Chapter 303 Suspension and Investigation

Chapter 303 Suspension and Investigation

Chapter 303 Suspension and Investigation
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The autumn wind from the distant mountains blew into the county government office, and the large patches of brilliant golden chrysanthemums beside the two men swayed like waves of wheat.

Zhao Duan looked at the Taicang prefect who was bowing to him. His expression was strange at first, but then it turned calm.
"Are you teaching me how to do things?"

The native Sun Xiaozhun didn't understand the jokes from another world and said with a serious face:
"Sir, I dare not. I just hope you will put the overall situation first."

"What a great way to put the overall situation first," Zhao Duan seemed to sneer, his face unhappy:
"Sun Futai, what you said is, in the final analysis, you still want to protect yourself for the sake of the overall situation, right?
You want me to accept the method you give me, just go through the motions, and not dig deeper? But you seem to have thought about one thing wrong. Here, I am the one who is in charge of the overall situation. "

Sun Xiaojun looked disappointed and self-deprecating. He lowered his hands and said no more.

At this time, Qian Kerou's voice came from outside the courtyard gate:
"Sir, the Provincial Governor Gao Lian and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Liu Ji have arrived."

They came quite quickly... Zhao Duan glanced at Prefect Sun and said:

"Master Sun, please go out and explain. Oh, and call Censor Chen over."

Sun Xiaojun sighed and walked out of the yard.

Russian qing.

Chen Hong, the censor with silver teeth in a green robe, walked in with a serious look:

"Master Zhao, you're looking for me?"

Zhao Duan said "yes" and communicated with the deputy sent by Yuan Li:
"Song Tiju obtained the evidence during the investigation, and I have obtained it."

He paused, without waiting for the so-called deputy but actually the censor who was supervising him, to show a look of surprise.

He continued:

"Among the evidence, many clues point to Linfeng's officialdom. I just talked to Sun Xiaozhun, and this guy's reaction is very interesting."

Chen Yushi, who had been following Yuan Li in the Censorate for many years and was very smart, asked curiously, "Interesting?"

"Yes," Zhao Duan put his hands behind his back and walked slowly into the field of chrysanthemums, like a boat sailing in a sea of ​​flowers, letting the branches and leaves brush the hem of his brocade clothes.

His tone was sighing and his eyes were distant and deep.

After a moment of hesitation, he sighed inexplicably:
"He gave me a huge letter of allegiance."

Oh, the excited rebuttal, seemingly sincere words that it cannot be checked...

But Zhao Duan knew very well that in officialdom, when one listens to someone, one cannot just listen to the surface.

A person who could climb up to the position of prefect of Taicang from the difficult Lingnan at this age.

Is he really as straightforward as he appears?

Heart and mouth in harmony?

how is this possible.

Therefore, what Sun Xiaozhun really wanted to tell Zhao Duan in that performance was not what he said on the surface.

The relationship between Beijing officials and local officials was specifically mentioned earlier. The implication was that this case was not just a matter involving the local government, but a major matter involving Beijing officials.

The statement in the middle that all officials in Linfeng are not clean is to show the position of local officials and the possible response of local officials next.

As for the last sentence "once started, it cannot be stopped", the meaning is too obvious.

As a prefect who came from a civil service background, how could a scholar who was discussing articles with Mr. Song make such low-level mistakes in his choice of words?
"Once started, it cannot be stopped" and "Once started, it cannot be contained" have two completely different meanings.

The wording of this sentence alone is so clear in its implications.

"This guy is reminding me to act quickly and not delay."

Zhao Duan looked at the distant mountains and uttered this inexplicable sentence.

Immediately, he glanced at Censor Chen, who looked puzzled, and smiled:

"Old Chen, it looks like we have to close the net early."

……

The front hall of the county government.

Sun Xiaojun had a blank expression on his face as he met with his two superiors who had hurried over and briefly explained the matter.

The elegant and refined Gao Buzheng listened calmly and said:

"What did the imperial envoy say?"

Sun Xiaojun was about to answer when he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from behind.

"It's best if you're all here." Zhao Duan, dressed in gorgeous clothes, walked over, with the censor beside him half a step behind.

As a senior official, Gao Lian stood up quickly:
"Imperial Envoy."

Liu Anchashi, who looked like a good guy who just wanted to get by, also stood up:

"Master Zhao."

Zhao Duan's face was gloomy as he swept his eyes across the yamen that was tightly blocked by the cavalry, and finally fell on the three court officials in front of him.

He spoke in a cold voice:
"According to my investigation, Wang Chusheng's corruption case involves a wide range of people. The criminal and the informant have mysteriously disappeared. The clues point to you three. To ensure that the investigation is not interfered with, I am now using my authority as an imperial envoy to suspend all your powers. You retain your rank and accept the investigation."

Almost without pausing, he instructed the royal guards in Lihua Hall:
"Ke Rou, your next mission is to protect the three adults. During the suspension period, the three adults are not allowed to leave Taicang City. Well, it is best not to wander around. Just rest at home or in the government office. All matters will be temporarily handled by their respective adjutants. Is there any problem?"

Qian Kerou and the other Jinyi clasped their fists, full of murderous intent:
"I obey my orders!"

Gao Lian and Liu Ji, who had hurried over and hadn't even sat down yet, were both stunned, as if they had been hit on the head with a stick.

Is it true that the imperial envoy was suspended from his post right after meeting him for the first time?
Gao and Liu turned their heads at the same time and looked at Prefect Sun who was also suspended for investigation.

Sun Xiaozhun laughed at himself and spread his hands:

"You also heard what the imperial envoy said to me."

Faced with Zhao Duan, who held great power and had cavalry at his command, the three men had no power to resist and were quickly "protected" and followed the large army back to the city.

Zhao Duan fell behind. At this time, the princess, who had been quiet for a while, came over.

The two of them deliberately fell behind everyone else, and guards such as Master Lu also consciously kept their distance.

Xu Junling's silky skin seemed to be covered with a strange halo, just like the strange colors in her eyes:
"Are you really sure that you can solve the case in a few days? Just relying on the box of evidence left by Song Tiju?" Zhao Duan said with a serious expression, shaking his head:
"Of course not. Those things are just aids, providing some clues."

Xu Junling's eyes were full of sparkle, as if he could see through him. He analyzed calmly:

"Without any evidence, they arrested a second-rank official right away. Once the news spreads, the entire Taicang Prefecture, and even the Linfeng officialdom, will be in turmoil. Whose case is investigated like this?

Aren't you really afraid of trouble down there?

You have to know that this is not the capital. These local officials have a lot of power in the local area. If you arrest someone, it will be fine in a short time. But if it takes too long, the people under you will make trouble...

Hiss, before you entered the city, you mobilized 200 cavalrymen, wasn't it just for this?"

Zhao Duan turned his head and looked into the eyes of the princess, who was very smart and good at imagining things.

After about two breaths, he laughed silently:
"The princess is overthinking."

Xu Junling was a little unconvinced and said resentfully:

"Are you always like this? You're hard to figure out."

Zhao Duan looked boldly, sweeping from top to bottom the princess's slender figure shrouded in mist under her long skirt, and the peaks and valleys, and said with a playful smile:
"When will the princess let me see everything?"

Xu Junling's eyes widened and he walked away angrily. This guy just wouldn't change his ways despite repeated admonitions.

This happens every time I don’t want to answer her questions directly.

Zhao Duan laughed loudly, walking in the autumn wind, looking at the red mountains with a calm and emotionless gaze, thinking:
The fire here had already been lit, and he deliberately led the cavalry to run back and forth in public. The noise he made should be enough to draw everyone's attention to him.

"I hope things go smoothly over there, too."

……

Wait for the imperial envoy to leave.

Mr. Song and County Magistrate Wang, who survived the disaster, just walked out of the county government office and looked at each other in silence.

"Mr. Song!"

Coach Xie, who was hiding near the county government office, came out with lingering fear, "What just happened was..."

The old scholar shook his head and said bitterly, "He is an imperial envoy."

The one who broke into the village was Imperial Envoy Zhao... Master Xie's head was buzzing and he was speechless.

……

The imperial envoy left and returned, and entered Taicang Prefecture again.

Immediately afterwards, an explosive news broke in the city.

Gao, Liu, Sun... all three adults have been suspended for investigation.

Outsiders did not know about the "real and fake imperial envoy" part. They just thought that the imperial envoy went to inspect the Taicang Silver Mine and came back to wipe out all the top officials in Linfeng.

For a time, rumors spread and people were in panic.

in the afternoon.

The governor, who had come forward to appease the lower-level officials, returned to his temporary residence in Taicang City.

As a head of a province, the office of the provincial government was in "Linfeng Prefecture", but he also purchased a residence in Taicang City to live in when he was on business trips.

Gao Lian's family did not come with him this time because of the case, so there were only a few servants and maids from the Gao family in the mansion.

Take care of his daily life.

"Master, you're back so early?"

The servants in the house were surprised to see Gao Lian coming back.

Gao Lian had no intention of explaining. He just waved his hand wearily and walked straight towards the study.

Pushing the door open and entering the room, this second-rank civil official, who was in his prime, with a fair complexion and whose official robes and hair were never messy, closed the door.

First, he took off his official robe and hung it on a rack nearby. As for his official hat, it had been temporarily confiscated due to his suspension from office.

As a scholar from a Jiangnan gentry family, the Gao family was only a second-rate family.

Gao Lian was able to reach this position thanks to the support of his wife, who came from a prominent family.

Perhaps for this reason, in the eyes of outsiders, Gao Lian has always been known for his demeanor and rarely hangs out in places of entertainment.

He is a calm and reliable person, and has an excellent reputation among the governors of the nine provinces and eighteen prefectures.

Everyone who had dealt with Gao Lian praised his elegance and grace, and his ability to remain as calm as a mountain when faced with major events.

At this moment, this "unmovable as a mountain" Confucian official sat in the prime minister's chair and took out the unsigned secret letter from Li Yanfu in the capital from the drawer.

On the letter paper were the different strategies Li Yanfu proposed for dealing with Zhao Duan.

Gao Lian lowered his eyes and examined the words on the paper seriously.

"If they use force to intimidate and show a thorough investigation, intending to implicate others, then everyone in the city, civil and military, should know that a single move could affect the entire body."

Gao Lian looked at it for a long time, and from the gaps between the words, he only read out this golden advice: "Turn your own business into everyone's business."

"Someone come here." Gao Lian said calmly.

The servant who was waiting at the door of the study came in:
"Master, what are your orders?"

……

at the same time.

In a courtyard ten miles away from Taicang City.

A member of the "Shadow Guard", an organization that is a subordinate of the royal family and is kept in the martial arts world to collect intelligence and do things for the empress, raised his head and caught a carrier pigeon falling from the sky in his hand.

He took out the latest order from the copper tube tied to the pigeon's red feet.

That was Zhao Duan's order.

(End of this chapter)