Miss Ruan San was poisoned to death, and the mother of the little maid she had beaten to death hung herself from a beam. The suspect was already roughly known. Someone from the kitchen came and Qiu Liang asked about it. Sure enough, the old woman had been talking to someone next to the third girl's medicine jar.
I was joking and accidentally pushed the wife who was guarding the stove. At that time, the wife was opening the lid of the medicine jar and looking inside, but she accidentally dropped the lid. Several people thought carefully about what kind of medicine the mother-in-law had hidden in her hand.
, it was very convenient to spread it in the chaos. But I don’t know where the woman got the poison and medicine. Since she was a gatekeeper, it was very easy to recognize outsiders. The origin of the medicine was not easy to find out.
The prince then ordered to check the files of unsolved cases across the country, and collect all cases of poisoning and death where no poison or drug could be found, regardless of whether they were solved or not. Old man Qiu Liang became interested and took charge of it himself.
Seeing the young lady looking at Qiu Liang with great interest, the prince said: "Master Qiu is getting older, and this young lady has a good memory. How about asking her to help you with your chores?"
Qiu Liang was injured in an assassination attempt in his early years. It happened that Chen Ruijin saved his life when he was in Shu, so he had no intention of looking down on the woman. Instead, he stroked his beard and said, "Young girls have a sharp mind, which makes up for the lack of memory of an old man like me."
"
Lady Tong hurriedly stepped forward to salute, her eyes gleaming with joy. Qiu Liang then asked her her name. Lady Tong's maiden name was Buye because she had a very wild temper when she was young. Master Tong was afraid that she would not be able to get married in the future, so she chose it.
The name was suppressed. Mingduan heard it and said in a low voice: "What's the use of naming it? It's just as true as the name." Tong Buye didn't hear it.
Starting from that day, the old man collected files and checked the case. When he checked, he was shocked. This year alone, four people were poisoned to death for no apparent reason in Chengdu Prefecture. Qiu Liang looked at the files and was so angry that he trembled and called the prefect to curse.
One meal: "You are eating the imperial rice grain instead of doing serious business! What is the use of wearing this black gauze hat!"
The prefect was aggrieved: "I have done everything I should do! It is really an unresolved case that no one knows what kind of poison or medicine the doctor used."
Qiu Liang grabbed a paperweight on the desk and smashed it. The magistrate ducked sideways, and the paperweight flew past the hat wings and hit the ground with a "swish", breaking the hat wings by the way. Qiu Liang pointed at him and said: "It's so obvious that they are exactly the same.
You died after being poisoned, everyone knows that the case should be filed, but you act as if nothing happened! You scribbled down your blame, perfunctory, and you only hit the clock after being a monk for one day! If you don't want to be the prefect, you can make it clear earlier, and the prince will not ask for it.
If you do it, you will naturally send someone else!" The prefect turned pale with fright and begged for mercy.
Qiu Liangnai compared the four victims with Miss Ruan San to see if there were any similarities. After reading the files, he realized that the five people were completely different. A scholar, a businessman, a businessman, a housekeeper, and a young lady.
.One died in a restaurant, one died in a shop, one died in a flower house, and two died at home. The remaining four had nothing to do with the guerrillas.
Tong Buye stood in front of the case and thought for a long time, then said: "Master Qiu, let's check if there is any murder case on these four people - the kind of murder case that does not involve the government."
"Huh? How can a murder case not be brought to the government?"
Tong Buye said: "The maid who died in Ruan Mansion will not enter the government office. The one who has no one to complain will not enter the government office."
Qiu Liang heard that it made sense, so he took her to check her house in person.
The first one asked about the scholar. The scholar's father and brother all denied that he had killed anyone. Tong Buye said: "You have to understand. There was a person who was poisoned like him. He beat the girl to death and was killed.
Mother's revenge." His father was still convinced that his son was good-natured and treated his servants well. But his brother thought, just in case, and called the book boy who followed his brother to ask.
The scholar thought for a long time and said: "Second Master had a little Xianggong in the Xianggong Hall last autumn, which made him sick. I heard that he didn't survive the New Year. Does this count?"
Tong Buye immediately said: "Of course it counts. Even if you are a young husband, it is inevitable that you will have a good relationship, or even become relatives." He immediately wrote it down. Qiu Liang glanced at her approvingly.
The scholar's father was shocked: "Who took him to Xianggong's hall?" He called someone to go to the school to ask the teacher.
The next few families followed this path and asked. Sure enough, everyone was carrying their own lives. The businessman kicked a beggar and injured him, and the beggar died soon after. The idle man tried to court a widow but failed to spread rumors, and the widow committed suicide by throwing herself into a well. The housekeeper's wife
He got into a verbal dispute with someone and persuaded his master to marry his thirteen-year-old daughter to a violent nursing home. The girl died of illness in less than a year.
Now that he had his mistress, the rest of the matter was easy for Qiu Liang. The scholar died in the restaurant he usually went to. Before his death, the restaurant hired a new waiter who paid very low wages and gave him gifts.
The one who drank wine. Soon after, this guy quit his job. Before the businessman died, the shop also hired a handyman who worked for free and only ate for free. Half a year after the widow died, her only son moved to an unknown place. Someone once saw him in Flower Street.
He passed him and took a pair of portraits. Sure enough, he once worked as a laborer in the flower house where the idle man died. The uncle of the girl who was killed by the housekeeper loved his niece very much. After his niece died, he pursued a watery daughter-in-law in the kitchen.
He has already escaped now.
Qiu Liang led the people out of the housekeeper's wife's house and glanced at Tong Buye. "Tong girl, what do you think?"
Tong Buye said: "Some people give poison or medicine to people who have a grudge that is hard to avenge."
"What else?"
"These things are not difficult to investigate. Because those who died were ordinary people, the government did not pay attention to them."
"What else?"
Tong Buye thought for a long time: "No more."
Qiu Liang nodded: "It's good if it's gone. It means that the prostitute who drank with Magistrate Li in Jiaofang Division six years ago has not left Chengdu." Tong Buye's expression changed. Qiu Liang said slowly, "
No matter what kind of guy, beggars can easily escape, but the women of the Jiaofang Division are the most difficult to escape." Nai looked at her and said, "You must recognize her. If you don't tell me, it won't be difficult for me to go check it out."
Tong Buye said: "It may not be them who did it."
"Did I say they did it?" Qiu Liang said, "You will know the truth only if you ask."
Tong Buye also knew that since the old man thought about it, he would not be able to hide, so he had to tell the truth. There were three prostitutes at the banquet that day, and the one who sat next to Mr. Li was named Qi Yao Niang, who is now in Qingyue Temple.
After staying there, he and Qiu Liang came to Qingyue Temple together.
As soon as they entered the nunnery, Aunt Liu came up to her and said, "Aye, do you know what relatives Yao Niang has?"
Tong Buye was stunned: "She has no relatives. Aren't they all dead long ago?"
Aunt Liu said anxiously: "Just now a man came to her and said he was her uncle. When Yao Niang saw him, she was confused for a moment, and then she looked weird. However, she said that the man was indeed her uncle. The two of them hid.
After saying a few words, My Lady wanted to go with him."
Tong Buye asked anxiously: "Where is she?"
"He's gone! I took a few pieces of clothes with me."
Qiu Liang listened from behind and asked, "What does that man look like?"
Aunt Liu glanced at Qiu Liang and said: "He is a thin man, more than eight feet tall, with a big beard, a plaster on the bridge of his nose, and scars on his face. He is wearing a pink silk shirt, look.
I don’t know what’s wrong.”
Qiu Liang said: "I'm afraid the beard and plaster scar on my face are not real."
Tong Buye stumbled angrily: "It was just one step faster! How did they know!"
At this point, the two of them stopped lingering in Qingyue Temple and turned around to go to the Xian Jiaofang Division. There are still files of Jiaofang Division visitors since the founding of Shu. They found the volume of Qi Yao Niang and looked through it. It turned out that she was
She is the niece of a general, and her uncle was convicted of embezzling soldiers' pay, which implicated the whole family. The place where the army was stationed was where Magistrate Li was an official, seven years ago.
Tong Buye stared at the words on the book for a long time and said, "Sir, is it possible that General Qi was unjustly accused?"
"Huh?" Qiu Liang said, "Why do you see that?"
Tong Buye said: "No one has ever come to me. My grandfather is not unjust." She smiled bitterly, "I think he was unjust. But according to the law, he is not unjust."
Qiu Liang nodded thoughtfully: "I understand what you mean. Judging from the five cases this year, the deceased had intentionally injured others to death."
So he re-investigated the case of General Qi's embezzlement of ink six years ago. After finding the confidant of County Magistrate Li, General Qi was completely kept in the dark. The matter of embezzlement of ink was a joint effort between Magistrate Li and a civil servant under General Qi to deceive him.
, and later pushed him out to take the blame. He looked for the clerk again, but he disappeared seven years ago - he died of poisoning. In addition to his niece Qi Yaoniang, General Qi also had a nephew who was sentenced to hard labor. He ran away soon after arriving at the labor department.
Okay. Although the officials handling the case were not at fault, all the evidence was produced by General Qi himself.
The Crown Prince invited Qiu Liang and his men to discuss and analyze these cases. Tong Buye first said: "These are grievances that have no place to file, and revenge for relatives and friends who are beyond the reach of the law. The slowest time will be no more than a year. And it is obvious that there are people.
Help. For example, the widow's son was originally a clumsy boy who only went to work as a laborer in Hualou three months after moving. The old madam of Hualou still remembered him and said that he was very smart in his work and had a sweet mouth.
It was as if he had been coated with honey. In the past three months, someone must have taught him how to speak and how to do things. The handyman in the shop had also been recognized by the beggar. He was once a beggar. However, when he went to the shop to ask for work, his clothes were old but very clean.
"She hesitated for a moment and said, "Although I don't know if the people behind them are guerrillas, ordinary people must like them because the government cannot provide these justices."
The prince thought: "There is no justice that the government cannot provide."
Tong Buye shrugged: "For example, that little husband."
The prince glanced at Qiu Liang. Qiu Liang shook his head: "There is no choice. Unless we change the law like the federation and cancel the humble status."
The prince frowned and said: "It is so difficult to abolish slavery, but it is also not easy to cancel the lowly status."
Tong Buye said: "How about publishing these things in the newspapers and letting the whole country know that someone will secretly help prostitutes, beggars, widows, etc. to seek revenge?"
The prince and Qiu Liang said in unison: "No." Qiu Liang said: "Is it okay?"
Tong Buye asked in confusion: "Wouldn't everyone be scrupulous about this?"
Mingduan coughed twice: "When people encounter trouble, do they seek help from the government or the guerrillas? Or do they seek revenge on their own?"
Tong Buye said: "But the government can't do anything. Even the prince can't change the law. In this way, we can alert everyone, lest an ignorant young girl like Miss Ruan San misses her life again. And that young master, how can he know how to play
How can I be compensated for the death of my husband? If he had known earlier, he would not have been so ruthless."
Ming Duan said: "Don't think about it anymore, it's impossible."
Tong Buye glanced at everyone present: "The face of the court is more important than the lives of the people, right?"
"Yes." Ming Duan said sternly, "The face of the imperial court is indeed more important than the lives of the people. It has been this way since ancient times. Therefore, we can only think of other ways. For example, we still publish these cases in newspapers and do not mention the revenge of relatives and friends.
Placing their deaths on the gods and Buddhas will generally make people fearful."
Tong Buye sneered and said: "There used to be a Celestial Master in Shu, isn't Master Ming afraid that they will use this name to revive their reputation?"
"This..." Ming Duan couldn't help but be speechless. After thinking for a long time, he shook his head and said, "I can't think of a way for now."
Qiu Liang asked: "Tong girl, do you think it's good to have a friendship with Qi Yao Niang?"
Tong Buye said: "We live and die together." Qiu Liang nodded.
A missing person notice was published in the next issue of "Chengdu Weekly". It was Tong Buye who was looking for his friend Qi Yaoniang. It was said that there had been no news since you left, and all the sisters and aunts were extremely worried. If you see Yao Niang
This is an announcement, please send me a letter to bring you peace.
On the second day after the notice was published, Qingyue Temple received a letter from Qi Yaoniang. The letter was written by her, saying that everything was fine and that she would leave Shu with her uncle to make a living elsewhere. Qiu Liang immediately said: "They are still in Chengdu!"
He ordered the entire city to be searched, especially guarding the four city gates. The city gates of Chengdu had not been closed for many years, and from now on they would be closed at night. The city of Chengdu was suddenly in panic, and no one knew what had happened.
I never dreamed that things that were not reported in the Kingdom of Shu would be reported elsewhere! The Qin Kingdom next door has a copy of "Chang'an Tianxia News", which specializes in reporting news from other countries. The new issue talks about many poisonings in the Kingdom of Shu in recent years.
The newspaper published a special supplement detailing more than sixty cases. The most recent one was that the Queen of Shu's niece died after beating a little maid to death. The newspaper did not mention the suspicion of poisoning.
Who is this person? He didn't even mention the little maid's mother who committed suicide by hanging from a beam.
This newspaper had a sales office in Shu, and it was sold out in the blink of an eye, shocking both the government and the public.
Qiu Liang took the newspaper and checked the files one by one. There was nothing wrong. He sneered and said: "The person behind the scenes must have said it himself."
The King of Shu urgently summoned the special envoy of the State of Qin to inquire. The envoy said: "Xiaguan also bought the newspaper on the street yesterday. This newspaper is not an official newspaper of our Qin State, but a people's newspaper. Xianguan has sent people back to Chang'an at night to investigate the matter.
Already."
The prince went straight to Situ Cen's house. She dropped the newspaper on Situ Cen's desk and said, "Third uncle, this matter belongs to you."
Situ Cen said: "How can it be mine?"
"That brother of yours is too eager and ruthless." The prince said, "He secretly helps the guerrillas, and he does this again." She pointed at the newspaper and said, "Isn't this forcing us to abolish slaves and cancel our status? More than sixty
I didn't investigate the case, and I didn't see them saying anything. I just returned to China last year, so I have to give it a few years of work, right? It's not like you don't know what kind of temper your second brother and my biological father are. He doesn't want to abolish slavery from the bottom of his heart.
"She hummed, "They even pushed it to the ministers, saying that it was not up to the imperial deliberation. There was no imperial deliberation at all when the Qin State abolished slaves. The King of Qin claimed that he was ill, and Prime Minister Zhu Tong ordered it to be abolished directly."
Situ Cen frowned. He knew that if he asked Jia Cong, that brother would only encourage him and his niece to join forces to evade his second brother. But the military power of the Shu Kingdom was in the hands of the King of Shu.