The first work of the imperial prison

After letting the person out, Shen Jiang heard something wrong with the screen, and even the sound of the teacup being placed heavily on the table was a little frightening, obviously on fire.

He didn't dare to ask, and wiped his face, wondering why he called such a guy over... Oh yes, this guy is within the range of suspects, who knew he was so disgusting?But even if you know, there's nothing you can do about it, no matter how disgusting you are, you have to pull it out and ask.

Shen Baihu took a few deep breaths, calmed down his emotions, and then called the next one. This person is Gao Kang. This person has a special identity, he is a colleague of the male corpse Zhang Hetong.

He looked at the information file on the table and asked: "You and Zhang Hetong work together, and there should be a lot of cooperation and competition. This time, you didn't snatch Zhang Hetong for the important event of the nobles. Do you feel resentful?"

Gao Kang is older than the previous two fire masters, looks more stable, and speaks tactfully: "Skills are not as good as others, there must be some resentment, just resentment, you can't help yourself if you hate others If you can’t get credit, it’s better to have a better relationship with others and help out if you have nothing to do. If others have a conscience, you can also get some benefits. If others have no conscience, then others can see it, right? The next time something like this happens again, shouldn't it be me?"

Shen Jiang: "You have a good mentality and are quite open-minded. Has anyone ever praised you?"

Gao Kang laughed: "It's all about people carrying people in sedan chairs. Who doesn't know what to say, who doesn't like to listen? Just talk about it. If you take it seriously, if you are proud, then it will be troublesome."

"I heard that your family has four generations living under the same roof, with flourishing branches and leaves?"

"Everyone says so, I'm a lucky person."

"But why are all sons born in your family and no girls?" Shen Jiang's voice changed, and his eyes became sharper.

Gao Kang was stunned, and sighed: "Our family is also worried about this. It is good that there are more men, and the family is strong, but the girls are so obedient and know how to love others. The feng shui in the family does not know why. It is the same for generations. When you come out, there are many sons, and the generations of brothers can't be counted."

"You want a daughter too?"

"want."

"No, Mr. Gao," Shen Jiang flipped over the paper at hand, "Your wife's first child was a girl. I really like it so much. Why don't you raise her well so that she dies within two months of birth?"

Gao Kang's face became melancholy: "Maybe it's because I don't have the fate of a daughter. It is so precious, but I still got sick and didn't raise it."

Seeing that there was nothing to ask, Shen Jiang didn't dwell on this kind of question, and started to turn the case: "Wang Cailian, Fang Qingmei, Yu Hongye, you all know these three women?"

Gao Kang nodded: "Ms. Yu has a wide range of friends, and I occasionally meet and talk to each other at small banquets. Wang Cailian...is that girl with a birthmark on her face and poor health, but she has a unique skill of double-sided embroidery? Me and her I don’t know her well, about two months ago, she talked about her relationship with someone, and was escorted by her mother and sister-in-law to see each other, but the others chatted happily, and even she walked out of the garden and fainted by the wall. I didn’t notice it, but I saw it , The doctor who called for her helped her to inform her family."

"As for Mrs. Fang, she knows the dishes very well, and she also manages several shops. I have eaten in her shop and asked her related questions. Although she is fat, she doesn't look good. The taste of one thing is really good, this time Mr. Zhang went to many places to choose because of the nobleman, and someone recommended Fang."

After Gao Kang finished speaking, he also explained by the way: "Is food the most important thing for this people? Do you know what she needs when a nobleman travels? Of course, you have to prepare a little bit of everything, at least not when others want it, you don't have it."

Shen Jiang: "What do you think of these women?"

Gao Kang shook his head: "It's hard to say. I'm sure Baihu adults know what people say outside."

Shen Jiang tapped her fingers on the table: "I'm asking you."

Gao Kang sighed: "Of course it's pitiful. Women's life is not easy. I hope they are all well."

"Since you and Zhang Hetong are colleagues, you should know where he went and what he did before the accident?"

"I probably know a little bit, but I'm not so clear," Gao Kang explained, "Since I took this job, Mr. Zhang has been so busy that he has to prepare everything. On the day of the accident, I remember that he was still choosing chariots and horses in the morning. When a nobleman travels, he needs a good car and a good horse, but what kind of applause is it? Nowadays, people say good things, and you have to pay attention to them. I didn’t even have a bite for lunch, so I started to stare at the embroidery. The things in my hand are good-looking, but it’s nothing. Xinyi, even he doesn't look up to him, let alone the nobles in the palace? This afternoon, I saw him walking around in circles, as if he was worried, and then he went away. After returning home, where he went and what he did, I don't know."

……

Shen Jiang's next call was Hu Ershu, a tailor from a tailor shop.

Hu Ershu is very different from the previous ones. Regardless of their character or age, the former few have at least a face to look at. Hu Ershu is a bit too mediocre, not tall, with a dark complexion and dark eyebrows. Not very energetic, he probably knows that he is not good-looking, he is timid, or he is timid no matter what he does, he comes in and salutes more than anyone else, and he stands aside when he is done, not restrained.

Shen Jiang flipped through the file: "Are you a tailor?"

Hu Ershu squeezed his hand: "Yes."

"There are more embroiderers in clothing shops, but few men."

"Actually, the embroiderers are only in charge of embroidery..." Hu Ershu gave a serious look, "The shop is so big that they tell them to sew clothes to waste. The boss is willing to hire us for such trivial tasks as cutting and stitching."

Shen Jiang thought about it for a while, and he was right, the speed of matching would be faster and he could take more orders.

"You seem a bit bored, do you usually get bullied?"

"Not at all."

"Who's in the house?"

"There is no one, and my old lady disappeared last year."

"Are you not married yet?"

"No, and no one cares."

Shen Jiang looked at Hu Ershu, and his attitude was very cooperative, and he answered whatever he asked, but he didn't talk much.

"Wang Cailian, Fang Qingmei, Yu Hongye, you all know these three people, right?"

"know."

"How did you meet?"

"Miss Wang is double-sided embroidery. She delivers the goods at our place. Mrs. Fang is a customer of our store and often comes to make custom clothes. Mrs. Yu is also a customer."

Shen Jiang didn't know what to do, and knocked on the table: "Tell me carefully."

Hu Ershu: "Miss Wang's double-sided embroidery is very good. It takes a long time to finish each pair, but she is familiar with our shop, and basically only takes our jobs."

"You received it?"

"She has a birthmark on her face, and she doesn't like to see other people. It was me who talked about things for the first time, and then they all came to me." Hu Ershu explained, "As long as there is money to be made, there are no other mistakes. These trivial matters, the boss and The shopkeeper doesn't even care."

"Where's Fang Qingmei? You also have a lot of contact with her?"

"She is fat and wants fashionable patterns and styles. She says that other people's tailors are not as good as ours, so she often comes to order."

"Or is it just you receiving it?"

"No, no, the Fang family is not that particular, anyone can entertain them."

"Tell me about Yu Hongye, she is also your customer, like Fang Qingmei, she often orders clothes?"

"No, it's not the same," Hu Ershu paused, "Although Fang's requirements are many, she is very satisfied. Just give her the most fashionable things. Yu's is different. Her requirements are not only many, but also high, and she often proposes new things. Opinions, new color schemes, new cutting methods, sometimes we can’t do it, and it’s quite worrying.”

"She's so picky, you won't bother her?"

"No, although she is picky, she has a very good eye. If there is a certain style that she insists on and is very serious, then this style is likely to become popular soon. The shop thinks she is difficult to serve, and can rely on her to make money. A lot of money, so I am still willing to receive her."

"What do you think of these three women?"

"What... how?"

Shen Jiang pointed at the table: "For example, yourself, do you like it, or don't you like it?"

Hu Ershu lowered his head: "Which one will I like? Someone who has a family, a business, and skills..."

Shen Jiang: "Where's Mr. Zhang and Mr. Zhang? Do you know each other?"

Hu Ershu shook his head: "I don't know, I haven't seen it before."

"The 25th night of October, the fourth morning of the first month of winter, the 26th night of the winter month, the [-]th morning of the winter month, the [-]th night of the winter month, the [-]th day of the winter month... Where are you and what have you been doing during these few days?"

Hu Ershu thought for a while: "On the fourth day and the fifteenth day of the lunar new year... I remember, didn't there be an explosion somewhere in the city? There was a lot of movement, and the whole shop panicked, so I ran out, but nothing special happened. 26. Isn’t it just a few days ago? The commander cleared the streets and heard that there was also a fire. I was far away and didn’t know the truth... Oh, now that I think about it, the day before the fire should be 25? There was a lot of work in the shop that day, I came home late, probably around Xu time, and heard someone looking for 'Master Zhang', I wonder if it is the one you mentioned just now."

Shen Jiang asked: "Who is looking for? What did you say? Where is it?"

Hu Ershu shook his head: "It's dark, I can't see, and I can hear it vaguely, but judging from the tone, it should be the master's subordinates? It seems that they said where to meet. These people came to look for them before they arrived. , the place... I have already turned Nanfeng Street, which is about Willow Alley?"

Shen Jiang was a little anxious. He didn't have all the information about this one or two, but when he asked again, Hu Ershu shook his head completely, and didn't know what to ask.

"Okay, you go down."

Shen Jiang called the next one, Zhou Ping.

I didn’t know this, but after looking at it, I found out that Zhou Ping and Hu Ershu have similar auras. They are both not very good-looking, ordinary men who can’t be found if you throw them into the crowd. , but certainly not confident, very stiff.

"What?"

Zhou Ping saluted, and replied honestly: "Sell beauty stone, quench powder, dye."

"You don't have much contact with other people?"

"Not much."

"How is business?"

"Can feed people."

Shen Jiang clicked his tongue in his heart, well, this is also a quiet one: "So I don't have any friends at ordinary times? Aren't you afraid that others will stop looking for you to buy goods?"

Zhou Ping paused, and replied a little slowly: "There are not many people in our business. If you don't ask me to buy it, they can't find other places to buy it. I don't need to make friends with them."

"Who's in the house?"

"There's no one else, just me."

One or two were like this, Shen Jiang was rebellious, and he had to ask clearly: "What about before? Before the family passed away, who was there?"

Zhou Ping lowered his head: "My father likes to gamble. I was supported by my grandmother before, but then my grandmother died, and the family became more and more sad every day. My father and mother had an accident in a fight, and both drowned in the river. My sister's life was not good. Married and died of illness, the family has always been poor."

"Are you not married yet?"

"No, I can't afford it."

"Wang Cailian, Fang Qingmei, Yu Hongye, you all know these three people, right?"

"Yes, they have all asked me to buy dyes."

Shen Jiang was stunned, and then he understood. Young Master Jiao said that people with high demands will pursue higher things. For example, Wang Cailian, her double-sided embroidery is already very good. Vibrant, the colors are more vivid, if you can’t choose the desired embroidery thread, you will think about dyeing it yourself, it seems normal?Fang Qingmei has researched on food. When it comes to food, she always pays attention to the taste and taste. The color accounts for a large part of the reason. The color of the ingredients themselves is correct, but occasionally, can you find those that are not poisonous and can make the food What about richer colors?

As for Yu Hongye, let alone, she loves to dress up and match them, no matter whether it's rouge, gouache or light gauze, which one doesn't pay attention to color?

It is not surprising that these three people will find Zhou Ping to buy things.

"What do you think of them? How are they?"

"Whether it's good or not, it's none of my business."

Shen Jiang felt that he asked more directly: "Have you seen Wang Cailian's face?"

Zhou Ping shook his head: "No."

"Where's Fang Qingmei? Do you think...she's a bit fat?"

"She's just fat," Zhou Ping looked up at Shen Jiang with a look of 'what's there to say'.

Shen Jiangqing coughed: "Where is Yu Hongye? Have you ever heard what others say about her?"

Zhou Ping: "That's none of my business."

Unable to ask, Shen Jiang had to switch to the other end: "Do you know Master Zhang and Tong Zhang?"

"do not know."

"never seen it?"

"never seen it."

"The 25th night of October, the fourth morning of the first month of winter, the 26th night of the winter month, the [-]th morning of the winter month, the [-]th night of the winter month, the [-]th day of the winter month... Where have you been and what have you been doing during these times?"

"Probably all in the house?" Zhou Ping said, "I don't go out much."

"Don't you come out to watch the excitement?"

"I don't like to be noisy, and I usually look for goods when I go out."

"Where to find it?"

"In the mountains, in the woods, wherever there may be Yanshi, I will go there."

Shen Jiang stared at him: "Then you are very suspicious." Walking alone, and going anywhere in the mountains and forests...

Zhou Ping pursed his lips: "I don't know what the government is asking you for, anyway, I'm just telling the truth."

"On the morning of the fourth and fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, there was such a big explosion and fire. Are you really going to stay safe and not come and see?"

"Come out and take a look... Maybe, but it's too far away, I can't see anything, and it's not my house, why can't I stabilize it?"

All right, after Shen Jiang finished asking, let people go down, feeling that he was talking dry, and was very short of a pot of water, thinking that it was over anyway, when he went to find some water to drink, he suddenly saw a person in the yard ——

"you are?"

"My lord, the villain Jin Shicheng, I have news to report!"

Shen Jiang looked at the file in his hand, there was no Kim Si-sung, but the name seemed familiar to him, it was the broker whom the commander had asked on the street!

"Okay, you come in," Shen Jiang sat down again, "Wang Cailian, Fang Qingmei, Yu Hongye, do you know each other?"

Jin Shicheng shook his head: "I don't know Wang Cailian."

Then why are you here to join in the fun?Shen Jiang said that he could not miss the information.

Jin Shicheng accompanied him with a smiling face, a little embarrassed: "Isn't this what the commanding officer asked before? I went back and thought about it, and I still have to come and say that the Wacha man who was held down that day was the one that everyone saw on the street. The one who got it—he said he was doing business seriously, I have to tell the commander, don’t believe it!”

He gave Shen Jiang a few words: "When a foreigner comes to the capital, food, clothing, housing, and transportation, what can't be asked around to get familiar with? Not to mention doing business, the shop, house deed, money tax, household registration, even if he is a cow. , he is rich, so he sent people out to look for him, so he has to ask us, right? But I’ve been in the industry for so many years, and I’ve never seen this person! I asked four brothers, and everyone shook their heads, saying they didn’t know him Man, I have never done his business! Then how did he settle down in the capital? This is simply impossible, as you just said, the Yu family of the Fang family, one opened a shop, the other found a good cloth shop, always loved Inquiring about rare things, you can also ask me. That little girl, Wang Cailian, once asked someone to ask me if there is any suitable small house. She wants to move out. A foreigner came to do business. There is no sound, even our brokers don't know, isn't this a joke!"

Shen Jiang raised her eyebrows: "I remember you said just now that you don't know Wang Cailian."

"I really don't know you." Jin Shicheng was stunned, and then realized that he had made a mistake, and waved his hands again and again, "It happened many years ago. This Miss Wang asked someone to ask Xiao Zhaizi at my place, but they didn't agree with her." Asked, but she didn't ask again afterwards, I didn't even see her face, I just made a note at that time... Our business is easy to use in our minds, you have to remember everything in order to greet guests well, right?"

Shen Jiang felt that he had to ask again: "What do you think of Miss Wang, Fang Shi, and Yu Shi?"

Jin Shicheng: "Oh, they are all poor people. It is not easy for anyone in this world, especially for women. It is difficult."

Shen Jiang asked again: "Does Master Zhang and Mr. Zhang know?"

"How can this person not know?" Jin Shicheng rubbed his hands, "Since he took over the royal errand, he is proud of the spring breeze every day, but he is also worried. I don't think about eating, drinking, drinking and drinking with the horses and horses, clothes and jewelry? I ask around every day. That day, the day I was held down by the commander, didn’t the carriage turn over and catch fire, and the day I was almost killed or injured—”

Shen Jiang's scalp was numb: "Did you see Zhang Hetong?" Shouldn't he have died then?

"No," Jin Shicheng shook his head, "I mean this day, do you understand? What I want to say is that the night before, I had a drink with a guest, and I happened to see him passing by. Drunk and held up by others, I can’t even walk.”

Shen Jiang immediately narrowed his eyes: "Wait, you said he was drunk and being supported?"

Jin Shicheng blinked: "Yes."

"What does the person supporting him look like? Do you know him?"

"It's too dark, I can't see clearly." Jin Shicheng was afraid that he had said something wrong, and immediately calmed down. "Actually, I was too drunk that day, talking and laughing with the guests, so I just glanced at it and didn't mind." You must... Maybe you have read it wrong?"

"What time was it? Where did you drink?"

"That's a bit late. It's the end of Haishi. It's in Baohua Lane, Liji Tavern..."

After Jin Shicheng confessed honestly, he pleaded with himself: "Lord Baihu, can you intercede for me in front of the commander? I came in and actively cooperated with the work. 26 The firewood truck, the fire, and the lightning bomb , I really don’t know... I want to know, I will definitely not be a wicked person doing such things, I am so unconscionable! Several generations of good people in my family were born as Jokha’s people and died as Jokha’s ghosts. I really didn’t do anything wrong! As long as it is useful, you can order it, and I will die!"

Shen Jiang understood this routine very well: "Okay, I'll ask the commander later, if you have no problem, your shop will also be opened for you."

"Thank you Lord Baihu!" Jin Sicheng knelt down and kowtowed to him on the spot.

After finding something new, Shen Baihu was so excited that he even forgot to look for tea, and turned to the sign at the door, asking, "Have you asked them to write their names?"

Beizhen Fusi has rules, but if there are visits, they must be recorded. Usually, this work is done by the rotating staff. Today, he ordered the suspect to write it himself.

"I wrote it, you see—"

Shen Jiang frowned when he got it, it was different.

"What about the left hand? Did you ask for it?"

"It's not easy to say... The subordinates asked me a lot, and they all said that they can't write with their left hands."

Shen Jiang turned his face in an instant, but thinking about what he asked today, he was rewarded a lot. He waved his hand to tell people to go down, and entered the hall excitedly again, and walked around behind the screen——

"Look, I already asked... what..."

Shen Baihu stuttered suddenly.

Because he saw that the Commander and Young Master Jiao were fighting with their fingers?

The commander's hand holds the knife all the year round, it's a little rough, and there are thin calluses on the knuckles of the tiger's mouth. Young Master Jiao is really Young Master Jiao, with long and white fingers, smooth nails, and pink fingertips. , just use eye contact, you look at me and I look at you, it seems that the other party can guess any small change, very serious.

But no matter how serious your expressions are, your fingers are still fighting, poking back and forth, ambiguous or not!

"you……"

Seeing him, Ye Baiting slowly withdrew his hand: "Oh, we are discussing the case."

Qiu Yiqing also withdrew her hand, with a slight displeasure in her calm expression: "Yes."

Shin Kang felt like he was going blind.

If you don't look murderous in your eyes, I will believe you. Is it worth being so ambiguous to discuss the case!You are not like this at other times!

Ye Baiting pointed at the screen with an innocent face: "Didn't you suggest putting it on so that we can't talk and communicate?"

Shen Jiang: ...

Okay, it's all my fault, it's all my fault.

It was also at this time that he discovered that there were words on the table, which should have been written with tea, some traces had dried, and some were still very wet, so it was obvious that they had just been written. The 'finger fight' scene just now should be due to differences of opinion between the two parties. Young Master Jiao pushed away the commander's finger, but the commander didn't move, the two fingertips touched together, as if they were fighting.

... Such a waste of good tea!

He was so thirsty outside that his throat was smoking, and these two people were wasting here!

And what happened to that little turtle?What kind of tricks are you playing, Young Master Jiao, that you dare to draw a little turtle in front of the commander!Aren't you afraid of being dealt with by military law?

Thinking about it again, that's right, who is Jiao, who is she afraid of?Not to mention drawing a little turtle in front of the commander, he even dared to pretend to be the commander's "Xiaoqinger"!

Shen Jiang now knows what happened on the snowy day. When he was running outside, others asked him about Young Master Jiao, saying that he was worried that he would be punished. After all, it was not intentional, was it?He just wanted to roll his eyes back, and said to himself, what do you know?If Young Master Jiao wants to pretend to be someone else's petty love, that's definitely not okay, the commander will kill and pretend to be the commander... I'm afraid of the ass!

Master Jiao has special privileges in front of the commander. You are all blind, didn't you see that little card, that little gold bracelet, that little bell?

The unlucky one is Peng, can't you see him before you meet him?I don't know what the commander did to him in private.Commanders have always been magnanimous, you are ambitious and want to calculate, okay, no problem, you come to the commander, the commander will follow, and let others see by the way, why he can be a commander, you can't, but you Don't provoke the Commander's sharp heart, if you provoke Young Master Jiao, isn't that the old birthday star hanged himself, looking for death!

For a short while, Shen Jiang's mind turned countless times. He came over cautiously, pointed to the tea on the table, and swallowed: "This tea——"

Qiu Yiqing pointed to the teapot with a blank face: "You are rewarded."

Shen Jiang: ...

It was prepared and delivered by the people below before the confession. Although it is warmed by the fire, the taste must not be good, so it is like the pot on your table!

Right.

Shen Jiang wiped his face, the pot on the table was brewed specially for Young Master Jiao by the Commander, who is he, and not the Commander's little treasure.

Where is he worthy.