first minister

Chapter 290

With the solution of the problem, the messenger of the Fifth Elder left in dismay, and the atmosphere in the birthday banquet hall became lively again.

The protagonists of the birthday banquet were still the father and son of the Long family, but the scholar also got what he wanted.

Long Zhengqing promised in court that he would reward his family with a new residence, and would also invite famous teachers for him, so that the Long family would follow the path of being a businessman and being an official.

Although some members of the Long family are envious and jealous, more people are still happy to see this kind of talk.

They are also small people, who wouldn't want to see that ordinary person like himself, by coincidence and ingenuity, soar to success.

As long as that person is not someone close to him.

Bai Yunbian did not contact Xia Jingyun and Chen Fugui on his own initiative, he just praised and encouraged the scholar himself, told the other party that his eyes were flushed with gratitude, and he went back to the main hall to drink contentedly.

In this way, the crowd set up the banquet again, drank the wine, and the laughter spread throughout the Zhuangzi.

Although the gentry and princes in the main hall and the side halls would not rush to curry favor with this young scholar who was in the limelight and was about to have a bright future, the people in the lobby were different. Come and raise your glass.

The scholar, who had never enjoyed such battles before, was dizzy, and the bursts of flattery made him ecstatic.

Fortunately, the experience of always being ignored by others, and the mentality of knowing the real situation, kept him from being inflated in an instant, and he continued to be humble.

But such a gesture just happened to hit people's preference and praise for humility, so they praised it even more.

When Mr. Long came to the lobby to toast on behalf of his father and mother, he also had a drink with him alone.

"I didn't expect you to have such abilities. Thank you for today's matter!"

"Da Lang is too polite." The scholar hesitated for a moment, and summoned up his courage to say, "Da Lang, I have two good friends who have always admired Da Lang and wanted to get to know him, but they couldn't find any way to meet them."

Xia Jingyun and Chen Fugui took advantage of the opportunity to stand up, cupped their hands and said, "I've heard for a long time that Mr. Long is a chivalrous man. I wonder if I might be lucky enough to get to know him a little bit."

Mr. Long drank some wine, and at the moment he also has a good impression of this scholar, and he was very polite when he heard the words, "It's easy to say, I'm afraid I won't be free today, tomorrow is about time, please come to the mansion to talk about it."

Xia Jingyun cupped his hands, "Young Master Long is really proud, so I'll come back to bother you tomorrow!"

"Good talk good talk!"

A banquet ended in such a cheerful and entertaining atmosphere.

Bai Xianzun, who was a local parent official, was so dizzy from drinking that he couldn't tell the difference between east, west, north, south, and was stuffed into a sedan chair and carried back.

Chen Fugui looked at the sedan chair that was going far away and whispered: "Master, do you think Mr. Bai is so indulgent because he saw you and had confidence in his heart?"

Xia Jingyun turned to look at him, "You're afraid that I won't sue him! Okay, that's what you want, and I'll definitely tell him in two days!"

Chen Fugui hurriedly cupped his hands: "My lord! I was wrong!"

"You two brothers, what are you talking about!"

While chatting, the scholar came out with a smile on his face, and said with a smile: "Thanks to the two brothers for today's matter, if there is nothing wrong, why not go to the humble house to talk about it?"

Xia Jingyun, who was about to find someone to hide his identity, smiled and cupped his hands, "I want to do what I want, but I dare not invite you!"

So, a group of three walked to the scholar's home.

Most people say that the humble house is a bit self-effacing, but the humble house that my dear friend talked about really doesn't have much moisture.

The layout of the house is similar to the small courtyard that Xia Jingyun rented in Jiang'an County when he was released from the labor camp.

Moreover, there are no parents and sisters in this family, revealing a lifeless feeling.

It is no exaggeration to say that with Xia Jingyun's observation ability, he can easily reproduce the extremely monotonous life trajectory of this scholar in the room through the light and heavy traces of dust in the room.

"My father died on the river in his early years, and my mother became ill from worry, and also passed away last year. When she was dying, I only wished that I could pass the provincial examination and win the exam."

The scholar led Xia Jingyun and Chen Fugui to sit down at the table, opened his mouth to explain a few words, and then got up and bowed solemnly, "To have such a chance today, I hope to fulfill my mother's last wish and fulfill my lifelong ambition, all thanks to the two brothers I am so grateful for this achievement, I cannot express it in words, please accept my next worship!"

There was no one around, and with the help of alcohol, the surging emotion in my heart gushed out without hindrance.

Xia Jingyun stood up with a smile, and supported the other party, "Little brother, you don't need to be too polite. You and I meet at the right time, and we each get what we need. What you get depends on your courage. I can only wait to help you."

The three of them talked for a while, but they didn't say much. The scholar drank a lot of wine and got drunk, so the three of them went to rest first.

Sitting in the dusty room, Chen Fugui fetched water to wipe the tables and chairs clean, then glanced outside the door, closed the door, and said in a low voice, "My lord, what shall we do next?"

Xia Jingyun sat down on the chair and pondered: "Our top priority now is to find out the reason for the changes in the Cao Gang. According to the information we have, the biggest force in Longshou Prefecture is of course the Xiao family led by the state shepherd Xiao Fengshan, and Because of the relationship between the Xiao family and the prince, combined with the delicate situation of the prince, it is very likely that the Xiao family's emissary is behind this change in the Cao Gang."

He silently rubbed the corner of his clothes with his fingers, "If it is the Xiao family, it means that the Xiao family has a different heart, and this is a serious matter. However, the Ye family of the Cao Gang has been in power for many years. If there are no additional changes and benefits that they cannot refuse, They have no motive to cause chaos. And if it was the Ye family's instigation, the movement will be much bigger than it is now, so I prefer the Xiao family or other forces to lure the Ye family's opposition, which is the young and strong faction of the Cao Gang today. .”

"The words of the Fifth Elder today are quite meaningful. Measuring the height of the house where the Third Elder lives may actually be a warning to the Third Elder to weigh the capabilities of the Cao Gang or the Ye Family he is attached to. Can you survive this mess?"

"If this is the logic, we can boldly assume that compared with the original elders, the newly promoted Fourth Elder and Fifth Elder are young and inexperienced, and lack strength. Being young means ambition and lack of strength. They have the ambition to expand their strength. Therefore, they accepted the secret support of some parties, perhaps Xiao Fengshan's Xiao family, or some other forces, who wanted to take advantage of the current decline of the government and the weakening of the center's control over the local area. Opportunity to incite those in the Cao Gang who want to impact the original order to do something."

"If the assumption is correct, then following the line of the Fifth Elder, we can find out what we want to know, eliminate hidden dangers, and complete the task assigned by His Majesty."

Chen Fugui said softly: "But we haven't connected with the Fifth Elder yet."

"It doesn't matter." Xia Jingyun shook his head, "At least get online with Mr. Long first."

He smiled, "Judging from today's situation, Mr. Long and his father should know a lot of inside information. First get out their information, and then we can proceed to the next step in a targeted manner."

Chen Fugui also laughed, "From the looks of it, our journey has been smooth, and we have easily connected with the big shots inside the Cao Gang, and then we just need to follow the vine."

Xia Jingyun waved his hand, "It's still early, it's just a direction."

He said so on his mouth, but the relaxed smile on his face still betrayed his heart.

That night, the two chatted with the sober scholar for a while, and went to bed early.

On the second day, the scholar accompanied Xia Jingyun and Chen Fugui to Longfu again.

The two of Xia Jingyun were going to go to yesterday's appointment, and he wanted to show his face again so that the third elder could fulfill yesterday's promise.

The three of them walked slowly, all with good visions, and felt that they all had a bright future.

But when the three of them came outside the Long family's Zhuangzi, they were suddenly stunned by the sight in front of them.

I saw that Zhuangzi, who was still festively decorated with lanterns and festoons yesterday, was full of white flags after one night.

The desolate white winding created a kind of desolate sadness, and also filled the dilated pupils of the three standing in front of Zhuangzi with shock.

Xia Jingyun went up and found a servant of the mansion, "Excuse me, I came to pay a visit at the invitation of Mr. Long today. I wonder what happened to your mansion?"

The man glanced at Xia Jingyun and waved his hand, "Why invite me? My son is dead!"

!!!

Xia Jingyun seemed to have been hit in the head, and he just stood there dumbfounded.
-
And at the moment in the county government lobby, Bai Yunbian was sitting on a chair, rubbing his temples with a headache.

The county magistrate at the side began to persuade, "My lord, be careful! That is the Ye family after all!"

The captain stood aside with a knife on his waist, and his expression was quite nervous, "My lord, if you act like this, I'm afraid you will hate the Ye family deeply, and it will not end well in the future!"

Bai Yun looked at the two of them, "Could it be that the county is going to pretend to be deaf and dumb because of his powerful Ye family? Now that there are all witnesses and material evidence, the county doesn't care. Don’t dare, how should the people under the rule view this county? Who will take the county’s order seriously in the future? Wouldn’t it be more difficult to convince the public? More difficult to end?”

The two of them, Weiwei, couldn't help but look at each other with a bit of helplessness in their eyes.

What the county lord said is also reasonable, this matter is indeed a dilemma, who made Mr. Ye leave so many criminal evidence!

Bai Yunbian picked up the confession in his hand again and looked at it with a frown.

What happened is no longer a secret in the county.

Last night, Ye Mingfeng, the son of the leader of the Cao Gang, who delayed his return journey due to travel, arrived in Chuning County, and represented his family to make up congratulatory gifts for the Long family.

Young Master Long was naturally entrusted by his father to invite Young Master Ye to a banquet. Also at the same table was the Second Young Master of the Longshou Hu family who came to Chuning with Ye Mingfeng.

The three of them each took their entourage and came to the best brothel in Chuning County, Baihualou, to have a drink.

Although Chuning is only a county seat, due to the Cao Gang, the catering and entertainment industries are extremely prosperous, which is not worse than that of the prefectural city, and the three young masters had a great time.

According to the confessions of the servants and attendants at Baihualou, the three young men first drank with the courtesans, and then perhaps wanted to chat about some insider information, then they dismissed the attendants and the courtesans, leaving only the three of them in the room. Drink and laugh.

After drinking for a while, Mr. Hu was overwhelmed with alcohol, coupled with his concern for Hua Kui Niang, and was eager to find a quiet place to visit, so he went upstairs excitedly and shot like a dragon.

Only Mr. Ye and Mr. Long were left in the room to continue drinking and chatting secretly.

According to the entourage, at that time, there were still bursts of laughter in the room from time to time.

But after a while, the attendants outside heard the sound of tables and chairs overturning, and hurried into the room, they saw Mr. Long with a dagger stuck in his chest, and died.

And Ye Gongzi stood unsteadily in the room, with blood on his hands.

When the big man died, the Baihua Building was blown up, Mr. Hu rushed downstairs without his pants in place, and was dumbfounded to see this scene.

But Ye Mingfeng, who was frightened awake, fled back to the mansion directly under the escort of his followers.

According to this confession and the facts of the case, if the county government does not arrest people, it seems that it is really difficult to convince the public.

Bai Yun looked at it for a while, then patted the table, "Seal the gate of the city, recruit people, and follow me to Ye's house!"

The county magistrate and the captain looked at each other, and they went down to make arrangements without any further dissuasion.

In fact, they also want to see who is more powerful, the dragon crossing the river, which is said to have the support of the imperial envoy, or the huge local snake of the Ye family.

When a group of dozens of soldiers and yamen servants, carrying sharp knives, walked through the street under the personal leadership of Bai Yunbian, the residents and gentry who knew what happened today knew where their destination was.

So with curiosity and excitement, I followed silently from afar.

Among the crowd, Chen Fugui and Xia Jingyun also looked at the figure beside Baiyun, Chen Fugui whispered: "My lord, do you want it?"

Xia Jingyun shook his head, "It's okay, he's a well-known teacher, and no one can find fault with him, just to see how deep the water is and how shallow it is. Let's go."

The two left against the flow of people, came to a restaurant, ordered a few dishes and sat down.

Listening to the noisy discussions around, Xia Jingyun silently began to think about it.

When he heard the news of Mr. Long's death, his first reaction was to think that his identity had been discovered, and the other party killed him in order to block the connection between him and Mr. Long.

But after thinking about it, there are some ways to stop this matter, so why use such a decisive method of killing.

Then they came to the street to inquire about the news, and then basically learned the situation.

After all, this happened in front of the public in Baihualou. Although there are some distorted rumors, for example, there are more naked oirans in the room, but the core content remains the same, that is Mr. Ye Killed Mr. Long.

Xia Jingyun naturally felt that there were many doubts in it, and it was wrong no matter what he thought.

But he has never met the so-called young master of the Ye family, and he is not familiar with the other party's character, so he can't make rash judgments. Now that Bai Yunbian is famous to investigate the case, it happens to be an opportunity to test the details of the Ye family and find out the inside story of the Cao Gang in an open and honest manner. .

Mr. Long's line is broken, so we can only pin our hopes on this end.

After eating a few times, he called Chen Fugui and went straight to Baihualou.

On the other side, Bai Yunbian came outside the Ye family mansion.

Looking at the high-walled compound and the closed mansion gate in front of them, as if facing the prestige accumulated by the Ye family between the two Huaihe Rivers for many years, many yamen servants and soldiers showed hesitation in their eyes.

Bai Yunbian didn't care about this, and directly ordered the captain to call the door.

The captain patted on the door knocker for a long time, but no one answered, so he could only helplessly turn his head and look at the white cloud.

There are crowds of onlookers behind, and in front of you is the closed courtyard of a wealthy family. Today, my group is afraid that it will be hard for me to get off, and it will be embarrassing!
But Bai Yunbian has never been afraid of such a battle. For him, the situation that others are afraid of is a good time to stand out and stand out.

So he snorted coldly, stepped forward, took a deep breath, and said in a breath of air: "Listen, people in the mansion, this official is Bai Yunbian, the county magistrate of Chuning, who came to arrest the suspect, and ordered you to open the door as quickly as possible, counting down. After ten beeps, if you don't open it, it will be regarded as a rebellion against the government, and you will storm the gate of the house, don't say it was unpredictable!"

"one!"

He raised his chest and stood proudly, shouting out the first number loudly!
The atmosphere in the field also became tense with this sound.

"two!"

The door of the mansion is still closed, as if he doesn't care about Bai Yunbian's threat.

"three!"

The two gates remained motionless, and there was a condescending indifference and mockery in the silence.

"Four!"

Quite a few people showed as expected expressions in their eyes, shaking their heads and sighing softly, Ye Jiagui is recognized as one of the four major families in Longshou Prefecture, how could the threat of a county magistrate be ignored.

"five!"

At this moment, Bai Yunbian is like a stupid and hot-blooded lonely fighter, facing a seemingly invincible behemoth without fear!

"six!"

The county captain's feet moved slightly, wondering whether he should dissuade the county official from giving him a step down.

"Seven! Captain Cao, pass on my order to mobilize troops to surround Ye Mansion!"

The captain swallowed, knowing that he was worrying too much.Then, under Bai Yunbian's icy eyes, he gritted his teeth and ordered the soldiers to deliver the order!

"Eight! Divide into 20 people, in groups of four, and prepare to climb the wall!"

The onlookers were dumbfounded, is this really serious?
"Nine! The rest of the officers and men, Yamen servants, draw your swords!"

Swish!
Bai Yunbian shouted angrily, and everyone pulled out their knives in unison.

Amidst this neat and terrifying sound of drawing the sword, the door of Ye Mansion finally opened a gap slowly.

　I was delayed last night, try to write as much as possible today, and update at normal time tomorrow.

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(End of this chapter)