The Delicate Lady Coroner Chapter 3: One Inch of Gold 03

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Chapter 3 An Inch of Gold 03

The maid who discovered the old lady’s body was quickly called.

It was freezing cold, and in the mourning hall again, the maid named Mo Xiang knelt on the ground and shivered.

"When the old lady recited the Buddha's name, she never let her slaves wait inside. She usually stayed outside the door. But that night was New Year's Eve, so the old lady ordered the slaves to go back to her room to share with her sisters. The next day’s New Year’s Eve meal was served again at Chen time, so the slaves left at half past midnight that night. On the morning of the next day, the slaves were the first to arrive at the Buddhist hall. When they arrived, the door of the Buddhist hall was closed tightly, and the house was very quiet. At that time, I was thinking whether the old lady had also rested on the couch in the Buddhist hall, so she gently opened the door..."

As if recalling the situation that day, Mo Xiang's voice became unsteady, "When...at that time, the old lady was lying on the cushion in front of the Buddhist altar, sleeping with her clothes on. She seemed to be asleep, slave. I was still thinking why the old lady was sleeping on the ground, so I went up and pushed the old lady. However, the old lady froze..."

Huo Weilou asked: "In the past three months, has the old lady had any back pain?"

Mo Xiang was a little confused at first, but quickly reacted and said: "Yes, after the old lady worshiped Buddha several times, she said that her back was a little sore. The slaves thought it was because she had been kneeling for a long time, so they tried to dissuade her. Later, The old lady changed to sitting down and copying scriptures."

Sure enough, as Bo Ruoyou said, the old lady's strange behavior was ignored.

Huo Weilou asked again: "Did the old lady copy scriptures that night?"

Mo Xiang nodded, "I copied it. When I left, I had already copied one page. Later, when I was packing up the old lady's belongings, I found that the old lady had copied two full pages that night. Now the scriptures are still in my possession. In Ren Nuan Pavilion."

Huo Weilou looked at Zheng Wenyan and said, "Bring me the scriptures copied that night."

Zheng Wenyan hurriedly sent someone to pick it up, and Huo Weilou asked again, "On weekdays, how long does it take the old lady to copy a page of scripture?"

Mo Xiang said hurriedly: "The old lady probably won't stop once she starts copying. She just writes very slowly. It takes at least an hour and a half to write a whole page of scripture."

Huo Weilou did not ask any more, and soon the servants brought the scriptures. Huo Weilou asked Mo Xiang again, "Look, did the old lady copy this that night?"

Mo Xiang took a few glances and said, "Yes, it was the old lady who copied it that night."

The scriptures are written on the best cooked script. It is a very beautiful regular script, but every stroke is powerful. Huo Weilou looked at it carefully and said, "The tone of the pen and ink has not changed before and after this scripture, and it is neat and continuous. , it’s half past Haishi when you leave, and one and a half hours later will be Choushi. In other words, the old lady will not see the second person in the Buddhist hall until at least Choushi.”

Huo Weilou handed the scriptures to Zheng Wenyan and asked him, "You insist that it was your second brother who killed the old lady, so where was he after that ugly night?"

Zheng Wenyan said hurriedly: "That night, the second brother said that he lived alone in the study, and said that he had not left the study all night. But that night, I sent someone to the study to bring food and wine to the second brother. His study was completely dark. No one answered, no one was there at all. When I asked him after the accident the next day, he said that he fell asleep drunk. How could I believe this? I suspected that he had gone to see his mother again!"

"Why did you bring him food and wine in the middle of the night? And why does he live alone?"

Zheng Wenyan said: "That night, the whole family was having New Year's dinner with He Lele, but at the dinner table, the second brother and his mother had a quarrel. It was very unpleasant at the time, and the mother went to the Buddhist hall without eating. As soon as the mother left Of course, it was not easy for others to stay for the meal, so that night, it was like no one could eat the New Year’s meal. In the past two years, my mother has been in charge of the house, and I have been helping out. Later, I ordered the kitchen to cook the New Year’s meal and send it to each room. He ate alone and the second brother lived alone because after he went back that day, he and his second sister-in-law also had a dispute and got into a fight. They went to the study room later..."

Zheng Wenyan paused, and then added: "The food in the second brother's study was prepared separately last, so it was delivered at the latest, already past midnight, and the second brother was no longer in the house at that time."

After listening to Huo Weilou's eyes solemnly, he asked again, "Why did your second brother and the old lady quarrel?"

Zheng Wenyan sighed, "It's for the title left by my eldest brother."

"The Marquis should know that the eldest brother died of illness three years ago and has only one daughter, Yun Ni. Therefore, the title of the Anqing Marquis Mansion can only be renewed by us brothers. The second brother feels that he is behind the eldest brother. He should be the one to inherit the title, but his mother has never made up her mind. In terms of eldest son and younger brother, it is indeed the second brother who should inherit the title. However, the second brother has a bad temper and does not have the patience to take care of the family affairs. The business has not been successful. Not to mention, because of this, my mother looks down on the second brother."

"The eldest brother had not yet passed his filial piety, so the issue of the title was only discussed last year. Because the mother did not agree to let the second brother inherit the title, the second brother quarreled with his mother for a whole year, and his mother was angry several times. He almost fell ill. On the evening of the 30th, the second brother mentioned the matter again and said that he would take advantage of the Chinese New Year to deliver a congratulatory post to the palace and ask his mother to hand over the memorial for the renewal of the title. Because his mother scolded him, the second brother There's a fuss."

Huo Weilou's eyes were dark and he didn't ask any more questions. He knew something about the Anqing Hou Mansion, especially the Dafang lineage. As for the Hou family, there were many disputes over titles. Zheng Wenchen had a bad temper, and he only had half an hour to go back to his childhood. If Zheng Wenchen couldn't figure it out, he went to the old lady to make trouble, so that the old lady fell ill and died. It's not impossible.

And if he hated the old lady in his heart and did not save her when he saw her getting sick, it would make sense.

Huo Weilou narrowed his eyes, even if the old lady’s death was related to Zheng Wenchen, how did Zheng Wenchen die? It is nonsense that ghosts kill people. If the old lady's death can be used to kill Zheng Wenchen, the murderer must be someone from the palace.

Huo Weilou's sharp eyes glanced at Zheng Wenyan brothers, and suddenly said: "Lead the way to see Zheng Wenchen's body."

The night was already dark, and the cold wind was howling outside the mourning hall. Zheng Wenyan glanced at the sky outside and couldn't help but said: "The Marquis came here today after a long journey, and a guest room has been prepared in the mansion. Why don't you rest first and see tomorrow?"

Huo Weilou didn't say anything, and Eunuch Fu smiled and said: "Third Master, don't worry. The Marquis has never worked **** official duties. Besides, there are many doubts about this murder case. It is better to see the body earlier so that the Marquis will not worry."

Zheng Wenyan knew that Huo Weilou's wishes could not be violated, so he hurriedly said: "Well, please come here, Lord Marquis——"

Zheng Wenyan walked out of the door first, and Huo Weilou stepped forward. After walking out of the threshold, he suddenly turned his eyes and looked into the hall. Next to the coffin bed, Bo Ruoyou stood motionless.

Huo Weilou frowned, and He Cheng said hurriedly, "Xiao Bo, why don't you follow me? Didn't you want to examine the second master's body during the day?"

Bao Ruoyou came to his senses and responded quickly, "Yes."

The expressions of Zheng Wenyan and others changed slightly, and they all cast strange glances at Bo Ruoyou. Everyone knew that Huo Weilou did not even have a maid around him, but now, she, a widower, was asked to follow the autopsy. Zheng Wenyan hurriedly accepted it Be arrogant and cautious.

The wind was biting and the night was like splashing ink. Zheng Wenyan personally held a lantern to guide the way to Huo Wei Tower.

"After the second brother left, because everyone saw him falling from a tall building and dying, he set up a mourning hall in the west courtyard. Since it was not easy to hold a grand funeral, he made a plan to suspend the mourning for seven or forty-nine days."

After leaving the small courtyard and heading west along the footpath in the middle of the house, Anqinghou Mansion was brightly lit.

Zheng Wenyan said: "Because Lord Marquis arrived, we lit the lamp all night. These days, when night comes, we always go to bed early."

There are ghosts and murders in the mansion, and everyone is naturally afraid. Huo Weilou glanced at the surrounding pavilions and suddenly asked: "Is the marriage ready?"

Bao Ruoyou, who was walking behind, raised his head when he heard this.

He Cheng on the side said in time: "The eldest lady of the Hou Mansion and His Highness the Second Highness were engaged. The Holy Spirit officially granted the marriage last year, and the date was set for the seventh day of March this year. It's a pity that the old lady could have seen her granddaughter get married with her own eyes. Enter the royal family."

The eldest lady of the Hou Mansion is the Yun Ni that Zheng Wenyan mentioned just now. Bo Ruoyou didn't expect that there was such a reason. She looked at the tall and straight back of Huo Weilou. In this way, it was not surprising that Wu Zhaohou came in person. Not so weird anymore.

Zheng Wenyan said: "Everything is ready. The dowry was sent to the capital before the Chinese New Year, and the house in the capital was also packed. If nothing happened to my mother, I would leave for the capital early next month. Fortunately, His Majesty arranged the marriage. Otherwise, during the period of filial piety, I don’t know how long the marriage will be delayed.”

Bo Ruoyou felt a little sad when he heard this, but Huo Weilou didn't ask any more questions.

Huo Weilou didn't ask, and Zheng Wenyan didn't dare to say anything. He had never dealt with Huo Weilou, but in just half a day, he already understood that what was said outside was true, so he held his breath and just stood in front of him. Lead the way.

The west courtyard is also a remote place. It didn’t take long for everyone to arrive in front of the courtyard gate. Compared with the old lady’s somewhat weird place to rest the spirits, this place is quite ordinary. There are also onyx spiritual flags hanging in the courtyard. At this moment, under the eaves of the corridor The funeral lanterns were on, casting a sad shadow, but soon, Zheng Wenyan, who was walking in front, paused.

There is someone in the mourning hall!

The dark coffin was placed in the center of the mourning hall, with simple sacrifices placed in front of the coffin. Two black figures were kneeling in front of the coffin, burning paper money into a porcelain basin. Zheng Wenyan clenched his hand hanging by his side, " Second sister-in-law, Xiaoer, why are you still here so late?"

As soon as the sound came out, the two of them turned around in fright.

Both of them were dressed in plain clothes. The young master was only about seven or eight years old. He looked frightened at the moment. The woman next to him had a small oval face as big as a palm. There was still beauty between the eyebrows and eyes, but at this moment the whole face was... With only a layer of skin sticking to the cheekbones, his eyes were bloodshot, and the eyes were green and black, which looked a bit scary in the light of Ming Qian's fire.

"Third...third brother..."

When she saw Zheng Wenyan, fear flashed through the woman's eyes. She hugged the child beside her and stood up nervously.

Zheng Wenyan seemed to be restraining his anger, "Master Marquis and Mr. He came to examine the second brother's body. It's so late. Second sister-in-law and Xiao'er should go back and rest early, so as not to delay the Yamen's business."

"Okay... let's leave now."

The second lady of the Hou Mansion spoke hoarsely, and walked out with Zheng Xiao in her arms. When she passed by Zheng Wenyan, her head was lowered, but the young master next to her looked at everyone in surprise. When she passed by Bao Ruoyou, his eyes especially widened. Look at her.

Soon, the two of them disappeared into the cold wind.

This little accident made Zheng Wenyan's back feel a little stiff. When he turned around, he said as if nothing had happened: "Master Marquis, please, my second brother has already packed it up, and also performed rituals two days ago." Seeing Huo Weilou looking at the porcelain pot still burning Mingqian, Zheng Wenyan had to say, "Just now he is the only son of my second sister-in-law and my second brother. Since my second brother's accident, I am afraid of another accident. We are not allowed to walk around after dark, so I was a little angry when I saw them just now."

Huo Wei walked into the mourning hall. There was no paper to tie people up here. Although there were sacrifices, the whole mourning hall looked simple. If outsiders came to see it, no one would believe that it was Hou Men lying in the coffin. Young Master.

Huo Weilou pointed to the coffin and said, "Carry it out."

The person has been put into the coffin, and it is not convenient to conduct an autopsy. After the words were settled, the two embroiderers stepped forward, leaned over and took the body out of the coffin. Zheng Wenchen only died for six days, and the weather was extremely cold. There are no incense burning in this mourning hall, and the corpse is still well preserved. Judging from the head and face exposed in the mourning clothes, there is no trace of rot.

The body was placed on a felt blanket. Huo Weilou turned around and Bo Ruoyou came forward carrying the wooden box containing the autopsy equipment.

The corpse that was inspected just now was a female corpse, but now it is a male corpse. However, Bo Ruoyou looked calm and began to undress the corpse after a short inspection. Zheng Wenyan hesitated for a moment, and turned around and went outside without Huo Weilou's instructions this time.

The only sound left in the room was the sound of Bo Ruoyou peeling off the corpse's shroud. He Cheng was not surprised. Huo Weilou remained calm, but Eunuch Fu squatted beside Bo Ruoyou and watched with interest, "Girl. , how old are you? Where did you learn this craft?"

Eunuch Fu followed Huo Weilou, and he was not afraid of Huo Weilou like ordinary people, which showed that his status was not low. Bo Ruoyou said casually: "I will be eighteen this winter. I learned the art of autopsy from my adoptive father. Yiyi My father is a government official in Qingshan County."

Eunuch Fu asked again: "Then how can your parents bear to let you do this?"

Bao Ruoyou moved his hands and whispered, "My father and mother have been dead for many years."

Eunuch Fu was speechless for a moment and couldn't ask the rest of the question. Bo Ruoyou only paused for that moment, and his subsequent movements were smooth and neat. Soon, the corpse was revealed.

Although the corpse was not obviously decomposed, the skin was covered with bruises and purple spots, which still looked a bit scary. There were several obvious traumas on the right shoulder and forehead, and several obscure bruises, which were as thin as the skin. You Chou checked it out, took out the white vinegar that had been prepared in the wooden box, and quickly applied it on the suspected bruises. After a while, the scars hidden under the skin of the corpse were revealed.

It is not difficult to examine a corpse with an obvious cause of death. Bo Ruoyou quickly said: "The corpse has impact injuries on the right shoulder and right forehead, and bruises and abrasions of varying sizes on the right arm and right hip. These injuries, They were all caused by the deceased falling from Yaoyue Pavilion. The fatal injury was on the right forehead, where the skull was sunken and shattered. Because it was very close to the temple, he almost died on the spot."

As he spoke, Bao Ruoyou raised his head and said, "They were all injuries sustained during life."

The meaning of injury during life is that it was caused while he was still alive. In other words, Zheng Wenchen was pushed down the Yaoyue Pavilion and fell to death while he was still alive.

"Zheng Wenyan once said that Zheng Wenchen did not scream when he was pushed down from Yaoyue Pavilion, ruling out the possibility of ghost murder. How did the murderer make Zheng Wenchen obediently walk up to the third floor balcony, and how did he make him be pushed down without struggling? Come downstairs?"

Huo Weilou's voice was serious, but instead of the previous gloomy and cold tone, his voice was somewhat deep and sweet. When Bo Ruoyou heard the words, he understood what Huo Weilou meant, and started to check them carefully. After a while, Bo Ruoyou found out You put a piece of bamboo stick wrapped in cotton cloth into Zheng Wenchen's nasal cavity. When he took it out again, it was stained with a little dirt.

Bao Ruoyou held it close to the lamp and looked at it carefully for a long time, then said in a deep voice: "It's a mandala."

Huo Weilou's expression also changed slightly, and Eunuch Fu asked, "What is a mandala?"

Huo Weilou said: "It's an intoxicating drug. In the army, it is also used as an anesthetic powder."

Bao Ruoyou re-examined again. This time, he focused on the heels, the back of the legs, and the waist and back. “There were strip-like abrasions on the back of the body’s calves, and there were also horizontal strip-like bruises on the waist and buttocks. It's like being dragged."

There are traces of drugging and dragging, and the truth is ready to come out.

He Chengdao: "So, someone drugged Mr. Yaoyue. After the second master was knocked unconscious, the murderer pushed him downstairs while others had just arrived, and pretended to be the ghost of the old lady. What does it look like?”

Bao Ruoyou nodded, "It seems so initially."

He Cheng frowned, "There was a second person beside the old lady when she died. Zheng Wenchen was knocked out by drugs and pushed down the Yueyue Pavilion. There were two people who died. What about the murderer? How did these two people die? They are completely different, and there is nothing in common between them. It was someone who killed the old lady by refusing to save her, and then another person used the matter to murder Mr. Zheng. It was the person in the temple who killed Mr. Zheng. Are they the same person?"

If He Cheng's question can be answered, then the case will be solved. Bo Ruoyou hesitated for a moment, "There is another question. It was the first seven of the old lady that day, but Mr. Zheng went to Yaoyue Pavilion alone. He Why did he go? The murderer can use incense in Yaoyue Pavilion, but Mr. Zheng has to go there himself first."

Huo Weilou glanced at Bo Ruoyou and said, "We need to look into Yaoyue Pavilion for this question."

Bao Ruoyou thought for a while and then said: "Does an autopsy need to be done on the second master's body? Although the cause of death has been found, it was only six days before the incident. Maybe something can be found."

Bo Ruoyou had just performed an autopsy on the old lady’s body. She had been bending down for more than an hour. Now her slender fingers were red from the cold, and she might have been poisoned by the corpse water. Eunuch Fu couldn’t bear to look at it, so I glanced at Huo Weilou several times.

Finally, Huo Weilou said softly, "It's already late, let's get here first tonight."

The case has been delayed for a long time, and Huo Weilou has only been here for half a day. The cause of death of the two deceased has been clarified, which can be said to be a great progress. However, the night is already dark, and many things are quite inconvenient. Although Huo Weilou is vigorous and resolute in his work, he is not afraid of hard work. , but also adapt to the times.

After Huo Weilou finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the door. Zheng Wenyan was shivering from the cold outside, so he quickly came over to greet him.

Huo Weilou ordered, "From now on, the Hou Mansion will be taken over by the embroidered clothes envoy and the prefect's Yamen Yamen. No one, including you, is allowed to walk around in the Hou Mansion."

Zheng Wenyan moved his lips, "Then the autopsy will be done tonight..."

Huo Weilou said: "Gather everyone in the mansion tomorrow morning and I will tell you the cause of death of the old lady and Zheng Wenchen. Everyone will stay in the mansion tonight. You can arrange the accommodation. Magistrate He -"

He Cheng hurriedly stepped forward, and Huo Wei said: "Arrange cadres to guard each entrance."

He Cheng immediately responded and turned around to give orders to the officials, while Zheng Wenyan said: "Don't worry, Lord Marquis, your yard has been prepared. Magistrate He and others also have guest rooms for rest. As for Bo Zuo—— ”

Zheng Wenyan looked at Bo Ruoyou, but his eyes were always focused on Huo Weilou. Seeing that his expression did not change, he understood that Huo Weilou also wanted Bao Ruoyou to stay. The others were all men, but Bo Ruoyou was the only one. Woman, Zheng Wenyan hesitated for a moment and said, "Let Bo Wu live in the yard next to Yunni, which happens to be not far from the Marquis."

Huo Weilou was noncommittal, Zheng Wenyan hurriedly summoned the housekeeper to give instructions, and soon returned to Huo Weilou, "Master Marquis, I will take you to rest."

When Eunuch Fu heard this, he hurriedly said, "Miss Bo, do you want to come with us?"

Bo Ruoyou was still inspecting the body. He raised his eyes after hearing this. Just as he was hesitating, Zheng Wenyan said, "Don't worry, father-in-law. I have specially arranged for someone to take Bo Ruoyou back."

As soon as these words were said, Huo Weilou had already taken the lead and left. Eunuch Fu showed a dissatisfied look, waved his hand to Bao Ruoyou sheepishly, and followed him up.

Bao Ruoyou shook her head, not caring about this, and still stared at Zheng Wenchen's body in confusion. She wanted to see what the robe Zheng Wenchen was wearing when he died looked like, but since Huo Weilou said that was the end of the day, She suppressed the thought first.

Baby saying goodbye to He Cheng first, Bao Ruoyou followed the **** who led the way and left the west courtyard.

"Miss Bo, your courtyard is to the northwest of the eldest lady's courtyard. It is very well-furnished. All the food and hot water have been delivered. If you have any other instructions, there are maids in the courtyard to serve you. Just ask."

The guarding etiquette was thorough, and Bo Ruoyou thanked him and said nothing.

At this moment, she was walking alone in the corridor of the Marquis Mansion. Because the mansion was luxurious and brightly lit, she didn't feel that it was so eerie. But at this moment, she noticed that the lanterns on the corridor were a little different. There were pomegranate blossoms on the lanterns. The pattern of Bai Zi is probably prepared for the wedding of the eldest lady of the Hou family.

A happy event is approaching, but a funeral occurs.

Going around the two flower garden terraces, the guard pointed to a straight corridor in front, "Miss Bo, the yard is at the end of the corridor, and the light is on. Please help yourself. I will leave first." ”

Bao Ruoyou thanked him again and waited until the guard left before turning around and walking forward.

This corridor is straight and looks very close. As Bo Ruoyou walked, he was thinking about Zheng Wenchen's death. On the eaves of the corridor, the lanterns were swaying in the cold wind, and the shadows of the lights were flickering. Suddenly, a hand tilted Thorn reached out and grabbed her wrist.

The sudden hand startled Bao Ruoyou. Bao Ruoyou turned around quickly, and what he saw was a childish face.

It’s Zheng Xiao!

Zheng Xiao was dressed in plain clothes, and his sudden appearance was somewhat scary. Bo Ruoyou took a deep breath to calm down, "Young Master?"

Huo Weilou has ordered martial law in the mansion, how could Zheng Xiao escape?

"My sister is so beautiful."

Zheng Xiao started with such a flattering sentence. He grabbed Bo Ruoyou's hand and continued childishly: "Did sister come with Marquis Wu'an? Is sister the wife of the Marquis?"

Bo Ruoyou couldn't laugh or cry when he heard this, "I'm not, I'm just helping the government... What are you doing here? It's getting late, you should go back and rest."

Zheng Xiao sniffed, as if she was very cold. When she saw that Bao Ruoyou had not let go of her hand, she looked at Bao Ruoyou with her big eyes. As she looked at him, she suddenly said, "Wow!" She cried out, "Sister, sister, please help us. My father did not harm my grandmother. The worst person in this house is my third uncle!"

Bo Ruoyou frowned and Zheng Xiao cried: "After my father died, my third uncle forced my mother to hand over the zhezi that my grandmother sent to the capital. But my mother and I have never seen any zhezi. It must be the third uncle's. , it was the third uncle who knew that his grandmother wanted his father to inherit the title, so he harmed his grandmother and his father..."

Hand over the coupon? Is it a folding envelope please seal it?

Bo Ruoyou felt that Zheng Xiaozhi's words revealed many secrets that Zheng Wenyan had deliberately concealed. When he asked in detail, Zheng Xiao continued to cry and beg, "Mother said that Marquis Wu Zhao never brings women around, so you followed Marquis Wu Zhao here. You must be her wife, sister, please tell Marquis Wu Zhao that my father is not a bad person, he was the one who was killed..."

Zheng Xiao's face was filled with tears, and the crying was heartbreaking. He seemed to stubbornly believe that the person following Huo Weilou must be his wife.

Bao Ruoyou sighed helplessly, knelt down, and said what was important first: "Young Master, I will take you to see Wu Zhaohou, and tell him in detail what you just said, okay?"

Zheng Xiao couldn't help but nod, "Sister, you have to speak for me too. You are so good-looking, Marquis Wu Zhao will definitely listen to you..."

Bo Ruoyou felt a little uncomfortable hearing this. She was about to explain to him seriously, but suddenly she felt something was wrong. She raised her eyes based on her intuition. The next moment, Bo Ruoyou froze as if struck by lightning.

Not far away, at the fork in the road, Huo Weilou stood under a bright red lantern, looking at her with a gloomy look. From his expression, Bo Ruoyou was sure that he heard the last two sentences of Zheng Xiao. talk.

But her denial came in the previous sentence.

Bao Ruoyou thought to herself, it’s over now, she’s so brave and dares to call herself Mrs. Wu Zhaohou!