At the same time that Yang Guang interrogated Qin Ji in Xishi and discovered that Zhao Geng, another sergeant who was monitoring Mei Er, was seriously suspicious, Pei Yun was facing a stern interrogation of Gao Ying, the left servant of Shangshu who had just returned to power, in the Shangshu Provincial Government Office.

After Gao Ying returned to power, he inevitably had to listen to the Shangshu Provincial officials report on the government affairs, and the case of the cat ghost in Beijing reported to him by the provincial officials aroused Gao Ying's great concern, and asked the provincial officials in detail about the time and place of the cat ghost case and the specific situation of the imperial court's investigation of the case. The so-called cat ghost case is actually a palace maid Xu Ani who was punished for being punished to the palace for hard labor in the haunting of the palace in the sixth year of the emperor's reign, and it was Pei Yun who killed Xu Ani with his own hands, Gao Ying intuitively felt that there must be something else hidden in this case, so he sent a scribe to summon Pei Yun from the West City and asked him about the investigation in person.

When Pei Yun learned that Gao Ying ordered someone to summon him to ask about the details of the investigation of the cat ghost case, he couldn't help but secretly complain in his heart, so he had to report to Gao Ying roughly about the investigation before and after he was ordered to investigate.

"Pei Du Ji room, don't blame the old man for doing this, in fact, this case happened at the foot of the imperial capital, and the cat ghost also broke into the palace to make trouble, which frightened the mother and the princess of Jin, the old man is the first assistant of the imperial court, if you don't ask to find out this case, I am afraid of dereliction of duty." After listening to Pei Yun's story, Gao Ying invited him to drink tea and explained to him with a smile, "If the old man listens well, this case should be entrusted to you by the emperor himself, right?" ”

Pei Yun knew that Gao Ying's implication was to ask him why the emperor let many officials in the court and the central government not use it, and only appointed him to solve the cat ghost case, but he only nodded and did not give any explanation.

Gao Ying saw that Pei Yun deliberately pretended to be confused in front of him and refused to tell the truth about the emperor's appointment of him to investigate the case, so he couldn't help but feel unhappy, so he asked Pei Yun directly: "May I ask when and where Pei Yun's office finally caught the cat ghost, and what was the situation at the scene at that time?" ”

Pei Yun replied stubbornly: "It should be on the night of the seventh day when the emperor ordered me to preside over the investigation of the case, when the cat ghost sneaked into the Yueguo Mansion again to steal, and fell into the trench dug by the lower official and could not escape, so the lower official cracked the case......"

"The old man heard that the cat ghost died under the knife of Pei Du Ji's room, but I don't know if the cat ghost's ability was to the sky, making it difficult for dozens of Yang Mansion family members to resist, or did it still have accomplices outside to respond, forcing Pei Du Ji Room to kill it on the spot?" Gao Ying lengthened her voice, stared at Pei Yun with her eyes, and asked.

"It's just that the cat ghost has repeatedly made trouble and once broke into the forbidden palace, and the lower officials are afraid that they will let it go and cause another incident, so they wield a knife to kill it." Pei Yun had been prepared for Gao Ying's question, and replied calmly.

"I'm afraid I'll let it go, and there will be another incident! Pei Du Ji Room is worthy of being the think tank around King Jin, and he has good eloquence! Gao Ying saw that Pei Yun was arranging nonsense in front of herself, her face was not red, her heart was not beating, even if she had the prime minister's mind and the city government, she couldn't help but sarcastically mock him, and then changed her words, and asked again, "So, what is the explanation for the fact that you have clearly found out that the cat ghost is the palace maid Xu Ani who was punished from the palace, but you did not continue to track down the mastermind behind Xu Ani, and hastily closed the case?" ”

"The lower officials believe that there is no need to continue the investigation." Pei Yun really didn't want to stay here longer, and after a brief perfunctory sentence, he got up and said goodbye to Gao Ying, "Gao Servant, Xia Guan is following the King of Jin to investigate Gu Sheng's rebellion case, there was an accident in the West Market today, which has a great relationship with this case, and the King of Jin is now waiting for the Xia Guan in the West Market, please forgive the Xia Guan for not being able to accompany him." ”

"King Jin is investigating a reverse case, and the old man is about to make it clear to the emperor, can you guarantee that the case of the cat ghost that is re-investigated is not a shocking case?" Gao Ying's face sank like water, and she refused to let Pei Yun leave, and the atmosphere in the government office became tense immediately.

Pei Yun saw that Gao Ying was angry, and he couldn't help but feel furious in his heart: Gao Ying was the emperor's most relied on and trusted minister, and he couldn't afford to mess with him. Thinking so, he stopped, put on a smile on his face and persuaded Gao Ying: "Gao Servant shoots to calm his anger, it's not that the lower officials are unwilling to thoroughly investigate the cat ghost case, but after Xu Ani's death, the case has been solved, and there is no need to continue the investigation." ”

Gao Ying immediately retorted to him and said: "Although Xu Ani is dead, where are all the goods that she stole by pretending to be a cat ghost and repeatedly sneaking into Yue Guogong, have you checked?" Furthermore, why did Xu Ani pretend to be a cat ghost to steal, and did anyone make her do it behind her back, have you found out? ”

Pei Yun was so stammered by Gao Ying's questioning that he couldn't answer for a while, but he thought unconvincingly: If you understand the truth, I'm afraid you won't let go of the cat ghost case, right? Seeing that if he didn't give some hints to Gao Ying today, he would be unable to get out, Pei Yun's heart flashed, and he arched his hand and said to Gao Ying: "Return to the servant, Xu Ani is dead, as the bitter master of the cat ghost case, Yue Guogong, did not ask the lower official to recover the stolen property after the fact, and the lower official was ordered to investigate the case, and the saint did not reject the closing note submitted by the lower official, the lower official thought that there was nothing wrong with the case being closed, as for the matter that the servant shot just mentioned, please forgive the lower official for being incompetent and unable to give the servant a satisfactory answer." ”

Gao Ying stared at Pei Yun, picked up the tea bowls on the cases next to her, took a sip of tea, and asked Pei Yun directly: "Pei Duji's office wants to persuade the old man not to investigate this case thoroughly, right?" ”

"The subordinate officer does not dare, but please believe that the subordinate has no malice towards the servant." Pei Yun dodged Gao Ying's gaze and said.

"It's not that the old man insists on going his own way, he wants to embarrass Pei Duji's room, but the old man is trusted by the emperor, and he entrusts the country to the country, if he can't serve the emperor faithfully and help the emperor eliminate the trouble of elbows and armpits, it is really difficult to feel at ease." Gao Ying said meaningfully to Pei Yun, "Since Pei Duji's office was ordered by the emperor to be entrusted with the important task of investigating the cat ghost case, he should have the same mind as the old man." ”

"The lower officials are deeply grateful to the emperor, and it is the duty of the lower officials to serve the court loyally." Pei Yun said this in his mouth, but he had a faint sense of foreboding in his heart.

"So, today, the old man invited Pei Du Ji to come to the office, I want to ask Pei Du Ji to assist the old man to continue to investigate the cat ghost case, until the ins and outs of this case are thoroughly investigated." Gao Ying saw that Pei Yun's face was embarrassed, and she wanted to excuse herself, so she waved her hand at him and said in a non-negotiable tone, "This matter is so decided, I will inform King Jin, you are only responsible for leading people to investigate the case, as for other matters, the old man will take care of it alone." ”