The Yangtze River water is not as abundant as in the past, there is no more thrilling roar and turbid waves, as if it is a young girl from a flood of power into a gentle and skilful young woman, elegant and quiet flow.
Zhu Pingan followed the crowd under the watchful eyes of the officials, from the passenger boat along the bamboo rows suggested to be erected towards the riverside, the wind in the morning carried a slight coolness and blew full of the fishy smell of the river water.
The river is a lot of people, men and women, young and old, you push me to shove him crowded in the river, necks are stretched out long, pointing and discussing, do not know that the Yangtze River is thought to have a baby out of the world it. If there is not a police officer at the scene to maintain order, I’m afraid that many people watching will be crowded into the Yangtze River.
Inside the river, there are also many good swimmers with fishing nets in several officials commanded to download the river to and from the net.
“My husband, where is my husband, where are you ……?”
At the Yangtze River there was a young woman wearing a light pink brocade dress, inserted a plum blossom white jade hairpin, lying on the Yangtze River crying with pear blossoms and haggard face, behind her there was also a maidservant, kneeling with her, with the same sad look.
The young woman was surrounded by several sisters-in-law in the soothing and comforting, lest the young woman could not think of throwing herself into the Yangtze River.
In the Yangtze River side stood a magistrate, about thirty years old close to forty years old appearance, methodical command of the yamen officials official work.
At the moment the county is slightly frowning at the river, one hand touching the chin thoughtfully, the whole person stands straight, like a pine.
“What the hell, how to say get off the boat let us get off the boat, we have an urgent matter here.”
“That is, these officials do not care about the people’s lives!”
Get off the boat to the riverside road, many people in the crowd cursed and grumbled grievances are very heavy, we are in a hurry to rush it, this is all of a sudden was stranded by the riverside, can not have grievances it.
“Hush, keep your voice down, don’t want to die, let people hear a board.”Some people in the crowd worriedly glanced at the river’s county magistrate and the officials with swords, guns and sticks, hurriedly reminded the crowd said.
For the county magistrate and the official police, everyone is still in awe, under the reminder of the people nearby, the heart is not willing to resentfully swept the river governor and the official police, closed their mouths, and only expressed their dissatisfaction with their eyes.
“When can we leave ah, I’m still in a hurry to go to Yingtianfu to see my father, I can delay, my father can not delay ah.”There was a young man in the crowd who was holding up the old man and cried out anxiously.
“Alas, let the old man hold on a little longer.”
“Just wait, what’s the point of talking about seeing a doctor when you’ve messed with an official and lost your life.”The crowd sympathised and consoled.
“I still have to go to Yingtianfu to take the exam, if I don’t go, my ten years of studying will be in vain.”There was a man dressed as a scholar, carrying a travelling bag, padding his toes and looking ahead, his expression was even more anxious.
“I received news that my daughter-in-law is about to give birth, I have to hurry back.”A man who was about to become a father was so anxious that he was about to jump into the water and swim home.
For a while, the crowd was furious.
Zhu Pingan walked in the middle of the crowd, and could clearly feel everyone’s anxiety, although the more he walked into the river, the lower the voice, but the emotional anxiety was getting stronger and stronger.
Let’s see what’s going on, and try to get the boat to sail earlier, or at least treat it differently, after all, some of the people on the boat are really in a hurry.
Thus, Zhu Pingan took two steps faster and gradually came to the front of the crowd.
“Everyone stand at the side, wait for us to finish the case before we let you sail the boat, Chun’an County’s Grand Master Zhang went to Yingtian to get goods this morning, and may have been killed here. Now the passing ships and the people nearby are all suspected, please cooperate with our investigation, we will let you pass after the investigation.”
An official carefully sized up the people disembarking from the ship, while loudly informing everyone of the original story.
“If there was a murder, it would have to be when the sky is still not too bright, we were still far away from the passenger ship, how come we are all suspected?”
“That’s right, we were still floating on the river at that time, it’s a hundred thousand miles away from here, how could it be us.”
“We can’t be wrongly accused.”
Listened to the words of the officials, the people off the boat is even more emotional, how a good reason to sit on a boat has become a murder suspect it, people how can not understand, especially after knowing the approximate time of the crime, but also feel more than the sinus e also wrong.
“Silence!”
Officials will be in the hands of the dinner organ forcefully to the boat strings a slap, issued a crisp metal ringing sound, shouted loudly.
Hearing the official’s shout, and looking at his uniform and the weapon in his hand, despite the people’s reluctance, they could only close their mouths, how could the commoners dare to confront the officials.
“The murderer may hide in the water after the murder to wait for your boat to come secretly on board the boat, mixed in the middle of you; may also you have murderer accomplices …….As long as it is the way here, all are suspected.”
“In the river our people are salvaging the body, and fishing nets have been intercepted downstream to prevent it from being washed downstream. Before it is salvaged, all passing ships, all are not allowed to go forward.”
The official gave further explanations, and then stopped caring, instructing the officer to keep an eye on the people disembarking the boat, and then turned to the other boat with great strides.
In addition to Zhu Pingan and the others who were stopped and docked like this, there were two other ships that were also stopped and docked. They were also in a group, dissatisfied that the officials were acting in such a manner.
“Get out of the way, I am a fifth ranked Tongzhi of Hangzhou Prefecture, tell your lord to come and see me. If I am delayed in my errand, who can afford to suffer.”
Suddenly not far away an exasperated voice came over, raging, the subordinate accompanying him pushed the official without a care in the world, that person commandingly told the official to go and call the governor of the river to come over to reply, it looks like he is also very dissatisfied with the forcible stopping of the ship to dock.
“Dare I ask if Your Excellency has any vouchers with him? We can also inform the county magistrate.”The official asked somewhat cautiously.
“Open your eyes wide!”Lord Tongzhi fished out an official ultimatum from his pocket and grunted as he displayed it.
“I’m damned, I’ve offended His Excellency, please forgive me.”The official looked at it and immediately knelt down.
“Go and call your magistrate.”The Hangzhou Prefecture Tongzhi flung his sleeve and said, “Quickly clear the river so that this official can move forward.”
Soon, the magistrate who just stood by the river led several petty officials over, the accompanying petty officials knelt on the ground to greet the Hangzhou Prefectural Tongzhi, except for the magistrate who slightly bowed his hands and saluted, saying that the subordinate official had seen the lord.
Both sides of the small officials are kneeling down, on the county in which to stand, like a “mountain” shaped pen like.
“Why see this official, stand like a pine?”The Hangzhou governor sarcastically said that the magistrate did not bow to him.
“If I were at the county office, I would have saluted as an official, but this is not the county office, and as a murder has occurred here, I have duties that make it inconvenient for me to salute.”The magistrate had a straight face, not the least bit intimidated by the official authority of the four-levels-higher Lord Tongzhi, as calm as water without a single ripple.
