I'm taking the imperial examinations in Liaozhai

In the early morning, a carriage drove out of the city, and the groom waved his whip, driving the horses to the wilderness.

Finally, the carriage stopped, and a young scholar came out of the carriage. When he saw Ji Zihe standing there with a few policemen, he hurriedly got off the carriage and saluted Ji Zihe.

"My lord." Chu Yuhua said respectfully.

"Young Master Chu, please forgive me for taking the liberty to invite you here today," Ji Zihe said.

"My lord is serious. I don't know if my lord is looking for me. What's the matter?"

"I really need to find you for something, do you know where this place is?"

Chu Yuhua looked around suspiciously. This place is at the foot of a remote low mountain. There are no people living around it, and there are no fields. It should be an ordinary barren mountain.

"Xiaosheng has never been here before, I don't know what is the mystery of this place...Could it be that my lord has found my father's clan, do they live nearby?"

Ji Zihe didn't confirm or deny, but said, "Follow me, I'll take you to meet someone."

Ji Zihe led Chu Yuhua up the mountain, and when he reached the middle of the mountain, several yamen servants were escorting an old man to wait under an old locust tree.

Chu Yuhua saw a very familiar person under the tree, and asked in puzzlement, "My lord, why is Uncle Jincai here?"

"When I investigated the death of your maidservant, I accidentally discovered something else. This matter is related to you and your parents. Are you interested in hearing a story?"

Ji Zihe's eyes fell on a half-meter-high mound under the pagoda tree, the grass on the mound had been mowed by the yamen servants.However, this soil bag no longer looks like a grave, as if it is really an ordinary soil bag.

"Sir, please speak."

Ji Zihe put his hands behind his back and said, "Many years ago, a clan moved from Ning'an County. Because they encountered bandits on the way to move, the members of this family were very poor, and some were even so poor that they couldn't afford to eat. Yes. There is a man named Yang Tuo in this family. His wife died on the way of relocation, leaving him and his two daughters to depend on each other. Because the family was too poor, the eldest daughter sold herself to Coincidentally, a businessman from an outdoor place passed by and bought the eldest daughter away. The eldest daughter had a rough life, and the merchant bought her in order to make her a child bride for his only son. Later, the eldest daughter became pregnant and gave birth to They gave birth to a child, and they named him Chu Yuhua."

"My lord, what do you mean?"

But Ji Zihe didn't look at him, and continued, "Later, the rich businessman died and his family fell into poverty. In desperation, the eldest daughter took her husband and son to Ning'an County, and wanted to join her natal family. Besides, Yang Tuo, it's okay. With the money from the eldest daughter, he started a business and earned a lot of money. Because of the guilt towards the eldest daughter, he doted on the younger daughter too much, so that he developed a savage and rude temper, and was dismissed and returned home. Because The journey was tiring, and the eldest daughter fell ill as soon as she arrived in Ning'an County. Because she was young when she left home, she couldn't tell where her family was at the moment, so she could only ask her husband to find her. The husband of the eldest daughter was not familiar with the place. , I searched for it for a long time but couldn't find it, but let someone with a heart know his identity, and he had evil thoughts in his heart, which killed her."

Chu Yuhua hurriedly asked, "Who is that person?"

"It's her sister, Yang Ying."

Chu Yuhua lowered his eyes, "My lord's story is very good, but it's just a story after all. My uncle is now the son-in-law of the Yang family. How could it be dark under the lamp? I have searched for so long, but there is no result."

"Your uncle... No, you should call him father. As for why he can't find it, it's just because he doesn't want to find it. After all, killing his wife, abandoning his son, changing his surname, and the Yi clan are all big things."

"My lord is joking. My uncle treats people sincerely and kindly. How could he be such a treacherous and vicious person? Please don't slander his reputation." Chu Yuhua said calmly.

"Really." Ji Zihe mocked, "Yang Jincai, tell me."

The old man who was guarded by the yamen servants knelt down towards Chu Yuhua, "Master, I am sorry for you. I have no choice but to deceive you with Yang Yangwang. It was the old thief Yang Yangwang who forced me. It was Yang Yangwang, He was the one who poisoned the eldest lady, for the sake of the Yang family's property..."

"Shut up! My lord, it's really disrespectful for this slave to slander my master. Please, my lord, hand him over to my uncle."

Yang Jin didn't expect Chu Yuhua's reaction to be like this, and hurriedly said in panic, "Young master, I am not lying. Have you forgotten that when the eldest lady died, her face was black and her nails were black. Poison was put in it, otherwise a small wind and cold would kill someone. Have you forgotten, how did Yang Yangwang treat you after he married? The second lady beat and scolded you, and asked you to give them a big winter Laundry and washing vegetables in cold water, I remember, the young master's ten fingers were swollen like steamed buns, everyone else was in the way of the order of the second lady and Yang Yangwang, and dared not talk to you, only this slave, secretly took the medicine for you. You, have you forgotten all of this?"

Ji Zihe looked sideways at Chu Yuhua, he didn't expect this gentle young man to be in such a miserable situation, he really couldn't tell.

Chu Yuhua pursed her lips, "When my mother passed away, I was still young, but I remember that when my mother was seriously ill, my uncle took good care of her. I don't know why you want to slander my uncle. My uncle is so kind to me. How could I Be your accomplice."

Yang Jincai was dumbfounded, "Young master, I really didn't lie, what I said was the truth."

"Since it's the truth, why didn't you mention it before, but it took so many years before you spoke up. What's your plan?"

"Nu, I have had trouble sleeping and eating all these years because of this matter, and I feel really guilty. I have always wanted to find an opportunity to explain it to you. But under the threat of Yang Yangwang, I dare not speak. Later, I was sent to the old house to watch the house. , it’s hard to see you, let alone the opportunity to talk about it. Fortunately, I have met Master Qingtian, so I have the courage to tell the secret hidden in my heart.”

Ji Zihe, who was pulled out again by the rainbow fart, looked numb. He got used to this kind of talk, so just don't take it seriously.

Chu Yuhua is also a sensible person, and was not moved by his words, "Really?"

Yang Jin opened his mouth, but for some reason he didn't say anything.

Ji Zihe coughed lightly, and the two looked at him in unison.

Ji Zihe said quietly, "I want to verify whether what Yang Jin said is a lie, it's actually very simple."

"I wonder what your lord's opinion is?" Chu Yuhua said.

"He said that your mother died of poisoning, just open the coffin and do an autopsy."

Chu Yuhua frowned, "My lord doesn't know. After my mother was buried, the tomb was robbed by the Tufuzi, and her bones were lost. Now her tomb is just a clothes tomb."

"Young master, this was not done by the tomb robbers, but by Yang Yangwang. He was afraid that someone would find out about his poisoning, so he wanted to destroy the evidence. He dug up the bones of the eldest lady from the grave without stopping. Buried on this barren mountain." Yang Jin said hastily.

"My mother was buried in this mountain?" Chu Yuhua showed shock on his face, but immediately restrained himself and asked, "How did you know?"

"Because this matter was done by Yang Yangwang and his slaves. The eldest lady was buried under this locust tree. If you don't believe me, you can dig it up and see. I remember that she still carried the safe-keeping token you asked for from the Town God's Temple." What about the bronze medal?"

"Here?" Chu Yuhua looked up and looked around, and easily saw the dirt bag where the weeds had been cut off, and his heart seemed to be pulled.

"Yes, it's here, and everything will be revealed when you dig it out." Yang Jincai said.

Ji Zihe looked calm, "Young Master Chu, do you want to dig it?"

Chu Yuhua's eyes showed confusion, and he opened his mouth feeling dry, "I..."

"Young master, dig it out, I dare to guarantee that what I said is the truth, I dare to confront that Yang Yangwang in court." Yang Jincai persuaded.

Chu Yuhua struggled a little more, looked at Ji Zihe, gritted his teeth and said, "Master Ji, did you bring me here to see your tomb?"

Ji Zihe shook his head, "Since the owner of this wild grave may be your mother, the choice of digging or not is up to you. If you don't agree, I don't want to disturb the peace of the deceased. However, if the grave is not broken today , then Yang Yangwang's case of murdering his wife is inconvenient for me to pursue further."

Evidence cannot be produced in the soil, and the victim voluntarily refuses to pursue it. Why does he want to be this villain and insist on destroying his current life?

Chu Yuhua hesitated for a long time, then struggled, "If that's the case, then don't..."

Seeing that he was shaken, Yang Lin said loudly, "Don't you want the young lady to be buried in the Yang family's ancestral grave in a dignified way and enjoy incense and offerings? The young lady has kindness to you, so you are willing to let her do it in this wilderness. A nameless, surnamed, homeless ghost who can't go back, whose parents and children don't want to recognize her, and who refuses to even seek justice for her? Thanks to the sage books you've read for so many years, it's so cold and depressing. Heartbroken. Aren't you afraid that the eldest lady will come into your dreams at night and point your nose at you and scold your unfilial son?"

"Shut up!" Chu Yuhua clenched his fists, breathed heavily, and angrily said.

"I don't want to keep my mouth shut. Although I have served the Yang family for many years, if I identified Yang Yangwang today, I betrayed my master. If you don't pursue this matter, I will die, so what is there to be afraid of? I just feel sorry for the young miss, who was deprived of her husband by her younger sister and killed by her own hands, even the only son is unwilling to seek justice for her, what a vain son of man." Yang Jin stood up straight for the first time in his life. Looking at his master so fearlessly.

It was already at this time, so what did he have to be afraid of?

"I told you to shut up, can't you hear?" Chu Yuhua blushed and punched Yang Jincai's face with his fist, like an enraged bull, no longer the bright moon and clear breeze before.

Yang Jincai is an old man no matter what, and Chu Yuhua is a grown man even though he is a scholar.His fist directly knocked Yang Jincai to the ground, wailing again and again.

Ji Zihe hurriedly asked the servants to stop Chu Yuhua and separate the two.

Chu Yuhua lost his soul, and knelt down towards the short grave, tears dripping silently on the weeds, and after a long time, he said hoarsely, "Master Ji, dig it."

"You..." Ji Zihe wanted to say something to him, but when the words came to his lips, he felt that he had nothing to say, "Forget it."

Ji Zihe turned around and called the yamen servant to dig the grave.

Ji Zihe didn't know what Chu Yuhua had experienced, and he couldn't evaluate what he did.But since he chose to dig the grave, Ji Zihe will do his best to investigate the case and give justice to the victim.

It's just that for some reason, Ji Zihe suddenly felt a little suspicious, and always felt that something seemed wrong.