Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 8 How can this be allowed? Why would a student need a gun?

Qiongzhou government office.

Haiyue walked into the execution room, followed closely by officers on both sides.

His body was a little tense, but there was no fear or panic on his face.

Procurator Shao Jing entered and sat down. He pressed his brows and looked over at me: "You are a young man, but you are quite calm."

Hai Yue gave a wry smile. "How could an ordinary person remain calm in the face of such an unprovoked disaster? However, as scholars like us, we have been educated by the sages and should uphold the rules of propriety. How could we be like those uneducated people, losing our composure and ranting, constantly complaining?"

"Ok!"

Shao Jing thought of the stubborn Annan people who refused to listen to his persuasion and insisted on staying at the academy. They were truly uncivilized barbarians. He nodded and asked again, "Hai Shisanlang, you are a suspect in this case but have no motive. I will give you a chance. Now, think carefully about the other people's interactions with Li Weining last night. Did they use poison?"

Hai Yue had actually been pondering this on the way, but she still had no clue. She shook her head and said, "From what I saw, everyone at the banquet last night behaved normally. Li Weining was sitting next to me, but I didn't notice anyone tampering with his food or drinks... This is truly strange. Why was he the only one to die of poisoning? It's truly puzzling!"

"Oh?"

Shao Jing was a little surprised.

If he had intentionally avoided it before, it was because he didn't want to become the target of public criticism. Now that there is no one from the academy around, he can easily find a few people to help him share the suspicion.

Such an answer is truly commendable!
Shao Jing admired this quality, but frowned.

Haiyue had no motive, but became a suspect because of the accusation by the leader of the Annan guards.

If there are no other suspects and the murderer's method of poisoning cannot be seen, then the situation of the only suspect will be very unfavorable.

After a slight hesitation, Shao Jing reminded him, "Hai Shisanlang, although the prosecutor is responsible for investigating and adjudicating cases, and ordinary cases are indeed handled by this official, the government officials will be involved in major cases in the area. I'm afraid that Lord Gu has already rushed here after hearing the bad news about the diplomatic corps..."

"Come to the government office?"

As a prefect, shouldn't you be in the government office? Where did you come from?
Haiyue was surprised, but also understood the implication of this person's words.

Shao Jing still trusts him, but if it were another official, it is hard to say what his attitude would be.

But facing this kind of risk, Hai Yue was actually inspired to fight. She said loudly, "I understand Magistrate Shao's protective heart, but I should not do to others what I do not want done to myself. I am now under suspicion of murder, and I feel depressed and unwilling, but I will not shift this suspicion to others just to prove my innocence!"

"A gentleman is sincere! Good!"

Shao Jing was finally moved and ordered, "Take him to a side hospital. I will investigate this case thoroughly and will not wrongly accuse the innocent!"

"Students thank you!"

Haiyue bowed.

What he just said was sincere.

I am grateful and relieved at this moment.

Being placed in a secluded hospital means that you are just there for questioning. If you are sent to prison, you will be a complete suspect.

It is a blessing in disguise to meet a responsible yamen prosecutor.

Shao Jing accepted the greeting calmly. At the same time, a scholar with gray hair on his temples came up behind him and whispered, "Young Master, please follow me!"

Hai Yue recognized this person. Before the Annan envoys entered the academy, this person came to inform them first. At that time, he said that he didn't want to see the Annan prince, but in the end, he still didn't stop them and greeted them, "Master Ji, please come in!"

According to the popular term in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, staff members could already be called "shiye". As assistants to local officials, they handled criminal, financial, and clerical affairs. Although they had no official rank, they were the most trusted among the trusted and had great power.

Since they had met before, Haiyue followed him all the way to the side courtyard and asked, "Where is Mr. Gu?"

Master Ji kept his feet steady and asked instead, "Young Master, do you know how many officials are currently working in the government office?"

Hai Yue said, "The officials in the prefectural yamen include the prefect of the fourth rank, the associate prefect of the fifth rank, the assistant prefect of the sixth rank, the magistrate of the seventh rank, and the governor of the ninth rank."

"Common sense suggests that this is indeed the case. Some large prefectures have more than one magistrate or governor in office. However, this is Qionghai, where there has always been a serious shortage of vacancies!"

There were some things that Shao Jing, as the magistrate, was not comfortable saying personally. Ji Hua, as the legal advisor, could speak frankly: "Currently, the only ones in office are Prefect Gu, Magistrate Zong, and Mr. Dong. Magistrate Zong has been claiming illness and recuperating at home..."

Haiyue understood.

Hainan is isolated overseas and located in the southernmost part of the country. Officials who come here to serve are either exiled for crimes or are originally from Lingnan. They are not given important positions and can only work in local government offices.

According to the subsequent introduction of this legal advisor, the prefect Gu Shanjie belonged to the former. He was exiled because of a crime. After taking office, he started to play sloppy and almost ignored the government affairs of the government.

Procurator Shao Jing belonged to the latter. He was from Fujian and passed the imperial examination when he was young. He had great ambitions and was determined to obtain the title of Jinshi. However, he failed in the examinations many times and wasted his time. It was not until he was nearly forty that he entered the government as an official. He served in several local county offices and made great achievements. However, because no one appreciated his work, he was finally transferred to Qiongzhou Prefecture as a procuratorial official.

Compared with other officials who resigned and were unwilling to come to such a place, Shao Jing not only came, but also worked diligently and conscientiously after taking office, and did his job regardless of whether it was his job or not.

"Serving as an official is to benefit the people. Dong Weng originally wanted to make some achievements in Qiongzhou, but unfortunately, the Annan delegation crossed the sea and was killed..."

Ji Hua sighed at this point, and then immediately warned: "Only Dong Weng will carefully examine this case. However, when Gu Fuzun learns that the Annan envoy has been murdered, he will definitely come forward. When that happens, you must deny it flatly and do not say anything more!"

Hai Yue secretly shook his head. If he could clear his suspicion by simply denying, he would be underestimating the yamen's interrogation methods. He said in a deep voice, "Thank you, Master Ji, for the advice. I wonder where Master Gu was before?" Ji Hua said, "Master Gu was visiting various places, preparing to compile a book about the customs and habits of the people of Qionghai, and leave his name in the book."

"Visiting various places? Are you going to the Li tribe as well?"

"I won't go there. Master Gu is worried about the danger..."

"Why don't you contact the familiar Li people? If you want to record Hainan customs, you can't avoid the Li people, right?"

"It's unavoidable, but he doesn't really want to understand..."

"how to say?"

"This……"

"I still hope Master Ji can give me some advice!"

"Alas! My dear husband! Do you think those foreign criminal officials really care about the customs of the people in Lingnan and Qionghai? They are just curious gentlemen from the Central Plains who want to see how people in such a wild place like ours really live! Even if they don't go to the Shengli tribe, they can still write books based on hearsay!"

Haiyue is not just curious, but wants to understand the character of an official who can control his own innocence.

Now the image is roughly clear.

The Central Plains civil servants, with regional prejudices, wanted to understand Hainan customs, but were timid and unwilling to take the corresponding risks.

Facing such a local official, Hai Yue rolled her eyes and thought of a response: "Master Ji, I've been waiting for the investigation in the side courtyard these days. I've been worried about the murder case and I'm afraid I can't concentrate on studying. Can you give me a spear?"

Ji Hua's expression changed slightly: "What's the purpose of this?"

Hai Yue smiled and said, "Master, don't be nervous. My father runs the Yinglue Society, and he has many apprentices. He even teaches many of the county constables. With this family tradition, it would be reasonable for me to practice martial arts in the government office, right?"

……

"Fu Zun!" "Fu Zun!"

Gu Shanjie strode into the government office. Servants and clerks greeted him along the way, but this fourth-rank official, who was a Jinshi, turned a deaf ear to them and walked in with a sullen face.

Finally, a figure came into view, and Gu Shanjie immediately questioned, "When I left, Envoy Li was fine. How could he have met with such a disaster in just a few days? Magistrate Shao, what on earth is going on?"

Shao Jing replied: "I am investigating the case in detail..."

Just as he started, Gu Shanjie interrupted him directly: "This government went to the academy and heard from those Annan people that they have already pointed out the murderer who poisoned Envoy Li?"

Shao Jing said in a deep voice, "Guard Commander Ruan Zhengyong has accused Haiyue, a student at Dongpo Academy, of poisoning and killing Prince Le Weining of Annan. However, the motive is unclear and the evidence is insufficient. Moreover, Haiyue is a gentleman of good character..."

"enough!"

Gu Shanjie interrupted again and asked sternly, "Does this boy have any achievements?"

Shao Jing replied: "I haven't taken the exam yet."

Gu Shanjie raised his brows, his voice rising in pitch. "Why don't you imprison him, interrogate him rigorously, and give him an explanation to the foreign envoys? If word of this reaches the capital, His Majesty will be furious. Not only Qiongzhou Prefecture, but even the entire Guangdong government will be unable to bear the consequences. Do you understand?"

Shao Jing was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Haiyue is in the side courtyard. Your Excellency, please follow me..."

Gu Shanjie snorted, flicked his sleeves and walked forward quickly, thinking about his words, how to make the other party plead guilty and accept the punishment, and quickly put the case to rest to avoid adding more crimes and causing himself to rot in this hellhole for the rest of his life.

However, the closer we got to the remote area, the more we could hear the whistling of the wind.

Walking further in, I found a man brandishing a gun.

The footsteps were powerful, the gun shadows were flying, and the sound of breaking through the air did not sound intense from a distance, but when getting closer it was like the galloping of cavalry, majestic and powerful.

"Who is this person?"

"It's Haiyue."

"Isn't the Hai family a well-educated family in Qiongshan? They even produced an Imperial Censor in the Embroidered Uniforms?"

"They are indeed a family of scholars, but even the children of wealthy families are different. Haiyue's father, Haihao, was a martial artist. He founded the Yinglue Society in Haikoupu, teaching spear, staff, mace, and whip."

"A local association..."

"I just learned that even many of the constables in the yamen have experience training in the Yinglue Society. However, Haiyue said that his father, his brother, and the apprentices of the Yinglue Society are all law-abiding people. They would never let blood splatter in anger, nor would they obstruct the yamen from investigating the case and finding the truth."

"hiss!"

"I've already investigated. Those Annanites were rude at the academy, and it was this talented young man who dealt with them. They've become hostile to him. Since entering the government, he hasn't been afraid. He's been practicing his spear skills day and night, preparing to capture the perpetrators!"

Judging from the facts, the other party was indeed not frightened. Instead, a trace of fear flashed across Gu Shanjie's brow, and his voice instantly dropped: "How can this be allowed? What does a student need a gun for?"

(End of this chapter)