As soon as Lu Xiaoxian returned to the guest room of the post house, a post man came to report: "Leng Qing, the chief arrester of the Criminal Department, asks to see him!" ”

"It's coming so fast!" Lu Xiaoxian muttered to himself, and asked Yiding to invite Leng Qing in.

Lu Xiaoxian stayed in Guangwu County as a unity soldier, and let Leng Qing and his men rush to Taozhou City with the dart team. He repeatedly told Leng Qing that he could secretly investigate first after arriving in Taozhou City, but he couldn't act rashly.

Leng Qing arrived in Taozhou a few days earlier than Lu Xiaoxian, could it be that he had already investigated clearly?

"I've seen Gongzi Lu!" Leng Qing came into the house and saluted Lu Xiaoxian.

"Mr. Leng catches the head, you're welcome, please take a seat!"

After the two of them sat down, Lu Xiaoxian asked, "How is it?" Did you figure things out? ”

"Got it!" Leng Qing showed an angry look on his face, "This Guo Qincao is so disrespectful of human life, it's just as good as a pig and a dog, if it weren't for Lu Gongzi, you explained in advance, I would have taken him down a long time ago!" ”

"What's going on? Mr. Leng catches the head, you say it slowly! Lu Xiaoxian comforted the indignant Leng Qing.

Listening to Leng Qing finish explaining the cause and effect of the matter, Lu Xiaoxian lowered his head and pondered.

After a long time, he raised his head: "Mr. Leng, is the evidence you said conclusive?" ”

"There are not only human witnesses, but also physical evidence!" Leng Qing said sonorously, "It's true! The evidence is ironclad! ”

"Have you ever confronted Guo Qin? Does he know you're investigating him? Lu Xiaoxian asked again.

"He shouldn't know!" Leng Qing shook his head and said, "You confessed, don't alarm him first, so I didn't confront him!" ”

Lu Xiaoxian got up: "Go!" Mr. Leng catches the head, let's go and meet this Guo Thorn History! ”

……

The Taozhou Assassin's Mansion became the temporary marshal's mansion for Wang Xiaojie's marching chief, and Guo Qin moved to a larger private house and temporarily used it as the Assassin's Mansion.

Lu Xiaoxian and Leng Qing inquired all the way to the "Assassin's Mansion", Guo Qin was not in the "Assassin's Mansion", and after asking the people in the Assassin's Mansion, they learned that he went to the West City Gate of Taozhou to inspect the defense.

On the thick city wall of the west gate of Taozhou, Guo Qin stood with his hands in his hands, looking into the distance silently, and the light crimson official robe on his body rose in the wind.

Guo Qin has been the assassin of Taozhou for five years, and none of the previous assassins before him can stay for two years, and they have all found various ways to open this desolate place, and he is the only one who has stayed for five years.

Lu Xiaoxian and Leng Qing stood three steps behind Guo Qin, staring at his back silently and not speaking.

After a long time, Guo Qin didn't look back, and asked softly, "You guys are finally here?" ”

"You know we're coming for you?" Lu Xiaoxian was slightly surprised.

Guo Qin turned around and looked at Lu Xiaoxian and Leng Qing, he lowered his eyes, and his expression was stunned: "The one who should come always has to come, I never thought about hiding from anything!" ”

Lu Xiaoxian did not speak.

Guo Qin's gaze passed over Lu Xiaoxian and Leng Qing, and looked in the direction of the city, as if he was talking to himself: "You are from the imperial capital, you won't know the scene of Taozhou City that day!" ”

Regardless of whether Lu Xiaoxian and Leng Qing were silent, Guo Qin said to himself, "Last winter, there was a heavy snowfall, and I have never seen such a big snow here in five years, from the beginning of autumn, it has been falling intermittently until deep winter. There was a famine in Taozhou City, and I donated all my money to buy grain for relief, but it was a drop in the bucket, and the entire Taozhou City had less than 10,000 stone of grain. Every day, people die of cold and starvation, and even in front of the assassination of Shi Yamen, the corpses of the victims are often seen...... However, I had already heard that there was an abnormality in Tibet, and at the same time, the documents from the Ministry of War arrived, ordering me to make every effort to requisition grain and grass in case of emergency. With the state emperor's order on one side and the people of Li on the other, I had no choice but to order all the grain to be transported to the military warehouse in Liangzhou. ”

"What does this have to do with your slaughter of people?" Leng Qing shouted coldly.

"If you don't be there, you won't understand the difficulties at that time!" Guo Qin shook his head slowly and said: "The news of the grain transfer has leaked the news, and the victims in the city actually want to unite with the intention of seizing the grain. At that time, the situation in the city of Taozhou was on the verge of breaking out. After receiving the report, I knew that under such circumstances, it was impossible to transport the grain to Liangzhou. After three days and three nights, I couldn't sleep well, and finally made up a plan, and posted a notice in the city, saying that I wanted to open a warehouse for relief, but I needed to recruit young people to help carry it, so those people came to sign up enthusiastically. ”

Guo Qin's tone was calm, but it seemed to hide a danger, and Lu Xiaoxian faintly felt that it was inappropriate.

Guo Qin continued: "Before this, I had already obtained a list of those who attempted to rob the military rations from the inside, so I took people according to this list, summoned them to the cellar of the rice warehouse, and locked the door of the cellar. On the other hand, he ordered the cha to disguise the grain carts as firewood and grass and quietly transport them out of the city, so that the grain could be safely transported to Liangzhou. ”

"Well, those people ......"

Guo Qin said in a low voice: "After opening the cellar six days later, none of them survived. ”

"You!" Leng Qing stretched out his hand and pointed at Guo Qin, but he didn't know what to say.

"The scene in the cellar that day will never be forgotten." Guo Qin's voice was extremely soft, as if he was afraid of alarming the ghosts underground, "Those corpses ...... Do you know what it means to be blind to death? Day and night, it's as if you can see ...... when you close your eyes."

Leng Qing couldn't help but shudder: "Why? Why? They are your people! ”

Guo Qin looked at Leng Qing with a sharp gaze: "What would you do if you were replaced?" ”

Leng Qing opened her mouth, but she didn't know how to answer.

The order of the imperial court cannot be violated, not to mention that the grain will be used in the future to fight against Tibet. As for the victims, from another point of view, since the intention of robbing the grain is a rebellion, leaving behind is a curse, and it is not an exaggeration to kill them, and Guo Qin's actions can even be said to be faithful.

In this way, what Guo Qin did was to focus on the overall situation and prevent a chaos.

Leng Qing seemed to suddenly understand why Di Ge Lao had to let him obey Lu Xiaoxian's arrangement, presumably he himself didn't know how to deal with Guo Qin.

"Even so, your slaughter of the people is a capital crime!" The sudden anger welled up in his heart, and Leng Qing glared at Guo Qin in front of him, "What is the difference between your actions and killing good people?" ”

Guo Qin did not flinch to meet Leng Qing's condemning gaze, "I was born in Hanshi, and I was born with no hereditary lineage, and no one recommended me. If you want to get an official position, you can only rely on your own efforts, otherwise, you will have no ambitions and nowhere to show them. What is wrong with me doing this? ”

Leng Qing wanted to say something, but was stopped by Lu Xiaoxian with his eyes.

Guo Qin smiled silently: "None of you know how much this matter affects me, and no one knows what I feel in my heart?" ”

Lu Xiaoxian asked, "How do you feel?" ”

Guo Qin was silent for a long time: "Riddled with nightmares, life is better than death." ”

"Okay, that's the end of this matter, let's not mention it for now!" Lu Xiaoxian said lightly.

Guo Qin and Leng Qing were stunned, and asked in unison: "Don't mention it?" ”

"Now that the enemy is present, you should know which is more important! This matter will be put aside for the time being, and we will go all out to deal with the current war, and after returning to Beijing in the future to report to Your Majesty, Your Majesty will make a decision! Lu Xiaoxian looked at Leng Qing, "I don't know what Mr. Leng wants?" ”

Leng Qing was silent.

"Guo Tingshi will probably not abscond in fear of crime, even if he really wants to surrender his crime, he will not be in a hurry!" Lu Xiaoxian said angrily, "What's more, with me as a guarantee for Guo Tingshi, if there is a problem in the future, just look for me, why can't Mr. Leng rest assured?" ”

Lu Xiaoxian said this, even if Leng Qing was reluctant, he had to nod and say: "When I came, Elder Di Ge instructed Leng Mou, everything is arranged by Lu Gongzi, and Leng Mou obeys the order!" ”

Lu Xiaoxian said meaningfully to Guo Qin: "Lord Guo, there will be a conclusion on which is right and wrong, and the top priority now is the defense of Taozhou, but you can't relax!" You are the parent official of Taozhou, everything is in your thoughts, I hope to cherish it! ”

Lu Xiaoxian not only vouched for Guo Qin, but also made the meaning of his words very clear, he hoped that Guo Qin would be able to make meritorious contributions.

Guo Qin and Lu Xiaoxian have never known each other in their lives, and Lu Xiaoxian has done this, which really makes Guo Qin grateful.

Without waiting to say words of thanks, Lu Xiaoxian changed the topic and suddenly asked, "That's right!" Guo Tingshi, I have something I don't know, can you give me advice? ”

"Lu Gongzi, please speak, Guo knows everything!"

"Taozhou City has been on the verge of a bloody case in the past two years, and the people who died were all Tuyuhun people who settled in the city, but is there such a thing?"

Guo Qin showed an unnatural look on his face, he nodded and said, "This is indeed the case!" Within two years, a total of 59 people died mysteriously in Taozhou City, all of whom were Tuyuhun people. I have personally visited the scene of each murder, and I have also examined the body, and there are various ways to die, which can basically be ruled out as murder. ”

"Master Guo, do you mean to say that they all committed suicide?" Lu Xiaoxian was suspicious, "How can so many people commit suicide?" Guo Tingshi, you don't also believe that these Tuyuhun people have been punished by God, right?

"That's all rumors from the people, of course it's not credible!" Guo Qin shook his head and said, "But it's true, they either committed suicide or died in an accident." At the beginning, I also wondered if someone had murdered, and I had Fa Cao try these cases specifically, but I didn't find any signs of murder! I even sent out catchers and officials to guard the homes of those Tuyuhun people in the city, but it didn't work, damn it! Not only Taozhou City, as far as I know, there are also many strange deaths of Tuyuhun people in Liangzhou and Lingzhou! ”

The more Lu Xiaoxian listened, the more strange he felt, he came from the afterlife, how could he believe such nonsense as God's curse, there must be something wrong with it.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Xiaoxian said to Guo Qin: "Master Assassin Shi, I wonder if you can lend me the case files of the Tuyuhun death?" ”

"Absolutely!" Guo Qin readily agreed.

It stands to reason that Lu Xiaoxian does not have the right to access local criminal case files, but he has just done Guo Qin a big favor, and Guo Qin will repay the favor, so he naturally has to meet Lu Xiaoxian's request.

……