Traveling through time and space to become a child, supporting the family by catching fish and shrim

Fan Cheng returned to the county government office and ordered people to convey the news of Shi Liguo's death to Guangling Prefecture as quickly as possible.

Meng Haide, the prefect of Guangling Prefecture, was also shocked when he heard that a county magistrate under his jurisdiction had died suddenly. He immediately dispatched a group of elite soldiers to Nanhe County to investigate and collect evidence.

This group of people included several experienced doctors and coroners. They traveled day and night and arrived in Nanhe County in just four days.

Because the weather was cool and Sun Sizhen gave a recipe for preserving the body, Shi Liguo's body was preserved relatively intact.

The coroner and doctor of the government office were responsible for the autopsy, while other officials were responsible for visiting and investigating.

After a day and night of investigation, the government office made the final decision.

Excessive drinking can lead to sudden death.

When Fan Cheng learned the result, he also breathed a sigh of relief.

Shi Liguo's wife did not accept this result and scolded the people in the government office for being careless and perfunctory in their work.

The officials in the government office were too lazy to pay attention to her.

Before leaving, an official found Fan Cheng and told him to be mentally prepared, as he might receive a big surprise soon.

Fan Cheng could probably guess what this surprise was about.

A curved plow.

The use of this agricultural tool is so great that the prefect did not dare to make a decision on his own and had to report to the court.

With so much going on, it naturally takes a long time.

But Fancheng can wait!

After seeing off these officials, Fan Cheng did not return to the county government office, but came to Sheng Mansion to meet Chen Lang.

In the past two days, Chen Lang has not been idle. He has been questioned by officials sent by the government office in various ways. Often one official leaves and another comes, with almost no rest in between.

Fortunately, Chen Lang had won the first place in the prefectural examination before, otherwise these officials in the government office would not be so polite to him and choose to come to his house to inquire. Instead, they would directly drag him into the government office and perform a set of "big memory recovery techniques".

The reason for choosing to question them one by one is also a routine operation during case trials.

By repeatedly and frequently questioning the suspect, the suspect is not given any breathing time. If the suspect feels guilty, there is a high probability that he will make mistakes in answering the questions.

But Chen Lang's answer was flawless and the officials in the government office could not find any fault with it.

The reason is very simple. Everyone at the table had tasted the food and drinks, and everyone else was fine. Only Shi Liguo was in trouble, so there was no poisoning.

However, Fan Cheng always felt that this matter was not that simple, so he came to Chen Lang to find out.

Upon learning of Fan Cheng's arrival, Sheng Chuliang was even more excited than Chen Lang. He pointed at Fan Cheng and shouted, "Are you guys done yet?"

"My apprentice is working hard for the college entrance examination, and you all want to keep him from resting!"

"Everyone in the government office has investigated clearly. Shi Liguo's death has nothing to do with my apprentice. What are you still doing here?"

Fan Cheng also knew Sheng Chuliang's temper, so he smiled and said, "Mr. Sheng, please don't misunderstand me. I'm not here to ask for an explanation. I just want to have a chat with Master Chen. I'll leave after that."

Sheng Chuliang was about to say something when Chen Lang stepped forward and said, "Teacher, it's okay. Lord Fan is a good official."

Sheng Chuliang angrily waved his sleeves and said, "Hurry up and talk, you still have several sets of papers to do!"

Chen Lang nodded: "Okay, teacher."

After Sheng Chuliang left, Chen Lang took the initiative to pour a cup of tea for Fan Cheng and said, "Master Fan, my teacher has a bit of a strange temper, please bear with me."

Fan Cheng was at a loss for words and said, "I've experienced Master Sheng's temper before, so it's nothing to worry about."

Chen Lang asked, "Master Fan, are you here today also because of Magistrate Shi's death?"

Fan Cheng said, "Mr. Chen, I'm simply curious. How good is the wine you provided to Lord Shi?"

"I heard that the guests at the main table that night were full of praise for the wine you brewed."

Chen Lang smiled and said, "I happen to have some left. I'll take it to Master Fan right away. Please wait a moment."

After a while, Chen Lang brought a pot of wine and said, "Please take a look, sir."

Fan Cheng took it, removed the lid of the wine flask and smelled it, his eyes lit up instantly, and then he immediately poured himself a small cup and took a sip to taste it.

"It really is the finest wine in the world." Fan Cheng exclaimed in admiration, "Mr. Chen, I didn't expect you to be so capable that you can even make wine."

"This wine is already worthy of being a tribute."

Chen Lang said, "It's just random thinking. It's not really a skill."

"As for tribute, I dare not even think about it. Your Excellency is too kind."

Fan Cheng said: "Although this wine is strong, it won't make Shi Liguo... ahem, the government office has a lot of things to do, so I'll leave first."

Chen Lang said, "I'll see you off, sir."

"No need, please stay." Fan Cheng stood up and took the wine pot with him: "I'll take this pot of wine."

Chen Lang said, "If you like, I can provide you with some every month. The amount is not much, so please forgive me."

Fan Cheng was secretly delighted, but his expression remained calm. He said, "How can I do this? If people find out, they'll say I've accepted bribes."

Chen Lang said, "It's just a couple of pounds of wine. It's not a bribe at all. You're worrying too much, sir."

Fan Cheng said, "I do like to have a few drinks. It would be so pleasant if I could have a few sips of this wine every night."

"gone."

Chen Lang sent Fan Cheng to the gate of Sheng Mansion, watched his sedan chair disappear around the corner of the street, and then returned to the study.

Sheng Chuliang put down the book in his hand and said, "Did he leave?"

Chen Lang nodded.

Sheng Chuliang said: "Close all the doors and windows."

After all the doors and windows were closed tightly, Sheng Chuliang said, "Tell me, how did Shi Liguo die?"

Chen Lang pinched his nose and said, "He died from drinking too much."

Sheng Chuliang laughed angrily: "Don't try that. I have also drunk the wine you brewed. Although it is very strong, it is absolutely impossible for a few kilograms of wine to kill someone."

Chen Lang said, "Teacher, I can only say that when drinking strong liquor, don't eat carrots or anything with a high salt content."

Sheng Chuliang narrowed his eyes: "Why?"

Chen Lang said: "This... is difficult to explain."

Sheng Chuliang gritted his teeth and said, "Kneel down!"

Chen Lang was a little stunned, but still knelt down obediently.

"Do you know why I asked you to kneel down?" Sheng Chuliang asked.

Chen Lang shook his head.

Sheng Chuliang said: "This method is addictive, do you understand?"

"From now on, whenever you meet someone you hate, you won't be able to resist using this method to get rid of them!"

"You won't be so lucky every time."

"Have you ever thought about what the consequences would be if you fail one day?"

"Killing is a last resort and should not be used unless absolutely necessary, especially in the officialdom. This is an iron rule that all officials must abide by. Anyone who violates this bottom line is the enemy of all officials."

"I have offended so many people in the officialdom. If they were all like you, I would have died hundreds of times already."

"But the reason I am still alive is because of this bottom line."

"Otherwise, if you kill me today and I find someone to kill you tomorrow, wouldn't this court, officialdom, and this world of panic become a purgatory?"

Chen Lang kowtowed and said, "Teacher, I am right. I know I am wrong."