Chapter 58

Prefecture government office.

Constable Wang is reporting, the prefect, the assistant prefect, the assistant prefect, and the heads of various departments are all there.

"My Lords, according to the on-site investigation, the two tragic cases were committed by the same murderer, who is an expert skilled in knife techniques. This person is a veteran, leaving no traces at the scene."

Constable Wang said slowly: "Because this case happened at night, and there were no eyewitnesses, there is no way to investigate.

We can only infer based on some clues, and investigated the Yin family and the Chen Martial Arts Hall.

Because just yesterday, several foreign lords went to the Yin family to collect debts.

But according to the subordinate's investigation, the Chen Martial Arts Hall has no suspicion, and Yin Qi stayed outside the city, and was busy inspecting the family's industries all day yesterday, having no time to arrange this matter at all.

The Yin family has at most the motive to kill the four foreign lords, but has no motive to destroy the church.

Therefore, the subordinate feels that it should not be done by the Yin family.

Now the most likely ones are the civilian anti-foreign groups, they are extremely hostile to foreigners, My Lords know that, in our prefecture government office prison, one is still locked up."

Since the invasion of the powers, civilian resistance has never stopped.

Especially many people in the martial arts world, they will specifically hunt foreigners, and the means are also extremely cruel.

The Boxer Rebellion three years later was the peak of this kind of resistance struggle.

The Zhejiang region is one of the regions where the powers have infiltrated the deepest, and this kind of resistance struggle has naturally never stopped, basically hearing news of foreigners being killed every once in a while.

Regarding this matter, the government is also having a headache.

Because this kind of case cannot be investigated at all. The murderer has long since fled far away.

Regarding Constable Wang's report, although the prefect and others were mentally prepared, their hearts were still heavy.

The assistant prefect suddenly said: "My Lord, since the Yin family is suspicious, why not pin this crime on the Yin family? Once this matter is reported, the imperial court will definitely attach great importance to it, even if the Yin family has some connections, it will be useless."

"No!"

Before others could speak, the prefect shook his head decisively, his expression firm.

He didn't want to protect the Yin family, it's just that a few days ago he received a letter from an official in the Ministry of Personnel in the capital, entrusting him to take care of the Yin family, and at the same time vaguely mentioned the Caohe Gang matter.

The prefect was also secretly shocked, not expecting Yin Chengtao's connections to reach the Ministry of Personnel in the capital.

The Ministry of Personnel in the capital controls the assessment and promotion of officials in the world, how could the prefect take the Yin family as a scapegoat, then how could he mix in the officialdom in the future?

He understood the assistant prefect's idea, which was to take the opportunity to bring down the Yin family, and then everyone could take the opportunity to divide up the Yin family.

This kind of thing, they often did in the past.

The prefect's reaction shocked everyone, their expressions different.

When the Caohe Gang was looking for trouble with the Yin family earlier, the prefect was indifferent, and even pushed back on the Yin family's request for help, so why did he suddenly change his nature to protect the Yin family?

Constable Wang was also secretly calling it lucky, fortunately he didn't speak ill of the Yin family.

Looking at the strange colors in everyone's eyes, the prefect said sternly: "This matter has already been reported to the Governor-General, and the Governor-General will soon send someone to investigate thoroughly. Slandering the Yin family will not stand up to investigation. Constable Wang, just as you said, this matter is most likely done by people in the martial arts world, you hurry up and bring the murderer to justice."

Shaoxing is too close to Hangzhou, such a big thing can't be hidden at all, it's better to report it early.

If it is hidden and someone pokes the lid, then his responsibility will be even greater.

The prefecture government office constables were dispatched in large numbers, arresting people in the martial arts world all over the street.

And at this time in Hangzhou, it was also alarmed.

The Governor of Zhejiang was furious, scolding the Shaoxing prefect for being incompetent, that such a big thing happened during his tenure, how could they explain it to the foreigners?

If this matter is not handled well, it is very likely to give the British a new excuse to start a war.

But the matter has already happened, so it has to be handled.

It is best to catch the murderer as soon as possible, so that they can be considered to have given an explanation to the British.

Governor-General's Mansion.

A tough and handsome young man bowed: "My Lord."

The Governor-General said in a deep voice: "Nalan, regarding the church being destroyed in Shanyin Prefecture and over a dozen foreigners being killed, you should know about it, right?"

Nalan Yuanshu nodded: "I know."

The Governor-General said: "That's good. This matter is of great importance, if it cannot satisfy the British, it is very likely to give them a new excuse to start a war, and my Great Qing cannot bear such consequences. Therefore, this official hopes you will go to Shanyin yourself to investigate this case, and at the same time deal with the British well, and must suppress this matter."

Nalan Yuanshu's expression was solemn, nodding firmly: "My Lord, leave this matter to me, I happen to need to go to Shanyin."

The Governor-General was surprised: "What are you going to Shanyin for?"

You must know that this Nalan Yuanshu is the Zhejiang Provincial Commander, in charge of Zhejiang's military affairs.

Things that can make Nalan Yuanshu personally responsible will definitely not be small things.

Nalan Yuanshu didn't hide it either, saying in a deep voice: "Last year, I received intelligence that remnants of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were active in Zhejiang, so I sent people to investigate secretly, and now I have found them. They are in Shanyin Prefecture, and recently their personnel have been mobilized frequently, and they are very likely to start an uprising, so I need to go there to sit in command myself."

"Remnants of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom!"

The Governor-General was also shocked, he was someone who had experienced that catastrophe, and had also seen the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's toughness and spirit of fighting without fear of death, and couldn't help but panic in his heart.

He couldn't help but say sternly: "Nalan, if this is true, you must strangle them in the cradle. Remember, if necessary, it is better to kill a thousand by mistake than to let one go."

Hangzhou, British Consulate.

After the British consul got the news, he was furious; a British church was destroyed, and God's believers were killed, this is simply an atrocity that deserves to go to hell, completely unforgivable.

So he immediately issued a diplomatic note, demanding that the Great Qing government must give him a satisfactory answer.

Otherwise, Britain doesn't mind sending troops again.

At the same time, he also sent a knight team to Shaoxing Prefecture to investigate the matter.

In fact, news of missionaries and merchants being killed often came from all over China, all done by so-called people in the martial arts world, and they kept knight teams specifically to deal with people in the Chinese martial arts world.

This Shaoxing Prefecture incident, he subconsciously thought it was done by people in the martial arts world again.

China has fist masters, and they also have knights.

In fact, the invasion of the powers was never just the army, but also included the martial arts world.

During the late Qing and early Republic period, there was often news of foreign strongmen setting up rings to provoke the Chinese martial arts world.

They wanted to use martial arts to crush the confidence of the Chinese people.

For example, Huo Yuanjia, Sun Lutang, Li Shuwen, Han Muxia, etc., all defeated foreign strongmen, which were actually European and American knights.

They are naturally strong and healthy, and as long as they practice seriously, they are comparable to bright energy martial artists.

Later, Japan also followed suit, wanting to crush the beliefs of the Chinese people in terms of martial arts, so as to force the Chinese people to submit, and even came up with "Sick Man of Asia" to humiliate us, but in the end, they were all asking for humiliation.

It can be said that since the late Qing Dynasty, the invasion of the powers has been all-around, from war to martial arts, culture, thought, etc., attempting to transform our thoughts with their means.

(End of chapter)