The copy has 0 error tolerance, and the last words on the ground are all wrong for me.

Chapter 354: The Corn Laws and the Coal Mine Explosions
Wu Chang looked at the various evidences on the wall of Raventon. At first glance, it seemed that the infertility of wild dogs on the roadside of Grimland was related to Prime Minister Ron.

"Our Prime Minister, he seems to be really busy."

Ravington took two puffs from his pipe, tapped the wall with his cane, and said:

"That means you have stayed in the New World for too long. If you had lived in Stylan in recent years, you would know how energetic our Prime Minister is."

"If Randy is known as the Iron Minister, then Prime Minister Ron is the Iron Man."

"He once slept only one hour a day for two consecutive months, but he was still able to stand in the parliament and give a speech energetically. That kind of work intensity would cause even a mystic knight to die suddenly."

Wu Chang seemed to have realized something: "So in order to conceal the news, the official information released was sudden death?"

Raventon rolled his eyes, "I didn't say all this so that you can figure out those things."

He moved his cane so that the tip came to rest on a news report about the anti-Corn Laws.

The date of the news is November 11th. Prime Minister Ron delivered a speech in the House of Commons, stating that lowering food prices can effectively improve the lives of the lower-class people, promote industrial development, and promote free trade.

Ravington said: "Four days ago, Prime Minister Rowan's speech aroused widespread discussion in public opinion and pushed the enthusiasm against the Corn Law to a new height."

"Many MPs who originally supported the Corn Laws began to talk about compromise under the pressure of public opinion."

"But the next morning, when the servants of the Prime Minister's house were cleaning the study, they found the Prime Minister dead in the room."

Wu Chang frowned, "Four days ago?"

The letters he received in the New World were paper letters. According to the sailing speed of the steamship in the Steam Phantom Plane, it would take at least ten days to get from Stellan to the New World.

The round trip of the letter, plus his return to Stirling after receiving the letter, took a month.

He originally thought that the Prime Minister had been assassinated long ago, but the news was kept secret. While using a substitute to stabilize the situation, he called him back as a foreign aid to handle the matter.

I didn’t expect the Prime Minister’s death to be so near.

So why did Olivia and Julie call him back? Did they foresee that the situation was about to get out of control, or was there something else?

Raventon retracted his cane, looked at Wu Chang, and asked:
"How about it, Mr. Captain, are you interested in taking on this case?"

Wu Chang slapped the Lake Light Holy Sword at his waist and said righteously:

"We, the arcane knights, should be the sword of the queen and share her worries."

Raventon glanced at Wu Chang with a half-smile, picked up the woolen coat on the seat, used his cane to pick up the black felt hat on the clothes hanger, caught it in mid-air, and put it on his head.

"In that case, let's go to the Prime Minister's residence and take a look at the scene without further delay."

Wu Chang was stunned for a moment and asked:

"Are we going like this?"

Raventon said with a hint of pride:

“Although I am only a private investigator, the police will ask me to be a consultant when they encounter cases that they cannot solve.”

"It is difficult for others to enter the prime minister's residence at this time, but my assistants and I can enter the crime scene at any time to further search for evidence."

Wu Chang asked in confusion: "Where is your assistant?"

Ravington said nothing, looking at him as a matter of course.

Wu Chang pointed at himself and asked, "Me?"

Raventon shrugged. "You know, I don't frequently play various roles just because I like it. I just learned to disguise myself so that I can move more conveniently."

"Your identity is not visible now. If you don't work as my assistant, you can only sneak into the Prime Minister's residence like a thief."

"Believe me, even the thieves who have been causing panic in Grimland recently would not choose to sneak into the Prime Minister's residence, let alone the Prime Minister's residence which is now heavily guarded."

Wu Chang reached out and grabbed Irene’s hand and said, “Okay, but what about my wife?”

Ravington took a puff of his pipe and said, "The assistant's assistant."

Wu Chang frowned slightly, but seeing that Raventon didn't look like joking, he didn't say anything.

He took off the Lake Light Holy Sword from his waist, put it back into his personal space, and said:

"What are you waiting for? Let's go now."

Raventon did not move, staring at Wu Chang, and asked:
"I wanted to ask you just now, how did you make such a big sword appear out of thin air and then make it disappear out of thin air?"

Wu Chang said: "You want to learn? I will teach you."

An hour later, the rental carriage stopped near the Prime Minister's residence. Ravington looked at Wu Chang and Irene coming out of the carriage and said unhappily:

"You don't understand the essence of acting at all. I've never seen a detective drive an assistant."

Wu Chang said: "You didn't say where to start acting."

Led by Ravington, the three walked towards the Prime Minister's residence.

Although there were rumors of a conspiracy about the Prime Minister's assassination, at least the cause of death announced to the outside world was illness, which meant that there was no dense cordon around the Prime Minister's residence like there was at a crime scene.

When the three men were ten meters close to the Prime Minister's residence, two policemen walked out of the shadows and stopped them.

Both policemen have extraordinary energy in their bodies. They are secret police trained by the National Police Agency.

The two men knew Raventon, and after hearing Raventon say "They are my assistants", they let them go without even checking their identities.

Ravington took the two of them straight to the Prime Minister's study. Opposite the door was the Prime Minister's desk.

The entire desk area was circled with white handwriting, as if everything here was the outline of a corpse.

At Ravington's request, the scene was kept as original as possible, and the documents on the desk remained in the state they were in when the Prime Minister died.

The documents on the desk were splattered with blood, and judging from their placement, the Prime Minister was handling matters concerning the workers' movement when he was stabbed.

The place of death was on the office chair.

Raventon took a black-and-white photo from the police officer who was following him, handed it to Wu Chang, and said:
"In order to prevent information leakage, the photos cannot be taken away and can only be viewed here."

Wu Chang and Irene looked at the photo. Prime Minister Ron in the photo had a stern face, firm and deep eyes, a high forehead, a hooked nose, and an extremely solemn expression, as if he was thinking about something important concerning the Stellan Empire.

He sat upright, wearing a black suit, as if he was about to go out to attend some important event.

Prime Minister Ron in the photo looked no different from usual, except that his hands on the desk were covered in blood and there was a huge gear inserted in his ear.

The gear wheel is the size of a plate, and the gear rod is inserted into the left ear and out of the right ear, passing through the entire head.

There was a bloody handprint on the gear wheel. Judging from the size and direction of the handprint, it seemed as if Prime Minister Ron had inserted the gear into his head himself.

Wu Chang pointed the photo at the desk, so that half of the desk in the photo was spliced ​​together with the real desk.

Then he followed Prime Minister Ron's gaze and saw a sentence written in blood on the wall opposite the desk.

“I heard the roar of the times.”

Wu Chang looked at Raventon, who explained:

"This sentence comes from Prime Minister Ron's most famous speech. When he was first elected Prime Minister, he strongly supported the industrial faction in his inaugural speech."

"He took out a machine, turned the gears on it and asked other people what they heard."

"In the confusion of others, he uttered the words that were later mentioned repeatedly, 'I heard the roar of the times.'"

Wu Chang raised his eyebrows. He used this method to assassinate Prime Minister Ron, and was afraid that others would not be able to find out, so he wrote Prime Minister Ron's words on the wall with blood.

The murderer's malice can no longer be described by ordinary sarcasm.

It is obvious that there is a personal grudge involved, and it is a deep hatred.

Wu Chang looked around the desk and couldn't help frowning.

There are only two possibilities for such a cruel way of killing without leaving any resentment at the scene.

First, Prime Minister Ron's resentment was directed at the murderer, and second, Prime Minister Ron failed to form resentment.

The former is naturally the best. The moment he sees the other party, he can solve the case directly.

But if it's the latter, then the situation is complicated.

Wu Chang looked at Raventon and asked:

"What are the results of the National Police Agency's investigation at this stage?"

Ravington curled his lips and said nothing, but stared at the police who followed the three people with wide eyes.

The policeman's face turned red, his mouth pursed tightly, and after struggling for a while, he whispered:
"The results of the forensic examination showed that the Prime Minister was not under the control of any supernatural power when he died. There was no trace of hallucinogenic drugs in his body, and no trace of any outsiders was detected at the scene."

"So based on the clues at this stage, the prime minister's cause of death is suicide."

Wu Chang couldn't hold back and laughed out loud.

He is a player who has completed many high-difficulty dungeons and has undergone rigorous training. No matter what situation he encounters, he can hold on unless he can't help it.

For example, now, seeing the death of Prime Minister Ron and hearing the answer that it was suicide, it is hard not to laugh out loud.

The accompanying policeman blushed, but was unable to refute and could only lower his head and pretend not to hear.

Ravington couldn't bear to watch it anymore and said:

"It's not their fault. The person who did it was very skilled. Even for me, the clues I could find at the scene were limited."

Wu Chang asked: "What clues did you find?"

Raventon looked at the accompanying police and said:

"You go out first. We are going to perform a special occult ritual. If we find anything, I will notify Inspector Auston."

After the police left, Ravington turned on the phonograph in the room.

The phonograph is a product of the industrial boom in recent years. Once invented, it became all the rage and became a must-have for almost every middle-class family.

The record playing on the phonograph is Prime Minister Ron's favorite piano piece.

Raventon handed Wu Chang an earmuff engraved with mystical runes. Wu Chang just took a look and copied the same mystical ritual out of thin air. After making slight changes, he directly covered the phonograph.

The sound of the record was filtered through a mystical ritual, and the three could vaguely hear the clicking sound of gears turning through the piano music.

Wu Chang said: "Has the record been tampered with?"

Ravington nodded. "It is still unknown what the gear noise is for, but one thing is certain, there is definitely another reason behind the Prime Minister's death."

Wu Chang withdrew the occult ritual and asked:

"There must be a reason for assassinating the Prime Minister. Did the Prime Minister offend someone before the assassination, or was he doing something to offend someone?"

Raventon nodded and said, "That's a good question. There were two things the Prime Minister was doing before he was assassinated."

"One is the Anti-Corn Laws, which everybody knows."

Raventon glanced at Wu Chang, curled his lips, and said, "Oh, I forgot, you didn't know. It seems that I need to spend some time to give you some simple background knowledge."

As Ravington told the story, Wu Chang quickly understood the origin of the Anti-Corn Law.

The so-called Corn Laws are actually trade protection policies.

Simply put, a series of tariff barriers and import restrictions were designed to protect the interests of farmers and landowners in Stirland.

The law stipulates that when the domestic grain price in Stirland is lower than a certain market price, the import of foreign grain is prohibited. When the price is higher than this price, high tariffs will be imposed on foreign countries.

The practice of artificially maintaining high food prices, such as the Corn Law, is not uncommon in the real world where Wu Chang lives.

The several island countries next to Xia Country are all adept at this. The skyrocketing rice prices in Sakurajima and the sky-high prices of fruits and vegetables in Bang Island are the result of similar operations.

This practice ensures income for landlords but leads to increased living costs for people.

In the real world, people could just endure it, but in the age of steam engines, when industrial explosion was in progress, Stian became one of the main points of social conflict.

For the lower-class people, high food prices represent an increase in the cost of living, which directly affects their food and clothing.

The high cost of living caused by high food prices requires factories to increase wages, which increases the labor costs of factories.

At the same time, the high grain tariffs of the Corn Law would also cause other countries to impose retaliatory tariffs on Stirland's industrial products.

This directly triggered the conflict between the old aristocracy of the landlord class and the new aristocracy of the industrial bourgeoisie.

Prime Minister Rowan supported the Anti-Corn Laws, which affected the old nobles' interests and was bound to make them hate him.

Having said this, Raventon added:
"Prime Minister Ron's Conservative Party is composed mostly of old landowning aristocrats."

"As the leader of the Conservative Party, he supported the anti-corn law movement, which made Prime Minister Rowan known as the "traitor to the land" within the Conservative Party. You know, traitors are always more hated than enemies."

Wu Chang nodded. No matter in which civilization, betrayers are always despised.

He asked, "What is the second thing Prime Minister Ron is doing?"

Ravington raised his cane and pointed to the document on the desk that Prime Minister Rowan was looking at before his death. It was a document about the workers' movement.

"Just ten days ago, an explosion occurred at the Pine Coal Mine on the outskirts of Grimland, killing more than 400 workers."

"This incident shocked the whole country, leading to strikes and violent clashes in many cities."

"Because the incident was so serious, Prime Minister Ron had to personally participate in the investigation of the case and promised to improve the working environment of coal miners."

Wu Chang recalled what Raventon said and murmured:
"The Corn Laws, and the coal mine explosions."

Ravington nodded and asked, "Prime Minister Ron's death is likely related to these two things. Which one do you plan to start with?"

Wu Chang thought for a moment and said:
"The anti-Corn Laws have caused too much trouble. Although the conflict has become more intense, as you said, the anti-Corn Laws have overwhelming support among the people. The old nobles are afraid to take any action and are even on the verge of compromise. It is unlikely that they will use such extreme measures."

"I think there might be something fishy going on in that coal mine explosion."

Ravington said: "It's a wise choice. In this case, we will prepare during the day tomorrow and go to the Pine Tree Coal Mine at night to see what secrets are hidden there."

"You should get a good rest tonight and try not to act late at night."

Wu Chang asked, "Why?"

Ravington said: "Grimland has been very unstable these days. In addition to the Tranquility Cult's restless activities, there is also a serial killer active in the middle of the night."

"He specifically hunts down extraordinary people. More than six people have been killed in the past month, and the Grimland Police Department has not yet found the real culprit."

Wu Chang didn't care about it. "If he only targets extraordinary people and comes after me, I think you should be worried about him."

Raventon was silent for a moment, then said, "I think so."

After determining the next target, the two men could not find any more clues at the crime scene, so they decided to leave the Prime Minister's Residence first.

"Do you want me to take you two back to the hotel first..." Just as Ravington finished speaking, he saw a carriage of the Holy Revelation Church parked not far from the Prime Minister's residence.

That was a carriage that only high-ranking clergy of the church could ride. It was obvious who was sitting in the carriage, as it appeared at this time and in this place.

He shrugged and said, "It looks like there's a new driver waiting for you."

Wu Chang looked at Raventon and said jokingly, "Why don't you come and sit with us?"

Ravington shook his head and said, "I won't go."

"Wow, no wonder you're still single at almost 40." Wu Chang said in a low voice.

Ravington pretended not to hear, pushed his hat down, and walked towards the cab with his head lowered.

Wu Changze took Irene to the carriage and got in. It turned out that it was Julie sitting inside.

Julie glanced at the rented carriage that was leaving quickly, then turned around and asked:

"How are you getting along?"

Wu Chang said: "Not bad, quite an interesting guy, a good person."

Julie smiled and said, "Yeah, he's not a bad guy."

Wu Chang and Julie gave Ravington two good guy cards amid laughter and joy.

Julie said, "He must have used the excuse of being an assistant to bring you two into the Prime Minister's residence. Your presence needs to be hidden for the time being. I hope you can be patient for a while."

Wu Chang said with a strange expression: "From your description, I seem like a shameful lover, er, a shameful masked vigilante."

He felt Irene's scrutinizing gaze and immediately changed his words.

"I wonder when Queen Olivia will make me a regular vigilante."

Julie says:

"At this point in time, if the Queen suddenly announces the restoration of the Mystic Knights, some people will see it as an opportunity to expand her power by taking advantage of the Prime Minister's death."

"Unless, there is a legitimate reason to restore the Mystic Knights, or they have already made some impressive achievements."

"Do you still remember the Queen's commission? You just need to catch the mastermind behind the Grimland phenomenon first, and then the Queen will announce your existence."

Wu Chang nodded and said, "I'll do it as soon as possible."

"But..." Julie changed the subject and said:

"Although your status as the leader of the Mystic Knights cannot be announced for the time being, it does not affect the treatment you deserve now."

(End of this chapter)