The tenth day of the sixth month of the Wu calendar.

Hangzhou.

Pingxiang County.

County dungeon.

Niu Ran nested alone in the corner of the cell, half of the steamed buns in the small basin beside him were moldy, and a few reptiles were roaming at his feet, poking their heads out of the cracks in the damp floor tiles. A fat rat sniffed its nose from among the missing bricks in the corner, and its long beard quivered. The entire dungeon was filled with a rancid smell and lifelessness, except for the sound of droplets of water oozing from the ceiling dripping onto the ground.

Niu Ran buried his head in his knees, motionless, the prison clothes on his body were no longer recognizable in their original color, the blood stains condensed into lumps, sticking to his body, and his feet exposed from his sleeves were dirty and black, like refugees begging on the street.

He didn't know how long he had been here, there were no windows in the gloomy dungeon, and there was no outside light except for the fire in the corridors outside the prison. There was no day or night in the dungeon, and he had long lost the concept of time, only knowing that a long, long time had passed in this long wait.

I don't know how long it took, but the long-lost footsteps finally came from the silent corridor. His fingers reacted, quivering slightly.

The sound of boots on the ground echoed throughout the dungeon. The cells on both sides of the corridor were lifeless.

Several officials held torches and walked to the door of Niu Ran's cell, and looked at Niu Ran who was nesting in the corner by the light of the fire. A servant shouted inside, "Hey, Niu Ran, it's time!"

Niu Ran slowly raised his head from the middle of his knees, his long hair covering his yellow-skinned face, revealing half-dead eyes from the inside, dull. He glanced at the official standing outside the cell, and a hoarse voice came out of his throat, and said, "What...... Are you going to send me to the execution ground?"

Several officials glanced at each other, and one of them said softly: "Let him come out first, the county commander will personally interrogate him." ”

The other official frowned, and also lowered his voice: "Isn't the county magistrate going to judge that girl alone?"

The official took out a string of jingling keys from his bosom and said, "That qin girl has a brother to call, she is assigned to Taizhou, not here, here are all death row prisoners." ”

With that, he inserted the key into the lock of the cell door. With a rusty creak, the cell door slowly opened.

"Come, get up, come with us. A servant walked straight to Niu Ran's side, his boot stepping over the insects on the ground, making a terrible creaking sound.

Niu Ran raised his head weakly, his eyes looked at the servant blankly, his hair sticking together, emitting a foul smell.

Seeing that Niu Ran had no reaction, the official frowned, turned his head in disgust, and said to the official behind him: "Come, this guy can't understand people's words, pick him up and carry him away." ”

Several officials walked into the cell, stretched out their hands, forcibly grabbed Niu Ran's arm, and pulled him up. Niu Ran had lost his weight in just a few days, and his wide prison uniform was draped over his bony body, swaying slightly, and he was completely inhuman.

Several officials joined forces to support Niu Ran and dragged him out of the cell, and one of the officials said impatiently: "Didn't this guy already approve the official document and ask for beheading, why do you still want to investigate his case?"

"Come on, it is said that what this kid has committed has alarmed the court, and we can't control it. Another official put Niu Ran's arm on his shoulder and said.

The group walked forward along the long corridor, and the fires on both sides of the corridor loomed, which looked particularly eerie and terrifying.

At the end of the hallway, there is a wide iron door. A servant stepped forward, took the key from his bosom, and opened the iron door. In an instant, a dazzling white light shone in from outside the door, and Niu Ran's emaciated face turned pale. He couldn't help but close his eyes, trying to avoid the glare light from the outside world.

I don't know how many bends he made, the official took him up a few flights of stairs and turned a few buildings, and a faint noisy sound began to sound in Niu Ran's ears.

It's like a world away.

I don't know how long I walked, but the official on my body finally stopped in one place and threw Niu Ran to the ground. He weakly propped himself on the ground, raised his head on his stomach, opened his eyes slightly, and saw that he was in a small room, and in front of him was a table, behind which sat a man in official uniform, looking down on him condescendingly. A slight sobbing sound sounded next to him. Turning his head, he saw that Liu Xiaoxiao was kneeling not far from him, covering his face with his hands, and the pear blossoms were crying with rain.

"Willow ...... Sanniang ......" Niu Ran said in a faint voice.

The two officials strode forward, grabbed Niu Ran's arm roughly, and fastened heavy shackles around his wrists.

Niu Ran looked at the man in front of him and vaguely remembered that he was the county magistrate who had interrogated him before. He slowly kowtowed to the man and said, "Grass people Niu Ran, I have seen the county commander." ”

Chu Mo glanced at Niu Ran a lot, did not answer, but said to Liu Xiaoxiao: "Miss Liu, this is the case, this official has sent someone to thoroughly investigate this case, please mourn." ”

Liu Xiaoxiao already felt out of breath, and she brewed with a crying voice for a while before she raised her head and said, "My lord...... Is it true, and who is going to destroy my house...... also burned the herring building...... None of them did anything wrong......"

"Exactly. Chu Mo still had a gentle smile on his face, and said to Liu Xiaoxiao: "That's why this official wants to ask you, have you caused any enemies...... Or maybe you have a special intersection with someone?"

Liu Xiaoxiao couldn't help crying again, choked up and couldn't speak.

Chu Mo looked at her quietly, and after a while, he asked again: "I heard the testimony that Niu Tao had a dispute with Liu Zhenwei because of business matters, and even said that you betrayed him and had an affair with Liu Zhenwei, what is going on?"

Liu Xiaoxiao and Chu Mo glanced at each other, and their teary eyes looked particularly distressing. She lowered her head and said, "This ...... The folk girl didn't know either...... I just heard Master Niu say that Liu Zhenwei hid some account book and embezzled tens of thousands of taels of gold from him, and insisted that the account book was here, but I didn't know anything......"

Chu Mo couldn't help but be stunned when he heard this, tens of thousands of taels of gold were still privately swallowed, what kind of business could have such a big deal? I'm afraid there is no other answer than reselling armaments.

He nodded and said to Liu Xiaoxiao: "Okay, the official knows, don't worry, your official will give an explanation before you send out, and before that, you stay here for a while." ”

Liu Xiaoxiao kowtowed and said with a crying voice: "Master Xie...... Seek justice for the people's daughter......"

Then, Chu Mo's gaze shifted to Niu Ran, who was disheveled and haggard-looking, and he was looking at Liu Xiaoxiao on the side in a daze at the moment.

Liu Xiaoxiao slowly got up and followed a servant out of the room, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably, trembling all over, crying so much that he couldn't help himself.

Chu Mo looked at Niu Ran and said, "Niu Ran, you tell the official first, who killed Niu Tao?"

Niu Ran glanced at Chu Mo with empty eyes, and said in a low voice, "Lord Hui...... The sinners are ...... Murder is a crime, according to the law of Dawu, it should be beheaded, and it should be dealt with by adults. ”

Chu Mo's expression did not have the slightest wave, he stretched out his hand and picked up a thick dossier on the table, threw it in front of Niu Ran, and said, "Look at it, you are also a person who has read books." Even if you can deceive the official, you can't blindfold it. This is an instruction issued by the state government, you can see for yourself. ”

Niu Ran was stunned when he heard this, and his thin five fingers trembled and stretched out to the file in front of him, and the heavy shackles made a grinding sound on the ground.

The dossier is densely covered with fly-headed small letters. His eyes were fixed on the contents, and the bloodshot in his pupils seemed to break free.

When he raised his head again, Niu Ran's spirit had become no longer sluggish, but shouted to Chu Mo emotionally, "No...... Impossible adults...... Ask the adults to be discerning...... Wrong...... It must be wrong...... I hated him, so I stabbed him twice, and I ......."

Chu Mo didn't respond to him, but turned his head to the official behind him and said, "Bring Niu Lian up, the little girl is tired after standing in the back for so long." ”

The servant answered, and walked into a passage at the back of the house.

Niu Ran hurriedly turned around, and the official took out a petite girl with a young face from the passage, who was only about eight or nine years old.

Niu Lian looked around expressionlessly, without the slightest fear.

Niu Ran looked at her, tears flashed in his eyes, and he hurriedly shouted to Chu Mo: "Ask the adults to be clear! She's just a child who doesn't know anything, this has nothing to do with her! It's all my doing, I'm willing to confess my guilt! She's only nine years old, how can she do something murderous, my lord...... It must have been a mistake......"

As he spoke, Niu Ran's voice already had some crying in it.

Chu Mo still didn't answer him, but looked at Niu Lian lightly.

Niu Lian, with her bare white and tender little feet, walked to Niu Ran's side gently, and knelt down facing Chu Mo.

Niu Ran looked at her with tears on her face, and she was speechless.

Niu Lian raised her immature eyes and looked at Chu Mo, her eyes were still so innocent. She said to Chu Mo, "My lord...... It's none of my brother's business. ”

Chu Mo and Niu Lian looked at each other, that little girl was far more mature than her peers, and it didn't match her age and appearance at all.

"Tell me, what did you do that night?" Chu Mo smiled at her gently, "Those officials shouldn't have interrogated you, now you tell the official, and the official seeks justice for your brother." ”

Niu Lian turned her head to look at Niu Ran beside her, and said to Chu Mo: "My lord, that night, my father had dinner, drank wine, and fell asleep next to the table. Then, I saw Uncle Liu pick up a rope and put it around my father's neck, and my father didn't move, and I was afraid that when he woke up, he would beat me...... So I picked up the knife on the dinner table and slashed my father's neck......"

After hearing this, Chu Mo asked Niu Lian, "...... you How do you know to cut your dad's neck with a knife...... Kill your father?"

Niu Lian's face was still fearless, as if she was chatting with Chu Mo about some family things. She said in a soft voice: "Because, I have seen my father like this, killing my family's subordinates and burying them in the backyard." ”

At this time, Niu Ran was already crying, and tears flowed freely.

"So, you were afraid that your father would beat you when he woke up, so you killed your father?" Chu Mo asked Niu Lian.

Niu Lian's small head nodded and said, "Well, that's the case." My brother, when he saw me, he wanted to take my sins, so he stabbed my father in the stomach with a knife. But it wasn't him who killed my father. ”

Niu Ran hurriedly shouted to Chu Mo on the side: "My lord, don't listen to her nonsense! she is so sensible, how can she ...... Don't listen to a child's nonsense, I do all these things alone, and it has nothing to do with her. ”

Chu Mo looked at Niu Ran and said lightly: "These things, this official has his own certainty. ”

Niu Ran's eyes were blurry and couldn't see clearly, he looked at Niu Lian and cried, "Little Lian...... Why are you so stupid...... You're still young...... You don't have to bear these things at all, Niu Tao deserves death for this beast crime, I wanted to kill him......"

Niu Lian stretched out her little hand, wiped the tears on Niu Ran's face, showed a trace of innocent smile, and said: "Brother, I have grown up, Mr. said that Xiaolian is not a child who loves to lie. My brother is not afraid, Xiaolian is not afraid, Xiaolian is not crying, and my brother is not allowed to cry. ”

Chu Mo sat beside the desk, quietly looking at the two of them, and did not speak.

Niu Ran cried bitterly, his heart hurt like a knife, he opened his arms and hugged Niu Lian tightly, and choked up: "Xiaolian...... Xiaolian is sorry...... It's my brother who didn't protect you well and made you suffer so many grievances......"

Niu Lian shook her head in his arms and said with a smile: "Brother, don't cry, Xiaolian knows that only my brother loves Xiaolian the most in this world." Therefore, Xiaolian can't live without her brother, my brother will protect me every time, and now I will also protect my brother. ”

Niu Ran closed his eyes, let the hot tears flow, and muttered, "Fool...... Why is Xiaolian so stupid......"

The two hugged each other tightly, and Niu Ran had already cried into tears.

After a while, Chu Mo said to the two: "According to Wu Law, Niu Ran is guilty of harboring, and he will be punished with a hundred rods and detained for ten days. Niu Lian committed the crime of killing her father, and she should have been beheaded, but she was still young, and she was exempted from the death penalty, and she was sent to Taizhou with Liu Xiaoxiao's tattoo. ”

Niu Ran listened, turned his head to look at Chu Mo, and said, "My lord......"

"The law is ruthless, although Niu Tao is a tyrannical person, but if he kills someone who violates the law, he must be held responsible. Chu Mo interrupted Niu Ran's words and said, "She is still young, let her follow Liu Xiaoxiao, and she will take care of her all the way." ”

Niu Ran's face was covered with tears, and he didn't make a sound, just hugged Niu Lian tightly in his arms.

"That's it, Liu Xiaoxiao's case will be discussed again by the official, and during this time, you will be detained in the yamen with Niu Lian, if there is no objection, the official will re-declare the paperwork. Chu Mo stood up with a tired face and said.

Niu Ran let go of his arms tremblingly, slowly kowtowed, and said, "Please ...... your lord."

"Xiaolian is okay, brother. Niu Lian smiled at Niu Ran and said, "Liu Sanniang is very good, she just loves to cry, Xiaolian has grown up, and she can still coax Sanniang." ”

Chu Mo glanced at the two kneeling on the ground, turned around and left the room.

When he went out, a sultry wind blew in his face, blowing his official uniform and whirring.

Chu Mo raised his head and looked at the sky, it was gloomy, and a large area of dark clouds covered the sky and the sun, as if it was about to be pressed down at any time. The salty wind blew all over Hangzhou, and the hot and dry temperature was swept away.

The rainy season in Hangzhou is almost here.