Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 21 Famous in Qiongshan
"Shisanlang! Great detective! You can see through even the cunning Annan people!"

"Don't dare to take it! Don't dare to take it!"

"Shisanlang! So impressive! I heard you single-handedly fought off hundreds of assassins and saved the entire delegation?"

"I don't deserve it... huh? How much?"

"Shisanlang! I held you in my arms when you were little. Come to my house tonight, and we won't leave until we're drunk!"

"Some other day...haha...uh, do I know him?"

Qiongshan has never been a place where much happens. However, the visit of the Annan delegation and their ostentatious parade through the city attracted a lot of discussion among the local people.

When the government office's notice was posted, and due to the pressure from Princess Fanglian Li Yuying, Haiyue's role was not hidden, it immediately caused a sensation.

In fact, Gu Shanjie still made some polishing, but the common people did not care about the government office. They only paid attention to how a student who had not yet achieved any academic honors cleared his grievances, saw through the murderer's scheme, and finally saved the entire diplomatic corps.

The name of the detective spread like wildfire, and even storytellers in the market began to make up stories about him.

Haiyue successfully transformed from a name into a celebrity.

On this day, the sky was clear and the wind was gentle.

He took Hai Rui with him, greeting the villagers along the way. It took much longer than usual, but they finally arrived at their destination and shouted loudly, "Aunt! Aunt!"

This is a relatively remote courtyard outside Qionshan County.

A loud voice was heard, and the sound of the loom in the house stopped. A thin woman with sharp eyes and eyebrows walked out. It was Haimu Xie.

Like the famous Song Dynasty officials Fan Zhongyan and Ouyang Xiu, Hai Rui lost his father at a young age. However, compared to Fan Zhongyan's mother who remarried with little Fan Zhongyan and whose stepfather treated him well, Ouyang Xiu's mother took Ouyang Xiu to live with her brother-in-law and taught him to read and write on the sand using a reed as a pen, Xie Shi neither remarried nor relied on others. She raised Hai Rui with a dozen acres of thin land and several wooden looms for weaving cotton.

It's no wonder Hai Rui was so filial, always obedient to his mother's every word. He immediately bowed down and saluted deeply, "Mother! We're back!"

Compared to his reserved son, Haiyue, the nephew, was very casual. He lifted the bag in his hand and said, "Aunt, my fourteenth brother helped me a lot this time. If it weren't for him, I would have been cheated by those Annan thieves. I can't just turn this little thing away again, can I?"

Xie was unmoved by any soft or hard words: "Do you treat him as an outsider?"

"of course not……"

"Then don't send these. If you feel awkward, don't come here again!"

"Alright alright!"

Haiyue had no choice but to put the bag outside the yard and walked into the house.

Hai Han, a student on government academy, died early, and Xie was unwilling to accept help from Hai's relatives, so Hai Rui's family lived a very difficult life.

The thin land was given to tenants to cultivate, and the grain harvested each year was only enough to keep them fed and clothed. Xie had to rely on weaving cloth with her own hands to make money to support her daily life.

The same would be true when Hai Rui became an official in the future. Since everyone knew the salaries of Ming Dynasty officials, and Hai Rui never took bribes, even though he was very capable and could control the yamen without hiring a legal advisor, he had to live frugally with the money he earned. Every year, he could only buy some meat to celebrate Xie's birthday, and Hu Zongxian even brought this up to criticize him.

It is still the same now. There is little oil and water in the simple kitchen. The most precious thing is some wild game. Those that can be exchanged for money are sold by Xie to pay the tuition for the academy. No wonder Hai Rui looks so thin.

However, it was precisely because of Xie's strong sense of self-esteem, not wanting her son to lose his father at a young age and be forced to live under someone else's roof and rely on others for support, that Hai Rui developed a strong sense of integrity, a true example of what she taught him. Similarly, Hai Rui's historically infertile family, with all three of his sons dying young, was also related to his chronic malnutrition during his youth.

Haiyue naturally didn't want this to happen, but it seemed that some preparation was needed, so she calmed down and started to help with the work.

Mrs. Xie wasn't exactly polite about this, but seeing her nephew, renowned in Qiongshan, busying around, she couldn't help but ask, "You just said you were nearly tricked by those Annan villains? Didn't you see through their scheme and report it to the government, trapping them and forcing them to confess?"

"How can it be so magical?"

Hai Yue smiled bitterly, "Those involved are often confused, but those who are watching can see clearly. I was wrongly accused at the time, and I only wanted to prove my innocence. After discovering that Prince Annan's identity was fake, I couldn't wait to reveal it, thinking that the job was done, and subconsciously ignored the doubts! It was my fourteenth brother who reminded me, so that the truth of the case could be truly revealed. Fourteenth brother has the qualifications of a detective, and one day he will become a judge who will rule for the people!"

Hai Rui felt a little embarrassed and was about to speak when Xie frowned, "Him? You guys are good brothers, so don't brag about it!"

Hai Rui lowered his head and stopped talking.

Hai Yue was most disgusted by this kind of frustration-based education that blindly suppressed people. She said sternly, "Aunt, solving a case requires keen observation, flexible thinking, and rigorous reasoning. If you add conscience and virtue, you become a fair and honest judge! Di Lianggong, Bao Xiaosu, and Song Tixing, who are praised by the people, have many experiences of solving cases like gods. They are all like this! This also reflects everyone's most simple wish: when an unsolved case occurs, someone can catch the real culprit and let the victim rest in peace; when an injustice occurs, someone can discern the truth and stand up for the innocent! Don't you want your fourteenth brother to be such a person?"

Xie was somewhat moved and said in a deep voice, "But he is still young, and both of you are underage. Don't get carried away and forget your reason just because you solved a case by chance!"

"Of course not!"

Hai Yue said sternly, "Rewards and punishments should be clearly defined. If it weren't for Fourteenth Brother's reminder, how could I have achieved anything? Now outsiders only know me, but not his contributions. I am the only one enjoying the fame. Doesn't that make me a fraud? I must go out and explain everything!"

Xie paused, "You're being too serious. Why do two brothers have to be like this?"

After saying this, he turned to Hai Rui and said, "You've done a great job this time. You should keep up the good work and don't slack off!"

Hai Rui was stunned when he heard this. He had almost never heard his mother praise him, but now his eyes were moist. He bowed deeply and said, "I will follow your instructions, Mother!"

"Old Fourteen, having such a strict mother really makes things difficult for you..."

Haiyue sighed inwardly.

The young Hai Rui was somewhat eccentric. After all, his father died early and he was raised by his widowed mother. He still had some inferiority complex. Solving this case would help him build up his confidence.

Xie rarely gave a word of praise, then immediately regained her composure and continued, "I heard that there are still some Annan villains at large?"

Hai Yue was quite speechless: "Yes! The bandit leader Mo Zhengyong is currently imprisoned in the prison. One of his men, Zheng Wu, escaped with the help of his accomplices and his whereabouts remain unknown..."

Facts have proved that the Ningbo Rebellion was not an accident. The Ming army in the local garrisons were mostly pure serfs with very low combat skills. The capturers of the government office's fast squad were unwilling to fight to the death. Even though they were surrounded and the prosecutor Shao Jing took the initiative, they were still rushed out by the leader Zheng Wu and two guards.

Speaking of which, if Mo Zhengyong was not afraid of death, given the ridiculous local combat effectiveness, it would be entirely possible for him to cause a "Qiongzhou Rebellion".

Haiyue just found it difficult to comment.

After hearing this, Xie shook her head, clearly dissatisfied with the government's performance. She said sternly, "If these people still have evil intentions and want to seek revenge on you, you must be on guard!"

"If they really came, we could have caught them all in one fell swoop. I'm afraid they've already fled back to Annan in a panic!"

Haiyue felt a little regretful, but smiled and said, "The county exam is coming soon, so I'll take shelter here for a while. I hope Auntie will take me in!"

(End of this chapter)