Chapter 16 16. When fakes are real
The white spirit banners swayed slowly with the wind in the rainy day, the paper money fluttered and fell in the courtyard like snowflakes, the Taoist priests recited the "Curse of Rebirth", accompanied by the wailing of Xianyun and others, Wang's family was surrounded by tears. Chill the air of sorrow.
When Li Shubai arrived with Huang Zixia, the tragedy of Langya Wang's family had already begun.
Wang Ruo's coffin is placed in the middle of the mourning hall, and incense candle offerings are placed in front of the coffin.Although Wang Ruo's death happened suddenly, Wang Yun is an extremely capable person, and he does things in an orderly manner, and all funerals can be arranged in an orderly manner in a hurry.
After Li Shubai brought Huang Zixia to burn incense before the spirit, the Wang family saluted him and thanked him.After returning the gift, he said to Wang Yun: "The incident happened suddenly, you must have worked hard recently."
Wang Yun was wearing a plain silk singlet today, covered with a layer of sackcloth, but after all, the deceased was just a clan sister who hadn't seen much since childhood. Although there seemed to be hidden worries on her face, she was not too sad. internal affairs."
The maid in the mourning hall was crying, and the atmosphere was oppressive. Li Shubai and him walked outside the door, stood on the steps under the eaves, and asked, "Have her parents not arrived yet?"
"The incident happened so suddenly, how could we make it in time? It could only be sent home to report the funeral, and her family came out of Langya to welcome her."
Li Shubai was silent, his eyes turned back, looking at the coffin placed behind the mourning hall.
The black lacquered coffin with a corner exposed has already been covered, and it is obvious that no one is going to pay their respects to the remains - such a face is indeed unnecessary.
Huang Zixia, who was standing behind Li Shubai, clearly felt that he and he were both thinking about how to speak logically and stop the body that was about to be transported out of Beijing.
Just when they were about to speak, the porter outside ran up to Wang Yun out of breath, and managed to speak fluently: "Young...Master! The emperor and empress have come to offer sacrifices."
Upon hearing the news, not to mention Huang Zixia, even Li Shubai was surprised.After all, Queen Wang is a member of the royal family, so it is understandable that she came to pay homage to her sister, but why did the emperor come here?
Only Wang Yun was calm and composed, obviously the palace people had already known to visit his house.
However, Huang Zixia suddenly understood when he saw that the whole Wang family forgot to grieve and went to the door to welcome the royal driver, and even a few young people in the clan showed joy.
No wonder there are legends in the palace that the emperor is gentle and gentle, compared with him, the queen is more dignified, and he will agree to everything the queen asks, and never disobeys.For example, the last time the queen wanted two hundred guards from the Imperial Forest Army and Kui Palace to guard Wang Ruo at the Yongchun Hall at the same time, the emperor agreed with just one word.There are jokes and rumors in Beijing that "the emperor is noble today, and the queen is martial"-the way the two get along is a replica of Gaozong and Empress Wu.
Therefore, even if Queen Wang asked the emperor to go to the royal family to offer sacrifices with her for the sake of the royal family's prestige, it would not be difficult, it was probably just a sentence.
The emperor's arrival this time was in micro-service, and only brought dozens of people to accompany her.Both of them were dressed in plain white silk silk dresses. The emperor wore a white gauze hat, and the empress wore a pink and white beaded flower apron on her head. The sobriety of her whole body highlighted her ink-dyed hair, lacquer-like eyes, and thin rouge. The stained lips made the whole person look like the ethereal son of God in the painting, so beautiful that it was impossible to clearly see everything around her.
The emperor and the empress went to the mourning hall together, and the empress offered Wang Ruo a stick of incense. The emperor asked Wang Lin, Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishments, about the progress of the case. It has never happened in ancient times. As the Secretary of the Criminal Ministry and the mainstay of the Wang family, I believe that you will pay more attention to this case, so that it will not be delayed into a long-standing case."
"Yes, the humble official has always been in touch with Cui Shaoqing of Dali Temple, and he is helpless at present." Wang Lin is a relative of the deceased and cannot preside over the case according to the law, so Cui Chunzhan is the person in charge of the case.
The emperor waved his hand to signal him to step back, and when he looked up and saw Li Shubai, he smiled and signaled him to go out with him.
Huang Zixia followed behind Li Shubai, and as the two of them walked outside the mourning hall, they felt a lot more comfortable after leaving the smoky environment.
The emperor asked: "Fourth brother, what are your thoughts on the matter of the royal daughter?"
Li Shubai said: "Fate is impermanent, and the weather is often unexpected."
The emperor also sighed to himself, and asked again: "I have heard many rumors in the palace, saying that this matter is related to Pang Xun, what do you think?"
Li Shubai shook his head and said, "I'm afraid not necessarily."
"Oh? The fourth brother already has a certainty about the case in his heart?"
"My brother is busy every day, how can I find anything? It's just that the eunuch Yang Chonggu next to me has already had some ideas about this matter." Li Shubai turned his head to signal, and Huang Zixia hurriedly bowed to the emperor.
"Yang Chonggu, isn't he the little eunuch who broke the 'Four Plans' of the capital last time? It's a talent to solve a mysterious case clearly and accurately in just a few words from others!" The emperor also spoke to her. The memory is still fresh, "I don't know what he found this time?"
"From her point of view, this matter involves a lot. The time spans from sixteen years ago to the present, and the area stretches from Chang'an to Yangzhou. It cannot be summed up in a few words."
The emperor looked slightly surprised: "I was already very surprised when I heard that Pang Xun's old department took revenge. Now it sounds like the inside story is deeper and wider than this?"
"Yes. Moreover, the mastermind behind the scenes may even affect the imperial court and the royal family, and implicate the aristocratic family for hundreds of years."
The emperor looked at the mourning hall behind him and said slowly, "It was just a woman's death, but there is such a huge inside story behind it? Don't make a mistake."
"I dare not." Li Shubai said.
The emperor turned his head to look at Huang Zixia with a deep meaning in his eyes.
Inside the mourning hall, smoky and mournful. Twenty-four Taoist priests have finished reciting the 108 times of the "Rebirth Mantra". The Taoist priest holds a peach wood sword in his right hand and a golden bell in his left hand. Thunder, gods and ghosts obey. Let’s set off immediately, trek through the village gate, all grievances will be relieved, the blood will disappear, the green lotus will calm down, and the soul will be safe forever. Hurry like a law.” The eight strong servants waiting around responded, and they went forward together with hemp ropes to tie up the coffin and carry it out of the gate. "Wait a moment." A voice sounded in the hall, it was not loud, but everyone could recognize the source of the voice. In the silence, all eyes were on Li Shubai.Out of awe of him, the sparse human voice suddenly disappeared. He walked into the mourning hall, raised his hand to caress the coffin twice, then took out a bracelet inlaid with white jade and gold from his sleeve, and said, "This bracelet was originally one of the dowry I planned to add to the princess after marriage. She was so envied by others that she died in the midst of heavy guards. This matter is very strange, and naturally it is beyond the reach of manpower, because I know that she is tired of me and killed by Pang Xun's ghost. This bracelet, I want Let her be brought into the underworld, and let the world know that although Wang Ruo was never my wife before death, I still want to give her a promise after death!" All the people present were stunned. They never expected that Li Shubai, the cold and ruthless King Kui who was rumored to be in Beijing, would have such deep affection for the quasi-wangfei who had died tragically. Wang Lin hurriedly said: "Thank you King Kui for your kindness, and the Langya Wang family is very grateful! Now we..." "King Kui's intentions are really touching." Another voice interrupted Wang Lin.The voice is gentle and mellow, just like the master, it makes people feel like a spring breeze.Wang Yun came out of the crowd, saluted Li Shubai, and said, "However, Ah Ruo's body is so bad now, I'm afraid he won't be able to wear the prince's gold and jade bracelet." "That's why I chose this piece from that batch of jewelry. The gold buckle can be untied, so it should be wearable." Li Shubai untied the bracelet into three pieces, handed it to Huang Zixia, and said to her, "The king in my memory If it's a beauty as gorgeous as peaches and plums, I don't want to see her current appearance, so you can put it on for me." Huang Zixia took the bracelet in his hand speechlessly.It seems that the important task of touching the female corpse finally fell on him. This request was reasonable, and Wang Yun could no longer stubbornly object.The hall was quiet, and everyone looked at the white jade inlaid gold bracelet, and sighed in their hearts for King Kui's affection. Several house slaves lifted the lid of the coffin and moved a foot-long gap, allowing Huang Zixia to reach in. Huang Zixia took the bracelet in her hand, touched it in breathlessly, and quickly grasped the festered hand of the female corpse. In the early summer season, the corpses were already highly poisoned, and now they were rotten, and they felt like mud.She gritted her teeth, grabbed the half-rotted sticky wrist, turned her head and said to Li Shubai: "My lord, this servant has something to say." "Speak." Li Shubai said, staring at her. Huang Zixia let go of the female corpse's arm, went to the hall and knelt down, and said: "Your Majesty, this servant found something suspicious when wearing the bracelet for the princess. This matter is of great importance, and it also involves the royal family. Please screen all irrelevant people, so as not to reveal the right and wrong of words." The emperor thought for a while and nodded his approval. Wang Lin frowned slightly, and waved his hands to signal the servants to retreat. All of a sudden, everyone in the hall retreated one after another, and only the empress, Wang Lin, Wang Yun, Li Shubai and Huang Zixia were left. Huang Zixia said to those who quit: "Xianyun, Ranyun, you two stay here." Both Xian Yun and Ran Yun were startled, and turned around to look at her blankly. Huang Zixia didn't speak to them any more, she just turned around and stood in the hall, put her hands on the coffin, and said, "Your Majesty, Empress, according to my servants, this corpse is probably not a girl from the Wang family!" Everyone in the hall involuntarily let out a low "ah".The queen who was sitting was even more shocked and stood up. Li Shubai also looked surprised, and said: "Don't talk nonsense, this corpse was sent back to the Wang's mansion from the palace, and naturally someone has been guarding it, how could it be someone else?" Wang Lin hurriedly said: "Yes, there have been people watching over the mourning hall these days, and there have been constant rituals, so how could the corpse change? Besides, who else can fake a corpse like this?" Huang Zixia said: "Please forgive me, Captain Wang, I think that when the corpse appeared in the palace, it might not be Miss Wang's corpse." Wang Lin was slightly sullen, and wanted to say something. Standing behind him, Wang Yun frowned slightly, raised his hand and tapped his father's elbow. Startled, Wang Lin turned his gaze to the empress and stopped talking. The emperor looked puzzled and only looked at the coffin, thinking about what Li Shubai had just told him about the reason behind Wang Ruozhi's death. But Queen Wang's face was calm, and she asked calmly, "Your name is Yang Chonggu?" "Yes, servant Yang Chonggu, eunuch of the Kui Palace." "I heard that you cracked the capital's 'Four Plans' before, so it seems that you are a smart person who can solve the case. Tell me, why is this corpse not Wang Ruo?" "Back to the queen, this servant was ordered to explain the laws of the palace to Miss Wang Ruo before. I have come into contact with her many times, and I remember that her palms are slender and small. But the palms of this corpse are much larger than hers." "Did you know that she died of severe poisoning and her body was swollen?" "The swelling is only the muscle skin, but it is absolutely impossible to increase the bones. The bones in the palm of this female corpse are undoubtedly much larger than those of Wang Ruo." Huang Zixia let go of the hand, straightened up, and said, "At that time, Wang Ruo The autopsy was done by Zhou Shilang's young son, Zhou Ziqin, he must know the bones of the palm of the corpse, His Majesty and Queen can call him to ask about the results of the autopsy." Queen Wang pondered for a while, and Wang Lin hurriedly said: "Eunuch Yang, the auspicious time for moving the coffin is about to pass. If you stop it, are you trying to embarrass our Wang family on purpose? Besides, Ah Ruo's body appeared in the place where he disappeared. It is normal for this palm to be deformed and enlarged due to the poison, so you speculate like this, do you want Ah Ruo to be buried in the ground and die in peace?" Queen Wang heard the words, nodded and sighed: "You must not miss this auspicious time. Eunuch Yang, the misfortune of my Wang family's girl is already unbearable. Why do you want to make trouble?" "I don't dare," Huang Zixia lowered her head and said, "but since there is something different about the corpse, I think it's better to check it carefully, so as not to be fooled." "Chonggu is right," Li Shubai finally said from the side, "It's not that I'm protecting the eunuchs in the house. Since this matter is suspicious, the Langya royal family has a century-old family and there are countless heroic spirits in the ancestral graveyard. How can we bury a corpse of unknown origin? Why don't you ask Zhou Ziqin to come over and verify it again, if the body is confirmed to be correct, you can let go of your worries; if it is not true, that is a good thing, at least it shows that Wang Ruo still has hope of surviving, what will the empress think?" Queen Wang frowned, turned to look at the emperor, he waved and said, "Go and proclaim Zhou Ziqin."
Zhou Ziqin had already packed up all the related things according to Huang Zixia's instructions.So this time around, it can be said to be fully prepared.He was holding the file from last time, while the two attendants behind him, Abi and Ayan, were carrying a rather heavy box, and after putting it down, they hurriedly saluted and exited. After Zhou Ziqin saluted the emperor, he immediately held the autopsy file with great interest and said: "After the autopsy with Yang Chonggu last time, I recorded the details. His face was seven inches long, his face was blurred, his skin was black and swollen, and his body was filled with pus and blood. The deceased had complete teeth, shiny hair, and long hair reaching his knees. There was no trauma to his body. He should have died of poisoning. Big hand bones and other issues, but at that time because the autopsy was not available, so I didn't say it, I just mentioned it in the file for the time being." Zhou Ziqin closed the file, and said: "However, after Chonggu raised the issue that the deceased's palm seemed to be too large, I searched all over the matter for old masters and famous orthopedic doctors in the capital, and followed the pig butcher to the slaughterhouse to study and examine it." For half a day, he also helped Jishantang dispose of dead bodies that fell on the street, and obtained the consent of a dying patient to dissect his body after his death..." Finally, even the emperor couldn't bear it a little bit, and opened his mouth: "Say the important point." "Yes, I combined Paoding Jieniu's chapter and found that the connection, trend, and veins of muscles, meridians and bones are all regular. Therefore, after you have bones, you can reshape the appearance of the dead as long as you restore them according to the texture. .Although the muscles of the head are complex and I haven't been able to master them for a while, there is absolutely no problem in restoring them according to the bones of the palm." The emperor didn't want to listen to his instigation anymore, he raised his hand and said, "Go and fix it quickly, I'll be waiting." Seeing that it was almost noon, at Wang Lin's suggestion, the empress and others withdrew to the main hall for dinner. Zhou Ziqin took out the mask coated with vinegar and garlic and the kind of thin leather gloves from the box, and handed a set to Huang Zixia. Huang Zixia took it silently, thinking, although my hand, which has just touched the flesh and skin of the female corpse, has already been washed—half a catty of Wang’s bath beans have been used—is it necessary to wear gloves? But looking at Zhou Ziqin's appearance of justifiably asking her for help, she could only put it on and help him hold the hand of the female corpse, let him carefully explore the bones of the female corpse's palm, and draw hundreds of points and dozens of lines . Zhou Ziqin opened the box and opened a grid. Inside was a kind of hard yellow mud. According to the dotted line diagram on the paper, he quickly squeezed out the bones of the palm, and cut a few thin wires to connect them.Then take out a softer kind of yellow mud, knead and knead it, and cover the yellow mud bones inside one by one. Finally, when the soil is slightly dry, take out a few pieces of white tulle and cut them to cover the outermost part. , Paste carefully and properly with isinglass. He put this artificial hand in front of Huang Zixia, quite proudly: "How is it?" Huang Zixia picked it up and looked at it, her palm was long and slender, her fingers were strong but not thick, yellow was faintly visible under the thin white gauze, it was very similar to the palm of a real person, it could be mistaken for a moment from a distance, and what's even more commendable was that it was really the same as her original hand The hands of Jinnu who have noticed are generally the same. "What a magical skill!" Huang Zixia praised. "That's right! I've said it all, I'm going to become the best writer in the world, and I'll definitely make my sweetheart Huang Zixia look at me with admiration!" Huang Zixia turned her face away, and swallowed the rest of her compliments.
Wang Yun delivered lunch in person. The staple food was cherry bilo, served with four cold dishes, two hot dishes and a big bowl of soup.It's cherry season, and the cherries are delicious. Huang Zixia ate two. Seeing Wang Yun looking at her all the time, she touched her face and asked, "Did the stuffing stick to your face?" He shook his head and said, "I thought you guys wouldn't be able to eat it, but I didn't expect you to not only be able to eat it, but also to eat it so deliciously." "It would be even better if there was more meat. I don't like meat." Zhou Ziqin squatted beside the coffin while eating. Rao is such an elegant and calm person as Wang Yun, and now he is depressed, so he can't help showing admiration for him.He turned his head to look at the coffin and the prosthetic hand, and said, "I was negligent, and I must get you more next time." After they finished their meal in a hurry, there was news that the empress had finished her rest and asked Zhou Ziqin to take her things to Yanji Hall. Abi and Ayan didn't dare to complain at all, they carried the heavy boxes and went to the Wang Family's Yanjitang.Huang Zixia called Xianyun, and the two went to the room where Wang Ruo lived, and took out a bracelet. Yanji Hall is the main house in the Wang family's mansion. It is a Guangsha Huatang, full of rich families, with five bays in size.In the middle of the hall are the upper seats on the left and right, covered with woven gold peony brocade burdens, on which the emperor and empress have already sat.There are two rows of twelve chairs in the hall. Li Shubai and Wang Lin sat down on the left and right, and Wang Yun stood behind his father.The rest of the idlers have all screened out. Huang Zixia asked Wang Yun for a tray, put Zhou Ziqin's fake hand on it, and presented it to the empress for them to see.And Zhou Ziqin put his palm on the artificial hand, compared the size, and said: "Look, everyone, the length of this palm is not much smaller than that of a man like me, except that the bones of the fingers are slightly slender. .These hands should be a pair of hands that are significantly larger and stronger than those of other women. Moreover, there are thin calluses left over the years on the left fingertips and the lower edge of the right palm." Huang Zixia looked at Xian Yun and Ran Yun, and asked, "Xian Yun, Ran Yun, you guys have to prove it, what is the size of your girls' hands?" They looked at each other expectantly, and then Xianyun said, "Maybe... maybe it's about the same, I don't know too well..." Wang Yun interrupted them in a deep voice: "Tell the truth!" "Yes..." Xianyun panicked and said hastily, "The girl's hands are very slender and soft. When Aunt Suqi came to teach the girl court etiquette, she once praised her hands..." "Even if you don't say it, there is more intuitive evidence." Huang Zixia took out Wang Ruo's bracelet that he brought earlier, slowly bent the pair of fake hands into a bracelet-wearing posture, and then forcibly put them on.The soft yellow mud inside the tulle was stretched out of shape, but it still couldn't fit the bracelet. Holding the bracelet in his hand, Huang Zixia said, "Princess... the bracelet of the Wang family girl can't fit this hand at all." Everyone looked at each other, but Wang Yun was the quickest to respond, and said, "If this corpse is not my sister, then there must be something inside the case. First, I don't know where she is now? Second, this corpse that suddenly appeared, and Who is it?" "Where Miss Wang is now, I don't know, but of course someone here knows." Huang Zixia put the fake hand back on the tray, and said loudly, "However, the identity of this female corpse that was mistaken for Miss Wang, I have no idea." But know who it is." The hall was silent, and Huang Zixia turned to Zhou Ziqin, "Based on the size of the bones you traced just now, tell me more about the details of the female corpse's hands." Zhou Ziqin nodded, held up the dotted line diagram of the skeleton he had drawn, and said, "The palm of the female corpse is five inches and three inches long, and the bones of the fingers are slender, which are slightly thicker than ordinary women. The fingertips of the middle three fingers of the female corpse's left hand, the thumb of the right hand and the There is a thin callus left by years of rubbing on the lower edge of the right palm." "The tip of the left finger and the lower edge of the right palm. Most people don't have the cocoons in these two places. The only ones that can have them are only one kind of people, that is, pipa artists." The movement of the pipa plectrum, "Therefore, there will be thin calluses on the tip of the left finger, and the edge of the palm of the right hand and the thumb are just where the plectrum is placed. If there is too much friction, calluses will naturally be left." Wang Lin frowned and said, "However, there are so many people playing pipa in the world, where can I confirm the identity of a pipa girl who can't even tell her face?" "It's not difficult to know," Huang Zixia said slowly, wrenching her fingers, "First, a pipa artist happened to disappear in the foreign teaching workshop recently; second, the package she packed has been found outside the teaching workshop. There are only a few coats and jewelry inside, obviously not packed by herself; thirdly, and most importantly, she was also poisoned by poison arrow wood and died." Zhou Ziqin let out an "ah" and said, "The pipa girl you are talking about is Jin Nu from the Foreign Education Workshop! But...but did Jin Nu die from poisoning?" "Exactly, Jin Nu once told the Queen and Concubine Zhao about her past in the palace. We all saw her hands at that time, and they were indeed bigger than ordinary women." "But that doesn't mean that the female corpse must be her. And after all, her corpse has been found, right next to her package... Moreover, the corpse showed no signs of poisoning, it was beheaded to death." "No, that headless female corpse is not Jin Nu. It is Jin Nu's body that was used to pretend to be Miss Wang. Because on the night Jin Nu died, he was in Zhui Jin Lou with Cui Shaoqing, me, Zhou Ziqin and others. At the end of the party, we packed a few dishes and sent them to some beggars in Chongrenfang, and as a result, those beggars were all poisoned and died—the poison was poisonous arrow wood.” Zhou Ziqin was even more dumbfounded: "What? The deaths of those beggars a few days ago are also related to us... and this case?" Huang Zixia was afraid that he would want to explain more and cause trouble, so he interrupted him and said: "Actually, the deaths of those beggars are related to Jin Nu. Because the poison was placed on the day Jin Nu cleaned up. On the plate of cherries, she also said that her hands were a little itchy, and said that it was the reason why the cherry stems were stuck. In fact, the real reason was that she happened to be poisoned at that time, and she was infected on the plate of cherries, and died indirectly Those beggars!" Zhou Ziqin hurriedly asked: "At that time, Jinnu had been eating with us all the time, and he didn't leave. He also ate the same food as us. How come we are safe and sound, but she was poisoned?" "Because she is a pipa artist," Huang Zixia sighed, "I don't know if you still remember that before she played the pipa, she tried a few notes, and then complained that it was rainy in late spring, and the pipa was wet, so the sounds were sloppy." It's not clear. So she took out a box of rosin powder, took a couple of handfuls and slowly dabbed on the strings and shafts, didn't she?" Zhou Ziqin nodded: "Yes, I remember." "So, as long as the murderer mixes a bit of poisoned bamboo chips or harder wood chips into the rosin powder, Jinnu will naturally be punctured by the bamboo saw chips or the crevices of the nails when applying and pressing. Those tiny wounds plus It's so poisonous that she can't feel any pain at all, only a little itching. But poison arrow wood claims to see blood seal her throat. Although it's only slightly poisonous, after a long time, when she returns to her own residence in the foreign teaching workshop Afterwards, the poison on her hand can slowly spread throughout her body. She will fall into a coma, and finally die unconsciously, her body will swell and she will no longer be able to see her face—it just so happens that she can be used to impersonate Miss Wang Let the real Miss Wang use this to escape, and completely disappear from the eyes of the world." Everyone in the hall was discussing, and the emperor was also full of surprise, asking: "Why did the murderer take so much pains to get a fake corpse to pretend to be Wang Ruo? How did Wang Ruo disappear in the palace? What is the real purpose of the murderer?" Huang Zixia replied: "Just now, this servant solved the first mystery, that is, who is Miss Wang's body? Now all signs have been revealed, this corpse is Jin Nu, not Miss Wang. Please allow me to uncover it again The second mystery is how Miss Wang disappeared and how she was replaced by Jin Nu." Li Shubai suddenly opened his mouth and said to Zhou Ziqin: "Ziqin, you have worked hard on making fake hands and testifying before, you must be tired, go down and have a rest." Zhou Ziqin looked puzzled: "But Yang Chonggu hasn't solved the mystery yet..." Li Shubai didn't speak any more, just squinted his eyes and glanced at him slightly. Although Zhou Ziqin was simple, he was not stupid. When he saw Li Shubai's eyes, he understood immediately, packed up his things immediately, and said, "Ziqin resigns!" After Zhou Ziqin left and Huang Zixia closed the door, the emperor nodded slightly and said, "I've heard the empress talk about this before, and it's really a strange thing. It's really weird that a living person suddenly disappears out of thin air amidst heavy defenses." .” Queen Wang frowned and said bitterly: "It must be the remnant of Pang Xun, there is no doubt about it!" Huang Zixia shook his head and said: "This case has been going on for many days. The so-called rumors of Pang Xun's troubles are just a tool used by the murderer to deceive his eyes. In fact, he has nothing to do with this case in the final analysis! From the servants’ point of view, it should be in this hall.” Her words were clear and loud, making everyone who heard them terrified, straightened up like a thorn in their backs. Queen Wang sneered and said, "Presumptuous, do you mean that the murderer is among our Wang family?" "I don't dare. I just rely on my own investigation for many days to make the only inference that can explain everything. As for the murderer, I only tell the facts and never consider other things." "If it wasn't Pang Xun who did it, but one of us was the murderer, then who do you want to say?" Wang Lin looked around at the few people in the hall and asked angrily, "Ah Ruo disappeared back then. Under the watchful eyes of the Imperial Forest Army and the guards of King Kui's Mansion. You may not trust the people in the palace, or the soldiers and horses brought by my son, but you are also a member of King Kui's Mansion, so you can trust those guards?" Li Shubai frowned slightly, and said: "Please don't worry Wang Shangshu, Yang Chonggu must not mean that." Huang Zixia said neither humble nor overbearing: "When Miss Wang disappeared, Prince Kui and I were also there. We saw it with our own eyes, heard it with our own ears, and felt it with our own eyes. I believed in Prince Kui and the members of the Imperial Forest Army just like I believed in myself." "Okay, everyone, don't be impatient," the emperor raised his hand to appease everyone, "Let's listen to Yang Chonggu's inference first, and after he finishes speaking, if you have any doubts, you can ask them later." Not too late." "Thank you, Your Majesty!" With the emperor's approval, Huang Zixia ignored the others, only bowed to the emperor, and then said, "Wang Ruo's disappearance is indeed complicated and confusing, but before his disappearance, there was an even more embarrassing incident. People find it hard to explain—when she was resting in the Penglai Palace, why did the palace servants take the risk to assassinate her in such a dangerous situation? And when the servants heard the noise in the inner room and immediately ran in to check, the assassin It has already disappeared. There is no shelter outside the Penglai Hall, it is all flat terrain, but the senior female officials who are one step ahead of the slaves can still see the black shadows fleeing through the window, and the slaves are only one step behind and there is no trace. Is there any way to make a person disappear instantly?" "However, after thinking about it over and over again, this servant realized that the only role of this assassin, who appeared only for a moment, was to make Her Royal Highness take a move, that is, to move Miss Wang to Yongchun Palace." Queen Wang sneered and said, "So, I feel sorry for Ah Ruo and want to protect Princess Kui for the court and King Kui. Is it wrong?" "Don't dare. The servant girl didn't say that this matter was the queen's fault. What the servant girl meant was, why did Miss Wang be surrounded by so many things at that time, which led to the occurrence of this suspicious case instead? Because the Yongchun Palace is a place that has been arranged in advance. , the most suitable stage for Wang Ruo to disappear out of thin air, is the entire palace, it looks the most rigorous, but in fact it is the most suitable place for the disappearing trick—” She took out a folded piece of thin paper from her sleeve and unfolded it in front of everyone. It was the map of Yongchun Palace that she had prepared in advance. She held down the silver hairpin in her hair, pulled out the jade hairpin in the middle, drew a sign on the paper, and said to everyone in the hall: "Yongchun Hall was originally used as an inner treasury, and the four walls were impenetrable, and the Queen asked His Majesty to mobilize Two hundred soldiers and horses gathered here, under such strict guards, how did Wang Ruo disappear? I noticed a detail, that is, Wang Ruo seemed to walk out of the cabinet on purpose before disappearing to thank the prince and let us watch her Walked back to the cabinet, and then disappeared in the most secure place where it was impossible to disappear." Her hairpin draws a circle on the East Pavilion of the innermost inner hall, showing that this is the center of the heavily guarded center: "After she disappeared, I have been puzzled: Why did she see Wang Ruo walking into the pavilion? But can she disappear in a blink of an eye? How did she avoid everyone's eyes and disappear across the sea?" There was silence in the hall, and even Li Shubai, who already knew the inside story, couldn't help but concentrate on listening to her solve the core trick of this case. "Actually, we have been misled all the time. Even if we envisage 10,000 possibilities, we still have no way of knowing how she disappeared in Yongchun Hall. It wasn't until I was inspired by a juggler on the streets of West Market that I discovered the truth of the disappearance—— It's not that Wang Ruo mysteriously disappeared in the East Pavilion of Yongchun Hall, but that Wang Ruo never entered the East Pavilion at all!" Wang Lin said coldly: "But the old man heard that including King Kui and you, as well as dozens of guards guarding the palace at that time, they all watched Wang Ruo enter the East Pavilion of the inner palace. You walked into the pavilion under the watchful eyes of her, and now you say that she didn't enter, could it be that everyone had hallucinations at that time?" "It's not an illusion. Because I don't know if you have noticed, Wang Shangshu. After the Yongchun Hall was converted from the inner storehouse to the residence, in order to change the old-fashioned square shape, a special hall was specially placed between the inner and outer halls, that is, the place where the atrium is close to the inner hall. rockery?" "But this rockery is very small, with only one or two places where the stones are higher than a human head. Could it be possible to do anything?" "As long as there is a place that can cover people's heads," Huang Zixia said very calmly, "Actually, this trick only takes a moment to succeed - because Captain Wang assigned the guards on the scene, so there is no place behind the rockery. People. The only ones who could see behind the rockery, the two guards standing outside the window of the East Pavilion, were also ordered to face the window the whole time and keep an eye on the entrance and exit. In this case, the so-called people watched Wang Ruo return to the East Pavilion, In fact, I just watched her back walking all the way." "Isn't it enough for everyone to see her back?" "Of course not enough. Because the seemingly mysterious and complicated disappearance only takes a moment. And she just happened to be invisible to everyone for a moment," Huang Zixia's hairpin pointed to the rockery, "between the inner and outer halls is a very low There is a green brick ground winding through the middle of the rockery. Here is the highest point, which can cover Wang Ruo who is five feet seven inches tall. Therefore, only one person wearing the same clothes as Wang Ruo and wearing the same bun , The woman wearing the same jewelry hid behind the rockery in advance. The moment Wang Ruo walked up to the highest rock in the rockery, Wang Ruo bent down and squatted down, while she straightened up and walked out of the rockery. Let's watch Wang Ruo who is walking towards the East Pavilion of the inner hall, at this moment, he can become another person!" Huang Zixia turned her head, looked at Xianyun and Ran Yun who were lying on the ground trembling, and said slowly, "At that time, it was Ran Yun who accompanied Wang Ruo to meet Prince Kui, so the person who pretended to be Wang Ruo behind the rockery, naturally It's just idle." "Ridiculous!" Wang Lin sneered, "Eunuch Yang is such a good guess. You can transfer it to the case like this when you see a trick on the street. To make it far-fetched, the height difference between Wang Ruo and Xianyun is half a head. Don't you care? Wang Ruo's figure is much taller than ordinary people. Could it be that Wang Ruo, who came out from behind the rockery, suddenly became half a head shorter in back, and no one would notice?" "It's not difficult to change the height, especially for women. The highest wooden bottom of the cloud-climbing shoes sold in the market is five or six inches high. It is not difficult to make Xianyun half a head taller. And Xianyun is entering When entering the hall, I noticed that her feet hung on the threshold, which was naturally because she was not used to wearing such shoes. Another stronger evidence is that Xianyun came out shortly after entering the hall with food He went to the small dining room in the back corner of the hall. I guess, there she should have burned her disguised clothes and shoes. It’s a pity that she was inexperienced and too flustered, so she left evidence for us to rummage through the stove. A half-burnt piece of wood shaped like a horseshoe, which is the remnant heel of Dengyun's shoes, left evidence!" Seeing that Wang Lin was speechless for a moment, Li Shubai asked, "Then, everyone started to search the entire Yongchun Hall immediately after the incident. Where did Wang Ruo go?" "It's very simple. She puts on the clothes of the maids or eunuchs stuffed in the cave behind the rockery and puts there in advance. When everyone goes to the rockery to look for her leaf hairpin, she pretends to be the palace maid who helped them find it." People, left the rockery." "Absurd, isn't anyone suspicious of a person who looks exactly like Wang Ruo appearing in the palace?" Wang Lin shouted again. “当然没有。因为皇后身边的女官长龄很快就出现了，还带着一队宫女和宦官。她留下了几个人在殿中帮忙寻找，又带着几个人去通报皇后——而跟着她离开的人当中，就有王若。在出了混乱的雍淳殿之后，王若自然就如飞鸟投林，鱼游大海，再也寻不到踪迹了。而之后，雍淳殿的防卫撤去，只剩几个老宦官和宫女看守着，只要有一个在宫中有耳目有帮手的人指使，尸体神不知鬼不觉地进入宫中，出现在东阁内，绝非难事。” 众人都默然，燕集堂上一时陷入死寂。 皇帝思索着黄梓瑕的话，思索的目光看向皇后，而王皇后的眼睛低垂，望着自己白裙上的银色纹饰，缓缓地问：“听杨公公的意思，似乎是对幕后指使者已经了然？” “奴婢斗胆，奴婢……本不愿这样想。但此案的种种手法，除了那人之外，再无其他人能有办法做到，”黄梓瑕抬头看她，目光澄澈，毫无畏惧，“纵然我会因此得罪我无法想象的强大势力，但我也要将自己所发现的真相，从头至尾说出来。” 堂上众人都是神情叵测，唯有皇帝依然神情温和，点头说道：“既然如此，你先说说，王若失踪这桩谜案，幕后的指使者，终究是谁？” “其实从种种迹象看来，我们已经不难知道。第一，此人能在事先决定作案地点，将王若移到雍淳殿；第二，此人在事先能指使长龄、长庆等宫中的大宫女、大宦官；第三，在案发之后，又能让长龄带走王若；第四，在锦奴死亡之后，能轻易将她的尸体移入雍淳殿。” 她说的时候，低头看着地上，并没有看着哪一个人，但答案，已经是呼之欲出。 “至于幕后主使者，我先说一件事，那便是事件的开端。王若祈福仙游寺那一日，在我们面前出现了一个神秘男子，手持着一个鸟笼，在我们面前上演了一场障眼法。他告诫王若，过去的人生，无论如何也无法隐藏，最后又神秘消失在守卫严密的仙游寺中——正是因为这个神秘男人的出现，才引发了后面一系列的事情。” 皇帝点头道：“此事朕亦有耳闻，也是一件奇诡之事。依你之见，仙游寺中那个男人，从何而来，又如何而去，他做这一切的目的又是为了什么？” “以奴婢之见，仙游寺高墙深院，那日寺中早已清空香客，又有夔王府派来的士兵守卫。当时我一心钻了牛角尖，只想着神秘人到底是从哪里来的、怎么消失的，却未曾想过，其实那个神秘人，原本就是与我们一起来的，始终就在我们身边。在我们离开人群的时候，他只需要扮上伪装就可以出现在我们面前，而要消失也很简单，就只要在后殿脱下外面的伪装丢到香炉中烧毁，然后快步沿着山道台阶旁的灌木丛中下来，抢在别人面前再度出现在我们面前便可以……而当时，第一个出现在我们面前的人，就是您——王蕴王都尉。”
Inside the mourning hall, smoky and mournful. Twenty-four Taoist priests have finished reciting the 108 times of the "Rebirth Mantra". The Taoist priest holds a peach wood sword in his right hand and a golden bell in his left hand. Thunder, gods and ghosts obey. Let’s set off immediately, trek through the village gate, all grievances will be relieved, the blood will disappear, the green lotus will calm down, and the soul will be safe forever. Hurry like a law.” The eight strong servants waiting around responded, and they went forward together with hemp ropes to tie up the coffin and carry it out of the gate. "Wait a moment." A voice sounded in the hall, it was not loud, but everyone could recognize the source of the voice. In the silence, all eyes were on Li Shubai.Out of awe of him, the sparse human voice suddenly disappeared. He walked into the mourning hall, raised his hand to caress the coffin twice, then took out a bracelet inlaid with white jade and gold from his sleeve, and said, "This bracelet was originally one of the dowry I planned to add to the princess after marriage. She was so envied by others that she died in the midst of heavy guards. This matter is very strange, and naturally it is beyond the reach of manpower, because I know that she is tired of me and killed by Pang Xun's ghost. This bracelet, I want Let her be brought into the underworld, and let the world know that although Wang Ruo was never my wife before death, I still want to give her a promise after death!" All the people present were stunned. They never expected that Li Shubai, the cold and ruthless King Kui who was rumored to be in Beijing, would have such deep affection for the quasi-wangfei who had died tragically. Wang Lin hurriedly said: "Thank you King Kui for your kindness, and the Langya Wang family is very grateful! Now we..." "King Kui's intentions are really touching." Another voice interrupted Wang Lin.The voice is gentle and mellow, just like the master, it makes people feel like a spring breeze.Wang Yun came out of the crowd, saluted Li Shubai, and said, "However, Ah Ruo's body is so bad now, I'm afraid he won't be able to wear the prince's gold and jade bracelet." "That's why I chose this piece from that batch of jewelry. The gold buckle can be untied, so it should be wearable." Li Shubai untied the bracelet into three pieces, handed it to Huang Zixia, and said to her, "The king in my memory If it's a beauty as gorgeous as peaches and plums, I don't want to see her current appearance, so you can put it on for me." Huang Zixia took the bracelet in his hand speechlessly.It seems that the important task of touching the female corpse finally fell on him. This request was reasonable, and Wang Yun could no longer stubbornly object.The hall was quiet, and everyone looked at the white jade inlaid gold bracelet, and sighed in their hearts for King Kui's affection. Several house slaves lifted the lid of the coffin and moved a foot-long gap, allowing Huang Zixia to reach in. Huang Zixia took the bracelet in her hand, touched it in breathlessly, and quickly grasped the festered hand of the female corpse. In the early summer season, the corpses were already highly poisoned, and now they were rotten, and they felt like mud.She gritted her teeth, grabbed the half-rotted sticky wrist, turned her head and said to Li Shubai: "My lord, this servant has something to say." "Speak." Li Shubai said, staring at her. Huang Zixia let go of the female corpse's arm, went to the hall and knelt down, and said: "Your Majesty, this servant found something suspicious when wearing the bracelet for the princess. This matter is of great importance, and it also involves the royal family. Please screen all irrelevant people, so as not to reveal the right and wrong of words." The emperor thought for a while and nodded his approval. Wang Lin frowned slightly, and waved his hands to signal the servants to retreat. All of a sudden, everyone in the hall retreated one after another, and only the empress, Wang Lin, Wang Yun, Li Shubai and Huang Zixia were left. Huang Zixia said to those who quit: "Xianyun, Ranyun, you two stay here." Both Xian Yun and Ran Yun were startled, and turned around to look at her blankly. Huang Zixia didn't speak to them any more, she just turned around and stood in the hall, put her hands on the coffin, and said, "Your Majesty, Empress, according to my servants, this corpse is probably not a girl from the Wang family!" Everyone in the hall involuntarily let out a low "ah".The queen who was sitting was even more shocked and stood up. Li Shubai also looked surprised, and said: "Don't talk nonsense, this corpse was sent back to the Wang's mansion from the palace, and naturally someone has been guarding it, how could it be someone else?" Wang Lin hurriedly said: "Yes, there have been people watching over the mourning hall these days, and there have been constant rituals, so how could the corpse change? Besides, who else can fake a corpse like this?" Huang Zixia said: "Please forgive me, Captain Wang, I think that when the corpse appeared in the palace, it might not be Miss Wang's corpse." Wang Lin was slightly sullen, and wanted to say something. Standing behind him, Wang Yun frowned slightly, raised his hand and tapped his father's elbow. Startled, Wang Lin turned his gaze to the empress and stopped talking. The emperor looked puzzled and only looked at the coffin, thinking about what Li Shubai had just told him about the reason behind Wang Ruozhi's death. But Queen Wang's face was calm, and she asked calmly, "Your name is Yang Chonggu?" "Yes, servant Yang Chonggu, eunuch of the Kui Palace." "I heard that you cracked the capital's 'Four Plans' before, so it seems that you are a smart person who can solve the case. Tell me, why is this corpse not Wang Ruo?" "Back to the queen, this servant was ordered to explain the laws of the palace to Miss Wang Ruo before. I have come into contact with her many times, and I remember that her palms are slender and small. But the palms of this corpse are much larger than hers." "Did you know that she died of severe poisoning and her body was swollen?" "The swelling is only the muscle skin, but it is absolutely impossible to increase the bones. The bones in the palm of this female corpse are undoubtedly much larger than those of Wang Ruo." Huang Zixia let go of the hand, straightened up, and said, "At that time, Wang Ruo The autopsy was done by Zhou Shilang's young son, Zhou Ziqin, he must know the bones of the palm of the corpse, His Majesty and Queen can call him to ask about the results of the autopsy." Queen Wang pondered for a while, and Wang Lin hurriedly said: "Eunuch Yang, the auspicious time for moving the coffin is about to pass. If you stop it, are you trying to embarrass our Wang family on purpose? Besides, Ah Ruo's body appeared in the place where he disappeared. It is normal for this palm to be deformed and enlarged due to the poison, so you speculate like this, do you want Ah Ruo to be buried in the ground and die in peace?" Queen Wang heard the words, nodded and sighed: "You must not miss this auspicious time. Eunuch Yang, the misfortune of my Wang family's girl is already unbearable. Why do you want to make trouble?" "I don't dare," Huang Zixia lowered her head and said, "but since there is something different about the corpse, I think it's better to check it carefully, so as not to be fooled." "Chonggu is right," Li Shubai finally said from the side, "It's not that I'm protecting the eunuchs in the house. Since this matter is suspicious, the Langya royal family has a century-old family and there are countless heroic spirits in the ancestral graveyard. How can we bury a corpse of unknown origin? Why don't you ask Zhou Ziqin to come over and verify it again, if the body is confirmed to be correct, you can let go of your worries; if it is not true, that is a good thing, at least it shows that Wang Ruo still has hope of surviving, what will the empress think?" Queen Wang frowned, turned to look at the emperor, he waved and said, "Go and proclaim Zhou Ziqin."
Zhou Ziqin had already packed up all the related things according to Huang Zixia's instructions.So this time around, it can be said to be fully prepared.He was holding the file from last time, while the two attendants behind him, Abi and Ayan, were carrying a rather heavy box, and after putting it down, they hurriedly saluted and exited. After Zhou Ziqin saluted the emperor, he immediately held the autopsy file with great interest and said: "After the autopsy with Yang Chonggu last time, I recorded the details. His face was seven inches long, his face was blurred, his skin was black and swollen, and his body was filled with pus and blood. The deceased had complete teeth, shiny hair, and long hair reaching his knees. There was no trauma to his body. He should have died of poisoning. Big hand bones and other issues, but at that time because the autopsy was not available, so I didn't say it, I just mentioned it in the file for the time being." Zhou Ziqin closed the file, and said: "However, after Chonggu raised the issue that the deceased's palm seemed to be too large, I searched all over the matter for old masters and famous orthopedic doctors in the capital, and followed the pig butcher to the slaughterhouse to study and examine it." For half a day, he also helped Jishantang dispose of dead bodies that fell on the street, and obtained the consent of a dying patient to dissect his body after his death..." Finally, even the emperor couldn't bear it a little bit, and opened his mouth: "Say the important point." "Yes, I combined Paoding Jieniu's chapter and found that the connection, trend, and veins of muscles, meridians and bones are all regular. Therefore, after you have bones, you can reshape the appearance of the dead as long as you restore them according to the texture. .Although the muscles of the head are complex and I haven't been able to master them for a while, there is absolutely no problem in restoring them according to the bones of the palm." The emperor didn't want to listen to his instigation anymore, he raised his hand and said, "Go and fix it quickly, I'll be waiting." Seeing that it was almost noon, at Wang Lin's suggestion, the empress and others withdrew to the main hall for dinner. Zhou Ziqin took out the mask coated with vinegar and garlic and the kind of thin leather gloves from the box, and handed a set to Huang Zixia. Huang Zixia took it silently, thinking, although my hand, which has just touched the flesh and skin of the female corpse, has already been washed—half a catty of Wang’s bath beans have been used—is it necessary to wear gloves? But looking at Zhou Ziqin's appearance of justifiably asking her for help, she could only put it on and help him hold the hand of the female corpse, let him carefully explore the bones of the female corpse's palm, and draw hundreds of points and dozens of lines . Zhou Ziqin opened the box and opened a grid. Inside was a kind of hard yellow mud. According to the dotted line diagram on the paper, he quickly squeezed out the bones of the palm, and cut a few thin wires to connect them.Then take out a softer kind of yellow mud, knead and knead it, and cover the yellow mud bones inside one by one. Finally, when the soil is slightly dry, take out a few pieces of white tulle and cut them to cover the outermost part. , Paste carefully and properly with isinglass. He put this artificial hand in front of Huang Zixia, quite proudly: "How is it?" Huang Zixia picked it up and looked at it, her palm was long and slender, her fingers were strong but not thick, yellow was faintly visible under the thin white gauze, it was very similar to the palm of a real person, it could be mistaken for a moment from a distance, and what's even more commendable was that it was really the same as her original hand The hands of Jinnu who have noticed are generally the same. "What a magical skill!" Huang Zixia praised. "That's right! I've said it all, I'm going to become the best writer in the world, and I'll definitely make my sweetheart Huang Zixia look at me with admiration!" Huang Zixia turned her face away, and swallowed the rest of her compliments.
Wang Yun delivered lunch in person. The staple food was cherry bilo, served with four cold dishes, two hot dishes and a big bowl of soup.It's cherry season, and the cherries are delicious. Huang Zixia ate two. Seeing Wang Yun looking at her all the time, she touched her face and asked, "Did the stuffing stick to your face?" He shook his head and said, "I thought you guys wouldn't be able to eat it, but I didn't expect you to not only be able to eat it, but also to eat it so deliciously." "It would be even better if there was more meat. I don't like meat." Zhou Ziqin squatted beside the coffin while eating. Rao is such an elegant and calm person as Wang Yun, and now he is depressed, so he can't help showing admiration for him.He turned his head to look at the coffin and the prosthetic hand, and said, "I was negligent, and I must get you more next time." After they finished their meal in a hurry, there was news that the empress had finished her rest and asked Zhou Ziqin to take her things to Yanji Hall. Abi and Ayan didn't dare to complain at all, they carried the heavy boxes and went to the Wang Family's Yanjitang.Huang Zixia called Xianyun, and the two went to the room where Wang Ruo lived, and took out a bracelet. Yanji Hall is the main house in the Wang family's mansion. It is a Guangsha Huatang, full of rich families, with five bays in size.In the middle of the hall are the upper seats on the left and right, covered with woven gold peony brocade burdens, on which the emperor and empress have already sat.There are two rows of twelve chairs in the hall. Li Shubai and Wang Lin sat down on the left and right, and Wang Yun stood behind his father.The rest of the idlers have all screened out. Huang Zixia asked Wang Yun for a tray, put Zhou Ziqin's fake hand on it, and presented it to the empress for them to see.And Zhou Ziqin put his palm on the artificial hand, compared the size, and said: "Look, everyone, the length of this palm is not much smaller than that of a man like me, except that the bones of the fingers are slightly slender. .These hands should be a pair of hands that are significantly larger and stronger than those of other women. Moreover, there are thin calluses left over the years on the left fingertips and the lower edge of the right palm." Huang Zixia looked at Xian Yun and Ran Yun, and asked, "Xian Yun, Ran Yun, you guys have to prove it, what is the size of your girls' hands?" They looked at each other expectantly, and then Xianyun said, "Maybe... maybe it's about the same, I don't know too well..." Wang Yun interrupted them in a deep voice: "Tell the truth!" "Yes..." Xianyun panicked and said hastily, "The girl's hands are very slender and soft. When Aunt Suqi came to teach the girl court etiquette, she once praised her hands..." "Even if you don't say it, there is more intuitive evidence." Huang Zixia took out Wang Ruo's bracelet that he brought earlier, slowly bent the pair of fake hands into a bracelet-wearing posture, and then forcibly put them on.The soft yellow mud inside the tulle was stretched out of shape, but it still couldn't fit the bracelet. Holding the bracelet in his hand, Huang Zixia said, "Princess... the bracelet of the Wang family girl can't fit this hand at all." Everyone looked at each other, but Wang Yun was the quickest to respond, and said, "If this corpse is not my sister, then there must be something inside the case. First, I don't know where she is now? Second, this corpse that suddenly appeared, and Who is it?" "Where Miss Wang is now, I don't know, but of course someone here knows." Huang Zixia put the fake hand back on the tray, and said loudly, "However, the identity of this female corpse that was mistaken for Miss Wang, I have no idea." But know who it is." The hall was silent, and Huang Zixia turned to Zhou Ziqin, "Based on the size of the bones you traced just now, tell me more about the details of the female corpse's hands." Zhou Ziqin nodded, held up the dotted line diagram of the skeleton he had drawn, and said, "The palm of the female corpse is five inches and three inches long, and the bones of the fingers are slender, which are slightly thicker than ordinary women. The fingertips of the middle three fingers of the female corpse's left hand, the thumb of the right hand and the There is a thin callus left by years of rubbing on the lower edge of the right palm." "The tip of the left finger and the lower edge of the right palm. Most people don't have the cocoons in these two places. The only ones that can have them are only one kind of people, that is, pipa artists." The movement of the pipa plectrum, "Therefore, there will be thin calluses on the tip of the left finger, and the edge of the palm of the right hand and the thumb are just where the plectrum is placed. If there is too much friction, calluses will naturally be left." Wang Lin frowned and said, "However, there are so many people playing pipa in the world, where can I confirm the identity of a pipa girl who can't even tell her face?" "It's not difficult to know," Huang Zixia said slowly, wrenching her fingers, "First, a pipa artist happened to disappear in the foreign teaching workshop recently; second, the package she packed has been found outside the teaching workshop. There are only a few coats and jewelry inside, obviously not packed by herself; thirdly, and most importantly, she was also poisoned by poison arrow wood and died." Zhou Ziqin let out an "ah" and said, "The pipa girl you are talking about is Jin Nu from the Foreign Education Workshop! But...but did Jin Nu die from poisoning?" "Exactly, Jin Nu once told the Queen and Concubine Zhao about her past in the palace. We all saw her hands at that time, and they were indeed bigger than ordinary women." "But that doesn't mean that the female corpse must be her. And after all, her corpse has been found, right next to her package... Moreover, the corpse showed no signs of poisoning, it was beheaded to death." "No, that headless female corpse is not Jin Nu. It is Jin Nu's body that was used to pretend to be Miss Wang. Because on the night Jin Nu died, he was in Zhui Jin Lou with Cui Shaoqing, me, Zhou Ziqin and others. At the end of the party, we packed a few dishes and sent them to some beggars in Chongrenfang, and as a result, those beggars were all poisoned and died—the poison was poisonous arrow wood.” Zhou Ziqin was even more dumbfounded: "What? The deaths of those beggars a few days ago are also related to us... and this case?" Huang Zixia was afraid that he would want to explain more and cause trouble, so he interrupted him and said: "Actually, the deaths of those beggars are related to Jin Nu. Because the poison was placed on the day Jin Nu cleaned up. On the plate of cherries, she also said that her hands were a little itchy, and said that it was the reason why the cherry stems were stuck. In fact, the real reason was that she happened to be poisoned at that time, and she was infected on the plate of cherries, and died indirectly Those beggars!" Zhou Ziqin hurriedly asked: "At that time, Jinnu had been eating with us all the time, and he didn't leave. He also ate the same food as us. How come we are safe and sound, but she was poisoned?" "Because she is a pipa artist," Huang Zixia sighed, "I don't know if you still remember that before she played the pipa, she tried a few notes, and then complained that it was rainy in late spring, and the pipa was wet, so the sounds were sloppy." It's not clear. So she took out a box of rosin powder, took a couple of handfuls and slowly dabbed on the strings and shafts, didn't she?" Zhou Ziqin nodded: "Yes, I remember." "So, as long as the murderer mixes a bit of poisoned bamboo chips or harder wood chips into the rosin powder, Jinnu will naturally be punctured by the bamboo saw chips or the crevices of the nails when applying and pressing. Those tiny wounds plus It's so poisonous that she can't feel any pain at all, only a little itching. But poison arrow wood claims to see blood seal her throat. Although it's only slightly poisonous, after a long time, when she returns to her own residence in the foreign teaching workshop Afterwards, the poison on her hand can slowly spread throughout her body. She will fall into a coma, and finally die unconsciously, her body will swell and she will no longer be able to see her face—it just so happens that she can be used to impersonate Miss Wang Let the real Miss Wang use this to escape, and completely disappear from the eyes of the world." Everyone in the hall was discussing, and the emperor was also full of surprise, asking: "Why did the murderer take so much pains to get a fake corpse to pretend to be Wang Ruo? How did Wang Ruo disappear in the palace? What is the real purpose of the murderer?" Huang Zixia replied: "Just now, this servant solved the first mystery, that is, who is Miss Wang's body? Now all signs have been revealed, this corpse is Jin Nu, not Miss Wang. Please allow me to uncover it again The second mystery is how Miss Wang disappeared and how she was replaced by Jin Nu." Li Shubai suddenly opened his mouth and said to Zhou Ziqin: "Ziqin, you have worked hard on making fake hands and testifying before, you must be tired, go down and have a rest." Zhou Ziqin looked puzzled: "But Yang Chonggu hasn't solved the mystery yet..." Li Shubai didn't speak any more, just squinted his eyes and glanced at him slightly. Although Zhou Ziqin was simple, he was not stupid. When he saw Li Shubai's eyes, he understood immediately, packed up his things immediately, and said, "Ziqin resigns!" After Zhou Ziqin left and Huang Zixia closed the door, the emperor nodded slightly and said, "I've heard the empress talk about this before, and it's really a strange thing. It's really weird that a living person suddenly disappears out of thin air amidst heavy defenses." .” Queen Wang frowned and said bitterly: "It must be the remnant of Pang Xun, there is no doubt about it!" Huang Zixia shook his head and said: "This case has been going on for many days. The so-called rumors of Pang Xun's troubles are just a tool used by the murderer to deceive his eyes. In fact, he has nothing to do with this case in the final analysis! From the servants’ point of view, it should be in this hall.” Her words were clear and loud, making everyone who heard them terrified, straightened up like a thorn in their backs. Queen Wang sneered and said, "Presumptuous, do you mean that the murderer is among our Wang family?" "I don't dare. I just rely on my own investigation for many days to make the only inference that can explain everything. As for the murderer, I only tell the facts and never consider other things." "If it wasn't Pang Xun who did it, but one of us was the murderer, then who do you want to say?" Wang Lin looked around at the few people in the hall and asked angrily, "Ah Ruo disappeared back then. Under the watchful eyes of the Imperial Forest Army and the guards of King Kui's Mansion. You may not trust the people in the palace, or the soldiers and horses brought by my son, but you are also a member of King Kui's Mansion, so you can trust those guards?" Li Shubai frowned slightly, and said: "Please don't worry Wang Shangshu, Yang Chonggu must not mean that." Huang Zixia said neither humble nor overbearing: "When Miss Wang disappeared, Prince Kui and I were also there. We saw it with our own eyes, heard it with our own ears, and felt it with our own eyes. I believed in Prince Kui and the members of the Imperial Forest Army just like I believed in myself." "Okay, everyone, don't be impatient," the emperor raised his hand to appease everyone, "Let's listen to Yang Chonggu's inference first, and after he finishes speaking, if you have any doubts, you can ask them later." Not too late." "Thank you, Your Majesty!" With the emperor's approval, Huang Zixia ignored the others, only bowed to the emperor, and then said, "Wang Ruo's disappearance is indeed complicated and confusing, but before his disappearance, there was an even more embarrassing incident. People find it hard to explain—when she was resting in the Penglai Palace, why did the palace servants take the risk to assassinate her in such a dangerous situation? And when the servants heard the noise in the inner room and immediately ran in to check, the assassin It has already disappeared. There is no shelter outside the Penglai Hall, it is all flat terrain, but the senior female officials who are one step ahead of the slaves can still see the black shadows fleeing through the window, and the slaves are only one step behind and there is no trace. Is there any way to make a person disappear instantly?" "However, after thinking about it over and over again, this servant realized that the only role of this assassin, who appeared only for a moment, was to make Her Royal Highness take a move, that is, to move Miss Wang to Yongchun Palace." Queen Wang sneered and said, "So, I feel sorry for Ah Ruo and want to protect Princess Kui for the court and King Kui. Is it wrong?" "Don't dare. The servant girl didn't say that this matter was the queen's fault. What the servant girl meant was, why did Miss Wang be surrounded by so many things at that time, which led to the occurrence of this suspicious case instead? Because the Yongchun Palace is a place that has been arranged in advance. , the most suitable stage for Wang Ruo to disappear out of thin air, is the entire palace, it looks the most rigorous, but in fact it is the most suitable place for the disappearing trick—” She took out a folded piece of thin paper from her sleeve and unfolded it in front of everyone. It was the map of Yongchun Palace that she had prepared in advance. She held down the silver hairpin in her hair, pulled out the jade hairpin in the middle, drew a sign on the paper, and said to everyone in the hall: "Yongchun Hall was originally used as an inner treasury, and the four walls were impenetrable, and the Queen asked His Majesty to mobilize Two hundred soldiers and horses gathered here, under such strict guards, how did Wang Ruo disappear? I noticed a detail, that is, Wang Ruo seemed to walk out of the cabinet on purpose before disappearing to thank the prince and let us watch her Walked back to the cabinet, and then disappeared in the most secure place where it was impossible to disappear." Her hairpin draws a circle on the East Pavilion of the innermost inner hall, showing that this is the center of the heavily guarded center: "After she disappeared, I have been puzzled: Why did she see Wang Ruo walking into the pavilion? But can she disappear in a blink of an eye? How did she avoid everyone's eyes and disappear across the sea?" There was silence in the hall, and even Li Shubai, who already knew the inside story, couldn't help but concentrate on listening to her solve the core trick of this case. "Actually, we have been misled all the time. Even if we envisage 10,000 possibilities, we still have no way of knowing how she disappeared in Yongchun Hall. It wasn't until I was inspired by a juggler on the streets of West Market that I discovered the truth of the disappearance—— It's not that Wang Ruo mysteriously disappeared in the East Pavilion of Yongchun Hall, but that Wang Ruo never entered the East Pavilion at all!" Wang Lin said coldly: "But the old man heard that including King Kui and you, as well as dozens of guards guarding the palace at that time, they all watched Wang Ruo enter the East Pavilion of the inner palace. You walked into the pavilion under the watchful eyes of her, and now you say that she didn't enter, could it be that everyone had hallucinations at that time?" "It's not an illusion. Because I don't know if you have noticed, Wang Shangshu. After the Yongchun Hall was converted from the inner storehouse to the residence, in order to change the old-fashioned square shape, a special hall was specially placed between the inner and outer halls, that is, the place where the atrium is close to the inner hall. rockery?" "But this rockery is very small, with only one or two places where the stones are higher than a human head. Could it be possible to do anything?" "As long as there is a place that can cover people's heads," Huang Zixia said very calmly, "Actually, this trick only takes a moment to succeed - because Captain Wang assigned the guards on the scene, so there is no place behind the rockery. People. The only ones who could see behind the rockery, the two guards standing outside the window of the East Pavilion, were also ordered to face the window the whole time and keep an eye on the entrance and exit. In this case, the so-called people watched Wang Ruo return to the East Pavilion, In fact, I just watched her back walking all the way." "Isn't it enough for everyone to see her back?" "Of course not enough. Because the seemingly mysterious and complicated disappearance only takes a moment. And she just happened to be invisible to everyone for a moment," Huang Zixia's hairpin pointed to the rockery, "between the inner and outer halls is a very low There is a green brick ground winding through the middle of the rockery. Here is the highest point, which can cover Wang Ruo who is five feet seven inches tall. Therefore, only one person wearing the same clothes as Wang Ruo and wearing the same bun , The woman wearing the same jewelry hid behind the rockery in advance. The moment Wang Ruo walked up to the highest rock in the rockery, Wang Ruo bent down and squatted down, while she straightened up and walked out of the rockery. Let's watch Wang Ruo who is walking towards the East Pavilion of the inner hall, at this moment, he can become another person!" Huang Zixia turned her head, looked at Xianyun and Ran Yun who were lying on the ground trembling, and said slowly, "At that time, it was Ran Yun who accompanied Wang Ruo to meet Prince Kui, so the person who pretended to be Wang Ruo behind the rockery, naturally It's just idle." "Ridiculous!" Wang Lin sneered, "Eunuch Yang is such a good guess. You can transfer it to the case like this when you see a trick on the street. To make it far-fetched, the height difference between Wang Ruo and Xianyun is half a head. Don't you care? Wang Ruo's figure is much taller than ordinary people. Could it be that Wang Ruo, who came out from behind the rockery, suddenly became half a head shorter in back, and no one would notice?" "It's not difficult to change the height, especially for women. The highest wooden bottom of the cloud-climbing shoes sold in the market is five or six inches high. It is not difficult to make Xianyun half a head taller. And Xianyun is entering When entering the hall, I noticed that her feet hung on the threshold, which was naturally because she was not used to wearing such shoes. Another stronger evidence is that Xianyun came out shortly after entering the hall with food He went to the small dining room in the back corner of the hall. I guess, there she should have burned her disguised clothes and shoes. It’s a pity that she was inexperienced and too flustered, so she left evidence for us to rummage through the stove. A half-burnt piece of wood shaped like a horseshoe, which is the remnant heel of Dengyun's shoes, left evidence!" Seeing that Wang Lin was speechless for a moment, Li Shubai asked, "Then, everyone started to search the entire Yongchun Hall immediately after the incident. Where did Wang Ruo go?" "It's very simple. She puts on the clothes of the maids or eunuchs stuffed in the cave behind the rockery and puts there in advance. When everyone goes to the rockery to look for her leaf hairpin, she pretends to be the palace maid who helped them find it." People, left the rockery." "Absurd, isn't anyone suspicious of a person who looks exactly like Wang Ruo appearing in the palace?" Wang Lin shouted again. “当然没有。因为皇后身边的女官长龄很快就出现了，还带着一队宫女和宦官。她留下了几个人在殿中帮忙寻找，又带着几个人去通报皇后——而跟着她离开的人当中，就有王若。在出了混乱的雍淳殿之后，王若自然就如飞鸟投林，鱼游大海，再也寻不到踪迹了。而之后，雍淳殿的防卫撤去，只剩几个老宦官和宫女看守着，只要有一个在宫中有耳目有帮手的人指使，尸体神不知鬼不觉地进入宫中，出现在东阁内，绝非难事。” 众人都默然，燕集堂上一时陷入死寂。 皇帝思索着黄梓瑕的话，思索的目光看向皇后，而王皇后的眼睛低垂，望着自己白裙上的银色纹饰，缓缓地问：“听杨公公的意思，似乎是对幕后指使者已经了然？” “奴婢斗胆，奴婢……本不愿这样想。但此案的种种手法，除了那人之外，再无其他人能有办法做到，”黄梓瑕抬头看她，目光澄澈，毫无畏惧，“纵然我会因此得罪我无法想象的强大势力，但我也要将自己所发现的真相，从头至尾说出来。” 堂上众人都是神情叵测，唯有皇帝依然神情温和，点头说道：“既然如此，你先说说，王若失踪这桩谜案，幕后的指使者，终究是谁？” “其实从种种迹象看来，我们已经不难知道。第一，此人能在事先决定作案地点，将王若移到雍淳殿；第二，此人在事先能指使长龄、长庆等宫中的大宫女、大宦官；第三，在案发之后，又能让长龄带走王若；第四，在锦奴死亡之后，能轻易将她的尸体移入雍淳殿。” 她说的时候，低头看着地上，并没有看着哪一个人，但答案，已经是呼之欲出。 “至于幕后主使者，我先说一件事，那便是事件的开端。王若祈福仙游寺那一日，在我们面前出现了一个神秘男子，手持着一个鸟笼，在我们面前上演了一场障眼法。他告诫王若，过去的人生，无论如何也无法隐藏，最后又神秘消失在守卫严密的仙游寺中——正是因为这个神秘男人的出现，才引发了后面一系列的事情。” 皇帝点头道：“此事朕亦有耳闻，也是一件奇诡之事。依你之见，仙游寺中那个男人，从何而来，又如何而去，他做这一切的目的又是为了什么？” “以奴婢之见，仙游寺高墙深院，那日寺中早已清空香客，又有夔王府派来的士兵守卫。当时我一心钻了牛角尖，只想着神秘人到底是从哪里来的、怎么消失的，却未曾想过，其实那个神秘人，原本就是与我们一起来的，始终就在我们身边。在我们离开人群的时候，他只需要扮上伪装就可以出现在我们面前，而要消失也很简单，就只要在后殿脱下外面的伪装丢到香炉中烧毁，然后快步沿着山道台阶旁的灌木丛中下来，抢在别人面前再度出现在我们面前便可以……而当时，第一个出现在我们面前的人，就是您——王蕴王都尉。”