In Wei Liang's low county government house, several people stood quietly.
There was an earthen bed on which Wei Liang, the magistrate of Gu'an County, lay unconscious. The table was filled with everything he needed.
A basin for washing his face, a cloth pad, and a bowl and spoon for force-feeding him liquid food.
The house was not big to begin with, but now that there were three or four people standing there, it seemed even more crowded.
However, other than this house, Xiao Chen really didn't know where he should go to question the government officials.
Duan Tianming held his hands in front of his chest, leaned against the bright pillar in the middle of the room, looked at his toes, and listened quietly to Xiao Chen's questions.
Wei Qi sat on the edge of the kang, holding Wei Liang's arm and squeezing it gently. He only hoped that his kneading could make his eldest brother feel more comfortable and wake up as soon as possible.
"Luxury? Wei Zhixian told you that Shopkeeper Li's yard is very luxurious?" Xiao Chen couldn't help but ask.
Gu'an County, I know, is a poor place where no crops grow. How can you get rich by doing business in this place?
People's daily meals have become a problem. How can they have spare money to buy other things?
How can a businessman make money without customers?
Even Wei Liang, the county magistrate, was impoverished and lived a life comparable to that of ordinary people. But he was an official of the imperial court and had obtained his fame through examination.
Even if he doesn't leave home on weekdays, he has participated in the Beijing Conference to try out people after all.
What is missing in the capital?
To the extent that he would not hesitate to use the word luxury to describe it, Shopkeeper Li's yard should be really unusual.
It shouldn't be easy for shopkeeper Li to be able to accumulate so much wealth by doing business in Gu'an.
"That's what Magistrate Wei said. He said that the pavilions and pavilions inside are unparalleled in exquisiteness. Some of the materials used are things he has never seen in his life. Even the floor inside is made of white marble."
The yamen officer once again said the exact words Wei Zhixian described to him.
"Shopkeeper Li is really a rich man. Such a wealthy person is willing to stay in a poor place like Gu'an. What is he planning?" Xiao Chen smiled faintly, as if he saw a glimmer of hope.
The yamen servant looked at Xiao Chen, took a step forward, and lowered his voice: "Wei Zhixian once told me that when he walked to the door of Shopkeeper Li's house, two men who used to work as waiters in Shopkeeper Li's rice store blocked him.
He tried to persuade him to leave. Later, shopkeeper Li came out in person and took him in."
"Wei Zhixian was rejected when we were at the door?" Xiao Chen was startled. This sentence is worth thinking about.
"Well," the Yamen servant nodded, "Wei Zhixian once said that he also suspected that there was something wrong in the courtyard at first. Otherwise, he is also the Zhixian of Gu'an, so he walked to the door of Shopkeeper Li's house, and those servants,
No matter what, you shouldn't persuade yourself to leave. That only means that there is something in the yard that you shouldn't see."
"Wei Zhixian also sensed something unusual?" Xiao Chen stared closely into the eyes of the Yamen servant.
If these are all facts, then the basic facts of this case have gradually become clearer.
It is very likely that Wei Zhixian saw something inside that he should not have seen, so Shopkeeper Li wanted to kill him and silence him.
But Wei Zhixian was a court official, and shopkeeper Li didn't dare to take his life, but wanted to shut him up forever, so he chose to hit him from behind.
So far, Shopkeeper Li is the most suspect.
But what Xiao Chen is more interested in is what is there in this yard that no one can see.
"That's what Wei Zhixian thought before going in. But after entering, Wei Zhixian realized that he might have thought too much. Inside, except for exquisite pavilions and large luxurious houses, there is nothing else
Something unusual." The officer continued.
"Oh? Wei Zhixian overturned his conjecture?" Xiao Chen couldn't help being stunned.
The glimmer of hope we just saw was wiped out by Wei Zhixian's self-denial.
"Then Magistrate Wei's impression of Shopkeeper Li is nothing but luxury?" Xiao Chen asked again.
If he really just had money, then Shopkeeper Li wouldn't have to take action against Magistrate Wei.
You must know that the other party is the magistrate of Gu'an. Although he is poor, he is still within the establishment of the imperial court. He does not pose a great threat to himself, and no one will harm a magistrate without considering the consequences.
"Although Shopkeeper Li is a businessman, he is not as stingy as ordinary businessmen. He has never refused to borrow seeds from Weizhi County. On weekdays, he is also extremely enthusiastic about the people of Gu'an. Returning to the county government
, Weizhi County once said to me with a smile, Shopkeeper Li has done good things for Gu'an for so many years, how can he suspect that there is a problem in his yard," the Yamen servant looked at Xiao Chen and explained quickly.
"Now that things have happened, all the questions have pointed to Shopkeeper Li's big yard. How can I know if Shopkeeper Li has any problems without taking a look at it? I am also curious in my heart, what is the luxury that Wei Zhixian talks about?
." Xiao Chen laughed.
"Shall we go for a walk in the courtyard of Shopkeeper Li's house?" Duan Tianming, who had been acting as a listener, raised his head, which was always looking at his toes, and asked Xiao Chen with his eyes.
Wei Qi also slipped down from the edge of the Kang, ready to set off.
"We don't know where Shopkeeper Li's courtyard is. We can only ask this government servant to lead the way for us," Xiao Chen said.
"Although I haven't been in before, I know the place and I can take you all there with me. There will be no problem." The yamen officer also looked eager to try.
"It seems that everyone is full of curiosity about this extremely luxurious courtyard." Xiao Chen looked at Wei Liang, who was lying motionless on the kang, "We are all gone, who will take care of County Magistrate Wei? What if he
It’s not okay to wake up without someone around you.”
"I went to the kitchen to call my sister-in-law over. She was busy making bone soup for my eldest brother," Wei Qi said.
Xiao Chen nodded: "Well, that's fine."
Waiting for Wei Liang's wife to enter the house, the group of people left the county government compound and walked towards Shopkeeper Li's mysterious courtyard under the city wall.
Gu'an County is not a very big town. Half an hour later, a few people arrived at the door of Shopkeeper Li's yard.
The door was closed and there was no one at the door.
The two "boys" who had refused Weizhi County entry into the courtyard did not stand at the door.
"That's not right. Wei Zhixian said that when he came, there was a man who used to work as a waiter in Shopkeeper Li's rice store standing at the door. Now, why is there no one at the door?" The yamen servant walking in the front was a little suspicious.
said.
"Maybe, people are standing inside the gate today." Xiao Chen said with a smile.
"That's right." The yamen servant chuckled, walked to the gate, raised his right hand, and started tapping the door with a "dong dong dong" sound.
After a while, there was a sound of footsteps approaching from far away. Then, the door creaked open from the inside, and a figure dressed as a servant flashed out from inside.
"This is a private courtyard, who are you looking for?" The servant looked at the people in front of him and asked with vigilance.
"Excuse me, is this shopkeeper Li's home?" Xiao Chen walked up and asked softly.
"Yes. Who are you?"
"We are from the imperial court, and we are looking for you, Shopkeeper Li, to inquire about some information." Xiao Chen stared into the other person's eyes and said calmly.
Hearing Xiao Chen's answer, the servant's face was calm, without any emotional changes on the surface: "The master has not been in good health these days and is recuperating at home. Please wait a moment, I will go in to report and see what the master is today.
Based on your physical condition, can you accommodate a few people?"
"Okay." Xiao Chen smiled slightly and replied softly.
In the yard, shopkeeper Li stood at the door of the main hall, wearing a black cloak. He looked at the servants running over in a hurry: "How many people are there?"
"Sir, there are four people outside the door, including a government official from this county." The servant hurriedly replied.
"These people came very quickly." Shopkeeper Li sighed and said softly.
"Master, see you or not?"
"No? How dare I not see you?"
"The villain has told them that you are suffering from a physical illness and may not be able to see them." The servant bowed his body and whispered back.
"Today they are pretending to be sick, but what about tomorrow? This level will come sooner or later, so let them come in."
Putting down his hands, shopkeeper Li whispered and slowly retreated into the room.
