Denghuaxiao

Chapter 84: Pretending to be dead

The morning light is faint.

 The cold fog is thick in autumn.

 The wind blew through the night, and the frost was blowing on the trees. The black dog stretched out in the yard, and the golden leaves rustled all over the ground with his paws.

Tomorrow is August 15th, and the Yuetuan rice wine sent from the inner court material warehouse is piled on the open space in front of the Palace Commander's Mansion. In the room, Pei Yunying turns around and sits down on the chair. The round-faced and round-eyed boy beside him is no longer as smart as before. He followed behind him dejectedly.

Last night, a report was received at the Junpu Military House, saying that the corpse of a strange man was found at the foot of Wangchun Mountain. The deceased looked like he stabbed his throat with a stone and died of excessive blood loss. However, a purse was found on the deceased.

The purse is exquisite, embroidered with lifelike ducks playing in the water, and also embroidered with the name of Duan Xiaoyan, the imperial guard in front of the palace.

After Duan Xiaoyan learned about this, he couldn't believe his ears and hurried to Wangchun Mountain to meet those who were patrolling the bungalow. At this troubled time, the case of officials from the Ministry of Rites of the DPRK colluding with candidates to accept bribes has not yet been settled. No one wants to get into trouble at this juncture.

However, although there were doubts, Wu Zuo did not find anything wrong in the body of the deceased. It happened to rain the night before, and the rain washed away everything around, leaving not even a single footprint.

If Duan Xiaoyan really killed someone, then such a clean follow-up would be exactly what he wanted. But for Duan Xiaoyan, who was wrongfully accused, the rain and suicide only added a lot of suspicion to him that he wanted to cover up.

 Fortunately, except for a purse, no other evidence has been found yet. After all, the deceased Liu Kun was just an ordinary shop owner of a noodle shop on Queer Street. Duan Xiaoyan and Liu Kun had no enmity and had never met each other before. There was really no reason to kill him.

but…

Duan Xiaoyan was still a little depressed when he thought about the suspicious looks from the soldiers.

The young man drooped his head and spoke in a dull tone.

“Brother, why do you think Dr. Lu framed me?”

The pale golden purse was lost the last time she and Lu Yan met at the gate of Fan Mansion. At that time, Pei Yunying suspected that Lu Meng had picked up the purse, and went to Renxin Medical Center with Duan Xiaoyan to test it out, but found nothing.

 At that time, Duan Xiaoyan thought that Pei Yunying's move was purely careless. After all, Lu Zhu was such a good doctor, so why did he need a purse from him?

Now he understood that it was originally meant to be used at this time.

Duan Xiaoyan still doesn’t understand why Lu Zhen wanted to frame him?

You must know that from beginning to end, he was not disrespectful to Lu Zhu at all, and even said countless good things about Lu Zhu in front of Pei Yunying.

Doctor Lu doesn’t say thank you, how can he repay kindness with enmity?

The young man's face was full of grievance, just like the black dog in the courtyard that couldn't chew the bones. He was very sad.

Pei Yunying glanced at him and smiled sarcastically.

 “She is not trying to frame you, she is trying to frame me.”

A doctor who hides rotten pig heads under the bed, a doctor who buries half a pig carcass in an unattended courtyard, everything last night was just a show she performed for everyone.

The twists and turns are just for the climax at the last moment - the male corpse at the foot of Wangchun Mountain.

 Jackdaws were perched in the courtyard, stopping on the branches and making two calls. Pei Yunying lowered his head, took a Suan Ni paperweight from the desk and played with it, his eyes dark and unclear.

Bai Shouyi, who filed the complaint, and the cousin of the Du family who appeared as a witness were just roles she had already arranged in the play. It was ridiculous that the two of them were unaware that they were in the game. Shen Fengying from the military bunkhouse, together with him, became the audience of this play.

In other words, at least the last time, when Lu Yan picked up Duan Xiaoyan's purse and pretended not to know it, he had already arranged many scenes that would happen in the future.

She has been aware of her suspicions, but she has been pretending that she has no way to deal with him, quietly planning and arranging, and taking advantage of all the people around her. It is bound to drag him into this muddy water.

The tribute case was related to her, and the corpse at the foot of Wangchun Mountain was also inseparable from her. In the end, a search last night cleared the suspicion of the medical clinic. Shen Feng was dissatisfied with Bai Shouyi and also provoked Du Changqing and his cousin. Due to the relationship, Duan Xiaoyan was framed, and the palace chief was left passive overnight.

And she herself is innocent and clean.

Pei Yunying lowered his eyes and his expression became cold and calm.

 This is a warning.

 Duan Xiaoyan's hesitant voice came from beside him: "But, is the person who died on Wangchun Mountain last night really related to Dr. Lu?"

"Wu Zuo said that he committed suicide. Doctor Lu's tiny arms and legs can really kill someone? Can't he?"

At this time, I still want to speak for Lu Zhuo, Pei Yunying said.

“My little arms and legs can kill ten of you, and even if I bury you, no one can find me.”

 Duan Xiaoyan was speechless.

Pei Yunying paused, put down the Suanni paperweight, and stood up.

 “You want to go out?”

Pei Yunying picked up the silver knife on the table and said, "I'm afraid the three government offices have received the news. I'll handle it."

He walked to the door, stopped suddenly, turned around and said, "Don't look for Lu Zhuo."

"Why?"

Pei Yunying smiled, his dark eyes seemed to be stained with a hint of frost.

“That’s a madman, stay away from her. Otherwise if something goes wrong, I won’t be able to save you.”

 …

 The morning fog gradually dispersed.

The sun slowly climbed up from the foot of Wangchun Mountain, crossed the river under the Luoyue Bridge, and spread its golden light over the entire Shengjing city.

In the small courtyard of Wu Xiucai's family behind the fish shop on West Street, the mourning hall was crowded with scholars who were sleeping in confusion.

 Wu Youcai's body was brought back yesterday.

Members of the poetry club headed by Hu Yuanwai pooled their money to buy a coffin for Wu Youcai, built a mourning hall in the courtyard of the Wu family, and invited the fortune teller He Xiazi to perform a ritual ceremony for him.

He Xiazizi said that Wu Youcai died of suicide and was deeply resentful. He had to stay in mourning for seven days and choose a good and auspicious day to bury him to soothe his resentment. During these seven days, it is best to have several men guard the mourning hall and have sufficient Yang energy. It can be shocking and gloomy.

The young Confucian scholar felt that He Xiazi was talking nonsense, just trying to defraud more money for religious services. However, Hu Yuanwai agreed wholeheartedly, saying that all the food and drinks for the rest of his life would be on his account. Wu Xiucai had met him once, and now that he was in the last phase of the human world, he should be allowed to die with dignity.

So everyone took their blankets and thin clothes, told their families last night, and came together to Wu's house to keep vigil for the deceased Wu Xiucai.

The frost under the eaves condensed into dewdrops, which suddenly fell on the face of a person near the door. The man shrugged his nose, sneezed, and slowly opened his eyes.

 Daddy Xun woke up.

He and Wu Youcai were also old acquaintances. On the day of the tribute ceremony, Wu Youcai's first chariot house was still adjacent to his. Father Xun saw with his own eyes Wu Xiucai's death expression, and he shed tears for Wu Youcai's tragic experience.

 So he packed his bags and came to Wu's house to see Wu Xiucai on his last journey.

 The mourning hall was quiet, with the faint snoring of young Confucian scholars.

Last night was the first night of the vigil. Hu Yuanwai set up a tent in the courtyard and specially invited a theater troupe to come to the mourning hall and ordered a play for Wu Xiucai, "Old Scholar Wins the Number One Prize at Eighty Years Old".

Regardless of how others saw this, Father Xun was so full of tears and snot that his face was filled with tears. In the end, when the opera was over, the singers left, and everyone fell asleep. Father Xun was still in tears. Recollection over and over again with eyes filled with emotion.

Daddy Xun wiped his face, sat up straight, and looked around while rubbing his waist.

Hu Yuanwai was lying on the floor mat, sleeping soundly with Tang Pozi in his arms. Among the flower cloths spread on the floor, there were some cloud cakes, red dates and mixed candies scattered randomly - snacks that were not finished when watching the theater last night.

There was a dark coffin placed in the center. Wu Xiucai died suddenly. There were not many ready-made coffins in the coffin shop to choose from, so Hu Yuanwai took the initiative and picked the one with the best craftsmanship.

At this moment, the coffin was sitting quietly in the mourning hall, dark and cold. For some reason, Father Xun suddenly shivered.

He thought he was wearing thin clothes and was cold, so he turned around to find a thin blanket. When he turned his head, he heard a "rustling" sound coming from behind him.

 Dad Xun was stunned.

The sound was very soft, high-pitched and thin, like the sound made by a mouse's paws scratching the wall.

But maybe it was because the early morning on West Street was too quiet, or maybe it was because the wind in the mourning hall was too cold. In short, in the dead silence, this thin scratching sound seemed to have caught Father Xun's scalp, causing him to suddenly have pain from head to toe. A chill.

 No, this sound...why does it sound like it's coming from inside the coffin?

 Daddy Xun turned around stiffly.

The scratching sound continued, and this time it was clear that the sound was indeed coming from the coffin.

 In an instant, Father Xun was sweating like rain.

The fortune teller He Blind said that Wu Xiucai was resentful and might become a vicious ghost. Everyone just thought that the blind man was making nonsense to make money, but could it be true? Also, how could Wu Xiucai be willing to reincarnate when he died so unjustly? Maybe his soul is wandering around due to his resentment and wants to turn this place into a haunted house.

Father Xun's face like a withered tree kept trembling, and he persuaded with a trembling voice: "You are talented, I know you are not willing to accept it, but the past is over, don't dwell on it... Those who harmed you have already been sent to prison. , you should reincarnate well and be an official or a young master in your next life. You will be rewarded after all the hardships. Don’t be obsessed with the world..."

 The scratching sound became louder.

Father Xun braced himself and continued to speak: "If you really can't think about it, and you have to turn into a evil spirit, don't find the wrong person... Every injustice has its owner, and every debt has its owner. We are all here to help you, and I even took out a piece of your coffin." Where’s the money…”

His nagging voice woke up Hu Yuanwai on the side. Hu Yuanwai turned over and sat up, staring at Father Xun in confusion.

“Lao Xun, what are you talking to yourself about?”

Daddy Xun ignored him, staring straight ahead with his eyes and his legs shaking non-stop.

Hu Yuanwai was suspicious. He followed his gaze and his scalp suddenly went numb.

The dark coffin lay heavy in the center of the mourning hall. The lid of the coffin was pushed halfway open at some point, and one hand was resting on the edge of the coffin, as if he was about to sit up from inside.

As if feeling the fear of the two people in the mourning hall, the next moment, a face appeared in front of them.

Wu Xiucai was wearing a brand new satin square scarf and a newly made big green round collar embroidered ingot shroud. His face was painted red and white. He looked at the two of them and spoke quietly.

"Hu…"

 A scream resounded over the Wu family.

 “Ghost, there is a ghost!”

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 by the talented man who has deceived his corpse—‘

 …

When the news of Wu Youcai's corpse fraud reached Renxin Medical Center, Du Changqing was sweeping the floor in the small courtyard. The soldiers had made a mess in the medical center last night, and they had to clean up the aftermath themselves.

Acheng stood in front of him, his eyes shining with excitement, and he was gesticulating with Du Changqing hurriedly.

"...It was said that the bull-headed horse face had seduced Brother Wu's soul, and the ghost soldiers with green faces and fangs put a collar on his neck and dragged him to the underworld. The Lord of Hell from all directions asked the judge to bring the case file. When the hall was opened, it was discovered that Brother Wu had been loyal throughout his life and immersed himself in studying. , Filial piety comes first, and he has never done anything bad. It turns out that he accidentally entered the Hall of Hell before his life span was over, so he asked the kid to send him back again."

Du Changqing frowned when he heard this: "Did Wu Xiucai say this himself?"

Acheng nodded fiercely: "Isn't it? It can be seen that Lord Yan of the Yin Division is really clear about good and evil, and he will not wrong a good person! Now because of this incident, the incense in the Chenghuang Temple has become much more prosperous. Boss, why don't we also go up to a few pillars?" "

These words sounded true but not true at the same time. Du Changqing turned to call Lu Chen: "Doctor Lu—"

Acheng grabbed him and said, "My boss forgot, didn't Doctor Lu go out to buy things early in the morning?"

Du Changqing was speechless.

Lu Zhuo did go out early in the morning. The soldiers entered Lu Zhuo's house last night, threw pens and papers everywhere in the house, and broke many utensils.

Lu Zhen still needs paper to write prescriptions on weekdays. In the morning, he and Yin Zheng went out and asked to go to the paper and ink shop.

Of course, she left so early to avoid Du Changqing chasing Xia Rongrong out.

Du Changqing sent Xia Rongrong away in the morning.

Before leaving, Xia Rongrong cried and grabbed his arm, confessed his mistake, and said she wanted to apologize to Lu Zhu personally, but Du Changqing refused.

Du Changqing has known Xia Rongrong since she was a child. Over the years, he has turned a blind eye to her harmless selfishness. In this world, everyone has selfish motives, and it is not wrong to think more about yourself.

 But Xia Rongrong's mistake was that she secretly joined forces with Bai Shouyi, which violated Du Changqing's taboo.

Since Xia Rongrong has known him since childhood, she should be aware of the bullying methods Bai Shouyi used against Renxin Medical Center. Xia Rongrong communicated with Bai Shouyi privately behind his back, just to deal with her own people together with outsiders. If Xia Rongrong even cared about his cousin, she wouldn't be able to do such a thing.

Xia Rongrong wiped away her tears and stood in front of the carriage looking at him sadly, trying to arouse some of his past feelings.

“Cousin, we used to be very good friends. You forgot that when you were seven years old, you fell ill and no one in the Du family noticed. My mother went to ask a doctor for you at night and took care of you all night. The next day, your eyes were red..."

 He smiled bitterly: "But cousin, you and I have grown up."

They are no longer children. Back then, when he was the young master of the Du family, he could give Xia Rongrong toys, makeup, and money, but that was all. Now he is just a small proprietor of a shabby medical clinic. Whatever Xia Rongrong wants, he gives it to her. No.

Handgrass helped Xia Rongrong get into the carriage. He gave Xia Rongrong a sum of money, enough to allow her to stay in Shengjing for a longer period of time. As for whether Xia Rongrong will continue to stay in Shengjing or go home, he doesn't know, and he doesn't want to know.

Du Changqing threw the broom in his hand, looked at the sky in the distance, and smiled to himself.

What the hell, he’s not a living Bodhisattva, so he can’t care about everyone.

At Renxin Medical Center, a living Bodhisattva named Lu is enough.

 …

The Living Bodhisattva of Renxin Medical Center is walking in the market with Yin Zheng at the moment.

Last night, the soldiers searched and smashed many utensils, and Du Changqing also felt that Lu Zhu was frightened, so he simply allowed her a day off and let Lu Zhu and Yin Zheng go shopping by themselves to buy some supplies for the hospital. s things.

　Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the streets in the city are particularly lively and full of people. A stage was set up in the tile-roofed house, and the audience was singing and singing.

Yin Zheng walked beside Lu Zhuo, holding the candies and apricot slices she just bought in her hands, her eyes hesitating on her face several times.

 Lu Huan asked: "What?"

Yin Zheng smiled, her eyes curved like crescent moons.

 “Girl, you put on rouge today!”

Lu Zhen is naturally beautiful, with red lips and white teeth. He usually doesn't apply makeup or powder at the medical clinic, but today for the first time, a thin layer of rouge was applied to the ground.

The rouge was given by Du Changqing, who said it was a new product from Ming Yuzhai last month and cost him half a pound. Du Changqing felt that Lu Zhen always dressed more plainly than his dead grandmother, so Lu Zhen, a young girl, occasionally had to clean up after herself.

As a result, Lu Zhuo turned around and locked it in the box, and Yin Zheng secretly took it out and placed it on the dressing table.

 I didn’t expect it to be used on Lu Zhuo’s face today.

Lu Zhen frowned: "It's weird?"

 “That’s not surprising!” Yin Zheng waved her hands hurriedly and said with a smile, “It’s very pretty!”

This is true, Lu Yan's facial features are good, but she usually looks cold and indifferent, and she doesn't like to dress up, so her beauty is inevitably covered up. However, today she is wearing a tea-colored Chang'an bamboo-patterned cotton skirt, with a few clusters of fresh osmanthus flowers dotted between her braids, her snow-white skin and black hair, willow eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, and a light blush on her lips, which is better than the beauty of orchids and chrysanthemums.

Yin Zheng thought to herself, if such a beautiful young lady was not practicing medicine in a medical clinic, she would be in a boudoir at this age, and the people who proposed to marry her would have to cross the threshold.

Just when he thought of this, Lu Zhuo stopped beside him and raised his eyes to look ahead.

Yin Zheng followed her gaze.

 In front of him is an empty mansion.

Outside the vermilion gate, the large, exquisitely carved lanterns that originally hung under the eaves have been torn down and thrown all over the floor. The official seal is like two light and heavy chains, tightly locking the door. At the door beam, half a golden plaque hung sideways, as if it would be completely smashed down at the next moment.

It seems that not long ago, this place was the luxurious Zhuhu Gate. However, within a few days, it became dilapidated and desolate, like an empty and haunted house that others could avoid.

 Lu Xu lowered his eyes.

This is the residence of Fan Zhenglian, the judge of the Criminal Court.

Fan Zhenglian has now been sent to Zhao Prison, his family and relatives have all been implicated, and the servants in the mansion have fled. Although the case in the Department of Criminal Justice has not yet come to a conclusion, each family has officials working in Beijing. A quick inquiry revealed that the current situation of the Fan family is not optimistic.

Even the minister of the Ministry of Rites had no way to turn to him, let alone a detailed judge of the court of justice. The officialdom certainly required a ladder to climb up, but everyone who built the ladder suffered, and the people on the ladder had no reason to be alone.

Fan Zhenglian's situation is very doomed, and it will only be a matter of time before the other half of the plaque falls down.

Lu Zhen raised her head and looked at the plaque of the Fan family. She was lost in thought for a while, when she suddenly heard someone calling her from behind.

 “Doctor Lu?”

Yin Zheng was startled at the same time as her, and then turned back.

A few steps away from Fan's house, there was a tall man standing. This man had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and his face was haggard and tired. He looked at Lu Chen with surprise.

Lu Zhuo’s eyes flashed and he said, “Qi Lu’s matter.”

It was Fan Zhenglian’s most proud subordinate, Qi Chuan, who recorded the affairs of the Criminal Court.

 (End of this chapter)