For three or four days in a row, Fan Ning did not show up, and Fengying did not come back, Xue Ne went to the Criminal Department every day to count the evidence, and together with Fa Cao, he examined the evidence sent from the ruins of the fire ground one by one.

Soon, everyone's eyes focused on the obvious traces of the fight on the second floor of the Treasure Pavilion, and Fa Cao cleaned out two hidden swords from the charred ruins, which were identified as Fan Ning's own, which became strong evidence that she set fire to and killed people.

With physical evidence, the words on Fan Ning's wanted warrant changed from "murderous suspect" to "fierce and stubborn", and the criminal department came to a conclusion, saying that Fan Ning planned to go up to the second floor of the treasure pavilion before the chief of the guard, and stole the "Tui Bei Tu", and then the chief guard went upstairs to find that the two were fighting, Fan Ning flew out of his hidden blade, and the chief guard could not dodge the sword, and struggled to go downstairs to call for help, and died of excessive blood loss halfway, Fan Ning jumped out of the window and fled after arson, and his whereabouts are still unknown, which can clearly explain why the chief guard died before the arson.

Xue Ne only felt angry and funny when he heard this inference, if all the criminal officers and judges in the world talked to themselves like this, the wrongful and unjust cases would never stop. Xue Ne always had all kinds of dissatisfaction in his heart, and he also knew that he couldn't speak quickly and give people a handle at the moment, not to mention that he had never been good at arguing, so he just got up and left the criminal department and continued to explore key evidence. The monks of Famen Temple attracted his attention, and if his guess was correct, these monks who seemed to have nothing to do with this case were likely to become the joint points for him to find a breakthrough. However, he visited and interrogated several eyewitnesses who had seen these monks, and came to the conclusion that they were the same number when they came to the courtyard as when they left, which shocked and confused Xue Ne.

When he was free, Xue Ne went to Xingcheng Pavilion according to the clues provided by Fan Ning to investigate the matter of Hu Cake, the Hu Cake Oil here was specially prepared by the back kitchen, different from other wine shops, no wonder Fan Ning could distinguish it, but in addition, there was no evidence that they were related to the case, Xue Ne naturally did not embarrass these cooks, bought a few Hu Cakes and left here. Then he went to the palace of the chief of the guard to pay his respects, and inquired about his widow and son, who told him that everything had been the same as the chief of the guard had been lately, that there was nothing unusual, and that he had never been to the Naxing Castle Pavilion. Xue Ne saw that their orphans and widows had nothing to rely on in Beijing, and felt pity in their hearts, so they had to leave with more money before leaving.

It was the night breeze that was refreshing, and Xue Ne lay on the bed, unable to sleep for a long time. Counting that Fan Ning has been out for four or five days, in order to avoid the servants from noticing, he deliberately put the grape flower and bird pattern silver sachet given by Li Yuanyan on the table, the sachet is stuffed with osmanthus and pandan leaves, rich and thick, in order to cover the residual fragrance of Fan Ning, it is estimated that even if the criminal department sends a hunting dog, it is difficult to distinguish, but he still distinguishes Fan Ning's breath from this rich fragrance, which lingers three feet around the beam.

Somehow, these days, he always thinks of all the things they have known since childhood, she has been clever since she was a child, she is good at observing words and feelings, seeing people and talking about people, and talking about ghosts, even Xue Ne's mother Liu likes her very much.

But Xue Ne understood that behind this cleverness and clarity was her sensitive heart. Although Fan Ning never mentioned it, Xue Ne still understood her loneliness, Li Chunfeng's love could not make up for her sadness of having no father and mother since she was a child, so since she was seven or eight years old, Xue Ne tried her best to be by her side, no matter how she bullied and teased, he was willing. Recently, he has been promoted to the city gate for most of the year, and he can't see her every day, so he goes to the stars every three or five times, and she has suffered a lot of accidents in the past few days, and he feels even more worried, and he is worried about her all the time.

There was a faint sound of rubble on the roof, which was captured by Xue Ne's keen hearing, and before he could stand up, he saw a figure in a linen shirt flying in and falling steadily to the ground, not someone else, it was Fan Ning.

She was dusty, her hair was slightly messy, she took off her face and showed her little face, picked up the teapot on the table, drank water directly to the spout, and then spit it out, and said, "It's so hot......"

Xue Ne hurriedly took the blue and white porcelain pot, took out the banana fan from the pear blossom wooden frame on the side, opened the lid of the pot and fanned the cool: "I don't know if you're coming back, I haven't had time to dry the water, how are you these days?" Is there anything to gain from following Shen Qike? ”

"That kid was scared, he went back to his Fengxiang's house in the past few days, dragged his seven or eight-year-old brother to eat and sleep together, and changed the bedding twice in one night, as if he was wetting the bed......"

Thinking of Shen Qi's trembling and trembling appearance that day, it is not surprising that he acted like this, I really don't know if he is timid by nature, or who coerced him, Xue Ne smiled and asked, "Has he been out in the past few days?" Or is there anyone who is looking for him? ”

"His family is an ordinary farmer, these days of the autumn harvest, his parents and brothers have to work in the field every day, he has been at home for a few days, and he doesn't do anything except wash his own wet bed...... "Fan Ning said, her stomach suddenly growled, she pressed her abdomen, her eyes rolled around, and she seemed to be a little embarrassed.

"You haven't been able to take care of eating well these days", Xue Ne picked up the cloak, and planned to go out, "I'll buy you some food, I heard the county lord say that there is a small shop selling wild rice and stir-fried vegetables at the back door of the street......

How could Fan Ning rarely eat the food recommended by Li Yuanyan, she grabbed Xue Ne's collar and dragged him to sit on the couch, her little head tilted on her shoulders without hesitation, as if she was extremely tired: "You listen to me first...... Although Shen Qi didn't go out, I listened to the root of the wall these days, and heard the villagers say that Shen Qi was often bullied by older guards in the other courtyard...... If this is the case, Shen Qi is not a suitable target for coercion to commit perjury. ”

Fan Ning's words diluted Shen Qi's suspicions, but increased the disadvantage to himself, Xue Ne looked at the tired little man leaning on his shoulder, infinite distress was born between his eyebrows, and then said: "I'll talk about these things in detail later, I'll go buy you something to eat first." ”

"It's late, I don't want to eat, I want to ...... Take a bath ......" Fan Ning's long eyelashes trembled, and his voice gradually became inaudible. Followed Shen Qi day and night for three or five days, she didn't take a bath, and this girl who has always loved cleanliness was a little unbearable. It is rare to see her showing a little bit of the dazed shyness of her daughter's family, Xue Ne's face is thinner, her handsome face is red from the corner of her forehead to the root of her neck, and she tilts her head and lowers her head: "Garden, the hot spring water in the garden is not hot enough, I will let my subordinates prepare water, you hide first." ”

About a cup of tea, two little girls carried a bamboo tube with a horizontal strip, sent hot water, and poured it into the ivory wood bathtub behind the mica screen, and several little girls sprinkled soap powder and incense tablets into the basin.

Xue Ne was about to close the garden gate, when he suddenly saw an old lady flash out of the shadow, which shocked his body, and before he could react, he was pulled into the garden by the black shadow.

Xue Ne fixed his eyes and saw that the person who came was his nurse Liu, and he raised his forehead and said: "It turned out to be a nurse, why did you come secretly, I almost punched and injured you......"

"Pull it down, if Da Lang has this ability, can your father still hurt you?" Liu is nearly seventy years old, half of the teeth in her mouth have fallen out, and she has gone straight to the wind when she speaks, and after confirming that there is no one around, she shook out two peaches from her cuffs and stuffed them into Xue Ne's hands.

Xue Ne was at a loss, his clear eyes were full of confusion, as if he couldn't figure out why the nurse brought him two peaches at night.

Liu flattened his wrinkled mouth, raised his eyes to look at Xue Ne, who was already a head and a half taller than her, and raised his hand with great effort, wanting to caress his face: "Lang Jun eats it, this is what the old man took from the Buddha Hall, Chu Yu Lang Jun has taken all the good things, but our Da Lang has nothing......

The nurse took care of the calf, and she was about to choke up when she spoke, but Xue Ne hurriedly comforted her: "I am well fed and warmly dressed on weekdays, and Chu Yu did not bully me, so the nurse can rest assured." ”

Liu Shi wanted to speak and stopped, groaning, tears suddenly appeared in his eyes, and his big dry hands tightly held Xue Ne's hands: "Today, I got the favor of my wife, and let the old man go back to his hometown in Longmen, Jiangzhou to retire, and I also rewarded a few acres of fertile land...... The old body will leave early tomorrow morning. ”

This happened suddenly, but the Liu family is old, and it is indeed the age to return home and live for the rest of his life. Xue Ne was reluctant to give up, and he couldn't keep it, he took off the jade on his waist and put it in Liu's thin and rough palm: "No matter when it is in the future, if the nursing mother has something, you can order someone to take this waist card to find me......"

Liu Shi wept suddenly, and stopped for a while: "The only regret of the old body is that I haven't seen Da Lang get married." ”

A trace of impulse passed through Xue Ne's heart, he wanted to release Fan Ning from the closet and tell this kind peasant woman who had pulled him up since he was a child, this was the person he wanted to spend his life with. But reason made him understand that doing so could only put the three of them on the coals, and in the end he could only smile lightly, and slowly relieved: "When I marry a wife, I will definitely take her to see you." When will the nurse leave tomorrow, I will send you out of the city......"

"You can't do it", Liu hurriedly stopped, "How can there be a reason for Lang Jun to send people down, you don't want others to see jokes, when your father comes back, someone will sue you again." Da Lang quickly bathed and rested, the water was going to be cold later, and the old body went back. ”

Xue Ne opened his mouth, and before he could speak, Liu Shi had already bent over and quickly moved out of the door. Xue Ne understood that the Liu family was all for her own good, endured the sourness in her eyes, and sent her out of the garden.

Fan Ning had been hiding in the cabinet to listen to the movement, and after Liu left for a while, she quietly came out. Outside the hollow wooden door carved with pine and bamboo, Xue Ne stood alone under the pear tree in the clear moonlight, the evening breeze blowing, blowing streamer-like waves on the moon-white round-necked robe, but his thin and long figure was like a pine and cypress, and he did not move.

Fan Ning couldn't see his expression clearly, but he could still feel his loneliness. Liu has been a slave and a maid in the Xue family for several years, with both merit and hard work, even Xue Rengui respects her very much, and while Xue Rengui has not returned to Goryeo, someone with a heart will send her away on the grounds of her advanced age, so as to suppress Xue Ne's status in the family. Fan Ning thought that Xue Ne didn't understand before, but when he saw him like this today, he suddenly understood that he didn't understand, but he just disdained to fall into such disputes, but where could those people with dirty thoughts be worthy of his generosity and kindness.

Fan Ning stepped forward and gently pulled his sleeve, Xue Ne turned around and looked at her, a light smile slowly rippled at the corners of his mouth, as if he was attached to those old times that were difficult to trace, but his eyes were still red, he raised his big hand with distinct knots, put the two peaches in her palm, and said slowly: "After taking a bath, eat this." ”

Fan Ning tilted his head, and his tone was no longer as brutal as usual: "I can't eat the two of you, let's eat together later." ”

Fan Ning is like this, he can always see through his thoughts, although he can see through it, he never speaks much, and he can always give him just the right amount of relief. The unrelieved sadness in Xue Ne's heart dissipated like smoke, and he bent down to sit on the stone bench next to the hot spring in the garden, his clear eyes reflecting the stars in the sky: "Go and bathe, I'll show you the door here." ”

Seeing that his mood was a little better, Fan Ning relaxed slightly, bowed slightly, turned back to the room, and walked behind the mica screen.

Xue Ne leaned against the pear tree, looked at the bubbling hot spring, and couldn't help but think of the scene where he said goodbye to his nurse just now, and felt unspeakably reluctant and uncomfortable.

Before he was born, this simple and kind peasant woman had already begun to work in the Xue family, and traveled with Xue Rengui and his wife to many places until Chang'an, which has been more than 20 years so far. When he was a child, he was thrown out of swaddling clothes by his father, and his life and death were unknown when he fell off the war horse, and she held him day and night, coaxed him, fed him water and ate rice paste little by little, and pulled him back from the ghost gate. It stands to reason that he should have sent her back to Jiangzhou in person, but the case at hand made him unable to get out.

Gathering and scattering in a hurry, in the end, it is good, Xue Ne supported his head with his hands, and the sadness was strong, but his ears caught the sound of the fabric in the room sliding and the crisp sound of water, his face was red, and his thoughts suddenly became chaotic.

As long as Fan Ning is there, it will be extremely difficult for him to concentrate, and Xue Ne is helpless in his heart, so how can he investigate the case and clear her name!

At the beginning of the next day, the glimmer was not clear, and Jiumo on the eighth street of Chang'an City was still in a drowsy sleep, and the wind shadow flew to the top of the outer wall of the Pingyang County Mansion, and quickly jumped into the inner courtyard while the courtyard guard Ding was sleepy.

Xue Ne, who was in a light sleep, heard a few cuckoo chirps, quietly put on his clothes, went out of the garden to the back door of the firewood house, and pulled the firewood door three or two times, and the wind shadow appeared like a gale, and saluted Xue Ne: "The county horse is ......."

Xue Ne didn't have time to care about the title, and asked, "Have you firmly followed that Zhang San these days?" Did he make any changes? ”

"After the courtyard burned down, Zhang San and others were asked by the Criminal Department to listen to the rumors at any time, so he did not go back to Lantian or to the cactus's house, but kept lingering in Pingkangfang to eat and buy drunk ......"

"Pingkangfang?" Xue Ne answered, and fell into thought again: This Zhang San, as the guard of the arsenal, does not have much silver, and he has to support a family, where can he have the money to go to Pingkangfang to eat and drink every day.

"This person not only loves prostitution but also gambling, and is very famous in the gambling area."

Xue Ne came back to his senses, held Fengying's shoulder, and whispered: "I've worked hard for you in the past few days, I'm tired of you staring at him for two more days, and the Criminal Department has not summoned any more witnesses recently, and the thief will gradually relax, and when he is not guarded, he will show flaws." ”

The wind shadow intervened to receive the order, a gust of wind spun on the cornice, and disappeared in the blink of an eye, Xue Ne estimated that he had successfully left the Xue Mansion, and then quietly turned back to the garden.

The sky is getting brighter, and the bedroom is no longer as dark as it was, Xue Ne thought about the words of the wind shadow, walked forward with his head blankly, and when his eyes touched Fan Ning's sleeping face, he was stunned, he walked to the couch like a ghost, looked at her little face, his tight jaw slowed slightly, and his clear and calm eyes softened.

She was always like this, sleeping with her thin body curled up in a ball, her little head half-buried in the crook of her arm, and she was completely insecure. In her memory, the tear-stained sleeping face gradually coincided with the person in front of her ten years ago, and Xue Ne let out a soft sigh, and then stopped abruptly, as if she was afraid of disturbing her dreams.

Fortunately, the person on the couch did not wake up, the long eyelashes like a fan trembled slightly with the even soft breathing, the small and firm Qiong nose modified the side face very well, the cherry lips were a little red, very delicate, and occasionally smacked the lips, as if tasting some delicacies in a dream.

Xue Ne smiled spoiled and helpless, raised his hand and gently pulled the blanket scattered on her side for her, but Fan Ning in her sleep suddenly stretched her waist, and slammed her fist on the tip of Xue Ne's tall nose, he only felt very painful, and leaned back, and two drops of blood fell on his arm suddenly.

Fan Ning woke up from his dream, saw Xue Ne's face covered with blood, jumped up in surprise, spun two steps around his body, picked up the silk handkerchief on the pear blossom water platform and stuffed it in his hand: "Oh my God, what's wrong with you?" Xue Chuyu hit you? ”

Xue Ne was in pain, and after hearing Fan Ning's words, he didn't know whether to cry or laugh, and said while stopping the bleeding: "You...... Alas, all of a sudden, it bleeds, maybe it's on fire......"

"It's so bloody and strong this morning, are you...... Did you have some terrible dream? Fan Ning looked at Xue Ne with a smile, his words were teasing, and his peach blossom eyes were bent into crescents, "We 'Shen Yan' have flames in the kidney meridian, but we can't indulge ourselves too much." ”

Sure enough, as Fan Ning expected, Xue Ne's handsome face was straight to the base of his neck, but his gaze did not dodge, and his eyes were even more determined than usual: "My body is very good, and I don't have nephritis, I don't believe you......"

Who knew that Fan Ning laughed even harder, pounding the soft couch, as if he had lost his breath. Xue Ne was obviously a little unhappy, and when he saw her laughing, he actually laughed along, and at the end, he rubbed Fan Ning's head to relieve his anger, and got up and straightened his clothes: "The prince is looking for me, I'll go to the East Palace, Chu Yu is at home today, you must pay attention, don't let him find out." ”

Fan Ning nodded, as if he had taken Xue Ne's words to heart. But Xue Ne still looked at her a few times uneasily, paused for a few moments, Fang turned his head and walked out of the door, and when his footsteps were far away from the inaudible sound, Fan Ning immediately got up to wash, changed his clothes and put on his face, jumped on the roof of the house, stepped on the green tiles, and quietly wandered among the courtyards.

In the palatial garden to the east, Xue Chuyu was pretending to be dancing with a sword; Outside the Buddhist hall behind the main hall in front of the head, Xue Ne and Xue Chuyu's mother, Mrs. Liu, was asking for incense; Further out, through two small doors, out of the backyard, the outside is full of the mother-in-law's house and the tall and spacious kitchen. The kitchen is connected to the grain depot, the grinding shed, the firewood and straw pile and the enclosure of the six animals, the smoked chicken and bacon are still hanging on the beam, and the vinegar Weng sauce jar is placed under the eaves.

Fan Ning smelled the smoke and fire emitted by the bellows and the fragrance of the food, her legs were almost weak, looking at the food hanging there that seemed to be at her fingertips, she hesitated again and again, and finally gave up the idea of "seeking wealth and danger", jumped out of the Pingyang County Mansion, and rushed to Lantian County in the early morning light of Chang'an City.

After Xue Ne left the house, he watched the nurse get into the carriage back to her hometown from afar, then turned the horse's head and rode all the way to the East Palace.

In the middle of last night, the prince sent a message, asking him to come early this morning, Xue Ne didn't know what was important, he was very worried, beating the horse like flying, who knew that he was out of the door of Chongrenfang, and he saw a noble prince wearing a light blue round-necked robe, wearing a moon-white shirt, with a jade crown on his head, waving a bone fan and standing beside the road, seeing the horse running, he not only did not hide, but took two steps and stood in the middle of the road.

Xue Ne hurriedly reined in his horse, and the jade skull under his crotch kicked and hissed, almost kicking the man, he hurriedly turned over and dismounted, and after confirming that he was okay, he breathed a long sigh of relief, and smiled helplessly: "Why did Your Highness come here to wait for me, but is there anything important?" ”

Li Hong shook the bone fan with a "whoosh", and smiled arbitrarily in the wind: "Today I am not the prince, but the Li prince of the Li family in Longxi, aren't you going to Pingkangfang to inquire about Li Chunfeng's whereabouts?" Li will accompany you today, how about it? ”

Xue Ne was stunned and stumbled, "This ...... Such a trivial matter, His Royal Highness ordered Zhang Shun to ask for a visit, and there was really no need to ...... it himself."

"Zhang Shun and others can arrest thieves and bandits inside, and they can resist the enemy and quell the chaos outside, but they can't see through people's hearts, so they sent him to Pingkangfang for questioning. If you see it or not, you will be scared to tremble, where will you tell him the truth. ”

When Xue Ne heard this, this was really reasonable, and he bowed down and said: "The minister, like Zhang Shun, is not good at this, I am afraid that it will scare the people in the workshop, so I will bother His Highness to go in and inquire." ”

Li Hong only felt angry and funny, took a step back, and looked Xue Ne up and down in disbelief: "Usually the palace goes out in micro-clothes, goes to wine shops and gambling stalls, etc., don't you also go with the palace?" Why can't you go to Pingkangfang, you still have to guard that girl, for fear that she will be sad and jealous? ”

Speaking of Fan Ning, Xue Ne lowered his head and chuckled, his face was full of the infatuation of a young man, and his eyes were as warm as water, shining like stars, and Li Hong was so cold that he simply stopped reasoning with him, and threatened: "If you don't distinguish between public and private, how can you still investigate this case?" If you don't even dare to go to Pingkangfang, you don't have to do anything Lantian County Order. ”