Chapter 13 chapter eight

The four-person official sedan chair was carried to the downstairs of Yefu Gate.The Ye Mansion is majestic and towering, just like a city tower - two hundred years ago, this was a fortress in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the canal flowed under the fortress. The governor Kang Pinghou Ye Wenshao, who guarded the place at that time, set up a card on the Crescent Bridge. Taxes are collected for pedestrians on the bridge and boats under the bridge.Up to now, the gate tower is still covered with round nails with fish scales, and the relics of the great power of the past can be found. The ear doors of Ye's mansion were opened, and the young servant saw that it was the master who came from the government's mansion, and hurriedly welcomed Di Gong and Tao Gan into the mansion respectfully.Qiao Tai reported: "Master, I have been waiting here for a long time. Ye Kuilin's death was indeed a murder. The scene was in the corridor of Zhenliu Pavilion. It overlooks the canal and boats outside the mansion. The servant's mother is dedicated to serving Mrs. Ye Yes. Ye Kuilin's murder was first discovered by her mother. I searched the long corridor of Zhenliu Pavilion and the corridors of the gates in the mansion, but there is no trace left by the murderer. There is only one ear door and the main gate in and out of Ye Kuilin's mansion. It has not been opened for two hundred years. The third side of this castle-like mansion is surrounded by crenelated walls, and the other side faces the river. There is no second door. The murderer can only enter through this ear door, and then pass through this ear door. Slip out. There is a three-spring live key lock behind the ear door. You must have a special key to open it from the outside, and you only need to use your finger to open it from the inside. When you come out of the house, you only need to close the door and lock it. Made him dead."

Di Gong nodded and said: "This means that the murderer was let in by the people in the mansion, and there is no restriction for the murderer to leave the mansion." He asked the young servant: "Have you brought any guests into the mansion tonight?" "My lord, the villain didn't let anyone in. I just wonder if the Marquis himself has let someone in? The villain works in the kitchen all day, so he never pays attention to this door." "How many keys are there on the ear door?" Duke Di asked again. "There is only one handle, and it has been in the hands of Lord Hou himself." The young servant was a little uneasy.

Di Gongdao: "Qiaotai, lead me to the Zhenliu Pavilion scene!" Qiao Tai hesitated for a moment, then said: "Master, you'd better go see Mrs. Ye, Mrs. Ye is very sad, and seems to have a lot to say to the master." After thinking about it, Di Gong quickly agreed: "This servant will guide me to see Mrs. Ye. Qiao Tai, you go back to the government office right now. Ma Rong is waiting for you to go on patrol together." The young servant held up an oil lamp, and led Di Gong and Tao Gan through a large courtyard with bluestone pavement and a martial arts hall where spears and bows were displayed, bypassed many towers, pavilions, corridors and winding thresholds, and came to the A small garden with lush flowers and trees. ——There was no one in sight along the way.The night air is cold and windy.

The servant tapped lightly on a brass ring the size of a lute-shaped door carved in gold under the whitewashed wall of the garden.A woman in her fifties opened the door. "Mother, the official Di master has come to the mansion to inquire about the murder of Lord Hou." Di Gong saw that the woman was haggard and unkempt.Then he asked, "Old lady, when did you find out that the master was murdered?" "About half an hour ago, I was going upstairs to the promenade with a tea tray in my hand, and I saw Master Hou lying on the ground bloody and bloody, he had already passed away."

"Mother, take Master Di to see Mrs. Ye first!" said the young servant. The old woman led them into a hall.The hall was dark and stuffy, a silver candlestick was flickering, and a white porcelain medicine jar was puffing on the large copper brazier in the middle of the floor. Duke Di was surprised to find that on the high platform in the center of the hall was a large golden lacquered dragon throne.Sitting upright on the throne was a woman in a gold hairpin and a phoenix robe.The satin upholstery of the throne was trimmed with gold leaf; neat golden tassels hung down.A yellow silk curtain hung down on each side of the throne.On both sides of the high platform stand a dragon, phoenix and five Ming fans.When Duke Di saw these presumptuous decorations, he couldn't help feeling disgusted.

Duke Dee saw that the woman's eyes were shining coldly. Disease and grief had damaged her former dignified appearance. Only then did Duke Dee realize that the gold paint on the throne had been mottled and peeled off, and the woman's phoenix robe was full of dirt. Most of the yellow damask curtains have mildew spots.The whole hall was covered with ashes, and Duke Di felt as if he had entered an ancient temple with decaying incense, and the antique-like old woman was almost the same as the empress in the shrine. Mrs. Ye moved her lips, and said: "Master Di came to our mansion in vain to inquire about the murder of Lord Hou. The old lady will show respect."

"Madam Ye, this is my duty. Madam guess who killed Mr. Ye?" "Hou Ye has not been an official in the court for a long time, and the enemies of the past are still unwilling to let him go. Kang Jing Hou Youhu is one. He has been an enemy for eighty years. In fact, how much do I know about men as a woman?" ? I just hope that Master Di will be able to see clearly, find the murderer, and avenge my late husband." As he spoke, he closed his eyes and shed a few tears. Seeing Mrs. Ye's sad face, Di Gong ordered Tao Gan to stay with Mrs. Ye and ask about Ye Kuilin's daily life by the way.

He turned to his servant and said, "Take me to the corridor of Zhenliu Pavilion." Di Gongbao bid farewell to the Marquis who lived in the shadow of history, walked out of the ancient palace with ghostly lights, passed through the super hand corridor outside the front hall, and saw a narrow staircase. The servant said: "Master Di, this is the Zhenliu Pavilion. Master Hou was killed in the corridor of this pavilion." Duke Di followed the servant up the stairs, relying on the servant to take out the key from his waist and open the door. Di Gong came into the Zhenliu Pavilion and saw a row of corridors with Zhu Zhuzhu and green fences. The bamboo curtains of Xiangfei hung down neatly on the corridors near the windows.There are countless plaques between the beams and columns, which are full of dust.There is a huge plaque in the middle with four golden words "Pillow the stream and wash the stone" written on it.Against the wall under the giant plaque is a red sandalwood Eight Immortals table, on both sides of the table are ebony chairs inlaid with Yunshan stone; on the table is a tall candle.Swaying and flickering, it is illuminating the terrible face of the dead man reclining in the armchair.On the opposite side of the table is an embroidered couch, on which a shade is neatly spread.

Di Gong approached the Eight Immortals Table and leaned over to see the face of the deceased, he couldn't help but backed away a few steps in fright.He had seen all kinds of dead bodies, but the state of Ye Kuilin's death right now had to make him terrified.Half of the deceased's face was completely smashed, the eyes were cracked, and black beads came in and out.Red blood, white brain, black black beads.Ooze mixed into a sticky fishy.The shattered black bead hangs down to the corner of the mouth, and a thread of red blood hangs in the eye socket.The other eye was terrified and dazed, and the mouth was opened wide as if to scream.A few blowflies were buzzing around the sticky mass.

Judging from the posture of the deceased reclining in the armchair with his legs spread apart, he was standing by the Eight Immortals table when the murderer attacked him.Duke Di touched the dead man's limbs, but they were not stiff. He rolled up the sleeves of the dead man's robe, but there were no traces of violence on his body. On the ground, the dead man's black hat rolled under the chair, and a cowhide whip was thrown on one side of the hat, and seven or eight long and thin braids were scattered from the short handle of the whip.A celadon vase was broken on the ground, and a few withered petals were scattered among the blue and white pieces.There are two teacups on the table.One has tea left, the other is clean.Flies swarmed over a plate of ginger in syrup.Another armchair has not been pulled out against the Eight Immortals table.

Duke Di sighed and stroked his beard slowly.Ye Kuilin's facial expression was hard to see, only half of his sallow face, with a goatee on his chin.Tall and thin.Mr. Di had never met Ye Kuilin before. It seemed that Ye Kuilin, like Mrs. Ye, was also living in the shadow of history, relying on the shadow of the family to prolong his life. The pride of the surname of the aristocratic family made Ye Kuilin only associate with a few Miao people such as Mei Liang and He Peng.Mr. Di didn't know He Peng either. It seems that in order to solve the mystery of Ye Kuilin's murder, we must first find out his living habits and personality habits.