Seeing Li Xiaoqi coming in, the two hurriedly stood up, Shui Lian came over a few steps, personally helped Li Xiaoqi remove the hat, and said with a smile: "The fifth master came just in time, several adults from the Sansi Yamen have just arrived and are drinking tea in the back hall." Li Xiaoqi thanked Shui Lian with a smile, turned his head to look at Shui Yan, Shui Yan didn't wait for her to ask, and said with a smile: "Don't worry, everything is right." Li Xiaoqi breathed a sigh of relief, walked behind the dark curtain, picked up the curtain with his fingers, and looked out.

The yamen of this prefecture and county, in the middle of the back, is a half-person high platform, the judge sits on this platform and looks down on all beings, it is really high, behind the platform and on both sides are hanging heavy and majestic curtains, now Li Xiaoqi and Shui Yan and others are listening to the trial behind the curtain on the left side of the platform, from here, the situation in the hall is unobstructed, but you can't see the officials of the three divisions on the stage.

"The people of the three divisions?" Li Xiaoqi put down the curtain, turned his head to look at Shui Yan and asked half a sentence, Shui Yan nodded, and replied in a low voice: "The Criminal Department is the acting of the second master, over there in Dali Temple, Zhou Haiqi, the secretary of Dali Temple, actually came in person, although Zhou Haiqi is a little related to the side branch of the Guo family, but he is a righteous person, and Yan Shenyuan came from Yushitai." Li Xiaoqi frowned slightly, this Yan Shen is a native of Qingzhou, born in poverty, known for his incorruptible strengths, and has a very high reputation, he is a Hai Rui-style character, why is he here? Who asked him to come? Li Xiaoqi exhaled softly, forget it, I can't take care of this at this time, this is really dancing on the tip of the knife, dancing well, just rush Yan Shenyuan These three words, the anger on the scholar's side can be calmed down, as for Zhou Haiqi•••••• it is good to be upright, this scene is a conspiracy, and he is not afraid of uprightness.

There was a sound of footsteps behind the curtain, several people were busy, not daring to say more, the front hall was majestic, Li Xiaoqi picked up the curtain and looked outside, Shui Yan picked up the curtain on the other side, and looked at the majestic third-class officials in the hall with a solemn face.

Shui Tong followed the two prison women up, kneeling on the right side of the lobby with their heads down, and Shen knelt on the left side of the lobby with his slender and pitiful knees, his shoulders swaying from time to time, as if he was sobbing non-stop.

On the high platform, there was a sharp startling sound, and an official dialect with a thick local accent sounded, and he read it at length, and asked Shui Tong majestically: "Chen Shui's, what this official reads, is it all true?" Shui Tong knelt on the ground, did not move or speak, and the official speech with a thick accent stopped for a long time, probably listening to someone's whisper, and ordered: "Since you have entrusted the lawyer, call in." ”

Shen Shi hurriedly raised his head, half-turned and looked nervously at the entrance of the yamen, Uncle Shui Yan, Zhenning Hou Shui Qingming's Qingqing Sect Qing Ke Su Wanfang was dressed in a green cloth robe, holding a bamboo paper folding fan in his hand, and entered the lobby with a smile and a modest expression, and first greeted the head of the stage: "Student Su Wanfang has seen all the adults. ”

"Since you are a man of merit, how do you become a lawyer?" The official with a thick accent asked obviously unpleasantly, Su Wanfang arched his hand, and replied sincerely: "This is an adult caring for students, back to adults, this is the first time that a student has been a lawyer, and he is only looking forward to the last time, it is this case that makes the student's heart like a stone, and he is depressed in his chest, and he really can't turn a blind eye." ”

"In that case, have you also read this complaint? Can what the lawsuit says be true? ”

"Lord Hui, the lawsuit paper said that Chen Shui's vase killed her husband Chen Zhongliang is true." Su Wanfang's answer was very simple, this answer was beyond almost everyone's expectations, the lobby was silent for a while, such a confession, what else is the trial of this case, this can be decided!

"My lord, the student has something to ask Chen Shen and his servants, and ask for your permission." Su Wanfang asked respectfully and kindly.

"Accurate!"

Su Wanfang got permission, took two steps to the left, seven or eight steps away from the Shen family, the first chief greeted the salute, and said politely: "Sister-in-law Chen, please mourn, there are some consultation offices in Su Wanfang, if there is anything wrong, this will be the first to be punished." Shen looked at Su Wanfang vigilantly and in astonishment, biting his lip and not answering, this surnamed Su was too polite, she was a concubine, where could she be a 'sister-in-law'?

"Where does Sister-in-law Chen live now?"

"East Gate Five Finger Hutong." Shen was even more vigilant, and refused to say a word, Su Wanfang politely asked, "Who are the people in the mansion?" ”

Shen stared at Su Wanfang deadly, biting his lip and being silent for a moment before replying in a low voice: "Now I only have a concubine and a son." ”

"And what about the old days?" Su Wanfang asked, Shen Shi looked up at the presiding judge on the high platform, and saw that the three of them looked at her, and they didn't mean to speak, so they had to lower their eyes and replied in a low voice: "When the master is alive, there is still the master." ”

"That is to say, when Lord Chen was there, in the house of the East Gate Five Finger Hutong, there were only Lord Chen, you and Lingzi, but like this?"

"Yes!"

"The East Gate Five Fingers Hutong is the ancestral residence of the Chen family?"

"It's not!" Shen categorically denied: "It's the house that the concubine bought after entering Beijing!" ”

"Huh?!" Su Wanfang expressed his astonishment from words to expression: "Before Lord Chen was raised, he spent his days eating porridge in the temple, and after the middle lift, he married the daughter of the Shui family, and I heard that the degree of application was supported by the dowry of the Shui family. ”

Shen suddenly understood Su Wanfang's intentions, his face was pale, he stared at Su Wanfang fiercely, and replied coldly: "It's all my dowry!" It's all my dowry! ”

Su Wanfang turned around and arched his hand at the stage and said: "My lord, the student wants to adjust the Chen Shen family's dowry list to take a look, the five-finger alley mansion is connected to the garden, it is very valuable, please ask for your permission." There was a buzz on the stage, and after a moment, a gentle standard Kaiping Mansion official replied: "Yes, someone mentioned the list of Shen's dowry." One of the scribes standing in the audience agreed, took a few steps back, and walked out of the hall with two officials. Shen had a slight sneer on her face, calm, now she is an orphan and widow, this money matter is the most important, the day the lord breathed, she wrote all the assets in the house into her dowry list, now think about it, it's too late!

Su Wanfang watched the scribe and the official go out, turned his head to look at Shen, and then asked kindly, "How old is Ling Lang this year?" ”

"Three years old."

"My lord," Su Wanfang turned around and arched his hand towards the stage and said, "Shen Shizi is outside now, the student wants to invite Shen Shizi in, please take a look." There was silence on the stage for a moment, and Shen looked at Su Wanfang blankly, what was he going to do? Is it possible that if you take away the wealth, you can't take the son again?

"Bring it in." Speaking on the stage, the servant led a servant woman about thirty years old in, knelt beside Shen in fear, Su Wanfang squatted beside Shen's son, touched a piece of halva from his arms and handed it over, and said to Shen Shizi who was writhing in the nurse's arms with an amiable smile: "You are really a good boy, what's your name?" Shen Shizi reached out and grabbed the halva in Su Wanfang's hand, raised it to his mouth and licked it twice, and replied vaguely: "Jade!" ”

"Ayu, who is this?" Su Wanfang pointed at Shen and asked,

"Auntie!" Ayu said, about to throw herself into Shen's arms, the nurse was busy hugging him, Su Wanfang motioned to the nurse to turn around, let Ayu look at Shui Tong and asked, "Ayu is really amazing, you tell me again, who is that?" ”

Ayu looked at Su Wanfang's hand, shook his head heavily, and replied crisply: "I don't know!" Su Wanfang stood up, looked at the nurse and asked, "Who are you hugging?" ”

The nurse was nervous, and she was also inexplicably listening, and hurriedly replied: "My young master." ”

"Who is she?" Su Wanfang pointed at Shen and asked, and the nurse was even more confused: "My grandmother." Su Wanfang stood up and arched his hand towards the stage: "My lord, the students of the Shen family say hello, there are several servants in the Wuzhi Hutong Mansion at the East Gate of the Chen family and the old servants of the Shen family outside, and the students also want to invite them to come over the hall to inquire." ”

The presiding judge agreed, and the official took the nurse and Ayu down, and led a middle-aged servant, two mothers-in-law, and a girl in, Su Wanfang walked to the middle-aged servant standing on the far right and asked with an honest face, "What's your name?" When did you enter the Chen family? What are you doing now? ”

"Back to the adult, the little one is called Zhang Youxi, who sold himself to our lord's mansion three years ago, and now he works as an errand in the concierge and also works as an errand for some purchases."

"There are some people in the Chen family."

"Back to my lord, our lord's family has a simple population, that is, the lord, and now the lord is gone, and our grandmother, and our little master." Zhang Youxi replied awkwardly, Su Wanfang took half a step back, and asked with a smile, "Which is your grandmother?" You point. Zhang Youxi's face was inexplicable, but his finger simply pointed at Shen.

"What about that person? Have you seen it? Her surname is Shui, I've heard of it. Su Wanfang pointed to Shui Tong and asked, Zhang Youxi swallowed his saliva, hung his head and replied: "Lord Hui, I have never seen it, I have heard of it, and I only heard it on the day my lord died." ”

"How? Which ones you hear, say them as they are. ”

"It was said that the old man was beaten to death by his former grandmother, just this sentence, the little errand never dared to be obedient to pass the word, the old man died, such a big thing, I just heard it." Zhang Youxi followed up and explained a few more words.

"Grandma from the past!" Su Wanfang stretched out his hand and patted Zhang Youxi's shoulder, said with emotion, turned his head to look at the mother-in-law standing next to Zhang Youxi and asked, "What's your surname?" Where is the errand? ”

"Back to my lord, the little woman's surname is Gu, and she is a combing woman who often goes to Chen's house."

"Who are the people in the Chen Mansion?"

"Back to the adult, what the little woman knows, is Master Chen, Shen Da/Grandma, and a little young master, on the day of Master Chen's death, the little woman heard that Master Chen was stoned to death by the grandmother of the main house, but the little woman was startled, the little woman went back and forth to Chen's house for a year, and the whole and bottom respected Shen Da/Grandma, and the little woman naturally respected the main house/grandma, I never heard of a grandmother, and I didn't hear anyone mention a word! Is! The little woman still can't figure out which is the grandmother of the main house, maybe it is two big? Anyway, the little woman killed her, and the little woman didn't believe that Shen Da/Grandma was a concubine, what was that concubine? Can it be so noble? Isn't that the opposite? The more the woman talked, the more Su Wanfang stopped her with a smile: "Mama Gu said it so clearly, thank you Mama Gu." As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the old woman in her forties standing beside Gu Pozi and asked, "What's your surname?" What errands? ”

"Lord Hui, the slave's surname is Cui, and she is grandma's companion."

"How did your grandmother get into the Chen family?"

"My lord, our grandmother is also from a well-read official family, and her dowry is rich, how can she be a concubine? Naturally, it is three media and six hires, sitting in a sedan chair to enter the door, but our lord said that the eunuch bag is shy and unable to do a big job, although the grandmother said that the dowry is rich, but she does not love the false name, the lord said so, those virtual and lively things, naturally can be saved on the save, the day of marriage, but invited a few people who often come and go in Texas to drink a glass of water and wine. Cui Pozi said angrily, Shen pursed his lips tightly, staring at Cui Pozi, trembling all over, what are they going to do? How could Mama Cui say such a thing? Her family is very poor, her father took advantage of the darkness, and a green cloth sedan chair sent her into the old man's house. She's her nurse, and she won't hurt her! What is she going to do?!

Without waiting for Su Wanfang to speak, Mrs. Cui continued angrily: "The master never said that there is a grandmother in the main house!" He told our grandmother that he had been married, but the Shui family was arrogant and jealous, holding a noble birth, without him in his eyes, and without the ancestors of the Chen family, he committed the rule of unfilial piety and jealousy, he had already put the Shui family away, who knew that there was a grandmother in the main house today! What is our grandmother? What kind of reason is this? The person who was divorced still has the face to claim to be the daughter-in-law of the Chen family?! ”

Su Wanfang let out a long sigh, turned around and shook himself to the end on the stage: "My lord, this is the reason why the student's chest is blocked with stones and he is angry!" It's really not unpleasant! This Chen Zhongliang was first noble in the Mu Shui family, and wanted to climb this big tree with deep roots and lush leaves, married the daughter of the Shui family, and then became obsessed with the Shen family, in order to deceive the Shen family and wealth, this Chen Zhongliang loved the softness of the Shen family, and the pepper room was favored, and he was treated as a wife, and he abandoned his parents and daughters, but he made friends with Shilin in the name of the son-in-law of the Shui family, which is really shameless! Poor Shen daughter lives deep in the inner house, how can she know what this shameless person is doing outside? Now there is no wife or concubine, the son is difficult to understand, the poor Shui daughter was divorced but there is no rest book, and the weak son is bitter like Coptis chinensis, but he bears the name of jealousy and unfilial piety, and the shameless one has both people and money, and the name is clear, my lord, we are tied up and taught, read the books of the sages, and cultivate the family, but let the ruthless, unjust, incorruptible, shameful, and unkind and unrighteous people mix with Shilin, and harm such a poor and weak woman, how can I bear it? Students think about it, can't sleep all night, can't not speak, can't not sue for it! Please be aware of it! ”