The Delicate Lady Coroner Chapter 74: Sihexiang 14

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Chapter 74 Sihexiang 14

"Youyou, what happened to Lingxiao Poetry Club?"

Huo Qinghong asked while walking to the dock. Bo Ruoyou told him that Feng Wodan and Wei Ling were murdered and that they happened to be in Lingxiao Poetry Club. Huo Qinghong listened. His face changed slightly, "I don't recognize this... girl from the Feng family, but I am familiar with the second lady of the uncle's house. She is a lively and interesting person. Has she been murdered?"

Huo Qinghong had been living in a brothel for the past few days, so naturally he didn't know about the case in the uncle's house. He sighed several times, and then looked at the figure of Huo Weilou in front of him and said: "No wonder when the elder brother asked about the poetry club, I still thought Brother is enlightened."

Bao Ruoyou looked at Huo Qinghong curiously, "What is enlightenment?"

Huo Qinghong smiled bitterly for a moment, "You have also seen that my elder brother is quite dissatisfied when I come here to have fun. He is the most incomprehensible person, and he never cares about things between men and women. He Not at my age."

“This Lingxiao Poetry Club was just a place for the noble ladies to have fun at first. Later, as time went by, its reputation spread. When noble families in the capital wanted to see their children and their daughter-in-law, they didn’t bother to find them. Matchmakers only need to inquire inside this poetry club. Because the ladies in the society are not only of high-class family, but also have excellent talents, education, and appearance, it is easy to find someone who suits your needs. Therefore, there is a saying among the outside world that when marrying a wife, you should marry Ling Xiao. Girls, those girls who have not yet joined the poetry club, regardless of whether they really like poetry or not, also want to join the poetry club, so that they can at least meet some aristocratic ladies and gain a good reputation."

Feng Wodan is a merchant girl. She was the one who was originally out of reach and was later pulled in. After hearing this, Bo Ruoyou understood. Huo Qinghong said again: "However, although I know about the poetry club, I know But there are no details. Brother is so anxious to call me back, how can I help?"

Bo Ruoyou hesitated for a moment and asked, "Does the Crown Prince know Lu Wenhe?"

Huo Qinghong raised his eyebrows, "He? Is he related to the case?"

Bo Ruoyou nodded, and Huo Qinghong frowned tightly, "Of course he recognizes it, but how does he have anything to do with the case?"

Bo Ruoyou glanced at Huo Weilou in front of him and said, "Let the Marquis tell the prince the rest."

The embroidered clothes envoy has found out about the painting boat and is reporting it to Huo Weilou. When Huo Qinghong and Bo Ruoyou approached, they saw a painting boat approaching the lake in the distance. Huo Qinghong stepped forward and said: "Brother , is Lu Wenhe related to the case you are handling?"

Huo Weilou knew that Bo Ruoyou had seen through the bottom. He nodded, "Yes, I saw a painting at your place earlier. Was it by him?"

Huo Qinghong nodded, "He was the one who drew it, you remember correctly."

Huo Weilou looked at him and said, "What's his family background? What's his character like? Let's talk about it in detail."

As for tolerance, Huo Qinghong did not dare to be scornful, and said cautiously: "I don't know much about him, but a year ago, I suddenly heard from people around me that I bought his paintings. Fortunately, I heard about him. Bragging, I went to see it later, but I didn’t quite understand it. But it’s so expensive. There’s always a reason why it’s so expensive, right? So I asked someone to order one, which is what you see. I only got it in the fall of last year, and I had to wait for two months——"

"His family background is said to be the nephew of Lu Jijiu of the Imperial Academy, but I asked more when I was buying the painting. In fact, the relationship is not close. He is a branch of the Lu family. There were officials in his family in the early years, and now they have I started a business, but I heard that the business was not doing well, and it was completely in decline. Because of this, I added an extra hundred taels of silver to the painting."

"As for his character, it's acceptable. People who have seen the painting say it's really good, and he waited for two months in between, so it can be considered a meticulous work. He doesn't look like he's just doing it in a hurry to make money. Appearance."

This is exactly what the shopkeeper of the calligraphy and painting shop said. Lu Wenhe is indeed not in a hurry to paint. As long as he wants to paint, he has to wait. This word "wait" can kill the enthusiasm of many customers, which is invisible. There are indeed few opportunities to make money.

After listening to these, Huo Weilou pondered for a moment, "Does he usually come to the poetry meeting and literary meeting?"

The painting boat has already arrived at the lake. There are boatmen laying out the pedals. The embroiderer gave a few instructions and invited them to get on the painting boat. Huo Qinghong said as he walked: "You shouldn't show up at all. There are really many literati students in the capital. Regardless of whether they are talented or not, many people want to get to know more people through literary and poetry gatherings. I don’t like these at all, but I also went to join in the fun. Once, I heard other people say that he was very arrogant and was never easy-going. Come to these gatherings."

The painting boat is not big, only one floor, but it is decorated very delicately and elegantly. The embroiderer asked some questions with the shopkeeper, and came to Huo Weilou after a while, "Master Hou, the shopkeeper said that the last time the poetry club came here, The gathering was during the Lantern Festival, when the snow had not yet melted, and the lake was covered with snow. They stayed here for half a day, and the boat had not yet sailed out. Before that, they had to come here basically every month or two, especially In summer, there are usually about ten people, and there can be about twenty at most, because they are all official ladies, and the servants are very careful in serving them, and they have not been dissatisfied until now."

"When we get on the boat, we just enjoy the scenery, write poems, and eat some meals. Usually we don't stay until dark. It is Miss Lu's maid who often comes to them to make arrangements, and sometimes she even orders They prepared a playbook of chess, pen, ink and flying flowers so that everyone could have fun. Their subordinates showed their portraits, and the shopkeeper had some impressions of the second young lady of the Wei family and Miss Feng."

Bo Ruoyou felt a little sad when he heard this. Although the boat only has one floor, it has halls and pavilions connected to the halls and pavilions, and there are two kitchens for cooking. If you drive to the middle of the lake, you can have fun all day long. When we arrive, You can also watch the lights on the lake at night, and imagine that ten or twenty young girls are gathering here, either reciting poems or making poems, or flying flowers, and the girls' laughter is like the cries of parrots. It is really a wonderful scene, but Now, the two little girls who once existed in this wonderful scene will never board this boat again.

Huo Weilou went into the cabin to take a look, and then walked along the corridor outside. Yesterday, Ning Xiao reported all the cases to him, and naturally mentioned the poem society. Now that he had arrived at Weiyang Lake, he wanted to take a look at it on a whim. , but nothing can be seen from just a painted boat, and although the shopkeeper on the boat recognized the person, he couldn't tell any other clues from just the reception place.

Huo Weilou looked at Huo Qinghong again, "You must recognize the second lady of the uncle's house. Do you know that this second lady knows Lu Wenhe?"

Huo Qinghong scratched his head in distress, "This...I really don't know. I have never seen Lu Wenhe, and I don't even know what he looks like..."

Huo Weilou knew that Huo Qinghong had a group of bad friends, and saw that he had bought Lu Wenhe's paintings. He thought he had some friendship with Lu Wenhe, but he didn't expect him to be a man who only paid for money.

Huo Weilou saw that he had gained nothing and did not stay much. He immediately wanted to get off the boat. Huo Qinghong muttered something about traveling around the lake and enjoying the scenery, but how could he get Huo Weilou's accuracy?

The group was about to disembark, and several boatmen and shopkeepers immediately waited at the bow to see each other off. Bao Ruoyou followed Huo Weilou. Seeing that he was walking fast, she also walked a little faster, but just on her couch The moment she stepped onto the landing board, a piece of wood under her feet became loose for some reason. Her feet slipped and she stumbled to the side.

Huo Qinghong hurriedly shouted, "Be careful——"

There were no fences on both sides of the pedal. Huo Qinghong, who was walking at the end, saw that Bao Ruoyou was about to fall into the lake, but Huo Weilou in front of him, as if he had eyes behind his back, turned around and grabbed Bo Ruoyou. You's arm pulled her back.

Huo Weilou pulled Bao Ruoyou closer to him. Bao Ruoyou stood firm in shock, his face turning pale.

Huo Qinghong was startled and hurried forward. The shopkeeper and several boatmen also surrounded him.

Huo Weilou felt that his wrists were a little cold under his palms, so he lowered his eyes and looked at her, "How is it?"

Bao Ruoyou herself was also shocked. She was still thinking about the relationship between Lu Wenhe and Wei Ling, but she didn't expect that the pedal under her feet was loose. It was because of her own inability to react that she almost fell into the lake. Fortunately, Huo Weilou was agile.

She clutched her heart and gasped before shaking her head, "It's okay, thank you, Mr. Marquis."

Huo Weilou let go of his hand, and the shopkeeper was also frightened, "How are you, Miss? It's all because of the carelessness of the people below. This pedal should be replaced. It almost hurt the Miss. Please forgive me, Miss. Please forgive me." Sin——"

The shopkeeper kept accusing him, Huo Weilou glanced at the obviously old pedal, his eyes were cold, Huo Qinghong also frowned and said: "You should be careful, the water at this lake is not shallow. What if the person who falls doesn’t know how to swim and there’s no one around him?”

The shopkeeper smiled bitterly and said: "There was an incident earlier. After that, the villain often ordered the subordinates to be replaced. After half a year, they started to be lazy again. I'm really sorry. The villain is now Ask someone to change it."

Huo Qinghong frowned, "Did something happen earlier? Has the person been rescued?"

The shopkeeper's eyes flashed as if he thought of something, "He's been rescued, he's been rescued, and the adults also know this person. He is one of the girls you came to ask about just now."

Bao Ruoyou felt a little frightened after being frightened. She was about to leave, but when she suddenly heard these words, she turned around and asked, "Which girl? What happened at that time?"

The shopkeeper said: "It was the girl surnamed Feng. They were preparing to get off the boat at that time. The pedal became loose and the girl fell directly into the lake, which shocked everyone. However, we were all outside at the time, and someone immediately jumped in. After rescuing her, she choked on two mouthfuls of water, but it wasn't a big deal. She was also a kind-hearted person. She changed into clean clothes on the boat and drank a bowl of **** soup before leaving without pursuing the villains."

"Did you change clothes on the boat?" Bao Ruoyou couldn't help but ask.

Huo Qinghong didn't know about the cinnabar mole yet, but when he saw Bo Ruoyou caring about the woman changing clothes, she had a strange look on her face.

The shopkeeper seemed a little confused, "Yes, I was all wet at the time. There was a temporary guest room on the ship, and the villain ordered someone to buy clothes from a nearby shop..."

That's not what Bo Ruoyou wanted to hear, "She was changing in the guest room? How many people were with her at that time?"

"It was in the guest room. She was accompanied by her maid, and there was a girl named Li who also came to play. She was her friend. There were many people when the accident happened. Later, it was found that she was not seriously injured, and the time was not bad. It was late, so some people left first."

This girl from the Li family is probably the daughter of Captain Li.

Bo Ruoyou looked disappointed after hearing this, "There was no one else on the boat at that time?"

The shopkeeper smiled bitterly, "Of course there are, but the others are all men and it is impossible to enter the guest room."

Bao Ruoyou was a little unwilling to give up, "Where is the guest room? Can you show me?" After saying that, she felt that she was anxious, and looked back at Huo Weilou. Seeing that Huo Weilou nodded, she went back with relief. On the boat, Huo Weilou also followed.

The shopkeeper led the two of them to the guest room near the stern of the ship. Huo Qinghong was a little suspicious, but he followed him. When they got to the guest room, they saw that the guest room was spacious and elegantly decorated, and the windows were all On the side facing the water, it is impossible for anyone to peek through the windows or other places.

When Bo Ruoyou saw that it was different from what he thought, he felt that he was a little overwhelmed, and asked the shopkeeper, "When did this happen?"

The shopkeeper briefly recalled, "It must have been the autumn of last year, September or October. It has been so long that I can't remember it. If it hadn't been for the almost accident that happened to the young lady just now, I wouldn't be able to remember it for a moment. ."

Huo Weilou was almost the same as Bo Ruoyou guessed, but after walking around the guest room, it was somewhat different from what they guessed. Not long after, the three of them got off the boat again.

When we got on the carriage, it seemed a little crowded because of the extra Huo Qinghong. At this time, Huo Qinghong asked: "Youyou, are you staying with my eldest brother to work as a widow?"

Huo Weilou is handling the case, but Bo Ruoyou is following him. This is almost the same as when he was in Luozhou.

Bo Ruoyou said hurriedly: "That's not the case. It was the Marquis who recommended civilian girls to be on duty at the Yamen of Jingzhao Mansion."

Huo Qinghong was stunned, "Are you still on duty at the Yamen?"

Seeing Bo Ruoyou nod, Huo Qinghong had a look of surprise on his face. He worked as a gangster in Qingzhou, worked as a gangster in Luozhou, and now he has to work as a gangster after returning to the capital. At first, he suspected that Bo Ruoyou was interested in Huo Weilou. He had evil intentions, but now it seems that he was wrong, "Is this the first case you handled in Jingzhao Mansion?"

Bo Ruoyou responded, Huo Qinghong sighed, and Huo Weilou said: "It is still difficult to explain that the murderer knew that the Feng family girl had cinnabar moles on her body."

I just learned that Feng Wodan fell into the water here. Both Bo Ruoyou and Huo Weilou thought that the murderer might have noticed the cinnabar mole on her back when she was changing clothes, but the shopkeeper said that no one else was there that day. , which made him dispel his suspicion.

Bo Ruoyou said: "The shopkeeper just now said he can't remember clearly. I'm afraid he can't remember the situation that day either. It's better to ask Miss Li. This Miss Li is the one who brought Feng Wodan." People who join the poetry club."

Huo Weilou nodded, "It's time to ask."

Huo Qinghong looked at Bo Ruoyou and then at Huo Weilou. Seeing that both of them had serious expressions, he himself did not dare to say anything. The carriage slowly drove to the Hou Mansion and waited until he returned to the Hou Mansion. , the sun has set in the west.

Ning Xiao had already returned to the Hou Mansion. As soon as Huo Weilou entered the house, Ning Xiao greeted him, "Master Hou, Lu Wenhe has brought us here."

Huo Weilou raised his eyebrows, "How about going to Luji Winery to ask?"

Ning Xiao said casually: "Lu Wenhe is indeed Lu Jijiu's nephew, but the two cousins ​​are a bit far apart. In the early years, Lu Wenhe was considered to be the best at reading among the younger generation, so Lu Jijiu valued him a little, and often After giving him some advice, Lu Jijiu knew that he was quite talented and well-known in the capital, and he was quite happy. He even advised Lu Wenhe to continue his scientific examination, but Lu Wenhe refused."

Huo Weilou stared, "Why refuse?"

Ning Xiao said: "Lu Jijiu only said that Lu Wenhe seemed a little afraid of the court, and felt that his literary talents would be buried in the court. After thinking about it, Lu Jijiu felt that he was so indifferent to fame and fortune. In fact, it was a good thing, so I never mentioned it again. In the past few years, when their family was in difficulty, Lu Jijiu had helped a lot. In recent years, Lu Wenhe had started his own business, so he had helped less, and he didn’t move around much during this period. This time The subordinates went to investigate, but Lu Jijiu only thought that Lu Wenhe had done something evil, and the subordinates did not reveal it. Later, Lu Jijiu sent a servant to lead the way, and the subordinates went to the Lu family."

"Lu Wenhe's family lived in Anningfang, and both his parents were there. When his subordinates went down, Lu Wenhe was painting in the study. When he came out, he still had ink stains on his body. His subordinates said they had told him a few words and then took him away. When he came here, he knew he was coming to Wu Zhaohou's mansion, so he didn't ask any questions, but he looked a little nervous."

Ning Xiao said as he walked. When he walked outside the reception hall, he had finished explaining what he saw in the Lu family. Huo Weilou nodded, first saw Eunuch Fu waiting at the door, and then at a glance A young man in white shirt waiting in the side hall.

Lu Wenhe was in his twenties, a little slender, with slumped shoulders and a hunchback. He was a little cramped sitting in an open chair, and he did not appear to be the most talented person in the capital, until he heard a sound outside. He suddenly stood up at the sound of footsteps, his back straightened, and his brows and eyes regained a bit of a scholarly air.

Seeing Huo Weilou striding towards him, Lu Wenhe took a few steps to greet him, bowed and saluted, "Greetings to the Marquis."

Huo Weilou waved his hand and went straight to the main seat to sit down. After he was seated, he looked Lu Wenhe up and down. Few people can calm down under Huo Weilou's gaze, and the same is true for Lu Wenhe. His eyes fell on the floor tiles in front of him, with some fear in his eyes.

After a while, Huo Weilou spoke, "The great talent in China——"

Lu Wenhe glanced at Huo Weilou quickly and said "I don't dare" in fear. Huo Weilou then asked straight to the point: "Do you recognize Wei Ling?"

Lu Wenhe frowned, "I...I don't know you."

Huo Weilou's lips curved slightly, "You really don't know?"

When asked in this way, Lu Wenhe pursed his lips and hesitated, not daring to assert that he did not recognize it.

Huo Weilou played with the black jade ring on his knuckles, and the corners of his lips were clearly raised. The funny smile did not reach his eyes, "Wei Ling died by the Yuxi River in the east of the city. Not only did he die, he died miserably. , I guess you know this matter."

Lu Wenhe's back was slightly stiff, and his hand on his side was slightly clenched. As expected, there were two spots of ink on the cuffs. Huo Weilou said no more, and had no choice but to wait for him to speak. The silent pressure was the most Lu Wenhe knew where he was, but Huo Weilou was extremely kind without speaking harshly.

Sweat broke out from his forehead. Lu Wenhe's expression changed several times, and he finally said, "Reporting to the Marquis, I recognize the second young lady of the Wei family."

Huo Weilou raised his eyes and looked at him for a moment, "Tell me about it."

Lu Wenhe was just shy before, but now his face was pale and sweating like rain, "The first time we met was more than half a year ago, in June of last year, at the literary meeting of Uncle Zhongyi Mansion, at Xiaji I rarely go to cultural gatherings, but that time Uncle Zhongyi happened to buy my paintings, so I went there to show my face. It was on that day that I recognized the second young lady. The second young lady was innocent and said that she admired my talent, and asked her about the future. Could you teach her poetry? She knew that I was a talented man now, but he only made a living by selling poetry, prose, and paintings, so she said that I could give her a very high level of cultivation."

Lu Wenhe's face turned green and red for a moment, "Although I sell paintings and poems, it is impossible for me to teach Miss Bofu, not to mention that she clearly admires me, and I am of low status, so I cannot delay her no matter what." , so I refused. After that, I haven’t seen her for a long time. The last time was three months ago, that is, before the Chinese New Year. Several classmates from the academy held a gathering by the Weiyang Lake. Because I was a classmate. So she went, and that day happened to be the day when Lingxiao Poetry Club was in Weiyang Lake, and she saw me again. When it got dark, I was about to go back home, but she followed me and grabbed me——"

Lu Wenhe’s voice was a little hesitant when he said this, “She said she liked my poems very much and said they were the best she had ever seen. She also asked me when the next collection of poems and essays would be released, and asked me again When will I sell paintings again? Can I sell my next painting directly to her? She will be willing to buy it no matter how high the price is."

Lu Wenhe lowered his head, "Although she said that she loved my literary talent very much, she always said that no matter how much money she spent, it would be fine. I... I just felt a little annoyed, and I felt that it was impossible to have anything to do with her. Then I broke away from her and left."

After a pause, Lu Wenhe took a deep breath, "It's just these two times. I've only seen her twice, so it's not considered a familiarity. When the Marquis asked just now, I hesitated for a moment before telling a lie, because I have heard a little bit about what happened in the uncle's house these past two days, and I always feel it is a pity. However, I did not expect that an embroiderer would find me in my home. Does the Marquis doubt me? It's just a two-way relationship. I told her that I met her by chance. No one can do too much."

Huo Weilou stared, "In your heart, you and she are strangers, but to her, it is not the case."

Lu Wenhe was a little confused when he heard this, and Huo Weilou said: "She has been trying to buy your paintings in the past six months. She has also been studying the calligraphy that you are good at. She really appreciates your talent."

Lu Wenhe looked surprised, "She...she is real?"

Huo Weilou said solemnly: "Of course it is true, because on the day of her accident, the last place she went was the calligraphy and painting shop that sold your paintings several times."

"What?" Lu Wenhe was extremely surprised.

Huo Weilou nodded, "In the past few months, she often went there to ask you when you would sell your paintings and when you would publish a collection of poems and essays. She got nothing every time, but she would ask again next time, but I'm afraid she has never been so persistent about anything in her life."

Lu Wenhe had a look of pain on his face, "I...I never thought she would be like this..."

"Where were you on the day of her accident?" Huo Weilou suddenly asked.

Lu Wenhe pursed his lips, raised his eyes and looked at Huo Weilou calmly, and said very calmly: "I have been painting at home that day and have never been anywhere. My father and mother can testify to this. ."