The first work of the imperial prison

Following Shen Jiang's words, the room fell silent.

Who would have thought that not only the so-called "suicide in fear of sin", but even the secret room is fake, there is no secret room at all, and no one commits suicide. Meng Nanxing made great efforts to save Guan Xiuzhu and designed a series of secrets. Plan, want to persuade Guan Xiuzhu to fake death, Guan Xiuzhu may not be willing, because he has his own persistence and belief, but Meng Nanxing gambles with his life, even his dignity and love, plus "family 'This bargaining chip, time is too late...Guan Xiuzhu can only accept it first.

He was stabbed in the abdomen, the incision was shallow and narrow, it was not fatal, and what he mixed in the tea was just a drug, which could only make him fall asleep, but would not kill him, but a comatose person could not move or speak, and would not react to the outside world , if someone took advantage of this moment to kill him... who would know?

If the matter is revealed and the result of 'suicide in fear of crime' is not recognized, the Ministry of Criminal Justice will investigate carefully and trace the source. In the end, it must be Meng Nanxing who has done a lot of preparation work and left too many traces. suspect the real murderer.

Absolutely, this method is too absolute.

What's more, the criminal department was fooled casually, as if they were blind, and couldn't see any traces, so the case was closed.

Ye Baiting looked at Wan Chengyun: "On the sixth day of July, Meng Nanxing stayed at the household department due to 'busy business'. Master Wan didn't come home until after the third watch that night. What did you guys talk about? What did Master Wan teach him?"

Wan Chengyun lowered his eyes: "I don't understand what you said."

"I don't understand, it should be Meng Nanxing, right?" Ye Baiting's lips curved slightly, "There is something that has not been told to adults. The autopsy on Guan Xiuzhu not only found Fang Sheng, who was left under his nails, The silk thread, the obvious traces of poisoning in the black throat, and silver debris was found in his hair——the same color debris as Meng Nanxing's hair."

On the day when the coffin was opened for autopsy, Ye Baiting didn't understand the trace and couldn't figure it out, but he asked Shanglu to record it, put it into the evidence bag with tweezers, and brought it back, until Meng Nanxing's head was found, and the same color debris rolled in his hair , he understood what the problem was.

"Before Guan Xiuzhu died, you met Meng Nanxing. It was still a long time ago. Meng Nanxing prepared pig blood early in the morning on the second day and bought a 'poison pill'. At night, he planned to implement a suspended animation plan. Guan Xiuzhu didn't He didn’t die, but died of poisoning shortly afterwards—so many coincidences, how can Lord Wan explain it?”

Wan Chengyun was still unhurried: "Are you going to say that these two people were killed by the official?"

Shen Jiang was about to applaud him: "Master Wan is so smart, he guessed it."

Wan Chengyun's face sank like water: "You say that I killed Guan Xiuzhu. The evidence is the color debris left on the clothes. Meng Nanxing has seen this officer before this day. The fake death medicine, oh no, even the poison pills, are the same. The officer's?"

"good."

Ye Baiting narrowed his eyes: "There are two finger marks on Guan Xiuzhu's chin, which are the index finger and thumb of a person's right hand, which are clearly identifiable. We have not been able to understand the cause of it until we found Meng Nanxing and figured out what Meng Nanxing did. Logic, and after finding out certain evidence, we deduced the actions, conversations, and even disputes between the two in the room. We speculated that because of the act of "confessing love", would there be more intimate behaviors, such as— -kiss."

"But after understanding the logic of the murder in the secret room, this trace is not difficult to understand. Just now when Shen Baihu reproduced the dispute between the two shadows at the scene, Jiang Yiqing gave the answer. The two were not particularly close, and there was no such thing as a kiss." The posture, the two fingerprints, of course, are not for the convenience of kissing, but for the convenience of feeding medicine."

Ye Baiting looked at Wan Chengyun: "That day, you and Zhao Xingde entered the room and saw a man lying in a pool of blood with a dagger stuck in his abdomen. Zhao Xingde became nervous immediately. His first instinct was to check his surroundings to see if there was any potential danger. He must be able to move around. Yes, you take advantage of this time to quickly walk up to Guan Xiuzhu and squat down, and stuff the poison pill you prepared in advance into his mouth. In order to make the poison pill enter more smoothly, you grab his chin and lift up -"

"You know Meng Nanxing's general plan, because you suggested it, and you also know that Guan Xiuzhu is definitely not dead at this moment, and has a subconscious swallowing function, but the person is not dead after all, and you are worried that he will resist and use more strength , will leave fingerprints."

"Guan Xiuzhu's death posture can also explain this problem very well. His left hand is placed on his lower abdomen, holding a dagger, and his right hand hangs down to the ground. It should be in a naturally curled half-fist state, but his hand is clenched tightly. There is nothing in it, why do you have to hold it so tightly? If you are killed in a coma, your body will have a subconscious stress response, so it makes sense...Master Wan, did Guan Xiuzhu have similar trembling, struggling? Actions?"

Wan Chengyun didn't speak.

Ye Baiting didn't care, and continued: "A person's imminent death is not the same as a fake death. Even if he enters a deep coma, he will have a different reaction, but this process is very fast. The only thing Master Wan can use is to see blood to seal his throat. It won't waste much time, and you are not afraid of being seen by others. If someone really notices your actions, you can dispel most of your doubts as long as you explain that you are observing the dead. will not say."

Wan Chengyun raised his eyes: "Why? This is a matter of life and death. Mr. Xiao wants to explain the logic and reproduce the scene of the crime, but he must be able to refute all doubts."

Ye Baiting met his questioning gaze, and his eyes became brighter: "Because Zhao Xingde is your person, you personally found it elsewhere, selected it, transferred it to the household department, and carefully trained and cultivated it."

"Oh?"

"Born as a Jinshi, it's always difficult to appoint officials. He has a slippery mouth, slick skills, endurance, and no family backing. He has hard ambitions. He is still a man... To Mr. Wan, how can he Isn't it good?"

Ye Baiting said word by word: "Master Wan's household department has a very clear division of labor. People who come in either obediently listen to you and let you play with them, and get the benefits of three melons and two dates, or obediently work as coolies and serve as the entire household. The work of the department is still afraid to make a sound, or it is for the Buddha who does not care about it, and has prepared for emergencies in case of accidents, because you knew that there would be accidents, and you would prepare a 'sheep' early, if you can't survive it, you can Push out—"

"The one who plays, the one who works, the one who prepares for the benefits of the exchange, and the one who is responsible, you have all your subordinates, and there is one more thing - a confidant. The Ministry of Households is in charge of the treasury, and this is a big deal. There are too many things that need you. Shangshu does it by himself, but you don’t want to be so tired, and you don’t feel comfortable entrusting some private matters to others, what should you do? Naturally, it is most convenient to cultivate a confidant. This confidant must be smart, understand winks, and be able to do things, but not too much. Smart, at least not smarter than you, and you have to have no backing, easy to handle, plus Zhao Xingde's most special point, good manly—"

"This may be a shortcoming in other places. If it is discovered that it is likely to be despised, it has become a convenient point for you to win over, Master Wan. You can control the coercion of subordinates to accept your 'sex play' rules, and you You can arrange them to sexually bribe Zhao Xingde. Zhao Xingde has taken advantage of you. Not only is the beauty in your arms, but also countless money, houses, and shops. Only you can give him these things. There is absolutely no chance elsewhere. How could he be wrong? You are loyal and will not solve your problems?"

"You first look at him with a cold eye to see if he is capable, and after you evaluate him, you use various methods to win over him, assimilate him, and turn him into a person like you. You are on the same boat and have the same interests. Then he can no longer run away, and he will not want to run away. He gradually becomes your spokesperson. On the surface, he will help you handle all the official affairs, and secretly, he will help you arrange and settle all the dirty things. Your secret, he knows He knows who you are the most, but even if he sees you killing someone with your own hands, he will only cover you up and won't tell the outside world."

"As for why you want to fight Guan Xiuzhu yourself... But he is very suitable for you? Your appearance, personality, talent, and even the unruly character in your bones all have a special attraction to you, but after you repeatedly signal him, he will If you don’t, he won’t give in after you repeatedly suppressed him, you appreciate it, but you’re quite annoyed, and you really want to teach him this lesson yourself, so that he will remember you even if he’s a ghost, right?”

Wan Chengyun rolled his eyelids: "Mr. Xiao's words are so neat and detailed that I will believe it. What about poison pills? You said that I personally poisoned and killed people. Where did the poison come from? What does it look like? What kind of poison?" , there must be an explanation, right?"

Ye Baiting raised his hand——

Shen Jiang immediately raised his hand high: "I've found it! It's the red crane top, the most common kind, Mr. Wan, don't need to quibble, the long follower around you has already recruited, and said it was the crane top that I bought before Qixi last year. Hong lost one, and he thought it was lost, but he couldn't find it no matter how hard he looked for it, so you took it? The same is true for Master Wan, why don't you communicate with the people below when you want to kill someone? If you follow my instructions, won't he keep his mouth shut, and Jin Yiwei will 'forget' this old incident when he questioned him?"

Hedinghong is a poison after all, very poisonous, no matter what it was arranged for at the time, it will be recorded and recorded when the long-term follower buys it outside, and if it is lost, it must be looked for, so as not to prevent others from eating it by mistake, and what happens regrettable consequences.

After a long time, it is best not to find this point. Now that it has been found, it is not easy to entangle too much, because once it is pursued, other troubles will be involved...

Wan Chengyun thought of another counterattack angle: "What about Meng Nanxing? Why did I kill him? If everything is as you said, I don't hate him. Satisfied people, good-looking, good-looking, well-behaved, and obedient, how can I be willing to kill such a person?"

Jiang Yiqing was anxious: "My lord, don't be fooled by them!"

Wan Chengyun raised his hand, blocking his words: "It's okay."

Qiu Yiqing squinted his eyes on the seat: "Master Wan, is this a confession? You, Meng Nanxing, and Jiang Yiqing both have affairs of infidelity."

"Jin Yiwei even found out the keys to his private house. Is it meaningful for me not to admit it?" Wan Chengyun sneered and shook his sleeves. Everyone has been tacitly aware of it, and they have long been used to it. If the commander insists on revealing it, and everyone knows what he said, what is the impact? I will only be teased by others for a few flirtatious words."

After speaking, he looked back at Ye Baiting.

Ye Baiting was not afraid of his gaze, so he turned cold face: "Of course it's because Meng Nanxing is no longer obedient and doesn't listen to you anymore."

"He couldn't bear the pressure at first, and he followed you, probably because of his lack of experience, his young age, his first entry into the officialdom, his ignorance, his unfamiliarity with everything, his lack of knowledge of anything, his background as a Jinshi, and his appointment as an official. It's the opportunity he just bought after studying hard for more than ten years. He doesn't have an outstanding family background, no nobles to help him, and he doesn't know what other government offices are like. He has a perception that the same is true of other government offices. He can't deal with the troublesome things you deliberately embarrass him. He has no contacts to transfer to other government offices. Sad, the widowed mother at home is still looking forward to him every day, waiting for him to shine on the lintel and win face for her, he has no way out, he can't break through this net, he can only compromise."

"But he doesn't like this kind of life. The more he sees and the more he experiences, the less he likes it. He loses his ambition and the light in his eyes. He lives numbly, like a pile of walking corpses. You can’t do what you don’t want to do, you can’t stop what you don’t want to do, you can’t get what you want, and you can’t escape the relationship you want to avoid. He has sacrificed so much, and he can’t even save the life of the person he likes...you think he will never Go on obediently?"

"With the death of his widowed mother, he has no more burdens, no need to bear the expectations of others, and only lives for himself. Whether he is an official or not, he has no pursuit, because this is not his pursuit at all, it is the goal given to him by others, and it is his growth. During the process, everyone told him what he should do. He doesn't like you, and he hates you. All physical contact with you is disgusting to him, and he can't vomit, but what he wants is no longer Can't get it, his favorite person is dead, how can he not change?"

"But he has always been a very boring person, unable to change the environment, unable to break free, he subconsciously chooses to escape, he restrains all his brilliance, deliberately reduces the sense of existence, even if he has made a decision in his heart, it is difficult for others to find out, Jiang Yiqing said just now that he saw him staring at a concentric Fang Sheng in a daze. Fang Sheng was the one he wanted to give to Guan Xiuzhu but didn't. I want to avenge Guan Xiuzhu. You taught him the "fake death plan" that day. If others don't understand, he can't have no doubts. Why did Guan Xiuzhu end up being poisoned to death with the fake death medicine that he agreed? I don't know that you added it after the fact, thinking that the "fake death medicine" was a poison pill. You deliberately let him kill Guan Xiuzhu with your own hands. But it's a new funeral, he has to keep this period of filial piety no matter what, and he was not in good health at the time..."

Ye Baiting paused for a moment: "I guess, he didn't intend to kill him at the time, and with his temperament, he would probably wait a while and collect more evidence during this period. After all, it is not so easy to punish a high-ranking official. The thing, what he knows may not be enough, and his body is already weak to a certain extent. Fighting against the wolf requires physical strength. He needs to use medicine to improve his body so that he can persist in the future. However, luck was bad. On the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month, when he was about to leave Beijing, he wanted to take a look at Guan Xiuzhu for the last time, and he also brought Fang Sheng, who represented his own heart, but the other party did not accept it. Fang Sheng was not careful. Lost, he was not careful, and met you, Master Wan."

"Master Wan is so good at playing the game 'Intimacy'. He is a master of insight into people's hearts. If you think about Meng Nanxing's careful thinking, I'm afraid I can't hide it from you. You know he likes Guan Xiuzhu, so you can probably guess him. Going there to remember something, to pay homage to something, maybe it was a moment of awkwardness, maybe it was just a squirm, and I couldn't even care about other people's filial piety. You wanted to take him to the bed, but Meng Nanxing didn't want to, and even all kinds of emotions came up, Said some harsh words, and you are very good at guiding observation...you can see it, right?"

"You have discovered Meng Nanxing's intentions. If you risk your life, you will be affected. Many things will be exposed. You can't let this happen. You have to solve Meng Nanxing. And the decision at that time It's like letting Guan Xiuzhu die. It's not a difficult decision for you. It's almost an instant thing. Besides, Meng Nanxing is about to leave Beijing. If you kill him at this time, you won't know it... What a great opportunity, yes no?"

Wan Chengyun: "So you solved the case by relying on these speculations?"

Ye Baiting smiled: "Of course it's not just a guess. On the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month, you were still wearing light-colored clothes with silver decorations on the cuffs, but there were very few silver decorations, which were not eye-catching. It has been a long time, and the confession came out [-]% sure, [-]% not sure, just like, but after Meng Nanxing "leaved Beijing Dingyou", some souvenirs were sent back, and they resumed work after the year. Not only Jiang Yiqing knew that some things were kept in Li Guangji's place so far, since Meng Nanxing It’s already dead, it’s dead silently, no one knows about it, so who sent this thing?”

There will be no one but the murderer.

"My lord Wan is such a deep plotter, decisive in killing, and with a long-term vision, but it's still the same sentence, when you do something bad, why don't you tell Chang Sui more, Chang Sui doesn't know that you are doing this to cover up the murder, and you think It was just a small matter to reward my subordinates. I sent people out of Beijing to Meng Nanxing's hometown, bought local specialties and sent them to the household department. You, no one has acted like this."

"You specialize in buying souvenirs, write down the delivery address, and send them to the household department. I really can't think of any other reason than to maintain the illusion that Meng Nanxing is still alive, or," Ye Baiting looked at Wan Chengyun with eyes wide open. There was a touch of sarcasm at the end, "Master Wan, can you make one up now?"

Wan Chengyun's eyelids trembled, but he didn't speak.

Ye Baiting: "Murdering and dismembering corpses is so cruel, I guess, the idea of ​​hiding the source of the corpse is more important than anything else in your heart, you don't want others to know that Meng Nanxing is dead, do you? He is not good, right? You have always stood in a high position, and you are the one who comes and goes when you ask others. Only you have the right to say no, only you can get tired of others, and you cannot be disobedient. This is your punishment for him, isn't it?"

"If these are not enough, Shen Baihu has already found the group of wild dogs, and Guan Xiuzhu's rhubarb has also been found. When you entered the yard just now, you should have seen that dog. Barking at you, your murderous process... Did it see it? The dog loves the old owner, Guan Xiuzhu has passed away, his dog has lost its owner, and he has to compete with the wild dogs for food outside, lonely When you are being bullied, you will definitely go back from time to time, trying to lean on and look for it, maybe the owner is just playing hide-and-seek with it...but it saw you killing people and remembered your smell."

"If Master Wan still thinks it's not enough, we have an eyewitness." Ye Baiting turned to the person standing in an inconspicuous place at the bottom of the hall, "Lin Bin, you saw it all, didn't you? You happened to pass by that day... oh, yes Not only did you just pass by that day, but you also gave Guan Xiuzhu the 'fake death medicine' that Guan Xiuzhu bought from the mysterious person last year on Qixi Festival last year, right? I arranged for you to dress up in the past..."

A surprised expression finally appeared on Wan Chengyun's face, as if asking, how do you even know this?

Ye Baiting snorted: "Lin Bin, is it also a gift from you to Zhao Xingde? Compared with other people, Lin Bin is more confident, because he didn't even have an imperial examination background, let alone his family background, he is not talented, and his ability is not obvious. , how can the future be seen at a glance, if he doesn't rely on you, he won't even be able to enter the stalls of the household department, if he wants to live a good life, how can he not listen to you?"

Lin Bin quietly glanced at Qiu Yiqing, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.

He does know some things... Wan Chengyun is the first person to serve when he wants to enter the Ministry of Household Affairs. He doesn't think it's disgraceful. I know I'm not smart enough, and I don't have that much talent, but fortunately, I have a good face and good manners. When the Shangguan asks him to do things, he needs to be very clear. He never asks anything, so Shangguan is more at ease. Of course, he will not be entrusted with particularly important matters, as he is not qualified to do so.

This case...he didn't think too much about it, he just felt tired of him, even Zhao Xingde felt that his service was getting boring, he always felt that it couldn't go on like this, he had to change places, and it had to be these two people It's a good place that can't be controlled, change a good benefactor, he has taken a fancy to Qiu Xunqing, he has no skills, but he has mastered a lot of trading skills of 'Israel seeking power', as long as Qiu Xunqing shows a little meaning or flaw, he I am confident that I can entangle, but it is a pity that I have signaled several times, but the other party just doesn't understand, when I want to make persistent efforts...

He didn't dare to say what happened last night, but Qiu Xingqing's method made him understand what it means to drop ten meetings with one force.

Want to change something?Want to play beauty trap?No, this is a bad idea. This envoy will teach you. If you don’t trade with you, you still have to tell the matter...

Lin Bin instantly understood that the distance between them was not as simple as that of officials and civilians, but also the crushing of IQ. He was very scared now, and knew how to trick him. He might not have a good life, and he might be provoked and retaliated by the Wan family. But he can't help it, he is afraid of hatred and suspicion, so he still has to recruit.

"Yes……"

Lin Bin dawdled for a long time, and bit his lip: "Twelfth lunar month 22... I saw it. I happened to pass by the gate of Guan Xiuzhu's private house. I knew that house, and I knew that the household department had a banquet there. Seeing that the door was ajar, I was a little curious. , and walked inside again, and saw...Master Wan dragged Meng Nanxing, who didn't know whether he was dead or alive, to a room, and then there was the sound of chopping with an ax...I was so scared that I had to back out , when I ran to the corner of the alley, I saw a yellow dog, it may be the dog that you said, Guan Xiuzhu raised..."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Wan Chengyun sadly: "My lord, don't blame me. You know me best. I am timid and dare not do anything. The command made him too fierce, so..."

Wan Chengyun rolled his eyelids: "I know what you are, of course, so don't talk nonsense."

"So, only Zhao Xingde is left."

Ye Baiting said: "You killed Guan Xiuzhu because you wanted to end the Kuyin embezzlement case and let the matter pass. It turned out as you wished. The Ministry of Criminal Justice confirmed that Guan Xiuzhu committed suicide in fear of crime. Dali Temple verified that it was correct. The matter is over. You are very satisfied." "Meng Nanxing was not good, he didn't want to serve you, and he had two minds, so you killed him too, shredded his body and discarded it, in order to avoid accidents, regenerate waves, and let this matter pass completely. Asking, you are very satisfied; Zhao Xingde is even more so, suddenly the old case was brought up again, Jin Yiwei thoroughly investigated the corruption case and Guan Xiuzhu's death, everything buried was dug up bit by bit, you know the commander and envoy best, don't investigate You vowed not to let go of the result, so you thought again, you can't let yourself fall into crisis, two people died before, and the process cannot be changed, if you transfer all these things away and put them on Zhao Xingde, wouldn't it be another perfect closed loop? "

"Although there is some heartache, it is not easy to support and train a confidant. You still made a decision. You signaled Zhao Xingde to come out and take the blame. Don't worry about the rest, and someone else will take care of it. Otherwise——his fate is not suicide. It's that simple."

"Zhao Xingde has come all the way to his current position, all thanks to your support. He knows you best, and he knows what you can do when the situation is unfavorable. Even though he didn't want to, even though he was afraid, he committed suicide. Bo Ren is not you killed, but died because of you, don't you feel responsible for this?"

Ye Baiting's brows are full of coldness and sternness: "The workplace I know is full of vitality. It gives everyone a place to show the stage. You can struggle, you can fight hard, you can exchange youth and hard work for dreams and achievements, and you can make life endless. Idle, you can let the time live up to it, you can let your own light illuminate the path of others, warm the life of others, but there are also unsatisfactory places, 'when the water is clear, there will be no fish', everyone has selfishness, and occasionally wants to occupy a little bit Little cheap, but Mr. Wan, you are different. With your own strength, you have operated for more than ten years, and forcibly transformed the household department office into your own game field. You hunt here, control the coercion here, and force everyone here. People are depraved, and you blame others for being too upright, too simple, and too idealistic. You have to teach them a lesson. You have magnified all the dark sides in your heart, and you have become a devil at will, causing the household atmosphere to become more and more crooked. Little purgatory, don't you admit it!"