Cheung Chau is so small that it doesn't want to be a county seat.

In fact, it's normal to think about it, after all, Changzhou is only a part of the original Wu County, how big can the area be?

The scale of this county town is not even comparable to Changping in Youzhou.

However, because it is located on the shore of Taihu Lake and has the support of Wu County for hundreds of years, although the area is not large, it is very prosperous.

There is only one city gate in the county seat of Cheung Chau, backed by the Guantang River.

The Songjiang River passes through the city from the county seat, and you can overlook the vast Taihu Lake from afar.

After Yang Shouwen and the others entered Cheung Chau, they soon found the fish market. The so-called fish market is actually a wharf. The goods that passed through here were transported in transit, and together with the merchants who came and went, it formed a very prosperous bazaar.

The area of this bazaar occupies almost a quarter of Cheung Chau.

After entering the fish market, you will see a lively scene...... In the distance, you can see the boats lining the Guantang River.

"Eight Immortals Inn?"

When Pei Min stopped a passer-by and asked about the Eight Immortals Inn, the passer-by showed a look of surprise.

He hesitated for a moment, then pointed with his hand in the direction of the dock, "Follow this road and you will see it when you reach the dock." ”

After saying that, the passers-by trotted away as if they were hiding from the plague.

Yang Shouwen and Yang Siqiao glanced at each other, and immediately realized that this Eight Immortals Inn might not be as simple as they imagined.

"Ah Lang, something is wrong."

Yang Siqiao said softly. Even at this time, he still didn't want Yang Shouwen to go to the Eight Immortals Inn.

However, Yang Shouwen smiled indifferently, "The soldiers will cover the water and cover the earth." It's already here. Just go and see. ”

After speaking. He led the horse and walked forward.

Pei Min followed him, while Yang Siqiao was left behind.

The three of them followed the bustling streets of the fish market and soon came to the pier.

Sure enough, as the passer-by said, as soon as they arrived at the pier, they saw an inn located on the side of the pier.

The scale of the Eight Immortals Inn is not small, with a total of two buildings. Straddling the banks of the river.

Between the two pavilions, there is an arched stone bridge connecting them, which looks very unique.

Looking at the scale of this inn, it doesn't feel bad. It's just that Yang Shouwen couldn't understand why the passer-by mentioned the Eight Immortals Inn just now, and he showed a 'hell' expression.

Compared to the hustle and bustle of other parts of the fish market, the door of the Eight Immortals Inn is much more deserted.

Yang Shouwen and the three came to the door of the inn, but they didn't see the guys in the inn come out to greet them. So, Yang Shouwen asked Yang Siqiao to watch the horse at the door, and he and Pei Min walked into the door of the inn.

"Shopkeeper's. Stay. ”

Pei Min walked to the counter and shouted loudly.

And Yang Shouwen was standing in the lobby of the inn. Look around the inn.

"Huh?"

He let out a sudden snort, walked quickly to the bottom of a wall, and looked up at the portrait on the wall.

In the portrait, it is a woman dressed as an immortal, lifelike and extraordinary. Not only this portrait, but in the lobby of the inn, there are also seven portraits, all of which are in the appearance of fairies. What surprised Yang Shouwen the most was that the inscription of the portrait read: 'In the 20th year of Changkang Taiyuan, he passed through Taihu Lake, met his son and swam in Taihu Lake, and painted to give his son a gift'.

Who is Changkang?

Who is the son?

Although Yang Shouwen doesn't know the origin of this 'Changkang', he can see from the painting that this is definitely a big family.

The twentieth year of Taiyuan, which year is it?

Although his heart was full of doubts, Yang Shouwen guessed the origin of the Eight Immortals Inn.

Presumably, the 'Eight Immortals' of the Eight Immortals Inn are the eight fairies in this painting. This is somewhat different from the eight immortals that people are familiar with in later generations, after the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there are countless Taoist immortals, who knows who these eight female immortals are?

Changkang, son?

Yang Shouwen secretly wrote down these two names.

On the other side, Pei Min had already finished talking to the shopkeeper.

"Why, don't you have to register?"

When the shopkeeper heard this, he immediately smiled, "Little brother said that he laughed, who doesn't know that this Eight Immortals Inn can come in if he has money, why do you need to go over?" ”

Pei Min was stunned, nodded, and put away the place.

He walked up to Yang Shouwen and said softly, "Ah Lang, it seems that the origin of this inn is a little strange." ”

"Xiao Pei, what year is the twentieth year of Taiyuan?"

"Huh?"

Yang Shouwen didn't reply, so he asked.

Pei Min was stunned for a moment, and immediately replied: "The twentieth year of Taiyuan is the year name of Sima Yao, Emperor Xiaowu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and it is also the tenth year of the Northern Wei Dynasty. ”

Eastern jin?

That seems to have been a long time ago, at least two or three hundred years.

"Then do you know who Changkang is?"

"Changkang?" Pei Min pondered for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses and said, "Isn't it Jinling Gu Sanjue, Gu Kaizhi Gu Changkang?" ”

Gu Kaizhi?

The name is somewhat familiar.

"This Gu Kaizhi is a native of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, known as the three uniques of 'painting, literature, and idiot', Xie An attaches great importance to him, and thinks that he is a 'unprecedented' figure since his life, and Cao Buxing, Lu Tanwei and Zhang Seng are collectively known as 'Six Dynasties and Four Families'."

Xie An!

It's a thunderous name.

Yang Shouwen suddenly showed a look of surprise, nodded slightly, and then turned around and asked, "What did you just say?" ”

"Oh, I'm afraid the origin of this inn is not small."

"Hehe, to be able to hang Gu Kaizhi's painting here so magnificently, what will you say about the origin of this inn?"

After speaking, Yang Shouwen turned around and looked at the shopkeeper.

"These paintings ......"

Pei Min noticed the payment in the portrait and couldn't help but gasp.

He really doesn't remember who the son is. But to be able to hang Gu Kaizhi's paintings here like ornaments, presumably the owner of this inn has an unusual background. Perhaps, it is the descendant of the noble man in the Southern Dynasty.

The Eastern Jin Dynasty is a famous family in Jiangzuo, and to this day, many wealthy families have disappeared in the long river of history.

Just like the old Wang Xie. Today's children and grandchildren have long since left the people. No longer the prosperity of the past. So. The owner of this Eight Immortals Inn can't be said to be the descendants of those famous Jiangzuo families who disappeared back then. Of course, it is also possible that the portrait was obtained by chance...... But if that's the case, it is estimated that the owner of this inn will not dare to put the painting out like this.

"Xiao Pei, let's go here, hurry up and settle down."

"Whoa."

Pei Min also came back to his senses at this time, and walked over to book two rooms.

The shopkeeper lazily shouted to the back: "If there is any panting, come out quickly." ”

"It's coming. Here it comes. ”

A few guys walked out of the back hall, and under the instructions of the shopkeeper, they went out to take care of the mules and horses in Yang Siqiao's hands.

Yang Siqiao walked in with the package and said softly, "Ah Lang, how is it?" ”

"Let's settle down first."

As Yang Shouwen spoke, he took the tiger swallowing gun from Yang Siqiao's hand, carried the package in one hand, and walked back with a guy.

When you exit the back door of the lobby, you will see a stone arch bridge spanning the river.

The guy led the three of them past the bridge, and Yang Shouwen suddenly stopped. Pointing to the side, he asked, "Man, what's that place?" ”

On the left side of the bridge. Not far away, there is an open space with many high platforms.

That guy could understand Yang Shouwen's words, but when he answered, the fluent Wu Nong soft language made Yang Shouwen confused.

The Wu Nong soft language in the Tang Dynasty is not quite the same as the Wu Nong soft language that Yang Shouwen was familiar with in later generations.

It sounds more awkward, more rappy.

Fortunately, he was followed by a qualified little translator Pei Min, who immediately translated for Yang Shouwen: "Recently, Changzhou has been in trouble, and people are panicking. A few days ago, Wang Xianzun was poisoned in the county office, and the murderer has not been found so far. The people in the county feel that the bad luck in Changzhou has been too heavy recently, so they are going to do a puja to get rid of the bad luck.

There are several high platforms over there, all of which are prepared for the puja.

It is said that after the festival, there are jugglers from all walks of life, so in the past two days, the county town of Changzhou has been very lively. ”

Yang Shouwen was stunned when he heard this, and hurriedly asked: "Xiao Pei, ask him, in addition to the killing of the county honor, what else is unlucky?" ”

Pei Min organized the language and asked the guy.

The guy hesitated for a moment and said softly, "There have been several murders in Cheung Chau recently.

Last month, the bodies of several beggars were found outside the temple, and it was said that the death was very strange. Those beggars used to beg for a living in the fish market. But then they disappeared, and about ten days later, when their bodies were found, they were all festering. Also, Mr. Lu, the sitting doctor of the Changchun Medical Center in Changzhou Garden, also died mysteriously at home half a month ago. Now there are also people in the yamen who are panicking, Wang Xianzun has been killed so far, and the murderer cannot be found, and so many things have happened one after another, you say it's not bad luck, what is it? Therefore, the abbot of Puhui Temple invited a senior monk to come and say the Dharma, maybe he can kill demons and exorcise demons, so that Changzhou can return to its former appearance. ”

Yang Shouwen was silent and did not continue to ask.

The man took the three of them to the guest room, and Yang Shouwen pushed open the window, only to find that the festival square was not far away.

He frowned, and then closed the window.

At this time, Yang Siqiao and Pei Min also walked into Yang Shouwen's room, and after the two entered the door, they closed the door.

"Ah Lang, something is not right."

"yes, I don't think it's normal, too."

Yang Shouwen took a deep breath and wandered around the room.

After a while, he stopped and said to Yang Siqiao: "What that guy said just now, you also heard it, Old Yang."

Don't you think those people died weirdly? ”

"What's weird?"

"What is the condition of dying with ulcers all over the body?"

"This ......"

"Also, what is Mr. Lu from the Changchun Pavilion...... Counting Wang Yuankai's death, so many people seem to be killed during this period of time, will there be any special connection in it? I'm curious now. ”

"What then?"

Yang Shouwen rubbed his temples and was silent.

After a while, he said to Pei Min: "Xiao Pei, you stay in the inn and find someone to inquire about the situation of those beggars."

Lao Yang, I want to go to Yizhuang to have a look. ”

"Yizhuang?"

Yang Shouwen said: "Mr. Lu of the Changchun Pavilion, it is estimated that someone will restrain him, but those beggars are probably temporarily placed in Yizhuang." I want to go and see the corpse before I can make a judgment, you can go with me. ”

Yang Siqiao nodded in agreement.

The three of them cleaned up again, Yang Shouwen changed into civilian clothes, and left the Eight Immortals Inn with Yang Siqiao.

Although Yang Shouwen is not proficient in Suzhou dialect, he has learned a lot of Suzhou dialect more or less along the way. It's a bit tricky to communicate, but if you talk slowly, you can understand it. He and Yang Siqiao first wandered around the fish market for a while, and then found two fangding at the gate of the fish market and found out the location of Yizhuang.

Nayizhuang, located in the west corner of the city, is an independent small courtyard, and there is a city god temple next to it.

The caretaker of Yizhuang was an old man, and Yang Shouwen pretended that one of his distant relatives was missing and might have died, so he was placed in Yizhuang and wanted to check it out. After he stuffed the old man with a copper coin, the old man stopped stopping it. When the two entered the courtyard, they saw a simple house with corpses parked in it.

The weather at the end of June was very hot.

However, this Yizhuang is located in the shade, and when you walk into it, you only feel the coolness of the forest.

In the air, there was a smell of corpses, which was a little disgusting.

The old man guarding the bodies said that the bodies were nameless bodies from the past month. If no one has claimed it, it will be buried in mass graves. Yang Shouwen covered his mouth and nose with a wet towel, walked into the morgue, and after a glance swept over, his eyes stopped on the corpses of the ragged beggars, and then stepped forward.

"These should be the ones."

Yang Siqiao also covered a wet towel and said with a frown.

Yang Shouwen nodded, squatted down, and examined the corpse carefully.

"Lao Yang, do you see anything?"

Yang Siqiao originally looked disgusted, but when he saw Yang Shouwen squatting down, he was embarrassed to stand aside.

He lifted a white cloth, and a foul smell hit his face.

However, when he saw the ulcers on the corpse, his eyes narrowed and he showed a thoughtful expression.

Yang Shouwen endured the smell of corpses, and after looking at the corpses one by one, he stood up and motioned for Yang Siqiao to leave.

The two men came out of the morgue and immediately breathed heavily.

"How's it going, have you gained anything?"

Yang Siqiao's slender eyebrows twitched, and he said softly: "Ah Lang, let's go out and talk." ”

"Good!"

Yang Shouwen and Yang Siqiao left Yizhuang at the moment, found a shed on the street, then asked for two pots of wine and sat down.

"About thirty years ago, I hadn't entered the palace at that time, and I had seen this in my hometown."

"Oh?"

"The deceased was also ulcerated, and his body was blackened.

I was scared and thought the man had fallen for an evil ...... But I later learned that he had been poisoned and died. I heard from the people around me that the man was a tomb robber, and when he was digging an ancient tomb, he was infected with corpse poison, so he became like that.

Those beggars just now are exactly the same as the death of the captain who touched the gold, and I feel that they have been poisoned by corpses. (To be continued.) )