The bustard's face changed drastically when he heard this.

Gu Qingzhang stood beside her, and could clearly see her surprised expression, realizing that the woman's death was probably unexpected by the old bustard.

As soon as they heard that someone had died, the guests who were indulging in lust on the first floor quickly slipped away, and the huge Xiaoyue Building quickly became empty, making Gu Qingzhang and his party particularly abrupt.

Gu Qingzhang asked, "Who is this dead Qingxiao?" ”

After sending the turtle slave to report to the official, the old bustard leaned on the railing tiredly, she pressed her forehead with a headache, shook her head and smiled bitterly, and poured bitter water on Gu Qingzhang: "Noble, you don't know, this is our new Oiran of Xiaoyue Building, and he only came out of the pavilion last month, you see, this month——"

It costs a lot of money to train an Oiran in the Qinglou, not only to hire a music master, but also to ask someone to teach them to read and write, and to make them compose poetry.

The old bustard watched the silver go down the drain, and his mouth was even slightly bitter.

Not long after, the officials came to Xiaoyue Tower, they first went upstairs to check Qingxiao's death, and then directly declared that Qingxiao was hanging, such a hasty and perfunctory attitude made Gu Qingzhang and his party frown slightly.

"You don't care about me," one of the officials was an old friend of the old bustard, and he quietly explained to the old bustard, "The water here is very mixed, and I can't ask any more, just hang myself." ”

After everything was explained, the officials swaggered away from Xiaoyue Tower, and they didn't give them a single look during the whole process.

The old bustard stood in place, her face changed again and again, and finally gritted her teeth with determination, she smiled cautiously: "Honor, you see, in this situation in our building, we don't dare to receive you anymore, why don't you come ......back another day?" ”

"When the time comes, I will definitely choose a girl with the most iconic appearance for your nobleman."

Since she said so, they also knew that they would not be able to ask anything, so they had to offer their leave.

Leaving Xiaoyue Tower, the whole street is still lively, but only the vicinity of Xiaoyue Tower is deserted, and it seems that the vendors also know that someone is dead, so they are busy avoiding it.

When this kind of thing happened, a few people were not in the mood to go any further, so they decided to go home and go back to the inn to rest.

After Lin Shijing sent Lin Chonghan back to the room, he came to the door of Gu Qingzhang's room, he leaned on the door frame, looked at the other party who was packing his luggage, and asked coldly: "You came to Jiangnan this time, I'm afraid you have other plans, right?" ”

Gu Qingzhang's body stiffened.

Lin Shijing continued: "You are openly and secretly investigating the affairs of Bozhou, but we decided to rest here for only three days before entering the city. ”

He asked, "What do you want to do?" ”

Gu Qingzhang was secretly frightened by his acuity, he put down the half-packed luggage, and then pulled Lin Shijing into the room and closed the door.

He said: "Your Majesty has recently received news that the phenomenon of land annexation and hidden households in the Bozhou area is very serious, and he wants me to secretly inquire about the news. ”

When Lin Shijing heard this, he couldn't hold back his cough in turmoil, he coughed heavily for a long time, and only after a while did he say cowardly: "You are really crazy, Gu Qingzhang." ”

Since ancient times, the land annexation and hidden households of large families have been a headache for the imperial court, and behind the endless phenomena is not a simple interest relationship, but also involves the game between the family and the imperial power.

There were many enthusiastic new officials in the court who took office before, but once they touched on this problem, they were only waiting for them to be demoted or dismissed, and even lost their lives.

"You dare to touch this kind of hot potato," Lin Shijing instantly lost his desire to inquire, "I'm just a white body, and I will rely on my father and brother to be a shadow official in the future, and I don't want to die for the time being." ”

"Three days later, Chonghan and I will leave on time, and it is up to you whether you leave or not."

Gu Qingzhang said: "I will go with you and not stay in Bozhou." ”

Faced with Lin Shijing's puzzled expression, he didn't explain much, to be the sharp knife in the emperor's hand, it also depends on whether the emperor has the courage to protect him.

If he can't keep it, he's just a second mistake.

Gu Qingzhang is not that stupid.

*

The next day, before dawn, Gu Qingzhang took Gua Er to the mass grave.

"Master Hou, this old bustard is too unconscionable, right?" Gua Er covered his nose while rummaging through the corpse, "Anyway, it's also an Oiran, so I wrapped it in a straw mat and threw it here." ”

Gu Qingzhang was also looking for the corpse, and he twisted his eyebrows: "Don't talk nonsense, look for it quickly." ”

The master and servant didn't look for long, and soon found Qingxiao's body, Gu Qingzhang opened the straw mat to inspect the wound, and found that this person seemed to have really committed suicide.

He muttered, "There is a purple-black rope mark on my neck...... What people?! As soon as the words fell, Gua Er stepped forward and caught a little girl from behind a tree not far away.

The girl's eyes were timid, her body was thin, and her appearance made Gu Qingzhang always feel a little familiar, he looked down at the dead Qingxiao, and then looked up at the little girl, and understood in his heart.

He asked, "Are you Qingxiao's sister?" ”

The little girl didn't answer, she broke free from the melon with a skillful skill, and then ran forward, threw herself into the arms of the dead Qingxiao and whimpered and cried: "Sister! ”

Gu Qingzhang and Gua Er glanced at each other, he sighed in his heart, and said, "You get up, let me see your sister's scars—otherwise I don't know how she died." ”

When the girl heard that she was going to show her sister for her injuries, she obediently got out of the way.

Gu Qingzhang asked casually while carefully inspecting the strangulation marks, "Did your sister tell you anything before?" ”

He didn't have hope, but he didn't expect the little girl to really nod and say, "Yes." My sister said, go. ”

Hearing this, Gu Qingzhang couldn't help but pause, and Gua Er on the side asked, "Go?" Where to go? ”

With tears in her eyes, the little girl shook her head, indicating that she didn't know.

"I'm afraid I want her to leave Bozhou." Gu Qingzhang withdrew his hand and covered the straw mat for Qingxiao again, "Let's go, dig a grave next to it, so that her sister can also be buried in the ground." ”

Gu Qingzhang took into account the presence of the child, and did not say anything about the strangulation marks on Qingxiao's neck, the two of them worked together to bury Qingxiao, and then cut a wooden plank, which was regarded as a tombstone.

At the end of the monument, the little girl volunteered to engrave it.

Gu Qingzhang glanced at her unexpectedly and asked, "Are you still literate?" ”

"I know, I used to be at home, and my sister taught." She didn't speak fluently, but she didn't have much problem with expression, and Gu Qingzhang also pieced together the original story from her intermittent words.

Qingxiao and her sister followed their parents from their hometown to Bozhou, and her parents died on the way, and she was a weak woman who didn't know how to make a living, so she had no choice but to become a lowly member.

Gu Qingzhang sighed and asked, "You don't have any family, just follow me back, and then find a good family to settle down for you later." ”

He asked Gua Er to take the little girl, and the three of them returned to the inn again, but found that Lin Shijing and Lin Chonghan were not at the inn.

Gu Qingzhang asked where they were, and one of the entourages stood up tremblingly and replied, "Master Hou, Young Master Lin and the county lord have been invited to the banquet. ”