Jiang Ning didn't answer Han He's question, and while rubbing his fingers unconsciously, he said, "In this way, let's go to Wei's house first, and meet that Wei Sheng by the way." ”

The Wei family's garden is on the boundary of Yong'an Fang, but it is not far from the place where Xiaoman's body was abandoned.

Yang Qian took a deep breath and had an expression of enjoyment: "Smelling those fishy corpses all day long, it's rare to change the taste, before you enter the garden, the fragrance of plum blossoms wafts out, it must be the Wei family, right?"

Han Yi was idle and bored, and while walking, he used his fingers to scratch over the slightly mottled red lacquer courtyard wall, and said with emotion: "Look, the old man of the Wei family has only been driving to the west for more than three years, and this huge courtyard has begun to be a little deserted, and the world is hot and cold, even these dead things are no exception." ”

Yang Qian said angrily: "The Wei family is in decline, and there are no people to maintain and repair it from time to time, so naturally it should be this bleak situation, in the final analysis, it is still a human problem, but what does it have to do with that dead thing?"

"Hey you guy," Han Hao said with a smile: "After dealing with dead people for more than ten years, you actually have a love affair, why do you even have to protect a dead thing?"

Working in a thick environment all year round, Yang Qian's face looked a little pale, and at this time a cool breeze blew, and he bent down and coughed violently. A cotton handkerchief slid from the sleeve tube to his palm, and hiddenly wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the middle-aged man, whose face became more and more pale, sneered confidently: "What can be wrong with dead things? In the end, it's nothing more than a sign of cowardice. ”

Han Hao smiled: "Good guy, you are still more serious!"

After the two of them were arguing, Jiang Ning and his party came to the main gate of the Wei family's mansion.

The plaque on the main entrance reads the word 'Wei Fu' for dragon flying and phoenix dancing, although it is slightly old, but it seems to have just been carefully wiped down, but it is still clean.

Jiang Ning lowered his head, no longer looked at the plaque, and did not rush into the gate, but asked, "Is there still a subordinate in the Wei Mansion now?"

Han Hao said: "Old man Wei Zhen, as the Zuo Cheng of the Ministry of Water of the Ministry of Industry, is a big official from the sixth grade, and half of the Caoyun affairs in the entire southern border are in his hands. Especially those businessmen who take the waterway, most of them can't find the way of Lord Shilang and Master Shangshu, so they can only retreat and ask Old Man Wei for convenience. The people on the side didn't say it, just said that our Li family in Long'an County was good, more than ten years ago, there were only a few earthen boats, and they were just doing some reselling fruits. If it weren't for the relationship between children and daughters who climbed to the high branch of the Wei family, how could there be a beautiful scene of these hundred big ships traveling to and from the entire southern border, transporting large quantities of goods, and entering and exiting without inspection?"

"Hmph, I heard that Li Quanzhang of the Li family has been opposing his daughter's marriage with Wei Sheng for the past two years," Yang Qian sneered: "It's really a tree that is falling apart, turning his face and not recognizing people." ”

Han Hao nodded approvingly: "If it weren't for the dead eye of Miss Li Ningzhu, who had a marriage contract with Wei Sheng, if he didn't marry, this marriage contract would have been dissolved a long time ago at this time, how could it have been delayed until now?"

"So," Jiang Ning said, "This young lady that Xiaoman is serving is a woman with affection and righteousness?"

Han Hao said with a smile: "With such a snobbish father, it is really not easy for this girl to be able to keep her heart." ”

Jiang Ning smiled, still not having the slightest intention of going in, but asked: "Such a big mansion, and there are no people to live in, sooner or later it will be abandoned, why didn't that Wei Sheng sell this mansion?"

Han Yan said: "My lord, you don't know, when Wei Zhen was here, he took a lot of money in private, received a lot of benefits from many people, and took the money, so he naturally had to do things, which made it convenient for many shady businesses." ”

Jiang Ning frowned and said, "He took the black money from those traders who sold illicit salt and private mines, and used it as a protective umbrella for them?"

Han Hao said: "It's not just the illegal salt, the private mines, and the horses of the major horse farms, which were secretly transported by those people to the neighboring dynasties, and it is already more guilty than collaborating with the enemy, not to mention some shady slave business, not to mention other places, let's just say that our small Long'an County, Zixinyuan, Chunmanlou, these fireworks places, how can so many fresh faces appear every year are our local people?"

Jiang Ning said: "The Li Mansion has also done these shady businesses?"

Han Hao said: "Although there is no real evidence, but our Long'an County has a large fleet of hundreds of ships owned by a family like the Li family, isn't it clear whether they have done these shady deeds or not?"

Yang Qian said with a smile: "Don't say it, since the rise of the Li family, our Long'an County has not lacked anything in the past ten years, as long as there is money, there are goods." Going forward for seventeen or eighteen years, if you want to eat more salt, you can only go to the ghost market to buy it, the price is more expensive than silver, and now the salt in the ghost market is not very valuable. ”

Jiang Ning smiled, this is a heavy taste for Yang Qian, and he always likes to ask for more salt in his meals, which is not a secret in this Long'an Yamen, and he naturally knows it.

Han Yi continued: "As soon as the old man of the Wei family died, these private black transactions were somehow stabbed to the surface, if it weren't for Wei Sheng's kid Spirit, after the death of the father, he immediately dedicated most of the family's savings to Lord Shilang, plus Wei Zhen's many years of love accumulated in Shilang, which helped to press things down." It's just that good things don't go out, bad things spread thousands of miles, two years ago, this matter was spread in the entire county, and all the people were saying that the Wei family's remaining family business, including this house, might not be copied by the government when it was returned, so although the location and scenery of this house are good, no one came to buy it, and what I was afraid of was that the bamboo basket was empty. ”

Jiang Ning touched his chin, rolled his eyes, and said with a smile: "This case is very interesting!"

Among the county officials, Han Yi is the closest person to Jiang Ning, although he is a superior or a superior, in fact, he is also a teacher and a friend, but he does not have so many restraints, and asked directly with a smile: "What's the matter, what did the adults hear?"

"That's not it," Jiang Ning waved his hand and said with a smile: "It's just some inappropriate feelings, if you say it, I'm afraid that you will laugh at me in my heart for being a scholar, so I won't tell you about it, let's go and see it first!"

After that, an official stepped forward and buckled it according to the beast title ring on the door.

"With such a big garden, if the room where Wei Wei lives is more remote, I'm afraid no one will be able to hear it all day. Yang Qian frowned.

Before the door opened, I heard someone laughing inside: "The door is lively outside, but it is very quiet inside, but the knocking sound can be heard, but although it is in the downtown area, this gate has rarely been set foot since my father went." ”

The door opened, revealing an ordinary face, not handsome, but not ugly, the kind of ordinary face that can be forgotten when you turn your head after seeing it.

Wei Sheng looked Jiang Ning standing in the center up and down, and said with a straight smile: "The county commander came to the cold house, I don't know what happened?"

"Do you recognize a girl from the Li family named Xiaoman?"

Wei Sheng's face changed, and he said, "Xiao is a personal girl full of condensation beads, I naturally recognize her, what's wrong with her?"

"She's dead. Jiang Ning said expressionlessly.

Wei Sheng's face was a little ugly, but he quickly restrained his emotions and asked, "Then the adults came to me?"

Han Hao said: "Last night, when someone came out to relieve her, she found her body lying in the snow, the location is in Yong'an Fang, near the Wei family's house. ”

Wei Sheng frowned and said, "You doubt me?"

Jiang Ning said: "Early this morning, someone in the Li Mansion went to the county government to report the case, saying that Miss Li Ningzhu's maid Xiaoman did not return all night, and she was arranged by the young lady yesterday to go to Yong'an Fang to pick a few plum blossoms in your garden, and by the way, I will send you some New Year's clothes and food, and now she died near Wei's house, so far, you are the most suspicious." ”

Jiang Ning didn't say anything, but there was an undoubted majesty in his words.

"So, please cooperate, you can't leave Long'an County at will during this time, and you need to be with you. ”

Wei Sheng pursed his chapped lips, and then nodded after a long time, "I know everything." ”

Jiang Ning smiled: "Can you lead us to the plum blossom yard?"

"Please!" Wei Sheng turned sideways, pointed in the direction, and then led the way in front of him.

At the same time, Jiang Ning called Han Yi and said in his ear: "Send someone to the street to inquire and see when Xiaoman came to the Wei family yesterday, did you see her go out?"

"Yes!"

Han Hao turned around and summoned a few junior brothers, instructed them to do things, and hurriedly trotted back to Jiang Ning's side.

Jiang Ning touched Han He, and then took his index finger and pointed at Wei Sheng, who was leading the way.

Han Hao's eyes followed Jiang Ning's fingers and saw a pair of brand-new cloth shoes.

In the dynasty, some wealthy families wore cotton boots, and the rich wore silver boots and long leather boots.

"In just three years, has the Wei family fallen to this point?" Jiang Ning said.

Wei Sheng paused, turned around, the expression on his face remained unchanged, but it seemed a little light, but Jiang Ning could see the trace of sadness in his eyes.

"What doesn't belong to you is a temporary possession, and one day it will disappear. Prosperity is just a dream, those who abandon me can't stay, three years is enough to figure out a lot of things. ”