Chapter 12 Chapter VII

Di Gonggong was sitting on the grand master's chair, carefully looking at a slender woman standing in front of him.The woman was in her mid-thirties, she was completely plain, without any makeup.Her head was combed with a high bridle, her beautiful face was pale and haggard, and she wore a pair of gold earrings inlaid with sapphires on her earlobe. "Thank you, Mr. Di, for appointing four servants to help the little lady with the funeral. My husband's family friends, Ye Kuilin and He Peng, will come to mourn the funeral as usual and help with the funeral. Because of the epidemic, people are in panic, and the concubine Things are so complicated that no one can escape.”

Di Gongdao: "Mrs. Mei stopped mentioning it, but the lower officials should thank Mr. Mei. I think that Mr. Mei is in Japan, anxious for public affairs and righteous, busy with public affairs day and night, and has done many good things for the people of Jingshuai. Now unfortunately passed away, everyone Sentimental, sorrowful. The yamen is drafting an obituary for Mr. Mei, and will choose an auspicious day for the funeral, so I don’t know what other golden words Mrs. Mei has to say?" "Master Di, Mr. Mei is faithful to the Buddha in his diary, and he is good at the inner scriptures. He has accumulated a lot of Yin Gong throughout his life, and he has given a lot of charity. I just hope that the eminent monks of Pu'en Temple will do meritorious deeds for him and save him from death. Dr. Lu will go to Napu Ensi asked about the auspicious time, and the answer is that the Ming Ye unitary card is the auspicious time."

Di Gongdao: "Your Majesty will represent the people of the capital to attend Mr. Mei's funeral. I deeply admire your husband's generosity. Mrs. Mei, please have refreshments." Mrs. May nodded her thanks, holding up the teacup with both hands, Duke Dee noticed that she was wearing a gold ring with sapphires on her little finger, which was in perfect harmony with her pair of earrings. "Madam Mei," Duke Dee said again. "Mr. Mei's funeral is finished, and I will send someone to escort you to Fengxiang Mansion. The disease and epidemic here is extremely terrible—Madam, please use fruit." He said and brought a plate of pastries.

Mrs. Mei picked up the pastry and was about to taste it, when her eyes fell on the porcelain plate, she suddenly became panicked, and after a long while in a daze, she slowly said: "I was going to Fengxiang back then, but Mr. Mei wanted to stay in the capital, I Fearing that he would be alone and busy with official duties, I couldn't rest assured, so I stayed with him; only a group of servants were sent away. Who would have thought that now he has left me and left by himself, making me so miserable. Now the Mei family The clan elders from far away are coming to inherit the property, and people go to the empty building, which really makes people cry." He couldn't stop sobbing.

Di Gongdao: "Madam Mei, you go back to the house to rest first, the sedan chair has been prepared, tomorrow I will come to the house on time to express my condolences." Mrs. Mei said Wanfu and withdrew.It's not a problem to get on the sedan chair and go back to Meifu. Mr. Di sent Mrs. Mei away, and hurriedly took a closer look at the plates and utensils that had been filled with fruits and cakes just now. Tao Gan asked, "Why does the master look at these dishes carefully?" Di Gongdao: "Sometimes I saw Mrs. Mei just staring at the plate in a daze, with a look of fear on her face, and I couldn't help being suspicious."

Tao Gan asked, "Could it be the pattern on this plate that disturbed Mrs. Mei? This is a commonly seen blue and white pattern, commonly known as the 'Willow Garden Picture', which is most commonly used .” Di Gong picked up a plate and looked at it carefully, and saw that the pattern showed a pavilion in the shade of the weeping willows, a small river outside the shade of the weeping willows, a stone bridge over the small river, and a water pavilion under the stone bridge.On the bridge, a man and a woman walked side by side, chasing after an old man with a stick.There are also two little birds flying in the sky, and the fine waves of the river are clearly discernible.

He asked Tao Gan: "Is there any legend about this willow garden picture?" "There are at least a dozen different legends, my lord. But the most popular one is that in ancient times there lived a rich man in this garden and pavilion full of willows, and the rich man had only one daughter. He wanted to marry his daughter to Another rich man, but his daughter had fallen in love with a book lover in his family, and they both ran away. The rich man Wen Xun chased him to the bridge with a stick. Some said that the young couple threw themselves into the river in despair. The souls of the people turned into a pair of swallows in the sky or mandarin ducks in the river. Some said that they secretly hid a boat under the water pavilion in advance, and finally escaped successfully, living a happy life in a distant place."

Mr. Di shrugged his shoulders and said, "What a wonderful legend. How could the willow garden picture make Mrs. Mei feel uneasy?" Ma Rong hurriedly ran to the inner office and reported: "Master, Marquis Ye Kuilin was killed in his mansion, and Qiao Tai has already gone to Ye Mansion at this moment." "Ye Kuilin? Isn't that the empress of Kang Pinghou who was deprived of her title long ago?" Di Gong said. "Exactly. The servants of Ye Mansion came to the yamen to report the crime and bumped into Brother Qiao Tai and me." "Prepare the sedan chair - go to Ye Mansion." Di Gong ordered.