Boss Shen sat on the edge of the kang with his legs soft and his buttocks. Hao Er twisted his body and froze on the spot, and it took a while to come back to his senses, and he moved his lips and asked softly, "How are you tonight?" Are you going to scare us to death? Xiao Luzi smiled bitterly, picked up a cup of herbal tea and drank it, took a long breath, and told Boss Shen and Hao Er about the situation where he saw Liu Kang colluding with Cao Rui to murder He Luying in the East Courtyard just now: "Didn't you see He Daotai to send Liu Futai?" That's not 'He Daotai' at all, it's his mother's Cao Rui dressed up! At that time, He Ye was already hanging on the beam of the house! ”

Boss Shen and Hao Er were stunned, their crooked faces were full of horror, their eyes were straight and unblinking, like two frozen zombies, looking at Xiao Luzi motionlessly. At this time, it was already three o'clock, and the old trees in the courtyard were swaying like ghosts, looking strange and gloomy......

"Emperor Bodhisattva!" A gust of wind blew, wrapped in a wet rain and mist, and Boss Shen trembled, as if he was shivering with the cold, and said in a trembling voice, "Is this true?" Don't be dreaming! ”

"Believe it or not." Xiao Luzi glanced at Hao Er and said, "I hope I'm dreaming." Second brother, I see that you can still hold on, you go to the back window of the north house in the east courtyard to take a look...... I won't dare to go back to that land for the rest of my life......"

Hao Er looked at the dark sky outside, rolled up his trousers silently, put on his robe, and saw that the lights were still on in the house of the guy in the west ear room, and said loudly: "The noon cannon has been fired, isn't it still a corpse?" The lights went out in the room. Boss Shen's fat face was full of sadness, and he stroked the sparse hair braid at the back of his head and sighed, "It's over now." This shop has been in my hands for five generations, and now it will be lost in my hands! This...... What does this say? Heavenly conscience, I have never used a black heart for money! Some customers died in the store, and the money was returned to the owner's house in its original form - how could he suffer this retribution? As he spoke, his voice had changed tone, and he pulled up his shirt to wipe away his tears. He also said: "You should have shouted out at that time, more than a dozen people in this house rushed in, and took the prisoner on the spot, how much trouble can you save!" ”

"I was scared." Xiao Luzi said, "Later, I thought, fortunately I didn't shout at the time." The people in this house were all brought by Liu Futai, and maybe even our masters will be stewed in a pot to extinguish their mouths. I'm still scared when I think about it! As he was talking, Hao Er was drenched in water, and the color was not color. Seeing Boss Shen staring at him in a daze, Hao Er nodded stiffly, gritted his teeth and said, "These two thieves are really bold, they are still burning paper in that room and packing Lord He's luggage!" ”

Boss Shen screamed in despair, sat back, and jumped up like a spring: "Five or six of us rushed in, grabbed them on the spot, and went to the yamen to beat the drum to report the case, afraid that he would not be able to fly?" Xiao Luzi has always been capable and clever, and at this time he has completely recovered his senses, seeing that Hao Er is also eager to try, he hurriedly said: "Don't!" They are a nest, if they climb us in court, say that it is a black shop, kill officials and frame us, they will immediately give us our lives! Hao Er and Boss Shen were glared at each other. Just as I was doing nothing, there was a sound of footsteps under the porch outside, and it seemed that someone was walking along the porch with his shoes on. The three of them immediately pricked up their ears in alarm, and listened with bated breath. I heard that the man poured a cup of tea on the square table outside the façade, drank it, but did not leave, pushed open the door of the West Ear room and came in, and asked, "Boss Shen, who is in the account room?" When Boss Shen looked up in a daze, he was a guest living in the west wing of the main house, and he only knew that his name was Qian Du, and he was going to Jinan, passing by Dezhou. Qian Du was wearing a gray poplin yarn open air robe, and a black silk horse coat was put on the outside, and the buttons were neatly buttoned, Boss Shen asked in surprise: "What is the matter with Master Qian, why do you want to settle the bill in the middle of the night?" ”

"Yes. To check out. Qian Duwu has a short figure, and a pair of black and bright eyes like pepper beans are embedded in his black and red Chinese character face, which looks extremely shrewd. He sat on the stool opposite Boss Shen with the corner of his robe crossed, took a sip of tea, and said with a smile: "I know everything in the store, I have an urgent matter to go to Jinan, and I can't eat a lawsuit here." He pointed to the ceiling above his head as he spoke. The three of them were startled, and when they looked at the ceiling, they realized that the upper part of the ear room and the west wing room were connected, and the sound of speech was very easy to pass through. Boss Shen thought about it, and there was no reason to implicate the guests, so he sighed: "It's up to you, it's just this storm, how can you walk?" Qian Du snorted and said, "Even if you go under the knife, you have to go." I won't hide it from you, I am a criminal master, and I have been in the Henan Tianzhitai Mansion for a few years, this kind of lawsuit will not come down for two or three years, I am not better than you when I live here alone, and I have to shed my skin if I don't die. Thirty-six plans are the best, so let's settle the bill. With the recommendation letter of the current Henan Sun Fuyuan, I want to stand up in Jinan, and maybe I can help you tide over the difficulties. ”

Xiao Luzi's eyes lit up and said, "At a glance, I know that you have read a big book, so good!" Thirty-six plans to go up, even so, we will also run away from the fuck! "How easy it is for you to say that!" Qian Du chuckled, "This case was not originally done by you, at most it was just a 'human witness', and the case was closed after confirming that someone He committed suicide." As soon as you flee, you will be called 'fearing sin.'" The surname Liu is because he can't find a substitute for the dead ghost, so he painstakingly designed it. If you run away, will he not be able to push the boat and blame you for murder? He analyzed the key point in a few simple words, and when he heard it, he knew that he was indeed a familiar old official, where would a few people let him go? Just begging him to help with the idea. Qian Du pursed his lips and just groaned, and said: "I have to walk quickly, I really can't take care of it, you look at the wind, rain, and night outside......"

"Hao Er, you go and bundle up Master Qian's luggage, and you don't have to settle the account." Boss Shen saw Qian Du's tone, and hurriedly begged, "It's good to come up with ideas for the villains - there is a big mule in the store, I will give Qian Ye as a foot force, and the small ones will be a little filial piety......"

"Hmm......" Qian Du rolled his eyes, stood up with his chin in his hand, thought for a moment and said, "I don't want to affect you at all, this can't be done." There are two meanings that you should keep in mind-" He shook his steps and said slowly: "First, Liu Kang doesn't want to involve you directly in the case, he just wants you to testify, and He Daotai was still 'alive' when he left the store. You will prove this without waiting for the torture. But you also have to explain that Baihe Daotai is a person who doesn't talk much, and he always lives in a simple place, and you don't know his roots. Second, He Daotai 'committed suicide', you don't dare to believe it, you don't dare to believe it, and you have to say the same thing even if you eat a few boards - you must know that such a big case will definitely alarm the imperial court, and there will always be a time when you can't hide it in the future. If you can't stand the fight, let him say, 'Suicide may be real.'" It's a big deal that the East Window incident will happen in the future, and it will be a 'bent into a move'. He smiled, "With these two items, we will keep the fundamentals, and then stuff some money to the yamen up and down, release on bail pending trial, and transfer the floating wealth in the store, and it will not be possible for everyone to suffer here." Boss Shen resisted, and when the case was closed, he quickly sold the house and walked away, so as not to be affected again when the case was overturned in the future. Turning his face, Hao Er had already come in, and asked, "Where is my luggage?" ”

Hao Er hurriedly said: "It's all ready for the master, in the door hole in the back corner of the courtyard on the west side, I'm afraid of alarming the east ......" "Okay, I'll go." Qian Du said calmly, "Just as I said, you will suffer the least loss." Don't be afraid, know that they are even more afraid of you - we'll see you later! As he spoke, he fastened his shoelaces and disappeared into the sound of rain outside the door.

The three of them listened to Qian Du's words like a child listening to a teacher's lecture, and hurriedly discussed, and decided that Hao Er and Xiao Luzi would take all the money in the store and sneak back to the countryside of Sululing overnight to see the wind.

Dezhou Mansion is only more than 300 miles away from Jinan, Qian Du is single, simple in outfit, and also thanks to the big mule in the old store of the Shen family, he can really walk and boil, walk for 12 hours, even hit the tip of the rice, and arrived in Jinan in the early morning of the second day. Qian Du has his own idea in his heart: he is a criminal master, and he is busy going to the Yamen of the Taiwan to defect to Governor Li Wei, even if he takes him in, seeing that there is such a big lawsuit in Texas, and the province will definitely send someone to try this lawsuit. Newcomers inevitably have to take it for "trial", isn't it pouring a basin of hot coals into their arms? As soon as the day dawned, Qian Du stayed in a large inn opposite the governor's yamen.

After living in Jinan for three days, Qian Du enjoyed the view of the green mountains and beautiful waters of the Linquan Temple, what Thousand Buddha Mountain Daming Lake swam all over, and also went to Baotu Spring to taste tea twice, and the case of Dezhou Mansion has caused a sensation in Jinan. People said everything, and some said that He had "madness" and was sick, and he couldn't think of opening the sling; Some say that he hit the evil spirit, and the hanged ghost found him as a substitute; Some say that they have committed sins in their previous lives and have been repaid in this life, and they have been asked for their lives by unjust souls. Naturally, some people say that the cause of He Luying's death is unknown, and there are other reasons. The teahouse and restaurant had different opinions for a while, and Qian Du didn't pay much attention to it, only hearing that the governor Li Wei and the governor Yue Jun had joined forces, and the Yamen had stopped trying other cases. Zhentai Karliang went to Dezhou in person, and consulted with the Dezhou government, and when the official government was closed, Qian Du took the recommendation of the governor of Henan to the Yamen of Taiwan to meet Li Wei. After about a quarter of an hour, I heard the words come from inside: "Please wait outside the detention room for Mr. Qian." Qian Du had to follow Goshha along the corridor and corridor for a while before coming to the gate of the Moon Cave in Yaxi Garden. Hearing the intermittent conversation and coughing in the signing room, he knew that Li Wei was meeting guests, so he stood sideways at the door of the flower hall and waited. Then Goshha went in lightly and didn't know what to say, and came out to tell Qian Du: "My lord, please have tea in the flower hall, Governor Yue and Tang Fantai are discussing inside!" ”

"Please take care of yourself." Qian Du handed a small red envelope to Goshha and said with a smile: "I'll be waiting outside, don't bother." Unexpectedly, Na Goshha stuffed the red envelope back without saying a word, and whispered: "Do things under the Li system, don't dare to break the rules." Laugh away. Qian Du's heart couldn't help but move: I have heard for a long time that Li Weibao is not acceptable, honest and upright, and he really has a good name!

While thinking about it, the voice from the signing room seemed to be a little louder, as if it was a parting greeting. After a while, I saw two officials, one after the other, and walked out of the signing room. Both of them are in their forties, one wears a second-grade flowering coral top, and the other has a sapphire top. Dai Landingzi said while withdrawing: "My lord's jade body is not safe, please stay and ......" Qian Du guessed that these two people were Yue Futai and Tang Fantai. A middle-aged man without a robe, with a rectangular face of medium stature, two dark eyebrows in the shape of an inverted figure-eight, and a pair of triangular eyes occasionally flashed like lightning and stone fire, burning people dare not face it. Qian Du's heart jumped: This is the world-famous "model governor", Li Wei, who is extremely favored by Emperor Yongzheng today!

"The dredging of the canal must be done quickly, and it must be completed before the white dew." Li Wei glanced at Qian Du and smiled at the two adults, "You thieves do a good job!" When a brother enters Beijing, he will definitely say good things to heaven! After the two of them came out of the Moon Cave Gate, Li Wei turned his face and greeted Qian Du with a smile: "It's Mr. Qian, right?" What do you do standing still? Come in and talk! ”

Qian Du didn't expect him to be so easy-going, half of his heart was relieved, he came in steadily, and when he saw that Li Wei was already sitting, he asked for peace with his hands and feet, and carefully handed over Governor Sun's letter of recommendation, and said with a smile: "Sun Futai repeatedly instructed the villain to greet the adult: take good care of your body." Let me bring two catties of ice chips, two catties of white fungus, and say that these are made by adults......" Li Wei opened the letter and said, "Sun Guoxi, this guy is still strong, right?" What else did he say - he had grown so far in his writing! Qian Du speculated on Li Wei's temperament, very heroic, and said with a bold smile: "Sun Futai scolded you, saying that you are like an old skinny dog who is about to fall apart, and you are still reluctant to eat ......."

"Oh?" Li Wei was stunned, suddenly burst into laughter, coughed and said, "...... Good! Well scolded...... This turtle son is still thinking about me! As he spoke, he read the letter. Probably because there were too many words he didn't recognize, he threw the letter on the table and said, "Isn't it just to recommend you to be a master?" Okay, I'll leave you. ”

"Thank you, Lord Maker—"

"Wait." Li Wei waved his hand, there was no smile on his face, and said solemnly: "My rules are known to the world. One is sincerity, I can't read, so I attach great importance to this one. If you want to play with me and fool me with words, I will ask the sword above to slaughter you. The second is to give you a salary of two hundred and fifty taels of silver every month. The world supervises and cares for the master, and no one is willing to give so much. If you don't want to look for me clearly, you just want to take the word 'cheap'. If you play with the mallet in my yamen, you will only die. I'm called Hanako, a villain first and then a gentleman, and ugly words come to the front - don't say it unexpectedly! He suddenly said something, smiled and stopped. Qian Du had already stood up, and said with a straight face: "Dong Weng, just because I admire your personality and talent, the students have come thousands of miles to defect. You can rest assured, Qian Du is a big husband! As he was talking, a Goshha came in and said, "There is a young man outside, fifteen or sixteen years old, who said that he was sent to Suzhou by the inner court to urge the tribute. ”

"Where's the famous thorn? Take a look. ”

"When I went back to the adult, he said it was inconvenient, so he didn't bring it."

"Huh? Don't have a name? ”

"Fucha, Fu Heng."

Li Wei's body trembled, and he quickly got up, and said, "Quick, take me to meet you-" He choked suddenly, coughed out a mouthful of blood, hurriedly covered it with a handkerchief, and gasped for a while: "Fu Heng is Prince Bao's brother-in-law, and he is half of my master-Mr. Qian, please clean up this house, and I will come when I go." Qian Du immediately urged the teahouse and servants to sweep the floor and wipe the table, and personally packed up the documents and case files scattered on the table one by one, and then heard Li Wei's laughter: "The master is used to wearing the shoes made by my mother-in-law, and said that although the appearance is not as good as that of the Suzhou official system, it is well dressed." I made two pairs of soap boots with a black satin green cloth and a mille-feuille, which I originally wanted to bring in on New Year's Day. Since the sixth master is here, he will be a bento ......" Saying that, he personally lifted the curtain and followed Fu Heng in.

Qian Du's eyes lit up suddenly, and he saw Fu Heng wearing a moon-white gauze gown, covered with a purple corduroy baturu buckle vest, a crimson Wolong bag tied around his waist, only slightly revealing the beige tassels, and a pair of soap boots under his feet were half-worn, and the bottom seemed to be powdered, and the brush was snow-white. On the delicate face, there are two black jewel-like pupils, looking forward to the brilliance, and the chic and elegant posture is just like the jade tree in the wind, which makes people forget the vulgar at first sight. Qian Du couldn't help but think in his heart: "The boy who pretends to be Guanyin at the temple fair is not so standard. I don't know his sister - it must be a fairy! Fu Heng was already sitting in a daze, and when he saw Li Wei bowing down to perform a family salute, Fu Heng hurriedly said: "Excuse me, your body is not good." After that, he glanced at Qian Du and asked: "I haven't seen it last time, this is ......" Qian Du is a smart person with news all over his body, he moved as soon as he pressed it, and hurriedly stepped forward and said: "No, Qian Du, the twenty-sixth grandson of King Qianmu of Qiantang, only went to Li Zhitai Mansion to be a guest - the ceremony cannot be abolished, I will give you a greeting on behalf of Dong Weng!" As he spoke, he got up and shook again, and Li Wei laughed when he watched from the side.

"You're very clever, this reward for you." Fu Heng smiled reservedly, took out a few golden melon seeds from his sleeve and threw them into Qian Du's hand, turned his face and asked Li Wei, "How is the case in Texas?" Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't interfere in your affairs. It's just that the emperor is very concerned about this matter, saying that he has always only seen officials who owe money commit suicide, and he has never heard of debt collection, but he is looking for short-sightedness. The emperor has issued an edict to the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of Criminal Affairs to find out the cause of death. Ask the seventeenth prince to write a letter and ask you when I pass through Shandong. I'll just take your words back to Beijing. Li Wei pondered for a moment and said, "This case is handled by Tang Junheng, and I also feel very strange." Tang Junheng has gone through several meetings with Liu Kang, and all confessions have been reported to me by Pegasus. The prefect of the Yamen of the Yamen of the Yamen of the Ministry of Wisdom jointly conducted an autopsy, and it was indeed hanged. The doors and windows were closed from the inside, not to be killed. The deceased had no grudges or enmity with others during his lifetime, unlike being forced to commit suicide because of love and hatred. I was a little suspicious of Liu Kang, because He Luying went to check his deficit, but the treasury reported that Texas only had a deficit of more than 3,000 taels, and he couldn't kill people for it. And the officials of the Texas Mansion and the innkeeper testified that there was nothing abnormal before He died, and that Liu Kang visited him that night, and He also sent him out in person - Fu Si and Zhen Si have returned to this matter a few times, and today they also said that they would close the case by suicide, and I told them not to worry, and we will discuss it again after a meeting. ”

Qian Du was listening and admired Li Wei very much. He thought for a while, and then said slowly: "Producer, please allow me to interject." This is a suspicious case, and it must not be hastily settled. When I came to Jinan for this case, I heard about it, and I always felt that it was not in a good mood to commit suicide, and it was difficult to make sense to kill him. As for what kind of 'unjust' life, I think it's even more outrageous. The sixth master naturally wants to play the emperor when he goes back, this case cannot be decided at the moment, and it is only right to wait and see. "That's right," Li Wei said with a smile, "It's 'suicide is not in love, and he can't kill reason'." Your master is enough for two pounds! Fu Heng bowed his head while listening, glanced at Qian Du appreciatively, changed the topic and asked, "Do you have any fame?" Qian Du hurriedly bowed and said: "The late student is the prisoner who paid the donation in the sixth year of Yongzheng. ”

"Proctors can also take the exam." Fu Heng said and stood up, "Don't stir up here, you have to go back to the post house, I'll go back to Beijing tomorrow, I won't bother you this time, we will meet in a few days." Li Wei got up and said with a smile: "The sixth master is not in a hurry, why delay for a few days?" Oh - you have something to say, what is the news? Fu Heng only pointed upwards with his hand, and resigned without saying anything.

A month later, sure enough, the inner court sent a letter to the court, and because of the vacancy of the governor of Zhili, Li Weishi was ordered to make up for it. The governor of Shandong was appointed by Yue Jun, the governor of Shandong. The governor's yamen immediately became lively as if it had turned over a pool, and people came to pay their respects, celebrate, invite wine, and explain official business. Li Wei had no choice but to deal with it with his spirit, but he couldn't support it, so he retreated and asked his master to accompany him on his behalf. Qian Du's newcomer was not familiar with the people, and it was inconvenient to receive guests, so he asked for an envoy to deliver official documents to the various yamen, and sat in Li Wei's green eight-person official sedan chair every day in Jinan City, and he was also at ease.

There was half a moon in a flash, and on this day I was returning from the Chengdong Money Casting Division to explain the procedures, passing by the door of the inspection envoy's office, and saw a middle-aged woman with a white cloth on her head through the glass window, holding two children in her hands, and crying all the way. The woman came to the sedan chair, hurried to the road, held a burden in both hands, knelt on her legs, and cried out in a loud voice:

"Master Li, Li Qingtian! You are the master of the people's wife, wronged! ”

Qian Du was so frightened by this sudden situation that he trembled, and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. According to the Qing system, only the governor-general, the governor and the feudal officials can sit in an eight-person sedan chair. He took advantage of Li Wei's transfer to discuss the sedan car addiction with the sedan room on his own initiative, which violated the system. What's even more difficult to do is that there was a strict edict in the second year of Yongzheng, whether it is a prince, noble, civil and military official, anyone who has stopped a sedan chair to complain about grievances, all of them will stop the sedan chair for reception, "the book is an eternal example". What can I do now, an impostor? A fine sweat suddenly broke out on the tip of Qian Du's nose. In a daze, the sedan chair has fallen steadily. When Qian Du came to the end, he settled his mind and was not so gentle. I picked up the sedan curtain and walked out, seeing that the crowd of onlookers was gradually gathering around, he hurriedly waved his hand and said: "The sedan chair will be carried back first, and I will walk back by myself." The sedan chair drivers were also interested, and they had already lifted the empty sedan and flew away.

"Sister-in-law, I'm not Li Zhengtai." When Qian Du saw that the sedan chair was gone, his heart was half lowered, and he stepped forward with a smile and said with both hands, "But I'm on an errand by Li Zhitai's side." What wrongs do you have, why don't you go to the Yamen to complain? The woman sobbed: "I am He Li's family, a native of Ningbo-" Before the words were finished, Qian Du already understood in his heart that this was He Luying's wife. She must have found out that the cause of her husband's death was unknown, so she rushed to Jinan to file a complaint. Seeing that there were more and more people around, Qian Du knew that he couldn't stay, so he smiled and said: "This is not the place to talk, please follow me to the Yamen of the Taiwan Making, if you can see Li Zhitai, can you say it happily?" ”

He Li nodded tearfully, pulled the two children to follow Qian Du to the side of the street, and walked along the south wall of the governor's yamen to the governor's yamen. He didn't lead to the main hall, but only took the mother and son to the study room, so he was relieved and said with a smile: "The place is simpler, wait for it, please sit." He Li refused to sit down, blessed his hands and said: "I'm not here to be a guest, please ask the master to give a Li Zhengtai, if he doesn't come out, I have to go out to beat the drum." ”

"You may be seated, Mrs. He." Qian Du saw that she was dignified and not humble or arrogant, and he became more and more convinced of his guess: "If I guessed correctly, you are a person who is observed by Jinan Grain Reserve, and you are a person with a commandment, how can you stand and speak?" "He Li described it as withered and covered with dust; Two children, a boy and a girl. They are all at the age of the total horn, and they are all black eyebrows. The woman couldn't help but be surprised when she saw Qian Du recognize her identity at a glance, nodded and sat down, and asked, "How do you know?" Is it a late husband's old friend? Qian Du nodded vaguely, went out and grabbed a Goshha to whisper a few words, and Goshha agreed to go in. Qian Du turned around and sat down again, and sighed: "I had a one-time friendship with He Guan when he was alive, and now he has passed away, which is lamentable. However, as far as I know, Lord He committed suicide, so why did the widow stop the sedan chair and complain? ”

He Li just sat on the cold bench in the Yamen, and when he saw Qian Du treating him courteously, his ears were hot and his nose was sore, and tears rolled down like beads, and he choked up and said, "Your sir-" Qian Du bowed and said: "Don't dare, my surname is Qian." "Mr. Qian guessed right, I am He Luying's wife." She wiped away her tears and said, "But to say that Lu Ying committed suicide, Mr. is wrong." My husband died violently in Texas, someone poisoned first and then hanged himself to death! ”

"What?!"

Qian Du was taken aback, his legs were stretched and he almost stood up, sat back again, and said in a trembling voice: "Ruren, human life is not a child's play!" ”

He Li shook his fingers to untie the burden. There was a mess inside, with both clothes and silver, and a pair of court robes and boots, spread on the table, pointing and saying: "This is the proof of murder, and the murderer is the prefect surnamed Liu!" ”