The errand went unexpectedly well.
Because when Tang Fan and others dragged away the corpses and burned them, the remaining survivors did not come out to stop them, but just watched numbly and indifferently, motionless—they didn’t even have the strength to get up—even those corpses among their own relatives.
After doing all this, Tang Fan and Lu Lingxi took off the cloth covers and masks on their hands and burned them, then followed the others back to the city.
After checking their names and identities, the soldiers let them into the city and distributed thirty pennies to each.
After leaving the city gate, after confirming that no one noticed them, the two went around an alley and went directly to the south of the city, which is where Chen Luan took Tang Fan to inspect yesterday.
Even if all the guesses were confirmed by what he saw and experienced with his own eyes, Tang Fan still had to take this trip in person.
Sure enough, when they approached the temple, the well-organized shantang yesterday was already empty, and even the straw mats and bedding that had been spread out on the ground had been removed, not to mention the shadows of the victims.
The so-called proper resettlement of the victims is nothing but a scam from beginning to end.
It was the imperial envoy sent by the imperial court who was deceived.
No matter how cunning Chen Luan was, Tang Fan still found clues and saw the truth he wanted.
However, at this moment, not only did he not have any joy in his heart, but instead, there was only monstrous anger.
The usually gentle and elegant smile had completely disappeared from his face. Tang Fan quietly looked at the empty Shantang not far away, his expression hard to distinguish between joy and anger, but anyone who approached at this time could feel the deepness on his body. And intimidating momentum.
Lu Lingxi never knew that when the approachable Tang Fan would show such a chilling expression, just when he wanted to say something, Tang Fan had already turned around and walked back.
He was stunned for a moment, then quickly chased after him: "Brother Tang, are we now...?"
Tang Fan said concisely: "Go back to Wu County."
Naturally, they want to go back. They dressed up like this, and they didn't want to attract anyone's attention. Even if the truth is found out, what's the use of Tang Fan running to find Chen Luan now, even if the other party pleads guilty on the spot If you go back and file Shushang, you can still go back on your confession, and because of Chen Luan's cunning, he will not simply confess his guilt, because it is impossible for Tang Fan to bring the emperor here to see it in person, and it is impossible for the emperor to see everything he sees. arrive.
And between him and the emperor, there are thousands of mountains and rivers, and there are many personnel and variables.
Therefore, Tang Fan must find evidence.
witness or physical evidence.
Of course it was difficult. On the way back, Tang Fan didn't say a word.
When the two returned to Wu County, Lu Lingxi noticed that the corners of his mouth were still tightly pursed, looking a little cold.
"Brother Tang," Lu Lingxi helped to make an idea: "How about I go back to Beijing now and report the matter to Duke Huai, and let him help him find a way. Mr. Huai is His Majesty's popular man and has won His Majesty's trust. Maybe His Majesty will believe it. his words."
Tang Fan pulled the corner of his mouth, revealing an arc that was not a smile. At first glance, it seemed a little mocking, but it was not Wynn.
"It's useless. Even if I spend ten days and a half months to paint what I saw with my own eyes and send it to His Majesty, the final result is still out of our control."
Lu Lingxi was surprised: "Why?"
Tang Fan said coldly, "Someone will obstruct it."
Lu Lingxi didn't understand: "It's useless even for Duke Huai to tell His Majesty about the situation in person?"
He took Wynn's status and importance too high and too much, but he didn't know that Wynn was powerless.
Tang Fan said: "There is only one Wynn, he can only tell His Majesty once or twice at best, but what about the other party? Chen Luan's uncle is the minister of household of Nanjing, and the household of Nanjing holds nearly half of the tax food of the Ming Dynasty and the salt supply of the world. Kanhe, in such a position, do you think Wan Dang would let people who disagree with them sit there?"
"Chen Luan has no fear, not only because he has the support of his uncle, but also because he knows that even if I stab it, it may not happen in the end. Also, Zeng Pei and Wu Zong did not hesitate to warn me before I came to Suzhou. , and monitoring my whereabouts, is it just because of the filial piety of Jiangnan merchants to Dongchang?"
"Shang Ming is not willing to help others here. There must be Dongchang involved here. So many of them speak together in front of His Majesty. Do you think His Majesty will listen to them or Wynn? "
One sentence after another, until Lu Lingxi had nothing to say.
At this time, it was the end of spring and the beginning of summer, and the wind was gentle, but he broke out in a cold sweat.
Lu Lingxi stared blankly at Tang Fan, and for some reason suddenly felt a little sore in his nose, he quickly lowered his head and blinked away the sourness in his eyes.
He also faced dozens of mountain bandits alone in a sinister environment, and he didn't feel that he was injured by blood. However, when he looked at Tang Fan's profile, he felt an indescribable feeling from the bottom of his heart. Depressed, I just want to cry happily.
For Tang Fan.
It was hard for him to walk.
Lu Lingxi never knew that being a good official and wanting to do a good deed was so difficult.
He was silent for a while and asked, "Then... Are we still investigating?"
Tang Fan didn't even think about it: "Check, why don't you check!"
Lu Lingxi frowned: "But can we fight them?"
Tang Fan smiled: "I haven't tried it, how do you know?"
In such a bland sentence, it contains a thrilling fighting spirit.
Lu Lingxi was infected by his smile, and suddenly sighed: "Brother Tang, I finally understand why Huai Gong asked me to come to you."
Tang Fan turned his head, as if he could see what the other party was thinking: "Yiqing, you can choose to be a rich man, or you can choose to travel in the mountains and forests and be a hermit who doesn't care about worldly affairs, but if you enter an official career in the future, I hope You chose not the path of Chen Luan, Yang Ji or Hu Wenzao."
Lu Lingxi cupped his hands and said solemnly, "I will live up to my expectations!"
He originally thought that Wynn sent him to Tang Fan's side to protect him with his own skills.
Later, Lu Lingxi felt that he had helped Tang Fan a lot when he ran before and after.
But until now, he didn't understand Wynn's intention.
Not only to let himself help Tang Fan, but more to let himself take Tang Fan as his teacher.
Learn how to be a person, learn how to do things.
Tang Fan must have known this, but he never broke it, instead he let himself be everywhere.
This made Lu Lingxi feel a little ashamed.
However, in addition to being ashamed, there was a vague admiration that could not be explained.
The person in front of him has no martial arts skills, let alone a strong background, but he has a tenacious heart that no one else can match.
Even if Tang Fan accepts the 10,000 taels, even if Tang Fan helps to conceal the disaster, he doesn't need to do anything. He only needs to explain in his reply to the court that everything is peaceful and there is nothing abnormal, and no one will trouble him. Those victims are even less likely to jump out and accuse him.
But Tang Fan still chose the most difficult path.
Lu Lingxi took a deep breath, and because of Tang Fan's words, he rekindled his fighting spirit: "Then where do we start now?"
Tang Fan said: "No matter how strong a fortress is, there will be breakthroughs. There is no real invincibility in this world, it just depends on whether we are willing to discover it. In this matter, we need to tie the bell to the bell."
Lu Lingxi frowned and thought about it, Chen Luan is impossible, his backing is strong, although he is only a seventh-rank magistrate, he dares to deceive Tang Fan face to face, and doesn't take him seriously at all, Yang Jinen can help Chen Luan deliver to Tang Fan Qian, it can be seen that Chen Luan and Chen Luan are also on the same page, so there is only one left... "Hu Wenzao?"
Tang Fan nodded.
Lu Lingxi: "But isn't he still avoiding it?"
Tang Fan said lightly, "That's because he didn't know that he had been sold, and he was acting stupid because he didn't want to offend Chen Luan. Now that Chen Luan and Yang Ji are going to push him out to make a scapegoat, Hu Wenzao can still sit still. Can it survive?"
Now that the sky is bright, the number of people watching outside the official station is gradually increasing. It is impossible for them to sneak back without knowing it according to the original method. Tang Fan simply wore the coarse clothes and hats. , along with Lu Lingxi, went in from the front door openly.
The two were stopped by the guards at the door, Tang Fan took off his hat, but the other party still recognized Tang Fan's appearance, and stammered when he saw this: "Big, sir?!"
Not only him, but also the secret whistleblowers who were watching outside the official post were shocked. No one knew how Tang Fan and Lu Lingxi slipped away under their noses, and where did they come back from.
Tang Fan smiled at the soldiers at the official post: "It's me, why, not allowed in?"
The soldier quickly stepped aside: "No no no, please, please!"
Watching Tang Fan and the two go in, the guard scratched his head and wondered where the song came from. Could it be that the big man has some eccentricities, and a good official is inappropriate, and he ran out in the clothes of the common people. If he can also be an official, Be sure to wear the official robe for a lifetime, and sleep without taking it off to be considered enjoyable!
Back at the official post, Qian San'er came over to report: "Sir, Yang Ji hasn't woken up yet, and neither Zeng Pei nor Wu Zong has gone out."
Tang Fan asked, "What about Hu Wenzao, has he been here before?"
Qian San'er: "No."
Tang Fan secretly sneered, this Hu Wenzao, he didn't even know that he was dying.
He didn't talk nonsense either: "Help me change, I'm going out."
Qian San'er hurriedly said: "You haven't slept all night, where are you going, or should you take a break and talk about it?"
Tang Fan shook his head: "It's too late, it's a pity, those people will definitely report to Chen Luan about our going out, maybe they will do something to Hu Wenzao, I want to win over this person as soon as possible."
He took the hot water sent by Qian San'er, washed the makeup off his face, restored his original appearance, put on his normal clothes, and went out.
Now that Lu Lingxi has seen Tang Fan's appearance, he can stay awake when he is on business, sighed in his heart, and hurriedly followed behind.
The two went to the prefect's yamen. It was early in the morning, and today was Hu Wenzao. Hu Wenzao was still sleeping in the back hall of the yamen.
Tang Fan didn't wait for anyone to report this time, he took out the imperial envoy's badge, rushed in under the guard of Lu Lingxi, and went straight into the back hall.
Hu Wenzao was sleeping soundly when a woman's scream came from beside him. In a daze, he sounded a bit familiar, as if it was the voice of his concubine.
He moved his eyelids, tried his best to open a gap, and saw that there was a person standing beside his bed.
Hu Wenzao thought that someone who didn't have long eyes came to disturb his sleep. He didn't even open his eyes, so he scolded vaguely: "Who dares to break in, and don't get out of this house!"
"Hu Zhifu's life is really moist, even Tang must be ashamed!" Instead of being frightened away, the other party made fun of it.
this sound...
Hu Wenzao felt inexplicably familiar.
Until his concubine followed and yelled angrily: "You disciple, didn't you hear what the adults said, let you get out!"
Hu Wenzao was jolted and crawled up from the bed. After seeing the person in front of the bed, he was completely awake.
"Tang, Censor Tang!" Hu Wenzao's face was flustered, mixed with anger and embarrassment, "How could you trespass without the master's consent!"
Tang Fan didn't speak, just looked at him calmly until Hu Wenzao looked away in a guilty conscience.
After a while, Hu Wenzao remembered that he was on the same level as the other party, so he didn't need to be so afraid.
Tang Fan put his hands together and said, "I'm here to save your life, Hu Zhifu."
Hu Wenzao was stunned: "I also ask Tang Yushi not to be alarmist, why is my life in danger!"
Tang Fan laughed, meaning unclear: "Drag out all the idle people and others."
This sentence was said to Lu Lingxi, and it was thoroughly implemented.
Together with the unkempt concubine, Lu Lingxi dragged her off the bed and pushed her out the door.
During the whole process, Hu Wenzao could only shout in vain, "What do you want to do, what do you want to do?"
As if Lu Lingxi had never heard of it, after doing all this, he closed the door thoughtfully and stood outside the door. No one could enter until Tang Fan came out.
"Okay, it's quiet now, we can sit down and talk about business." Tang Fan sat down on the teacher's chair.
Talking about serious business, he didn't even put on his clothes, what serious business could he talk about! Hu Wenzao complained fiercely in his heart, and of course his face didn't look good.
Anyone who slept well and was disturbed by someone breaking in would probably not have a better look.
"I don't know what Yushi Tang wants to talk about?" he said coldly.
Tang Fan said: "I was ordered to go south to inspect the famine in Wujiang last year. As the prefect of Suzhou, you avoided seeing it. Not only did you not report to me, but you also neglected a lot. If I report truthfully to the court, what do you think you will do? as a result of?"
Hu Wenzao was unmoved: "The government has already allocated the food on time, and other matters are the responsibility of the magistrate of Wujiang. Why don't the imperial censor of Tang ask him?"
His attitude of shirking his responsibilities is common, but when Yang Ji and Chen Luan are working together to harass him, it seems stupid.
Tang Fan laughed: "I went to Wujiang County yesterday to inspect, do you know what Chen Zhixian told me?"
Hu Wenzao did not answer.
Tang Fan didn't take it seriously, and continued: "Chen Zhixian first took me to see the shantang in the city. He arranged it well, and the victims were also properly accommodated. The only fly in the ointment was that the food supply to the victims was insufficient. For three days, the county warehouse was empty, but Chen Zhixian did not shirk. He planned to raise grain from wealthy businessmen in the county to help the victims get through the difficulties. However, Chen Zhixian also told me that the reason why the food was used for disaster relief was It's not enough, because Suzhou Prefecture only allocated 30 Shishi of grain to Wujiang."
Hu Wenzao's eyes widened instantly.
Tang Fan's eyes swept across his face without a trace: "You don't believe it, and I don't believe it either, but Chen Zhixian showed me the grain book, and it did clearly write thirty stone on it. He also said that if It's not that your Suzhou government only allocated such a small amount of food, which would have been enough for disaster relief."
"Fart!" Hu Wenzao couldn't bear it any longer. He patted the table and stood up. If he didn't speak again, he probably wouldn't know how he died. "Yushi Tang, thirty shi of grain is not enough even for an unqualified official's salary for a year, how could I do such a thing! The grain allocated by the Suzhou government at that time was obviously three thousand shi!"
Tang Fan asked indifferently, "He has the food certificate, what do you have?"
Hu Wenzao said angrily: "I also have a grain register! When the grain is allocated, it will naturally be registered!"
Tang Fan: "What about the grain book?"
Hu Wenzao said loudly, "Someone! Somebody!"
Tang Fan "kindly" reminded: "Hu Zhifu, although the weather is hot now, it seems indecent to meet guests in single clothes?"
Only then did Hu Wenzao realize that his clothes were not properly dressed, so he quickly put on his coat and put on his shoes and socks in annoyance and embarrassment. He didn't know how many times he had cursed both Tang Fan and Chen Luan.
A servant came in outside: "Master, are you looking for a little one?"
Hu Wenzao said: "Let Liao Tongjuan bring the grain book!"
The next person walked away.
It took a while to get people, and taking advantage of this gap, Tang Fan asked, "After returning from Wu County, I went back in private in disguise, and found that there were many disaster victims outside the west of the city. , the plague is rampant, presumably you should know what's going on?"
Hu Wenzao insisted: "Xiaguan does not know what the adults are talking about."
Tang Fan wasn't angry either: "If you don't say it now, if you want to say it later, I might not want to hear it."
Hu Wenzao still did not speak.
There was an eerie silence in the room.
After a while, Liao Tongjuan hurried over: "Master Fu Zun!"
He glanced at Tang Fan, and he was there when Hu Wenzao brought people out to greet him that day, so he naturally recognized Tang Fan: "Meet Tang Yushi!"
Tang Fan nodded slightly and didn't say anything, but Hu Wenzao couldn't wait: "Where's the grain book, did you bring it?"
Liao Tongjuan hurriedly said: "I brought it, but there are a lot of them, and they are still outside. Do you want to see...?"
Hu Wenzao: "Stop talking nonsense, this government asks you, whether there was a famine in Wujiang last year, has the grain register allocated to Wujiang by Suzhou government been registered!"
Liao Tongjuan: "Yes, yes! Do you want to watch that part?"
Hu Wenzao: "Find it out!"
Liao Tongjuan: "Wait a minute, two adults, the lower officials go and find out!"
He transported all the grain rolls from Suzhou Prefecture this year by car. These grain rolls were arranged according to time and region and were easy to find. It didn't take long for Liao Tongjuan to send in the grain rolls that Hu Wenzao needed.
"This is the grain book related to Wujiang last year, please read it." He turned to one of the pages and handed it to Hu Wenzao with both hands.
Hu Wenzao almost robbed it, grabbed the booklet, swept his gaze from top to bottom, and suddenly froze.
"Here, what, what, what, what?!" He raised his head in shock and anger, his eyes almost swallowing Liao Tongjuan.
Liao Tongjue leaned over to look at it for unknown reasons, and said with sincerity, "Sir, I don't know what's wrong here?"
Hu Wenzao roared: "It's three thousand stones, how could it be thirty stones?! Where did the remaining two thousand nine hundred and seventy stones go! Did you eat them! Ah?!"
Liao Tongjue was trembling: "I've been wronged by a lower official, my lord, you will clearly order thirty stones, where did you get the three thousand stones?"
Hu Wenzao was about to go crazy: "The grain storage in the granary of Suzhou Prefecture last year totaled 5,000 shi, and if 3,000 were allocated, there would be 2,000 left. Go see it now, if you don’t have more than four thousand stones, you will just wait to leave the head and the black shawl together!”
Liao Tongjue looked at Hu Wenzao as if he was looking at a lunatic: "Sir, are you mistaken? The grain storage in Suzhou Prefecture's granary last year was 1530 shi. Among them, 15,000 shi has been escorted to Nanjing. , turned it over to the imperial court, and the remaining 30 shi has also been allocated to Wujiang, and now the granary of Suzhou House has no grain, where did the 2,000 shi come from?"
Hu Wenzao stared at him, his chest heaving up and down: "I want to see it myself, and also, take out the grain book!"
Liao Tongjuan brought Hu Wenzao and Tang Fan to the granary of the prefecture, and ordered someone to open the door of the granary.
As soon as the door was opened, Hu Wenzao pushed the crowd away frantically and ran in.
The walls are clean, and there is not even a grain of food on the ground. It really is an empty warehouse.
Hu Wenzao shouted and snatched the grain book that Liao Tongjuan handed over. Sure enough, what was written on it was exactly the same as what Liao Tongjuan said before.
Hu Wenzao stared blankly, he definitely didn't think that he had lost his mind, or that his memory had gone wrong.
Chen Luan!
Chen Luan! !
Chen Luan! ! !
The name was circling frantically in his heart, almost swallowing the whole person.
Hu Wenzao slowly raised his head and stared at Liao Tongjuan fiercely.
Those deep and deep eyes made Liao Tongjuan subconsciously take two steps back.
"Liao Shouchang, you are really good!" Every word with deep resentment spit out from Hu Wenzao's mouth. His eyes were red, as if he was about to rush to die with the other party.
Liao Tongjuan forced a smile and said, "Xiaguan doesn't know what the adults are talking about."
Tang Fan wanted to laugh when he heard this.
Not long ago, Hu Wenzao used this sentence to block him, and now it is the turn of others to use his own way and do him a favor.
It's really turning around.
He did indeed laugh.
This smile made Hu Wenzao seem to be suddenly touched. He was shocked, he recovered, and looked at Tang Fan with unprecedented longing and urgency.
"Brother Runqing, can you talk about it in detail?"
The other party was in a hurry, but Tang Fan was not in a hurry.
He put his hands behind his back and said leisurely: "What are we talking about, what else can we talk about, don't you know what I'm talking about?"
Hu Wenzao's face turned blue and white: "Before, I had eyes but didn't know Mount Tai, and I asked Brother Runqing not to care about me as much. My little brother really has something urgent to tell me, so please ask Brother Runqing to give me a moment! "
Tang Fan pretended to think about it, glanced at the restless expression of Liao Tongjuan's eyes, and winked at Lu Lingxi.
Lu Lingxi understood, walked directly behind Liao Tongjing, and pinched the back of the other's neck with lightning speed.
Liao Tongjuan immediately fell down softly, and Lu Lingxi groaned: "Sir, what's the matter with you, is the granary breathless and stuffy, I'll help you out to rest!"
After saying that, without waiting for anyone to stop him, he picked him up and walked out, not knowing where to take him.
Hu Wenzao finally didn't feel dizzy, he also reacted and called out to his cronies: "Come here, control this place, and all the people will take it down!"
After doing all this, he turned to Tang Fan, with a hint of pleading: "Sir?"
Tang Fan finally nodded slightly.
The two returned to the back hall of the prefect yamen.
The place is still the same place, and the people are still the same people, but the state of mind is not the same.
If it was said that Tang Fan wanted to pry open Hu Wenzao's mouth before, now the positions of active and passive have been reversed.
Tang Fan didn't give him much time to adjust and think: "After all, I don't have much patience."
Hu Wenzao was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath: "All this is Chen Luan's conspiracy."
The author has something to say:
small theater:
The author's righteous words: A really handsome male god does not need the foil of another man behind him.
Suizhou slowly pulled out the embroidered spring knife...
After the cold...
Author died.
The full text is complete.
Wang Zhi: =Dish=Dammit I haven't played enough yet!