Everyone gathered together to look at the waist card.
There was only a small space next to the desk and there was no room for so many people, so Ruan Wei, the Minister of Punishment, who was the oldest and sat on the Grand Master's chair through the friendship of the landlord.
As an elderly person, his eyesight is poor, so Ruan Shangshu simply picked up his waistband and signaled others not to block the oil lamp while he looked at the things in his hands carefully.
"From the East Palace?" Ruan Shangshu asked doubtfully, "And it's stained with mud?"
"Turn the book over and look at it again," Shan Shen said, "Look at the back."
Ruan Shangshu translated it as he was told: "Geng Baoyuan? What's the origin?"
"This man has a great background." Shan Shen gritted his teeth.
For a moment, everyone looked at him.
Shan Shen took a deep breath. The anger in his stomach was so strong that he endured it.
Previously on the mountain, he really had no impression of the name Geng Baoyuan, so he just listened to Tong Xuan's introduction.
As he hurried back to the city, the cold wind blew all the way, and Shan Shen gradually remembered something.
Shan Shen had heard of this name after the incident in Chenmi Hutong.
At that time, Shuntian Mansion questioned the guards of the East Palace one by one. One of the guards named Qian opened his mouth and "bited" Liu Xun, and Geng Baoyuan was implicated in his words.
"He wanted to present his beauty to His Highness before, thinking that His Highness liked the smell of his outer room, so he signaled to us that if someone looked like that, let us go and rob people quietly."
"I didn't go, how could I do such a thing! Maybe Geng Baoyuan heard it. Anyway, he disappeared later. Maybe he missed it?"
"Who was robbed? How do I know? Anyway, His Highness was very angry after Geng Baoyuan disappeared. His Highness had no such bastard thoughts at all. It was all Liu Xun who deceived people."
Of course, Liu Xun denied it.
Liu Xun's theory was that he never hinted at the robbery, and that Geng Baoyuan disappeared because he was hiding from gambling debts.
This statement is consistent with the rumors told by the neighbors.
But what the truth is, Shan Shen has some judgment in his mind.
There is 80% chance of robbery.
I heard that Geng Baoyuan disappeared on the eighth day of the first lunar month. Colleagues Chen Mihu and colleagues found out that it was late spring, and a few months had passed, and there was no way to get it.
Besides, from beginning to end, no one knew who was going to be robbed. No family came to report to the government, and the Geng family did not come to report missing. What else could their yamen do?
At that time, the Holy Emperor was clouded about the prince's affairs. They, Shuntian Mansion, had not figured out Dao Heng and the whole thing in Chenmi Hutong, and they then made a false statement: "A guard in the East Palace might have tried to kidnap someone half a year ago."
"To entertain His Highness", Shan Shencai pressed the bull's head into a horse's mouth!
Therefore, the message of "suspected kidnapping and disappearance" was not reported to the authorities in the end.
Unexpectedly, what I suppressed back then would have to be brought out again today.
Shan Shen did not dare to think carefully about what the Holy Emperor would do when he heard the news that was half a year late.
This is really true, the good flowers have not bloomed, but the rotten melons have grown sideways!
Otherwise, why can't we ring a bell without sixty years of skill?
Shan Shen rubbed his swollen forehead, and with a straight face, he introduced Geng Baoyuan to everyone without any expression. Whether he ran away to escape a debt or failed to rob someone, he did not miss any details.
In the whole room, in addition to Shan Shen's voice, there were two sounds of the oil lamp wick exploding.
After Master Shan finished speaking, there was only the sound of the core.
"What's wrong?" No one spoke for a long time, so Shan Shen asked proactively, "I'm all fired up, but everyone is dumb?"
Ruan Wei's old face looked gloomy under the dim butter light.
The waist card in his hand was extremely hot, and it didn't matter whether he held it or threw it away.
"Isn't that true?" Ruan Shangshu smiled dryly, "Sir Shan, just for the sake of the case that should have been closed, you came up with something like this?"
He was talking about Master Shan, but his eyes were looking at Shi Rui, the minister of Dali Temple, with clear meaning in his eyes.
I asked you Dali Temple to find trouble, but now it's over and you've found big trouble.
Shi Rui's face was also ugly. He asked Ruan Shangshu about the waist tag he took and looked through it carefully: "Real thing? Doesn't it look like it has been buried in the ground for a year?"
Shan Shen said: "How does Mr. Shi know how long it has been buried? Geng Baoyuan has been missing for nearly a year, not necessarily dead for nearly a year. Besides, being dead does not mean that he is buried, and the fact that something is buried does not mean that a person is dead. "
This is the principle, but every case must focus on the ins and outs.
"Anyway, you want to see people alive, but you want to see a corpse when you die, right?" Zuo Shilang smiled bitterly to smooth things over.
"Whether it's a person or a corpse, if you want to investigate, you have to make a big show of it," Shan Shen said bluntly, "There are only a few days until the seal that His Highness said. Sirs, our Shuntian Mansion has limited capabilities, and I'm afraid we won't be able to find out.
Now that we have discovered such a powerful asset, will you join me tomorrow morning to introduce this Geng Baoyuan to your Majesty?"
Shi Rui's eyebrows twitched when he heard this: "This is a serious matter! Master Shan, is this unnecessary?"
After handling this case, he knew that Shan Shen was holding back his anger, but he would not burn down Shuntian Mansion just to spread the flames.
"If I ask you for a feather duster, why don't you just give me a slap?" Shi Rui asked, "Or is it a random stick? Hitting me doesn't count, but you also hit yourself?"
Seeing that this room was about to start a war of words, Ruan Shangshu also quickly started to persuade everyone.
After a few good words and good words, each party gave a step down, and the situation was finally settled.
Shan Shenhuo returns to fire, and he also knows how to stop when things are good.
Besides, scolding people does not solve the problem, he is here to solve it.
After receiving the hot tea, Shan Shen soothed his swollen and painful throat and said, "Two ways, let's decide."
Although it was dug out in the same land, it does not mean that Geng Baoyuan's case is related to the previous case.
The New Year is about to come, and if you don't want to give the Holy Spirit a "unique" New Year's gift, then everyone should shut up, but they haven't dug it out tonight.
The Ministry of Punishment reorganized the case file and polished it more. Dali Temple approved it. Two days later, the three parties decided together and concluded the case.
As for Geng Baoyuan, it's just a matter of a waist card, and Geng's father is gone, so don't look for trouble.
The other way is to bite the bullet and investigate carefully.
After interrogating the three people, he inquired about all the possible whereabouts of Geng Baoyuan in Beijing after a year. Even if he didn't know who he wanted to rob, he still found out which gambling debt the bastard owed and whether he was being chased and killed.
As a result, there was not enough time, so we had to spread the matter. Everyone stood in line in the Jinluan Hall to watch the changes in the faces of the Holy Emperor and the Crown Prince.
The room fell silent again.
Shan Shen stood by the window with his hands behind his back, listening to the sound of the wind outside, with a "you guys discuss it slowly" look.
Anyway, the broken jar is broken.
There was no doubt that the members of the Criminal Department chose the first path.
It was Dali Temple who started trouble for no reason and picked out such a fatal thing.
The case had been settled long ago, how could such a mess happen?
How can I celebrate this new year if I really give a big gift to the Holy One?
Dali Temple is idle, and so is their Punishment Department.
As long as Dali Temple opens its mouth and loses a moderate amount of face, their Criminal Department will show their kindness and make the case file more beautiful.
At Dali Temple, they were obviously not willing to embarrass themselves directly.
Shi Ruidao: "I didn't mean to stir up trouble. There are indeed some unclear aspects of the case, so I brought it back for a retrial."
Ruan Shangshu looked at him with a cold face.
Shi Rui went directly to Shan Shen: "Sir Shan has always been meticulous in handling cases. Now Geng Baoyuan only has a handful of cards. Are you serious about not even investigating?"
"Since I handle the case meticulously," Shan Shen said, "This case was basically investigated by our Shuntian Prefecture, and we arrested the person, so the Criminal Department took over the situation. Mr. Shi, why did Dali Temple fight back?
Everyone, it's already the third watch. You're not tired. Shan Shen is tired. I've been digging in the mountains for several hours and haven't even had a bite of hot dinner.
Don't push back and forth, decide on the two paths quickly.
If you really can’t decide, come here and point me to a third way. If your feet don’t sprain, I’ll follow you.”
They said it would be finalized soon, but it was already two-quarters of an hour before it was finalized.
It’s not one, it’s not two, it’s just a compromise, it’s three.
The Ministry of Punishment has prepared a whitewashed case file, and Shuntian Mansion secretly investigates Geng Baoyuan's gambling debts. In the past few days, it would be best if His Highness does not ask questions. If asked, he will act like a quail and rush to seal it. If found out, he will report it as appropriate.
If he doesn't come out, Dali Temple will directly close the case and leave the matter.
Shan Shen picked up his waist badge and strode away.
Officials from Dali Temple and the Ministry of Punishment also walked out of the house and looked at the dark sky.
Just now, instead of blushing, everyone felt extremely heavy.
This matter concerns the East Palace. Regardless of whether the prince knows about the so-called robbery or not, lax governance is inevitable.
However, His Highness has been in constant turmoil this year, and he himself has not understood how to deal with it. It is just "fate" that he is in charge.
Mr. Ruan let out a sigh of relief: "It's best to have fallen there by chance. The two things have nothing to do with each other."
Shi Rui also sighed.
Who is to blame?
It's their fault that Dali Temple is looking for trouble, and now it's here.
It's embarrassing, it's embarrassing. Once the case is closed, no one knows the inside story except the few people in the room today.
Morning the next day.
Shan Shen pretended to be a quail, and when he left the Jinluan Hall, he was stopped by Wantang.
Commander Wan asked: "I heard that something was dug out, why didn't you mention it to the superior? Didn't you find out?"
Shan Shen glanced at Wantang: "Lao Wan, don't ask and don't get involved, this is really not a good thing."
"Huh?" Wantang quickly looked around and said in a low voice, "So miserable? Could it be worse than when you tricked me into Chenmi Hutong?"
Shan Shen smiled.
Wantang:……
No need to ask, it’s obvious from the first glance that this posture is bad.
Shan Shen didn't want to drag Wantang into the water, but he couldn't escape from the guarding Yamen. In the afternoon, Shan Shen had no choice but to go to the Yamen again to look for Wantang.
"I asked all the gambling houses, big and small, and found out that Geng Baoyuan doesn't owe any money to any of them."
"Several people have mentioned that on the ninth day of the Lunar New Year, Geng Baoyuan's father and another person, which sounds like he might be Qian Hu, went together to look for someone late at night, but no one saw Geng Baoyuan in those two days."
"On the contrary, we found out that a man named Zhang Cheng, a handlebar driver from Dong'an Automobile Dealership, and Geng Baoyuan were gambling friends, and their relationship was not bad. He owed Geng Baoyuan a lot of money."
"It has only been half a year since Zhang Cheng came to Beijing. He has no relatives in Beijing. According to the dealer, he saw someone on the morning of the eighth day of the lunar month, and an old man came by in the evening. He said that his mother from his hometown was seriously ill and urged him to go back. Zhang Cheng was in a hurry to leave, so he He returned the car on his behalf."
"You can't see anything on your own, but if you can't see anyone on the front and back, there's no guarantee that it didn't happen together."
"Did Geng Baoyuan kill Zhang Cheng and abscond to collect debts, or did he actually rob people and lose their lives? So we can only continue to investigate."
Wantang wanted to cover his ears when he heard this: "I don't want to get involved, what are you saying to me?"
"On the eighth day of the first lunar month, let's see if anyone recognizes the roster of guards at the gates of the capital. Remember Geng Baoyuan and Zhang Cheng," Shan Shen said, "I don't ask you for it, but who wants it?"
Wantang:……
Today is half way through the twelfth lunar month, let’s ask about the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month?
If those gambling houses hadn't been visited by their fathers, I'm afraid they wouldn't have even thought about it.
Besides, how could the city gate guard recognize Geng Baoyuan or Zhang Cheng?
"I will definitely give you the roster," Wantang said, "but you are responsible for investigating the case. It is not our responsibility to guard the Yamen, so don't cover our heads. We are providing some clues, not even co-investigation."
Shan Shen also understood Wantang.
If you look deeper, you will find that two people are missing, one of whom is a guard of the East Palace; if you look deeper, you will be able to dig a hole as big as possible.
It is human nature not to want to get involved easily.
Of course, it is difficult to check.
The guards couldn't even remember the people they met on the eighth day of the last month, let alone the eighth day of the first lunar month.
The people sent to inquire about Zhang Cheng's hometown had just set off. The weather was freezing. It took at least a month to go back and forth, and they had to spend years on the road.
After Shan Shen thought about it, he went to the Fuguogong Mansion again.
First of all, Qian Hu and Liu Xun mentioned Geng Baoyuan that day, and it was clear that Duke Fu was present.
Secondly, Duke Fu suggested digging again, although he probably never expected to find such a valuable asset.
Xu Jian still received Shan Shen in the flower hall.
There were no outsiders here, Shan Shen was familiar with Xu Jian, and he was not very particular about how he opened his mouth. From Liu Xun to Qian Hu to Geng Baoyuan, he scolded them all.
Xu Jian took a sip of tea.
He listened to Mr. Dan scolding for fun, and after listening, he gave his opinions sincerely.
"In terms of the case," Xu Jian said, "I think the original case has nothing to do with Geng Baoyuan's disappearance."
Shan Shen nodded.
After investigating many cases, you will have an intuition.
"Geng Baoyuan has some characteristics, he has a mustache," Shan Shen said. "I asked the three murderers, and they all said they had never seen any mustaches. Judging from their expressions, it doesn't seem like they were lying."
Xu Jian touched the tea cup and said: "Although it is irrelevant, I suggest that Master Shan report the truth truthfully to the court."
Shan Shen was surprised and puzzled: "Don't you want the Holy One to have a good year?"
"Master Shan also speculated on His Majesty's thoughts and felt that it is irrelevant, so there is no need to mention it further," Xu Jian paused and said, "I also speculated on His Majesty's thoughts before making this suggestion.
I can’t say anything specific, but I dare say that Master Shan definitely doesn’t want to hear that much.
If Mr. Shan believes in me, he will mention it to the court tomorrow morning. The Holy Emperor will be angry, but he will not vent his anger on Shuntian Mansion. I can guarantee this.
Of course, be cautious and don’t discuss it with Dali Temple and the Ministry of Punishment.”
Shan Shen took a breath and didn't agree, nor did he say no.
After a while, he said: "Really, I kept it secret for half a year."
"Something happened to the prince, and the guards around him bit him randomly. There was no evidence at the time, so it makes sense not to report it." Xu Jian smiled, "Besides, I also hid it. If the Holy One wants to ask, I will go to the imperial study room to tell him."
