The Delicate Lady Coroner Chapter 53: Sanzhumei 08

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Chapter 53 Three Plants Mei 08

"Died of illness half a year ago?" Huo Weilou frowned, "What disease was it?"

Guanjia Qian said with a trembling voice: "It was tuberculosis. It couldn't be cured. It took him half a year. I tried to cure him by Yan Yi, but he still couldn't. He died half a year ago. To be honest. , among several writers, the master has high hopes for him and wants him to write more playbooks, but who would have thought that he would not be so lucky..."

"After his death, Li Yuchang took possession of the script of "The Return of the Soul" and said he wrote it?"

Steward Qian was afraid that the deceased would be a big deal and did not dare to speak ill of Li Yuchang. However, Huo Weilou's interrogation was not a joke and he no longer dared to hide it, so he said honestly: "That's not the case. After Chen Xiucai's death, this The script was not in Chen Xiucai's possession, but in the hands of Mr. Liu. The master coaxed Mr. Liu to hand over the script after some nice words. Then the master re-edited it, and it became the present "The Return of the Soul". Naturally, the signature has become the master."

Huo Weilou's eyes darkened slightly, "Why is the script at Liu Huiniang's place?"

Butler Qian sighed, "Chen Xiucai and the Liu family are from the same hometown. Later, when they entered the garden, they became quite close to the Liu family, and... everyone knew that the Liu family had beautiful faces and a good voice. She will definitely become a heroine in the future, so Chen Xiucai naturally turned to the Liu family and even edited the plays of the previous dynasty for the Liu family to perform. It is a pity that he was short-lived and contracted such an incurable disease early in the morning."

"Before he died, he often talked about plays with Mr. Liu. Later, when he died, the play was with Mr. Liu. Mr. Liu was quite sad. At first, he said that the author of the play was dead, so the play would be gone. It was the end of the song, she stopped singing, she just wanted to leave it in her thoughts, but our troupe has not produced a well-received play for many years, so the master naturally refused to agree. After several months of hard work, everyone Liu finally took the play. Come out, the master has been thinking about it all day long, and he is a little crazy."

"No one has sung this play before. I thought that if I go to the capital and sing in the Marquis Mansion for a month, I will definitely make "Resurrection" famous. By then, our troupe may still be able to gain a foothold in the capital. , I have always wanted to open a theater in the capital..."

Butler Qian told everything he knew. After hearing this, Huo Weilou fell into deep thought. The script of the play was indeed not written by Li Yuchang, but the original author had died of illness. What happened half a year ago? If Chen Hanmo's death was man-made, was Li Yuchang's death a result of someone avenging Chen Hanmo?

Huo Weilou asked again: "After Li Yuchang took over the script, in addition to editing, did he also add new plays?"

Butler Qian quickly shook his head, "Although the script of the play has not been finished yet, there is already enough written ahead of it. In two to three months, we need to edit it, compose the music, and let the actors rehearse it. Master I can't take care of it anymore, so I have arranged a few main scenes first, so that I can go on stage in the capital. This play seems to be just short of the end, so I am not in a hurry."

Since Li Yuchang has never added any drama, who added the last twist?

The image of Liu Huiniang's red eyes flashed through Huo Weilou's mind. Liu Huiniang knew best what "Resurrection" was about, and the script was taken from her hands. The person who added to the drama was no other than her. select.

"Tell me about Liu Huiniang." Huo Weilou said suddenly.

Although Butler Qian is a bit naughty, looking at it now, the relationship between him and Li Yuchang is the simplest. However, the other people in Yuchun's class don't know if there is any hidden secret behind it.

Steward Qian was a little confused when he heard this. He seemed to think that Huo Weilou's suspicion of Liu Huiniang was unreasonable. He said: "Huiniang was bought seven years ago. She studied with the Song family for five years and started to perform on the stage three years ago. They were very popular when they first appeared on the stage. When our troupe was able to compete with the Song family, the relationship between their master and apprentice began to deteriorate. Later, the master valued the Liu family very much, and the troubles between them became more and more ugly. Song Dynasty started last year When everyone's voice is weak, Liu's reputation within the team will be higher."

"Everyone in Yuchun's class has to eat. Naturally, whoever is the most popular will support him. There is nothing we can do about it." Butler Qian sighed, "As for Mr. Liu, he is extremely talented and willing to Xue Xue is also quite friendly, so everyone above and below is willing to support her, and the master loves her even more."

"Do you like her even more?" Huo Weilou caught this sentence keenly with his narrow eyes.

Steward Qian looked evasive, not daring to meet Huo Weilou's scrutinizing gaze. Lu Ke scolded him coldly, "The Marquis is asking questions, are you mute?"

The corners of Butler Qian's lips trembled slightly, and he said with a trembling voice: "That's right... I had an original wife. Later, the wife passed away and left behind a young master. Later, the master never married again, and... Moreover, the opera singers who were bought back were all signed, just like domestic servants, and they all wanted to be loved by the master——"

At this point, the meaning was very clear. Huo Weilou raised his sword eyebrows slightly, and Bo Ruoyou's face changed slightly. Butler Qian seemed to feel that he had said something that he should not have said, so he supplemented: "They... were originally just goods in the hands of Ren Yazi. Even if they went to other families, they were still girls or concubines. When they came to the master, they could be allowed to sing on stage and become popular. , and still have some dignity, which is a blessing that cannot be obtained."

"It's just that these things are not known to outsiders. If others know clearly, their social status will drop. However, there are many people who know the inside story. Everyone understands it tacitly and listens to the show. I'm just happy." Butler Qian said and glanced at Huo Wei Tower, "Actually, an actor is half a prostitute. This is the same in theaters outside. Actors who can sing well can also become concubines of wealthy people. There are quite a few..."

Butler Qian's voice became quieter and quieter, Huo Weilou stared at him and asked, "Are all the people in the troupe like this?"

Butler Qian nodded timidly, "My master is obsessed with drama. He doesn't like concubines, and he doesn't just like beauty. He likes anyone who sings well..."

Huo Weilou was silent for a moment, "You said "Return of the Soul" was written by Chen Hanmo, then he wrote it specifically for Liu Huiniang?"

Guanjia Qian nodded, "Indeed, Mr. Liu himself also likes this script very much."

"Is Liu Huiniang close to him?"

Butler Qian hesitated for a moment and said: "They should be... considered close friends. The two of them feel a certain pity for each other, otherwise they wouldn't be talking about the drama together. When Chen Hanmo was writing, everyone Liu also helped a lot. Busy, the relationship between Chen and Liu described in this play once made the master unhappy, but the relationship between man and ghost is quite touching, so the master has not changed it."

Huo Weilou raised his hand and threw half of the playbook in front of Butler Qian, "See if there is Li Yuchang's handwriting on it."

Steward Qian wiped his sweat and hurriedly looked at the playbook tremblingly. When he saw that only half of the playbook was burned, he was quite confused about where Huo Weilou got this thing. However, he looked carefully. After looking through it for a moment, he shook his head, "This is Chen Duzi's handwriting, not the master's..." He frowned slightly, "I should put these words in the cage. I used Chen Duzi's words." After that, I edited a new one, which was similar but more refined. When I talked about the play with Liu and the others, they used the new playbook. When I was packing up the master’s belongings the night before, I used the new playbook. It has been put away by the villain."

Huo Weilou frowned slightly, "Do you think this play should have been placed in Li Yuchang's place?"

Butler Qian nodded firmly, "Master will not let outsiders see this script. Doesn't this mean that others will know that this script was not written by him? Not many people know about this. The villain is just one, and everyone Liu is not. One. Chen Duzi is really a nerd who reads too much. He doesn’t interact with many other people in the garden, so he probably doesn’t know much about it.”

Huo Weilou pondered for a moment and said, "Call Liu Huiniang."

Steward Qian was taken down and guarded in the corridor outside. Soon, Liu Huiniang came down from the second floor. The night was already dark, Liu Huiniang was wearing a hood and her dark hair was pulled up loosely. She was very charming. She came walking like Ting Ting, with a faint fragrance on her body. She walked up to Butler Qian and looked at him with questioning eyes. But Butler Qian felt a little guilty and did not dare to look at her.

When Liu Huiniang saw this, her expression became a little heavy. But when she entered the tea shop, her face was calm and solemn, but she looked calm and respectful. The corners of her lips were slightly curved, and she even had a thin smile. Although she No makeup was applied, but the natural beauty contained a certain amount of charm. Now that she came without face, it was even more pleasing to the eye, and I felt pity for her.

"Meet the Marquis." Liu Huiniang offered Ting a gift.

Huo Weilou asked without moving his eyebrows: "After you sent Li Yuchang back that night, did you take anything away from him?"

Liu Huiniang was slightly surprised, "Take something away? I don't know what the Marquis meant..."

Huo Weilou's eyes turned cold, and Liu Huiniang was also a little nervous. She rolled her eyes slightly, "At that time, the daughter of the people sent the master back to the cabin, helped him lie down, and then left. The daughter of the people left. At this time, the master is still doing well."

Huo Weilou raised his eyebrows slightly, "When you came back to the room, what did you do again?"

Liu Huiniang continued: "The folk girl then sang "The Return of the Soul". She sang for a long time until her voice became hoarse, and the folk girl just stopped. It was probably already late at night, and the folk girls were surrounded by People may have heard it to some extent."

Not to mention the people around her, even Bo Ruoyou, they all remembered hearing her singing while half asleep.

Liu Huiniang stood in the hall with her hands folded in front of her, her expression gentle and her back straight.

Huo Weilou's eyes were dark and unclear. Someone went to the west balcony to burn the storybook tonight. What they burned was the storybook that should have been placed at Li Yuchang's place. It was difficult for anyone else to think except Liu Huiniang, and Liu Huiniang looked calm. , which is also quite surprising.

"Master Marquis, I wonder why the Marquis asked this? Is there anything weird about the master's death?" Liu Huiniang was neither humble nor overbearing, and she even took the initiative to ask about Huo Weilou.

Huo Weilou looked at Liu Huiniang and suddenly said: "The play you and Li Yuchang talked about that night was "Return of the Soul", but this play has many parts. Which part did you talk about that night?"

Liu Huiniang said very calmly: "It's about three folds of "Love Bell", "Return to Soul" and "Farewell"."

Huo Wei's serious look on the floor disappeared, and then he leaned lazily on the back of his chair. He said lightly: "It sounds interesting. Let's talk about this three-fold play."

Liu Huiniang was naturally very familiar with the drama of singing and performing in preparation for going to the capital every day. Although she was a little confused as to why Huo Weilou asked such a question, she still answered very naturally, "The first episode of "Love Bell" is The two characters in the play, Chen Lang and Miss Liu, are in love and express their sincere feelings to each other. "Returning to the Soul" tells the story of Chen Lang after his death, because he was worried about Miss Liu's difficulty in reincarnation, so he turned into a ghost and came to see Miss Liu. "Farewell" tells the story of Miss Liu who forced Chen Lang's ghost to return to the underworld in order to save Chen Lang."

Huo Weilou tapped the arm of his chair leisurely with his fingertips, "I heard that this opera has not been finished yet. What are you going to do with it? Will you still be singing "Resurrection" in the future?"

Liu Huiniang sighed after hearing this, and her eyes turned red again, "The master is dead. This play will never end. The folk girl can't sing anymore. Every time she sings, she has to think of the master. It's really heartbreaking. , This time I return to Luozhou, I still don’t know what the Li family will do with us. If the troupe doesn’t work anymore, we don’t know where we will end up.”

The more Liu Huiniang spoke, the more sad she became, with tears filling her eyes. Huo Weilou also had a bit of worry on his face, "You are all in the Li Mansion?"

Huo Weilou's tone was gentle, and he seemed to be a different person from just now. Liu Huiniang said lightly: "Yes, the women of the people signed death contracts, and they really don't know what to do with us."

Huo Weilou nodded, "You are not yet in your twenties. It is quite disappointing to return to Luozhou like this with no one to rely on and your talents in drama will be buried."

Liu Huiniang wiped the corners of her eyes, as if she was really sad about what she said.

Huo Weilou turned his eyes and asked Eunuch Fu, "Can Hong'er like her very much?"

Eunuch Fu was stunned and immediately nodded, "Yes, the prince said that it is rare to see people like Mr. Liu in the capital. He originally wanted to go to the Marquis Mansion to attend the meeting, but now they will not go to the capital. The prince sighed for a long time yesterday. ”

Liu Huiniang was in a daze when she saw this. At first, she thought that Huo Weilou asked her to come because it was related to Li Yuchang's case, but unexpectedly the conversation changed to the show and her future.

At this time, Huo Weilou looked at Liu Huiniang, "If I ask you to go to the capital, will you go?"

Liu Huiniang was slightly surprised, and Bo Ruoyou on the side also frowned slightly. She looked at Huo Weilou, not knowing whether Huo Weilou's words were true or false.

Liu Huiniang’s hands that fell in front of her were twisted very tightly, "If the Marquis gives the order, the daughter of the people will naturally ask for it, but... what the daughter of the people signed is a death contract..."

Eunuch Fu said with a smile: "Young lady is worrying too much. There is no such thing as a death contract. If the Marquis opens his mouth, the girl will be free."

Although Liu Huiniang has some reputation, in the final analysis she is a slave with a death contract and her status is humble. When you want to praise her, you call her Liu Family. When you don't want to praise her, she is like a hook on the fence. Although he is a low-ranking person, Huo Weilou is now showing some favor. No matter who he is, he will be grateful and look forward to him.

However, the corners of Liu Huiniang's lips moved a few times, but she did not answer immediately.

Huo Weilou looked at her expression, "What, you don't want to?"

Liu Huiniang's eyes changed, and she said hesitantly: "Being able to enter the capital and be by the side of the eldest son is naturally a blessing that a daughter of the people has earned in her previous life, but... she is just a daughter of the people..."

Huo Weilou said: "If you can really make the prince happy, I will give you some status."

Liu Huiniang's hands in front of her were clenched tighter, "It's natural for a commoner's daughter to wish for her, but... a commoner's daughter has a low status, and... she has also committed herself to others, and is not worthy of being by the side of the prince."

Liu Huiniang lowered her eyebrows and looked a little pale. Although she was embarrassed to speak about this matter, she was more nervous and fearful, as if she was afraid that Huo Weilou was really going to take her into the capital.

"You are good at drama, and your commitment to others is nothing. The honor given to you is not that important, as long as you serve the prince wholeheartedly." Huo Weilou seemed to have seen strong winds and waves. When he said this, There was nothing contemptuous in his tone.

Although people at that time valued women's innocence, there were still widows who married twice, and there were many people in brothels and houses who entered wealthy families as maids and concubines. If Liu Huiniang was an actress, her status was already humble, and the drama was Director, innocence is not the first priority.

Having said this, Liu Huiniang still wrung her hands and said nothing. She was sweating on her forehead and still looked hesitant. Huo Weilou looked at her and suddenly said: "It seems that you already have your heart." ”

The corners of Liu Huiniang's lips tightened, and Huo Weilou continued: "If you have this intention, Chen Han Moquan knows it, I think you can get some comfort."

" Mr. Hou...how does Mr. Hou know Mr. Chen?"

Huo Weilou looked at her with narrow eyes, ""The Return of the Soul" was written by Chen Hanmo. The script states that Chen and Liu are in love but have difficulty getting married. His surname is Chen and your surname is Liu. He is dedicated to you. And writing, why wasn't it written for him? He brought the love between you two into the script, but he didn't want to make it a prophecy, and actually made the two of you Yin and Yang separated. It's a pity that the script is just a legend in the end. He has been dead for half a year, and his ghost may never come back to see you."

Liu Huiniang’s face was as white as paper, and her slender figure was extremely tight. "Master Hou... I must have heard what Butler Qian said. It is true that "The Return of the Soul" was not written by the master, but Min Nu and Mr. Chen only sang and sang the same lyrics. It's just a pity. It's not what the Marquis said, but we have an affair. Everyone in the family performs their own duties. The women and other opera singers are all servants of the master, and they are not allowed to have any affair with others."

Huo Weilou was surprised when he heard this, "Is that so? So it seems that Chen Hanmo is obsessed with you. Li Yuchang kindly took him in and provided him with food, clothing, and food, but he coveted the favor of his benefactor. Concubine, it’s strange that he failed. I think he is only a mediocre person, and he also devotes his mind to the romance. Such a person has never been in high school. It is really a blessing for me."

"No!" Liu Huiniang's body was trembling with sudden anxiety, "That's not the case. Mr. Chen has great literary talent and a lot of talent. I don't know how many times he is better than those sour scholars. If it weren't for his family's poverty, if it wasn't for his luck, No, how could he end up living in the Yuchun class? He is a man of glory and beauty, but his master asked him to write a strange and fascinating romantic drama, so he wrote about the relationship between man and ghost. He has a lot of knowledge and strategies, If he became an official in high school, it would be a blessing to many people. You have no idea what kind of wise man he is. He could have taken the exam again, but he..."

"But he is a short-lived ghost." Huo Weilou's words were harsh and merciless.

"He was killed by Li——"

Liu Huiniang spoke decisively, but the moment she saw the cold look in Huo Weilou's eyes, she suddenly stopped talking as if she understood something. Her eyes were red, tears flashed at the corners of her eyes, and she was trembling slightly, but But she gritted her teeth tightly and suppressed all the anger on her face. Soon, her tone calmed down, and she said with some regret: "People's daughters couldn't appreciate Mr. Chen more, but it's a pity that he was so unlucky and died too early. Perhaps, even the heavens are jealous of his talent. ”

Huo Weilou's seemingly unorganized words almost made her lose her composure, but she finally shut up at the last moment. She Shi Shiran stood in the hall. Although there was some fear in her eyes, she understood Huo Weilou's intention. Since she understood After that, Huo Weilou could no longer get anything out of her. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and Liu Huiniang was as calm and calm as when she came.

Huo Weilou looked at Liu Huiniang, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. This seemingly scheming and weak woman who only cares about fame and fortune is actually not as swaying as she usually sees. Since she doesn’t want to at all today Following the noble prince of the Hou family, why did he take the initiative to get in front of Huo Qinghong that day?

Liu Huiniang did not say a word, but her mind was affected by Huo Weilou, and her words had already revealed flaws. This was enough for Huo Weilou. He then asked, "Since you appreciate Chen Hanmo and Li Yuchang so much, You must hate him for taking over his script, right?"

Liu Huiniang lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly, "People's girls are indeed dissatisfied, but people's girls have no right to be dissatisfied. Even people's girls themselves belong to the master, so how can they be unworthy of Mr. Chen?"

"Qian Mingli said that Li Yuchang took possession of Chen Hanmo's playbook and copied a copy, but the original playbook was left with him. He also said that the playbook was in your hands at the beginning, but now it is The script is missing, do you know where it went?"

Huo Weilou never mentioned the script that was burned. Liu Huiniang just assumed that everything he knew came from the mouth of steward Qian, so she said: "I don't know, the daughter of the people, the script was indeed in the hands of the people at first, but later the master asked for it. Yes, although the daughter felt that it was Mr. Chen’s relic and should not be handed over to the master, she couldn’t resist it and handed it over anyway.”

"From what you said, the story in this play is indeed full of twists and turns, but the fact that Chen and Liu know each other and love each other somewhat reflects you and him. Are the plot points written in the play really written by him alone?"

Liu Huiniang raised her chin slightly, "The folk girl also helped Mr. Chen think about some details, but the idea of ​​a ghostly relationship between Chen and Liu was Mr. Chen's idea. Every word and every sentence is written by Mr. Chen. He is a great talent, but the civilian girls have little talent and little knowledge, so naturally they cannot help much."

Huo Weilou examined her for a moment and then suddenly said: "Take her to the cabin and wait. She is not allowed to come out without my order."

Liu Huiniang's expression changed slightly, "I dare to ask Lord Hou, why do you treat the daughter of the people like this? What the women of the people say is true..."

"Every word is true?" Huo Weilou stared at her coldly, "Not only can you sing and act, you have known Chen Hanmo for a long time, but you can also write stories. Not only can you write stories, but you can also imitate Chen Hanmo's Regarding the handwriting, are you right?"

Liu Huiniang's beautiful eyes widened, as if it was difficult to understand why Huo Weilou knew about this. Huo Weilou said again: "The most brilliant lie is one truth and one lie. No matter how sincere you make it up, the script left by Chen Hanmo But I won’t lie.”

Liu Huiniang's eyes widened even more, but she forced herself to say: "You don't know what the Lord is talking about. The people's girls are wronged. How can the Lord arrest the people's girls without any evidence? The people's girls will have to get off the boat tomorrow to fight for the master." Doing a funeral..."

Lu Ke had already brought the embroidered envoy to come forward to fetch the person. Liu Huiniang was still struggling, but no matter how much she screamed for the pitiful Chu Chu, no one present was moved.

When she left, the room suddenly became quiet and the sound of needle drop could be heard. Huo Weilou's expression completely darkened, "This situation is very clever."

Eunuch Fu frowned. He only saw that Liu Huiniang and Chen Hanmo had a close relationship. The two probably had an affair, but Liu Huiniang denied it. There were many reasons for Chen Hanmo's death. It can be said that Li Yuchang and Chen Hanmo had a close relationship. The relationship between Hanmo's death is difficult to predict, and the truth about Li Yuchang's death is still hidden behind a lot of fog.

Seeing Huo Weilou's expression as cold as iron, Bo Ruoyou couldn't help but said: "Master Hou, there is no perfect method of killing in the world. Anyone who commits evil will leave traces."

After a pause, she said firmly: "Liu Huiniang had something to hide, and the performance that night was proof of her alibi, so it is absolutely impossible that she was the only one involved in Li Yuchang's death."