Guanqingzhai

Chu Jue frowned and said, "But you also said that there is a pharmacist puppet. Gunpowder also smells burnt."

Hu Yue sat up and looked out the window and said: "But the distance is different. The burning of gunpowder and the fireworks are all in the air. The performance of the woman is mainly in the water and the height she can jump. And if the gunpowder is contaminated , She will still be washed away by the water most of the time, how can she smell such a strong burnt smell as soon as she lands?"

Chu Jue draped a piece of clothing for him, and got up by himself. He said, "You mean this woman has a problem?"

Hu Yue shook her head and said, "No, she should be fine, but the dwarf old man is a bit weird. Because he has been staring at the stick in the woman's hand."

Chu Jue asked, "Surveillance?"

Hu Yue shook his head and asked: "What's the reason? Why did he monitor this woman, where did the staff in this woman's hand come from, and that bird doesn't look like a phoenix. But I can't tell what kind of bird it is. And they What does it have to do with the life-threatening feather you mentioned? Isn’t this very interesting, Brother Chu?”

Chu Jue rubbed his chin. He listened to Hu Yue's barrage of questions, and suddenly laughed and said, "As for the questions about the birds, you should naturally ask the birds. A hundred birds face the phoenix, and the blue luan feather in your hand may help you?"

Hu Yue squinted at Chu Jue, and said, "If you give me this thing, you must have already made up your mind to let me intervene in this matter, right?"

Chu Jue turned back and pressed Hu Yue's forehead, he said: "Your brother only knows one thing is right, but he is wrong about one point. I don't know those two artists."

Hu Yue opened his hands, then got up, dressed and washed, and said, "Is there any benefit?"

Chu Jue drank tea habitually, looked at Hu Yue and said, "The advantage is that you can know all the answers to your previous questions."

Hu Yue washed half of her face and turned to look at Chu Jue. Chu Jue smiled slightly, raised his teacup and said, "I don't believe that my brother will 'stand still' after knowing this."

Hu Yue sneered, and continued to wash her face carelessly.However, the corners of his eyes were facing the unknown feather from last night, and the feather could no longer be seen clearly.Said: "Let's go first to the houses that you mentioned have received the feathers,"

Chu Jue said: "Of course, you can still see the corpse before it is coffined." Hu Yue shook his head and said, "It is useless to ask the dead about this matter, but the living can ask. Then I will ask Brother Chu to lead the way." gone."

The two of them were ready to go, but just as they were about to go out, Hong Qiao came in a hurry, she was able to catch her breath and continued, "My lord, follow me quickly, the old and the young we watched the puppet show last night, among them The old man died on the shore, and the crippled woman said she wanted to see you. Come quickly, otherwise the government will come and talk more and more foolishly."

Hu Yue glanced at Chu Jue, Chu Jue also shook his head, the three of them stopped talking and immediately rushed towards the bank of the painting boat.A lot of people have gathered around the corpse for this matter, and people from the government have also arrived.

The body was covered with a white cloth, and the woman sat under a tree.He didn't cry, but his face was pale.It wasn't until Hu Yue and the others came that she turned her head to look at Hu Yue, and the first thing she said was: "My lord, save me..."

All eyes were on Hu Yue, Hu Yue supported his forehead, he shook his head and said softly to Chu Jue beside him: "Fortunately, she didn't say that I killed the old man, otherwise I would be put into the sky prison now. "

The woman was limping, and she struggled to stand up with a stick. At this time, she was no longer wearing the performance costume, and her whole body was covered with patches. It was mid-autumn, but she still wore very little.Standing in the crowd, she looked thin and weak. She stumbled and walked towards Hu Yue. Hu Yue quickly reached out to support her and said, "Girl, please speak slowly. What's the matter? How did this old man die?"

She stood up and said: "My name is Qingyin, he is my adoptive father, and I was picked up by him. Last night we closed the stall and returned to our residence, thinking that we would go to the south to seek a living in a few days, and come back here after the Lantern Festival. But Dad left suddenly for no reason, but before he left, he told me that the man who handed over the handkerchief last night was very human, and if he was in danger, he would definitely be able to ask for help."

When everyone heard her words, they looked at Hu Yue even more strangely. The officials and Wu Zuo had already stepped forward. Wu Zuo said, "This old man fell into the water and drowned. There were no obvious injuries on his body, but somehow the body It was found on the shore.

The officer asked Qingyin, "Did you find anything abnormal? Why did you ask this young master for help? Do you two know each other?"

Qingyin lowered her head and replied: "Daddy has never had any enemies, I don't know why he went out in such a hurry, but I feel a little scared... Recently I have always felt that there is something on the thatched roof of my house, and this young master I met once yesterday, and I don’t know anything about the rest.”

The official looked at each other, and then asked Hu Yue: "Is what she said true? Have you never met these two before?"

Hu Yue nodded and said: "Return to the two officials, it is true, I only met this girl once yesterday."

The official asked again: "Then, why did her adoptive father mention you again? Who are you?"

Another official came close to him and said a few words. The man looked at Hu Yue from head to toe, and finally couldn't help but glanced at Chu Jue, then waved his hand and said: "In that case, don't leave your residence for now. , you are all suspects before this matter is found out. Bring the body back to the Yamen, and you guys are here to help."

After all the people left, the spectators soon dispersed, and the crippled girl kept frowning and biting her lip.His face was extremely pale, and there seemed to be something unsaid in his eyes.But no matter how other people inquired, she just shook her head and turned over and over again, just the previous few words.

Hu Yue stepped forward to help the woman, but the woman withdrew her hand. She looked at Hu Yue and said, "My lord, can you save me? My father is dead, and now I am the only one left. If... if I will receive that feather again..."

Hu Yue and Chu Jue asked at the same time, "Feather?"

Qingyin nodded, she pulled out a handkerchief from her sleeve and said, "That's all."

Hu Yue discovered that there were dozens of feathers in the handkerchief. If it is said that every time a feather appears, people will die, so why did these two people not be in danger until now?And the scorched aura on this woman's body became even stronger.

Qingyin looked at Hu Yue and said, "I don't know, but recently I've been hearing crying from the roof, and I'm extremely thirsty."

Hu Yue said: "Where did the stick in your hand come from, do you know?"

Qingyin touched his waist subconsciously, and he said: "That is something I have always carried with me. I am an orphan, maybe because of my legs... so I was abandoned when I was very young. When I have memories, It is Daddy who has been taking care of me. The two of us depend on each other for life, and now I am the only one left in this world."

Hu Yue said, "By the way, why haven't I seen the bird from yesterday?"

Qingyin shook her head and said, "I don't raise this bird. It will appear naturally when we perform, and it is very spiritual. If we have extra rations, we will give it some."

Chu Jue said, "Could it be that this bird won't appear at other times?"

Qingyin nodded, and he said: "Daddy and I have an extremely difficult life. We depend on each other for life. We don't have enough to eat. How can we raise another bird?"

Chu Jue was not asking. Seeing that the two of them were silent, Qingyin felt troubled in her heart. She asked, "I beg you to help me out. I don't know what to do by myself now. I have limited mobility. I can have a meal with my father, but now I am ruthless."

Hu Yue looked at Hongqiao and said, "Is that so... Can I trouble Qiao'er to house the girl temporarily, but please don't put her in the boat, just find a place for her to live in."

Hongqiao hurriedly said: "It's not a problem, it's not a problem, Miss Qingyin can't take care of herself by herself, I think it's really impossible, just stay here with me."

Hu Yue waved her hand and said, "Qiao'er listen to me, arrange a clean and convenient place for Miss Qingyin, and if it's suitable, please take care of me, Miss Qingyin, is it convenient for you to live alone?"

Qingyin nodded and said, "Daddy is also in poor health, so although he is not as agile as ordinary people, he can still take care of himself."

Hu Yue nodded slightly, and said: "Then Lao Hongqiao will prepare some quicklime, and there must be willow trees in this place. If there is no difference, this young master and I will come to see you tonight. Please make sure it is The two of us, you let people in. If someone else knocks on the door, you must not answer or open the door. "

Qingyin nodded again and again, Hongqiao said: "It's all right, I have a house on the shore, although I won't live in it for a long time, I just need to tidy it up. Then the girl can come with me."

Hu Yue glanced at Qingyin and asked, "Girl, can you not eat meat?"

Qingyin was taken aback, she said: "The family is poor, and it is true that they have never eaten meat. Simple food and tea are enough."

Hu Yue nodded and bowed to her, Hongqiao walked to the shore with Qingyin supported.

After the rest of the people had left, Hu Yue looked at Chu Jue who was standing beside him and said, "It seems that you know something about this matter? Brother Chu, you must know everything without talking about it."

A smile appeared on Chu Jue's expressionless face, and he followed behind Hu Yue and said, "Then let me ask you to tell me your current guess on this matter?"

Hu Yue rolled his eyes at him, he shook the hem of his clothes, and said, "I still don't know the details of this matter, but what I can understand is that the feathers didn't fall randomly. The feathers have a lot to do with the stick on this voiceless girl There is a deep connection, and Brother Chu should know this kind of connection. So you gave me this Qingluan feather. It seems that you want to imply something to me?"

Chu Jue laughed loudly, and said, "As expected of a good brother, I can't do it even if I want to. It is true that I know the origin of that stick, but I don't know why it is on this girl. But by With the stick by her side, it is reasonable that those feathers would not fall on her head. But now that the old man is dead, I don’t know how the follow-up will evolve. And just like what the virtuous brother said, this woman still has very A strong evil spirit."

Hu Yue scratched his hair, and said: "It's all a mystery, and I can't even find a mystery. It seems that now we can only start with what we can know. Let's go and see those big households who received the feathers first." Let's go."

Chu Jue took Hu Yue's hand and said, "Don't worry, we should go to see the old man's body first."

Hu Yue lowered her voice and said, "Brother Chu, that's the Yamen...it's not convenient for me to go."

Chu Jue raised his eyebrows and said, "What's the inconvenience, I can go where you are."

So Hu Yue had to keep a dark face, and was dragged by Chu Jue like a little daughter-in-law. Passers-by on the road saw a son of an aristocratic family dragging a poor scholar to the Yamen, and the little lady next to her was pointing at her child. , You don’t need to listen carefully to know that it means that you must not offend the dignitaries in the future, otherwise it will be useless to study.

Hu Yue was dragged away along the way, and he felt that this matter had something to do with Chu Jue. On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, he suddenly said that he would leave for a while, and after returning, he would give him a green luan feather. The phoenix has feathers very similar to the phoenix.He didn't want to find out who Chu Jue was because he didn't think it was necessary, and he was going to pack up and leave after a while.But now he has lived in Guanqingzhai for several years, and the more he lives, the more he gets used to it.

The more you get used to it, the less you can stay for a long time. I don't know when Hu Yue has been thinking about how to get away.Maybe it was when Chu Jue kept saying that he seemed ruthless but passionate.

Hu Yue, who was just thinking about how to run away with no expression on his face, has been dragged to the gate of the Yamen by Chu Jue. This scene is a bit like two people who are about to go to court. The voice shouted: "What are you two doing? Don't stay in front of the Yamen without business!"

Chu Jue took out a jade pendant, but the yamen guard didn't know, so Chu Jue just said, "Go in and tell your lord that Chu Jun is visiting."

Hu Yue stood on the side, looking like I was just a follower, Chu Jue glanced at him and said: "The next step is to go in."

Hu Yue sighed, he hummed, and opened the fan.But the knuckles of the hand holding the fan were very prominent. It seemed that the atmosphere here made him very uncomfortable, and his face was a little paler than usual.

But Hu Yue still pretended to be calm, and soon a man who looked like a master came out to greet him from the back of the Yawei. It can be inferred that non-foreigners so-called.Therefore, Hu Yue was more or less concerned about this person.This person's surname is Zuo, and he knows how to play chess. I only know that this person is very talented and good at strategy, but he doesn't want to be an official. He would rather be a nominal master in the government office. The age of this person, Mo Ke is only [-] years old, but he is very old-fashioned, many things are given by him on behalf of the governor, and he even secretly has friendship with some dignitaries in the palace.He has always been in the dark and never showed his face. People in all walks of life call him the Yin of the Dark House, which also means that although he has no official position, he is a veteran in the officialdom that cannot be underestimated.

The master came out and cupped his hands kindly and said: "The two of you came here to inspect the old man's body."

Hu Yue smiled slightly and said, "Exactly. If Master Zuo doesn't mind, can you accommodate me?"

Master Zuo looked distressed, glanced at Chu Jue, and then said: "Your Excellency is not in the mansion now, but I am not an official, I can only be regarded as a staff officer, not a master."

Seeing what Zuo Yiqi said, Chu Jue also insisted on saying, "Of course I won't make it difficult for the master. I will take responsibility for this matter, because after all, I, a friend, is involved in this case, so I also want to take a look at it." If you are not at ease, please ask Mr. Zuo to accompany you. The two of us also want to hear Mr. Master’s advice. If someone asks you, you can tell me my name, and someone will come to me for questioning. I will not make things difficult Master Zuo's."

Seeing that Chu Jue blocked the responsibility, Zuo Ziyi readily agreed.Hu Yue followed the two people, obviously walking slowly. Chu Jue noticed his abnormality at the side. He held Hu Yue's back with a calm expression. Hu Yue only felt that the coldness seemed to ease a little. His complexion also became better.

The two followed Zuo Yiqi out of the yamen, and Hu Yue breathed a sigh of relief at this moment, but at this moment his whole body was covered with cold air, as if a stranger should not generalize, only Chu Jue stood beside him, I don't know if he has been noticed by his appearance like this.

He followed the crowd to the low house, only an old man was cleaning the door, and when he saw You Zuo Yiqi, he also bowed respectfully: "It's the master who came, I wonder what's important today?"

Zuo Yiqi smiled and said, "Is the body of the old man sent today properly placed?"

Hearing the corpse, the old man showed a look of fear. He lowered his voice and said, "Master Zuo, I don't know if this is the right thing to say, but this corpse is really weird. I dare not put this corpse in the house, so I can only keep it on the sidelines." Put up a canopy."

Zuo Yiqi asked, "How weird?"

The old man frowned and approached them, as if he was afraid of being overheard, and said, "The old man has a lot of feathers on his body! If you lose them, there will be more, and you can't even get them clean."

Hu Yue asked, "Then can we see the corpse?"

The old man nodded, and he led several people to the back of the house, where there was a canopy made of broken straw mats.The body lay flat on a stretcher.It was covered with a cloth, and Hu Yue stepped forward, and he pulled off the cloth that covered it. Except for his face, all the other parts of the old man were covered with gray-black feathers.

The two yamen servants next to him screamed and backed away several steps in fright, Zuo Yiqi also gasped, he had seen too many weird corpses in the yamen for so long, and he had never seen such weird ones.

The corpse was covered with feathers, and the corpse was very short, so it didn't look like a human corpse, but rather like a vulture's corpse.Although it is daytime, it still feels eerie to see it under such circumstances.And the face of the corpse is also indescribably weird, the facial features almost seem to be sunken, his hair is also sparse, the gray hair is tied in a bun carelessly, as if he will open his eyes at any time.

The master and the yamen servants stood far away, only Hu Yue and Chu Jue stood beside the corpse. Chu Jue let out a groan, and brushed off the feathers with his hand. The corpse seemed to be holding something in his hand.

Hu Yue also watched, and Chu Jue forcefully moved his hand away. The dead body was holding a piece of wood with a bird-like relief on the wood.

But there are only bird heads, Chu Jue picked up the wooden bird head and said, "Why only bird heads?"