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Chapter 529 Heart Turns to the Purification Bureau

The prefect once used the City God's golden seal to try and "control" the young Champa law chief.

Xu Yuan then used the Lingxiao incident to give the prefect a good beating.

Afterwards, the prefect was supposed to be dismissed, but he spent 100,000 taels of silver and actively bribed officials at all levels to keep his official position.

After that, the prefect became a coward in the yamen.

He couldn't handle Xu Yuan of the Purification Division, and Miao Yu and Zhu Zhanmei of the Mountain and River Division had too much influence; he didn't dare to mess with them.

Then just focus on making money.

The area around Jiaozhi was actually incredibly wealthy.

However, the officials in Zhengzhou are not yet fully aware of the true situation.

Therefore, 100,000 taels of silver could secure a position as prefect.

If they find out the truth... it will cost at least 300,000 taels.

In Zhengzhou, there has been a saying for many years: "When Hubei and Hunan are prosperous, the whole country is well-fed."

But how high is the yield per mu in Huguang? It's incomparable to that of Jiaozhi.

In Jiaozhi, there are three or even four harvests a year!
In addition, there are numerous mineral deposits here, including iron, copper, and gold.

It is also rich in pearls and gemstones.

Therefore, the prefect is very wealthy.

He had four concubines in the city...

When Xu Yuan heard the number, his eyes widened in surprise.

Coincidentally, Dafu, who was squatting next to him, also had his eyes wide open.

Wenxiu's staff just said that the prefect spends half of the thirty days of the month at his mistress's place—Master Xu thought he was too fond of his mistress.

It turns out that the fifteen days were to be divided among four people...

Is Your Excellency a man of both literary and martial talents, and possessing a robust physique?

After Wenxiu's advisor gave a brief explanation of the situation, he repeatedly bowed to Lord Xu and said urgently, "Please, Your Excellency, set out immediately to search for the Prefect!"
This is an official appointed by the imperial court, the head of a prefecture. If he can't be found, there will be a major disaster!

Xu Yuan remained unmoved, glancing sideways at his advisor: "You're unwilling to explain the situation to me clearly, how am I supposed to investigate the case?"

"This..." Wenxiu's advisors did indeed deliberately conceal many things—for the sake of the prefect's reputation.

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "If you still don't want to talk, then go back. I can't take this case!"

"Enough!" Wenxiu's advisor stamped his foot. "Sir, please ask whatever you wish to know."

"First of all, what is the background of this mistress, and how did she come to be with the prefect?"

Wenxiu's advisor coughed before saying, "That mistress's name is Yao Yuehua."

Her original husband's family name was Liu, and they were in the ironware business.

Later, he got into a dispute with someone at the market and accidentally killed the person, which led to a lawsuit.

The case escalated, and in the end, the prefect himself made the final decision.

Xu Yuan understood immediately: Chu Sheng!

They disowned the husband's family and stole his wife...

"The husband's family compensated the victim with 15,000 taels of silver, and the victim finally dropped the lawsuit."

"Even if my husband's family sold everything they owned, they couldn't raise that much money, so..." Wenxiu's advisor's face flushed slightly, and he coughed twice before saying, "So I stepped in and bought Yao Yuehua for 1,200 taels of silver."

Three months later, Yao Yuehua moved into the current courtyard and became the prefect's mistress.

Wenxiu was, after all, a scholar.

These sordid things, once done behind closed doors, are simply forgotten.

He felt a little embarrassed to bring it up in front of others, especially to say it himself.

Xu Yuan frowned and thought for a moment before asking again, "Has Yao Yuehua... resigned herself to her fate?"

Almost all women in this world would accept their fate in such a situation.

Follow the prefect obediently.

More than 60% of them would secretly rejoice.

Her original husband was just a small merchant; how could he compare to the head of a household?
Even if they were given the choice, they would not hesitate to become the prefect's concubine rather than marry a small merchant.

But now that a case has been filed, the suspect must be identified.

Both her original husband's family and this Yao Yuehua had motives.

After all, it was the prefect who caused their family to be destroyed and their husbands and wives to be separated.

Wenxiu's advisor looked somewhat embarrassed and stammered.

Xu Yuan shouted, "Don't hide anything! Any detail could be a key clue to solving the case!"

Hearing him say that, Wenxiu's advisor gritted his teeth and said, "That Yao Yuehua... is a smart woman."

On the surface, he seemed unwilling, but in reality, he had probably already resigned himself to his fate.

Xu Yuan was completely confused and became increasingly dissatisfied: "Explain yourself clearly!"

“Well…” Wenxiu sighed, “Let me start from the beginning.”

Before moving into this courtyard, Yao Yuehua had no idea who had bought her.

The prefect was also afraid that if word got out, his reputation would be ruined, so he kept it a secret.

Yao Yuehua moved in, and that very night the prefect went to see her. Upon seeing the prefect, Yao Yuehua angrily refused to comply, so the prefect... used force.

"After that, every time they met, Yao Yuehua would act like a chaste and virtuous woman, vowing to resist to the death, and then helplessly forced to submit—I judge that she actually realized that the prefect liked this kind of fun."

The prefect had four concubines, but the other three were far less favored than Yao Yuehua.

Xu Yuan was both amused and exasperated.

He secretly sighed that the prefect was truly a hypocrite, but he couldn't just believe whatever his advisor said.

He also said that this was his own judgment.

Xu Yuan then asked, "What about Yao Yuehua's husband's family?"

"After the case was closed, I returned to Zhengzhou, Guangdong Province."

Xu Yuan then stood up and said, "Let's go to the scene and take a look."

Xu Yuan wanted to send someone to Guangdong Province to see if her husband's family was still in their ancestral home.

However, traveling from Jiaozhi would take at least half a month round trip.

If a fast ship were hired, it would take five days to make a round trip, but the Exorcism Bureau doesn't have that much funding.

Wenxiu's advisors hurriedly led the way with several yamen runners.

On the way, Xu Yuan continued to ask, "Where do the prefect's household and his three concubines live?"

Wenxiu's staff immediately reported several locations.

Xu Yuan and the others arrived at the entrance of Yao Yuehua's courtyard.

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, thinking that the prefect's arrangement was ingenious.

The main house, plus four secondary houses, surrounds the prefectural government office, located in five different directions.

The distance is about two miles.

That's really impartial.

The courtyard in front of Yao Yuehua is a fairly new two-courtyard house.

The courtyard gate was closed.

The door gods above are intact.

Wen Xiu's advisor stepped forward and whispered to Xu Yuan, "When we first came here, the courtyard gate was open."

He waved his hand, and a servant stepped forward and pushed open the courtyard gate, wide enough for one person to enter.

"Sir, that's about it."

Xu Yuan nodded, and then the guards opened all the courtyard gates, and everyone went in one after another.

Xu Yuan turned around.

Just as Wenxiu's advisors said, everything in the courtyard was neat and tidy, with no signs of fighting and nothing had been ransacked.

Yao Yuehua lived in the main room, and her jewelry was kept in a small drawer of the dressing table next to her bed.

The prefect did indeed dote on her; most of these ornaments were made of gold and adorned with pearls and jade.

Any one of these items costs several hundred taels of silver.

None of these were lost.

That was clearly not something obtained for financial gain.

Don't assume that the motives behind bizarre cases aren't for personal gain. Some gamblers and debt collectors really do kill people for gold and silver.

Xu Yuan raised his hand and called Yu Yunhang over: "Have the brothers ask around the area if they heard anything the night before last?"

"Yes."

Just as Yu Yunhang was about to leave, Xu Yuan stopped him again: "Tell everyone to be kind and not to scare the neighbors."

Yu Yunhang laughed and said, "There's no need for you to remind us again, sir. Moreover, since you came to Champa, our reputation in Champa has greatly improved. Now the people are not afraid of us anymore, we can't scare them."

Xu Yuan smiled, feeling as sweet as if he had drunk honey.

Xu Yuan truly felt that Yu Yunhang's statement that "the people are no longer afraid of us" was his greatest achievement since he moved into Champa!

It sounds simple, but throughout history, how many local officials on this land have actually been able to do it?

There are many people in this world who are obsequious to those in power when they are being controlled, but curse those in power behind their backs.

But as soon as they have the chance to wield even a little power, they will immediately put on airs and deliberately use their pitiful power to make things difficult for others!

"Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you" is not a very high moral standard, but not many people can actually do it.

Xu Yuan waited in Yao Yuehua's courtyard.

Just as Yu Yunhang went out, footsteps approached, and three people quickly walked in.

"Mr. Bai," the leader of the three, dressed in the black official robes of the chief constable, asked Wen Xiu's advisor as soon as he entered, "Any progress?"

Mr. Bai glanced at Xu Yuan and shook his head, saying, "Officer Zhang, not yet."

For the past two days, Constable Zhang has been investigating and searching for the whereabouts of the Prefect.

The chief constable of the prefectural government was, well, just a figurehead.

They were even less capable than the head constables in the county towns below.

In this day and age, almost every case involves some kind of evil spirit.

Even a junior constable in the county can assist the county officials in handling cases.

Because county officials often lacked manpower.

However, in this prefectural city, there are no more than ten cases a year that do not involve evil spirits at all.

Although Officer Zhang was talking to Mr. Bai, his eyes were fixed intently on Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan remained calm.

The prefect has disappeared, and the chief constable is most likely the one in charge of searching for him in the prefectural government office.

It was to be expected that when he couldn't find it, Mr. Bai would come to him for help, and that Constable Zhang would be dissatisfied or even hostile.

Mr. Bai said calmly, "Officer Zhang, this is the renowned Chief Lawyer Xu Yuan of the Exorcism Division."

Constable Zhang immediately stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and knelt on one knee: "Zhang Meng greets Lord Xu."

Xu Yuan was somewhat confused. This posture... why did it feel like she was extremely excited to see him?
It didn't seem like he was hostile towards the official for taking his case.

Mr. Bai stood coldly to the side, not saying another word.

Xu Yuan helped Zhang Meng up, saying, "Chief Constable, there's no need for such a grand gesture. You are not under my command." Zhang Meng stood up and said, "I have long admired Lord Xu's reputation. Since you came to our Champa, these evil spirits inside and outside the city have dared not cause any trouble!"

They were all awed by Lord Xu's formidable reputation!

"I wonder if I will have the honor of serving by your side this time, sir, and offering my humble assistance, and also request your guidance?"

Xu Yuan was even more confused.

Zhang Meng spoke with great sincerity, appearing eager to learn crime-solving skills from me.

"Hmph!" Mr. Bai couldn't stand it any longer and sneered, "Officer Zhang, the prefect's fate is unknown, and you can't wait to try and climb the social ladder?"

Zhang Meng frankly stated, "I've searched for two days, but haven't found a single clue. If anyone in Champa can rescue the Prefect, it can only be Lord Xu!"

Xu Yuan was unsure whether their argument involved infighting within the prefectural government, so he remained silent to avoid being taken advantage of.

Mr. Bai sneered: "With your meager skills, Lord Xu might not even think much of you!"

Xu Yuan couldn't help but activate "Looking at Fate" and glance at Zhang Meng.

This gave Xu Yuan a pleasant surprise.

Zhang Meng's fate is blue, but he has a special destiny:

It remained silent for three years.

After three years of silence, he suddenly makes a stunning debut!
Zhang Meng looked at Xu Yuan expectantly, awaiting his reply.

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then asked, "How long have you been the chief constable?"

Zhang Meng thought for a moment and said, "It's been three years and two months."

Xu Yuan nodded: "Alright, you'll be working with me on this case. You understand the case and you know the prefect, so you might be of use."

"Thank you, sir!" Zhang Meng was overjoyed and was about to kneel down again with his fists clasped.

Xu Yuan grabbed him.

Mr. Bai snorted disdainfully, already branding Zhang Meng in his mind as a "scoundrel" and a "traitor."

A while later, Yu Yunhang returned.

“I asked the surrounding residents, and they said they hadn’t heard anything.”

Zhang Meng also said, "I have asked around, but I haven't found any useful clues."

Xu Yuan nodded and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go back to the yamen first."

Mr. Bai did not go back with them, as there were still many things to deal with at the prefectural government office.

I've been busy looking for people these past two days.

After Mr. Bai left, Zhang Meng said, "Sir, when the Prefect first disappeared, I felt that it was the work of evil spirits and suggested that we seek help directly from the Exorcism Bureau, but Mr. Bai suppressed my suggestion."

Yesterday evening, I again suggested this to Mr. Bai, and he only reluctantly agreed after realizing he couldn't find the prefect.

Xu Yuan suddenly realized why Mr. Bai had been so hesitant and reluctant to explain Yao Yuehua's situation this morning.

Yu Yunhang, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but ask, "Does Officer Zhang mean that this Mr. Bai... is not right?"

Zhang Meng shook his head: "I don't know. Mr. Bai may just want to protect the prefect."

Mr. Bai is the prefect's advisor, so he should consider issues from the prefect's perspective.

This case was reported to the Bureau of Purification, and it's not just a simple matter of forcibly taking another man's wife as a mistress and ruining his reputation.

Disappearing because of lust and neglecting official duties will result in losing one's job.

Last time it was settled for 100,000 taels of silver, this time it will probably take at least 300,000 taels!
Xu Yuan instructed Zhang Meng: "Don't overlook any suspicious points. Go back to the prefect's office and find out if there's been any problem with Mr. Bai's relationship with the prefect recently."

"Yes!" Zhang Meng immediately led his men there.

Xu Yuan then beckoned to Yun Hang: "Go and investigate this Zhang Meng."

"Yes!"

As for what exactly to investigate, Lord Xu did not specify.

Only after Yunhang finished his investigation could Xu Yuan determine whether Zhang Meng was a suitable candidate.

Xu Yuan coveted Zhang Meng's destiny.

For those who cultivate destiny, the more people with similar destiny gathered around them, the better.

The more you practice, the faster you progress.

But you can't keep a spy around.

Upon returning to the Exorcism Bureau, Jia Yi, holding several documents, said to Xu Yuan, "Sir, there have been several disappearances in the city these past few days."

Xu Yuan took them and looked at them one by one.

These cases are scattered throughout the city.

The missing people came from various backgrounds, including a porter from the south city, a clerk from the north city, a coachman from the west city, and so on.

Nine people in total.

Jia Yi said, "When Mr. Bai came to report the case this morning, I remembered that someone had come to the yamen yesterday to report that her husband had gone missing."

So while you were at Yao Yuehua's, I gathered and summarized all the recent cases.

Jia Yi is meticulous and steady.

However, he was not valued by Lord Xu.

Speaking of the earliest group of inspectors who followed Lord Xu, Jia Yi was undoubtedly the worst off.

Despite being scolded by the officials all the time, everyone in the yamen knows that Qin's relationship with the officials is closer than Jia Yi's.

Jia Yi didn't blame Lord Xu; he only blamed himself for a momentary lapse in judgment.

But Jia Yi also wanted to improve himself.

He's been putting in a lot of effort lately, wanting to make a name for himself, and today he finally got his chance.

However, Jia Yi could not be certain whether these disappearances and the prefect's disappearance were committed by the same person.

Xu Yuan was still looking through the documents when Di Youzhi came in from outside. He didn't give Jia Yi any face at all: "Can the Prefect be compared to these people?"

Even if the prefect were to sleep with a woman, he would have two seventh-rate bodyguards, and the prefect himself was only a sixth-rate scholar!
"These missing persons cases you've brought up, let alone in Champa, every single place in the entire Huangming Dynasty, every single night there are several of them!"

Jia Yi blushed when he was rebuked, and he really couldn't refute it.

Maybe I was just too eager to show off?
In a world rife with evil spirits, it is true that people often disappear.

Moreover, even if these cases are reported to the Exorcism Bureau, more than 70% of them cannot be solved.

Because most of these people were eaten by evil spirits hiding in the shadows.

Evil spirits cause great harm to people.

The population of the Ming Dynasty was able to remain stable mainly because of its high birth rate.

With fewer children in the family, they might all be killed by evil spirits before the age of ten.

Therefore, the people of Huangming, whether rich or poor, continued to have children.

Xu Yuan had finished reading the document and returned it to Jia Yi, saying, "Old Di has a point. But since you think there might be a connection, then go and find the evidence."

If you can find it, I'll allow you to continue investigating along this route.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Jia Yi was somewhat discouraged, but then he thought that the adults had not completely rejected him, so he accepted the document and went to do so.

Di Youzhi looked unconvinced: "Stubborn!"

……

Two hours later, Yu Yunhang returned first.

"My lord, this Zhang Meng is truly loyal to my Exorcism Division!"

Xu Yuan asked with a smile, "What do you mean?"

"I went to the prefectural government office to inquire, and this Zhang Meng was a county official in Gujue County three years ago."

At that time, the prefect had just taken office and went down to inspect Gujue County. At night, he was disturbed by an evil spirit. Because it was the middle of the night, the guards accompanying him did not dare to take action.

As a result, Zhang Meng displayed extraordinary prowess, rushing out on the spot and subduing the evil spirit, thus earning the appreciation of the prefect.

At this point, Yu Yunhang couldn't help but laugh: "The prefect wanted to reward him on the spot and asked him what he wanted. My lord, guess what Zhang Meng asked for?"

"any request?"

"He actually told the prefect that his lifelong dream was to join the Exorcism Bureau, hahaha!"

Xu Yuan couldn't help but smile.

"The prefect was somewhat embarrassed at the time, but he still promoted him to chief constable of Champa.

But this guy, once he entered the government office, lamented all day long that he had no place to use his talents.

He tried every means to build connections, hoping to get someone to recommend him for the Exorcism Division!
Therefore, no one in the government office liked him; they felt he wasn't on their side.

Hearing this, Xu Yuan couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Just as they were laughing, Zhang Meng rushed in excitedly, shouting as he ran, "Sir, sir, I've found a clue!"

"Oh? Say it quickly!"

“Mr. Bai seems to have fallen out of favor in recent months,” Zhang Meng said. “The other day, there was that incident of evil spirits appearing at the entrance of the government office… Oh, you must remember, sir. It was you who handled it personally.”

It is said that it was because of Mr. Bai's suggestion to the prefect that the prefect was put in an awkward position.

So after that, the prefect became somewhat distant from Mr. Bai and instead trusted another Mr. Wu more.

You think it might be because of…

Zhang Meng didn't continue.

Xu Yuan and Yu Yunhang exchanged a glance: Is this the root of the problem?
It was Mr. Bai who came up with the terrible idea that led the prefect to confiscate the City God's golden seal.
Xu Yuan was pondering whether to investigate this Mr. Bai first when a figure flashed at the door, and Jia Yi rushed in: "Sir!"

He approached Xu Yuan and laid out a case file: "Please take a look, sir!"

“This case…” Xu Yuan frowned after reading it: “It is extremely similar to the one involving the prefect!”

This case involves a family of five in the south of the city. The couple made a living by selling breakfast and had three children.

Three days ago, a neighbor reported to the police that he had passed by the house in the morning and saw that the gate was half open. He was curious and called out to the house, but no one responded. When he went inside, the whole family was gone!

The same was true at home; all the valuables were there, and there were no signs of struggle or fighting!
Two leads suddenly appeared in a case that originally had no clues!

Xu Yuan patted Jia Yi on the shoulder: "Well done."

Jia Yi's face was flushed with excitement.

"Let's go check this one out first."

Fu Jingyu has already led a team to investigate this missing person case, but they have found nothing.

The case occurred a day earlier, and just like Yao Yuehua's case, the neighbors didn't hear any noise at night.

Xu Yuan arrived at the South City patrol post and called Fu Jingyu to go to the scene together.

After checking again, we still found nothing.

Xu Yuan frowned and beckoned Zhang Meng over: "I remember you said that as soon as the prefect disappeared, you felt it was a mysterious case. Why do you have this feeling?"

Zhang Meng pointed to his nose and said, "I can smell it."

"My nose has always been very sensitive since I was a child. When I was little, I used to have a contest with my dog, Huang Hu. Oh, Huang Hu was my pet dog. I would hide a small piece of rock candy from Huang Hu, and I would always find it before he did!"

So, I knew from a young age that I was born to be a purifier!

The people around couldn't help but laugh.

Xu Yuan asked, "What do you smell?"

"Well..." Zhang Meng tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Sir, do you know that people burn paper money when someone dies? Do you know what the burned paper money smells like?"

Lang Xiaoba asked curiously, "What kind of smell can burned paper money have? It smells burnt."

Zhang Meng shook his head: "No, it's a kind of silver that tastes like silver, but not entirely like silver... it also has a hint of evil."

Xu Yuan's heart skipped a beat: Ghost Silver?!
(End of this chapter)