Niu Gong hangs it?

Whoever is so afraid of death will hang himself?

Even if Fan Xiaodao is killed, he won’t believe it.

Fan Xiaodao looked at Fan Huowu with a little apology. He was busy investigating the case during this period. He had fewer opportunities to get along with Fan Huowu and Xiao Dingdang. He wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to rest and spend more time with the two, but unexpectedly, the key witness committed suicide.

Fan Huowu whispered: "Brother Fan, it's not important, do the important business first."

Tinker bell was in a state of urgency.

Fan Xiaodao took out a few pieces of silver from his arms and handed it to Fan Huowu, "You two go and go for a walk after listening to the opera, buy something you like, and don't need to save money."

Fan Huowu refused to accept it, "I just paid the wages, I have money."

"How much?"

Fan Huowu said, "This month's wine is selling well, and the boss's wife gave me three hangs of money."

Unexpectedly, if you sell wine in Jinling, you can be considered a high income for three taels per month. Fan Xiaodao enjoys the treatment of sixth rank, but only three taels without a salary. With allowances, meal supplements, etc., it costs nearly ten taels of silver per month. Of course, the difference silver given by the prince alone is not included.

Fan Xiaodao gave a thumbs up, "More than me!"

However, he still stuffed the money to Tingtang.

...

Prison.

Niu Gong's body had been put down, covered with a layer of white cloth.

He lives in a single room No. 3, and for safety reasons, there are people guarding them all night.

The two jailers said that last night, the two were standing outside the door, and the lights in the No. 3 prison were on, and it was not turned off until the third hour of the day. When I was delivering meals this morning, I called the door without any response. I saw Niu Gong hanging in the room through the small window.

On the bed, there is a suicide note.

It says four crooked words, Niu Gongjue's pen.

The pen, ink, paper and inkstone were specially left to Niu Gong after the interrogation yesterday. I wanted him to reflect on it and see if there were any missing or not, so that he could supplement it himself. Unexpectedly, he left a last letter directly. The content of the letter took all the responsibility for the fake money case of the Mint Bureau on himself, and overturned the confession and transcripts of Fan Zhao's previous interrogation.

Zhao Xing frowned, "There is something strange."

During the interrogation a few days ago, he cursed Xie Zhihua and Feng Qun, and pushed all the blame on him, and resented himself for taking the blame. However, this letter suddenly changed its words, which really made people feel strange unless he was threatened.

Fan Xiaodao asked, "Has anyone ever entered this room?"

Luo Chengdao: "I know this person is very important. The key to getting started is always on me. I also came to deliver the meal in person. No one except me can enter this cell."

"What's wrong with seeing him the last time?"

Luo Cheng shook his head, "After the interrogation of the two adults, he was always worried, sometimes muttering to himself, sometimes scolding Xie, and Feng. This was the case for several days. Last night, when I delivered the meal, he acted very calmly and even called for the onion and sea cucumber from Shangpinfang."

Fan Xiaodao glanced at the table in the corner, and there was indeed a plate of sea cucumbers with scallions on it, but he just moved a few chopsticks. He stepped forward to check and soon saw the trick. The sea cucumbers that had not eaten were almost broken in half. Zhao Xing also noticed this detail, "Someone passed a message to him from outside."

Sure enough, in the corner of the ground, I found a few pieces of wax paper.

Wrap the message in wax paper, hide it in the belly of sea cucumber, and send it to prison No. 3.

Luo Cheng's face changed, "I was negligent."

Everyone turned the third prison to the sky, but found no news to be conveyed.

Luo Chengdao: "Maybe it's burned."

But the ground on the candlestick was clean and there were no traces of burning.

Zhao Xingdao: "It's better to spread the coroner."

Half an hour later.

A piece of krafted paper was taken out of Niu Gong's stomach.

After a night of erosion, the handwriting on it was blurred, and there were a few words that could be vaguely identified, "Acknowledge the guilt, end the pen, raise your wife", etc. There was no signature, only a strange symbol, a heart-shaped leaf. If Xu Ting were here, he would have recognized this symbol, which was exactly the same as the letter Xu Miaozi received after being kidnapped.

Luo Chengdao: "I'll go to Shangpinfang now to track down the source of the news."

The situation suddenly fell into a passive state.

Originally, with the counterfeit coins confiscated, Niu Gong and others' confessions could easily be pushed down Xie Zhihua. Just wait for the imperial envoy sent from the capital to present the evidence, and once the evidence was submitted, Princess Taiping's "God of Wealth" in Jiangnan, he could remove Princess Taiping's "God of Wealth" in Jiangnan. However, Niu Gong took all the charges and then "death suicide for fear of crime", making the whole case confusing.

"Someone threatened Niu Gong's family."

Niu Gong was originally from Yangzhou, and the Niu family was also considered a prominent family in Yangzhou. However, even the largest number of noble families could only become cannon fodder under the power struggle. The first family in the world, the Li family in Jinling, was the lesson of the past.

"Who do you think it is?" Fan Xiaodao asked.

Zhao Xingdao: "Apart from Xie Zhihua, I can't think of a second choice."

Unfortunately, although Xie Zhihua, a fourth-rank official, was placed under house arrest by Xu Ting in disguise, was not authorized to interrogate or investigate him as Fan and Zhao.

From the beginning, they were ready when they were faked at the Jiangnan Mint. If the matter was revealed, Niu Gong would be the scapegoat for this matter. Now Niu Gong is dead, leaving a final note and taking responsibility for the crime. Then, even if someone comes from the capital and found Niu Gong, the case can be closed.

After so long, I searched for three or four months, and finally ended with this.

This is the situation that Fan and Zhao are most reluctant to see.

The two of them came to the prefect's office. Before they could speak, Xie Yu asked, "Is Niu Gong dead?"

The two nodded.

Xie Yu laughed, "The Jiangnan Mint Bureau robbed himself and made fake money on a large scale. You two solved the case, and the personal evidence and physical evidence were there. It was considered to have made great contributions. Why are you still depressed?"

Fan Xiaodao said, "This matter was originally led by Xie Zhihua, but in the end he threw out Niu Gong to take the blame. We can't swallow this tone."

Xie Yu welcomed the two into the house, closed the door himself, and said to the two, "You two have made great achievements in doing this by their own efforts. If you want to defeat Xie Zhihua, the question is not whether he is the mastermind behind the counterfeit currency case, nor how many evil things he has done, but..."

Xie Yu pointed to the north and continued: "The idea of ​​the capital. So, no matter how much trouble you two make in Jiangnan, how much effort you put in, and how much evidence you have found, as long as the ideas of the people in the capital do not change, Xie Zhihua's position will be as stable as Mount Tai."

A word awakens the dreamer.

Xie Zhihua was the tool that Princess Taiping arranged in Jiangnan to make money for her. Over the years, she has continuously sent money to the capital.

Not only Princess Taiping, dozens of yamen in the capital, will receive more or less favors from them. Otherwise, the annual Bingjing and Tanjing will give monthly welfare subsidies to officials of various ministries. This money is not paid from the Ming Dynasty treasury. The money paid is naturally the local governments at all levels.

So many yamen have reached out to take their money, and even the six doors are no exception. How can we be qualified to point fingers at others?

No wonder Xie Zhihua doesn't look anxious at all.

He did things neatly and left no trace.

If you die, you can get rid of the whole case.

After Xie Yu mentioned it, Fan Xiaodao realized the problem, "We are in the wrong direction."

If you want to defeat Xie Zhihua, what you really need to do is not to find out his crimes, but to change the view of the people above. This is the key to the problem. If his existence becomes a threat, burden or hidden danger to the people above, they will be inspired.

At that time, in order to avoid being implicated, the capital will take the initiative to abandon him and cut off contact with him.

Just like he abandoned Niu Gong.

He is both a chess player and a chess piece.

It all depends on the thoughts of the capital.

Xie Yu said, "It has developed to this point, and it is no longer something you or the Governor can control. I heard that the court sent an imperial envoy to set up an investigation team to investigate the matter. It will arrive in Jinling soon. Let's guess who are there?"

Fan and Zhao shook their heads and said they didn't know.

Xie Yu said, "According to the rumor I received, there are four leaders in this investigation team, namely Du Jinliang, the young minister of Dali Temple, He Jin, the censor of the Censorate, and Murong Tiechui, the deputy commander of the Beizhen Fushi Department of the Jinyiwei. It is said that the inner court also sent people, but I don't know who it is."

Oh, all acquaintances!

In the capital, Liushemen fought with the soldiers and horses of the five cities, which alarmed the palace, and they also sent these three people.

Du Jinliang is a sleek person and no one wants to offend him. He is a fence-bearer, but it is said that he has made more progress with Princess Taiping in private.

The censor He Jin was simply Princess Taiping's entry into the curtain and the mad dog. Whoever he caught and bites him. As for Murong Tiech, he was considered a neutral person. Fan Xiaodao and Xue Yingxiong had a good relationship, but Murong Tiech was unable to date him.

Unexpectedly, this time, the three of them came to Jiangnan together.

It can be expected that before the investigation team was selected, there was also a struggle in the capital.

Fan Xiaodao and Zhao Xing sighed in his heart. Sure enough, Princess Taiping is still better than that. This investigation team came to Jiangnan and could guess with their toes that it was here to make peace.

Unless the key and decisive evidence can be found and Xie Zhihua was completely pressed to the ground, they would come and go on a walk, handle a few people without any pain, collect a lot of money, pretend to be full of money, and happily go back to pay the job.

The two walked out of the prefect's office and were a little depressed.

Zhao Xing asked: "What should I do?"

Fan Xiaodao sighed, "Unless the whereabouts of the money obtained after selling counterfeit currency can be found, this battle will be like losing."

The books were lost.

Qu disappeared.

One thing, a person, as long as he can find one of them, he can connect them with Xie Zhihua.

Such a large amount of money is not easy to transfer.

There must be someone under Xie Zhihua's command to help him launder money secretly and turn the silver into legal income.

The two said almost at the same time: "Datong Money House?"

This is a clue that Zhao Xing found when he first arrived in Jinling. However, after the Cao Gang was finished, the clues here were cut off. However, if there is no end to the investigation here, if there is a breakthrough in the account, it is their only hope.

When they returned to the Six Gates, the two called Luo Cheng to discuss countermeasures.
Chapter completed!