Judge of the Lamp

Chapter 61 The Commander's Order
At dawn, Wu Xu looked exhausted and returned to the Yamen in charge of lamps.

Last night, he took more than [-] people to squat outside the city for a night, but he missed it and ran back before dawn.

He was sure that was the only way for the other party, but the other party did not show up overnight.

Wu Xu ordered Xu Zhiqiong to be called.

Xu Zhiqiong was in good spirits, and slept well in the Yamen last night.

"I asked you to follow me in the wine shop, did you catch fish?"

Xu Zhiqiong shook his head and said, "Qianhu, I have been watching at the restaurant according to your instructions. Whenever Liang Yuming came and went, I sent you messages."

Wu Xu asked, "How many people did Liang Yuming bring to the restaurant?"

"He only brought one person with him, and three others went to book a table in advance, and one of them claimed that his surname was Ma."

This is exactly the same as the news Wu Xu received in advance, proving that Xu Zhiqiong did not lie.

"When they left, did they also separate?"

"They walked together and headed south in a carriage. You reminded me not to follow, but I didn't dare to follow."

Wu Xu pondered for a while, then muttered to himself: "Could it be that someone leaked the news?"

Xu Zhiqiong said: "Qianhu, it's not necessarily because we leaked the news, it's probably because there is an insider in the wine shop."

Wu Xu was stunned: "How do you say that?"

"A new guy came to the restaurant. He called himself Hao Quan. He didn't know me, but he was very concerned about me. He asked the other guys for my identity and my name. Liang Yuming was eating wine on the second floor. He ran diligently to the second floor, and when he went out, Liang Yuming gave him a bounty."

Wu Xu was startled, and asked instead: "You have been staying in the restaurant, and Liang Yuming didn't attack you?"

Xu Zhiqiong shook his head and said, "This subordinate saw that guy was not kind, so he sneaked across the street to stare at him during the banquet."

"Fortunately, you are smart," Wu Xu said in silence for a moment, "Let's go to Wu Anfu Restaurant!"

The two rode to the restaurant. The restaurant had not yet opened, so Wu Xu opened the door and let the waiter wake up the sleeping shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper heard that Lantern Lang was coming, so he hurried out to greet him, but it turned out that it was Wu Qianhu, and he almost collapsed on the ground.

Wu Xu motioned him to keep quiet, and asked, "Tell you, Ji Hao Quan, to come see me."

"Did Hao Quan offend Lord Denglang?"

"Moduo said, just call here."

The shopkeeper hurriedly ordered the waiter to call, and after a long time, the waiter came to report: "Hao Quan is gone."

Wu Anfu panicked: "Perhaps he went to the toilet, you should look for it!"

The clerk shook his head: "I went to the toilet too, I searched all over the place, but I didn't see Hao Quan."

Wu Anfu was so frightened that he knelt on the ground: "My lord, Hao Quan is new here, I really don't know where he went!"

Wu Xu asked, "Did you verify his identity when he came?"

"My lord, I'm just a small shop. I'm hiring a waiter. What's his identity? He said he's from the capital, and he said he had worked in Fengle Building. I saw that he was diligent and smart, so I took him in." down."

There is nothing wrong with what Wu Anfu said, this is the normal operation of ordinary restaurants.

Wu Xu asked a waiter again: "Do you sleep with Hao Quan?"

The clerk nodded: "The six clerks in the store, including the cook, all sleep in one room."

"He went out last night, and none of you heard anything."

"No one heard it, and they don't know when he went out."

Xu Zhiqiong thought to himself when he heard the words: With such light hands, he must not be an eunuch, right?

Wu Xu asked again: "Does he usually pee with you?"

A guy thought for a long time: "But I don't remember it, he's been here for too short a time."

Another guy said: "He is shy and never goes to the toilet with us."

It really is a eunuch.

Xu Zhiqiong took a deep breath, and thanks to his caution, he took a look with the pupil of sin.

Even if Hao Quan was an eighth-rank eunuch, he might have died last night.

After finishing all the questions, Wu Xu was about to leave when Xu Zhiqiong said, "I want to go upstairs and see where they ate yesterday."

Wu Xu said, "What's so good about that?"

"Maybe there are still some clues left."

Wu Xu was too lazy to climb the stairs, so Xu Zhiqiong entered the private room alone. The private room had been cleaned long ago without leaving any traces.

Xu Zhiqiong calculated where everyone was seated, took out a knife, scraped off a few pieces of wood veneer from different angles on the table, put it in his arms, and followed Wu Xu back to the yamen.

When he arrived at Ming Deng Xuan, Wu Xu rubbed his brows and said, "This Liang Yuming is really sophisticated in his work, and he can get a trick in the restaurant. I underestimated him."

Xu Zhiqiong said: "Hao Quan's line is broken."

Wu Xu said: "It's not too much. You have seen Hao Quan's appearance, you also know that Liang Yuming went to the wine shop, and you have seen Liang Yuming's guests. Liang Yuming will definitely not let you go. If I use you as bait, And catch their people out."

Xu Zhiqiong sniffled, with an aggrieved expression on his face: "Qianhu, you, you won't really be like this..."

"Of course I wouldn't do that," Wu Xu laughed. "What's the use of catching them? I'm afraid these people are the same as Fan Baocai. They've already turned into Gu people before being interrogated. They'll use you as bait in exchange." They? It's not worth it."

That's true, is it worth it, just trade me for it?
Wu Xu rubbed his brows, he hadn't closed his eyes for three days, the green lantern man Xiao Songting walked in again, before he could speak, Wu Xu waved his hand and said, "Today I don't see anyone!"

Xiao Songting said: "Commander Zhong invites you to the Sizheng Hall of the Imperial City."

"Tell him I'm not going!"

"The commander sent someone to say that he wrote a picture and wanted to hang it at the gate of our yamen."

"You let him hang up!"

"The man did carry a picture, right at the gate of the yamen."

"You, wait a minute!" Wu Xu stood up, straightened his clothes, "I'll go."

Before leaving, Wu Xu told Xu Zhiqiong again not to leave the Yamen.

……

Imperial City Secretary Zhengtang, Commander Zhong Can, General Wuwei Shi Xun, Tsing Yi Pavilion Shao Shi Jiang Feili have been waiting for a long time.

Zhong Shen's face was very ugly. Today was the court meeting. In the past three days, sixteen women have disappeared one after another, and the total number has exceeded a hundred. On the head of the Imperial City Secretary.

Wu Xu nodded repeatedly when he heard the words: "Since it is His Majesty's will, we naturally cannot shirk it."

Zhong Can sighed and said, "Your Majesty hasn't been in court for a long time, today is the handwritten order from Chen Shuncai, the eunuch of Bingbi."

Wu Xu said: "The edict is also His Majesty's will. Could it be that Chen Shun dared to pass on the imperial edict?"

Zhong Shen's face was gloomy, he was extremely conflicted with this case: "Your Majesty ordered me to wait a month to solve the case, what's your best plan?"

Jiang Feili said: "Since the woman is lost, this case should be handed over to Tsing Yi Pavilion. I will bring a few Tsing Yis as bait to lure out the teeth. After being captured alive, I will torture them severely. The case will be solved within a month."

Zhong Shen waved his hands and said, "Not right! I'm afraid I won't catch any teeth, and I'll have to fold in a few more Tsing Yis!"

Jiang Feili looked displeased, and held back her words.

Wu Xu said: "Most women get lost at night, and the yamen in charge of lights enforces the law at night. It's just right to deal with this matter."

"It's not right," Zhong Shen shook his head and said, "The dispute between you and the official department has not yet settled down. If you can't solve the case within a month, you will be attacked by the official department again."

Wu Xu didn't speak anymore, it turned out that Zhong Shen already had someone in mind.

Since it was decided to hand it over to Wuwei Camp, why did you tell me to wait?

Zhong Can looked at General Wuwei Shi Xun, but Shi Xun didn't speak.

In desperation, Zhong Shen could only explain: "In my opinion, this matter should be handed over to the Wuwei Camp. The Wuwei Camp has a large number of people and a great prestige. First, a few people will be arrested. There is no need for interrogation. They will be paraded in the streets and executed immediately. With this wave of power, this group of thieves can be suppressed, as long as there are no more civilian daughters missing, the case will be over, and as for the aftermath, it will have to be dealt with by the Ministry of Criminal Justice."

The so-called aftermath refers to those missing women, and Zhong Shen doesn't plan to look for them.

Upon hearing this, Shi Xun got up and saluted, "Your subordinates should do their best."

Zhong Shen nodded: "This case will be handed over to the Wuwei Camp for investigation and handling, and the Lantern Yamen and Qingyi Pavilion will provide full assistance."

After the matter was settled, everyone left, Zhong Shen said to Wu Xu: "Bo Feng, please wait for a while."

Wu Xu turned back and said, "What else can the commander do?"

Zhong Shendao: "I received the news today that Zhou Kairong was sick and went back to his hometown to recuperate. After a while, the Ministry of Officials will transfer Zhou Kairong out of the capital. This matter is considered settled."

Wu Xu said: "Since it's settled, why didn't you hand over the case to me? But you still said that I had a dispute with the officials?"

Zhong Shen sighed: "I know you have been investigating this matter secretly, the reason why you didn't hand over the case to you is because you are too stubborn, and the number of missing civilian daughters is over a hundred, you want to find them all one by one Getting it back is easier said than done? For the current plan, we can only rely on the prestige of the Wuwei camp to shock the culprits, Bo Feng, listen to my advice, don't meddle in this matter anymore."

Wu Xu nodded and said, "Since the commanding envoy gave the order, there is no reason for Wu not to follow."

"It sounds good, you have been out of order for a long time," Zhong Shen sneered, "If I know that you are still investigating this case, I will hang the song "Drunken Spring Breeze" you wrote in your yamen! "

Wu Xu raised his head and said with a ferocious expression: "Zhong Suming (Zhong Shen, courtesy name Suming)! Don't be too deceptive, with red lips, I also remember that, tomorrow I will hang in your main hall!"

"You hang up, just hang up! The sincerity of my poem is not as dirty as yours!"

"How dirty am I?"

"It hurts! But it's not dirty!"

……

Xu Zhiqiong plugged the door in the small house, took a few pieces of wood veneer, concentrated on Baihui, and jumped into the small black room.

In the small black room, he imagined Liang Yuming talking to a group of people surnamed Ma, but at first he couldn't see the slightest outline.

It should be a problem with the seat. Xu Zhiqiong changed the seat several times in his mind, and finally had some outlines in front of his eyes. After making some fine adjustments, the picture became a little clearer.

Next think about the way they speak, and then think about their voices.

Thinking of being exhausted and his temples swollen, Xu Zhiqiong finally heard a voice.

The cups and plates collided, and the sound was disturbed a lot. Except for some useless polite words, Xu Zhiqiong could only hear one sentence clearly:
"Please tell the owner that the goods will be ready within a month at most."

goods?

He really went to discuss business?

Impossible, talk about business and kill me?
The goods are still a little worse, are you talking about those women?
One month at most.

What to do after getting ready?
(End of this chapter)