They escorted Congyun back to Yamen, the bag of treasures, and they told Xie that his husband had bought stolen goods and wanted to confiscate them, and Xie naturally did not dare to say anything.

Although some of the treasures were found, they were not happy that they had not found the three most precious things.

Fortunately, in the afternoon of the same day, there was good news, -- the head of the cattle deputy who had gone to visit Huang Qiang's friend rushed to report to Leng Yi, saying that the person who had found out the box of treasures sold to Huang Qiang was a friend of Huang Qiang, named Wang Shou, who was a dilapidated household, and had some money in the family before, but he was all defeated. He has been arrested. When he was arrested, this kid was drinking with a few friends in the Qinglou.

This Wang Shou had already come into their sight during the previous investigation, but because Wang Shou had identified several witnesses who had proved that they had been drinking together at the time of the crime, they were ruled out. Unexpectedly, these two witnesses got Wang Shou's money and helped him testify falsely.

didn't wait for Yin Vulture to torture, but just put the treasures he collected from Huang Qiang in front of him, and Wang Shou confessed, because after he sold the jewelry to Huang Qiang, he had been drinking with friends in the Qinglou until the next day, so he didn't know about Huang Qiang's killing, thinking that Huang Qiang had confessed, so he hurriedly said it.

Wang Shoudao: "Last night, the fat man came to me, saying that they had a bag of things, and asked me to help find a buyer. I asked them to take out something to see, and he took out a hosta, and after I looked at it, I found that it was indeed a good treasure, so I asked them how they came to be. The three of them used to steal chickens and dogs, and when they got something, they asked me to sell it, so they didn't shy away from me, so they said. Said they saw an outsider drinking in a tavern last night. When he paid the bill, he took out all the gold, and he was moved. When the man was gone, he quietly followed. The man probably spotted them and ran to the river. They chased after him, and the man pulled out a long box from the package and threw it far into the floodwater. Then draw the long sword ......"

"Wait!" Yin Vultures asked in a deep voice, "You said they saw the man throwing a long box into the floodwater?" ”

"Yes."

"What kind of long box?"

"It's about a foot long, it's a goose-yellow box, it should be a scroll, maybe it's a precious calligraphy and painting, they think."

Yin Eagle and Cheng Luojie glanced at each other and nodded slowly, but there was more frustration in Cheng Luojie's eyes.

Their eyes did not escape Leng Yi's eyes, this discarded scroll containing the scroll was goose yellow, this color could only be used by the royal family, this thing must be one of the three extremely precious treasures they were looking for!

What is this eunuch throwing away?

Leng Yi couldn't think of it, and then said to Wang Shou: "You go on!" ”

"Yes," Wang Shou said, "the man threw away the long box, drew out the long sword and tried his best, but his martial arts were too poor, and they knocked the long sword away." And they pressed it to the ground, and found some gold, and some broken silver, and then the treasure of this box. When they found the treasure, they were so glad that they snatched it and ran back. ”

Leng Yi said: "Didn't they kill that person?" ”

"No, they said no. I believe it to be true. The three of them dared to steal chickens and dogs, and they didn't have the guts to kill. ”

"Go on!"

"Yes," Wang Shou continued, "they came back and drank at the fat man's house to discuss what to do, and after discussion, they decided to come to me, because they could not find a buyer for such a valuable thing." As soon as they made a sale, they knew that they were stolen, so they asked me to help sell them. When he came, he only took a hosta, and said that the rest was placed in the fat man's residence. I went along and took a look, and sure enough, they were all excellent treasures. I saw that they were all drunk, and I happened to owe a lot of debts, and I was chased by the creditors, who said that if they didn't change the money, they would kill me. And when I came with the fat man, no one else saw it. So, I became greedy, and I kept drinking with them under the pretense of negotiating with them, and at the same time, I quietly put medicine in their cups. And they fell asleep, and then I killed them with their usual blades, and messed up the room to give them the illusion of killing each other. Then I took the bag of treasures, and the gold and silver they had stolen from the man, and quietly left the fat man's house. I immediately found Huang Qiang and sold everything to him. Then I found a friend and went to the Qinglou to drink. ”

As usual, Yin Vulture would not easily believe that Wang Shou did not hide some treasures, especially those three things. As a result, Wang Shou was also subjected to the cruel punishment of Yin Vulture's six doors to extract a confession, but after tossing for a long time, it proved that he did not lie or hide.

The clue is broken again.

Leng Yi saw Cheng Luojie's gloomy expression, so he pulled her aside and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?" It doesn't seem like you're in a good mood. ”

Cheng Luojie smiled astringently, snuggled up to him, and after a while, she said with a crying voice: "I ......, I'm afraid I'm going to leave you again...... and I won't come back." ”

"Why?" Leng Yi hugged her tightly in surprise.

Cheng Luojie looked left and right at no one, leaned into his ear, and whispered: "The scroll that the eunuch threw into the flood is the most important one of the treasures we are looking for!" Especially for Empress Kaibao, it is because of this scroll that Empress Kaibao asked me to find it at all costs. However, now that the scroll has been thrown into the flood and destroyed, there is no need for me to look for it any further, so I reckon that Empress Kaibao will soon recall us, and the other treasures are not too important to her. ”

Leng Yi didn't ask what it was, and couldn't find suitable words to comfort her for a while, so he could only gently hug her and comfort her softly.

In the following days, the continuous heavy rain quickly shifted Leng Yi's mind to flood fighting and rescue.

Leng Yi has been taking the people of the yamen to inspect the entire river embankment in various parts of the city. The river continued to rise, and Leng Yi didn't care what others thought, so he paid out of his pocket to invite the wealthy businessmen in the city to dinner, and asked them to donate money for disaster relief.

As the prefect said, these people looked at Leng Yi's face and expressed their willingness to donate. However, just as the prefect said, the donations from each family are not much, and the total is only more than 100 taels, which is equivalent to more than 100,000 yuan, which is far from enough to increase the height and strengthen the embankment. But it's better than nothing.

Leng Yi used the more than 100 taels of silver to buy straw bags, and organized the people to dig sand and load sandbags to strengthen the embankment. And organize the people to inspect the river embankment at any time, especially the relatively weak and low places of the river embankment. If water seepage or overflow is found, immediately reinforce it with sandbags.

That night, the torrential rain was pouring in, and Leng Yi took Cheng Luojie and them to inspect the river embankment again. The sight he saw made his heart hang. -- The embankments of the whole city are in full danger, and the water level is close to the highest point of the embankment, and it will overflow the embankment in less than a foot! And the heavy rain has no intention of abating! And the sandbags that were exchanged for 100 taels of silver have basically been used up!

Leng Yi's heart suddenly tightened, and he called the secretary of the yamen room and asked how much it would cost to increase the height and strengthen the embankment. The secretary's words made Leng Yi even more frightened. Even if he took out all his more than 500 taels of gold, it would be far from enough to strengthen the embankments on both sides of the Ba River.

You'll have to raise money again, and a lot of money!

Leng Yi hurried back to Yamen, and on the way, he saw that many people were already transferring their belongings to higher places, and many people, carrying large bags and small bags, ran out of the city. The streets are full of chaos.

Leng Yi couldn't care about holding an umbrella anymore, and rode back to Yamen in the rain.

The prefect of the government also worked overnight in the yamen to sign and correct official documents. Leng Yi stomped his feet angrily and arched his hand: "My lord, now the river is rising sharply, and it is about to overflow the embankment!" If you don't take any more measures, these official documents of yours will just wait for the flood to wash away! ”

The prefect looked up at him, a little displeased, and said, "Won't it?" We in Bazhou, but there has never been a time when the city was flooded......"

Leng Yi didn't say a word, stepped forward and snatched the brush in his hand, threw it on several cases, grabbed his sleeve, and pulled him out of the door.

The prefect staggered: "Lord Leng! Don't panic! Something to say slowly! Don't pull it! ”

Leng Yi kept pulling him out of the door, stood in the rain, and said loudly: "My lord, please follow me to the river embankment to have a look, you know how dangerous it is approaching us!" The situation is urgent! Get on the horse! -- Hurry up and help the prefect get on the horse! ”

Two soaps came over and helped him to get on the horse. One made an umbrella for him.

The prefect said: "This house is still a good ...... to take a sedan chair."

"It's too late to prepare a sedan car! And some river embankments, sedan chairs are not convenient to go up! ”

Saying that, the two soaps had already helped the prefect to the horse, and one soap was holding the reins of the horse in front of him, because the horse was high, and the walking soap was useless to make an umbrella for him. The prefect had no choice but to take it himself.

They walked along the bluestone street towards the Ba River, and the stagnant water in the street had already submerged the horses' hooves. From time to time, you can see people running out of the city in a panic with packages on their backs.

The prefect could no longer see the road clearly, because the rain was too heavy, so he could only let the soap lead the horse.

Finally, Leng Yi said that it had arrived! So he helped him dismount and walked up the sloping embankment.

Standing on the embankment, the prefect of the palace looked around, and saw that the originally calm Ba River had turned into a turbid wave! The river, which used to flow quietly in the riverbed, is now rising to the bottom of the river! If it goes any further, it will overflow the embankment!

Leng Yi raised his voice and said: "My lord, our current location is the middle reaches of the Ba River flowing into Bazhou City, this area is the lowest lying place in the entire river embankment, and the river water is less than half a foot away from the river embankment!" And when I came to inspect it this afternoon, the river was still about a foot away! At this rate, the river will be overflowing the embankment and rushing into the city by tomorrow morning at the latest! ”

(To be continued)