Tang Yongde coughed heavily, reminding that someone had arrived.

At this time, Zhang Yuelu had already bypassed the screen and entered the house, only to see several women playing leaf cards on a Fugui couch. And the decoration behind this screen also made Qi Xuansu can't help but "tsk". Dressing table, spring stool, small table, incense burner, standing mirror, curtain, soft couch, wardrobe.

The dressing table is messy with all kinds of rouge gouache and all kinds of jewelry, and just by looking at the box, you know that the price is expensive; The spring bench and the small table are all of rosewood; Ambergris incense burned in the incense burner; Vertical mirrors are life-tall glass mirrors brought from the West; On the soft couch are embroidered pillows and brocade quilts, the craftsmanship of Jiangnan; The wardrobe is Western-style, with a half-open door, in which you can see all kinds of light satin clothes.

The price of these things will not be lower than a worry-free money, and the delicacy of this house is only afraid that it will cost thousands of dollars.

Qi Xuansu became a Taoist priest of Tiangang Hall, and climbed Zhang Yuelu's thigh, in the water and fire, the sword and sword, and the only thing he got in his hand was a few hundred peace. Some people earn money while standing, some people make money on their knees, and some people earn money while sitting. On the other hand, these people made money while lying down. Hey, that's a skill, don't talk about it!

Zhang Yuelu has seen the world, although she does not live in the Dazhen Mansion, but she often goes, that is the wealth of the millennium, so she doesn't think so, her eyes fall directly on several women.

Although it was winter, there was a dragon under the house, and the charcoal fire was full of fire, so the heat in the house was surging, warm as spring, and the clothes of several women were very cool, light gauze and half cage, revealing two bent snow arms, bare shoulders, white and bright, Luo socks were taken off, and a pair of jade feet poked out of the bottom of the skirt.

Several women were also taken aback when they saw someone coming in, because Zhang Yuelu was wearing a cloak and a hood, they didn't realize that she was also a woman in a panic.

Tang Yongde said: "This is Master Zhang, Hanyu, you come out." ”

A weak-looking woman stood up and straightened her clothes. This woman doesn't have too much enchantment, but has a cute temperament, like a frightened deer, which makes people can't help but have a desire to protect.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yuelu glanced at Qi Xuansu with a ghostly look.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Qi Xuansu's attention at this time was not on these charming women, and her eyes kept wandering on the various furnishings in the house, faintly revealing a little indignation.

Zhang Yuelu didn't know what Qi Xuansu was thinking, but he could speculate a thing or two, probably because he felt unfair, whether it was working for others on the rivers and lakes, or going to the Western Regions to kill demons in the wind and snow, he didn't make much peace, and he couldn't even compare to a few women in the courtyard.

Zhang Yuelu couldn't help but sigh softly in her heart.

How many people in the Taoist sect have fallen from this, many people are clearly inferior to themselves, but they are all dressed in fine clothes, change four sets of clothes a day, live in a mansion, enjoy all the glory, and they can only wear eight sets of clothes in all seasons, guarding a few hundred Taiping dollars of silver, not even a two-entry house, not considered poor, but also far from wealth. Over time, anyone will have an unbalanced mentality.

This has also led to the frequent occurrence of major cases of Daomen corruption in the past hundred years, and the trend has taken a sharp turn for the worse. Zuting also had to repeatedly improve the treatment of Taoist priests at all levels, but it still couldn't stop the lack of people's hearts.

In fact, Qi Xuansu didn't have so many grievances, or he did have some grievances at first, but he soon thought about it. Although he didn't have much money, but he got a status, and now when others see him, they have to call him "Deacon Qi" or "Daoist Qi", if he rises one more level, it is Master Qi, Qi Gaogong, Qi Zhenren, no one dares to insult him, this is businessmen and others can never compare.

Hanyu came to Tang Yongde and saluted respectfully: "I've seen Master Tang." ”

Generally speaking, the titles of deputy hall master, chief officer, deacon, etc., are only used within the Daomen, and can also be used by people in the imperial court or related to the Daomen, while outsiders call the people of the Daomen by "Dao Chief", "Master", "Gao Gong" and other titles. If it is overstepping, it will be equivalent to patting the horse's ass on the horse's hooves, which will make the people of the Taoist sect unhappy.

Tang Yongde responded lightly and said, "This is Master Zhang, come to investigate the case, Master Zhang asks, you have to answer truthfully." ”

Hanyu lowered her head and said softly: "Yes." ”

Zhang Yuelu spoke: "You were the first to find Mason's body?" ”

"Yes." Han Yu said softly: "At that time...... The slave family was sitting on the body of the shopkeeper Mei. ”

Zhang Yuelu's face was a little stiff and a little embarrassed, but fortunately, she was wearing a cloak hood that no one else could see.

She was silent for a moment, and then said, "The specific situation at that time. ”

Han Yu glanced at Tang Yongde and hesitated, after all, when it comes to male and female intercourse, this Master Zhang is a woman, and she is still very young.

Tang Yongde said with a straight face: "Whatever Master Zhang asks, you will answer." ”

"Yes." Hanyu responded again, but the words were still relatively vague and concise, "I was in the middle of emotion, and suddenly I heard the shopkeeper Mei snorting, it seemed to be very painful, I hurriedly stopped the action, opened my eyes, and saw the shopkeeper Mei covering his chest......"

Qi Xuansu suddenly interrupted: "Miss Hanyu, are you sure you are not wrong?" Shopkeeper Mei is holding his chest and looking very painful? ”

Hanyu nodded and said, "I'm not mistaken. ”

Qi Xuansu glanced at Zhang Yuelu, and Zhang Yuelu knew in his heart.

Merlin's corpse clearly bears the marks of Nightmare Town, and the people who died in Nightmare Town are characterized by their lack of spirit, followed by a state of confusion and despair, which at first glance looks like they are sleepy, and eventually turns into an empty shell, while Hanyu describes the symptoms of sudden death.

In this way, Hanyu looks extremely suspicious. However, it cannot be ruled out that the murderer did a full set of acts, and even Hanyu was deceived, so it is not directly certain that Hanyu has a relationship with the murderer.

Hanyu continued: "After I got off the body of the shopkeeper Mei, the shopkeeper Mei began to convulse, his eyes rolled white, so scary, I hurriedly put on my clothes and called people, first the people from the courtyard and several other shopkeepers came over, and then people from Yong'an Palace, and then they were brought here. ”

Zhang Yuelu nodded, and said, "I want to ask a few people to stay here for a while." Chief Tang, you and I stay here to continue the questioning, and send someone to lead Deacon Qi to the main hall. ”

The second half of the sentence was said to Tang Yongde.

Tang Yongde nodded in response.

Zhang Yuelu said to Qi Xuansu: "You go to the main hall to ask those businessmen." ”

Qi Xuansu answered, and left the place with a spirit officer.

When they came to the main hall, several businessmen were still waiting here, and the spirit officer introduced, "This is Deacon Qi. ”

Qi Xuansu took off the hood on his head, hugged his fists and said: "There are a few Lao, I have to ask a few questions, and I hope that a few of them can answer truthfully." ”

An old and serious businessman said: "We and the shopkeeper Mei are either fellow villagers or friends, he died in a foreign country for no reason, we always have to ask for an explanation to go back to his family, if Deacon Qi can solve the case, we are grateful." What Deacon Qi asked, we naturally knew everything. ”

Qi Xuansu secretly thought in his heart, these businessmen can do business with the city, they will not be ordinary small merchants and hawkers, they are about some background, and they have some confidence in their words.

Qi Xuansu motioned for a few people to sit down, but he didn't sit down, paced back and forth slowly, and asked, "What enemies did Shopkeeper Mei have before he was alive?" ”

An elderly businessman said: "We businessmen pay attention to harmony and make money, and we will not make enemies for no reason, and I have not heard that the shopkeeper Mei has any enemies." ”

"That's not right." Qi Xuansu said, "Didn't you say that your peers are enemies? ”

Strictly speaking, the businessmen here are all the peers of the shopkeeper Mei, and they are all listed by Qi Xuansu as the object of suspicion, and their faces are not very good-looking.

The old businessman who spoke earlier said, "Deacon Qi doesn't serve in the Shibo Hall, so he doesn't know the rules here. Who can do the business of the city, the grabber is not grabbed, the city will be open to bidding every year, whether the bid can be successful, but also depends on its own strength, and it has nothing to do with others. So although we are all businessmen, the specific business we do is not quite the same, and they are all working for the market, so they are not enemies. ”

Another person said: "Not only is it not an enemy, but it has become a friend." ”

Qi Xuansu nodded and said, "I see." ”

They work as errands for the city, so they are considered half of the people in the Daomen, and they can also be called positions.

Then Qi Xuansu asked again: "I don't know what the bidding is?" ”

It was still the merchant who explained: "I am in the tea business, take tea as an example, when it is shipped to the West, the price can increase dozens of times, but only the market can negotiate a large business with the Westerners and transport the tea to the West safely and soundly. Therefore, the big guys don't want to go to sea in person, but to be a supplier of the market, there are no dozens of times the profit, there are also several times the profit, and after a few years, you can save a lot of money. Such a good thing naturally attracted countless people to rush crazy, so the city Botang took out the position of the supplier for bidding, whose goods are better and the price is more appropriate, and who will be used as the supplier. ”

"It's just tea, but also porcelain, silk, and so on. And the fleet of the city port to transport our goods to the West, when we come back, we will also bring back the goods of the West, this is a surgent goods, many big cities and mansions are prosperous, the city port hall has its own branch, direct sales, but there is always a time when it can not be touched, this requires us people, it is considered the city to eat meat, we follow a sip of soup. And whoever can sell Western goods, the market will also come up with a bidding, and after winning the bid, they will have the right to monopolize. ”

"No matter which one it is, whoever wins the bid is regarded as doing things for the city, and is not a person in the Daomen, but he is also looked down upon by others and does not dare to insult him. If we encounter a difficulty, ask for the city, most of the people will come forward, and the murder is small, and the business of the city is big, and I haven't heard of anyone who dares to be so bold and not put the Daomen in their eyes, so we have a little total, it seems that only those lawless cult demons do such indiscriminate killing. ”

Qi Xuansu muttered: "Is it because of these reasons that it is determined that it is a cult demon who kills people?" There is some truth to this. ”