The day was extraordinarily tormenting.

Xu is heart has something in mind, Xia Rongrong has been restless all day. Du Changqing came to care for her a few times, but Xia Rongrong only said that she was tired, so she just had to rest.

At night, Du Changqing and Ah Cheng went home, and only them and Lu Tong's master and servant were left in the shop. Vanilla lit the lamp and closed the door of the house, and when she turned around, she saw Xia Rongrong huddled on the couch, still holding a pair of silver scissors tightly in her hand.

"Miss, you don't have to be so nervous."

"She lives next door," Xia Rongrong lowered her voice, "I panicked when I saw her face today." Vanilla, what if she suspects that we found out what she did and kills us? ”

Vanilla helpless.

My own lady is good at everything, but she is too timid, and she scares herself when there is a disturbance. She wanted to change her words, so that Xia Rongrong could turn her attention, so she pointed to the jade bracelet on Xia Rongrong's wrist and smiled.

"Miss, don't worry, the white shopkeeper has said that it will be fine. Look at the jade bracelet that Mrs. Bai gave you, the color is clear, how can you get a hundred taels of silver. With such a generous shot, it can be seen that they have a heart to deal and will not leave you alone. ”

When Xia Rongrong heard this, she complained: "Don't mention it, I knew it was like this, I should have moved out of the hospital with you early this morning, I shouldn't have gone to Bai Shouyi, and I shouldn't have promised him to stare at Lu Tong." ”

Having said that, her fingertips stroked the bracelet on her wrist, and the jade was cold and warm, glowing softly under the lamp, which made her reluctant to turn her eyes.

decided to cooperate with Bai Shouyi to get rid of Lu Tong some time ago.

Speaking of which, it is also related to Lu Tong.

One night before, Xia Rongrong went to the kitchen to look for water, and accidentally saw Lu Tong in a daze at a dead rabbit. Although Lu Tong said that the rabbit had eaten the poisonous weed by mistake, Xia Rongrong always felt that the rabbit was deliberately poisoned by Lu Tong.

Thinking that Du Changqing trusted Lu Tong, he might not believe her cousin's words. Xia Rongrong wrote a letter to Bai Shouyi, the shopkeeper of Xinglintang, at the suggestion of Vanilla.

Unexpectedly, Bai Shouyi actually asked Wenyou to talk to her.

Wen You said that Bai Shouyi knew about it, but poisoning a rabbit was not a big crime. However, he could fully understand Xia Rongrong's shock and fear at that time. Bai Shouyi asked Xia Rongrong not to tell Du Changqing about this for the time being, so as not to startle the snake. It's better to observe for a few more days, if you find Lu Tong's other suspicious behaviors, you can still go to the Bai family and ask someone to talk to him, he will be happy to help.

After Wenyou finished speaking, he stuffed another silver ticket to Xia Rongrong.

Thanks to the blessing of the one hundred taels of silver tickets, when Xia Rongrong saw that Lu Tong was covered in blood last night, she hurriedly found someone to go to Xinglin Hall to talk as soon as possible.

Xia Rongrong originally wanted to tell Bai Shouyi about this, so she moved out of the hospital as soon as possible and hid for a few days, but she never thought that this time, it was Bai Shouyi who found her in person.

Bai Shouyi stood in front of her, with kind eyebrows and kind eyes, holding the colored silk silk around his waist with one hand, and his tone was rare and solemn, "Miss Xia, do you suspect that Dr. Lu killed someone, do you have any evidence?" ”

"That bloody coat, and her going out in the middle of the night, can't that be proof?"

"Yes, but it's not enough."

"Not enough?"

Bai Shouyi groaned: "Miss Xia, Bai has a reluctant request, and I hope you can help." ”

She pursed her lips, "What? ”

Bai Shouyi asked her to stay in the hospital.

"If Lu Tong really kills someone, he will definitely leave clues, Du Changqing goes home every evening, and only Miss Xia can keep an eye on her in the medical hall. Can Miss Xia stay in the hospital, once she realizes that something is wrong, she will immediately send someone to tell Bai. At that time, the human and material evidence will be there, and things will be much easier. ”

Xia Rongrong instinctively wanted to refuse: "I can't ......"

Bai Shouyi took her hand and startled Xia Rongrong, and then he put a mutton fat jade bracelet on Xia Rongrong's wrist.

"Miss Xia," he sighed deeply, "This is not only for Bai Mou's own selfishness, but also for the sake of the Du family's young master, you can't just watch the Du family's young master hide a murderer by his side, right?" ”

Xia Rongrong's eyes were fixed on the beautiful jade bracelet, and she couldn't say anything if she refused.

The lights in the room flickered, and the cold texture of the jade bracelet pulled the woman's thoughts back.

Xia Rongrong rubbed her forehead, really speaking, she was not for Du Changqing's benevolent medical hall, nor for Bai Shouyi's rhetoric, but for this beautiful and expensive bracelet.

Vanilla put the lamp in front of the small table, "Miss, rest, it's almost time." ”

"Aren't you going to stare at the next door?"

Vanilla "poofed" and smiled: "Then the young lady can't not sleep, right?" Besides, Dr. Lu really has something, and he can't go out all night. You rest, I'm guarding here, there's really movement, the slave wakes you up. ”

Her tone was relaxed, perhaps because whether it was Lu Tong poisoning the rabbit or Lu Tong taking off her bloody clothes in the middle of the night, she didn't see it with her own eyes, so she was not afraid, and she always felt that Xia Rongrong was exaggerating.

Xia Rongrong saw that she looked calm, and her heart was a little more stable, so she took off her shoes and went to the couch and lay down.

Now that she has promised Bai Shouyi, it is not good to regret it halfway. It's just that the thought that there might be a murderer living next door is inevitably creepy. She wanted to tell Du Changqing about it, but she was worried that Du Changqing would not believe her. But if you don't say it, even if one day Du Changqing will also become the ghost of Lu Tong's knife.

After all, Du Changqing is her cousin, and he treats her well.

Thinking about it like this, a wave of sleepiness hit her eyes, and unconsciously, Xia Rongrong gradually fell asleep.

I don't know how long it took, there was a muffled sound of "bang" in the courtyard, Xia Rongrong was startled, and opened her eyes suddenly.

It was pitch black, the lights had gone out, and only the moonlight shone faintly through the windows.

She got up and whispered, "Vanilla? ”

"The slave is here." The maid groped her way over and held her hand on the couch.

"Did you just hear anything?"

"Hear me, miss, don't make a sound, slave and maid." With that, Vanilla fumbled her way to the window.

Vanilla has always been bold, Xia Rongrong was not worried, just watched the maid touch the window in the house little by little.

Vanilla didn't dare to light the lamp, for fear of being discovered, and even her breath was suppressed. She leaned her face to the window and looked out through the crack in the window, leaving only Xia Rongrong's back.

There seemed to be a dull sound in the courtyard, the sound was very slight, but in the dead night, it was like a long bang, with a bit of weirdness and longness.

Xia Rongrong waited for a long time and didn't wait for vanilla to respond, she was very anxious in her heart, and she didn't dare to make a sound, so she thought about it, and simply got off the bed, and groped her way to the window like a servant.

When she got closer, she saw clearly, Vanilla's eyes were tightly pressed against the crack in the window, and the expression that had never been full of care was inexplicable at the moment, and large drops of sweat rolled down her forehead, making her look like a melting statue.

Xia Rongrong's heart "thumped", gritted her teeth, held her breath, and also put her eyes on the crack in the window, wanting to see what the vanilla had seen.

And she saw—

The moon is obscured by clouds, leaving only a gray shadow. Under the next window, under the jagged plum tree, someone was bending down to dig for the dirt under the tree.

Xia Rongrong was stunned.

It's a really weird picture.

Why dig up trees in the middle of the night?

What's under the tree?

She leaned forward again, trying to get a better view of the movement of the people under the tree. I saw that a deep pit had been dug out of the plum tree, and the pit was also dark. Two women with blurred faces holding shovels in their hands, calmly and little by little, digging the hole more completely.

Xia Rongrong vaguely saw that not far from the other party, there seemed to be a blurry mass.

Are they going to bury something?

The muffled sound of the shovel hitting the dirt was chaotic and desolate in the night, Xia Rongrong was thinking suspiciously, and suddenly a strong wind broke outside. The wind blew the branches crookedly, and blew away the rolling clouds.

In an instant, the moonlight saw the light of day again, illuminating the night clearly, and also illuminating the dark shadows in the courtyard and in front of the deep pit.

A one-and-a-half-man-long pocket.

The pocket lay quietly under the tree in the small courtyard, and I didn't know what it contained, but the white moonlight was too bright, and the blood stains oozing from the cloth bag were clearly illuminated.

Xia Rongrong's pupils shrank, and she suddenly took a step back, and a layer of cold sweat suddenly appeared on her forehead.

She shook her lips and called silently, "Vanilla." ”

Vanilla turned her head and met her in horror.

The blood-stained cloth bag crumpled into a ball, vaguely outlining a vague outline.

- Vaguely in human form.

The strange tapping sound in the courtyard stopped.

Someone stood in front of the dug pit and kicked the bloody cloth bag, which rolled into the pit with a muffled sound.

The woman unhurriedly picked up the shovel and filled the pit with dirt one by one.

There seemed to be the sound of some vessel falling in the distance, but it soon fell silent again.

Someone beside him asked in a low voice, "Girl, was there any noise just now?" ”

The woman raised her eyes and looked into the depths of the dark courtyard.

The doors and windows of the hut in front of the stone steps were closed, and there was no light, only the sound of the forest.

She retracted her gaze and said, "Nothing. ”

……

Autumn in Shengjing is always magnificent.

A scholar died in the Gongyuan, the officials of the Ministry of Rites were investigated, and Fan Qingtian of the Criminal Court was originally a shameless and greedy dog official...... These ordinary things are just a few words in the mouths of ordinary people, and they become the talk after tea and dinner, but they can't delay the ordinary daily work, let alone the enthusiasm of the people to welcome the Mid-Autumn Festival.

There are three days left before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The winery on West Street has new wine, and there is an endless stream of customers who are drinking. Du Changqing went to the fish market early in the morning to pick crabs.

The crab should be picked large, and the back of the shell should be black and green, so that the crab meat is thick, and in August and September, the female crab is more beautiful than the male crab. Du Changqing has always been perfunctory about other things, but he is especially attentive to eating, drinking and having fun.

Lu Tong was also called up, and he and Yinzheng Ah Cheng prepared for the Mid-Autumn Festival together.

At this time, everyone is busy preparing for the moon viewing banquet, and there are very few people who come to the hospital to see the disease and buy medicine. Lu Tong's cooking skills are really average, and the stuffing work falls on Yinzheng and Xia Rongrong's master and servant. Because he knew that Lu Tong liked sweetness, Yinzheng put more honey juice into the filling.

When Du Changqing came back from buying crabs in the afternoon, several people in the hospital were still doing moon groups in the shop.

He put the two baskets of crabs aside, walked sideways inside, and saw that Lu Tong was stuffing a large moon ball into the mold, the rudeness of the movements and the clumsiness of the behavior made it really difficult not to take a few looks.

He stood behind Lu Tong and said quietly: "Doctor Lu, are you shooting mud?" ”

Lu Tong didn't say anything, and pressed the mold hard into the round dough.

The mold is picked by Ah Cheng and the silver zither together, and the shape of the toad rabbit in the Moon Palace is painted on it, taking the meaning of family reunion. After Lu Tong pressed it, he peeled off the excess dough, and the complete pattern was printed in the moon dough.

Du Changqing stopped talking, and finally turned his eyes to Xia Rongrong on the other side, and sighed: "It's really difficult for my cousin." ”

Xia Rongrong didn't avoid Lu Tong today, but her face didn't look very good, I don't know if it was because she had a cold in the past few days, and the whole person looked restless.

Du Changqing wondered if she was unwell, and after asking a few more questions, Xia Rongrong stood up, picked up the already prepared Shengyue Dough and stood up, bowed her head and said, "I'll go and take it into the kitchen and bake it first." Then he put on vanilla and followed him, and lifted the felt curtain and went to the inner room.

Du Changqing looked at her back and touched his chin: "Why do you think she has been weird recently." He asked Lu Tong and the others, "Do you feel this way?" ”

The crowd shook their heads.

He said to himself, "Could it be that I have too much heart? Then he patted his head again: "Forget it, let's get down to business first." He picked up an empty basket from the side, grabbed some orange chestnuts from the fruit bowl, and threw a few crabs with their legs tied into it.

Du Changqing cut a strip of red cloth from the flag at the door of the store, tied it to the handle of the basket, and tied a beautiful knot, so that the basket had a little more color.

He put the decorated basket on the table and beckoned Ah Cheng: "Go, follow me to Lao Hu's house, it's August 15 soon, and the Boxing gift hasn't been sent yet." ”

After the death of Old Man Du, every Mid-Autumn Festival, Du Changqing would give Hu Yuan some cheap gifts to repay him for taking care of his business.

This year, the hospital has made money, and the Boxing gifts are much richer, but in previous years, there was no such big crab for him.

Ah Cheng scratched his head: "Owner, Hu Yuanwai is not at home tonight." ”

"Huh? Why? He is so old and dares not to go home at night? ”

"Didn't he say it yesterday? Brother Wu's body was sent back, and he and the people from the Poetry Society were at the Wu family, helping to take care of the funeral! ”

……

"Where is Wu Youcai's body now?"

"I'm back to Wu's house in the evening."

In the front division of the palace, there are also people talking about this lawsuit.

It's autumn, the osmanthus tree in the yard is blooming, the shadow of the swaying tree is reflected on the bamboo curtain, and the autumn color is also dyed with a layer of cold fragrance.

In front of the carved window, someone was sitting, and the half-window Jiayue sprinkled bursts of clear light, putting the young man's delicate eyebrows and eyes on a layer of cold color. The smile in his eyes was not as real as before, and he stared at the Chinese scroll in his hand without saying a word, and his eyes were a little complicated.

Opposite him, Xiao Zhufeng, the deputy commander of the front division of the palace, said in a deep voice, "The Criminal Prison Department has taken care of everything, Your Majesty has thoroughly investigated the court this time, and the whole of the Ministry of Rites has been implicated, and our people are just right to go up, what else do you have any doubts?" ”

The case went more smoothly than everyone expected.

On the surface, it was fraud in the imperial examinations, but in fact, the emperor took advantage of this to thoroughly investigate the trend of recruiting power and accepting bribes and selling official positions in the DPRK and China in recent years. And the forces of all parties are gone, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites is the prince's faction, and now there is an open and secret battle between the prince and the three princes, how can the three princes let go of this opportunity? It is impossible to take it lightly with all the people involved.

For them, it is a matter of benefiting fishermen, but Pei Yunyi does not seem to be at ease.

Pei Yunyao put down the Chinese scroll in his hand, looked at the lamp and candle on the table, and said, "Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence?" ”

"What coincidence?"

"There are scholars in the tribute examination who committed suicide in the number house, and there was a commotion, and it happened to be out of the hospital, and in a short time, except for the Privy Council, the three yamen of the Soldiers and Horses Division, the Criminal and Prison Division, all got the news. The officials involved in the case of the Ministry of Rites were investigated, and the officials of the trial and punishment court sent to the deceased's house to make trouble, which aroused the contradiction between the scholar and the government, and then the scholar stopped the sedan chair, and the imperial history played the court, and the trial and punishment court was investigated......"

He picked up the candle on the table and stared at the dancing flames, a hint of deep meaning flashing across his eyes.

"A dead scholar, no matter what, it can't be so troublesome. Every step seems to be fueled by someone behind the scenes, otherwise at the beginning of the death of the Gongyuan, with the means of the Ministry of Rites, this matter should be suppressed. ”

Xiao Zhufeng frowned: "Do you suspect that the third prince is behind the instructions?" ”

Pei Yunyi shook his head: "The third prince is conceited by nature, and he will not put his safety on the body of a peaceful person. ”

It happened that Duan Xiaoyan came in with an embroidered dress at this time, and when he heard this, he interjected: "That's thanks to the lady of Taifu Siqing." If she hadn't thought that the poisoned person was her precious son, she was pulling with the chief examiner at the gate of the Gongyuan, and she called the brother-in-law of the Soldiers and Horses Division in a rage, so that the people of the Gongyuan didn't even have a chance to cover up, how could there be this series of big dramas behind? ”

He said casually, but Pei Yunyi's eyebrows moved.

He thought for a moment, glanced at Duan Xiaoyan, and asked, "How much do you know about the dead scholar?" ”

Duan Xiaoyan likes to remember these trivial things the most on weekdays, and when he heard the words, he immediately gushed endlessly: "You said that Wu Xiucai? He is also a poor man, and his mother depends on each other, and he kills fish in the fresh fish shop on West Street on weekdays to make a living, and I heard that he was originally the seedling of the top student......"

He was spitting and spitting to himself, and was unexpectedly interrupted by Pei Yunyi.

"West Street?"

"yes, West Street." Duan Xiaoyan said: "What's wrong with West Street? ”

Xiao Zhufeng, who was on the side, seemed to have an understanding when he saw this, and looked at Pei Yunyao, "The Renxin Medical Hall where the female doctor is sitting is on West Street." ”

Duan Xiaoyan was stunned for a moment: "What does this have to do with Dr. Lu?" ”

Pei Yunyao didn't speak.

In an instant, the clueless thread seemed to have found the thread, and everything became clear.

The deceased Confucian scholar Wu Xiucai was a scholar who killed fish in the fresh fish shop on West Street.

Mrs. Dong, the secretary of Taifu Temple, who made a big fuss about the self-murder case of the Gongyuan, once asked Lu Tong to see his son's lung disease.

Fan Zhenglian, the judge of the trial court who was imprisoned, not long ago, Lu Tong had treated her wife and visited Fan's mansion.

At every node of the link, the shadow of Lu Tong appeared just right and just right.

The flame in the candlelight flickered, stretching the shadow of the person leisurely, and the young man looked at it quietly for a long time, and smiled.

"I see."

It turns out that she went around in such a big circle for this.

What "slender", what medicinal tea, approached Zhao Feiyan step by step, and even rescued Dong Lin in Wan'en Temple earlier, perhaps from the beginning, the people who were in it had unknowingly entered her game.

Really patient and cautious.

Duan Xiaoyan's voice came from the side: "Do you suspect that the case on the Gongju field is related to Dr. Lu?" ”

"Not a suspicion."

Pei Yunyi put down the candle in his hand and sneered slightly: "This matter must have nothing to do with her." ”

As soon as the words fell, the voice of the guard Qingfeng came from outside: "Master." ”

"Speak."

Qingfeng hesitated for a moment and said, "Just now, the military patrol shop received news that someone had sued the West Street Renxin Medical Center for killing people and burying corpses, and the infantry army patrol was taking people to West Street to get people. ”

As soon as these words came out, all three people in the room were stunned.

I just said that the tribute case was related to Lu Tong, and now I have received the news that the inspection went to the hospital to get people.

Duan Xiaoyan opened his mouth: "It can't really be Dr. Lu's doing, right?" ”

Pei Yunyi pondered for a moment and asked, "Who made the complaint?" ”

"Bai Shouyi, the shopkeeper of Xinglintang on West Street."

Bai Shouyi?

He raised his eyebrows slightly, and understood for a moment.

Xiao Zhufeng looked at him: "Do you want me to go?" ”

The matter of the security patrol in the city is actually handed over to the military patrol shop, but it is related to the Renxin Medical Center, or it may be related to the Gongju case, so it is inevitable that there will be a little more care.

Pei Yunyi smiled, got up and picked up the long knife on the table, and said lightly: "I'll go." ”

……

It was getting dark.

In autumn, as soon as the evening passed, the lanterns along West Street were lit up one by one.

West Street is not as lively as the south of the city, tonight the moon is clear, the moon is clear, and the old city wall is also covered with a layer of snow.

Du Changqing was standing at the door of the infirmary with Ah Cheng, and was about to close the door and go home, when he suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves at the end of the street.

The sound of horses' hooves is rapid, like a drum in the silent autumn night, and it makes people's hearts beat in horror. Du Changqing subconsciously turned around, and saw a group of inspection shop soldiers in soap clothes rushing from far and near, and stopped at the door of the medical hall.

The leader was a hat-wearing inspector, who was born fierce and vicious, ignoring Du Changqing and Ah Cheng still standing in front of him, dismounted and walked to the door of the medical hall by himself, and pushed the door-

"Hey, what are you doing, sir?" Du Changqing was dazed and didn't forget to make a smile, "If you want to buy medicine this big night, just let me know, you don't have to work in person......"

The inspector pushed him away and shouted: "The inspection department is handling the case, and unrelated people are temporarily avoided!" ”

Du Changqing was stunned: "Handle the case? ”

At this time, the medical hall was lit with lamps and candles, and Lu Tong walked out with the lamp and the silver kite, as if he was alarmed by the movement outside, standing at the door, looking at everyone suspiciously.

"It's ......."

Seeing the two young women, their faces were slightly softened, and their tone was still cold, and they only said: "Someone accused your hospital of killing people and burying corpses, and the inspection department was ordered to investigate and handle the case!" As soon as he raised his hand, the soldiers behind him swarmed up, and surrounded the people.

Du Changqing froze: "This must be a mistake, we are a medical hall, how can we kill people and bury corpses......"

His words were interrupted by Lu Tong.

Lu Tong stood at the door of the medical hall, looked at the official who was the leader, and said calmly: "Since I was ordered to handle the case, the Renxin Medical Center should cooperate." It's just that we are also a naturalized shop, and adults want to handle the case, can you let us see the inspection warrant? ”

Shen Yingfeng, who patrolled the shop, was sluggish.

When he received the news, he immediately rushed to West Street with people, and he didn't have time to get the warrant. Now that Sheng Jinggongju has a case, the DPRK and China are shaken, if he can complete a beautiful case at this time, his promotion is just around the corner.

And when handling a case, ordinary people will not specifically ask for a warrant, who knows that this woman will suddenly mention it?

was in a stalemate, when suddenly a voice came from behind him: "Here." ”

The voice came suddenly, and the crowd followed it and looked back.

The fragrance of cinnamon branches is fragrant, the bright moon is oblique on the tip, and in the good night, someone rides a horse and gallops.

The young man lifted the reins at the gate of West Street, dismounted and approached the medical hall, and the surrounding soldiers gradually got out of the way, and the hazy lights under the eaves illuminated his crimson robe, and also illuminated his handsome eyebrows.

Shen Yingfeng was stunned for a moment, and then he was ecstatic: "Master Pei! ”

Lu Tong's heart sank.

It's the haunting Pei Yunyi again.

Pei Yunyi stood still in front of Lu Tong, took off the token on his waist, shook it in front of her, and immediately smiled: "Doctor Lu's "Liang Chaolu" is really familiar with it. ”

After a short silence, Lu Tong raised his eyes and looked at the young man in front of him.

"Pei Dianshuai."