The courtyard was full of ruins, and many women and children wept, and their husbands or sons were buried in the fire.

A fire completely turned the Xufu courtyard into ruins.

Fortunately, Xufu covers a huge area, which can accommodate nearly 1,000 people, and there are several side courtyards.

The women, children, and children who survived the catastrophe were relocated to the west side courtyard.

At this time, dozens of fast catchers stood on the ruins, carefully inspecting any suspicious places.

Xu Fu reported the case to the Guangling Mansion and took out a high reward.

Wang Wenhua also had to order that the four gates of Guangling City were closed, and the whole city searched for the murderer.

"Master, who did you say the Xu family had offended? Look at the burning—" A thin, short officer kicked away the broken bricks and tiles that stood in front of his feet.

"Be careful! This is the Xu Mansion. The burly old catcher slapped a big palm on the back of the apprentice's head, and glared at him with a warning look.

"I, I know, I know." The thin officer twisted the stick tied around his waist, lowered his head and carefully rummaged through the rubble under his feet.

"What do you smell?"

Seeing that his disciple suddenly stopped, Lao Yu asked in a low voice.

Sniffing through the rubble on the ground, the thin and short servant crouched on the ground and shook his head, "I didn't find anything suspicious." So..."

Without waiting for the disciple to continue, Lao Yu quickly kicked on the disciple's pouting ass and kicked it hard.

"Oops~"

The thin and short messenger rolled on the ground several times in a row before he stabilized his figure. A head of dust and dirt, complained. "Master, if you do this, I will knock my nose!"

"You might as well have a dog. I can't find any clues today. We're all going to get paid. You can have a snack. ”

"Got it, Master."

An old man and a young man were mixed in the bottom of the hunt, like other catchers in the government, rummaging through every place on the ruins.

.....

"Young master, the prefect has sent someone to urge you again."

Zi'er gasped and ran over from the verandah outside the main hall. When the figure appeared in the side hall, there was still a layer of fragrant sweat on the tip of his nose and forehead.

In the morning, I don't know how many pear blossoms I drank.

Xu Fan opened his eyes slightly, and there was still a blush on his cheeks, "Guangling Prefect? Who? ”

Xu Fan was locked up in Xujiazhuang outside the city for more than three years, while Wang Wenhua took office as the prefect of Guangling for less than half a year.

"It's Wang Wenhua, Wang Governor's Mansion. The newly appointed prefect of Guangling. ”

Zi'er told all the news she heard from the front yard steward.

"Don't rush, take a sip of tea first. Moisturize your throat. ”

Xu Fan picked up a cup of tea and handed it to Zi'er, put his right hand around her shoulder, pressed Zi'er to the side of the chair, and said softly.

Unable to push away the young master's kindness, Zi'er could only take the teacup with both hands, taste it carefully, and asked a little anxiously. "The prefect is still waiting for the young master, and I have already shirked it several times. But young master, you can't be seen all the time, can you? ”

"Got it, come on. These officials only take money and do not do anything. ”

Xu Fan flicked his sleeve robe and walked towards the Xu Mansion towards Pin Zhuxuan in the front yard.

Pinzhuxuan is a place where Xufu meets guests every day.

There is a circle of bamboo forest planted outside the Xuan, which is dotted with rockery streams, and occasionally white cranes are on the bluestone arch bridge, and the scenery is extremely beautiful.

At this time, Wang Wenhua and Master Wen sat on the carved and hollowed out pear blossom wooden chair, slowly tasting the imperial tribute tea.

It's been more than an hour, and their hearts are unspeakably sour.

In the home of the wealthy in Jiangnan, the tea used to entertain guests has always been tribute tea.

"Young Master... Young Master..."

Hearing the voice of the little girl under the verandah of Pinzhuxuan, Wang Wenhua raised his eyes slightly and looked at the main entrance outside the screen, his brows furrowed slightly.

After waiting for a long time, I finally heard the slight sound of footsteps stomping on the floor.

In a flash, a young man with a long figure appeared at the door, bathed in the golden morning light.

"I've seen the Governor Wang, Master Wen."

"Hmm..."

Wang Wenhua sat on the wooden chair and bowed slightly.

Master Wen, who was in the lower position, got up and arched his hand. "I've seen Young Master Xu."

After Xu Fan returned the salute, he sat directly on the main seat, always with a smile in his eyes, and quietly looked at the two people opposite, "I don't know what is important for the two of you to come to Xu's mansion?" ”

Wang Wenhua was uncomfortable by Xu Fan's smiling eyes, so he had to cough lightly.

Master Wen turned sideways slightly and explained to Xu Fan, who was sitting behind the bookcase.

"Today, the Guangling Mansion received a report from your mansion, and the lord of the mansion was extremely angry. Specially brought the arresters and messengers of the government to investigate the case in person. I don't know if Young Master Xu has clues here? ”

Xu Fan's right hand gently rubbed the worn gourd on his waist, the smile on his face narrowed, and he said three words lightly. "Yin-Yang Gate."

Wang Wenhua and Master Wen jumped on their foreheads at the same time, and it was the Yin and Yang Gate.

Still going back to this gang, Wang Wenhua's eyes jumped even more fiercely, and he didn't know how to answer Xu Fan's words.

Master Wen could only look solemn, and his tone was a little lower, "Yesterday, the Xu Mansion handed over the Yin Yang Gate thieves to the mansion, but I didn't expect that last night when the house was in the water, it was still this gang of thieves." ”

"However, Young Master Xu can rest assured. Lord Fuzun has ordered the four gates to be closed, and he will definitely catch the thieves in the city. ”

Guangling is an important town in the south of the Yangtze River, and Wang Wenhua was able to order the closure of the four gates of the city, which is also a great courage.

Xu Fan looked at Wang Wenhua, who looked like a Confucian student, and couldn't help but feel a trace of vigilance in his heart, the Son of Heaven sent a Confucian from a poor family to Guangling, and anyone with a discerning eye knew the intention of the Son of Heaven.

Since the founding of Taizu, salt affairs have been controlled by Jiangnan salt merchants, and I don't know how many courtiers are involved.

Today's son also needs to control this force, otherwise he will not send a rootless Wang Wenhua to the south of the Yangtze River.

Otherwise, he would not have been sent to test the reaction of all parties.

"There still has to be a Laofu office, and the Xu Mansion suddenly suffered this catastrophe. It is also our Xu family's bad luck that is targeted by gangs like Yinyangmen. After that, things have to rely on the Guangling Mansion. ”

As soon as these words came out, Wang Wenhua and Master Wen trembled in their hearts. Xu Mansion is going to completely hand over the matter of chasing the Yin and Yang Gate to the Guangling Mansion?

The two glanced at each other, and in the end, it was Master Wen who spoke. "The Yin-Yang Gate has been hidden for many years, and only the power of the prefect of Guangling is probably not enough. To track down this gang of thieves, you still have to ask the governor of Jinling, or ask the soldiers under the command of the king of Nan'an to assist. ”

Wang Wenhua turned his head abruptly and looked at his master with a stunned expression. I didn't expect Mr. Wen to mention King Nan'an at this time.

When he went south, the Son of Heaven personally told him to be vigilant against the king of Nan'an, and at the same time to monitor the every move of the soldiers of the Nan'an domain.

It's just that not long after he came to Guangling, he encountered the big trouble of Xu Mansion.

Xu Fan's brows furrowed slightly, but he quickly stretched out, and he always maintained a warm smile on his face.

"That's a good way to do it, too."

was laughing in his heart, "If King Nan'an knew that his concubine died in my hands, would he still help the Xu family." However, it is good to let the king of Nan'an mistakenly think that he died at the hands of the Yin and Yang Gate. ”

Seeing that Xu Fan was about to agree, Wang Wenhua hurriedly said. "The Yin Yang Gate thieves invaded the Xu Mansion and committed such a bloody case. After all, this is a local matter, and the official still wrote to the governor of Jinling and sent the imperial court soldiers to come. As for the vassal soldiers of the king of Nan'an, they still have to guard the Nanling Ridge, and it is not easy to move lightly. ”

In his heart, he was a little suspicious of Mr. Wen, could it be that he was the person of the king of Nan'an.

Seeing that Wang Wenhua's expression was different, Mr. Wen's face showed a touch of bitterness, "My lord, I'm annoyed, I also hope to help the Xu family catch the thieves of the Yin and Yang Gate as soon as possible." ”

Wang Wenhua's puzzled look was only slightly reduced. Xu Fan lightly tapped the bookcase in front of him and coughed lightly. "I'm sure Master Wen's suggestion is good."

The emperor of the imperial court, the local vassal kings, the governors, and the forces of the rivers and lakes, Xu Fan wanted to see how many people the troubled waters of the Xu Mansion could attract.

"This!"

Wang Wenhua and Master Wen looked very exciting.

The former is incredibly panicked, the latter is a fleeting joy between the eyebrows.

"This is absolutely impossible, the king of Nan'an has the heavy responsibility of guarding Lingnan Road, how can he easily get involved in local affairs." Wang Wenhua objected.

Before, he was already suspicious of Wang Wenhua.

At this time, Master Wen did not agree with Xu Fan's proposal, but just stroked the short beard under his chin and waited for the decision of the two.

Just as the two sides were arguing, there was the sound of hurried footsteps outside the door.

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency. There are discoveries, there are great discoveries! ”

Without waiting for the little guy outside the door to pass the word, a fat-headed and big-eared government official dressed as a headcatcher hurriedly rushed to the door and shouted.

"What's the matter? So flustered? Unorthodox! ”

Wang Wenhua was already suffocated by Xu Fan's proposal. Seeing that his subordinates were so reckless, the nameless fire rushed out.

"What's the matter? Don't hurry up and tell Lord Fuzun! ”

Seeing that Wang Wenhua's anger was about to rush out, Master Wen hurriedly reminded the fat catcher at the door.

"Yes, it was Liu Zhukuai and his apprentice who found clues in the ruins of the side courtyard." The fat catcher panted.

"Really?"

Wang Wenhua didn't want the King of Nan'an to be involved in the matter of Guangling Mansion, so he didn't hesitate at the moment, hurriedly got up, and scolded the fat head, "Don't lead the way yet, this official wants to go and see it in person." ”

Xu Fan had no choice but to shake his head slightly, got up and followed with Master Wen.

......

In the ruins of the side courtyard, under a broken wall in the westernmost part, seven or eight catchers surrounded the city in a circle to protect this place.

"Lao Liu, what did your apprentice find? Unexpectedly, the teacher invited the head catcher? ”

One of the catchers standing on the periphery grinned with a cross-faced.

"Yes, if important evidence is found, the 1,000 taels of silver will have to be shared with the brothers, and you can't enjoy it alone." Another catcher shouted loudly.

In a short time, more than 20 people surrounded the outside.

"Are you sure this is physical evidence left by the arsonist last night?"

Liu Zhukuai couldn't believe that his apprentice had found an object in the rubble of the rubble.

It was a jade pendant with some dirt and blood stains.

There is a lifelike yin and yang dragon pattern engraved on it, with a white dragon on one side and a black phoenix on the other.

There was also a faint halo on it, and the five or six trappers around bent their bodies and looked down at the jade pendant in the dirt.

"What the hell is this? It can't be a slave of the Xu family who stole the master's things, right? ”

"Probably not."

"They all dare to collude with foreign thieves, what else do these domestic slaves dare not do? It's just that the material of this jade pendant is really high-quality, and I have been to those super-rich merchants in Guangling City, and I have never seen such exquisite jade. ”

"Let it all go, Lord Fuzun has arrived!"

In the midst of the many chatters of catching fast, a high-pitched roar from the fat catcher sounded from a distance.

Everyone gave way.

Wang Wenhua, with the support of the fat catcher, walked in the rubble with one foot deep and one foot shallow.

If it weren't for Xu Fan and Master Wen behind him, Wang Wenhua would definitely kick the fat head hard, and he didn't let people clear a way.