Chapter 22 Chapter One

Lanfang was a remote county in the northwest of the mighty Tang Empire, adjacent to the Turkic Jimi Prefecture.Since Emperor Taizong pacified the Turks, the northwestern tribes were slightly subordinated, and the imperial court listed their tribes as prefectures and counties.However, there were rebels from time to time in the various states.Therefore, there were frequent battles on the northwest border, and the governor of the border state was responsible for guarding the land of the Tang Dynasty and protecting the lives and property of the subjects in the territory. This story happened in the winter of the second year when Di Gong served as the county magistrate of Lanfang.At that time, the flames were rising on the border, and the Turkic rebels were aggressively invading the northwest border, and the war was imminent.With his wisdom and courage, Di Gongyi solved two problems overnight.

Di Gong came to Dashikou County to borrow food from the magistrate of Kuang County for the winter food of tens of thousands of people in Lanfang.Unexpectedly, Dashikou County is at the forefront of the war on the western front. In the past two days, wars have been raging, and soldiers and vehicles are rattling.On the official road, there are only iron-wheeled carriages rolling and galloping. When they go west, they carry the supplies needed by the soldiers, and when they return east, they are full of wounded soldiers who have retreated from the front line. The county magistrate of Kuang hosted a banquet in honor of Di Gong in the Yamen hall, and invited two kabuki Yujiu during the banquet.One is named Qiangwei, the other is named Jasmine, and they are all dressed up in fancy dress.Seeing Jasmine's unspeakable pain between her brows and her eyes, Duke Di forced himself to smile and circle around the wine table to cheer them up.

Although there are many fish dishes on the table, there is no rice.Only sweet potatoes and taro are the staple food. ——Since the war broke out on the western front, the army of the Governor's Mansion has been very strict in food requisition, so not only Lanfang, but also Dashikou County, which is rich in rice, is also in short supply of food, especially the rice, which is almost invisible. After the dinner, Mr. Di went back to his hotel in Xicheng in frustration.He planned to return to Lanfang tomorrow, he had been in Dashi for three days, and he was unable to do anything about borrowing food, it seemed that he had to think of another way, to find another way.And for the past three days, I have been coughing and producing phlegm again and again. Tuberculosis is spreading all the way to Dashikou. Could it be that I have also contracted it?He couldn't help worrying a lot in his heart, he only hoped that tomorrow the snow would clear, the military vehicles on the official road would not be crowded, and he would leave quickly in the early morning.It still takes two full days to go back to Lanfang from Dashikou.

Because a carriage could not be hired for a while, he had to walk (most of the carriages were requisitioned by the army).Outside the gate of the county yamen, the wind was blowing and the snow was dancing wildly, and the cold air pierced through the spine, and Di Gong couldn't help wrapping his leather robe tightly around his body.Just as he was about to turn onto the street, the kabuki Jasmine chased after her and asked to go with Di Gong.She said that she lived in an alley in Xicheng, and she was going to accompany Master Di for a while. Along the way, I saw carriages rushing one after another, and sometimes Di Gong and Moli had to stick to each other, walking under the eaves of the main street.More and more wounded soldiers were brought back from the western front, some were covered in blood, some were exhausted, and their angry curses could be heard from time to time.

Jasmine pointed to a dilapidated wooden door deep in the alley and said: "My family lives in that hut. Master Di keeps coughing. Could it be that he is suffering from the cold? Come in with me to make a bowl of ginger tea. Warm it up." body." Di Gong thanked him politely: "The posthouse is not far away, just two streets away..." He coughed violently again. Jasmine couldn't let him explain, she forcibly grabbed his robe sleeve and entered the hut.It was really warm inside the hut, there was a brazier burning in the corner, and the charcoal blocks were glowing red.Di Gong saw that the furnishings in the hut were very simple and filthy. A piece of broken wooden bed had dirty pillows and quilts, and a patched blue cloth curtain divided the hut into two halves.

There was a cry of a baby behind the curtain. Jasmine respectfully served a bowl of steaming ginger tea, and said with a blushing face, "This place is no better than Ya Ting Le Fang. Master Di is aggrieved. Don't look at us wearing red tea at the banquet." In green, that dress and hairpin are all borrowed from Lefang." As he spoke, he pulled open the curtain, picked up the baby, and then undressed and fed the baby. Di Gong picked up the tea bowl and took a sip. Although it was a bit spicy, it was very tasty, and he didn't realize that he drank "Gudong Gudong" completely.

"How old is your son?" Duke Di put the tea bowl on the table and asked gently. "It's only been two months, alas..." Jasmine sighed infinitely wronged. There was the sound of clappers outside the door, and Jasmine listened carefully. "Master Di, it's already midnight." There was a hint of chill in her trembling voice. "The governor of Zhou is about to launch a counterattack. If the Turkic cavalry camp cannot be destroyed before dawn, they can drive straight. Jasmine, I think you should take your son to Hulu Town to the east to take refuge for a while. Otherwise, if there is a high mountain Low, how to explain to the father of the child."

"The child's father? He...he..." Tears flashed in Jasmine's eyes, her voice was choked up, and her face was full of sadness. "What's the matter with him?" Duke Di felt that Jasmine's bitterness had no place to pour out. "What happened to the child's father?" "He...he will be beheaded at dawn!" "Behead?!" Di Gong was shocked. "What king's law has he committed?" "My husband is a lieutenant in the barracks. He...he was wronged." "What king's law or military law did he violate, and he wants to be beheaded?" Duke Di asked again.

"He has never violated any royal or military laws. He was falsely accused of strangling Colonel Pan's wife to death. The military judge sentenced him to death. He has been imprisoned for a year. At dawn today, I will be tied up and beheaded in the West School Field. Sigh... tell me how to..." As he spoke, he couldn't stop crying. Di Gong felt sympathetic, and said: "It's too late to be executed at dawn today! It's too late! Jasmine, can you tell me the details of your husband's accusation?" Jasmine nodded with tears in her eyes: "Master Di would like to hear, I might as well give you a general idea, the left and right are ghosts under the knife, how can I survive these three or four hours? My husband and Captain Pan belong to the same camp , but their temperaments are not very compatible, and they are not speculative in many things. Colonel Pan is as sweet as honey in his mouth, but very vicious in his stomach. He always has a smile on his face when he meets people, but he does such shady things behind his back. My husband's surname is Wu, he is straightforward and not good at speaking, but he is better than Colonel Pan in riding and shooting with guns and clubs, and he is trusted by his superiors. Captain Pan is very jealous and often holds hatred in his heart, waiting for opportunities to do harm."

"One day, Colonel Pan came home at night and found his wife strangled to death on the bed. It happened that my husband went to his house on business in the barracks. He came forward and accused my husband of killing his wife. During the trial by the military judge, He said that my husband molested his wife many times and was reprimanded, but he was not dead. He was an officer in the same battalion. He said that my husband found out that he was on duty in the military camp that day, so he went to Pan’s house secretly. , conspired against the law, and after being rejected by Pan's wife, she became furious and strangled her to death."

"How did your husband defend himself?" Duke Di asked. "My husband said that Colonel Pan was spitting blood. He had never had anything to do with his wife, and he would never kill her for no reason. Maybe Captain Pan strangled his wife himself, and made a false statement. My husband said that he met Mrs. Pan at the armory that evening. Captain Pan, Captain Pan asked him to bring something back to his wife, saying that he would be on duty in the barracks that night, and he would not be able to get out. He also said that his wife was unwell, and asked my husband to take a look. My husband didn't know what it was. , When I arrived at Pan’s house, I was called out for a long time, and then Colonel Pan rushed to him and accused my husband of killing his wife—as expected, Pan’s wife was strangled to death on the bed.” "The military judge sentenced my husband to beheaded and put him in death row. I went to visit the prison in the barracks. The guards in the prison said that I was still happy and would not allow me to see the death row. Because of the rebellion of the Turks on the western front, the governor's mansion was in chaos. Therefore, the superior's approval was not issued until the day before yesterday, and at daybreak, when the barracks are on fire, the punishment will be executed." After saying that, tears fell like rain. Duke Di suddenly asked, "Do you know if the Pan family is happy after marriage?" "have no idea." "Do they have children?" "No." "How long have they been married?" "Two years. ——I heard from my husband that Captain Pan's father made the decision. The other party was from a wealthy family. At that time, he thought the woman was unremarkable, so he was very unhappy." "Do you know his father's name?" "I don't know. I heard Colonel Pan brag that he is the number one official in Suzhou City." "Oh, I think it must be Pan Weiliang, governor of Suzhou. He is a man of great learning and has written many books. Captain Pan is his son." "I didn't expect Master Di to appreciate the Pan family father and son so much." Jasmine's heart sank, and she couldn't help but sarcastically said. "I'm going to find Colonel Pan right now, is he in the barracks?" "Bah! Prudish, a clam borer on a shovel of soil!" Jasmine spat on the ground. Di Gong ignored it, wrapped his leather robe tightly and walked out the broken wooden door. Duke Di was walking alone on the street, although it was past midnight, the lights were still bright along the way, and the carriage full of soldiers rumbled westward.He only hated that he knew about this too late, even if he found Colonel Pan at this time and found out the truth of the frame-up, what would be the use?Yes, he had to try to find Zhou Dudu himself, because the army was pressing down on the border, and the ruling of the Military Justice Department could not be changed quickly without the intervention of Zhou Dudu himself.And Zhou Dudu is commanding an army of 100,000, preparing to launch a counter-offensive on the western front. Review and overturn the case for a small military officer who is about to be executed?But Di Gong decided to give it a try, and he was a dead horse as a living horse doctor.If he is lucky enough to defend Wu Xiaowei's grievances and escape the death penalty, it will be the boss's backing.Besides, is it the original duty of a parent official to be innocent Zhaoxue? Because of the urgency of the war, the Dudu Mansion has been moved to the "hunting officer" of the Prince of the Eastern Palace.It was a huge palace, behind the palace there was a large Gangfu forest, which was built by the late emperor with huge sums of money, and it was specially used for the prince to hunt, ride and shoot.The prince often came to this western border to hunt during his lifetime. He died in a hunting accident. After his death, he was buried in the tomb behind the palace. Later, the coffin of his concubine was also transported here to be buried together. ——Now this piece of Gangfu forest is densely packed with military camps. After Di Gong spent a lot of talking at the gate, the guards agreed to go to the camp to find Captain Pan.