Chapter 19 Chapter One
It is said that Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty asked in the year of Qianfeng, and Di Renjie——Di Gongwai was released as the magistrate of Penglai County, Dengzhou.This Penglai County is the ancient land of Qi, which is adjacent to the sea.In addition to the benefits of salt and iron, the shipbuilding industry supervised by the government is also very prosperous.Just seven days after he took office, Mr. Di invited local shipbuilding giants Ye Shouben and Xia Ming, and the county magistrate He Chunfan, who specializes in criminal contracts, to the Yamen Hall to discuss the establishment of a large shipyard with government funding.
Seeing that it's time to apply for a license plate, Di Gong said with a smile: "I'm very pleased today. Thanks to the generous help and cooperation of all gentlemen, we have finally agreed on the construction of the dock."
He was very grateful in his heart, the three gentlemen in front of him had been sitting with him from noon to now, discussing and finalizing the detailed rules of many projects and apportionment of money.
He Chunfan said: "The agreement signed today covers both the big and the small. It fairly and reasonably resolves many business disputes between Mr. Xia and Mr. Ye. There doesn't seem to be any distinction between money and money."
Xia Ming smacked his lips and said, "Not necessarily, - if I am allowed to operate on my own without the government intervening, I will undoubtedly earn more money."
Di Gonggong said: "The shipbuilding industry is related to the national economy and the people's livelihood. The court cares about it day and night. How dare lower officials neglect it? Mr. Xia and Mr. Ye don't need to have any more disputes, and everything will be done in accordance with this agreement. Besides, when the dock is completed, the Dengzhou Ping Navy will also be here from now on. Improving facilities will be more conducive to maritime security.”
Ye Shouben couldn't help nodding, admiring Di Gong in his heart.Di Gong also secretly had the intention of suppressing Xia Zhuye.Di Gong knew that Ye Shouben was strict and honest, law-abiding and law-abiding, while Xia Ming was cunning and ruthless, and lived a profligate life, greedy for sex and wine.
Di Gong ordered the servants to pour tea, he let out a long breath, leaned on the back of the Grand Master's chair, and stared at the blooming magnolias outside the sill window.At this time, the wind picked up and drove away the heat that had lasted the whole day.From time to time, bursts of fragrant fragrance penetrated through the window.
Ye Shouben put down the teacup, squinting at He Chunfan and Xia Ming: It's time to say goodbye.
Suddenly Hong Canjun came into the yamen hall in a huff and told Di Gongdao: "Someone on duty asked to see the master, saying that he had an urgent message to send."
Di Gong was startled, leaned forward and said, "The three gentlemen are here to wait. You will come when you are down from office." With a flick of his sleeves, he followed Hong Canjun out of the yamen hall.
After going down the steps of the Yamen Hall and turning around the first corridor on the right, Hong Canjun said in a low voice, "My lord, He Xianggong's housekeeper came to report that Mrs. He was thrown into a hanging beam, and she hanged herself in the pavilion in the back garden of her house during her afternoon nap." Pavilion. When the housekeeper found out, he immediately rushed to the Yamen to report."
Di Gong was astonished and couldn't help but complain for He Chunfan. "It seems that I should tell Mr. He the bad news. I really don't know how sad he will be when he gets the news."
Di Gong shook his head sadly, went back into the yamen hall, and said to He Chunfan with a solemn expression: "Mr. He, the person here is the butler of the house. He came to report that Mrs. Madam committed suicide." The armrest of the chair was stunned, and after a long while, he said in frustration: "The thing I was worried about...has finally happened. For the past month, she has always been in a daze, depressed...She...Master, how did she commit suicide?"
"Your housekeeper came to report that you hanged yourself. ——The housekeeper is waiting for you to go back and deal with the aftermath. You go back and take care of it first. I will immediately appoint a coordinator, officials, etc. to come to the house."
He Chunfan was dumbfounded, and muttered, "I'm leaving soon! I've only been away from home for an hour... Hey, God, what's going on?"
Xia Ming and Ye Shouben were also very surprised, and said a few words of comfort.But He Chunfan didn't seem to hear it, his eyes were hanging straight, and he stood numbly.Suddenly he grabbed Di Gong's sleeve and said sadly: "Master Di is the master for me! I... I am timid by nature, and I dare not see the death of Jian Jing in person. Master, I should stay here and meditate for a while. After I went to the lord’s yamen to take care of the dead body, I’ll go back to the house to have a look. Don’t be surprised, sir, I’m in a state of insanity right now, and my soul is shaking..." His voice dropped, his pleading eyes mournful Looking up at Duke Di.
Di Gongdao: "In this case, Mr. He will stay in the yamen for a while, and make a cup of new tea to calm down his scattered thoughts. Mr. He has worked hard for half a month to prepare for the construction of the dock. Mr. Ye and Mr. Xia are also wronged. Stay with Mr. He for a while. ——I went to He’s house to cook and come back, it won’t take half an hour.”
Hong Canjun accompanied the butler of He Zhai to wait in the duty room, he was very anxious, when he saw Di Gong coming out alone, he couldn't help being surprised, so he asked: "Why didn't Mr. He come out?"
Di Gong waved his hand and told the steward to go back first, then turned to Hong Canjun and said, "You don't need to go to He's house anymore, time is running out, I only bring the arrester and two other guards with me. Go and inform Wu Zuo quickly, and prepare my little one." Sedan."
Di Gong, Wu Zuo, Zhi Zuo and two government servants rushed to He's house.The housekeeper kowtowed to see Di Gong, and the two maids were sobbing in the gatehouse.Di Gong ordered the arrest and two yamen servants to wait in the outer courtyard, and then the steward and his assistant went to the pavilion in the back garden.
Passing through the vermilion lacquer-painted corridor in zigzags, you will see a small garden with flowers and trees.In the southeast corner of the garden, two giant locust trees cover a green pavilion, which is shading an octagonal glazed tile pavilion.The spire of the pavilion is a gleaming orb.Di Gong climbed up the blue and white stone steps and pushed open the door of the pavilion.
The pavilion was extremely hot and stuffy, filled with a strong smell of cigarettes.In the corner to the right is a bamboo couch for concubine Xiang, on which a female corpse is lying upright.The corpse's face was facing inward, and she saw her thick, shiny black hair draped over her shoulders.She was wearing a white silk painted durian skirt, and a pair of bow-like embroidered shoes on her feet.
Di Gong ordered the autopsy to begin, and ordered the housekeeper to open a row of four small windows in the pavilion, and he began to observe the furnishings in the pavilion.
In the middle of the pavilion, there is a small square table carved with mahogany wood. On the table is a tea tray with two tea cups and a teapot turned upside down on the table. The spout is resting on a flat plum-shaped shiny brass tray. .There is a piece of red silk beside the teapot, and there are armchairs on each side of the small square table.Between the first two small windows on the right is a thin bamboo bookshelf, on which there are several volumes of books and a few small antiques, which is truly elegant and quiet.
After the housekeeper opened a row of small windows, he pointed to a red lacquered beam on a high place and said, "Master, the wife hanged on that beam, and there is still a piece of red silk wrapped around it."
Duke Di nodded and asked, "Is Mrs. He looking unusual this morning?"
The butler replied: "No, master, my wife was still in a good mood when we had lunch, nothing unusual. It's just... only when Mr. Xia came to see my master, she..."
Di Gong was startled: "You mean Xia Ming? Xia Ming, he visited Mr. He after lunch? What is he doing at the house?"
The butler was at a loss, hesitated for a while, and then replied: "Master, when I went to the outer hall to offer tea, I heard a few words between them. Mr. Xia seemed to say that he wanted my master to help him in secret when we discussed in the afternoon. My master gave him a reward, but I heard my master scold him angrily."
The piece came back and whispered to Duke Di: "Master, I found a very strange phenomenon."
Di Gong ordered the housekeeper: "Go and call Mrs. He's maid!"
The housekeeper exited the pavilion, Di Gongnai turned around to the bamboo couch, and turned the dead man's head over.Mrs. Di saw that Mrs. He was about twenty-five years old, with a melon-shaped face, fair skin, and very handsome.
"My lord, there are scars on her sun star, which are very suspicious. Besides, although she was hanged, her neck doesn't seem to be injured or dislocated. Obviously she climbed from the armchair to the upper table, and then threw the red silk on it. Beam, fastened with a slipknot, and the other end made into a loop, and then the head was drilled in. Jumped under the table.— accidentally knocked over the teapot. She was hanging there only a few inches from the ground, and the loop tightened. She was slowly strangled to death, and it must be very painful when she died. Why didn't she fold the armchair on the square table again, jump off the armchair, and fall suddenly, but it was very clean and neat to try to die quickly. Of course, there is no doubt You must have hurt your neck. ——I really don’t know what Mrs. He was thinking at that time. Looking at the scar on the sun star, I thought about it, could it be..."
Di Gong nodded frequently, and suddenly asked: "Can you infer when the person died?"
Wu Zuo showed embarrassment: "This is not easy to make a clear decision. Master, her body is not yet cold, and her hands and feet are not stiff. But such a sweltering weather, and in such a stuffy pavilion..."
Duke Dee nodded absently, but his eyes fixed on the plum-shaped brass plate on the square table curiously.If you look closely, you can see that the five petals of plum blossoms in the brass plate are surrounded by a coil of incense, and the light brown incense ash left over from burning is accumulated on the edge of the copper plate.He suddenly realized something, and said to Wu: "This is a refined incense burner. The incense ring on the copper plate is commonly known as 'five auspicious clouds', which can be used to time the incense. You see, the tea flowing from the mouth of the teapot is about to burn. The third circle of incense was soaked, so the incense burnt there and then went out. Now we only need to know how the incense burner was lit, we can infer when Mrs. He hanged herself, because when she threw the incense burner and jumped off the table, Knocking over the teapot..."
The butler led a fat woman in her fifties into the pavilion.Seeing the corpse on the bamboo couch, the fat woman burst into tears, caressing the corpse and weeping.
Di Gong asked the housekeeper: "This maid has always followed Mrs. He?"
"She was the maidservant of the eldest wife's natal family. Three years ago, when the eldest wife married here, she brought her to the He family. She has followed her for more than 20 years. Although she is not very bright, she is loyal, diligent and thrifty. , so the wife is the most important, and often serves on the left and right."
Di Gong asked the fat maid: "Don't be too sad, first tell me when did you light this incense burner?"
The fat servant girl stopped crying, and replied: "At noon, the majesty said that the pavilion was too stuffy, so I lit this incense burner - five circles of incense in it can be burned until the end of the application. "
"How was your wife when you lit the censer and left the pavilion?—you haven't seen her since?"
"Xia Xianggong visited the master after lunch, and I accompanied the elder lady to this pavilion. The elder lady said that she was going to take a nap and asked me to take a nap in her own room. She said that there was nothing to do in the afternoon. Later, the master came and the housekeeper served him. Clothes, said to go to the yamen to discuss matters. The master ordered me to call Mr. Xia, and the two of them went out together."
"Where was Mr. Xia when you called him?"
"I found him right here in the back garden, and he was admiring the flowers."
The housekeeper interjected: "Exactly. After Mr. Xia and my master finished talking in the outer hall, my master asked Mr. Xia to wait for a while. He came to the pavilion in the back garden to change his official uniform and bid farewell to his wife. I want to come to Mr. Xia's outer hall." When I get tired, I will walk into the garden and look around at the flowers, trees and precious fruits."
Di Gongdao: "So that's the case. Then who was the first to find out that the wife had hanged herself?"
The fat maidservant replied: "My maidservant was the first to find out. The maidservant came here just to apply for a mating. Seeing his wife hanging on the beam, I was so frightened that I quickly called him over."
The housekeeper nodded and said: "I hurried up and twisted the red silk with scissors, took my wife down, untied the wrap around my neck, and laid it flat on this bamboo couch. Even if my pulse had already been cut off, there was no way to save it. I still blame it. She didn't find out sooner..."
Mr. Di stroked his beard for a while, then asked the housekeeper: "Just now you said that Mrs. He was still in a good mood when she had lunch, but she became depressed and in a trance when she heard Mr. Xia's visit at the house, didn't you?"
"Yes, master, when Madam heard that Mr. Xia was coming, she turned pale and quickly left the outer hall. I saw her..."
The servant girl suddenly interrupted the housekeeper's words: "I accompanied my wife from the side room to this pavilion, and I have never seen my wife's face unhappy."
The housekeeper wants to argue later.Di Gong ordered him: "Go and ask the doorkeeper, after Mr. Xia and Mr. He went out, has anyone been here, what they came for, and how long they stayed. Go!"
The butler didn't dare to disobey his orders, so he had to leave the pavilion quickly.
Di Gong looked at the servant girl and said, "Let me ask you, why did your wife turn pale and nervous when she heard that Mr. Xia came to visit?"
The servant girl's face turned pale, she looked timidly at Di Gong's stern eyes, and replied falteringly: "The master asked questions, but the servant girl really didn't know. But...in the past half a month, the wife often had a sad face...she kept it from the master at home. I went to Xia Xianggong's place twice. I was worried and wanted to go with her, but Mr. Feng said..." She stopped suddenly, her face flushed again, she just bit her lip, not knowing what to do.
"Who is Mr. Feng?"
She frowned, but didn't make a sound.
"Tell me quickly! Who is Mr. Feng?" Di Gongyu asked urgently.
The servant girl glanced at Di Gong in fear, but she couldn't hide it, so she replied: "Master, the servant girl only said that they have never done anything scandalous. Mr. Feng is a painter, his family is poor, and he is sick. He I lived upstairs from a grocery store not far from here. When my wife was a girl at home, my wife’s father hired Mr. Feng to teach his wife how to draw flowers, birds, fish and insects. At that time, Mr. Feng was handsome and handsome, and his wife I'm only twenty years old, no wonder the two of you have an idea in your heart, but you never tell each other. I heard that Mr. Feng's family used to be a student and an official, but later broke the law of the king and ruined the family business..."
Di Gongdao: "Not to mention what's going on with his family, is this Feng man having an affair with Mrs. He?"
The servant girl shook her head vigorously: "No, no, the two of them have never done anything wrong, let alone committed any scandal. Although the Feng family is poor, he has entrusted a matchmaker to propose marriage to the concubine. Just, just Mr. Feng vomited blood, and the medical officer said that he was suffering from tuberculosis, which was incurable. Therefore, Mr. Feng cut off the idea of getting married. The wife was also very sad when she heard the inside story, and wished to be married. Mr. Feng expressed that he would go far away, so as not to The two lovers are not beneficial at all. The wife begged him to stay, and if he was seriously ill, she could also help with decoction. Three years ago, by the order of her parents, the wife married into the He Mansion, and Mr. Feng also secretly moved to They live near here. They maintain a clean relationship, like brothers and sisters, like friends..."
"After your wife married Mr. He, you still meet with that Feng?"
"Yes, there is no need to lie to the master. It's just that they meet in this pavilion, and I'm there every time. I can swear: Mr. Feng has never dared to touch too big a finger."
"Does Mr. He know what happened between them?"
"Of course he didn't know. During the day, the master of the family was out on official business. I sent a letter to Mr. Feng, and Mr. Feng came to meet. We entered through the small gate in the back garden. They chatted and drank a cup of high-quality fragrant tea each. Mr. Feng survived through these occasional meetings for three years."
"You acted from it, building bridges and paving the way. ——Bold servant girl still not guilty? You caused this murder! Your wife definitely did not hang herself, but was murdered to death. "
"But, this will never be done by Mr. Feng!" The servant girl cried out anxiously.
"Of course I still need to investigate carefully."
He turned to Wu and said, "Let's go to the door and have a look!"
The butler led a fat woman in her fifties into the pavilion.Seeing the corpse on the bamboo couch, the fat woman burst into tears, caressing the corpse and weeping.
Di Gong asked the housekeeper: "This maid has always followed Mrs. He?"
"She was the maidservant of the eldest wife's natal family. Three years ago, when the eldest wife married here, she brought her to the He family. She has followed her for more than 20 years. Although she is not very bright, she is loyal, diligent and thrifty. , so the wife is the most important, and often serves on the left and right."
Di Gong asked the fat maid: "Don't be too sad, first tell me when did you light this incense burner?"
The fat servant girl stopped crying, and replied: "At noon, the majesty said that the pavilion was too stuffy, so I lit this incense burner - five circles of incense in it can be burned until the end of the application. "
"How was your wife when you lit the censer and left the pavilion?—you haven't seen her since?"
"Xia Xianggong visited the master after lunch, and I accompanied the elder lady to this pavilion. The elder lady said that she was going to take a nap and asked me to take a nap in her own room. She said that there was nothing to do in the afternoon. Later, the master came and the housekeeper served him. Clothes, said to go to the yamen to discuss matters. The master ordered me to call Mr. Xia, and the two of them went out together."
"Where was Mr. Xia when you called him?"
"I found him right here in the back garden, and he was admiring the flowers."
The housekeeper interjected: "Exactly. After Mr. Xia and my master finished talking in the outer hall, my master asked Mr. Xia to wait for a while. He came to the pavilion in the back garden to change his official uniform and bid farewell to his wife. I want to come to Mr. Xia's outer hall." When I get tired, I will walk into the garden and look around at the flowers, trees and precious fruits."
Di Gongdao: "So that's the case. Then who was the first to find out that the wife had hanged herself?"
The fat maidservant replied: "My maidservant was the first to find out. The maidservant came here just to apply for a mating. Seeing his wife hanging on the beam, I was so frightened that I quickly called him over."
The housekeeper nodded and said: "I hurried up and twisted the red silk with scissors, took my wife down, untied the wrap around my neck, and laid it flat on this bamboo couch. Even if my pulse had already been cut off, there was no way to save it. I still blame it. She didn't find out sooner..."
Mr. Di stroked his beard for a while, then asked the housekeeper: "Just now you said that Mrs. He was still in a good mood when she had lunch, but she became depressed and in a trance when she heard Mr. Xia's visit at the house, didn't you?"
"Yes, master, when Madam heard that Mr. Xia was coming, she turned pale and quickly left the outer hall. I saw her..."
The servant girl suddenly interrupted the housekeeper's words: "I accompanied my wife from the side room to this pavilion, and I have never seen my wife's face unhappy."
The housekeeper wants to argue later.Di Gong ordered him: "Go and ask the doorkeeper, after Mr. Xia and Mr. He went out, has anyone been here, what they came for, and how long they stayed. Go!"
The butler didn't dare to disobey his orders, so he had to leave the pavilion quickly.
Di Gong looked at the servant girl and said, "Let me ask you, why did your wife turn pale and nervous when she heard that Mr. Xia came to visit?"
The servant girl's face turned pale, she looked timidly at Di Gong's stern eyes, and replied falteringly: "The master asked questions, but the servant girl really didn't know. But...in the past half a month, the wife often had a sad face...she kept it from the master at home. I went to Xia Xianggong's place twice. I was worried and wanted to go with her, but Mr. Feng said..." She stopped suddenly, her face flushed again, she just bit her lip, not knowing what to do.
"Who is Mr. Feng?"
She frowned, but didn't make a sound.
"Tell me quickly! Who is Mr. Feng?" Di Gongyu asked urgently.
The servant girl glanced at Di Gong in fear, but she couldn't hide it, so she replied: "Master, the servant girl only said that they have never done anything scandalous. Mr. Feng is a painter, his family is poor, and he is sick. He I lived upstairs from a grocery store not far from here. When my wife was a girl at home, my wife’s father hired Mr. Feng to teach his wife how to draw flowers, birds, fish and insects. At that time, Mr. Feng was handsome and handsome, and his wife I'm only twenty years old, no wonder the two of you have an idea in your heart, but you never tell each other. I heard that Mr. Feng's family used to be a student and an official, but later broke the law of the king and ruined the family business..."
Di Gongdao: "Not to mention what's going on with his family, is this Feng man having an affair with Mrs. He?"
The servant girl shook her head vigorously: "No, no, the two of them have never done anything wrong, let alone committed any scandal. Although the Feng family is poor, he has entrusted a matchmaker to propose marriage to the concubine. Just, just Mr. Feng vomited blood, and the medical officer said that he was suffering from tuberculosis, which was incurable. Therefore, Mr. Feng cut off the idea of getting married. The wife was also very sad when she heard the inside story, and wished to be married. Mr. Feng expressed that he would go far away, so as not to The two lovers are not beneficial at all. The wife begged him to stay, and if he was seriously ill, she could also help with decoction. Three years ago, by the order of her parents, the wife married into the He Mansion, and Mr. Feng also secretly moved to They live near here. They maintain a clean relationship, like brothers and sisters, like friends..."
"After your wife married Mr. He, you still meet with that Feng?"
"Yes, there is no need to lie to the master. It's just that they meet in this pavilion, and I'm there every time. I can swear: Mr. Feng has never dared to touch too big a finger."
"Does Mr. He know what happened between them?"
"Of course he didn't know. During the day, the master of the family was out on official business. I sent a letter to Mr. Feng, and Mr. Feng came to meet. We entered through the small gate in the back garden. They chatted and drank a cup of high-quality fragrant tea each. Mr. Feng survived through these occasional meetings for three years."
"You acted from it, building bridges and paving the way. ——Bold servant girl still not guilty? You caused this murder! Your wife definitely did not hang herself, but was murdered to death. "
"But, this will never be done by Mr. Feng!" The servant girl cried out anxiously.
"Of course I still need to investigate carefully."
He turned to Wu and said, "Let's go to the door and have a look!"