Chapter 94

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Cai Xiu wrote with vigorous brushstrokes, and in just an hour or two, he finished drafting the document.

What he wrote was a reorganization plan concerning the Capital Prefecture Government Office Prison's case files.

Reorganizing case files is actually very simple; the trouble lies solely in the word "tedious."

Cai Xiu had been here for several days and had already figured things out clearly — last year the Legal Clerk was required to rectify by the Judicial Review Office, so the shelves already had a set of recipes.

The things written by grassroots petty officials have crude wording, unpleasant to the eye, but the content is solid and practical.

Since Cai Xiu could enter the Taixue Upper Dormitory and be named alongside Han Li, Kong Fuyang, and others as the "Four Sons of Taixue," how could he possibly not have some talent?

At this moment, he appropriated the core content of that ready-made material, only slightly altering the phrasing, and it became a very presentable piece of work.

Watching the hour, Cai Xiu took the regulations and went straight to find Zhang Facao.

"Last time I accompanied you and Liu Kongmu for a meal, I heard that last year the Judicial Review Office came for an inspection, and in the end found that our judgment case files had the most errors and omissions; it was you who maneuvered to resolve it, so we weren't named and reprimanded..."

"Since I came to the Government Office, I have followed your arrangement to organize case files in the archive, day and night without stop, delving into them these days, and discovered many problems."

"Seeing that the Judicial Review Office will come for another inspection in the second half of the year, if we ignore them, I fear they will be brought up again, and at that time, will it affect your performance evaluation, Sir?"

Since it concerned himself, Zhang Facao immediately listened, and asked: "What problems did you discover?"

Cai Xiu explained the various situations.

In fact, it was nothing but the same old tune, faults everyone knows, but his eloquence was excellent, and he elevated and cited them, making listeners feel that if they were not handled immediately and actively improved, they would certainly be seized upon by the inspectors as a typical example.

Seeing the moment was ripe, Cai Xiu struck while the iron was hot, saying: "Sir, I have a set of regulations here — it just requires the clerks and officials below to help out."

"I also asked yesterday; recently there aren't many matters in the Government Office, everyone is at leisure. You look at it first; if these regulations are drafted acceptably, why not implement them right away."

"Although I lack experience, I have the advantage of youth and ample energy, and I am willing to serve as your implementing hand to coordinate this matter!"

Zhang Facao did not agree immediately.

He took the detailed rules and read them twice, saw that no major faults could be picked out, made slight revisions, then had someone transcribe ten-odd copies, and only then summoned all his subordinates to ask about their recent schedules.

They were all old hands in the Government Office; as soon as they heard Zhang Facao's tone, they knew something was off, and used words to evade.

"During spring and summer, it's all trivial chicken-and-dog cases, we haven't had a moment's leisure!"

"Sir jokes; in our Government Office, which day is not busy? These two days have just been a bit better, but isn't there a major case at the Military Patrol Academy? It won't be long before that case is settled, and then it will be our turn to suffer."

Everyone immediately digressed onto the Military Patrol Academy's case.

"I heard the suspects alone number over a hundred! They arrest people easily, just interrogate a few sentences, but once transferred over, I think of the case files that need to be supplemented behind, the judgment documents to be written, and my head feels like it's splitting! Alas!"

"The more they arrest, the more it shows the Patrol Academy's capability!"

"Don't say it; these many criminals were actually tried and concluded by them in just a few days — heard it was even a seconded Taixue student coordinating in the middle, Magistrate Qin really dares to let go."

"The one surnamed Han, right? You think that's just anyone? That's Han Douji; without two brushes, would he dare casually scold people? The entire Right Patrol Academy, top to bottom, is managed by that youngster into submission; even Xin Feng, who usually looks at people only through his nostrils, calls him 'Younger Brother Han' and 'Zhengyan' every other word — making me remember that kid's courtesy name against my will!"

"They're enjoying the limelight; when this year's merit evaluation comes, who knows how many ranks they'll jump; only us in the back handling judgments, no matter how much we do, on paper it's just a number, the case file materials alone can drag a person to death!"

Everyone complained to the fullest, the talk drifting further and further, but Zhang Facao cleared his throat and hurriedly pulled the conversation back, saying: "Files and case files are a troublesome matter, I also know everyone has it hard, but in a few months the Judicial Review Office will come for inspection again; this morning I pulled a few cases to look at, and there are omissions and gaps, and the procedures are not quite complete either."

"In all things, prepare before the rain; taking advantage of the current gap before the Military Patrol Academy's case concludes, it just so happens Cai Xiu has gained deep insight organizing case files recently and proposed a plan; everyone look at it, let's start from today — everyone spare some effort to properly organize the years of archives, how about it?"

Although everyone was unwilling, the higher-up had already spoken, and knowing they couldn't escape, someone asked: "How exactly do we organize this?"

"Everyone is busy, I thought, why not let Little Cai follow up on this matter." Zhang Facao smiled and looked at Cai Xiu at his lower right, "Come, Little Cai, say a few words?"

Cai Xiu hurriedly stood up, smiling: "Although the case file matter is troublesome, as long as we work hard, and in one go straighten out and fill in these past years' old cases, future new cases will all follow the detailed rules, and it will be a permanent solution."

He also said: "I am seconded here, newly arrived; this time named as coordinator, in fact I am just helping everyone out!"

Zhang Facao said: "Although Cai Xiu is seconded, his talent is outstanding; you weren't just talking about that Han Li next door, classmates, our Cai Xiu's ability is also remarkably outstanding, not inferior to that Han Zhengyan in the slightest; everyone help out properly, strive to complete this once and for all, so we won't be gossiped about over this trivial matter again!"

He also said: "Once files are organized, we benefit too; if we need to check back in the future, wouldn't that be convenient?"

Everyone laughed in agreement, with no further words.

After Zhang Facao finished the meeting, he left first, leaving Cai Xiu alone here to assign specific arrangements.

He still felt a bit uneasy, and tentatively asked: "Case file rectification cannot be done well in a single morning or evening; it will still trouble everyone to each send one person from your subordinates to help organize case file errors and omissions, liaise with this Department, to facilitate supplementation, how about it?"

Everyone looked at each other, and slowly all agreed.

Seeing things go so smoothly, Cai Xiu felt truly comfortable in body and spirit; returning to his room, he first distributed those many case files, just waiting for people to come.

Wait and wait, from morning he waited straight until noon.

Separated by just one courtyard, also in the Rear Office, the Left and Right Military Patrol Academy had already begun roll call before dawn.

Among them, led by the Right Military Patrol Academy's Censor, they also drafted some Patrol Soldiers, packed luggage, counted arrest warrants and assistance documents.

Xin Feng stood far away, watching people busy non-stop, his complexion however quite anxious.

He went straight back to his room, found Han Li and complained: "Why is that trafficker so hard to find!"

He also cursed: "That surnamed Liao really has some stuff! Interrogated this long, he admits the gambling den matters, but for the trafficking matter, Lv Mao's situation, he claims total ignorance, yet knows how to avoid the heavy and pursue the light!"

"A knife suspended at the neck; if he participated in abduction, the lightest sentence is exile three thousand li; he's not stupid, won't confess easily." Han Li shook his head, "I read the new confessions obtained last night; although there are a few leads, Lv Mao's whereabouts are uncertain, and we don't know if the people sent this time can catch him."

Hearing this, Xin Feng became even more irritable.

He couldn't help pacing back and forth, circling in the room.

The Censor is equipped with a baton.

Xin Feng has always been careless about trifles; he always just casually stuck that baton at his waist, naturally unstable; walking now, the baton kept hitting his legs and feet, making him cry "Yi!" and curse, he forcefully fiddled with it several times, finally unfastened it, and threw it aside.

Seeing his behavior, Han Li guessed something was up, so he put down the brush in his hand.

Sure enough, not a moment later, Xin Feng walked over, dragged a chair to sit beside him, and asked: "Zhengyan, where do you think Lv Mao would flee to?"

Han Li consolidated the interrogation work; daily confessions and various intelligence all passed through his hands.

He did not simply collect them, but read each one in turn, then classified and summarized them.

If one were to ask about the overall situation of this case, even Xin Feng and Qin Jie might not know it as well as he did—after all, those who followed the specific case details might not know the overall progress, and those who mastered the overall progress might not know the details below.

He thought for a moment and said: "I see that Lv Mao's style of conduct is bold yet meticulous, both cautious and reckless; this person might not flee to Ying Prefecture, perhaps he is merely using that house to confuse others' eyes."

"Rather, the words of those kidnappers inside the Nanxun Gate house are somewhat meaningful; every time there is business below requiring that Lv Mao, I don't know how they contact him, but whether fast at two or three days or slow at three to five days, he always appears, and even if late, he never delays matters."

"This time, with the capital gates closed and searched, on the very night the gates were sealed, he was able to find the Tingjiao Hang and have those Tingjiao heads help transport people out day by day; I always feel this person is near Jingji and must have a hiding place."

Xin Feng suddenly slapped the table and said: "Zheng Yan! I knew you were not such a foolish person!"

"But right now everyone has their own ideas; eight out of ten say that Xu Da's confession is useful, and they also say the others have confessed that Lv Mao kept a concubine in Ying Prefecture, and had children."

"They all believe that even if they can't catch the person in Ying Prefecture, the house is still there; even if the monk escapes, the temple cannot be escaped, and they can surely dig something out."

Xin Feng couldn't help but roll his eyes: "For a kidnapper chief, is his foundation so easily dug out by you? Even a rabbit has three burrows, let alone such a ruthless person!"

He paused, then suddenly said: "Zheng Yan, how about I personally make a trip?"

"Go where?" Han Li did not immediately refuse, but simply asked along.

But just this attitude already made Xin Feng become happy.

"I was thinking that at the furthest he wouldn't run out of the two Jingji regions; at that time, traveling along the main road to inquire, at most it would be hardship for a month or so; once I complete this circuit, there will surely be a result."

"But this matter requires more people to be useful; it would be best to have more men and horses following to spread out widely."

"I just openly opposed that Qin official in person, and now Xu Da has been caught, and I have these clues; if I propose needing so many people again, I fear he will lose face and not agree..."

Han Li thought for a moment and said: "You don't need to mention it; I will find a way for this matter."

He then asked: "How many men do you want?"

Xin Feng scratched his head and said: "At least two hundred; three people per group, ten groups per county; if there aren't enough people, clues will be missed in the end, and investigating would be like investigating nothing."

After speaking, he also felt this request was excessive, and asked: "Is it too many?"

One must know that the Left and Right Military Patrol Academy cannot spare so many people; inevitably they would have to ask the Patrol Soldiers and Garrison Troops to lend men, and besides, these people's food and lodging while outside would also be no small expense.

Han Li said: "It's not a question of how many people, but you traveling along the main road to inquire covers too broad a range and consumes too much manpower; it is truly hardship."

Xin Feng didn't care and said: "Is there any ease in catching criminals? This is nothing! Besides, such a major case..."

He said to this point, suddenly his expression became somewhat awkward, and his voice lowered considerably, saying: "If in front of others, I dare not say it, for fear of being laughed at—Zheng Yan, to be honest with you, I truly want to catch this Lv Mao as soon as possible."

"If such a villain escapes, he will surely offend again in the future; who knows how many families he will ruin."

"I am a rough man, I can't speak well, and unlike you who can write, I can only contribute some strength to catch this person; catch one counts as one, hopefully making this world more peaceful..."

Han Li remained silent for a moment.

He neither showed a surprised expression nor said any words of praise; instead, he thought for a moment, got up to fetch a Territorial Map of Jingji from the side, and then used white paper to transcribe the names of the nearby major and upper counties according to their distribution on the map, placing it before Xin Feng.

Xin Feng was somewhat puzzled and asked: "What is this for?"

Han Li did not speak, but instead wrote and calculated on a piece of paper to the side; soon, he circled several locations.

Jingxing County, Zhongmu County, Yanjin County, Chenliu County, Baima County, Sanzao County, Xiangfu County.

Seven counties in total.

"According to the confession of the kidnappers inside the Nanxun Gate house, usually when encountering matters, that Lv Mao arrives at the latest on the fourth day; even if he has other methods of transmitting messages, a round trip takes time, so that place must be within two days' journey from the capital at the furthest."

"This person greatly enjoys comfort; his food, clothing, lodging, and travel all have high requirements; he certainly would not live in remote countryside—otherwise how could he enjoy himself?"

"Traveling by carriage is conspicuous; on his way into the capital, he would mostly ride a horse, and would not be willing to stay at a dilapidated post station halfway—thinking this way, the hiding place would be even closer."

"A cunning rabbit has three burrows; this person's residences must not be just one; now that he knows something has happened in the city, he certainly dare not leave openly; unfamiliar with the place, he will most likely still find a house nearby."

He said while circling Chenliu County and Zhongmu County heavily twice, saying: "These two places are the most prosperous, the journey is suitable, and both water and land routes are convenient; the Censor can investigate in detail."

Xin Feng, hearing this analysis, felt it was reasonable and reasonable; after a long while, he couldn't help but sigh: "How did your brain grow?"

Han Li shook his head and said: "Just speculation; it might not be accurate."

After speaking, he listed several dates on the paper again, flipped through the case files several times to confirm, and then pushed the paper before Xin Feng again, reading them one by one.

He said: "These are the days that Lv Mao has appeared in the last three months; counting backward, if he enters the capital from an outer county, these days he must pass by tea houses and post stations along the way—even if he himself doesn't eat or drink, doesn't the horse need grain and water?"

"Why don't we first ask a painter to draw this person's appearance; then, referring to this person's looks and conduct, we can inquire along the official road all the way; it might be faster than directly going to the counties to search."

"He enjoys comfort so much; as long as he shows his face, there will surely be one or two people who remember him—I just don't believe he can ascend to heaven or burrow into the earth!"

Xin Feng, after hearing this, suddenly stood up and said: "I'll go find a painter right now!"

He was so excited he kept rubbing his hands, and said: "I truly hope that every time a case is solved, you are behind helping out! All the ideas are reliable clever plans, saving me so much effort!"

Xin Feng, inspired, hurried off to find a painter.

And Han Li specially chose a time when no one was around, and went alone to find Qin Jie.

The latter, upon seeing Han Li, immediately put down the matter in his hand, first asked him to sit, then personally poured tea for him, and finally smiled: "Why did you come so early today? Could it be that the case has made great progress again?"

Han Li shook his head and said: "The most troublesome thing about this case right now is the kidnapper chief Lv Mao; his whereabouts are hard to find; if he cannot be caught for a long time, the case cannot be concluded; I have come to ask for your advice."

"Haven't people already been sent in several directions toward Ying Prefecture? How can his whereabouts still be hard to find?" Qin Jie paused, then said, "What advice do I have? You just say what you want to do!"

"Lv Mao is cunning and treacherous; he might not go to Ying Prefecture; rather, he might be hiding in nearby counties and towns of Jingji."

Qin Jie immediately furrowed his brow and said: "Is it Xin Feng who put you up to this? He mentioned it two or three times before; I am not someone who refuses to listen to subordinates, but upon careful inquiry, it actually requires mobilizing two hundred people; just based on his word, without any evidence, just empty talk—where am I supposed to get men for him?"

Han Li then explained his speculation, even writing a simple case analysis, and had the request for transfer to the northern city garrison troops all prepared.

Qin Jie, after hearing him finish, couldn't help but look at the text repeatedly; looking and looking, his nostrils flared, and his voice carried two parts of excitement: "Hearing you say this, it is indeed reasonable—even if he is not hiding in nearby counties and towns, using this method can still find his traces; it is indeed worth sending more men."

Han Li then said: "It doesn't need two hundred people; I want to take twenty or thirty people to visit the nearby counties."

"You? What are you going to do? How long will you be gone?" Qin Jie's tone immediately rose, "You wash your hands of this; this whole mess, who am I supposed to arrange to take over?"

Han Li raised his eyebrows and said: "I am just a transferred student; what does it matter whether I wash my hands of it or not?"

He also said: "The matters ahead have already been straightened out by me; the rest is just routine; whoever takes over is fine."

"Censor Xin still has matters on hand—he has many loose ends here that haven't been wrapped up; rather than that, I will lead twenty or thirty men myself to search outside; using only one or two months, I can finish searching the places that need to be searched, and along the way ask around; if we can find the whereabouts of the abducted women and children, that would be even better."

"Rushing to finish the transfer term; if I can solve this case, and catch Lv Mao, it would be a perfect conclusion."

Qin Jie's face fell very long, almost unable to be lifted with tweezers.

"Don't go stirring up trouble for nothing; the yamen has piles of work to do, and I've already lined up several matters for you to come help follow up on — gone for one or two months, you really dare to think it!"

He immediately slapped the board and said: "I'll go find some people, extend a bit of face, borrow three hundred men from the City West camp, have Lao Xin lead them to search, and make him hand over what he's following up on — he's used to doing it, knows the ropes inside out, you don't interfere!"

Finished speaking, he didn't even give Han Li a chance to refuse, immediately had someone call Xin Feng in, and sure enough had him make preparations to lead three hundred camp soldiers tomorrow to go do search and inspection in the Jingji Sixteen Counties.

Xin Feng stared wide-eyed and agreed; when he walked out, even his feet were a bit unsteady.

Originally only two hundred men were needed, ask as one might, they couldn't be got.

How come all of a sudden, three hundred men were obtained?

Is manpower this easy to get?

How was this done?

Censor Xin stared wide-eyed here, while in Suanzao Alley, Xiao Lian also stared wide-eyed.

She washed her hands while lifting her head very curiously, staring her two little eyes wide, and called out: "Mother! This water is hot!"

Cheng Erniang looked at her daughter, feeling both heartache and amusement, and said: "Firewood is so expensive, Elder Sister sent hot water for you to wash your hands and wipe your body, don't let the water get played cold."

She also said: "You wash yourself, in a while when you're washed clean go to sleep first, don't go messing around in the room, break the host's things, understand?"

Xiao Lian gave an "oh" sound, didn't dare talk back, only felt a bit wronged in her heart: I'm this obedient, when have I ever messed around blindly.

Cheng Erniang finished instructing her daughter, wrapped her head with a cloth towel, then went to the front, smiling at Song Miao and said: "What is the young lady busy with? I'll come help out too."