"Everyone in a house was burned to death, didn't the county government send someone to investigate?"

"Checked." Xin Mingjie replied: "But the investigation comes and goes, it is like an accident. ”

"Accidents? But it doesn't sound like an accident. If it's a dry season, the house runs water and burns the house, I can still understand it. But on a rainy day, and before the house caught fire, it was still pouring rain, even if there were sparks in the house, it was also extinguished by this heavy rain, how could it be possible to burn a whole house. Could it be that it wasn't raining on this day, but oil? What's even more strange is that all the people in the house were burned to death, and none of them escaped alive, which is obviously a bit unreasonable. Did Master Xin think it was an accident? ”

"Miss Bai is right, this matter is indeed full of suspicions, but the people of the county government searched the entire house, and did not find any useful physical evidence, there is no way to confirm that this matter is man-made, let alone find a suspect."

"I have a vague impression of what the adults said." Gao Zhan said: "I remember that after this incident, people in several nearby villages talked about it, saying that it was a wrongful soul asking for their lives. ”

"How can a good person be involved in a wronged soul asking for his life, what did this family do to provoke a wronged soul who asks for his life? Mistress Xin, you know what? ”

"If you ask your lord, you might as well ask me, I was a quick catcher, and I also paid attention to this matter at that time." Gao Zhan found a place to sit down, holding a knife in both hands, and looked at him distantly: "White girl, have you ever heard of leaving your mother's meal?" ”

"What is a divorce meal?" Bai Li looked at Gao Zhan blankly.

"Haven't you heard of it?" Gao Zhan glanced at Bai Li and continued: "It's normal that you don't know, after all, you are young, and it is not yet time to eat your mother's meal." This is the custom of our Liyang, which refers to the last meal that the girl eats at her mother's house when she gets married. It is said that the first night before the girl's wedding would be particularly lively, and relatives and friends would meet at the girl's home to see her off. The father and mother were worried that the girl would not be able to return to her parents' house often after she got married, and would miss her parents and brothers, so she would prepare a lot of delicious food at home, so that relatives and friends could accompany the girl to eat together, which was the last reunion dinner before the girl left home. This rich and noble family naturally eats big fish and meat, and small families will do their best, but most of them will prepare some things that girls like to eat. It is said that on the night of the fire, the family was having a meal for the mother. Maybe he was full of wine and food, and he couldn't wake up from a sound sleep, but no one noticed it when it caught fire, so he was burned alive in his sleep. ”

"I understand this meal, but what is this unjust soul?"

"This starts with an old incident many years ago. The family whose name was also Du, but they did not live in Dulou Village, but rebuilt a house not far from Dulou Village, that is, outside the locust forest that the old gentleman said. There are two theories as to why they do not live in Dulou Village. One is that they came from other places and were a little out of place with the original villagers of Dulou Village. On the other hand, the villagers of Dulou Village were worried that their families would be affected, so they drove them out of the village. As for what is involved, nine times out of ten, it is the legendary unjust soul. ”

"Tell me how this unjust soul came about?" Bai Li couldn't help but urge.

"What's the hurry, I'll get it right away." Gao Zhan shook his neck and said, "This person, let's call him Lao Du." This Lao Du is a trader, he doesn't know how to do carpenter work, but because he has a very clever mouth, so many businesses in this Dulou Village rely on this Lao Du's mediation to get the business to the nearest village, town, city, and even the inner courtyard of the imperial court. At this point, you will definitely think that I am talking nonsense, is it because you don't know who his wife is? The lady of his family, who is said to be the daughter of the prefect's family, somehow fell in love with him. This business is obviously done by his mouth, but in fact, it is relying on the prestige and connections of the prefect. Because they are all upright businesses, and they don't involve bribing court officials, no one cares about the transactions he does. ”

"Since ancient times, officials and businessmen, as long as this kind of thing is not too out of line, no one will really pay attention to it." After Bai Li finished speaking, he heard Xin Mingjie cough lightly.

"This official has never done any business, and he has never spoken for those businessmen, let alone escorted them. When the white girl speaks, don't overturn this boat of officials at once. ”

"Lord Xin is a good official, and it is naturally different from what I said." Bai Li said, and added in a low voice: "This officialdom, Lord Xin, you should know better than me, a little commoner." ”

"Yes, but there's no way around it. The court is meager, and a small family like me can barely survive, if there are too many of them, I'm afraid there is no way. As long as the officials don't talk about their involvement, the emperor will naturally turn a blind eye and won't pursue it too much. ”

"Master Xin doesn't need to explain it specifically, Bai Li understands it." Bai Li winked at Xin Mingjie, and urged Gao Zhan again: "Isn't this unjust soul related to this old Du's lady?" ”

"It's related, but it can't be said to be necessarily related." Gao Zhan first gave an ambiguous answer, and then said: "It is said that before this old Du met the daughter of the prefect, there was a lady in the family. This Lao Du was originally a scholar, and when he was young, he was also regarded as having poetry and books in his belly, and he was a talent, but unfortunately the imperial examination was unfavorable, and after many years of examination, he was named Sun Shan and was penniless. Later, he was introduced to help the prefect do things, and then he met the daughter of the prefect's family. It is reported that this old Du originally wanted to give the original wife a letter of resignation, but after the resignation was written, he failed to give it out. ”

"Lao Duna's original wife refuses to ask for it? If it were me, I wouldn't want it, why would you let me accompany you when you were poor, and when your life is better, you will abandon your wife and climb another high branch? This prefect's daughter is also blind, what kind of good person can be like this person who abandons his original wife for the sake of power and wealth. There is no one in the world who is more worthy of entrusting his life than his old Du? ”

"What Miss Bai said is that I, Gao Zhan, also despise this person's approach. It is said that this Lao Du's original wife is very virtuous, and she has a good name in the nearby village, and she has nothing to say about Lao Du and Lao Du's father. When Lao Du was writing the letter of resignation, his original wife happened to be pregnant, and she knew that she had no way to compare herself with the daughter of the prefect's family, so she begged Lao Du to allow her to give birth to the child in her womb, and after the child landed, she was willing to be a concubine, and let Lao Du marry the prefect's daughter in a beautiful manner, and let her become Lao Du's wife. ”