Jiang Meng closed the window and welcomed everyone back to their seats and said with a smile: "The Pang family in Yangzhou Prefecture are just like the current emperors. They make money like the sea and spend money like the Yangtze River. But the goblins in Yangzhou Prefecture are getting worse and worse. Half a year ago, the prefect Zhu Zijian issued an order
The Yangzhou Prefecture was shut down to slay the demons. Mr. Pang’s fleet could no longer sail. My brothers and I, who were living on daily necessities, were suddenly cut off from our livelihoods. It happened that the prefect wanted to recruit a brave man from Xiangxiang, so I wanted to find a way for my brothers.
It’s a way to survive, but I didn’t know that several of my confused and powerful enemies became the generals guarding the city of Yangzhou Prefecture.”
Xiang Xiaotian praised: "Brother Jiang, you are too modest. If the Song Dynasty could have more generals like you, why would the Jin people be so arrogant?"
"Me? I can't. The little effort I have is not as good as anyone here. Oh, by the way, Brother Chen knows Taoism. If he can get rid of the goblins in Yangzhou Mansion, it will be a blessing to all people.
ah."
Chen Mengsheng said solemnly: "It is our duty to conquer demons and protect the Tao. But now I have to go to the Zhongyong Temple to bury Miss Ying's ashes and reunite her with her family. Then I want to have a fight with the goblin."
"This matter is easy to handle. After dinner, I will take you to the Zhongyong Temple. After that, brothers, you can take a ride with me to see Governor Zhu. He knows best about the goblins..."
In the afternoon, Chen Mengsheng and four other people from the Zhongyong Temple in Yangzhou Prefecture entered the ancestral hall and paid homage to the stone statue of Ying Tianxiong who raised his sword and leaped on the horse. This Zhongyong Temple was built a year ago by Emperor Xiaozong's imperial minister Wang Huai. The traces of stone carvings and axes are still there.
It is vaguely visible that behind Ying Tianxiong is a three-foot-six-foot-high archway, carved from granite rocks transported from southern Fujian. On it are the words "Awesomeness will last forever" and "Fu Yong Tianxiang" written by Zhao Hao. Behind the archway is Yangzhou.
The tomb where the governor Ying Tianxiong's loyal bones were buried has been glazed, and the white marble inscription on it records Ying Tianxiong's life-long deeds of resisting the Jin Dynasty and killing the enemy.
Jiang Meng suddenly said: "It's just because it was Ying Tianxiong who was plotted and his whole family was killed. After his death, he was burned beyond recognition by the fire. Mr. Wang Huai couldn't tell who was Ying Tianxiong, so he filed a memorial to Xiaozong Zhao Jin.
.Zhao Xun had no choice but to bury dozens of charred corpses that had been moved from mass graves in this tomb."
Chen Mengsheng took out the jar of Ying Xiaolian's ashes from his bag and used a magic ruler to pry open the granite rocks on the tomb. He buried Ying Xiaolian's ashes and restored the tomb. He sighed: "Miss Ying, today you are
I finally reunited with my family. The past has faded away. I just hope that the girl will find a good family again..." He recited another rebirth mantra to save the souls of the dead, and a heavy downpour started in the winter rainless weather.
The four of them sat in the carriage accompanied by Jiang Meng in the rain and rushed to the Yangzhou magistrate's mansion. An hour later, the carriage stopped in Wuyi Shenxiang. Jiang Meng and Chen Mengsheng got out of the car, and Jiang Meng smashed the door knocker.
There were several copper rivets on the left and right sides of the lacquered door. Only official residences can have door rivets on the door. The rivets on the doors vary depending on the official status. After a while, the back door opened on the left and right, and the person who opened the door was a young man in Tsing Yi. When he saw Jiang Meng, he said:
"Master Jiang, it's an unlucky time for you to come here today."
Jiang Meng glared and said, "What's wrong? Isn't the prefect Zhu at home?"
"That's not true. The master is ill because of the demon trouble, and he ordered not to see guests."
When Jiang Meng heard this, he laughed loudly and said, "Go back and report to Master Zhu that Jiang Meng has sent him medicine."
The boy braved the heavy rain and went back to report. In a short time, Yeli took a few bamboo umbrellas and welcomed Jiang Meng and his entourage outside the flower hall of the prefect.
When Zhu Zijian saw Jiang Meng, he immediately asked: "General Jiang, do you have a way to subdue demons?" His face was full of anxiety.
Jiang Meng said: "To tell you what Master Zhu is saying, I don't know how to conquer monsters." When Zhu Zijian heard what Jiang Meng said, his face suddenly dropped and his brows knitted into knots.
"You don't have a good plan, but you come to trick me again. Since I became an official in Shaoxing on the 31st Jinshi, I, Zhu Zijian, have not been able to prosper the country and quell external worries. Now I can't even afford the people in Yangzhou Prefecture to live in peace and contentment. Alas, it is really embarrassing to face this.
Eat the king's salary. Cough, cough, cough..." After Zhu Zijian finished speaking, he coughed heavily, and his face turned wet, indicating that he was seriously ill.
"Sir, although I can't help it, I have hired some experts for you. Their methods are hundreds of times better than Jiang's."
"Go, go, go. Over the past year, I have invited hundreds of monks, Taoists and masters, but I haven't even seen a shadow of a goblin. Except for the gods in the sky, I really don't know who I haven't invited.
Already."
"Haha, sir, the person I invited this time is really a god." Jiang Meng told all about Chen Meng's birth and death of the giant turtle a year ago...
After hearing this, Zhu Zijian was overjoyed and said: "Where is that Chen Mengsheng now? I'm going to see if it's as you said."
"My lord, there is no need to work. I have already invited the people for you. Just because they have no official status and cannot meet the lord, they are waiting outside the flower hall now."
"Please, please, please."
Jiang Meng stood up and opened the hall door and welcomed Chen Mengsheng and others into the hall. Chen Mengsheng saw that the prefect Zhu Zijian was over fifty, with dyed hair on his temples. He was dressed in plain clothes and a cotton-padded jacket. He did not look like a corrupt official and a wealthy man. Chen Mengren was neither polite nor polite.
After talking, Zhu Zijian didn't say anything. He just asked: "How many of you really know how to subdue demons?"
Xiang Xiaotian felt uncomfortable after hearing this, and said unhappily: "I am a hunter in Yicheng, and I don't have any ability to subdue monsters. I only have the strength to do something stupid, so we won't be embarrassed here. Brothers, let's go.
.”
"Wait a minute, brother Xiang, calm down. Mr. Zhu is also worried about the people and has asked people to help him subjugate the monsters many times. But apart from being defrauded of money, he has never seen even a monster. Therefore, he will be suspicious, so he also invites Xiang
Brother, show off your magical skills."
Xiang Xiaotian saw that Jiang Meng's words were sincere, so he couldn't get angry with him. He retreated to a corner of the flower hall, lowered his waist, picked up his bow, and held his breath. The arrow pointed at the half stick of sandalwood as thick as chopsticks curling up from the clear smoke in front of the window ten steps away.
.
Jiang Meng Dahao hurriedly blocked Zhu Zijian with his body. In "Song Punishment", those who bring swords to officials are punished with sticks. In other words, although the prefect Zhu Zijian is wearing casual clothes, Xiang Xiaotian is wearing a big bow when he meets officials.
Zhu Zijian can punish Xiang Xiaotian. This is like a heartless person who goes to court with a kitchen knife. If he is justified or unreasonable, he will be beaten first. If he is beaten to death, he deserves it. If he is not killed, you can enjoy it secretly.
Xiang Xiaotian shouted: "There is a bug hole on the beam of the small pavilion opposite the flower hall. Let me help you fix it." People in the flower hall looked through the window, and Chen Mengsheng could indeed see under the beam of the pavilion a hundred steps away from the flower hall.
It has bug eyes as small as orange pips. But it's windy and rainy outside right now, and if you're not careful, you could miss it a thousand miles away.
The "Zheng" arrow flew out of the window at an angle, with half a piece of sandalwood attached to the arrowhead. It was nailed right on the insect's eye, and the sandalwood was still smoking.
Jiang Meng shouted loudly: "Okay, magic arrow."
The prefect Zhu Zijian said dullly: "General Jiang, this is just a good arrow. How did it become a magic arrow?" Xiang Xiaotian's face turned green with anger after hearing this.
Jiang Meng laughed and said, "Master Zhu doesn't know something. Just now, Brother Xiang used an arrow to break the air and broke the sandalwood. Then he shot it in, but the arrow did not penetrate the sandalwood. The sandalwood was over a hundred feet away and was not destroyed by the heavy rain."
That means the arrow is as fast as lightning. If you had pulled out the long arrow, the insect's eye would have been blocked by the sandalwood mud. Isn't this kind of light-weight arrow a magical arrow?"
Zhu Zijian, a scholar who really didn't understand what was going on, shouted loudly: "Come here, bring me a ladder, and let me examine it myself."
The servants in the mansion set up a ladder and put it under the beams of the pavilion. Zhu Zijian climbed up the ladder to check. The servants were holding the ladder, and beside him were Chen Mengsheng and others. Zhu Zijian had never paid attention to such small things as insect holes under the beams. Seeing
The sandalwood on the arrow was still smoking. When I pulled out the shaft of the arrow hard, it didn't move at all. With more force, I finally pulled out the arrow. Just as Jiang Meng said, the red fragrant mud blocked the insect's eyes. Just as he was about to get off the stairs, he stopped.
Unexpectedly, the bamboo ladder under my feet got wet from the falling rain, and I slipped and fell from the twenty-foot-high ladder...
Zhu Zijian shouted: "Help me..." Before the servants at the bottom of the stairs could catch Zhu Zijian, Master Zhu was picked up by Chen Mengsheng's belt and headed to the flower hall. Chen Mengsheng sat Zhu Zijian firmly into the grand master's chair in the flower hall.
He laughed heartily and said: "Okay, today I have opened my eyes. You are indeed not those people who only used to talk nonsense. You really have some skills."
Since Chen Mengsheng redressed Ying Xiaolian's grievances, most of the officials he encountered were corrupt officials, so he only came to Zhu Zijian for Jiang Meng's sake. He said coldly: "Master Zhu, please tell me about the evil spirit."
Let’s do it.”
Zhu Zijian said happily: "Okay, gentlemen, please come with me to the study." Chen Mengsheng nodded and went to the study with Xiang Xiaotian, Shangguan Yanran and others.
In the study, Zhu Zijian took out a thick stack of files from the drawer and handed it to Chen Mengsheng. Chen Mengsheng opened the file and saw that there was a stack of autopsy records and interrogation records. Chen Mengsheng turned around and handed the file to Shangguan Yanran and said
: "Junior sister is very attentive and smart, please ask me to check if there are any clues?" Shangguan happily took the file and went to a corner of the study room to look at the file carefully...
Chen Mengsheng asked: "Master Zhu, can you still remember when the demon case in Yangzhou Prefecture started? Who was the first person to be killed?"
"Of course I remember this. It turns out that Yangzhou Mansion has always been peaceful. It was at the end of spring last year that this demon case broke out. The first person to be killed was the gardener in Pang Mansion."
"Pang Mansion? Mr. Pang of Yangzhou Mansion?" Chen Mengsheng asked in surprise.
"Yes, it's that Mr. Pang. From then on, a murder occurred every few days. The county magistrate Wang Ji found it difficult to investigate the case, so he referred it to me. Alas, I am also at a loss and have no clue."
"Where is the gardener's dead body now? Is there any abnormality found?"
"No, there are no wounds or holes on the body, so why can't we find out what happened to it? The body was initially placed in the Yamen Yizhuang, but later, because nothing could be found, the Pang Mansion took the body back.
.”
Chen Mengsheng thought for a while and said: "Then why do you say it was done by goblins?"
"Since the inexplicable death of the gardener, sometimes the same harmless murders have occurred one after another, and sometimes they have occurred several months apart. The victims were all young and strong men, and the family members in the house did not know anything was wrong, and the doors and windows were locked.
There are no pry marks. This is not the work of goblins. I really can’t think of anyone who could kill forty-seven lives without leaving any traces."
Chen Mengsheng was silent for a moment and said: "Brother, junior sister, let's go to Pang Mansion to have a look..."