The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 399 Jockey Club

Just as Houxi Village was holding the most grand funeral in the village in decades, countless military, police and special personnel gathered in a ranch seven or eight kilometers east of the village, including many high-ranking officers from Chang'an.

Miao Mingxuan, the chief of the Royal Attendant's Office, Wang Bowei, the deputy chief of staff of the Imperial Guard and the general of the country (lieutenant general), Luo Kangning, the chief of the Public Opinion Survey Office, Chen Qingxin, the chief inspector of the Police, Qi Helin, the deputy inspector of the Military Police Intelligence Department, and others all rushed here overnight to supervise the case.

The entire interrogation was presided over by the Public Opinion Investigation Office. Under the operation of several veteran torturers, Duan Jinchun, the murderer suspected of participating in the murder of Prince Mingde, quickly spilled all the facts.

On October 1728, , an old customer named Zhang commissioned Duan Jinchun to prepare a drug that could scare horses, saying that he wanted to manipulate the results of a horse race.

Duan Jinchun did not suspect anything and handed the other party a bag of herbal medicine he prepared. This herbal medicine has almost no taste and can be easily mixed into grass and concentrate for the race horses to eat. After eating it, the horses will suddenly go crazy, disobey the rider's control, and even throw the rider off the horse.

Previously, he had carried out this operation on many horse racing competitions at the instruction of some racing club managers, causing the horses that were the favorites to win to be frightened for no reason during the competition and eventually be eliminated by other horses, making a lot of dirty money.

However, a few days later, news came from Chang'an that the horse that the Crown Prince was riding was suddenly frightened during a hunting outing, and he fell off the horse and fell into a coma. He was rushed to the Royal Medical College and has been in critical condition ever since.

He suddenly thought of the herbal medicine he had prepared and was immediately scared to death.

Before he knew it, he was suddenly drawn into a shocking conspiracy.

Although he was in extreme panic, his mind was still relatively clear after spending so many years in the mixed environment of the Jockey Club.

Since he was accidentally involved in this incident, the manipulator would definitely kill him in order to eliminate future troubles and achieve the purpose of silencing him.

So Duan Jinchun immediately packed up his belongings, wrapped up the money he had saved over the years, and hurriedly bought a boat ticket to go out to sea.

He first went to Huayang Prefecture in Dongzhou (now Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand), and then went to Changle Island (Viti Levu, Fiji). He stayed there for less than a month, then went to Relay Island (now Niue), and finally hid in Paradise Island (now Tahiti).

He spent more than eight years hiding overseas, married and had children there, and lived a simple and peaceful life. However, while running a veterinary clinic, he also paid close attention to local news.

Although the newspapers published on the island were slow in publishing local information, he insisted on buying several newspapers every day and reading every piece of local news carefully.

After the death of Crown Prince Mingde, the royal family and the cabinet government did not seem to conduct a large-scale investigation. Apart from the dismissal of more than a dozen Royal Guards officers and aides for dereliction of duty, there was no other movement.

It seems that everyone treated the prince's fall from the horse as an accident.

So Duan Jinchun began to think about returning to his hometown and continuing to enjoy the colorful world of the past.

Although Paradise Island is peaceful and tranquil with a comfortable climate, it is definitely the kind of carefree life that people yearn for, but because the population is too small, it seems a bit poor and boring, which makes Duan Jinchun, who is used to the hustle and bustle, very impatient.

It seems that the case of the prince falling from a horse has disappeared into thin air. All the secrets may eventually rot in the stomachs of all the parties involved, and no one will remember his existence.

Last February, he left his wife and children on Paradise Island and sneaked back to Hanzhou with his wife's brother.

However, he did not dare to return to Daxing, but came to Wenshui inland and took over a small ranch that was eager to sell.

However, he didn't expect that due to his carelessness, he let the secret slip when he had a conflict with the Cheng family ranch, and others would remember it.

The night before, when nearly a hundred policemen and armed militiamen rushed into the ranch and pinned him and all the herdsmen to the ground, he knew that his good days were over.

Before the torture experts from the Public Opinion Investigation Office could even use their methods, he confessed the whole story.

Since we are going to die anyway, why should we make ourselves suffer more physical pain?

After receiving the confession, Luo Kangning, the chief of the Public Opinion Survey Office, immediately presented it to Miao Mingxuan, the chief of the Royal Attendant's Office, and Wang Bowei, the deputy chief of staff of the Imperial Guard, and suggested that an urgent telegram be sent to Daxing Prefecture to completely block and control the Qushuiwan Jockey Club, and to follow the clues to arrest more participants. At the same time, based on the image of the contact person named Zhang drawn by Duan Jinchun's description, a wanted document was issued nationwide, and this key figure must be captured and brought to justice as soon as possible.

You know, five years ago, His Majesty the Emperor had given him a secret order to investigate the incident of Prince Mingde falling off a horse. But over the years, the Public Opinion Investigation Office has investigated almost all the parties involved, but has not obtained any meaningful clues.

Although His Majesty had never urged the progress of the investigation, he would not think that His Majesty had forgotten this order. Most likely, he felt a kind of silent disappointment that His Majesty had not done a good job.

Just when he thought that the prince's fall from his horse was a complete accident, he didn't expect that Wenshui Prefecture suddenly discovered a major clue and arrested a key figure.

As soon as he received the telegram, he immediately took a train and rushed over with more than a dozen trusted spies.

However, when he hurried to Wenshui, he found that people from the Royal Attendant's Office and the Royal Guards had also come, and his scalp tightened.

His Majesty the Emperor also received this news!

When heading to the ranch from the city, he inquired with local officials and learned that all of this was discovered by Li Yanliang, the Colonel of Zhaoxin, who was about to take up his post in India. He sent a telegram to the Royal Attendant's Office and the Public Opinion Survey Office, requesting the two departments to send someone to take over and supervise the case as soon as possible.

Li Yanliang is really lucky. He can visit relatives and attend funerals and still have a good life.

If the truth about Prince Mingde's death from falling off a horse were revealed, His Majesty the Emperor would be relieved and would probably become closer to him and trust him more.

This is equivalent to him avenging his father's death for His Majesty!
Needless to say, there was already a deep friendship between the monarch and his subject, which meant that he deserved the emperor's favor and the opportunity to rise to prominence.

Regardless of him, the most important thing now is to follow the clue of Duan Jinchun drugging the horse and continue to dig deeper to get to the bottom of the case of the prince falling off the horse. Only in this way can we not disappoint His Majesty's expectations.

So, can further breakthroughs be made in the investigation of Qushuiwan Jockey Club?
-
June 6, Daxing.

As Qi State's industrialization deepened, various leisure and entertainment activities in society also flourished, and sports and exercise were perhaps the most popular pastimes for men.

As early as the Shaoning period, horse racing in various places attracted a large number of people. In the suburbs of some large cities, there were at least 5,000 to 10,000 spectators at the racecourse every day. If there were railways and public carriages nearby, the number could reach more than 30,000.

Daxing Qushui Bay is the largest horse racing track in the country. Various types of horse racing events are held every day, attracting tens of thousands of spectators.

During this period, the racecourse was not completely closed, and the crowds gathered outside the free venue, cheering loudly for the horses they supported or bet on, making the whole venue bustling and unusually noisy. Some powerful families or wealthy businessmen had special privileges and protection, and they could watch the race up close on temporary or permanent stands for a fee.

All around the racecourse are stalls selling all kinds of food and gadgets, and even many acrobatic performances, which contrast nicely with the hustle and bustle inside the racecourse.

For many people, gambling is one of the most attractive pastimes.

In the territory of Qi, official laws strictly prohibit private gambling. Violators will be detained for ten days to one month and fined heavily.

But gambling and betting are legal at horse racing and other competitive sports venues, allowing people to bet on the outcomes of games.

It is estimated that about 100,000 yuan of gambling money flows into the Qushuiwan Horse Racing every day. In the annual "Hanxing Cup" horse racing meeting, more than one million people will participate in the betting, with the amount reaching 2 million yuan.

At the racetrack, people can drink freely, and the excitement of various race results often leads to horse racing events turning into violent gatherings.

Therefore, in addition to a police station with more than 40 staff members, two gendarmerie squadrons are stationed near the Qushuiwan Racecourse to deal with various sudden violent incidents.

On weekdays, police and gendarmes are generally divided into three shifts to patrol and maintain daily law and order in the racecourse and its surrounding areas.

But at noon today, all the police and gendarmes, under the order of their superiors, suddenly assembled, carrying muskets, and together with hundreds of gendarmes and spies from the Public Opinion Survey Office who had rushed into the city, they completely blocked the entire Qushuiwan Racecourse, and no one was allowed to enter or leave.

When the armed gendarmes took control of all the managers and employees of the Jockey Club, the spies from the Public Opinion Survey Office began to interrogate and question them one by one.

Although the confused citizens were dissatisfied with the sudden interruption of the horse racing by the military and police, they could only sit obediently in the open field and wait for the inspection to be over after being beaten with rifle butts and fists.

However, watching the development of the situation, it seemed that the military and police did not target them, but instead focused on searching and questioning the Jockey Club's venues and personnel, and they suddenly felt a little gloating.

They deserved it. These black-hearted horse racing manipulators must have cheated in one or many races and were caught, which led to the military and police investigation.

Well, it would be better to catch a few more, sentence them all to heavy penalties, and then fine them until they are bankrupt.

Damn it, you always make us lose money!
In the magnificent management building, Shi Shaoan, a steward of the Qushuiwan Jockey Club, sat on a chair with an arrogant look on his face. He gently scraped the tea foam with the cup lid while looking coldly at He Yongguang, the person in charge of the Public Opinion Survey Office in Daxing, opposite him, waiting for him to give him a reasonable explanation.

"Manager Shi, I am just following orders. Please understand me." He Yongguang bowed and said with an awkward expression, "When this matter is settled, I will hold a banquet to apologize one day."

"Tsk!" Shi Shaoan took a sip of tea slowly, then put the cup heavily on the table beside him, sneering and saying, "...I just need your meal! Inspector He, whose orders are you following?"

"Haha..., I am naturally following the orders of General Luo."

"General Manager Luo?" Shi Shaoan's face froze, and he asked in a deep voice, "Why, General Manager Luo wants to close down our Qushuiwan Jockey Club? Doesn't he know who owns this Jockey Club?"

"Shopkeeper Shi, you are joking." He Yongguang said with a smile, "General Manager Luo came from the Royal Attendant's Office, how could he not know the owner of this horse racing club!"

"Why did he give you this order?" Shi Shaoan said dissatisfiedly, "You know, there are many nobles coming here every day. If you rush in so brazenly, it will scare them. At that time, someone will inevitably report to Your Majesty that some people bully others by taking advantage of their power and even come to the Qushuiwan Jockey Club."

"Manager Shi, the order issued by General Manager Luo is also in accordance with the will of His Majesty, and it has the endorsement of the cabinet." He Yongguang said in a low voice.

"Hmm?" Shi Shaoan was startled and his face immediately changed color. "Inspector He, could it be that His Majesty wants to... wants to... Prince Rong..."

Prince Rong is your Majesty’s closest brother!

"..." He Yongguang was stunned for a moment, then shook his head vigorously, and said with embarrassment: "Manager Shi, don't make random guesses. I can only tell you that this search and inspection has something to do with your Jockey Club, but it is not specifically aimed at you, let alone Prince Rong."

"Who is the target then?" Shi Shaoan felt relieved and asked subconsciously.

He Yongguang smiled bitterly, shook his head and remained silent.

Seeing this, Shi Shaoan stopped asking questions and drank his tea while guessing privately with an absent-minded look.

Just now, I heard from those below that an armed gendarmerie unit has been dispatched from the outskirts of the Jockey Club to block all entrances and exits of Qushui Bay, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving at will.

Such a big event must involve a lot of things!

"Inspection..." Liang Zhengquan, head of the Operations Department of the Daxing Branch of the Public Opinion Research Office, hurried into the hall with a hint of joy on his face.

"...Ask it out?" He Yongguang asked nervously.

"We found out!" Liang Zhengquan nodded heavily. "According to the description in the telegram sent by General Manager Luo, we have interrogated all the personnel separately and have already got the result."

"Very good!" He Yongguang let out a long sigh, "Did they... catch the person?"

"He ran away a few years ago." Liang Zhengquan shook his head and said, "However, we found his brother. From him, we found out the whereabouts of that person."

"Oh?" He Yongguang grabbed the other person's arm and said anxiously, "Let's go, I'll go over and take a look myself. We must not be careless about this matter. We must find out where this person is."

As they spoke, the two of them walked hurriedly outside without paying any attention to Shi Shaoan who was sitting in the hall.

"…The criminal… Weiyuan Island…"

Shi Shaoan stood up and watched the two men leave. He vaguely heard them mention the place name "Weiyuan Island" and was very confused.

Could it be that a serious criminal has been reported to the emperor, and that he will be arrested by order of His Majesty the Emperor himself?

(End of this chapter)