Chapter 244 There are ghosts in South China

After entering the house, Sima Guang closed the window. The room was very cold and seemed to be cold. Zhao Ze rubbed his hands and told his intention. Sima Guang was straight-hearted, unlike Huang Qi. He bluntly refused, "The subordinate is busy with official business, and it is not convenient to go to the banquet. If the adult is invited, it will be enough for the county magistrate, the master book and others to be present. It doesn't matter if you don't invite the official who work in the county government office."

Zhao Ze was determined to invite Sima Guang this time. He knew that last night's meal cost him a month's salary. His brothers alone ate a lot of wine and meat. He said that he had to return this favor, so he said to Sima Guang, "Zhao took so many people to eat and live in South China, and the adults bothered a lot. The family also lived in the house and was disturbed. Before she came, her wife also mentioned this matter and praised Lord Sima for being warm, heroic and chivalrous. In order to express his gratitude, Zhao specially prepared a small gift."

Yan Yu took a brocade box from the little boy behind him, wrapped in a black satin square scarf, and the red paint box was engraved with a sunflower pattern. At a glance, it was a precious thing.

"Lord Sima, a little gift is a little gift from Mr. Zhao and his wife. I hope you don't refuse." Zhao Ze handed over the brocade box with both hands.

"This"

Zhao Ze's white words sounded very vulgar, but in fact, they were just right. Even Sima Guang couldn't refuse. He quickly got up and took them with both hands.

"Lord Zhao, if it's a little bit of you and your wife, the subordinate has to accept it, but it's difficult for you to go to the banquet, just because the recent case is really tricky."

After receiving the gift, Sima Guang looked at Huang Qi. The old man seemed to be nothing. He yawned and sat aside just casually complimented a few words, but he couldn't see anything in his eyes. In fact, Huang Qi was very envious of Sima Guang. He knew that this was Zhao Ze's way to attract people, but Zhao Ze still didn't understand Sima Guang's character. Junshi only likes reading and eating fermented soybeans and pickles. He is rarely moved by foreign things, and he treats people regardless of whether he is noble or cheap. This big gift is...

"Oh, I see," Zhao Ze asked, "What kind of case makes adults think about it? If it's convenient, can you tell Zhao? Maybe it can help."

"Lord Zhao, you're welcome. This case is very strange. There are a lot of..."

As soon as the headless ghost case was mentioned, a cold sweat appeared on Sima Guang's back. Halfway through the words, he stopped and turned his head and looked at it like a ghost in his heart. In fact, there was only a wall and a painting.

"Your Excellency" Huang Qi interrupted, "This case is too ridiculous. It's okay not to talk about it."

"Hi" Sima Guang sighed and pretended to be old-fashioned and said, "To be honest, there were several murders in this city before Lord Zhao came to South China."

"Oh, I'd like to hear more about it." Zhao Ze blinked and asked seriously.

Sima Guang continued: "This matter is a long story. Just last month, Master Zhuang and Mrs. Zhuang died inexplicably in the room. It was discovered in the morning that the criminal was Li Xiaoxiao, the maid of the banker, who has now been detained. According to the housekeeper, Master Zhuang and his wife are old. There is only Li Xiaoxiao, a maid around her. After more than ten years of upbringing, he entered the house when he was young. He usually served the old lady's life, which was very pleasing to the old lady. The old lady once promised to give her a sum of money to let her get married when she was 18 years old, which was a little bit of their Zhuang couple.

By the first month of next year, Li Xiaoxiao will be 18 years old. The old lady suddenly announced one thing in front of everyone in the middle of last month, that is, Li Xiao will inherit the property of the banker, so that everyone knows that we should treat Xiaoxiao well in the future and don't bully her again. The housekeeper and others were a little unhappy. They once asked Master Zhuang that Xiaoxiao was just a maid, and how could He inherit the banker?

Master Zhuang just smiled bitterly and told them that I will tell you in the first month next year. That's what madam meant.

From that day on, Li Xiao was arrogant and domineering all day long, and he simply didn't pay attention to everyone. Later, she became more and more excessive and finally angered the old lady. The old lady scolded Xiao Xiao in public and warned that she would be kicked out of the house again, never wanting to see her, and the banker would not be inherited by her.

Li Xiaoxiao held a grudge and conspired with the naughty cow in the city to strangle Master Zhuang and his wife in the evening. After that, the first thief shouted to catch the thief. Fortunately, Master Zhuang had the spirit of heaven. Before he died, he scratched Xiaoxiao. After being tested, he was indeed caught on his little neck. Since the evil deeds were exposed, Xiaoxiao naturally could not escape the sanctions of the king's law. Now he has been put into the big prison and only waiting for Qiu Hou to be beheaded. Niu Wu was afraid of crime and committed suicide, which has been proved. It's true.

However, it is strange that Li Xiaoxiao shouted injustice every day. I have seen her, and I am not the kind of person who does evil at all, but the evidence is strong, and I can't go wrong. After Li Xiaoxiao was taken into custody, the banker killed several more lives, and the housekeeper also died inexplicably in the room of Master Zhuang and his wife.

After the examination, it was found that the housekeeper was also strangled to death. Is it true that the prisoner is still at large?

The subordinate looked through several generations of former Nanhua County Records and accidentally found a strange thing...

Speaking of this, Sima Guang walked to the bookshelf and found a heavy ancient book, which was marked in many places with bamboo leaves.

"Adult, please take a look." Sima Guang opened a page, and there was a paragraph on it with a red pen.

At the time of Taizu, the fisherman who lived in the city during the Qiande period was strangled to death.

In the same year, a widow lived in with three children and was strangled to death until midnight.

At the beginning of the year of Kaibao, the place was flattened and a granary was built. The rice shop clerk was strangled here at night, and the watchdog was also strangled to death.

Mr. Fengshui said that this place was ominous and advised the store to find another place to set up a granary. From then on, it was abandoned and left unattended. Many beggars living here once lived there, and more than a dozen people were killed in just one month, and they were strangled to death.

At the time of Taizong, during the reign of Taiping and Xingguo, it was flattened again. It used to be a fish pond, but the fish was fine. On the contrary, the boat family of three guarding the fish pond all died here. As soon as the case came out, the fish in the fish pond became ominous, and no one dared to eat it until it was abandoned again a year later. In the same year, in the border war, the fish pond was filled and turned into a temporary camp. There was a battalion of soldiers staying here, and dozens of people were killed and injured until midnight. At that time, the explanation given by the Ministry of War was vague, only that it was said that the camp roared at night, and someone deliberately shouted loudly, which led to a mutiny.

From then on, it has been used as a warehouse to store some sundries, and no one came to inquire about it. It took more than ten years, and it was not until the Xianping year of Zhenzong that it was re-owned by the people.

Sima Guang slowly turned over the pages of the book, and there would be murders wherever Zhu Bi crossed, until the murders occurred again in the second year of the reign of the Renzong Dynasty.

Zhao Ze exclaimed, "Is it really so evil here?"

"Evil Gate?" Sima Guang repeated it puzzledly, and then nodded, "It's really evil, and it's really evil."

"In this way, Li's little grievances can be clear," Zhao Ze asked.

"That may not be the same, because the housekeeper Zhuang said about Li Xiao's bad deeds before his death. You can't believe it, and there are banker servants to testify. Perhaps, we just saw her side and didn't know her heart. Throughout the ages, there have been many vicious women who hid evil hearts, Daji, the cruel princess Li Ji of Jin Xian, the queen of Liu Bang, the queen of Emperor Sui Wen, and then to Yang Yuhuan in the Tang Dynasty..." Sima Guang said angrily, as if she were a woman. It's all bad.

"This is very rare," Zhao Ze said sympathetically. "The fate of these women can't be chosen. It is the desire for power that makes them lose their nature and lose themselves. However, most women are good and kind. They have the traditional virtues of the Song Dynasty."

Zhao Ze's words made Sima Guang look back. He felt that he had lost his words. His face was hot and he laughed at himself: "Lord Zhao, don't blame me. The subordinate was excited for a moment. If it hadn't been for the annoying headless case, I wouldn't have been like this."

"That's right." Huang Qi suddenly remembered something and reported, "Your Excellency, after the banker's case, there were several murders in our county. The dead were all ordinary people, and their families were all sued to the government. Please finish the case as soon as possible. My subordinates thought that they would send two for an autopsy first, which was nothing more than death or death. One of the other is It's not advisable. Don't hurt your mind anymore."

"That being said," Sima Guang told Zhao Ze, "There are not many officials in the county government. The banker case alone is enough for them to be busy. I can't go to the street to investigate cases every day. There are many other things. It is quite difficult to review official documents, teach the people, mediate up and down, and implement the new laws. Well, if it hadn't been for the tightness of this case, the subordinate would not have been so sad. Hi, what a shame."

The wind blew, the snow fell, and a touch of sunshine came in and sprinkled on Zhao Ze's body. It was so warm. He faced the sun, raised his head, and quietly looked at the window paper as thin as cicada wings for a while. It felt good to be bathed in the light.

After a long time of silence in the falling snow study, everyone stared at the hot flames in the charcoal basin in a daze, thinking about their own thoughts.

Sima Guang felt that God was hinting at him, and maybe the answer was in it.

Huang Qi felt that the fire was like his life and could be extinguished at any time.

And Zhao Ze thinks this is an opportunity.

A fine and clear gasp can be heard in the air. Zhao Ze opened his mouth: "Everything in the world is in the word 'reason', and ghosts and gods are also outside. Whether it is heaven, tunnel, humanity, ghost, or Shinto, everything has a law, and this law is the way. As far as we know in the next day and night, everything in the world can be summarized. The same is true for solving the case. For example, the clues of the banker's murder may be hidden somewhere, but they have not been found yet, so they take the liberty to recommend themselves. If it is convenient, Zhao can help and find out what is wrong. Maybe he can help Lord Sima solve this problem."

"This!" Just now, after listening to Zhao Ze's opinion, Sima Guang felt that this man was talented. He couldn't think of that comment. It turned out that Buddhism and Taoism could also be explained in this way. At first glance, it was really profound and mysterious. When he was hesitating, Huang Qi advised, "Since Lord Zhao wants to help, I think it's okay. Even His Majesty has praised Lord Zhao for having a ghost. The magic skill, maybe this case will soon have an eye for you. At that time, Lord Sima will also have a good time, and Lord Zhao will also have a good face. We in Nanhua, don't have to make a lot of noise about ghosts and gods, which makes the magistrate laugh."

"Oh"

Huang Qi's words hit Sima Guang's mind. It was inconvenient for him to say some words directly, but others can say that if Zhao Ze is willing to help, it would be a good opportunity. Whether it is successful or not, it is beneficial to him. Thinking of this, Sima Guang got up and bowed to Zhao Ze.

"Then it's Mr. Zhao. If you can understand this case, the officials will definitely report this matter, and all the credit will be recorded on Mr. Zhao."

"Hahaha" Zhao Ze smiled cheerfully and said, "That's not necessary. Even if you can solve the case, you are of the same heart and one. Everyone's credit, you dare not monopolize it!"

The three of them looked at each other and smiled, and the knot in their hearts opened little by little.