Wu Zhanfa captured the county lieutenant, and Xiao Rui and Zhuge Liuying returned to Qiuyang County.

Entering the county seat, the people were in an instant uproar, because what did they see?

The county lieutenant is like a dog, tied with a rope and led by a big black man, is this walking the dog?

The people were pointing and pointing, their faces showed sarcasm and ridicule, Xiao Rui saw it in his eyes, it seemed that the reputation of this county lieutenant was extremely bad, and the people complained in their hearts.

On the way back, Xiao Rui thought about what he had passed before and after, and he already had a preliminary judgment, and he only waited to see the old county order before making a conclusion.

When he came to the county office, the old county commander who rushed out after hearing the news saw the disgraced catcher and unity soldiers, although they were holding weapons, they were hanging behind them like a mourner. The county lieutenant was tied with a rope and his face was pale and colorless, and the people who caused these were all Xiao Rui and the three who helped him suppress the bandits.

"You... This..."The old county magistrate pointed at Xiao Rui, and he was a little blinded and didn't know what to say.

Xiao Rui asked: "Lord County Commander, I exterminated the bandits for your county, and just after leaving, I was wrongfully killed by the county Cheng, my lord, this kind of behavior is not authentic!" ”

The old county ordered: "It's not that the official is not authentic, but the county lieutenant ordered him to investigate, and the knife wounds suffered by Wang Xiancheng when he was killed were all from your weapons, so I ordered the county lieutenant to chase you and capture you alive as much as possible, just to bring you back for a careful investigation." If it weren't for you, you would be innocent. ”

Xiao Rui glanced at the county lieutenant, and Wu Zhanfa kicked the county lieutenant in the back and made him kneel.

The nodes of the problems before and after all came from the county lieutenant, and naturally he had the biggest problem.

"Lord County Order, why don't you go up to the court for interrogation, the three of us are willing to prove our innocence." Xiao Rui said with a smile.

The old county commander nodded and said, "Okay!" ”

Immediately, the old county order ordered the court to be elevated.

When Xiao Rui accompanied the old county commander to enter, he vaguely lit up a token to him, and the old county commander was so frightened that he almost knelt down, and was supported by Wu Zhanfa, so he didn't show it.

"Find out the real culprit, don't reveal my identity for the time being." Xiao Rui said in a low voice.

The old county commander wiped his sweat and nodded seriously.

Everyone came to the yamen hall, and the old county commander took a seat, and he was shocked and shouted: "Ascend to the hall!" ”

"Mighty...", the officials on both sides spoke.

At this time, there were three people in the hall, Xiao Rui, the county lieutenant, Xu Zhubo, Qi Zuo, and witnesses from Wang Xiancheng's family.

The prefectural and witnesses knelt down with the voice, the county lieutenant was tied up and walked all the way, humiliated, at this time, he naturally became embarrassed, and shouted at Xiao Rui: "Xiao Qirui, the county commander is trying the case, why don't you kneel?" Could it be contempt of court? ”

Without waiting for Xiao Rui to speak, the old county commander slammed the startled wood and shouted, "Shut up!" Kneel what kneel! Shaw.. Qirui Gongzi is kind to the county, and it is allowed not to salute, and the witnesses in the hall, this official will ask you, when was Wang Xiancheng killed? ”

The witness was a middle-aged servant, and he trembled and said: "Back to the Qingtian master, it was probably the end of the Yin period, and at the beginning of the day, the three of them sneaked into the mansion and killed my master. ”

The old county magistrate asked again: "When they committed the murder, did you see it with your own eyes?" ”

"Yes, sir. They were not masked, I hid in the shadows and saw with my own eyes! The witnesses seemed to be frightened, and their eyes kept peeking at the county lieutenant.

Xiao Rui smiled, hugged his fists, and said: "Lord County Commander, our weapons were handed over to the Yamen yesterday, and they were returned at three o'clock. This is the first doubt. ”

"The second suspicion, we have no grudges with the county, why do we want to kill him?"

"The third question is, why don't we cover our faces when we kill people? Deliberately telling someone that I am the murderer? ”

Wang Xian Ling thought about it, and sure enough, he found that these three suspicious points were suspicious, and immediately reprimanded: "Witnesses, do you know the cost of perjury?" ”

Witnesses trembled with fear.

At this time, the county lieutenant helped: "My lord, the three suspicious points that Xiao Qirui said are not suspicious, he knew that the weapon was in the middle of the battle, and deliberately stole and killed people, just to hide people's eyes." As for whether you have a grudge against Wang Xiancheng, we don't know, and as for killing people without masks, it shows that you are rampant, thinking that you are foolproof when you kill, but you don't want to have eyewitnesses. ”

Xiao Rui looked at the county lieutenant with cold eyes, saw that he looked arrogant, and more and more understood that it was him who had the problem, so he asked the county order: "My lord, let me ask a few eyewitnesses." ”

As he spoke, he walked up to the witness and asked, "You said that I killed Wang Xiancheng, am I holding a knife in my left hand or a knife in my right hand?" ”

"Right hand," said the witness.

Xiao Rui smiled: "I was injured in my right hand yesterday, and I am good at my left hand, you are lying!" ”

The witness hurriedly changed his words: "My lord, I was stupid at the time, and I may not be able to see clearly." ”

"If you can't see clearly, you can see my face clearly? What's more, killing an ordinary person is worth the three of us at the same time? Xiao Rui said sarcastically: "The unity soldiers and the catcher are fully armed, and they can't take the three of us, so we need to shoot at the same time?" Lord Prefectural Commander, please also be clear. ”

The old county magistrate was not stupid, he also saw that there was a problem with the witnesses, and immediately ordered the officials to torture to extract confessions, and the soldier said: "Witnesses, you have to think clearly, if you don't tell the truth again, you will be punished!" ”

The county lieutenant wanted to participate again, but was shouted by the old county order: "County lieutenant, you step down!" If this person doesn't recruit, he will be killed directly! ”

The official immediately pressed the witness with a water and fire stick, frightening him into a daze, and suddenly, a government officer raised a water and fire stick and hit his buttocks, snapping...

"My lord, I'll recruit, I'll recruit!" After only one blow, the witnesses could not bear it and wailed and confessed.

The old county magistrate raised his head, stopped the cane punishment, and asked, "Recruit from the truth!" ”

The witness pointed to the county lieutenant and said, "It was the county lieutenant who asked the villain to say this, it's him!" ”

The county lieutenant's face was gloomy, he originally thought that by leading people out of the horse, he would be able to capture and kill three people on the grounds of arrest, but he didn't expect that the success would fall short, and the plan would be revealed at this time.

But the county lieutenant's mind turned quickly, and he immediately clenched his fists and said: "My lord, the lower official is guilty, when we found out that Wang Xiancheng was killed, we didn't see the real murderer, but the evidence showed that the three of him were suspicious, so in order not to let go of these three real murderers, we made this decision." ”

"Hmph, knowing the law and breaking the law, the official will punish your crime later!" The old county commander glared at the county lieutenant, then his face changed, and he said to Xiao Rui with a smile: "Three, the evidence is insufficient, you are acquitted." ”

Xiao Rui smiled: "This matter is not over yet!" Lord County Order, the death of the county is not trivial, if you don't find it out, how can you give an explanation to the imperial court? It's better to harshly interrogate the wife of the bandit leader, maybe you can get the truth from her! I suspect that it was not the head catcher Ma Dong who colluded with the bandits! ”

"No!" The county lieutenant immediately shouted: "The death of the county leader, why do you want to interrogate the mother-in-law of the bandit leader, isn't this a mess, my lord, although the three of them are acquitted, they are still suspicious." What's more, how can the yamen handle affairs and allow the peddlers and pawns to join in, my lord, the lower officials applied to expel them out. ”

The old county magistrate also saw the restrained voice of the county lieutenant, so he was shocked and shouted: "Someone, bring the wife of the bandit leader!" ”

Soon, the woman was pressed into the courtroom.

Seeing that Xiao Rui and the three of them were safe and sound, resentment appeared on the woman's pitiful face.

Xiao Rui thought about it, and felt that he would be wronged by the county lieutenant, in the final analysis, it was a matter of bandits, so it seems that the person who colluded with the bandits was not as simple as the nephew of the county lieutenant, and it seemed that he was also deceived by benevolence.

"The sinner woman in the hall, recruited from the truth, who is in the yamen who colludes with you!" The old county commander blew his beard and glared.

The woman was pitiful and kept kowtowing, still identifying Ma Dong as the perpetrator.

The old county commander was furious, and immediately served with a large punishment and twenty rods.

Twenty water and fire sticks went down, and the woman's buttocks were already bloody and fleshy, and she was lying on the ground in pain so much that she couldn't even breathe.

"Still not recruiting?" The old county commander shouted.

But the woman was still hard-mouthed.

Xiao Rui sighed, somewhat admired this woman's hardness and perseverance, and said, "Sinner, do you think that if you don't say it, you won't be able to find anything?" It's just a matter of time. You can't escape the death penalty for today's events, I can promise you to bring your son into the capital, although he is a slave, but he lives better than others, are you willing to tell the truth? ”

The woman turned her head, stared at Xiao Rui, and said in a vague voice, "Who are you?" ”

Xiao Rui took out the prince's order from his arms and shouted: "His Royal Highness is the seventh prince of Great Xia, Xiao Rui is also!" ”

In an instant, there was silence in the public hall.

The old county commander hurriedly came down to salute.

The county lieutenant staggered, slumped on the ground, and looked at Xiao Rui with wide eyes.

After a few moments, everyone in the hall knelt down to see it.

Xiao Rui looked at the sinner woman on the ground, her eyes were dead, but then surprise appeared, and she shouted: "Your Highness, the sinner is willing to recruit, she is a county lieutenant, his original name is Ding Dakai, and he is the sworn brother of my family. ”

As soon as these words came out, the hall was in an uproar again.

County lieutenant, no, Ding Dakai closed his eyes and finally lowered his head, he knew that he was finished.

The old county commander was stunned for a long time before he reacted.