Chapter 3 third chapter

Meng Shuzhai's house is located in a narrow alley inside the east gate.With great difficulty, the official sedan chair was carried to the downstairs of a tall, green glazed tile door with heavy eaves.The yamen servants drove away the crowd of onlookers, and the high sedan chair swayed and carried it into the mottled black-painted gate. County Magistrate Luo and Mr. Di got off the bridge, and saw that the front yard of the house was really spacious and simple, with two towering yew trees covering half of the yard in shade.The cool breeze is blowing, very cool.A bluestone road between two yew trees leads to an antique Zhuzhu hall.Meng Shuzhai, fully dressed, hurried out of the hall and stepped down to greet him.

The head of Meng Shuzhai saluted and said in a low voice: "There has been a serious murder case in our house. The big laborers came in person, and the little people were late to welcome you. Please also invite Master Luo and the county officials to have tea in the hall first, so that we can have a drink." "Treasurer Meng doesn't need such complicated etiquette. As the parents of the people in this county, he is actually serving the people. How dare he be negligent and miss a big deal after such a life? At this moment, the shopkeeper guides him to Song Xiucai's house in the backyard. Oh. , this is my friend Di Renjie, the magistrate Zhengtang of Puyang County."

Meng Shuzhai led the two masters, Luo and Di, through the Moon Cave Gate into a large garden, and walked along a row of bungalows with red-painted window lattices.The Huamuzhenguo all the way is really eye-catching.The inspector and arrester followed behind, and the iron chains hanging around their waists rattled.The maid in the inner house hurried in.At this time, Di Gong found a young and beautiful woman staring at them through the window lattice. Meng Shuzhai said: "Master Luo, Master Di, and Song Xiucai live in the deepest part of the backyard. When the accident happened in the middle of the night, we didn't hear any shouts or cries for help..."

"Middle of the night yesterday? Then why didn't you report the crime until noon today?" Luo Yingyuan became suspicious. "Going back to the master, we only found out that he was dead at noon today. ——Song Xiucai always went to the street for breakfast in the morning, and he made the morning tea himself. The lunch and dinner were delivered by my maid. The maid today When I was delivering lunch at noon, I found that he didn't open the door, so I yelled at the door several times, but there was no sound. I was worried that I was sick, so I hurriedly called for the housekeeper to open the door, but..."

"That's right." Magistrate Luo nodded. The yamen servant guarding the room saw that the master had come, so he hurriedly opened the door. "My lord, you can see how this room has been ransacked by murderers! It was my mother's favorite place when she was alive. It was quiet and elegant. Her old man usually sat in front of this window to read and write. But now, look at the sandalwood The wooden desk is in a mess, and the drawers are all pulled out..." Notes, letters, letterheads, and name badges were scattered all over the ground beside the sandalwood desk, and a purple cow leather money box was thrown on the ground, which was already empty.

County magistrate Luo couldn't help saying. "Master Meng, I can see that Master Lingtang is very fond of poetry." In the room, a row of bookshelves against the wall is stacked with letters in blue covers.There are many silk labels inserted between the volumes.Luo Yingyuan took down the next volume and was about to read it, but after a second thought, he went back to the original place and asked, "I think behind this curtain is Song Xiucai's bedroom?" Shopkeeper Meng nodded. Luo Yingyuan reached out and pulled the door curtain aside.Seeing that this bedroom is larger than the study room, there is a big bed against the wall, and the quilt on the bed is opened in a mess.The candles on the bedside had been lit, and a suitcase under the bed was pulled out of the bed, with the lid open, revealing a pile of messy clothes.A new bamboo flute hangs on the wall.In the back wall was a solid door with a long, thick latch standing behind it.

When Wu Zuo saw the master coming in, he hurriedly stood up and stood aside. Song Xiucai's body was lying on the ground. "Di Gong saw that Song Xiucai was a young man with broad bones but thin and thin. He had a short mustache on his handsome face. His bun was loose, and his hair was stuck in a pool of dried blood on the ground. A top A bloody black hat fell off his head. He wore plain white linen underwear and soft felt slippers with drying marks on the sole. The fatal wound was a large gash under the right ear. Wu Zuo bowed deeply to County Magistrate Luo, and said: "My lord, the big bloody gash under the right ear was pierced with a machete or a large kitchen knife. Judging from the condition of the dead body, it was killed The time should be around midnight."

County Magistrate Luo suddenly asked: "Meng shopkeeper, I heard you also said that the deceased was killed in the middle of the night, what is your basis?" Meng Shuzhai replied in a low voice: "Although this Song Xiucai took off his robe, he has not yet gone to bed. We know that he sleeps very late, and sometimes his window is still lit at midnight. The killer attacked him when he was going to bed." Magistrate Luo nodded and asked again: "Then do you know how the murderer got into this house?" Meng Shuzhai sighed, and then replied: "The maids told me that when they deliver meals, they often see scholars sitting alone on the head of the bed and meditating. Don’t worry about money and things. He must have forgotten to lock the door last night, and at the same time he also forgot to lock the door of the garden in the backyard, which caused such an accident. You might as well go to the garden to have a look.”

Luo county magistrate and his party followed Meng Shuzhai out of the back door of the garden, and saw a secluded alley. "My lord, there are often tramps, beggars, and thieves haunting this alley in the middle of the night. I reminded the scholar several times not to forget to lock the door when entering and leaving the garden. He didn't mind these things. When he was found dead today , the back door of the bedroom was just ajar, and the garden door was closed but not bolted. This is not difficult to explain. A gangster passing the alley found the garden door ajar and slipped in. When he stung into the hut, he thought that the people in the house had gone to bed early, so he boldly broke into the bedroom, bumped into Song Xiucai, and then resorted to violence. Xiucai was no match for the gangster, and he was killed with a knife. Then the gangster He searched for money, and when he found the money, he ran away."

"Is there a lot of money in Xiucai's money box on weekdays?" County Magistrate Luo asked carefully. "Master, this little man doesn't know. He has reserved one month's rent, at least half a month's food and clothing, and money to return to the capital: maybe there are jewelry and other items in the suitcase." "Master, we will soon catch the murderer." The arrester said, "The gangster made a lot of money and always spent it lavishly. We can go to restaurants, casinos, and brothels to put eyeballs on. Don't worry if the murderer doesn't come."

"That's a good idea. You should send people to do things. You might as well go to the pawn shop and the gold market to find out what's going on. Now you take the dead body to the street." Luo County Magistrate turned to Meng Shuzhai again: "You Do you know who Song Yiwen has relatives and friends in Jinhua?" "Master Song, this Song Xiucai has no relatives or friends in Jinhua. In the past half a month, I have never seen anyone come to visit him, and I have never heard him talk about visiting someone—he just goes to the county school to read books every day." "Shopkeeper Meng, since Song Yiwen has no relatives or friends in Jinhua, how did he know that you want to rent out your backyard?" County Magistrate Luo asked again. "Back to Master, I happened to be there when Song Xiucai went to the yamen to find Mr. Gao to register half a month ago. Mr. Gao knew that I wanted to rent out the backyard, so he acted as a clerk in the middle. Who would have thought that Song Xiucai saw my backyard Duan liked it very much, and said that he would extend the lease if necessary. This scholar is very quiet." County magistrate Luo said: "Meng shopkeeper, I don't want to disturb you any more today. We will investigate the case as soon as possible and arrest the murderer. As soon as there is news, I will send someone to inform you." After Meng Shuzhai left.County magistrate Luo couldn't help sighing. "Brother Dinian, do you think this is my bad luck? I was planning a gathering of poets, but I was spoiled by this scholar's case. Now I have to entertain my guests. Oh, Brother Nian, I don’t know if you can see it, although the murderer is very cunning, but after all he showed his flaws, why did the scholar’s ​​hat fall on his head?”

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