In the pavilion on the second floor of Zhiyuan Restaurant, Jian Yuanwai and Zhang Yuanwai saluted and sat down. After serving the wine and food, the two chatted while eating and drinking.

After a few words of gossip, Jian Yuanwai said: "In the past two days, two officials from the capital have come to the county, saying that they were ordered by Yu Shitai to come to this county to investigate the case of Bai Zhengran's family. ”

Zhang Yuan said: "I heard people mention it, but only said that one person went to the county office. ”

Jian Yuanwai shook his head again and again: "There are two people here, one has arrived at the county office, and one person is walking around to collect news." I was the official who sent someone to follow me to the county office, and it must not be wrong to find that the two of them lived together. ”

Zhang Yuanwai thought for a while and said, "Why do you want to send such two people? This case has also been re-examined before, and they all went directly to the county office, transferred all the case files, and found someone to interrogate. Why did you send someone not to go to the county government and walk around the people this time? ”

Jian Yuanwai said: "Xu is the Yushitai is different from other yamen, which one can say clearly?" This matter is important, and the staff cares about it. ”

Zhang Yuanwai laughed when he heard this: "Our bookstore is nothing more than writing two IOUs, and there is no major matter." ”

Jian Yuanwai said: "You can't think like this. Outside the staff, this case so far, as long as it is found out, it is not a trivial matter to involve it. Think about it, the case was judged by Bai Ting, and the sentence was investigated, and the little ghost of the Bai family complained everywhere in the capital, and he didn't accept it elsewhere before he entered the Yushitai. Once something is found out by the Imperial Historical Observatory, how many will be unlucky! ”

Zhang Yuanwai was taken aback: "Is this case so big?" There are only three people in the Bai family who died, except for Bai Zhengran, who couldn't live by themselves, and the evidence was clear. Such a case is said to have passed, and no one should ask about it. ”

Jian Yuan said: "I heard from the county Jian Zhu Division that the officials who came took the handwritten letter of the chief of the imperial history platform, and the county magistrate did not dare to underestimate it. If they turn it over, it's not a small matter. I have already sent the people who participated in the time to go out into the field, so that they do not talk nonsense. ”

Zhang Yuanwai is in the bookstore business, and after listening to Jian Yuanwai's words and asking carefully, he realized that the matter is indeed not small. How many people died is a trivial matter, the key is that Yu Shitai personally investigates the case, this kind of thing is rare. After thinking about it again and again, the chapter member said: "If that's the case, I'll be careful here." Recently, there happened to be something and I wanted to send someone to Xiangzhou, so I asked Director Yi to go. As long as you leave Ye County, others have no choice. ”

"Well, preferably so." Jian Yuan listened to the great joy. "Your bookstore, it was Director Yi who was involved at that time, as long as he left, what else could others find out? I instructed Jian Oshi, as long as he took care of the people in the capital, the matter was over. ”

After speaking, raise a glass and drink outside the chapter. Jian Xiong said that he wanted to take money, and the bookstore outside the chapter was a person who was directly involved, and his interests were related, so how could he still ask for money? If you don't say it yourself, you will send people out by yourself.

In the inn, Jian Cheng and Fang Ping bought a roast chicken, a few snacks, and sat by the window to drink. These two days are different, and I can obviously feel that someone is following me behind me, and I can't be free anymore.

After taking a sip of soju, Jian Cheng said: "Since yesterday, the county's Jian Zhisi has treated me differently, and he invited me to drink at noon, but I refused. He is a member of Jane's family, so he must be involved in it, and he must guard against it. ”

Fang Ping said: "There is such an expert, no wonder the case file is handled seamlessly. Where to check, how to check, and what evidence to ask, of course the people of the Jian family are clear. Alas, it seems to me that this case was not easy. ”

Jian Chengdao: "It must not be easy. I checked in the county office for a few days, and even asked the officials who participated in the investigation and interrogation at that time, but I couldn't find the slightest flaw. I have already told the yamen that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I will go to the Baiting Prison to investigate. ”

At that time, the case occurred, and Ye County determined that Bai Zhengran committed suicide and did not send him to Baiting Prison. Because of the Bai family's lawsuit, the Baiting supervisor sent the manager to join the army to interrogate and maintain Ye County's statement. There are still some case files in the prison, and Jian Cheng will also go there to check them.

Fang Ping said: "In the past two days, I feel that I have been following people behind me, which is a lot of inconvenience. You're gone, I'm alone in Ye County, wouldn't I be even more unable to ask anything? Always have to find a way to get rid of the people behind you in order to do things. ”

Jian Cheng nodded, drank a glass of wine, pulled another piece of meat to eat, and thought of a way there. Ye County is someone else's territory, and sending someone to follow you is really a trivial matter, and it is not worth mentioning at all. It's almost impossible not to be tracked.

Fang Ping sighed and didn't speak. In the past few days, no one knows what they do, and I feel like I can still ask a lot of things. When I stayed there for the past two days, I couldn't ask for any more useful information.

After thinking for a long time, Fang Ping suddenly said: "In this case, the people of the Bai family once reported to the transfer envoy, and the transfer envoy transferred the document to the criminal department, and asked the criminal envoy to send someone to investigate. Why don't you go to Baiting Prison, and I will also leave Ye County and go to Dengzhou to check the case files there? When they come back, I don't believe they can still send people. Now that you've arrived at Jingxi Road, don't be afraid to take a walk and take a look. ”

Jian Cheng raised his head and said, "That makes sense." Since you're here, it's always bad not to go to the Criminal Division to take a look. That's it, tomorrow I will go to Baiting Prison, and you will take the train to Dengzhou. We made an appointment to return to Ye County in five days. ”

Fang Ping thought about it, and there was still time to come, so he nodded in agreement. After agreeing on the matter, the two were in a much better mood, and they were very happy drinking and eating meat together. Although the case is difficult to investigate, you can't treat yourself badly.

Early the next morning, Jian Cheng went to Baitingjian, Fang Ping settled the house money, went to the station to buy a ticket, and prepared to go to Dengzhou. Dengzhou is the location of the Criminal Division on Jingxi Road, and there must be a case file of the Bai family. Although Jian Yuan's external power in Yexian County is large, he can't affect it.

After noon, Fang Ping got on the train, put his luggage, and sat down in his seat. Now with the train, everything is convenient. I went to Dengzhou to take the train to Xinye, and then went to Dengzhou by land, which did not take a day. Five days is enough time to check the file in Dengzhou.

After sitting for a while, a figure like a bookkeeper in his fifties came up, took a burden, and sat opposite Fang Ping. After putting the baggage away, I took out a book and read it there slowly.

Fang Ping looked at the title of the book on the other side, it was a new travelogue, I don't know who swam the river and came back to write it, I haven't read it. Curious for a moment, he threw his hand to the person opposite: "I don't know where the official is?" Why south? It's a blessing. ”

The man raised his eyes and glanced at Fang Ping, like an ordinary businessman, put down the book, and arched his hand: "In Xia Yili, be a supervisor in the bookstore in Ye County." Because the master has a business in Xiangzhou, he happens to have something to do, so he will go there for a while. ”

Fang Ping said: "Below Ping, do some small business, and go to Dengzhou." What books do officials read? I don't know who wrote it? ”

Yi Lijian chatted about the book, looked good, and said: "This is a travelogue of the river meandering road written by the ancestor of Shazhou Zhizhou, which is written about him as the governor of Shazhou, which is interesting and very readable. ”

Fang Ping said: "I like to read these travel stories the most, but unfortunately I haven't seen them sold, it's a pity." ”

With the same interests and hobbies, there are topics, and the two talked about the travelogues they had read, many of which they had read, and they were very surprised.

When the train arrived in Tangzhou, it was already afternoon, Fang Ping got off the train and bought some steamed buns and shared them with Yi Li.

After eating the buns, Fang Ping said: "The front is Xinye Station, I should get off the train and transfer to Dengzhou from there." By the way, what is Brother Tai going to Xiangzhou for? When will you be back? Make an appointment to visit you when I go back to Ye County. ”

Yi Li said: "It's not a secret, in fact, there is nothing to do, just to take a look at the account books there." Such trivial things, in the past, they used to send a small servant casually, copy the account books, and bring them back to Ye County. ”

Fang Ping said: "In this case, why does Brother Tai want to go to Xiangzhou this time?" ”

Yi Li sighed: "This matter is a long story. Our master's family has been running a bookstore for three generations, and we have been doing this business since the founding of the country. At the beginning of the year, because of a loan, the original IOU was 1,000 yuan, and the debt was mainly difficult for the borrower, so I opened a new 1,000 yuan IOU in the shop to replace the old one, and the person who did not handle it was me. At that time, I just thought it was a trivial matter, but I didn't expect that the borrower would die later, and the family would be ruined and cause trouble. ”

Fang Ping couldn't help but be taken aback when he heard this. What Yi Li said, is it the Bai family's case? Hurriedly cheered up and asked in detail.

When he went to Xiangzhou, Yi Li was already upset, and he was familiar with Fang Ping on the way, so he didn't think much about it, so he told what happened. Fang Ping listened to it in his ears, and the more he listened, the more frightened he became. has always said that there is no evidence in this case, but I didn't expect that as soon as I left Ye County, I met a key person.

Isn't Yi Li's confession the breakthrough point of this case? After thinking about it, on the way, he and Yi Lixu and the snake, and when they arrived in Xinye, they hurriedly got off the train, and when they arrived at the station, they showed their identities and asked them to take someone to arrest Yi Li.

Taking Yi Li to the side of the room, Fang Ping arched his hand: "Don't hide it from Brother Tai, it is the person sent to Ye County by Yu Shitai to go to Dengzhou to check the file." Since you have met and have a confession, I can't let you go to Xiangzhou again. This is a suspicious case, as long as the case is solved, the matter of Brother Tai is just a trivial matter, I can plead with Zhongcheng and not punish you. ”

When Yi Li heard this, he couldn't help but turn pale: "How can there be such a clever thing in the world?" Didn't you know it was me, and get in the car with me? ”

Fang Ping shook his head: "I did go to Dengzhou in Xia, and I didn't know about Brother Tai. I happened to meet you on the train, and you told me about it, but it can only be that there is providence in the dark. The people of the Bai family died too unjustly, so let's meet in the car. That's fine, I'll borrow a few messengers from Xinye County, and I'll take you back to Beijing immediately. ”

Yi Li had no choice but to nod. People in this era are still afraid of the will of heaven, and Yi Li can only accept his fate.