Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 157 I've Got You! (Third Update)
The capital city, being the seat of the emperor and the most important place, has always had officials similar to constables in various dynasties.

In addition to the police officers, the Ming Dynasty also had "ward chiefs" and their subordinate errand runners, who were dispatched by the Shuntian Prefecture from local households to be responsible for household registration verification and tax collection. They were required to visit various streets and alleys regularly, somewhat like the neighborhood committees of later generations.

Haiyue summoned the head of the ward in Xuanbeifang.

In the capital, social hierarchy was strict. The ward head quickly arrived, and upon hearing the question, his expression changed, clearly unwilling to answer. However, observing the demeanor of Haiyue and the other two, he finally replied in a low voice, "For the past few years, Commandant Lu Yuan has been in charge of this area..."

The lowest-ranking members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were the strongmen and captains. The strongmen had no formal rank and were responsible for physical labor such as ceremonial guards and carrying things. The captains were below the seventh rank and were responsible for basic tasks such as arresting criminals and patrolling. Although they sounded like they were of different ranks, they were often addressed as equals.

Because basically, those who can join the Embroidered Uniform Guard start as captains, which is a military officer.

This is also the prestige of the imperial exclusive institution. The lowest level inside are all military officers. How could they not be awe-inspiring when they went out?
Even in the capital, it was precisely because of the emperor's authority that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was even more powerful. Whenever they were mobilized, everyone from imperial relatives to wealthy merchants trembled in fear, let alone a mere neighborhood head.

Therefore, all this person provided was a name and a general appearance: surname Lu, given name Yuan, around forty years old, with a long face, flat nose, and tall and thin build.

Yan Shifan asked impatiently, "When does he usually patrol the streets?"

The head of the neighborhood replied in a low voice, "I don't know."

Where does he frequent?

"I don't know, little one."

Yan Shifan was about to ask another question when Haiyue stopped him and whispered, "Go and invite Lu Wenfu and Yu Zhifu."

Once the decision to capture the Embroidered Uniform Guards was made, it was necessary to inform Lu Bing. Only Lu Bing was notified to come, so there was no need to worry about alerting the enemy.

To capture members of the secret society, even though Haiyue herself is skilled in martial arts, it would be safer to have Yu Dayou and Lu Bing present, which would leave the thieves with no room to resist.

"it is good!"

Yan Shifan dared not delay and left in a hurry.

Knowing he was a suspect and unsure how to resolve the Baihua Wine affair, Zhao Wenhua could only stand by obediently.

While waiting, Haiyue didn't sit idle. She said to the clerk Panzi, "Tell me about your interactions with Zhou Shi'an over the years. Tell me about anything, big or small."

The clerk responded and began to recount his memories: "I've only been in the Ministry of Justice for less than five years. Back then, Old Master Zhou... Zhou Shi'an's health was failing, but everyone respected him. Even though he would tell everyone, 'I'm just a copyist, I'm far from deserving the title of Master Iron Pen,' he was so meticulous that he could spot even a single mistake in the case files..."

"Zhou Shi'an enjoyed drinking tea in his spare time, but because his family was poor, he couldn't afford good tea. The tea he drank was bitter and astringent. Once, I secretly tasted it and spat it out. But he said that the tea was bitter like a law..."

"Oh, I've heard that whenever Zhou Shi'an sees a wrongful conviction, he secretly writes down 'Where is justice?' and slips it into the folds of his documents. I wonder if it's true or not..."

The clerk hesitated at first, because it was clear that Zhou Shi'an had committed a crime. Although he heard from the leader that he would not implicate innocent people like the Embroidered Uniform Guard, how could he be sure about the situation?

But he was still young and not very shrewd, and as he spoke, he revealed a lot of his true feelings.

Zhao Wenhua lost interest after listening for a while, looking dazed and worried about his situation.

Haiyue listened patiently, her eyes flickering slightly.

"Mingwei!" "The leader!"

In less than half an hour, Lu Bing and Yu Dayou arrived.

Haiyue recounted the process of following the clues, concluding with, "At this stage, it's purely suspicion..."

A sharp glint flashed in Lu Bing's eyes, and without the slightest hesitation, he said, "Take it!"

Let alone a mere captain, even a commander of a thousand men, who is a garrison commander, would arrest people first and then clear them of suspicion when it comes to matters involving secret societies.

Lu Bing can make this decision, and he must make it!
Haiyue said in a deep voice, "Wenfu, you arrange how to apprehend them!"

Lu Bing, though young, had been in the Embroidered Uniform Guard for almost ten years and was undoubtedly an expert in this field. He immediately said, "For a low-ranking captain, the monthly salary is not enough to make a living, but being a detective is a lucrative job. They can extort money from shops and demand bribes..."

To outsiders, a captain is a military officer, but in any prestigious organization, the situation of the lower-ranking members is never good. A captain's monthly salary is only five shi of rice, and his annual salary is only thirty taels of silver, which is often delayed. To make a living, one has to rely on illicit income, such as accepting bribes, extorting merchants, participating in city gate tax collection, and intercepting stolen goods during raids.

Based on this, Lu Bing looked at the shops in Xuanbei Ward again, his mind clear: "No one knows Lu Yuan's behavior and personal preferences better than the people in those shops. We can get the basic information from them and then carry out the arrest. We must capture him alive!"

Haiyue suggested: "When facing Lu Yuan, don't say that it was because of Zhou Shi'an, the old official of the Ministry of Justice, who exposed it. Instead, link his leak to the Yunyin Society, who is imprisoned in the imperial prison!"

"good idea!"

Lu Bing's eyes lit up, and he nodded emphatically: "Let's do it!"

……

The warm sunlight slanted into the second floor of the teahouse. Lu Yuan leaned against the carved window, the tender Longjing tea buds in his white porcelain teacup slowly unfurling.

Even if it's quite valuable to an ordinary person, he's willing to spend money to enjoy the tender buds before the rain in early spring.

Life is all about enjoying it to the fullest, isn't it? He may have many flaws, but his love for food and drink is undeniable! "Master Lu, the tea and snacks are here."

The waiter gently placed the plate down. Lu Yuan looked at the pine nut cake, picked up a piece with satisfaction, and put it in his mouth.

"Hmm—hmm?"

Just as he was enjoying the moment with his eyes half-closed, Lu Yuan's gaze suddenly sharpened, landing on a burly man sitting diagonally opposite him. His heart skipped a beat: 'Lu Bing?'

Within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, there should be no one who is unaware of his existence. After all, he came to the capital with the current emperor from the Prince of Xing's residence and received instruction from Commander Wang Zuo.

However, knowing that there is such a person in the Embroidered Uniform Guard is different from knowing what Lu Bing looks like.

Lu Yuan belongs to the latter category.

This was unusual for a low-ranking officer, so although he was shocked, he subtly looked away, as if he didn't recognize Lu Bing.

But the leisurely mood from before was completely gone. His muscles slowly tensed up, his hands ate pastries much faster, and his gaze kept scanning out the window.

'They're probably just passing by... Don't be nervous... I can't be nervous!'

Lu Yuan adjusted his breathing, trying to calm it down.

Following the case at the Princess's residence, the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrested several key criminals and imprisoned them in the Imperial Prison, where they were guarded by the most loyal and innocent personnel and interrogated day and night.

Outsiders might just think that these thieves were incredibly audacious to plot against members of the royal family, which is why the Imperial Guards were on high alert.

But Lu Yuan knew that it was probably not that simple.

What the Embroidered Uniform Guard is looking for is very likely...

"Damn it! Which bunch of idiots dared to cause such a commotion at the Princess's residence! Are they trying to rebel? They're asking for it, don't drag us down with them!"

Ever since learning the news, Lu Yuan has been living in fear. He often sleeps fully clothed at night with his sword hanging by his bedside. Even though reason tells him that the captured men probably don't know who he is, he still can't stop the wild thoughts in his mind.

Fortunately, several months had passed since the Princess's Mansion case, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had not launched a large-scale arrest operation. Only then could he relax and resume his former life.

Even so, when Lu Bing appeared, Lu Yuan still felt an instinctive unease. He quickened his pace in tasting the tea and snacks, and after finishing, he stood up and walked towards the stairs.

However, Lu Bing, who had just sat down not long ago, suddenly stood up as well.

Lu Yuan paused, instinctively turning his head to look at the other person.

A face with a half-smile came into view: "Manager Liu from the silk shop said that you usually spend at least half an hour sipping tea. Why are you in such a hurry today? Do you know that your companions have called you out?"

"Whoosh!"

Before the words had even finished, Lu Yuan's figure darted towards the stairwell like a hawk.

No distinction is made.

For a nobody like himself, the Imperial Guards would rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free; sophistry was pointless.

The only possible way to survive, or rather, the only way to avoid being tortured to death, is to escape.

However, upon reaching the stairwell, Lu Yuan was horrified to find a burly figure standing silently there, blocking his way. He felt a sudden darkness before his eyes as he crashed solidly into a wall of flesh, while the other person didn't even flinch before reaching out with both hands.

In just one exchange, Lu Yuan knew he was no match for this man. Without hesitation, he rolled over, his movements incredibly agile, and he spun back around. At the same time, a cold glint flashed in his left sleeve, and three darts shot toward Yu Dayou at the top of the stairs. He then drew a short blade hidden in his boot and slashed it straight at Lu Bing.

Sparks flew everywhere.

Lu Bing clearly hadn't expected this person to act so decisively. Before he could even draw his sword, he used the scabbard to block the short blade, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Excellent skill!"

Lu Yuan dared not respond. He leaped up again and rushed to the window, but Yu Dayou dodged the hidden weapon and caught up with him in a big stride.

Lu Yuan shifted his body to the side, dodging a blow to his back, but took the punch head-on. Without hesitation, he jumped down.

"Finally escaped... Ah!!"

However, another elegant figure stood below the teahouse. When he heard the sounds of fighting coming from above, he had already moved to the window and watched with amusement as Lu Yuan leaped into the air. A hand as strong as an iron hoop accurately gripped the other's neck as if taking something out of a bag.

Click!

With his jaw removed, even if there was a poison pill hidden in his mouth, he couldn't swallow it.

"Mingwei is mighty and powerful!"

Lu Bing leaned out of the window, burst into laughter upon seeing this, his voice filled with indescribable joy: "Finally! Got you!"

(End of this chapter)