Under the sky

Chapter 110: Thick Clouds ([-])

The chaos in the torture hall did not affect Shen Weichen. She and Xia Lijun spent the whole day reading the files.Who sent these files?Why was it sent?

Five cases, all involving prominent figures in Qingcheng.Tian Wenlang, the leader of the War Hall and the leader of the Baibu Gate, Huang Jiyao, the left envoy of the Gongtang, Li Hongdao, the general leader of the South Gate...

Shen Weichen sighed in his heart. She thought Qingcheng was politically clean, but she didn't expect so many things to happen right under her nose.

"A person who commits a crime, along with his cover and accomplices, is like a bunch of rice dumplings, tied up one after another. There are five cases here, and I don't know how many ministers will be brought up." Xia Lijun said, "Shen Zhang's punishment, you Do you really want to handle these cases?”

Shen Weichen nodded: "These five files have been prepared along with clues, and some of them have evidence. Whether they are innocent or the evidence is solid, they must be strictly investigated."

"How do you plan to proceed with the execution?"

"Arrest people." Shen Weichen took out a file, "Li Hongdao, the commander-in-chief of the South Gate, beat his concubine to death and buried her body in the garden. Just dig out the bones to convict her. This is the fastest thing to handle."

The South Gate Commander is in charge of all the patrolling disciples at the South Gate of Ba County, and is one level lower than Song Conglong.However, although Song Conglong could command and dispatch the four guards, Li Hongdao was directly in charge of these disciples. In the previous dynasty, he was the commander of the Beijing army.

"Does Commander Li recognize palm punishment?" Xia Lijun asked.

Shen Weichen shook his head.She has lived in the sect for a long time, and her position as the leader of the south gate is not low, but she may not have seen her, and even if she has, the other party may not remember her.

"Then Zhang Xing had better bring more people with him." Xia Lijun said, "After all, he is the leader of the South Gate, and there are hundreds of servants guarding the courtyard. Zhang Xing doesn't have to hold him down because of his status. He can't even enter the gate."

Shen Weichen quite agreed. When he arrived outside the room, only Zhou Tong and a few others were left in the execution hall.Shen Weichen asked Zhou Tong for help, and Zhou Tong said with a grimace: "There was such a big incident in the morning. The young master was so angry that he sealed the city. All the disciples went out to hunt for the assassins. We were the only ones left in the execution hall." ”

"The city is closed?" Shen Weichen frowned slightly.How could the eldest brother make such a big fuss over catching an assassin when he is so disturbing to the people?Speaking of which, Mr. Fu came here in the morning. He was immersed in the room and looking through the files. He only came out to say hello and asked Tang Tang Mao to ask Xia Lijun for help. He didn't ask in detail at the time because he didn't expect so many things to happen in the morning.

Zhou Tong asked: "Where should Shen Zhangxing go to handle the case?"

Shen Weichen said: "Go to Commander Li's house."

"Could it be the commander of Nanmen?" Zhou Tong asked in surprise, "What did he commit?"

Shen Weichen said: "Beat the concubine to death."

Zhou Tong asked where the news came from, but Shen Weichen only said that someone had reported it secretly and he wanted to investigate.Zhou Tong said: "Well, Zhang Xing will wait a moment. I'll find a few people to accompany Zhang Xing to the Li family yard." After saying that, he left alone.

Shen Weichen waited for more than half an hour before Zhou Tong brought back two disciples and said: "These two disciples are the only ones left. If Palm Punisher encounters difficulties, it is better to reveal his identity, so that they dare not stop him."

Shen Weichen led the three of them to the Li family yard. Xia Lijun knocked on the door, but no one paid attention to it for a long time. Shen Weichen knocked a few more times. After a while, he heard someone inside say: "Here we come!"

A strong man opened the door a small crack and saw two girls, followed by two strong men. He asked: "Who are they? Who are you looking for?"

Shen Weichen showed his execution token and said, "Look for Commander Li."

The strong man said: "Wait a minute, I'll go in and inform the master." After saying that, he closed the door.

Shen Weichen waited for a long time. Xia Lijun had been in the execution hall for a long time and knew some methods. He became suspicious and whispered: "For palm punishment, let's break in."

Although Shen Weichen was smart, he was inexperienced and was hesitating. Xia Lijun knocked hard on the door a few times. The strong man opened a crack and asked, "Master is still dressing and will be here later. Mr. Xing, please wait."

Xia Lijun paid no attention to him and kicked the door open. The strong man was already prepared and used all his strength to hold the door open.Shen Weichen stepped forward and pushed, and a strong force hit the back of the door. The strong man fell to the ground with a "Oh!"

Shen Weichen said loudly: "I'm looking for Commander Li, don't stop me!" After saying that, he stepped inside.The nursing home had already arrived, and someone shouted loudly: "Who borrowed the courage? Get them all!"

The nursing home swarmed over, probably not more than twenty people.Shen Weichen took out the Tang Dao from his waist.The weapon she originally used was the Emei thorn, but Mrs. Ya thought that the sword was too violent and asked her to use it instead. The first weapon she learned was the sword. After entering the execution hall, she switched to the single-edged Tang Dao.She turned the back of the knife upward and slashed the shins of the two people in front with two consecutive cuts. The two fell to the ground with a scream.Xia Lijun, who was behind him, was wearing a leather sheath and punched a nurse in the jaw, knocking out several teeth. The man fell to the ground and fainted.

Shen Weichen also understood that the other party intended to delay, so he dwarfed and ran forward.The two people in front stretched out their hands to grab him, and three people on each side rushed towards her. Without stopping, she swung her sword twice from bottom to top, and snapped the two wrists in front of her with two "clicks".Three hands had grabbed her right shoulder, left wrist, and waist. Shen Weichen twisted her waist, turned her arms, and threw her shoulders. The three big men couldn't catch her, and were dragged to the ground. The others who struggled were beaten or dodged by her. , get rid of them all.

Shen Weichen ignored Xia Lijun and the others and ran to the backyard. When he arrived outside the kitchen, he saw a large pit seven feet long and five feet wide next to the well, which was empty.She knew the body had been moved away, and was about to chase after it when a figure stabbed at her and shouted, "Girl!" His fingers were like lightning and he grabbed her shoulder.

Knowing that he was a master, Shen Weichen turned around, reached out with his left hand, and was about to grab the man's wrist. Suddenly he remembered something, and in a flash of thought, he retracted his left hand without resisting.

The man grabbed Shen Weichen's shoulders and said loudly: "Even in the execution hall, there must be evidence before arresting someone! Girl, it's too arrogant for you to break in like this!"

"Are you Li Hongdao?" Shen Weichen pointed to the big hole in the ground and asked, "What is buried in this hole?"

The visitor was about fifty years old, wearing cotton clothes, with narrow eyes and a flat nose, and a strong build. Like most middle-aged people, he had a bulging belly. He was Li Hongdao, the commander of Nanmen.

Li Hongdao saw Shen Weichen asking a question and replied: "I am digging a hole in my yard to plant some flowers and plants, who am I in the way?"

Shen Weichen looked at his arm, frowned slightly, and whispered: "Can you put on my shoulders?"

Li Hongdao was taken aback and quickly withdrew his hands.Shen Weichen stood on tiptoes, his body flew up, turned over, and landed on the wall. Looking up, he saw two nursing staff not far away carrying a sack and heading north in a hurry.

When Li Hongdao saw Shen Weichen escaping, he also jumped onto the wall and reached out to grab her shoulders again to block her way.When Shen Weichen saw Li Hongdao coming, he quickly probed with his left hand. He reached back first, grabbed his elbow joint, pulled it down, and swept his knee with his left foot.Li Hongdao said "Oh!" and fell down, unable to stand. Shen Weichen took his waist with his right hand, straightened his waist, lifted him up high, and threw him against the wall.Li Hongdao screamed and fell into the big pit, unable to struggle for a while.

Shen Weichen ignored him again and caught up with the two people who escaped after a few ups and downs.The two people were trying to stop them, but they could not withstand Shen Weichen's punches and kicks. They were knocked to the ground. Shen Weichen stepped forward and opened the sack.

The mostly rotted corpse was covered with maggots, and there were only two round holes left on the face. Shen Weichen had already predicted that she would see the corpse, but it was so ugly and disgusting. A strong smell of decay hit her face. Her stomach twitched and she quickly turned her head. go.After all, she was a pampered lady who rarely went out. She couldn't help feeling sick and vomited all over the floor beside the alley.

Li Hongdao's face was ashen and he was taken away by the two accompanying disciples of the Punishment Hall.The female family members cried loudly, and the entire Li family yard became a mess.

Shen Weichen sat on the steps in front of the Li family courtyard, feeling the pain in his chest still lingering.Xia Lijun made a pot of cold water and handed it to her. After taking a few sips of the cold water, she felt a little better.

"I thought you were not afraid of anything." Xia Lijun stood in front of Shen Weichen, still standing upright, raising his head and chest, and keeping his feet together.

"I've never seen... such a corpse." Shen Weichen squinted his eyes and pursed his lips, with a look of grievance on his pretty face.

She rested for a while before returning to the execution hall with Xia Lijun. Shen Lianyun was waiting in the execution room. When he saw her coming back, he stood up and said, "Miss, you are very capable."

Shen Weichen asked: "Brother Lianyun, why are you here?"

"Young Master is concerned about General Song's case and asked me to pay attention. I didn't expect to see the eldest lady handling a big case. Huh?" Shen Lianyun smelled a faint fishy smell. Just now, Xia Lijun and the Li Family Nursing Home used force and came out. I was covered in sweat and couldn't hide the smell.Shen Lianyun frowned with disgust, waved his hand and said, "You have nothing to do here, get out."

Xia Lijun was about to retire, but Shen Weichen said: "If there is nothing important, let Xia Xingshi stay. I still have many things to rely on her." As she spoke, she pulled out two chairs and motioned for Xia Lijun to sit down. Xia Lijun shook his head and refused.Shen Weichen said: "It's not office work now. Even if it's office work, it's still done while sitting down." Xia Lijun sat down after hearing what the eldest lady said.

"Thanks to Xia Xingshi's cleverness this time, otherwise they would have destroyed all the evidence. But I can't figure it out." Shen Weichen pondered for a moment and asked, "Why didn't they cremate the body, scatter the ashes, or move the body? Wasteland, do you have to bury it in the courtyard?”

"Ba County is lively, there are many people coming and going, and there is a curfew. The body is moved for fear of being discovered. If the body is to be cremated, it must be lit, attracting attention, and the smell is strong." Shen Lianyun said, "It will be buried in the soil for a year and a half, waiting. It is the safest method to cremate them when they are almost dead." He is the right envoy of the execution hall and Fu Langyan's right-hand man. He knows a lot about this kind of cases and can guess a lot.

Shen Weichen stood up, took out the file from the desk, and asked Shen Lianyun, "Brother Lianyun, did you give this to me?"

"What is this?" Shen Lianyun took the file from Shen Weichen, looked at it for a while, frowned and asked, "Is everything written in it true?"

"It seems true." Shen Weichen saw that his cousin was lying. He couldn't even pretend to be surprised.

"I didn't send this." Shen Lianyun waved his hand and said, "It's all a big case. With such a big credit, should I give it to the eldest lady to get promoted and make a fortune?"

Shen Weichen did not expose him. Even if he was exposed, Shen Lianyun would definitely deny it to death. "There are still four major cases. I have some difficulties here. I want to ask my cousin for his opinion." Shen Weichen said, "Li Hongdao recognized me, but pretended not to. Someone in the torture hall must have tipped off the information. Today's case is evidence of guilt. If it’s true, just find the body in his house. If we jump to the scene in other cases, even if the person doesn’t run away, the evidence of the crime will be buried.”

"It's easy. Isn't now a great opportunity? Qingcheng has been sealed off and no one can get out. The execution hall is in chaos again. Miss, no one will pay attention to you even if you make trouble in the execution hall. As long as you keep it secret."

"Secret?"

"Arrest people first, and then add evidence. Once this chaos is over, there will be time to find any evidence. But we have to act quickly. It is best to finish it within the next few days." Shen Lianyun said, "I have a few trustworthy people here. Your subordinates can help you.”

"Don't break the rules? The general execution hall sends people to help the local execution hall?" Shen Weichen asked.

"This is an expedient measure. The master and Master Ya are not here. The young master always loves the eldest lady and will not blame or violate the rules."

Shen Weichen nodded, and some things she couldn't figure out before gradually became clear, and she knew who to ask.

"It's getting late, let's go back to Qingcheng early." Shen Lianyun said a few words before leaving, "If the eldest lady stays out too late, Aunt Xu and Mrs. Ya will be worried."

"I understand." Shen Weichen personally escorted Shen Lianyun to the entrance of the execution hall, "It's hard for my cousin to come and give advice to my sister."

■

Xie Gubai lives in Shunru Alley.It was a two-entry manor house, only two streets away from Jixiang Gate. Shen Yuqing bought it for him and used it as a residence.At that time, a residence was also arranged for Zhu Menshang. Zhu Menshang felt restrained and rented a house near the free clinic Cixin Medical Center. He would be sent to the city when necessary.Xie Gubai said that he was: "In the name of a guest minister, he receives the salary of an imperial doctor, does free clinic work, and enjoys the blessings of a young master."

This was the first time Shen Weichen came to Xie Gubai's house. The guard who opened the door didn't recognize her. Shen Weichen showed his execution token and gave his last name for the guard to pass on before inviting her in.

There were four people behind the screen wall and eight people standing on each side. There were also ambushes on the eaves. It was unclear how many people were hiding in the dark wings on both sides.What especially concerned her was that there was a crooked figure drawn with charcoal on the open space in the front yard. Although most of it had been erased, judging from the traces, it was estimated to be about eight feet in diameter, about the size of three steps.

The lights in the study room in the east chamber were on, and Xie Gubai stood at the door. When he saw Shen Weichen arriving, he raised his hands in a salute, and Shen Weichen returned the salute with his crotch folded.Xie Gubai asked with a smile: "What makes my little sister come to me specially?"

The two entered the study. Xie Gubai asked for a seat. Shen Weichen smiled and said, "Sit closer so we can talk more easily."

The two of them sat in front of the crescent table. Xie Gubai asked, "Is my little sister still used to being in the execution hall?"

Shen Weichen just looked at Xie Gubai with a smile on his face. Xie Gubai opened his eyes slightly, as if asking.

“I can’t tell when Mr.

"If you can't even deceive people, there will be no contact between the sects." Xie Gubai said with a smile, "My little sister hasn't said her intention yet."

Shen Weichen asked: "Mr. Xie asked Cousin Lian Yun to put those files in the execution hall? He was afraid that my little sister was inexperienced, so he specially sent Cousin Lian Yun to give guidance."

Shen Lianyun was highly skilled in martial arts and was the right envoy of the torture hall. He was familiar with the inside and outside of the Baxian torture hall. It was not difficult to send someone to put the files in without even having to sneak into it.Otherwise, if these major cases are to be handled, I am afraid that just like Li Hongdao, the news will be leaked before it even starts.It was such a coincidence that Song Conglong was assassinated this morning, and the execution hall was in chaos. Even the city gate was sealed. No one paid attention to her, allowing her to succeed easily.

There are also Xie Gubai's residence. There may be hundreds of guards. This is not the treatment of a staff member.The eldest brother had no reason to send him so many guards, unless... he was worried that someone was going to assassinate Xie Gubai.

It was obvious that something was going on, but Xie Gubai asked: "What file?"

Shen Weichen shook his head and said: "It's not easy to find these dirty things. I think Mr. Xie has not only helped my brother handle political affairs in the past two years, but also spent a lot of time on this." She paused and asked, "You can tell by the tone of your voice. If you want to hide it from me, just ask, does brother know about this?"

She has determined that this matter is related to Xie Gubai and is not going to test around the bush.

Xie Gubai was silent for a while and said: "The second brother is now the acting head of Qingcheng, and the younger sister is the second brother's sister. How can there be something that he doesn't know about?"

Shen Weichen nodded and asked, "Should I ask my brother?"

Xie Gubai was silent for a while, and then said: "Little sister, when the second brother wants to say something, he will tell you."

Shen Weichen had a vague feeling that something big was going to happen in Qingcheng, and that he might have a lot to do with it. He couldn't help but hesitate, fearing that he would be reckless and harm his elder brother.But the eldest brother and Xie Gubai obviously didn't intend to let themselves know about this matter yet. Although she had a gentle temper, she was still a little upset.

"I told Mr. Xie that I don't like hiding like this. You use me as a gunman but don't tell me why. I'm very unhappy." Shen Weichen said, "If you are afraid that I am in danger, you should treat me more say clearly."

"Second brother needs your help, little sister." Xie Gubai said, "Help him."

"What are you doing for him?" Shen Weichen asked.

Xie Gubai stopped talking. After a long silence, Shen Weichen understood that Xie Gubai would not reveal anything more.

"I said that as long as my brother believes in you, I will believe you." Shen Weichen asked, "Can I believe you again?"

Xie Gubai nodded.Shen Weichen didn't ask any more questions, got up and returned to Qingcheng, and went to Junzi Pavilion to see Shen Yuqing.

"I handled Li Hongdao's case and went to see Mr. Xie." She said with a smile, but she felt uneasy in her heart.She and her brother have been close since childhood, and there has never been any barrier. She doesn't like this feeling.Maybe her brother had a reason to hide it from her, but she didn't want to pretend she didn't know anything in front of her brother.

Shen Yuqing's heart tightened. Before the day was over, the little sister guessed the reason. Should he be happy for the little sister's intelligence, or should he blame Xie Gubai for not planning carefully enough?Or maybe she was born in Qingcheng after all and is very clear about many details.

"What did Mr. Xie say?" Shen Yuqing asked.

"He just said that I need help."

Shen Weichen saw his brother's hesitation, and his eyebrows were almost tied together.She knew that her brother's temperament would make it extremely difficult for him to talk about things, so she was so hesitant and even found it difficult to talk to herself.

"Don't worry, tell me when you can't hold it in anymore." Shen Weichen pretended to be naughty, smiled and held Shen Yuqing's hand, "I don't need to be secretive if I want my little sister to help me. Otherwise, my little sister will fail and my brother will complain again."

"Brother doesn't want to be the prince of Qingcheng anymore."

Shen Weichen was stunned. She had imagined how shocking Shen Yuqing's words would be.She had no clue and could only make wild guesses, but what Shen Yuqing said was still far beyond her imagination.

"Brother wants to be the leader of Qingcheng."

■

A few days later, Qingcheng was shaken again.In addition to the unsolved assassination case of General Song, there are several more cases, each involving an important position.In addition to Tian Wenlang, the leader of the battle hall, Huang Jiyao, the left envoy of the work hall, and Li Hongdao, the general of the south gate, Hu Ershi, the patrol captain stationed outside the city on the Jialing River, and the garrison chief Ma Lantern were also imprisoned.

Zhou Tong, the head of the Baxian Punishment Hall, was imprisoned for concealing the case; Mao, the leader of the Punishment Hall, was lax in his control and failed to catch the assassin, so he was dismissed; Shen Weichen repeatedly solved major cases and was promoted to the master of the Baxian Punishment Hall.

Miao Ziyi was transferred from the Three Gorges Gang to the captain of the river patrol boat, Chang Buping was transferred to the garrison commander, Shen Yuqing temporarily took charge of the war hall chief, Xie Gubai temporarily took charge of the left envoy of the work hall, and the Nanmen general invited the second son of the Three Gorges Gang. Temporarily photographed by Xu Jiangyou.

In just half a month, the entire Qingcheng had changed its appearance, and the people of the Crown Prince Shen Yuqing had occupied important positions one after another.

That night, Fu Langyan couldn't sleep.He put on a brocade robe and went outside, sitting on the steps in front of the yard and meditating.Although the Xingtang conducted a thorough investigation on the residents of Ba County in the past few days, there was still no clue about Song Conglong's assassination case.

Perhaps this case will never be solved.As he thought this, a chill came over him.

He suddenly felt that the courtyard was a little cold...

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[Announcement] The update method of the second series of Under the World: Double updates every week, that is, 1 chapter will be updated every Tuesday and Friday

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