There is a god in the sky

Chapter 59 Lord Xiao's Doubts 3

Xiao Ji's gaze was fixed on Shen Lan. "You were very young when the incident happened in Guli Town, weren't you? Did you have any relatives there?"

"I don't remember. I'm an orphan. My adoptive father found me."

"When I sent Suifeng and Suiying to investigate Liu Engui, they unexpectedly discovered some things, which is why I became interested in Guli Town. If Miss Shen knows anything, please tell me."

That sentence is so magical.

Shen Lan almost couldn't help but reveal the truth.

That matter had been buried in her heart for ten years. She had nowhere to seek justice, nowhere to verify the facts, and no hope in sight.

Even though she has now left Aoki Prefecture, she is still at a loss about how to proceed.

"What does Lord Xiao know? What else do you want to know? You're not Bao Zheng reincarnated, you're meddling far too much."

Xiao Ji chuckled lightly, "Indeed, it's nothing more than curiosity."

Curiosity could drive him to investigate what happened in Guli Town back then, but it couldn't make him openly confront a high-ranking official of the third rank.

Shen Lan felt a little disappointed.

She said solemnly, "I was an orphan that my adoptive father found outside Guli Town. I don't remember having any connection with that place."

If Lord Xiao is curious, he may continue his investigation.

Why not take advantage of any free help?

As for what Xiao Ji will do after finding out the truth, she doesn't really care.

It seems that the matter that Sui Feng and Sui Ying have been handling these past few days is this very thing.

I spent every day with him, yet I didn't realize when he started investigating Guli Town. I was too careless.

“I am helping Miss Shen find her relatives. Now that I have a clear direction, I am relieved.”

The official who ordered the blockade of Guli Town back then wasn't Liu Engui, but he certainly knew the most about what happened that year.

"Not him?" Shen Lan's composed expression cracked, and she asked in shock, "Then who is it?"

Xiao Ji analyzed with her, "The yamen runners of Qingmu County only number a little over a hundred, but it is impossible for the county yamen to seal off a small town. They must have mobilized the prefectural troops."

Shen Lan had also thought about this problem, and she assumed that the troops were borrowed by Liu Engui from the prefecture.

Moreover, it's unlikely that they could have accomplished the massacre and burning of the town with just a few patrolling constables and yamen runners.

Shen Lan's face was deathly pale.

Xiao Ji turned around, leaving behind the words: "Miss Shen, don't be discouraged. You will find your biological parents one day."

Watching his departing figure, Shen Lan leaned against the wall, cold sweat pouring down her back.

If the murderer wasn't Liu Engui, was her investigation misguided from the start?

Who was the prefect back then?

She ran outside.

The Provincial Judicial Office and the Prefectural Government Office were not located in the same place, but fortunately, she had met many officials from the Prefectural Government Office while working with Xiao Ji. At least she had become a familiar face to them.

Shen Lan invited an old clerk who often delivered documents between the two sides to the teahouse.

"Miss Shen, are you asking about Prefect Yang from ten years ago?" The old clerk stroked his beard and recalled, "I remember that the old magistrate left office in the ninth year of Hongyuan, and then Magistrate Liu took over the prefectural office."

Shen Lan pushed the plate of snacks in front of him, and then asked, "Then Lord Yang and Lord Liu must have a very good relationship, right?"

"Of course, when Lord Yang passed away, Lord Liu acted as a filial son, helping to carry the coffin and breaking the basin."

Shen Lan asked in confusion, "Does Lord Yang not have a biological son?"

"Yes, but he died young, leaving behind a black-haired father and grandson. He also had grandsons, but they were good for nothing."

The old official asked curiously, "Why is Miss Shen interested in these old stories?"

Shen Lan pretended to be troubled and said, "It's because Lord Xiao just gave me a difficult problem."

The old clerk had naturally heard the gossip and rumors circulating outside, saying that the two had a very close relationship.

He asked with a smile, "What's the problem? Tell me so I can think about it."

“Ah, Lord Xiao just asked me if I knew Guli Town. Although I am from Qingmu County, I have no impression of this place. But I know that Lord Liu was the magistrate of Qingmu County back then, so I asked about things from ten years ago.”

"I see, Guli Town... that name sounds familiar."

Shen Lan looked at him expectantly.

Perhaps the pastries were too sweet, for the old clerk ate them happily and told her what he had remembered.

“I remember now, a plague broke out in Guli Town ten years ago, and everyone in the town died.”

"Died of illness?"

"As for plague, people will definitely die from it. This is nothing new. Our Jianzhou Prefecture has a hot and humid climate, with mountains and forests everywhere. Miasma easily breeds diseases. Throughout history, too many villages and towns have disappeared due to plague."

Clearly, to outsiders, the disappearance of Guli Town is insignificant.

Shen Lan was heartbroken. If no one had revealed the tragedy of that year, that place might have disappeared into the annals of history.

Her once close and beloved family and friends are like a memory that has been erased, and will also dissipate into the world.

"But I heard that the town was sealed off by government troops at the time."

"That's perfectly normal. The plague isn't an ordinary illness; it's contagious. Once it's discovered, it has to be sealed off."

"I see, I was so ignorant."

"You were still young back then, how could you remember the great disaster that year, with both floods and plagues? How many people died in our Jianzhou Prefecture? Alas, Lord Liu was promoted because of his meritorious service in epidemic prevention."

Shen Lan knew that even if the soldiers were sent by Prefect Yang, it was impossible for a prefect to personally go to the plague hotspot to investigate the situation. The news must have been passed on to him by Liu Engui.

So, did Liu Engui massacre the town in order to gain merit?

“Miss Shen, listen to this old man’s advice. You’re a young lady, you shouldn’t go into the profession of coroner. It’s about your future.”

Shen Lan smiled bitterly: "Thank you for the reminder, but I have no one to rely on. I must survive first before we can talk about anything else."

"At your age, finding a good family to marry into is more important than anything else."

Shen Lan knew he meant well, and continued with a bitter face, "With my background, where would a good family be willing to marry me?"

The old clerk looked around to make sure no one was around before approaching Shen Lan and saying, "You already have one by your side. Lord Xiao has a bright future and comes from a distinguished family. You can forget about being his wife, but being his concubine won't be a disservice to you."

Lord Xiao doesn't even have a female mosquito around him right now. You're in a prime position, so grab a seat first.

Once he returns to the capital, even if he marries a legal wife, he can't possibly kick you out; you have a skill.

"For a country girl like you to become a concubine in a wealthy family in Bianjing is like a phoenix rising from the ashes! With a little effort in raising one or two children, your future will be bright!"

Shen Lan had to admit that the old man's suggestion was very pertinent.

If Shen Lan were a native of Daxi, she would probably accept her.

But she wasn't like that. She didn't value marriage and family that much, and she wasn't willing to interfere in other people's relationships.

"Thank you very much, sir. Shen Lan will give your suggestion a good consideration."

"Then you'd better hurry, there are quite a few women eyeing Lord Xiao."