Li Kui asked casually: "How old are you this year?"
Yuan Bin replied: "Returning to Deputy Qianhu, I just held the crowning ceremony the year before last."
"oh."
Li Kui slightly lengthened his tone.
Guanli, who is twenty years old, is really young.
at this time.
"My lord, could you please tell me what crime Lu Xingzhi committed and why the whole family arrested Beizhen Fusi?"
"Kuai Luban, there are some things that you know too much about, which is not good!"
The urgent conversation came quietly to my ears.
Hearing Lu Xingzhi's name, Li Kui turned around and looked.
A man in his early twenties, wearing official robes, was talking to a royal guard.
"Sir, that man's name is Kuai Xiang. He was responsible for the design and construction of Chengtian Gate. It was just completed a few days ago. All civil and military officials, including the Holy One, were very satisfied when they saw it. They even called him Kuai Luban!"
Yuan Bin said softly: "Kuai Xiang and Lu Xingzhi are good friends."
"You can tell they are good friends."
Li Kui couldn't help but laugh.
Where is Beizhen Fusi? It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a dragon's pond and a tiger's den. Kuai Xiang knew that Lu Xingzhi was caught here and dared to come to visit. This relationship is really strong!
Immediately, Li Kui tapped the handle of the knife with his index finger, thought for a moment, and ordered: "Call him over."
"yes!"
Not long after, Yuan Bin came over with Kuai Xiang.
"I've met Deputy Li Qianhu."
Kuai Xiang bowed his hands and saluted.
"Let's go." Li Kui nodded slightly and continued walking towards the imperial prison.
Kuai Xiang was a little confused. He quickly picked up his official sleeve and ran to Li Kui's side, "Where are you taking me, Deputy Qianhu?"
"Prison." Li Kui said calmly: "Don't you want to see Lu Xingzhi?"
Kuai Xiang looked happy and said hurriedly: "Thank you, sir!"
then.
The three of them came to the gate of the imperial prison and looked up.
Two fully armed guards with rifles stood on both sides of the door. The dark cell was like the open mouth of an evil beast, making people tremble with fear and send chills down their spines.
At this time, Kuai Xiang suddenly remembered all the horrific rumors about the imprisonment and couldn't help but swallow with difficulty.
Afraid of returning, he still followed closely behind Li Kui and Yuan Bin.
"I've met Fuqianhu."
Li Kui took out his seal, signed the book, and signed the name of the person to be interrogated.
Immediately, the three of them walked into the prison!
"Tap, step, step..."
In the dim corridor, the lamp oil on the wall was swaying, the light was blurred, and only the sound of my own footsteps could be heard quietly.
After walking twenty meters, cells appeared on both sides. He was wearing a white prison uniform, with long hair covering his face, and his bare arms were covered with scars. He was huddled in the corner. Although there was no screaming or blood, the psychological pressure on people was beyond imagination.
!
During this short walk, Kuai Xiang wiped the sweat from his forehead no less than five times.
"Deputy Qianhu, Lu Xingzhi is over here."
Yuan Bin led the way skillfully and would greet the guards passing by from time to time.
Not long after, everyone came outside a cell.
Lu Xingzhi looked around twenty-five years ago. His lips were pale and he was extremely haggard. He must have suffered a lot during the interrogation.
At this moment, when I heard footsteps approaching, I instinctively retreated to the corner to protect my family, timidly raised my eyes, and opened my mouth slightly, looking extremely disbelieving.
Kuai Xiang's happy face came into view!
"Kuai Xiang?!"
Lu Xingzhi crawled to the door and asked anxiously: "Kuaixiang, why are you here?"
With tears in his eyes, Kuai Xiang said with concern: "I'm here to see you!"
"Look at me? Go away, go away!" Lu Xingzhi's expression changed drastically, "You dare to come to Fusi Prison in Beizhen, so get out of here!"
"Ahem."
Li Kui coughed twice, interrupting the conversation between the two.
Only then did Lu Xingzhi notice Li Kui and the two, dressed in flying fish uniforms, immediately silenced him.
"I am Li Kui, the deputy in charge of Lin Dongdong's case."
Li Kui asked: "When Lin Dongdong left last night, was there anything special?"
"No, Lin Dongdong took the King of Siam to meet the saint yesterday. After returning, the excitement lingered for a long time, so he invited me to have a drink."
Lu Xingzhi said tirelessly:
"He was supposed to take the Siam envoy to visit Peiping today.
"So after three rounds of drinking last night, in order not to delay the business, Lin Dongdong left directly. Not long after, I returned home."
He had answered this question at least dozens of times and was able to recite it by heart.
Li Kui asked again:
"Do you know if Lin Dongdong has offended other people before?"
Lu Xing's way:
"Probably not. He is cautious and friendly with others."
"How long have you known him?"
"Five years."
Li Kui glanced at Lu Xingzhi and ordered: "Let him go."
"yes."
Yuan Bin nodded immediately and went directly to the prison chief to open the cell door.
at the same time.
"Thank you, sir, thank you, sir!"
Lu Xingzhi was stunned for a moment, and when he came to his senses, he hurriedly held up his hands and thanked him.
Immediately, he wiped away the tears that fell from excitement, held Kuai Xiang's hands and became speechless, and finally couldn't help crying:
"Kuai Xiang, Lin Dongdong is dead!"
"What?"
Kuai Xiang couldn't help but be stunned.
the other side.
"Let's go."
Li Kui turned around and left, saying to Yuan Bin: "Take me to Lin Dongdong's residence."
A path leads straight out of the prison.
"The imperial prison in Fusi, Beizhen, seems a little different from what I imagined."
Li Kui had his hands behind his back, looking relaxed.
"Lu Xingzhi is staying on the first floor of the imperial prison. He can be released at any time, but he may also be imprisoned again. The real suffering is underground, and that is the real purgatory."
Yuan Bin was one position behind Li Kui. Hearing this, he said with a smile: "You may not know something, but there are two types of prisons in Fusi, Beizhen. One is to imprison people, and the other is to imprison evil spirits and heretics."
"oh."
Li Kui was thoughtful.
at this time.
"Deputy Li Qianhu, please stay."
Kuai Xiang's voice came from behind.
Li Kui turned his head and glanced away.
But when he saw the latter trotting over, he cupped his hands and said, "I heard from Xingzhi that Lin Dongdong's body was found in a river in Chongwenmen?"
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Li Kui's tone was calm.
"Perhaps I can give Deputy Li Qianhu some help."
Kuai Xiang took a few deep breaths to calm his disordered breathing.
"Okay." Li Kui raised the corner of his mouth slightly, "Yuan Bin, do you know that place?"
"of course I know."
Yuan Bin did not hesitate and was full of confidence.
He had already done his homework.
"lead the way!"
…
…
"The snow has not yet melted, so be sure to put on more clothes."
In the street, someone shouted.
"So, you and Lin Dongdong have a good relationship?" Li Kui said.
"I met him through Xingzhi." Kuai Xiang sighed, "Although he is from Siam, he likes the Ming Dynasty very much, is humble and studious, and speaks Mandarin very fluently."
As he said that, he laughed sadly twice: "I never thought that Lu Xingzhi was sent to prison because of Lin Dongdong's death. Deputy Qianhu didn't know that the name Lin Dongdong was given to him by Xingzhi
.”
"I can see that the three of you have a good relationship." Li Kui said.
"Sir, this is it."
Yuan Bin pointed to a river not far away, with several small merchant ships floating on the river.
"Master Kuai, please."
Li Kui stretched out his hand and made an invitation.
Kuai Xiang said nothing and quickly came to the shore and watched carefully.
The fact that he can be responsible for the construction of Chengtian Gate shows that he has already risen to prominence in this field. He has seen many confidential drawings, including the detailed drawings of Chongwen Gate.
Kuai Xiang's small favor was that he wanted to find out where Lin Dongdong actually fell into the water, and maybe he could find some clues.
It is worth mentioning that Chongwenmen is the place where commercial taxes are paid.
Fine wines from all over the country enter Peiping by water, and they must pass through Chongwenmen. Therefore, waterways here extend in all directions. Where did Lin Dongdong fall into the water? And where did he float here? It is still an unsolved mystery.