Chapter 2 Chapter two
Mr. Di drove south all the way in his chariot, but outside the reception hall, there was no palace lantern shed, no drum music, and not even a single person.Leng Leng came to the gate of Beicheng, but saw the archery tower towering over the clouds, and the city gate was impenetrable.Qiao Tai felt strange at first, but then changed his mind again.Lanfang is a frontier land. Although Hu Rong, who is next to me to the west, is friendly with me, there is no certainty that we will see each other in battle one day, so we must guard against it.
The city gate is covered with iron sheets and has studs on it.Qiaotai stepped forward and hit the door with the hilt of his sword.
After knocking for a long time, a small window on the watchtower was opened, and a hoarse voice came from the window: "There is an order from the upper peak, the city gate will not be opened at night, tomorrow morning!"
Qiao Tai was so angry when he heard the words, he beat the door like a drum, and shouted upstairs: "The county magistrate is here. Open the city!"
Asked on the arrow tower: "Which county magistrate are you?"
"Don't be too wordy, Mr. Di, the new magistrate of Zhengtang County in Lanfang, is here, hurry up and greet him!"
The small window on the watchtower slammed shut.
Ma Rong drove his horse and approached Qiao Tai, and asked, "Why is the city gate not open for a long time?"
Qiao Tai scolded: "Those lazy dogs up there can't wake up so early!" knocking on the door with the hilt of his sword.
Soon, the sound of iron chains came from inside the door, and the heavy iron door opened. Beside the door stood a slovenly guard, the iron helmet on his head was rusted.Qiao Tai didn't wait for the gate to open, he drove his horse in and almost trampled the second guard under the horse's hooves.
Qiao Tai yelled and cursed as he entered the door: "You two lazybones, open the city gate wide!"
The soldiers of the second sect saw the Er Xiaoqi in front of them being so domineering, and they were really unhappy. One of them opened his mouth and wanted to talk back, but when he saw Qiao Tai speak harshly.He was so aggressive that he swallowed the words again.He had no choice but to open the gate of the city wide and invite Di Gong and his party to enter the city.
When the chariots entered the city, they could only see the black lights and blazes in the streets, a desolate scene. Before the end of the day, most of the big and small shops were closed and locked.
There are only a few vendors left on the street, and customers are sitting around the oil lamps in small groups, drinking tea or eating noodles, all in silence.Di Gong and his party walked slowly from north to south on the street. They just turned their heads to glance at Che Zhan, then lowered their heads and picked up the noodle bowls and tea cups.
When the new county magistrate got off the bus, the civil and military officials of a county disappeared, the prominent family of eunuchs disappeared, the merchants hid, and the people became numb. This is really unprecedented!The chariot walked through an archway that spanned the street, and the street was divided into left and right along a high wall.When Qiao Tai and Ma Rong saw it, they thought this must be the back wall of the county government office.
The group turned left, walked eastward, southward, and westward along the high wall until they reached the head of a black-painted gate. On the lintel hung a wooden sign that had been stripped by wind and rain, with the words "Lanfang County Government" on it. big characters.
Qiaotai slammed the orange off his horse and knocked on the door.
The door opened.Men Dingwu is short in stature, dressed in black clothes, with an eagle nose and hawk eyes, and a disheveled beard.He raised the lantern in his hand, looked Qiao Tai up and down, and said angrily, "Qiu Bahao, you don't know anything, don't you know that this yamen has always been closed?"
How could Qiao Tai endure such humiliation, he stretched out his hand and grabbed the opponent's beard, pushed back and forth, and bumped his head against the doorpost, the pain was so painful that Mending cried and begged for mercy.
Qiao Tai ordered in a loud voice: "The new county magistrate, Mr. Di, is here, open the yamen quickly, and tell the third class and six wards to go to the lobby yamen to wait for orders!"
Mending didn't dare to neglect, and opened the yamen wide.Di Gong and his party entered the yamen and stopped in the front yard of the flower hall.
Mr. Di got out of the car and looked around the courtyard by the light of the lantern, but saw that the gate of the flower hall was latched and locked, and the windows of the opposite hall were also closed tightly.
Di Gong was very troubled, so he ordered Qiao Tai to bring Men Ding to question him.
Qiao Tai grabbed Mending's collar and left. When he got to De Dihui, Mending hurriedly knelt down on his knees.
Di Gong asked: "Who are you? Where is Mr. Kuang, the county magistrate?"
Men Ding didn't stutter at all, but it all happened so suddenly, and seeing Duke Di's majesty, he was already a little overwhelmed, Qi Qi Ai Ai replied: "Qi...Qi to my lord, little... this villain is the forbidden son of the prison. Kuang...Master Kuang left the south gate this morning."
"Where is the official seal of the county government?"
The head of the prison became quieter at this moment, and said: "If you think about it, I must put it somewhere in the government hall. If the master goes to look for it, he will definitely find it."
At this point, Duke Di couldn't bear it any longer, he stomped his feet and shouted, "Where are the servants? Where are the clerks? Where are the patrolling soldiers?"
"Back to the master, the arrester left last month, and the old book office in the punishment room took sick leave 20 days ago, and he hasn't returned yet..."
Di Gong interrupted him, annoyed: "So, you are left alone?" Then he turned to Qiaotai: "Put him in prison first: what is going on here, I will find out by myself! "
The head of the cell screamed for grievances, Qiao Tai stretched out his hand and slapped him, tied his hands, turned around again, kicked him on the leg, and shouted: "Go to your prison, lead the way!"
On the left side of the front yard is a line of servants who live in patrols and yamen, which are empty, and behind them are the prison cells.There was no one in the prison either. Needless to say, the cell hadn't been used for a long time, but the doors were strong and the windows had iron bars.
Qiao Tai pushed the cell leader into a small cell, locked the iron door, and returned to Duke Di.
Di Gongdao. "Let's go to the lobby and the government hall to look around."
Qiaotai carried the lantern, came to the entrance of the lobby, pushed the door open, and the rusty hinges creaked.When he came to the hall, Qiao Tai held up the lantern, and saw dust everywhere, cobwebs all over the wall, the scarlet tablecloth covering the gongan was faded and tattered, and a black mouse sprinted past the table.
Di Gong waved to Qiao Tai, walked up to the high platform, walked around the koan, and pulled aside the embroidered curtain that separated the lobby from the county magistrate's inner office study, and dust fell down one after another.
There is only one desk, one armchair and three wooden stools in the Neiya study, all of which are rickety and dilapidated.Qiao Tai opened the small door of the inner stall, and a damp smell hit them directly.There is a bookshelf by the wall, and there are suitcases of official documents and files on it. Over time, a layer of white mold has grown on them.
Seeing this, Duke Di couldn't help shaking his head and sighing, "I don't want the files and records to be ruined to such an extent!" After finishing speaking, he kicked open the door leading to the corridor, and walked back to the courtyard silently, with Qiaotai leading the way with a lantern in his hand.
Ma Rong and Tao Ganji locked the seven criminals captured alive in the mountains and put them in prison, and temporarily put the three dead bodies in the patrol room.The butler was leading the servants to unload the luggage bags from the car. When he saw Mr. Di, he hurriedly reported that the mansion in the backyard was clean and tidy, and everything was undamaged.The departing county magistrate arranged all the furnishings in the house neatly and left them in their original places. All the houses were cleaned cleanly, and all the furniture and utensils were also very clean without any damage.Pao Ding was making a fire under the kitchen.
Di Gong breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the news, at least his wife and family finally had a comfortable place to live.
Di Gong ordered Hong Canjun and Ma Rong to rest in a side room of his private residence, and then called Qiao Tai and Tao Gan to follow him to the inner yamen to discuss matters.
Tao Gan lit two candles and placed them on the desk.Di Gong carefully sat down on the crumbling broken chair, put his hands in his sleeves on the desk, and the second assistant blew the dust on the wooden stool and sat aside.
The three of them traveled long distances for days, and after a fierce fight in the mountains, all of them were disheveled and haggard, and for a while they sat facing each other, silent.
After a while, it was still Di Gong who spoke first: "It's getting late, I'm hungry and sleepy, I should have died earlier, but the current situation is so weird, so I leave you two to discuss."
Qiao and Tao hurriedly nodded in agreement.
Di Gong said again: "Since entering the city, what I have seen and heard is incomprehensible. My predecessor has been here for three years, and his mansion is clean and tidy, but he has obviously never used the court, and he sent a letter to the government office long ago. They are all dismissed. I am scheduled to arrive this afternoon, and the post-horse also came earlier to drop off the paperwork for my appointment, but he didn't meet him, and he walked away without leaving me a word. , and handed over the seal of the county government to a jailer. In addition, a county official, businessman and folk school treated us coldly and ignored us. What is the reason for all this?"
Qiao Tai answered with a question: "My lord, will there be unscrupulous people who want to take advantage of our unstable foothold to conspire against the imperial court?"
Duke shook his head.
"Yes, shortly after dark, there are few pedestrians on the three streets and six markets, and the shops are closed. This situation is really abnormal. However, I have not seen the people feel uneasy, and there are no roadblocks, deep ditches, and high roads inside and outside the city. Moreover, the head of Li Min Qian has no hostility towards us, but is indifferent and insensitive.”
Tao Gan twirled the three hairs on his left cheek, and said: "For a while, I thought about the possibility of the epidemic, but seeing that the people in the streets are at ease and the vendors are not panicking, this worry has disappeared."
Duke Di pointed at him, combed his unkempt beard, and said: "I don't expect to find someone ugly from the head of the cell. That guy has a sly eyebrow, and you can tell he's a slippery official at a glance!"
The butler came in.Two house servants followed closely behind, one holding the meal on the plate, and the other carrying a copper pot in his hand.
Di Gong ordered the housekeeper not to forget to deliver meals to the prisoners in the prison, and to send a few plasters for gold sores.The housekeeper—yes.
The three of them had supper silently, and each drank a cup of hot tea.Qiaotai twirled his short beard with his hands, and fell into deep thought for a moment.After a while, he said: "My lord, when we were in the mountains, Ma Rong said that this group of strong men is not like thieves who specialize in blocking roads and robbing. Asking questions, maybe you can get some clues. I don't know what the master wants?"
Di Gong was overjoyed when he heard the words, and boasted: "Good idea! Go and find out who their leader is, and bring him to me!"
When he was young, Qiao Tai returned to the inner yamen, and the prisoner bound by the iron chains was the strong man who shot straight at Duke Di.Di Gong glanced at the person coming, and saw that he was tall and thick, with a flat head and a straight face, a straight nose, a square mouth, kind eyebrows and kind eyes, and a straightforward appearance. He looked more like a shopkeeper of a small shop or a craftsman.Di Gong goes to court to try cases every day, and he sees more criminals, so he learns a little bit of ability to read physiognomy.The criminal came to the court; chaste adultery, good and evil.He can understand three points at a glance.
The strong man knelt down in front of the desk, and Di Gong ordered him to say. "What is your last name, what is your physiology, let's be honest!"
"Back to the master, the villain's surname is Fang, and the single name is a regular character. My ancestors have lived in this Lanfang City for several generations, and the villain has always made a living here by blacksmithing. He only abandoned his home not long ago."
"Why do you give up a decent job and go to the mountains to become a bandit?"
Fang does not bow his head.The voice at the door asked back: "The villain gathers people to block the road and rob, and wants to harm the master. The truth and the crime are true. He just waits for the court to ask him to kill him. There is no injustice. Why did the master go all out and ask the villain's origin carefully?" ?”
Hearing Fangzheng's words of despair, Duke Di calmly said: "This county will hold on to its strength without vain or indulgence. If you believe in rewards, you will be punished. How can you make a judgment without asking the reason? Please reply to the county's question and tell me!"
"The villain has learned blacksmithing from his father since he was a child. He has been in business in this city for more than 30 years. There are Zhuo Jing and one son and two daughters in the family. The five members of the family are strong in physique, all of them are hardworking and frugal. After paying taxes, there is still a surplus, so I don’t have to worry about three meals a day. It’s not uncommon for me to eat meat and fish. The villain often goes to the bookstore to find a seat when he has free time. Although I come from a poor family background, compared with many families in the city, the villain's life is very comfortable and beautiful.
"Who knows that there are unpredictable things in the sky, and people have misfortunes and blessings. One day, Qian Mou's minions saw that the dog was young and strong, so they took him away and forced him to serve the evil master. The child's name is Fang Jingxing, because he grew up like a tiger. , old people call him Fang Hu..."
Di Gong didn't wait for Fangzheng to finish speaking, and asked anxiously, "Who is Qian Mou?"
Fangzheng replied: "This man is a local tyrant, and it has been more than eight years since he usurped the power of Lanfang's criminal and military affairs. He devoured whales and plundered them, taking half of the fertile land in the county, and there are ten stores in the city. The three families were opened by him. He sent people to the state government office every five or seven days to pay bribes and dredge the joints. The gang of corrupt officials and ink officials were of the same generation, and they got incense and money, so they confusedly believed his nonsense, and then Xi Fei Cheng is talking nonsense, talking nonsense that Qian Mou is not the mainstay here, and the fanhu is invading the country, and it is inevitable and inevitable that Lanfang will change hands."
"Qian Mou has nothing to do with the king's law here, and acts against the law. The previous county magistrates have acquiesced?"
Fangzheng replied: "The few county magistrates who have been sent here at first were a bit like a new official, but soon they all calmed down and stayed away. Seeing that Qian Mou is rich and powerful, and he is very popular, these soft bones will follow the trend and sing I wanted to flatter them and become puppets. Once they obeyed, Qian Mou would thank them with a lot of money, and we will live in peace with them from now on. They are sensual and full of fat here, but they have suffered a lot for the people of our county."
Hearing this, Duke Di's face darkened, and he said coldly: "Your words are not absurd! A small county in a border town was usurped by bullies for a while. Although it is unfortunate, it has happened since ancient times; It's not uncommon to bear the humiliation and seek perfection after being wronged. But you said that the county magistrates in the past eight years have all succumbed to Qian Mou's lust, without exception. This county is hard to believe!"
Fangzheng sneered and said: "This is what we Lanfang people deserve to suffer! Four years ago, a county magistrate was unwilling to accept the thief as his father and decided to get rid of Qian Mou. But half a month later, he was decapitated. Violent corpse riverside."
Di Mo hurriedly asked, "Is this county magistrate surnamed Pan?"
Fangzheng nodded and said, "Exactly!"
Di Gongdao: "At that time, there was a petition to the imperial court, claiming that the Hu Rong in western Xinjiang had invaded the country. The county magistrate Pan led the soldiers and civilians in Lanfang to retreat from the enemy in blood. Unfortunately, he died for the country. At that time, the county was in the capital. I remember that his body was according to the national ceremony. He was moved to Chang'an for burial, and the Holy Majesty granted him the post of Assassin with grace."
Fang Zheng said. "Master doesn't know. This is a scam by Qian Mou to kill officials to deceive the king. The villain has lived in Lanfang for a long time. Four years ago, Hu Rong had never violated the border. How could he say that he sacrificed himself on the battlefield? County magistrate Pan was clearly killed Qian Mou plotted against him and died."
Di Gongdao: "You continue to talk:"
"In this way, Fang Hu was forced to become Qian Mou's domestic slave, and the villain never saw him again."
"Humanity is unparalleled, and misfortunes never come singly. These words should be said by the villain. After a few days, the prostitute who has always been a prostitute came to meet the villain and said that the villain's eldest daughter, Bai Lan, had already reached the stage of plum blossom. There should be My husband’s family also said that money and carts have always been fond of fragrances and treasures. I would like to buy her for fifty taels of silver and take it as a side house. Of course, the villain refused to throw the little girl into the fire pit, so he refused. Unexpectedly, three days later, the little girl went shopping in the store , but never came back. The villain went to Qian Zhai repeatedly to beg to see her, but every time he was severely beaten and kicked out of the gate.
"It's already a catastrophe to lose your only son first, and it's even worse to lose your beloved daughter. The clumsy Jing couldn't stand such a blow, and since then he can't afford to be sick. Go. The villain took up the ancestral sword and went to Qian's house to fight for his life, but he was stopped by the family. He beat the villain until his head was broken and bloody, and he was thrown into the street. The villain's shop was burned to ashes. Affected by this disaster, the villain had no way to go to heaven or earth, so he had to take his second daughter, Heilan, to abandon the city and flee. In the mountains, he met a group of brothers by chance. People who were ruined by Qian Mou and had nowhere to go joined their gang. Tonight, we went out to rob business travelers for the first time, but unexpectedly met the master and his party. In the end, they died and were injured. The little girl Hei Lan was also captured alive. Hey, poor Fangzheng has so many fates, it's useless to say it."
There was silence in the study.Di Gonggong wanted to lean back, but suddenly remembered that the back of the chair was broken, so he quickly put his elbows on the desk again.After a moment of silence, Duke Di said: "You speak very sadly, but this county is used to hearing such stories, so it doesn't feel new. Fangzheng, if you deceive this official with lies, you will not be lightly forgiven. It is the truth, the county should postpone the trial and deal with it calmly."
Fangzheng sighed: "Master, believe it or not, the villain is a dead man, even if the master is merciful and doesn't kill the villain, Qian Mou will never let the villain live."
After Di Gong signaled, Qiao Tai stood up and took Fang Zheng back to the prison.
Mr. Di left his seat and began to pace up and down in the study.When Qiao Tai came back, Mr. Di stopped and said, "Fangzheng's words are clearly the truth. The bully Qian Mou is here to exercise power. The previous county magistrates are just puppets who obey his orders. The local people treat us coldly. , and that's why."
Qiao Tai hit his knee with his fist and said, "Could it be that we bow our heads in front of Qian Mou too!"
Di Gong smiled lightly and said: "It's getting late, you two can go back and rest, I have a lot of errands to entrust you to wait tomorrow. I also want to look at the old files here, and it will take about half an hour." leave."
Qiao and Tao wanted to stay and help each other, but Di Gong refused, so they had no choice but to give up.
After Qiao Tai and Tao Gan left, Mr. Di walked into the next stall with a candle in his hand, and wiped off the dust and mildew on the label of the briefcase with his sleeve. After a closer look, he saw that there was a box of case files written on the cover. Date eight years ago.
Mr. Di moved the box to the insider's study, took out the scrolls, and glanced at the book case in the shop, and he knew that most of them belonged to the general affairs of the county government. "Seven big characters.Di Gong sat down.Open the case file and study it.
It turned out that this was a lawsuit involving property inheritance rights.Ambassador Ni Shouqian retired from his post and retired to Yinlanfang. He died of illness nine years ago, and his two sons filed a lawsuit for inheritance.
Duke Di closed his eyes, and tried his best to recall the past when he was a cao in the capital thirteen years ago.At that time, Ni Shouqian was so powerful in the government and the public that he was famous all over the world.He was an official all his life.With his talents in the world, he has worked for the country and benefited the common people, so he has a good reputation and is famous all over China.His Majesty saw that his achievements were outstanding, his belly was strong, and his heart was happy, so he bestowed his kindness on him and bestowed him with the post of Prime Minister of the Political Affairs Hall to participate in the government affairs.But at this time, Ni Shouqian suddenly resigned on the pretext of illness, and went to a side county to spend his old age in peace.The Holy Majesty also tried hard to persuade him to stay with golden and jade words, but he couldn't.Di Gong remembered clearly that Ni Shouqian's unusual move caused a sensation in the government and the public, making it an anecdote.
In this way, this Lanfang is the place where Ni Shouqian spends his time in the twilight of Sangyu.
Di Gong slowly opened the case file again, and read it carefully from beginning to end.When Ni Shouqian retired from Lanfang, he was a widower in his sixtieth year.There is an independent child under his knee, named Ni Qi, who is thirty years old.Not long after Ni Shouqian came to Lanfang, he married to fill a house. His wife, Mei, was eighteen years old from a small family of Biyu in the countryside outside Guowai.It was also Chen Zhong who fell into the fertile field. The sixty-year-old man and his twenty-nine-year-old wife gave birth to a son named Ni Shan.
Although this year-forgotten couple can't be called a perfect couple, a dragon and a phoenix, they also know the pain and heat, respect each other as guests, and they are happy to have a son, which adds another layer of love.Poor Ni Shougan, this dead tree fell down as soon as it said it. Nine years ago, he fell ill.Before he died, he called his eldest son Ni Qi, his younger wife and younger son to the sick bed, and left a last word: one frame of landscape painting he made by himself will be left to his widow Mei and his youngest son Ni Shan, and the rest of the family property will be inherited by his eldest son Ni Qi.He also asked Ni Yiwu to attribute the scroll to his stepmother, mother and son.After explaining the funeral, he swallowed his breath.
Looking at the date on the case file, Mr. Di knew that Ni Qi was forty-three, Mei was thirty-one, and Ni Shan was twelve.
According to the case file, Ni Shouqian was buried the first day, and Ni Qi expelled his stepmother and younger brother from the house the next day, claiming that the late father's last words clearly implied that Ni Shan was not his own, so it was only natural to throw her mother and child out of the house.
The Mei family refused to accept it, and sued Ni Qi to the Yamen with a big complaint, and denied the will, demanding that the two sons divide the deceased husband's property equally according to the old regulations.Soon, Qian Nian usurped the power of Lanfang and was banned, so the case was delayed.
Di Gongfu rolled up the case file and pondered in his heart. At first glance, Mei seems to be in the wrong.In Ni Shouqian's last words, only one scroll of Mei was left; the age difference between the two of them is too great, and Mei is not his first wife.Judging from these two items, Mrs. Mei may indeed have had an affair and committed some unlucky deeds, but Ni Shouqian is a great man in the world, pure and noble, and eminently respected, but he uses this unusual method to tell the world that Ni Shan is not his flesh and blood. This is really a strange thing .If he really finds out that his young wife is unfaithful, he should quietly divorce her and send her to the end of the world, never to see her again.By doing so, his own reputation can be preserved, and the walls of the Ni family's gate can also be saved from being humiliated.That being the case, why did he present it with a scroll?Make trouble!Make trouble!
It is another strange thing that Ni Shouqian did not leave a suicide note before his death.Oral last words almost all lead to cooking beans burning Osmanthus, fighting in the same room, he will be an official for the rest of his life, how can he not know this truth?
Judging from several aspects of the situation, this case is not without doubts, and it is worthy of careful investigation.Perhaps, with the investigation of this case, the secret of Ni Shouqian's sudden resignation will be easily solved.
Mr. Di went through the briefcase carefully again, but he did not find any documents related to the case, nor did he find any evidence of Qian Mou's crime.
Mr. Di put the official file back into the box, sat in front of the case and pondered for a long time, intending to come up with a good plan to cut off Qian Mou, but for some reason, the shadow of Ni Shouqian always appeared in front of his eyes, and the unusual bequest made him trance , restless.
The candle went out with a loud pop.Duke Di sighed, lit another one, held it in his hand and walked back to the inner house.
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