Chapter 8: Arrival at Wanhe Sheng, the Ghost Domain Food Court

Behind him was a group of companions who had been brought along

Before he could think it through, the team had already come to a stop

The result is that because there are many foreigners here, these few streets are called back and forth, and have come to be referred to by the common people as "Da Shi Fang"

In these inns within the food market, most of the guests are foreign merchants. Shen Mo's thoughts shifted, and he secretly mused: "It seems that my assumptions are entirely correct; no wonder the magistrate of Qiantang County places such great importance on this case! Today's incident is likely either a murder involving the foreign merchants or the theft of a large sum of money and goods."

After the county magistrate's carriage came to a stop, Shen Mo took a look. The carriage halted in front of a courtyard facing the street, where the plaque on the gatekeeper's house displayed the five large characters "Wan He Sheng Old Shop"

Shen Mo thought of this, and he slightly turned his face, shifting his gaze to the left and right towards the rear.

By the time they arrived, they saw that there were already about ten people waiting anxiously outside the inn, surrounded by a large crowd of onlookers.

Under the orders of Xu Wang, Shen Mo and the other constables firmly kept watch over those ten or so individuals

Upon entering, Shen Mo immediately detected the aroma of cooked dishes. It seems that this place provides meals for guests to dine.

Because in ancient China, those who came from the Western Regions and the Hu people for trade were referred to as the people of Da Shi

Shen Mo entered the courtyard and passed through the gatehouse. He found himself in front of a grand hall.

"Further ahead is the Maritime Customs Office," Shen Mo thought to himself in silence as he walked here: "Is the county magistrate making such a fuss today because..."

In the days leading up to the Qingming Festival, there had been continuous rain, and today was the first time the sun had finally emerged. As Shen Mo walked through the courtyard, the moisture on the ground was being evaporated by the sunlight, and the surrounding air felt both humid and warm.

Upon seeing the place where they had stopped, Shen Mo realized that his thoughts were indeed correct—something had truly happened at the Da Shi Fang!

Captain Xu Wang ordered Shen Mo and the other constables to divide a portion of their team to set up a perimeter around Wan Hesheng—indeed, the area of this shop was quite substantial. The remaining constables each attended to one of the attendants, leading them inside.

Outside the door, County Magistrate Lu Yue disembarked from the sedan chair and walked directly into the shop

This line of people consists of as many as forty to fifty individuals, and the route they are taking this time happens to be the same one that Shen Mo takes to work.

Each of them was escorted by a constable and stopped behind Shen Mo

Shen Mo grasped the collar of the attendant he was escorting, slightly raised his head to look ahead, and saw several objects covered with straw mats on the ground

Shen Mo was leading a prisoner ahead, and after they passed through the courtyard gate, they walked straight inside

Indeed, after Xu Wang heard the sound of his response, he raised his head and shot a fierce glance at Shen Mo from the corner of his eye. It seemed that he had failed to seize Shen Mo's vulnerable spot, leaving him feeling quite resentful.

They first passed the Jiajia Bridge, then crossed the Taixue and Wuxue. After directly traversing the Yujie and Zhong'an Bridge, they turned at the West Bridge of Miaoming Temple and continued north along the street

These individuals are all associates of Wan Hesheng. Since an incident occurred in this establishment, each of them is a suspect. Therefore, Xu Wang strictly ordered them to refrain from whispering to one another to prevent any collusion among them.

Beside Shen Mo, his buddy, the stubborn donkey Lü Qiang, glanced at Shen Mo and made a look that seemed to say, "Fortunately, you arrived just in time!" Shen Mo also nodded in understanding at him.

Every small courtyard with green tiles and white walls has its doors and windows tightly shut. In this bustling capital of the Song Dynasty, suddenly entering such an extremely tranquil place evokes a particularly uncomfortable feeling

This person has issues

In this area, there are a total of about five to six hundred houses, covering an area roughly equivalent to that of a larger residential community in a modern city, where various types of merchants have been residing year-round

He couldn't help but think to himself: if he had arrived a little later this morning, this minor offense of not reporting on time could have been grounds for my dismissal, and there would have been no need for this constable Xu Wang to come up with any malicious ideas to deal with me!

After walking another fifty or sixty steps, I saw ahead a constable holding a paper umbrella to shield himself from the sunlight, and standing beneath the umbrella were the county magistrate and his entourage

At this moment, the county magistrate of Qiantang County, Lu Yue, dressed in formal attire, walked out of the county office.

The silent eyes seemed to glance unintentionally, yet the corner of his eye swiftly caught sight of a person among those companions

They waited outside for about a quarter of an hour when they heard Wan Hesheng's voice coming from inside, instructing that all these men be brought in. It seems that Lord Lu Yue intends to question them about their testimonies.

These Hu merchants have always been immensely wealthy. They travel across the seas from afar, carrying goods that are each a rare treasure. It seems that there must be an issue with the Hu merchants in this Wanhe Sheng old shop.

The yard is quite spacious, and the planted flowers and trees have been washed clean by the rain. However, the ground beside the stone path is very muddy.

Fortunately, I arrived a step earlier! Shen Mo quickly responded loudly, and then stood to the side with his arms crossed.

After passing through the dining hall, there is a series of small courtyards scattered in the back yard, appearing to be arranged in a manner reminiscent of a modern villa community

After the roll call, all personnel were present and accounted for

Upon thinking of this, Shen Mo silently relaxed his brow. He could not help but wonder what case was currently unfolding that had mobilized the entire Qiantang County government in such a grand manner

Shen Mo thought to himself: Given the current situation, there must be a major case unfolding today, and it is likely that the county magistrate will gather the personnel to investigate. At this moment, Xu Wang would definitely not dare to create unnecessary trouble for himself; it seems that the possibility of him losing his job today is quite low.

Without even needing to think, there must certainly be a corpse beneath this straw mat; it seems that this is indeed a case of murder

This large dining hall is located on the west street of Miaoming Temple, closely connected to the front customs office. The reason for this name is not because it is a place for eating, but because it is a gathering place for merchants from the sea and the West.

The merchants from afar formed groups to arrive in Lin'an, and those who were from the same hometown or were familiar with each other would rent a courtyard together to reside. This is why such a layout exists

These individuals gathered in front of a small courtyard, while the constable Xu Wang, standing about 20 paces away from them, commanded everyone to halt.

In the small courtyards on both sides of the road, there is not a single sound of human activity. It seems that after the incident occurred in the store, all the residents were evacuated, which is why it is so eerily quiet here, resembling a ghostly realm

Due to its proximity to the Maritime Customs, the merchants find it relatively convenient to pass through customs back and forth. Thus, this place resembles the Chinatown of modern New York. Although it is located deep within Lin'an, there are numerous foreign individuals with blonde hair and blue eyes here.

Under the leadership of the constable Xu Wang, Shen Mo and his group surrounded the county magistrate's sedan chair as it exited the county office, proceeding directly west along the main street