Chapter Eighty-Seven: Caught in a Murder Case

Han Qing nodded.

Just as the two were discussing it, someone barged in without ceremony.

He looked up. Why had the constabulary come again?

“You are Han Qing, are you not? The matter from last time is still under investigation. All of you involved, come with this official at once.”

After hearing this, they could not object.

So they followed him straight to the constabulary.

Only, the person sent to investigate this case was actually appointed from the capital.

Was it really so serious?

Could the local magistrate not handle it himself?

Or did the affair run so deep that an official from the imperial court had to be dispatched?

“This is Inspector Chen Tianwei. The court has sent him personally to take charge of the case. Tell us, what did you see that night? Speak now, all of you.”

This magistrate was clearly trying to pass the blame.

To let these outsiders take the fall?

Dream on.

“Inspector Chen, we have been in this place for less than two weeks. We happened to encounter that sudden incident by chance. As for the truth inside it, we truly do not yet know.”

Han Qing spoke calmly.

It was not their fault in the first place. On what grounds should they be brought here and made responsible?

Besides, the local constabulary had investigated for so many days and produced not a single shred of evidence.

Trying to find a few scapegoats at random? Impossible.

“You indeed had no motive, but at the time you were the closest to their guest room. Did you hear anything, or see any strangers?”

Zhu Xiaoye shook his head.

At most, he had only heard what the innkeeper said then.

He knew nothing else.

“Inspector Chen, we truly discovered nothing. But at the time I roughly glanced at the two corpses, and they had both taken part in this year’s county examination.”

Han Qing spoke slowly.

That was the only thing he had been able to tell at the time.

“You also took part in this year’s county examination? Do you know those two men?”

“Official, I did take part, but those two were not in the same examination hall as I was. Perhaps you might ask the original examiners; they seemed to be students under Examiner Li.”

Chen Tianwei understood.

He could also tell this man was not simple.

Then he ordered the guards to release them all.

He wished to speak with Han Qing alone.

“If I am not mistaken, you are the champion of this year’s county examination, Han Qing?”

“Yes.”

“What is your view? How should this case be handled?”

Inspector Chen was quite direct.

There was nothing to hide.

The court had sent him to resolve this matter precisely in order to safeguard the interests of certain ministers.

These two scholars had exposed certain things.

At first, these writings had not yet reached the capital, but when the chief examiner saw what was described in them, he immediately suspected that they were mocking certain figures of the court.

So he urgently reported the matter.

Chen Tianwei had originally come to investigate the identities of these two men, as well as to uncover the real incident they had exposed.

Yet he had never expected it.

Before he had even arrived, the two were already dead.

“They did not answer according to the examination topic. Instead, they exposed certain scandals within the court...”

Inspector Chen spoke truthfully.

They had harmed the interests of certain people.

Perhaps it was for this reason that they were silenced.

“Since you already know what they exposed, why not go directly and arrest the people behind it?”

Han Qing asked coldly.

Since the court had already granted him authority, that meant his power now was extremely high.

Even if there were some all-powerful local figures, they would still have reason to fear it.

“No. There is still no definite evidence. I had originally planned to interrogate those two and see whether they had any proof in their possession. Who would have thought it would be like this now? It is truly difficult.”

Chen Tianwei said with a trace of distress.

From the other’s manner of speech just now, he had already known that his identity was no ordinary one.

Now, after this question, it was confirmed.

This man could help him solve the case.

“What did they expose?”

“The Du family of Blue City colluded with the Prince of Yan in the capital, secretly built copper mines, and printed large quantities of copper coins.”

This was a capital offense.

How could two scholars possibly know of such things in such detail?

“How could they have known?”

“One of the scholars mainly wrote that this Du family seized land here by force and killed his elder brother at home. He had wanted to report it, but after the petition was intercepted, he was beaten half to death.”

“The other scholar had an elder brother seized and taken to the copper mine, never to emerge again. Later he had someone carry a message, and now his life and death are unknown.”

Both men were members of the victims’ families.

Such feelings were entirely understandable.

But whether the Du family had truly colluded with the Prince of Yan was the matter that most troubled the court.

“And if no evidence can be obtained?”

“Then I cannot leave. The task ordered by the court is that I must find the truth.”

Inspector Chen spoke slowly.

“What do you need me to do?”

“Assist me in investigating and handling this case.”

Han Qing nodded.

For now, living in Blue City, he did indeed need someone to help him gain a foothold here.

And this official sent from the court happened to have exactly that ability.

He would not need to fear the people of the merchants’ guilds.

If he had not heard wrongly before, this Du family was the leader of those guilds.

“By the way, I intend to open a few shops. Give me authorization on your side and allow me to do business in Blue City.”

Chen Tianwei did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately wrote a letter.

He also informed Blue City’s magistrate not to interfere in this matter.

That saved them a great deal of trouble.

After returning to the shop, he said, “Tomorrow, find a few reliable people and have all these shops repaired. Then open up the middle sections and renovate them...”

Repair them?

“You mean to meet those people from the merchants’ guilds? We still haven’t obtained their consent. If we start construction rashly, it could easily be halted.”

“There’s no need to get their consent. Inspector Chen has already allowed us to trade, and he has forbidden anyone from interfering.”

What?

Zhu Xiaoye froze.

Could it be so miraculous?

They had only just met, less than a day ago, and the other side already trusted him this much.

Wasn’t that far too quick?

“Are you sure what Inspector Chen said is true, and not merely to deceive us?”

“Of course not.”

The documents were already prepared. If those guilds dared come looking for trouble, then they would simply have to go drink tea with Inspector Chen.

“So what business do you plan to run in these shops?”

“Food.”

Zhu Xiaoye rejected it without hesitation.

Setting aside whether they could even find a reliable chef, there were already more inns and restaurants in the vicinity than one could count.

It was plainly a losing business.

And it was easy to stir up trouble as well.

They had only just arrived in Blue City and already encountered a murder case.

Who knew whether public order in this place was even normal?

“Brother Han, I do not object to your opening a restaurant. But in Blue City, it simply is not suitable.”