bayedsolid Chapter 71 Follow the Light, Don’t Look Back
Chapter 71 Follow the Light, Don’t Look Back
The notice spread by word of mouth, and soon more and more refugees gathered in front of the signboard, and the county government office was completely blocked. Looking at the official seal printed on the notice, the refugees burst into tears of joy, and the situation was once out of control.
The yamen runner shouted at the top of his voice: "Don't worry, everyone, line up. As long as they are citizens of Linnan Prefecture, no one will be left behind and they will all be naturalized one by one."
At the shouts of the yamen runners, the people finally quieted down and, in order, crossed out their own names with an ink-dipped pen on the booklet with the surname "Wu" written on it, and then wrote down their own names on the brand new booklet.
Lin Lezhi did not walk out of the county government office. He just leaned against the door of the county government office, with only half of his body exposed, watching quietly, and then a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
Xiao Yihuo is very efficient in his work, worthy of being the male protagonist.
After reading it, Lin Lezhi prepared to turn around and leave.
"Jiang Guitan, please stay."
Hearing the voice, Lin Lezhi turned around. It was the man who stood up to testify for him at the Ya Ren Zhuang. When the court was in session just now, he noticed him standing among the crowd in the corner.
However, Lin Lezhi and his group had hidden in an inconspicuous place in advance and did not expect to be discovered.
Lin Lezhi looked down, wondering if his clothes were too torn?
Lin Lezhi smiled and said gently: "Why don't you become a citizen along with the people of the abandoned house?"
"There's no rush." As he said that, the man took out something wrapped in cloth from his arms with some uneasiness. It looked heavy.
The man looked a little embarrassed, and his hands holding the small cloth bag were shaking. He was afraid that Lin Lezhi would despise him, so he said uneasily: "Detective Jiang Gui, thank you for finding a reason for us. From now on, we can live like ordinary people, so the people in our abandoned house have discussed it overnight."
"These... are the gifts from the people in our abandoned house. I hope Jiang Guitan will not despise them."
Lin Lezhi looked behind the man and found that many people were looking in his direction. After noticing his gaze, they quickly looked away.
Lin Lezhi retracted his gaze, looked at the man in front of him and said with a smile: "I don't need these, so I'd better take them back and give them to the people. Besides, I accepted your kindness a long time ago."
Under the puzzled gaze of the man, Lin Lezhi looked at the peace knot hanging around his waist, with a lingering warmth in his eyes. Then he looked at the man again and said slowly: "The word peace is priceless."
Hearing this, the man's eyes instantly became moist.
"Thank you for your kindness, Jiang Guitan. We will definitely remember it in our hearts."
Seeing the man about to kneel down in front of him, Lin Lezhi was shocked and quickly reached out to support the man.
"That's not necessary. As we said before, we are repaying kindness with kindness. There is no need to thank them. Besides, the person we should really thank is King Linnan. It was because the prince personally felt the unspeakable suffering of the people that he drafted this order."
"Compared to him, what I did was nothing more than a trivial act." Lin Lezhi thought for a moment and said with a smile: "If you really want to thank me, why not... tell me your name."
Hearing this, the man's eyes became even redder, and his gratitude to Lin Lezhi was beyond words. He said in a trembling voice: "My last name is Zheng, Zheng Kezhi..."
"Good name."
After bidding farewell to Zheng Kezhi, Lin Lezhi walked towards the county government office.
"No, if I remember correctly, Lian An, you still owe me money for two wontons, right? How can you not be short of money?"
The sudden sickly voice sounded like a ghost, and scared Lin Lezhi so much that he trembled several times.
Lin Lezhi's expression darkened and he looked towards the source of the sound. Xiao Yihuo had hidden behind the door at some point, smiling.
If there weren't so many people around, he really wanted to expose this stinky fox in public.
In one night and one morning, he ate seven bowls of wontons, and he only ate four bowls in total. One bowl cost only five cents. Why would he waste time on a man who didn't even have a copper coin in his wallet?
So annoying!
Lin Lezhi smiled awkwardly and said, "Your Majesty is right. Don't worry, I will pay you back the twenty cents when I become rich in the future."
"That's not necessary. Didn't Lian An promise me that next time, no matter what I want to eat, she'll treat me?"
Lin Lezhi's face was full of smiles, but he was cursing in his heart.
Yes, then why did you bring it up?
Hypocritical stinky fox!
Didn't you just say a few words to him that he was weak? You would feel uncomfortable if you didn't find a chance to retort back, right?
Don’t think that just because you are my beloved son, I have to give in to you in everything!
Just wait, never see you again!
Lin Lezhi hid his inner voice very well and said with a smile: "Of course, Your Majesty will wait."
Then, there was a sound of jogging behind him.
Liu Yunhe ran up to the two of them, clasped his fists respectfully and said, "Your Highness, the banyan wood coffins from Zhang's Coffin Shop have been transported to the cold room of the government office. Please go and have a look, Your Highness and Young Master Jiang."
Came to the cold room where the morgue was kept.
Cao An's body and Shi Peng's body were placed side by side.
After delivering the coffin, Zhang Pingzhi, the owner of Zhang's Coffin Shop, was reluctant to leave. His eyes were red and he seemed to have been crying for a long time. He was a little sluggish and held a small package in his hand.
Shopkeeper Zhang walked slowly up to the two men and said, "Thank you, gentlemen, for telling me the truth. I didn't miss the last meeting with Shi Peng."
"This one……"
Shopkeeper Zhang unwrapped the package in his hand, revealing two wooden tablets with the names of Shi Peng and Cao An engraved on them. The carvings were very beautiful.
Shopkeeper Zhang looked in the direction of Xiao Yihuo and said, "I carved it according to your handwriting, sir. It's not good, and I don't know what else to give as a gift. I don't know how to do anything else, so after thinking about it, I can only give this."
Xiao Yihuo reached out and took it. Ordinary people used common pine wood to make tablets, but Manager Zhang used rare red sandalwood, which was solid and exuded a faint fragrance.
The two names engraved on it are exactly the same as the two words written by Xiao Yihuo.
Xiao Yihuo praised truthfully: "The knife skills are exquisite, just right!"
Hearing Xiao Yihuo's praise, Shopkeeper Zhang's expression relaxed and he responded, "As long as it's suitable, it's suitable."
Shopkeeper Zhang dragged his feet to Shi Peng's body and squatted down in front of Shi Peng. He kept sobbing in front of everyone. He touched Shi Peng's already cold hand and murmured with sobs: "I should have asked your name earlier, little Shi Peng. Keep going forward with your friends, follow the light, and don't look back..."
No one present stepped forward to disturb them.
After Shopkeeper Zhang left with his old steps, everyone was still in a state of shock. After a long while, Qingchuan looked at Lin Lezhi and asked, "Brother Lezhi, how are you going to bury their bodies?"
Lin Lezhi thought for a moment and said, "Let's take them back to Yunqiang as they agreed." Then he turned his gaze to Xiao Yihuo and said slowly, "However, I'll have to trouble the prince for this matter."
Now that the Yunqiang Kingdom has been defeated, the country must not be a peaceful place. If we want to send the remains safely there, we still have to rely on the power of the imperial court.
"Don't worry, I will definitely send them there safely."
After saying this, after a glance at each other, everyone present worked together to put the bodies of Shi Peng and Cao An into the coffin made of banyan wood.
After the tablet was placed, Lin Lezhi took out all the copper coins engraved with "the seventh year of Chengjing" that he had picked up in the yamen village, strung the copper coins together with the red rope in Shi Peng's hand, and put them back in Shi Peng's hand.
Not more, not less, exactly twenty cents.
'The Seventh Year of Chengjing' was the year they met, and it also marked Shi Peng's thirteen-year longing.
Xiao Yihuo then understood why Jiang Lian'an said he would treat him to wontons but changed his mind at the last minute.
Before closing the coffin, while helping Shi Peng tidy up his clothes, Lin Lezhi stood in a blind spot and put the thin bamboo tube around Shi Peng's waist into his sleeve, then pulled over the coffin lid and closed the coffin.
The closed coffin is separated from the sufferings of the world and there are no more worries.
It is said that banyan trees can thrive wildly and form a forest on their own only when they are growing, but they are difficult to preserve and are prone to rot without roots.
But the banyan wood coffin in front of him was still as bright and clean as new, emitting a faint glow.
After everyone finished their work, Yang Hancai trotted into the cold room where the morgue was kept. He ran in a hurry, with a few beads of sweat on his forehead.
After simply wiping it with his sleeve, Yang Hancai bowed respectfully to Xiao Yihuo and said, "Your Highness, the government is now stepping up the implementation of the people's naturalization. I believe it will be completed in no time. When I return to Linnan Prefecture, I will also implement this matter as soon as possible."
"Well, well done, Magistrate Yang, thank you for your hard work."
Yang Hancai lowered his body even lower and said humbly, "It is my duty to serve Northern Qi. It is not hard at all."
After saying that, Yang Hancai raised his head and asked, "Your Highness and the other young masters have been traveling a long way these past few days, and I'm sure you haven't had a good rest. I've arranged a good tavern for you tonight, what do you think?"
"Before coming here, I had already discussed the destination with Lian An. Prefect Yang has worked hard these past few days, so there is no need for him to worry about preparing for us."
"In this case... I will not disturb Your Majesty anymore."
into the night.
Liu Yunhe, who had finally developed a great liking for Lin Lezhi, could only sulk in the room alone.
Although the dishes on the table were not bad, he still vented with an unhappy look on his face: "Why can everyone go but I can't, damn Jiang Lian'an, stinky Jiang Lian'an, you went to eat delicious food and didn't even take me with you, and you said that little brats can't go, it's clearly an excuse, wait until you come back and see how I'll teach you a lesson!"
When leaving, Lin Lezhi did not forget to take the osmanthus wine that Yang Hancai sent him.
Liu Yunhe picked up the steamed bun on the table to vent his anger. He kneaded it hard and then slammed it on the table. The steamed bun turned into a pancake.
"Ah sneeze——!"
Lin Lezhi sneezed into the air, then rubbed the tip of his nose with his fingers, a smile rising from his lips under his nose.
The surroundings were filled with noisy and crowded crowds, and the gentle and soft voice of a woman.
"Lian An, is this the kind of pub you wanted to go to?"
The corners of Xiao Yihuo's eyes twitched slightly, and even Qingchuan, who always took everything lightly, couldn't help but smile awkwardly.
Under the bright lights, it was clearly written on the doorplate of the building in front of me, which was simple, elegant and magnificent.
Chunhua Tower.
Lin Lezhi smiled indifferently and said, "What do you mean by this kind of place? Watch your words. You said you would treat us, so don't go back on your word."
Xiao Yihuo clenched the fan in his hand and said with a smile: "Of course, it belongs to Yi Lian'an."
After the three people entered Chunhua Tower, a group of men in black who were hiding in the dark quietly withdrew from the darkness.
In the county government office.
Finally, he no longer had to serve the prince. Yang Hancai finally had some free time. He prepared some fine dishes and wine, and stayed in the room to reward himself.
Before the wine entered his throat, the glass in his hand was shattered by a small stone shot from the window. The glass shattered to the ground with a crisp sound.
Seeing this, Yang Hancai quickly crawled to open the door and went outside.
Following the sound of stones falling not far away, I arrived at a secluded place in the courtyard.
Seeing the black-clothed man standing with his back to others kneeling down immediately, Yang Hancai trembled all over and said in fear: "I didn't know that the master was here. I was impolite. Please don't blame me..."
The man in black turned around, his face covered by a mask, so his features could not be seen clearly.
The man in front of him snorted coldly, his voice was very unhappy, "Didn't you promise to kill Xiao Yihuo in Yaren Village? I see that you are very concerned about helping him settle the refugees."
Yang Hancai kowtowed and said, "Master, please calm down. It's not that I don't want An Yu to do it, but I really have no other choice!"
"why?"
"It's all...it's all because of Jiang Lian'an!"
"Jiang Lian'an? Humph, what's the use of a spy? I think you are just trying to shirk responsibility."
"No, absolutely not. I wanted An Yu to do it, but Jiang Lian'an revealed the identity of King Linnan in front of the people and specifically asked me to try the case."
Yang Hancai rolled his eyes quickly and continued to explain, "The people all know what King Linnan looks like. I am afraid that if I accidentally miss a living person, once the news spreads among the people, it may delay the master's plan."
"I helped King Linnan settle the refugees, and it was only a temporary measure to gain his trust. I absolutely did not intend to betray you, my lord. Please understand!"
"I don't think you have the guts to do that. Have you found the thing?"
"I failed in my duty and did not find it." Yang Hancai raised his head and said, "But don't worry, my lord. All the people related to Ya Ren Zhuang are dead now. No one will know what we did. As for the refugees, we can also do it secretly..."
"No need. He can't do anything wrong with his body anyway. You just need to do it for him. And you need to do it impeccably so that everyone has nothing to say. It would be best if everyone praises him highly."
"This... I understand, my lord. I will definitely see to it."
After saying that, Yang Hancai took out a stone slab from his body, which had many knife scratches on it, and handed it over.
Although it is covered by knife marks, people who know the pattern can still make out the scratches hidden at the bottom.
"My Lord, although I haven't found what you want, I have found this. I believe King Linnan has already known about this scar. What should my Lord do?"
The man in black took a look and then looked away, saying disdainfully: "If he wants to check, let him check."
When Lin Lezhi and his party entered Chunhua Tower, a servant came up to greet them with a smile and said, "It seems that you are visiting our place for the first time, gentlemen. Do you have any girls you like? If not, I can recommend one to you. We..."
Lin Lezhi raised the wine in his hand and shook it, then interrupted with a smile: "I don't want any other girls, I just want your mother Zhao to have a drink with me."