SFS Chapter 176 A strong dragon cannot overwhelm a local snake
Chapter 176 A strong dragon cannot overwhelm a local snake
Yun Yi, who had been listening, quickly echoed:
"Yes, Madam Shen... Oh, no, I should address you as Ms. Shen now!
"Ms. Shen's words hit the nail on the head, Master!"
But then, he frowned again, as if he had thought of some difficult problem, and said:
“However, although the words are true, it is not so easy to actually implement them.
These officials are all old foxes in the officialdom, and it is not so easy for us to catch them.
There's an old saying, 'A powerful dragon cannot defeat a local snake.' What if they do something that's bad for us?"
Xiao Heng, who was standing aside, laughed:
“Throughout history, countless kings, generals, and high-ranking officials have seemed to enjoy immense glory and power, only to find themselves brought down by fire in their own backyards.
We might as well start from here. The families of those officials may be the key to our breakthrough!
As long as you investigate carefully, you will always find some evidence."
At this moment, Xiao Heng's eyes were sharp, revealing a confidence that he was in control of the overall situation.
"Ah! The master is indeed wise!"
Cangyu and others echoed, with a hint of admiration in their eyes.
Shen Qingge followed up on Xiao Heng's words and added:
“Just like fishing, if you want to take action, you naturally have to catch a big fish.
If you want to make an example of someone, you must find someone who is a good example to scare others!
Only in this way can it have a deterrent effect."
After hearing this, Xiao Heng nodded, then he reached out and picked up a thick volume of Nanhai County officials' information from the table.
I saw him turn the pages of the book and browse through it carefully, his fingers stroking the paper from time to time.
After a while, he stopped at a certain page, then slowly raised his head and began to read:
"Zhang Yi, the prefect, is from Panyu, Nanhai County. He has a rather smooth personality and is adept at navigating various interpersonal relationships, but he is also relatively timid and acts with a cautious style.
He had two sons and three daughters. His wife, Liu, was quite prestigious in the family and held the final say. He also had a concubine.
After a brief pause, Xiao Heng flipped through the information in his hand again, found another page, and continued reading:
"Let's look at this County Magistrate Zhao Chuan, who also hails from Nanhai County and is from Jihua Township. His wife passed away early in life, leaving behind a son and a daughter.
Since then, he has remarried three times in succession. Now he has five concubines at home, and they have given birth to two daughters for him.
This person has an impatient and irritable personality, acts decisively and ruthlessly, and cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes."
Then, he slowly flipped through a few more pages of the book, muttering:
"Commander Song Lin, a native of Duanzhou in Nanhai Commandery, is a distant cousin of Song Tianshi, the Minister of Rites in the capital.
This person has a moderate personality and never likes to show off or compete for victory.
He still has an elderly mother at home, and he has only one wife by his side, with whom he has a son.
It's a pity that this boy does nothing all day long, wandering around and spending money recklessly, without any restraint at all."
After that, Xiao Heng read out the relevant information of several officials one after another.
After reading all of this, he slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on Shen Qingge beside him, and asked:
"I wonder which official, Miss Shen, would be the most appropriate person to begin the investigation with?"
Shen Qingge reached out and took the thick book that Xiao Heng handed over. The corners of his mouth raised slightly, revealing a faint smile, and responded:
"In my opinion, we might as well start the investigation with County Magistrate Zhao Chuan.
This person has a rather impatient temper and will often react violently to any small incident, which can easily expose their weaknesses.
Besides, I heard that he has many wives and concubines at home, so I think he must be a man who is addicted to sensual pleasures.
If we start from here, we will surely be able to follow the clues and find some useful leads and clues!"
After a moment of thought, Shen Qingge added:
“In addition, we should also pay attention to Captain Song Lin.
He has connections in the court, who might be the spy that Xiao Mo specially planted in our Lingnan area.
In addition, his good-for-nothing son is ignorant and always causing trouble. This kind of person is most easily manipulated by others. If he is not careful, he may go astray and become a pawn in the hands of others.
Therefore, we need to pay more attention to this person and his family."
After she finished speaking, she gently closed the book and added slowly:
"Of course, these are just some guesses made by my subordinates based on the contents of the book.
As for which specific person we should focus on investigating, it ultimately depends on your decision, Your Highness.
However, we cannot easily let go of investigating other people. At least for all officials of the sixth rank and above in the county, we need to carefully investigate them one by one.
I wonder what your Highness thinks about this?"
"Well, what Miss Shen said and thought exactly coincides with what I was thinking! She is indeed very thoughtful and considerate."
Xiao Heng said with certainty, a faint smile on his face, but soon he restrained himself and returned to a serious expression as he gave the order:
"In that case, let's proceed according to this plan. Cangyu, Cangfeng, the two of you will lead a team to investigate, and remember to conduct this in secret.
Another point is particularly important, and that is, places like red-light districts and willow alleys cannot be let off and must be thoroughly investigated. Do you understand?"
"Subordinates take orders!"
Cangyu and Cangfeng responded in unison.
Then, Xiao Heng turned his head slightly, cast his gaze on Yun Yi, and said solemnly:
"Now, as the commander of the secret guards, in addition to paying attention to the progress of this investigation, you must also pay attention to the secret guards' daily routine training. You must not slack off.
Only by maintaining a good state and high vigilance at all times can we better respond to various emergencies and safeguard this peace. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I will follow your orders, Your Highness." Yun Yi responded with a bow.
From then on, a covert investigation was secretly launched.
Cangyu and Cangfeng divided the secret guards into several small teams, scattered outside the residences of various officials, and monitored them day and night.
They can also be found in the city’s major brothels and bustling taverns.
They acted in secret, appearing and disappearing like ghosts. Within half a month, they had figured out the whereabouts of most officials in the county.
They also planned to sneak into the homes of various officials to look for account books, land deeds, and house deeds, and they did get some results.
But the fact is just as they expected in advance, the higher the official's position, the deeper the concealment.
For example, the secret guards searched the mansions of the powerful Zhang Jun, the shrewd Sun Changshi, Zhao Jun and others many times, but they were unable to find any valuable clues and returned empty-handed.
Seeing that things were blocked, Shen Qingge decided to go out and investigate it himself!