Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty

It rained harder and harder.The market on the third street outside the government office was crowded with happy people.Some celebrated with their foreheads and hands; some held incense and worshiped; some sang and danced; some ran barefoot. ——The plague is about to end, and the imperial court will soon move back to Chang'an. Di Gong was overjoyed and only felt dizzy and tired.He didn't know if this was a normal reaction to being tired for half a month, or if he was getting old unconsciously. Suddenly Di Hui heard a peddler hawking outside the yamen office, hurried out of the yamen to look, and saw a peddler selling oilcloth oiled paper.The peddler is bargaining with the passers-by on the street.

A satisfied smile appeared on Di Gong's face. Once the plague is eliminated, the capital will immediately restore its former prosperity, and people's lives will soon be improved.As a temporary expert in Kyoto who stayed behind, he can also thank the Golden Palace, with a clear conscience. Di Gong brewed a new cup of tea, changed his official robes, and wrote a letter to Fengxiang's wife and children, detailing the difficulties and longing for the past half month. At this time, Tao Gan, Qiao Tai, and Ma Rong—his three loyal followers all returned to the inner office. Qiao Tai said: "Master, when we escorted He Peng to the West Market, I asked him how he killed Ye Kuilin, and he shot out one of his black beads? He Peng looked at me blankly and said that he had never killed Ye Kuilin. Ye Kuilin, and said that Ye Kuilin was cruel, cunning, greedy and violent, and he deserved his crime for committing human life. I am very puzzled."

Di Gong laughed and said, "What He Peng said is true. He didn't kill Ye Kuilin." Tao Gan and Ma Rong also looked at each other in surprise. Di Gong slowly said: "I heard from Hong Hong that she didn't jump on the embroidered couch to dance that night, so He Peng may not be able to see Hong Hong's figure clearly in the pavilion in Liuyuan. Hong Hong went to Ye Mansion alone , even the shopkeeper Shi of the Wufu Restaurant didn’t know. Besides, He Peng couldn’t have swum across the canal beforehand, climbed up the stone pillar, and lay down on the window sill to watch the promenade? Then how could he happen to be tortured by Ye Kuilin? Crimson suddenly jumped into the long corridor and committed murder? What's more, He Peng is short and thick, and it is not easy to climb from the stone pillar to the window sill."

"But didn't Scarlet say that it was He Peng who jumped into the corridor?" Tao Gan asked. "No! She only suspected that it was He Peng. At that time, she was struggling desperately under the whip, and a black figure jumped out of the window sill. Before she could take a closer look, she broke free and fled down the Zhenliu Pavilion. Even if she wanted to take a closer look Look, the black shadow may be masked, or it may be carrying the candlelight, so it is not friendly. Scarlet wants to instigate He Peng to kill Ye Kuilin, so she really thinks that He Peng came to rescue her when she was in danger. But it is not the case. "

"Who could this murderer be? Of course, now it seems that he is not a murderer, but a hero, a hero!" Ma Rong said. Duke Dee glanced at him, gently stroked his long, black beard under his chin, and said, "I made an inference from what Scarlet said, and this inference is consistent with the facts of the current case, but I This inference has not yet been confirmed. I hope that my inference will be confirmed soon. I am convinced that the progress of the case and my inference are not in error." Tao Gan said: "May I ask when and where the master's deduction started, and when and where did it end?"

Di Gong replied: "I have already said that what Hong Hong said was the basis for this inference. Hong Hong said that when she went out with Yueqin, Yuan Yutang was not at home. Her sister Lan Bai asked her where she was going, but she lied. Lan Bai Bai is a woman with sophisticated police skills and a deep understanding of the city, she suddenly became suspicious and decided to spy on Scarlet's whereabouts secretly." "Lanbai must be worried when she sees that Crimson has entered the Ye Mansion alone. There is no second door to enter the deep and strict Ye Mansion. The brave and resourceful Miss Lanbai found that the stone pillars along the canal can climb up to the pillow. The window sill outside the Long Corridor of Liuge.—There must have been lights there, so she sneaked down the canal from under the Crescent Bridge.—In advance, an iron pellet was stuffed into her shaggy bun, and with a The hair was covered with a white silk sweater, and the four corners were fastened with knots. She used to be a well-trained swordsman and stick, and she followed her father to the rivers and lakes for a living, so it was not very difficult for her to climb stone pillars or jump onto windowsills. of."

"Lanbai stood outside the window sill and listened to the movement for a while. Sure enough, Ye Kuilin was insulting Scarlet in the corridor, and even told how he used a whip to kill Scarlet's mother. Lanbai could hear it clearly, and couldn't help being furious. Ye Kuilin jumped into the corridor. Ye Kuilin was whipping Scarlet with a whip. Lan Bai took off the sweat towel from his head, wrapped it in iron bullets and hit Ye Kuilin suddenly. When a black shadow came in, he was so frightened that he dropped the whip in his hand. When he took a closer look, he recognized that it was blue and white, and he couldn't help but panic. He was hit by the blue and white iron bullet first, and hit the eye socket of the left cheek with ferocious force, killing him with one blow. .”

"Miss Lanbai killed Ye Kuilin, and hurriedly searched for Scarlet, but she was gone. She didn't dare to stay for long, so she threw the iron bullet into the river outside the window, but unintentionally crumpled up the bloody sweat towel and threw it into the river." In the corner. Then climbed out of the window, slid down the stone pillars into the river, and then swam under the Crescent Bridge, put on a dress, and went to Wufu Restaurant to find shopkeeper Shi. Ma Rong, you met at Wufu Restaurant at this time She, so she only had an iron bullet in her sleeve at that time—she decided to hide the killing of Ye Kuilin from her father and Scarlet."

"When she calmed down, she thought that it must be a bad thing to leave the sweat towel in the promenade. So she decided to take another risk and go to the promenade to retrieve the sweat towel. The second time she swam, she accidentally went down from the south of the Crescent Bridge. Because it is the innermost circle of the river, the sewage has been accumulated for a long time on the embankment, and weeds and stalks are everywhere under the water, so the legs and shins are entangled. Ma Rong, you came from the river at that time Rita rescued Miss Blue and White." "It's just outside the embankment of He Peng's willow garden. You have already mentioned the name of He Peng's willow garden first, so Miss Lanbai made up words that He Peng intended to insult her to deceive you. —— Wan Yaqian Lanbai insisted on coming to see me, and I am afraid that it was because of He Peng’s innocence to be tried and defended—of course she didn’t know what was going on in Mei’s house. Lanbai couldn’t get back her scarf, and it was from that scarf that I fainted. I felt that it was a woman who killed Ye Kuilin. Because the four corners of the sweat towel were wet, it showed that she had tied the sweat towel on her head when swimming, which was obviously not a man's habit. Another evidence was the ruby ​​earring. Later Ma Rong You told me that Lan Bai fought off four rogues with one iron bullet in Wufu Restaurant, then I thought about the relationship between the iron bullet and the bloody sweat towel, and understood why Lan Bai only had one iron bullet."

"No wonder Miss Lanbai's hair was still wet at the time." Ma Rong suddenly realized. "And she was so thirsty that she drank like water." "Okay. Ma Rong, now you can go and invite Miss Lanbai to meet me. I also really want to meet this heroine. Pink Lady." Ma Rong took the order and hurriedly retreated, and flew out of the inner office. Duke Di smiled and said: "Miss Lanbai needs a majestic and dignified husband; our Ma Rong needs a good wife who is brave and resourceful, and has a city in his chest. If they are interested, I might as well today Come be a big media outlet!"

"Good! Good!" Qiaotai and Tao Ganqi said yes. Qiao Tai suddenly asked: "Master, how about Miss Lanbai's killing of Ye Kuilin?" Di Gong raised two thick eyebrows, smiled and said: "How can I let Ma Rong's new daughter-in-law make a fool of herself in court and fund the gossip in the streets and alleys, teahouses and restaurants? Besides, Miss Lanbai is righteous, filial, and avenges her mother." Cutting for the people! I haven’t accumulated a single prison sentence since I became the Minister of Dali Temple, so Ye Kuilin’s death might as well be hung up and the case files sealed up, so that the clean officials can make a clear decision later!” Tao Gan suddenly asked again: "In this way, the Liuyuan map is not a clue to solve the case, but Ye Kuilin accidentally knocked it over and broke it while eating ginger in sugar juice?" Duke Dee smiled slightly, and replied: "My original deduction about the vase of the Willow Garden is still applicable, and it may be an important clue to solve the case. Although I can't confirm it at the moment. Miss Blue and White suddenly jumped into the corridor, Ye Kuilin was shocked, but he quickly recognized Lan Bai, and immediately understood what her arrival meant. Ye Kuilin was not reconciled to his untimely death being hanged by the government as an unsolved case. Therefore, just before he died, he cunningly pushed the celadon vase on the table to the ground.——Not by the willow garden picture of the vase to imply He Peng, but by the blue and white colors of the fragments of the vase It hints at blue and white.——Come, make another cup of Biluochun tea with me.”