In the early morning of the next day, the rapid sound of drums broke the tranquility of Huanzhou. More than half a month ago, the 10 murders that occurred in Dabaqi made the entire Huanzhou from Zhizhou to the civilians tremble. Today, I heard that the murderer had been caught, and the Lord Zhizhou was about to go to the court to inquire about the case, and many people in Huanzhou hurried to the county government to see the excitement.

In the hall of the yamen, two groups of people were kneeling. On the right, a dozen old and young people dressed in coarse cloth were the sufferers, and the five girls kneeling on the left were each wearing turquoise brocade cloaks and embroidered with a black vulture on their chests, which was exactly the outfit of the five killers that everyone had seen at the beginning. On that day, these five killers came with veils on their heads and sharp blades, and their attitudes were arrogant and even the Lord Zhizhou did not pay attention to them. Now they were paralyzed to the ground with languishing expressions, and the people saw that they were beautiful and cowardly, and they could not even connect them with the demon who had killed people a few days ago and had disappeared without a trace.

At this time, Meng Zhizhou had not yet ascended to the hall, and many young onlookers outside the hall couldn't help but feel pity for the five girls when they saw the beauty of the five girls. Soon, a young scholar dressed in Confucian clothes raised his voice: "It's just a few weak women, how can they be murderers?" I'm afraid I recognized the wrong person, right? ”

"Brother Xu and I are heroes, and we see the same thing!" As soon as the previous "Brother Xu" spoke, another gentleman couldn't wait to answer. "Everyone, look at the hands of these girls, Hao's wrists are weak and slender, don't say that they are killing people with a sword, even if they kill chickens, they may not have the strength!"

As soon as these words came out, the onlookers all followed the gentleman's reminder to look at the five girls. These five people have slender skeletons, their wrists are not much thicker than firewood, and their fingers are white and pink, which is clearly the appearance of everyone's ladies. To say that such a hand can kill people, the people are unbelievable.

With the two scholars taking the lead, the people outside the hall began to talk about it. Some people don't believe that these five girls are murderers, and there are people who love the people like sons, and they will not wronged good people; Some people say that they are afraid that they are trying their best to rebuild the big pull out of the big bait, and they will find a substitute for the dead ghost to appease people's hearts, and some people refute that if they are really looking for a substitute for the dead ghost, why not find a few extremely vicious ones. For a time, the main hall of the yamen was as lively as a bazaar.

After half a cup of tea, Meng Tai, wearing official uniforms, walked out of the back hall slowly, and the two columns of officers in the hall hurriedly touched the ground with water and fire sticks in their hands when they saw this, and shouted in unison: "Silence! Mighty! ”

The onlookers understood that this was about to be promoted, and soon fell silent.

Huanzhou Zhizhou Meng Tai was still spinning his legs and stomachs until he sat in the main hall, looking at the five beautiful women kneeling under the hall, he subconsciously looked to his left side, and Murong Fu, who had changed into an official uniform and was temporarily acting as the prisoner of the case, nodded to him slightly. Seeing this, Meng Tai finally had a little confidence, cleared his throat, slapped the shocked wood, and said loudly: "Who is kneeling in the hall, what is the drum beating and complaining?" ”

On the right side of the main hall, more than a dozen old and young people hurriedly reported their names and surnames when they heard this, and cried again: "My lord, my son/husband was originally a craftsman in Huanzhou, and he was killed by these five thieves for no reason when he built the big bait half a month ago, please Lord Qingtian make the decision for us!" "The dozen or so old and young people, all dressed in shabby clothes, with rough voices and dark skin, were obviously poor people. Now that we have lost the strong labor force in our family, it will be extremely difficult to maintain our lives in the future.

Meng Tai turned his gaze to the five women kneeling on the left side of the hall. "Is what they say true? Why do you kill someone? ”

Those five women were the five holy envoys from the Vulture Palace, but now they were all copied by Murong and the acupoints were sour and weak, and they no longer had the majesty of the past. Hearing Meng Taidi's question, the delicate woman led by her choked up and cried: "My lord, the people have wronged her!" As soon as she cried, the four women behind her also cried in unison, and they were wronged.

Everyone in the world has a love for beauty, and seeing these five beautiful women who are also like water spirits and delicate flowers crying helplessly, the people outside the hall can't help but feel pity. For a while, the disturbance outside the hall became more and more turbulent, and a scholar surnamed Xu, who had just taken the lead in speaking, said loudly outside the hall: "My lord! These girls are weak and delicate, how can they be the murderers? Please be aware of it! ”

Meng Tai is not old and dizzy, nor does he know how to pity the fragrance and cherish the jade, how can he not know that these five women do not look like murderous demons? However, Meng Tai remembered more that he saw these five women fighting with Murong Fu with swords with his own eyes last night, and even more personally heard that these five women were threatening to make the Meng family chicken dog not stay. At this moment, seeing these women deceiving the people, Meng Taideng was very angry, and immediately slapped the wood, and said sharply: "Bold women, dare to deceive the people when they die, aren't they afraid of being punished?" ”

As soon as Meng Tai said this, the five women cried even more. I saw that the woman at the head was pulling her sleeve to wipe her tears, and said sadly: "The folk girl heard that Miki can't ask for anything." How can our sisters and our sisters kill people without the power to restrain them? If you want to kill, don't torture us......"

The woman's voice fell, and the people outside the hall had already sighed "innocent" and "pitiful", and this scene was a little uncontrollable.

Seeing this, Meng Tai hurriedly slapped the shocked wood, and the two columns of officers in the hall shouted in unison: "Mighty! ”

This time, the discussion outside the hall sounded for a long time before it gradually calmed down. Noticing that the eyes of the woman in the lead flashed with a touch of color, Meng Tai's face suddenly turned blue and white.

Murong Fu, who was sitting on Meng Tai's left side, spoke at this time: "My lord, these five fierce women are ruthless and sharp-tongued, and they must be tortured if they want to confess. ”

Before Meng Tai could answer, the scholar surnamed Xu outside the hall shouted loudly: "My lord, don't bend into a move!" ”

Murong Fu was already very tired of this ignorant atmosphere of "appearance is justice", and when he saw this scholar take the initiative to jump out, he immediately turned his head and asked, "Who is in the hall?" Get your name in! ”

When the scholar surnamed Xu heard this, he immediately walked up to the lobby generously, bowed to Meng Tai and Murong Fu respectively, and said loudly: "Xu Tong, the Gongshi of Huanzhou, has seen two adults. ”

Murong Fu nodded and said coldly: "Xu Shizi, this official asks you, were you present on the day of the murder?" ”

Xu Tong shook his head and confessed: "The students were studying at home that day and were not present. ”

"In that case, I guess I haven't seen those murderers either?" Murong Fu asked again.

"I haven't seen it." Xu Tong shook his head again.

Murong Fu's face sank, and he asked sharply: "Since you have never seen the murderer, why are you sure that these women are not the real murderers today?" ”

"This ......," Xu Tongdeng opened his mouth and said after being stunned for a long time. The students saw that these girls were weak......"

Murong Fu glanced at Xu Tong, and said softly: "According to your words, these girls are beautiful and weak, not like murderers. This official saw that you had triangular eyes and hanging eyebrows, and you were born obscene, so you must be the real murderer? ”

As soon as Murong Fu said this, the people in the hall looked at the unbearable-looking Xu Tong in front of them, and looked at Murong Fu, who was like a fairy, and couldn't help laughing.

Unbeknownst to them, their laughter continued, Murong Fu's voice changed, and he shouted loudly: "Where is the third class of officials, take down this murderer!" ”

The officials in the hall listened to the sour words of many people sympathizing with the murderers, and they were already angry. At this time, hearing Murong Fu's order, they immediately pounced on Xu Tong like wolves.

"My lord! Wronged, my lord! Xu Tong was pressed down on the hall by two officials with their hands cut, and he couldn't help but be shocked and shouted wronged. Adults, how can you say that students kill people without evidence? Adults, you can't judge people! ”

Murong Fu smiled coldly, and said, "You said that the official accused you of being a murderer and judged people by appearance, didn't you exonerate these five women by their appearance?" In vain, you are still a tribute to the imperial court, but you read a belly full of sage books, but you don't distinguish between good and evil, and you are not ashamed of being confused by beauty, but you are smug! If you become an official one day, won't the people of the world complain? Come to someone, call the scholar to come, and remove his fame! ”

Murong Fu pointed out that he was the real murderer and asked the official to take him down, Xu Tong was just nervous, and now when he heard that Murong Fu was going to reform his reputation, Xu Tong immediately cried bitterly, and repeatedly kowtowed and begged: "My lord, be gracious!" Grace to you! "Once his fame is gone, his future is ruined, Xu Tong can't help but regret his mouthful.

Murong Fu acted so ruthlessly, and his words hit the nail on the head, and the people in the hall bowed their heads in shame, and they no longer dared to speak falsely.

Murong Fu sang with a white face, and Meng Tai naturally wanted to come forward and sing with a red face. He immediately spoke: "Xu Tong, this official remembered that you were ignorant of the first offense, so he spared you and retreated." ”

Xu Tongfang retreated, and Meng Tai ordered the messenger to take out five cold and bright long swords from the back hall and throw them in front of the five women. "Bold and unscrupulous, last night you missed the night to assassinate the official, and was captured by Lord Murong himself. Now that the human and material evidence is there, what else do you have to say? ”

Seeing that the situation had been reversed by Murong Fu, the five maidservants of the Vulture Palace immediately knew that the general trend had gone. I saw that the woman in the lead immediately changed her expression, and only said with a proud face: "You are also worthy of asking us?" Dog officer, I advise you, let us go quickly, and kowtow to us to make amends. Otherwise, when the Lord comes in person, you will die without a place to bury! ”

The onlookers originally saw that they were delicate and still had a little pity, but at this time, when they saw the woman's arrogant attitude, the audience was in an uproar.

"Presumptuous!" Rao is a scholar of Meng Tai, and he was also angry when he heard the woman's words, and he was shocked at the moment and said sharply. "When death is dying, you dare to speak wildly! The officer asks you, "Who is your last name?" Why do you commit murder? Who instructed the slaughter of craftsmen and the prevention of the rebuilding of the Great Lift? ”

The five women were silent, just looking at Meng Tai and sneering.

"My lord, don't talk nonsense with them!" Murong Fu was not surprised by the appearance of these women, the people in the rivers and lakes have always been simple-minded and have a very high opinion of themselves, and it is simply self-infuriating to compete with them. This kind of character who doesn't shed tears when he doesn't see the coffin, only by countering violence with violence can they be obedient. "These rivers and lakes are reckless and lawless, and they draw their swords against each other if they don't agree with each other, and they are really outlaws who cause chaos and peace." As he spoke, he casually grabbed a token in front of Meng Tai and threw it to the ground. "Come on, put these five criminals down for me and beat them up twenty!"

"You dare!" Hearing Murong Fu's order, the woman in the lead couldn't help but change color. "Our sisters are not as good as others, if you want to kill, you will kill, why humiliate us? Mr. Murong, aren't you afraid of being laughed at by heroes on the rivers and lakes for doing something like this? "These five women were five against one last night, and they were captured in less than ten moves under Murong Fu's hands. Murong Fu's martial arts are so good, if you want to kill them, you only need to move your fingers, and I didn't expect him to send them to the yamen. Murong Fu didn't pay attention to the rules of the rivers and lakes like this, and the face of the Vulture Palace couldn't help but teach them to be angry and hateful.

Murong Fu glanced at them coldly, and said Sen Ran: "I think you have forgotten that there is a court outside the rivers and lakes!" Killing people pays for their lives, which is the law of the imperial court! Where is the third class of officials? ”

"Yes!" The servants in the hall had been waiting for this order for a long time, and immediately stepped forward to press down the five women one by one, and raised the water and fire sticks to be a heavy punishment.

Although the five women were pointed at the acupuncture points and couldn't resist, after all, the strength of the protective body was still there, and they were beaten with these twenty rods, although the flesh and blood on each back were blurred, but they were not seriously injured. It's just that they have been in the Vulture Palace since they were children, and the sisters in the palace have always been harmonious, and they are even more lofty when they go out, how can they ever be insulted like this? I saw that the woman in the lead was covered in cold sweat, clenching her fists tightly, she gritted her teeth and stared at Murong Fu, and said strongly: "Murong Fu, you remember it for me!" Even if we die, my Vulture Palace Lord will definitely break you into pieces! With that, she suddenly bit down hard at the base of her tongue.

Who knows, before she can bite the truth, Murong Fu has already floated to her side like a ghost. With just a few dull clicks, she and the other four sisters had already dislocated their jaws.

"Want to kill yourself in fear of sin? Although the crime of murder is serious, it is a major crime to punish the nine clans by destroying and rebuilding the Dababang with foreign countries, and it is not so easy to die. I advise you to obediently recruit the people behind the scenes, and you can suffer less flesh and skin. Murong Fu stood with his hands in his hands among the five people, his expression was cold, and he did not have the slightest pity for jade.

The five women failed to commit suicide, and they all glared at Murong Fu with hatred at this time, obviously turning a deaf ear to his threat.

"What a guts!" Murong Fu was not anxious, but praised it without yin or yang, only to see him slowly return to his position and sit down, and said leisurely. "Since you don't want to recruit, then fight until you are willing to recruit!"

Murong Fu was so cold-blooded and ruthless, and the hall was silent and quiet.

After all, the five women of the Vulture Palace could not be tortured, and they quickly confessed one by one. It turned out that there was a gang called the Golden Knife Gate in Huanzhou, and the owner of the door, Jin Weixuan, had already cast himself under the gate of the Vulture Palace. This year, the five maidservants of the Vulture Palace were ordered to collect protection money, but the Golden Gate Lord said with a sad face that the imperial court's rebuilding of the Great Pull Fortress would cut off his business contacts with the Xia Kingdom, and the protection fee would inevitably be much less. These five maidservants were not deeply involved in the world, and they were moved by Jin Weixuan's words in a few words, and they became the knife of murder.

After getting the confession, Meng Tai hurriedly ordered the five women to be temporarily detained, but the seed master Dao had already ordered his troops and horses to kill the Golden Dao Gate violently.

With the help of Bei Qiaofeng, this golden knife gate, which had no reputation even in the original book, was quickly captured. However, Jin Weixuan is old after all, relying on no evidence to flatly deny that he had instructed the maidservants of the Vulture Palace to kill and commit murder, and even pointed out that the Vulture Palace had been blackmailing the Golden Daomen for many years, and asked the Lord of the State to call the shots.

The five maidservants of the Vulture Palace are just starting out, and when have they seen such brazen people. However, even so, they have never been able to produce any evidence to prove that they killed people at the behest of Jin Weixuan. As for Murong Fu, who attaches great importance to the law of the imperial court, he has already decided that the case can be closed.

Ten days later, a notice of the closure of the case was posted on the wall outside the yamen. The five maidservants of the Vulture Palace committed the crime of murder and were sentenced to three days later. Jin Weixuan, the master of the Golden Dao Gate, made friends with the murderer and did not report it, and was sentenced to a fine of 50 rods and 1,000 yuan.

No one shouted for such a verdict, even if the five maidservants of the Vulture Palace knew that they would definitely die after falling into the hands of Murong Fu, as for whether they died under Murong Fu's hands or were publicly beheaded at the entrance of the vegetable market, there was actually no difference. Of course, at the last moment before being taken into custody, the five maidservants still conscientiously cried out the last curse: "Murong Fu, the lord will definitely avenge us!" You wait! You wait! ”

Murong Fu looked at them indifferently, their beauty did not move him, and their tears could not either. "Martial arts don't mean you're superior. Since you don't understand this, I'm glad to use death to make you understand. ”

The only one who was dissatisfied with this verdict was Qiao Feng. "Murong, you should know that the real murderer should be Jin Weixuan."

"I know, but there's no evidence." Murong Fu replied in a soft tone.

"But ......"

Before Qiao Feng finished speaking, Murong Fu had already raised his hand to stop him. "I understand what you mean, Brother Qiao, this is a struggle for power. Those who have passed through it, often also; Those who have the right to change also. The law of the imperial court should be re-emphasized rather than power-oriented. Emperor Taizong killed people in the street, although he ruined the prestige of the ministers of the court, but he messed up the law of the court. If the law is not strict, how can it be prestigious? How to convince the public? The younger brother doesn't take it. ”

Qiao Feng didn't know that Murong Fu let Jin Weixuan go in order to maintain the law of the imperial court, and he didn't sigh softly until he listened to his explanation. "Although you are reasonable, but let the real murderer get away with it, you will ...... after all"

Murong Fu couldn't help but laugh when he heard this, and replied, "Brother Qiao, Brother Qiao, do you really think that the younger brother tortured the maidservants of the Vulture Palace in the hall just because he was in a panic?" Now that the maidservant of the Vulture Palace has recruited Jin Weixuan, although the court law can't cure him, can't the Vulture Palace treat him? "After all, the Tianshan Tong grandmother in the original book is famous for protecting her shortcomings!" If Jin Weixuan was greedy for life and afraid of death, and recruited the Xixia Yipintang, the Vulture Palace would inevitably have to find the bad luck of the Xixia Yipintang. Wouldn't it be better for us to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight? ”

Murong Fu was so step-by-step, Qiao Feng was convinced at the moment, and asked again: "Gongye Qian's side, there is still no news?" ”

Murong Fu shook his head and replied casually: "Yesterday I received a news from the flying pigeon, Jin Weixuan is indeed very close to the Xixia Yipintang. I have informed the Planter Dao that he will be able to prepare for the Xixia Yipintang during this time. "The soldiers led by the Seed Master Daoist almost uprooted the power of the Golden Daomen in Huanzhou, and since the Yipintang of Western Xia broke Jin Weixuan, if he still wants to prevent the Great Song Dynasty from building a defensive line, he will definitely find another way.

"It's late." Qiao Feng frowned unhappily when he heard this.

"The news is indeed a step late, let's see." Before the Lanqing defense line was built, Murong Fu was unwilling to fight with Western Xia. And it is too arbitrary to conclude that Gongye Qian's loyalty has changed based on this one thing alone. In fact, what Murong Fu was thinking about at the moment was another thing: I don't know when Tianshan Tong's grandmother will be killed? Thinking of this, Murong Fu felt a little cold in his neck. Although he knew that if Tianshan Tong's grandmother came to seek revenge, he would not be able to run away no matter what, but before that, Murong Fu still sincerely thought that he should run away first. "Brother Qiao, since the matter here is done, let's go back to Xiping earlier."