Chapter 11 Chapter Ten Peacock Gallbladder
Rumors and rumors have already spread throughout the city, and people secretly keep talking about the legendary peacock gall, both in surprise and fear.Accompanied by the gossip about the feud between King Liang and Duan Gong, the sun gradually set in the west.Even when the last smear of bright red light unknowingly disappeared from the courtyard, all kinds of discussions and speculations continued in the gloom.The sky is getting darker and darker, and the truth of the matter seems to be tightly wrapped in layers of black cloth, becoming more and more confusing and unpredictable.
After discovering that Zhang Xijiao’s body had turned green, the question that had puzzled Yang Bao for a long time was completely resolved. No wonder Zhang Xijiao was seen staggering and walking unsteadily that day. Later, during the autopsy, neither symptoms nor signs of poisoning were found. It turned out that he had been poisoned by peacock gall in advance, and it was because of this that he was so easily killed by Chen Hui, who was not good at martial arts.This is obviously the same as Tuotuo's murder. It is a case within a case, and the case has become complicated again.
The next question is, who poisoned Zhang Xijiao?Where is the poison again?When Yang Bao saw Zhang Xijiao that day, he was passing Dade Bridge, heading towards the city from east to west. Although there were some scattered merchants and residents in the east of Dade Bridge, they were all ordinary merchants or ordinary people, and they were not like Zhang. Xijiao has nothing to do with it, but there is one place that is quite suspicious, and that is the Juezhao Temple where King Liang, Duan Gong and others often go to listen to scriptures.Reminiscent of the fact that the peacock’s gall found in the forest behind Juezhao Temple mentioned by Jia Luo was taken out, most likely someone in the temple invited Zhang Xijiao to drink tea together, and poured peacock gall into the tea. That person and Zhang Xijiao were poisoned at the same time. After Zhang Xijiao left, he killed the pre-captured peacock gallbladder to detoxify.But since that person wanted to kill Zhang Xijiao, he could just poison him secretly, so why did he drink tea together, causing himself to be poisoned too?He must have something important to do, so he has to win the trust of Zhang Xijiao.Judging from this, the identity of this person must be very important.In particular, peacock gall is a secret medicine of Dali, which is difficult for ordinary people to obtain. King Liang may still have it, and Duan Gong may also have it. The two of them are really the biggest suspects.In this way, the case went full circle, and finally returned to the original starting point.But if Duan Gong wanted to kill Zhang Xijiao, he didn't have to use peacock guts. If he ordered Zhang Xijiao to commit suicide, Zhang Xijiao would not dare not to listen, not to mention that he was the first to discover that Zhang Xijiao's body turned green.In this way, the only suspect left is King Liang.
After Yang Bao expressed his thoughts, Duan Sengnu, Gao Lang and others immediately went to Juezhao Temple to investigate.But Jia Luo said that he still had something to do, and he didn't want to go with him.After everyone left, she went to the palace to look for Ling Yun, and saw him coming out of Quan Yinshu's Ruyi Building from a distance, so she stood by the corridor and waited for him.
Seeing Jia Luo, Ling Yun was taken aback for a moment, and approached and asked, "Are you here to Xingshi again to inquire about crimes? I didn't poison Zhang Xijiao." Jia Luo said, "It's really not you?" Ling Yun said: "You took me to the restaurant that day. I told you where I was going. I followed the king in the city on business that day. Many people in the province and the city guard saw me. Later, I went to the blacksmith's shop to get the sword. See? Don’t even go to Juezhao Temple, you haven’t even left the city gate. Your companion Yang Bao is a very smart person, go ask him yourself, do I have time to go to Juezhao Temple to poison? Think again, Zhang Xijiao met me in Wuwei Temple before, he knew that I was the king's confidant guard, would he sit down with me and drink tea and chat?"
Jia Luo said: "How do you know that General Zhang was poisoned while drinking tea and chatting with people?" Ling Yun said: "It's just a guess." After a pause, he said, "Why do you suspect me of doing all the bad things? Jia Luo said: "I don't want to doubt you either, but..."
A cold light flashed across Ling Yun's eyes, and said: "I know why you doubted me, so I explained it clearly to you. But, Jia Luo, this is the last time. If you question me again, I will not do it anyway." Reasonable."
Jia Luo saw him walking away without looking back, as if he had really wronged him, he stood stupidly for a long while before going back to the Palace of Loyalty and Love.When he met Shi Xiu head-on, he asked, "Where have you been?" in an extremely alert tone.Jia Luo said casually, "Go to Ling Yun." Shi Xiu said, "What are you looking for?" Jia Luo shook his head.
Shi Xiudao: "Jia Luo!" Jia Luo said: "Huh?" Shi Xiu said: "Did you give Ling Yun the peacock gall from the Hall of Pharmacists?" Jia Luo was shocked, and said: "Why would Master Yu think so? Shi Xiu sneered and said, "Who else would it be if it wasn't you? Before Gao Qian died, he said that Ling Yun was the one who stole the peacock gall from the Hall of Pharmacists. Qian actually wanted to say: "Jia Luo stole the peacock gall and gave it to Ling Yun again.""
Jia Luo looked at him in horror. The face of this kind and joking Yu Yichang was full of resentment and anger.Hatred can always blind people's eyes, drive people to lose their minds and become suspicious, even the trusted people around them.
After a long time, Jia Luo said seriously: "I am a doctor, I can only cure diseases and save people, and I will never poison people. If Chief Yuyi suspects that I stole the peacock gall, you can report it to Xinju, and I am willing to accept investigation As for Ling Yun, I like him just like I like Shi Xiuyu and you. You always talk about Dali and Liang Wang, and talk about Bai people, Han people, Mongols, and Hui people. It means nothing to me. In my eyes , only those who like it and those who don't." Shi Xiu was stunned for a moment after hearing Jia Luo's words, showing a strange expression.
Back at the residence, Jia Luo was exhausted and weak. He couldn't help but fell on the bed and burst into tears. It wasn't because he felt wronged by Shi Xiu, but because the recent incidents made everyone suspicious of each other. The endless stream of words really made her heart feel so sad.
Rumors about the case had already spread throughout the city, and people kept talking about the legendary peacock gall in secret, both in surprise and fear.Accompanied by the gossip about the feud between King Liang and Duan Gong, the sun gradually set in the west.Even when the last smear of bright red light unknowingly disappeared from the courtyard, all kinds of discussions and speculations continued in the gloom.It's just that these arguments can't dispel the doubts in people's hearts, and the speculations have aggravated their worries. Just like the darkening sky, the truth of the matter seems to be tightly wrapped by layers of black cloth. Wrapped up, it becomes more and more confusing and unpredictable.
This midsummer night was long and dull.The atmosphere of fear, despair, shock, trembling, and suspicion is like a ghost, permeating the sky over the Liang Palace, and it is even more depressing and suffocating.
At night, Duan Sengnu, Yang Bao and others came back from Juezhao Temple exhausted, each with a look of depression.Jia Luo didn't ask how the investigation of the case was going, but said: "Bao Ji, I want to go back to Dali with you." Duan Sengnu said proudly: "I won't leave for the time being. Now that the Kongquedan case has not been solved, kill Zhang The general's real culprit has not been found, how can I leave in peace?" Yang Bao noticed that Jia Luo's eyes were red and swollen, and asked, "Who bullied you? Is it Ling Yun?" However, if she didn't follow everyone to Juezhao Temple to watch the excitement, she must have something to look for Ling Yun.Jia Luo said: "It's not Ling Yun, but Master Shi Xiuyu. He said that I stole the peacock gall and gave it to Ling Yun."
Yang Bao was amazed, and asked: "Why does Master Shi Xiuyu think so?" Jia Luo repeated Shi Xiu's words, and at the end, he couldn't help but shed tears.Duan Sengnu was furious, and said: "What a Shi Xiu, instead of looking for the murderer, he suspected his family. Jia Luo, wait, I'll ask him to come and apologize to you." Angrily, he went to Shi Xiu Xiu settled accounts, but Yang Bao couldn't stop her.
Seeing that Jia Luo was crying, Gao Lang frowned, and said, "Okay, it's just that Shi Xiuyuyi was a little suspicious. Who told you to stick to that Ling Yun all day long. You don't know, Yang Bao was still caught by Yang Zhi. Yuanwai suspected that it was King Liang's eyeliner, why didn't he shed a single tear?"
Jia Luo looked at Yang Bao in surprise, and Yang Bao nodded, indicating that what Gao Lang said was true.Jia Luo twitched and said: "I'm crying because of this. I used to be a good person, but now you doubt me and I doubt you." Yang Bao sighed and said, "That's why people in the world say that the human heart is more dangerous than poison. It's even more terrifying. Things in the world are..."
But Sengnu Duan rushed in again, saying: "Master Shi Xiuyu is not in the room, Yuyi said that he left the Palace of Loyalty and Love before dark. Could it be that he really used himself as a bait to lure Chen Hui out?" "Yang Bao said: "Oh, it's really possible." He didn't dare to disturb Duan Gong, so he hurried out of the palace to find Ma Wenming in the Hou's mansion, and asked him to send more people to patrol the city.But that night, Shi Xiu was never found, and of course Chen Hui was not found either.
It was not until the city gate was opened at the end of the night in the early morning of the next day that the guards led the mountain people who had entered the city to report to the police, saying that a person had died on the Tongji Bridge outside the south gate, and the bridge was full of blood.Yang Bao and the others did not return to the Palace of Loyalty and Love all night, and stayed with Ma Wenming at the Provincial Agency's Inquiry Office waiting for news. Hearing the news, they rushed out of the city. The deceased was actually Shi Xiu. The two of Zong were similar, and the murderer was obviously the hammer man Chen Hui again.Although everyone had an ominous feeling in their hearts, they still comforted each other with Shi Xiu's high martial arts skills, and they expected nothing to happen. Seeing his dead body on the bridge now, they are both hurt and angry.
Jia Luo just quarreled with Shi Xiu yesterday, and saw him die tragically on the bridge today. It turns out that life is really like morning dew, which disappears when the sun rises. His nose was sore and his throat was bitter, but soon his mouth tasted like eating wax, and finally he couldn't bear it anymore, and threw himself into the arms of Duan Sengnu and cried loudly, crying hoarsely.Duan Sengnu wanted to comfort him, but as soon as he opened his mouth, tears burst out of his eyes involuntarily.Gao Lang was also extremely sad, and kept hitting the stone pillars on the bridge with his fists, filled with hatred in his heart.
Only Yang Bao stared at the corpse in a daze for a long time, without saying a word for a long time.Ma Wenming knew that he was quick-witted, so he stepped forward and asked, "Did Yang Yuyi notice something special?" Yang Bao said, "General Zhang Xijiao and Brother Yuyi are both practitioners of martial arts. It was a dozen gold foils. Logically speaking, the three of them would have the upper hand in a fight against Chen Hui, but General Zhang was the first to be poisoned by peacock gall, and Shi Zong was drunk that night, so Chen Hui could easily attack him. But Master Shi Xiuyu was neither poisoned nor drunk, and he knew in advance that he was Chen Hui's next target, so how could he be easily knocked down by Chen Hui?"
Ma Wenming said: "I've noticed this too, so I didn't order anyone to remove the corpse, I just waited for Wu Zuo to arrive." Then he asked: "Didn't Jia Luo say that the peacock gall poison cannot be detected, only that the corpse will turn green after three days Can it be identified that Master Shi Xiuyu may be the same as General Zhang Xijiao, who was hit by peacock gall first?" Yang Baodao: "This possibility is very small, not to mention that peacock gall is extremely rare, Master Shi Xiuyu has always thought of himself as his own. He will be the bait to lure Chen Huilai out, he will be cautious in everything, and will never let others have the opportunity to poison him."
Just as he was talking, Qiu Dong rushed to the bridge. He was used to seeing corpses smashed to pieces by hammers for the past two days. Besides, the dead had nothing to do with him, and he was not afraid of pain like Yang Bao and the others. Going forward to examine carefully, he hurriedly turned over the corpse, took a rough look, and said: "This Yuyi looks the same as the two previous dead, but in fact it is not. He was stabbed in the chest, and it was a fatal wound. The wound is narrow and thin. It should be a very thin dagger. The rest of the wounds were indeed caused by the hammer, which should be the same as Chen Hui's gold leaf hammer."
Hearing this, Yang Bao hurriedly rushed forward, only took a look, and saw Shi Xiu's eyes staring like copper bells on his bloody face, angry, as if reborn, he turned his head hastily, not daring to look again.
Ma Wenming said: "From this point of view, the murderer was not Chen Hui, at least the knife was not stabbed by Chen Hui." Qiu Dong said: "One more thing, Chen Hui left a blood-stained sackcloth at the scene of the previous two murders. According to Yang Yuyi, the murderer used it to wrap the head of the hammer, but this time there was no sackcloth left behind. It’s just that the size and depth of the wound are very similar to the hammer used to punch gold leaf last time.”
Gao Lang said: "But Shi Xiuyu's skill in martial arts is not low. No matter how skilled the murderer is, he can't kill him with a single blow. His wave sword is hanging on his waist, and he has never pulled it out." Yang Baodao: "The murderer must know Mr. Shi Xiuyu, he first hid the dagger in his sleeve, and then used something to attract Mr. Shi Xiuyu to come to him, and suddenly stabbed out. Mr. Yu was not on guard at all, so he plotted." Ma Wenming said: "It should be so , the murderer must know the case very well, so he can deliberately pretend that Chen Hui killed someone."
Yang Bao stared at the wound on Shi Xiu's chest for a moment, and said, "Young Lord, please send someone to the Liang Palace immediately, and call all the guards who were not on duty in the palace last night to the Liwen Office for questioning, and then search these people. Where you live, especially pay attention to Ling Yun."
Yesterday he and his companions went to Juezhao Temple to inquire about Zhang Xijiao's peacock gall, but they found nothing. The monks shy away and shy away from asking anything, but it is this ignorance that makes them even more suspicious. Someone had already warned Juezhao Temple in advance that with the respected status of the Buddhist temple, the only person in Zhongqing who could make all the monks bow their heads and be afraid to speak out was the King of Liang.Since Liang Wang was the biggest suspect of peacocking to harm Zhang Xijiao, and Shi Xiu died on the road leading to Juezhao Temple, there must be a major connection between them. Shi Xiu must have discovered something and was murdered and silenced.The knife on Shi Xiu's chest was like a small slit. The murderer's method was clean and neat. He must be a person with martial arts skills. Identity has to be like this.It can be deduced that Ling Yun is the most suspected.
Ma Wenming was extremely embarrassed, and spread his arms and said: "If it is an ordinary person, since he is suspected, he could have been locked up in the courtroom and tortured. But Liang Wang's guards are no better than ordinary people, and Ling Yun is Liang Wang's confidant, especially Liang Wangzheng and Duan Pingzhang. It is very unpleasant to make a big fuss about the invasion of Sichuan, if we arrest people without real evidence, it will be serious, I won’t say it, but you know Yang Yuyi.”
Gao Lang was very upset when he heard a lot of excuses from him, and said, "Master, is it possible that he wants to protect the real culprit? The case of Wang Jiuyi..." Yang Bao hurriedly shouted, "Gao Lang, don't mention Wang Jiuyi again. case!"
Since the truth of Gao Qian’s poisoning case in Liang Wang’s summer palace was revealed, Duan Gong strictly forbade his subordinates to bring up Wang Jiu’s case again. It was originally because of the embarrassment of both sides—Liang Wang and Ma Wenming jointly forged the unjust case, but Gao Qian committed suicide to provoke the case. The suspicion between the two parties even played a role for a time.Duan Gong's return to Zhongqing this time has a lot to do with the revelation of the truth about Gao Qian's case. Sometimes Yang Bao dreams at midnight, lamenting Gao Qian's painstaking efforts to avenge his father, always feeling sorry for Gao Qian, and often Feeling lost and confused, I don't know whether to reveal the truth that day or not.
Ma Wenming didn't seem to care, and said solemnly: "Wenming was indeed responsible for the case of Wang Jiuyi that day, but my ambition is in Dayuan, and I only hope that I can bring Duan Pingzhang back to Zhongqing, and work together with King Liang and the provincial government on state affairs , help the country, and the inscriptions will definitely not help the king's heart of abuse." Duan Sengnu suddenly interjected: "You also know that he is the king, but you still want to protect him." This "he" naturally refers to the king of Liang.Ma Wenming knew that he had said something wrong, so he didn't try to explain it, so as not to smear it further and spread it to the ears of King Liang, he just shook his head and said: "Anyway, without evidence, I can't send someone to the Palace of Liang to arrest and search."
Qiu Dong suddenly said: "Master Yuyi has something in his hand." Everyone stepped forward and saw that Shi Xiu was holding a small piece of cloth tightly in his right hand, and when he opened it, it was a black skirt.Duan Sengnu said: "I saw Ling Yun yesterday, and he was wearing black clothes. Young Master, you don't want to say that this may be just a coincidence again?" Ma Wenming said: "Well, this..."
Suddenly, the inspector of the Kunming county government rushed over and shouted from a distance: "Master Ma...Master Ma..." Ma Wenming frowned and said, "What's the matter?" The inspector rushed to the bridge, sweating profusely and panting "Hammer... Hammer man... Chen Hui..." Gao Lang stepped forward and grabbed his wrist, and asked, "Did you find the whereabouts of Hammer man Chen Hui? Where is it?" The inspector's wrist was pinched painfully , hurriedly broke Gao Lang's hand, and said: "In the county government...the others are in the county government..." Ma Wenming said: "You have already caught Chen Hui? When did this happen?" The inspector said: "No...it's..." Ma Wenming said, "Let's go to the Kunming county government office and talk as we go."
On the way, the inspector finally made it clear: it turned out that the night before yesterday, Huang Jian and Tian Chuan, the bearers, had the idea of robbing a customer's belongings and killing him. The guards on patrol took Huang Jian and Tian Chuan back to the county government office, and the next day they confessed to the murder for money.Originally, the case had been closed, but the body of the deceased had been parked in the county government office, and no one came to claim it. Early this morning, after the guard reported to the county magistrate Yao Dongzi, he wanted to carry the body out of the county government office for burial, but suddenly found that the body had turned green. It looks very weird.The guards had heard all kinds of rumors about the peacock gall, although they hadn't seen how the body of Zhang Xijiao, the former Dali General in the Provincial Department, turned green, but they had heard about the general situation, so they rushed to report.The county magistrate Yao Dongzi personally brought people to check what happened. The more he inspected the corpse, the more he felt that the face of the corpse was familiar. Hammer man Chen Hui.Yao Dongzi didn't dare to neglect, and hurriedly ordered the inspector to invite Ma Wenming to the county government.
Everyone was surprised when they heard this.Since Chen Hui's body turned green, it must have been poisoned by peacock gall. Although he was a murderer, he was just an ordinary gold foil maker. Wouldn't it be a pity to waste such rare and secret medicine as peacock gall to kill him?Chen Hui was the murderer who killed Zhang Xijiao and Shi Zong, which is already a confirmed fact, but since he died the night before, it was impossible for him to resurrect last night to kill Shi Xiu.Who killed Shi Xiu?And who poisoned Chen Hui to death with peacock gall?When I think about it a little bit more, there are more and more questions, and I am really puzzled.
The Kunming County Government is close to the Yongqing Gate of Xiaodongmen, just between Wuhua Mountain, Zubian Mountain and Luofeng Mountain.These three mountains in Zhongqing City have their own characteristics - Wuhua Mountain is winding and exquisite, with many springs and stones, and there is Wuhua Temple on it. Duan Gong lived on it for several days when he first entered Zhongqing; The cliffs and emerald cliffs look like cranes standing still, overlooking the Panlong River in the east, and facing Jinma Mountain in the distance; Luofeng Mountain is the highest of the three mountains, steep and steep, with dense forests, and most of the forests are dark blue boulders.There are many caves, especially Chaoyin and Yougu Caves, which are the most unpredictable. It is also said that there are bat monsters in them.In the damp place of the cave, there is a strange kind of mountain fungus, which is as big as a bowl, and it is extremely delicious. Occasionally, people are forced to go into the cave to collect fungi, because they are rare, and they can often be sold for a good price.
When he rushed to the Kunming county government, Yao Dongzi, the county magistrate, had already led his servants to meet him at the door.Yao Dongzi is a Han Chinese, about forty years old, looks fat, not like an official, but like a fat businessman.However, this person's background is not small. His ancestor Yao Tianfu was a famous official in the early Yuan Dynasty. ", known as "Bao Qingtian in Yuan Dynasty".
The green corpse, which was believed to be Chen Hui, had been carried to the lobby. Yang Bao, Gao Lang, and Ma Wenming had all seen Chen Hui in person, and when they stepped forward, they found that it was indeed Chen Hui, the gold foil maker who was good at imitating other people's handwriting.Yao Dongzi ordered someone to take the bearer's confession, which stated what happened. It turned out that the bearers Huang Jian and Tian Chuan carried a person from the vicinity of the North Gate Gongyuan to the South Gate the night before. Immediately, malicious intentions arose, and when they passed Luofeng Mountain, the two of them joined forces to cover the client's mouth and nose, suffocating him to death.Unexpectedly, because of the quarrel over the distribution of gold and silver, the inspectors were attracted, and the guards found the dead person in the sedan chair, and immediately locked them up and took them to the county government.The next day Yao county magistrate went to court for interrogation. Huang Jian and Tian Chuan confessed to murder for money.
After reading the process, Ma Wenming pondered: "Could it be that Chen Hui, like General Zhang Xijiao, was poisoned by the peacock gall before being killed by the bearer, so he has no power to resist?" Yang Bao said: "Young Master It makes sense. However, there are two doubts: first, why did Chen Hui take the risk of being remembered by others? Second, since he is single-minded in revenge, the murder weapon should never leave his body. Where is his hammer? ?”
Ma Wenming hurriedly asked: "Magistrate Yao, what was found on the deceased and the bearer?" Yao Dongzi was at a loss and couldn't answer, looking back, the servant Zu who was in charge that day smiled and said hurriedly: "There is nothing on the deceased. Besides the odds and ends, the bearer only has a bag of gold and silver." Jiang Wen, another servant, added, "There are also some shellfish coins and a delicate gold leaf."
Duan Sengnu said: "Ah, I gave them that piece of gold leaf." Then he remembered that the inspector asked him to come to the county government to identify the bearers, but he completely forgot about it.He added, "I've seen those two bearers before, and they don't look like people who would seek money and kill." Yao Dongzi didn't know her identity, and was not happy when he heard the words, but seeing her coming with Ma Wenming, he expected There are also some reasons, so it is inconvenient to say: "The prisoner has confessed to the murder and robbery, and there is a confession to prove it."
Yang Bao stared at Chen Hui's body for a long time, then suddenly stepped forward, spread his right hand, took off a piece of skirt, and showed it to Ma Wenming.Ma Wenming suddenly changed his color and said: "This is the same piece of cloth found in the hands of Yichang Shi Xiuyu." Yang Bao nodded and said: "The color, texture, and fineness of the thread are exactly the same, and it should be torn from the same piece of clothing." Turning his head and asking Said: "I don't know if the magistrate can bring those two bearers up conveniently? I have something to ask them."
Yao Dongzi's face darkened, and he didn't answer.Ma Wenming ordered: "Human life is at stake, and the deceased Chen Hui bears a few more lives. Magistrate Yao, please send someone to bring the prisoner to court." Yao Dongzi had no choice but to order someone to fetch the prisoner from the death row.
After waiting for a long time, I heard the sound of iron chains. The guards escorted Huang Jian and Tian Chuan in. Both of them had bruised noses and swollen faces. He limped and could only move slowly.When Ma Wenming saw the prisoner, he knew that he had been severely punished, most of whom were forced to confess under severe torture. He couldn't help frowning. He hated torturing prisoners and extorting confessions by torture, but after thinking about it, what qualifications did he have to accuse Yao Dongzi? Didn't he use similar means to force Wang Jiu to confess his crime that day?
Huang Jian and Tian Chuan knelt down as soon as they entered the hall, holding the big shackles and lying on the ground, not daring to lift their heads.Duan Sengnu saw that the two were trembling nervously, and their condition was extremely pitiful, so he felt compassion and asked, "Do you still recognize me?" Huang Jian tried his best to look up at her, and exclaimed, "So It's a little lady!" Tian Chuan also raised his head, and shouted: "Young lady, you must testify for the villain, that piece of gold leaf was given to my brother by you." Duan Sengnu said: "That's right." After a pause, He said again, "I see that you two are honest and honest, why do you want to seek money and kill your life?" The two looked at each other, then lowered their heads again, not daring to answer.
Yang Bao guessed that the two of them were afraid of severe punishment, so he asked: "After you two killed Chen Hui together, did you find a hammer on him?" Tian Chuan said: "No." Yang Bao said: "That's strange, the sedan chair Is there any?" Tian Chuan said: "No." Yao Dongzi shouted: "Did you two find the hammer useless and threw it on the side of the road? Don't hurry up and tell the truth, or you will be punished!" Huang Jian and Tian Chuan were so frightened that they paused and said, "Responding to my lord's words, there is really no hammer, really not." The necks of the two of them were restrained by shackles, and the range of movement of their heads was extremely limited. It's ridiculous to peck rice.
Yao Dongzi said: "Come here..." Ma Wenming said: "Forget it, they have already pleaded guilty to murder, so what's the point of pleading for another hammer? I really didn't find it." Yao Dongzi smiled and said: "Yes Yes, the young duke is very wise and wise." He is much older than Ma Wenming, enough to be his father, but he has no shame, ridicules and flatters in public, which really gives people goosebumps.
Yang Bao asked again: "Can you two tell us in detail how you first met Chen Hui?" Huang Jian said: "Yes. My two brothers carried someone to the tribute courtyard that night. He staggered over, holding his belly in his hands, sweating profusely, saying that he wanted to take a sedan chair..." As he spoke, he sneaked a sideways glance.He kept his head down, and knelt on the ground after being escorted in. He didn't see clearly who was in the hall, but he always felt that there was something green in the corner of his eyes. He couldn't help being curious, and finally glanced sideways. Seeing that it was a green corpse, he couldn't help being stunned, and asked, "Is... is he a human being?"
Yang Baodao: "He is Chen Hui who was killed by you. Because he was poisoned beforehand, his body turned green." Huang Jiandao: "What? No, it's not him!" Yang Bao asked: "What isn't he?" Tian Chuan also Turning his head, he exclaimed in surprise: "Oh, it's really not, it wasn't this person who died in the sedan chair that night."
Ma Wenming was taken aback, rushed over and asked, "What are you talking about? Could it be that you didn't see it clearly when it was dark that night?" Huang Jian said: "My lord, villains dare not lie, it's really not this person. Thin and small, but the customer that night was fat and fat, like..." Looking around hurriedly, he said, "It's quite similar to the county magistrate." Yao Dongzi was furious when he heard his unscrupulous words, Said: "Well, you troublemaker, come here, give me a slap."
The servant ancestor smiled and responded, walked up to Huang Jian, raised his hand high, and was about to hit him, but was snatched by Duan Sengnu and grabbed his arm, and was immediately thrown aside.Duan Sengnu said angrily: "Why do you want to beat someone at every turn?" Yao Dongzi said angrily: "This is above the court, little lady..." Ma Wenming hurriedly said: "Magistrate Yao, this is Duan Pingzhang's daughter, Dali Baoji , you must not be rude and offend." Yao Dongzi said "ah", and was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth for a long time.Duan Sengnu ignored him, stepped forward to help Huang Jian and Tian Chuan one by one, and said: "If you have any grievances, just say it, the young master is here, he will make decisions for you, don't be afraid of this county magistrate."
Huang Jian and Tian Chuan heard that she was the daughter of Duan Gong, their knees softened, they knelt down again, and cried: "Bao Ji, you have to defend the villain, our brothers never killed anyone... yes... It was the county magistrate who insisted on forcing us to confess, and the villain couldn't stand beatings, so he had to be charged..." Duan Sengnu saw that the two big men were crying non-stop, and he was very embarrassed, and hurriedly said: "You first Don't be so busy crying, explain the story clearly." Huang Jian said: "Yes." Ma Wenming saw that the two were covered in torture wounds and could not stand still, so he ordered them to sit on the ground first and speak slowly.
It turned out that after Huang Jian and Tian Chuan carried the fat customer the night before, they headed south all the way, when they reached the foot of Luofeng Mountain, they suddenly heard two "ah, ah" from the person in the sedan chair, and hurriedly put down the sedan chair to see what happened, but saw The man was not breathing.The shock of the two of them was no small matter, and they wanted to go to the government to report the case, but it was clear that the man died in the sedan chair. They were worried that if they couldn't explain clearly, they would be involved in a life lawsuit. After discussing and discussing, they decided to carry him to Luofeng Mountain and throw him away. The money bag was exposed in the man's arms, and when he opened it, there was a lot of gold and silver in it, which was enough for the two of them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. He thought that since he was dead anyway, the money would be of no use to him, so it would be better to split it up between the two brothers. up.Unexpectedly, when the money was being distributed, an officer patrolled past here, and he became suspicious when he saw the gold and silver in the hands of the two people. He opened the sedan chair and found the dead man, so he locked Huang Jian and Tian Chuan back to the county government as murderers. .The next day, the county magistrate of Yao was promoted to the court for trial, and before the questioning began, he ordered that the two slap each other twenty times as a warning.The two just called out "wronged", and argued that they did not kill anyone, and they were sentenced to severe punishment. The two couldn't hold back, so they had to admit the crime of murder for money.
After hearing the story, Ma Wenming pointed to Chen Hui's body and asked, "Are you really sure that it wasn't the person who sat in the sedan chair the night before?" Huang Jian and Tian Chuan hurriedly said, "It's definitely not this person." The husband went back to the county government officer and asked, "What's going on?"
The officer's name was Yao Gao, who was a distant relative of Yao Dongzi, and said: "The villain led the way through Luofeng Mountain last night, and saw these two people dividing gold and silver, and there was a dead man in the sedan chair, so he took them back immediately, leaving only Xiazu Xiaoxiao and Jiang Wen guarded the sedan chair and carried it back to the county government office with the sedan chair after Tianming's examination.
The Yuan Dynasty promulgated an inspection decree, among which there was a clear regulation on autopsy. The magistrate must bring Dian Shi, Si Li, Wu Zuo, etc. to the place where the corpse was found, and strictly follow the "autopsy procedure" issued by the Ministry of Education.Although local officials may not actually be present to monitor and inspect the case when it comes time to implement it, the life lawsuit has its own set of documents to regulate the process, and there is no ambiguity at all.
Ma Wenming said: "Who are Zu Xiaoxiao and Jiang Wen?" The two guards heard the call and rushed out to the front of the hall to kneel down.Ma Wenming said: "Tell me, where did you get this corpse of Chen Hui in front of you?" Zu Xiaoxiao and Jiang Wen looked at each other, and Jiang Wen said: "This corpse is the dead man found in the sedan chair the night before, my lord must not Listen to this bearer's nonsense."
Ma Wenming said: "Master Yao, they refuse to tell the truth, so they have to use the method you often use." Yao Dongzi wiped the sweat from his forehead, seeing that Ma Wenming didn't seem to be joking, and there was no sarcasm in his words, he hurriedly said: " Yes. Come here, pinch Zu Xiaoxiao and Jiang Wen together." Zu Xiaoxiao and Jiang Wen were servants in the Kunming county government, so they knew the county magistrate's methods of torture, so he hurriedly said, "Your Excellency does not need to use torture, but the villain is willing to recruit The truth."
It turned out that the second guard was ordered to guard the sedan chair that night, and waited for dawn to come for the autopsy. Because of Zhang Xijiao's murder case, the provincial government ordered Kunming County to patrol day and night. The two of them worked continuously for a day and a night. Sleep.Unexpectedly, when he woke up at dusk, he found that the corpse in the sedan chair was gone, and he didn't know if the corpse was blown up.The two were frightened to death, and they were also afraid that Magistrate Yao's cruel temperament would inevitably lead to the crime of dereliction of duty.Just when they didn't know what to do, it happened that some people came down the mountain in a panic to collect mushrooms and sell them in the morning, and informed that there was a dead body in Chaoyin Cave.The two of them suddenly felt as if they were blessed by God, and immediately threatened the common people not to tell others, or they would charge him with murder. After scaring the common people away, they hurriedly went to Chaoyin Cave to carry the body out and stuffed it into a palanquin.After dawn, Wu Zuo came to do the autopsy. After a quick look, he saw that there was no wound on the body of the corpse, and there was no abnormality. Only the veins on the face were exposed. He thought it was suffocated by the bearer covering his mouth and nose, so he carried him back to the county government office. morgue.Afterwards, Huang Jian and Tian Chuan confessed under severe torture, and the corpse was never carried to the hall, but kept in the morgue, and no one paid any attention to it. If it hadn't happened to be discovered that the corpse had turned green before the burial today, I'm afraid the trick was perfect.The whole city of Zhongqing was digging deep to hunt down Chen Hui, and the King of Liang even offered a huge reward of a thousand taels of gold. Unexpectedly, he was lying in the morgue of the Kunming County Government.
Ma Wenming called Yao Gao and asked, "Since you have captured the bearer, you should have seen the original corpse. Look carefully. Is this Chen Hui the dead man in the original sedan chair?" I can see clearly..." Yao Dongzi yelled angrily: "Tell the truth!" Yao Gao was taken aback, so he could only murmur: "Because it was dark and his head was lowered on his chest, it was true that he couldn't see the face of the deceased clearly. But There are some differences in body shape…”
Yao Dongzi made a fool of himself in public, with Ma Wenming, Duan Sengnu and others in front of him. This incident inevitably spread to the ears of Duan Gong and Ma Hazhi. He had long wanted to seek a vacancy for a prefect in another place, but it seemed that his wish was in vain. Jiang Wen said to the two guards, "Come here, put them both in prison, and punish them severely later." Ma Wenming hurriedly said: "Lord Yao, wait a minute, why don't you order them both to commit crimes and make meritorious deeds, and take us to the ruined temple on Luofeng Mountain to see what happened. "Yao Dongzi wondered: "Young Lord, do you want to go in person?" Ma Wenming said: "Of course." He also ordered people to open the heavy shackles of Huang Jian and Tian Chuan, and they were still sent to the big prison first.
Duan Sengnu said: "The two of them are clearly innocent, why should they continue to be locked up?" Ma Wenming said: "The body of the victim has not been found, and the case is full of doubts. The two of them are still suspects and cannot be released." Duan Sengnu sneered and said, "I knew that the young master was very discerning..."
Suddenly I heard Yang Bao say, "I know where that corpse is." Ma Wenming was amazed and asked, "Where is it?"他不愿意多说，料来必有深意，道：“那好，我们分头行事。”杨宝道：“宝姬，你和伽罗……”段僧奴道：“我们当然要跟小侯爷去，免得他从中做手脚。”马文铭也不辩解，只道：“甚好。”当即命祖笑笑、姜闻带路，往螺峰山而去。
螺峰山山峰蟠旋如螺髻，由此得名，山路颇为难行，走了大半个时辰，才来到半山腰潮音洞口。猫腰进洞十余步，光线渐暗。众人早有准备，燃起火把，火光融融中，眼前豁然开朗，洞如大厅，高十数丈米至数十丈，洞内乳石千垂，石笋林立，千姿百态，洞中水声如潮，隐隐有江声浪涌之声。再往深里去，到处都是岔道，洞叠洞、洞连洞、洞洞相通，分不清到底有多少个洞。
姜闻道：“陈惠的尸首就是在这座石峰后面发现的。”马文铭见那石峰极大，与洞壁之间只有一人之宽，洞边一道细细的水流，生有几个大山菌，若不是那采菌人点火进来，沿水流声寻找山菌，还真不容易发现尸首。便命差役多点火把，四下仔细搜查一遍。
一名差役叫道：“这里！”却见一座乳石后面丢弃有笔墨砚台，段僧奴不禁大奇，问道：“这里如何会有笔墨？”马文铭道：“陈惠擅长模仿旁人笔迹，令尊当日正是用他所长，伪造了一封家书，才令明玉珍思归退兵。”段僧奴白他一眼，道：“我问你了么？”马文铭也不与她计较，扬声道：“这里当是陈惠的藏身之处了，大伙儿再好好搜搜。”
过了不久，果然在左首石壁上一处小石洞中发现了衣裳、被褥等，均是又霉又臭，污秽之极，也不知道多长时间没有清洗过，正是陈惠居住之所，日常用物中竟然还有几块碎金。段僧奴问道：“莫非这些金子就是陈惠从线阳金铺抢来的生金？”马文铭道：“这块金子下有个'人'字，当是'沈'字中的一截。”段僧奴哼了一声，却不再抬杠。
当下马文铭命人将洞中搜到之物尽数带回昆明县衙。杨宝正带着沈富站在门口相候，段僧奴不禁大奇，问道：“你怎么知道我们找到了沈先生当日被陈惠抢走的生金？”杨宝一愣，道：“是么？”指着沈富道，“沈先生就是黄剑、田川最先抬过的'尸首'，我刚才领他去过大狱，两名轿夫均认出了他来，还以为见到了鬼魂。”
原来沈富有心绞痛的毛病，前日他去北城办事，回去时夜色已深，且人很不舒服，只觉得心疼不已，正好遇到黄剑、田川二名轿夫，便打算坐轿子回南城去。半途时，他心口实在疼得厉害，终于假死了过去，由此引发了后面一系列的事情。天光发亮时冷风一吹，他忽然又清醒过来，一摸身上钱袋不在，再一出轿见到两名差役在轿子边睡觉，一时间不知道发生了什么事，慌忙自己走了。到半路又靠在墙角歇了大半天，体力恢复了些，这才慢慢踱回线阳金铺，正好遇到杨宝等人拿着仵作找到凶器模子在向伙计确认抢劫金铺的与杀害是同一人。伙计问起沈富昨夜去了何处，他自己也说不明白，只说是因为肚子疼在轿子中昏死过去了。
这起轿夫谋财害命案至此才算真相大白。马文铭忙命人放出黄剑、田川，又将钱袋、生金送还给沈富。沈富听说两名轿夫因为自己无端惹上一场官司，白受了许多皮肉之苦，很是过意不去，又从身上取出几块金子，连同陈惠处搜到的碎生金，一齐装入原来的钱袋中，递给黄剑、田川二人道：“劳二位受了许多苦，一点微物，聊表心意。”黄剑、田川本是朴实之人，白得了许多财物，也不知道是福是祸，一时惊愕，捧着钱袋面面相觑。段僧奴道：“二位大哥，还是赶紧回家去吧。”黄剑、田川这才恍然大悟，一再相谢，这才飞奔出衙。
解决了一桩案子，却还有更大更多的难题。陈惠手中发现的衣襟，竟然与在施秀手中发现的一模一样，这决计不是巧合。这两个本是死敌的仇人，怎么会有同一件衣服的衣襟呢？陈惠又是如何中的孔雀胆毒？又是被何人下毒害死？
众人越想越是困惑，均将希冀的目光投向杨宝，杨宝却只是在陈惠的尸体旁转来转去，反复查验，旁人也不敢惊扰他。闷闷等了好半天，杨宝突然叫道：“伽罗！”伽罗自从今日一早发现施秀惨死桥头后，一直心情低落，提不起精神，只漫声应道：“嗯。”杨宝道：“若是我早已经中了孔雀胆剧毒，你却不知情，来找我打架，我的毒血溅到了你身上伤口，你会由此连带中毒么？”伽罗道：“当然，那孔雀胆何等厉害，进入人体血液，还能不死么？”杨宝道：“但你中的毒素不多，毒性发作的时间要慢许多，是也不是？”伽罗道：“是，可以多活一些日子，但早晚也要死。”
高浪道：“不是说孔雀……”正要说出孔雀胆囊可以解孔雀胆毒的秘密，段僧奴重重咳嗽了声，插口道：“我知道杨宝的意思了，你是说，没有人下毒去害陈惠，他不过是连带中毒，他身上的孔雀胆毒是从张希矫将军身上转移过去的。”
杨宝道：“正是。”马文铭道：“可是县衙的仵作验过尸首，陈惠身上并没有伤口，那孔雀胆是如何进入他体内血液中？”杨宝道：“身上确实没有伤口，但他的右手上却有。”指着陈惠右手虎口道：“这里有一道裂口，我猜是陈惠在锤杀张将军时用力过度，张将军的血刚好溅到了他这道裂口上，他由此中了孔雀胆剧毒。大凡毒药，应该是先入四肢，再侵入肺腑，而孔雀胆起初的感觉是麻痹，陈惠尽管中毒量很少，但他怒气冲天，全身气血急流，毒素加速进入四肢，他出鱼课司巷后立即有所觉察。他是打金箔人，熟悉金子特性，当然知道生金可以解毒祛湿，于是临时蒙面闯进线阳金铺，抢劫了两块生金，靠食用生金碎屑来解毒。他中毒不深，生金又缓和了孔雀胆毒性，于是他得以继续进行复仇计划，在第二天晚上成功杀死了喝醉的施宗。但过度用力再度引发剧毒，生金也无力回天，于是他回到螺峰山潮音洞等死……”
马文铭听了觉得十分有理，对杨宝佩服得五体投地，当即道：“原来如此。杨羽仪推测合情合理，难怪陈惠不取张将军身上金砂，却要冒险去抢劫线阳金铺的生金。只是文铭尚有一点不明白，陈惠和施秀羽仪长手中如何会有一模一样的衣襟？”杨宝道：“我猜一直有个神秘人躲在背后，当日陈惠杀死施宗羽仪长时，神秘人暗中看见了一切，并一路跟踪陈惠来到潮音洞。不料陈惠发现了他，虽因中毒无力反抗，但拉扯中还是撕下了神秘人的一片衣襟。小侯爷在潮音洞中未能搜到铁锤，我猜这个神秘人已经将铁锤取走，正是为了当晚杀死施秀羽仪长后嫁祸给陈惠。这计划本来完美，我们即使从蛛丝马迹中怀疑杀死施秀羽仪长的另有他人，但也没有真凭实据，陈惠已死，藏尸在潮音洞的石缝中，极难被发现找到，我们却不知道这一点，依旧是漫无目的来回搜捕。幸好天理昭彰，竟然让采菌人意外发现了尸首，又阴差阳错地被开小差的差役拿来冒充另一起案件的死者，由此才得以揭开事实真相。”
高浪道：“神秘人到底是谁？”杨宝道：“神秘人肯定一直在暗中监视我们，所以他才能知道施宗和施秀羽仪长的行踪。”高浪道：“那不就是凌云么？他当晚跟着施宗出宫，巡夜的人亲眼所见。”段僧奴道：“我们这就去将凌云捉来，请那个喜欢拷打人的姚大人出来，对他严刑拷打，不怕他不招供。”杨宝忙道：“万万不可，小侯爷的顾忌有道理，现在是非常时机，必须得有真凭实据才行。”段僧奴道：“那就眼睁睁看着杀人凶手在我们眼前晃来晃去么？你们能忍，我可不能忍。”杨宝道：“宝姬，这里可是中庆，不是大理。这件事事关重大，我们先回去禀告信苴再说。”
回来忠爱宫，段功刚从行省署回来，他的人明显苍老憔悴了许多，再无昔日勃勃英气。段僧奴一见，大起爱怜之意，上前挽起父亲的手，叫道：“阿爹，人死不能复生，你不要太伤心了。”她本意在于安慰父亲，一语未毕，自己也是泪水潸然。段功轻轻叹了口气，道：“好孩子。”
杨宝上前禀告了陈惠之死及自己的种种推测。杨智道：“既是如此，凌云确实嫌疑最大。梁王近来忙于调兵，忙于四川军事，未必知道此事，不如信苴亲自去问他。”段功出神半晌，才道：“此事我自有主张。”又道，“我有事要出去一趟，杨宝，你跟我来。”当即带了杨宝和两名羽仪出城，一路东去。杨宝猜段功要去觉照寺，以前在大理，每每信苴心烦意乱时，总是会去无为寺，来了中庆后，多少有些将觉照寺当作无为寺的替代。
路过通济桥时，桥上血迹犹在，段功驻马良久，才继续东行。来到觉照寺中，又与住持智灵、禅师遗缘在茶室中攀谈许久，多涉及人生。遗缘听到段功偶尔提到目下梁王正欲对四川红巾用兵，忽然问道：“听说张希矫大将军当日下令烧毁古田寺之时，红巾其实早已经退出那里，是也不是？”段功道：“是。”叹了口气，既然张希矫已死，也不愿意再提这段往事，只是提及三年前与明玉珍红巾交战时多杀俘虏，颇多追悔之意。
直到日尽西山，杨宝依旧不能忘记前几日伽罗提及的杀孔雀胆取胆囊一事，担心迟则有变，不顾身份再三催促，段功才敬意殷殷地道：“段某兴许会有一段时间不能再来寺中向二位禅师请教，今日便当作是告辞了。”智灵劝道：“凡事尽有定数，段平章不必太伤感了。”段功道：“多谢禅师指点。”
杨宝有意落在后头，等段功出去，忽然叫道：“二位禅师请留步。”智灵、遗缘知道段功身边羽仪都是世家子弟，当即站住。遗缘问道：“尊羽仪有事么？”杨宝问道：“两位禅师可认识张希矫大将军？”遗缘道：“昨日贫僧等人曾到行省署为张将军超度，不知道这算不算是认识？”杨宝道：“张将军被还害前，没有来过寺里么？”智灵先是一愣，望了遗缘一眼，这才道：“没有。”杨宝点点头，道：“多谢二位。”迅疾步出茶室，去追段功。
杨宝临走所问的那两句话，实是有意为之。他在茶室中侍立一旁时，留意到段功所坐北首座褥下的地毯上粘有一根黄色的头发，而张希矫母亲为金发碧眼的西域人，他本人天生黄发，在云南极是罕见。若地毯那根黄发果真是张希矫所有，那么他很可能是在这间茶室里中了孔雀胆毒。只是一根头发太微乎其微，不足成为指认觉照寺的实证，因而杨宝有意提到张希矫，试探二僧的反应，果见那住持智灵反应古怪，之前遗缘禅师忽然问及张希矫火烧古田寺时，他也是一愣，情形极为可疑。只是有一点，僧人均是方外之人，孔雀胆又是如何出现在觉照寺？这二僧均是梁王座上宾，会不会跟梁王有所关联？正想将发现告知段功，却见他神色郁郁，极是阴沉，当即又将到了嘴边的话溜了回去。
回来的路上，段功一直挽马缓行，杨宝等人不敢催促。段功忽叫道：“杨宝！”杨宝道：“是，信苴。”段功道：“一会儿回去忠爱宫，你立即着手准备，明日一早便与高浪带着宝姬、伽罗回去大理。”杨宝吃了一惊，问道：“这么快？”段功点点头，道：“越快越好。”杨宝道：“遵令。”心中暗想：“信苴如此着急送宝姬回去，莫非是要发生什么事？”
段功又道：“杨宝，你是个聪明的好孩子，我将僧奴托付给你，你可要照顾好她。”杨宝听他话中有将段僧奴许配给自己之意，面上一红，垂下头，道：“是。”段功叹道：“如此，我便再无放不下的事。”
杨宝听段功话中有一股深切的悲凉，似在交代后事，心头一热，叫道：“信苴！”段功回过头来，见他神色有异，问道：“你是有什么话要说么？”杨宝道：“我破了高潜中毒的案子，虽然人人夸我聪明能干，可我自己并不快乐，我心里总觉得对不起高潜。这几日，我一直在想，如果不是我揭露了高潜自己服毒的真相，信苴兴许不会再回中庆，那么，张将军、施宗羽仪长、施秀羽仪长他们几个也就不会死。”段功愕然道：“你怎么会这么想？”杨宝道：“我就是这么想的，我总觉得是我害死了他们。”
段功叹了口气，问道：“你喜欢宝姬，是也不是？”杨宝自觉得对段僧奴的爱意隐藏得极深，甚至连她本人都没有发现，不知道段功如何知晓，不敢不答，只得红着脸道：“是。”声音低微，几不可闻。段功道：“如此，你当能理解喜欢一个女子的感受，恨不得要天天与她见面，终生厮守在一起。”杨宝心念一动，暗道：“莫非信苴是指阿盖公主？”段功正色道：“你没有什么不对的，即使你没有揭破高潜服毒一事，我也还是会返回中庆。如果一定要说有人害死了施宗、施秀，那么也该是我了。”
杨宝一时呆住，不知道该如何接话，半晌才道：“请信苴放心，属下一定会找出真凶，为施秀羽仪长报仇。”段功道：“不必，你的当务之急，是要尽快护送宝姬回去大理。”杨宝心道：“信苴如此，莫非已经知道凶手是谁？”忍不住好奇，正待询问，忽见杨智、段僧奴带着数名羽仪前来迎接，两下合作一道，这才快马加鞭，飞驰回城。
夜幕悄然降临，一切生命从绚烂走向平淡，一切喧闹渐渐归于沉寂。这一夜，忠爱宫中的羽仪们处在高度紧张的戒备当中，接连失去了两位羽仪长，无言的恐惧笼罩了每个人的心头，大家的心情就像这天气，又是燥热，又是潮湿。
当晚阿盖公主因母亲生病，去了梁王宫中探望，段功将段僧奴叫进书房，半晌不见出来。杨宝将高浪、伽罗叫到自己房中，说了明日一早要返回大理。高浪当即反对，道：“我不回去。眼下杀死施秀羽仪长的真凶尚未找到，羽仪们人心惶惶，我可不能在这个时候离开，被人骂作胆小鬼。”伽罗也道：“如果要走，大家一起走，我们不能只留下信苴一个人孤孤单单在这里。”杨宝道：“我也不想走，可这是信苴的命令，你们是想要抗命么？”
伽罗、高浪便不再言语，各自回房歇息。高浪越想越是气愤，心道：“就算明日不得不回大理，也该在离开前为信苴除去一个心腹大患才是。”主意一定，当即携了铁鞭，趁夜色往梁王宫摸去。
梁王近日多呆在北城军营，即使回宫过夜，也往往是深夜，宫中高手侍卫大多跟在他身边，宫中的警戒比平日要松弛许多，高浪又向来特别留意梁王宫侍卫的巡防，竟是不费吹灰之力摸到了侍卫住处。正待寻找凌云住处时，忽见前面远远走来两个人影，忙闪身在一棵大树后。
那两人边走边谈，慢慢走近大树。一个女子道：“唉，我真的很是烦恼，恨自己没有一点本事，无法帮他分担忧劳。”分明是阿盖公主的声音。又听见一个男子答道：“公主身份尊贵，何须为琐事忧怀。段平章既是男子，又位高权重，本该承担这些。”竟然是凌云。
高浪大吃一惊，他潜入梁王宫，本意是躲入凌云房中，等他回来后杀了他，不想在这里撞见阿盖公主和凌云私会，不觉很是奇怪，暗道：“梁王既不在宫中，凌云为何没有随侍在身旁？公主不是称王妃有病么，怎么还有心思在这里与人谈天？”
又听见阿盖道：“可我总想为他做点什么，总是做得不好。这本来也没有什么，谁叫我天生就是一个笨人，只是……只是……他怀疑是我派人杀了张希矫和施宗，我……”忍不住啜泣起来。凌云道：“段平章怎敢怀疑到公主身上？”阿盖道：“好在现在真相大白。可我当时真的觉得心像是花盆被砸烂了，碎了一地，捡不起，也拼不全。”凌云听她提到花盆，又想起当日兰花中毒事件，多有感喟。
阿盖道：“唉，最近出了这么多事，父王又总不在宫中，母后一心只知道吃斋念佛，懒得理人，我真不知道该找谁倾诉，谢谢你肯来见我。”凌云道：“公主何须客气。”阿盖问道：“你不用在父王身边么？”凌云道：“属下奉大王之命在办一件大事，大王身边自有其他侍卫。”阿盖道：“原来如此。嗯，那你去忙吧，我也该回去了。”凌云道：“公主是要回忠爱宫么？”阿盖眼睛望着自己脚尖，摩挲了许久，轻轻叹了口气，才道：“是。”凌云道：“那好，我送公主到宫门口。”刚穿过园子，一名侍卫飞奔而来，叫道：“凌侍卫，大王回来了，命你速去书房见他。”凌云道：“好，我这就去，你送公主回去。”那侍卫道：“是。”
凌云来到梁王书房，孛罗和世子阿密、王相驴儿都在，神色甚是严肃，也不知道发生了什么大事。正上前参见之时，孛罗忽喝道：“将凌云拿下。”两旁侍卫答应一声，取出粗索，上前将凌云捆翻，按在地上跪下。凌云愕然道：“不知道凌云犯了何罪，大王竟要命人拿我？”孛罗命侍卫尽数退出，这才道：“听说你总是出入如意楼，可有此事？”凌云道：“大王切不可听信人言。”阿密道：“是忽的斤亲眼所见，你还想抵赖么？”凌云道：“原来是世子妃。”
孛罗拔出佩刀，架在凌云颈中，道：“亏得本王一直视你为心腹，你竟敢勾结本王爱妾，胆子可算是不小……嗯，一刀杀了你，未免也太便宜你了……”凌云道：“属下确实去过几次如意楼，但均是奉泉妃娘娘之命前往，其中另有隐情。”孛罗道：“我早知道那贱人不安份，她与你勾搭成奸，还有什么隐情？本王要想个法子，好好惩治你们这对狗男女。”
凌云见他脸上杀气大盛，忙道：“泉妃娘娘最近与大都通信频繁，她是奇皇后心腹，大王难道不想知道是怎么回事么？”孛罗道：“难道你知道是怎么回事？”凌云道：“请大王先恕凌云死罪，凌云才敢说。”孛罗怒道：“你死到临头，还敢跟本王讲条件。奇皇后又如何，她还能亲自到云南来兴师问罪不成？我这就一刀杀了你，再一刀杀了那贱人。”阿密忙劝道：“父王息怒。反正这小子已经是砧板上的肉，跑也跑不了，不如听听他怎么说。”
孛罗这才收起佩刀，怒道：“还不快些从实招来，若有一字不实，休怪本王刀下无情。”凌云道：“是。泉妃几次召属下到如意楼，原是要问一些大王和段平章的情形，听她说是皇后娘娘一直很关注云南这边。”阿密冷笑道：“奇皇后当然关注了，她想让自己的儿子太子登基，但实力最强的河南王王保保偏偏又是保皇派，她正是需要借助各地宗王之时。我父王王号是皇上钦封，又怎会去支持她呢？不过，泉妃为什么要跟你一个侍卫谈论这些？”凌云迟疑道：“这个……”孛罗道：“说！”凌云道：“是。是泉妃向皇后娘娘奏告了云南情形后，奇皇后认为大王不足以成事，想扶持段平章当云南王，进而进攻四川，再出兵河南，牵制王保保。据说皇后娘娘有密旨，命泉妃拉拢段平章除掉大王，但似乎段平章拒绝了她。她就想先斩后奏，直接除掉大王，再嫁祸段平章，逼迫他上位。不过她毕竟只是一介女流，不足以成事，就想以名利美色诱惑属下，借属下之力向大王下手。”
孛罗气得浑身发抖，道：“那贱人要你来对付本王，你竟敢不来禀告。”凌云道：“凌云自知有罪，可我若真的告诉大王，大王会相信么？泉妃总说她是奇皇后心腹，谁也不怕，属下一个小小侍卫，如何敢与她作对？只能是暗中保护大王，再寻机告知大王真相。”孛罗道：“好！好！你好！”忽然大声叫道：“来人，速去如意楼……”
阿密忙道：“父王请息怒，这不过是凌云的片面之词，还是等弄清事情真相再处置泉妃不迟。”驴儿也道：“既然凌云说泉妃与奇皇后一直在暗中通信，想来能够在如意楼搜出书信为凭。”凌云道：“属下偶尔看到过一封书信，不过都是些奇奇怪怪的图画，没有字，属下也看不懂。”孛罗恍然大悟道：“奇皇后和那贱人都不识字。”
中国汉字自汉代传入朝鲜半岛后，一直是高丽唯一的官方书写文字，但只有极少数贵族才懂得读写，奇皇后和