There is a god in the sky

Chapter 96 On the Road 1

Looking at Shen Lan, Xiao Ji had a feeling that he was about to be unable to afford the coroner.

"The thousand taels will be on my tab, recorded in your name, and you'll receive a share of the profits at the end of the year," Xiao Ji said.

Shen Lan's fortune increased by a thousand taels, and she said with a smile, "Lord Xiao, you don't need to be so generous, five hundred taels will do."

No wonder the hermit of Rongshan told her to sell her paintings for money; she could become rich overnight!

Xiao Ji rolled his eyes at her, then held out his hand and said, "Let me take a look at the rest of the paintings."

If there are any other strange paintings, he might as well sell them too.

Shen Lan handed him the painting and asked, "Is the Yu family arson case closed just like that?"

"Yes, the government posted a notice yesterday, convicting Steward Zhong of arson and murder. Since he committed suicide, the case is now closed."

"Are there really no other clues?" Shen Lan asked regretfully.

"You also think that Butler Zhong isn't the murderer?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it, maybe it's because the killer isn't the one I imagined."

Xiao Ji understood what she meant. Intuition is important in some cases, but intuition alone is useless without evidence.

"By the way, I received a letter from Prefect Jiang yesterday. The Xikou Post Station has been reopened, and Prefect Jiang has reported the case to the capital."

Such a major case could not be solved by Jianzhou Prefecture alone.

"Is there any clue about the statue hidden underground?"

Shen Lan felt that as long as she knew the origin and function of the statue, she might be able to follow the clues.

"I recently inquired about the Serpent King in Jiangzhou, but there has been no breakthrough. The people here have never heard of it."

"Speaking of which, this kind of sacrificial ceremony seems more like a custom from the Miao region. Perhaps we can send someone there to investigate."

Xiao Ji nodded, "That makes sense. I will write a letter to Prefect Jiang."

The next morning, Xiao Ji bid farewell to the Song family and took his men to the Jiangzhou dock to board a boat.

Prefect Song originally wanted Xiao Ji to take his son to the capital, but the news leaked out in advance, and the eldest son of Song had run away from home and disappeared.

Prefect Song was both angry and helpless, so he had no choice but to drop the matter.

Jiangzhou Wharf was very lively.

Large numbers of laborers wait here for business. As soon as a cargo ship arrives, the laborers rush aboard, asking if they need help moving goods.

Even if they worked a full day, they would only receive a few dozen coins as payment.

Prefect Song prepared an official boat for Xiao Ji, which stood out among the cargo ships.

The official ship not only carried fifty officials but also half a ship of tribute destined for Bianjing.

"It is the season when the oranges in Jiangzhou are ripe. Prefect Song ordered some to be picked. I would like to trouble Lord Xiao to help bring them to the capital."

Judge Yan came to the dock to see them off and took the opportunity to explain the origin of the tribute.

The weather is gradually getting cooler, and the oranges won't spoil anytime soon, so it's most appropriate for Xiao Ji to take them to the capital.

"Thank you for seeing me off, Lord Yan. Farewell."

Judge Yan smiled and waved at him.

Everyone knows that they will have very few chances to meet again in the future, but Xiao Ji has a bright future, and getting to know such a talented young man is a way out for him.

Just as the boat set sail, a young man carrying a bundle jumped aboard from the dock.

"Suiying, you're back!" Suifeng exclaimed.

Suiying nodded and walked past him toward Xiaoji.

He untied the bundle and handed it to Xiao Ji, saying, "My lord, I have not failed in my mission."

He intercepted the case file of the Wu family massacre.

Xiao Ji didn't really know how to explain the case. If no new clues could be found, then the murderer could only be Lu Yaxuan.

"By the way, there's some progress on the matter you asked us to investigate. Although Lu Yaxuan has been an orphan since childhood, according to the village elders, he once had a younger sister, but they were separated many years ago."

“A sister? A sister who has been separated for many years, it’s unlikely that we would have much interaction,” Xiao Ji said, shaking his head.

Shen Lan stood at the bow of the boat, the wind on the river stinging her face. Xuan'er took a cloak and draped it over her shoulders.

"Sister, this ship is so big and impressive! All the other ships around it are making way for it." Xuan'er's eyes shone with pride.

Shen Lan explained, "In Jiangzhou, the prefect is the highest-ranking official, so naturally people would avoid the prefect's boats."

But Xuan'er, you must remember, once you arrive in Bianjing, powerful and wealthy people will be everywhere, and high-ranking officials will be commonplace. You must not act ostentatiously or ostentatiously.

Xuan'er noted it down, "Sister is so amazing, she will definitely achieve great things in the future."

Shen Lan smiled and said, "You've only met a few people. There are many talented people in this world. Even women confined to the inner quarters are full of great talents. It's just that in this world, it's too difficult for women to make achievements."

“I understand what you mean, sister. Although being a coroner doesn’t sound good and has a low rank, it’s still a very powerful job.”

Xiao Ji walked over and said, "Xuan'er is right. In terms of autopsy skills, Miss Shen is far superior to all the experienced veteran coroners. There's no need for her to be modest."

Facing him, Shen Lan asked in a serious tone, "So far, I'm still just a figurehead as a coroner, right?"

Xiao Ji awkwardly touched his nose and chuckled, "Once we get to the capital, I'll definitely get you an appointment letter."

"That would be perfect, otherwise I might have to change careers."

"What career should I change to?"

Looking at the wide river, Shen Lan said, "Now I think being a painter is pretty good too."

A painting by Rongshan Jushi can sell for thousands of taels of silver, and people scramble to buy them. If she were to become a painter, perhaps she could make a better living.

"How about you paint some works in private, and I'll find buyers for you?" Xiao Ji thought: Selling paintings isn't out of the question, but the person must be by his side.

If the paintings don't sell, I'll just buy them all myself.

Shen Lan joked, "Bianjing is prosperous and full of rich people. Lord Xiao will have many expenses in the future, and he also needs to get married, so he should be careful with his money."

This was the first time Xiao Ji had been asked about his wallet, and he was both amused and exasperated: "Don't worry, you won't go hungry."

This statement was proven wrong within days.

The boat they were on was arranged by Prefect Song, and the boatman and cook on board were also provided by the government.

Initially, people didn't have high requirements for food; they were happy as long as they had hot meals three times a day.

On the first day, they were served a whole fish feast, and everyone enjoyed the meal immensely, praising the chef's superb culinary skills.

The next day, their table was still set with a whole fish feast, steamed, fried, stewed, and boiled, without any changes in the dishes. Everyone could still eat, but they were clearly not as happy.

On the third day, when the whole fish feast was served, Fu Qingyan slammed his hand on the table and got off.

"No, I need to have a chat with the cook!"

River fish don't have as strong a fishy smell as sea fish, but they have more bones. No matter how you cook them, eating fish is a delicate task.

Shen Lan's favorite dish at first was a plate of fried small fish.

Coat a finger-sized river fish with batter and deep-fry until crispy and crunchy, so you don't even need to spit out the bones.

But after only two days of eating it, she got a sore throat and had to eat it with rice mixed with fish soup.

Before long, Fu Qingyan brought over the cook and the boatman.

"Tell me, besides fish, what other foods do you eat?"

The cook had never seen such a high-ranking official before, and his knees buckled, causing him to kneel down.

"Your Excellency, my specialty is cooking fish. It was the Prefect who specially arranged for me to cook fish for you on the boat."

Xiao Ji didn't want to make things difficult for him, so he simply said, "The fish you made is delicious, but could you add some other dishes? We're not picky eaters, just a variety of dishes will do."

The cook stammered, "Right now, all we have to eat on the ship are some soybeans and cured meat. We might as well eat fish instead."

Shen Lan stood up and said, "Take me to the kitchen, get all the ingredients, and I'll cook."

There are dozens of people on this boat; they can't just stare at dried fish every day.