Chapter 549 Official Level Four
The water volume of the Yangtze River is not as abundant as in the past, and there is no longer the thrilling roar and turbid waves of the past. It seems that a girl full of ancient power has changed into a gentle and graceful young woman, elegant And tranquility flows quietly.
Zhu Ping'an followed everyone and walked from the passenger ship to the river along the proposed bamboo rafts under the watchful eyes of the officials. The morning wind brought a bit of coolness and blew the fishy smell of the river water.
There are many people on the riverside, including men, women, old and young. You push me and push others, so they are crowded together on the riverside, with their necks stretched out, pointing and talking. Some people who don’t know think that the Yangtze River A baby is born inside. If there were not police officers on site to maintain order, I am afraid that many people watching the excitement would have been squeezed into the Yangtze River.
There are many good swimmers in the river carrying fishing nets and pulling them back and forth in the river under the command of several officials.
"Sister-in-law, where is my husband-in-law? Where are you..."
On the bank of the Yangtze River, there was a young woman wearing a light pink brocade dress with a plum blossom white jade hairpin, lying on the bank of the Yangtze River crying. The pear blossoms were covered with rain and her face was haggard. Behind her was a maidservant, who knelt with her and looked equally sad.
There were several sisters-in-law beside the young woman who were comforting and comforting her, fearing that the young woman would get lost in thinking and join the Yangtze River.
Standing by the Yangtze River was a county magistrate, about thirty or forty years old, orderly directing the government officials on their official duties.
This county magistrate has a thin face and is wearing a blue official uniform with an owl painted on the plain. However, there are two patches on the official uniform. The patches look like they were made by a woman with fine stitches. , the official uniforms were a little faded due to starch washing, but the whole person was clean and spotless.
At this moment, the magistrate was looking at the river with a slight frown, stroking his chin in deep thought with one hand, and standing upright, like a green pine.
"What are you doing? Just let us off the boat. We have urgent matters."
"That is, these officials don't care about the lives of the people at all!"
On the way to the riverside after disembarking from the boat, many people in the crowd were cursing and complaining. Everyone was in a hurry to get on their way. Now that they were stranded by the river, how could they not be resentful?
“Shh, keep your voice down, don’t risk your life, you’re going to have to be beaten if you let people hear it.” Someone in the crowd glanced worriedly at the county magistrate and the officials with swords, guns and sticks by the river, and hurriedly reminded everyone.
Everyone was still in awe of the magistrates and officials. After being reminded by people nearby, they glanced at the magistrates and officials by the river with unwillingness and resentment. They closed their mouths and only expressed their dissatisfaction with their eyes.
"When can we leave? I am still in a hurry to go to Yingtian Mansion to see my father. I can delay, but my father cannot delay." There was a young man in the crowd who was supporting the old man. Cried out.
"Oh, let the old man keep insisting."
"Wait a minute, if you offend the official, your life will be gone, why can you talk about medical treatment." The crowd consoled sympathetically. road.
"I have to go to Yingtianfu to take the exam. If I don't leave, my ten years of hard work will be in vain." There was a man dressed as a scholar, carrying a bag, looking ahead on tiptoes, with an even more expression. It's anxious.
"I received news that my daughter-in-law is going to give birth. I have to rush back quickly." A man who was about to be a father was so anxious that he jumped into the water and swam home.
For a time, the crowd was furious.
Walking among the crowd, Zhu Ping'an could clearly feel everyone's anxiety. Although the voice became quieter as he walked into the river, his emotional anxiety became more and more intense.
Let's see what happened. Try to sail the ship as early as possible. At least treat it differently. After all, some people on the ship are really in a hurry.
So, Zhu Pingan walked a few steps faster and gradually came to the front of the crowd.
"Everyone, please stand by the side. We will let you sail after we finish the case. Mr. Zhang from Chun'an County went to Yingtian to purchase goods this morning. He may have been killed here. There are now passing ships and people nearby. Suspect, please cooperate with our investigation. We will let everyone pass after the investigation is completed."
An officer carefully looked at the people disembarking and told everyone the whole story in a loud voice.
“If a murder really happened, it would have to be before dawn. Our passenger ship was still far away from here at that time. Why are we all suspected?”
“ That is, we were still floating on the river at that time. We were thousands of miles away from here, so how could it be us?”
“You can’t accuse us good people unjustly.”
After hearing what the official said, the people who got off the boat became even more excited. How could they get on the boat and become a murder suspect? People couldn't figure it out, especially after knowing the approximate time of the crime. I am more unjust than Dou E.
“Quiet!”
The officer slapped the food in his hand on the string of the boat, making a crisp metallic sound, and shouted loudly.
After hearing the officer’s shout and looking at his official uniform and the guy in his hand, even though people were unwilling to do so, they could only close their mouths. How could the common people dare to follow suit? The official's confrontation.
"After committing the crime, the murderer may have hid in the water and waited for your boat to sneak on board and mix among you; it is also possible that there are accomplices of the murderer among you, and anyone who passes through here will be suspected."
"We are salvaging corpses in the river, and the fishing nets have been intercepted downstream to prevent them from being washed downstream. All passing ships are not allowed to move forward until they are salvaged."
The official explained further, and then He stopped caring about it and told the guards to keep an eye on the people disembarking, then strode to another boat.
In addition to Zhu Pingan and others who were stopped and docked, there were two other boats that were also stopped and docked. They were also very angry and dissatisfied with what the government had done.
"Get out of the way, I am the fifth-rank magistrate of Hangzhou Prefecture, and I want you adults to come and see me. If you delay my errand, who can afford to suffer the consequences."
Suddenly not far away with an angry voice The message came over in a menacing tone, and the accompanying subordinates pushed the officer without hesitation. The man ordered the officer to call the magistrate on the riverside to come and respond. It seemed that he was also very dissatisfied with the force to stop the ship and dock.
"May I ask if you have the credentials? We can report it to the county master." The officer asked cautiously.
“Open your eyes!” Mr. Tongzhi took out an official document from his arms and showed it with a grunt.
"You damn boy, I have offended your lord, please forgive me." After the officer looked at it, he immediately knelt down.
"Go and ask your county magistrate to come." The magistrate of Hangzhou Prefecture waved his sleeves and said, "Quickly clear the river to allow me to move forward."
Soon, the man just now The magistrate who was standing by the river led several minor officials over. The accompanying minor officials knelt on the ground to pay tribute to the magistrate of Hangzhou Prefecture. Only the magistrate slightly clasped his hands and saluted, saying that he had met his Majesty.
The clerks on both sides knelt down, and they knew where the county was standing, like a "mountain" shaped penholder.
"Why do you stand like a pine tree when you meet my official?" A fellow magistrate of Hangzhou Prefecture mocked the magistrate for not saluting him.
“If you are in a county government office, your subordinates should be responsible for the official etiquette. However, this is not a county government office, and a murder occurred here. It is your duty to perform salutes even if you are inconvenienced.” The county magistrate looked serious. , not at all intimidated by the official authority of Lord Tongzhi, who was four levels higher, and was as calm as water without a single ripple. (End of this chapter)