Su Yan gathered everyone together and asked them one by one, but there were five people who had been detained in that mysterious place, but unfortunately they had been detained for a long time, and they had long lost their sense of direction and time. But one girl recalled: "The smell there is very damp, earthy, and moldy, my family lives in the countryside of Chu State, where it always rains, and the taste is the same!" It was Xiao Ying who spoke.

This is similar to what Fang Wei said. Su Yan asked her again: "What else can you think of besides this?" ”

The girl said embarrassedly, "No." ”

Su Yan held his forehead in distress, he hadn't eaten for a day, and he was dizzy at this time, and it was really difficult to resist. Wang Yan is very good at observing words and feelings, and immediately ordered someone to bring food, and by the way, he filled everyone's stomachs.

Su Yan held the steamed bun but didn't eat it, stared at it for a long time, and suddenly asked the women: "What are you eating in the detention place?" ”

Some people say, "Drink porridge with wild vegetables." ”

"It's not a wild vegetable, it's a donkey's hoof, don't you remember, you ate it once and almost died of poisoning?"

"But in my hometown, this is a wild vegetable, no one will eat it, and it is only here as a treasure!"

Su Yan asked them: "What is donkey hoof and how can it be poisonous?" ”

"Because the makeup is like a donkey's hoof, so with this name, many places will not eat it because it is poisonous, but in a few nearby towns, the people will blanch it several times and soak it overnight before eating, which is better than starving." Wang Yan explained. When he was a child, he had seen people picking this thing outside the city, and at that time he wondered how anyone could eat grass, but his father explained to him that when the poor had nothing to eat, donkey hoof vegetables became a delicacy.

"Where does it usually grow?" Su Yan asked again.

Wang Yan was stunned, muttering something to himself.

Fang Wei said that there were trees there......

Xiaoying said that the house smelled musty......

"I see!"

Su Yan was taken aback by his reaction: "What do you know?" ”

"Donkey hoofs generally grow along the river, but the main river of Ruoshui Castle starts from the Jongmyo Temple in the west of the city, flows through the official residence to the palace, and finally flows into the South Lake of the Academy. There are special personnel from various departments to clean up along the way, and it is difficult to grow this kind of poisonous wild vegetables all year round, even if there is a leak, it should not be allowed to grow crazy enough to supply more than ten people for a few days or even months, unless it is on a branch! Wang Yan was born in Ruoshui since he was a child, and his father worked in the Ministry of Industry, so he knows the layout of Ruoshui City very well. There was a large-scale improvement in those rivers, and it was my father who followed the Ministry of Engineering to do the work, and he often played with the back of his ass. But...... Wang Yan thought of a fatal question: "There are many branches of the main river, and it is spread all over half of Ruoshui, how to start?" ”

"Then choose the most remote and least noticeable, like the downtown area, the woods east of the academy are all remote places, and the area around Yunlai Pavilion also has to be investigated, although there are many people, but they are not serious people, and there are few officers and soldiers, maybe it is the best place for them to commit crimes!"

Wang Yan thought of a place: "There is a redundant workshop in the official residence, which was built behind the old site of Dali Temple, and it has been built for more than ten years, and the imperial court has not planned to rectify it." When I was a child, I heard my father say that the environment was very bleak, so why don't I go and check it out. ”

"I'm afraid your father only went once when he was younger, right? As far as I know, all the women in the redundancy workshop can sing and dance, and they are beautiful, because this has also attracted many official eunuchs to 'investigate and secretly visit'. Over time, it became an 'official building'. Have you ever heard of the official building? It is a place for officials to prostitute themselves. ”

"Prostitution?" Wang Yan guessed that his father, as an official, might have been there. For so many years, my father has always had a habit of talking to him about the affairs of the Ministry of Industry for a long time after returning home, such as which piece of the Ministry of Industry has recently rectified, what has been changed in that workshop, how many people, who made trouble, and what the consequences are, all in detail, which is why he knows so much about Ruoshui City.

However, my father never talked about the official building!

Su Yan looked at him with a flushed face, thinking that he had never seen the world, so he couldn't help but ridicule: "There are few people in the redundancy workshop who do serious business, and what kind of Qinglou gambling house is operated, speaking of which, the gambling house may be bigger than your family!" If you have time, you have to go and have a good visit, look at the teahouses and restaurants, and the colorful lanterns are hung all over the streets, but it is beautiful, it is simply a fairyland on earth! ”

"But, sir, didn't you say that Yunlai Pavilion is also suspicious, why is the official building not suspicious?"

"Stupid, can Yunlai Pavilion compare with the official building? That's a place where dignitaries often set foot in, do you think those people dare to go to the official building to hide people? ”

Wang Yan suddenly realized, and nodded again and again and said yes.

"I think the possibility of the city is very small, people are taken from there, and they will not be stupid enough to hide there again. Thinking about it, there are only the woods east of Yunlai Pavilion and the academy. ”

"Whether it's Yunlai Pavilion or the academy, I'll take some people to touch it, and where there are donkey hoofed vegetables, it shouldn't be far away." Let's go immediately.

Su Yan was worried about him: "Fang Wei said that there are a large number of guards there, you and Lord Changsun want more people, and then go in disguise, it's best to wait for dark and go quietly." ”

"Mr. Su, don't worry, I know it in my heart." Wang Yan raised the corners of his mouth proudly: "When I came to the Criminal Department for the assessment, I tracked this exam, and I got a full score!" ”

Su Yan raised his eyebrows slightly: This kid's self-confidence is comparable to the truth.

The long street runs from south to north, and the main river is distributed from west to east from the temple, passing through the official residence, the imperial palace, and the academy, and then converging at the South Lake, and then leading from the South Lake to the outside of the mountain peak. Between the vertical and horizontal, Ruoshui Castle is divided into four major parts: Golan Washe in the northwest district, downtown in the northeast district, official residences in the southwest district, and the palace academy in the southeast district. The people's residences and shops are interspersed and distributed in various places, with most of them on both sides of the main street of the long street.

Yunlai Pavilion is built along the river, and the opposite side of the river is the people's house, which is connected by a bridge. But the people over there hated the land of fireworks, so the bridge was rarely crossed, and it was already covered with weeds for many years.

The Criminal Department dispatched eight 'walking officials', followed Wang Yan to disguise themselves as ordinary people, and hid on the second floor of the wine shop diagonally opposite Yunlai Pavilion, and could just see most of the river.

On the other side of the river, the smoke is scarce to the naked eye, and if you want to go west, it should be a wasteland. He stuck his head out of the window, and for he could see a grove of trees a little further past the house. He always felt suspicious, and thought about waiting for it to get dark to take a look.

"Are you looking at the people on the other side of the river?"

Wang Yan's thoughts were broken by a voice, he turned his head to look at the official who was sitting next to him called 'Cao De', and nodded Mu Mu.

"There, it was okay in the early years, but after a large number of Qinglou restaurants were raised, many people moved out, and they all hated this broken place for singing and dancing all day long, and they all thought it was bad."

"Where have they moved?"

"Actually, it's just going down the long street. It's okay to be empty, save all day and night to go to the criminal department to make noise! ”

"They also went to the Punishment Department?"

"Not really! At night, the Qinglou is lively, and there are many strange sounds in this excitement. ”

Wang Yan looked at him fiercely: "What sound?" ”

Cao De said matter-of-factly: "It's crying, which frightens a lot of children!" Some people in our area speculated that it should be the female ghost in the Qinglou who was shouting grievances, and she was angry! ”

"Fart!" The servant who sat opposite and called 'Xue Pi' corrected: "Actually, it was just the woman in the green building crying, and the sound reached the other side of the river, and when it was blown by the wind, it accidentally became a ghost scream." ”

It turns out that there is really a 'ghost call', what Fang Wei said is true!

Wang Yan looked at the road again, and his heart slowly became clearer.

"Go and call all the people sent to the academy back, this should be the place."

"Why, the devil told you to believe it?" Xue Pi felt that this person was too eager for quick success, and he wanted to make meritorious service when he first came to the Criminal Department, but he didn't know how to be down-to-earth, and it seemed that he couldn't last long in the future.

Wang Yan didn't speak, just buried his head in tea, and the atmosphere instantly became very strange.

"The squire of the Criminal Department has been hanging empty, I think, Lord Eldest Sun is cultivating you." In order to ease the atmosphere, Cao De told Wang Yan another thing.

As soon as Xue Pi heard that it was about the selection of the squire, he immediately became interested, leaned over and said: "I heard that the imperial court actually has a candidate, but the eldest grandson has not hired him for a long time, it turns out that there is really an internal decision!" As he spoke, he looked at Wang Yan curiously, and touched him with his elbow: "Little brother, I can't see that you are so young, you have such ability, don't see you in the future, a few of us are on call." ”

As soon as the words ended, several of the officials scattered elsewhere all threw friendly smiles. Wang Yan was a little uncomfortable, moved his buttocks, and simply leaned against the window, admiring the scenery on the water.

Cao De is nearly forty years old, his face is full of stubble, and he has a good atmosphere, but his eyes are very bright, perhaps because he likes to inquire about things, and he always maintains his vitality. At this time, he said another word: "This time the case of buying a few people has been buried for many years and finally sees the light of day, the Criminal Department has made a great contribution, and I have to thank that Mr. Su, if it weren't for her, how many abducted women would be homeless and how many families would be broken." This Mr. Su has done a great deed! ”

"Is that Mr. Su really such a god in the academy? Just a few words from those women found a place of detention? Xue Pi got closer, and he almost didn't sit with Cao De.

"He is also the one who cracked two unsolved cases for the Criminal Department, and he is naturally very smart, you can only be a small person!" Cao De seems to admire Su Yan very much, and when he talks about her, both eyes are extraordinarily spiritual.

Sheppi had heard of it, but the rumors were always magical, and they should not be fully believed. In addition, in his cognition, women's abilities are far inferior to men's, and women are not all hidden in the boudoir, only men are the ones who get ahead!

He secretly looked down on Cao De in his heart, and he knew all day long that he was still a servant in the Criminal Department for decades, and he couldn't fall with him. But there is only one thing he is right, the position of the waiter of the Criminal Department, the eldest grandson is optimistic about the little boy in front of him. I'm only in my early thirties, and I have a great future ahead of me, so I can't let it slip away. Xue Pi moved to the window, poured tea for Wang Yan, and said with a polite smile: "Mr. Lady of the Academy, where did you get the ability to solve the case?" If you want me to say, Brother Wang Yan, your ability is good, so that this difficult case can be done today! ”

Wang Yan frowned and said: "Mr. Su relied on his own ability to solve the case that the Criminal Department couldn't solve, even if you can't accept it, you should respect her!" ”

Xue Pi hit his nose and hurriedly buried his head in tea, not daring to say a word.

Cao De was naturally proud, and did not forget to add fuel to the fire: "After all, I have been working in the Criminal Department for 20 years, what have I never seen, and what can escape my eyes?" I know at a glance who is right and who is capable! ”

Wang Yan watched them fighting in the nest and felt annoyed, so he got up and went out to relax.

After three rounds of tea, the sky is dark, and the flower street and willow lane on the early lights are transformed, as if it is as lively as a festival.

"Let's go!"

At the sound of the order, everyone immediately ran down the liquor store, shuttled through the labyrinthine alleys, crossed the bridge, and disappeared into the house in a blink of an eye.

The houses here are uneven from house to house, and the roads are narrow. Several people turned around before entering the woods. Wang Yan stood on the road trampled out of the woods, looked back at the wine shop where he had sat during the day, and suddenly understood everything.

Fang Wei fled in a hurry that night, and when he passed this road, he saw the lights on the side of the wine shop, but because of the relationship between the trees and the houses, the lights were somewhat blocked, and because of the river, he saw the distorted light by mistake. And that ghost cry is naturally the sound coming from the green building.

Wang Yan turned to look at the west, and stretched out his hand to the darkness: "It's right there!" ”

The group sprinted all the way, and after a short time, they had plunged into the darkness, and the Qinglou restaurant behind them had long since disappeared. Cao De lit the fire, trotted to Wang Yan's side, and whispered: "This place is deserted and uninhabited, the terrain is complicated, if you want to find horseshoe vegetables, I'm afraid it's difficult, it's better to walk along this road all the way, let's observe carefully while walking, if those people are indeed here, there should be traces around." ”

Wang Yan nodded: "Brother Cao, you have a lot of experience, please lead the way." ”

It was the first time that Cao De had been so respectful to him, and he was so excited.

The weather is good tonight, at least there are stars, and with the light of the fire fold, I can vaguely see some houses connected in the distance, but there is no fire, and I am not sure if there is anyone living there. Cao De instructed his subordinates to go over to investigate first, and the rest of them would join him in the vicinity to find traces of the horseshoe.

Wang Yan squatted on a dirt slope and rested for a while, and suddenly asked Cao De, who was rummaging in the weeds: "You have been in the Criminal Department for many years, and your ability is also very good, why are you just an officer?" ”

Under the light of the fire break, you can see the furrows on Cao De's face spread, and he seems to be smiling: "What's wrong with the officials, they are all doing things for the eldest grandson." ”

"I mean, everybody wants to climb up, and if you have the ability, why not try to go for it."

Cao De gave up rummaging and sat next to him: "I am the most experienced in the pile of officials, whether it is an old man or a newcomer, they are willing to listen to me." The Criminal Department does not recruit many officials every year, do you know why? Because I'm here, I'm in front, no one will go wrong, everyone is fine! So for a few years, it was just us who came and went. From the five people at the beginning to the eighteen people today, except for those who go home to pick up their children, they are basically there. But if I covet glory and wealth and don't become a servant, who will guide them and protect them? ”

At this time, Cao De changed his hippie smiling face from the past, which made people trust him very much.

There was a rustling sound in the woods not far away, and a walker ran back, pointing to the back excitedly: "There is an old house over there, guarded by two people, and there is candlelight in the yard!" ”

Almost at the same time, the rest of the people also returned, carrying a lot of wild vegetables in their hands, and Wang Yan recognized them at a glance as donkey hoof. Everyone suddenly came to their senses and turned their eyes to Wang Yan.

"Let's go our separate ways, Cao De selects three people to go around to the rear, after exploring the terrain, leave two people to guard their retreat, and then you turn in to control the guards all the way to find the trapped people. However, it is important not to attack, and if you find that you are defeated, you would rather wait for the opportunity in secret. Xue Pi, you lead the three of you to enter from both sides of the courtyard wall, and control the guards around the front gate. I entered through the gate. ”

After Wang Yan finished ordering, everyone had no intention of acting. Cao De asked him in disbelief: "You want to go in by yourself?" ”

"There are only two guards at the gate, and I am not suspected of doing it alone. I'm going to make some noise, attract some guards over, and create an opportunity for you. I'm not a helpless person, I have my own plans. ”

Cao De was skeptical, but seeing him so calm, he also compromised. Three clever ones were picked from the group and jumped into the dark woods.

Xue Pi patted Wang Yan on the shoulder and said sincerely: "It's really a blessing that the Criminal Department has you!" ”

Walking through the woods, at the end stood a mansion with green tiles and white walls, the skin of the walls was badly peeled, and the gate was rusty. There was also a large open space in front of the door, where a carriage was parked, and a stable was next to it.

Looking at the appearance of this house, it is different from the style of the official mansion, but it looks like a ...... Which old house of a large family.

Wang Yan didn't think too much about it, extinguished the fire, and walked closer.

The two guards saw someone coming, and one of them quickly drew his knife and jumped down the steps.

"Who?"

Wang Yan hurriedly bowed his hand: "Xiaosheng got lost, and somehow, he was still wandering around Yunlai Pavilion just now, and he walked into the woods while walking, but now it's okay, I can't get out!" I also asked the uncle to help guide the way. ”

When the young guard heard that he had taken the wrong path, he lowered his sword and pointed him to the path behind. Wang Yan looked back at the place he was pointing to, only to find that there was indeed a road, but he didn't see it when it was dark, and it was very hidden with the cover of trees. Wang Yan arched his hand again gratefully: "It's dark, I really can't see the road, please can you borrow a fire fold, and Xiaosheng will definitely pay it back another day!" ”

"What's going on?" The guards who were standing there noticed something strange and ran over, and in a fit of rage they were about to chase them away. Wang Yan was not easy to mess with, he immediately sat down on the ground, and said with a crying voice: "Why are the two uncles so rude, Xiaosheng I am just borrowing a fire fold, why bother to add fists and kicks to Xiaosheng!" ”

"Stop howling!"

Wang Yan still didn't do it, he cried at the top of his throat, and shouted in his mouth to let the adults of the Criminal Department call the shots. The two guards were so frightened that they covered his mouth and dragged him to the door of the house.

"If you want to live, shut up, I'll borrow your fire fold, if you dare to talk nonsense when you go out, be careful of your skin!"

Wang Yan immediately nodded in agreement, and didn't dare to cry anymore.

The older guard hurriedly stopped him and said, "Do you think he will be able to settle down when he goes out?" ”

"What? Are you afraid he will say it? ”

"This place is so far away from Yunlai Pavilion, ordinary people can't find their way in, why did he come in so coincidentally? Still borrowing fire excerpts? I see, you're trying to trick us, who are you? The older guard immediately discovered Wang Yan's flaw, his face showed a fierce light, and he immediately drew a knife and put it on Wang Yan's neck.

Wang Yan trembled with fright, and hurriedly defended: "Uncle, don't get me wrong, Xiaosheng really went the wrong way, I don't believe it to show you the certificate of Xiaosheng drinking flower wine in Yunlai Pavilion!" And he showed him the girl's handkerchief. The young guard nodded frantically and said to his companion: "It's the taste of Yunlai Pavilion, speaking of which, I haven't been there for a long time, and my whole body is itchy!" Before he could finish speaking, he was kicked away.

"I think you're itching!" The older guard snatched the towel and asked Wang Yan, "Are you really from Yunlai Pavilion?" ”

"It's more real than real gold!"

He looked at Wang Yan cautiously. Looking at the appearance of his little white face, he does look like the son of a rich family, and this handkerchief is indeed the belongings of the Yunlai Pavilion girl, but ...... If you don't do anything, kill him, and you can put an end to future troubles!

I was about to do it, but I was surprised to hear a movement from inside the door. Both of them were stunned, and they left Wang Yan and ran back.

Wang Yan immediately got up and followed in.

As soon as I bypassed the shadow wall, I saw two guards inserted in the water tanks at the east and west corners of the courtyard, both of whom had been killed. The water overflowed, and with the blood on the ground, it became a river, and soaked the lawn in front of the east and west wings along the cracks in the floor.

The two guards were about to save someone, but they were frightened by an explosion, only to see that a fire had burst out of the northwest corner, and in the blink of an eye, they rushed into the sky, destroying all the surrounding trees. Under the blazing firelight, Xue Pi led a few brothers to run out, and met the two guards guarding the gate head-on, without saying a word, he picked up his fist and beat it, and kept cursing in his mouth: Raised by a bitch!

After solving the guards, Xue Pi twisted his wrist and said to Wang Yan with a smile: "I put the fire, and those two are the green onions I planted upside down, haven't you seen them?" ”

Wang Yan just smiled politely at him, stretched out his finger and pointed to the main hall with the door closed: "People should be there, or it is important to save people." ”

Before the words fell, the door was suddenly kicked open from inside, and a group of women rushed out, all with messy hair and trance, looking like they should have been locked up for a long time.

Cao De kicked the door and smashed it, came out of it, spat out, and scolded: "Tan Cen, a hypocrite, looks like a dog in others, and actually does such a thing that damages yin morality behind his back!" I think he should be planted by the Nine Clans! ”

"The matter of the Zhu clan will be handed over to the imperial court, let's quickly settle the people, and then search this house, gather useful evidence, and then report to Lord Changsun." Wang Yan said.

"Naturally." Cao De jumped down the steps, "I've already confessed, the brothers are searching in the backyard!" ”

Xue Pi reacted immediately, and hurriedly instructed his brother to search the east and west wings.