After that, Zhu Hou finally remembered to send someone over to show them around the "huge" Judicial Department, so they had to stop talking.
The Judicial Department was unexpectedly large, and after passing through the back hall, there was a huge drill ground. It was said that there were a thousand people in the Judicial Department, and the lowest was a ninth rank judge, which was equivalent to the first or second rank in Jianghu. Their salary was a hundred stones, which was twice that of an official of the same rank. Because they all practiced martial arts, their meals were quite good, so Ji Tiansheng could be considered a "hungry soldier".
Because they were searching for the fugitive from Black Mountain these days, the Judicial Department was very quiet, and there was nothing to stroll around.
Zhu Hou had been busy all the time, so the messenger he sent took the two of them on a tour on the street and explained to them how the Judicial Department handled cases.
Usually, when the Judicial Department was dispatched, it was related to the underworld, bandits, and remnants of the sects. In recent years, the remnants of the sects had almost disappeared, except for the first two.
Because the bandits were distributed in various states and counties, only those that the government could not deal with would be reported to the Judicial Department. For example, Zhu Hou's trip this time was to destroy a group of bandits in the mountains. The main forces of the underworld were in Yongling, so as long as the Judicial Department made a move, all the departments had to fully cooperate. Therefore, although the Judicial Department only had a thousand people, the power it could mobilize was extremely large. Even the capital magistrate and the Supreme Court had to bow their heads at this time.
This investigation was like this.
From the moment the news of the fugitive from Black Mountain appeared, Ji Tiansheng issued an order. Because at that time, all the battalions of the Judicial Department were handling cases in other places and could not return in time, they immediately released a part of the news. They only said that an important fugitive had escaped and asked the capital magistrate to fully cooperate with the search.
There were no characteristics of the fugitive, so anyone who suddenly appeared in Yongling in recent days had to be carefully interrogated. Yan Li stayed in the Academy and did not go out, so he did not know that this matter had become a big deal in the city.
The new capital magistrate was Zhang Huanfa, who had a grudge against Yan Li's son. He was the former capital magistrate and the brother-in-law of the Martial God Wang Ba. He had a very strong background, so it was natural for him to be promoted. In less than two months, the word "acting" was removed, and he was officially promoted.
Zhang Huanfa did not dare to be negligent, and immediately ordered the Arrest Division that was stationed at the various workshops, and led the Wu Hou under him, to search house by house, mainly targeting the unfamiliar faces that came to Yong Ling in the past half a month.
Every workshop had an Arrest Division set up by the Governor of the Capital, with a bailiff as the leader. Under them were more than ten official bailiffs and more than ten non-official Marquis. The mayor had the authority to mobilize Marquis Wu, but did not have the authority to mobilize the bailiffs.
In fact, Uncle Geng's house had been searched long ago, but because the young lady did not look like a 'criminal', the information that the bailiffs and Marquis Wu knew was very little, and there were not many who were willing to work hard, so the matter was left unsettled.
During this search, many old cases were solved, and many wanted criminals were arrested. It could be considered a pleasant surprise.
Yan Li and Gu Xijiu were taken on a tour, only to find that the atmosphere was indeed different. The doors of every house were tightly shut, and the sounds of children playing and laughing were rarely heard. The pedestrians were in a hurry, looking left and right from time to time, afraid that a 'criminal' would suddenly jump out and harm their lives.
"Isn't Ji Tiansheng beating the grass and alerting the snake by doing this?" Tang Sanghua curled her lips and said, "Is he afraid that others don't know that she has already received the news? If I were someone in charge of the underworld, I would wait for her to find the person, then I would rob her and take advantage of the situation. "
It was almost dusk, and the people sent by Zhu Hou had already left. The two were waiting for the sky to turn dark, so they randomly found a restaurant to fill their stomachs.
Yan Li took a bite of the chicken leg, chewing slowly as he said, "Think about who she is." Without waiting for Tang Sanghua to reply, he continued, "The owner of the empire! The most powerful woman in all of China! Her actions are nothing more than a declaration to the world: Yong Ling City is my territory, and the trifling underworld will be uprooted by me sooner or later, and it will be done in an open and honorable manner. "
"Oh?" Tang Sanghua's beautiful eyes flickered slightly, and she said thoughtfully, "I didn't expect you to know her to this extent."
Yan Li said noncommittally, "Ji Tiansheng understands one thing very well, and that is, if the internal problems are not eliminated, the external problems will be difficult to solve. Therefore, she can tolerate the existence of a robber like me, and then use me to do some things. Even when I have crossed her bottom line several times, she still endured it."
Tang Sanghua smiled sweetly and said, "Of course, if it were me, I would also try to rope her in. After all, Yan Shiyi is too strong … If we can take the entire Yanshan Robber under our control and quell the internal and external troubles, it will be just around the corner. At that time, we might be able to create a great achievement that surpasses that of a Martial Emperor." After a pause, he said, "And you can't deny that you are also using her at the same time. Although I don't know why you risked your life to come to Yong Ling, I know that it is definitely more important than your life. However, you should know that as long as it is a person, there is a limit to their tolerance. If this limit is exceeded, I am afraid that all the previous accumulations will erupt together. "
Yan Li said lightly, "You don't have to test me. You will know what you should know, and what you shouldn't know is the road to death."
"Just like that night?" Tang Sanghua's face was gloomy, but she hesitated for a while and did not say the rest of the words. She only thought in her heart, 'What secret do I know about you that you have to kill me?'
The relationship between the two was somewhat different from before after Yan Li killed Xiao Sibai.
At least, Tang Sanghua could no longer treat him as a doll that could be discarded at any time. In fact, she had long discovered that she had lost the advantage of being the dominant position. She had really underestimated Yan Li.
However, as long as she completed the experience, she could leave this damn place. Why bother with a lowly indigenous person? When she left, she might even be able to give him a pleasant surprise.
Thinking of this, Tang Sanghua suddenly gave a charming laugh. Her eyes were like silk as she said, "Aiya, I know that you will definitely say, 'Life is already so difficult, there are some things in the past that shouldn't be mentioned again', right?"
After saying this, her face was filled with grievance. She used her hand to cover her chest. "But, I have risked my life with you, saving you time and time again when you were in danger. You heartless person, you pointed your sword at me. Even if you had no control at the time and were controlled by some dark power, my heart is still made of flesh. It was very painful, but you didn't even comfort me."
Yan Li looked lecherously at the position of her jade hand. Those magnificent peaks, even separated by several layers of clothing, he could still see that they were tall and straight. They were the highest quality that men could only dream of, and he almost drooled.
"Come, come, come, this young master will properly comfort you." His lust was aroused. He sat down, his hand already wrapped around her waist as he climbed up Holy Maiden Peak.
"You bastard! Shameless! " Tang Sanghua did not react for a moment. By the time she reacted, her face was already red with embarrassment. She used all her strength to push Yan Li, causing him to fall upside down.
Yan Li's face was on the ground. He cried out in pain, completely embarrassed.
"Stop pretending!" Tang Sanghua realized that she had lost her composure. She gritted her teeth, her beautiful eyes flashing with anger. Then she gave a charming smile. "You really are a big pervert. I don't know how many innocent girls you will harm in the future."
She had a natural charm. If she deliberately made it so, every frown and smile could arouse a man's most primal desire.
For a moment, Yan Li's eyes flashed with a trace of lust.
He stood up and patted the dust as if nothing had happened. He said, "You can say it now. It's about Ye Qing."
"Let's talk as we walk."
Tang Sanghua saw that the sky was already dark. She stood up to pay the bill. She knew that Yan Li was currently penniless.
The two first went to Tang Sanghua's original "base," which was the inn where Yan Li had first seen her. They took their night clothes, changed into them, and snuck out of the window. It was already the time of the curfew. The streets were very quiet. They were like ghosts in the dark night, shuttling through the narrow alleys as they conversed in low voices.
There was a very long distance between their current location and Ye Shiqing's residence. They had no choice but to use their vital energy to hurry.
"Ye Qing is my Senior Sister's daughter." The moment Tang Sanghua spoke, Yan Li was shocked.
"Your Senior Sister?"
"Eighteen years ago, she was the same as me. She came to Yong Ling to gain experience." Tang Sanghua deliberated over her words. As they sped forward, she said, "Unexpectedly, her identity was exposed and she was captured as a spy. I don't know the specifics, but according to my investigation, it was Ye Shiqing who saw through her identity. With this merit and the recommendation of someone, he jumped from a ninth-rank official to the Right Minister in a few short years. Eleven years ago, the previous Minister disappeared, and he took advantage of the situation to take over … "
"Eleven years ago?" Yan Li's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't that the year of the Bai residence's massacre? Was there a connection?
Because they were speeding, Tang Sanghua didn't notice Yan Li's abnormality. She continued, "My Senior Sister's identity was exposed, and she became Ye Shiqing's female slave. She was forced to bear him a daughter, Ye Qing."
Yan Li suddenly said, "No wonder you tolerated her so much."
Tang Sanghua gritted his teeth and said resentfully, "Senior Sister suffered all kinds of torture when she was alive, and she died with endless pain. She died in the prison of the Minister of State."
Unlike the previous dynasty, the responsibilities of the Minister of State in Great Xia were many and cumbersome. They were mainly civil affairs, etiquette, diplomatic relations, and supervision. Among them, civil affairs was to draft imperial edicts for the emperor. Etiquette was a series of ceremonies such as the royal family's birthdays, sacrifices to heaven, state funerals, and ascension ceremonies. Diplomatic relations was for foreigners who came to court, and they were responsible for receiving and guiding them. Supervision was to supervise the officials, and it could be said that they were of high status and power.
Because the Minister of State had the special responsibility of "supervision", they also set up a prison.
However, ordinary cases didn't fall on their heads. Only rebellions and conspiracies were investigated by them. Therefore, the prison was empty all year round, but it was very clean.
Tang Sanghua and Yan Li sneaked into the prison of the Minister of State with great familiarity. A few prison guards were skillfully avoided by him, but it was also thanks to the lax security here that it was like their own backyard.
"How do you know so many things about your Senior Sister?" Yan Li asked curiously. "Could it be that all of this is recorded?"
Tang Sanghua laughed coldly and said, "This was all said by Ye Shiqing herself."
The structure of the prison was similar to that of the capital magistrate's office and other places. It was located about 30 feet underground, and the cells were built on both sides of a long corridor. Each cell was separated by walls made of stone, and there were candles installed every 30 feet. The top was a precipice made of wooden planks, to ensure that no one could hide, and it was even more impossible to sneak on the top of the wall like the burglar. This was because as long as there was someone, the prison guards didn't need to raise their head to see.
This was how oppressive the dungeon was. However, this prison was empty, and the prison guards didn't need to come down to patrol. They only placed two people at the entrance symbolically.
Tang Sanghua motioned for Yan Li to restrain his breath, and the two of them walked to the end of the corridor. There was a left turn, and it was also the same structure, but it was darker and more damp.
At the end of the turn, there was a torture room surrounded by iron fences. It was similar to the sealed torture room next to the capital magistrate's water dungeon, but the torture equipment was simpler.
Because there were no prison guards patrolling, Tang Sanghua motioned for Yan Li to climb on top of the wall and stop a distance away. From a distance, the scene in the torture room completely stunned Yan Li.
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