[Comprehensive] Host, welcome

Not long after, two yamen servants pushed a man into the side hall.

The man was wearing a prison uniform, with iron chains on his hands and feet, his hair was in a mess, his face was pale and pale, his eyes were deeply sunken, but there was still a hint of elegance between his brows.

"Brother Xie!" Zhan Zhao took a step forward, with anxious and concerned expressions on his handsome face, "Brother Xie, do you still recognize me?"

Xie Zhengwen seemed a little dull, his eyes moved slowly, and he glanced at the people in the hall blankly, until he saw Zhan Zhao, his originally dull eyes lit up instantly, and his eyes suddenly turned red, "Brother Zhan... ...? Brother Zhan, why are you here..." His voice was choked with sobs.

"After receiving your letter that day, I saw that you hadn't heard from me. I was quite worried. Brother Xie, I already know about you. But I don't believe that you would kill someone for money." Zhan Zhao paused , and then said, "If you have any grievances, just tell me, and I will definitely avenge you."

Xie Zhengwen had a wry smile on his haggard face, and said, "Thank you Brother Zhan for coming here, but I don't have any grievances."

"Brother Xie!?" Zhan Zhao opened his eyes wide in surprise.

"Xie Zhengwen." Princess Leping picked up the confession and asked, "This confession was written by you, and you signed it yourself?"

Xie Zhengwen was stunned for a moment, and looked at Princess Leping suspiciously.Although he didn't know the identity of Princess Leping, he still replied honestly: "It was indeed written by the criminals themselves, and they were marked by themselves."

"Willingly plead guilty?" Princess Leping said in a deep voice, "Have you been threatened or tortured?"

"Criminals willingly plead guilty, not tortured into tricks."

"That's strange." Bai Yutang asked, waving his folding fan, "Why was the incident in your confession so sloppy and vague?"

"It's normal for criminals to poison and kill people for the first time. At that time, they panicked and couldn't remember clearly. What's more, it's been such a long time."

"Brother Xie, I forgot to tell you." Zhan Zhao said, "This is Princess Leping. If you have a hard time to speak out and take the blame for someone else, just say it directly. The princess will definitely make decisions for you."

Xie Zhengwen hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed: "The criminal kowtows to the princess for a thousand years."

"Get up and answer. Just like Zhan Zhan said, with Bengong here, no one can make things difficult for you. Just speak up boldly."

Xie Zhengwen shook his head, "The stepfather was indeed killed by the criminals, and the criminals have nothing to hide."

"Brother Xie!?" Zhan Zhao's voice raised a bit, "Didn't you send me a letter earlier because you wanted me to help you?"

"Brother Zhan, you don't need to say any more, I killed people, I deserve to die." Xie Zhengwen looked hopeless.

After Xie Zhengwen left, there was silence in the hall, and Zhan Zhao's face was a little gloomy.

In the end it was Bai Yutang who broke the silence.

"Actually, Grandpa also thinks this is quite strange now. No one wants to die."

Princess Leping nodded and said, "The ants are still stealing their lives, but he has no heart to beg for help. His life is at stake, and he has no excuse... If there is really something hidden in this case, and he blindly pleads guilty like this without telling the truth, even if we Even if I want to help him, I can’t find a place to start.”

Bai Yutang raised his hand and stroked his chin, and said, "Didn't Master Bao solve cases like a god, so why not just invite him here?"

"No." Zhan Zhao shook his head and said, "There is no one calling for injustice, there is no pleadings, the local government has already convicted him, brother Xie also pleaded guilty, and Mr. Bao will not pay attention to this case."

"If Xie Zhengwen is really wronged and wants to die, I can only think of one possibility, to plead guilty on behalf of someone else. And I can only think of one person who can make him willing to take the place."

Princess Leping and Zhan Zhao looked at each other, and said in unison: "Madam Lu."

In a small Buddhist hall in the backyard of the Lu Mansion, smoke was lingering.Mrs. Lu was kneeling in front of the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, slowly turning the beads with both hands, and concentrating on chanting sutras.

With a sound of "squeak", the door opened, and a servant girl walked in lightly, and said in a low voice, "Ma'am, there is a guest who wants to see you."

Mrs. Lu still had her eyes closed, and said slightly displeased, "Didn't I say that when I practice Buddhism, I don't see any visitors."

"But ma'am... this guest is Mr. Zhan from Kaifeng Mansion."

Mrs. Lu's hands stopped suddenly, she looked at the maid in disbelief, and said, "Tell me, who's here?"

"Master Zhan of Kaifeng Mansion."

Mrs. Lu's pupils constricted instantly, and her fingers clenched the Buddha beads tightly, almost tearing them apart.

"My subordinate Zhan Zhao is a fourth-rank guard with a sword under the command of the Kaifeng Mansion. These two are my friends, Zhao Huwei and Bai Huwei." Zhan Zhao said, clasping his hands.

At this time, Princess Leping was dressed in men's clothing, and she and Bai Yutang bowed their hands to Mrs. Lu at the same time.

Mrs. Lu leaned down, and said: "Mister Lu He, a civilian woman, has seen the three lords, but I don't know the three lords have come to visit. What's the matter?"

"Mrs. Lu, Zhan is here for your son Xie Zhengwen, please also invite Haihan."

"Master Zhan is serious. Please sit down, three lords. I don't know what that wicked woman did to disturb the Kaifeng mansion?"

"No, Zhan came here for your son's poisoning of his stepfather."

Mrs. Lu shook her head and sighed: "The family is unfortunate, what a family..."

"I heard that the reason why Xie Zhengwen was able to subdue the law was because Mrs. Lu killed his relatives righteously?" Zhan Zhao asked.

"Yes." Mrs. Lu gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, "Master treats our mother and son with such kindness as a mountain. Who would have thought that this evil son would do such a beastly thing. It's a common woman who can't teach her son well, I'm sorry Master. This is the only way to repay the master's kindness."

"Madam Lu also believes that your son will do such a thing? From what I see below, your son is not such a cruel person."

Mrs. Lu paused, then sighed, and said, "Actually, it's all the fault of the women. You must have known that the women were originally a woman in charge of the Lu family. Until the previous Mrs. Lu passed away eight years ago, I was favored by the master, so I became the wife of the Lu family. And the text is also grateful to the master Lu, and is treated like a parent and child. But the parent and son of the former wife, that is, the young master, does not admit that Zhengwen and I are from the Lu family , The women are fine, but the text has endured a lot of bad words and insults. In order not to embarrass Master Lu, the women let the text bear it. But the text finally couldn't bear it one day. "

Mrs. Lu began to cry as she spoke.

After a long while, she sobbed and continued: "The text told the woman that he is going to kill the master and the young master, so that he can become the real master of the Lu family and no longer have to live under the fence. At first the woman thought that he It's just talking, and I didn't take it seriously. Unexpectedly, the master was poisoned and died not long after. The woman asked the text later, and he admitted it, and was going to find another opportunity to attack the young master. How can I Let the Lu family have no children, so I have been guarding against him so that he has no chance to do it. Gradually, the woman is unable to do what she wants, and the guilt towards the master is increasing day by day. At night, I often dream that the master is staring at me with resentment. The woman I really have a disturbed conscience, and I don’t want to help the evildoers anymore.”

If it weren't for Xie Zhengwen's unlovable appearance and Zhan Zhao's insistence that he didn't kill anyone, Princess Leping would have believed that Xie Zhengwen's mind had been so distorted by the long-term bullying that he committed a murder.

In the previous life, in the environment that was spurned by thousands of people, couldn't he also choose to commit suicide?

Zhan Zhao frowned and remained silent.

Bai Yutang played with the teacup, looked at Madam Lu with raised eyebrows, and asked, "Would Madam Lu still dream of Master Lu?"

The corner of Princess Leping's mouth twitched a few times, not understanding why Bai Yutang would ask such a strange question.

Mrs. Lu paused for a moment, looked at Bai Yutang for a while without knowing why, and then said: "Ever since that unfilial son was imprisoned, the women have never dreamed of the master again. I think the master's mind is gone."

"Did you really dream of Master Lu instead of seeing his ghost?" Bai Yutang continued to ask.

"Ghost!?" Mrs. Lu was stunned.

"Yes, ghosts." Bai Yutang snapped open the folding fan, and said with a half-smile, "I have seen ghosts with my own eyes before. I heard that ghosts who die unjustly cannot enter the underworld, but can only stay in the human world. Since Master Lu If you die so resentfully, there must be souls..."

Madam Lu's complexion instantly turned pale.

After a long time, Mrs. Lu found her own voice, and said with a forced smile, "Your Excellency, you are joking. If you don't say anything, you are in a state of confusion. How can there be ghosts in this world?"

"The Kaifeng Mansion once accepted an unjust case." Zhan Zhao said slowly, "A businessman was murdered by a pair of brothers. Later, the soul of this businessman went to Kaifeng Mansion to seek justice from Mr. Bao."

"And then?" Mrs. Lu's voice trembled.

"These brothers bowed their heads and confessed their crimes in front of the wronged souls, and died under the guillotine." Zhan Zhao said every word with a loud voice.

"You should have heard of Master Bao from Kaifeng Mansion." Princess Leping smiled lightly, "Master Bao can examine the sun by day and the yin by night, and he can understand ghosts and gods!"

"Yes, is it?" Mrs. Lu's face was bloodless, her hands were tightly clutching the handkerchief, but she still forced herself to be calm, and smiled with the corners of her mouth, "The soul of the master must have entered the underworld by now. You can rest in peace."

The three looked at each other thoughtfully.

"I heard that people from Kaifeng Mansion are here?" An arrogant voice sounded, and then a person walked in from outside.

Mrs. Lu hurriedly stood up from her seat, took a few steps forward, and said nervously, "Eldest young master..."

Young Master Lu Lu Hongfei glanced at Mrs. Lu with a sneer, then turned his gaze to Zhan Zhao and the others, "Are you from Kaifeng Mansion?"

Zhan Zhao cupped his hands and said. "Xia Zhanzhao is a fourth-rank guard with a knife under the command of Kaifeng Mansion."

"So it's Mr. Zhan." Lu Hongfei clasped his hands in a strange way, "Why did the Kaifeng Mansion come to find this woman? Could it be to thank that bastard Zhengwen?"

Zhan Zhao frowned, slightly displeased, "I think this case is still suspicious..."

"There are indeed doubts." Lu Hongfei interrupted Zhan Zhao, and said, "I think it's not just that bastard who poisoned my father, but also this bitch. Take her away quickly, so that their mother and son can go on the road together. I don’t feel lonely on the road.”

"Young Master Lu, please be careful." Zhan Zhao said coldly, "Madam Lu is also your stepmother, you should call her mother, how can you call her like that?"

Lu Hongfei raised his head and laughed, and then the laugh turned into a sneer, and he said in a word: "Is she worthy!? My mother's family is a prominent local family in Xiangfu County, and even this humble woman is worthy of being my mother." ?”

"It's etiquette."

"Hmph! This is a matter of my Lu family, what are you talking about as an outsider!?" Lu Hongfei narrowed his eyes, "But why do people in Kaifeng Mansion care about the case of that beast? Could it be that this bitch asked someone to go to Kaifeng Mansion to complain Want to save that bastard?"

"I, I don't." Mrs. Lu said in a panic.

"It's useless to cry for injustice!" Lu Hongfei sneered, "My father was indeed poisoned to death by that beast, so what if the Kaifeng government reopens the case, the result will not be changed. Hmph! If you were not willing to testify against that beast, I would I kicked you out a long time ago. You'd better stay in the Buddhist hall honestly and pray for my father and the Lu family, and don't make any more fools, otherwise I will never let you go."

Leaving the Lu Mansion, Bai Yutang said: "Master suddenly felt that Xie Zhengwen might really kill someone. With Lu Hongfei's attitude towards Mrs. Lu, one can imagine what kind of life Xie Zhengwen lived in the Lu family before. If Master Otherwise, this guy would have been torn to pieces long ago. Mao'er, you haven't seen Xie Zhengwen for several years, maybe his temper has changed a long time ago."

"Based on what Brother Bai said, Brother Xie should have killed Lu Hongfei first."

Bai Yutang thought for a while, "Maybe Master Lu is easier to attack? Hate the house?"

The corner of Princess Leping's mouth curled up, "I have a clue."

"What is it?"

"The little girl who served us tea just gave it to me in secret." Princess Leping stretched out her hand, and there was a small note on it.

The author has something to say: Thank you little angels for your support