Chapter 127 Flower Dynasty
A skinny man was shaking his legs. He didn't look like he was in a government prison. He shouted impatiently, "I advise you to be tactful and let me go. Otherwise, you will be in trouble later."
Ming Huazhang stood outside the door, slowly scanned the cells, and said calmly, "Are you Black Tiger? You have been reselling medicinal herbs and smuggling poisonous herbs in the West Market over the years. Do you plead guilty?"
Hei Hu sneered and said with disdain: "Someone is willing to buy it, I just fulfilled their wish, what crime have I committed? Don't try to scare me, you dare not touch me."
"Are you so sure that someone will come to protect you?" Ming Huazhang paced and walked slowly towards Hei Hu across the fence. "You can't take out those medicines. Tell me, who is behind you? Who are you working for? It's not too late to confess now."
Hei Hu sneered, not even looking at Ming Hua Zhang, looking down on him. Ren Yao was watching from behind, his hands itching: "Do you want to be beaten?"
Ming Huazhang raised his hand to stop Ren Yao. He was not angry at all, and his tone was still calm and he sighed with some regret: "It seems that you are unwilling to cooperate. Then stay in the prison and talk when you think it through."
Ming Huazhang said this, then turned around, put his hands behind his back, signaled the guards to lock the prison door, and walked out. His clothes swept across the ground like a fire in the dark night, burning quietly in the abyss. Ming Huachang glanced at the people inside and quickly chased after them: "Second brother, wait for me."
Hei Hu guessed that this group of people were just trying to scare him, so he sneered and said that they were not afraid at all. As expected, Ming Huazhang stopped not long after he walked.
Outside the corridor, Ming Huazhang stopped not because of the black tiger, but because he ran into another group of people. Ming Huazhang saw Jingzhao Yin surrounded by the crowd, lowered his eyes and bowed gently: "I have met Jingzhao Yin."
Jing Zhao Yin looked at the scene in front of him, frowned and asked: "What are you doing?"
Ming Huazhang explained: "I have caught the drug dealer who provided Qian Yi with poisonous aconite and am interrogating him. There are two more things I want to report to Jingzhao Yin. The Feng Zhanggui case three years ago and the Song Yanbai case six years ago were wrongly judged. They did not die of natural causes, but were killed by Qian Yi and Chu Ji respectively. We have found new evidence and ask Jingzhao Yin to reopen these two cases and overturn the verdicts for the deceased."
The more Jingzhao Yin listened, the tighter his brows knitted together: "Didn't I ask you to investigate the bombing case? Why are you investigating an old case from so many years ago?"
Ming Huazhang replied calmly, "Reporting to the Jingzhao Yin, I think it is no accident that the murderer chose Qian Yi and Chu Ji. Both of them have committed murders, but they have enjoyed fame and fortune and lived a happy life in recent years. The murderer may have had other reasons for blowing them up."
Jingzhao Yin waved his hand impatiently, interrupting Ming Huazhang's words: "I don't want to know what they are thinking or what they are hiding. The most important thing now is to catch the unruly people who set off the bombs in the city. Your Majesty will go to Furong Garden on February 15th to enjoy the flowers, light the flower god lanterns, and have fun with the people. If there is any accident in Chang'an again, and it disturbs the emperor, who can bear the responsibility?"
When Ming Huazhang heard that the empress was planning to leave the palace for the festival, he immediately said, "This is not a good idea. When the common people hear that Your Majesty is going to Furong Garden to light the Flower God Lantern, they will definitely flock there. If the murderer takes advantage of the chaos to rush into Furong Garden and place explosives there, then there will be water in Furong Garden and it will be dark. Once panic occurs, the crowd will push people into the water, and the consequences will be disastrous."
"So I told you to solve the case quickly and not waste time on irrelevant matters." Jingzhao Yin said coldly, "The palace has sent someone to urge you again, ordering Jingzhao Prefecture to catch the murderer before the Flower Festival to stabilize the people's hearts. If the murderer is not found within ten days, the palace will have to cancel the Flower Festival itinerary. If His Majesty's interest in traveling is ruined by then, your and my positions as officials will be over!"
Jingzhao Yin thought his words were clear enough, but Ming Huazhang said sullenly, "These are two different things. Whether the murderer can be found or not, Your Majesty should not take risks with such a thing. It's not that I'm trying to shirk responsibility, but I sincerely believe that I should report to the court and advise Your Majesty to cancel the Flower Festival. If Your Majesty really wants to celebrate the Flower Festival, just hold a family banquet in Daming Palace."
Jingzhao Yin laughed when he heard this. He snorted twice and said coldly, "You can talk to the King of Wei about this. The King of Wei agreed to this matter last October. He wanted to repair the lantern tower in Furong Garden. Duke Heng and Duke Ye personally designed the lanterns. It took so long to prepare and cost so much money. You just say no and it's over?"
Duke Heng and Duke Ye were the two Zhang brothers, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong. Ming Huazhang was not surprised at all when he heard that they were the ones who pushed for this matter.
Over the years, the empress has grown older and weaker. She is no longer as diligent and vigorous as she was when she first ascended the throne, but has gradually indulged in pleasure. She has become more and more fond of the two Zhang brothers, almost to the point of being obedient to them. The King of Wei caters to their preferences and often holds various banquets for the two Zhangs to enjoy. During this period, the King of Wei has been frustrated and reprimanded by the saint several times. He urgently needs something to win back the saint's heart. I think he will not miss the opportunity to "show up" at the Flower Festival.
With the presence of the Prince of Wei and the two Zhang brothers, Ming Huazhang knew that the Empress would inevitably leave the palace on February 15. He stopped wasting words and said, "Yes. I will find the person who set the explosives within ten days."
The Jingzhao Yin finally glanced at the prison, said "take care of yourself", and left.
After Jingzhao Yin left, Ming Huashang asked, "Second brother, we don't even have any clues now, how can we find someone within ten days?"
"We have to look for it even if we can't find it." Ming Huazhang sighed, "It's useless to complain now, let's think of a solution first. This is not the place to talk, let's go out and discuss it."
Ming Huashang nodded, she turned around and looked at Hei Hu and asked, "What should he do?"
Ming Huazhang glanced at him casually and said, "We are looking for him only to prove that Qian Yi had bought poisonous aconite from him. Now that Liu has pleaded guilty, it doesn't matter whether he has any testimony or not. Let's lock him up first and let him think about it slowly to see if he is guilty or not."
When Hei Hu saw the group of people who came to arrest him stopped halfway, he thought that they were the ones who came to bail him out of prison, so he felt quite confident. But he didn't expect that the group of people stopped in the aisle to talk for a while, and then continued to walk.
Hei Hu panicked and rushed to the prison door, shouting, "Where are you going? Do you know who is behind me? The government wrongly accuses innocent people. Is there any justice in the world?"
However, no one paid any attention to him. Hei Hu shouted for a long time but to no avail. He angrily smashed the railing.
He cursed the official in his heart for a long time, and finally he felt relieved. He leaned against the railing, looked at the dark prison ceiling, sighed, and said to himself: "Why do I feel that the man just now looks familiar? Have I seen him somewhere before?"
·
In the Shaoyin Palace, Ming Huazhang was holding a cup of tea, quietly listening to the other people's arguments. His face was fair and clear, with a jade-like luster, and his eyes were dark and calm. The light in his eyes could not hide his bright spirit, and it was impossible to tell that he had not slept last night.
Although Ming Huashang's face was not very good, his eyes were full of energy and he said, "There are so many people in Chang'an, but how many of them committed murders, and how many escaped the punishment of the government? Qian Yi and Chu Ji were two of them. What a coincidence, they were the two who were killed in the explosion. I think this is definitely not a coincidence. There must be some kind of pattern in the people who set off the bombs, but we haven't discovered it yet."
Xie Jichuan nodded. It was rare to see him agree with someone. "I think so too. As I said before, Qian Yi and Chu Ji must have something in common."
Ren Yao was puzzled and said, "Then it can only be Liu."
"I once thought it was her." Xie Jichuan raised his eyebrows, and was a little unsure, "But, what is Liu's purpose in doing this?"
Jiang Ling tried to ask: "Kill the betrayed man?"
Xie Jichuan shook his head slowly and said, "Given her emotional nature, she can't make such a careful calculation."
Ming Huashang also agreed: "I also think it wasn't her. If she did it, she would have said it last night when she admitted to killing Feng the shopkeeper. The criminal can only deny it or confess everything. How can she tell half of it and hide the other half?"
"What if she was trying to protect someone?"
"From what I know about her, the only person she would risk her life to protect is her child," Ming Huashang said, "but her son is still in his infancy. It's impossible that the baby killed someone, right?"
Ren Yao sighed, feeling a headache. "It's not Liu, it's not Feng Liang. The two suspects in the painting have been ruled out. Who else could it be? It can't be the dead ghost who is seeking revenge, right?"
Ren Yao said this to ridicule himself, but Ming Huashang nodded and said seriously, "I think it's possible. If Qian Yi and Chu Ji hadn't been killed in the explosion, and Jingzhao Prefecture hadn't investigated their lives in detail, who would have thought that these two well-known figures were actually extremely despicable villains? I have a hunch that today's events are related to the old case."
"But Song Yanbai's parents are not in Chang'an, and Feng's relatives either had witnesses or were out of town at the time of the crime, so they had no chance to commit the crime. Apart from siblings and close relatives, who else would be obsessed with the crime for so many years just to avenge the wronged soul?"
Ming Huashang couldn't say anything about this either, and held her chin up in thought. Jiang Ling put one hand on the table and sighed deeply: "We are like headless flies now. It seems that we know a lot, but in fact, we have found out nothing, and there is not even a suspect. Finding someone in Chang'an is like looking for a needle in a haystack. After ten days, where can we find a murderer?"
Ming Huazhang listened quietly for a long while, and stopped's suspicion. He said in a deep voice: "Then continue to investigate the Song Yanbai case six years ago. The more clues you dig, the more clues you will find. Don't be suspicious, just move forward."
Ming Huashang hesitated: "But, this is an old case after all. Even if it is solved, it has nothing to do with the present. Jingzhao Yin clearly told us to focus on this case..."
"A case is only divided into solved and unsolved, but also divided into high and low status?" Ming Huazhang said with a calm face and a steady voice, "Since there are clues, just investigate it with peace of mind. I will take care of the rest, you don't have to worry."
Ming Huazhang's words were like a magic needle that calmed everyone's emotions. It seemed that as long as he was there, there was a way to solve the problem. Ming Huachang's anxiety due to the time limit for solving the case was greatly relieved. She stood up and said, "I'll go to Huichuntang again."
Ren Yao and Jiang Ling also led their own people to patrol the streets and ask people one by one. Although this method was stupid, it was the only thing they could do now.
Xie Jichuan looked at their forced efforts and sighed. He took the initiative to talk about something that had nothing to do with him. "I'll go to the East Palace to ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. If the Flower Festival lantern viewing can be cancelled, that would be best."
Although Ming Huazhang had no hope, he still thanked Xie Jichuan sincerely: "Thank you very much."
Xie Jichuan shook his head slightly. He looked at Ming Huazhang, hesitating to speak, and finally said, "It's almost time to go and rest. If the case can't be solved, it's not a big deal. The most important thing is to protect yourself."
Ming Huashang, Ren Yao and Jiang Ling had already walked out. Ming Huazhang raised his head and looked into Xie Jichuan's cold eyes. The two looked at each other for a moment, Ming Huazhang smiled and said calmly: "I know."
Xie Jichuan laughed very lightly, rolled up his sleeves, turned around, and said leisurely: "You don't know. Forget it, I'm leaving, it's up to you."
·
After the ten-day deadline was announced, the atmosphere in Jingzhao Prefecture became as heavy as iron. Everyone was in a hurry and no one smiled. Although no one talked, everyone knew in their hearts that if this case could not be solved, the situation in Jingzhao Prefecture would probably change again.
It's a pity that a capable Shao Yin has come, but he still can't break the Jingzhao Prefecture's curse. Ming Huazhang was cold and distant when he first came, but after getting along with him for a few months, everyone found that although he was quiet and cold, he was careful and steady in his dealings with others, and he was responsible for his work. Following him would make people feel that the future was full of promise. Even though Jingzhao Yin was their nominal superior and Ming Huazhang was just his deputy, now no matter what they had to do, they liked to go to Ming Huazhang.
The officials were very reluctant to see Ming Huazhang dismissed, but fate is determined by heaven and cannot be decided by man. They could only blame Ming Huazhang for his bad luck, as he encountered a series of major incidents right after taking office.
The yamen runners secretly felt sorry in their hearts. Ming Huashang knew the impact of this case better than them, and she couldn't even sleep well. If Ming Huazhang hadn't forced her to go back, she would have wanted to continue staying in Jingzhao Prefecture.
The next day, Ming Huashang and Ming Huazhang arrived at Jingzhao Prefecture as soon as the gates were opened. However, as soon as they entered the government office, they received bad news.
Black Tiger is dead.
Ming Huazhang stood in the prison, looking very unhappy. The prison guard said cautiously: "Shao Yin, I saw that he refused to confess and was disrespectful to you. I couldn't stand his arrogance, so I tortured him. It was not a heavy punishment. He was fine when I left last night. Who could have known that he was so useless and didn't survive..."
The cell was cold and filled with a foul smell. An empty bowl with a chip fell to the ground. A man was leaning against the wall, his head drooping unnaturally. He was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, but they had been whipped and were in tatters.
Ming Huazhang's voice was extremely cold, but he did not lose his temper. Instead, he asked in a cold tone, "When did you leave yesterday?"
"At midnight," the jailer said hurriedly, "Shao Yin, I swear that he was fine at that time and didn't look like he was dying."
Ming Huazhang swept the bloodstains on the ground and was too lazy to argue with him. He asked, "Who else came to the prison last night?"
The jailer felt more and more guilty, and said tremblingly: "You, Madam Ming Er, Xie Sheren and others came here in the afternoon, and then we changed shifts normally, nothing else happened."
Ming Huazhang asked about the details of the shift change, while Ming Huashang was outside looking through the testimony. She saw something and raised her voice and said, "Second brother, come and see, Hei Hu has confessed."
The jailer was eager to take credit: "Yes, Shao Yin, you can't be merciful to people like this. You talk to them nicely, but they just get aggressive. As long as you torture them, they will tell the truth. I am also trying to solve the case as soon as possible to relieve you of your worries."
Ming Huazhang spoke calmly and calmly throughout the interrogation. When the interrogation was over, the jailers thought that everything was fine. But they heard Ming Huazhang say, "You acted on your own and abused torture. You will be punished with 40 strokes of the cane. Go and receive your punishment yourself."
Upon hearing this, the jailer begged for mercy: "Shao Yin, spare my life! This is how we interrogate prisoners in the past. I was just following custom and I had no ulterior motives!"
"The past is the past, and I am me." Ming Huazhang remained unmoved and said calmly, "If you beg for mercy again, I'll add twenty more."
The jailer was so frightened when he saw Ming Huazhang's cold, snow-white profile, which looked intimidating even without anger, that he dared not say anything.
He finally understood that this Shao Yin looked easy to talk to and never lost his temper, but his temper was not soft at all. Hearing thunder in silence, he was much more difficult to deal with than those "honest officials" who shouted loudly and showed off their power.
After dealing with the jailer, Ming Huazhang walked over to Ming Huashang. His voice was cold and soft, and no clues could be heard: "What's wrong?"
Ming Huashang raised her eyes and glanced at him quickly, then hooked her hands around his: "Second brother, don't be angry. It's not your fault that the government has such bad habits."
Ming Huazhang held her hand and said calmly, "I'm not angry."
Ming Huashang looked at his expression and said nothing. Instead, she suddenly reached out and lifted the corner of his mouth: "I watched you grow up. Don't I know whether you are angry or not? Don't be angry..."
Ming Huazhang took a step back, grabbed her hand, and said helplessly: "Who watched who grow up? Don't forget, you are younger than me."
"Well, you watched me grow up." Ming Huashang snorted and murmured, "Now you are pretending to be so arrogant. I don't know who it was that made me beat you when you were a child."
Ming Huazhang had remained calm even when dealing with the jailer just now, but now he was clearly upset. He could no longer bear it and raised his eyebrows: "How could that be?"
"If you say it's not there, then it's not there."
Ming Huazhang pursed his lips tightly, took the testimony, read the words, and stopped talking. Ming Huachang came up to him and asked in a sly tone, "Are you angry?"
"no."
"That's good. If you can't beat him, then you can't beat him. If you still don't dare to admit it, then it's too much fun."
Ming Huazhang threw the testimony into Ming Huachang's arms with a cold face, turned around and walked away. Ming Huachang chased after him with a smile and said, "Look, you are much cuter now. You were so indifferent just now that I was afraid you would get sick."
Ming Huazhang let out a faint sigh, knowing that she was only making jokes out of fear that he would get hurt emotionally, and said helplessly, "You...what did you just say you discovered?"
"Oh, second brother, look here." Ming Huashang walked over and pointed at the name on it and said, "After being tortured, Hei Hu confessed that he was working for the manager of Shengde Company, reselling defective and old herbs, doing some black market business. Where did Shengde Company come from?"
Although Ming Huazhang and Ming Huashang were born in Chang'an, they grew up in Luoyang and were not familiar with the network of relationships in Chang'an. Ming Huazhang returned to the palace and asked someone to inquire.
When the local old yamen runner heard the name, he understood and said, "Shao Yin, are you asking about Manager Yan of Shengde Commercial Bank? Manager Yan is a very special person. He was originally a gangster in Jinguan City. More than ten years ago, he entered a cave while traveling in Qingcheng Mountain and mistakenly entered the fairyland of Langyuan. He lived in the fairyland for three years. When he came out, he found himself standing in Zhongnan Mountain, and only three days had passed. At this time, he could not go back to find the fairyland, so he could only stay in Chang'an. The dignitaries in Chang'an were greatly surprised when they heard his experience, and they invited him to be their guests. He spoke very well at the banquet. He is a Taoist priest, and he can also use the cultivation techniques taught by immortals to refine secret medicines for beauty. He is highly valued by the noble ladies and daughters of wealthy families. Especially ten years ago, a plague broke out in Chang'an, and the key herbs were gone. Everyone was helpless, but Yan, the shopkeeper, entered the fairyland in his dream and brought out many life-saving herbs overnight. The wealthy families scrambled to grab them. From then on, Yan, the shopkeeper, became famous overnight and became a guest of honor for the nobles and relatives of the kings. Clinics and drugstores all came to him to buy medicine. Later, he started a business of rare treasures, beauty and health, and longevity, and he was very proud. "
The old yamen runner spoke in a rhythmic manner, just like a storyteller. He even described the adventures of the shopkeeper Yan in the fairyland vividly, as if he had seen them with his own eyes. After listening to him, Ming Huashang said, "Why do I feel that he is cheating and deliberately hoarding herbs and reselling them at a high price?"
"Second Madam, I dare not say that." The old yamen runner said hurriedly, "The business of the storekeeper Yan is now all over Chang'an, and he has almost taken over all the medicinal fields in the surrounding area. He can decide the price of a single medicine with just a wave of his hand. Do you think he can take over such a big business by himself? There must be a master behind him."
Medicine shops are different from other shops. Clothes and jewelry can be put off until you have more money, but if you are sick, you must take medicine. Food is the lifeblood of the court, so it is not easy to interfere. However, if you monopolize the market for medicine, you can make as much money as you make from food by buying low and selling high.
Moreover, Shengde Commercial Bank was too greedy. It offered beauty pills to noble ladies, and monopolized the medicinal materials business in Chang'an, not allowing others to enter the market. It also controlled the black market and even sold damp and moldy herbs. It was no wonder that Hei Hu was so arrogant when he was caught.
Ming Huazhang frowned deeply. In order to consolidate her power, the empress moved the capital to Luoyang after ascending the throne and started a new dynasty. Chang'an, the old capital, had no one to supervise it but had a population of millions, so it naturally became a hotbed for many termites.
However, this is clearly the heart of the Tang Dynasty, the pearl of Chang'an, the result of countless people's hard work. How could it become like this? Ming Huazhang asked solemnly, "What is the name of the manager of Shengde Commercial Bank? How dare he be so arrogant?"
The yamen runner shrugged and said, "His name is Yan Jingcheng, but now no one in Chang'an dares to call him by his name. No matter who they are, they have to politely call him Yan Jingcheng. Shao Yin, the palace only wants to solve the case. It's enough for us to find the murderer. There's no need to get involved in other things."
Ming Huazhang stood up and said calmly, "I want to see how powerful he is and whether he can control me, the Junior Yin of Jingzhao."
As he spoke, he walked out with big strides. The bailiff was startled and hurriedly chased after him: "Shao Yin, what are you going to do?"
"Check the accounts." Ming Huazhang had already walked down the stairs and said with big strides, "Check his black market accounts to see if he sold a large amount of aconite to Qian Yi three years ago even though he knew it was poisonous."
The yamen runner was almost scared to death when he heard this: "Shao Yin, no, don't act on impulse! Second Lady, go and persuade Shao Yin."
Ming Huachang picked up her skirt and went out. Hearing this, she said: "You go and bury Heihu's body. After all, he was killed in the government. Even if he did many evil things, there should be an explanation. I will go after the second brother. Don't worry. , I will help him."
After she finished speaking, she stroked her chin and said to herself, "Strange, why does this name sound so familiar to me?"
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