More than twenty miles east of the capital is a wilderness. This is what the people in the capital call Dongshan. In fact, it is not a real mountain, just a group of continuous hills.
The mountains of Dongshan are desolate, with wild trees crisscrossing the ditches and slopes. Mass burial cemeteries are everywhere, making it very desolate. Even the people in the capital are unwilling to bury their deceased relatives here. Those buried here are all those who died without owners and died young.
The people here are all lonely ghosts.
On a sultry night, the surrounding mountains were pitch black. Zhang Yanling, Chen Shi and others walked through the knee-high grass covering the path. The night wind blew, and night owls were everywhere, and wild dogs and wolves were heard in the mountains.
The howling sound makes people's hair stand on end. From time to time, disturbed wild birds will fly into the night sky in the grass, which is so frightening that people sweat all over and their adrenaline surges.
Finally, on a slope next to a ravine, Zhang Yanling and others stopped.
"Master Hou, we are here. Enter the fourth ditch on the north slope of Dongshan Mountain." Chen Shiyi said in a deep voice.
Zhang Yanling nodded and said: "Okay, everyone, let's take a look around. The graves buried in the first month should be full of long grass now, so I'm afraid it's hard to find. Everyone, please be careful and don't dig the wrong grave and scare other orphans."
Wild ghost."
Chen Shi smiled and said: "Don't worry, they say there are two trees planted in front of the grave. If you find two trees, you can find it. Besides, what are the ghosts afraid of? Are we still afraid of these? If the ghosts dare to come, I will kill them all.
."
Zhang Yanling waved her hands and said: "Don't talk nonsense. It's better to believe that this kind of thing exists than to believe that it doesn't exist. Everyone, work in pairs and look for it quickly."
Everyone agreed and carried lanterns and spread out to search on the gentle slope on the mountain ridge. From time to time, they could find bones and skulls in the grass, which scared everyone and cursed them. There are many graves in this place, probably because the terrain is flat and faces south.
.but very
Many graves covered with long grass had many large holes dug out, and the darkness was really scary. Everyone knew that these were the work of wild dogs and other wild animals in the mountains, as evidenced by the bones and skeletons in the grass.
They were corpses dug out of graves and eaten by wild dogs.
Not long after, someone shouted: "Master Hou, Chen Baihu, it seems to be this tomb."
Zhang Yanling and Chen Shi hurried over and saw the small tomb covered with grass. There were indeed two trees in front of the tomb, but one was dead and the other had its head broken.
This tomb is located in a corner of the hillside. If you don’t look carefully, you might think it is just a small dirt bag. There is no tombstone or any markings.
Zhang Yanling said in a deep voice: "Let's do it. Finish the work quickly."
Chen Shi nodded and ordered, and Zhao Yuancheng stepped forward and shoveled a piece of turf with the shovel in his hand. Others also stepped forward and started digging with the tools they brought.
The small grave actually didn't have much soil. Soon, the entire grave was excavated, revealing a thin coffin inside. Under the light of lanterns and torches, you could see that the coffin in the shallow grave had rotted.
Half of the straw mats covering the coffin were in tatters and were in a state of decay.
"Master Hou, do you want to open the coffin?" Chen Shi asked.
"Open the coffin." Zhang Yanling waved her hand and said solemnly.
Chen Shiyi stepped forward in person, inserted a steel knife into the gap in the coffin lid, and pried it hard. With a clicking sound, the coffin lid was slowly tilted up. This kind of thin coffin, even the method of nailing the coffin lid
The nails are also very cut corners.
Smoke and dust were flying, the mountain wind blew the torches, and the candles in the lanterns flickered and danced. After the coffin lid was opened, many people looked elsewhere, not daring to look at the situation inside. Only Chen Shiyi not only looked inside, Instead, he reached in and lifted up the rotten thin quilt.
"Master Hou, it's her." Chen Shi said.
Zhang Yanling nodded and said in a deep voice: "Prepare firewood and burn it to ashes."
"Yes!" Chen Shi said.
The guards immediately began to take action, and were preparing to cut down the surrounding shrubs and trees for firewood and burn the coffin. Suddenly, piercing laughter sounded from the top of the hillside.
Zhang Yanling, Chen Shiyi and others were shocked. Chen Shiyi quickly stopped in front of Zhang Yanling and shouted: "Who is it?"
"Hahaha. Mr. Zhang, Chen Baihu. Don't be afraid, it's me." More than a dozen figures walked slowly from the top of the hillside. Under the light of the torch, the face of the first person gradually became clear.
"Shen Liang? What are you doing here?" Zhang Yanling shouted loudly.
Shen Liang smiled and said: "Shouldn't I ask you? Mr. Zhang, you went to the barren mountains and mountains of Dongshan to dig up people's graves in the middle of the night. What are you doing? Could it be that Mr. Hou and Chen Baihu are still there? Another identity: During the day, he is a prince that everyone respects, but at night, he is a tomb robber? Hahaha."
"Shen Liang, it's none of your business. Don't meddle in other people's business." Zhang Yanling shouted.
Shen Liang smiled and said: "Master Zhang, don't pretend, I know all about the things you did. If you don't answer, I will guess. Is there a woman buried in this tomb? Is it Zhou? The emperor liked the woman who was sent to the palace by his family, and then you Zhang family siblings murdered her, right? In case the emperor favored others, the queen fell out of favor, and your Zhang family also lost power, right?"
Zhang Yanling sneered: "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Shen Liang smiled and said: "Master Zhang, at this time, why are you still secretive? Mr. Shen knows everything. I guess the cause of death of the woman in the coffin must not be drowning. Maybe there are some bones there. The bones were broken, or the bones were blackened and poisoned. The emperor secretly ordered people to investigate this matter, so you, Mr. Zhang, came to destroy the corpses and eliminate traces, right? Just like you killed all the witnesses who knew the truth before. Haha, Mr. Zhang, your methods are really clever."
Zhang Yanling sneered and said: "Shen Liang, I didn't expect that you are really smart and know so much. Don't you know that the more you know, the more dangerous you are? Besides, what does this matter have to do with you? Relationship? What purpose do you want to achieve by following us here?"
Shen Liang sneered: "Purpose? My purpose is very simple. It is to make this matter public and report it to the emperor. Let the emperor punish you well. Zhang Yanling, you are not good at offending anyone, but you come to provoke me. If you offend me, then you will be punished." There’s a price to pay.”
Zhang Yanling frowned and said, "Shen Liang, did Mou Bin ask you to come here? Mou Bin promised me not to get involved in this matter anymore. Could it be that he lied to me?"
Shen Liang chuckled and said: "Mo Bin? He doesn't have the courage. People say that the higher the official position, the less willing to take risks. The emperor asked him to check you, but he was frightened by you. He actually reached the so-called agreement with you. The transaction was really disappointing. He refused, so I did it myself. Zhang Yanling, you can only blame yourself for your bad luck. You can't be lucky forever. You can't escape this time, unlike last time. What happened outside the city, you were lucky, you actually escaped with your life."
Zhang Yanling said in a deep voice: "Shen Liang, what do you mean, was it you who was responsible for the ambush that happened last time?"
Shen Liang chuckled and said, "Guess!"
Zhang Yanling nodded slowly and said: "It is indeed you. Mou Bin lied to me, and he actually protected you. Damn it!"