Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Liu Deming asked: "Didn't you tell them that it was the adults who told them to do this?"

Ma Yongming glanced at Chen Shao quickly, "Yes. I don't know where they got the news from, but they said that the adults only asked us to check the records of Shi Xing doing odd jobs in the cargo store. They also said that they admired Shi Xing's odd jobs to help students and ordinary people, so they kept him. If they had known that their kindness would cause so much trouble, they would not have interfered anyway. Since they said so, how dare we force our way to see their warehouses and cargo ships?"

Liu Qi, Liu Deming and others investigated very carefully. Even the first two serial murders, Shi Xing's movements before and after the crimes were basically investigated clearly. In such a short period of time, more than 20 cases were investigated so clearly and meticulously. It really took a lot of effort. When Chen Shao was looking through the documents, he heard what they said and asked casually, "Is there a problem with their warehouse and cargo ship?"

"I don't know if there is a problem," Ma Yongming replied. "On the first day when we went to check Shi Xing's odd jobs, they kept us 20 to 30 feet away from the warehouse and the dock, just like they were guarding against thieves, and wouldn't let us get close. It was because of their behavior that we tried every possible way to go over and take a look. But no matter what excuses we made, they would reject us with more excuses."

It sounds like there is indeed something wrong. Chen Shao raised his eyes and asked, "When you checked the records, was the dock idle, or were there workers working?"

Ma Yongming replied: "Someone has been moving the goods."

Chen Shao asked again: "Did you ask what the goods were?"

Ma Yongming answered again: "I asked them, and they said that the goods belonged to some businesses. Because there were a lot of goods and they were worried that after we went there, the workers who were moving the goods would be affected and the goods would be mixed up."

Chen Shao thought for a moment and continued, "Have you ever asked which businesses or merchants they are?"

Ma Yongming said: "We did ask, but they didn't say anything. They asked us whether we were checking Shi Xing's records of odd jobs or whether he was also a spy for other companies?"

Chen Shao then asked, "Have any cargo ships left in the past few days?"

Ma Yongming nodded, "Yes. We know of five."

Chen Shao: "How many ships have not yet left?"

Ma Yongming: "When we left yesterday, there were three ships still moored at the dock."

If she was afraid that the workers would be affected, she would just keep them several feet away and not let them get close. If she was afraid that they were spies from other businesses, that would be even more unreasonable, since she sent them. These two businesses were probably related to the nobles and gentry. Chen Shao snorted and ordered Liu Deming, "Go to the prefect's mansion and call in Lord Ding."

Lei Dehou had already returned the receipts of the medicine shops belonging to the Ding and Zhao families. Although he was mentally prepared, Ding Lisheng, who had been frightened by Ling Chi in the morning, still felt his heart sink when he received the receipts. When he heard that Chen Shao was looking for him, his legs went weak as he followed Liu Deming to the lobby, carefully answering his questions. When he learned that it was about the goods company, his bent back quietly straightened up.

When he arrived at the lobby, Ding Lisheng bent down slightly, walked quickly into the center of the lobby, bowed to Chen Shao, and then bowed to all the students.

Chen Shao asked without even raising his head, "Who owns Changshun and Yongshun?"

Ding Lisheng did not dare to hide anything and said honestly: "Changshun Cargo Store is owned by the Gu and Zhu families; Yongshun Cargo Store is owned by the Fan and Qi families."

"I think we don't need you to watch over Ling Chi anymore, right?" Chen Shao asked.

Ding Lisheng said hurriedly: "Two judicial assistants have been arranged to watch over it."

"Very good." Chen Shao raised his head. "Since you don't need to keep an eye on them, then take them... Sun Qi, Liu Deming, Li Shengjie, Qiu Shiying, Zeng Yun, Guo Zitao. The rest of you will stay behind. The rest of you will follow Lord Ding to the docks to search the warehouses and cargo ships of Changshun and Yongshun!"

Tao Ming, Xu Xianmin, Zhang Lifu and others looked at Sun Qi and the others and responded in unison.

Chen Shao looked at Ding Lisheng and said slowly: "If they ask you again who sent you as spies, you might as well tell them for sure that you are spies sent by me!"

Ding Lisheng smiled apologetically and didn't dare to speak.

After he and his men walked away, Chen Shao stood up and signaled Sun Qi, Liu Deming and others to follow her with the information. After entering the back house, on the way to Chengfeng Courtyard, she ran into Li Tianliu who was looking for her. Chen Shao asked, "Are the wing rooms in Qingfeng Courtyard still empty?"

Qingfeng Courtyard is the courtyard next to Chengfeng Courtyard, where the Yulin Guards live.

Li Tianliu glanced at Liu Deming and the others and asked, "Do you want to arrange for them to go?"

Chen Shao nodded: "Clean up a room and keep it for official business."

Li Tianliu said nothing. When he arrived at Qingfeng Courtyard, he asked the Imperial Guards to clean up the west wing where he and Fu Jiu lived. Chen Shao didn't know that it was where they lived. He instructed Liu Deming and others to move the coffee tables together to form a long desk, and then ordered: "Collect the relevant information in the order in which the cases occurred. Information not related to the case, such as the life trajectory of Hu Lilan's family in that alley, should be sorted in chronological order. Try to finish the sorting before dark tomorrow."

Several people responded in unison and sat down to start tidying up. Chen Shao suddenly remembered and asked, "You have been waiting for me in the lobby. Have you not eaten yet?"

Sun Qi wanted to say he wasn't hungry, but his stomach growled twice. Looking at his blushing face, Chen Shao smiled and said, "We have work to do and food to eat," and then instructed the Yulin Guards at the door, "Go ask the kitchen to send them some food."

She hadn't eaten yet, so she told them that the meal would be delivered soon and that they should eat first and that if they had any problems, they could find her in the next yard. Then she went back to Chengfeng Courtyard.

"Fu Jiu hasn't come back yet?" Chen Shao asked Chan Yi.

Just as Chan Yi was about to answer, Fu Jiu led a skinny old man with silver hair and a limping leg into Chengfeng Courtyard and shouted, "I'm back."

The skinny old man was Luo Ye, who looked miserable and haggard. After entering the courtyard, he knelt down to Chen Shao without waiting for Fu Jiu to introduce him, "Thank you for saving my life!"

Chen Shao took two steps back to avoid the stench on his body, and said indifferently: "You should know the reason why I saved you."

"I know." After knocking his head vigorously, Master Luo said frankly, "I know that I deserve death. When I get my revenge, I am willing to be punished, whether by death or by cutting myself into pieces."

Chen Shao sneered: "Are you trying to say that you kidnapped and robbed those boys and girls, and led others to sell out their sisters, all for revenge?"

Mr. Luo replied, “Yes.”

"What is the evidence?" Chen Shao asked coldly.

"Evidence..." Master Luo clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, "The evidence is that Fourth Master Zhu has two concubines who are my wives and daughters!"