allendalepharm Chapter 856: Curfew Breaker
Chapter 856: Curfew Breaker
Chapter 856: Curfew Breaker
An hour later, the waiter finally came to the door and said, "I'm sorry, gentlemen, I'm really too busy today."
"It's okay! We are the ones who disturbed the second brother. Can we pass through now?" Jiang Youzhen said.
"Come with me! I know where Constable Zhang lives. He must have returned home from the government office by now. Let's go straight to his house to find him."
It was already the end of the You hour and the sky had darkened.
They followed the second brother to an unfamiliar alley called Yuanbao Lane.
They came to a small courtyard with a separate entrance. The courtyard was not big, but it was located inside the alley and was quite quiet.
The waiter stepped forward and knocked on the gate, shouting, "Constable Zhang, is Constable Zhang home?"
Soon there was a response from inside, "Who is it? Here I come!"
Soon Jiang Youzhen and the others heard footsteps. After the courtyard door was opened, a square-faced man in his thirties stood behind the door.
"Xiaocheng? Why are you here? What do you want from me?" Detective Zhang was a little surprised, and then suddenly found a group of people standing behind Xiaocheng.
In front of him was a handsome young man with a smile on his face but sharp eyes, emitting a sense of dominance. It was obvious at first glance that he was no ordinary person.
Moreover, this group of people were dressed luxuriously. In Constable Zhang's opinion, these people were not easy to mess with.
"Detective Zhang, these are guests of our restaurant. They want to ask you something."
Jiang Youzhen immediately bowed and introduced himself with a smile, "Detective Zhang, my last name is Shen, and I am a businessman from the capital. I have something I want to ask you, Detective Zhang, if I may come in and talk."
Jiang Youzhen used the surname Shen. Her trip to the border was a secret order from the emperor, but some people must have known that the court would send someone to investigate the disappearance of General Dingyuan. Knowing that her surname was Jiang, it was easy to guess her identity.
Constable Zhang was very surprised, but he still stepped aside and said, "Come in and talk!"
Several people entered the courtyard and then went to the main house.
"Boss, who is it?" A young woman came out from the inner room holding an oil lamp. She was very surprised when she saw so many people.
"This is Xiaocheng's guest from the restaurant. He wants to ask me something. You can go back to your room and sleep. I will entertain you here."
When the lady saw the appearance of Jiang Youzhen and the others, she felt a little embarrassed. Then she nodded, turned around and went back into the inner room.
"Detective Zhang, I heard that after the curfew on the night of the Lantern Festival in the first month of the lunar year, the government arrested some people who broke the curfew.
It just so happened that my companion came to Anxi County a few days ago, and there has been no news since then, so I asked my second brother to go and ask Constable Zhang about it."
Jiang Youzhen saw him making a gesture for him to sit down, so he didn't hesitate and sat down at the table.
"So that's what you're asking about. We did catch a few people a few days ago. How many companions do you have? Let me see if the number is correct."
Speaking of this, Constable Zhang suddenly realized something, but the gleam in his eyes did not escape Jiang Youzhen's attention.
"I don't know the exact number of people. We didn't leave on the same day, and he didn't inform me."
Detective Zhang fell silent, and Jiang Youzhen immediately glanced at Qing Lang.
Qing Lang understood and took out a silver note from his sleeve.
"This is a small gift from me. Please accept it, Constable Zhang." It was only twenty taels of silver, which Jiang Youzhen thought was enough.
When Constable Zhang saw the amount on the banknote, he couldn't help but be tempted. Constables and yamen runners didn't make much money, and this place was close to the border and it was a bitter and cold place.
In fact, this place is a must-pass route on the Silk Road and an intermediate stop, but since the closure of the mutual trade, the Silk Road has been interrupted.
There are fewer merchants coming and going here than before, so naturally, the yamen runners and constables are making less money.
Seeing that the other party did not take over, Qing Lang placed the banknote on the table in front of the other party. Seeing that Constable Zhang did not refuse, it meant that he was willing to help.
"Are your companions from the capital? From their accents, I can tell they are not from the capital. Maybe they are not the people you are looking for." Detective Zhang pondered.
Jiang Youzhen said, "They are from all over the country, so it's not surprising that they have mixed accents. I wonder if Constable Zhang can take us to see him. As for whether he is the real one, we still have to confirm it ourselves.
Regardless of whether it is true or not, Constable Zhang has helped a lot, and we will always remember it."
This means that no matter whether it is true or not, the banknotes will not be taken back. Constable Zhang immediately understood what Jiang Youzhen meant.
"Okay! You guys wait for me at the gate of the government office at the beginning of the si hour tomorrow. But there are too many of you, so I can only take one or two of you in to have a look, otherwise it will easily attract the attention of the superiors.
If you are sure that they are your companions, you cannot take them away immediately. If you want to take them away, you have to find another way. "
"Thank you, Constable Zhang! Let's meet at the gate of the yamen at the beginning of the si hour tomorrow."
Jiang Youzhen and the others left quickly. After Constable Zhang sent them out, his wife came out from the inner room.
"Didn't you say that the people captured on Yueban were a little strange? And judging from the attitude of the higher-ups, they seemed to be a little evasive. Why did you bring these people to see it?
I think these people are not simple, let's not get involved in the trouble." The wife was very worried.
Constable Zhang looked at the banknote in his hand and sighed, "This is twenty taels of silver. Dalang will get married in two years. With these twenty taels, we don't have to worry about anything.
I just took them to have a look, and I won't be involved in other matters."
"But I don't think they are merchants. Judging from their attire and temperament, they seem to be from the imperial court. Then..."
His wife's worries were not unfounded. Constable Zhang naturally saw that Jiang Youzhen and others were very dignified and were very likely officials sent from the capital, although these officials were too young.
But nothing has happened in the local area recently, so why would the capital send officials here? Could it be an imperial envoy making a secret visit?
They were talking about Jiang Youzhen here, and Jiang Youzhen, who had already returned to the inn, was also talking about Constable Zhang.
As soon as he entered the room, Qin Yandong said, "Why do I feel that Constable Zhang has discovered our identities?"
After he said that, he glanced at Jiang Youzhen. Jiang Youzhen was obviously born in an ordinary family, but he was very noble and had an outstanding temperament.
Going to that station, he no longer looks like a businessman, but more like the children of wealthy families in the capital.
“It doesn’t matter if they found out. Not many people should know that General Dingyuan is missing, otherwise the country wouldn’t be so peaceful.
Without the Dinghaishenzhen, can the outside world still bear it? He may still think that we are the imperial envoys sent by the capital to visit secretly. This is the court’s custom. We will tell him tomorrow!"
Jiang Youzhen was not worried about this. Constable Zhang was a smart man and knew what to say and what not to say.
"We have no clue now. Do we really have to start with Prince Yuanming?"
Qin Yandong felt a headache just thinking about it. They were unfamiliar with the place and they were short of manpower. They had to conceal their identities to find out something, which was really restrictive.