The first work of the imperial prison

The summer is scorching, but the official hall is very comfortable, the sweltering heat is kept outside, the room is shaded, and ice is used. If you want to come to this official office, you probably don't need money.

Ye Baiting was very quiet all the time, and did not urge Wei Shili, just waited quietly.

Fan Moyu, what do you think...

For Wei Shili, this question seemed a bit difficult to answer.All the people present are smart people, and it is not a smart choice to be perfunctory, but this question has certain traps, and if you answer it sincerely, it may not be a good choice.

If you are not familiar, why did you invite others to your promotion banquet?If it is said to be very familiar, it is bound to be investigated, asked for more details of the relationship, and private contact.

He only thought for a moment, and then replied with a slight smile: "Master Fan's ability...should be good? To tell the truth, Jin Yiwei, the promotion of the lower official is not easy. I have worked hard for a long time, and my relatives are also worried about me. , did not relax for a moment, just this time there was a result, and the old mother at home was about to celebrate her birthday, the next official thought, if it is hard to win back the glory for her, it is better to add to the cake, and then send a good birthday gift, and inquired about it After inquiring, I found Mr. Fan. Mr. Fan is a warm-hearted person, and he responded very simply, and quickly helped the subordinate to find what he was looking for. Since the subordinate is going to hold a banquet, I have to invite him to thank you. Here, When Master Fan came over last night, he took this thing with him, do you two pay attention?"

As he spoke, he took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and opened it. Inside was a jade bracelet, emerald green in color and with excellent water head. It seemed to be some kind of rare old pit jade. It should be worth a lot.

It's hard for Ye Baiting not to sigh that the other party is smart.

Wei Shili didn't answer his question directly, whether he was familiar with it or not, but gave a subtle explanation in the direction of his choice of words, implying that he had just met him or not, and was just asking for help in finding something.

This person obviously understood what he wanted to ask just now, and he was very good, and he solved it in a few words. You can't say he was wrong.

They also produced evidence, and it is indeed a rare good thing. If you dare to say this, you must not be afraid of being investigated by Jin Yiwei.

To get to the bottom of it, not only is it inferior, others can still say nothing, and use the words just to 'explain' with a sad face, and they will not get any information.

However, Ye Baiting has been handling cases for many years, and he is cautious, and will not be taken too seriously by others. For example, Wei Shili only said that because he was looking for a gift, he 'inquired' that Fan Moyu had a network. When people are looking for something, they will indeed ask the people around them. He said that it is possible to find witnesses, but it is not certain whether he knew each other or was familiar with him before. Wei Shili intercepted a fragment of his life and led him to think of the direction of "the two are not familiar with each other". This is not necessarily the case, and others may hide it.

So no matter how sincere these words are, they also have the meaning of provocation——

I'll look at your question and answer it. Anyway, I won't let myself make mistakes. As for what you think, that's your business.

People who are too slippery will not get what they want if they ask such a straightforward question.

Ye Baiting's eyelids drooped slightly, pretending that he didn't understand what was going on, relying on his tender face, he always pretended to be cute and innocent, which was extremely bluffing, except for acquaintances, no one could tell, so he just bent his lips into a smile, as if thinking of the other party's answer just now. After realizing this, I was a little curious, so I asked casually: "Since we are looking for treasures, why didn't we look for businessmen, but Mr. Fan? Wouldn't it be more troublesome? I heard people say that wealthy businessmen have more business opportunities, and many treasures They are all hidden in the deep warehouse, as long as the price is sufficient, I am not afraid that I will not be able to buy them."

He wanted to give it a try by the way, the emperor who has been missing so far.

Wei Shili's smile deepened: "If it's something else, I'm going to look for these people. There is an imperial merchant in the capital named Tang Gui, who has been quite famous this year. When I want to buy a birthday gift for my mother, I think of him immediately. , but after thinking about it, it won’t work, young master, let’s take a closer look at the workmanship of this jade bracelet—"

When the jade bracelet was brought closer, Ye Baiting could see clearly that it was not just a smooth and round Laokeng jadeite, it also had craftsmanship, as if a lot of work had been done when the rough stone was cut and polished, and when the color gradually changed, it formed a kind of Similar to the light texture of Buddha's light, but it needs a special angle to see it.

But the most important thing is that this person knew Tang Gui, and even brought up...

Wei Shili's voice continued: "My mother believes in Buddhism and likes jade. When the officials look for gifts for her, they don't ask for jade bracelets, but they must have 'Buddha statues'. There are many mothers of Jade Buddha, but this kind of But there is no jade bracelet with the Buddha's light on it, Dazhao only has some lands that have passed through the southern wasteland, and the imperial merchants may not hoard these things, but it is much more convenient to find Mr. Fan, and it saves the headache of being an official."

"So that's how it is..." Ye Baiting seriously praised the jade bracelet before changing the subject, "Master Wei was drunk last night?"

Speaking of this, Wei Shili's face changed: "I don't know who I have made an enemy with. The great promotion banquet must be at this time to disrupt the situation and make everyone unhappy. If the lower official knows who is deliberately trying to embarrass me like this, he will definitely call me!" He's having a hard time!"

It was anger from the heart, a little unbearable, and a small outbreak.

Good-looking people are popular in communication. Even if Wei Shili is a little angry, he seems to be able to understand empathy, and he will not find fault with him for being rude, and he himself soon realized that something was wrong, and immediately pulled the atmosphere back ——

"Last night, not only the official was dismissed, but Lord Shangshu was also there. What did you say about hatred? Why did you come to this? I see that the murderer didn't hate Lord Fan, but he seemed to be targeting the official. No matter what, Lord Shangshu will suffer." The trouble caused Jin Yiwei to rush around like this."

Since he mentioned Shangguan, Ye Baiting certainly wouldn't miss it, and turned to Jiang Jihong: "Is Mr. Jiang familiar with the deceased?"

Jiang Jihong shook his head: "Last night, most of the guests at the banquet were Wei Shili's guests. Some of the officials knew each other, while others were unfamiliar. If you asked about Fan Moyu's name, I must have met him before. All documents need to be approved by the official, but that's all, I only have an impression of the name, but the face of the person does not match, and I have never gotten along with each other."

Ye Baiting then asked: "If that's the case, does Mr. Jiang have any impression of the name 'Pan Lu'?"

"Who?"

Both Jiang Jihong and Wei Shili were a little surprised. The former thought for a while: "It's kind of familiar, but I don't know it."

The latter frowned: "Should I have seen it before? It seems that I heard this name mentioned in my ear, just recently..."

Ye Baiting: "Last night at the banquet, he blocked the wine for Mr. Wei, and had a few drinks with Mr. Jiang."

Wei Shili suddenly realized: "Oh—you're talking about that fat man. His surname seems to be Pan. He is warm and cheerful. I just stayed at the banquet...but does he have a problem?"

Ye Baiting: "You haven't seen him before, and you don't know if he has anything to do with the deceased?"

"I don't know," Wei Shili shook his head, "If you say that the officialdom in the capital is so big, it's not necessarily true that you haven't seen it once. Maybe you said hello on some occasion, but I don't have any impression of it, and I have long forgotten it. The relationship between people, Mr. Jiang, is probably the same?"

Jiang Jihong shook his head: "The official said that this name is familiar. I should have seen it in the official transfer document. The performance evaluation is acceptable, but I don't know the character in private, and I have no contacts."

Qiu Yiqing moved his gaze over: "Only last night, how did he and the deceased Fan Moyu seem to be related?"

The corners of Wei Shili's lips curved into a strange smell: "It should not be very good. This Pan Lu has work in his eyes and rushes to do everything. Although Fan Moyu is a bit reserved and unwilling to do these things, the seats where the two of them sit It's very close, such a comparison is somewhat obvious, and he should be somewhat dissatisfied..."

Qiu Yiqing pondered for a moment: "Do you often patronize the flower boat business? What do you usually like to play?"

The room was suddenly silent.

This question... seems not so easy to answer.

Ye Baiting laughed, and explained for his conductor: "I heard that the boat is very lively. The girls don't talk about dancing and playing music. They are all good at playing piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. The guests used to have competitions. There are also some competitive activities on the boat from time to time. The lottery is given to the strongest, we are just curious, the officials are full of talents, shouldn't they lose to ordinary people?"

Wei Shili just laughed: "Young master, that's right. I wait to patronize the business on the ship because of its fun, nothing else. As for the gameplay, there are more dance and music skills, such as rhythm. Our Lord Shangshu Very good at playing ancient and Chinese music, whatever the girls play, we adults will definitely be able to hear any mistakes, I don’t know how many girls are looking forward to the opportunity to get our adults to point out, come to a "Zhou Lang Gu Qu" Woolen cloth."

"As for the lower official himself, he's not good enough in this aspect. He doesn't know anything about rhythm, but reciting poems and composing Fu is not bad. After so many days...you shouldn't have embarrassed your lord?"

When he said the last sentence, he turned his head. It is conceivable who he said it to.

Jiang Jihong sat on the top, tilting his head slightly: "You are good at both poetry and prose, indeed."

"Young master Ye, be careful of burning."

Ye Baiting thanked him in a low voice, took the tea from the other party, only to realize that Fang Zhizhu, who had been standing between Jiang Jihong and Wei Shili, had left for a while at some point, walked around to his direction, and refilled him with tea.

There is nothing wrong with thinking about it.

This is the official office of the Ministry of Officials, and the people in the Ministry of Officials are the masters. They should entertain the guests. Jin Yiwei asks questions, and the door is closed tightly. , There is nothing wrong, this action is very common, this Lord Xiao Fang is also amiable, there is nothing wrong with his posture and smile.

But Ye Baiting still feels very subtle, is the process of refilling the tea and delivering the tea cup to him a little slower?

There is also this voice, I don't know if the other party did it on purpose, but it is very comfortable to hear, the rhythm and tone are just right, and it is even quite noticeable, I want to take a look at this person.

At a glance, you will find that Master Xiao Fang doesn't look that handsome when he is only standing next to Wei Shili, but in fact his facial features are quite clear and his temperament is as gentle as jade. There is a sense of trustworthiness in the whole person.

Especially this smile...

When Ye Baiting tilted his head, he happened to see Fang Zhizhu's smile. The smile was not big, dazzling or ostentatious, but it was attractive.

However, the time is actually very fast for one handing tea and one receiving tea, and he only had a moment of distraction when he looked at the past.

However, Qiu Yiqing's face turned cold, and his sword eyebrows slightly raised, showing his sharpness: "Where is the tea from the envoy?"

"It was just continued for the Commander," Fang Zhizhu smiled, and took the first cup of tea, and handed it to Qiu Xingqing, "Commander, please."

Ye Baiting paused.This scene...is a bit conspicuous.

There are rules for refilling tea. There is no reason to refill the tea for the lower people first, and then for the superiors. Fang Zhizhu refills this cup of tea for Qiu Suqing first, because Qiu Suqing's attention is on the two people involved in the case opposite. I didn't see him refilling tea, didn't pay attention, and didn't mean to take it when he was thirsty, so Fang Zhizhu didn't hand it over, and stepped back after adding it. Now that Qiu Yiqing is deliberately picking thorns, he is also generous Fang recognized it, and raised the teacup again, respectfully.

Unexpectedly, Qiu Xunqing didn't give him any face at all, and raised his chin slightly: "Let it go."

Ye Baiting feels a little subtle, it's not that he feels sorry for Mr. Fang, he doesn't have so much sympathy, he just thinks that Qiu Suiqing's behavior is very interesting, a bit willful, General An at the border, the commander of Beizhen Fusi , I have always acted extremely rationally, when have I ever played a small temper?

It's really hard to bully him, but Qiu Xunqing obviously doesn't like this Mr. Fang, so why did Fang Zhizhu provoke him?

In front of so many people, Fang Zhizhu was humiliated, but he was not surprised or afraid. He was quite generous. He quietly put down the teacup and stood back to his position. Wei Shili was different. His competitors were devastated, but Own opportunity, of course you must seize it!

"But it's just piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. If you want to talk about other games, our colleague is better at it." Wei Shili raised his eyebrows slightly, and his smile was bigger than ever before. Master Xiao Fang is the most powerful."

Toss the pot...accurate head...

Ye Baiting almost couldn't hold back his laughter, why don't you just report the murderer's method of killing.

Wei Shili still had a simple and frank face, and continued to increase: "Whether it is bowing, wooden shooting, or even archery, as long as our Lord Xiao Fang is around, we will come out on top."

He didn't have a hint of yin and yang in his speech, it seemed that he just remembered this matter, because Jin Yiwei asked, he said it casually.

But this is impossible, and it is definitely not a simple and frank casual statement.

Even if Ling Ding was drunk last night, Wei Shili didn't know what happened outside, but today he woke up early, the case is being investigated, and he has heard a lot just by listening to the wind. Whether he cares or not, it is impossible for him not to know the deceased How did he die—

When the body was brought to the deck by Qiu Yiqing, almost all the people watching outside the line saw the broken arrow, which was obviously the murder weapon.

The word 'accurate head' is very important, and Wei Shili made it clear on purpose, it's just the eye drops that don't show any traces, and can also hide his little thoughts, making them appear invisible, which shows that he is very smart.

"What Wei Shilang said is true."

Fang Zhizhu didn't wait for others to ask, but he admitted in a big way: "It's true. The lower officials take the imperial examinations and enter the official career. The six arts of a gentleman are not good at them. It's a pity that the talents of the lower officials are limited. Except for basic homework, other They are not very outstanding, and their health is not very good. They were forced by their uncles, and they found a master to practice archery hard since they were young. They may not be good at other things, but throwing pots and archery skills are really inferior to ordinary people. "

Ye Baiting and Qiu Yiqing looked at each other. This is the most critical information that has appeared so far. Fang Zhizhu himself admitted that he was good at shooting. In the room where the murderer placed the bow and crossbow, his handkerchief was also left behind. son……

His presence suddenly became stronger.

Ye Baiting asked directly: "Master Xiao Fang, can you use a bow and crossbow?"

Fang Zhizhu also nodded frankly: "It will work."

"Can you be good at it?"

"Should be pretty good?"

Fang Zhizhu explained with a smile: "Because I haven't learned martial arts, my physical strength is not high, and my arm strength is not very good. When it comes to archery, the so-called 'outstanding' is only compared with ordinary people. My classmates back then, my colleagues now, It's not bad compared to low officials, but compared with people who specialize in this way, such as Jin Yiwei, such as border soldiers, it's far behind. Can't compare, with Young Master Ye... but let's have a little competition, if the young master is suspicious, the next official can have a try."

He had a smile on his face, he spoke slowly, and the little jokes he made were just to keep the atmosphere alive, not to embarrass anyone, his sense of proportion was actually very good, and he didn't make people feel uncomfortable.

But when Ye Baiting saw Qiu Yiqing's face, he seemed uncomfortable.

Think about the cup of tea before... Could it be because of myself?

Two times before and after, Fang Zhizhu's behavior brought him to himself?

But think about it again. They deal with many people involved in the case, and they also ask a lot of questions. Qiu Xunqing has never been so stingy. What happened today?

Qiu Yiqing glanced sharply across the room: "Tell me about the time around that time, and the intersection between you and the deceased."

Wei Shili looked at the Shangguan, and said, "It's nothing special. I just invited the flower boat for a banquet, and I also invited Mr. Fan to express my gratitude. How is his private life and who he has grudges against? I know that when he left during the banquet, all of us were there. After he left, the two factory owners went out. Well, this point, Xiaguan was actually very surprised. Xiaguan has no personal relationship with the two factory owners. It's just that I went back and forth twice during the New Year's Eve, I don't know why the two of you will come before you, and the lower officials are also flattered..."

"Speaking of which, the lower official has to complain again. Isn't it true that whoever has a grudge against the lower official in this murder case? It's a rare and great opportunity, and the lower official has no choice but to be angry because of this. If you are hated by others, how will you go after you get off the job!"

"However, the two factory owners should be the same as Xiaguan and Shangshu. They have nothing to do with the case, they are just implicated."

Ye Baiting: "Why are you so sure?"

Wei Shili just laughed: "The two factory owners are people who are responsible for important affairs. Since they came to the official's banquet for the sake of face, how could they intentionally spoil the scene and shame the official's face?"

"Then?"

"My lord and I were both drunk. We walked out of the Hanyu Pavilion one after another. As soon as the lord entered the room, he died of drunkenness. There should be a girl on the flower boat to testify? Our adults should be the same, and we won't have the time and energy to do it." "Killing" is such a thankless thing, if Jin Yiwei is entangled in this point, I'm afraid that he's looking in the wrong direction, and he will be disappointed, so he should pay attention to other directions."

"Lord Wei is right," Ye Baiting nodded, and really asked, and it was Fang Zhizhu who asked, "Master Xiao Fang didn't seem to receive the banquet invitation yesterday?"

"this is."

Fang Zhizhu glanced at Jiang Jihong who was sitting on the seat: "Yesterday, the upper official explained some things and asked the lower official to do it. Because the order was urgent at the time, and when it was finished in the evening, the lower official wanted to report it as soon as possible, so he didn't ask for it." Come here, go to the flower boat."

"Did you go to Hanyu Pavilion?"

"That's not true," Fang Zhizhu shook his head, "When I got to the door, I was spotted by adults..."

"Really happened to be seen?"

After a moment of silence, Fang Zhizhu sighed: "Actually, the lower official felt that the wine inside was enjoyable and the atmosphere was just right, so it was inconvenient to disturb him. He stood at the door for a while, and when he was hesitating whether to go in, he happened to be spotted by an adult...also an adult. Drunk, leaving the seat and being helped out."

"Then?"

"My lord was very drunk, and I accidentally vomited on the lower official, but it wasn't much, it was just a bit indecent, and it was not appropriate to go out, so the lower official found a nearby room and went in to clean it up."

Find a room nearby...

Ye Baiting's heart turned slightly: "When you entered, there was no one in the room, and the door was not locked?"

Fang Zhizhu shook his head: "No, the lower official knocked on the door at that time, but there was no sound inside, and it felt like it was empty, so he pushed the door and went in. The lower official didn't want to borrow it for too long, and he would leave after cleaning his body with a handkerchief. , but this square handkerchief, I can't find it after the official came back, I don't know where it was left."

"What impression does Mr. Fang have of that room?" Ye Baiting asked carefully, "For example, special decorations, different smells, or things that shouldn't appear in it?"

"Young master means..."

Fang Zhizhu was stunned for a moment, as if he understood the seriousness of the question, he immediately put on a serious expression, and thought carefully: "The smell...is a bit fragrant, it's the scent of powder on the flower boat. Since I got on the boat, this smell has been everywhere. The room is not obtrusive, but the decoration... the light gauze is light in color, elegant and stylish, with durian flowers embroidered with gold thread, which is not vulgar at all, the bedposts are carved, the corners of the cabinet are decorated with copper-clad patterns, and the table is a round table , on a tabletop covered with brocade of flowers, there is no tea set on it, but a plum vase with a newly bloomed lotus in it."

"No matter how much more..." Fang Zhizhu shook his head, "I don't have any impression of the lower officials, because I was busy cleaning up and left in a hurry. , I didn't pay much attention to the rest."

Ye Baiting felt a little regretful. It seems that it is still uncertain when the murder weapon, the bow and crossbow, was let go by the window: "After that?"

Fang Zhizhu: "Since my lord is drunk and cannot report the matter, I can only go back first."

"It's all here, why don't you sit a little longer?"

"It's not an official place, it's too disturbing, and it makes everyone feel uncomfortable."

Ye Baiting grasped the point accurately: "Then what if it's your venue? Is Master Xiaofang familiar with this flower boat?"

"Very familiar," Fang Zhizhu smiled, "I've been there before, and I often go there."

Very familiar, often go to...

Ye Baiting tasted these words, and suddenly understood the pursuit of 'fairy' in this era.For men, this is not a major event where personal morality will be criticized. If they behave well on such occasions, it will add more social charm and an unimaginable network of contacts.

But it doesn't matter, there is only one important point for him, and that is the familiarity with the flower boats——Master Xiao Fang, the suspicion level has increased.

……

After that, Ye Baiting asked a lot of questions, not only Fang Zhizhu, but also Wei Shili and Jiang Jihong. They also answered the question by the way, so Jiang Jihong spoke the least during the entire questioning process.

Finally asked him if he had anything to add, he also shook his head, and said no with a serious face, his posture was steady, and he was very authoritative. It seemed that this Lord Shangshu should be one-sided in the official department and had a lot of prestige.

When Ye Baiting and Qiu left, Jiang Jihong got up to see him off. The waiter Wei Shili and the doctor Fang Zhizhu looked at each other and walked in front to help open the curtain. It's just that Wei Shili opened the bead curtain on Qiu Suqing's side. The assistant is Ye Baiting.

I'm used to the etiquette of seeing off guests from the 'host's house', so I didn't have much to say, but Qiu Yiqing suddenly grabbed Ye Baiting's wrist: "I'm busy, go faster."

Ye Baiting's attention was immediately diverted, and he walked forward at a fast pace. At the same time, he was wondering if the commander had received some new clues that needed to be dealt with immediately...

I didn't see how elegant the smile of the person who opened the curtain next to him, Mr. Xiao Fang——

The son is like jade, gentle and dignified, nothing more than that.