Qi Ning knew that if Qin Yuege hadn't mentioned the black tiger shark first, Shen Liangqiu would have concealed the matter.
He knew that Shen Liangqiu would definitely lose face when such things were mentioned, so he thought for a moment before asking, "How will this matter be resolved?"
Shen Liangqiu said: "Since the establishment of the East China Sea Navy, I have never suffered such an insult. Moreover, the opponent is just a small pirate on the East China Sea. The Grand Governor is naturally furious and sent a fleet to search for traces of the black tiger shark. , went to sea for more than a month, and mobilized the six most powerful warships of the Donghai Navy, but... nothing was found."
"It seems that the Black Tiger Shark is an extremely cunning person." Qi Ning sighed: "As soon as he succeeded, he knew that the navy would definitely retaliate, so he immediately ran away. It is indeed not easy to find him." He pondered slightly, Then he asked: "The Black Tiger Shark was not found, so the Governor is naturally in a bad mood."
"Actually...!" Shen Liangqiu pondered for a moment, and finally said: "Master Hou, to be honest, I know from the mouth of General Manager Hou that the Governor...!" At this point, he stopped talking and glanced at Chen Ting and Qin. Yue Ge glanced at her but said nothing.
Chen Ting is a person who is very good at observing words and expressions. When he saw this, he hurriedly raised his hands and said: "Master Marquis, would you please step aside for a moment?"
Qi Ning waved his hand, his expression became stern, and said: "Since the Duke of Zhen has asked Governor Chen to assist in this matter, there is no need to hide this case from the two of you." He stared into Chen Ting's eyes like a knife and said slowly : "But before telling you, I have a warning, you should still remember it."
Chen Ting said hurriedly: "Master Hou, please give me some instructions!"
Qi Ning said solemnly: "After knowing the truth, I hope that you two will keep your mouth shut. If one word is leaked before I give my permission, don't blame me for being rude."
Chen Ting looked solemn and said: "I will never leak a word to the public."
"That's very good." Qi Ning glanced at Shen Liangqiu and said, "General Shen, you can tell Governor Chen."
Shen Liangqiu hesitated for a moment and finally said: "Master Chen, the Grand Governor... unfortunately passed away!"
Chen Ting's body trembled, Qi Ning stared at him closely, but it could be seen from his reaction that Chen Ting seemed to have really not known that Tantai Zhilin had passed away before.
If Chen Ting had known about it beforehand and showed a realistic reaction now, it can only be said that the acting skills of this governor are really amazing.
Qin Yuege frowned, and his expression became extremely solemn.
"Master Marquis, the Governor...is it really true that the Governor was assassinated?" Chen Ting was horrified, but not panicked: "Master Hou came to Donghai just to investigate this case?"
Qi Ning nodded slightly, and then said to Shen Liangqiu: "General Shen, you were hesitant just now. Do you have anything to say? Since the Duke of Zhenguo has requested that Qin Fa Cao also assist in handling the case, you can make the matter a big deal. Telling everything about the governor may be of great help in finding out the truth."
Shen Liangqiu pondered for a moment, then said: "Mr. Hou mentioned to the humble general that the Governor... before committing suicide, his mood was very unstable and he seemed to be full of worries, and... sometimes he would drink alone until late at night, even his wife's persuasion was useless. "
"Suicide?" Chen Ting couldn't help but said: "Master Marquis, General Shen, the Commander-in-Chief... Wasn't the Commander-in-Chief assassinated?"
Shen Liangqiu shook his head and said: "The Governor hung himself from a beam in the study. The doors and windows were closed at that time, forming an inaccessible secret room."
Qin Yuege immediately said: "General Shen, I wonder if I can go to the scene and take a look?"
"The Marquis and the adults from the Ministry of Punishment have carefully inspected the scene and also examined the body of the Governor." Shen Liangqiu said: "For the specific situation, Qin Facao can ask Wei SiShen and Director Zheng, they are outside now." After a pause, he said: "I am not stopping Qin Fa Cao from inspecting the scene, but the Governor has been disturbed today. It would be disrespectful to the Governor if he bothered him two or three times."
"What General Shen said is absolutely true." Qin Yuege said: "I'll go and find out the situation from the officials first. Lord Marquis, I don't know...!"
Qin Ning raised his hand, Qin Yuege bowed respectfully and stepped back.
"Master Marquis, the Commander-in-Chief guards the East China Sea. He has a high position and great responsibilities. How could he...!" Chen Ting's face turned ugly, and he stopped talking in the middle of the sentence.
Qi Ning naturally understood what Chen Ting meant and said: "Actually, General Shen and the imperial court did not believe that the Governor committed suicide, but the situation at the scene and the results of the autopsy showed that the Governor did commit suicide and died. There is not much doubt. The imperial court appointed me to investigate the situation. It is initially confirmed that the governor committed suicide. What I want to find out now is why the governor couldn't think about it and had to take this step. "
Chen Ting nodded slightly and said: "Xiaguan has been working in Donghai for a few years, but he has not had much contact with the Governor. However, it is hard to believe the heroic spirit of the Governor... Hey, it is hard to believe that the Governor would be confused because he couldn't think about it. And this is the last resort." He frowned and asked: "Master Marquis, could it be that... is it because the Governor is worried about the Black Tiger Shark, so... that's why I can't think about it for a while?"
"Master Chen, do you think the governor committed suicide because of the black tiger shark?" Qining looked into Chen Ting's eyes.
Chen Ting said: "This official is just making a bold guess."
Qi Ning turned to Shen Liangqiu and asked: "General Shen, you are the most trusted person around the Governor, and you are also the person who knows the Governor best. In your opinion, is there any connection between the suicide of the Governor and the Black Tiger Shark?" ?”
Shen Liangqiu pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said: "I think that the Black Tiger Shark setting up a flag on the seaside did make the Governor very angry, but... the Governor has been on the battlefield for a long time and has gone through countless trials and hardships. He will never be able to do it because of a small setback. I just can’t think about it.”
Chen Ting hesitated for a moment, then sighed: "Master Marquis, General Shen, please forgive me for speaking bluntly. The Governor went to war at a young age and made countless contributions. I should not say this. Looking at the court, he can compare with the great generals." There are only a handful of generals under the Governor. Everyone thinks that the Governor has great glory, but the official also understands that the Governor is from the Jindao Tantai family, and the pressure on him is actually greater than anyone else."
Hearing this, Shen Liangqiu smiled bitterly and said, "If the Governor hears Master Chen's words, he will definitely make him a confidant."
"Jintao Tantai belongs to my great Chu martial arts family, and they value their martial names very seriously. The black tiger shark took away the head and left the black shark flag. This matter is by no means a small matter for the governor." Chen Tingdao : "General Shen just said that the Governor often drinks alone until late at night, maybe because he is worried about this matter."
Shen Liangqiu said: "Since the Grand Governor took office, he has been careful in everything he does, lest he disappoint the high hopes of the court, and even worry about damaging the reputation of the old Marquis." He shook his head and sighed: "The Grand Governor commands tens of thousands of people in the East China Sea. As Mr. Chen said, the naval forces all think that the Governor is majestic, but who can know the suffering of the Governor."
Qi Ning asked: "General Shen, has the governor been in a bad mood after that incident?"
Shen Liangqiu was thoughtful, thought for a while, and then said: "The Governor has always been very calm in his work. After the incident, he immediately transferred the ship to search for the whereabouts of the Black Tiger Shark, and wanted to catch all the pirates. In those few days In fact, Hai Xun was in the wrong direction. In the past, the Governor would never have taken action easily, but that incident really angered the Governor, so... In fact, we all know in our hearts that after the incident, the Black Tiger Shark will never sit still and wait for death. They will inevitably escape far away, and it is too difficult to find them."
"So, the Governor sent troops out of impulse rather than careful planning?" Qining asked.
Shen Liangqiu shook his head and said: "Master Marquis, it cannot be said that the Commander-in-Chief was acting on his own initiative. After the incident, not only was the Commander-in-Chief extremely angry, but the officers and soldiers of the navy were also furious. The purpose of sending troops at that time was to let the soldiers vent their frustrations. If such a big thing happens and the Governor does nothing, it will be very damaging to morale."
"That's it." Qining nodded slightly.
"There was no trace of the Black Tiger Shark that time, and the Governor was in a very bad mood. However, as the commander of the navy, he naturally couldn't show his mood to everyone. Instead, he comforted everyone that sooner or later, the Black Tiger Shark would be killed. Arrest him and bring him to justice." Shen Liangqiu said: "After that, the Governor did not behave abnormally. He presided over military affairs in the army as before. He only occasionally drank alone. The general has been with him for many years. He knew that he was depressed and wanted to comfort him. But every time he mentioned it, he would stop him, so I couldn't say more." He shook his head and said, "I thought that after some time, the governor's mood would slowly improve. It was only from the mouth of General Manager Hou that I found out that when the Governor returned to Gulin City, he drank even more...!"
Qi Ning sighed: "It seems that the Grand Governor's suicide may really have something to do with Black Tiger Shark. The old Marquis was famous all his life and the Grand Governor was a hero for half his life, but he was humiliated by a small pirate named Black Tiger Shark. The Governor is afraid that the more he thinks about it, the more unwilling he will be, and the more he thinks about it, the more he will reach a dead end...!"
Chen Ting said bitterly: "Master Hou, black tiger sharks and other scourges must be caught and brought to justice, and executed in Ling Chi. Only in this way can the governor rest his eyes in peace under the Nine Springs."
Qi Ning nodded and asked: "General Shen, are the navy still searching for black tiger sharks?"
Shen Liangqiu said: "General I have been trying to find the whereabouts of the black tiger shark, and I have issued a reward order. Anyone who can provide clues to the black tiger shark will be rewarded."
Qi Ning stood up and said: "That's very good. Now we have some clues as to why the Governor committed suicide, but we can't make a judgment on whether it is really the case." After a slight pause, he continued: "Shen General, please tell your wife, if possible, I would like to see her tomorrow and express my condolences to her."
Shen Liangqiu cupped his hands and said, "I will obey your orders."
"I am indeed a little tired after coming all the way." Qining stretched his waist and said, "Master Chen, can you take me to the post house to rest?"
"Master Marquis, I have prepared a reception banquet. If Master Hou doesn't mind, you can go to the Governor's Mansion to rest tonight. It's well packed there and it's more comfortable than the post house." Chen Ting said respectfully.
Imperial officials naturally have special post houses when they go to places, and they also have relevant standard treatment. Chen Ting invited Qining to rest in the governor's mansion, which can be regarded as a very high courtesy.
Qi Ning waved his hand and said with a smile: "It doesn't have to be like this. There are so many people this time, and I can't do anything special, so I rest in the post house. And I'm very tired, so I don't need to have a banquet." He yawned and said: "I am very tired. Now, Hou just wants to have a good sleep and regain his energy so that he can report the situation here to the court."