My enemies became my companions

Chapter 478 Calm Down (Two in One)

After a little commotion in the inn, things calmed down. The waiter sighed and groaned, lowered his head and spat several times, all of which were words that made up the story of Eagle Catching Sun.

Chen Yi turned his head and asked, "Is this Constable Shao a new constable, and County Magistrate Wei a new county magistrate as well?"

"That's right. He was a Jinshi in the 28th year of Qingying. He was granted an official position and received a salary, but he didn't take up a vacancy. He was a Yuanwailang. He made a lot of money with this bird robe. Then he took up the position two years ago. Constable Shao is his nephew."

When the waiter talked about this, he couldn't stop talking.
"When the county magistrate first took office, he kept saying that he wanted to do something to serve the court, but in the end, he just gave out money for house construction, spring ploughing, and other high-interest loans. The other county lieutenants and chief clerks also followed suit and rebelled. They were in cahoots with him! Several families were screwed, and the shopkeeper has been sick in bed these days."

"That's enough. Stop talking. Change your habit of talking nonsense."

The shopkeeper's face darkened and he scolded the waiter. The waiter immediately shut up, but his eyes were still full of indignation.

"All the descendants of Eagle Claw are like this."

The man who drew the sword, He Taixiong, sheathed it, sat back in his chair, and drank silently.

Seeing that he couldn't find out anything more, Chen Yi decided not to stay downstairs and led Yin Tingxue upstairs. At this time, he saw from the corner of his eye that the shopkeeper thought for a while, took out a jar of wine and sat down in front of He Taixiong.

Returning to the rented room upstairs, Chen Yi slowly pulled out a chair and sat down.

He pointed his fingertips, motioning Yin Tingxue to sit down beside the bed.

The girl didn't dare to disobey him at the moment. After all, she did run around a lot, so she sat down opposite him obediently with her hands folded on her thighs.

"Where did you run to?" Chen Yi asked calmly.

Yin Tingxue replied: "I didn't go anywhere, I just saw something and went to take a look."

"what?"

“…Guhuo Bird.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yin Tingxue felt Chen Yi's eyes turned cold and he stared at her.

"Good, you dare to exorcise demons by yourself." Chen Yi's voice was indistinguishable from sadness or joy, and he was smiling on the outside but not on the inside.

Yin Tingxue's shoulders trembled and shrank. He was the most aggressive at times like this, often making her feel suffocated. Even though she had been with him for a long time, she often felt unsure and didn't know how to respond.

She said in a panic, "Just, just go and take a look, afraid of missing any clues. And I have your sword spirit on me, so I'll be fine... I won't run around next time."

The figure in front of him stood up from the chair, silent, obviously not caring about any clues.

Yin Tingxue's heart skipped a beat.

It looked like he was going to use force on her.

She slowly climbed onto the bed. When Chen Yi approached, she had her back to him, with her buttocks slightly raised...

"You...you calm down first." She softened her voice.

Chen Yi stopped.
She was going to be soft on him.

He paused for a moment, and suddenly a breath of hot air blew on Yin Tingxue's neck. She got goose bumps, but she still endured it. Soon she felt a chill again, and Chen Yi's face was already next to her ear.

"Then I'll calm down first."

…………

…………

After passing through the ceremonial gate of the county government office, you don't have to enter the main hall with the inscription "正大光明" (right and honest) on it. Instead, you can go in through the round arch gate, follow the murals past the county prison, and you will find Magistrate Wei in the courtyard.

Constable Shao walked in quickly and saw a man in a green silk robe sitting in a pavilion, fanning a fire and warming wine, in front of a row of glass windows. He was served by two maids, about fourteen or fifteen years old. One was reading some collection of literature, while the other was bending down to massage her feet. In the cold New Year weather, their clothes were thin, and their shoulders shrank due to the cold wind.

"Uncle, you are so elegant." Constable Shao walked a few steps closer and bowed half-heartedly.

"Only in winter can we enjoy the pleasure of drinking warm wine."

Magistrate Wei spoke slowly, fanned the fire, and looked leisurely.

He turned his eyes to admire the maid's neck skin which was red due to the cold, then slowly looked at his nephew and said:

"Bo'er, do you know why I called you here?"

Shao Bo nodded heavily and said:

"Of course I know it's Su Gong's business."

The duties of a county magistrate are nothing more than to distribute taxes and levies, hear lawsuits, promote education, and improve moral customs. If he simplifies his duties further, he would be serving the court and not letting the emperor down. Now the White Lotus Sect in Huguang to the south is causing chaos and is out of control. It is time to serve the country.

The word "serve the country" has a broad meaning. However, how to serve the country, how to serve it and how to ensure promotion after serving it, these are the real matters. During the Huguang Rebellion, there was a shortage of people and money. The former meant sacrificing one's life, while the latter only required making money. Taiyang County was separated from Huguang by the Yellow River, and the distance was neither far nor near. It was safe and secure, and one did not have to sacrifice one's life, and there was no shortage of opportunities to make achievements.

To this end, County Magistrate Wei got in touch with Su Hongtao, the commander-in-chief of Huguang. Su Hongtao was a second-rank official, nicknamed "Mr. Anshan". Normally, when subordinates paid him a visit, they had to call him "Mr. Anshan" in a proper manner. The religious rebellion in Huguang was indeed a misfortune for the local officials, but as the saying goes, "Misfortunes often bring blessings", it was not a bad thing for Mr. Anshan and County Magistrate Wei who got in touch with him.

Magistrate Wei slowly lifted the lid and looked at the wine, still fanning the fire, and asked:

“Have you knocked on those houses?”

"Uncle, we have already threatened them. As soon as we arrived at their house, we accused them of some crimes and clearly stated the loans from the year before last. Then they paid the money obediently. I took some money and treated a few brothers to a drink.

However, there are a few stubborn ones who are just playing tricks on us! Several brothers advised me to put them in jail for dozens or hundreds of days, they can't stand it." Shao Bo said quickly.

County Magistrate Wei glanced at him noncommittally and asked, "What do you think?"

"If you ask me, they should be put in jail and forced to pay the money. After all, they can be credited with their merits after the rebellion, and that can cover it up."

Magistrate Wei turned around, put the fan in the hand of the maid who was massaging his feet, and ordered, "Fight him."

The maid was stunned, but seeing that Magistrate Wei had a determined look on his face, she still took the fan with trembling hands and slapped it towards Shao Bo's face.

This was not painful, but extremely humiliating. Shao Bo stopped talking, not knowing what he had said wrong.

County Magistrate Wei asked, "Do you know you are wrong?"

“…Bo’er doesn’t know.”

Magistrate Wei snatched the fan from the maid's hand, stood up and gave her a hard slap.

Snapped!
There was a light red mark from the fan handle on his face.

Shao Bo's face immediately turned red, and he said, "Uncle, please tell me clearly."

County Magistrate Wei shook his head, sneered, sat back in the pavilion and asked, "Do you know that your uncle also started out as a businessman?"

"Of course...I know."

"Then did your uncle have any official protection when he was doing business?"

"…have."

At this point, Shao Bo suddenly realized.
"Bo'er is wrong." After all, this nephew is not stupid, but he has been an official for too long and his horizons are limited. County Magistrate Wei gently waved his round fan and broke down the matter again, saying on demand: "He is also a businessman, and he has connections. How dare you guarantee that which of his connections will not put you in jail?"

Shao Bo whispered, "Bo'er just wanted to do extraordinary things in extraordinary times, to make up for his mistakes with his merits."

"Is it an emergency now? The White Lotus Sect has invaded the capital? They have been causing trouble only in Huguang! Are you trying to cover up your faults with your achievements? If I do this, Mr. Su will protect me, but who are you? Does Mr. Su know you? Even Mr. Su's doorman doesn't know who you are."

Shao Bo's face turned pale from being scolded, and he continued: "Uncle, will you protect me..."

County Magistrate Wei sneered: "How do you know? I will definitely protect you and not kill you after you have done your job."

As soon as he finished speaking, a cold wind blew, and Shao Bo was frightened to the point of cold sweat breaking out on his neck.
Seeing that he stopped arguing, County Magistrate Wei sighed and said earnestly:

"Don't risk it if you don't want to take the blame for an important person. If you add icing on the cake, they won't be grateful and will think you are a burden. Only when you help them in times of need will they be grateful. Don't rush for things that are set in stone. For things that are stable, you should rather fail than make a mess. You haven't seen the world and don't understand these principles. I will teach you now. If you understand, you can make a living even if you are down and out in the future."

Regardless of whether the honest advice was unpleasant to the ears or not, Shao Bo no longer had the capital to shake his head.

Magistrate Wei also saw that he was not listening to him. Without personal experience, he could not understand many things. So he said coldly: "In short, those rich families should not be forced unless necessary. As for those poor families who borrowed money, those who should be arrested should be arrested and those who should be imprisoned should be imprisoned. I will suppress them if they want to go to court. I will kill the chicken to scare the monkeys in front of the rich families."

This is the current situation in Taiyang County: the poor are sent to jail and the rich are paid money.

At this moment, County Magistrate Wei suddenly thought of a tough issue and said, "The magician will be here in a few days for Madam Yan. Once the evil spirit is removed, you should immediately bring her to jail. Do not delay and undermine the determination of the county government to recover the money."

Shao Bo nodded heavily and said, "Yes."

"Drink some hot wine and get out."

The wine was already warm, and County Magistrate Wei poured a bowl of hot wine and sent it over, then he drank it himself. He admired the maids' rosy white necks, then looked up at the moon.

There is the moon in the sky and a beauty by my side, how happy it is.

When doing business, he was always worried and had to take care of "Ananda and Kasyapa" along the way, so he didn't dare to enjoy himself with peace of mind. The reason why he was willing to take a vacancy and become a county magistrate was that he understood a first-class truth from his business career - doing business is not as secure as making money as an official.

After three years of clearing the magistrate's office, he received one hundred thousand snowflakes and silver.

"The parents of officials." Wei County Magistrate sighed.

What is a parent official? It is to serve as a parent to the people of a place. It is the responsibility of a parent to manage, educate, and uphold justice. If this is the case, then when state affairs are difficult, imposing heavy taxes is no more than a subsidy for the family.

Thinking about it this way, he is actually kind-hearted, even though he is not explicitly asking for money.

As for the plaque that reads "Open and aboveboard"? He goes to court dozens of times a year, and his official robes are too heavy to bear, and his burden is too heavy to look back.

…………

"You mean...the two Taoists in robes in the inn left?"

In front of the wonton stall, Shao Bo was holding a bowl of hot and free wontons when he heard a report from a surveillance servant.

"You read that right. We have been on duty for two nights, and only these two Taoist priests, one big and one small, have gone out."

"To... Madam Yan's direction?"

In the bright sunlight, Shao Bo's face looked gloomy.

"That's it, Boss."

Shao Bo narrowed his eyes slightly and thought in his heart. He did see those two wandering Taoists who came from nowhere last night, but he didn't have a deep impression of them. They actually went to Madam Yan's place. Were they going to exorcise demons?
I'm afraid he's doing something evil in secret!

There is no such thing as a free lunch in the world, especially among Taoist priests, nine out of ten are thieves, and it is not uncommon to cheat people by fortune-telling and face-reading. Want to find a righteous man who will do something for free? Look for him in the storybooks.

Shao Bo took a bite of the thin-skinned wonton, the juice bursting between his teeth. He threw the bowl to the ground and strode in the direction the two Taoists left.

The bowl was cracked and the soup kept leaking out, rolling across half the table.

The boss felt very sad when he saw this.

As the cold wind blew, he could only lower his head and wipe the soup stains with a cloth.
"Master Shao, please take care..."

On the other side, two Taoist priests, a man and a woman, were walking slowly and asking for directions along the way. Shao Bo, who was familiar with Taiyang County, caught up with them from a distance in a few steps.

However, the two men stopped, turned around, and seemed to have noticed him.

There was no point in hiding any longer, so Shao Bo simply showed up: "I saw you last night, sorry for any offense." After saying these polite words, he went straight to the point: "Are you two Taoist priests going to the Yan family?"

Chen Yi looked normal and nodded, and Yin Tingxue beside him also showed no abnormality.

Shao Bo said with a smile: "This Guhuo bird has been making trouble for a long time and is really hard to subdue. I am not talented enough and fought with it for thirty or forty rounds with my mortal body. I was exhausted and defeated, so I was ridiculed by you. I believe that the two Taoist masters have profound Taoist skills, but if you don't have someone to take care of you along the way, I'm afraid you will be in danger."

"it is good."

Shao Bo was stunned for a moment, then he reacted and said, "...Master, did you agree to go with me?"

"Exactly."

Shao Bo cursed the man who didn't speak human language and played tricks in his heart, but said with a fake smile, "Then I will lead the way for you two."

Chen Yi raised his hand and stepped forward and said, "Please go ahead."

Shao Bo hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth and led the way. If the Taoist wanted to make trouble this time, he would not be able to use his magic with him present. If he could really get rid of the demon, he would save the money for the ritual for County Magistrate Wei and put the man in jail. It would be a great achievement all together.

He walked in front, only half a body length ahead, making sure he could catch the two Taoists out of the corner of his eye at any time. According to his memory, he led the two through the street, turned the corner, and suddenly squeezed from the wide avenue into a narrow place. His vision became blurred, and even though it was broad daylight, the alley in front of him was still visibly cold and eerie, and moss was covered in the semi-darkness, and there was no sign of life at the end of the alley.

"After turning two or three more alleys, we will reach Madam Yan's home. At first, it was Madam Yan who lost her child. I thought she was simply lost. Later, it was said that a dark shadow passed by here, and that there was a ghost. Then several families were lost. I took people to look for them, but only found clothes..." Looking at the alley, Shao Bo shivered a little, "... Back then, I fought with the monster while retreating, and fought through several alleys along the way."

Chen Yi touched the hairpin on his head and said with a smile, "Detective Shao, don't be panic, I am here."

"Oh, people are three parts afraid of ghosts, and ghosts are seven parts afraid of people. What's more, as a constable, what I do is natural and righteous."

"It's only natural?"

"It's only right and proper to pay off debts."

After saying that, Shao Bo continued to lead the way forward, his hand unconsciously clenching the handle of the knife.

The alley was very quiet, and there was nothing unusual along the way. The moss on the brick walls on both sides gradually turned from emerald green to black.

After turning a familiar corner, he looked up and saw nothing unusual, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Just turn the corner and you'll see, see, see..."

Shao Bo turned his head away, his heartbeat suddenly pounding, goose bumps appeared all over his body, and he couldn't move his eyes away.

A piercing chill came upstream.

On the courtyard wall, there was a ghostly face with disheveled hair, staring at him with lifeless eyes.

"Ghost!"

(End of this chapter)