Start practicing from marrying the disfigured princess

Mu Mansion.

Quiet cloister.

The two walked side by side.

Walked for a while.

Xiao Rongxue asked softly: "Why do you suddenly think of helping me investigate the case?"

Ren Pingsheng said casually: "I just did it casually, it has nothing to do with you."

If it's not to help me, why don't you practice cultivation and waste your time on this kind of thing?

Duplicity.

Ha...men.

She cursed in her heart, but a bright smile appeared on her face.

Ren Pingsheng didn't know what she was thinking, otherwise he would say in his heart: Pu Xin Nu, you really bow your head.

"What was the name of the doctor who hanged himself? What was his reputation? Did he have any enemies or close relationships with anyone?"

Xiao Rongxue replied: "Mu Ying was a county magistrate in Jiangdong more than ten years ago, and later went to Beijing to be the chief of the Camp and Repair Department of the Ministry of Works, and gradually reached her current position as a doctor in the Ministry of Household Affairs.

He has a decent reputation and is considered a good old man in the Hubu Yamen. He doesn't offend anyone, has no enemies, and doesn't have many close friends. "

"Looking at it this way, even if he was killed, it had nothing to do with personal vendetta. Then, it had to do with his job."

At this thought, Ren Pingsheng fell into thinking and murmured to himself: "The doctor of the Jiangdong Purging Officials Department in Hube... If I remember correctly, several large Purifying Officials in Hubu are also in charge of affairs, and I don't know that he is in charge. What."

Having said this, he turned to look at Xiao Rongxue and asked, "What are the affairs in charge of the Jiangdong Qing Officials Department?"

In addition to land, household registration, taxes, and salaries in various places, they are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Household Affairs.

Things such as donations, warehousing, and water services are also under the jurisdiction of the Household Department, and specific responsibilities are handled by several more important cleaning departments.

The Jiangdong area was the richest, and the Jiangdong Cleaning Department was also the most important among the several Cleaning Departments, so there must have been affairs in charge of it.

"I don't know, wait until I go back to check." Xiao Rongxue said.

Ren Pingsheng said earnestly: "Important information should be clarified as soon as possible, so that the investigation can have ideas and directions. Otherwise, it will be a headless fly running around. Even if the case is solved, it will be a blind cat and a dead mouse."

Xiao Rongxue knew that he was teaching her how to investigate cases, so she just pouted and nodded: "Remember."

Take a few steps.

She asked a little curiously: "Why do you know so much about the household affairs?"

Ren Pingsheng said calmly: "If you want to handle the government affairs in the north, you naturally need to understand the structure and responsibilities of each government office in the imperial court."

"I see."

This was the first time Xiao Rongxue knew that Ren had been troubled by paperwork in his life. She couldn't help but take another look at him and thought to herself, could he be considered a man of both civil and military skills?

It took a stick of incense to walk.

Xiao Rongxue took Ren Pingsheng to a house: "This is Mu Ying's residence. I plan to search here to see if I can find where he hanged himself..."

Before he finished speaking, the angry voice of a young man suddenly came from behind.

"My father was killed by someone, not by hanging himself!"

The two turned around and saw a young man in plain clothes standing at the door, with red eyes and clenched fists.

Behind him stood a haggard middle-aged woman, scolding the young man softly: "Zhong'er, don't be rude."

The young man stubbornly turned his head away and stopped talking.

"Mrs. Mu." Xiao Rongxue cupped her hands towards the middle-aged woman.

Is this the deceased's wife?

Ren Pingsheng glanced at the woman and also raised his hand.

"Sorry to disturb you two adults." Mrs. Mu looked haggard and bowed.

"It doesn't matter."

Ren Pingsheng looked at her, thought for a while, and asked: "I have a few questions for you to ask Madam. I wonder if Madam is free?"

Mrs. Mu said: "Excuse me, sir."

Ren Pingsheng asked: "Before Mr. Mu's death, did you ever do anything unusual? For example, he left the house early to go on duty, stayed late after leaving his duty, or left his bedroom in the middle of the night."

After hearing this, Mrs. Mu fell into thinking, and after a while she said: "These days, the master is off duty, and his duties are no different from those in the past. That is... after returning home, he often reads alone in the bookstore at night."

After a pause, he continued: "I didn't think it was anything at first. Your Excellency reminded me, but I just remembered that it's been a long time since I read until late at night like I did these past few days. It's really unusual."

Immediately afterwards.

Ren Pingsheng asked a few more questions, which were very different from those he asked Xiao Rongxue before. They were what the deceased's personality was like, how he treated others, whether he had any friends or enemies.

The answer I got was almost the same as what Xiao Rongxue said.

This Muying is a good-natured person in the workplace who doesn't offend anyone or please anyone. She likes drinking tea, reading and nothing else on weekdays.

Logically speaking, it would be difficult for such a person to be promoted without any background.

For him to be able to achieve the position of a doctor in the household department of Jiangdong Qing Dynasty, he must have the support of noble people behind him.

I just don’t know who this noble man is and why I want to support him.

Ren Pingsheng frowned slightly and fell into thought.

Xiao Rongxue stood aside and looked at him quietly without making a sound, for fear of disturbing his train of thought.

When Mrs. Mu and the young man saw this, they immediately realized that the handsome young man in front of them was the master of the Demon Suppression Division, and they both became quiet.

Not a moment.

Ren Pingsheng's thinking fell into a bottleneck, and he stopped thinking about it. He raised his eyes to look at Mrs. Mu and asked, "Where is the study room where Master Mu turns up the lamp to read at night? Can I have a look?"

Mrs. Mu's haggard face showed a touch of sadness, and she replied: "It's right next to me. I'll take you there with me."

aside.

Xiao Rongxue lowered her voice and reminded him: "Mu Ying hanged herself in the study."

Ren Pingsheng's face was suddenly enlightened.

No wonder Madam Mu would be sad when the study was mentioned.

Half an incense stick later.

The two followed Madam Mu to a study.

"Please go ahead, sir. I will not go in." Madam Mu's voice trembled slightly.

Ren Pingsheng nodded slightly and walked into the study with Xiao Rongxue.

Looking around.

The study was not large and simply furnished. There was only a bookcase, a desk, a master chair, and a stove, nothing else.

Speaking of which, it was not only the study that was simply furnished, but the entire Mu Mansion gave people a very simple feeling from inside to outside.

You know.

In the inner city of the capital, officials of the fifth rank and above still had relatively simple food, clothing and daily expenses.

What goes up goes down.

The food, clothing and daily expenses of the royal family were extremely luxurious.

When these officials saw this, they could not help but think.

I have worked hard for the people for half my life, and finally got a position. What's wrong with enjoying it?

In contrast,

As a doctor in the Jiangdong Qingli Division of the Ministry of Revenue, living in such a house is already considered simple.

"I looked inside and outside the study yesterday and found nothing unusual."

Xiao Rongxue stood beside Ren Pingsheng and spoke.

Ren Pingsheng nodded slightly, walked around the study, fixed his eyes on the stove, half-crouched, and twisted the ashes inside with his hands.

After thinking for a few seconds, he looked at Xiao Rongxue and ordered: "Take out all the charcoal inside."

"What are you taking the charcoal for?"

Xiao Rongxue was confused, but still did as he was told and took out the charcoal.

Ren Pingsheng opened the door to let the sunlight in, and observed the stove carefully for a while, with his eyebrows raised: "Don't you think there are too many ashes in here?"

Xiao Rongxue looked confused: "How much ashes does it have to do with the investigation?"

Ren Pingsheng said: "Is there a possibility that someone used this stove to burn something, so the ashes are much more than normal use."

Xiao Rongxue thought for a few seconds and said: "It is also possible that he did not clean the stove on weekdays, and the ashes were left over time."

"This is also a possibility."

Ren Pingsheng nodded slightly: "You can ask the maids in the mansion how to clean the stove on weekdays."

"Okay, I'll ask." Xiao Rongxue responded and left the study.

After a while,

She returned to Ren Pingsheng, eyes gleaming with light, and said a little excitedly: "The maid said that since the beginning of summer, the mansion has only used the stove during the heavy rain a few days ago. In other words, the stove and charcoal are new, and there can't be too many ashes.

You are right, someone did burn something in the stove."

"It's a pity that it was burned too clean, only ashes, and I don't know what was burned.

It proves that Mu Ying didn't hang himself for no reason, and his death must have a reason."

Thinking of this, Ren Pingsheng stood up and asked: "Where is Mu Ying's body?"

Xiao Rongxue said: "It was sent to the Demon Suppression Department Yamen last night and handed over to the coroner for examination. It was indeed hanged to death, and there were no other injuries on the body."

Ren Pingsheng asked again: "What rank is he?"

Xiao Rongxue said: "Seventh rank."

Seventh rank.

The soul should not have completely dissipated.

Thinking of this, Ren Pingsheng said: "Take me to see the body."

The coroner has checked it, what can you see.

Xiao Rongxue thought so in his heart, but he didn't say it out loud. He nodded gently: "Okay."

Next.

The two said hello to Madam Mu, left the Mu Mansion, and went straight to the Yamen of the Demon Suppression Division.

When they arrived at the door, they turned over and dismounted.

Coincidentally.

Several officers came out, each with a strange expression, whispering something.

One of them glanced inadvertently and saw Ren Pingsheng, and greeted him enthusiastically: "Prince!"

Ren Pingsheng had an impression of him. They had cleared out the bandits together before, and nodded slightly in response.

On the side.

Seeing that his men ignored him, Xiao Rongxue greeted Ren Pingsheng first, curled his lips, and asked indifferently: "What are you talking about?"

The officer hesitated for a moment and answered truthfully: "We are talking about... Lord Bai."

Is it Bai Ping?

Ren Pingsheng was a little curious: "What's wrong with Lord Bai?"

"You will know if you go to the Yamen."

The officer didn't know what he thought of, and his expression became a little strange.

"Could it be... reciting poetry again?"

Ren Pingsheng and Xiao Rongxue looked at each other, and the same idea came to their mind... go watch the fun.

The two walked into the yamen side by side, and unexpectedly did not hear the sound of poetry reciting.

Could it be wrong?

As Ren Pingsheng thought about it, he heard the voices of the officers talking in his ears.

"What is Lord Bai doing? He has been standing here for an hour. Isn't he tired?"

"I heard that Xia Miao had an accident a few days ago, and many nobles died. Could Lord Bai... have hysteria?"

Ren Pingsheng and Xiao Rongxue looked in the direction of the voice, and several officers stood there, pointing at something not far away.

Looking in the direction of their fingers.

I saw the roof of the lobby right in front of me.

A man in a white robe stood with his hands behind his back, slightly raised his head, facing the sun, leaving only a back figure, and the corners of his clothes were blown up by the wind, rustling.

He just stood there, motionless like a sculpture, ignoring the comments and instructions, looking like a lonely master!

Ren Pingsheng looked at the back, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

I thought reciting poetry was embarrassing enough.

But I didn't expect that he could do something even more embarrassing.

Standing on the roof facing the sun for more than an hour, it was hard for him to figure it out.

What is this called?

No hard work.

Then again, in some respects, he is indeed in a state of despair.

When it comes to the pursuit of being holy in front of others, no one can match it.

"..."

On the side, Xiao Rongxue looked at the figure on the roof with her back to everyone, her eyes twitching.

He gently tugged at the corner of Ren Pingsheng's clothes and asked with a strange expression: "Is this what you mean by the cold at high places?"

Ren Pingsheng was speechless and could only say: "It's important to investigate the case. Take me to see the body."

After a stick of incense.

The two came to the house where Muying's body was stored.

Ren Pingsheng stopped at the door, looked at Xiao Rongxue and said, "I will go in alone, and you will guard the door. No one is allowed in without my permission."

Xiao Rongxue didn't ask any more questions and nodded slightly: "Okay."

When he opened the door and walked into the house, he saw a body lying in the middle of the room.

There are wooden basins on both sides with ice cubes in them.

"No wonder I felt gloomy as soon as I came in. It turns out there are ice cubes to cool down."

Ren Pingsheng murmured and walked to the body. Without wasting time, he closed his eyes and ran the "Soul-Eating Art" to feel the existence of the soul.

"The soul has not completely dissipated yet!"

Ren Pingsheng opened his eyes, and a bright light burst out in his eyes. Without any hesitation, he ran the technique again and swallowed the soul.

In an instant, the spirit of the deceased poured into his mouth like fallen leaves being drawn into a whirlpool.

The eyebrows are swollen and painful, and the consciousness suddenly swells.

Same as previous times.

A blurry scene began to appear in front of Ren Pingsheng's eyes.

Bookcases, desks, stoves... this is Mu's study room!

"Muying, until you die... I can't feel at ease."

A hazy voice came from my ears.

Ren Pingsheng's heart skipped a beat.

“Someone is advising Muying to hang herself.

Who can't feel at ease until he dies? "

Boom!

Outside, there was lightning and thunder, and the strong wind whipped up the heavy rain like countless whips, lashing hard against the windows.

Mu Ying's eyes were always fixed on the stove. There was an account book in her hand. She tore it up and threw it in, watching it being swallowed up by the flames and turning into ashes bit by bit.

"You know what to do."

The voice sounded again, low and magnetic.

Mu Ying just remained silent. After a while, she burned all the account books and then turned to look aside.

In the shadow of the corner.

A figure stood there, his appearance unclear.

"good."

Mu Ying responded with a calm voice.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning struck from the sky, illuminating the study.

Mu Ying...or rather, Ren Pingsheng saw that face clearly.

It was a middle-aged man.

From the center of the eyebrow to the bridge of the nose, a brown scar completely divided the face into two halves. It looked extremely scary!

Ren Ping stared at the middle-aged man, keeping his appearance in mind.

After a while, the picture began to collapse. In just a moment, it turned into fragments and disappeared into nothingness.

at the same time.

inside the house.

Ren Pingsheng slowly opened his eyes.

With this memory, combined with the information obtained previously, the truth couldn't be more obvious.

Mu Ying was involved in a certain incident, maybe it was excessive expropriation, maybe it was falsification of accounts, or maybe something else.

The incident was about to break out, and the mastermind behind the scenes sent someone to persuade Mu Ying to hang herself in order not to be implicated.

In this case, all the blame fell on Mu Ying.

I just don't know what kind of thing makes a fifth-grade doctor have to die to apologize.

"The involvement in this matter must be quite high, and the person behind the scenes must have a very high status."

Ren Pingsheng made this judgment and walked towards the door.

Pushing open the door, the sun shone on him.

The side effects of "Soul-Eating Art" made him feel dazed for a while, and his ears were filled with buzzing.

"What's wrong with you?" Xiao Rongxue reached out to support him and asked with concern on her face.

"fine."

Ren Pingsheng shook his head gently, calmed down for a while, and said, "Go get pen, ink, paper and inkstone."

He is a martial artist, not a Confucian scholar, and his memory is not much different from that of ordinary people.

I have to draw him while my impression of the middle-aged man is still clear.

"good!"

Xiao Rongxue didn't ask any more questions and left quickly. After a while, she got pen, ink, paper and inkstone.

"Is there any room available?"

"have."

Xiao Rongxue led Ren Pingsheng into his bedroom in the Yamen to study ink for him.

After a stick of incense.

Ren Pingsheng drew the image in his memory.

Xiao Rongxue lowered her eyes and saw the image on the paper, and her whole body suddenly felt bad.

Even three-year-old children's drawings are better than his.

But I have to say that with just a few strokes, the characteristics are indeed painted very clearly.

Especially that scar.

If you see such a person in real life, you will definitely recognize him at a glance.

"Who is this?" Xiao Rongxue asked.

"The last person Mu Ying saw before she died." Ren Pingsheng said.

When Xiao Rongxue heard this, her pupils shrank slightly, she turned to look at Ren Pingsheng, and subconsciously wanted to ask: "How do you know?"

He hesitated for a moment, then endured it.

It was nothing more than the information obtained from Mu Ying's corpse with the help of exercises and magic weapons.

Since Ren Pingsheng didn't take the initiative to mention it, it meant that he didn't want to tell others, so why should he ask.

anyway.

He is willing to tell me this news. Does it mean that I am already a trustworthy person in his heart?

This is the thought.

A warm current surged in Xiao Rongxue's heart, which was stronger than the satisfaction after solving the case.

"Don't tell this news to others. Remember the portrait yourself and investigate secretly to see if you can find out the identity of this person." Ren Pingsheng solemnly reminded.

"Okay." Xiao Rongxue immediately understood and nodded heavily.

Mu Ying hanged himself to death, indicating that the clues have been almost cleared by the other party.

The biggest breakthrough point is the identity of Scarface.

"The next step is to wait."

Ren Pingsheng thought so and looked at Xiao Rongxue: "I will go back to the mansion first, tell me if there is a result."

"Okay, I'll take you."

"Okay."

Ren Pingsheng nodded, opened the door and walked out.

Xiao Rongxue followed behind him.

After a few steps, he heard a helpless voice from behind.

"Bai Ping, how long are you going to stand there?"

The two turned their heads and saw a middle-aged man in a scarlet robe standing at the entrance of the lobby. He looked up at Bai Ping's back with a helpless look on his face.

"He is the deputy envoy of the Demon Suppression." Xiao Rongxue lowered his voice and introduced him to Ren Pingsheng.

Ren Pingsheng nodded slightly and looked at the back, curious about what he would do.

Time passed by.

Bai Ping still stood there motionless, leaving only a back, and those who didn't know thought it was a sculpture.

The deputy envoy of the Demon Suppression was completely speechless and said, "There is a case in the outer city. Take people to investigate."

The voice fell.

Bai Ping seemed to have eyes behind his head, moving backwards, floating down from the roof, still leaving only a back to everyone.

"I still don't believe that I can't see his face today!"

An officer thought so in his heart and walked around from the side.

Unexpectedly.

He was about to get around to Bai Ping.

Bai Ping turned his body slightly and faced the direction of no one again, leaving him with a back.

"Hey!"

When the other officers saw this scene, their eyebrows raised and they instantly became energetic. They divided into two teams and surrounded Bai Ping from both sides, trying to get around him.

Next.

A shocking scene appeared.

Just when they were about to get around Bai Ping.

Bai Ping suddenly leaned forward, with his feet in the air and facing the ground in an unreasonable posture.

To be precise.

His whole body was suspended in the air, parallel to the ground.

It looked very strange, but it did leave only a back view to everyone.

With his back to all living beings.

"..."

Seeing this scene.

Including the deputy envoy of the Demon Suppression Department, everyone widened their eyes, opened their mouths slightly, and looked incredulous.

"This... this..."

For a moment, they didn't know what to say.

Let alone them.

Even Ren Pingsheng was dumbfounded.

His uncle was better than his master!

"Amazing, amazing..."

Ren Pingsheng sighed, shook his head, and left the Demon Suppression Department.

When he reached the door and was about to get on his horse, he suddenly heard Xiao Rongxue whisper behind him: "Thank you today."

For no reason.

Thank you for what?

Ren Pingsheng turned his head and looked at Xiao Rongxue, his face blank.

Xiao Rongxue's ordinary face showed a faint blush. After hesitating for a while, he made up his mind and said what he felt from the bottom of his heart: "I know that you took time out of your practice to help me investigate the case so that I could get rid of the Demon Suppression Division as soon as possible.

I remember everything you have done for me in my heart, and one day, I will repay you."

"..."

Ren Pingsheng looked at the slightly shy Xiao Xia in front of him and was speechless for a moment.

I was obviously thinking about investigating the case to please the little Taoist priest.

Why did it become like this when it came to her?

After Xiao Rongxue finished speaking, she said, "Okay, go back quickly."

I don't know why.

Ren Pingsheng always felt that Xiao Xia seemed to be much gentler today than before.

If he did something to her at this time, would she not refuse?

On the side.

Seeing that he had been staring at her, Xiao Rongxue dodged her eyes for a moment, and said nervously, "I'm going back."

After that, she walked back to the government office.

"Don't keep thinking about it, let's deal with the one at home first."

Ren Pingsheng watched her back disappear from his sight, shook his head, and didn't think about it anymore, and got on the horse.

…………

Half an hour later.

Ren Pingsheng returned to the Ren Mansion, got off the horse, and was about to walk in when he heard a voice behind him.

"Prince."

Turning around, he saw a familiar figure.

It was Chen Zhiming, the eldest son of Linjiang Marquis who had fought side by side in the hunting ground.

"Prince, I'm here to give you an invitation."

Chen Zhiming's face was full of smiles. He walked up to Ren Pingsheng, took out an invitation from his arms, and handed it over with both hands.

"Three days later, Zuihua Pavilion, the military children of the capital will be there, please give me some face, Prince."

Generally speaking.

This kind of banquet invitation is delivered by servants.

As a future marquis, Chen Zhiming came in person to deliver the invitation, which was quite serious.

Just as a gift to him, Ren Pingsheng couldn't refuse.

He took the invitation without hesitation, smiling and speaking gently: "It's just a small matter, why bother to come here in person."

Chen Zhiming half-jokingly said, "If it were someone else, they would definitely ask the servants to send it off, but the prince is different. Without the prince, we would all be dead, so how could we hold a banquet?

If I don't come to send this invitation, someone else has to send it off. The son of an earl is not qualified. At least he has to be the son of a marquis like me."

Ren Pingsheng replied sincerely, "We just support each other. Without you, I can't get out of the hunting ground alone. Let this matter pass and don't keep it in mind."

Chen Zhiming said, "The prince can forget it, but we can't..."

He said a lot of compliments in a row.

Ren Pingsheng was just being modest.

After a while of greetings.

Chen Zhiming said, "I won't bother you, prince. See you in Zuihua Pavilion in three days. Goodbye."

Ren Pingsheng nodded slightly, "See you in three days."

Watched Chen Zhiming leave.

Ren Pingsheng walked into the Ren Mansion.

After a few steps, he saw a fiery red figure rushing over from a distance, suddenly jumping up and throwing himself into his arms.

"嘤嘤嘤——"

It looked so pitiful, it made people feel pity.

"What's wrong?"

Ren Pingsheng rubbed the fox's little head and asked softly.

The fox just nestled in his arms, shivering.

Seeing this, Ren Pingsheng subconsciously raised his eyes and looked over.

He saw a broken knife hanging in the air not far away, motionless.