Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

"Go tell Ding Lisheng to continue the interrogation." Chen Shao did not return to the second hall. He got off the carriage at the back gate and walked towards Chengfeng Courtyard, saying, "If Shi Xing confesses to other gambling houses, there is no need to investigate again. Wait half an hour or an hour and tell him that he has never been to a gambling house."

Fu Jiu said confusedly, "If he really went to the gambling house, wouldn't he be exposed?"

"If he really went to the gambling house..." Chen Shao smiled, "Isn't this what we want to check?"

Fu Jiu said she didn't understand.

Chan Yi said disdainfully, "We said he had never been to the gambling house, and he said he had been there, so does he have to produce proof that he had been there? He doesn't even understand!"

Fu Jiu thought about it and said, as if she understood, "It changed from us having to prove whether he had been to the gambling house to him having to prove whether he had been to the gambling house?"

Chan Yi snorted and ignored him.

When Chen Shao was about to answer, he suddenly stopped.

In front of the Chengfeng Courtyard gate stood a lady in gorgeous clothes wearing a red shirt embroidered with a qilin, a waistband embroidered with parrots and a pomegranate red skirt, with a saffron-colored shawl, and four maids in green.

The moonlight was like silver, making the lady in the gorgeous dress look even more beautiful. Judging from the appearance of the few people, they had obviously been waiting for a long time.

Hearing the voices, the lady in fancy clothes turned around. After seeing them, she breathed a sigh of relief with her naked eyes, and immediately came forward with a smile, "Chunhua greets the adults."

Chen Shao looked her up and down, "Ms. Zhang?"

"Yes." Zhang Chunhua bowed with a flattering look on her face. "Sir, you came back so late, you probably haven't had dinner yet, right? I have prepared a banquet in the Yingchun Pavilion in the back garden. I wonder if you would be willing to do me the honor?"

Chen Shao smiled, "Miss Zhang, the midnight hour is almost over."

Zhang Chunhua didn't understand.

Chen Shao didn't explain to her. He walked past her and entered Chengfeng Courtyard.

Zhang Chunhua chased after him unwillingly, "Sir, I have prepared a small gift for you!"

Chen Shao stopped and turned to look at her, "What's the small gift?"

Zhang Chunhua tried to keep a smile on her face. "My mother and I have prepared a small gift of two thousand taels of silver. I hope you will accept it."

Chen Shao looked at Fu Jiu and Li Tianliu, "I have to accept Madam Zhang and Miss Zhang's kindness. Go, take the silver back, remove the banquet and give it to the yamen runners who have been running around with me tonight."

After Fu Jiu happily left with a few Yulin guards, Chen Shao smiled at Zhang Chunhua and turned away again.

"Sir," Zhang Chunhua was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw her accept the silver, but then she turned and left, so she hurriedly called her, "My father was wrongly accused, please show some mercy and let him go."

"Whether your father was wronged or not, we need to investigate to know." Chen Shao said without turning his head, "It's getting late, Miss Zhang, please go back."

"As long as you are willing to release my father, my mother is willing to prepare another generous gift of ten thousand taels to thank you," Zhang Chunhua gritted her teeth and knelt down, "I am also willing to follow you, be your slave, and let you do whatever you want!"

Chen Shao had already walked to the door, and turned back when he heard the noise. Seeing her actions, and seeing Li Tianliu who seemed to be watching the show with a smile, he thought for a moment and said calmly: "Ten thousand taels of silver... It seems that your mother has made a lot of money over the years. Well, I originally wanted to wait until Shi Xing's case was over before dealing with your father's problem. Since you and your mother are so impatient... General Li, arrange a few people to urge their family to move out of the current courtyard before dawn, and arrange a few more people to guard their courtyard, especially the courtyard where Lord Zhang lives for a long time. Without my order, no one is allowed to enter and leave at will for any reason!"

Zhang Chunhua looked up in astonishment, "Young Master..."

Chen Shao looked into her eyes and encouraged her gently, "Miss Zhang, do you have anything else to say?"

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Chunhua stood up and saluted, saying, "It is Chunhua who is reckless and disturbs you, young master."

Watching her hurriedly leaving, Chen Shao shook his head and went back to the house. He ate a few snacks, drank two cups of warm tea, and went to bed. He woke up after less than two hours of sleep and saw Chan Yi dozing off at the table. He deliberately walked out with light steps and asked Li Tianliu, who was yawning against the door, "How was the interrogation?"

Li Tianliu glanced at her and said lazily, "Your plan has failed."

Chen Shao asked: "How did it fail?"

Li Tianliu walked to the stone table in the yard and sat down. He pulled himself together and said, "Fu Jiu said according to your instructions that he had never been to the gambling house. But he insisted that he had been there. Ding Lisheng had already given him a beating, but he still refused to change his words. Fu Jiu has already gone to the gambling house that he had accused of cheating on."

At this point, he couldn't help but joked, "He's a tough guy. When Ding Lisheng beat him with a stick, he kept shouting that he was innocent. Afterwards, he said that killing anyone was a capital crime. If that's the case, why didn't he just kill Gao Han and the others who bullied him to vent his anger? Tsk, you want to make him confess by keeping him awake for a long time, but it seems that's not going to work."

Chen Shao paused as he poured him tea. "Did Ding Lisheng tell him about Gao Han and Luo Zhengxin being arrested?"

Li Tianliu raised his eyebrows: "Can't say?"

Chen Shao handed him the tea. "It's not that we can't tell him, but if we tell him, it will undoubtedly tell him that we have investigated everything we should, but we still don't have any substantial evidence of his murder. It won't make much sense to force him to confess by using the method of starving him."

"Forget it. It's also my fault that I didn't explain it clearly to Ding Lisheng. Let's just let him say it. Let's wait until daybreak and see what Yaxing has to say."

Li Tianliu looked at her and asked, "Why do you think Shi Xing bought the yard?"

"Because..." Chen Shao had just started to speak when Fu Jiu came back. Seeing the tired look on his face, Chen Shao asked, "What did you find out?"

"I have invited all the gambling shop owners here. Let him confront them himself." Fu Jiu wiped his sweat off his forehead, came over and picked up the teapot. After pouring nearly half a pot of tea into his stomach, he exhaled and said, "The mayor has invited all the people from the gambling house here. I asked them to wait in the lobby. Do you want to go over now or later..."

Chen Shao stood up and said, "I'll go over and take a look. You all take a rest."

Having said that, the two of them still followed her.

When passing the second hall, she heard Ding Lisheng angrily asking Shi Xing several questions and was about to torture him again. Chen Shao stepped over to stop him, took his interrogation record, looked at the questions she had asked before, and sighed silently: "You must be tired after interrogating all night, go back and rest first."

Ding Lisheng said hurriedly: "It's my incompetence."

"It's none of your business." Chen Shao put down the interrogation record, looked up at Shi Xing who was kneeling on the ground, and said to the yamen runners around him, "Keep an eye on him."

Since the eagle-watching method has no effect on him, let's just leave him alone for now.

After coming out of the second hall, Chen Shao went straight to the lobby.

There are five brothels in Hongyuan County.

Chen Shao sat on the table, glanced at everyone, and asked directly: "From whom did Shi Xing buy the yard?"