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Chapter 927 – 923【It’S Been Smashed】

Chapter 927 923 [It’s been smashed]

Fan Hongjing is a man whom Cao Benshu admires very much.

But Fan Hongjing’s account books disappointed Cao Benshu. Most of the contents in the account books can be found out by comparing the transactions of the companies, but it is more troublesome and time-consuming.

Which officials took the dirty money and how to distribute it is the key to the investigation, but Fan Hongjing never got it.

All clues to the case were cut off because of Chen Xianchun’s suicide.

Wang Cai was promoted, but he pleaded not guilty, and there was no evidence that he made money. As for the officials at the top, there is no way to investigate, unless everyone is arrested and tortured-this will lead to random hunting, wrongful convictions, and even the expansion of cases.

“Still no money was found?” Cao Benshu asked.

The anti-corruption officer in charge of the search said: “The Wang family was dug three feet, and only a few hundred silver dollars were found. I am afraid that the dirty silver is stored in private banks, and there is no formal account, and there is no access certificate. It is impossible to check. come out.”

Cao Benshu frowned, no dirty money was found, no evidence of corruption was found, and even the gangster suspected of murder disappeared without a trace.

Such a big case can only be investigated by Chen Xianchun, who committed suicide in fear of crime.

Fan Hongjing said in his last letter that Wang Cai wanted to drag him into the water. But the person is dead, and there is no basis for his words, so Wang Cai can completely dismiss it.

“Directly check the account ten years ago!” Cao Benshu said.

Ten years ago, Wang Cai was still a petty official. He personally handled the customs duties, and if there were any problems, he could be convicted.

But everyone was distressed. The old account ten years ago had to be compared slowly with the accounts of the Department of Education, Suppliers, Foreign Traders, and Shipbuilding Department, transaction by transaction. Some firms closed down, some changed their careers, and some went to other provinces to do business. The workload was simply killing people.

Moreover, those officials of the Municipal Bureau of Shipping who were investigated all said that corruption was relatively restrained at first. Ten years ago, the old account, even if the problem is found, is a small amount, and the officials at that time were not so rampant.

“Cao Qian, the case has progressed!”

Just when Cao Benshu was frowning, the interrogation of Chen Xianchun’s family members suddenly had a new breakthrough.

Chen Xianchun was an official in Shanghai, so he did not bring his wife, but only his second son, who had committed suicide, and a few relatives of the same clan hired in his hometown.

Those personal followers mostly didn’t know what to ask, and the only valid information they provided was that Chen Xianchun liked to associate with certain people. Officials and businessmen who often interacted with Chen Xianchun had been brought under control at this time, but it was still difficult to find out what the case was.

The two confidantes of Chen Xianchun and his son are currently missing. It is not known whether they ran away or were killed and hid their bodies.

There is an orchid standing under the hall, whose name is Haitang.

Cao Benshu asked: “You said that the day before Chen Xianchun and his son committed suicide, a stranger came to visit unexpectedly?”

“It was around four o’clock in the afternoon,” Haitang recalled, “Young Master (Chen Xianchun’s second son) was going home in a carriage. When he turned the corner, someone got into the carriage suddenly, which shocked me.”

Cao Benshu asked: “Why didn’t the coachman say he saw someone?”

Haitang explained: “The man avoided the driver, climbed up to the rear of the car, and said in a low voice, ‘it’s me’. After hearing this, the young master opened the small door at the back of the car, put the man into the carriage, and asked the driver to drive the carriage away. Go to the backyard. When we got to the backyard, the young master dismissed the entourage and the coachman, and asked the entourage to invite the master as well.”

“Were you there?” Cao Benshu asked.

Haitang said: “No, the young master asked me to go back to my room to rest. After more than half an hour, the young master came back to my courtyard, sighed and asked my concubine to get the wine, and then drank in the courtyard alone.”

“What did you do after drinking?” Cao Benshu asked.

Haitang said: “After drinking, the young master went to the master’s side. When I woke up the next day, I found out that both the master and the young master committed suicide.”

Cao Benshu asked again: “Your son, do you usually say anything in your sleep or weird?”

Haitang said: “One month ago, the young master was suddenly depressed and asked his concubine to dance for him. That night, the young master had a nightmare. Some of the words in the dream were hard to understand, but one sentence was ‘Don’t kill me’.”

A month ago, Cao Benshu was about to arrive in Shanghai.

“Did anyone’s name be called?” Cao Benshu asked.

“No,” Haitang shook her head, and added, “Maybe she shouted, but I didn’t hear clearly.”

Cao Benshu asked: “Do you remember what the stranger who got into the carriage that day looked like?”

Haitang said: “Wearing Taoist robes and a big hat. The brim of the hat covers the nose, and only the mouth and chin can be seen. By the way, he has a big beard, and he also has whiskers on his cheeks.”

Cao Benshu was silent for a while, feeling that the clue was about to be cut off again.

This person can cover his face with the brim of his hat, which shows that he is deliberately hiding his appearance. Then his beard may have been glued on on purpose.

Cao Benshu asked again: “How tall is it?”

Haitang said: “He stooped into the car, and after sitting down, he bent down and bowed his head. It’s not easy to see how tall he is.”

“There are no moles, scars, etc.?” Cao Benshu asked again.

“No.” Haitang shook her head.

Cao Benshu called all those who had been following him that day for questioning, and took Haitang to the scene to testify.

“I got on the bus at this corner.” Haitang said.

An incorruptible official in charge of tracking said: “I rented a carriage and followed it about three or four feet away. When the Chen family’s carriage turned the corner, I didn’t notice anything unusual. When I followed the corner, I didn’t see anyone either. boarding.”

Cao Benshu said: “You are three or four feet away from him, that is to say, it must have taken no more than half a minute for the stranger to jump onto the back of the carriage and be put into the carriage.”

“How can there be half a minute, at most a dozen seconds!” said the integrity officer.

Haitang echoed: “My lord opens the door very quickly, it seems that we have made an appointment a long time ago.”

Cao Benshu immediately went to a nearby store and asked if anyone saw it. The result is nothing, time has passed too long, even if you see it, you may forget it.

The incorruptible official suddenly said: “At that time, the carriage I rented almost collided with a pair of sliding poles when it turned a corner! The two bearers who picked up the sliding poles probably saw the person getting into the carriage!”

Cao Benshu immediately ordered to find the pole bearers in the city.

This method really worked. Two bearers stood up and said that they had indeed bumped into each other.

Cao Benshu asked: “After so many days, how do you still remember?”

A bearer said: “Second Master Chen’s big carriage is the only one in the whole city, and it is even more beautiful than the carriage of Haishang. When will you ever forget it?”

“Did you see that person getting into the car?” Cao Benshu asked.

The bearer shook his head: “I see. At that time, the grass-roots people thought, what audacity would dare to pick up the rear of Mr. Chen’s car. Who would have thought that Mr. Chen would open the door and let that man in.”

“Do you see the appearance clearly?”

“No, the hat covers the face, so I remember it’s a beard.”

Got it, and it was a waste of effort.

An incorruptible officer in charge of monitoring the mansion, named Cai Gang, suddenly said: “This man has gone in, he has to come out. Brothers stared at the mansion, and did not find any suspicious people coming in and out, and did not come out again.” A carriage has left.”

The incorruptible official who is also in charge of monitoring the mansion is named Liang Zhenguang: “Around ten o’clock in the morning the next day, the Chen father and son were found dead. At that time, there was chaos inside. Half of the brothers rushed in to check the situation, and that person most likely took advantage of the chaos. Go over the wall!”

“Search the walls everywhere!” Cao Benshu said.

After searching for more than 50 minutes, I finally found climbing marks on a wall. There are several footprints on the white powder wall, but the footprints are not complete.

Moreover, it rained a few days ago, and the footprints have become very faint.

Liang Zhenguang mentally simulated the situation at that time: “This person ran up from the flower bed, stepped on the wall, jumped up, grabbed the top of the wall with his hands, and then climbed up the fence with his feet and hands. Such a high fence must be agile. Not too old.”

“what!”

Another anti-corruption officer found a small piece of fabric under the wall, which should have been torn from the corner of the brick where the clothes hung on the top of the wall.

Cao Benshu took the piece of cloth and asked Haitang and the bearer: “Is that man wearing common clothes?”

“No.” The bearer shook his head.

Haitang replied more affirmatively: “He is wearing a lake silk Taoist robe.”

Cai Gang said: “This man changed clothes in the house. He must have sneaked into a servant’s room and changed a cotton cloth with a lake silk Taoist robe. Then he pretended to be a servant and came here to climb over the wall in the chaos.”

“check!”

Chen’s father and son didn’t know how to restrain themselves. Not only the carriage was luxurious, but also there were many servants at home, and most of them were hired locally.

These servants were all grounded and called for separate interrogation.

Soon someone couldn’t bear it anymore, and handed over the lake silk Taoist robe and leather hat, and even took out a fake beard.

Cao Benshu was very angry, and asked: “Before the interrogation, why did you hide it?”

The servant was so frightened that he almost cried: “The clothes are very expensive, Cao Min… Cao Min wants to keep them for himself…”

“Okay, don’t talk about it!” Cao Benshu held back his evil fire.

The crowd moved ladders and continued to investigate inside and outside the wall.

Outside the fence, it is estimated that no one has been walking around for a long time, and the place near the wall is already covered with moss.

Even though it rained two days ago, there are still clear footprints on the moss. Especially the foot that jumped down and stepped on, the footprints are very complete.

“Hey,” Cai Gang lay on the ground and observed carefully, “How come these footprints are shallow and deep?”

“This guy climbed over the wall and sprained his ankle when he jumped off!” Liang Zhenguang said excitedly.

Cao Benshu asked: “All the people interrogated these days, especially the members of the Wang family, are there any people who have trouble walking?”

“No.” Everyone shook their heads.

Cao Benshu returned to his temporary residence and called all investigators.

Soon someone said: “There is no one who has difficulty walking, but one person is sick, and he was lying in bed when the case was inquired.”

“Who?” Cao Benshu asked.

The man said: “Du Xingxue, the teacher of the sea merchant Wu Wengang’s family, every holiday, Du Xingxue will come to Wu’s house to give Wu Wengang’s son extra lessons.”

Fan Hongjing deposited the account books in Datong Bank after drinking with businessman Wu Wengang, and died suddenly not long after.

After reading Fan Hongjing’s last letter, Cao Benshu took control of Wu Wengang’s family to investigate and interrogated all relevant personnel.

The remedial teacher of the Wu family was also questioned due to frequent visits, but no one suspected that there was something wrong with the teacher.

Cao Benshu personally led someone to kill Du Xingxue. Du Xingxue was drinking alone.

Cao Benshu sneered: “Isn’t Mr. Du seriously ill in bed?”

“I have a slight illness, but I have recovered.” Du Xingxue said.

Cao Benshu said: “Take two steps to see.”

Du Xingxue did not sprain his ankle, but broke his bone. He suddenly sighed with emotion: “As expected of the Inspectorate, the Inspectorate of the new dynasty is more powerful than the former Inspectorate. The accounts of the Shibo Department for the past ten years, as well as the profit-sharing accounts of many officials, are all in the big box in my study I have only one request, I am willing to obey the law, but when my wife and children are exiled, it is best to be exiled to Marza (Markang). I have inquired about it, and there is not too much suffering.”

Is that done?

Cao Benshu couldn’t believe it: “What are you doing in Chen’s house?”

Du Xingxue said: “The father and son of the Chen family have been unwilling to commit suicide for a long time, so I can only persuade them in person. These two wretches are greedy for money more than anyone else. They don’t know how to pretend to be poor, but they are afraid of death when things come to an end.”

“Are you from Wang Cai?” Cao Benshu asked.

“He’s not worthy yet,” Du Xingxue pointed at the roof, “My master has already been transferred to Nanjing, and you’ve made a fool of yourself this time.”

Cao Benshu said: “Who is it!”

Du Xingxue said with a smile: “Your Excellency, why bother to ask again, I’m afraid you have already guessed it in your heart. Ten years ago, you worked as a shipping secretary in Shanghai, and now you are working in the center. There is only one person.”

“Just him?” Cao Benshu confirmed.

Duchenne said: “Who else?”

Cao Benshu breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time said disdainfully: “A servant on the left, you just say you’re poking at the sky, you’re just sitting on the sidelines.”

Du Xingxue said with a smile: “In the eyes of Cao Yushi, Zuo Shilang’s official position is not high enough. But this Zuo Shilang’s adoptive father and adoptive mother are the parents of old Fei Ge (Fei Chun). How dare you investigate to the end ?”

Cao Benshu gritted his teeth and said, “Don’t talk about old Fei Ge, even the emperor’s relatives and relatives will be investigated to the end! Arrest people and find the account books!”

(end of this chapter)