When Wen Ye and Xu Jingrong came to report the case, the first person they saw was Governor Liu from the government office. He had met Xu Jingrong once and knew that she was a classmate of his eldest son.
Upon learning that the other party was here to report a case, he hurried to the back to ask for instructions.
Soon, Wen Ye met the current prefect of Lancheng, Zhuo Qian.
Zhuo Qian had been transferred to Lancheng for less than half a year. Although the previous prefect was not a corrupt official, he was not a good official either. Over the years, he had uncovered more than ten cases of unjust, false and wrongful convictions recorded in the files of the Lancheng government office alone.
Some of the cases were investigated over a long period of time and the suspected perpetrators are no longer alive, so it is difficult to reinvestigate them. Zhuo Qian has been focusing on this in recent days.
On the one hand, he wanted to find out the real culprit, and on the other hand, he wanted to use the case to better understand Lancheng.
Zhuo Qian had met Xu Jingrong before. His younger son was also studying at Lancheng Academy. The two were classmates and had a good relationship.
He knew Xu Jingrong's identity even better.
So as soon as he came out, he asked, "Young Master, are you the one who wants to report the case?"
Xu Jingrong shook his head, thought for a moment, and nodded, "It's me, Uncle Zhuo, but there's also my second aunt."
Zhuo Qian then noticed that there was a woman sitting not far away.
When Zhuo Qian heard Xu Jingrong calling the other party "Second Aunt", he immediately knew the woman's identity.
Then, he became more polite, "So you are Madam Xu, what case you and the young master want to report?"
Xu Jingrong spoke first: "It was like this. On the way back home with my second aunt, I saw two men in black abducting someone in broad daylight in Tongluo Alley. The person abducted was probably a teenager of about 16 or 17 years old."
He spoke with cadence and emotion.
Wen Ye stood up and walked a few steps closer, adding, "Today, the young man saved a woman who was almost robbed by a bully in the street outside Yunzhi Building. Later, it was the constables from the government office who rushed over and took the bully away. They should still remember what the young man looks like."
King Wen is a dozen years younger than His Majesty, and is only eighteen or nineteen years old now. However, he looks young, and people who don't know him can easily mistake him for being only sixteen or seventeen.
It is not an exaggeration to say that he is a teenager.
Xu Jingrong clenched his fist and agreed, "Yes, he was on the street today, punishing evil and promoting good."
At first, after listening to Xu Jingrong's description, Governor Zhuo thought it was just a common case of kidnapping, robbery or murder.
As soon as Wen Ye said this, his expression changed immediately.
Zhuo Qian quickly asked, "Is there a personal bodyguard with the abducted man?"
Wen Ye nodded: "Yes, there was one, but the guard was not by the boy's side at the time."
When Zhuo Qian heard this, his face became even uglier.
When Wen Ye saw this, he knew who the person who was abducted was.
This is good, so she doesn't have to remind me in a roundabout way.
Wen Ye never thought of mentioning who was kidnapped. She didn't want to cause trouble for herself.
Saw an ordinary boy being kidnapped and witnessed the current prince being held hostage by bandits.
If it is under the latter premise, her decision to report to the police will most likely be interpreted in other ways in the future.
The matter was serious, and Zhuo Qian's expression became serious.
He had just received the news from Shengjing when his own people came back and told him that they had met King Wen on the street.
Zhuo Qian originally planned to finish handling the case at hand and then go to assist King Wen in investigating the criminal in his case.
If something happened to King Wen on his territory, he would not be able to wear the black gauze hat on his head properly.
But who would kidnap a prince of the current dynasty in broad daylight? If it was the accomplices of that evil gangster, after seeing that King Wen had close ties with the government, they should have known clearly who they should not touch.
In broad daylight, there were masked men in black again.
This matter is probably not simple.
Zhuo Qian looked at the big and small again with a hesitant look.
Wen Ye understood and said, "Before I came to report the case, I sent a skilled guard to quietly follow them. They should be back soon."
"When the time comes, Prefect Zhuo can summon him for questioning."
Wen Ye's attitude showed that she would not ask any questions.
Zhuo Qian immediately expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Madam Xu. This case may be complicated and I hope you can understand."
All that can be said has been said, Wen Ye would rather know nothing.
The less you know about dangerous things, the better.
However, she had almost moved all her luggage, and by this time, Mrs. Jiang and the others should have been waiting near the government office for quite some time.
Thinking of this, Wen Ye changed his expression with worry and said: "But when the two men in black took the boy away, they seemed to have seen my and Jing Rong's faces. Could it be that..."
Warm the leaves only until they are warm enough.
Zhuo Qian was also a smart man, and he understood it immediately. He thought for a moment and said, "How about this? Before the thief is caught, please ask Madam Xu and the young master to stay in the backyard of the government office for two days. It just so happens that my wife is also from Shengjing."
Even if Wen Ye didn't mention it, Zhuo Qian would have to think about it carefully and send some people to protect them. What if the other party is not an ordinary bandit, and there is also a prince of the Duke's Mansion, then he would really lose the black gauze hat on his head.
Although it was a bit abrupt to let them live in the backyard of the government office, it was safe at least. And with his wife around, he could also focus on tracking down the thieves who kidnapped King Wen.
After all, Wen Ye was a woman, and she was going to live in the backyard of the government office, so it was up to Zhuo Qian's wife to receive her.
While Wen Ye asked Taozhi to call Mrs. Jiang and the others in, Zhuo Qian also went to the backyard in person to explain the situation to his wife.
Zhuo Qian's wife's surname is Wang. Her father has been an official in Beijing for many years. Zhuo Qian's career has been so smooth. In addition to his own outstanding abilities, his father-in-law, Lord Wang, also made some secret efforts.
Therefore, Zhuo Qian respected Wang very much, and he told his wife Wang everything he could about the matter.
After hearing this, Wang said with a serious expression, "This happened suddenly. We really can't let the young master and Madam Xu live in the original courtyard anymore."
Zhuo Qian saw that his wife understood, so he said, "I'll have to trouble you, Madam, with this matter."
Wang said, "What's the trouble? Madam Xu, I will entertain you. You can just focus on your case."
After that, the couple came to the front yamen together, and there were many more people following Wen Ye.
Zhuo Qian was slightly startled and blurted out subconsciously: "What are these?"
Wen Ye explained: "These are the maids and servants who took care of Jingrong in Lancheng. The rest are the guards who came with me to Lancheng. Now the priority is to catch the bandits. We will not cause any more trouble for Master Zhuo and Madam Zhuo."
This makes sense, but Zhuo Qian always feels that something is wrong.
But his whole attention was on King Wen now, so he had to skip over some things that seemed unimportant.
Wang said on behalf of her husband, "How can this cause trouble? If Madam Xu has any ideas, please let me know."
Wen Ye looked at her and said politely, "Thank you, Madam Zhuo."
"By the way," Wen Ye added, "the guards I sent out to track down the thieves have returned. Lord Zhuo can summon them for questioning at any time."
Zhuo Qian's mind immediately returned to the matter of King Wen being captured, and he said hurriedly, "Then I will excuse myself first."
Wen Ye nodded slightly.
With Wang's proper arrangements, Wen Ye lived smoothly in the backyard of the government office. Except for Xu Jingrong, the men who came with her lived in the front yard, arranged by Governor Liu, while the women were arranged by Wang in the backyard.
Live with her.
The backyard of the government office was not very big, and there were only a few courtyards suitable for living.
Wang came along and apologized, "I was in a hurry to prepare. I hope Madam Xu will forgive me."
Wen Ye shook his head: "This place is great. Madam Zhuo, thank you for your concern. Besides, we were the ones who came here to disturb you first."
Wang was a person who acted prudently. She was afraid that Wen Ye would not be able to get used to it, so she stayed with him for a while.
Wen Ye also learned a lot from her. Wang had a daughter and two sons. The eldest daughter got married two years earlier. The eldest son was living with his grandparents in Shengjing. He was admitted to the Imperial College two years ago. The youngest son had always been by his side. With the promotion of Lord Zhuo, he studied at Songshan Academy nearby.
Lord Zhuo also has a concubine's daughter. Because she has been engaged, she rarely goes out recently. Wang asked her to stay at home to embroider her wedding dowry.
Judging from the way Wang talked about her husband and children, the Zhuo family's backyard should be relatively clean, and the couple have a good relationship. At the very least, Lord Zhuo respects Wang as his wife very much.
Wang was also smart and knew roughly what Wen Ye wanted to hear, but what she said could be known with just a little inquiry.
It's just that Wen Ye can't go out now, so he doesn't know.
In this way, the privacy of the house will not be exposed and guests can feel at ease.
In this regard, Wang is very experienced and sensible.
After Wang left, Xu Jingrong, who had been quiet all this time, could no longer hold back his anger and said, "Second Aunt, didn't you say you were here to report to the authorities? Why are you staying at the government office?"
Wen Ye glanced at him and said, "Why don't we go to the government office and wait for those men in black to come to the courtyard to arrest us?"
Xu Jingrong said uncertainly: "It's impossible for them to find out who we are right away."
Wen Ye took a sip of tea and said, "What if? I can't gamble with my life."
Xu Jingrong's expression twisted slightly, and he said, "So we're going to live here forever?"
Wen Ye nodded and said frankly: "Yes, as for the academy, I will ask Madam Zhuo to help you and ask for a few more days of leave."
Xu Jingrong suddenly sighed, looking troubled: "What should I do if I can't keep up with my studies?"
Wen Ye chuckled and saw through him at a glance: "Have you followed him before?"
"......"
Wen Ye continued, "Forget about it. Just stay in the government office quietly. You are just a young man. Now is not the time for you to act like a hero."
Having his little thoughts exposed, Xu Jingrong could only sigh in embarrassment and stay obediently by Wen Ye's side.
Xu Jingrong's dream of being a hero was completely shattered.
On Zhuo Qian's side, after listening to the guard's statement, his expression became more serious, and he actually lost track.
After a while, he asked Governor Liu to carefully arrange for the guard, and he quickly returned to his study, picked up a pen, wrote a letter, and asked his confidant to send it to Shengjing as soon as possible.
Then, he called several other trusted men and asked them to dress up and search secretly near the place where they were lost.
The staff of the government office remained on hold for the time being.
After doing all this, Zhuo Qian went to the cell himself to interrogate the evildoer who was still in prison.
Let's see if there are any new discoveries.
The confidant sent by Zhuo Qian to deliver the letter to the capital rode at full speed and delivered the letter to the Jingzhao Yin Mansion in just two hours.
After reading the letter, Lord Wang of Jingzhao Yinfu immediately sent someone to inform the Duke's Mansion, and asked the servants in the mansion to prepare the carriage, as he was going to the palace.
The capture of the prince is no small matter.
Half an hour later, inside the Qinzheng Hall.
The letter sent by Zhuo Qian contained every detail.
After reading the letter, the emperor's face darkened. He said, "You two are jointly responsible for this case. You must rescue King Wen safely!"
Lord Wang: "I obey your order."
At this time, Xu Yuejia suddenly said, "Not many people know that the prince went to Lancheng to personally arrest the prisoner. Maybe we can find some clues by investigating this line."
The emperor agreed: "Xu Qing is right. I am afraid that he will be recognized by someone in Lancheng. That would be troublesome."
The case he handed over to King Wen was just an extremely ordinary case in the files of the Jingzhao Yinfu, and did not involve any official in the court at all.
Simply put, it was a way for King Wen to pass the time.
Xu Yuejia quickly understood what the emperor meant. "The clues I found earlier were all related to Wancheng. Now it seems that Wancheng is most likely a smokescreen set up by the rebellious king's heirs."
The emperor thought the same thing. He was afraid that the one who took King Wen away was the remnant of King Ni.
Given how much those people hate him, if my twelfth brother really falls into their hands, I'm afraid he will suffer a lot.
"I have been in charge of this case." Xu Yuejia added, "I want to go there in person."
The emperor did not hesitate. Compared with others, he trusted Xu Yuejia more and believed that he would do his best to save King Wen.
"Okay, I'll get you someone right away."
The king and his two ministers discussed the matter for a long time in the Qinzheng Hall until the moon rose into the sky.
The next morning, when Wen Ye woke up, he was told that the courtyard where they had lived had been turned upside down.
It was Wang who came to tell her this in person.
Wang was thankful and said, "Fortunately, Ye Niang thought long-term, otherwise something might have really happened."
When she learned about this from her husband, she was filled with fear.
One King Wen is enough of a headache, and if there are two more, the future of the Zhuo family will probably be over.
Wen Ye didn't expect his prediction to be so accurate.
But if he was just an ordinary thief, how could he have such great ability to find their residence in such a short time.
Although she had just arrived in Lancheng yesterday, she could sense that the people here lived a relatively comfortable life. Even if there were a few notorious and difficult-to-deal-with thugs, they probably wouldn't dare to capture someone with unusual connections to the government office.
Wen Ye frowned slightly, feeling as if she had overlooked something.
"Second aunt, I want to eat the braised pork from Yunzhilou for lunch. Can you ask Ah Shi to buy one for me?" Xu Jingrong approached Wen Ye and whispered.
Zhuo An followed behind him, but after the ceremony, Zhuo An stood beside his mother, Wang.
Wang was afraid that Xu Jingrong would not be able to get used to staying in the government office, and also for the sake of her younger son's safety, she asked Zhuo An for a few days' leave on the grounds that she was unwell.
When she heard Xu Jingrong's little request, she smiled and said, "I didn't expect that the young master likes the red-roasted pork from Yunzhilou as much as our Zhuo An. It just so happens that Zhuo An is probably hungry too. I'll have someone go to Yunzhilou and buy two servings."
Wen Ye finally remembered what she had overlooked. Her brows were still furrowed. She glanced at Xu Jingrong, then glanced at Wang's son and asked them, "How long have you been eating at Yunzhilou?"
Xu Jingrong didn't understand, but still answered: "It should be more than three months."
Zhuo An also said: "I like the braised pork there, it tastes much better than what the chef at home makes."
Wang was a very perceptive person. She immediately heard something strange in Wen Ye's words and asked quickly, "Is there something wrong with the food in Yunzhilou?"
Wen Ye did not give her a definite answer right away, but said first: "I am just guessing. Why don't you stay for lunch with Madam Zhuo and try the braised pork made by my cook?"
Wang Shi slightly frowned and said, "Okay."
At lunch time, Wen Ye asked Hong Xing to prepare two plates of braised pork and placed one in front of each of the two boys.
After Xu Jingrong tasted a piece, his eyes lit up: "Delicious!"
Zhuo An also nodded in agreement, but he said, "But I still want to eat at Yunzhilou."
Wen Ye asked calmly, "Do you think the food at Yunzhilou tastes better?"
Zhuo An denied it with a little hesitation: "It seems not to be the case."
"I just keep thinking about it in my heart." He added at the end.
Wen Ye turned his gaze to the side and asked again: "Jingrong, what about you?"
After Xu Jingrong finished the second piece, he thought about it carefully for a while and said the same thing as Zhuo An: "I do think about it a little bit."
It’s so strange, the braised pork made by my second aunt’s cook is obviously more delicious.
If Wang still can't hear the problem, then she will have lived in vain for the past few decades.
"This must be told to An'er's father." Wang was secretly angry. If there was really a problem with Ruoyun Tower, she looked at her younger son, her eyes revealing worry.
Wen Ye thought of more. She knew some inside information about the Cai Yunzhai case. The criminal Xu Muzhi gave his wife Deng that addictive drug, causing her miscarriage.
The medicine in Xu Muzhi's hand came from Caiyunzhai.
This is what Xu Yuejia told her later.
Caiyunzhai and Yunzhilou have such similar names, could there be any connection between them?
If what she thought was true, then the person who abducted King Wen seemed to have the answer.
After all, the thug who robbed someone in the street yesterday happened not far from Yunzhi Building.
But why did they want to arrest King Wen?
Wen Ye couldn't figure it out, but she didn't want to embarrass herself. She was just about to tell Wang her guess and ask her to tell Prefect Zhuo, when the servant beside Zhuo Qian came to report that there was a nobleman in the front yard who wanted to see Wen Ye.
Wen Ye was surprised: "Sir? Who is it?"
The servant lowered his head and replied, "It's Xu Shilang, Master Xu."
Xu Yuejia is here?
At this moment, Wen Ye became more certain of his guess.
Xu Jingrong was also surprised: "Why is Second Uncle here too?"
In the front hall, Zhuo Qianzheng and Xu Yuejia were reporting the results of their investigation over the past two days.
Zhuo Qian was very tactful. When he saw Wen Ye arriving, he stopped talking, found an excuse, and left first.
Wen Ye walked closer and asked, "Why are you here?"
Xu Yuejia's gaze lingered on her carefully, finally falling on her face.
When Wen Ye saw Xu Yuejia like this, he realized that Prefect Zhuo had told him everything that had happened here.
So she spoke first: "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Xu Yuejia was silent for a moment: "Well, I'm glad you're okay."
Wen Ye said with a little pride: "Before I came to the government office to report the case, I asked Taozhi to go back and inform Mrs. Jiang to pack her luggage, and then I took everyone to live in the government office."
Although she knew that she had many crooked ideas and would be fine in the short term, Xu Yuejia was still uneasy all the way. It was not until she saw that she was fine that she gradually put her worries aside.
"So, things are complicated?" Wen Ye asked his guess.
Xu Yuejia nodded. It had come to this point. Keeping it secret would only lead to more accidents.
Telling her now would also allow her to take precautions. He said, "The black-clad men who abducted King Wen are most likely the remnants of King Ni's gang."
Wen Ye's face became serious when she heard this. She quickly told Xu Yuejia her recent guess and finally said, "Even if this restaurant called Yunzhilou has nothing to do with the Ni Wang's clan, there must be something wrong with it."
With the findings provided by Wen Ye, the investigation now has a definite direction.
Xu Yuejia said "OK" and added: "I will send someone to investigate this restaurant."
"Also," he instructed, "the city will be in chaos for a few days. You are staying in the government office now, so don't go out unless necessary."
Wen Ye immediately said: "Don't worry, I cherish my life."
"But are you alone?"
Xu Yuejia replied: "The rest of the troops will arrive soon."
Wen Ye said "Oh" and her eyes met his, and she suddenly became speechless.
She paused for a moment and said, "Jingrong is having dinner in the back, would you like to go see him?"
Xu Yuejia said, "No need, Governor Zhuo is still waiting for me."
Wen Ye did not insist: "Okay, then you can go and get busy."
Xu Jingrong has her watching.
Xu Yuejia suddenly raised her hand and gently touched the top of her head, saying, "It will be over soon."
Wen Ye: "I believe in your ability."
Xu Yuejia was indeed very fast. Within two days after he arrived, he led people to seal off the Yunzhi Tower, and then King Wen and his personal guards were rescued.
In less than ten days, all the remnants of the rebel king hiding in Lancheng were wiped out.
Only then did Wen Ye realize that Yunzhi Tower was a stronghold that had been abandoned for many years. Something unexpected happened in Caiyunzhai, and those people retreated to Lancheng in desperation and put Yunzhi Tower back into operation.
They planned to start with Songshan Academy, adding addictive drugs into some of the dishes to control the students in the academy, and then select those who could be used by them after they graduated from high school.
In order to avoid leaving any traces, they specially changed the prescription this time to reduce the efficacy of the medicine.
Although many students in the academy were infected, the doctors found after examining their pulses that the physical damage they suffered was still within the range of recovery.
Wen Ye felt that the worst-off person was King Wen. After resting for several days, his face was still as swollen as a pig's head.
I don’t know what kind of torture I suffered during those days when I was abducted.
He was also unlucky. He acted ostentatiously on the street and was recognized by the remnants of the rebel king. Those people wanted to capture him and use him as a trump card, but who would have thought that this hasty action would accelerate their defeat.
What Wen Ye couldn't understand was that the rebel king had been executed for many years, so how could these people still have the energy to jump around.
Xu Yuejia told her: "Their leader escaped from the pursuit and kidnapped the newborn son of a wealthy businessman, pretending that he was the rebellious king's posthumous son."
Wen Ye finally understood: "So that's how it is."
Xu Yuejia looked at her and said, "The rest is up to Prefect Zhuo. Do you want to come back to Beijing with me?"
Wen Ye felt that the only difference between coming to Lancheng and Shengjing was that he lived in a new courtyard.
To be honest, she didn't want to leave yet.
So he made an excuse: "It's like this, I promised my sister-in-law that I would help her find out what was wrong with Jingrong a few days ago."
Xu Yuejia retracted her gaze, "No need to do this."
Wen Ye didn't quite understand: "What do you mean?"
"After this incident, the academy has decided to give the students a one-month vacation." Xu Yuejia looked at her again and said, "Jingrong, go back with us."
Wen Ye was surprised: "Holiday?"
Xu Yuejia: "Well, although the main responsibility for the Yunzhilou case lies with the rebellious prince's heirs, it is an indisputable fact that the food in the academy cafeteria is terrible. The emperor has issued an order, ordering Dean Xu to rectify this situation within one month."
Wen Ye thought for a moment and said, "After hearing what you said, I suddenly want to try it and see how bad it tastes."
Xu Yuejia: "......"
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