistaken about one thing. Here, I am the mastermind."
Sun Xiaozhun looked disappointed and self-deprecating. He lowered his hands and said no more.
At this time, Qian Kerou's voice came from outside the courtyard gate:
"Sir, the Provincial Governor Gao Lian and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Liu Ji have arrived."
They came quite quickly... Zhao Duan glanced at Prefect Sun and said:
"Master Sun, please go out and explain. Oh, and call Censor Chen over."
Sun Xiaozhun sighed and walked out of the yard.
A moment later.
Chen Hong, the censor with silver teeth and a green robe, walked in with a serious look:
"Master Zhao, are you looking for me?"
Zhao Duan said "yes" and communicated with the deputy sent by Yuan Li:
"Tiju Song's investigation yielded evidence of his crime, and I have obtained it."
He paused, without waiting for the censor, who was called his deputy but was actually supervising him, to show a look of surprise.
He continued:
"Many clues in the evidence point to the Linfeng officialdom. I just talked to Sun Xiaozhun, and his reaction was very interesting."
Censor Chen, who had been following Yuan Li in the Censorate for many years and was very perceptive, asked curiously, "Interesting?"
"Yes," Zhao Duan put his hands behind his back and walked slowly, stepping into the chrysanthemum field, like a boat sailing in a sea of flowers, letting the branches and leaves brush across the hem of his brocade clothes.
His tone was sighing and his eyes were distant and deep.
After pondering for a moment, he sighed inexplicably:
"He gave me a huge token of his loyalty."
Oh, the passionate rebuttal, seemingly sincere words that cannot be checked...
But Zhao Duan knew very well that in officialdom, when listening to someone, one cannot just listen to the surface.
A person who could climb from the difficult Lingnan to the position of Taicang prefect at this age.
Is he really as straightforward as he appears?
Heart and mouth in harmony?
How is that possible?
Therefore, what Sun Xiaozhun really wanted to tell Zhao Duan in that performance was not what he said on the surface.
The relationship between Beijing officials and local officials was specifically mentioned earlier. The implication was that this case was not just a matter involving Linfeng, but a major matter involving Beijing officials.
The statement in the middle that all officials in Linfeng are not clean is to show the position of local officials and the possible response of local officials next.
As for the last sentence "once started, it cannot be stopped", the meaning is too obvious.
As a prefect who came from a civil service background, how could a scholar who was discussing articles with Mr. Song make such a low-level mistake in his choice of words?
"Once started, it cannot be stopped" and "Once started, it cannot be controlled" have two completely different meanings.
The wording of this one sentence alone is enough to imply it clearly.
"This guy is reminding me to act quickly and not delay."
Zhao Duan looked at the distant mountains and said this incomprehensible sentence.
Immediately, he glanced at Censor Chen, who looked puzzled, and smiled:
"Old Chen, it looks like we have to close the net early."
…
The front hall of the county government office.
Sun Xiaojun had an expressionless face as he met with his two superiors who had hurried over and briefly explained the matter.
The elegant and refined Gao Buzhengshi listened calmly and said:
"What did the imperial envoy say?"
Sun Xiaojun was about to answer when he suddenly heard a familiar voice from behind.
"It would be great if you are all here." Zhao Duan, dressed in gorgeous clothes, walked over, with the censor beside him half a step behind.
Gao Lian, a senior official, stood up quickly:
"Imperial Envoy."
Liu Anchashi, who looked like a good guy and just wanted to get by, also stood up:
"Lord Zhao."
Zhao Duan's face was gloomy as he swept his eyes across the yamen that was tightly blocked by the cavalry, and finally fell on the three court officials in front of him.
He spoke in a cold voice:
"According to my investigation, Wang Chusheng's corruption case has wide-ranging implications. The perpetrator and the informant have mysteriously disappeared. The clues lead to you three. To ensure the investigation is not interfered with, I, acting as an imperial envoy, suspend all your duties. You retain your rank and position, and remain under investigation."
Without pausing, he instructed the royal guards in Lihua Hall:
"Ke Rou, your next mission is to protect the three lords. During the suspension and investigation period, the three lords are forbidden to leave Taicang City. Well, it's best not to wander around. Just rest well at home or in the government office. All matters will be handled temporarily by your respective adjutants. Is there any problem?"
Qian Kerou and the others in brocade clothes clasped their fists, their eyes filled with murderous intent:
"I obey your command!"
Gao Lian and Liu Ji, who had rushed over and hadn't even sat down, looked stunned, as if they had been hit on the head with a stick, stunned.
Is it true that the imperial envoy was suspended right after the first meeting?
Gao and Liu turned their heads at the same time and looked at Magistrate Sun, who was also suspended for investigation.
Sun Xiaozhun laughed at himself and spread his hands:
"You also heard what the imperial envoy said to me."
Faced with Zhao Duan, who held great power and had cavalry at his disposal, the three men had no power to resist and were quickly "protected" and followed the large army back to the city.
Zhao Duan fell behind, and at this time, the princess, who had been quiet for a long time, came over.
The two of them deliberately fell behind everyone else, and Master Lu and other guards also consciously kept their distance.
Xu Junling's skin, as delicate as silk, seemed to be covered with a strange halo, just like the strange colors in her eyes:
"Are you really sure you can solve the case in a few days? Just relying on the box of evidence left by Song Tiju?"
Zhao Duan looked serious and shook his head.
"Of course not. Those things are just auxiliary and provide some clues."
Xu Junling's eyes were full of sparkle, as if he could see through him. He calmly analyzed:
"Without any evidence, they immediately arrested a second-rank official. Once the news spreads, the entire Taicang Prefecture, and even the Linfeng officialdom, will be in turmoil. Whose case is investigated like this?
Aren't you really afraid of trouble down there?
You have to know that this isn't the capital. These local officials have deep roots in the local area. If you arrest them, it might be fine for a short time, but if it takes too long, the people under them will start to make trouble...
"Hiss, before you entered the city, you mobilized 200 cavalrymen. Wasn't that just for this?"
Zhao Duan turned his head and looked into the eyes of the princess, who was very smart and good at thinking.
After about two breaths, he laughed silently:
"The princess is overthinking."
Xu Junling was a little unconvinced and said resentfully:
"Are you always like this? You're hard to figure out."
Zhao Duan's eyes were bold as he swept from top to bottom over the princess's slender figure, which was shrouded in mist under her long skirt, and the thousands of valleys and ridges that rose and fell as she did so. He said with a playful smile:
"When will the princess let me see through her?"
Xu Junling's eyes widened and he walked away angrily. This guy just wouldn't change his ways despite repeated warnings.
This happens every time I don’t want to answer her questions directly.
Zhao Duan laughed heartily, walking in the autumn breeze, his eyes calm and emotionless as he looked at the flaming mountains, thinking:
The fire here had already been lit, and he deliberately led the cavalry to run back and forth in public. The noise he made should be enough to draw everyone's attention to him.
"I hope things go smoothly over there too."
…
Wait for the imperial envoy to leave.
Mr. Song and County Magistrate Wang, who survived the disaster, just walked out of the county government office and looked at each other in silence.
"Mr. Song!"
Coach Xie, who had been hiding near the county government office, came out with lingering fear, "What just happened was..."
The old scholar shook his head and said bitterly, "He is an imperial envoy."
The one who broke into the village was Imperial Envoy Zhao... Master Xie's head was buzzing and he was speechless.
…
The imperial envoy left and returned, entering Taicang City again.
Immediately afterwards, an explosive news broke in the city.
Gao, Liu, Sun... all three adults have been suspended for investigation.
Outsiders did not know about the "real and fake imperial envoy" part. They just thought that the imperial envoy went to inspect the Taicang Silver Mine and came back to wipe out all the top officials in Linfeng.
For a time, rumors spread and people were in panic.
afternoon.
The governor, who had come forward to appease the lower-level officials, returned to his temporary residence in Taicang City.
As a chief official, the provincial government's office was in "Linfeng Prefecture", but he also purchased a residence in Taicang City for living when he was on business trips.
Gao Lian's family did not come with him this time because of the case, so there were only a few servants and maids from the Gao family in the mansion.
Take care of his daily life.
"Master, you're back so early?"
The servants in the house were surprised to see Gao Lian coming back.
Gao Lian had no intention of explaining. He just waved his hand wearily and walked straight towards the study.
Pushing the door open and entering the house, this second-rank civil official, who was in his prime, with fair skin and whose official robes and hair were never a mess, closed the door.
First, he took off his official robe and hung it on a rack nearby. As for his official hat, it had been temporarily confiscated due to suspension.
As a scholar from a Jiangnan gentry family, the Gao family was only a second-rate family.
Gao Lian was able to reach this position to a certain extent thanks to the support of his wife who came from a prominent family.
Perhaps for this reason, in the eyes of outsiders, Gao Lian has always been known for his demeanor and rarely hangs out in places of entertainment.
He is also calm and reliable, and has an excellent reputation among the governors of the nine provinces and eighteen prefectures.
Everyone who had dealings with Gao Lian admired his elegance and refinement, and his unwavering composure in times of crisis.
At this moment, this "unmovable as a mountain" Confucian official sat in the armchair and took out the unsigned secret letter from Li Yanfu in the capital from the drawer.
On the letter paper were the different strategies Li Yanfu proposed to deal with Zhao Duan.
Gao Lian lowered his eyes and examined the words on the paper seriously.
"If they use force to intimidate and pretend to conduct a thorough investigation, intending to implicate others, they should let everyone in the city, both civil and military, know that a single move could affect the entire body."
Gao Lian looked at it for a long time, and from the gaps between the words, he only read out this golden advice: "Turn your own affairs into everyone's affairs."
"Someone come here." Gao Lian said calmly.
The servant who was waiting at the study door came in:
"Master, what are your instructions?"
…
at the same time.
In a courtyard ten miles away from Taicang City.
A member of the "Shadow Guard", an organization that is a subordinate of the royal family and is raised in the martial arts world to collect intelligence and work for the empress, raised his head and caught a carrier pigeon that fell from the sky in his hand.
He took out the latest order from the copper tube tied to the pigeon's red feet.
That was Zhao Duan's order.
(End of this chapter)
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