Xian Xian

Chapter 142: Splash ink

Li Chaoge inspected the scene at the gate of Zhang Mansion. There were traces of whitewashing on the door, and there were ink stains on the door. Li Chaoge asked: “When did you post it? There are words on the door?”

The concierge who was guarding one side said bitterly, “In reply to the Lord’s words, Xiaodai every day? I saw it as soon as I opened the door. Erlang sent someone to stare at him for several days, and I still don’t know who did it.”

This house belonged to Zhang Yanyi, Zhang Yanzhi’s cousin. Zhang Yanyi opened the door to the street so that they could go to the street as soon as they opened the door, which was both grand and convenient. But this? Do the same? There are restrictions. Luoyang curfew, no one is allowed to stay on the street after the drums, so the Zhang family must close the gate after dark, and can’t arrange guards outside the gate, or else?

Zhang Yanyi couldn’t send someone to guard the door, so she could only let people wait inside the door and come out to arrest someone when they heard unusual movement outside. It’s a pity that they squatted for several days, and they didn’t get anything at night, but every day, as soon as they opened the door in the morning, they could see that their door was scribbled again.

The concierge whispered: “My lord, the little one promises that we are not lazy. We held our ears all night, and we didn’t even dare to blink our eyes. The little man really didn’t hear any unusual movements, but the next day he always woke up? If there are words, it is also evil.”

Zhang Yanzhi accompany him, and he heard this saying: “Is it something? Lonely souls and wild ghosts are making trouble?”

Li Chaoge didn’t want to take Zhang Yanzhi, but this is the house of Zhang’s family. One of Zhang Yan’s vice-president, we should cooperate in investigating the case, and Li Chaoge can’t drive him away. Li Chaoge can only put him aside, investigate the case by himself, and treat him as if Zhang Yanzhi does not exist. Zhang Yanzhi didn’t feel negligent, and followed him the whole time, most of them listened quietly, trying not to add confusion to Li Chaoge.

Now he found the opportunity and agreed. Li Chaoge chuckled softly when he heard it, and said: “I didn’t do anything wrong, and I’m not afraid of ghosts knocking on the door. If it is really done by ghosts, then you have to think about what wicked things have been done during this period of time. .”

Zhang Yanzhi was a little embarrassed, and the concierge next to him listened and hurriedly blew up the benevolence and morality of Zhang Mansion. Li Chaoge was too lazy to listen to this? Nonsense, interrupted unceremoniously? Interrupted: “Are you the only one guarding the gate at night?”

“Usually there is only one small person.” The porter replied, “But these days, strange things happen frequently, and Jiro has called many people to come and see the door.”

Li Chaoge nodded, and said, “Who are there? Call them all.” The concierge hurried to spread the word. Zhang Yanzhi saw him and said, “My lord, it’s windy outside. Go in and talk slowly.”

Li Chaoge wants to see the scene and is standing in front of the gate of Zhang’s house right now. Recently, news of strange things in the Zhang family has spread all over the place, and so many of them are standing here, attracting the crowds to look around. Li Chaoge nodded and asked slowly. Zhang Yanzhi was very happy, and immediately led the way in front of him: “The father comes with me. Today, the weather is so cold, but I have to trouble the father to come to the mansion to investigate the case. I am really sorry. My cousin is ready. If you have the food, why not check it after the lord?”

“She is a public official and cannot accept gifts from people related to the case, nor can she eat.”

Li Chaoge stopped in surprise. She turned her head and saw a group of people approaching Zhang Mansion braving the wind. The first person wore a black cloak, bright scarlet, and a thick cloak, which made his appearance more and more beautiful. Gu Mingke stepped up the steps, naturally stretched out his hand, and pulled Li Chaoge to his side: “We understand Zhang Fengchen’s kindness, but it’s time for Zhang Fengchen to ask for a bribe, so I will reject it on her behalf. ”

Li Chaoge naturally? Doesn’t care about Zhang Yanzhi’s meal. She didn’t even make a decision. Even if the Zhang family invited her to dinner, Li Chaoge wouldn’t dare to touch it. But she looked at Gu Mingke very surprised: “Why are you here?”

Nowadays, there are very few cases that require Dali Siqing to investigate in person. He has no foreign missions, and the yamen has not left. How come out?

Gu Mingke smiled at Li Chaoge? He held Li Chaoge’s hand and naturally put it in his cloak, as if warming her hands, and said: “The case of the citizens of Gyeonggi is supposed to be taken care of by Dali Temple. I heard that Zhang Mansion has not recently Taiping, come and have a look.”

Zhang Yanzhi frowned, Gu Mingke might be too annoying. Li Chaoge just left the palace, is he chasing him?

Zhang Yanzhi clicked the corner of his lips, like a smile? Not a smile? and said: “I didn’t expect Gu Siqing to care about Zhang Mansion like this. It’s not an honor to be in the next? However, the empress said that this time it was a demon who committed the crime, and it was handed over to the town demon. A thorough investigation. The Lord Sheng Yuan himself is also a member of the third rank of the imperial court, not the property of Gu Siqing. What does Gu Siqing always follow? What is it? Could it be Lian Gong? Host the case, and Gu Siqing should also intervene ?”

Li Chaoge wanted to speak, but Gu Mingke squeezed his hand hard. Li Chaoge could only stop, she stood beside Gu Mingke helplessly, watching him wearing a cloak, standing upright and solemnly at the front door, and said to Zhang Yanzhi: “Others are hard to say, but she really belongs to me. Things. I’m listed from the third-rank Dali Temple, the same? I’m still Du Ma Ma. My wife is acting outside, and I’ll come and see when I think about it. No outsider’s consent is required.”

Zhang Yanzhi’s fingers were clenched, and even the smile on his face could not be maintained: “I heard that Gu Siqing is the most public? He is stern and unconcerned. Didn’t expect that Gu Siqing would use power for personal gain during his official duties? ”

Gu Mingke nodded frankly, with a glimpse of light in his eyes, and a hidden edge: “My marriage contract with Chao Ge is the marriage of Gao Zong, and the marriage of Sanqing, which is written up in the book. Since the date of marriage, the marriage contract has been effective. Regardless of whether we are going to the government or the government, we are all husbands and wives, and it has nothing to do with time.”

Zhang Yanzhi sarcastically satirized Gu Mingke’s public and private, pretending to be pretentious, but Gu Mingke directly recognized it and pulled out the “law” and framed his behavior in a fair and magnificent manner. Li Chaoge secretly admired, knowing a little bit of the law? That’s good, even if he is at a loss, he can seize the high moral point.

Zhang Yanzhi couldn’t say Gu Mingke, and he didn’t have a thick skin. He was angry but couldn’t speak. Gu Mingke did not hesitate that he was still wearing the clothes of the highest official of Dali Temple, and he needed to maintain the solemn and solemn image of Dali Temple in front of the people. He firmly held Li Chaoge’s hand, under the public? Openly? Pulling and pulling: “Before finding out the truth? Who knows whether the criminal is a human or a ghost. I will accompany the commander in to question, if it is confirmed? Inhumane? It’s not too late for Dali Temple to transfer it to the Town Demon Division.”

Li Chaoge was dragged by him and said quietly, “According to your logic, you can take over all the cases of the Town Demon Division?”

After all, before the murderer was caught? Who can guarantee that it must be the monster? What energy still exists in the Demon Division of the town, I have found out for Dali Temple.

Gu Mingke’s surface was light and windy, and the clouds were light and windy, but the fingers under the cloak squeezed her palm vigorously. Li Chaoge was forced to change his calibre and said, “Yes, Gu Siqing made sense. Thank you Gu Siqing for coming all the way to help. I will interrogate the witness in a while, so trouble Gu Siqing for a second?”

Gu Ming Ke nodded nodded: “It’s an honor to help the commander.”

Zhang Yanzhi didn’t want Gu Mingke to join in at all. The empress had said it would be handed over to the Town Demon Division. What did Gu Mingke come over and disturb? But Gu Mingke was really treacherous and put out a bunch of glamorous excuses, blocking every escape route for Zhang Yanzhi. Zhang Yanzhi had no choice but to stare bitterly at Gu Mingke entering the door.

Li Chaoge and Gu Mingke walked to the main hall. Gu Mingke assumed the posture as an observer, letting Li Chaoge take the lead. He sat quietly next to him, but squeezed the host, Zhang Yanzhi away. Zhang Yanzhi was reluctant to sit in the guest seat, and Li Chaoge saw that everyone was ready, so he said, “The doorkeeper comes in.”

The gatekeepers walked in for the first time. They were shocked when they saw the posture of the three trial sessions in the main hall, and their legs were soft: “See Lord Sheng Yuan, see Lord Gu.”

Li Chaoge said: “I’m just asking you to come over and ask questions, don’t be nervous. How is the goalkeeping arrangement for the past few days?”

“Lord, the youngest is the concierge.” The servant who answered at the door just now said, “The youngest was originally responsible for guarding the door. On the morning of the second morning, the door was splashed with words. Erlang sent someone to brush the door again. On the morning of the 28th, the young man got up and saw that those characters appeared again. Erlang was very angry and sent the young man to arrest people at night. The villain did not dare to sleep all night, and leaned on the door cautiously. He obviously didn’t hear anything, but the next day? The words came out again. On the fourth day? The villain became more and more at night? Be careful, drink tea all night. Refreshing, I didn’t dare to neglect, but the situation was exactly the same. On the fifth day? The villain couldn’t hold it anymore, and called another person to accompany the young man to arrest him. On the sixth day? Become four people. On the seventh day? Ten people came, but… the villain swears to heaven, the little one is absolutely not lazy. If the master doesn’t believe it, he can ask other people, and they don’t hear anything.”

After the porter had finished speaking, the other servants promised together, with bitter expressions on their faces. Although Zhang Yanyi was the host, she didn’t come to investigate the case. Instead, Zhang Yanzhi came forward, accompanied by the housekeeper of Zhang’s house. Upon seeing this, the housekeeper saluted Li Chaoge: “Master Sheng Yuan, they are right. The gatekeepers are indeed arranged in this way these days.”

Li Chaoge replied and said to Zhang Yanzhi: “Zhang Fengchen, I’m suddenly thirsty. Can you please go to the kitchen with Chen’s order? I can get a bowl of **** tea?”

Zhang Yanzhi was stunned. How could Li Chaoge suddenly? Want to drink tea? When the housekeeper heard this, he was about to do it quickly, Zhang Yanzhi stopped the people, stood up, and said: “It’s rare for a father to use me, so let me go.”

Zhang Yanzhi glanced at the servants on the ground, turned around and left. After Zhang Yanzhi and the housekeeper left, Li Chaoge changed his position and said unhurriedly: “To be honest, what did you do during the night watch?”

In front of the master’s house, all these people pretended to behave, insisting that they were not lazy or nap, and worked hard, but they didn’t hear anything. In this way, go down, can interrogate, and the result will be a ghost.

There were still hesitations on the faces of several doorkeepers, and Li Chaoge took a long time to say: “You better understand the importance. A momentary oversight is a small one, and a problem that cannot be solved is the big one. If the handwriting on the door can’t be found? Come, you one All will suffer.”

The concierge also understood this truth. Seeing that Zhang Wulang had already left, he smiled flatteringly, and said, “The father is really observant and judged like a god! The villain admires him.”

“Talk about the point.”

“Hey, yes.” The concierge hurriedly responded, and said, “The first two days? The villain didn’t care. After closing the door as usual, he fell asleep. On the third day, after the words appeared again, Jiro knew about him. It was deliberate. Erlang was very angry, and the little one didn’t dare to sleep anymore. He waited at night. But in winter? The night was cold, and the little one seemed to have lost a few naps and fell asleep without knowing it. The fourth day? Yelixiao Afraid of being scolded by Erlang, he specially asked the kitchen to send strong tea to refresh his mind. The villain was clearly awake all night, and only squinted for a short while before dawn, and then he said what they said again. The fifth day? The villain was afraid that he was distracted, so he called another person, thinking that the two people reminded each other, so that they would not fall asleep. Who can? Know that the handwriting has only been ignored for a while, and the handwriting has appeared again. Sixth. At night, we simply arranged four people in two or two shifts. If you don’t believe it, you can’t catch that ghost. This time? None of us fell asleep, but the door was written on the door as usual. The seventh night Jiro sent ten people to talk to Jingo. Say hello, there are two people inside and two outside, three shifts, but we have to see what is pretending to be a ghost. This time? We were all safe and sound all night. When the curfew was lifted, we also looked at the gate, and the door was clean. We came back for business, and only blinked, there was another word on the door.”

Li Chaoge asked: “How do the four of you work in shifts on the sixth night?”

“Two people stood behind the door and listened. Two people sat in the room warming up, changing shifts half an hour.”

“Sure no one is asleep?”

“Standing in the cold wind, I definitely didn’t fall asleep.” The janitor said decisively. Li Chaoge twisted his eyebrows. This night is different from before. People are guarded at the door from beginning to end. If someone writes on the outside, he can definitely hear it inside. Why? Why is it still not found?

Gu Mingke sat quietly next to him, as if he was actually here to listen. At this moment, he finally spoke and asked: “Are you always at the door? Is there a situation where all four of you enter the house?”

The janitor insisted that there was no, but his eyes seemed to dodge. Li Chaoge saw that it was wrong, and immediately asked with a calm face, “To tell the truth.”

The janitor was frightened and knelt on the ground, shivering and saying: “It seems like once. Now it’s the twelfth lunar month, the night is too cold, and the little one can’t stand the cold, so he went back to the house with his companion to warm up a stick of incense. Kung Fu. We will come out soon, and before we enter the house, let the night watchman guard us at the door, and we will never miss it.”

Li Chaoge’s eyes moved slightly when he heard this: “Night-watcher?”

“Yes, an old man, the mistress just hired in.” The janitor said, “You know, the lord, our lord has just moved to a new house. There are many distinguished guests every day. The mistress is afraid of being thief. I hired an old man to patrol around the house every night, specializing in fire and thieves.”

There are night patrols in the high gate compound, otherwise? Such a big house, no one knows when to jump in. Zhang Yanyi repaired the garden so large, the more he should pay attention.

Li Chaoge didn’t make a statement, but secretly looked at each other with Gu Mingke, and both felt that there was something wrong with the night watcher.

Li Chaoge said: “You go down? Go, call the night watcher over.”

Soon the night watchman came over. He was already in his old age, his figure was humble, and his walking was a bit bumpy. After seeing Li Chaoge and Gu Mingke, he trembled and knelt down: “Caomin sees the father and the lord the horse.”

Li Chaoge sighed inwardly when he saw such an old man. First, she asked someone to help the night watcher up and asked: “You are so old, patrolling every night, can your body stand it?”

The night watchman smiled bitterly?: “Can’t stand it? Can? What should I do? People always have to eat. I am old and weak, and I can’t find other jobs. I can only apply for the job of the night watch. Can? , Cao Min is satisfied.”

Li Chaoge couldn’t help? Then he couldn’t help but ask: “Where are your children? You are so old, why are they? Why did they let you out? Come to find hard work?”

The night watchman lowered his head and said: “Caomin’s son gave birth to a grandson, and his daughter-in-law is pregnant again. The family really can’t open the pot. The Caomin can only come out and see where he can recruit people. No matter what kind of job it is, as long as he can? Just bring some money to the family.”

Li Chaoge and Gu Mingke both sighed. Li Chaoge asked: “On the second day of the second year? At night, when you were patrolling, why? Why did you want to guard the gate for the concierge?”

The night watchman said: “Those adults are the celebrities in front of the master’s house? The Cao Min dare not offend. Cao Min saw that they were freezing badly, and wanted to please the two adults, so he took the initiative to help them for a while. Anyway, Cao Min will always guard. Overnight, it won’t be tight for a while.”

“When you replaced, was there any unusual movement outside?”

The night watchman shook his head?: “No, Caomin didn’t hear anything.”

“When you were guarding the gate, was there anyone next to you?”

The night watchman also shook his head?: “No, there is only the Caomin.”

In other words, no one could prove the whereabouts of the night watchers at that time. But Li Chaoge looked at the night watchman’s body, and really didn’t think that such an old man was capable of jumping out of the wall under the eyelids of the four servants, and then turning back safely after he finished writing.

Gu Mingke’s eyes fell on the night watchman and asked, “Have you ever cultivated the land?”

The night-watcher nodded?: “Yes, the Caomin has lived with the land all his life. Now that he is old, he can’t bend his waist anymore, so he can only go to the city to find some casual work.”

Gu Mingke asked again: “Do you know Chinese characters?”

The night-watcher shook his head? Gu Mingke was not surprised. A farmer who had a wrong accent, how could it be possible? Knowing words.

Li Chaoge sent a call to the night watchman to go down. After he left, Li Chaoge became curious: “He is old and frail, and illiterate. It’s impossible for someone to write? It’s him. Then who else has time to commit crimes?”

It’s not that Li Chaoge had never suspected demons, but she carefully watched the door today and didn’t find demons on it. After that, all her investigations focused on people, and now she began to doubt her judgment.

Could it be some unusual monster?

Gu Mingke was unconvinced. At this time, Zhang Yanzhi came back with **** tea. Li Chaoge just casually made up a reason to distract Zhang Yanzhi, not wanting to drink **** tea. She opened the lid of the tea to make a look, and suddenly she thought: “The janitor said that refreshing tea was delivered in the kitchen on the fourth and fifth nights, and then he accidentally fell asleep. Could it be that there is a problem with the tea? ?”

Zhang Yanzhi had known that Li Chaoge had deliberately distracted him, and now it is not surprising to hear information that he does not understand. Zhang Yanzhi asked: “Since the master suspects, then I will call the people in the kitchen?”

“No.” Li Chaoge put down the tea cup, stood up and said, “I just go to the kitchen and have a look.”

Li Chaoge went out, followed by a group of Wuyangyang people. The kitchen has never been a beautiful place, with oily ideas, **** smells, messy ingredients, and black and white everywhere. Slightly more facial? The maids are reluctant to approach the kitchen, and Li Chaoge has no color when entering this environment. The people in the kitchen suddenly saw Zhang Wulang coming, followed by two fairy-like ladies and gentlemen, they were all startled. Everyone hurriedly wiped their hands on their clothes, and bowed to Zhang Yanzhi: “The slave pleases Wulang.”

Zhang Yanzhi waved his hand and said, “You don’t need to be polite, I will accompany Mr. Sheng Yuan to ask questions.”

The people in the kitchen were shocked when they heard it, the father-in-law?

The kitchen steward was visibly panicked: “President? Lord? How can a person with golden branches and jade leaves? Enter a place like the kitchen? Slaves should die for sins, and it stains the eyes of the Lord?”

Li Chaoge stopped them. She glanced across the stoves and asked, “On the twenty-nine and thirty-two days? Did the concierge and kitchen ask for refreshing tea?”

Everyone didn’t know what Li Chaoge asked about this. The woman in charge of making tea stood up and said, tremblingly, “Go back? Master, there is such a thing. It’s the tea made by the old slave.”

Li Chaoge’s face was faint and asked, “Have you checked the tea?”

The lady who made the tea was shocked when she heard it. The steward of the Zhang Mansion said: “Return to the lord, this lady was brought over from the old mansion by the prince. He has served for many years, and he can trust it. The concierge also suspected tea. Two days? Erlang let someone check that it is indeed ordinary strong tea.”

The tea is okay, the clue is broken again. Li Chaoge sighed secretly, planning to leave. She went out? In front of the door, saw a hot pot in the pot, and asked: “What’s inside?”

When the housekeeper heard this, he quickly introduced: “My lord, you are right. This is a chef from our mansion who specially invites over. She especially knows how to make noodles. Wang Wei said it was all right after having eaten it. Father? Lord, Would you like to stay? Try?”

Li Chaoge was not in the mood to eat. She asked and decided to leave, but Zhang’s people kept her for dinner, and kept saying: “Master, grandma Sun’s pastry is really good, they The soup and cake stall at home is well-known far and wide, and later entered the mansion, specializing in making noodles for Erlang and the nobles.”

A slightly fat middle-aged woman bowed her head, so many people praised her, but she didn’t show any pride, she just dropped her hands peacefully. The lady who made the tea was a bit unhappy, and yin and yang ran weirdly against the grandmother Sun Auntie: “Yes, everyone likes the things that grandmother grandmother Sun made. That day, grandmother grandmother Sun made too many noodles, by the way. Bring it to the janitor. They have half a pot of tea left, but they have eaten all the cakes.”

The mother-in-law’s words were very low, and immediately drowned in the noise, but Li Chaoge noticed. Li Chaoge didn’t say anything. When he came out, he calmly asked the housekeeper: “Gong? What’s the matter with Aunt Sun?”

The housekeeper replied: “She originally opened a stall in this area, and the business is very good. After Erlang moved over, he heard that she was doing well with pasta, so he recruited her into the house.”

“Where does she live on weekdays?”

“Naturally? In the house.” The housekeeper didn’t know what Li Chaoge was doing when asked about this, and said strangely, “She is a house servant who sleeps with the wife in the kitchen.”

“Can you leave at night? Can you go?”

The butler was embarrassed and laughed? Two times. Zhang Yanzhi answered: “My lord, my second wife is the housekeeper. The inner door will be locked at night, and the house will never be fornication.”

Li Chaoge thinks too, even if he is the father? Aunt Sun adds something to the cake, but how does she know when the other party finishes eating? In addition, Aunt Sun lives in an inner house and sleeps in the same bunk with people in the kitchen. The possibility of slipping out at night is very small.

Li Chaoge felt a headache, and asked, “Do you know Mr. Sun and the night watcher?”

“How do you know this?” the housekeeper said, “Gong? Auntie Sun is a chef specially hired by Erlang, and the night watchman is a hired part-time worker, and there is no contact at all.”

One was chosen by Zhang Yanyi on his own initiative, and the other was applied for by herself. It is impossible for the two to arrange it in advance. Li Chaoge asked for a long time? But the relationship between the characters hasn’t made any progress. She changed her way of thinking and felt that everything will never change from her sect, so she said: “Let’s go to the scene again.”

This time, Li Chaoge didn’t walk from the main entrance, but decided to go and check the Fangmen. Li Chaoge went out from the side door of Zhang Mansion and walked outside along the wall. Zhang Yanyi’s house occupies half of the square, and he had to open the door in the street. The square didn’t dare to offend the Zhang family, so he demolished the original square door and moved the access road to the southeast corner.

Li Chaoge glanced at the small and narrow gate, then turned his head and glanced at the housekeeper lightly: “Everyone in the gate has to come and go from here, the gate is such a house, and the road is not smooth, even pedestrians Now, if anyone has a car, I’m afraid it’s all out? Don’t go.”

The housekeeper laughed, but his expression looked completely improper. Yes, their home is convenient, and other people are up to them.

Li Chaoge stopped in front of the square gate, before leaving, she glanced at the square wall. The walls of the square are rammed with loess, and it has been weathered a lot under the wind and sun for many years. When Li Chaoge turned his head back, the square wall was low and shattered, but the courtyard wall of Zhang Mansion was neat and tidy with blue bricks, tall and beautiful.

Li Chaoge secretly hit the wall of Liangfang, Gu Mingke stopped beside Li Chaoge, and said softly: “This high degree is not difficult. If it is an adult man, it is easy to get over it if you want to.”

Li Chaoge didn’t answer, raised his eyes and smiled? He asked, “I didn’t understand the case. How do you know if it is a human or a ghost? Gu Siqing is so keen to rob me in the case?”

Gu Mingke smiled lightly? He smiled, and looked down at her: “Is the case I robbed?”