Within two or three days of the incident, a report on the matter had been submitted to the emperor's court by the local inspectors. Immediately afterwards, Xi Qing's recital was also presented to the court.

On the day when the report arrived in Chongdu, the whole court was like thunder on the ground, and some of the courtiers were panicked, some gloated, and some watched coldly......

Although the emperor was angry, but the matter was not clear, although there was a lot of discussion in the court, he could only wait for the follow-up news for the time being, and for a while he only planned to send a powerful minister to investigate the water, but the ministers of the early court quarreled about who to send, and still did not come up with a result for a long time, and finally the emperor was so angry that he walked away.

Since all the ministers couldn't come up with an idea, the emperor had to make up his own mind. An hour after the dispersal of the dynasty, the two edicts were sent to the Ministry of Criminal Justice and the Ministry of Industry respectively.

After all, the Ministry of Industry is responsible for this matter, and the Ministry of Industry is also going to investigate the construction process of the entire embankment, but the emperor wants the Ministry of Criminal Affairs to send someone to ...... It was somewhat beyond the speculation of the courtiers. Accidents are accidents, but everyone is not stupid, since the emperor has ordered the Criminal Department to participate in the investigation, it must be suspected that someone is greedy for ink.

As soon as the eunuch in front of the emperor left, Xu Bin, the secretary of the Criminal Department, looked at the officials in front of him in embarrassment, and he didn't know how many words he had already cursed in his heart.

The robbery and murder case suspected of rebellion in Shigu Lane has not progressed, and the murder of Situ Yizheng has no clue...... These two things have already made his head like a fight. Now the emperor has issued a clear decree to send personnel from the Criminal Department to rush to the water immediately......

This matter does not seem to be difficult to do, but the Criminal Department has not been able to dispatch redundant manpower at this time, and this matter must not simply send a few low-level officials to do it, and this is also Xu Bin's difficulty.

Xu Bin, as a scholar and a member of the Sanpin, wants to sit in Chongdu to preside over the overall situation, so naturally he will not go to the water in person. Under Xu Bin, the only ones who have the ability to do this and have sufficient rank are Xi Yan and another squire of the Criminal Department. Xi Yan is Xi Qing's brother, if this kind of thing happens, Xi Yan wants to avoid suspicion, so naturally he can't go. The other Liu Shilang was in charge of the Shigu Lane case, which was also ordered by the emperor to be strictly investigated...... So it seems that Liu Shilang can't leave.

But after being distracted, Xu Bin still came up with a compromise idea, "Liu Yuanli, can there be progress in the Shigu Lane case?" ”

Hearing Xu Bin say this, Liu Yuanli, a person who has been in the officialdom for a long time, naturally understood his intentions, and hurriedly said: "The Shigu Lane case is full of difficulties, and the lower officials are temporarily powerless, so please choose another meritorious." ”

Xu Bin said thoughtfully, "Hmm", "You can't find out that you are incompetent, since that's the case...... You are ordered to go to the water, and you are just in time to reflect and reflect. As for the case in Shigu Lane, it will be taken over by Xi Gongzi, do you have any objections? ”

"Yes, yes." Liu Yuanli hurriedly agreed, he was happy to shake off the hot potato, in his eyes, the matter of water was much easier to handle than the Shigu Lane case, in fact, it was true. As for Xi Yan...... He has always been so breezy and calm, and he didn't shirk it, so he naturally took over the Shigu Lane case.

Seeing Liu Yuanli go home and pack up his things easily, Xi Yan thought to himself, I wonder if this old man can be so relaxed after finding out some clues in the water?

The Shigu Lane case really couldn't be handled in Liu Yuanli's hands, but there was a way for this case to be in Xi Yan's hands. It's just that he is not ready to let this matter come to the surface now, and after taking over this case, he still investigates it with Liu Yuanli as before, and has never even been to the scene. The whole day seems to be busy, but in fact there is no progress.

At the same time as the dark clouds were surging in Chongdu City, Gu Zhiyuan also rushed back non-stop.

But when he arrived at the gate of Chongdu City, Gu Zhiyuan paused slightly. After thinking for a while, he decided not to go back to Xi's mansion first, but told the coachman to make a detour to another mansion.

It was in the afternoon, the entire Chongdu city was shrouded in a sultry atmosphere, and the inner city of Chongdu was even more sparsely populated, and the cicadas were particularly noisy against the backdrop of a quiet background.

Since entering the summer, An Ruofei has not been more energetic than before, and after noon, her whole person is even more cowardly, and she can't be energetic at all. Lang Yu went out of the house to run errands again, and she was even more bored by herself, so she had to read a few idle books in the house to pass the time.

Just as An Ruofei was gradually entering the country, Lang Yu suddenly pushed the door in, she blessed An Ruofei and said respectfully: "Lord Yu, Master Xi is here." ”

An Ruofei heard that Xi Yan was coming, so he put the book aside, and hurriedly reached out to fix his sideburns, "He just came in by himself, why did he want you to report it." ”

"Gongzi Xi said that he was not going to come in, but just parked the carriage outside the side gate of Si Le Fu, please go out, my lord."

"You want me out?" Although An Ruofei was a little strange, he didn't think much about it, and only ordered, "Let me change my clothes, you go down first." ”

After Lang Yu saluted respectfully, he retreated again, leaving An Ruofei alone in the house to make up.

Facing the bronze mirror, An Ruofei suddenly had some doubts...... Xi Yan hadn't been here for a few days, and he would come in personally every time he came, so why did he park the carriage outside the side door?

To go, or not to go? She began to hesitate. After hesitating, An Ruofei decided to go out and have a look. Before going out, after thinking about it, she carefully hid the broken vermilion string that Xu Jinse gave her before leaving in her sleeve.

Outside the side gate of Salo House, an unadorned green cloth carriage stopped steadily. There was a lot of mud on the wheels, and there were many mud spots on the body. An Ruofei saw this carriage for the first time, and he already knew it in his heart.

Something isn't right!

Xi Yan would never use this way to invite her out. An Ruofei tried her best to calm down, turned around and was about to go back to Si Le Fu, but in just an instant, there was suddenly another person behind her, just blocking her way.

The retreat was blocked, An Ruofei had to turn around, but saw a middle-aged man in a green shirt looking directly at him. An Ruofei looked at him coldly and asked sharply, "Who are you?" ”

Gu Zhiyuan smiled politely and said, "I am the person next to Mr. Xi. ”

An Ruofei was noncommittal: "You are by no means the person around Xi Yan." ”

Gu Zhiyuan asked her rhetorically: "Could it be that in the heart of Lord An, only the third son is the son of the Xi family, and the fourth son is not?" ”

"Xi Qing?" An Ruofei recalled for a moment and said coldly, "I don't seem to know your fourth son. ”

But Gu Zhiyuan obviously didn't want to delay, so he diverted An Ruofei's words, and made a request straight to the point: "Gu doesn't have much time, Lord An, please." ”

Seeing that the situation was not good, An Ruofei secretly held the small crossbow tightly with the hand hidden in his sleeve, ready to pull the crossbow at any time.

But when she looked around and found that the people around her were staring at her, she relented with great understanding: "It's okay for me to go with you, but I want to know where you want to take me." ”

Gu Zhiyuan ignored An Ruofei's question, and only replied: "Gu has nothing to comment on this." It's just that Lord An can rest assured, as long as you cooperate, Gu promises that he will never be embarrassed. ”

An Ruofei wanted to delay any longer, but Gu Zhiyuan gave her a look, and the person standing behind An Ruofei immediately slapped her on the back of the neck, and before she could fall diagonally, An Ruofei was dragged into the carriage.

From the beginning to the end, no one saw what happened outside Se Le Fu.