At dusk, the setting sun is reflected on the rammed earth wall of the county government, dyed with roses.

The two officers guarding the door looked sleepy, unsheathed their sabers and leaned against the threshold, yawning a little lazily.

The door of Zhu Qi was pushed open, and He Zhixian led the two scribes out slowly.

The two guards hurriedly fastened their sabers, looking embarrassed.

"Straight sissy thief! The saber is gone, the thing tied to the crotch is gone, and the thing in the crotch is still there. He Zhixian pointed his finger at the forehead of one of the guards and scolded with a smile.

Yang Liwu and Master Wu, who were behind him, leaned back and laughed.

"How about it, there is a new little lady in the Golden Boudoir Building, she plays and sings exquisitely, and she looks good, you are tired of a day, follow me to explore and explore?" He Zhixian said with a smile.

"Wherever the lord speaks, the lowly position will go." Master Wu bowed and said.

"What about you?" He Zhixian looked at Yang Liwu.

"I'm a little tired, so I won't go, I hope you adults have fun." Yang Liwu smiled apologetically.

He Zhixian was not surprised, he looked at Master Wu, his voice was steep and low, "Oh, old Wu, I also thought that there was no cat in the world that didn't steal, but our Lord Yang was in front of me today, isn't it?" Brother Yang, although you lost your wife, your reputation has always been very good, it's really not easy. ”

Master Wu, who was standing behind He Zhixian, glanced at Yang Liwu meaningfully, and said quietly: "Lord Yang has his important things to take care of. ”

The two have been colleagues for ten years, so they naturally know what the other is thinking.

Yang Liwu's two sparse eyebrows twitched, and he said respectfully, "Yang has to go back to the county prison to deal with some miscellaneous matters, two adults, don't say goodbye." ”

Looking at the back of Yang Liwu re-entering the yamen, He Zhixian showed a confused expression on his face, and he doubted, "Not close to women, but diligent in official business." This relationship is still a rare good official? ”

Master Wu smiled meaningfully: "My lord is not wrong at all. ”

As the night wore on, most of the officials in the yamen had gone home, and only the county jail had lit the lights.

Yang Liwu walked through the cloister pavilion and walked directly outside the high wall of the county prison, which was about a foot high, nodded to the two guards at the door, and approached the gloomy black prison door.

The black-lacquered door of the county prison was closed and locked all day long, and at night it had to be sealed with the seal of the state and county, the history of the prison management, and even the autograph of the governor himself.

Yang Liwu put his hands behind his back, and before he reached the prison hall, he heard a noisy noise inside.

"Chang Liu'er, your card is not right."

"Liu Jiu'er, every time you lose money, you say that Lao Tzu's card is wrong."

Inside the prison hall, three or four guards were playing cards with their hats crooked, their collars open, and their feet crossed.

Yang Liwu cleared his throat heavily.

"Yo, my lord is here." Three or four guards hurriedly stood up.

"Bring Zhou Ding to see me." Yang Liwu commanded.

"Is that the little white-faced carpenter who committed the murder of the monk, my lord?"

"Well, bathe him and change into a clean suit." Yang Li Wudao.

"This ...... My lord? Do you have to overturn the case? The jailer wondered.

"Let you go, and you go." Yang Liwu's snake eyes were gloomy.

"Yes, yes."

After a stick of incense, Zhou Ding was taken to a room in the prison hall.

The lights in the room were dim, and Yang Liwu's face looked a little oozing under the reflection of the oil lamp.

"Zhou Ding, you are a traitor and murder the monks in the temple, do you know that you kill people?" Yang Liwu said.

Zhou Ding's eyes were a little cloudy, and he lowered his head and nodded.

"The magistrate has ordered that three days later, Caishikou will be beheaded." Yang Liwu stared at Zhou Ding.

Zhou Ding's legs were weak, he knelt on the ground, and kept chanting like a puppet with a broken line, "Killing pays for life, killing for life......"

"Your Excellency...... The grass people don't complain, but they have a sixty-year-old mother at home, and they feel really guilty...... "Zhou Ding couldn't stop wiping his tears, "I knew this was the case, why did I ...... in the first place." Thank you for bathing and changing clothes, and I can die cleanly......"

Yang Liwu held the wooden rattan chair with both hands and said, "It's a pity, after you died, there was no one to take care of your mother." This white-haired man sending a black-haired man is also a tragedy......"

Zhou Ding's eyes flashed suddenly, and he suddenly heard the sound outside the strings, he knelt and moved forward, grabbed Yang Liwu's thighs with both hands and said, "If the adult can be extrajudicial and spare the villain's life, the villain will not hesitate to repay him as a cow and a horse......"

Yang Liwu's two strands of beard shook slightly: "If you want to say that there is a way to spare your life, it is not for nothing...... It's just that the whole county knows about the prison case of killing the monk...... It's a bit tricky to do......"

"Adult......" Zhou Ding seemed to grasp the life-saving straw: "The villain has been doing carpenter work in the past few years, and he has also accumulated some silver and two fines, if the adult has a way, the villain is willing to sell the house at home in exchange for a cheap life......"

Yang Liwu nodded slightly, "Zhou Ding, it seems that you are still a filial son." It's just that...... To fulfill your wish to take care of your mother, even if you sell your two or three tiled houses, it is still not enough......"

"Adults......" Zhou Ding kowtowed, "The above is all the small family property, if the adults are not enough, the small ones will borrow the three points of profit, smash the pot and sell iron, and also meet the requirements of the adults." ”

"Well, that's a bad statement. Get up and talk ......" Yang Liwu shook his head, helped Zhou Ding up, and said with a pleasant face, "If you sell your house, you have already stripped out your family property, if you are saddled with debts again, won't it force you too much?" What is the difference between that official and that cow, ghost, snake and god? ”

"Adult......" Zhou Ding's face showed gratitude, "The kindness of the adult, the little one will never forget." It's just that...... The small family wealth is limited, and I don't know what to repay the adults......"

"Yes. Family wealth is naturally wanted, but your family wealth is not enough. Yang Liwu responded, revealing a strange smile, "Yes...... You can help me with things. ”

"Your Excellency...... As long as it is within the power of a small person, if it is to kill people and sell goods...... "Zhou Ding's face is difficult.

"Hey...... As a canonical historian, how could this official do such a thing that violates the criminal law? Yang Liwu stared at Zhou Ding, "You have been a blacksmith and forged weapons for the Xiang army, have you?" ”

"Adults, the little ones don't dare to brag, this forged armor spear still has a hand." Zhou Ding patted his chest and said.

"Good...... Would you like to go to another state to serve your own officer? Yang Liwu looked left and right, and said slowly.

"Adult...... Zhou Ding's eyes showed a desire to survive, "As long as you can survive, the little ones are willing to do their best for the adults." ”

"Not bad...... Yang Liwu said, he smiled, "There is one more thing...... Zhou Ding, your body is quite strong...... It's all tendon meat......"

"Adult, the little one has been carrying water and turning the ground since he was a child, and his body bones are quite strong."

"Yes." Yang Liwu nodded, he touched his chin, smacked his lips and said, "Do you know the poem "Cunning Boy"? ”

"Cunning?" Zhou Ding raised his eyebrows, and after a while, his face turned pale.

Although he doesn't know a few big characters, he is still very familiar with the "Cunning Boy" in the Book of Songs. This poem - "He is cunning and childish, and does not talk to me." Because of Weizi, I can't eat. "It's about the style of a man.,Said that the protagonist doesn't love beautiful women.,Prefer men.。 On weekdays, people in the market often joke about this poem.

But now this poem makes Zhou Ding feel cold......

……

Under the moonlight, there was silence in the county office, except for a few crows on the branches, making a deflating cry.

Liu Ming walked out of the inner hall, finished reading the engineering drawings for repairing the canal, and was walking in the courtyard, when he unknowingly came to the county prison.

Liu Ming heard that most of the shorter prisoners in the county prison, such as his uncle, had moved to another prison in the county. On the other hand, most of the prisoners with heavy sentences and death row are held, and they are heavily guarded.

He passed by the high prison wall, and was about to turn away, when he was hit by something soft on his head, rolled off his shoulder, and landed at his feet.

Liu Ming bent down, picked up the object, walked to the lantern firelight, and found that it was a torn sleeve, opened it to see, his eyes changed slightly-

There was only one bloody word "injustice" on the sleeve of the white cloth. The handwriting was bloodstained, and it looked like it had been done a moment and a half ago.

Liu Ming raised his head, and above the high wall above his head, there were several small windows, revealing a faint light, which was the ventilation window of the death row cell.

Tuck the cloth into his sleeve, Liu Ming turned around three times with his hands behind his back in place, and after thinking about it, he still stepped to the door of the prison cell.

"Liu Xiaoxianggong, haven't you rested yet?" A jailer saw Liu Ming and greeted him.

"Well, open the cell door, I'm going in." Liu Ming commanded.

The jailer said with a difficult face, "Liu Xiaoxianggong, the cell is heavy, and the master of the history has ordered that no one is allowed to enter." It's not a small thing to embarrass you, this place, even the master can't get in. We only listen to the orders of the Dian Shi. ”

"Brother Jailer, please make it convenient." Liu Ming smiled and took out half an ingot of silver from his sleeve and handed it to the other party.

The jailer took the silver two with a smile and hesitated: "Liu Xianggong, it's not that I don't want to, dare to ask, what are you doing in prison?" ”

"Oh......" Liu Ming pondered for a moment and said, "Lord Zhixian ordered me to draw a map of the distribution of prison cells for reconstruction. “

"Oh...... That's the kind of thing. The jailer breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that although Yang Dianshi had instructed him not to let other officials enter, this Liu Xiaoxianggong was not an outsider, and this magistrate also valued the other party very much, he thought about it and said, "Please wait for a while, I'll go inside and report it." ”

"......Slow down," Liu Ming took out some copper coins from his sleeve and handed them to the jailer, "Please take care of the brothers inside, it's hard to stay in prison late at night." ”

The jailer arched his hand and said: "It is still natural for Liu Xiaoxiang to be generous and natural, and he will definitely make a difference in the future." The little ones come when they go. ”