The wind was strong and the thunderstorm was blowing. The atmosphere inside and outside the watchtower is even more eerie.

The Ninth Lady got down and went to close the window.

Chang Feng lay on the couch and said, "It's good to rain, it should be cool after this rain." ”

The Ninth Lady was stunned by the window: "Brother, come and listen." What was that? ”

Chang Feng came to the window. In the midst of the thunderstorm, I heard the woman's miserable cry, "Mi, Mi, Mi!" ”

Then there was a strange voice, which seemed to be the hoarse cry of a woman: "Gabiyi! Occasional snuggling! Mi, Mi, Mi! ”

Mrs. Nine was surprised: "It's Tujia dialect!" Are there really ghosts? ”

Chang Feng asked, "What is that voice shouting?" ”

The Ninth Lady explained: "It's me who is shouting for my life!" Wash the clean birds waiting for me! ”

Chang Feng said: "Heh, I don't know who is pretending to be a ghost." ”

The Ninth Lady is a Tujia family and believes in ghosts and gods. She pulled out a large box from her bed.

After opening, it was full of Tujia magic tools used to exorcise ghosts. Such as division knives, horns, chopping knives, copper bells, colorful willow scarf sticks and the like.

Mrs. Nine put the horn under the pillow, put the knife at the door, hung the copper bell on the tassel of the bed, put the colorful willow scarf stick on the side of the bed, and put the knife on the dresser.

Chang Feng frowned: "You are the same as Zhou Wen." Treat people like ghosts. ”

The Ninth Lady said: "I'd rather believe it than believe it!" When my grandfather was alive, he told me that he had seen a woman in Xiangxi and a corpse chaser. ”

Chang Feng didn't care: "It's all made up by the old people to scare children." Can't be taken seriously. ”

"You also said that the scar on the neck of the murdered official was left by the trap. It's not caused by the biting of the woman. ”

"Bang!" Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the door was slammed open!

Chang Feng subconsciously raised the scorpion crossbow.

Xu Fatzi ran in in despair: "I saw a female ghost!" Oh my God, what a big female ghost! ”

Chang Feng put down the scorpion crossbow and scolded: "Fortunately, I didn't have sex with my sister-in-law, otherwise I would have to let you see the picture of living spring!" How do you say come in and come in? ”

Fat Xu sat on the chair with a butt: "I'm scared to death fat master!" ”

Chang Feng asked, "What's going on?" ”

Fat Xu took a sip of tea and suppressed his shock: "Did you hear the ghost scream just now?" ”

Chang Feng replied: "I heard it." People pretend to be ghosts, so they naturally want to scream a few times to scare others. ”

Xu Fatzi said: "I thought so just now. Open the window and look down at the watchtower. As a result, I saw a dark shadow standing in the courtyard! ”

"It just happened to be thundering in the sky. The thunder light clears the dark shadow! ”

"When I looked, my God, the man was disheveled, his skin was pale, and his eyes were blue!"

The Ninth Lady interjected: "My grandfather told me that my wife's eyes glowed green. ”

At this moment, the three of them smelled a fishy and foul smell.

Chang Feng subconsciously covered his mouth and nose: "Fatty, are you farting again?" ”

Xu Fatzi said: "I didn't fart!" What a smell, disgusting to death! ”

The Ninth Lady was a little panicked: "Wherever the woman goes, she carries a fishy smell on her body. ”

Xu Fatzi stuck out his tongue: "Zhou Wen said that the wife likes to spoil men." She won't find me tonight, will she? ”

Chang Feng comforted him: "Don't scare yourself. You have the blood of the King of Zhongshan flowing in your body, and a hundred ghosts avoid it. ”

"Don't say it's fake. Even if it's true, I don't dare to touch you. ”

"Even if it touches your body, you can't tell who spoiled whom."

When Fat Xu heard this, he became a little bolder: "Yes! My ancestor was killed from the sea of corpses and blood. Our Xu family is murderous and not afraid of ghosts! ”

Changfeng analysis: "Torrential rain outside the door. If it smells, it's washed away. I see that the smell comes from inside the watchtower. There must be an inner ghost. ”

At this time, the old birthday star Sun Guishou also walked in.

Sun Guishou said: "Master Chang, have you heard a strange sound and smelled a strange smell?" ”

Chang Feng nodded slightly.

Sun Guishou smiled slightly: "I lived to be eighty-four years old, and I was a poor man for sixty-five years. I've seen too many people pretending to be ghosts. It's the first time I've seen such a real thing. ”

Chang Feng pointed at Sun Guishou and said to Mrs. Nine and Fat Xu, "You heard it! The old birthday star has been well-informed for a long time. He also said that it was a ghost pretending to be a ghost. ”

Xu Fatzi smiled bitterly: "Old birthday star, this fat man will sleep in the same room with you tonight." ”

"Ah, I'm not scared. The main thing is that I have the blood of the King of Zhongshan in my body, and a hundred ghosts avoid it. I've got to protect you, an old-timer. ”

Sun Guishou said: "Cheng." Let's go to my room. ”

The next morning, the rain stopped. The entire Yinjiang River was shrouded in thick fog.

Chang Feng got up, pushed open the window and looked at the fog outside the door, he felt wet and damp on his body.

Chang Feng sighed: "No wonder they don't want to come to Qianjiang as an official." What the hell is the weather. ”

Half an hour later, Chang Feng came to the lobby in the inner watchtower.

Before he entered the lobby, he heard the voices of the scribes and officials: "I saw a woman last night!" Just stand in the front yard! ”

"Yes, I saw it too! The face is rotten, and the eyes glow green. If that thing spoils me, don't kill me. I'll kill myself first! ”

It seems that Xu Fatzi is not the only one who witnessed the change of wife in the second half of last night.

Chang Feng entered the lobby and arched his hand towards Zhou Wenyi: "Lord Zhou, gather all the members of the chief lawsuit." I got to know them. ”

Chang Feng is ostensibly Zhou Wen's successor "Chang Huayu".

The people on the side of the long lawsuit, except for Zhou Wen, no one knows Chang Feng's true identity.

Zhou Wendao: "Okay, Master Chang." I'm going to gather the people together. ”

In a short time, more than 140 people in the yamen gathered in the lobby.

Gao Chenghu, the head of the inspection Jin Bao, the tax officer Huang Liang, and the head of the squad Lin Sanjiu, led their respective subordinates to salute Chang Feng.

Chang Feng said: "In the next three years, I will be in the same boat with you, sharing weal and woe. We are now our own people. Look! ”

Zhou Wen asked tentatively: "Master Chang, we have completed the handover." Can I leave the yamen early? ”

Chang Feng shook his head slightly: "I arrived three days early." Master Zhou, your term of office is still three days away. ”

According to the law, a magistrate was not allowed to leave his place until his term of office had expired. Otherwise, it will be regarded as spoil and should be beheaded! ”

How could Chang Feng easily let Zhou Wen's bait leave?

Zhou Wen sighed: "Okay." Then I will follow the rules and stay for another three days. ”

Chang Feng said with a smile: "When I first came to Guibao Land, I saw the local ghosts. Looks like I have to worship the local gods. ”

When he said this, Chang Feng's eyes observed the four subordinates of the chief lawsuit.

The inspection Gao Chenghu is really like a nickname, a drunk cat, drunk, listless, and expressionless.

Jin Bao, the old official, is very calm. Drinking tea with a calm face.

The tax collector Huang Liangzu is a man with blue eyes. If it was green, Chang Feng would definitely suspect that he was a "woman".

Lin Sanjiu, the leader of the Zhuang class, was powerful and powerful, and he was playing with an iron wrench for archery in his hand. (The wrench didn't appear in the Qing Dynasty.) Don't spray)

Among the four, Chang Feng's most suspicious person was Lin Sanjiu.

Lin Sanjiu was born in Orion. And the trap is used for hunting.

Chang Feng smiled and asked, "The four of them have all served in the chief lawsuit for a long time, right?" ”

Among the four, Jin Bao is obviously the leader.

Jin Bao replied: "I, Huang Tax Collector and Lin Bantou have been in Yinjiang for more than ten years. ”

"Only Huang Inspector was transferred two years ago."

Chang Feng said: "You have been in Yinjiang for a long time, you should be familiar with the local people. Tell me, why can't the land change be carried out in Yinjiang? ”

Jin Bao replied: "Lord Yuchang." Changing the land and returning to the stream is not as simple as changing the chief lawsuit to the county government and changing the title. ”

"The so-called return to the stream is the flow of officials whose power is assigned by the imperial court. It is to seize the power of the four local toasts. The four major toasts are naturally unwilling. ”

"The Tusi families have been entrenched in the local area for hundreds of years and are deeply rooted. The Southern Song Dynasty, the Mengyuan Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty officials all had no choice but to do it. ”

"Unless."

Chang Feng asked, "Unless what?" ”

Jin Bao replied: "Unless the imperial court sends troops to slaughter the local Miao people, Tujia people, Dong people, and Yi people." A large number of Han people moved to the Central Plains. ”

Chang Feng waved his hand again and again: "Da Ming is not a barbarian Meng Yuan. I wouldn't do such a thing as slaughtering aliens. ”

Jin Bao said: "Then don't think about implementing the change of land and returning to the stream." There are only more than 140 of us in the imperial court in Yinjiang. But there were 50,000 people of the four tribes. ”

"If you anger them, they will even go to court. Feed us all to the black bears. ”

Chang Feng suddenly asked: "By the way, I looked at the staff list of the county government last night. In addition to the Liuguan and the Han family, there should be four local officials and four hundred foreign people. Why don't you see them in the lobby? ”

Jin Bao replied: "The four local officials are the names of the four Tusi. The people of the alien race are also their people. ”

"Tusi doesn't come to the long lawsuit on weekdays. We also dare not let the aliens guard the inner and outer watchtowers. ”

Chang Feng sighed: "The imperial court also sent this hall to Yinjiang to implement the reform of the land and return to the stream!" It seems that I am afraid that it will not be implemented. ”

Speaking of this, a greedy look appeared on Chang Feng's face: "What does it mean for me to be a six-rank official?" Don't get out of the watchtower! ”

"Hmph, some of the same Jinshi who are good with me, some of them have been assigned to the Hanlin Academy and the Sixth Department, and they have a great future."

"Some of them are sent to the land of Jiangnan as county orders, and they can always get a mile and a side for three years."

"I'm the only one who guards this hellish place that can't squeeze oil"

Jin Bao smiled slightly: "It's not that there is no oil and water." Nominally, Yinjiang's taxing power is in the chief lawsuit. ”

"But the chief lawsuit collects taxes, and he can't collect a tael of silver. Maybe you'll even eat an alien sword. ”

"Successive governors have entrusted the power of tax collection to the four Tusi. The tax money obtained is thirty-seven open. ”

Chang Feng was surprised: "Why is it only seventy percent?" ”

Jin Bao explained: "Seventy percent are toasters. The chief is only thirty percent! ”

Chang Feng pretended to be insatiable: "Ah! It's only 30 percent. A few drops of oil and water can fall from my hands. ”

"Being an official in such a hot and humid place. If you want to live with ghosts, you can't get oil and water. I've really poured blood mold for eight lifetimes! ”

Jin Bao smiled: "Don't worry, Lord Chang. The imperial court's tax on the barbarian land is not so tight. ”

"You just have to report it, the alien is barbaric and unreasonable. I can't collect a tael of taxes and silver. The above will not be blamed. ”

"The thirty percent tax, you are not passing your hands on oil, but all for yourself."

When Jin Bao said this, Zhou Wen was embarrassed and hated to pick a courtyard with his feet!

He secretly scolded in his heart: Jin Bao, Jin Bao, you don't know that this person in front of you is not my successor, but Chang Tu of Jinyiwei!

In front of him, he said that I was corrupt. You're going to make me lose my head!

Chang Feng turned his head to look at Zhou Wen: "Lord Zhou." How much money have you made in the three years of your tenure? Tell me, I have a number in mind. ”

"Don't worry, the sky is high and the emperor is far away. No one informed the court of the number. ”

Zhou Wen said: "This, this." Let's talk about it in private. ”

Chang Feng said: "Okay. By the way, tomorrow I'm going to meet the four toasts. Lin Bantou, you send someone to invite them. ”

Lin Sanjiu arched his hand and said in a voice like a bell: "Yes!" ”

The meeting is done in the lobby. Chang Feng followed Zhou Wen, Xu Fatzi and others into the study.

Chang Feng smiled and said, "Brother Zhou, don't worry. I'm not here to investigate corruption, but to protect your life, investigate homicides, and promote land reform. ”

"I won't find out how much money you take. After all, this is not dirty silver, it is just a bad rule of officialdom. ”

"As an official in this hellish place, you should always get some compensation."

Zhou Wen arched his hand: "Thank you for your understanding." ”

Chang Feng made a silent gesture: "In the future, you still call me Brother Chang, don't call me a fool, save yourself from revealing your stuffing." ”

Zhou Wendao: "Yes." ”

Chang Feng smiled slyly: "Tell me, how much silver did you get in three years?" ”

Zhou Wenyu stopped.

Chang Feng said: "I'm here to save your life." Still not telling me the truth? If I want to harm you, I will leave the long lawsuit and leave you to fend for yourself. ”

Zhou Wen had to answer truthfully: "There are more than 10,000 taels." ”

Chang Feng was surprised: "So many? ”

Zhou Wen explained: "The four tribes of Yinjiang are all good at hunting. Every year, a large number of rare furs are produced and sold to traders. ”

"Don't look at the mountains of the Yinjiang River, but it is not poor mountains and bad waters, but rich mountains and precious waters."

"It is rich in fragrant glutinous rice, ponkan, silver ball tea, grapefruit, and gastrodia."

"These things are shipped to Handi, and they are all good things that are in short supply."

"The toasts gave me thirty percent of the tax silver, and there was always more than 10,000 taels. But money is such a thing, if you have a life to earn, you may not have a life to spend! ”

Zhou Wen's words reminded Chang Feng.

Chang Feng said: "Wait a while." According to what you said, Chief Yinjiang is a fat shortage. ”

"The first four prefects who died mysteriously should have accumulated a lot of money."

"When they die, where does the money go?"

Zhou Wen replied: "I don't know. ”

Chang Feng asked: "What about your previous commander?" You always have to help him with the aftermath when you come, right? Didn't see the silver taels he left behind? ”

Zhou Wenyi patted his brain: "Ah! When I was doing his funeral, I was so frightened that I trembled when I heard the legend of becoming a woman. Ignore the fact that his silver is gone! ”

"It stands to reason that no matter how honest he is, he still has a few thousand taels of silver on hand! I haven't seen a single tael! ”

Sun Guishou interjected: "Master Chang, do you suspect that the murderer's motive for pretending to be a ghost to kill people is to kill for money?" ”

Chang Feng nodded: "That's right!" If you kill someone, you can get more than 10,000 taels! This is not a small amount. ”

"After killing people and robbing money, they fabricated rumors that the ghost yamen turned into a woman and killed people to confuse the public. Oh, good means. ”

Sun Guishou said: "Understood." Master Chang, your inference confirms that the inner ghost is in the long lawsuit! ”

"Only those around the former governors will know how much wealth they have. It is not surprising that the intention of seeing wealth is rising. ”

The words are not clear. After a few people talked, Chang Feng had a rough idea in his heart.

The so-called ghost yamen turned into a woman and killed people, but there were bad people in the yamen who tried to kill people for money.

Chang Feng asked: "Jin Bao, Huang Liang, and Lin Sanjiu have all been in office for more than ten years. Experienced five governors. ”

"I doubt Lin Sanjiu now!"

Sun Guishou said: "Because of the beast trap mark on the neck of the official who was killed last night? ”

Chang Feng nodded slightly: "Exactly." Lin Sanjiu is from Orion! Brother Zhou, how is Lin Sanjiu on weekdays? ”

Zhou Wen replied: "It shouldn't be him." He's a stupid guy on weekdays. It's not like a scheming person. ”

Chang Feng sighed: "Alas, Brother Zhou, people can't look good!" People who are stupid on the surface may have a seven-pronged exquisite heart in their chest. ”

During the day, Chang Feng and Zhou Wen talked about "official business" in the study all night.

At night, Chang Feng instructed his wrestlers to "catch ghosts!" ”

They all carried scorpion crossbows. Once the "Changing Woman" appears, it will definitely be shot into a hornet's nest.

Chang Feng arranged them to guard the lookout holes and arrow holes of each watchtower.

As soon as they spot the changer, they will immediately aim and pull the crossbow machine.

Chang Feng was in the bedroom with Mrs. Jiu, deliberately shaking the bed. Let the creaking sound of the bed spread throughout the inner watchtower.

Suddenly, the yamen heard the screams of "rice, rice, rice".

Chang Feng said to the Ninth Lady, "The fish has appeared again. ”

However, this time, the woman did not appear in the front yard. The scorpion crossbows of the brocade robes did not come in handy.

"Knock knock", someone knocked on Chang Feng's door.

Chang Feng held a scorpion crossbow in his hand, came to the door vigilantly, and glanced out through the crack in the door.

Then he opened the door. Jin Bao, Huang Liang, and Lin Sanjiu stood in front of him. They were followed by a dozen servants.

Chang Feng asked, "Do you have something to do with me?" ”

Jin Baodao: "Lord Chang, the woman has started to scream again!" Usually after the ghost screams, someone will be killed by her. ”

"You've just arrived. We're afraid that being a woman won't be good for you. I have brought fifteen servants with me to protect you. ”

Chang Feng asked, "What about Lord Zhou?" ”

Jin Bao replied: "There are ten officials to protect you. ”

Chang Feng nodded: "Well, good." ”

As soon as the words fell, only a man's scream could be heard, which resounded throughout the yamen.

"Ahh

Chang Feng frowned: "Could it be that someone was killed again?" Let's go around. ”

Xu Fatzi and Sun Guishou also heard the sound and came to Chang Feng with five or six wrestlers.

Chang Feng said: "You came just in time. Let's patrol around the yamen. ”

Turning his head, Chang Feng said to Mrs. Jiu: "Don't stay in the bedroom, it's not safe, come with us." ”

The people carefully inspected the yaku. Chang Feng keenly noticed that most of the bedrooms where the scribes lived were lit with lights. Only one bedroom was dark.

Chang Feng brought people to the door of the bedroom, and a strong fishy smell choked him and almost vomited.

Fat Xu pushed the door open. The people went in.

I saw a young scribe lying on the bed, naked.

Like Li Qi, who died last night, this scribe also had a neck injury, and his lower body was miserable.

Jin Bao shouted: "Ah! Kill, kill, kill! The woman has killed again! ”

Chang Feng was a little strange: before the deceased was killed and screamed, Jin Bao, Lin Sanjiu, and Huang Liang were all with me.

Could it be that the previous suspicion was wrong, Lin Sanjiu, who was born in Orion, was not a murderer?

As for Jin Bao and Huang Liang, they can be ruled out.

So who will be the murderer?

Suddenly, a dark shadow swayed behind the bedroom window.

Chang Feng shouted: "What person? ”

Jin Bao exclaimed: "Could it be a woman?" ”

Chang Feng said: "Jump the window for me!" Above! Catch the villains! ”

Who would dare to go up and fight the ghosts between Jin Bao and the other officials? All of them were motionless.

It's still the wrestlers of Jinyiwei who are bold.

At the age of eighty-four, Sun Guishou led five wrestlers to jump out of the window and pounced on the black shadow.

Several wrestlers pounced on the shadow.

Sun Guishou shouted: "Caught! ”

Chang Feng took a candle and jumped out of the window. Shine a candle on the dark shadow's face.

Chang Feng was surprised: "It's you?" ”

(End of chapter)