Su Qingmo then looked at Pei Lin who was lazily spreading out on the chair on the side, "Cousin, did my aunt say when you will be married?" ”

Pei Lin pretended not to hear.

Su Qingmo asked again, and Pei Lin resigned himself to his fate with some helplessness: "Why do you become a relative, and I have to follow suit?" ”

"It's not that I'm in a hurry, I'm in a hurry for my uncle and aunt."

Although the Pei family's family business is not as good as the Su family, it is not much smaller, Pei Lin has been ready not to take over the Pei family since he followed the head of the Pure Sky Dao, and the Pei family also has a younger son, since the eldest son is unwilling to take over, Pei's father and Pei's mother naturally do not force it, but Pei's mother, who is not worried about the affairs of the family, is very worried about the eldest son's lifelong events.

Who knew that as soon as her words landed, Pei Lin got up and walked out, saying as he walked: "My cousin told my mother to let her relax, and I will naturally get married when fate comes." ”

Su Qingmo was so angry that he looked like a dead pig was not afraid of boiling water.

On the second day, Pei Lin and Wei Xu got up and waited in the hall of the inn, and after Su Qingmo and Mu Yuanjing came down, they ordered Xiao Er to eat.

After the four of them finished breakfast, they returned to Mu Yuanjing and Su Qingmo's room together.

Mu Yuanjing took a cup of tea, took a sip and asked Wei Xu, "How is the situation of that family?" ”

"Back to the prince, our people are not familiar with Qingshui Town, so there is not much useful information investigated, but my subordinates inquired about one person yesterday."

"Who?"

Wei Xu continued: "This person's name is San'er, he specializes in selling news, he has been living in Qingshui Town, so he knows all the big and small things in Qingshui Town, and his subordinates plan to report to you and then go to him to ask about that family." ”

Mu Yuanjing did not object, and Wei Xu bowed and exited the room.

After Wei Xu left, Pei Lin got up and said with a smile: "If the prince has no orders, he will go back to his room and sleep again." ”

Mu Yuanjing ignored him, Pei Lin waved his hand at Su Qingmo and left.

Leaving Mu Yuanjing and Su Qingmo alone in the room, Su Qingmo took out the unfinished book, leaned on the couch and read it as usual in the palace, Mu Yuanjing sat down beside her, holding a chess book in his hand and studying it.

Time passed unconsciously, and Yongan said outside the door: "Lord Wang, Fang Cheng has done it." ”

Mu Yuanjing asked people to come in, Yongan pushed the door open, and then Fang Mubei walked in.

When he saw Su Qingmo, Fang Mubei's eyes lit up obviously, "My subordinates have seen the princess and the prince." What is the king's order to call his subordinates forward? ”

He put down the chess game in his hand and looked at Fang Mubei, "I called you here to let you test a pair of bones." ”

Before Fang Mubei could speak, Wei Xu walked in again, "Lord Wang, my subordinates have something important to report." ”

Wei Xu's tone Mu Yuanjing was very familiar, and he had a bad premonition in his heart.

As he expected, the next moment Wei Xu said: "A headless male corpse was found in the pig barn of a family in the east of Qingshui Town. ”

The atmosphere in the room froze instantly.

Mu Yuanjing asked, "Do you know the identity of the male corpse?" ”

Su Qingmo sighed in his heart.

I only heard Wei Xu continue: "Because no one reported the disappearance, it was impossible to verify the identity of the male corpse, but the subordinates found something on the male corpse. ”

He stretched out his hand, and an object lay quietly in his palm.

Su Qingmo left the couch, held his breath and slowly stepped forward, staring at Wei Xu's palm, and after a while, he asked in a daze, "Are you sure?" ”

Wei Xu looked at the nuclear carved wooden pendant in his hand, was silent for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "My subordinates are sure that the identity of the headless male corpse is the child named Amu that the princess saw yesterday..."

Su Qingmo gasped heavily, his hands clenched, and his face turned a little pale.

Mu Yuanjing was worried about her body, helped her sit back on the couch, turned around and instructed Wei Xu, "Inform the Qingshui Town Yamen that this case will be taken over by this king." ”

Wei Xu replied: "Please forgive the prince, the first time his subordinates recognized the identity of the deceased, they made their own decisions, and retired from the cadres of the Yamen of Qingshui County, and replaced them with our people." ”

"You're doing the right thing."

Su Qingmo's mood calmed down and looked at Mu Yuanjing, "Lord Wang, I want to go to the scene to have a look." ”

Wei Xu stopped: "Princess, the scene is really... You better not go. ”

Su Qingmo didn't say anything, and looked at Mu Yuanjing stubbornly, and finally Mu Yuanjing had to agree: "Okay, I'll take you there." ”

Without delay, several people got into the carriage and drove towards the place where the body was found.

There were a few sporadic people walking around the scene, and because of the guard of the Hidden World, the people did not have a chance to get close to the scene, and slowly dispersed.

Su Qingmo was helped out of the carriage, and as soon as he and Mu Yuanjing stood still, a man in an official uniform walked not far away.

The man walked closer, bowed humbly and said, "Xiaguan Kang Sihai, meet the King of Linchuan, Princess Linchuan." ”

"Kangzhi County doesn't have to be polite."

Kang Sihai stood up, with a flattering smile on his face, "The lower officials don't know that the prince has arrived, and there have been many negligences in the past few days, and I hope that the prince will forgive him." ”

Mu Yuanjing said coldly: "This king is only here to handle the case, and Kangzhi County will go and get busy." ”

The expression on Kang Sihai's face cracked for a moment, but after a moment, it returned to normal, and the smile on his face was not reduced, "Xia Guan can't bear to feel panic among the people because of this matter, and I hope that the prince will allow Xia Guan to accompany him to handle the case together." ”

Mu Yuanjing didn't bother to talk nonsense with him anymore, and instructed Yong'an beside him: "Send Lord Kang away, don't let Lord Kang appear in the sight of this king and the princess during his stay in Qingshui Town." ”

After Mu Yuanjing's words were finished, Kang Sihai's face finally became embarrassed, and he couldn't stay any longer, so he had to follow Yong'an and leave the scene half-voluntarily and semi-forcedly.

After sending Kang Sihai away, Mu Yuanjing led people into a house in the east of the town.

The family of the person who found the body lived in good conditions, living in a two-room house.

Mu Yuanjing asked Wei Xu as he walked inside, "What is the terrain around the pig house where the corpse was found?" ”

Wei Xu replied: "The pig house is located in the courtyard at the back of the main house, built next to the south and north walls, covering a large area, if the murderer throws the body, then just stand outside the wall and throw it into the pig house." ”

Wei Xu thought for a while, and then said: "And the deceased is a half-old child, not heavy, it will be easier to throw the body." ”

As he spoke, Wei Xu took Mu Yuanjing, Su Qingmo and others through the main house to the piggery, which was cleaned cleanly, and the smell was not as pungent as imagined.

Su Qingmo was mentally prepared, walked to the pig barn step by step, glanced inside, and his complexion changed suddenly.

There were several large, fat and white adult pigs in the pig barn, and the hermit was driving them to a corner of the pig house with bamboo poles.

The corpse was missing a head, and by its size it was a half-grown child, lying on its stomach in tattered clothes, its limbs tattered.

After observing the initial scene, Fang Mubei asked the body to be carried out, and then carefully examined it.

Su Qingmo had been forcibly sent back to the carriage by Mu Yuanjing, so there were only a few men left at the scene.

Fang Mubei finally got up and said after looking at it for a long time: "Lord Wang, the deceased is indeed an eight- or nine-year-old child, and according to the physical evidence provided by Wei Xu, the identity of the deceased can be determined." ”

This is both good news and bad news.

The good news is that the identity of the deceased has been confirmed, and the bad news is naturally that the deceased is really Amu.

Wei Xu twisted his eyebrows and asked, "How can there be so many injuries on the deceased's body?" ”

Fang Mubei asked the person in the hermit to take a piece of cloth and cover the corpse, and replied, "The wound on the deceased's body was caused not long ago, as for the maker. ”

He pointed to the barn with his chin, "That's them." ”

Wei Xu was puzzled: "What does it have to do with these pigs?" ”

"Naturally, it is related, because the deceased has a gnawing wound on his body."

Fang Mubei sighed, and continued: "Don't think that pigs are vegetarians, they are omnivorous animals and eat everything, including corpses, it is estimated that the murderer threw the deceased here for this reason, I think the murderer should want to destroy the clues on the corpse." ”

Wei Xu looked at the freed pigs in the pig barn, and then at the corpses covered with white cloths, and there was an irrepressible feeling of vomiting in his throat.

Mu Yuanjing gave Wei Xu time to buffer, and when he saw that he was better, he instructed Fang Mubei: "Carry the body back to the yamen and examine it carefully, and send someone from the hidden world to guard the place where the body is placed, and no one is allowed to approach." ”

Fang Mubei was ordered to leave, and Mu Yuanjing asked Wei Xu, "Who was the first person to find the deceased?" ”

Wei Xu led Mu Yuanjing out of the backyard where the pig house was located, and came to the front hall, where an ordinary-looking man was waiting in the hall, and the man saw someone coming in and hurriedly left his seat.

"The grass people are thick, please meet the adults."

Mu Yuanjing was invited into the upper seat, and Wei Xu introduced on the side: "Lord Wang, this person is the first person to find the body. ”

Shi Houyi, who had just stood up, heard Mu Yuanjing's identity, and knelt down in a panic, so nervous that he couldn't spit out a word.

Mu Yuanjing didn't care about his faux pas, and asked after getting up, "How did you find the deceased?" ”

Shi Hou's voice was still unconsciously tense, "When the grass people fed the pigs, they found that the food in the pig trough had not decreased, so the grass people went into the pig house to see if the pigs were sick and did not eat, but after a few steps, they found a human arm in the middle of the pigs, and after the pigs were pushed away, the grass people saw the corpses. ”

When Shi Hou spoke, Mu Yuanjing was quietly looking at his demeanor, and there was nothing unusual except for some nervousness.

"Did you hear anything last night?"

Shi Hou shook his head.

Mu Yuanjing didn't ask any more, and led people out of the Shi family, and after leaving the gate of the Shi family, Mu Yuanjing instructed Yong'an: "Take Amu's parents to the inn." ”

Yong'an left with a few guards from the Hidden World, and Mu Yuanjing got into the carriage, and the driving was naturally replaced by Wei Xu.

Su Qingmo was waiting in the car with her handstove in her hands, and she hurriedly looked at him after Mu Yuanjing came up.

Although he felt a little unbearable in his heart, Mu Yuanjing still spoke: "It is indeed that child. ”

Su Qingmo said with a little wistfulness: "Do the people in his family know?" ”

This is the reason why Mu Yuanjing asked Yongan to bring Amu's parents to the inn, his son has been missing for so long, but the parents have not reported the case, so he has to wonder if Amu's death is related to the two.

But he couldn't say this to Su Qingmo.

So Mu Yuanjing changed the topic and said: "Your face is very bad, take a break, I have already asked people to notify the child's parents." ”

After he mentioned it, Su Qingmo did feel the discomfort in his body, so he no longer held on, retracted into Mu Yuanjing's arms and slowly closed his eyes.

The carriage didn't go long before it stopped, Mu Yuanjing walked into the room with the person in his arms, put the person down, and pulled the brocade quilt on the side to cover it, and then turned around and walked out of the room.

Wei Xu had been waiting outside, and when he saw Mu Yuanjing coming out, he hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Lord Wang, Yong'an has come back with someone." ”

"Where's the person?"

"It's in Yong'an's room."

When Mu Yuanjing entered the door, a man and a woman in the room were kneeling on the ground, both of them with their heads bowed.

Wei Xu asked Yongan with his eyes, and Yongan hurriedly explained: "I asked them to sit on the chair and wait, but they didn't listen to anything. ”

Mu Yuanjing didn't let the two of them get up, but asked coldly, "Are you two guilty?" ”

The man's shoulders shook when he heard this, and his face turned pale and raised his head to look at Mu Yuanjing in fear, "The grass people don't know... What a crime committed..."

Mu Yuanjing's brows furrowed slightly.

He shifted his gaze to the woman beside the man, "You don't know? ”

The people in the room fell silent, and the sluggish woman waited for a moment before realizing that the words were directed at her, and she slowly raised her head, with obvious trepidation in her eyes, and said softly, "The women don't know either." ”

Seeing that the demeanor of the two did not seem to be fake, Mu Yuanjing let the two of them stand up from the ground.

The man staggered to his feet, then lifted the woman up.

When the two got up, they asked, "Who is in the house?" ”

The man first glanced at the woman beside him, and then replied: "Lord Hui, the grass people's name is Qiao Chunlai, and there are no old people in the family, only a wife and a pair of children. ”

He tugged at the sleeve of the woman beside him, and continued, "This is Qiao Lin, the wife of the grass people. ”

Mu Yuanjing continued to ask: "Your husband and wife have left, who will take care of the children in the family?" ”

Qiao Chunlai was about to speak, when Qiao Lin on the side interrupted: "Back to my lord, the children were picked up by their uncle yesterday. ”

"Where do people live?"

This time, Qiao Lin didn't speak, but Qiao Chunsheng replied: "The eldest brother of the grass people lives in the capital and does some small business, and he will pick up Amu and Xiaohua to live in the capital for a few days when he has time on weekdays." ”

Mu Yuanjing didn't ask any further, and asked Yongan to send the two out.

After the two left, Wei Xu was puzzled: "Why didn't the prince tell them about Amu's murder?" ”

Mu Yuanjing couldn't say why, he always felt that the relationship between the two was a little strange, and it was because of this strangeness that he didn't speak rashly.

"What did you get from the guy named San'er?"

Wei Xu didn't hold on to the questions, and after listening to Mu Yuanjing's question, he replied: "According to San'er, Qiao Chunsheng and his family came to Qingshui Town three years ago, and during the time they lived in Qingshui Town, the two didn't interact much with the people around them, and Qiao Chunsheng supported his family by doing some small business, so there was no more information." ”

Mu Yuanjing thought for a while, "In other words, this family has lived in Qingshui Town for three years, but it has always been a mystery in the eyes of the neighbors and the people around them?" ”

Wei Xu nodded, "But my subordinates learned something from their neighbors." ”

"What?"

"Qiao Chunsheng is a little afraid of guilt."

Mu Yuanjing's fingers in the sleeve rubbed slightly, "Why do you say that?" ”

Wei Xu said with a smile on his face: "The neighbor next door to Qiao's family said that late one night, when he got up at night, he heard Qiao Chunsheng's begging for mercy and Qiao Lin's scolding from Qiao's family, and the neighbor could listen to it vigorously, but after a while, the voice fell silent, and it never sounded again. ”

Wei Xu spoke energetically, and Su Qingmo walked in at this time.

"When did you wake up?"

"Not long after I woke up, how could the prince come to Yong'an's room?"

"I asked Yong'an to bring Amu's parents to meet them."

Su Qingmo's expression moved, "Amu's matter... They know? ”

Mu Yuanjing shook his head, "I think the two of them are a little strange, so I didn't mention Amu's matter." ”

Su Qingmo didn't understand what she meant, so Mu Yuanjing told her in detail what happened when she was asleep.

After listening to this, Su Qingmo also felt weird, but he couldn't tell what the weird was.