Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Qiwan Lane in Shipailou is located in the south of the county town. It has dilapidated houses, a poor environment, and is a well-known slum residential area in the county town. It is home to thugs and a mixed crowd.

The carriage bumped into the stone archway, and gradually slowed down in the heat wave mixed with various odors. Finally, it stopped about thirty feet away from Qiwan Lane.

"This is my first time here too," the boy said awkwardly to Chen Shao who had just stepped off the carriage, looking at the various potholes and debris blocking the way, "How about you wait a moment and let me ask around to see if there is another way to get there?"

Chen Shao glanced at the alleys that crisscrossed like a spider web and nodded: "Go ahead."

The boy didn't know which one was Qiwan Alley, so he randomly picked an alley to ask for directions. Just as Chen Shao stood in the shade of the carriage, he saw Tao Ming, Xu Xianmin and others coming out from the alley on the other side.

Tao Ming and others also saw her.

Chen Shao was surprised to see them here, and they were also surprised to see Chen Shao here.

"My lord." Tao Ming and his companions walked quickly around some piles of debris and bowed to her.

Chen Shao glanced at the alley they came out of, then looked at them again, "What are you doing here?"

Tao Ming took out the portrait of Master Shi and said, "When we went to the dock yesterday afternoon to inquire about Master Shi, a clerk from the cargo company said that he had seen Master Shi here at nightfall on June 1st. However, there are many alleys and people here, so he didn't see clearly where Master Shi went. When we came to inquire later, we found that the people here didn't know Master Shi at all. After thinking about it, we drew a portrait of Master Shi and planned to ask in each alley."

Xu Xianmin added: "The clerk also said that Mr. Shi had been doing odd jobs at the dock for several days before June 1st. He came here in the evening of June 1st after receiving nearly one or two taels of silver as wages."

Chen Shao looked at the alleys around him and asked, "How's the investigation going?"

Tao Ming shook his head. "I just asked around in three alleys, and no one said they had ever seen Master Shi."

"Which alley is Qiwan Lane?" Chen Shao asked.

"Qiwan Lane?" Xu Xianmin pulled out a piece of paper from his waist and unfolded it. He roughly compared the surrounding environment and pointed to the left front and said, "It's over there."

It happened that the boy came back after asking around, and pointed to the left front as well, saying, "I've asked around, Qiwan Lane is over there. Go around from South Street to East Street, and then go through the rubble behind Qianlai Mountain, and you can get to the other end of these lanes."

Xu Xianmin said, "You can go there with a carriage, but it's too far and the road is not easy to walk on. It will take at least half an hour to walk there from here."

Tao Ming said: "We left from that direction yesterday."

The boy said, "It's closer this way, but a carriage can't pass through, and the alley is also very dirty."

Chen Shao took out the deed and handed it to Xu Xianmin, "Where is this address in the alley?"

Xu Xianmin looked at the simple map in his hand and said, "It's at the other end of the alley. It will take about a cup of tea to get there through the alley."

"Then let's go through the alley." Chen Shao put away the Zhengqi and asked him to lead the way.

The alley was narrow to begin with, and two people could barely fit through side by side. In order to make their homes more spacious, firewood, chicken pens, duck pens, carts, etc. were all stuffed outside the door, resulting in many places requiring one to turn sideways to get through.

Led by Xu Xianmin and the boy, the group walked through all kinds of stench and it took them half a cup of tea to get through half of the alley.

No ventilation, congestion, what if there is a fire... Chen Shao just had this thought when he heard someone shouting in front of him: "The fire is coming!"

What you fear is bound to come true. Chen Shao looked forward and saw thick smoke coming from the end of the alley. His heart suddenly sank and he immediately said, "Fu Jiu!"

Fu Jiu shouted loudly, "Make way!" Then he pointed at the chicken coop next to him and flew out. After a moment, his voice pierced through the hot alley: "Hurry up and put out the fire!"

The thick smoke, mixed with all kinds of foul smells, forced all residents in the alley to get out, making the already congested alley even more difficult to move.

Li Tianliu had a sullen face. He and the Yulin Guards drew out their swords at the same time and forced back waves of residents who were rushing towards them.

Looking at the increasingly thick smoke, Chen Shao calmly said, "Listen, everyone in front. After the fire is out, everyone who puts out the fire will be rewarded 50 coins!"

Wow.

The residents who had been crowding towards them immediately returned to their houses, fetched basins and buckets, and ran towards the thick smoke.

The alley was empty in an instant.

Li Tianliu guarded her and ignored the chickens and ducks. He cut through the alley quickly and arrived at the yard where the water was leaking.

It is the courtyard registered on the official deed.

The owner of the yard: Hu Lilan.

The fire was not big and was quickly put out thanks to the efforts of nearly a hundred people, men and women, young and old.

Only one wall was burned.

After asking Fu Jiu to take the yamen runners back to get money to reward the residents who put out the fire, Chen Shao stepped into the muddy yard and went around to the back of the burned wall. The burned wall was behind the house, and judging from the ashes under the wall, it was ignited by flammable straw.

There were no signs of straw placed on either side of the wall.

Looking through the ruined wall, the house was empty and didn't look like anyone lived there.

So why is there a fire here?

Just as Chen Shao was about to move closer to see the details of the room, Li Tianliu raised his sword and blocked her way.

Chen Shao looked at him, then at the burnt wall, and returned to the front yard, "Where is Hu Lilan? Bring her over!"

A woman in her fifties staggered over with a pale face, followed by a woman in her twenties and a boy about ten years old.

"Are you Hu Lilan?" Chen Shao asked.

"It has nothing to do with my mother," the young woman rushed forward, holding Hu Lilan behind her, and said sadly, "I set the fire, if you want to kill me, come at me!"

Chen Shao looked at her twice, then glanced at the boy who was looking at them timidly.

"It's none of his business!" The young woman pulled the boy behind her and hid him.

Her movements were quick, but Chen Shao still saw clearly that the boy's features and eyebrows were exactly like Shi Xing's.

Looking back at the young woman, Chen Shao asked, "What's your name?"

The young woman tightly protected the boy and Hu Lilan and said resolutely: "Shi Hui."

Chen Shao looked into her eyes and asked, "Who is Shi Xing to you?"

Shi Hui's face turned pale at first, and then her eyes turned red again, "He is my second uncle."

"Second uncle?" The unexpected answer made Chen Shao look at Hu Lilan and the boy behind her, "What about them? Who are they to you?"

After hiding the boy a little deeper behind her, Shi Hui said, "It's my mother and my brother."

Mother and brother... Looking at the boy who was being held tightly by her and Hu Lilan, Chen Shao understood and did not ask further. He turned slightly and looked at the burned wall, "Why did you set the fire?"