The Weitai Restaurant is not big, with two floors and eight private seats, and a total of twenty-three people hired cooks, bartenders, and miscellaneous servants, together with the shopkeeper, are all gathered in the foyer of the restaurant like cold birds, and the common people are afraid of seeing officials, and even the restaurant guys who shouted and beat the Korean barbarians before were also frightened in front of the military officials of the Jinyi Guard and the Soldiers and Horses-

At the beginning of the year, the curfew has begun, and the other shops and restaurants have closed their doors and turned off their lights, and the huge chessboard square is silent at this time, only the cold wind blows the fallen leaves and discarded objects, making a long whistling in the dark night.

"Zhang Xiu—"

Zhen Zidan of Jinyi Wei Baihu respectfully said to Zhang Yuan: "Please ask." Then he shouted to the group of shopkeepers in the green robe: "They all kneel down and reply." "The rulers of the people have to kneel.

Jingzhong has all kinds of magical rumors about the youngest champion of the Ming Dynasty, not to mention the unforgettable and talented ones, the champion can still solve the case, Dong Qichang and his son on the bank of the Baozi River killed people and buried their bodies, which was detected by the champion duke-

Zhang Yuan said: "You don't have to kneel, just stand and reply." He asked the shopkeeper, "What is your name, and whose name is it?" ”

The shopkeeper in the green robe replied with his hand: "The villain's surname is Zhai, and his cheap name is Dongsheng, and he is from Puzhou, Hedong. "Hedong is Shanxi, and Puzhou is said to be the capital of Emperor Shun.

Zhang Yuan looked at the group of cooks, bartenders, and handymen, and asked, "Are all the people in this restaurant here?" ”

Shopkeeper Zhai said: "It's all here." ”

The chief of the brocade guard said: "Lord Zhang, I have seen the restaurant up and down, and there is no one else." ”

Zhang Yuan said "um", asked the three restaurant guys in question to stand up, and asked them how they saw the little bartender Du Ermao being beaten to death?

The man named Sun Erli said: "The villain was serving wine to the guests at the table at the west end, and heard Du Ermao arguing with someone. Come and see. I saw Du Ermao fall crookedly and walked out of that room, and suddenly fell down at the top of the stairs, and the villain wanted to help him up. But when he touched the blood in his hand, he heard Du Ermao say 'North Korean barbarians beat me' and choked up, and the villain shouted. ”

Zhang Yuan asked the other two guys. These two guys said that they rushed over when they heard Sun Erli shouting, and saw that Du Ermao was already dead-

Five North Koreans stood on the side of the stairs to listen to Zhang Yuan's interrogation, and the clerk Jin Zhongqing whispered in the ear of the envoy Liu Dongming, Jin Zhongqing was preparing for the worst, and he really couldn't get away with it, so let one of the two companions take the blame, Liu Dongming's face was extremely ugly, and he said in his heart: "This is obviously a frame-up, but we want our partner to be guilty." Could it be that our Korean state is just being slaughtered by others! ”

Zhang Yuan asked the Jinyi Wei General Banner to lead the shopkeeper Zhai and the three guys to another room, and he wanted to ask the other cooks and handymen, but the shopkeeper Zhai was dissatisfied: "Zhang Zhuangyuan." This is the North Koreans who killed my guy in the restaurant. Why did Zhang Zhuangyuan just interrogate the people in my restaurant! ”

Jin Yiwei shouted: "Don't be verbose, hurry to the side." Several lieutenants pushed Shopkeeper Zhai and the three guys to the left room.

Zhang Yuan bowed his hand to the Korean envoy Liu Dongming and said, "Envoy Liu." How did you find this restaurant to eat? ”

Liu Dongming motioned to the clerical officer Jin Zhongqing to answer, Jin Zhongqing hesitated for a moment, and said: "Zhang Xiuxiu, I heard that this Weitai Restaurant is very famous for its casserole dog meat and miso soup, so I want to try it." ”

Zhang Yuanxin said: "North Koreans like to eat dog meat has a long history, this Weitai restaurant is to vote for the North Koreans, in my Daming, dog meat is not allowed to feast, of course, there are many people who like to eat dog meat, but there are few guests on dog meat, that is a matter of status." He nodded at the moment, didn't say anything more, turned to look at the remaining nineteen cooks, bartenders and handymen, and said: "Don't be afraid, this matter has nothing to do with you, I will ask you a few words - Du Ermao spoke to whom he spoke before serving food to these North Korean envoys, and it doesn't count who greeted him." ”

The cook, bartender, and handyman looked at each other, and after a while, a handyman said timidly: "The villain saw Du Ermao and Sun Erli talking by the kitchen——"

Zhang Yuan asked, "What did they say?" ”

The handyman replied: "The villain didn't hear clearly, and seemed to be making a bet." ”

Zhang Yuan asked: "When did the restaurant's specialties casserole dog meat and miso soup come in?" ”

A cook replied: "It only started at the beginning of winter this year, and it was taught to do it by Shopkeeper Zhai, just say sour and spicy." ”

Zhang Yuan asked: "Has this Weitai Restaurant always been opened by Zhai's shopkeeper?" ”

The cook replied: "Shopkeeper Zhai also brought down this restaurant building before the beginning of winter, and none of the original restaurant helpers were dismissed. ”

Zhang Yuan asked: "Are Sun Erli and Du Ermao both helpers in the original restaurant?" ”

The cook replied, "Yes." ”

Zhang Yuan was silent for a while, and then asked, "Have any relatives and friends of your shopkeeper Zhai visited in the past few days?" ”

Two people replied at the same time, "Yes." One of them said in detail: "Shopkeeper Zhai is still drinking with his friend tonight, that friend is a scholar, twenty or thirty years old, his speech is very polite, and there is a dumb attendant, although he can't speak, his eyes are fierce and domineering. ”

Zhang Yuan asked: "Didn't the scholar live in this restaurant?" ”

He replied: "I don't live here, it seems to be living outside Zhengyang Gate." ”

Zhang Yuanxin said: "The mysterious guest who looked out of the window on the second floor should be the scholar friend of Zhai Shopkeeper, Zhengyangmen is only more than a mile away from here, and now he must have left the inner city." said: "Okay, all of you people should step down and bring Shopkeeper Zhai and Sun Erli up." ”

Zhai Dongsheng, the shopkeeper of the restaurant, walked out behind the general banner of Jinyi Wei, bowed his head slightly, but his eyes scanned the hall, and then looked at the faces of Zhang Yuan and Zhen Zidan, his heart was up and down, he was very uneasy, he didn't expect things to be so complicated, Zhang Yuan's appearance was not expected by anyone-

Zhang Yuan stared at Zhai Dongsheng and didn't speak for a long time.

Zhang Yuan didn't speak, of course the others didn't dare to speak, only the sound of the north wind whistling rushed into the entrance hall, Zhai Dongsheng calmed down, but his heart beat faster and faster-

Zhang Yuan spoke: "What did Shopkeeper Zhai do before he took down this restaurant?" ”

Zhai Dongsheng's mouth was dry, his body was cold, he wanted to hide it, but he knew that he couldn't hide it, the people of Jinyiwei were here. It will soon be possible to find out the details of him. He replied: "The villain originally did a rice business in Fushun, and he has accumulated some small profits over the years, and he doesn't want to suffer from long-distance trafficking. I went to this restaurant in Beijing to make a stable living. ”

Fushun, the front line of the Ming Dynasty against Houjin. Not far from North Korea, Zhang Yuan smiled and asked, "Why do you use dog meat and miso soup as special dishes to attract North Koreans to dine?" ”

Zhai Dongsheng said cautiously: "The villain has dealings with North Korean businessmen in Fushun, and thinks that their dog meat is very delicious, and when he goes to the capital, he will learn to cook dog meat......

Zhai Dongsheng was speaking smoothly, and suddenly heard Zhang Yuan ask: "Where does the friend of the shopkeeper Zhai live outside Zhengyang Gate." The one who drank with you in the evening? ”

Zhai Dongsheng was taken aback and opened his mouth, he didn't know what his restaurant buddy had just said to Zhang Yuandu. I don't know how to answer for a while-

Zhen Zidan on the side saw that the shopkeeper had a different expression. Obviously, Zhang Yuan asked the key point, and said sharply: "Zhang Xiu asked you." How not to answer! ”

Zhai Dong Shengqiang said with a smile: "That's a friend that the villain met during his business trip before, and he didn't have any friendship, and he was invited to have a glass of wine together when he met in Beijing this time, and the villain didn't know where he lived?" ”

Zhang Yuan asked: "What is the name of that person, and where is his home?" ”

Zhai Dongsheng said: "This villain doesn't know, he only knows that his surname is Tong, he calls me Brother Zhai, and I call him Brother Tong Xian." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "You haven't met that person once or twice in the past few days, how can you not know where he lives, what do you want to hide?" ”

Zhai Dongsheng knelt down and said: "The villain really doesn't know, please be aware of it." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "A young man dressed as a scholar and a companion who dare not speak for some reason is very eye-catching, how many inns are there in Zhengyangmen, do you think that if you don't say it, the people of Jinyi Guard and the Soldiers and Horses Division will not be able to find out?" ”

Zhai Dongsheng's face was as earthy as earth, but he still bit it and said that he didn't know where "Brother Tong Xian" lived.

Zhen Zidan loves torture, and sneered: "People like not to move punishment can't say it, Zhang Xiuxian, let him take him back to the yamen, and make sure that he asks what he wants." ”

Zhang Yuan smiled and said: "Shopkeeper Zhai is also the plaintiff's bitter master, how can he move the punishment to the plaintiff, Zhen Baihu will still find out the scholar and the mute entourage overnight with the Soldiers and Horses, and then the shopkeeper Zhai will naturally be able to talk - but before looking for someone, I also have to ask Sun Erli, what kind of bet did he make with Du Ermao by the kitchen before?" ”

The man was so shocked that his knees weakened, and he immediately knelt down and said, "I didn't make any bets, just a few gossips." ”

Zhang Yuan didn't ask Sun Erli, but instead asked the other two guys involved: "Do you two have anything to say, if you wait until tomorrow, it will be too late." ”

The two guys trembled, the weather was really cold, they knelt down together, and one of them said: "The shopkeeper Zhai promised me two a tael of silver, and asked the two of us to beat these Korean barbarians, saying that the Korean barbarians killed people in the restaurant, and it would cause no one to patronize the restaurant in the future, and the Korean barbarians didn't want to get away without paying a few hundred taels of silver." ”

Zhai Dongsheng argued: "If there is a homicide in the restaurant, it will definitely affect the business, and of course the villain wants them to compensate." ”

If the punishment is not moved, there is nothing to ask, this shopkeeper Zhai is very suspicious of framing the North Korean envoy, now it depends on whether you can find the scholar and the mute entourage, the identity of the scholar is mysterious.

Zhang Yuan said: "Zhen Baihu, immediately let the people of the Soldiers and Horses Division go to the inn outside Zhengyangmen to find a scholar with a mute attendant, Zhai Shopkeeper and Sun Erli are temporarily detained, and the North Korean envoy is here——"

Zhang Yuan turned around and arched his hand to Liu Dongming and the others, and said, "Please ask the envoy Jin and his two companions to go to the Jinyi Guard Yamen to cooperate in investigating this case, and Lord Liu and Lord Xu will go back to the hall to wait for news." ”

Liu Dongming and the others just looked at Zhang Yuan's questioning with cold eyes, peeling back the cocoon, analyzing it in detail, the case was obviously beneficial to them, they were all relieved, Liu Dongming said: "Thank you Zhang Xiu for presiding over justice and returning our innocence." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "It's too early to say this, and it should be known tomorrow." ”

On the one hand, Zhen Baihu sent people to send Liu and Xu two Korean envoys back, and on the other hand, he instructed the general flag of the Terracotta Division to return to the Nancheng Terracotta Division as soon as possible to summon the soldiers who patrolled the city out of Zhengyangmen to search the inns-

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On the first day of February, I asked for the support of the monthly pass.