"Little stone, what are you holding in your hand?"

At noon that day, Nie Xiaohu looked at the elated Shi Yunning and asked.

"Tiger head, this is the white horse temple's lot-drawing bamboo stick, one or two pieces of silver", Shi Yuning gently stroked a bamboo stick in his hand, as if touching a rare treasure, and his eyes radiated a hot light.

"A bamboo skewer for a tael of silver? Isn't this a money grab? Nie Xiaohu asked in surprise.

"The grand prize is a full thousand taels of silver!" , Shi Yuning pursed his lips, "One tael of silver for a thousand taels, it's not expensive at all!" ”

"Oh, I see, no wonder!" , Nie Xiaohu nodded.

"The lottery will be held the day after tomorrow, how about it, Tiger Head, why don't you also buy a lot to try your luck?"

"Not interested!" , Nie Xiaohu shook his head like a rattle.

"It's only one chance a year!" , Shi Yunning continued to encourage.

"Good luck!" , Nie Xiaohu waved his hand.

"It turns out that there was a lottery in the Tang Dynasty!" , Nie Xiaohu felt a groan in his heart.

"That's right! Tiger Head", Shi Yuning's eyes were full of fantasy, "You said that if I really hit, what should I do?" I've heard that last year, a cookcake seller in Chengfu District won the prize, and the family turned their faces and their brothers didn't recognize it. ”

"If you really get it!" , Nie Xiaohu's eyes rolled.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't go to claim the prize first, go to all your relatives and friends to borrow money!"

"Borrowing money? I've won a thousand taels, what else do I borrow? Shi Yuning asked confusedly.

"Whoever doesn't lend it to you, I think he will have the face to borrow money from you again?!" , Nie Xiaohu laughed twice.

"Holy!"

Shi Yuning was stunned for an instant, and was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses, "It's so reasonable!" ”

"Brother Tiger!"

At this time, Cao Xiaohui walked in quickly, "The guy from the Fuyuan Inn outside the city came to report, saying that the inn recruited a thief last night and lost a piece of jewelry. ”

"Something you lost came to me too?" , Nie Xiaohu's face was obviously a little dissatisfied.

"Listen to me!"

Cao Xiaohui pursed her lips and glared at Nie Xiaohu angrily, "There are still people who have been killed!" ”

"Let's go!" Before the words fell, Nie Xiaohu had already arrived outside the door.

Looking at Nie Xiaohu's back, Cao Xiaohui shook her head, sighed helplessly, and followed quickly.

Fuyuan Inn is a small inn, two floors, a total of ten rooms, located on the side of the road about three miles south of the city.

When Nie Xiaohu and the others arrived, the inn was already in chaos, and when they saw Nie Xiaohu and the others coming, an old man hurriedly greeted them.

"Official, you're here!"

"Who are you and what's going on here?" , Nie Xiaohu asked with a serious face.

"The little old man's name is Feng Kun, and he is the shopkeeper here, official, go and take a look at the back!" , Feng Kun said anxiously.

"Lead the way!"

Nie Xiaohu glanced at everyone in the hall on the first floor, "Everyone here is not allowed to go out!" ”

As soon as Nie Xiaohu's words fell, two catchers immediately stood at the door.

Feng Kun led Nie Xiaohu and the others to the backyard and stopped in front of a small house made of stone.

Nie Xiaohu observed this room, the whole house is made of huge stones, there are no windows, only a stone door, the stone door is locked outside, there is a narrow window on the door, about one meter and a half from the ground, the width is only for a cat to enter and exit, and the windows are sealed with thumb-thick iron railings, the gap between the iron railings is very narrow, even an adult's arm can not pass through.

Nie Xiaohu looked in through the window on the door, there was a wooden bed in a corner of the room, and there was a thick big iron box at the head of the bed, the box was open, and a middle-aged man was lying next to the box, and a large pool of blood was left under him, which looked to have dried up.

"Open the door!" , Nie Xiaohu shouted.

"Hey!" , Feng Kun nodded in agreement, and shuddered and took out a key and opened the copper lock outside the stone door.

Nie Xiaohu pushed the stone door with his hand, but the stone door did not move.

"My lord, there is a lock on the inside of the door, I think it's locked, and I can't open it at all!" , Feng Kun hurriedly said.

"Smash the door open!" , Nie Xiaohu gave an order.

Immediately, a catcher quickly found two people, each with a big hammer, and smashed open the stone door.

In the interval between slamming the door, Nie Xiaohu returned to the hall on the first floor and examined the people in the hall one by one.

There are five people sitting in the hall, three men and two women, among them there is an elderly couple, the man is wearing a foreign suit, a wisp of silver-white beard under his chin, the woman is graceful and luxurious, dignified, holding a string of Buddhist beads in her hand, is constantly twisting, her eyes are slightly closed, her lips move slightly, but there is no sound, it seems to be silently reciting some scriptures; a young woman with a pretty face, but no powder on her face, and a delicate little copper abacus in her hand; A tall and stout middle-aged man, with a dark complexion, a square face, broad mouth, thick eyebrows and big eyes, a height of about six feet, thick arms, and powerful arms; The other was an obese middle-aged man, fat and with a round head on his shoulders, he couldn't even see where his neck was, and it seemed that he was struggling to even breathe.

"Shopkeeper Feng, how can there be such a secret room in your inn?" , Nie Xiaohu asked with a frown.

"Lord Hui, my inn was originally a pawnshop, and the secret room in the backyard was originally used to store valuables, but later due to bad business, the owner of the pawnshop gave me the store plate, and I changed it into an inn."

"Hmm", Nie Xiaohu nodded.

"They are?" , Nie Xiaohu glanced around at the five people.

"Oh, they're all guests who stayed in the store last night, and my inn is small, and it's the business of those who can't get back to the city because it's dark."

"Did any of the people who stayed at the hotel leave last night?"

"No, it's all here!" , Feng Kun shook his head.

"Let's tell me what happened!" , Nie Xiaohu sat down on a chair and cocked Erlang's legs.

"Yes, my lord, this is how it happened. After dark last night, because the city gate was closed, some guests who were going to enter the city stayed in my shop, this is Cui Yuanwai", Feng Kun pointed to the old man in the staff clothes with his hand.

The old man and his wife hurriedly stood up and bowed to Nie Xiaohu, "Old Cui Yuanhao, my family lives in Yifeng District, the city, this is my wife Meng." ”