I was just solving crimes, how could I become an immortal?

Chapter 87 The truth behind the lost official seal

Ying Huorong had seen the Yin-Yang Shuttle, and someone in the black labor team in that ghost city had held it in his hand and played with it.

Perhaps the case had been settled for too long and he felt it was safe, so the criminals began to act unscrupulously. Cao An decided to go in and arrest the people when the ghost market opened tonight.

Of course, considering that it is someone else's territory, it would be difficult for them to seize it by force from the Tsing Yi Department alone.

Cao An decided to drag the Imperial City Division into the water.

After getting on the carriage, the two of them quickly returned to the office, and met the fat man Zhu Xian face to face: "Brother Zhu, help me send a message to Pang Duzhi of the Imperial City Division. I have an urgent matter with him."

When Zhu Xian heard this, he patted his chubby belly and said, "What a coincidence, he also has something urgent to do with you and is now in the west hall. He also brought several other officials with him. He should be here for Master Tian."

To say that this top craftsman is very popular.

If you ask Master Tian to make a treasure, you will naturally owe him a favor. If something goes wrong, there will be more people to help.

"By the way, there is another woman looking for you. I arranged for her to go to the East Hall."

"Woman? Who is it?"

"I don't know her, but she calls herself Huazhi."

Huazhi?

Isn't that the widow of Gong Shilang of the Ministry of Punishment? Last time, I helped her redeem her life and gave her some money to settle down. She has been too busy recently to take care of her, so she unexpectedly found her.

"Okay, let me go and take a look." After saying that, Cao An walked towards the east hall.

Zhu Xian was startled: "Didn't you say you were looking for Pang Duzhi if there was something urgent?"

"Oh, it's not too urgent."

"..."

If the beauty and the brother choose one, let the brother wait first.

Entering the east hall, Hua Zhi, the minister's widow, was naturally in front of him.

Wearing a plain gray dress, although she had no hair accessories, it still couldn't block her mature charm. She stood up quickly when she saw Cao An arriving.

"Hua Zhi paid a visit to Sir Cao. I have caused a lot of trouble. Please forgive me."

"No need to be polite." Cao An quickly helped him up: "I've been too busy these days and never had the chance to see you."

"Your Excellency has many things to deal with every day, and civilian women know that. If it weren't for some selfish motives, civilian women would really not dare to bother you."

Hua Zhi used to be a well-educated and well-educated lady. She was very grateful to Cao An for rescuing Jiaofang Si in this disaster.

Taking Cao An's thousand taels of silver notes, he found a house to live in, and his life was quiet.

"It's just that I still have regrets in my heart, and I hope Master Cao will fulfill my wish."

She said she had changed her name, from a commoner's wife to a concubine. Cao An instantly understood: "Today, is he the seventh son of Minister Gong, right? Do you want to pay homage to him?"

"Yes, Hua Zhi is brave, please grant me permission."

Gong Shilang committed a serious crime and was sentenced to ransack his home. Hua Zhi himself was also sent to the Jiaofang Division. According to the rules, the two were no longer married.

After all, if you are a performer in the Jiaofang Department, you can't suddenly claim to be a widow when your customers clear the clouds and see the sun, right?
  Although heaven and earth are separated forever, the love between husband and wife is still there.

Calculating the time, today happened to be the first day of the week. It was understandable that Hua Zhi wanted to send her deceased husband off for the last time and burn some paper money.

However, I don't know where the body is buried.

"It's simple. I'll go ask it for you. You can rest here for a while."

Cao An didn't even take care of Gong Shilang's widow, let alone Gong Shilang's body.

Fortunately, there are a group of officials next door, so just go over and ask.

With this in mind, Cao An walked through the lobby again and came to the west hall.

At a quick glance, there were seven officials from the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of War. They all seemed to be on good terms with Master Tian.

Of course, Pang Shi, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial City, is also indispensable.

As we all know, Cao An has a bad temper and will send his teammates to jail if he gets upset. Only by inviting Pang Shi can he be able to speak out.

Pang Shi also had a headache. He sighed in a funny way and said, "Say Cao Shuixiu, if you don't show up for a few days when you are sick, it will be a big event if you show up. You really don't stop for a moment!"

Cao An spread his hands: "This is not my fault. Do you think I want to get involved in the old case three years ago? In order to find clues, I ran around early in the morning."

"Cao Shuixiu has worked really hard. How is the progress of the case? These adults are very concerned about Master Tian's situation."

Pang Shi pointed at several officials behind him, and several of them quickly apologized.

It's a pity that Cao An didn't give face and vetoed it on the spot: "The case is under investigation and some confessions need to be obtained. We cannot release him for the time being. If Pang Duzhi is interested, you can come and observe."

"Excuse me, everyone, please wait here while I go to help."

"Yes, yes, everyone knows it."

Meet, complain, and then go out to chat privately.

Cao An and Pang Shi looked at each other and smiled. The two of them were becoming more and more skilled in extorting money together.

After the senior sister gave the answer to the Yin-Yang Shuttle, Master Tian was no longer suspicious, but before letting him go, he naturally had to reap a wave of favors.

The more embarrassed he is, the more benefits he can squeeze out of these corrupt officials when he turns around and asks Pang Shi to take away Master Tian.

"But having said that, this case is really troublesome." Cao An and Pang Shi came to the side hall and couldn't help but complain as soon as they sat down.

"Oh? Even you find it troublesome? Are there any suspects?"

"Yes, I found out that the murderers were two people, a man and a woman. The weapons used were Yin-Yang shuttles, and they were related to the gangsters in the ghost market."

"Black slaves? That's indeed a bit of trouble. Those people are disobedient. If you go there tonight, I can lead troops to help you."

"I think so too, but what's more troublesome is the source of this seed. Now, these are the records of the inner treasury, take a look."

Cao An didn't shy away and handed the page directly to Pang Shi.

[In the second year of Wanjingli, 5 corpse flower seeds were put into the warehouse. This thing was evil and was treated as Grade C. 】

[In the fifty-third year of Wanjingli, a C-grade treasure material was collected to accompany the corpse flower. 】

[Recipient: Sanyang of Tsing Yi Department] Pang Shi glanced at it and asked funnyly: "Did Sanyang receive it four years ago? Are you trying to tell me that the suspect is Sanyang?"

"Where are you looking? The second sentence is not the point. The point is the first sentence."

"First sentence? Put 5 seeds into storage. Is there any problem?"

"Of course there is a problem. I checked the information. In the first year after our Holy Emperor ascended the throne, he led the army to annihilate Mo Ren Lane."

Cao An's words made Pang Shi's eyes freeze.

The characteristics of corpse flowers are quite strange. No one knows how to cultivate them. It seems that there are only 5 of them that were put into storage that year.

Judging from the time, these five corpse flowers were probably the spoils after the destruction of Mo Ren Lane. The fact that none of them were stored in the warehouse in the following decades is proof.

Pang Shi knocked on the table and his face became serious: "Are you suspecting that this corpse flower is related to the recent resurgence of Mo Ren Lane?"

"There is a possibility. Isn't the human bottle also a technology of Mo Renxiang? I guarantee there will be a connection."

"But the deceased was just a craftsman. How could he have enmity with Mo Renxiang?"

"We can only catch the male and female robber tonight and ask this question carefully."

[Catching prisoners] and [Catching prisoners related to Mo Ren Lane] are two different concepts.

Pang Shi is ready to mobilize a large number of experts to go ahead. There is no room for error in tonight's arrest operation.

"By the way, do you know where the body of Minister Gong is?"

"I know! What, you want to go over and say goodbye?"

"I have this idea."

After simply arranging the itinerary, Cao An handed Master Tian to Pang Shi and asked him to find those officials to sell favors.

Cao An himself inquired about the address, took Hua Zhi with him, and prepared to burn a stick of incense for Minister Gong.

……

Although Gong Shilang was a sinner, fortunately after he was imprisoned, he took all the blame alone and spared the Ministry of Punishment from being implicated.

After his death, the Ministry of Punishment gave him a decent burial place in the cemetery in the south of the city.

Although it is not luxurious, it can be regarded as a peaceful burial if a tombstone is erected as a sinner.

Although Hua Zhi is a slave bought by Cao An in name only, she cannot claim to be a widow.

But this feeling is still there. Burning a stick of incense and scattering some paper money is not a waste of this life.

"It's just that, Mr. Cao, you don't have to come in person. The girl can come by herself." Hua Zhi whispered guiltily.

She knew that Cao An had a lot of things to do, but she still came here in person because of her interruption, which really made her feel a little sorry.

But Cao An is not just accompanying him: "I have also accepted a favor from Minister Gong, so I should come and offer incense."

It's still early before the ghost market opens, so there's no point in worrying now.

Recalling that the [Wan Chao Jin] he settled down in was given to him by Gong Shilang, this favor was worthy of Cao An's coming to mourn.

After getting off the carriage, the two of them walked along the forest road.

Yesterday's heavy rain caused branches and leaves in the forest to fall.

But fortunately, this is a cemetery belonging to a wealthy family. Someone pays to clean it on weekdays, so it looks pretty neat.

However, when they arrived at the tomb of Minister Gong, they found that someone was already squatting there to offer incense. Seeing the two people arriving, the person offering incense quickly pulled up his hood, as if he was deliberately dodging.

That's right, Gong Shilang is a sinner after all, and he is still involved now, and he is not good at reputation. He doesn't want to be recognized, which is normal.

Seeing the man burning incense getting up and about to leave, Hua Zhi knew it was inconvenient to stay with him, so he bowed to the man's back and thanked him, then went about arranging the tributes in the basket.

He put his palms together and murmured softly.

"Master, please forgive Huazhi for calling you this for the last time."

"You passed away so hastily. Hua Zhi was not able to see you for the last time. He could only spend the first seven days burning some paper money to see you off."

"The kindness you receive in this life cannot be repaid. I hope you will have enough food and clothing in the next life, and will no longer be trapped in this troubled world."

As a woman, I can't say much truth, but what I said here is true.

No matter how many people flattered you during your lifetime, after your death, all that is left is a stick of incense for the widow.

Perhaps moved by these words, the man who turned around to leave also stopped hesitantly.

Turning around, he actually took out a dozen banknotes from his arms and gave them to Hua Zhi.

Hua Zhi was startled and a little at a loss: "Sir, what is this?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gong. You can take this money and live a good life."

The man stuffed the banknote, turned around and left, leaving Hua Zhi at a loss as to what to do with the banknote.

But now, the banknote is no longer the focus.

He seemed to say just now that he was sorry for Gong Shilang?
  There's something wrong with this guy!
  Cao An's figure flashed suddenly and stopped in front of the man. His eyes were like lightning. When the man was astonished, he could clearly see the face in his pocket.

The skin was pale and the appearance was ordinary. It was not very distinctive, but it impressed Cao An deeply.

"It's you! I can't remember your name, but you were in the Jiaofang Department that night when Minister Gong lost his official seal. Who are you?"

Faced with the questioning, the man obviously panicked, his figure blurred for a while, and he seemed to be trying to escape by relying on Qinggong.

But there was a click, and Cao An's [Must-hit Handcuffs], which he had not used for a long time, were locked on his wrists.

I can't tell you clearly today, I'm afraid it won't be fun anymore.

The man turned his head and glanced at Hua Zhi, who looked miserable. He gritted his teeth and gave up resistance.

"I'm sorry, I was the one who harmed Minister Gong that night, but I never thought things would turn out like that."

"What do you mean by this? How did you harm Minister Gong?"

"That night, the reason why he brought the official seal was because he came to the Jiaofang Department to see me."

Cao An's eyes narrowed, and the mystery of the Jiaofang Si case that had troubled him for a long time was finally solved!
  (End of this chapter)