lcionline Chapter 73 Review
Chapter 73 Review
Most of the time, things take an unexpected turn.
When Liu Shan arrived at the blacksmith shop in Jinhua County again, he found it deserted.
Not only that, even the bloodstains left on the ground after the fight last night were completely cleaned up.
Liu Shan's heart sank; he could hardly believe his eyes.
The air seemed to still have a lingering smell of rust, but all traces had vanished without a trace.
He looked around, trying to find a clue, but found that even the blacksmith's tools were gone.
A sense of foreboding welled up in Liu Shan's heart. He hurriedly searched around, but found no useful clues.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Xiaoyong immediately ordered, "What are you all standing there for? Go in and search, don't miss any clues."
The soldiers acted swiftly, rushing into the blacksmith's shop to search and examine every corner.
As expected, the group not only gained nothing but also ransacked the blacksmith's shop.
Liu Shan sighed. He had already taken the men in black seriously enough, but he hadn't expected that their power would be even greater than he had anticipated.
Jiang Xiaoyong came over and patted Liu Shan on the shoulder, comforting him, "It seems we underestimated our opponent, but don't be discouraged, let's go to the county government office."
Liu Shan looked at Jiang Xiaoyong with complicated feelings. Was his own father really his savior?
Why does he give me such a strange feeling?
It's like... a tearing sensation!
Liu Shan was puzzled and full of doubts, but he still had to go to the county government office. With such a big change happening at the blacksmith shop, the county government couldn't possibly be unaware of it.
Liu Shan and Jiang Xiaoyong rode at full speed to the county government office in Jinhua County. The yamen runners at the gate immediately reported their arrival.
However, to their surprise, only a county clerk came out to greet them.
The clerk looked flustered and stammered, "Sir, I'm so sorry for not greeting you sooner. Please forgive me."
Liu Shan frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Where are the other officials? Why aren't they at the county office?"
Faced with Liu Shan's questioning, the clerk smiled bitterly: "Sir, ever since the former magistrate was dismissed, the position of county magistrate has been vacant. Because no one is in charge, anyone with connections has been transferred. Only we, the lowest-ranking officials, are left here to barely keep the county government running."
Upon hearing this, Liu Shan felt even heavier-hearted. The paralysis of the county government office undoubtedly made the case even more perplexing.
However, he declined to comment on the appointment and removal of officials, and then inquired in detail about the blacksmith shop, the man in black, and other matters.
However, the clerk knew nothing about the matter.
He even retorted to Liu Shan, "Sir, are you not joking? Did more than twenty government officials really die at the blacksmith's shop last night?"
Liu Shan smiled wryly. Of course it was true, otherwise why would he have brought a hundred soldiers on a trip?
Left with no other option, he had to meticulously question the county government about its daily operations, trying to find any clues.
The clerk, trembling with fear, could barely recall that a few days ago, an unfamiliar carriage had been frequently entering and leaving the county town, but its whereabouts were unknown.
Liu Shan's heart stirred, and he pressed for details about the carriage.
However, the clerk began to feign ignorance again.
Liu Shan quickly gave up, because the clerk didn't seem to be faking it; he probably really didn't know.
Jiang Xiaoyong interjected, "Registrar Liu, you can question other officials to corroborate each other's statements."
Liu Shan nodded and immediately summoned the remaining officers and questioned them one by one.
The answers were all the same: "I don't know."
Now, Liu Shan was truly at a loss.
The idea of establishing an intelligence agency first sprouted in his mind.
He knew that he could not break the deadlock by his own efforts alone, and that he had to establish a reliable intelligence network.
However, Liu Shan quickly dismissed this dangerous idea.
After all, it is too risky to set up an intelligence agency on one's own; a slight misstep could invite the violent institutions of the Xia Dynasty.
Jiang Xiaoyong suggested again, "Registrar Liu, perhaps you could ask the people around the blacksmith's shop; maybe you can get some clues."
Liu Shanduo glanced at Jiang Xiaoyong, who was even more proactive than himself.
It's so abnormal!
Although Liu Shan had doubts, he did not show them. Instead, he nodded calmly and, following Jiang Xiaoyong's suggestion, asked the people living near the blacksmith's shop.
As he expected, he still came up empty-handed.
Jiang Xiaoyong asked, "Registrar Liu, can we still..."
Liu Shan interrupted, "No need, thank you for your protection, Lord Jiang, all the way today."
After speaking, Liu Shan bowed respectfully.
Chiang Hsiao-yung said with a smile that although there had been some minor frictions before, he, Liu Enpeng, and Li Polu were all sworn brothers and should take care of the younger generation.
Liu Shan thanked him again and expressed his desire to pay respects to his deceased friend.
As he expected, Chiang Hsiao-yung refused, and his reason was quite reasonable: he was afraid that Chiang might be in danger if he acted alone.
Liu Shan sighed inwardly and could only lead Jiang Xiaoyong to the graves of several old friends, where they lit incense, placed some food, and were filled with emotion.
……
The Li family residence in Cangzhou.
Li Polu tried to persuade Liu Shan for a long time, but Liu Shan only agreed on the surface. In his heart, he had his own ideas.
Li Polu was a seasoned veteran and could naturally see through Liu Shan's true thoughts. However, he had already said what needed to be said, and there was no point in saying anything more now, so he decided to save the words for tomorrow.
He believed that if he persuaded her for a few days, it would eventually have an effect.
After Li Polu left, Liu Shan beckoned Aunt Zhou over and asked, "Where did Wanqing go?"
Aunt Zhou said, "These past few days, Miss has been going to the Wei residence every day."
Liu Shan frowned slightly, calculating the time; Song Bowen's punishment was almost over.
He scratched his head. He had a lot of worries lately. If nothing unexpected happened, the first thing Li Wanqing would do after returning would definitely be to discuss rescuing Wei Xiuying with him.
To be honest, he had almost forgotten about it.
It's not that he doesn't value it, but he really doesn't have a good solution and can only passively take it one step at a time.
After politely asking Aunt Zhou to leave, Liu Shan finally had time to review the events of the past few days.
First, I acted impulsively. If I hadn't gotten involved in the blacksmith shop incident in Jinhua County, none of this would have happened.
Secondly, we have neither intelligence sources nor armed forces, but neither of these can be resolved in the near future, so thinking about it further is pointless.
Third, he was still too inexperienced and failed to notice Zhu Youyi's abnormality, thus falling into the ambush set by the men in black, which led to the tragic deaths of many officials.
Fourth, Chiang Hsiao-yung's attitude is puzzling. Is he genuinely trying to help or does he have ulterior motives?
Regarding the first point, if he didn't act impulsively, he wouldn't be Liu Shan. Therefore, he will still act impulsively when the time comes.
Regarding the second point, he was truly at a loss.
Regarding the third point, Liu Shan sighed, realizing that from now on he could only act impulsively with cunning and planning.
Regarding the fourth point, Chiang Hsiao-yung's motives still need to be observed. After all, people's hearts are unpredictable. Perhaps he is sincere, or perhaps he has other intentions.
However, time will tell, and he still needs to understand and observe Chiang Hsiao-yung more.