"Well, today is the dog's big day, we don't talk about politics, we drink."

"Okay, we wish Taigong happiness like the East China Sea, longevity than Nanshan, and also wish Gongzi an early birth of a noble son," the officials raised their wine glasses and drank the wine in the glasses.

After hearing this, Taigong was overjoyed and drank the wine in this cup with He Jiehao and Wang Yao. At this moment, a subordinate ran from the backyard to the front yard and said, "Master, it's not good, it's not good." ”

Taigong looked at this subordinate and asked urgently, "What's wrong?" ”

The subordinate looked at the crowd around him, leaned into Taigong's ear and whispered, "That Hu 13 died in the dense forest in the backyard," Taigong's face changed greatly after hearing this. He Jiehao, who was standing next to Taigong, saw that Taigong's face was so ugly, and whispered to Wang Yao next to him: "Madam, you go back to the room first." ”

Wang Yao looked at He Jiehao very curiously and said, "What's wrong?" Husband. ”

"I don't know yet, madam, you go back to the room first, and come back later."

"Okay, the concubine will go back to the room first," Wang Yao at this time didn't want to ask anything, so she had to go back to her room and wait for He Jiehao's return.

Taigong first calmed down his expression and called the prefect: "Lord Yu, please come over," and then Taigong stood on the steps and said to the officials and their distant relatives, and the fathers and villagers of their hometown: "My lords, distant cousins and nephews, as well as the fathers and elders of my hometown, I He Wencai can't stand everyone, because of the sudden change in the family, it is inconvenient to tell him, so I have to ask you to leave first, I He Wencai is not to accompany everyone, I can't help everyone," After finishing speaking, Taigong bowed to everyone and saluted.

The officials and distant relatives present at the meeting and the elders and villagers in their hometown did not say a word, and slowly walked out of the He family's compound and broke up unhappily. After these people left, the prince invited the prefect into the hall and ordered his subordinates to withdraw from the banquet. The prefect sat down in the hall, a little impatient, and asked, "Taigong, what's wrong?" ”

"Such a ridiculous thing is really unspeakable," the prince turned and sat down in embarrassment, "That drunkard died in the forest in the old man's backyard. ”

"Taigong, what do you want to do, this mansion wants to be a drunkard, it's already normal to drink to death, just deal with it secretly."

"Okay, then according to the prefect's words. He Si, go to the account room and get some silver taels. ”

"Taigong, what do you mean by that?" The prefect looked at the silver tickets on the table.

"Little meaning, please don't mind, and this is a courtesy, not a bribe," After finishing speaking, he stuffed the silver tickets on the table to the prefect, and the prefect took the silver tickets and counted them, which were 100,000 taels, but the prefect was still not very satisfied, and said: "Look at it, this, this." ”

Taigong went to call the next person again: "He Si, you go to the account room again to get 300,000 taels," it seems that Taigong has made a lot of money this time.

"Yes, the prince said it well, this is a courtesy exchange, not a bribe, and the government doesn't know anything about the hospital," after finishing speaking, the prefect got up and was about to leave, and the prince stood up and said: "The old man is here to wait for the prefect." ”

"Taigong, please stay."

After the prefect left, the prince's face was not very happy, and he sat in the hall alone, scolding: "What is it," and then called the next person: "He Si, how many silver taels were taken from the account room just now." ”

"Master Hui, I just took 400,000 taels."

"The old man already knows, you go down first."

"Father, what happened?" At this time, He Jiehao walked into the hall and asked.

"Hao'er, you don't have to worry about this matter, this matter has been settled for my father," Taigong said calmly as he sat down on the hall.

"A drunk man died mysteriously in my backyard, father, what do you want to do?"

"The drunk died in the dense forest in the backyard, just ask the housekeeper He Si to deal with these things, and the old man can rest assured," After finishing speaking, the prince called the housekeeper He Si again and said: "He Si, go to the account room to get some silver taels to appease his family, and leave the matter about the drunk man to you to deal with it secretly." ”

"Master Hui, the little one already knows."

"Well, if you know, you can go down and do it."

"Slow," He Jiehao called the housekeeper He Si to stand in the hall and face the fairness: "Father, the child thinks that it is a little inappropriate to deal with this matter in this way, so that it will give those left and right houses or women and children to talk about before tea and dinner, and the words are terrible to that at that time, our He family will really be wronged, and the child thinks that he will find out about this matter and report the case to the county government, so as to clarify the rumors and break the rumor." ”

"What Hao'er said is also right, He Si, you hurry up and go to the county office to report the case."

"Yes, old man, the little ones will go."

At the gate of the He family's compound, there are officials standing on both sides, and the county order stands on the stone steps, looking at the gate of the He family. The prince and his family walked out of the house to greet him. The county magistrate bowed and saluted: "Taigong, Mrs. Taiduke, Mrs. He, the lower official received a report from the housekeeper of your mansion, and the lower official took the liberty to disturb it. ”

"Lord Prefectural Order, please enter the hall to speak," Taigong led Lord Prefectural Commander into the hall, and Taigong stood on top of the hall and sat down, saying, "Lord Prefectural Order, please take a seat." ”

"Taigong Xie, Lord Xie He," the county magistrate was a little polite, bowed to Taigong and He Jiehao respectively, and then sat down and said: "The lower official heard that the housekeeper of your mansion came to report the case, and heard that there was a murder case in the backyard of your mansion, I don't know if there is such a thing, and I hope that Taigong will explain this matter." ”

"There is indeed this matter, yesterday was the day of the dog's wedding, but there was a drunk man at the banquet to say something, and then said that it was out of the court, drunk into the backyard, the old man was afraid that he was walking around in the backyard to provoke what is wrong, so he arranged for the next person to follow up, if there is anything to tell the old man, I didn't expect an hour later that the next person came to report, the drunk died mysteriously in the backyard forest, this matter may be a disaster and the He family also asked the county magistrate to investigate the case," the prince sat in the hall and slowly said the case.

The county magistrate picked up the cup of tea on the table, took a sip, pondered for a while, put the lid on the cup, and said: "The lower official guesses that it is normal for a drunk man to die drunk in the backyard, and it is enough to secretly drag the body into the mountains and bury it hastily, and the lower officials do not need to report it to the county government." ”

"Lord County Commander, this official thinks this matter is inappropriate," He Jiehao stood up and said.

"Lord He can have a high opinion to instruct the lower officials, and the lower officials are here to listen to Lord He's high opinions, "The He family is deeply respected by the current emperor, and he can't afford to offend a small Qipin Zhi County, so he can only blindly obey, try not to offend these court dignitaries, and whether they can be officials in this place smoothly in the future depends on their faces and do things, and they will be the emperor of the soil here in the future." Therefore, from the moment he entered the door, the county magistrate was cautious and cautious, and he was very careful in his words, and he never failed to be so careful in terms of etiquette.

"No mortal life case should be so hasty, and it is necessary to be cautious in the trial, and it is not easy to conclude that he died because he was a drunk, and how he died must be investigated to prove the cause of his death, and look for evidence to prove repeated assumptions, and if there is any agreement and no difference, this conclusion can be made," He Jiehao stood in the lobby and talked eloquently about this matter.

"What Lord He said is extremely true, and it is a momentary negligence of the lower officials. Lord Ho, what is the next step in the trial? The lower official listened to Lord He, "At this time, the county order has no opinion in front of Taigong and He Jiehao, he just wants to see how He Jiehao decides, and he will follow his will to judge the case."

"This case involves this official, this official should avoid suspicion, and I also ask the county magistrate to understand," He Jiehao sat in place after finishing speaking.

"Ouch, my Lord He, you can die of an official," at this time, the county magistrate didn't know how to deal with it, so he stood up and faced the Taigong above the lobby, knelt down and said, "Taigong." ”

"The county magistrate doesn't have to make such a big gift, please get up, please get up."

"You have to save the lower official!"

"Okay, you get up first," the prince repeatedly called the county magistrate to get up, and the magistrate stood up, sat down and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with the handkerchief in his hand. Taigong faced He Jiehao and said: "Hao'er, if you have any way to solve the case, just say it, we will analyze and analyze, if it is feasible, we will use this method, if it is not feasible, we will give up, and then discuss a feasible method." ”

"How can this be reasonable," I only heard a "snap" He Jiehao slapped one hand on the desk. The county magistrate was startled, and his legs were a little weak and he knelt down from the chair. Taigong looked at the county magistrate who was kneeling, and said with some surprise: "Lord county magistrate, you are... ”

The county commander stood up and stretched out his hands, and said, "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay to go down to the lower official," After finishing speaking, the county commander sat down again, took out the handkerchief in his arms again to wipe the cold sweat on his forehead, and picked up the teacup on the table next to him, and even the hand holding the teacup was constantly trembling.

At this time, He Jiehao must be thinking, such a confused official affairs, I don't know how many people will suffer because of this, so he is angry, so he slapped heavily on the table just now, and only relieved a little after a while, stood up and bowed deeply, and said: "Lord County Commander." ”

The county magistrate was about to stretch out his hands to help, but he didn't expect the teacup to fall from his hand in a hurry, and the tea spilled out of the cup when he fell to the ground, and even the cup was shattered. The county magistrate looked at the prince and said in a panic: "Taigong, I, no, the lower official, the lower official," at this time, the county magistrate was a little confused, and he didn't know what to say?

"The county magistrate is fine, it's okay, don't be nervous."

"The lower officials are not nervous, not nervous," the county magistrate sat down and said in a relaxed mood.