Chapter 132: Why didn't Hong Yao appear?

Xie Shouzheng regretted so much he slapped his thigh: "It seems we were deceived by that cunning fox demon! Saying she would surrender obediently after helping her take revenge. Well, she went and never returned! If I had known, I should have escorted her back to the capital in a prison cart along with Miao Donggui. We trusted her and gave her dignity, but she is so unappreciative! But it doesn't matter, she can't run! I'll issue a wanted order right now, nationwide arrest!"

"Wait!" Lin Qingyue stopped him, "I don't think Hong Yao would break her promise for no reason, don't issue a wanted order for now."

Xie Shouzheng said: "Deputy Envoy Lin, it's already at this point, why do you still trust that fox demon? Demons are naturally cunning, don't trust them completely!"

Seeing Dami and Lin Qingyue looking at him with strange eyes, Xie Shouzheng realized he had spoken out of turn and hurriedly made up for it: "Of course, the demons in the Xuanjing Division don't count! We are all good demons with official positions, working for the people and the country!"

Dami curled his lips and said: "Lord, don't make up for it, you don't even consider yourself a demon at all. If we weren't all in the same yamen, I would suspect you have racial discrimination!"

Xie Shouzheng glared at Dami, "Get lost! If I had racial discrimination, could I have fished you out of the sewer?"

He turned to ask Lin Qingyue: "Why not issue a wanted order?"

Lin Qingyue said: "I always feel that Hong Yao is not the kind of demon who breaks her word. Think about it, she made a contribution in the Donglin Fu case, and she holds the petition letter you gave her. After arriving at the Xuanjing Division, she wouldn't be charged with a very heavy crime, at most she would be detained for three to five years and then regain her freedom."

"But if she runs away halfway, she will be wanted nationwide, and her crime will be aggravated. With the influence of the Xuanjing Division nationwide, she might not be able to escape. If it were you, would you do such a stupid thing?"

Xie Shouzheng shook his head: "Naturally not."

Lin Qingyue said: "Hong Yao's brain is smarter than yours, so it's even more impossible for her to do such a stupid thing."

Hearing this, Xie Shouzheng agreed deeply: "Then why didn't Hong Yao appear? Could it be... she encountered something and couldn't leave?"

Lin Qingyue nodded and ordered Dami: "Aren't you the Rat Prince? Call your brothers to help find someone, find her quietly."

"Yes!"

After Dami responded and was about to go do the work, Lin Qingyue shouted: "Wait! What is the situation with the Donglin Fu case now?"

Dami said: "Still under trial. The prison of the Dali Temple is cleaned too thoroughly, not even a mouse can get in, so I can't get any information, only knowing that Duke Li has been claiming illness at home since being reprimanded by the Emperor."

Dami didn't know much about such confidential matters. Lin Qingyue thought about finding Dongfang Qi to ask later.

Just then, another guard came to report: "Lord Xie, Deputy Envoy Lin, a family in the Seventh Street neighborhood claims that they can see their deceased grandfather wandering around the house every day recently. They hired monks to perform rituals but couldn't solve it, so they just came to report the case and asked us to go and resolve it."

At this moment, everyone in the yamen who could ferry souls had gone out on official business, leaving only Lin Qingyue and Xie Shouzheng.

Xie Shouzheng was about to stand up, but Lin Qingyue said: "Lord Xie, aren't you still going to check the recent case files? I'll go take a trip."

Xie Shouzheng felt a bit embarrassed: "Deputy Envoy Lin, you are now a Prince, and you still have to run errands for cases, I really feel sorry."

Saying "sorry," his hand had already handed over Lin Qingyue's official hat, "Then it's hard work."

Lin Qingyue glared at him: "Less cool talk!"

After that, she put on her hat and turned to walk out.

Xie Shouzheng shouted cheaply from behind: "Go early and return early, the brothers are still waiting for you to treat them to dinner tonight!"

The ordinary residential areas of the capital are divided into twenty-four neighborhoods.

Qifang Street is located at the northernmost part of the capital, where people engaged in bottom-level occupations live, such as street performers, jugglers, actors, prostitutes, etc.

People in these occupations are also called the "lower nine streams." Therefore, Qifang Street is also called "Lower Nine Streams District," and people with status and position would take a detour when passing through here, for fear of getting bad luck.

Therefore, when Lin Qingyue appeared in Qifang Street wearing the official uniform of the Xuanjing Division, many people crowded to the door to watch the excitement.

The person involved is named Sun Dabao, who was leading the way and introducing the situation to Lin Qingyue:

"My grandfather died seven days ago at the age of sixty-five. He fell half a year ago and had been bedridden ever since. Later, he couldn't even drink water or eat rice, and he was so thin he didn't look like a person."

Sun Dabao and his mother handled the funeral for the old man according to custom.

But the day after the burial, Sun Dabao suddenly saw his grandfather back again.

Sometimes the old man sat under the grape trellis in a daze, sometimes he wandered around the house, looking exactly the same as when he was alive.

If he hadn't seen the old man breathe his last and be buried with his own eyes, Sun Dabao would have almost thought the old man hadn't died!

Sun Dabao's eyes turned red at the time, and he said to his mother: "Mother, my grandfather is back. Look, he is sitting there!"

But his mother couldn't see.

Other people couldn't see either.

Only Sun Dabao could see.

Sun Dabao tried to talk to the old man, asking why he didn't leave.

But the other party had no response, and seemed unable to hear or see anything in the world of the living. Every day, he was just like a phantom walking around the house, repeating the trajectory of his life.

Speaking of this, Sun Dabao sighed: "Although my grandfather and I have always had a good relationship. But now that he has become a ghost and wanders around me every day, I am also scared. Furthermore, I am worried that my grandfather has some unfulfilled wish, which is why he refuses to leave."

Just as he was speaking, a middle-aged woman in front of the courtyard gate waved her handkerchief and threw a wink at Lin Qingyue: "Officer, do you want to come to my place and sit for a while?"

Lin Qingyue saw at a glance that she should be a professional prostitute, and said coldly: "I am also a woman."

Sun Dabao said to the prostitute: "Auntie Wang, this is an officer from the Xuanjing Division who came to handle the case at my house, don't offend her!"

That Auntie Wang looked Lin Qingyue up and down, even more curious: "Heh, women can be officials these days? It's really an eye-opener! What is the officer's surname?"

Sun Dabao ignored her and pushed open his own courtyard gate: "Lord Lin, this is my house."

Auntie Wang immediately followed up: "You are surnamed Lin? How many female officers surnamed Lin are there in the Xuanjing Division?"

Lin Qingyue said: "There is only one female officer surnamed Lin in the Xuanjing Division."

Sun Dabao said impatiently: "Hey, Auntie Wang, can you stop causing trouble? If you offend the officer, can you afford it—Lord Lin, please come in, don't mind the simplicity of the house."

Before Lin Qingyue entered the door, there was a shouting sound from inside: "Sun Dabao, what are you making a scene about again? Every day you shout about seeing ghosts, where do ghosts come from in broad daylight? A few days ago, you hired monks to chant scriptures at home, the money was wasted, who did you find to come today?"

Sun Dabao said: "Mother, don't shout! This is an officer from the Xuanjing Division, it doesn't cost money!"

"Doesn't cost money? There's such a good thing?" A middle-aged woman came out of the kitchen, looking at Lin Qingyue with suspicion, and seeing her wearing an official uniform, she didn't dare to say anything more.

The Sun family has three main rooms in total, and a kitchen was built along the main rooms. Lin Qingyue took a casual glance and saw the whole house.

But inside and out, there was no trace of any ghost.

She retreated to the courtyard, pulled a bench at will, sat down, and asked: "Can you still see your grandfather now? Where is he?"

"He is always there." Sun Dabao said, pointing to Lin Qingyue's side, "My grandfather is sitting beside you, Officer. Oh, Lord Lin, you stepped on my grandfather's foot."

Lin Qingyue: "..." ===== CHAPTER 133 =====