Chapter 22 Chapter Four

Di Gong took a horse from the Yamen, turned on the saddle, and galloped southward.The road was full of people returning to the city, and no one paid attention to him. About four or five miles of the official road ran along the canal, and there were still three, three, five five men and women sitting by the embankment.After bypassing a small hill, there are deep forests on all sides. After driving out of the forest to Pingchuan, you can see the lanterns at the entrance of Baiyuqiao Town.After crossing the high white jade arch bridge (from which the town below got its name), Di Gong saw the canal lined with sails and sparkling water, which is the confluence of Zhenhe and the canal.

The shop across the bridge was brightly lit, and a large group of people gathered around the shop, and the business was booming.Mr. Di got off his horse, pulled the bridle and led the horse to a blacksmith's shop. The blacksmith was idle, so he gave him a few copper coins and asked him to watch over the horse and feed it some fodder.Di Gong was secretly proud, the blacksmith did not recognize him as the Governor of Honzhou. Duke Dee strolled along the city street, wondering where to get information.Suddenly he saw a small temple under a weeping willow on the river bank.The doors, walls, beams and pillars were all painted red, the incense sticks were filled with incense, and a steady stream of faithful men and women threw a few pennies into the collection box.When Di Gong walked into the temple, he couldn't help but looked into the hall curiously. An old Miao Zhu in ragged sleeves was filling a hanging oil lamp.On the altar is a life-size empress, sitting cross-legged on a lotus throne in a colorful embroidered skirt, with a pair of half-closed eyes looking at him, slightly curled lips, flashing a faint smile.

Di Gong is a firm orthodox Confucian, and he has always hated this kind of vulgar sacrifice.Today's charming smile made him feel even more uneasy.He frowned and stepped down the stone steps outside the mansion, and continued to walk forward.After a while, he saw a hairdressing shop with the door facing the river bank.He went in and sat on a bench to wait.Looking up, he suddenly saw a slim and graceful woman walking towards the shop. She was wearing a black satin dress, and the lower half of her face was covered with a purple silk scarf.This woman is not a kiln girl with a bright eye, her clothes are elegant and her manner is graceful, she looks like a noble lady in the government.When she approached the door of the beard shop, she stopped, slowly took off the purple silk scarf, and looked closely at Di Gong.Di Gong was very suspicious. A single woman was wandering around the downtown area without accompaniment at this moment. Could there be any conspicuous activities going on?The clerk in the shop came to take care of him with a smile on his face, and Mr. Di had no choice but to calm down and let the clerk do what he wanted.

"Where is Mr. Your Majesty from?" the man asked while combing Mr. Di's beard. "I'm a boxer from a foreign country, and I'm about to go to Beijing to visit relatives." Di Gong replied. He knows that boxers are generally chivalrous and rescue people in need, so they are most respected and trusted by others. "Your business is booming tonight, so many people come to watch the dragon boat race." Di Gong asked. "Ms. Xianggong's words are wrong. To tell you the truth, there is a good place to go tonight. You don't see the hotel in front of you. Before the boat race, Mr. Bian and He Xianggong set up drinks and invited all the oars to a banquet. You can sit at the table and eat and drink happily without spending a penny, but who would come here to spend a few pennies to comb their beard and hair?"

Digong nodded.Out of the corner of his eye, he stole another glance at the woman standing at the door of the shop, who was waiting patiently for him leaning on the fence!Di Gong wondered if she was really a kiln sister, who just waited for me to go out and then came to help her make a living.He changed his mind and asked the guy again: "I saw that there were only four guys in the hotel. There were so many oarsmen eating and drinking, how could the food and drink be arranged properly, but they were not messed up. I heard that there were nine boats in total." "No, they are not busy. Look at the table at the back of the store. They put six big wine jars on the table. Tonight, these six big wine jars are full of yellow soup. It's up to you Scoop, make sure to pour it to your heart's content. There are mountains of dishes and dishes piled up on the tables on both sides. You can pick them at will, and you won't receive a penny. They are so big that they can't get enough of their stomachs, and they are so jealous. They are busy up and down, so busy that they can't get to their feet, stealing a little leisure time and flirting with this and that... Well, do you want to wash your hair?"

Duke shook his head. The man said to himself again: "I bet a curse, the people there will drink until midnight and stagger drunk before they are willing to enjoy themselves. Oh, I heard that something happened during the boat race, and a young man playing drums stretched his neck and stretched his feet. , everyone is happy, the white lady has been enshrined, and this autumn will have a good year!" "You also believe in Lady Bai?" "I don't believe it. I didn't rely on water in my life, and I don't rely on mountains in my life. I can look at it from the sidelines. Although I don't go to her temple to burn incense, I dare not go near the mandala forest over there." He said. Pointing in the direction with the scissors in his hand, he said: "That forest belongs to Lady Bai, how can I go in, even if I get closer and look directly at it, I feel scared—"

"Come on, come on, be careful with the scissors! I almost poked my face, how much should I pay?" Mr. Di paid the money, thanked him, put on his hat, and left the shop. Sure enough, the woman came to meet him, and said softly: "Guan, the little lady is being abrupt, and I have something to say to you." Di Gong stopped in his tracks and glanced at her quickly; Nai said in a low voice, "It's convenient for you, but it's okay to talk." Mr. Di guessed rightly, the woman had a reserved demeanor and a docile speech, just like the wife of a government official.

"Sometimes I heard that you are a boxer, so I dared to stand in the way, but there is one thing that bothers me. I don't know whether to follow or not?" Di Gong was very curious, wondering what was going on with this woman, and said deliberately: "I am a person who comes and goes between rivers and lakes, and my eyes and pupils can only recognize money." "Follow me!" She walked to the willow tree by the river and moved a rough stone bench to sit down, and Di Gong leaned over and sat opposite.The woman was very beautiful, about twenty-five years old, with an apricot face, no makeup, and a faint blush that made her delicate and smooth cheeks extraordinarily glamorous.She sized up Duke Di with her big, sparkling eyes for a while, and then said, "You don't need to take any risks for tonight's matter, I want to meet with someone to discuss an important matter, in a building next to the mandala grove. It takes about half an hour to walk from here to an unoccupied house. When we agreed on this matter that day, I forgot that tonight is a day for dragon boat races. Scoundrels, idlers, troublemakers, and hooligans will come and go here and there. I want You accompany me to that house, and protect me from cannibalism. You just need to take me to the gatehouse of that house." She said

Di Gong thought that she should spit out the details, so he stood up abruptly on purpose, and said coldly: "That's not what I said. Why don't I want this reward, but how can I, an indomitable boxer, help me succeed? Stealing a secret agreement to corrupt human relations?" "How dare you talk nonsense!" the woman yelled angrily. "What dark thing do I want you to do? It's all fair and square." "If you want me to contribute, you must first clarify the topic that is upright." Di Gong pressed hard. "Sit down, time is short, I naturally have to convince you first. Your career has convinced me of your loyalty and integrity. Let me tell you the truth, I am entrusted by someone to buy A rare treasure, the price has been agreed, but the situation is different, the seller swears that I will not leak half of the news, because there are others who want to get this treasure. I can't bear it. He's waiting for me now in that house, which has been unoccupied for many years, and it's a safe place to do business like this."

Di Gong looked at her long sleeves hanging down, and asked again: "So, you have already carried this huge sum of money with you?" The woman took out a square paper bag from her long sleeve and silently handed it to Duke Di.Seeing no one around, Duke Di pushed aside the corner of the paper to look in, and gasped involuntarily—ten heavy gold ingots were neatly bundled into one place in the paper bag.He returned the square paper bag to the woman and asked, "Don't dare to ask the little lady's name?" "Don't talk nonsense! I trust you so much, but you are so stupid." She annoyed calmly, and put the square paper bag into the drawer again.He took out the silver cake again and said: "This business is not deceiving each other, I hope you will trust me anyway."

Duke Di nodded and took the silver cake. Mr. Di talked with the clerk in the beard shop, and he understood that it was hopeless to search for clues about Dong Mei being poisoned here. There was a lot of noise in the hotel when the oarsmen were entertained, and anyone might throw themselves into Dong Mei's food and drink. poison.At this moment, he might as well pay attention to see what this woman is going to do. When they passed through the store, Di Gong said: "Little lady, take a break and wait for me to buy a lantern." The woman became impatient: "I know that place well, but the lanterns and candles are really eye-catching." "But I have to go back alone!" Di Gong said lightly. He stopped in front of a grocery store, touched a few copper coins and bought a lantern. When they continued to walk, Di Gong couldn't help asking: "How did the person whom I don't know that the little lady is going to meet come out?" "He usually lives in that house. If you feel scared, he can send me back to Baiyuqiao Town." The two walked forward in silence.As soon as he crossed the dark path leading to the woods, he saw a group of swingers playing and flirting with three prostitutes in front of him.They talked about Di Gong and the woman with obscene words, but they didn't dare to go forward to provoke him because they were afraid of Di Gong's tall and mighty body.Di Gong walked away with his head held high, not to mention paying attention. After walking a long distance, the woman suddenly forked into a narrow path, which was leading to the dense and dark mandala forest.At this moment they met two rascals wandering among the trees, and as they approached each other, Dee folded his sleeves, walked steadily, and assumed a boxer's fighting posture warily.The two rascals wanted to take care of the matter, but seeing this situation, they also understood a little bit, so they spat angrily and walked away. Di Gong thought to himself: This road is really difficult. That woman has a discerning eye and knows heroes, so she paid my piece of silver cake in vain.Can she get in and out of the woods by herself? The path is winding, the denser the forest, the taller the tree.The ground is covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, occasionally mottled and sprinkled with a few desolate moonlight.The hustle and bustle of the store has long been lost, only the wailing of night birds occasionally breaks the chilling silence. The woman turned around, pointed to a tall and towering pine tree and said, "Remember this pine tree. When you go back, turn left from here, and you will come out of this forest if you keep going left." She walked into a path overgrown with weeds.She is very familiar with everything here.Di Gong hurriedly followed, but felt staggering, and nearly tripped over the bumpy road several times. He stopped to take a breath, and asked in amazement: "Little lady, why is this place so desolate?" "This is the mandala grove of the white lady. It is a very sacred place. The white lady often shows up. Didn't you listen to the guy in the shop? Are the officials timid?" "Don't worry, little lady, although I am a little timid, I am not a coward after all." "Okay! That's it. Don't make a sound!" She stopped. Di Gong saw a tall and dilapidated gatehouse under the dim moonlight. The high walls on both sides of the gatehouse were winding, hidden in the dark forest.The woman walked up the bluestone steps, pushed open two wooden doors that had been eroded by wind and rain and was almost decayed, turned around and said softly, "Please be safe, officials," and then entered the house.Duke Di turned around and walked back. When Di Gong walked back to the tall ancient pine tree, he couldn't help but stop. After a little thought, he put the lantern on the ground, tucked the skirt of his robe into his belt, rolled up his sleeves, picked up the lantern, turned around and walked towards the gate again. go. He wanted to see for himself the place where the two mysterious persons met, to occupy a vantage point from which to spy on them.If it was really a pure transaction, he would leave here immediately. If there was any doubt, he would reveal his identity and ask what was going on on the spot. Duke Di gently pushed open the two doors and walked into the gatehouse. Inside the gatehouse was an empty front yard surrounded by darkness and no one was there.If you look closely, you can see a light flickering slightly in the corner not far ahead.Duke Dee hurried down a dark passage toward the flickering lights. Walking out of the aisle is a large desolate courtyard, where weeds are overgrown and rotting spells are scattered.In the middle of the hall is a dimly lit hall with a hazy outline of high cornices under the dim moonlight.Suddenly he heard a vague sound coming from the round hole on the right, so he hurried out of the round hole and listened carefully.The sound came from a pavilion with a four-foot-high platform. Inside the pavilion, there were candles flickering, and outside the pavilion was a small garden surrounded by four walls.In the small garden, there are luxuriant grasses and the sound of insects, and a row of ancient willows and tall pagoda trees are planted along the wall.The panes on the four sides of the pavilion and the tiles on the roof eaves have been recently repaired, while other parts are very dilapidated.The two vermilion lattice doors at the main entrance are tightly closed. Duke Di inspected the situation, and saw that the round wall on the left side of the pavilion was only four feet high, and the towering trees outside the wall were lush and lush.He picked a bump on the wall and climbed up the garden wall, boldly climbing towards the pavilion.When he climbed close to the pavilion and was about to bend down and peep through the pane, the moon was covered by dark clouds, and the surroundings were pitch black.He heard the woman say, "I know why you're here before I tell you..." Then there was a curse, and then the sound of a scuffle.The woman yelled: "Let go of your hands!" Suddenly, the wall under Di Gong shook, and he quickly grabbed a tree branch outside the wall, trying his best to stabilize his body.More than a dozen bricks collapsed and fell onto the pile of rubble under the wall.Di Gong was sweating profusely and was in panic when he suddenly heard the woman in the pavilion yelling sadly, and then heard the door being opened and the sound of hurried footsteps. Duke Di jumped down the wall in a hurry and shouted: "Hugh has to run away!" But to no avail, the sound of branches snapping in the distance was faintly heard, and a black shadow flew into the woods.Mr. Di was about to chase him, but he had long since disappeared. The door of the pavilion was half open, and the candlelight flickered in the pavilion, and the woman lay down on the ground. In desperation, Di Gong climbed up the steps of the pavilion, and couldn't help but staggered a few steps at the door.The woman was lying on her back, a dagger pierced her left chest, and the hilt was exposed.Di Gong groaned in his heart, hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down beside her, and carefully looked at her calm and pale face - she was already dead. Duke Di angrily said to himself: "She paid me to protect her, but she was killed right under my nose!" She had obviously tried to defend herself. In her right hand, she was holding a thin-bladed knife tightly. There was still blood on the knife, and the blood dripped in a line from the ground to the door. Di Gong reached out and touched her sleeve, but the paper bag containing the gold ingots was gone.There are only two crocodile sweat towels and a receipt, which says that Mrs. Amber of the Kefu has paid a hundred times. Di Gong was very suspicious.He had heard that Ke Yuanliang's wife had been suffering from an incurable disease for many years, so Ke Yuanliang took another concubine named Hu Po.Amber is young and beautiful, so the deceased must be her.Ke Yuanliang, a fool, actually asked his concubine to come here alone to buy some priceless antiques for him, but he didn't know that it was a trap to snatch gold ingots. Di Gong sighed, stood up and looked at the pavilion carefully.There is almost no furniture in the pavilion except a chair and a bamboo couch, and there is no place to store things.The interior walls and ceiling had been recently repaired, the window panes were fitted with iron bars, and the door was hung with an iron lock as large as an arm.He shook his head, frowned, thought for a while, lit a lantern with a candle, went out of the small garden, passed through the round door, turned to the courtyard and went straight into the hall. The hall was empty, dark and damp.A dusty plaque hangs high on the back wall of the hall. On the plaque are three lacquered characters: "Emerald Villa", signed by Dong Yiguan.A few bold bats flew around Duke Di's head, and several mice ran back and forth on the ground. The hall was eerie like a tomb, and the outside of the hall was cold and lonely. Duke Di returned to the pavilion, knelt down and carefully pulled out the dagger from the woman's chest.The dagger pierced her heart all the way, and the black satin dress was soaked in blood.He took out the thin-edged knife from the woman's hand, and wrapped them together with a kerchief.Finally, he took a closer look at the scene of the pavilion before turning around and going down the steps. At this moment, the moon came out of the dark clouds again, and Duke Di turned his head and looked worriedly at the dark mandala grove. The ghostly and ferocious big tree was even more chilling and creepy at night.Suddenly, Duke Dee found someone sneaking along the low garden wall, and he could vaguely see the man's disheveled hair.The man obviously didn't notice Di Gong, and he walked slowly and calmly.Duke Di felt an inexplicable terror, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.He quickly squatted down, gently leaned against the low wall, grabbed the top of the wall and turned over forcefully.Outside the wall is a small ditch full of weeds. The top of the wall is six or seven feet high, and there is no one outside the wall. Duke Dee held his breath and fixed his eyes on the terrifying man.Suddenly Dee let out a sigh of relief. It turned out that the moonlight had played tricks on him—it was just a tortoise dragging a bunch of tangled weeds. "It turns out that you, the elf, are playing tricks on me!" Duke Di grabbed the tortoise and tore off the bundle of weeds from its back.He took out a handkerchief from the sleeve and wrapped it around it, and tied the four corners into the sleeve.Then climb over the wall and jump back into the garden. Mr. Di left the gate of the Emerald Villa, but fortunately he had a lantern in his hand, so he easily returned to Baiyuqiao Town by the same route. The Baiyuqiao town market is still full of festive and joyful scenes, with brilliant lights and crowds like crucian carp.Di Gong found Li Jia of Baiyuqiao Township Office, disclosed his identity, and ordered Li Jia to appoint a regiment to the Emerald Villa to collect the woman's body and transport it to the city yamen, and arranged twelve regiments to guard the Emerald Villa until dawn.Then he took his mount from the blacksmith, put the two swords in his sleeves and the turtle into the saddle bag, and rode back to the city with a whip.