Snow White Luoyang City

六

Bai Yunfei took Pingxiu to look at the old files from 15 years ago.

At that time, the Governor of Luoyang City was an adult named Yuan, who was very prestigious in the hearts of the people, but he was sentenced to death for a murder case, and his family members were sent to the frontier, and most of them died on the road.

Speaking of which, Lord Yuan and Bai Yunfei's father are still colleagues, but Bai Yunfei has no impression of this Lord Yuan. He has only read a lot of files about Yuan Xin, and the cases he solved are all well-founded. murderer.

"The one who died back then was also a wealthy businessman. Wu Zuo said he was beaten to death, but the murder weapon was not found." Bai Yunfei said while pulling out the file.He was holding a candlestick in his hand, and he was rummaging through the file room with Heping Xiu.

"Yuan Xin confessed himself, and the case is closed?" Pingxiu looked at the end of the file, a little surprised: "The murder weapon was not found in the end?"

"He confessed himself, and the case will be closed naturally. Others won't care so much." Bai Yunfei obviously has always been worried about this matter, "The official who will take over later is my father."

"What does that have to do with this case?" Pingxiu was puzzled.

"This case is full of doubts, no murder weapon can be found, and the family members' statements are very consistent. They all said that the deceased was alone in the study that night. It was late at night, and the family members were asleep. No one heard anything unusual." Bai Yun Fei paused, with a hesitant tone, "I've been studying this case for a long time, and the person who saw the deceased last year was Niu Hong."

Pingxiu frowned: "Niu Hong? Do you suspect that these two cases may be related?"

Pingxiu looked down at the dossier again, and found that the dossier had vague descriptions of whether the body was tied up or gagged, etc. Although Niu Hong was mentioned, he also said that he had an alibi. Everyone is a witness.

"Is this family still there?" Pingxiu asked.

"This family's surname is Chen, and they used to be a big family. They do a lot of business in the city, and they do almost everything. But it's gone downhill, and they moved out of Luoyang City a long time ago."

"Only because Niu Hong met the deceased and you suspect it... This reason is a bit too forced."

"This person also died in midsummer." Bai Yunfei reminded, "The first person in the Niu family to die was Niu Hong, who was also in midsummer."

"Isn't that the plague?"

"He was the only one in the Niu family who got the plague, but the others were fine." Bai Yunfei said, "The plague is contagious, and the old lady is fine, isn't that strange? Also... as far as I know, it can prove that Niu Hong There is another witness who was not present that year, and that is my father."

"So?" Pingxiu was confused by him.

"My father has always been dissatisfied with my investigation of the case of the Niu family, I guess he knows that I have been secretly researching the case 15 years ago." Bai Yunfei rubbed his forehead, "If you are honest in your heart, why do you always urge me to offer rewards for arresting criminals? I always felt like he was looking for something."

Ping Xiu realized later, "Are you referring to the murder weapon that has been missing for 15 years? But Niu Bo is plague, and Niu Chong was poisoned to death."

Bai Yunfei sighed, "I don't understand either, maybe I really think too much... Pingxiu, if you are willing to help me find out the relationship between the Niu family and the Chen family, I can promise you one more thing."

Fortunately, Pingxiu is a good young man with great curiosity.This has nothing to do with Buddhism. There is a Buddha in your heart, and there are Buddhas everywhere.

So Pingxiu agreed to the request, and later sneaked into Niu's house under the pretext of helping the supernatural being.

It was still the talkative boy who opened the door.After reading scriptures in the mourning hall, Pingxiu took the boy around the yard while Niu Mao was not at home.

The boy said, "Master Pingxiu, is it fun to be a monk?"

"I don't know about this. I was dragged up by the master every morning to recite scriptures, listen to lectures, read books in the house, and practice calligraphy. There is no difference between good and bad."

"At least it's not hard." The servant looked down at the bluestone floor tiles, "We don't get enough sleep and food every day, and we will be punished if we do something wrong."

As he said, he pulled up his sleeve and showed Pingxiu, "It was beaten the day before yesterday because I broke a plate. Master Pingxiu, can you take me away?"

"If you want to leave, I will take you away. Our small temple is just me and master, and we eat vegetables grown by ourselves. One more person is just a matter of having more chopsticks. Don't you have any family?"

"It's long gone. I'm an orphan. Many servants here are orphans. The Niu family likes to find children as servants. The older ones work in the inner hall, and the younger ones are in charge of chores."

Pingxiu blinked, "Why do you like looking for children?"

"Probably eat less and take less." The boy thought for a while, "But we only look for children over ten years old and under 20 years old, and don't ask for older ones. The steward of the inner hall has followed several The young master and madam have not added any newcomers."

Pingxiu squinted his eyes, feeling something was wrong.Only looking for over 20 years old and under [-] years old?What's the point?

He rolled his eyes, "Come on, tell me more about the Niu family, and I will take you with me when I leave."

"Really?" The boy became happy, and took him to find a remote yard to sit, and asked, "What do you want to hear?"

"I heard that the Niu family and the Chen family had a good relationship in the past, how much do you know?"

Seven

Niu Hong was close to 70 years old when he died. This man had worked hard all his life. Although he had many ailments, large and small, there were no major illnesses.Generally speaking, it is considered healthy.

It is rumored that the Niu family was not a big family before, but they did a small business. At that time, the biggest merchant in Luoyang City was a wealthy family named Chen.Compared with them, the Niu family is like heaven and earth.

However, Niu Hong is good at scheming and has a strong wrist. He found countless people to match up and finally climbed to the Chen family, and the two families began a long-term business relationship.

At that time, Niu Chong had already grown up, and as the eldest son, he learned to do business with his father all day long, and he had a very good relationship with the Chen family.The Niu family even mentioned marriage, but unfortunately the Chen family declined the marriage.

The day the old man of the Chen family died happened to happen after drinking with Niu Hong and returning home.Although Yuan Xin questioned this point when he checked it back then, Niu Hong's alibi was very complete. On his way home, he met a lady who sold buns. The other party packed up his things and was about to leave. Later, he talked to Niu Chong about some business matters, during which time a guest came to the door, so this guest and other servants were witnesses.

The suspicion of Niu Hong was therefore ruled out.

Bai Yunfei gulped down his wine, his handsome face lined with thick eyebrows and big eyes looked like a cheetah hiding under the lights.

"That's pretty much what I found."

Pingxiu spoke enthusiastically, and rolled his eyes when he heard the words, "That's all, that's all I asked about."

"...What's the matter with finding the child?"

Pingxiu shook his head: "I only know that they have had this habit for so many years. It is said that it started 15 years ago."

Bai Yunfei was taken aback, "15 years ago?"

Pingxiu turned the prayer beads in his hands, "I've done the calculations. The time when Niu Hong was at home was the time when the wealthy Chen family died. The error is not more than half an hour. If Niu Hong was really at home, the time to go back and forth must not be enough. Yes, but what if he hired someone or... the witness lied?"

Bai Yunfei pursed his thin lips, "What if I guessed wrong?"

Pingxiu put down the prayer beads, "You know if you guessed wrong. I don't think the strange behavior of the Niu family for 15 years is a coincidence."

Bai Yunfei bowed his head thoughtfully.Pingxiu took a sip of tea and moistened his throat, "Actually, I have a question I've been meaning to ask."

Bai Yunfei was a little distracted, "Ask."

"You said that those girls who were arrested disappeared in the prison. What about the guards?"

"...is missing too."

"How many are missing?"

Bai Yunfei frowned, "One."

I heard that the Yamen surnamed Zhang was guarding the cell that day. Of course there were three other people who were right, but for some reason, the three of them suddenly had severe stomach pains, so they left one after another, leaving only the Yamen surnamed Zhang guarding the cell.And that's when it happened.

Pingxiu laughed: "Lord Bai, your government office is not small, and the place where the prisoners are held is still some distance away from the back door. Even if you are robbing prisoners, how can you arrest so many people at once without being discovered?"

Bai Yunfei looked up at him, clenched his fists unnaturally, "What do you want to say?"

Ping Xiu fixedly looked at him with a calm face, his clear eyes seemed to look straight into the bottom of Bai Yunfei's heart, illuminating the secret that he wanted to hide.

"You know it in your heart, why should I say it again?"

"Impossible!" Bai Yunfei slapped the table and stood up, his stern mask cracked for the first time, panic flashed in his eyes for a moment, "There can be no insider in the government office!"

"Then how do you explain that they disappeared without a sound?" Ping Xiu said, "If the missing Yacha is not dead, he is one of the internal thieves."

Bai Yunfei clenched his fists, gritted his teeth and said, "Do you know what this means?"

Pingxiu shook his head, but nodded again, "It means what the truth is, and it means whether the innocent dead can be redressed."

Bai Yunfei slammed his fist on the table, and some of the wine in the wine glass spilled out, leaving little wet marks on the table.

"The mansion is patrolled and guarded. Even the back door is guarded outside. If the internal thieves take away so many people at once without being discovered, it can only be..."

Pingxiu pointed out Bai Yunfei's hesitation, "You are not afraid of internal thieves in the government office, but you are afraid that it is your father's order."

A whole government office helping the suspect escape?How much enmity with the government yamen is needed to do this?There is only one reason that can be explained, this matter was originally ordered by the owner of the government office - Bai Li, the father of Luoyang Mansion, Bai Yunfei.

That's why when the suspect disappeared, he didn't investigate immediately but chased him outside; that's why Bai Yunfei's persistent pursuit of the case made his father unhappy; that's why Bai Yunfei wanted to go to Niu's house for questioning, but was suddenly stopped by the clerk, saying Someone reported seeing the suspect.

And when he followed, what he saw was Ping Xiu who was standing in the snow and had just helped the leader block the poisonous hidden weapon.

An outsider with unknown origin, unknown purpose, and unknown intentions, who appeared just right at this critical moment, was simply the number one criterion for a suspect.

If Yacha did it on purpose, is it because his father wanted to divert his attention?To investigate the inexplicable hidden weapon murder case?Want to implicate something completely unrelated and mess up your own investigation?

Bai Yunfei felt a little dizzy for a moment, he collected himself, and suddenly said: "Go to the cell!"

Pingxiu groaned, but Bai Yunfei rushed out with his collar before he recovered.

The government office in the middle of the night looked very strange.Maybe it was because Bai Yunfei and Ping Xiu had complicated expressions just after clearing their minds.

Of course, Bai Yunfei's complicated thoughts are much stronger than Pingxiu's.He took a deep breath, because he was completely familiar with the patrolling guards in the government office, he led Pingxiu lightly up to the roof, landed on a tall tree, and when the patrolling office guards left, he immediately went down and slipped into the prison where the prisoners were held.

The people inside were sitting with their backs to the door, drinking.Bai Yunfei stepped forward calmly, and knocked him unconscious with a knife in his hand.

Pingxiu hurriedly said: "It's a sin!"

Without turning his head, Bai Yunfei took the key to the cell where the leader of the gangster was locked, and opened the cell door.

Fortunately, no one was locked up here, and the cell where the bastard was held was separated from other cells.The gangster was sleeping soundly, when he was pulled up suddenly, he asked in a daze, "Did you eat?"

Pingxiu looked at him, "Remember me? Hello!"

The leader's eyes focused for a moment before he recognized the person, and said in surprise, "Little monk? Why are you here? Oh! Could it be that you really killed people..."

Before he finished speaking, Bai Yunfei said coldly: "Don't talk, we will take you out."

It's good to be able to go out, the gangster didn't speak anymore, and followed them out of the prison door, all the way over the eaves and onto the street.

The three of them went to the inn where Pingxiu was staying, went in through the window, closed the door and window, and talked in the dark without lighting the oil lamp.

The gangster said: "Hey, my mother, I'm blind, what are you going to do? Little monk, show me some compassion, I haven't had a full meal for a few days, let me have a meal? I really don't want you this time." silver."

Bai Yunfei said coldly: "Just answer the questions you ask, and you will have something to eat after you answer."

"Okay!" The gangster nodded quickly.

"Are you from Luoyang City?"

"That's not true!" The gangster opened his eyes wide, "I usually only do some petty theft, and I live in the westernmost part of Luoyang. You people don't go to that place very much. It's a place where knaves and swindlers haunt."

Bai Yunfei said: "Do you know why someone killed you?"

"Where did I know to go!" Speaking of this gangster, he became angry, "I told the prison guard before, didn't you investigate the case? Where did the investigation go? My brothers died when they died, right? Isn't that also fate? You don't care if your feelings are not as precious as those of the big families?"

Pingxiu interrupted his anger and said: "Brother calm down, isn't this asking?"

"I remember now!" the gangster snorted, obviously dissatisfied.

Bai Yunfei said: "Who have you offended before?"

The bastard thought for a long time, "If I really want to talk about it, I only met the aunt selling buns a few days ago and nagged a few words. Her ears are not working well recently. I spoke louder and was scolded by others. A few brothers got into a dispute with him, and later found out that it was from the Niu family."

"Niu's family?" Pingxiu was surprised, "Are you sure it's Niu's family?"

"No, everyone in the Niu family has problems." The gangster said with disdain on his face, "No one in the whole west knows that the business they did in the past was not up to the mark, and they did shameful things in private. Once you go to Chen's house, you have drawn a clear line with the forces in the west. Tsk tsk, you can pretend to be serious now."

The gangster found a teacup in the dark, took a sip of water and continued: "That day I was just wandering around the street. The aunt has been out of her mind recently, and she stood on the side of the street talking to herself all day long. She said that Master Niu thought her steamed buns were not good. She has been unconvinced since [-]. Her steamed stuffed buns are the best in Luoyang City. I agreed with her at the time, but she couldn't hear clearly, so I yelled, "People from the Niu family know nothing." But you said it was a coincidence A servant from the Niu family happened to pass by and questioned us, and then a fight broke out."

Pingxiu felt that he was a little too sensitive by Bai Yunfei, and asked, "Why did Master Niu say it's not delicious?"

"It's an old story. More than ten years ago, my aunt was selling steamed buns in Xiaonan. One night, she came home late and bumped into a drunk man. That person was Niu Hong, the master of the Niu family. My aunt later said, that man I didn't see how drunk he was, so he bumped into her and cursed at her buns. It's weird, but Mr. Niu has never eaten her buns."

Pingxiu and Bai Yunfei instantly understood everything.Niu Hong must have bumped into the aunt on purpose to prove his alibi that night, and had a quarrel with her on purpose so that the other party would remember him.

Pingxiu lowered his head and calculated, "Xiaonanbian'er is near the Chen family."

Without even thinking about it, Bai Yunfei said: "He asked Mrs. Baozi to remember him, and then quietly went back to Chen's house without anyone noticing."

That aunt has been selling steamed stuffed buns all her life, the most intolerable thing is when others say her steamed stuffed buns are not good, let alone a person who has never eaten her steamed stuffed buns?This matter has gradually become a thorn in my mind. When I was young, I dared not say it because of the other party's power. Now I am old, deaf and my brain is not clear. I only remember this one thing, and it happened to be told to the gangsters.

As for the reason why the Niu family appeared there, I don't know, but it was a coincidence that they heard this, so the two sides had a conflict.

Pingxiu said: "The Niu family suspects someone stealing the axe, everyone has problems."

It turned out that it was inevitable to kill the gangsters, but it became accidental to push the matter to Pingxiu.Pingxiu felt that he was really wronged, but Bai Yunfei felt even more annoyed.