Chapter 24 Chapter Nineteen

He Peng was escorted to the hall and knelt down on the danji.He wore a hunting turban and a rough brown robe with a leather belt fastened around his waist.Apparently he was planning to go hunting before his arrest. "He Peng!" Di Gong yelled sharply: "You will tell me the truth about how you smashed Mei Liang's head with an inkstone!" Qiao Tai and Ma Rong looked at each other in surprise, and Tao Gan looked at Di Gong with puzzled eyes.Di Gong is stern and resolute, powerful but not fierce. He Peng raised his head in panic, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. "Could it be that she has confessed to me?" He whispered to himself.

Di Gongdao: "She didn't have time to confess you, but you exposed yourself." He Peng looked at Di Gong suspiciously and muttered. Di Gongdao: "Let me break the topic first and say a wedge! When I came to see you in Liuyuan last night, you told a sad and sad story about the picture of Liuyuan. Tu’s story is not the tragedy of your great-grandfather but your own real past. I suspected that you had redeemed a singing girl, and you almost spent all your wealth for her, but this ungrateful and ruthless woman followed others Go.—Naturally the man is much richer than you."

He Peng's big eyes under thick eyebrows looked at Di Gong gloomily. Mr. Di continued: "Secondly, when I told you that Ye Kuilin was dead, you immediately asked about his eyes. The nursery rhyme about Mei, Ye, and He's three families being angry was obscure and had vague meanings. His bed, loss of his eyes, loss of his head', did not mention accidents, or death. I answered you that Ye Kuilin was shot out of an eye, and you said in horror that you might lose your head. At that time I am quite puzzled, because you have acquiesced that Mr. May was "lost his bed". But in fact, Mr. May was thought to have died by accidentally falling down the stairs. After that, I learned from reliable sources that Mrs. May was The singing girl in Haitang Courtyard was redeemed by an unknown rich man, but she remarried to Mei Liang after exhausting that man’s money.——These real events are almost the same as the Liuyuantu story you told, Mei Liang is exactly the Mr. Mei who abducted Sapphire. Once I noticed that Mrs. Mei was in a daze when she saw the plate with the willow garden picture, and felt uneasy. Later I heard that Sapphire was Mrs. Mei’s name, so I immediately understood The sapphire is your He Peng's favorite pet, and the story of the Liuyuan map you told is the play of your own real history. I saw with my own eyes that Mrs. Mei's two earrings were inlaid with bright sapphires, and she was wearing Wearing a sapphire ring.——You redeemed the sapphire from Haitang Yard, and when you became poor, she remarried to Mei Liang. Even so, Mrs. Mei is still your old friend, your mistress, and you are still inseparable. Mei Liang did not die in an accident, but was murdered by the two of you. The murderer is you, He Peng!"

"When your adultery was broken by Mr. Mei in the middle of the night, you became murderous and smashed Mr. Mei's head with a turtle-shaped inkstone on the desk. Then you pretended to be at the scene, creating the illusion that Mr. Mei accidentally fell down the stairs. That nursery rhyme has a mysterious effect on you. You firmly believe that Mr. Mei died of "losing his bed" - Mrs. Mei committed adultery with you, which means that his "bed" was stolen by you. And you killed After Mr. Mei, I really felt the last horror of "losing his head". Mei Liang "lost his bed", Ye Kuilin "lost his eyes". Head' off—Lang was beheaded and beheaded."

He Peng sighed softly, closed his eyes without saying a word, and calmly listened to Di Gong's eloquent analysis. Di Gong asked: "He Peng, what I said is the truth? I can tell you clearly that Mrs. Mei did not reveal any inside information. She insisted that she killed Mr. Mei herself. ——She said that she lied to Mr. Mei Weary, annoyed, and distressed by my attentiveness and thoughtfulness." He Peng stood up abruptly.Panting heavily, he asked, "Where is she? Where is she at this moment?" Di Gong said indifferently: "After she confessed her crime, she died in the courtroom. That is what was covered by the reed mat. The prison doctor has experienced it, and saw that it was an epidemic, and it was already incurable."

He Peng turned around, his eyes wide open, his lips moved, but he didn't speak. At this time, the tower was shining, and there was a faint sound of thunder in the distance. He Peng groaned softly, suppressed his frenzied heart, and ran over to lift up a corner of the reed mat, revealing Mrs. Mei's delicate and silky arms.With tears in his eyes, He Peng gently stroked that arm, took off the sapphire ring from Mrs. Mei's finger and kissed it, and put it on his little finger.He stood up and glanced at Duke Di, the flesh on his face twitched.The burly body staggered and staggered, as if about to fall.

He finally opened his mouth; "Master Di, I gave this ring to her fifteen years ago, please allow me to wear it to the west." He bowed his head and looked at the ring with infinite affection, and murmured: "Sapphire, sapphire—it's no coincidence that my great-grandfather's sapphire was kidnapped and escaped from Willow Garden, and my sapphire was forced to escape from Willow Garden because of my poverty." Farewell to Liuyuan..." "After she married Mei Liang, Mei Liang's wealth did not bring her real happiness. One day she begged me hard, asking me to forgive her for being short-sighted and greedy for wealth and wealth. She wanted to renew the old relationship with me. She said Even from now on, the Jingchai cloth skirt, sip the beans and drink the water. It is better to suffer in the Mei Mansion. She also said that she has sent all the servants in the family, and there is another epidemic in the capital, and Mei Liang has to go to Guangcheng warehouse every day to do the cooking. Regarding the matter of food relief, the two of us were able to relive the mandarin dream and have a lingering love for a while. Later, she said that she would run away with me with gold and silver, and go to a distant place to be a long-term husband and wife and never be separated."

Di Gong interrupted him: "What happened the night Mei Liang died?" He Peng raised his head, his painful expression gradually eased, and a faint blush appeared on his face. "The matter is very simple. In the middle of the night, Mei Liang broke into the east wing of the flower hall. We had no choice but Mei Liang opened his mouth first. He said: 'Let's leave Chang'an quietly together! I will never interfere. Maybe it is right for you to be together. , I can subsidize your troubles', Sapphire shouted to me: "Kill him! I don't need his pity, only you are qualified to pity me and forgive me. I have had enough of humiliating days, he not only stained My body and my soul have been polluted.' More than ten years of humiliation rushed into my heart. People say that evil is born on the edge of anger. I was aroused by her words to kill. Immediately, I stepped forward. He grabbed Mei Liang by the collar, swung a stone inkstone and smashed it at his head. Mei Liang's head was smashed, but he didn't let go of his hatred, and then kicked him hard on his back and chest. The next thing is How to dispose of this old ghost's body. She said, seeing that his clothes are messy and his skull is broken, it is better to drag him down the bluestone stairs in the flower hall, and say that he accidentally fell down the stairs and died.—— Of course, we also set up an array of doubts, faked the scene, and intended to confuse the government. ——I think these confessions are about the same, and the left and right are 'lost their heads'. This is God's will, how can we avoid it?"

Four corpse collection teams in black robes and black hoods came up to the hall, wrapped the reed mat tightly around Mrs. Mei's body, and carried it down the hall. He Peng's face was gloomy, and his expression was in a trance.There was a glimmer of melancholy and pain in the eyes. Adultery and murder are to be executed according to the law.He Yue drew a bet on the confession.Di Gong signed and approved the verdict handed over by Tao Gan, and sealed it with a big seal, and ordered Qiao Tai and Ma Rong to verify the identity of the murderer He Peng, and immediately bound him to Xishi to report.

Suddenly there was a deafening thunder, a strong wind suddenly picked up, dark clouds rushed, and the big raindrops finally fell to the ground. With the sound of the gavel, Duke Di announced his withdrawal. Two yamen soldiers came forward to shackle He Peng with the death shackles, nailed the shackles on his feet and handcuffs, and escorted him down. He Peng looked up to the sky and cried out.He stared blankly at the sapphire ring that shone with cold light on his finger.