The Delicate Lady Coroner Chapter 54: Sanzhu Mei09

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Chapter 54 Three Plants Mei 09

That night Liu Huiniang sang for half the night, and many people heard her.

Gong Fu said fairly: "That night, the old slave also heard her singing for a long time. I guess it was past the middle of the hour and almost to the ugly hour. Later, the old slave fell asleep and didn't know when it ended."

Bo Ruoyou nodded, "The civilian girl also heard it before going to bed. She just said that she had been singing opera that night. As long as someone hears her singing, she is not the one who harmed Li Yuchang."

This is the subtle situation Huo Weilou said. Now Liu Huiniang is extremely suspicious, but everyone who heard her singing that night can testify for her, and it is almost impossible to continue to doubt her. But just now she said something to Chen I admire Hanmo quite a lot, especially the unfinished half of the sentence, which is even more suspicious.

Huo Weilou thought for a moment, "If the murderer wants to harm people, there must be a reason. Now we want to know whether Chen Hanmo died of illness, so let Qian Mingli come in -"

Steward Qian was called in again and saw that Liu Huiniang had been taken into custody. Steward Qian was sweating profusely, fearing that he would also be arrested. When Huo Weilou asked about Chen Hanmo, Steward Qian said, "I really have tuberculosis. , and asked the doctor to look at it."

Huo Weilou stared at Qian Mingli coldly, "Just because he asked a doctor to prescribe medicine does not mean that he really wanted to cure him. At that time, Chen Hanmo was writing a play for Liu Huiniang, and the two of them were often in the same place. You also said Li Yuchang was quite annoyed by this. If so, had he ever done anything about Chen Hanmo's illness or had other thoughts?"

Qian Mingli sweat dripped down his forehead, "Little man... I don't know what to say. If I say that I don't have any evil intentions, it's not true. I asked a doctor at that time, and the doctor said that this disease is difficult to treat. If he were hung up with some precious medicinal materials, he would be able to live a few more years, but after all, Chen Hanmo is just a scholar, and he is not on the stage. It is impossible for the master to support him with gold and silver."

Qian Mingli smiled bitterly, "Then I just used some ordinary medicinal materials. After a while, the person died."

Huo Weilou narrowed his eyes, "Who else in the theater troupe has had any disputes or grudges with Li Yuchang?"

"That's not true. Although the master is sometimes harsh, these people were originally hungry. The master raised them in the theater, which was great for them. They had no time to curry favor with the master. How can you have a dispute with the master?" At this point, Qian Mingli said as if he remembered something: "The only one who said there was a dispute was the Song family. After the Song family lost their voice, they had two quarrels with the master. What did they say? I won’t be able to sing anymore, so I want to use the money I’ve saved over the years to redeem myself. However, the Song Dynasty was brought up by the master, and they have been with the master for the longest time, so the master naturally refuses to let go.”

Qian Mingli added: "Speaking of which, I have some friendship with everyone in Song Dynasty. She was very talented at first, so I asked her husband to teach her. Later, she succeeded and recruited new people. , the master ordered the Song family to teach her one by one, and he trusted her very much. Although her voice is not perfect now, the master still let her go on stage..."

It could be seen that Qian Mingli was quite loyal to Li Yuchang and always spoke against him. Huo Weilou thought for a moment and asked him to step back, and asked Lu Ke to summon Chunqin.

Eunuch Fu was puzzled, "Chunqin? Is she the little girl that the housekeeper scolded that night?"

Huo Weilou nodded, "It's her. Nowadays, people are in panic, so they naturally find someone who can tell the truth, so as not to waste their breath. Qian Mingli said that Song Meiniang and Li Yuchang were not on good terms, but it was just to ask for redemption. Li Yuchang is dead, Song Meiniang She is still a maid and concubine of the Li family, which does not solve her worries, and since she and Liu Huiniang are on bad terms, it seems unlikely that the two of them will commit the crime together."

Bo Ruoyou said casually: "We don't know what happened that night. Liu Huiniang was singing all the time, but the whereabouts of the others are difficult to determine. But when asked that day, everyone had their own excuses. Among them, there must be others lying."

Huo Weilou stared for a moment, not knowing what he thought of, and his eyes darkened.

Soon, Chunqin came. She was only about ten years old. She was brought over by the embroiderer. She looked a little frightened. She entered the door, bowed politely, and then wrung her clothes with her hands and hunched her shoulders. Dare to raise your eyes.

Huo Weilou's voice softened a little, "How long have you been in Yuchun Class? Do you know Chen Hanmo?"

Chunqin lowered her head, "The girl has been in the Yuchun Troupe for three years. She was bought in at the age of seven. I know... I know Mr. Chen. She is a drama writer in the Western Opera Troupe and is quite talented."

"Did he die of illness?"

"Yes, yes..."

"How is his relationship with Liu Huiniang?"

Chunqin couldn't help but raise her eyes to look at Huo Weilou, and then quickly lowered her eyes, "They... were walking very close..."

"Elaborate."

Huo Weilou spoke concisely, Chunqin hesitated for a moment before saying: "Sister Liu is the best singer in the troupe, and she is also very good-looking. She admires Mr. Chen, and Mr. Chen also likes her. They are a perfect match in our eyes." , Mr. Chen wrote a play for Sister Liu in the first half of the year, and the two got along a lot..."

Chunqin became a little shy as she spoke, as if there was something difficult to say.

Huo Weilou narrowed his eyes and said, "You must not hide anything."

Chunqin said hurriedly: "Someone in the yard saw the two of them hugging each other and discussing in private. Later, the person who made the discussion was kicked out. The civilian girl had never seen it with her own eyes, so naturally she did not dare to say nonsense, but...even the others They both feel that the two are a good match, and they admire each other, so naturally there is some friendship..."

Chunqin's cheeks turned red as she spoke, and her head hung lower.

Huo Weilou asked again: "When Chen Hanmo died, did a doctor be invited to the theater?"

Chunqin thought about it for a moment before saying, "I invited him at first, but when he heard that he was suffering from tuberculosis, the master became a little afraid, so he ordered him to move out of the theater and let him live in a servant's room in the outer courtyard. Later, Mr. Chen passed away not long after."

"How to deal with the aftermath?"

"It seems that the master sent Mr. Chen's body back to his hometown and rewarded him with some money." Chunqin paused, "Sister Liu was sad for a while, but if she didn't go on stage, the master would You will be furious."

"On the night when Li Yuchang died, did you hear any unusual noises outside?"

Chunqin thought about it for a moment, "Yue Niang accompanied Sister Song that night. The folk girl went to bed early, but she didn't hear much noise. She only heard Sister Liu singing a long opera before going to bed."

"Yue Niang has been accompanying Song Meiniang?"

"Yes, they are master and apprentice, and their relationship has always been very good. That day, Sister Song fell seriously ill after jumping into the river. She couldn't get out of the ground for a few days, so Yueniang stayed with her to take care of her. It happened that that night, she and Song My sister stayed with me for the night."

Huo Weilou remembered that Liu Huiniang was also a disciple of Song Meiniang, "Liu Huiniang and Yueniang were both taught by Song Meiniang, but Liu Huiniang was at odds with them. Do you know the inside story?"

Chunqin shrank even more when she heard this, as if she was afraid of saying bad things about Liu Huiniang.

Huo Weilou said: "Tell the truth and no one can harm you."

Chunqin was saved by Huo Weilou that day, and she was a little grateful in her heart. She raised her eyes and glanced at Huo Weilou, and then continued: "Sister Liu also respected Sister Song very much at first, but later she became more valued by the master. Well, there is no room for two tigers in one mountain, and this is what you think of it. And Yueniang has been taken care of by Sister Song since she was a child. She is as affectionate as a sister, so she is naturally on Sister Song's side. Although Sister Song treats Yueniang well, , but at first she was unwilling to teach Yueniang, but the master ordered her to teach, so she started to teach Yueniang to sing. Yueniang is the most talented among us."

"Song Meiniang was unwilling to teach her at first?" Huo Weilou frowned slightly.

Chunqin also looked a little puzzled, "Yes, when the slave was first bought into the garden, I heard the master getting angry at Sister Song because she didn't want to teach Yueniang."

I treat Yueniang like my own sister, but I don’t want to teach her how to sing...

Huo Weilou suddenly thought of what Qian Mingli said. Li Yuchang was not simply lustful. He was only interested in opera singers who sang well. Could it be that Song Meiniang was unwilling to teach Yueniang because of this?

"How does Li Yuchang treat Yueniang?"

Hearing this, Chunqin's eyebrows showed a bit of envy, "I treat her very well and value her very much. Yueniang was only eleven years old, and the master made her appear on the stage. In the past, Sister Song and Sixth Sister were also I first came on stage when I was thirteen or fourteen years old."

Huo Weilou saw the envy on Chunqin's face and said, "Do you also want to go on stage earlier?"

Chunqin hurriedly narrowed her eyes and said awkwardly: "The folk girl can't sing well enough, so now she can only help with odd jobs."

The corner of Huo Weilou's lips moved slightly, but he still said: "When you were bought, did you just come to learn singing, or did you know that you were a maid of the Li family? If you opera singers are too old to sing, what will happen to the Li family? Dispose of you?"

Chunqin heard the words and said: "The daughter of the people was sold into the Li family by death contract. She first learned to sing. If she really couldn't learn it, she became a maid of the Li family. Some of the older opera singers before her were given away by the master. , there are also those who stay with the master to serve."

Chunqin spoke naturally and showed no fear when it came to staying by Li Yuchang's side, as if everyone had tacitly understood the matter. Huo Weilou's eyes darkened. It seemed that what Qian Mingli said was true. After all, these people were all They are maids and concubines, they already knew their fate.

The world of the Great Zhou Dynasty was like this, and it was common for officials and wealthy families to buy and sell maids and servants. Naturally, Huo Weilou would not treat them with special pity because of this. He only asked: "Who else in the theater troupe is friends with Liu Huiniang?"

Chunqin frowned and thought for a moment, then shook her head, "Sister Liu has a distinguished status in the troupe. She was close to Mr. Chen earlier. After Mr. Chen's death, she treated everyone kindly, but who did she leave with? Not recently, not really."

This is strange. Besides Liu Huiniang, who else can lure Li Yuchang to the balcony?

"What scenes have been rehearsed for "The Return of the Soul" now?"

Chunqin looked a little weird when he heard this, "The rehearsal of this play hasn't started yet. I have only heard Sister Liu sing it alone, and she sang with the master every time. The master also likes singing and acting very much, but he is older. I can’t pretend to be a stranger anymore.” He lowered his voice and said, “Sister Liu and the master sing, and the master will naturally be happy...”

This is an excellent play. Instead of rehearsing it with young and handsome students, it is singing with Li Yuchang every day, and it is such a deep and meaningful story. In the eyes of others, it is either Liu Huiniang trying to please Li Yuchang. , or there was some friendship between the two, but Li Yuchang's death was related to the script, and Liu Huiniang became the most suspect, so all this seemed to be explained.

Huo Weilou glanced at Bo Ruoyou. Her speculation after seeing the script was indeed strange. But now the more she asked, the more clues she found. If it had been anyone else, it would have been difficult. This inference.

After Chun Qin retired, Bo Ruoyou said: "Liu Huiniang sang and performed with Li Yuchang every day. Li Yuchang might have regained the taste of being a niche student and got into the drama. But that night Liu Huiniang was singing in the room, and the two of them The cabins are far apart, and Li Yuchang could clearly hear the unhappiness on this side, so he wouldn't have fallen into the river just by relying on such a distant voice."

Huo Weilou called Shen Ya in, "The boat can be parked at Changfeng Ferry tomorrow, and no one on board is allowed to disembark."

Shen Ya responded quickly, but couldn't help but ask: "Master Hou, is there something wrong with Boss Yu's death?"

Huo Weilou nodded, "Maybe he died setting up a trap for others."

Shen Ya's face turned pale, "He is the class leader of Yuchun's class. He went to the capital this time to sing for the Hou Mansion... How could this... be harmed by others? It should be Yuchun who harmed him Are you from the class?"

Huo Weilou said: "It has nothing to do with your ship for the time being, so you don't have to be afraid."

Even the Shen family did not want to get involved in a human life case easily. Shen Ya was relieved when he heard this, "That's fine, that's fine. Don't worry, Lord Marquis. When the boat docks tomorrow, it will stop half a mile away from the ferry. , so as not to disturb the Marquis."

Huo Weilou nodded in agreement. When Shen Ya stepped back, Huo Weilou saw Bo Ruoyou's little face wrinkle up, looking very worried, "They won't be let off the ship tomorrow, there is still time to verify."

Bao Ruoyou frowned, "The civilian girl is thinking that there is either someone in the troupe who is on good terms with Liu Huiniang and is willing to be driven by her, or there is someone who hates Li Yuchang as much as Liu Huiniang, so he helps her, but now they all It’s just a guess. Apart from knowing that Liu Huiniang has an affair with Chen Hanmo and that she might seek revenge for Chen Hanmo, there is no other evidence yet.”

Eunuch Fu also said: "Chen Hanmo has no one close to him in the troupe, and I don't know if Li Yuchang has done other evil things."

Has Li Yuchang done any other evil things...

A cold light suddenly flashed through Huo Weilou's eyes, "Li Yuchang has no other hobbies, but he always feels possessive of opera singers who sing well, and Liu Huiniang is already his, even Song Meiniang cannot escape." But, then the next one is Yueniang. This Yueniang is still young, but she may be possessed by an old man. In order to avoid disaster, she may have murderous intentions."

Bao Ruoyou is always very soft-hearted towards young children, so she has never thought about Yueniang. Now when Huo Weilou said this, she looked surprised at first, and Huo Weilou knew that she had never thought of such a thing. Maybe, so he said: "I just heard that Song Meiniang and Li Yuchang were also at odds, but what she asked for was redemption. Li Yuchang's death would not solve her problem, but if Li Yuchang became possessive of Yueniang, then Yue Niang would As far as my mother is concerned, she is safe only if Li Yuchang is dead."

"Liu Huiniang avenged her sweetheart, and Yueniang wanted to protect herself. Li Yuchang's death is the most beneficial to both of them." Seeing that Bo Ruoyou hesitated to speak, Huo Weilou said: "Although she is young, she She grew up in a theater troupe and has been used to the warmth and coldness of the world. Her thoughts are not as innocent as those of ordinary children. You must not feel sympathy for her because of her young age."

Huo Weilou hit the nail on the head, and Bo Ruoyou said hesitantly: "But she and Liu Huiniang had a bad relationship..."

Huo Weilou heard this but continued, "Have you forgotten how Wang Qingfu and Yue Mingquan pretended to be strangers, but they collaborated to kill people ten years ago? In order to cover up others' eyes, Wang Qingfu could pretend to be friends with Wu Yu, and then Yueniang could She pretends to be at odds with Liu Huiniang. It is difficult to distinguish between good and evil in people's hearts. Her young age makes people sympathize with her. It is indeed difficult to think of her. However, this plot seems to be exquisite and flawless. The murderer must have used a method that is difficult for us to guess. ."

Huo Weilou's voice dropped, "What's more important is... Yueniang has already started singing on stage at a young age. What if she learns The Return of the Soul and lures Li Yuchang to the balcony, causing him to stumble and fall?"

Bao Ruoyou's breathing was a little tight. Huo Weilou's words were so meticulous that it really sent a chill down her spine. There seemed to be no flaw in the situation. There must be an entry point that everyone ignored or could not have thought of. This trip to Yu As soon as Spring Class got on board, they first showed the difference in intimacy between the three actors. Perhaps, this is what they most want outsiders to see.

Once you have a preconceived idea, you will naturally be biased.

How could Bao Ruoyou not understand after careful analysis, "What the Marquis said makes sense. The murderer cannot kill people out of thin air. He must have a purpose. Whoever has the most urgent purpose is most likely to be the murderer. ”

Seeing her serious expression, Huo Weilou said: "It's just suspicion, maybe not that much. Now that the cause of death of the deceased has been found at the place where the crime occurred, but there is no murder weapon, we can only guess the motive of the person behind the scenes. ”

Usual resentment and conflict will never lead to murder, but if there is deep hatred, or if it is related to life and death for one's own interests, killing is a desperate and helpless choice. Yueniang can see her beauty at a young age, and her talent is even better. Li Yuchang's nature must be possessive of her...

Even though Yueniang was originally a slave of the Li family, she was still young, so how could she not be afraid? Bao Ruoyou thought that if she was coveted by an elder at this age, she would be unyielding. However, Yueniang was single and weak, and the death contract had been signed. She would not be able to escape no matter what. In this case, why not kill the culprit? Kill the culprit quickly!

But at such a young age, can Yueniang do it without leaking?

His thoughts were a little chaotic, and Bo Ruoyou took a deep breath to suppress the thought, "What the Marquis said is absolutely true, and Yueniang was originally living with Chunqin, but on the night of the accident, Yueniang was living with Song Meiniang. If it is really related to Yueniang, then Song Meiniang will probably help Yueniang as a witness and say that she has never left."

Having been prompted by Huo Weilou's words, Bo Ruoyou immediately thought of what Chunqin had just said. Huo Weilou saw that although she was temporarily soft-hearted, she was still rational and intelligent when she came back to her senses. There was a look of relief in his eyes, "Call her two Just ask people."

"Come, tell Song Meiniang and Yueniang to come."

Huo Weilou gave an order, and Lu Ke brought his embroidered clothes with him. When he looked sideways, he saw Bo Ruoyou frowning, thinking about something, and his face was quite solemn.

His heart sank, "But what's the difference?"

Bao Ruoyou raised his eyes, with a hint of regret floating in his clear eyes, "The civilian girl is just thinking, if Yueniang is really in the situation we guessed, besides killing people, there are other ways -"

Huo Weilou understood as soon as he heard this. Seeing a look of hesitation on her face, he kept silent and said: "As a slave, life and death are not in your own hands. Her luck is too bad. ”

Yue Niang comes from a humble background, and in the eyes of the householder, she can be a concubine or a gift, just like a plaything. There are many slaves and servants like her in the world. If she meets a good householder and can be stable for half her life, if When you encounter bad people, it's hard to bear the pain.

Bo Ruoyou grew up in Qingshan County, so she is used to suffering. How could she not know the various situations in the world, but all the misery in the world always have something in common. She lowered her gaze, "Yes, her luck is too bad."

Her voice was low, clearly lamenting the fate of the opera singers, but the words were heavy, as if she were talking about herself. Huo Weilou couldn't help but feel something in his eyes when he thought that even though she was born in an official family, she was still a wanderer. Mercy comes.

I want to smooth out her frown.

When he realized what he was thinking, Huo Weilou had been staring at Bao Ruoyou for a long time. He immediately looked away, feeling a little frightened. Although he was born into a noble family, he had been fighting since he was a child and later held great power. He had seen many things that were a hundred times more dangerous than this. He had already developed a cold heart, but now he was easily influenced by her.

Huo Weilou tightened his knuckles on the arm of the chair, becoming increasingly unsure of his own thoughts.

He has always acted vigorously and resolutely, but now, he doesn't know what he wants or wants. She is not an official official, not an imperial order, but someone who is used by him and used to his satisfaction. He really doesn't know what he cares about.

Yue Niang and Song Meiniang did not arrive quickly. They waited for almost a stick of incense before they arrived belatedly. When entering the door, Yueniang supported Song Meiniang, but Song Meiniang had a pale face and her steps were a little sloppy. It had been almost three days since Sun Yueniang came to beg her to visit Song Meiniang. Bo Ruoyou did not expect that Song Meiniang would still be there. So sick.

The two of them saluted, and Huo Weilou asked, "Did you two live in the same place on the night when Li Yuchang's accident happened?"

Song Meiniang covered the corner of her lips and coughed twice, and her voice was hoarse and unpleasant when she spoke, "Yes, Yueniang lived with Min Nu. In those two days, Min Nu was seriously ill, and she couldn't sleep well at night. After drinking the medicine, Yueniang rested in the girl's room."

Huo Weilou said in a cold voice, "Did she leave that night?"

Song Meiniang shook her head, "No, the girl was lying on the bed half asleep, and Yueniang had been sleeping next to the girl, and she did not go back to her room to rest."

Huo Weilou asked if she had left, but Song Meiniang answered that Yueniang had not returned to her room. This seemed like a normal association, but for some reason Bao Ruoyou felt a little deliberate.

Huo Weilou also said in a disbelieving tone, "You are seriously ill and it is impossible to be clear-headed all night long. How can you be sure that she has not left the house?"

Song Meiniang glanced at Yueniang, "The people's daughter and Yueniang slept together. Not to mention the second half of the night, at least the people's daughter was awake in the first half of the night." After saying that, she coughed again, "The people's daughter also heard Liu He was singing an opera, and he only stopped when he was almost ugly."

I was awake for the whole first half of the night, and Li Yuchang died around midnight. In this way, the Yueniang was picked clean again.

Huo Weilou looked at the two of them, "Yue Niang is staying, but Song Meiniang is leaving."

Yue Niang has been supporting Song Meiniang. When Huo Weilou asked questions, she only lowered her eyes and said nothing. At this moment, Song Meiniang answered, so what happened after Song Meiniang left?

But Song Meiniang actually hesitated and didn't leave.

She frowned and asked, "A common girl dares to ask the Marquis if he suspects that the two of us are related to his death?"

Huo Weilou was silent. At this time, a word that no one had guessed came out of Song Meiniang's mouth. She said, "Actually, there is another person who can testify for Minnu and Yueniang. We didn't leave that night. ”

Huo Weilou stared at her closely, "Who?"

Song Meiniang said calmly: "The young student in the theater troupe, Lu Qing."