Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 327 Are you here?
The Transport Department is very busy today.

Since when, many people in mourning clothes have gathered at the gate.

They blocked the door of the Transport Office and knelt there crying loudly.

The braziers were lit, and some families even set up incense tables, completely blocking the main entrance of the Transportation Bureau.

At that time, every family had many aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Men, women, young and old would join in, and there would be at least ten people in a family.

The family members of these dozen people totaled about one or two hundred people, plus the onlookers, so the entrance of the Transportation Bureau was very lively.

The smoke from the incense was so thick that it was more popular than the most popular temple in Shanyin Prefecture.

In the second hall of the Transportation Bureau, Chief Justice Fiji and Shanyin Prefecture Magistrate Chen Zining were sitting there drinking tea.

These two are determined to block Qiao Zhen's door. Let's just sit here. If you have the guts, don't come out for the whole day.

The Transportation Bureau was quite polite. Even when they were so busy, the Transportation Judge Cao Yiqing still accompanied them to have tea and chat.

However, don't talk to me about serious matters. If you do, I won't understand or know anything about it. I'm not responsible for this.

Judge Cao's Tai Chi skills have been deeply passed down from Qiao Caosi.

Judge Cao's signing room was not empty at this moment. Qiao Zhen had quietly moved to his place to work.

The Transportation Bureau has a lot of things to do every day, especially during the autumn tax collection season, when official duties are even busier. Now he is the only one in charge, so how can he have time to relax?

"Boss, something terrible has happened..."

A bailiff ran into the signing room in a panic. Qiao Zhen was startled and a drop of thick ink dripped on the document.

Qiao Zhen asked angrily, "Why are you panicking?"

The bailiff wiped his sweat and said breathlessly, "Two prisoners who were brought to the prison for trial last night hanged themselves to death when no one was paying attention."

"What? This is ridiculous! What do the people who guard the prison do for a living?"

Qiao Zhen slammed the table in anger and said, "Tell the coroner to quickly prepare a 'love letter' and report it to me. The jailer in charge of this prison will be temporarily suspended and await punishment!"

"Yes!" The bailiff received the order and went away with clanging voices.

Qiao Zhen sat down slowly, took a sip of tea, and said with a smile: "Now that the only two survivors are dead, it will be difficult to investigate the case. It's really a headache..."

There is no need to offend Shanyin Prefecture and the Ministry of Justice this time. As for "Second Young Master Wang"...

Qiao Zhen frowned, not knowing whether he would be satisfied or not that a ruffian had deliberately set fire with the intention of blackmailing the owner.

However, he didn't come to Shanyin to get angry with Shen Xi. If I can convince Shen Xi to give him some benefits, I believe... Erlang will also be satisfied.

Thinking of the happy things, Mr. Qiao couldn't help laughing out loud.

It's time to meet with Fei Tixing and Chen Tongpan and ask them to persuade the Shen family to give some benefits.

If the benefit is transferred to Wang Er through "the hands of those ruffians", the matter will be settled.

Mr. Qiao got up and went to the toilet to relieve himself first, then went to see the two officials and gave them a good beating.

For most of the day, he didn't even leave the room for fear of being seen.

There was more than one toilet in the Transportation Bureau, and officials and ordinary clerks used different toilets.

However, according to the ancient system, all toilets are built in the east of the entire building complex, called "Dongsi" or "Dongsi".

There is an open space in front of the Dongsi Gate, where a field of gourds is planted. The gourds are ripe and have a bluish-white color.

Qiao Zhen was in a good mood. As he walked over, he flicked a gourd with his fingers, causing it to shake.

The East Department of the Transfer Department is very similar to modern toilets.

The pit toilet is built with stone slabs, and the walls and the floor are made of blue bricks. There is also a stone handrail next to the squatting pit, on which some things can be placed.

At the entrance and exit, there are buckets of clean water and wooden spoons. Soap beans and toilet paper are placed on the hand basin, and towels are hung on the horizontal railing.

There are servants to clean and change the furniture, so Dongsi is very clean.

If officials went to the toilet at the same time, it would be very unbecoming for them to squat there face to face. If one of them was constipated, it would be even more unsightly with his teeth bared and his face grim.

Therefore, these officials in the Eastern Division all have their own posts and external gates.

Mr. Qiao hummed a little tune: "How good is it to be a human being in this world? Just be a blade of grass on the wall. When the wind blows, it will fall down. But you have food to eat, clothes to wear and a full stomach..."

Qiao Zhen walked leisurely into a toilet and closed the door.

He laid toilet paper on the wooden toilet, took off his official robe, and hung it on a hook on the wall. As soon as he sat down on the toilet, he heard someone next to him say, "Mr. Qiao, you're here."

"Ah, here we come."

Qiao Zhen answered without thinking, but suddenly he was startled, sat up straight, and his eyes widened.

After hesitating for a while, Qiao Zhen said softly: "You are...?"

A laughing voice came from next door: "It's only been one day since we last met, how come Mr. Qiao can't even recognize my voice? I'm Wang Er!"

Oh my! This birdman is really not a human being!
Qiao Zhen was so frightened that she shuddered: "Erlang? Why...why are you here?"

Yang Yuan said: "I got an artifact, it looks quite old, maybe it is a valuable antique.

Isn't Mr. Qiao's brother-in-law a pawnshop owner? Mr. Qiao, please take a look and see how much it is worth."

As Yang Yuan spoke, he passed something through the gap below.

Qiao Zhen took the object in his hand and looked at the words "Song Dynasty Privy Council Machine Room" embossed on the exquisitely carved pattern.

Qiao Zhen turned it over again and saw a golden cicada on the back and the words "承旨" (Accept the Imperial Decree) below it. Qiao Zhen could not help but feel like crying.

Yang Yuan next door asked, "Mr. Qiao, do you think it's valuable?"

Qiao Zhen said sadly: "Worth it!"

"How much is it worth?"

"Priceless."

Yang Yuan passed another thing through the bottom seam: "Mr. Qiao, please help me take a look at this calligraphy and see if it is worth money."

Qiao Zhen took it mechanically, opened it slowly, and his eyes suddenly widened.

He thought he would see a handwritten letter from Prince Pu'an Zhao Yuan, but what appeared in his hand was clearly a "Guanzi" from Lin'an to Shanyin.

Jiaozi is the equivalent of paper money in this era.

Guanzi is equivalent to the bill of exchange in this era.

Qiao Zhen looked at the amount on the note and then at the payee, and it was his name.

Qiao Zhen trembled and asked, "What is this money? I don't have any business in Lin'an, how can there be money remitted from Lin'an?"

Yang Yuan's voice said, "I don't know either. The date is from last month. I heard that Zhang Yunyi, the commander of the Dinggong Army, has deposited a lot of money in this bank."

Qiao Zhen's eyes suddenly narrowed. Last month? The "smuggling case" hadn't broken out yet.

Qiao Zhen said angrily: "This... this quandary is fake!"

Yang Yuan said: "Impossible!"

Qiao Zhen said: "Why not!"

Yang Yuan said: "In the name of the Privy Council's Speed ​​Office, I request this bank to cooperate with the court's request.

The seal is real. I just filled in your name stroke by stroke. How could it be fake? It is absolutely genuine!"

Qiao Zhen was almost fainted from anger. She sat there trembling and did not move for a long time.

Yang Yuan's voice came from next door again: "Mr. Qiao? Mr. Qiao? You don't want to tear it up, do you?"

Yes, tear it up! Throw it in the toilet!
Qiao Zhen's eyes lit up. Just as she picked up the "guanzi", she heard Yang Yuan's voice next to her saying, "I'll ask them to write a few more."

Qiao Zhen was extremely angry: "You...what do you want?"

Yang Yuan said: "The Shen family secretly colluded with the Jin people, trafficked in contraband, and stole and sold military weapons. I was ordered to investigate the case, and now I have solid evidence.

Unfortunately, I came here in plain clothes and have no subordinates to command in Shanyin, so... I need your full cooperation, Mr. Qiao."

Qiao Zhen was silent for a long time, then slowly asked, "Is it just the Shen family?"

Yang Yuan said: "There is only one Shen family. Shen, the director of the Duzuyuan, is of course also a member of the Shen family!"

Qiao Zhen took a deep breath, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.

If you see a snake, you should not hit it, but if you hit it but fail to kill it, you will become an enemy.

Since it is unavoidable, let me let my friend die rather than let myself die!
(End of this chapter)