Nightwatcher

The Water Transport Yamen is divided into two systems, the Pai'an Department and the Gang Yun Department. The highest-ranking official is the transfer envoy, the fourth rank. There are nearly a thousand people in charge of the Water Transport Yamen inside and outside.

"Water transportation is the most lucrative of all the yamen of the imperial court. In the 20th year of the Yuan Dynasty, the imperial court once promoted the sale of officials, and the sales were all related to water transportation." Governor Zhang said in a deep voice while leading the way:

"In the 22nd year of the Yuan Dynasty, Duke Wei and Wang Shoufu jointly banned the policy of selling officials and nobles. But in just two years, there were so many moths who pretended to come in that it was outrageous. Even today, there are still a group of people who eat nothing and steal high positions."

Xu Qi'an didn't pay much attention to Governor Zhang's indignation, but extracted some intriguing points from his words.

It needs two mortal enemies, Wei Yuan and Wang Shoufu, to join forces to suppress it. Who is that person who sells officials?

Undoubtedly, it was Emperor Yuan Jing.

In the history books, there are many emperors who sold their officials and nobles. Emperor Yuan Jing is not an exception. These emperors all have one thing in common: they spend money like water.

Moreover, the evaluation of this kind of emperor in the history books will not be very good, at least they have a critical attitude towards this kind of behavior.

When the Yuzhou water transport yamen arrived, the yamen servants saw a group of men and horses approaching menacingly, headed by high officials in scarlet robes and watchmen with gold gongs embroidered on their chests.

He didn't even ask any questions, and rushed into the yamen to report.

A few minutes later, the transfer envoy of the Yuzhou Water Transport Yamen, a fourth-rank official, hurried out to greet him in person.

This forwarder was over fifty years old, with a gray beard and an ordinary appearance. There was a mole between his eyebrows, which made his ordinary appearance a little special.

"My official, Zhang Xingying, is ordered to go to Yunzhou to investigate the case. This is a document from the cabinet." Governor Zhang took out a thin booklet and handed it over.

"It turns out to be the governor. I'm sorry, please come inside." After reading the document, the transshipment envoy respectfully handed it back, then turned sideways, and made a gesture of please.

A group of people entered the yamen, and the transfer envoy led Governor Zhang to the hall of the yamen. After sitting down and watching tea, the transfer envoy smiled and said:

"Your Excellency Governor is exhausted, but you plan to rest in Yuzhou for a few days?"

He observed the governor from the capital calmly, he only felt that the other party was a serious and boring person, and he had never smiled since meeting him.

Are adults from the capital so arrogant?

The transfer envoy still doesn't know the seriousness of the matter. Governor Zhang waved his hand: "Whether I will stay here or not depends on the progress of the case."

"How do you say that?" The transfer envoy asked in amazement.

Governor Zhang looked out of the hall and said loudly: "Bring it up!"

Together with the bearded man Fang He, sixty-two members of the Yellow Flag Gang were brought up. His body was slightly or severely injured, and his expression was sluggish.

Seeing these people, the transshipment envoy stood up in surprise and bewilderment, pointed at them, and looked at Governor Zhang: "What's the matter with these people, why are they wearing the uniforms of my Water Transport Yamen?"

"This is the reason why I visited the transfer envoy."

At that moment, Governor Zhang reported the details of the incident to the transfer envoy. After hearing this, the latter turned pale and fell back to his seat, muttering: "What can I do, what should I do?"

Tsk tsk, the skill of nourishing qi is too bad. Compared with the officials I have dealt with in the capital, this transfer envoy is like a bronze.

Governor Zhang said in a deep voice: "Lord Transit Envoy, I ask you, do you know about this case?"

The transshipment envoy hurriedly shook his head, trying to explain: "I don't know about it, my lord governor"

Governor Zhang ignored them, and turned to look at the white-clothed warlocks in the crowd. The white-clothed warlocks nodded slightly, indicating that they were not lying.

After pondering for a while, Governor Zhang said: "Is the Gangyun envoy in the yamen?"

Only then did the transshipment envoy turn his attention to the culprit, furious that a second-five boy had appeared under his command, and said in a deep voice:

"Gangyun envoy Yan Kai is taking a rest today and is not in the yamen. I will immediately take the governor to arrest this beast."

Gang Yun envoy Yan Kai's mansion, Governor Zhang waved his hand to let the tiger guards disperse and surround Yan's mansion.

Yang Muhua, the transfer envoy of the Water Transport Yamen who came with him, also brought twenty catchers.

After the tiger guards dispersed, Jiang Lvzhong directly led people to break into the door and knocked down all the servants and guards in the mansion.

The Tiger Benwei, the catcher of the Water Transport Yamen, and the watchman swept across the entire Yan Mansion, swift as thunder, without giving the other party a chance to react.

"My lord, I'm in the study."

The catcher of the Water Transport Yamen was the first to find Yan Kai. When Xu Qi'an rushed to the study with his colleagues, he was a step late, and he saw the blood splattered all over the ground, thick as fast.

Gang Yun made Yan Kai lie powerlessly on the big chair, with his head tilted, a deep wound on his neck, and a dagger fell on the ground to his right.

This result was obviously beyond the expectations of the transfer envoy Yang and Governor Zhang. In addition to being astonished, anger filled his chest.

However, the anger of the two is different, the anger of the transporter is closer to the incompetent rage, once the lucker died, all eyes focused on himself, he must be the first object of suspicion.

Governor Zhang is angry that the boiled duck flies away.

There are too many people, it is easy to destroy the scene, and there is no guarantee that there is no murderer present, which may destroy the key clue.

"Everyone exit the study and wait outside."

Hearing this, Governor Zhang cheered up, glanced at the crowd, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone go outside and wait, exit the study."

Soon, only Jiang Luzhong, Xu Qi'an and the two adults were left in the study.

"Your Excellency, this Yan Kai must have committed suicide in fear of crime. This case has nothing to do with me." Yang Zhuanyun explained in a series of voices, anxious to clear the relationship.

Governor Zhang ignored him at all, looked at Xu Qi'an and said, "Xu Ningyan, take a good look."

Yang Zhuanyun couldn't help but glanced at Xu Qi'an, and soon stopped paying attention. He dragged Governor Zhang to continue explaining, complaining incessantly, and confessed his innocence.

"The blood has clotted into lumps, not long after he died, but before we entered the mansion." Jiang Lvzhong said.

"It was almost when we entered the Water Transport Yamen that we died." Xu Qi'an nodded.

He briefly inspected Yan Kai's body. The wound was so obvious that there was no need for an autopsy, as the carotid artery had been severed.

After looking at the corpse, Xu Qi'an checked every corner of the study as usual, looking for possible clues.

The whole process only took five minutes, Xu Qi'an sighed: "Lord governor, he was killed, not committed suicide in fear of crime."

Governor Zhang nodded and said, "How can you see that?"

The chattering transporter stopped his defense and turned his head to look.

"If the carotid artery is cut off, people will struggle because of lack of oxygen and survival instinct, and they will not sit like this. Of course, it is not enough to judge that he was killed." Xu Qi'an said:

"Yan Kai is left-handed."

Yang Zhuanyun was stunned: "How do you know?"

"There is a thick callus on the side of his left middle finger, which is left by holding a pen all the year round. The normal person's callus is on the right middle finger, so I judge that he is left-handed.

"Look at the wound on the neck again. The left side is deep and the right side is shallow. This is the knife mark left by the knife held in the right hand."

The transshipment envoy looked at Xu Qi'an in shock, without any contempt in his eyes. In less than half a stick of incense, clues can be found and the real cause of death can be deduced.

From the perspective of a transfer envoy who is not good at solving cases, this is simply an amazing display of ability.

This is the first time that Governor Zhang has witnessed Xu Qi'an's ability to resolve cases with his own eyes, even though he has heard about it for a long time. No matter how the official circles in the capital spread the story of this little gong, hearing about it and seeing it are two different things.

However, it's useless, and it won't have a breakthrough effect in the investigation of the case. Yan Kai's cause of death was cutting his throat. It's not as fancy as a wizard's dream murder, but because of this simple and crude murder method, anyone can do it. On the contrary, it is becoming more and more difficult to locate the murderer without surveillance, and it is too strenuous to solve the case.

"The doors and windows show no signs of being pried or damaged. The murderer and the deceased obviously knew each other. Interrogate the servants in the mansion to see if anyone has just come to visit, or if they have heard Yan Kai's cry for help. And , Interrogate everyone in the Water Transport Yamen, including the transfer envoy, and remember to search the body to avoid magical artifacts that cover up the breath, which hinders the observation of the Qi Watching Technique." Xu Qi'an gave advice.

Governor Zhang said: "Master Transshipment Envoy, please cooperate with us."

For more than an hour after that, the three warlocks of Sitianjian kept observing the officials and officials of the Water Transport Yamen.

But there was nothing to be gained. With the death of Yan Kai, the envoy of Gang Yun, the clues to the case of "Self-Stealing" were broken.

Accompanied by Jiang Lvzhong, Governor Zhang went to Yuzhou's Criminal Procuratorate. The yamen is in charge of prisons, and it happened to be the yamen in charge of this matter. At the same time, it is also the supervisory organ of the imperial court, subordinate to the Metropolitan Procuratorate.

Governor Zhang is the censor of the capital of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the immediate boss of the Procuratorate.

In the afterglow of dusk, Xu Qi'an sat on the roof of the Water Transport Yamen, bathed in the golden glow, and replayed the case in his mind.

With the death of a Gang Yun envoy, the clues of the whole case are broken. Heh, this is also a clue that the people behind the scenes did not manipulate the entire Water Transport Yamen.

It can be seen that this is not a simple corruption case. The Minister of the Ministry of Industry has fallen, and the Yuzhou Water Transport Yamen is still continuing to repeat operations, smuggling iron ore to Yunzhou, which means that there are still people behind the scenes. This person doesn't have much power, he can only control one person, no, it may not be because of his lack of power, it may be for concealment.

If I hadn't been hit by the luck of shit, maybe the smuggling of iron ore would have continued.

Since there is iron ore smuggling, will there be official salt and saltpeter smuggling? It is time for the imperial court to check the water transportation offices of each state.

"This trip to Yunzhou is probably more dangerous than imagined." Xu Qi'an was thinking worriedly, when he suddenly heard someone calling him from below.

"Ning Yan, let's go to Jiaofang Si Le Yi Le." Song Tingfeng stood in the courtyard and waved to him.

"No, I'm thinking about something serious." Xu Qi'an said angrily.

"Go, I heard that the Jiaofangsi woman in Yuzhou is very good at serving people." Song Tingfeng was persuasive.

"I know Jiaofang Shijiaofangsi all day long, be careful that I won't be promoted in my life." Xu Qi'an responded with hatred.

Yuzhou, Jiaofang Division.

In the melodious sound of silk and bamboo, Xu Qi'an picked up his wine glass and said with a big laugh: "Come on, drink and drink, I've been floating on the water for six days."

The watchmen toasted together, and there was one handsome beauty per capita, changing cups, talking and laughing.

Sure enough, Xu Ningyan followed. Song Tingfeng was not surprised by this, it should be said that it was all expected.

When he was in the capital, Xu Qi'an never took the initiative to go to the Jiaofang Division, it was Song Tingfeng's suggestion, and then he and Zhu Guangxiao followed.

Sometimes when Xu Ningyan was practicing, he would yell at him: Song Tingfeng, as long as you have a conscience, don't disturb Lao Tzu's cultivation.

After scolding, pat your butt and follow.

The Jiaofangsi in Yuzhou is different from the capital city in that it does not occupy such a large area, but it is built by the river, with six courtyards and two high-rise buildings. It is better than elegant scenery.

The rippling water distorts the reflection of the red lanterns, and the sound of silk and bamboo wind music floats in the yard and on the sparkling river.

With the status of Xu Qi'an and others, of course they would not go to the building to drink with those prostitutes. After being led by the officials of the Water Transport Yamen, they came to the courtyard of an oiran called Hongxiu to play tea circles.

The oiran named Hongxiu seemed a little reluctant, the group had been drinking in the yard for half an hour, but she still hadn't come out.