Chapter 34 Chapter Sixteen

In the evening when the lanterns were lit, Duke Di's official sedan chair arrived at the front hall of the Ke Mansion.Six red lanterns were hung on the painted beams and carved buildings in the front hall, and two large gold characters of "Kefu" were pasted on each lantern. When Ke Yuanliang saw the official sedan chair arrived at the mansion, he hurried forward with the butler to greet him. The red light of the lantern illuminated his thin and tired sad face. —He has been waiting in the lobby for a long time.Di Gong and Hong Liang got out of the sedan chair one after another, Ke Yuanliang hurriedly bowed to salute, respectfully asking Di Gong to be safe.Mr. Di smiled and nodded, and said to him kindly: "Mr. Ke, I was a few steps late because of some urgent matters in the yamen. I have to wait for a long time, but I hope you forgive me. Mr. Guo and Dr. Bian must have arrived at the house. "

"Yes, master, everyone is worried. I'm afraid the master will encounter a heavy rain on the road. Look at this day, the sky is incomplete, the thunder is thundering, and the dark clouds are like pressing on the top of the head. Come, master, this way." Ke Yuanliang led the way with a lamp, and bypassed several corridors, pavilions, flower borders and rockeries. All the way around, the lights were brilliantly lit, shining like daylight. After passing through a small hall, he came to an elegant and quiet pavilion. It was Ke Yuanliang's study. Two rows of gauze lamps have already been lined up outside the hall, and servants in casual clothes with horn scarves stand beside them.

When Di Gong and his party came up to the pavilion, they saw that it was the same as when they came last night, except that three pairs of big red candles were added against the back wall, illuminating the study room brightly.On the left side of the entrance stands the big antique cabinet, inside which are scattered and neatly displayed many antique porcelains, emerald plates, agate cups, and glass jars imported from the West.A row of large bookshelves are placed under the wall on the right, and many letters and picture scrolls are piled up on the bookshelves.The floor was covered with thick Persian rugs.In the middle is a square table of ebony wood with the Eight Immortals, surrounded by four chairs. ——Guo Ming and Bian Jia were sitting anxiously by a coffee table in the corner of the study, and there was a window on the wall to the right of the coffee table.

When Guo Ming and Bian Jia saw Di Gong enter the study, they rushed forward to bow and bow, saying that they were not welcome.Seeing the two of them haggard, sleepy, bored and restless, Duke Di couldn't help but feel secretly happy. ——First, he made them tired, second, he made them suspicious, and third, he made them fearful, and then he acted when he saw the opportunity. Di Gong said with a smile on his face, "It's really rare for you gentlemen to come to the party in vain. As a parent of the common people, Di feels deeply that he is involved in official duties and cannot drink tea and gossip with you. Tonight is a good opportunity. Just be open and honest. Don't be restrained, chatting all night, passing the long night, breaking the silence. Heh, Dr. Bian, I am relieved to see that you are safe and sound. Seeing that you are still leaning on a bamboo stick, you must be careful in the future, and don't act too much. He turned his face and asked Ke Yuanliang again, saying: "Tonight Yali Hong joins the army to serve tea, you can ask the butler to step down."

Ke Yuanliang waved his hand and told the butler to go downstairs. Di Gong took a sip of tea and said with a hearty smile: "This is really high-grade tea. Could it be Tieguanyin in Wuyi Mountain? After all, he was a guest at Mr. Ke's house, and his reputation is well-deserved! Just look at this study and you will know that the owner is an elegant, simple, good-natured man. An indifferent Confucian gentleman." Di Gong was chatting and laughing happily, and his appearance was intimidating. Ke, Bian, and Guo were a little more relaxed, and they didn't feel very restrained.Bian Jia boldly asked: "Master Di, has that thug ever been caught?"

"No, not yet. Don't worry, Doctor Bian, the yamen guards have already split up to hunt him down, and I'm afraid that this thug won't be able to fly away with his wings." Bian Jia felt guilty: "I really shouldn't add new troubles to the master at this moment, that terrible murder..." He stopped talking, took a quick look at Ke Yuanliang, and then murmured: "Master, it's been a long time since I thought about official business. busy." "What Dr. Bian said is true. To be honest, gentlemen, I am in a state of desperation and besieged on all sides. This is why I invite you to come here tonight for a meeting. I only hope that I can come up with a plan or two to help me get rid of this situation." Difficulties."

Di Gong turned to Ke Yuanliang and said, "Mr. Ke won't take issue with me just because I borrowed this study in your house on your sad day, right? You are the victim of the murder case, and you lost your beloved concubine, Amber. Mr. Ke, Dr. Bian They are all famous and gentry in Puyang, can you see me frowning every day without thinking of helping? Mr. Guo is certainly not from this state, but you come to Puyang frequently to do business. You advise me together. Now the Holy Majesty listens to the faithful advice and follows the good advice. As a governor, I should ask all the sages about the criminal name in the Yamen and wait for good advice. I might as well tell you the truth, four consecutive homicides occurred in this state in two days There is no progress in the investigation of the case. The officer is still standing against the wall, unable to move. Now I just want to hear the opinions of the gentlemen, so that the officer has a way to go and a plan to follow. I only hope that the case will have a clue. I also deeply I know very well that this matter cannot be done without ten days and a half months. But it’s okay, it’s a matter of human life, so how can I be impatient.”

Guo Ming raised his well-trimmed thin eyebrows, and asked: "Master Di, does it mean that I should stay in Puyang for a few more days to help you come up with good ideas?" "Mr. Guo, this is not necessarily the case. Some very difficult cases have been unexpectedly resolved due to a wonderful turning point, like a broken bamboo. These cases may also be solved with the help of all of you. Soon the truth will be revealed, and the truth will come to light.” Hong Canjun served four glazed porcelain pots, which contained delicious and refreshing iced pear slices. Di Gong said: "Come, come, try a few slices of pears, it's refreshing." Then, he told a funny joke, and the audience couldn't help laughing after hearing it.The air in the study was relaxed and slow, everyone ate and chatted casually, and finished eating in their respective porcelain basins in a short while.

Hong Canjun cleared away the glazed porcelain basin, and poured a new cup of tea for everyone. Duke Di suddenly stood up and said solemnly: "Gentlemen, let's discuss serious matters again!" As he spoke, he walked to the ebony wood Eight Immortals table in the middle of the study, pulled out the armchair and sat down - his left head faced the window, and his right head faced the door of the study. Hong Canjun understood, stepped forward and arranged the other three chairs of the Eight Immortals Table in a horizontal row opposite Di Gong, and motioned for Ke Yuanliang to sit down.Bian Jia took a seat in the middle, so that he and Di Gong were face to face.Guo Ming sat on the right, and Ke Yuanliang sat on the left.Hong Canjun retreated to the coffee table in the corner and sat down on a bamboo chair.

Di Gong moved a large silver candlestick on the table of the Eight Immortals to the corner on his left, and said, "Hong Liang, it's so sultry and hot, you can blow out all three pairs of candles in a row along the wall. Recently my eyes have been dazzled , I am most afraid that the candle is too bright. You see my eyes are crying again, where is my handkerchief..." Mr. Di reached into his sleeve and took out a big envelope, and suddenly shouted: "God, I almost forgot this letter! This is just sent to the Yali by Shijian, and it is signed 'Urgent' and 'Top Secret' '! Oh, let me read this letter first, gentlemen, wait patiently for a moment."

Duke Dee tore off the wax seal, and pulled out a neatly folded letter paper, on which was densely written a page of tiny characters.Duke Di murmured unknowingly as he watched: "Someone reported that one of his nieces was working as a maid in a certain family's house, and was abducted by a young man with a scar on her face one day, yes, yes... yes, poor If that girl was banned from taking drugs by that guy—" After a pause for a while, Mr. Di narrowed his eyes and continued: "The man said that his niece had peeked at the gangster's face, ah, the scar was gone, and there was a new person! My God! It was... Oh, she recognized the gangster. He said that he had hesitated for a long time to write this letter, hesitating and putting it off, and could not make up his mind. After thinking about it for a few days, he decided to report to the official Mr. Di. That person is... Alas, how did you write the gangster's name?" Duke Di brought the letter paper close to his eyes, looked at it for a while, then shook his head and said: "I can't see clearly, alas, I have never seen such scrawled handwriting, it is small and messy, densely packed together, like fly droppings. " He squinted at Ke Yuanliang: "Mr. Ke, can you read the following for me? My old eyes are blind, and it doesn't work." Ke Yuanliang was in a daze, not knowing what to do. Just as Mr. Di was about to hand the letter to Ke Yuanliang, he suddenly withdrew his hand, smiled apologetically, and said, "No, no, how can I pass the secret letter that has been reported to the government without authorization?" Let outsiders see and ask?What if there is a mistake?Let's keep it back in Yali and take a closer look at it by yourself! " Di Gong folded the letter and put it back into his sleeve, and took a peek at the three people across the Eight Immortals table.In the light of the candles, their faces elongated and looked very nervous, and the ease and joy just now were swept away. Di Gong raised his eyes and looked around the study calmly. Except for a candlestick at the corner of the table on his left, the rest of the study was dark.The smell of the three pairs of large candles that had just been extinguished filled the room. The door of the room was ajar, and the doorway was very dark, only the oil lamp in the corridor was faintly lit.Duke Di stared blankly at the half-open door, feeling in a trance.The three people across the table were confused by Di Gong's inexplicable words just now, as if they were in a fog. Di Gong said again: "From the evidence of the case, the murderer must be an extremely sinister and cunning person. He..." Duke Di suddenly stopped talking, and quickly glanced to the right.The door was slightly pushed, and a cold wind blew in. Ke Yuanliang began to hesitate in the armchair, twisting his body back and forth, left and right.Bian Jia bit her lips and stared blankly at Di Gong.Guo Ming, on the other hand, was stiff and serious, not showing the slightest bit of embarrassment. Di Gong continued: "His character can be roughly guessed. He must be indulging in female sex, exhausted, mentally exhausted, emotionally disturbed, and confused. A murderer who was beheaded said in his confession that every time he closed his eyes Seeing all the ghosts chasing after them naked with angry eyes, screaming for grievances, the wind is bleak, and I am not afraid of people..." After this, Mr. Di saw clearly that something in the darkness was gradually moving towards the corner between the door and the antique door, and the door had been gently closed.Someone must have slipped into the study!Di Gong couldn't help throbbing in his heart, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. ——Could there really be a fourth person? "I personally interrogated the murderer. He said that every time he fell asleep, he felt that someone strangled his neck, chopped off his limbs, picked his internal organs, crushed him into powder, and pushed him into a frying pan. One hundred and forty knives, one cut at a time. I often wake up sweating and terrified." Bian Jia couldn't help blurting out: "Is there such a terrible dream? I have heard people say that it is a dream when people wake up, and it is reality if they don't wake up. In the past, Zhuangzi dreamed that he was a butterfly—" Di Gongdao: "The man really strangled himself to death afterwards. - Are you insane or what? I think it's fear and remorse. It shows that people can't do injustice, let alone have the intention to kill. There is clearly a criminal law. There are ghosts and gods in the shadows, is it just a talk in the book?" There was a flash of thunder in the sky. Suddenly, Hong Canjun yelled in surprise: "Master, the door seems to be pushed, do you want me to go out and have a look? Could it be that someone is eavesdropping?" Said that he hurried to the Eight Immortals table behind Bian Jia. For a while Di Gong didn't know what to do.Due to a special reason, he could not tell Hong Canjun in advance that the net he cast today was intentionally waiting for the fourth fish to swim in.Obviously what Hong Canjun saw was the infiltrator leaving, but he mistakenly thought that someone had just slipped into the study.Di Gong shouted loudly: "Hong Liang, you are talking nonsense! Could it be that you are blind and suspicious. You go back to the tea table and sit down, don't interrupt!" Hong Canjun was overwhelmed by Di Gong and did not dare to defend himself. Although he was full of doubts, he had no choice but to go back to the coffee table and sit down. There was an eerie silence. Di Gong suddenly felt that there was a slippery silk rustle mixed with the rustling of his bright robes. ——The infiltrator obviously didn't walk out of the study, but approached behind him.Di Gong quickly glanced at the eyes of the three people across the table, but there was no panic or surprise.The candlelight was so weak that the three of them couldn't see anything but Duke Di's face. Di Gong tried his best to calm himself down, pretended to be nonchalant, and continued: "Today I heard an even more shocking news. The devil not only hired the scholar Xia Guang to abduct a woman for him, but also hired another person to plan for him. An even more terrible crime. Xia Guang is a guy who talks a lot when he is greedy for a drink. A scoundrel often drinks yellow soup with Xia Guang. When the wine is hot, he leaks the news. The man is a well-dressed gentleman. Broker, who runs a shop and works as the shopkeeper himself..." The whispering sound behind Di Gong's body became clearer, he could already feel the light breathing of the person behind him, and he couldn't help trembling all over.His face was tense, and he only hoped that the gangster would attack from the right, so that he could somewhat resist with the candlelight. Bian Jia, who was on the opposite side of the Eight Immortals Table, was the first to see the sudden change on Di Gong's face, and couldn't help asking in a low voice, "Master Di, what happened? Your face is panicked?" A thunderbolt interrupted his questioning. A thought flashed in Di Gong's mind, he had to take advantage of the gangster's unawares, turn around and grab him.As long as the blade in the man's hand is not aimed at his throat, he can get out of his body and catch him with his skill.But why did that person take so long to do it?Big beads of sweat hung from Di Gong's forehead, and he felt that something was wrong, if there was a mistake, it would be a big mistake.He still has to act according to the plan, and he hardly misses the overall situation.Only then did he remember what was in his sleeve.His tongue was dry and his voice changed greatly: "The manager has a very good reputation in Puyang. He is a high-ranking person and sometimes deals with the government. Not only did he poison Dong Mei to death, but he also strangled the old lady Meng behind the Laojun Temple, and used a The white silk scarf tightly strangled Mrs. Meng's neck, almost embedded in her flesh, and cut off her throat. She died in a terrible state, only a few hours ago, when the blood had not yet cooled, and her eyes I can still recognize the face of the murderer. If her wronged soul sneaks in here at this moment, approaching—” Di Gong suddenly let out a sharp cry, and shouted at Hong Liang with his eyes wide open: "Hong Liang, who is standing behind you?!" The three people on the table turned their heads to look at Hong Liang, and couldn't help being terrified: Hong Liang raised his eyebrows, stomped his feet, danced his arms, and screamed.Duke Di quickly took something out of his sleeve and secretly put it on the table of the Eight Immortals, and then exclaimed: "Hong Liang, what's the matter with you? God, what's going on? Are you obsessed?" Hong Liang pointed at the Eight Immortals table with his hand: "Look!" Ke Yuanliang, Bian Jia, and Guo Ming turned around in shock. "Ah!—" The three of them uttered a terrible cry almost at the same time. A white arm on the table of the Eight Immortals was bent and stood upwards, pointing its finger forward, but it was still moving slowly! ——Could it be that the ghost of the wronged soul has appeared to indicate that the murderer is coming! There is also a yellow ring on the white finger, and the ruby ​​on the ring is shining.It was an arm that had just been chopped off, the stump of the elbow was uneven and bloody. The arm suddenly gradually moved towards the candle, but the finger was pointing at Bian Jia. Bian Jia jumped up in fright and knocked over the armchair.His distorted face was leaden gray, and a pair of horrible eyes were fixed on the white arm. Suddenly he opened his mouth and yelled: "Gods above, the conscience of heaven and earth. I didn't kill her! I never killed anyone. I... I just poisoned Dong Mei to death, and I didn't poison her to death on purpose— —" Bian Jia finally burst into tears, his whole body convulsed like a convulsion. Di Gong took the opportunity to stand up abruptly, drew out his right arm and was about to strike behind him.Suddenly he was startled, his arms froze in mid-air.An inexplicable fear hit him, and a white arm appeared in the black shadow behind him!