The first work of the imperial prison

The open space is quiet, Ye Baiting is doing the autopsy, and Shen Jiang is asking Yu Lianhai.

"Why don't you think that Yu Wenzhang will commit suicide? Thirty old Mingjing, fifty young Scholars, thousands of troops crossing the single-plank bridge, crazy, stupid, jumping into the river are not uncommon. Why is Yu Wenzhang different? ?”

Yu Lianhai said with a bitter face: "As I said, although he is a bit bored, he has concerns. There is an old mother at home. I don't want him to be famous. I just want to be healthy and stable. I won't pass the exam." It’s okay, he can be a teacher at home, he doesn’t have too much pressure, no one forces anyone to gossip, and he is very likely to pass the exam, why would he commit suicide before the exam?”

Shen Jiang: "Why are you so sure that He Yiming is dangerous to him, not someone else?"

Yu Lianhai: "Brother Yu is a person with a very stable personality, who knows what he does, and is very assertive. If you don't learn enough, you just need to stop when you have difficulties. When you encounter trouble, you will never retreat. You will definitely find a way To solve it, but since he met He Yiming, he has become preoccupied, and he can't see the sunshine of the past at all. How could there be no problem? He and I are from the same town, the same year, and we are the best friends, and we can talk about everything No matter how you ask him, he won't say anything, and if you ask him again, he will alienate me, isn't that a problem?"

Shen Jiang: "You said he wrote you a letter?"

Yu Lianhai: "Yes, we talked about almost everything in the letter."

"But why He Yiming came to him, you don't know."

"This...he has been hiding it from me, and he hasn't said anything."

"Aren't you surprised?"

"It's strange. We are both foreigners and we don't have much money. He Yiming is an official in the capital and has a bright future. What does he like about us?"

After the simple on-site inspection was completed, Ye Baiting took off his gloves, asked Jin Yiwei to tidy up, sent him back to Beizhen Fusi, walked to Qiu Yiqing, and felt something was wrong when he saw Shen Jiang's state: "Did you find something?"

Shen Jiang nodded: "About the timeline, the deceased fell to his death at three o'clock in the noon. He had just finished his fast, and not long after he came back, someone saw him go out of the tower and return to his room. It seemed that he changed a book, and then went up the tower again. After a cup of tea, something happened. No one knows what happened in the middle, whether anyone has entered that room, but at that time, on the fifth floor, in the larger room to the south, there were people having a party."

"The doubts are not clear now, and the information I can find is not too much, but I know this person," Shen Jiang pointed at Yu Lianhai's nose, "he must have lied, he doesn't know nothing, he knows a lot of things , just didn’t say it!”

Yu Lianhai's eyelids trembled quickly: "What are the adults talking about, the villains don't understand..."

Shen Jiang stared at him: "On the day Yu Wenzhang died, you were obviously there, so why didn't you tell him all the time? Apart from He Yiming, the person who is very dangerous to him, isn't there a friend like you who knows everything!"

Ye Baiting paused with his fingers, and looked at Yu Lianhai seriously.Okay, this guy, he was so quiet, he almost fooled him.

He was detained on the way to Beijing, saying that he was doing a funeral for a friend, and he had to leave when it was over. The civil servants were also very busy, and the way to communicate with friends was to communicate frequently. The case is far away, this time I came here specially for a friend's funeral, who knows that the person is in the capital, even at the scene of the crime!

Yu Lianhai drooped his brows and eyes, a little timid: "Isn't that...whether I'm here or not, the result can't be changed? I'm a civil servant, and newcomers are very busy every day. Brother Yu is also very busy when he immerses himself in his studies. , we can’t see each other often, we don’t communicate...how can we communicate?”

Shen Jiang: "Why didn't you say it before? Could it be that this murder case is related to you!"

"Really not!" Yu Lianhai laughed bitterly, "It's because of this incident that I don't have the confidence to dare to argue with He Yiming, otherwise he won't splash me with dirty water..."

Ye Baiting: "Tell me, why are you here, who else was there that day, and what happened to the party?"

Yu Lianhai licked his lips: "Just... I am a civil servant. After I failed the exam last year, Geng Yuanzhong Geng, the chief examiner, saw that although I was not talented, I did a good job. He asked me what I wanted and arranged for me. From last year to this year, almost a year has passed, Master Geng thought I was pretty good, wrote me a letter of recommendation, and was transferred to other places, so I need to leave Beijing."

"A month ago, that was the day Brother Yu died, and the big exam was just around the corner. Mr. Geng felt that it was time to inspect the students and set off to Baifo Temple. That was almost my last chance to make contributions to my boss, so I followed gone."

Shen Jiang: "Don't be wordy, who is involved, tell me!"

Yu Lianhai: "In addition to Mr. Geng, there are Mr. Gao Jun, the adjutant who assisted in marking the examination papers this time, Mr. Hu Anju, a concubine who was admitted to the Imperial Academy last year, and... Mr. Geng's relatives, Zhang You, who participated in the imperial examination this year. Everyone came here in the morning and took a break at noon. It was on the fifth floor, but I did not participate. Pray for the family."

Qiu Xunqing: "Will Yu Wenzhang attend this party?"

"No," Yu Lianhai shook his head, "Even though he is full of talent, he is still just a scholar. He has not taken the exam and has no official status, so he is also not eligible to participate."

"Where's He Yiming? Will you be there that day?"

"I didn't have it when I came here with Mr. Geng, but after that... I don't know."

Ye Baiting: "Since you and Yu Wenzhang are good friends, you came here once, knowing he is here, why don't you meet?"

"I haven't seen you," Yu Lianhai said, "We communicated early and made an appointment. I even asked for leave. I will be free when the business is done and Mr. Geng leaves. I can visit Brother Yu. I also said that it is okay to stay overnight with him, so there is no need to worry in the middle, who would have thought that I was busy outside, and he would be gone..."

"People who gathered on the fifth floor, can anyone leave?"

"This...I don't know."

Ye Baiting thought about the people in the party: "You just said that there is one in the party, who is a good scholar who passed the exam last year and entered the Imperial Academy... Hu Anju, you and Yu Wenzhang both took the exam last year, do you know him? "

Yu Lianhai's face is not very good: "I know, he just got shit luck, he doesn't memorize a few more pages of books on weekdays, he is very lazy in his studies, and his talent is not obvious outside, but his luck in exams is really good, and he has soared into the sky. "

"You despise him?"

"Oh, how dare I, the way of the world is like this, no matter how talented you are usually, once you pass the big exam and become an official, it will be different immediately. If others are officials, I have to respect them. Who told us that we don't have that ability? With that luck."

Shen Jiang watched a soldier from Jinyi Guard approaching from a distance, and said to Ye Baiting and Qiu Yiqing in a low voice: "Master, Commander, it's almost time for dinner, let's have a fast meal?"

It also takes time for the people below to check things, Ye Baiting understands, looking at Qiu Yiqing: "Where is the commander looking?"

Qiu Yiqing: "Let's go, eat first."

The fast meal was eaten separately, Ye Baiting and Qiu Yiqing went to the dining hall, but Shen Jiang didn't follow, and detained Yu Lianhai to go elsewhere, and had other arrangements.

The atmosphere of Baifo Temple is solemn and solemn. Ye Baiting's biggest impression of this place is that it is quiet and compassionate.The division of functional areas of the temple is very strict. The pilgrims in the front yard, the place where the pagoda is, the place where monks live, and the place for foreign guests to live in the courtyard are very clearly separated, and the guards are also very strict to ensure that they do not disturb each other. However, the courtyard on the back mountain here is rented to students, and the rent is very low, and it has lasted for many years. The monks are really doing good deeds.

Even the dining room is separated here. Pilgrims can order Vegetarian dishes in the guest area. Monks have a special dining room in their living area, but the conditions are relatively poor, far inferior to those provided to guests. richer.Those who temporarily live in the courtyard at the back of the mountain eat the same fasting meal as the monks, but the place of eating is more casual, and they do not go with the monks.

Generally speaking, the tenants are just tenants, staying here for a short time, the monks only provide some convenience, they are not familiar with each other, and there is no friendship.

Ye Baiting and Qiu Yiqing didn't stop walking all the way from the outsider area to the monks' canteen. The monks they met on the way were polite, neither humble nor overbearing. They didn't feel nervous when they saw the commander of Jinyiwei, as if they were no different from ordinary pilgrims and would respect them. , Will be courteous, will cooperate in doing things, but will not be afraid.

Walking here, it seems that the heart can be calmed down.

Ye Baiting had a good impression of this place.A person's state of mind will be projected in his actions. If this is just a peaceful paradise where people can find a place to return to, then how despicable the behavior of those who kill people here and defile this tranquility will be.

The food on the table was very simple, steamed buns, green vegetables, winter bamboo shoots and porridge. Ye Baiting ate very slowly, and so did Qiu Xunqing. He even went out for a while, and Ye Baiting hadn't finished eating when he came back.

"Like it?" He looked at Xiao Zuo.

"The porridge is very sweet, and it takes a long time to boil." Ye Baiting looked up at him, "I'm just waiting for you."

The temple is the death scene of the deceased. There is a lot of investigation work. Qiu Xunqing also has a lot of coordinating and guiding work. It has been more than a month, and the monks cooperated with the work. , Later, the number of manpower can be reduced, so that the service and inspection can be carried out, so as not to make it difficult for monks and pilgrims.

So today must be very busy.

Qiu Xunqing touched Ye Baiting's hand, it was okay, not cool: "Are you tired?"

Ye Baiting shook his head: "It's okay."

After a meal, the dining room was empty, there were rows of long tables, and there was no one else except Ye Baiting.

Shen Jiang came back, just finished gnawing steamed buns in his mouth, saw no one around, and Jin Yiwei guarded, came to report: "I found out, He Yiming really came that day!"

Seeing Qiu Yiqing, Ye Baiting wasn't surprised at all: "You also know?"

"It's not difficult to speculate," Qiu Xingqing said, "He was demoted to three ranks due to a major mistake before, and was promoted a few days ago because of his meritorious service, and became a doctor of the Ministry of Punishment again. In the dark, where human nature is subtle, the big exam is coming soon, there is no one who can refer to the younger generation, here Wenchang Lingsheng, he will come here to ask for a lottery, it is very reasonable."

"It's so fast?"

Ye Baiting knew about the matter of being demoted to three ranks, and he had his help in this matter. The case of the household department handled by Fusi Beizhen in the first month of the year, the death of Guan Xiuzhu, was the case that He Yiming deliberately closed in haste. Doctors in the Ministry of Punishment are different, there is a difference in rank among them, but just after being punished and demoted, he can be promoted to a higher rank immediately, He Yiming is really good at it.

"That's not the case. It seems that he has got through the way of the Minister of the Ministry of Officials. He has a grandson who will take the big exam this year. He Yiming should come here to show his hospitality, and hang a red string to ask for a signature!"

Shen Jiang jumped over and sat at the table: "However, he came and went quickly this time. He didn't seem to want to disturb anyone, and he acted very low-key. I asked a lot of people, except the hall. The monk who signed the contract, no one else seems to have seen him. If he is really determined to do something, the time is a bit rushed, he must be prepared... But this is not important, I will continue to check the details later, the important thing is The other thing is that the deceased, Yu Wenzhang, fell to his death from upstairs, right? I just found out that three months ago, another person fell from a high place and fell to his death."

Ye Baiting paused: "What else?"

Shen Jiang: "If ordinary people were surprised, I wouldn't pay attention to it, but this person seems to have something to do with the case. Huang Kang, a Jinshi who passed the university examination four years ago, didn't have a good ranking, but once the list was released He has been assigned an official position, he is still a fat servant in Beijing, he basically knows everyone who gathered here, especially the adjutant Gao Jun, they are the same year."

Ye Baiting immediately responded: "There are more than one of his same age."

Qiu Yiqing tapped her fingertips on the table: "He Yiming, also a Jinshi who passed the examination four years ago."

"Isn't that even more suspicious!" Shen Jiang widened his eyes, "This Huang Kang also fell to his death, in a restaurant in a downtown area, in full view of everyone, exactly the same as Yu Wenzhang's death!"

Ye Baiting narrowed his eyes slightly: "Has this matter ever alarmed the government? How are funerals handled?"

Shen Jiang: "He fell to his death in an accident. There was too much movement. Jing Zhaoyin immediately sent someone there. It should be that no abnormalities were found. He quickly removed the seal and said it was an accident. Let the family have a good burial."

Qiu Yiqing knew what Ye Baiting was thinking: "The dead body, I will find a way to call Beizhen Fusi."

"Well," Ye Baiting nodded, with a slight flicker in his eyes, "Send them together to Fuzuo's room, and I'll examine them."

When the sun was setting and the sky was getting dark, Ye Baiting left Baifo Temple with Qiu Yiqing, walked through the front hall from the back mountain, and passed a century-old tree in the temple on the way. Circulating, still full of vitality, the breeze blows, making the sound of 'jingling' wooden signs.

Those are small plaques used by pilgrims in the temple to pray for blessings. Each one is hung with red strings, full of trees, all of which are the visions of pilgrims who come here, and the old trees are also decorated with youthful beauty.

Visible to the naked eye here, the nearest pagoda is Wenchang Pagoda, and any literati would want to come and pay their respects.

The two suddenly stopped in their tracks, one was silent and the other was serious.

Shen Jiang waited for a while but no one moved: "Why, what's the matter?"

Ye Baiting frowned, looked at Qiu Yiqing: "Did you also think of it?"

Hatred Qingsu Rong's jaw and said two words: "Imperial Examination."

The two people who died in the crash, the people who gathered here, plus He Yiming, the circle of related people has not been finalized yet, but they have one thing in common, that is, the imperial examination.

Four years ago, Huang Kang, Gao Jun, and He Yiming took part in the exam. Huang Kang died, and Gao Jun became an official. This year, he is the right-hand man of the chief examiner. More proud than frustrated.

A year ago, Yu Wenzhang, Yu Lianhai, and Hu Anju took the big exam. The first two failed the exam. Yu Wenzhang was going to fight again this year. Before the big exam came, he died first. Yu Lianhai was disheartened and did As a civil official, Hu Anju was very lucky. With a talent that he had not shown before, he soared into the Imperial Academy, and was envied by everyone.

And this year's chief examiner, Geng Yuanzhong, is the oldest, the highest official, and the most stable person among all the people. His maternal relative Zhang You will, no, have already taken the exam this year.

If they think too much and everything is just a coincidence, then it's okay, if it's not a coincidence... Isn't there a problem with the imperial examination?

The time of Chunwei is basically fixed. In February of every three years, there are three games in total. It starts on the ninth day of the ninth day and ends on the eighteenth day. All the work must be completed within one month, because around March [-]th, the emperor will conduct a palace examination, hand-picked the number one scholar, and bestowed a Qionglin banquet.

The same is true for Jiakai Enke, and the time flow will not change.

Today is the fourth day of March, the big exam has already ended and the papers are sealed, and it is in the process of judging the papers intensely, and the rankings have not yet been released. In ten days or so, Emperor Yu'an will hand-pick the champion in front of the palace.

Ye Baiting, a layman, understands the current situation in the court. The position of the emperor seems to be stable, but it is not easy to be stable. To build up prestige little by little, eliminate past problems, and slowly add new blood to the court... The establishment of prestige is not easy. It's not easy, and it only takes one blow to destroy it. If there is a problem with the imperial examination, there is a mistake in the examination of the Son of Heaven, and the situation that has been built with great difficulty collapses, what will be done in the future?

Since Emperor Yu'an was taken back to the palace, under the pressure of various forces, he carefully built the world in his heart little by little. After working so hard for so long, this year is considered to be a fruitful year. Let everyone witness his strength. He joined Enke and is about to Great marriage, if the palace test is completed well, it will add luster and stabilize people's hearts, in case something happens...

Ye Baiting didn't even dare to think, if someone was really in the dark...

"Never let the other party succeed!"

"We have to hurry up." Qiu Xunqing stretched out his hand to Ye Baiting, "Maybe I have to wrong Mr. Zuo Zuo, so let's do whatever I want."

Ye Baiting did not refuse this time, this time is very important and cannot be wasted.

"Let's go back to Beijing!"

Speeding all the way back to Beijing, it was already dark when we arrived at Fusi, Beizhen. Shen Jiang didn't even go home. He rolled a piece of cake from the kitchen and gnawed on it. , put Ye Baiting down and entered the palace.

The matter has not fermented, and their guesses may not necessarily be true, but as long as there is a risk, everyone must be vigilant. This matter must be reported to the emperor. Once... there must be a suitable response plan.

Ye Baiting felt a headache for the emperor.

Going through the various procedures below, the corpse has not yet been sent to Beizhen Fusi, he knows that it will not be long before he should be busy, I am afraid I will not be free these days, thinking of the twins with fleshy, ghostly little faces, long Long sigh.

The reason why he left so simply yesterday was because he was considerate of his brother-in-law and ordered a family reunion time for others, and his brother-in-law also said that he would stay in the capital for a long time in the future, so he was not in a hurry, thinking about bringing the twins over in the next two days Have fun, go out for a stroll, who knows that there will be no time.

Ye Baiting picked up a pen and wrote a letter to the twins. It was a thick dozen. It was the ghost story he promised the children to tell, and he also told them to be obedient and not to make their mother angry. Daddy, just do whatever you want...

When he finished his work here, he went to see them immediately.

As soon as the letter was written and buried not far from the city, Huang Kang's body was brought back, and Jin Yiwei came to report that it had been sent to the morgue.

Ye Baiting saw that he was a soldier with a familiar face, so he handed him the written letter: "Send it to Zhuzhilou for me."

"Good sir!"

As soon as Ye Baiting walked to Wu Zuo's room, put on the burqa and gloves, he saw Qiu Yiqing.

"I'll take a look at you," Qiu Xunqing walked over, "I'll leave after the autopsy."

Ye Baiting pointed to the sky: "...how should I say it?"

Qiu Xunqing: "I hope we are all wrong, this is just a coincidence, if not, we are not afraid."

That means you are ready?

Let the other party take care of the outside affairs, Ye Baiting relaxed and focused on his work: "Is the commander ready? I'm going to start."

Qiu Xunqing: "Yes."

Ye Baiting walked to the morgue, closed his eyes, and focused...

Let me see what you want to say but can't say.

Huang Kang died three months ago, it was the twelfth lunar month of winter, and he was buried soon after it was determined that there was no abnormality in his death. The condition of his corpse was somewhat similar to that of Yu Wenzhang. Corruption was definitely corrupt, but the more obvious feature was dry, partial corruption. In severe cases, the skin has disappeared, exposing white bones, and part of the dry skin has shrunk and hardened, lost its elasticity, and turned into a darker brown. It looks like half of the bones are faintly exposed, and the other half has become black and hard. The visual effect is Pretty amazing.

First of all, the most important thing is to determine the cause of death and the fracture situation.

"...The deceased's bones were covered with blood, ribs were broken, shoulders, hips, and legs were all fractured, his arms... were comminuted, and his skull and face were seriously injured. The deceased should have been lying on the ground with his arms falling first. ?”

On the way back, Qiu Yiqing received the latest investigation news from Shen Jiang and Jin Yiwei, and he had a good understanding of the situation at that time: "The witness said that the person hit the ground heavily and was in a prone position. At that time, the arm was deformed. It sounds weird, it should be the arm that hit the ground first."

"The dead man didn't just touch the ground with his arm first." Ye Baiting examined the dead man's hand carefully. "The bones in his hand were almost completely broken. There is only one explanation for this kind of situation—he wanted to lean on the ground."

When does a person want to lean on the ground?When you want to borrow strength, when you want to support.

So when a person falls from upstairs, his consciousness is clear, and his reaction is to support himself, but the height of the fall is too high, the speed is too fast, the ground is too hard, the cushion of the palm is not enough, and the person disappears. .

"Shen Jiang said that he fell to his death in full view of the public. It was a restaurant. On which floor was he at that time, and who was he drinking with?"

"The current news is that on the fifth floor, on the roof of the restaurant, drinking alone, the deceased slipped and fell down accidentally." Qiu Xunqing's voice was cold, "I looked at his menu, and the wine he ordered was not a The amount that a person can eat."

So there is someone else?Another invisible guest?

Thinking of the 'party coincidence' at Baifo Temple, Ye Baiting looked at Qiu Yiqing, "Could it be that there is also a party in this restaurant, and the participants include some of our related people?"

"That's right, the few people who gathered in Baifo Temple were all there at the time," Qiu Yiqing nodded, "Including those who went to Baifo Temple for a month and didn't attend the small gathering, He Yiming."

……

He Fu.

A letter with no signature but only a fire seal was delivered to the black sandalwood lacquered gold case.

Reflected by the water color and light gauze, the fairy aunt's birthday candles ignited a luxurious fragrance. He Yiming finished approving a volume of documents, drank two sips of fragrant tea, picked up a milky white, clear layered dragon beard cake, and put it down after only one bite , the brows were not very satisfied, as if such a delicate thing could hardly enter his mouth.

He rinsed his mouth, picked up the letter, tore off the seal, and read the letter slowly——

With just one glance, he paused, and then his expression changed. There seemed to be a sea of ​​anger in his eyes, and he sneered again and again, and slammed the table.

His 'good brother' is really a toast, he doesn't eat or drink fine wine, he wants to control everything, and dares to touch anything!

Don't blame me for being so ignorant.