The horse is not a good horse, but four legs can run faster than two legs.
Li Xin and others came out of Fan's house, galloped all the way to the city gate, and left the city through the city gate.
On the other hand, the servants of the Fan family ran to the Yamen to report to the officials.
The Fan family's ancestral home is located at the border fortress, and the largest government office in the city is the Dunbao Guards Office.
"Excuse me, please go in and tell me. I want to report to the official." A servant of the Fan family said to the guard at the yamen gate.
The guard in front of the door took a look and saw that the person who came to report was dressed in ordinary clothes and did not look like he was from a wealthy family. At most, he was a servant of a wealthy family. He waved his hand to drive him away: "Go, go, go. My lord is busy with official duties. I don’t have time to pay attention to your trivial matters.”
The guard pushed the Fan family servant with his hands and pushed him away.
"It's not a small matter, it's a big matter. Someone from our Fan family has died." The servant of the Fan family was pushed back by the guards, shouting loudly.
The guard who was pushing him stopped when he heard the death.
"Are you from the Fan family?" Another guard asked a servant of the Fan family.
The servant of the Fan family nodded hurriedly and said: "Yes, yes, yes, this villain is a servant of the Fan family. He came to report the case on the order of my wife."
The guard saw that the man in front of him didn't look like he was lying, so he said, "You wait here, I'll go in and inform you."
After saying that, he turned around and walked into the government office.
The servants of the Fan family stood at the yamen door and walked back and forth, with anxious looks on their faces.
If he delays here for another quarter of an hour, the murderer will have one more chance to escape.
The thugs raised by the Fan family in Xikuoyuan all followed Butler Fan to Zhuangzi outside the city. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to report to the officials. The thugs in Xikuoyuan would have gone to catch the murderer long ago.
After a short time, the guard who went in to report returned to the gate of the government office.
The servants of the Fan family hurriedly came forward and said eagerly: "What did Mr. Zhang say? Did you agree to let me in?"
"Come with me!" the guard said, then turned and walked into the government office.
The Fan family servants hurriedly followed.
After entering the Yamen, you pass through a courtyard. The main room opposite the courtyard is the Yamen lobby.
When they came to the lobby, the servants of the Fan family knelt on the ground and shouted: "I want to report to the official. Today, more than a dozen thugs came to the Fan family and killed my master. Please send an official to arrest the murderer immediately."
"Who is your master!" In the lobby, an official wearing a black gauze was sitting under the high-hanging mirror. At this time, he was looking at the Fan family servants kneeling down the hall with an expressionless face.
The servants of the Fan family hurriedly replied: "My master is the proprietor of Fanji Trading Company. The person who killed my master was Li Xin, the chief steward of Zhuangzi outside the city. He led a dozen men into my master's study and killed him. He and the accountant at home also robbed more than twenty horses in the stable. The murderer should not have escaped at this time. Please send troops to arrest the murderer and seek justice for my master."
As he spoke, he took out a cloth bag from his arms, held it up with both hands, and knocked his head on the ground.
The master came over and took the bag from the servant of the Fan family, weighed it, opened the bag and took a look at it, then took it back and handed it to his master.
"How much?" Mr. Zhang, who received the bag, asked the master next to him in a low voice.
The Master approached Mr. Zhang's left ear, covered his mouth with his hand, and whispered: "There are only fifty taels. It seems that the Fan family is really in trouble."
Master Zhang sat upright, slapped the gavel with one hand, and shouted: "Here comes someone."
Several officials stood up.
Master Zhang took out a stick and said: "I order you to immediately send someone to Fan's house to find out what happened. Also, remember to take the widower for an autopsy to find out the cause of death." 33
"yes."
The gentleman took the sign and exited the hall.
Master Zhang then said to the servant of the Fan family who was kneeling on the ground: "You should also retreat. When I find out the real culprit, I will definitely give you justice and retreat!"
Snapped!
With a shock, Mr. Zhang stood up and walked out.
"Sir, I know who the murderer is. I can lead the officials to apprehend the murderer." A servant of the Fan family shouted loudly.
However, Mr. Zhang ignored him at all and left the lobby without looking back.
The master who stayed behind said at this time: "You should go back as soon as possible. After the autopsy is completed, I will tell you the results. If it is really murder, I will definitely give you justice to the Fan family."
"The murderer escaped on horseback. If he is not caught, it will be too late. I beg Master Wu and Mr. Zhang to please intercede and send officers to catch the murderer first." The servants of the Fan family begged bitterly.
Master Wu's face sank and he said: "It is because you attach great importance to this case that you sent the policeman to your Fan family to investigate. You can go back and wait for the news!"
After saying that, he stopped talking to the Fan family servants and walked away.
The servants of the Fan family who were kneeling on the ground did not expect that after reporting the crime, not only did they not send officers to arrest the murderer, but they would also waste time conducting an autopsy.
It is very likely that the murderer will escape because of this, and there will be no chance of catching him.
An official came up to the servants of the Fan family and said with a straight face: "Leave quickly. If you don't leave, I'll have you taken out."
Seeing that the official wanted to drive people away, the servants of the Fan family had no choice but to get up and leave the official office.
After the Fan family left, Master Wu returned to Houya.
Mr. Zhang had already sat down in the back office, holding a tureen in his hand, slowly sipping tea. On the table beside him was the cloth bag sent by the servants of the Fan family.
"Is he gone?" Mr. Zhang asked Master Wu who had just entered without raising his head.
Master Wu smiled and nodded, and said: "We have already driven him away, but the student is worried that the Fan family will send people to look for you again."
"Come on, come on. Now the Fan family has become a phoenix, worse than a chicken. I'm still afraid of him." Mr. Zhang curled his lips in disapproval.
Master Wu closed the folding fan in his hand and sighed: "It's a pity that such a big Fan family can fall down at the drop of a hat. Even a powerful person like Fan Yongdou was killed at home. It's sad and deplorable."
As he spoke, he shook his head a few times.
"Who can be blamed for this? I offended that Datong man by not opening my eyes, and my death will be in vain." Mr. Zhang snorted, then touched the cloth bag on the table with his hand, and said, "The Datong man will do it as soon as he takes action. One thousand taels, and look at this Fan family, they dug around and took out fifty taels, they really treat me like a beggar!"
Master Wu said with a smile: "The Fan family also doesn't open their eyes. It's not good to offend anyone. If you offend that person, you will lose all your property in various places, and now you can't even save your life."
"Take this money and tell the people below that you will investigate this case slowly, don't be in a hurry." Mr. Zhang tapped the cloth bag on the table.
Master Wu's face was filled with joy, and he hurried forward to put away the cloth bag on the table, and said respectfully: "Don't worry, sir. The student will definitely arrange everything properly. Even if the Fan family appeals, it will be useless."
"Well, I can rest assured that you are doing your job." Mr. Zhang nodded, and then said, "In the future, the convoy of the Tiger Flag will leave from our place. Remember to take more care of me. I and Mr. Liu are officials in the same dynasty. , we should help each other.”
After the Tiger-Character Flag built a fort on the grassland outside Xinpingbao, the Tiger-Character Flag's convoys began to exit the border through Zhangjiakou, all the way to the 5th Khalkha and Chahar tribes.
Master Wu half-bowed and said, "Don't worry, sir. The people in the Tiger Flag are generous. The people below us not only have no objection to their convoys, but also look forward to their convoys coming more often."
"That's good." Master Zhang nodded with satisfaction.
