Tang Fan asked Qian Saner: "What does that monster look like? Have your master and others seen it clearly?"

Qian Saner shook her head: "Master said that the monster was black all over, as if it was a big python, much bigger than a snake, and had feet. It stood taller than us. His eyes were red, but it was scary. The villain's master and his wife ran away just after a glance. If they looked at it a few more, they would have to stay..."

Tang Fan: "Is it a crocodile?"

Qian Saner was confused: "What is a crocodile?"

Tang Fan: "...I didn't ask if I was the official."

But even if they could run out, they could run once, but they couldn't run the second time. After they escaped from the first time, they not only did not stop, but instead they were reluctant to let go of the treasure inside, and their lives were ruined in vain.

However, these thieves were malicious and went to the imperial tomb and died to the point of death, without any wrongdoing.

Suizhou, who had not spoken, stood beside him and suddenly asked, "The secret passage your master went to is definitely from Yonghouling?"

Qian Saner said timidly: "I said I went down the second floor of the underground palace and went down, but it was not from Yonghouling. They didn't say it, and the villain didn't know."

The death of the old village chief was the biggest doubt, but Tang Fan and Suizhou both personally checked it. He did commit suicide and was not caused by external forces.

Qian Saner was also questioned, but he kept saying that his group of people were avoiding the villagers to rob the tombs and did not know the dead old man in the inner room. Regardless of whether he was lying or not, Tang Fan asked someone to take him back to the city and then interrogate him carefully through Pang Qi's hands.

Tang Fan said to Village Chief Liu: "First bury your father for a lifetime. We are going to return to the county town and come back in two days. Don't fill the thief hole in it. We may be useful. Also, let the villagers and the people not get close to the river without any trouble, especially at night, and they are not allowed to make some living people to sacrifice. This official will leave someone here to guard it. If you violate the order, you will ask the first one."

Village Chief Liu nodded repeatedly: "I've written it down!"

He paused and asked again, "Sir, are you planning to take people into that hole?"

Tang Fan refused to comment: "So what, so what, no?"

Village Chief Liu bowed and said, "If so, please take the villain with you. The villain can help you point out a way!"

"Brother, you're crazy!" The old man from the Liu family next to him started shouting.

Ponchi scolded: "You can't interrupt if you speak!"

Tang Fan looked at Village Chief Liu with some surprise: "You know that there is danger inside, but you still have to go in?"

Village Chief Liu's eyes were filled with tears: "You are a good teacher. Although the villain is dull, he also knows that my father's death must be related to where. Since he came out of it, he was like a different person. I want to avenge my father!"

County Magistrate He added next to him: "Sir, when the official gives the bounty for the first time, he will be among the people who go down to explore the way."

Tang Fan raised his eyebrows: "Have you been down?"

Village Chief Liu nodded: "At that time, I had been walking with another person for almost half an hour. At that time, I had reached the second floor of the palace and saw that there was still a way down. We walked for a while and felt so panicked that we really didn't dare to leave, so we got back up."

Tang Fan calculated in his mind that Qian Saner said that he had been outside for more than two hours before his master and the others came out. According to this statement, the time spent by Village Chief Liu was almost at the third level.

In this way, the time between the two is just right and there are no flaws.

Tang Fan said, "You are filial and worthy of praise, but this matter has not been concluded. I still have to consider it. The husband and wife of the village are ignorant and ignorant. As the village chief, please do not panic and do not spread rumors randomly."

Village Chief Liu: "Yes, the villain remembers it."

Tang Fan gave a few more words and was about to take people away, but he heard someone whispering: "Slow down!"

Yin Yuanhua came over and said, "I dare to ask, sir, this old man has many doubts about his death, how can he be allowed to be buried?"

Tang Fan: "What are your opinions, Brother Yin?"

Yin Yuanhua said: "This case is now very clear. It is clearly the old man colluding with the group of tomb robbers and acquiesced to rob the tomb here. Because he was discovered, he pretended to be a god and made up the river god to fool the foolish man and wife. Now that the matter is exposed, the old man died to protect his family!"

He pointed to the village chief Liu who was frightened and said, "Maybe all the members of the Liu family are suspected of being accomplices, and they should be arrested and investigated in prison for strict interrogation. How can you let it go easily!"

Yin Yuanhua followed Tang Fan and the others all the way here, and was sick and vomited halfway. He stayed overnight in the small village, and he had already felt anger.

Seeing that Tang Fan was in charge of the overall situation, the Jinyiwei, who had always been domineering, was willing to let him drive him. He couldn't help but feel dissatisfied, thinking that if this continues, what's the point of following him?

Tang Fan was not angry when he heard this, and just asked, "I wonder if Brother Yin heard that strange sound last night?"

Yin Yuanhua's old face turned red: "I slept a little deeper, I never heard it."

Tang Fan said: "Last night, I, the Sui governor and others, came out and tracked them to the vicinity of the imperial tomb. I saw the two people die with my own eyes. You also saw those two corpses. Who do you think killed someone to silence the other person's lower body was bitten off?"

Yin Yuanhua was speechless for a moment, and Tang Fan said again: "If you don't believe it, it's easy to do. Just stay in the village tonight. When you hear the sound in the middle of the night, you will go to the riverside to take a look. Maybe Brother Yin, you are lucky and you will meet the river god coming. You will catch them together and I can get the job."

His malicious smile made Yin Yuanhua's teeth itch: "Mr. Tang is so hasty about handling the case, the lower officials will report to Shangfeng!"

Tang Fanwei smiled: "Please give me some advice."

The group returned to the county town that day.

The old village chief is dead and the monster is gone. They come back in a hurry, and it looks like they are starting to get a tiger's head and a tiger's head, but in fact, Tang Fan and Suizhou are preparing for both.

When Suizhou arrived at the county town, he did not stop for too long. He directly took people to Henan Prefecture and borrowed muskets from the Jinyiwei Henan Prefecture.

Tang Fan returned to the official post and wrote a note, reporting on the situation they had discovered after they came here, and asked the above for instructions.

In fact, Tang Fan and Suizhou had already discussed privately. If they wanted to understand the truth of this matter, they would have to go underground in the end, but they couldn't just go on like this, and they had to make complete preparations.

At the same time, Yin Yuanhua was also writing a report, but naturally he did not write it to Zhang Shangshu, but to his teacher, Shilang Liang.

If the battle between Yin Yuanhua and Tang Fan was originally only caused by Tang Fan, the airborne doctor who snatched Yin Yuanhua's original position and caused him to rebound, it has now become the battle between the people behind them - Zhang Shangshu and Liang Shilang.

There was no hope of Zhang Shangshu entering the cabinet, and Liang Shilang was eyeing Shangshu's position again. How could Zhang Shangshu allow him to covet it?

Zhang Shangshu fully supported Tang Fan in this case. Not only that, the position of the imperial envoy of Tang Fan was also obtained by Zhang Shangshu for him. Otherwise, this trip would not have been the turn of Tang Fan to take charge.

The reason why Mr. Liang agreed to the student to follow Tang Fan was not only to ask Yin Yuanhua to catch Tang Fan's handle, but also wanted to use this to prove that Zhang Shangshu was not aware of others. It happened that the chief assistant Wan An had been dissatisfied with Zhang Shangshu recently, thinking that this old man was not obedient enough, and intentionally replaced the more obedient Mr. Liang. Tang Fan was incompetent in handling cases, and Mr. Zhang would also be implicated.

There are worlds where there are people, so even if such a case that seems to have nothing to do with the capital, it is actually a dispute over interests between all parties.

Since Zhang Xi supported Tang Fan, Tang Fan could not disappoint him. No matter what, this old man finally had some principles and bottom line of being a human being. If he made him a minister, he would definitely be much better than Mr. Liang. At least he wouldn't have to worry about being worn on his shoes all day long.

Tang Fan and Yin Yuanhua's Tiao Chen were sent back to the capital at a quick horse.

It is definitely impossible for the capital to respond within two days, but Suizhou's movements were very fast and he came back with four muskets the next day.

As soon as the musket arrived, it was like a tiger's wings. Tang Fan did not waste time, so he called Cheng Wen and the others directly and said, "I have reported the situation here to the capital, but it will take five or six days to get news soon. The matter in Luohe Village cannot be delayed. Since the Jinyiwei has borrowed the musket from the Jinyiwei, I am going to go to the thief with the Sui Zhenfu to take a look, so as to capture the man-eating monster and solve a great disaster. The danger below is unpredictable. You are all civil officials, so you don't have to follow me to take risks. It is better to stay in the official post and serve as a contact person. If there is a reply from the capital, it is better to help me reply in time."

Cheng Wen and Tian Xuan looked at each other. They also heard Qian Saner and Village Chief Liu's words that day. Of course they were very happy if they didn't have to take risks, but Tang Fan, the imperial envoy, had all gone down, and those who were trying to watch the fun. If something happened, they would also be punished.

Cheng Wen advised: "Sir, as a regular commander of this journey, you can command the situation in the middle, so why should you take risks yourself?"

Tang Fan asked back: "The Sui governor was also an imperial envoy. Could it be that he would not go down? Everyone cares about themselves. Isn't everyone necessary to go down?"

Seeing Cheng Wen's speechlessness, Tian Xuan hurriedly said, "Why would you rather wait until the court has a reply?"

Tang Fan shook his head. He actually had other concerns in his heart, but he couldn't say something to them now, just saying: "I have decided, so there is no need to say more. If I have something to do with the Sui Pacification envoy, you will be responsible for bringing the remaining people back to the capital, report truthfully, and sending people to come down to completely solve the hidden dangers here."

When the two heard him speak solemnly, they were both at a loss and had to respond only to the right.

Yin Yuanhua said, "The emperor is willing to accompany you, please allow me!"

Cheng Wen and Tian Xuan dared not go down because they were naturally because they cherished their lives, but Yin Yuanhua had other ideas.

No matter what monsters there were under the ground, he had great confidence in the four muskets in the hands of the Jinyiwei. Besides, the Jinyiwei's skills were not comparable to those of the rabble tomb robbers.

Although such a matter of going deep into the enemy's acupoints is dangerous, if you can find the ear chamber that Qian Saner mentioned, which is full of treasures, it will also be a great contribution. Yin Yuanhua has worked hard to come here, how could he be willing to let Tang Fan pick all the fruits?

Tang Fan frowned: "I don't know where that monster came from, it's bloodthirsty and cruel. It's extremely dangerous. You'd better stay here."

Yin Yuanhua stubbornly said, "Is it because he is worried that the officials will compete with you for credit?"

If such a person who is at least not allowed to leave, he will sue him and give Tang Fan a crime such as being domineering and arrogant, arbitrary, and tyrannical. It is enough for Tang Fan to have a pot of fun.

Thinking of this, Tang Fan was too lazy to deal with him and said lightly: "If you want to go, you will go. It's just a matter of one thing. You must obey the orders and not do anything arbitrarily."

Under the pressure of his eyes, Yin Yuanhua had to bow and say, "The Lord is obeying the order of the Lord."

After borrowing a musket, Tang Fan and Suizhou decided to do it, and the two of them did not delay any further. The next day, they took Pang Qi and others directly to Luohe Village.

Although County Magistrate He intended to please Shangguan, he was not as willing as County Magistrate Zhao, and he was very fond of his life. He could only say a lot of flattery to Tang Fan to express his loyalty. Instead, County Magistrate Zhao took the initiative to ask Tang Fan for his order, saying that he would be the leader, and brought two constables recruited from the yamen. They were both good-skilled and willing to go there.

People in Luohe Village were surprised to see them coming back. Tang Fan first asked others to go to the imperial tomb thief cave, and he took Zhao County Chief to the Liu family to find Liu Village Chief.

Unfortunately, Village Chief Liu was not here, and the second son of the Liu family came out to receive them.

The second son of the Liu family said, "My elder brother is out and said he is going to the county town to buy a necessary axe so that he can have a handy self-defense weapon when he goes down with you!"

Tang Fan asked, "When did your elder brother leave?"

The second son of the Liu family said: "I left the door last night because it was too late, so I spent one night in the county town and might come back this morning. Sir, can you please stop letting your brother go? I'm willing to go with you!"

County Chief Zhao was not angry: "You think this is buying vegetables? You are picky. The day before yesterday, your elder brother asked him to go down with us. He has been to that place and is familiar with it. What's the use of you going?"

The second son of the Liu family was timid and did not dare to respond.

Tang Fan stopped Zhao County Magistrate from continuing to intimidate him and asked, "Why do you want to follow me? Don't you know the danger below?"

The second son of the Liu family stuttered: "I, I don't want him to die!"

County Magistrate Zhao rolled his eyes. If Tang Fan hadn't been beside him, he would have really wanted to give this fool a big shot. What does it mean to die? Are they all going to die?

Tang Fan smiled gently and said, "You are very brotherly and fraternal. For your elder brother, you would rather go to dangerous places by yourself."

The second son of the Liu family nodded: "Yes, the eldest brother has lived a hard life. His wife died early. In order to marry me, he never married me again. He has no children yet. After my father's accident, he has to be the village chief and take on this family. I, I can't do nothing..."

Tang Fan suddenly asked another irrelevant question: "Will the old village chief find something below and was forced to commit suicide?"

The second son of the Liu family looked confused: "Ah?"

He obviously didn't understand what Tang Fan was saying at all.

Previously, Tang Fan and Yin Yuanhua had similar ideas, and they all believed that the death of the old village chief must have some connection with the tomb robbers, but later Qian Saner's testimony overturned his speculation: Qian Saner's group was irrelevant to the old village chief and even the villagers of Luohe Village. They did come to ambush and set up some after they heard that the imperial tombs here were easy to deal with.
To be continued...