Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 95: It’s Better to Stay Still Than to Move (Update )
That night.

Yan Shifan hurried back to the Imperial College before curfew and came to his own dormitory, just in time to see Hai Yue fetching a basin of water and putting it in.

To be honest, the weather in the capital is really too dry.

Not to mention the winter, which is controlled by the Mongolian high pressure, with strong northwest winds and extremely low humidity. In the notes of literati, there are often records of "wind and sand blocking the sun, cracked lips and chapped hands".

Summer is not easy either. Due to the influence of the monsoon, it is short and rainy, but the evaporation rate is high, and it is sometimes hot and dry indoors, which is very unbearable.

Therefore, wealthy families often placed bronze basins of water in the living room, which were called "moisturizing basins". They would then bury pottery jars in the ground and use them as water storage devices under the main room to regulate the humidity through slow evaporation.

There are also corridor water troughs. For example, there is such a setting in the Wudinghou Mansion. A stone water channel is set up under the eaves of the corridor to store water on rainy days and evaporate on sunny days. Of course, the best thing is to store ice in the cellar and use it in the summer. Place ice trays on the ice to make the whole room cool.

None of the above facilities are available in the Imperial College.

Therefore, many students from well-off families do not live here because they think the conditions are too harsh.

Hai Rui and Lin Daqin were happy to accept it. Although it was indeed smaller than the house they rented before, it was free. For people like them who came from poor families, free was good.

Although Yan Shifan was extremely envious of the extravagant lifestyle of the children of the powerful, he was also used to living in poverty, so he immediately stepped forward to help.

After finishing the cleaning, he leaned close to Haiyue's ear and whispered, "Family Father also agrees with our analysis."

Haiyue nodded slightly and whispered in the same low voice: "Okay."

Yan Shifan rubbed his hands in anticipation: "This time, I must find a way to make that old man lose the emperor's favor completely!"

Guo Xun's purpose was to defame himself and make Jiajing believe that some court officials had slandered him repeatedly, which was against the people rather than the matter. His purpose was to overthrow Guo Xun, the emperor's confidant. If the plan succeeded, he would be invincible among the court officials, because no matter what evil he did, when it came to Jiajing's side, he would become someone else's deliberate target. Wouldn't he be invincible?
What Yan Shifan was thinking about most was to expose the other party's conspiracy and let Jiajing know that, not to mention the last case of Li Fuda, at least this time, Guo Xun was clearly plotting against the emperor.

Of course, given the emperor's suspicion, as long as he is sure that this is a conspiracy, the trust in the previous case will definitely collapse in an instant.

However, how to proceed in this step still needs careful consideration.

Although their motivation analysis is consistent with the current details, there is still a lack of evidence.

Moreover, even if there is definite evidence, it cannot be disclosed directly.

Otherwise, wouldn’t it be telling the emperor that your ministers are treating you like a fool!
Guo Xun, who did something bad, might not be executed, but the fate of the person who exposed him would definitely not be good...

Just now, Yan Song repeatedly reminded that this case must not harm the majesty's wisdom, and all the mistakes are the fault of the subordinates. Yan Shifan kept thinking about it along the way.

On the other side, Hai Rui and Lin Daqin had just moved in and were still excited, so they had a strong desire to chat.

What was amazing about Yan Shifan was that he actually responded from time to time, with his hands resting on his head, not missing a single word from his roommate. At the same time, his eyes flickered as he thought frantically. After a while, he came over and said, "Can we invite Lu Sheren to participate..."

Haiyue shook her head directly: "No!"

Yan Shifan was actually testing the waters. He had a vague feeling that Hai Yue would not borrow Lu Bing's connections. When he heard the answer, he was completely certain.

Haiyue didn't want to implicate Lu Bing. With his character, he wouldn't betray her. Naturally, he felt reassured and whispered his true thoughts, "I think the Harriers are Guo Xun's biggest weakness. Those hoodlums are unruly and hard to discipline. They only care about money and are completely uncontrollable!"

Haiyue nodded slightly: "Not bad."

Yan Shifan said: "How about this..."

After listening carefully, Haiyue subconsciously glanced at him.

Fortunately, you didn't have a strong presence before. With such a vengeful character, if you had a strong presence, you would definitely make enemies with others, and the capital would be full of murders, wouldn't it?
Seeing the other party's surprise, Yan Shifan showed a hint of pride in the corner of his eyes.

He had always believed himself to be extremely intelligent, and that his low profile was a way of waiting for the right moment to show off, rather than a life of servility. It was just that when he was investigating the case previously, he was always inferior to this person, so he couldn't help but feel resentful. Now he could finally hold his head high and show off. "Does Shisanlang have anything to add?"

Hai Yue had to admit that the other party's plan was both cunning and treacherous, yet also precise and accurate. It hit the vital points directly and involved a group of people who were hostile to him. It was indeed in line with Yan Shifan's character. However, the other party seemed to have overlooked one point: "Donglou, we have met that Han Yaozi. Do you think he will protect us after his trial?"

Yan Shifan's expression changed immediately. He sat up suddenly and raised his voice, "Of course not! What should we do then?"

Hai Rui and Lin Daqin looked over. Hai Yue indicated it was nothing to worry about, saying calmly, "We're just following up on the case as normal. We're being honest and open. What's there to worry about?"

Yan Shifan said anxiously, "But Han Yaozi wouldn't say that. What if he talks nonsense to the Jinyiwei and blames us afterwards?"

Hai Yue said calmly, "It's nothing, because I was originally planning to report the progress of the case to the Jinyiwei, including the part about meeting Han Yaozi at the overpass."

"Didn't you just..."

Yan Shifan was surprised at first, then immediately realized that bringing Lu Bing in was indeed very different from simply informing the Jinyiwei of the case. He said thoughtfully, "Guo Xun is too clever for his own good and calculating too much. Should we do the opposite?"

"Not bad!"

Haiyue smiled: "At this time, it is better to be still than to move!"

……

In the Tianqiao Yaozi Squad, Han Yaozi was blindfolded with a black cloth and also stood still.

Suddenly, his ears twitched and he raised his arms. Without making any movement, several streaks of light flew out and hit the moving target several feet away.

The man who was moving the target was none other than the man who had previously demonstrated his knife-throwing skills. He rushed over, expressing deep admiration: "Master, your skills are unparalleled!"

"What's that?" Han Yaozi took off the black cloth and looked at the flying knife on the target with a dull look on his face. "I'm old! I'm old! Back then, this was the only skill that allowed me, the master, to fight my way out of the crowd of soldiers. Hey! They're still too young to catch me!"

The flying knife man admired him more and more.

What this master likes to brag about the most is the period when he was in the Ning Wang Mansion, how he was favored by the Ning Wang Mansion, and how he escaped from the Ning Wang Mansion when it collapsed. He even encountered a small group of soldiers who wanted to rob him, and he fought his way out with a flying knife.

The disciples were horrified when they heard this at first. It was normal for people in the martial arts world to brag about their glorious past deeds, but this man kept talking about Prince Ning's Mansion and that Prince Ning was a traitor. How could they say that?

But one has to admit that Han Yaozi's behavior was indeed intimidating. His disciples were scared half to death, and people outside were even more cautious. They even imagined that he had the protection of the court behind him, and that the Yaozi class was also thugs kept outside by a big shot. As a result, fewer people dared to provoke them, and the gang's strength grew rapidly. Now it has become a local tyrant in the capital and a powerful force.

As a result, the disciples were both respectful and fearful of their master. Just as the man with the flying knife was complimenting him, another short-legged man came running over. It was the storyteller from earlier. He excitedly said, "Master! Master! There's news! The streets are starting to spread rumors about the nobleman's scandal!"

"Oh?"

Han Yaozi was instantly delighted. This was a deal worth two thousand taels. He threw his flying knife, nearly stabbing his apprentice. "Whose scandal is it? What's it about?"

The short-legged disciple said, "They didn't say who it was exactly. It's only said that it was a top noble, of extraordinary status. A scandal broke out in his inner house, and it's suspected to be related to the son of his concubine."

"That's it! Press it down!"

Han Yaozi did not hesitate and waved his hand, like the uncrowned king of the entire capital.

In fact, in every era, there is indeed a gathering place for public opinion.

There were markets in the Tang Dynasty, theaters in the Song Dynasty, and storytelling and acrobatics in the Ming Dynasty.

Teahouse storytellers, vernacular writers, folk newspaper copyists, jugglers and puppeteers in the market can help the people form a consensus of public opinion in a short period of time through stories and rumors.

The gentry class guided public opinion through poetry, prose, and lectures. For example, more than 60 years later, the Donglin Party of the Ming Dynasty expanded their influence through private lectures and formed an opposition Qingyi group. During Zhang Juzheng's administration, he also ordered the closure of academies across the country and banned lectures in order to forcibly control public opinion. However, there is no doubt that this method had little effect and even had a counterproductive effect.

There is no way. The ancient imperial court has always lacked the means to control public opinion. If it wants to control public opinion, it can only go down to the people and find grassroots city organizations.

The "Kite Squad" is such an organization.

Of course, no matter in ancient or modern times, in China or abroad, once something spreads and forms a preconceived first impression, it is a daydream to want to completely suppress public opinion. In fact, the more it is suppressed, the more people will believe that it is true. At most, a certain degree of guidance and bias can be provided.

But if the news has just spread and most people don’t know about it yet, at this time, as long as the source is controlled, the flames can be put out immediately.

This is the purpose of two thousand taels of silver.

It was an astronomical figure for ordinary people, but for the top noble who dared to interfere in the selection of officials in the Ministry of Personnel and the projects in the Ministry of Works, it was just a drizzle!
The disciple who was wielding the flying knife asked, "Master, isn't this rumor a bit exaggerated?"

"The most powerful person... a scandal in the inner chamber... who else could it be if not that person?"

Han Yaozi felt that he couldn't be wrong, and even if he was wrong, it wouldn't matter: "If other nobles had a scandal, they certainly wouldn't want it to be exposed. At most, I'll just do you a favor for free!"

The short-legged disciple who came to report the news immediately began to boast: "Master is wise! Master is wise!"

Han Yaozi smiled smugly, but he also focused on the main point: "Don't forget to find out the source. Who was the first to spread it?"

The short-legged disciple said, "The news is now in Pi Tiao Alley. Apparently, it was spread by those prostitutes. Junior Brother Tian, ​​keep an eye on it over there. We'll soon catch the first person who spread the news!"

Han Yaozi said, "Once you find the person, bring him back immediately. Not only does it matter if it's the top scorer, but even if it's the top female student, we'll take her back!"

"Yes, yes! I love this kind of thing the most!"

The short-legged disciple smiled with a wicked look on his face: "Female champion, I haven't tasted that feeling yet! Those music bureaus are the most hateful, looking down on people like us. Even if we spend money, we can't see those fairy-like figures!"

"What fairy? She's just a whore!"

Han Yaozi sneered and patted his chest. "Your master hates waste the most in my life. Back when I was in Prince Ning's mansion, I ate every grain of the delicacies Prince Ning rewarded me with. Wait until I have eaten first, then you can join the queue!"

All the flying knife disciples were excited at this moment, sniffing their lips together, looking forward to the return of Junior Brother Tian, ​​who was the best in light body skills.

However, no matter how long I waited, Junior Brother Tian did not come.

I waited and waited, but the female top scorer showed up.

By nightfall, business in Pi Tiao Hutong should be picking up. It would be inconvenient to kidnap people at this time. Not to mention the two disciples, even Han Yaozi realized that something was wrong and frowned. "You two go and take a look. If anything goes wrong, announce your name as your master. I want to see who dares to challenge me!"

"Yes!"

The two disciples immediately took orders and rushed out aggressively.

Han Yaozi covered himself with the cloth again and continued to practice his unique skills.

There was one thing he said that was true. As he grew older, his martial arts skills declined more and more obviously, which made him very uneasy. Martial arts were the foundation of his livelihood, and he absolutely could not give it up.

But this time, a moment later, a series of messy footsteps came from inside.

"Master! Master!!"

The short-legged disciple practically rolled in, his arrogant expression gone. His thick neck stretched forward, as if being pinched by an invisible hand. He chuckled for a long time before squeezing out a heart-wrenching sentence: "Oh no! Jinyi... Jinyi Guards have surrounded us!!"

(End of this chapter)