Chapter 11 Strange Case Ten Jiaqing Shanyang Murder Case

In the autumn of the thirteenth year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (AD 1808), it rained continuously in central Jiangsu.It was as if someone had pierced a big hole in the dome of heaven, and the rainwater poured down the hole, and the water in the lower reaches of the Huaihe River surged.After entering the Huai River from the Qingjiang River, the galloping and roaring Yellow River, like a wild horse running wild, roared in the pouring rain and slammed into the weak embankment violently.Finally, the embankment could not withstand the impact of the flood and collapsed near Shanyang County (now Huai'an).The turbulent yellow water rushed from the breach to the low-lying Shanyang County.The sound of water roared, thunder roared, and heavy rain poured down.The low-hanging dark clouds are like black dragons, tumbling, and the clouds are agitated, making a strange cry of "woo-woo", which sounds frightening.The head of water that burst the embankment is like a cracked mountain, more than two feet high. The building blocks they built were pushed limply by the flood, and there were huge beams and pillars floating in the flood, drowned pigs and cows, and corpses one after another.In just one day, more than half of Shanyang County has become a swamp country.

The floods engulfed the crops that were about to be harvested and swallowed up countless poorly managed villages.The refugees who were driven out of their homes by the flood lived in groups on the divided highlands, without clothes, food, or small canopies that could only cover themselves.The old man moaned in despair, the starved children cried miserably, and the people who suffered from the disaster completely pinned their hope of survival on the government's relief.They waited eagerly, hoping, hoping to see the official ship that relieved the victims and bring them clothes and food to maintain their lives.

On the 2nd day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, the emergency memorial of Dao Dao Disaster was sent to the Qianqing Palace in the Forbidden City in Beijing with an emergency mark by the Military Aircraft Department.Emperor Renzong Yongyan of the Qing Dynasty, the Jiaqing emperor who ascended the throne at the age of thirty-five, sat in front of the large hardwood dragon throne, reading these memorials, his face covered with a layer of sadness.He remembered very clearly that since he ascended the throne, the arrogant and unruly Yellow River has brought him some troubles almost every year.Due to the high silt of the downstream river, as long as it encounters continuous cloudy days, the Yellow River will burst.Although he had urged the Ministry of Industry to send commissioners to inspect the dikes in Henan and Jiangsu, and drew up several plans to raise the dikes, but a small amount of money allocated was either embezzled by the court as military pay, or was used by the ministry, province, government, and county. Officials have been corrupted layer by layer, so there has been no real effect.In the past years, those officials who put the river money into their private pockets could still hand over some memorials that deceived the superior and concealed the truth, and reported the good news but not the disturbance, which gave Jiaqing a little bit of comfort in his heart.But since the fall of this year, there have been continuous torrential rains in the Jianghuai area. The Ministry of Industry has sent a memorial to pay attention to the breach of the Yellow River. Jiaqing can only pretend to be confused and ignore it. A difficulty.Unexpectedly, God would turn against him, and the Yellow River finally broke its embankment. Tie Bao, governor of Liangjiang, Wang Rizhang, governor of Jiangsu, Yang Hu, governor of Jiangning, and Wang Zhu, prefect of Huai'an, all handed over emergency chapters.Jiaqing had no choice but to know that the flood was serious.If you don't take some money from your own ribs for relief, it is likely to prompt peasants to riot, and the overall situation will be difficult to deal with.But what kind of money do you use to help the poor?After much deliberation, only the funds of the Sixth Ministry can be used.So he quickly wrote on the memorial: "To help the hungry people, each department raised 200,000 taels of silver, and the six departments jointly agreed to put down the relief money quickly, hereby." After writing Zhu's comment, he seemed to feel a little more relaxed, and stood up , ordered to immediately send the oracle to the Military Aircraft Office for assistance.

The Six Ministries Collegiate Council was held, and after a lot of back-and-forth bargaining, the 200,000 taels of relief money was fully prepared before the Mid-Autumn Festival and sent to the yamen of Liangjiang Governor Tiebao.Governor Tie really had a lot of good deeds this time, and he didn't deduct at all. He immediately distributed the amount to the affected counties according to the severity of the disaster.However, the corruption of officials in the Qing Dynasty had reached the point of being out of hand during the Jiaqing period.Officials in disaster-stricken areas have always used disasters as an opportunity to make a fortune for themselves. The so-called "a small disaster with wet land can make a lot of money in a big disaster." Layers of deductions, only two or three out of ten can be distributed to the victims.Therefore, less than a month after the relief money was issued, memorials for requesting money with more intense wording than the previous one flew into the Forbidden City like snowflakes.

Holding this stack of memorials, Emperor Jiaqing was furious.In one morning, he sent the Minister of Military Aircraft, the Minister of Industry, the Imperial Envoys of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the Minister of Officials to the palace, slapped the table to accuse them of being incompetent, and gave two hundred thousand taels of silver to those corrupt officials for nothing. official.He ordered the Minister of the Ministry of Industry to immediately formulate measures to limit flooding, and ordered the Metropolitan Procuratorate to send capable officers to arrest corrupt officials with proven evidence. A review of all officials will be conducted within a month, and the maladministration must be eradicated and the administration of officials rectified.It was already noon when he finished losing his temper, and the Minister of Military Aircraft was still waiting to be summoned outside the gate of Qianqing. Jiaqing had no choice but to let him in and ask him for his opinion on the relief of the river disaster.The Minister of Military Aircraft said, "Huai'an Mansion has now become a swamp country. Tens of thousands of hungry people are waiting to be fed. The government's relief money has been withheld layer by layer. If this matter is publicized, it will arouse civil uprising. In my opinion, the treasury should be allocated immediately. 300,000 taels of relief money to relieve urgent needs. But at the same time as the transfer of money, the governor of Liangjiang, Tie Bao, should be strictly ordered to send officials to the disaster area to supervise the distribution, and check the accounts in time to report corrupt officials who withheld the relief money. Poor officials, make sure the people get something.” Jiaqing nodded and said, “I’ve thought about the source of the relief money, and I spent it from the treasury. Tie Bao is usually a clean official, so it’s not a big mistake to preside over the relief, but he sent The supervisory officials must be carefully selected, and they must be selected from the newly appointed Jinshi. Their names should be more important, and their power should be greater, so as not to be in vain. All matters will be entrusted to you to handle, and I will wait for your results." The minister of military aircraft exited the hall respectfully.Jiaqing held the dragon case in his hand and carefully savored the old minister's words. He was very annoyed that officials at all levels took advantage of the flood to enrich their own pockets, so he took up a pen and personally wrote two letters to Tie Bao, governor of Liangjiang, and Wang Rizhang, governor of Jiangsu. , Strictly order them to personally select and release supervisory committee members, and not to appoint them hastily.After finishing writing, he ordered the eunuch, the supervisor of ceremonies, to send it directly to Jiangning (now Nanjing), and then walked out of Qianqing Palace with a livid face and angrily, and went to Kunning Palace to rest.

Tie Bao, governor of Liangjiang, has lost his temper again and again these days.He clearly knew that local officials always wanted to give some benefits to the disaster victims, but he did not expect that the officials of Huai'an Mansion would dare to swallow eight or nine out of ten of the relief money.Since the beginning of September, he has repeatedly received notices from the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of Industry, reminding him not to stir up civil uprisings. Ten thousand taels of silver flowed into the hands of corrupt officials.He was also strictly ordered to send personnel to step up supervision of the relief situation, and if the relief money was spent in vain, he would be punished by the national law.And the aides who came back from Huai'an and Shanyang kept bringing news that the disaster area was getting worse and worse. All this made him anxious and angry. With a wave of arms, millions of refugees rose up, making it impossible for him to deal with it.What saddened him the most was that he had been an official for decades, was well-known in the government and the public for his articles and calligraphy, and was trusted for his ability and integrity, but was ruined by a flood for half his life and lost the trust of the emperor.

In order to recover the losses, he convened emergency meetings one after another. While distributing the newly released 300,000 taels of relief money, he personally selected officials and went to the disaster area with the relief money to investigate and deal with corruption and supervise the distribution of relief money. .In accordance with Jiaqing's will, he selected inspectors from among the Jinshi who had been released from the imperial court in recent years. He had already appointed four or five supervisors. On balance, there is not yet a suitable candidate.Now, sitting in front of the large public case, he flipped through a thick roster of alternate officials, searching his memory carefully.But he was very disappointed. In that roster, there was no one he could trust.

It's almost dusk, and the rustling autumn wind blows in through the window, bringing some chills. There is no moonlight or swaying tree shadows, but one or two chirping crickets from the flowers in the courtyard make people feel the twilight even more. silence.Tie Bao wrapped his clothes tightly, and did not take his eyes off the roster; suddenly, on the last page, a name jumped into his eyes. "Li Yuchang", this name is very unfamiliar, it seems that he has never seen it before.Looking at his resume again, he was born in Jimo County, Shandong Province. He entered the soil in the 13th year of Jiaqing and was appointed to Jiangsu three months ago.Tie Bao nodded, thinking that it was strange that he had to get to know him. It turned out that he had just arrived in Jiangsu not long ago. Such new officials often have the temperament of a scholar. As a matter of fact, in addition, he is from Shandong and has no acquaintances in Jiangsu, so he does not have to have many human scruples when enforcing the law. If he is sent to Shanyang, it will be more reassuring than those old alternate officials who have been in officialdom for a long time.Thinking of this, Tie Bao seemed to feel a little more relaxed. He marked Li Yuchang's name clearly with a ink pen, and wrote a summons order, ordering Xinke Jinshi Jimo Li Yuchang to come to the Governor's Mansion tomorrow morning to wait for his appointment.

Jubao Mountain in the south of Jiangning City is a place where literati gather and government houses line up.It leans on Zhenhuai Bridge in the north, Changgan Bridge in the south, and is close to the Jubao Gate leading to the North City. The transportation is convenient and the scenery is beautiful, so many idle officials live here.However, due to the different official ranks of the occupants and the disparity between the rich and the poor, the houses are also luxurious and uneven. Looking down from a high place, it will give people a feeling of dissonance.In the deep alley outside Jubaomen, there is a very simple one-story house. The gatehouse has become dilapidated, and the color of the vermilion lacquer gate has also peeled off. Clean and neat.On the threshold of the north house, there is a couplet with strong brushstrokes, "Indifference shows ambition, tranquility leads to far", showing the owner's elegant, honest and frugal character. This is the residence of Li Yuchang, a new committee member.

This new Jinshi is already thirty-two years old, but he is born with delicate features and elegant demeanor.He is a Jinshi in the spring of this year, and the Ministry of Officials considers his outstanding achievements and specially entrusts him to the State of Etiquette in Jiangsu for use.Due to the urgency of his tenure, he rushed to Jiangning without even returning to his hometown Jimo.In June, I reported to the governor's yamen. Soon after, the Yellow River flooded and the roads were blocked, so I couldn't take my wife Lin to live with me.This day is the sixth day of September, and it has been more than two months since I arrived in Jiangning, and I haven't received the appointment order yet, so I feel a little annoyed.I got up early in the morning and walked around the yard for a while, feeling bored, so I had to go into the house and sit by the window, reading a newly bought "Mr. Linzhou Anthology".While reading with interest, family members Li Xiang and Ma Liansheng walked in happily and said, "Congratulations to the master." Yuchang raised his head and asked in surprise: "What is my happy event?" The letter was handed over and said: "The governor wants you to go to the governor's office immediately to discuss matters!" Li Yuchang glanced at Ma Liansheng disapprovingly, took a look at the letter, and it was indeed Governor Tie who heard it. He didn't dare to delay, so he quickly ordered Li Xiang to hire someone In the sedan chair, I put on my official uniform and rushed to the Governor's Mansion.

Governor Tie was in a very good mood today, when he learned that Li Yuchang asked to see him, he made an exception not to meet him in the signing room, and ordered Yuchang to be invited to the East Flower Hall.Li Yuchang was also surprised by this exception, but on the surface he was still very calm and dignified, so as soon as he entered the East Flower Hall, Tie Bao took a fancy to him just because of his appearance.After sitting down, Tie Bao didn’t exchange greetings, and asked straight to the point: “The flood of the Yellow River has devastated the people, but the government’s relief money has been repeatedly withheld by corrupt officials. Long live the anger, and we must severely punish the corrupt. Flaws, do you think there is a way to search for clues and seize stolen evidence?" Li Yuchang smiled slightly after hearing this, and said, "I just entered the official career in a lowly position, and I don't have much experience, but since the flood in Huai'an, I have paid attention to it. There are no more than two ways to enrich one’s own pockets; one is to exaggerate the disaster situation, falsely report the number of people affected by the disaster, and receive relief money; Check the disaster area, and loopholes will appear immediately. So it doesn’t take a lot of trouble to find out who is corrupt.” Tie Bao secretly said yes, but he didn’t show it on the surface. He combed his beard and said, “It’s just that corrupt officials To be corrupt, people must be monitored in every possible way, and it is not easy for the inspectors to find out the truth from the people!" Li Yuchang replied: "As the saying goes, 'If you want people to know, you must do nothing yourself.' Corrupt officials have made a big mistake People's hearts, as long as the inspectors can go down to the people, the flaws will eventually be found out." Tie Bao nodded and took his hands away from his beard, his face suddenly became solemn and he asked: "If you are appointed to supervise and relieve the victims, What are you going to do?" Li Yuchang's face also became very serious, and he replied, "Save the people from fire and water, and avoid evil like revenge." What if corrupt officials bribed you with huge sums of money? "" I will put corrupt officials in an unjust place with the law! ""Aren't you afraid that local snakes will kill you?" "Yue Wumu said, 'Civilian officials don't love money, and military generals don't fear death'. He has a heavy responsibility for the country, so he regrets to save the common people with his death." As for the distribution of money, you must do your best to ensure that the people have income!" "I obey!" Tiebao laughed, patted Li Yuchang on the shoulder and said, "Yuchang, the governor has handed over all the victims of the disaster in Shanyang to you. Li Yuchang said categorically: "A lowly position will never disgrace the governor's order!" In Shanyang County, it has been extremely lively these days. In order to welcome the relief committee members sent by the province, the county magistrate Wang Shenhan personally arranged three colorful archways in the county. The front of the county government is covered with red and green. The small county town is decorated with lanterns and festoons, and it is full of festive atmosphere. When people enter the county town, they will mistakenly think that there is some kind of national celebration here, and completely forget the reality of tens of thousands of victims crying for hunger and cold.The county magistrate Wang also dispatched two batches of capable servants to set up a reception booth on the way of the inspector and relief committee members, and prepared eight large sedan chairs to wait for the inspector and relief officers.However, in mid-September, the second batch of more than 90,000 taels of relief money arrived as scheduled, but there was no news of the relief officers.Three days later, Wang Shenhan received a report from the officials in the real area that Li Yuchang, a member of the police and relief committee, did not settle down in the county, but came directly to the disaster area. In the disaster-stricken area of ​​Shanyang where the yellow water flows, the victims have been without food for four days.Due to the lingering flood, all the high hills were crowded with homeless people. They were naked, their faces were sallow, and they were lying in groups of three or four, as if they had lost the ability to struggle.A few days before they were driven out of their homes by the flood, they could still see some servants in the government, and sometimes they even found a small official like a county lieutenant coming to the disaster area to register the number of hungry people. Relief food and clothing.However, due to the lack of relief supplies, they are often robbed.Later, it was changed to porridge. Every morning, you can queue up at the designated place to receive a bowl of gruel. After a few days, the porridge becomes thinner and thinner until it becomes rice soup.The last few days the soup was gone too.The adults can still suffer hunger and wait for help in silence, but the poor children are crying and crying because of hunger.Soon, some old people and children began to starve to death, and the autumn wind seemed to be specially designed to make life difficult for hungry people, and it became colder and colder.Some strong men could not bear the threat of hunger and cold, left their parents and wives, and went to find a way out.The only thing that can't go is to curl up on the high ground, waiting for death. Li Yuchang led his family members Li Xiang, Gu Xiang, Ma Liansheng and others to visit the disaster area for three consecutive days. Enduring hunger and stepping in mud, he personally went to the shabby mat sheds to comfort the people, and at the same time recorded the disaster victims in detail. The number of people, understand the loss situation and the relief situation in Shanyang County.The victims stated their misfortune painfully, and cursed the county magistrate Wang Shenhan in unison, saying that he put a large amount of relief money into his pockets and only used a few bowls of rice soup-like gruel to deal with the victims.Li Yuchang didn't believe in these arguments, but earnestly converted the donated materials and relief porridge into silver, and got a clear picture of the number of people in the entire disaster area and the distribution of relief supplies.On the sixth day, the three servants who came with him couldn't take it anymore, and led by Li Xiang, they all got into the dilapidated mat shed where Li Yuchang lived.Li Yuchang was reviewing letters from several township chiefs denouncing Wang Shenhan's embezzlement by the dim candlelight. In the short six days, he had already received more than a dozen such letters.Li Xiang and others didn't wait for Li Yuchang to speak, they said: "Master, the villains are here to bid you farewell!" Li Yuchang looked at the three servants in amazement, wondering why they would say such words at this time.Seeing that the master was puzzled, Gu Xiang took a step forward and said angrily: "Although the little people follow the master, they don't dare to expect to be promoted and get rich, but they also hope to come to Shanyang County to be honored by others. Instead of going to the county seat, they chose to drill into this yellow puddle. The little people couldn’t eat a full meal for a few days, and couldn’t sleep peacefully. They couldn’t take it anymore, so they had to say goodbye and send someone else..." Li Yuchang felt annoyed when he heard this. , He lowered his face and said seriously: "Li was ordered by the governor to come to Shanyang to inspect the relief. He only knew to do a little good for the people who were in a hungry and cold situation. The victims of disasters in Yangyang are in dire straits, but corrupt officials take the opportunity to embezzle relief money and make millions of people suffer even more. Are you indifferent? To tell you the truth, working with Li can only be hard work, even if it is When you arrive in Shanyang County, you don’t want to pretend to be arrogant and arrogant. If you regret it, you can leave now!” After speaking, he glanced at the three servants with sharp eyes, and buried his head in the pile of letters. Li Xiang, Gu Xiang, and Ma Liansheng originally wanted to use resignation to blackmail Li Yuchang, and they didn't really intend to leave. They knew how honorable the status of the police and relief committee members from the province was in the small Shanyang County. , who would let go of this opportunity to show up and make a fortune?So he pretended to be moved by Li Yuchang's words, and said with a smile: "The master's teachings are reasonable, but the little people are really confused for a while. From now on, they will follow the master wholeheartedly. No matter how hard or tired they are, they will never complain again." Li Yuchang's serious expression did not Relieved, said with a bit of dignity: "If you don't want to leave, I will also explain my words clearly, and I will ask you three chapters of the law; first, you are only allowed to take care of my private affairs for me when you arrive in Shanyang County, and you are not allowed to intervene in official affairs without authorization. Second , You are not allowed to have individual contact with the Yazuo officials in Shanyang County. Third, you are not allowed to privately collect half a cent of money from anyone in Shanyang County. If you violate any of these three rules, I will send you to the Yamen for trial. Did you hear clearly?" After hearing the master's order, the three of Li Xiang looked at each other unconsciously, feeling disappointed in their hearts, but on the surface they were still obedient, expressing their willingness to obey the master's order.Only then did Li Yuchang calm down and said, "You must be very tired from running around these past few days, go and rest! Pack up your bags tomorrow morning, get up and go to the county seat." The three servants quickly answered "Yes." , bid farewell to the master in a hurry, got into another mat shed and went to sleep. Shanyang County Magistrate Wang Shenhan has been disturbed by Li Yuchang for the past few days.He put up lanterns and festoons in the county town to welcome Li Yuchang, but Li Yuchang went directly to the village, and when he sent a few people to the village to meet him, Li Yuchang came to the county town again.The most ridiculous thing is that Wang Shenhan called to pick up the committee members of the province every day, and almost all the county clerks waited cautiously for Li's visit, but when Li Yuchang came to the county yamen, he was almost caught The yamen servants drove away.It turned out that the janitor saw that Li Yuchang and his party were disheveled and haggard, and mistook them for the hungry people in the disaster area.When they heard that they wanted to see Wang Zhixian, they pulled the donkey's face and refused to report.Li Yuchang couldn't help but contradict him a few words, the yamen servant was furious, he took out the iron chain and wanted to lock him up.Fortunately, Li Xiang stepped forward and revealed the identity of the owner, which scared the arrogant gatekeeper to the point of fright, kowtowing and begging for mercy.Li Yuchang didn't bother to get angry with such snobs, but Wang Shenhan roared, and immediately ordered the gatekeeper to be beaten twenty times, and kicked out of the yamen. What happened later made Wang Shenhan even more embarrassed. Committee Li did not listen to any oral reports from Shanyang County, and on the day he arrived at the county government, he ordered all the relief accounts to be adjusted and sent for trial.The next day, Bao Xiang, a confidant sent by Wang Shenhan to spy on Li Yuchang, reported back that the candles in Commissioner Li's room had been lit all night.Wang Shenhan knew that it was Li Yuchang who was carefully checking the amount of the relief bank, and he was not worried about it, because this set of accounts was completely forged by him, and the amount on the books could be said to be accurate, so forgive Li Yuchang for not seeing anything. Come.Unexpectedly, early the next morning, Commissioner Li sent the housekeeper Li Xiang to the county government to immediately retrieve the household name lists of all townships in the disaster area.Wang Shenhan was a little panicked at this moment, he asked Li Xiang to go back to the post house first, and said that he would deliver the household registration list by himself, but Li Xiang said coldly: "My master ordered me to bring the list. Go back." Wang Shenhan had no choice but to notify the emissary to hand over all the household registers of all townships to Li Xiang. Li Yuchang did not leave the gate of the post house for three whole days after taking away the household register.His three housekeepers followed the rules and rarely came out for activities. They would occasionally walk around the market and would never strike up a conversation with anyone, and they had never seen their smiling faces.All Wang Shenhan knew was that Li Yuchang often didn't go to bed until midnight.In order to find out the details, he once visited the post house. Commissioner Li only had a few words with him before serving tea to see off the guests. This made Wang Shenhan even more confused about what kind of medicine was sold in Commissioner Li's gourd.Back at the county government office, he called Bao Xiang, his confidant servant, for a secret discussion. Bao Xiang was very calm. I just want to ask for a little more money, but the master can ask a respected and respected Xiangkun to go to the post house to clear it up, just give me a few more taels of silver." Wang Shenhan felt that it was reasonable, and immediately found an old squire who was always in a mess, Ask him to accommodate. Li Yuchang spent five days in the post house investigating, and by then he had obtained conclusive evidence of Wang Shenhan's embezzlement.He found that the current household registration list does not match the actual number of people in the countryside. Since a large number of farmers have fled famine and moved out in recent years, the actual number is only two-thirds of the number on the list.And the number of recipients in the relief account far exceeds the registered number, especially the amount of silver received, which is an average of five cents per person in the account, but according to the results of my field visits, it is at most about two cents per person.From this point of view, of the more than 90,000 taels of relief money sent to Shanyang County, more than 60,000 taels were embezzled. Li Yuchang looked at the account list piled up on his desk, and a wave of anger rushed straight into his hair.His eyes showed the scene of the victims trembling in the cold wind and struggling with hunger, as well as the scene of lanterns and festoons in Shanyang County.Wang Shenhan's fat and bloated face and the emaciated and almost skinny faces of the victims kept shaking in front of his eyes.He couldn't help but punched his fist on the table, and a delicate Jingdezhen fine magnetic teacup was knocked to the ground and shattered.Li Yuchang was awakened by the sound of smashing, he shook his head and secretly told himself to calm down and control his anger, and only after he calmed down a little did he pick up his pen and prepare to draft a letter to Governor Tie. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the post house, Li Yuchang was about to ask who was not resting well in the middle of the night, but Li Xiang raised the curtain and entered the room.Li Xiang was a little excited, he seemed to have forgotten that it was already two o'clock, and reported loudly, "Zhao Rong, the richest man in Shanyang County, came to visit the master." What are you doing?I didn't see the reply, and I was afraid that he had something important to report, so I had to say: "Please!" Just as the voice fell, a voice came from outside the window, "Master Li really forgot to eat and sleep for the country and the people!" Then , the door curtain was pulled open, and an old country gentry with luxurious clothes and a flowing silver beard came into the room with a smile on his face. When he saw Li Yuchang, he gave a deep salute, and then took another step back. Seeing that, he was about to kneel down.Li Yuchang had no choice but to take a step forward and lead the visitor to say: "Old gentleman, you are welcome to sit down quickly." The squire Zhao bowed respectfully and then sat down on the next first seat.Li Xiang brought the tea. When the old man was receiving the tea, he winked at the butler in Huayi who followed him. The butler immediately took out a letter of silver from his pocket and handed it over, saying: "Thank you, butler. There is little respect, but it is not respect, butler, please accept it with a smile." Li Xiang was very happy when he saw the white silver, and was about to reach out to pick it up, but found that the master was staring at him with stern eyes, and he took a deep breath. He shook his head helplessly.The "housekeeper" who followed Zhao Rong was Wang Shenhan's confidant Bao Xiang.He saw what Li Xiang did and took it to heart, he held the silver and gave it to Li Xiang again, but Li Xiang quickly refused to accept it.Zhao Xiangshen stretched out his thumb and praised: "I have heard for a long time that Commissioner Li is as incorruptible as water. I never thought that even your housekeeper would not accept gifts. I really admire him." There is a supper table in the front hall, specially for the housekeeper, I have something important to discuss with Commissioner Li today, would the housekeeper be willing to honor me and have a drink in the front hall with my housekeeper Quan?" Li Yuchang dared to be a gentleman of Zhao He was already very dissatisfied with bribing Li Xiang in his own face, but he never thought that he would dare to further drive away his servants, it was really rude.Just as he was about to have a seizure, he suddenly remembered the admonition to meditate and restrain his anger. After thinking about it for a while, he wanted to find out why Squire Zhao came here, so he said to Li Xiang smoothly: "Since old Mr. Zhao has such kindness, you can go and drink." Let's have a few drinks!" Seeing that Li Yuchang agreed, Bao Xiang walked over enthusiastically and dragged Li Xiang to the front hall. After the quiet in the house was restored, Country Squire Zhao smiled and said to Li Yuchang: "I heard that Commissioner Li has worked day and night since he came to Shanyang. County Magistrate Wang misses him very much and is afraid that there will be rumors from the outside world, so he entrusts this old man to visit the Grand Master." Li Yuchang said neither humble nor overbearing: "It's right to help the people for the country, and the county magistrate Wang is too considerate." Zhao Rong shook his head and said: "Master Li is too modest, the victims of Shanyang will be able to return home soon with a savior like your lord. The county magistrate Wang feared that it would be inconvenient for your lord to pay, so he specifically asked the old man to collect five hundred taels of silver from the squires of this county to fund his official business in Shanyang. I hope your lord will reward you, right?" Li Yuchang sneered and asked: " Don’t you think five hundred taels is too little?” Zhao Rong was overjoyed when he heard that Commissioner Li thought the money was too little, and immediately continued: “These five hundred taels are just Cheng Yi offered by the squires to your lord, and the magistrate Wang still has one I also entrust the old man to come and worship the big gift of a pen." Li Yuchang thought to himself: "Well done, I want to see what Wang Shenhan is going to do?" He said: "Li has no relationship with the county magistrate Wang. Want to give me a gift?" Zhao Rong turned his head and said: "It seems that Master Li is also a straightforward person, so I might as well tell the truth. The Yellow River has always been flooded, and local officials have kept some of the relief money as benefits. Of course, all officials who have anything to do with the relief must have a share. County magistrate Wang followed the rules this year and left a little money, and the officials in the province, the mansion, and the county have already collected their regular shares. But the money Qian said that it was following the rules, but it was not legal. The province sent adults to visit, and it was inevitable that they would find flaws. Not only would the county magistrate Wang not be offended, but even the governors, vassals, and Daotai lords would look bad. County Magistrate Wang is very worried about this, and specially entrusts the old man to come to talk about it, as long as Master Li is willing to cover it up, the County Magistrate Wang is willing to donate 10,000 taels of silver to buy Master Li's family wealth..." Li Yuchang heard this, no matter how much he endured, he couldn't suppress the anger in his heart.He stood up and said sternly: "Want to seal Li's mouth with ten thousand taels of silver? It's wishful thinking. This committee member was ordered to come to Shanyang to investigate relief. He only knows how to punish corrupt officials according to law and make profits for the people. Wang Shenhan rode the Yellow River The flood caused thousands of people to lose their lives and nearly 10,000 families were displaced. This crime is unforgivable. This committee is conducting a detailed investigation and is determined to act impartially. Today, Wang Shenhan dared to send someone to publicly bribe the imperial court officials. It is really lawless and reckless. This committee must report this matter to the governor of Liangjiang, and severely punish corrupt officials in accordance with the law. You go back and tell Wang Shenhan, and tell him to quickly prepare a statement of guilt. Surrender yourself in front of the provincial and Taiwan adults, maybe you can save your life, otherwise it will be too late!" Zhao Rong saw that Yuchang was really angry, and secretly regretted that he had leaked Wang Shenhan's details. His face was swollen to look fat, and he also stood up and replied softly, "How dare you talk too much, old man? But Shanyang County's money has already been spent on officials at all levels of the province and government. If Master Li insists on reporting, I'm afraid he will have to Think about it for a moment, is the adult the one who has the final say, or the officials at all levels of Futai and the Ministry of Education?" Li Yuchang waved his hand disdainfully and said, "You can take care of me if you don't care." Zhao Rong was afraid that he would provoke Li Yuchang if he continued. He didn't want to let go of the torch, and hurriedly got off the donkey and said, "Farewell, you are so old." After speaking, he rushed to the front hall in a panic, picked up Bao Xiang, who was talking speculatively with Li Xiang, and stumbled away. post house. It was already dead of night, and bright candlelight was still shining in the living room of the Shanyang County Houya.Wang Shenhan waited anxiously in the house for the reply from Zhao Rong and Bao Xiang.He hoped that Li Yuchang could accept the ten thousand taels of bank notes, so that his official position, status, wealth and life would be guaranteed.He also believed that 10,000 taels of silver was an attractive bait, and he forgave Li Yuchang, a poor scholar, for not being blinded by money.But Zhao Rong and Bao Xiang have been gone for more than an hour, and they still haven't turned around, which is really disturbing. Could it be that Li Yuchang changed his face and detained Zhao Rong and others?If so, it would be broken, but there was no urgent news from the posthouse.Time passed little by little, and a first-quarter moon had already moved past the mid-heaven. The night wind rustled the green bamboos in the yard, as if it was also a sign of uneasiness.Wang Shenhan was pacing up and down the hall aimlessly. At this moment, he complained that Bao Xiang was too incompetent, why did it take an hour or two to send a gift list?Just as he was in a panic, he heard footsteps in the yard. "I'm back", Wang Shenhan said to himself, and opened the living room door impatiently. Zhao Rong looked dejected, and Bao Xiang's face was gloomy with no smile on his face. Wang Shenhan thought to himself, "It's over, we must have hit a snag." After Zhao Rong reported Li Yuchang's attitude vividly, Wang Shenhan Han fell down on the chair and almost passed out.Zhao Rong and Bao Xiang rushed over to help them, they beat their chests, rubbed their backs, and squeezed their hands, Wang Shenhan finally let out a long breath of relief.Zhao Rong knew that he had messed things up today, so he didn't dare to stay for long, so he quietly slipped away after a few words of comfort.Wang Shenhan and Bao Xiang were left in the room. Wang Shenhan looked at Bao Xiang and said, "It seems that we have nothing to do but wait to die?" Zhang looked at it, closed the door tightly again, and said: "Li Yuchang really doesn't know how to flatter, but there is no unparalleled road, and his personal servant Li Xiang is a useful person." Wang Shenhan Seeing a glimmer of light in the darkness, he immediately asked: "How is Li Xiang?" A sinister smile appeared on Bao Xiang's face and said: "This Li Xiang is not only greedy for money but also bold. He came to Shanyang with Li Yuchang. I want to earn some money to go back. I don’t want Li Yuchang to pretend to be serious and cause him to cut off his financial resources. I am very annoyed. Just now I drank with him and tried to use words to seduce him. He has agreed to pass us news secretly. I gave him a letter of silver, and he said gratefully, as long as there is something useful for my brother in the future, just talk." Hearing this, Wang Shenhan felt a little relieved, and he stretched out his hand to signal Bao Xiang not to go down Said, I also put my hand on my chin and thought about it.After a while, Wang Shenhan's frowning brows relaxed. He called Bao Xiang to his side, and whispered in his ear, "Li Yuchang is confident because he has an account checklist. If he can bribe Li Xiang, call him Trying to steal the entire set of accounts and destroy them, Li Yuchang will lose the evidence to report me. Even if he checks from the beginning, we can just say that we can't find a copy of the inventory, so that he has no evidence to investigate. After a period of delay, his The deadline for reinstatement is up, and we will spend a few more dollars to let him reply to the governor according to our wishes, and forgive him for not being obedient. It’s just that Li Xiang…” Bao Xiang immediately took over and said, “Li Xiang only recognizes money but not money.主人，小人一定能设法打通他的关节。”“告诉李祥，要早点动手，不要等李毓昌把呈文写好了再动。”“大人放心，三天之内定有好消息送来。”王伸汉满意地点了点头，又嘱咐道：“此事须要慎密，万万不可走露风声。” 包祥贿买李祥的事办得很顺利，他偷偷地把李祥约到一家酒店中，一面套拉拢，一面提出请李祥帮助盗出账目清册的事，李祥痛快地答应了。包祥立即拿出一百两银子做定礼，李祥却说：“盗账册是一件难办的事，我一个人孤掌难鸣，必须要与顾祥、马连升一起才好做手脚。”包祥明白他的意思，又拿出二百两银子让李祥转送顾、马二人。李祥见包祥出手如此大方，更加感到这件有大有干头。包祥一面敬酒，一面说：“事情办成后，我家老爷愿出三千两银子酬谢你们。李兄精明强干，看来这三千两银子是垂手可得呀！”李祥捧着这白花花的银子，听着这顺耳的恭维，简直心花怒放。由于怕被李毓昌看出破绽，他不敢喝得太多，匆匆起身告辞，包祥有点不放心，悄声问；“你看几天可以得手？”李祥答道，“不出三天吧。”包祥心中暗喜，直到目送李祥的背影消失在胡同尽头，才回县衙复命。 夜色又笼罩了山阳县驿馆，查赈委员居住的上房里，烛光摇曳，李毓昌正在挥笔疾书举发王伸汉的揭贴。当一件件活生生的事实从他的笔下展现出来后，他变得十分激动，不觉把措词写得严厉了一些。但是当他准备建议总督从山阳县开始往上审查府、省各级官吏时，又有些犹豫了。他知道，自己面对的是一个庞大的贪官污吏群，那些身居要位的贪污者，每个人又都有一张赖以保护自己的关系网，其中有的与巡抚、藩司相连，有的甚至直通总督乃至京城，要想掀动这一大群人，实在是不可能的。而一但触及了这些人，自己就要成为他们的眼中钉，迟早要被他们拔掉。与其那样倒不如明哲保身为好。想到这里，他手中的笔变得十分沉重，他放下笔信步走出室外，一股清寒的夜风迎面袭来，使他打了一个冷战。上弦月已经坠下，满天繁星眨着眼睛，似乎是监视着他的一举一动。宁静的院落里，悄无人声，连秋风卷荡着树叶落在地上的声音都能听见。李毓昌缓缓地踱着步，思绪万千。他很想把李祥叫来谈谈自己的心里话。但是，西厢房的灯光早已熄灭，想是几位随从都入睡了，他不愿再唤醒仆人，只好自己独自徘徊。这时他的眼前又映现了灾区数万饥民在水深火热中挣扎的景象，“数万生灵濒临绝境，王伸汉之流却视若罔闻，在垂死的灾民身上榨取钱财，是可忍孰不可忍？”李毓昌顾不得考虑自己的安危了，他快步走回室内，毫无顾虑地写出了自己的见解。他主张严查一切借水灾发私财的贪官污吏；他主张从黄河水患中发现的弊端开始'整顿整个江苏省的吏治；他主张坚决追回被层层克扣掉的赃款，立即发放到灾民手中。当他写完最后一句话时，时间已经到了下半夜。院内起风了，把虚掩的屋门吹开，满地的落叶被卷进屋来。李毓昌这才站起身来，将门重新掩好，一股困意向他袭来，他吹熄了烛火，翻身上床只一会儿就沉沉睡去了。 正房的烛光刚灭，西厢房的门就轻轻地推开了。早就等得不耐烦的李祥、顾祥、马连升像幽灵一般，贴着墙壁向正房摸来。对正房的情况他们非常清楚，三间正房一明两暗，中间的明间是老爷的客厅，西边一间是寝室，东边则是存放账簿、清册的地方。白天，李祥已经仔细地翻阅了李毓昌的清册登记簿，知道凡是有问题的原始簿册都存放在东间靠后檐墙的一个大柜中。为了便于偷取，李祥特意关照马连升假做疏忽，把大柜的铜锁虚挂在吊环上，只要溜进去一摸就可摘掉。他还让顾祥偷偷地盗取了账册室的钥匙模记，委托包祥配好了开门的钥匙。一切准备就绪了，才决定在今天晚上动手偷取账册。此刻，这三个人心情都十分紧张，李祥溜到正房前轻轻推了一下门，门扉就打开了，“原来只是虚掩着”，李祥想了一下，心中一阵欢喜，可见老爷并没有提防。他回身对隐蔽在阴影里的顾祥、马连升做了个手势，顾、马二人也凑过来，一个人紧贴李毓昌的房间，倾听里面的动静，一个守候在院子中间，观察外面打更巡夜人的动静。李祥则闪身进了正房中间屋，轻手轻脚地向东间摸去。他准确地摸住了挂在门环上的大锁，用配好的钥匙轻轻一捅，锁被顺利地打开了。李祥进了账册室，回手又把房门掩上，走到靠墙的大柜前。他的心“砰、砰”乱跳，一种即将成功的喜悦，使得他双手有点发抖，以至摸到悬挂着的铜锁时，竟怎么也摘不下来。他清楚地知道这个锁是马连升亲手虚挂上的，不会打不开，于是定了定神，再次摸上去，这次他的心一下了凉了，沉重的铜锁牢牢地紧锁着，任凭着怎么也撬不开了。他又镇静了一下，抹去流到眼角的汗水，用力拽了几拽，大锁依然纹丝不动，粗大的锁梁紧扣住坚硬的柜门铁环。李祥明白了，这是老爷怕账册有失，夜间亲自检查了大柜，把虚挂的铜锁锁死了。他无可奈何地舒了一口气，照原路退了出来。当出了正房门时，前院传来了清晰的报时梆子声，天色已经四更三点了。 王伸汉也是一夜没睡，他急迫地等着李祥等人盗清册的消息。按包祥的安排，李祥将清册盗出后，应连夜送到包祥家，再由包祥送王伸汉审阅后立即烧毁。李祥曾说过要在三更以后动手，估计四更左右可以送到县衙，但王伸汉瞪着眼睛盼到五鼓时分，仍然没有一点消息，就连包祥也没有露面。王伸汉越等越急，越急越气，他暗暗咒骂包祥办事不得力，甚至打算挨过这一关后，就把包祥赶走。他哪里知道，包祥在家里更是热锅上的蚂蚁一般，坐卧不安。从三更到四更，包祥是提心吊胆，生怕李祥在驿馆内有失闪，坏了大事。从四更到五更他是连急带恨，又是担心李祥败露，又是埋怨李祥胆子太小，迟迟不敢下手。他明白，自己的前途、老爷的性命，全都取决于今天晚上的盗册活动。他估计今天的计划是十有九成会成功的，但直到暮色渐渐退尽，黎明的熹光投到他的窗棱上，也没有得到李祥的回音。万般无奈之下，他只得假做有公事，来驿馆探听消息，才知道由于李毓昌防范严密，李祥等人没有得手。他不敢迟疑，赶快来到县衙，向等得焦急的王伸汉禀报。王伸汉狠狠地训斥了包祥一顿，包祥只得听着，直待王伸汉发过了火才悄悄地说：“老爷息怒，李祥等人答应今夜还要活动，不盗出账册决不罢休。”王伸汉才算松了一口气，他紧紧地盯着包祥说：“要知道，李毓昌正在写检举本县的揭贴，一但他的揭贴报上去，纵使盗出账册也无济于事了，早一天得手就早一天断了李毓昌的根据，使他不敢发出揭贴，才能保全我们的前程。”包祥说：“我这就去催促李祥，让他今天晚上务必将清册盗出来。”王伸汉迫不及待地说：“那你就快去，如果李祥等人提出新条件，你一概替我答应，本县的身家性命就在这几份清册上了。”包祥不敢再久留，唯唯诺诺地退了出来，径直去驿馆找李祥。 包祥怎么也不会想到，李祥等三人遭到了李毓昌的严厉斥责。早晨刚刚起床，李毓昌先把马连升叫过去，问他为什么不把清册大柜锁严？马连升假作糊涂说记不清了，李毓昌说：“你知道不知道那柜中是查出破绽来的账目清册？一但这些东西有失，整个山阳营私舞弊的证据就丢了，数万百姓就得不到拯救？”马连升一再认错求饶，李祥见老爷声色俱厉，怕马连升露了馅，只好上前说情。谁知李毓昌又把李祥申斥了一顿，并下令从今后不许他们沾手重要文件，也不许他们随便到正屋去。然后吩咐驿吏把正屋厅堂加上从内部锁严的大锁环，清册柜都增加两道新锁，钥匙一律交给李毓昌亲自掌管。李祥暗暗叫苦，心想老爷防范如此严密，要想盗出清册千难万难了。所以当包祥再次催促他今晚盗册时，他把两手一摊，说，“这件事我可无能为力了。” 听了包祥的二次禀报，王伸汉才知道，自己遇见了一个十分厉害的对手。尽管自己想尽了对付人家的办法，但李毓昌却处处棋高一招，几天的明争暗斗，人家已把自己置于死地了。包祥见王伸汉瞪着眼按着桌子发楞，也感到了事态的严重，再也不敢乱出主意，只是悄悄地垂手侍立。王伸汉此刻把所有的仇恨都集中到了李毓昌身上，他意识到目前自己与李毓昌已到不是鱼死就是网破的对峙关头，再也无法调合。他感到尽管李毓昌软硬不吃，但山阳县的权力还在自己手里，县衙上下的书吏差役，还都是自己的人。李毓昌实际上处在自己的包围中，如果抓紧时机，设计除掉这个对头星，就全局都活了。但是省里派来的大员突然死去，总督不会不追问，怎样才能应付过省里查究这一关，确是要动一番脑筋。王伸汉脑子里飞快地闪出了几个方案，但又都觉得不妥。这样，主仆二人竟一言不发地闷坐了半个时辰，包祥看着王伸汉的神色，暗中猜摸着主人心思。他隐隐地看出，王伸汉眉宇之间露出一股凶恶的杀气，心中就有了数了，不觉脱口说出：“事已至此，不如除掉李毓昌……”王伸汉立即示意他轻声一些，主仆二人把头凑在一起，定出了一个阴险凶恶的杀计来。 李毓昌是个心计很细的人，举发王伸汉的揭贴写好后，他并没有急于发出。因为他觉得自己初入仕途，揭发这样大的贪污案必须证据齐全、数字无误，所以又把以前挑选出采的有漏洞的全部案卷，认真地核对了一遍，对其中一些数字做了订正，足足忙了三天。当他确信自己所掌握的证据已经无可动摇了的时候，才决定抄写报给总督的揭贴。这天正是九月十六日，李毓昌吩咐李祥守住驿馆门，有人来见只说委员身体不爽，一律挡驾，自己关起门来抄写揭贴。大约中午时分，李祥进来禀报，山阳县令王伸汉特地前来问候。李毓昌有些不耐烦地说：“不是让你一律挡驾吗？”李祥答道：“别人可以挡驾，王县令乃是一县之主，我如何挡得住？”李毓昌叹了一口气，收起抄了一半的揭贴，说声“请！”不一会儿，王伸汉冠戴整齐，满面春风地进来了，一进门就说：“知道李委员查赈忙碌，不敢打扰，下官只说几句话就走。”李毓昌只得强作笑容说：“王大人公务倥偬。难得过府相访，毓昌岂敢怠慢。”说罢示意王伸汉坐下，王伸汉却不肯落座，从怀中掏出一个大红请贴，说道：“本县各界仁人绅士感念李大人终日操劳，备办了一席酒宴，特委下官过府相请，下官自知李委员一向清廉，本不敢前来打忧，怎奈乡里们一片盛情，却之不恭，只好冒昧前来，请大人赏脸光顾。”李毓昌对这种宴会是最反感的，特别是对王伸汉十分厌恶；所以当即就要拒绝。谁知还没等开口，站在一边的李祥早已走过去接了请贴，殷勤地说：“难得合县父老垂青，王县令亲自过府，我家老爷准于今晚赴宴。”李祥的这个举动，很出李毓昌意料，所以一时倒不知如何对答了。李祥偷偷对毓昌使了个眼色，示意他不要拒绝，李毓昌不知李祥到底要干什么，只好不再发作。王伸汉见李委员已经默许了，立即告辞，李毓昌并不相送，只由李祥代送到二门，二人互相一笑，算是会意，匆匆分手。 李祥回到客厅，见李毓昌沉着脸，只好装作若无其事的样子，把请贴放到毓昌的公案上。李毓昌不满意地说：“早就吩咐你不准参与公事，你怎么能大胆地替我接请贴？”李祥笑嘻嘻地凑过去说：“这是山阳县合县要人联名相请，大人如果不去，岂不冷了大家的心？”李毓昌想了一想，觉得也不无道理。自己来到山阳后，一头扎进公务之中，很少与山阳县的名流望族接触，不知王伸汉在县里名声如何？倒不如乘此机会观察一下。再说官场之间的应酬原是不能少的，若执意不去，难免被人视为清高、孤僻、不近人情，对今后参劾王伸汉也是不利的。于是不再拒绝，只是嘱咐李祥去了以后要少饮酒多留心。 筵席是在山阳县衙举行的。李毓昌特别注意，在来客之中并没有发现那位曾经代王伸汉行贿的山阳首富赵荣。王伸汉今天显得特别殷勤，不断亲自给李毓昌把盏斟酒。来客们也一个个轮番劝饮，李毓昌推却不了，连饮了三大杯，不觉有了点朦胧的醉意。王伸汉似乎也喝得过量了，说话变得语无伦次，他端起一大碗酒对着李毓昌说：“人生得意须尽欢，莫教金樽空对月，李大人终日操劳，难得一醉，且饮了这杯酒。”李毓昌自知酒力不济，连忙推辞了。王伸汉不觉哈哈大笑说：“李大入还是不要过于约束自己吧，你看邻座的宋先生，一生持正，烟酒不沾，做了三任知县两袖清风，如今卸任归田，竟没有一位被他救济过的百姓来看望他。早知如此，在任上吃点喝点，岂不比苦守清贫强得多？”李毓昌顺着王伸汉的手向邻座望去，果然看见一位清瘦的老人，胡须已经花白，穿着一件不甚可体的绸衫，有些发窘地闷头饮酒。王伸汉说罢，又带着醉意对宋老者说：“宋先生，你说是不是！”那位宋先生被王伸汉的几句话挑起子一腔牢骚，说：“宋某居官十余年，一尘不染，然而如今潦倒乡里，无人问津。那些在任上贪贿聚敛之人，反而肥马轻袭，门庭若市，细想起来，真不如做个赃官合适了。”席间的众宾客有的赞同，有的不以为然。一位中年秀才说：“话不能这么说，清官嘛终究要比赃官强。但也要看时势而定，设若天下都清官，自然做清官就要受人敬重了。如果天下捞钱的官儿多，只有你一个人两袖清风，到头来不但不会得到谁的青睐，反而会怀疑你也是拿了别人的银子，名利两失，又何苦来呢？”王伸汉点头赞许说：“高论，高论，看来王某以后居官也不能太死心眼儿了。”大厅之上有人附合，有人叹息，李毓昌却忍耐不住，站起身来说道：“李某却不敢苟同。朝廷选拔官吏，原是使之替黎民办几件好事的。居官者理应以国家、黎民为重，方算得有点品行。那些身居高位，只图捞取民脂民膏，置国家法度于不顾，视黎民生死若等闲的官吏，纵能骄横一时享乐一世，却迟早要遭万民唾恨，遗臭千古。对这等贪官污吏，人人得而诛之，怎么竟有人要步其后尘，自甘与严嵩、和王坤之辈为伍呢？”一席话说得合座哑然。王伸汉原是企图以此引诱李毓昌同流合污，见毓昌毫不为动，也自觉无趣，只得假做酒醉，举着酒杯说：“李大人说得好，来来来，为李大人干一杯。”说罢，仰起脖来一饮而尽。李毓昌冷冷地说：“王大人喝得过量了，且休息去吧。”王伸汉故意嘟囔着说：“没醉，没醉，再来三大杯……”包祥忙走过来接下王伸汉手中的酒杯。对李毓昌歉然一笑说：“我家老爷酒后失言，望李老爷见谅。”李毓昌说：“酒后之言何足挂齿，时候不早，你们也该伏侍王大人歇息了，李某告辞。”众宾客站起来挽留了几句，李毓昌不肯再饮，由李祥侍候着离卉了县衙。 回到驿馆，已经是二更天气了。李毓昌平日本不喝酒，今天在筵席上破例饮了三大杯，感觉有些发晕，草草梳洗了一下，和衣卧在床上，不一会儿就进入了梦乡；—李祥连忙把守候在门外的顾祥、马连升叫起来，说：“已经醉倒了，准备下手！”马连升从怀中掏出一包砒霜倒在李毓昌用的茶壶里，用水冲开。顾祥则解下系在腰间的一根布带，用手试了试坚固程度，示意李祥等人过去勒人。李祥会意，正要动手，却听见床上李毓昌翻了一个身，几个都是一惊，惊魂还没定下来，李毓昌一声喝喊：“李祥！”吓得三个恶奴身上发抖。李祥使了个眼色，顾、马二人慌忙闪身藏在了门后边。李毓昌又喊了一声，“李祥！”李祥只得走过去沁心翼翼地问：“老爷有什么吩咐！”李毓昌朦胧中只感口渴，说了一声：“茶水！”李祥答应一声，乘机把掺有砒霜的茶水倒了一杯，怀着紧张的心情递了过去。李毓昌坐起身来，手托着茶杯看了一会儿，又侧过头来看看李祥。李祥一时不知所措，正自惊惶，却见李毓昌猛的捧起茶杯“咕咚，咕咚。地喝了下去。李祥看着主人喝完，又倒了一杯递过去，李毓昌却摇了摇头，再次掉头睡着了；李祥心中暗喜，轻轻把顾、马二人叫过来，静静地观察着李毓昌的动静。功夫不大，药性发作了，李毓昌翻身坐了起来，手捧着肚子连呼“腹疼”。顾祥见了不敢迟疑，带头跑过去，拦腰将李毓昌抱住，就往床上按。李毓昌一惊，酒劲全过去了，两手按着肚子问：“你们这是干什么？”站在一边的李祥阴沉着脸，露出一付狰狞相，狠狠地说：“老实告诉你吧，我们今天受了王知县之托特来侍候你回老家！”没等他说完，马连升已经把布带子抖开，一下子套上李毓昌的脖颈，李祥立即拉紧一端，与马连升一齐用力紧勒。李毓昌拼命挣扎，但身子被顾祥死死抱住，无力挣脱，在布带子的紧勒之下，只一小会儿就七窍流血气绝身亡。可叹一位刚直清正的官员，刚刚迈入仕途，就被凶恶的贪官恶奴夺去了性命。 待李毓昌气绝之后，顾祥松开两手抹去头上沁出的汗珠。李祥将布带松开，结了一个绳环挂在屋梁上，又与顾、马二人把渐渐僵硬的李毓昌的尸身抱起来，脖颈套在布带之中，造成一个自缢身死的假现场。尸体悬挂好后，三人慌忙打开李敏昌的公文箱，取出那封义正词严的举发揭贴掖在身边，李祥唯恐现场留下痕迹，找了一块干净布，沾着水抹去滴在地上的血迹，正要在继续清理作案现场，忽听院子里响起了脚步声。三人大惊失色，还是李祥机警，“卟”地一声吹熄了蜡烛，伏在桌上不敢再动。 夜深人静，万簌俱寂，院子中的脚步声显得异常清晰，眼见得是向正屋走来了。马连升额头上又沁出了豆大的汗滴，黑暗中张大双眼紧盯着屋门。“梆、梆、梆”三声震耳的梆子响，使李祥三人紧张到极点的心情一下子松驰了下来，原来是驿馆的更夫，巡更报时无意中来到这里。更夫根本没有注意到屋里的动静，一前一后紧随着踱出了这座小跨院。李祥等人犹自余悸未退，不敢再多耽搁，悄悄地退出正房回到自己居住的西厢房躲了起来。 天亮以后，李祥等人故意把开房门的声音弄得很响，并在院中漱洗，大声说话，使人觉得他们一夜睡得很好。过了一会儿，李祥大声吩咐驿馆准备早餐，又故意对马连升说：“老爷昨天喝得多了一点，怎么还没起来？”马连升说：“时候不早了，叫叫他吧！”于是走到正房门前轻轻扣门呼唤“老爷！”见屋内没有动静，又把门拍得响了一些，仍没人应声，这才故做紧张地说：“不好，莫非出事了？”三个人装出一副惊慌的样子，找来六、七名驿馆人役，砸开正房大门，只见李毓昌尸身高悬于房梁之上。李祥大放悲声，与顾、马二人一齐瘫坐在地上。还是驿吏精明，一面劝慰李祥等人，一面火速上报山阳县令。 不过半个时辰，王伸汉率领着三班衙役赶到了现场，匆匆地视查了屋内的情况后，王伸汉叹了口气说：“李大人哪李大人，你有什么想不开的，却一下子寻了短见？”然后吩咐把尸身摘下来，停在客厅里，又令缉查班头仔细地观察了现场，做好记录，当场将屋门封死，这才对县吏们说：“李大人系省里派来的大员，突然自杀身死，本县亦担有干系，尔等可将现场保护好，本县即刻前往淮安府，请府台大人前来验尸发落。”说完又把仍在啼哭的李祥等三人叫过来说：“你家老爷遭此不幸，本县也感悲哀，你们三人且不要离开，恐怕府台大人还有话询问。”李祥等人连忙点头答应，王伸汉这才威严地对左右说了一声：“顺轿！速速赶到淮安府。” 淮安知府王毂虽然刚刚五十出头，却生就一付多病的身子。他体态魁梧，心广体胖，平日十分注意保养，所以尽管三天两头因病不理公务，面色却十分红润，一部修饰得十分整齐的胡须居然没有出现一点白色，使人有点不相信他已年近花甲，这几天，他新讨来的七姨太与大奶奶争风吃醋，又吵又闹，搞得他心