"Listen carefully, my name is Huo Shijian, and I swear to God that I will be responsible for every word I say. I used to work as a servant in Shunde County Government, and now I make a living by punting boats. My cousin is from Guangzhou Prefecture. His name is
Tian Dongxin. Five days ago, in
The young man who suddenly disappeared in Dongcheng Dustpan Alley was my cousin. After what happened, my aunt and uncle went to the Yamen to report the matter, but you sent them away. Prefect Kang, you must know about this," Huo Shijian said loudly.
.
Of course Kang An, the prefect of Guangzhou, knew that it was he who sent the two old men who came to report to the court that day.
"Well...there is such a thing, but...there is no conclusion yet on whether Tian Dongxin is missing..." Kang An said.
Huo Shijian nodded and said: "Prefect Kang, just admit that you know about this matter. My cousin disappeared for no reason and I don't know whether he is alive or dead. The Yamen didn't care about it. This is a fact. Not only that, the Yamen sent someone to my aunt's house the next day to threaten me.
My aunt and uncle should not talk nonsense, and they also said that if they talk nonsense and confuse people, the government will arrest my aunt and uncle and put them in jail. Is this also true?"
Kang An frowned and said, "How could such a thing happen? That's nonsense."
Huo Shijian said: "Prefect Kang, you can deny it, but Bantou Li in the Yamen has already admitted it. This is his testimony. He said that he threatened the missing people on the orders of you, Prefect Kang, and Xie Zizheng, a fellow Yamen magistrate."
The family members of the family told them not to go around complaining. You also asked people to bring ten taels of silver, saying it was to express condolences to them. You asked them to sign and accept the money so that they would not talk nonsense. Is that right?"
"Hu... nonsense, there is no such thing at all." Kang An said loudly.
Xie Zizheng, a colleague from Guangzhou, also shouted loudly: "It's nonsense. How can we let Bantou Li do this? You are a cunning person who talks nonsense and spreads rumors and slanders. You will be severely punished."
Huo Shijian shouted: "Of course you are denying it now, but Captain Li has already confessed, and I have his confession. Also, I also have the twenty-six people who have disappeared in Shunde City, Guangzhou City in recent months.
All were found in their homes. Twenty-three of them admitted that after the people in their homes disappeared, the government refused to admit the missing persons and refused to file a case for investigation. Secretly, the government
People from the sect came to lure them with money, and threatened them to sign and sign under the pretext of confusing people's hearts. They were not allowed to publicize or petition. Liu Asi's daughter Lan Gu in Nancheng was missing. Liu Asi insisted on investigating and even threatened to go to the capital to complain.
You broke one of his legs, and you said that if he dared to mention petitioning again, you would break his other leg. You must be unwilling to admit these things, right?"
"That's nonsense, that's nonsense." Kang An yelled and cursed: "Where is this unruly person coming from? This is malicious slander, rumors and slander. This person should be severely punished."
Zhang Yanling shouted coldly: "Prefect Kang, Xie Tongzhi. How dare he, a common man, dare to slander you like this for no reason? The relatives of twenty-three missing people have jointly written a complaint here, accusing your Guangzhou prefect's Yamen of colluding with Fo Langji."
People kidnapped and robbed our Ming people. Not only did they turn a blind eye, they threatened and intimidated them, and tried their best to cover up the matter. How do you explain such evidence?"
Zhang Yanling grabbed a few pieces of the confession from Huo Shijian, shook it under the light, and shouted sternly.
Kang An and Xie Zi looked frightened and turned to look at Li Siming and others.
"Master Zhang, this matter is important. How can we draw conclusions based on the confessions of these people? These so-called confessions are all one-sided and cannot be trusted. We in Guangzhou have reported cases of missing persons in recent months. But most of them have been investigated.
Obviously they died from various reasons. In Guangzhou Prefecture, hundreds of people die of old age, illness and disease alone every year. Birth, old age, illness and death are just human nature. Recently, someone borrowed
In order to stabilize people's hearts, the prefect's Yamen came to comfort the family members by spreading rumors about this matter and causing panic. The method may not be appropriate, but the so-called collusion with the people of Folangji to kidnap and traffic people is false.
It's too ridiculous. It would be too much for Mr. Zhang to question Mr. Kang and the others about this matter." Li Siming shouted coldly.
"That's right, it's extremely ridiculous. This is pouring dirty water on the heads of our officials in Guangdong. It's really unreasonable."
"These unruly people should be severely punished. I am afraid they are colluding with the Japanese pirates, deliberately spreading lies to confuse people, and have evil intentions."
All the officials also agreed.
Zhang Yanling nodded and said: "Very good, the more you deny it, the more at ease I feel. Originally, I thought you were not involved in this matter, maybe just incompetent and unable to solve the case, so I wanted to hide it to avoid being blamed by the court.
But now it seems that you all know everything
Ming, maybe he is still involved in this matter. It doesn't matter, you can deny it. All the evidence is in my hands. If you have anything to say, go and tell the emperor when the time comes, and tell it in the lobby of the Sanfa Department. I will only tell you these
Just submit the evidence and report your words and deeds."
Wan Fengnian, the inspector general of Guangdong, said coldly: "Mr. Zhang, even if our Guangzhou government handles the case of missing persons improperly, how can you conclude that this matter is related to the people of the Flemish country. The Flemish country kidnapped and trafficked people from our Ming Dynasty?
Do you have any evidence for this?"
Zhang Yanling nodded and said: "Master Wan is still smart. He also knows my weaknesses. Yes, if I don't have this evidence, I can't do anything to you. At most, you are just incompetent in handling the case. You are conniving at the trafficking in the Falangji Kingdom.
Compared with the crimes committed by the people of Ming Dynasty, that is not a crime. Huo Shijian, do you have any evidence to prove that it was the red-haired ghost from Fo Langji who abducted your cousin?"
Huo Shijian hurriedly said: "Master Hou, it must have been done by people from the Folangji country. There was a man in Shunde County who jumped off the ship and escaped back halfway. He told his experience. He was kidnapped by the people from the Folangji country and brought to the ship.
, he jumped ship and escaped back on the way to Tuen Mun Island."
Li Siming said in a deep voice: "How can he conclude that it was the Folangji people who did it? Did he clearly see that it was the Folangji people?"
Huo Shijian frowned and said: "He heard the red-haired ghost talking. He was blindfolded and tied to the boat at sea. How could he see the red-haired ghost?"
Li Siming sneered and said: "Then it's over. His one-sided words can be used as proof? How do you know it's not nonsense? Furthermore, even if what he said is true, it is only his experience, and other people's experience."
What does the missing person have to do with it?”
Huo Shijian frowned and said: "This is not obvious. The red-haired ghost is arresting people. The other missing people were naturally captured by the red-haired ghost."
Li Siming said coldly: "It's a joke, maybe he offended the people of Fo Langji, so he was taken away and punished. Doesn't this mean that Fo Langji is the mastermind of all the missing cases? You have seen with your own eyes all the missing people.
On Tuen Mun Island? Or did the people from Fo Lang Ji tell you personally?"
Huo Shijian was stunned, speechless and didn't know how to answer. In his opinion, the two things were inevitably connected, so he was speechless for the other party's sophistry.
Zhang Yanling laughed and said: "Huo Shijian, it seems that your evidence is not sufficient. Mr. Li is right. The words of your person from the same county cannot prove that the person who kidnapped him was a red-haired ghost. Even if it is a red-haired ghost,
If a ghost kidnapped him, that is an individual case and cannot be generalized. It seems that the evidence is not conclusive and insufficient, so we are in trouble."
Huo Shijian looked at Zhang Yanling in astonishment and shouted: "Master Hou..."
Zhang Yanling waved her hands and said: "Step back."
Huo Shijian sighed and bowed his head and retreated.
Li Siming said in a deep voice: "Master Zhang, you have made enough trouble tonight. We don't care about what the Marquis does tonight. But please, it's better to stop here. The Marquis's men were injured.
Regarding the matter of Mr. Andala and his men, I and all the other lords will definitely settle the matter for the Marquis to appease them and make the matter calm down. As for the case of the missing persons in the city, it is indeed the case of the Guangzhou Prefecture.
The Yamen is not doing things well and is too worried about the impact, so I want to suppress it. I will also urge them to investigate the case as soon as possible and give an explanation to the family. As for the kidnapping and trafficking of people by the people of Langji, the Marquis himself knows that this is impossible.
Why bother to sensationalize the matter and make trouble for yourself? Lord Marquis, if you can make money by being harmonious, why bother making everyone unhappy, don’t you think so?"
Zhang Yanling said with a smile: "Master Li is right. But sometimes I like to make others unhappy and don't want to make others happy. Master Li said that these white-skinned pigs are not involved in human trafficking, and I can't refute it.
But fortunately, these white-skinned pigs are here, I can interrogate them on the spot, and maybe there will be something to gain."
Li Siming and others were shocked when they saw Zhang Yanling waving. A personal guard immediately dragged a soldier from the Franco Kingdom over.
The sailor's wrist was broken, and his hands and feet were tied and he was paralyzed on the ground. His face was pale, and he looked at Zhang Yanling in horror.
Zhang Yanling smiled and asked: "What's your name?"
The soldier seemed not to understand the Ming Dynasty language and looked at a loss. Zhang Yanling frowned and shouted to another Franco soldier who was slumped on the floor: "Dear Mr. Figo, please be a general."
, tell him my words. tell me his words.”
Figo had no choice but to mutter something.
The soldier also replied in a gibbering tone.
"He is Sergeant Santos, but he doesn't want to answer you." Figo shouted.
Zhang Yanling frowned and said, "I haven't asked him yet, but he doesn't want to answer?"
Figo shouted: "We are not happy that you are so barbaric to us. He doesn't want to talk to you or answer any of your questions."
Zhang Yanling nodded and said: "Mr. Figo, ask him again to confirm whether he really doesn't want to answer my question."
Figo muttered a few words, and the soldier gritted his teeth and muttered something back excitedly.
Figo spread his hands and said: "Unfortunately, he refused."
Zhang Yanling nodded, reached out and pulled out the gun from his arms, and clicked the bolt to load it.
Figo was shocked and said: "Oh my God, what are you going to do?"
Zhang Yanling didn't answer, pointed the blunderbuss at Sergeant Santos' head, and fired with a bang.
Brains splattered and flesh and blood flew everywhere. Santos's head was hit with a hole, and he fell to the floor like a torn bag. Blood gurgled out and quickly flowed on the ground, and a bloody smell quickly filled the air.
Everyone witnessed all this in shock, watching Zhang Yanling blowing the smoke from the muzzle of the gun, and looking at the twitching dead body on the ground. They all felt that their throats were dry and they were speechless.