Chapter 536 Showdown
After Jiang Qingzhi moved into the city, how he would investigate and handle the case became the focus of the people in the city.
In a tavern, several men were talking about this while drinking old wine and eating fennel beans.
"It's been a long time since the incident happened. Even if there was something fishy going on, there's no trace of it left."
"No. This is a punishment from the gods."
"Do you think it's really a god?"
"If it's not a god, then what is it? That day, my relatives saw with their own eyes the thunder suddenly strike over Xili Village."
"really?"
"He cursed and swore, and said that there were heavenly soldiers and generals vaguely visible in the thunder."
"Oh my god!"
The fennel beans were no longer fragrant, so he took a few gulps of the old wine and was about to question the man when he saw someone come in. It turned out to be his old drinking buddy.
"Big thing, big thing!"
"What's the matter?" everyone asked.
The man said, "Jiang Qingzhi has announced that anyone who can help him find the missing village chief of Xinli Village will be rewarded with 10,000 strings of cash, and he swears to keep the secret for that person. If necessary, he can move that person to another place to avoid revenge later."
"Ten thousand strings!"
The drinkers were all stunned. Even the waiter who served the food stood there in a daze, wondering how much ten thousand strings of cash was.
The most exciting thing about this bounty is migration!
Are you worried about retaliation afterwards?
Don't worry, the Mohist master has sworn by all the masters of the past to keep your secret, and can even move you to another place. With 10,000 taels of silver, don't say it's hard to leave your hometown, wouldn't it be nice to go to a new place and become a rich man?
The drinkers were stunned for a moment, all staring at the man who had said earlier that his relatives had seen Lei Ting.
"Fuck..." The man stood up suddenly, "I'm going to find him now!"
"Together!"
In an instant, only the waiter was left in the tavern. When the shopkeeper came in from the back, he saw that the place was empty and asked, "Where are the people?"
The waiter came back to his senses and said, "It is said that Jiang Qingzhi has offered a reward of 10,000 strings of cash to find the missing Muramasa of Xinli Village, and everyone has gone to look for him."
"Where's the money?"
"Ah! They didn't pay the bill!"
The entire city was shaken.
"Ten thousand strings of cash. Jiang Qingzhi is quite generous."
Yang Changhe sighed, "I guess the situation outside is very chaotic, right?"
Huang Jing nodded. "Many people want to make this money. I heard that many people have flocked to Xinli Village. The villagers are selling food and providing accommodation. I think they can make a lot of money."
People in the South are quick-witted, but if it were the Northerners, they would mostly just watch the fun or look for clues.
"What does Yang Bai say?" Yang Changhe asked.
"Obviously, there were some surprises on Yang Bai's side, but Yang Bai said that this matter is foolproof."
"Nothing is wrong? Money can move people's hearts." Yang Changhe said, "Officials are ruthless. Why are they ruthless? For fame and fortune, those officials can lose their humanity. What's more, this is 10,000 strings of cash."
"How about reminding him?"
"No need." Yang Changhe thought for a moment, "I'm afraid we may have some trouble here."
"Isn't everything in order with the coroner?"
"I'm not worried about the coroner, I'm just worried that someone might take action." He stared at Huang Jing, "Don't forget, when we collected the body, those two clerks saw the wound on the corpse... How could someone be killed by a blast have such neat cuts?"
Huang Jing shuddered, "Aren't those two the confidants of the Lord? I will go and warn them."
"It's useless." Yang Changhe said, "If they are tempted, the more you say now, the more tempted they will be."
"Then..." A fierce look flashed in Huang Jing's eyes, "Do you want to..." He raised his hand, and his fingers were like knives, swung down with force.
"It's not easy for us to do this," Yang Changhe said. "Besides, if the two clerks die at this moment, Jiang Qingzhi is not a fool and will immediately keep an eye on us."
"I have a solution." Huang Jing said, "Let them go on official business."
"Excellent." Yang Changhe said, "I'll do it right away."
Huang Jing immediately ordered the two clerks to be assigned to the task.
The two were urged to leave the city, and when they got outside the city they looked at each other.
"This matter..."
"Ten thousand guan!"
"Get out of the way first."
The two then went away.
In the afternoon, the two stayed at the post station.
After dinner, the two got together.
"Five thousand per person."
"Tell the news quietly to Long Wei Bo. But this matter does not involve Muramasa of Xinli Village. What if he refuses to give it?"
"You forgot why Chang Wei Bo came to Suzhou Prefecture?"
"Yes, he came here because of the bombing case. It doesn't matter whether there is a Muramasa or not. What matters is whether this is man-made or a punishment from God."
"In this case, we cannot show up in public. Otherwise...you go ahead tomorrow and I will go back quietly."
"You don't want to keep the ten thousand strings for yourself, do you?"
"I swear……"
"If I get the ten thousand strings of cash, I can swear an oath!"
"Then what do you think we should do?"
"Let's go together!"
"Forget it, let's go back together."
They both went to bed.
Early the next morning, the two had breakfast at the post station, then headed west first, then quietly took a detour halfway to go back.
The two of them entered a forest.
"I'll take a pee."
A clerk untied his belt.
His companions scolded him, "Lazy cows and horses, they shit and piss a lot." He turned his back to the clerk, thinking about the 10,000 strings of cash he had got, and could not help humming a little tune happily.
Suddenly, a muffled groan was heard from behind, and his companion cursed: "Even peeing can make such a loud noise."
His body suddenly stiffened and he slowly raised his hand.
"Spare me..."
A knife flashed behind him.
……
Yang Bai received the news before lunch.
"The two trusted clerks of the Lord have been dealt with."
Yang Bai sat with his trouser legs rolled up. He leaned over and rubbed Zusanli while saying contemptuously, "Yang Changhe has the will but not the courage. Even if he wants to take action, he has to rely on me. After this, I will let him help the Yang family get some land."...
"Your Excellency, it's settled."
"understood."
The door of the duty room closed and Yang Changhe looked up.
There was pain in his eyes. "How many people must die before you stop?"
……
As soon as the reward was announced, Jiang Qingzhi's base became lively.
Since yesterday afternoon, people have been asking for rewards. Someone said he saw the village leader of Xinli Village appear somewhere in the city and wanted to give him money. Someone else said he saw the village leader passing by outside the city...
At first, the accompanying officials gave him a warm reception, but the more they listened, the less reliable he seemed to them, so they left the matter to the minor clerks and went to complain to Jiang Qingzhi.
"Master, the most outrageous thing is that some people said they saw that village in the sky...or that it was taken away by the gods."
Jiang Qingzhi winked at Xu Wei, who pulled the official over and said with a smile, "Post a notice outside saying that unless you know where the village is, there will be no reward."
The official went back mumbling, "If that's the case, I'm afraid no one will come."
Sure enough, no one came the next day.
Just when Jiang Qingzhi was preparing to take a day's rest, Chen Bao and Chen Ji asked for a meeting.
"Master, the coroner in charge of the autopsy, I heard that your wife went to the capital for medical treatment."
"What disease?" Jiang Qingzhi asked.
"It is said that it is a difficult and complicated disease." Chen Bao still had a smiling face, but the playboy of the past had already become a tough guy in the army. "But I wonder, where can a coroner get the money to send my wife to the capital for treatment?"
Chen Ji said, "Master, do you want to arrest a coroner?"
Jiang Qingzhi shook his head. "Coroners are menial workers, and there are no servants in his family. So who sent his wife to the capital? And why didn't he go to Nanjing?"
Nanjing is closer and there are many famous doctors in Nanjing.
Xu Wei opened his folding fan and fanned a few times, "This is the coroner's weak spot!"
"Go after them on horseback!" Jiang Qingzhi made a prompt decision.
Chen Ji asked, "Master, do you want to bring the person back?"
Jiang Qingzhi hesitated.
If the medical treatment of the coroner's wife is delayed...
Xu Wei did not speak, but lowered his eyes to look at the shoe surface, as if there were maxims left by the great masters of Mohism throughout the ages.
What is a hero?
Treating human life as worthless, and preferring to let the world down rather than be let down by the world, this is a hero.
Now that the war between Confucianism and Mohism has just begun, if Jiang Qingzhi is indecisive, it will not be good news for his followers.
Jiang Qingzhi took a deep breath and said, "Send someone to Nanjing to invite a famous doctor."
This means the best of both worlds.
But not cruel enough!
Not decisive enough!
"Yes."
But Xu Wei saw admiration in the eyes of Chen Ji and Chen Bao.
The two men left, and Chen Ji said, "People say that famous generals treat human lives as worthless, but Lord Bo is different. Do you think it's a good thing or a bad thing?"
Chen Bao said: "If Lord Bo regards human life as worthless, what would you think?"
"I feel I have someone to rely on, but I also feel cold and indifferent. I even think that if I were in a desperate situation one day..."
Chen Ji asked in return, "I know that you, the sons and grandsons of the rich and powerful, don't take the people seriously, so I will definitely not agree with it, right?"
"You're wrong." For the first time, Chen Bao put away his smiling and dandy attitude and said seriously: "I have seen those powerful people kill their servants and don't take it seriously. They don't regard the servants as human beings at all. But the uncle is different. Even if it is a beggar, he can treat him equally. Such a person may not be a hero, but he is a hero!"
"Hero!"
"My grandfather once said that my uncle is a very capable person. He has a heart as kind as a bodhisattva, but also has the ability to use lightning. A man's heart should be as hard as iron, but he must also have tenderness. Otherwise, he is a fierce ghost, not a human being!"
Chen Bao patted Chen Ji on the shoulder and said, "Why do you think I have been following my uncle? It is because my grandfather said that I have no talent to be a leader. Since I don't have this talent, I have to find a hero to follow, follow him to build achievements, and follow him to fight in the north and south. And this person is my uncle!"
He said this and strode away.
"Is this the same dude?" Chen Ji scratched his head, chased after him and said, "I am the direct descendant of the Lord..."
"I am in charge of military law."
"Military law is useless. I, Ye Bu Shou, am the elite of the elite among the Tiger Guards' Left Guards."
"Let's have a fight later?"
"Compared to what?"
"Who can find the coroner's suspicious points first?"
"What are you gambling?"
"Baiyun Tower once!"
"Fuck! That's a lot of money."
"Bet or not?"
"It's a bet!"
In the room, Jiang Qingzhi lit up the incense, took a deep breath, squinted his eyes and looked at Xu Wei through the smoke, "You, Xu Wei, are talented, and it's not about poetry and songs, but the ability to plan.
People like you can be counselors in troubled times. One word can make a country prosperous, and one word can also cause unrest in the world.
The most suitable person for you is a hero. Did my decision just now that was the best of both worlds disappoint you?"
Xu Wei put down the wine gourd and said, "Yes, I am disappointed. Old Hu once said that if the Lord is a tyrant, with my unruly and unruly personality, I might be killed by the Lord one day."
Jiang Qingzhi narrowed his eyes and said nothing.
Followers have the power to choose, and so does he.
This is a two-way choice.
As the war between Confucianism and Mohism begins, he needs to know the thoughts and positions of his subordinates.
If you are scared and want to retreat, no problem, I’ll send you off.
"I haven't lived long enough. I can't bear to part with the delicious food at the mansion." Xu Wei looked worried. "Is the master going to kick me out?"
Jiang Qingzhi smiled, "The trip to Suzhou is just the beginning of the great wave of Confucianism. We will face countless challenges in the future. Old Xu, are you ready?"
"My Lord ordered!" Xu Wei took a sip of wine and said loudly, "If there is no excitement, what is the point of living?"
"Let me tell you, Benbo has done a test, it's impossible for a biogas tank explosion to kill six people. That was... homicide!"
"Master, are you trying to alert the enemy?"
"No, I stared at them face to face." Jiang Qingzhi said, "Let's see who blinks first. Tomorrow, I will continue to spread the word that the coroner lied and his wife was kidnapped by someone who ordered her to go to the capital. I have sent someone to chase after her."
"This is……"
"I want to confront them!" Jiang Qingzhi grinned and said, "Everyone thinks that I came to Suzhou Prefecture to compete with them in wits and courage. But everyone has forgotten one thing, this is not just a battle between Confucianism and Mohism. It is also related to the general trend of the country.
The glorious Ming Dynasty, with a fair and square attack, will scare the bandits away!"
(End of this chapter)
