The Delicate Lady Coroner Chapter 77: Sihexiang 17
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Chapter 77 Sihexiang 17
Huo Weilou Hengdao immediately sat on the main seat. The expression on his face was not very cold, but the momentum around him was a bit more compelling than Ning Xiao. Xu Kang stood there with a cold sweat on his forehead. In her own hall, Mrs. Xu had already stood up. She could deal with Ning Xiao a little, but when facing Huo Weilou, she lost all control and only placed her hope on Xu Kangwei.
“Ms. Xu died of illness on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month and was buried on the fifth day of the second lunar month. She stayed in your house for twenty-one days. During this period, your house invited eminent monks from the Xiangguo Temple to perform three rituals. What I said is amazing. Right?”
As soon as he opened his mouth, Xu Kangwei’s already pale complexion became even bleaker. The embroidered clothes envoy supervises all officials. Every word and deed of the Xu family is under supervision. If there is no wrongdoing, he will not be held accountable. But once a mistake is made, no matter how small the incident is, it becomes a basis for impeachment.
Xu Kangwei bowed, “Yes, my daughter did die of illness on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month.”
“Died of illness?” Huo Weilou raised his jaw, “Did he really die of illness?”
The corners of Xu Kangwei’s lips were pursed tightly, with cold sweat pouring down his face. Mrs. Xu looked at Xu Kangwei nervously. After a moment, Xu Kangwei closed his eyes in despair, “No… My little girl did not die of illness.”
Mrs. Xu’s face turned pale, and Xu Kangwei gritted his teeth and continued: “My little girl died in a disgraceful death. I… I was afraid of being criticized, so… I told the public that my little girl actually died of illness.”
Huo Weilou’s phoenix eyes were half narrow, “Disgraceful?”
Xu Kangwei straightened up, “Yes, she did not die in the mansion, but… died in Xiangfen Lane in the West City.”
Huo Weilou frowned, and Bo Ruoyou was a little puzzled, Xiangfen Lane? An alley selling incense powder?
Huo Weilou saw from the corner of his eye that she was a little confused and said: “The most famous Fireworks Willow Alley in the West Market of Beijing.”
Bo Ruoyou suddenly realized, Xu Kangwei said with a grimace: “Yes, that’s right there. The Xu family is a noble family. It doesn’t matter if my daughter died outside for no reason, but she died in a place like that. “Xiaguan…Xiaguan really doesn’t know how to talk to others.”
Bo Ruoyou’s eyes changed slightly when he heard these words. His biological daughter died outside. He didn’t ask who murdered her. Instead, he was first worried about rumors outside. It was okay to have such worries, but he really didn’t. After making even half an effort to track down the matter, it was just like that.
Bo Ruoyou looked at Xu Kangwei in disbelief.
Huo Weilou sneered at this time, “You are really lucky to be Mr. Xu’s daughter.”
Anyone who heard this could understand the meaning of these words. Xu Kang broke into a cold sweat and said, “My Lord, I forgive you. It’s not that I am cold-blooded and ruthless. It’s really… it’s really…”
“There’s no need to find any excuses. Let’s talk about what Miss Xu did in those days and why she went to Xiangfen Lane.” Huo Weilou had a look of impatience on his face. There were two points of harmony, but now those harmony are gone.
Xu Kangwei said hurriedly: “She was quite ill in the past two days. She had been raising her at home, but she had some arguments with me that day, so she ran out in anger. I don’t know why she went. Went to Xiangfen Alley, but she didn’t come back that night. I was very worried and sent someone out to look for her. It was her maid who said we should go to the West Market to look for her, and we found her.”
Xu Kangwei’s voice was low, and finally there was a hint of sadness on his face, “It’s in the small alley behind Xiangfen Lane. There used to be a nunnery in that alley, but then the nearby streets were opened. Many brothels and nunneries could no longer be run and were later abandoned. She… hanged herself to death in that abandoned nunnery.”
“Hanged to death?” Huo Weilou was full of doubts.
Xu Kangwei nodded, “Yes… the person was already dead when we found her. There was a rope on the ground, the beam above her head was broken, and the person fell to the ground. Who would have thought that she would be so angry that she would hang herself? Or would she? Waiting there.”
Huo Weilou paused briefly, “Is there any injury on her left arm?”
This statement made Xu Kang raise his head in surprise, “How did the Marquis know? She…she was indeed injured on her left arm. I don’t know if she rubbed it somewhere. A piece of skin was rubbed off and it was bloody. of——”
Huo Weilou couldn’t hold back the anger in his eyes, “You hanged yourself but there were external injuries. You didn’t even invite an examiner to examine the injuries, so you wrapped her up and buried her like that?”
Xu Kangwei trembled his lips and wanted to explain. Huo Weilou narrowed his eyes and said: “You were also a Jinshi at that time. After that, you served as a local official for several years and were promoted to the capital. These two years are considered to be in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. It’s remarkable, but when such a tragic thing happened to your daughter, you didn’t even have the most ordinary judgment, and actually deceived yourself and others into thinking that she hanged herself?”
Xu Kangwei shook his legs and knelt down with a pop. When Mrs. Xu saw this, she knelt down too. Huo Weilou sneered: “I see that you originally wanted your daughter to die early, but now that your daughter has been killed, it’s okay. As you wish, you turn a blind eye to those doubts. It just so happens that you have one less daughter to cause trouble, and you will not be criticized by others. You are such a ruthless and unjust Master Xu.”
Xu Kangwei’s face was as white as paper, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I don’t think so…”
“Why did you argue with Miss Xu?”
When asked in this way, Xu Kangwei found it even more difficult to say, “Because… due to her marriage, she has been weak and sick since she was a child. Her asthma has not been cured even after many years of medical treatment. How can such a body be cured?” When he arrived at a good man’s house, his subordinate saw a marriage for him, but she didn’t want to, so she ran out in anger…”
Huo Weilou asked coldly: “Which young master are you looking for for her? What does he do for a living?”
Xu Kangwei muttered: “He is… the nephew of a lowly wife. He also passed the examination and is now doing some spice business at home…”
Xu Kangwei said it simply, but as soon as he heard this, he knew what kind of husband he had chosen for Xu Wanshu, let alone the son of a merchant. I think he was very ordinary, and maybe he had some bad habits.
Huo Weilou looked at Xu Kangwei, not knowing what he thought of, and his expression was a little sad. After a moment, he stared and asked: “Who was the first person to find her at that time?”
“She is her personal maid.”
“Where is she?”
Xu Kangwei shrank his neck, “After the little girl died, the maidservant… was sent away.”
Huo Weilou frowned, “Deported? Deported to where?”
Xu Kangwei moved the corners of his lips and spoke a little lower, “Send it back to Ren Yazi——”
He said it nicely, but what he meant was that after his daughter died, his daughter’s maidservant was sold again. Such sales were probably at a low price. The maidservant is now unknown where she is. I’m afraid the outcome may be dismal.
Huo Weilou rarely gets angry, but when he heard this, he was really amazed by Xu Kangwei, “Who did you sell to the tooth shop?”
Xu Kang was so annoyed that he couldn’t answer, so he turned to look at Mrs. Xu. Mrs. Xu also had a look of fear, but she still hesitated to answer. Xu Kang was so angry that he shouted in a low voice: ” Still not talking? Are you mute?”
Mrs. Xu was shaken by the drink and said hurriedly: “Send it to the Ren Ya Store on Gulou Street.”
Huo Weilou glanced at Ning Xiao. Ning Xiao immediately walked out of the door and ordered the embroiderer to find the person. Inside the room, Huo Weilou remained silent for a moment, as if he was deep in thought. Xu Kangwei knelt on the ground and entered the palace. The emperor was not as nervous as he was at this moment.
“Ready to lead the way——”
After a while, Huo Weilou spoke. Xu Kangwei was a little confused. Huo Weilou looked at her coldly, “Open the coffin and conduct an autopsy.”
Xu Kang was shocked, “Keren has been buried…”
Huo Weilou sneered coldly: “What? Are you afraid of disturbing her peace? She was murdered to death, but you, as a father, did nothing. Do you think that by burying her, she can rest in peace under the Nine Springs? ”
Xu Kang didn’t dare to disobey his order. When he heard this again, he even shook his body and ordered the servants outside to prepare the frame.
Huo Weilou looked at Bo Ruoyou, “Is it appropriate to conduct an autopsy now?”
Bao Ruoyou nodded quickly, “That’s right. I have all the autopsy equipment with me.”
Huo Weilou nodded with satisfaction, but Xu Kang, the couple, looked at Bo Ruoyou in shock. It was strange for the director to bring a woman to handle the case, but who would have thought that this woman was actually a traitor?
Xu Wanshu was buried in the Xu family cemetery in Fengming Mountain outside the city. It would take at least a whole day to go out of the city to Fengming Mountain for an autopsy and then return. Huo Weilou left the embroidered clothes envoy to interrogate other members of the Xu family. He ordered Xu Kang to go with him as his wife. Then Mrs. Xu seemed to be unkind. If she was left in the house, he didn’t know what kind of trouble would happen.
Before setting off, Bo Ruoyou suddenly thought of what he saw at the painting and calligraphy studio yesterday, so he stepped forward and said, “Master Marquis, the daughter of the people has something to report.”
Huo Weilou glanced at her and said, “Let your coachman go back. You and I will ride together. We will tell you on the way.”
Bo Ruoyou agreed and ordered Uncle Liang to return home, while he got into Huo Weilou’s carriage.
When the group of people were heading to the south of the city, Bo Ruoyou spoke on the carriage, “Master Marquis, yesterday afternoon the folk girl went to the calligraphy and painting gallery in the east of the city -“
Huo Weilou raised his eyebrows after hearing only the first sentence, “It’s so late, what are you doing there?”
Bo Ruoyou said casually: “The folk girl thought Lu Wenhe was a little weird. Thinking that there were his works in the painting and calligraphy hall, she wanted to take a look. A man makes a living by painting and calligraphy, and most of his poems and paintings contain hidden meanings. Folk girls want to see this man’s life.”
Huo Weilou motioned for her to continue, and Bo Ruoyou continued: “The folk girl went to see his poetry album and two of his paintings. Most of his poems have high intentions and are broad-minded and heroic, and the paintings are also very… It is a very powerful work of great opening and closing. Although the folk girl cannot understand the technique, she feels that the details are quite exquisite. If you only look at these, it is worthy of his name as a genius.”
Huo Weilou’s eyes were half narrow, “What you want to report to me is to praise him?”
Bo Ruoyou was slightly surprised, “Of course not. It was a girl who found it strange that he wrote two poems about nostalgia for the past and homesickness. The girl wanted to ask, is the Lu family’s place of origin in Chuzhou?”
“You mean the Lu family of Lu Jijiu?”
Bo Ruoyou nodded, and Huo Weilou said, “No, the Lu family is already in the capital.”
Bo Ruoyou thought for a moment with calm eyes, “Then there is a problem. Most of the works about homesickness and nostalgia for the past are realistic, but what he was thinking about was Chu Ling. Chuzhou is in the south of Lingnan, and the word Chu Ling is in the poem. Most of them refer to Chuzhou. As a scholar, it is impossible for him to use the wrong allusion. After thinking about it, a common girl has a suspicion…”
“Lu Wenhe’s poems may not have been written by him, at least not the homesick and nostalgic poem. It stands to reason that his talent is far-reaching and he should not use other people’s poems. Therefore, the women are somewhat suspicious of him. Just learned the truth and lies.”
When Huo Weilou heard this, his eyes could not help but light up. He opened the car curtain and said to Ning Xiao who was riding outside: “Has there been any result about the matter you were asked to investigate?”
Ning Xiao was walking beside the carriage, and he had roughly heard what was said inside. He hurriedly said: “Lu Wenhe has been staying behind closed doors since he returned home yesterday. His subordinates did not find a chance to test his skills, but in the middle The servant of his house came out to buy household supplies, and our people went up to talk to him. The servant said that Lu Wenhe’s bow and horse skills were pretty good, and his left hand had never been injured.”
Bo Ruoyou frowned slightly, and his left hand was not injured, so he was not the murderer.
Huo Weilou also thought this, his face darkened a little, and Ning Xiao said again: “That servant has been in the Lu family for many years and is very proud of himself. He also said that with the talent and reputation of his young master, in two years If you become more famous in the next year, you can rise to prominence by simply donating an official position…”
Huo Weilou raised his eyebrows, “Don’t Lu Wenhe dislike officialdom very much?”
Ning Xiao then said: “My subordinates were also thinking about it, so I felt a little weird when I heard the reports from my subordinates.”
The suspicion in Bo Ruoyou’s heart popped up again, “Master Hou, if he is really talented, why wait until he donates his official position later? Unless the suspicion just now by the common woman is true, his poems may be ghostwritten, so , his talent and reputation are often false, will he not take the scientific examination because of this?”
Huo Weilou pondered for a moment, then asked Ning Xiao, “Have the people sent to keep an eye on Lu Wenhe withdrawn?”
Ning Xiao shook his head, “No, I’m still watching.”
Huo Weilou nodded slightly, “If there is really something different, there will be flaws.”
Putting down the curtain, Huo Weilou leaned against the car wall and raised his hand to pinch his eyebrows. Bo Ruoyou saw the tired look on his face and couldn’t help but said: “Master Hou, just rest for a while, wait until the daughter of the people calls you. .”
Huo Weilou put down his hand, glanced at Bo Ruoyou, then patted his side, “Come give me a massage.”
Bo Ruoyou was slightly stunned, thinking that he was on his way to run an errand, and there were so many people following the carriage. He felt his face slightly warm for some reason, but Huo Weilou had already turned aside, only exposing his back. give her.
Seeing that she was stunned and not moving, Huo Weilou said coldly, “Can you please stop moving?”
Bao Ruoyou quickly stood up and moved to his side. When her delicate fingertips fell on his forehead, Huo Weilou closed his eyes lightly, and his shoulders relaxed a little. I felt a little cramped. Seeing that Huo Weilou looked a little better at this moment, my mind was fixed, so I put more force on my hands and concentrated on it.
She followed the steps mentioned last time and pressed all the way to the Fengchi point on the back of her neck. As soon as she pressed the Fengchi point, she felt Huo Weilou’s back straighten, her heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her voice and asked: “Is the Marquis who was being massaged by a civilian girl uncomfortable?”
Huo Weilou felt a little funny when he saw her talking in a low voice. The walls of the carriage were thinned, and the noise inside the carriage was louder and could be clearly heard outside. He understood that Bao Ruoyou didn’t want people to know what they were doing in the carriage. .
In fact, he didn’t do anything inappropriate, but the more Bo Ruoyou acted like this, the more he felt a secret sense of shame that they had done something evil in broad daylight. Huo Weilou’s throat moved slightly, but his voice was as usual. , “No, continue.”
Bao Ruoyou felt relieved, and then continued to press it. After pressing for a moment, his hand came to the back of his shoulder. When he touched it, he felt that the muscles and bones under his hand were like hard iron. Bo Ruoyou suddenly thought of him. Wu Jian Wu’s body was dripping with sweat, and what was even more terrible was that she had seen him without a shirt on, and she clearly understood how strong the texture was under the brocade robe.
The heat from his body spread to her hands through the brocade robe. Bao Ruoyou’s heartbeat was a little fast, and the manly scent of Huo Weilou filled her breath, which also made her feel a little uncomfortable. She felt her mind swaying. At that time, Huo Weilou asked her: “Have you no strength?”
His voice startled Bo Ruoyou. Bo Ruoyou listened to the sound of horse hooves outside and the faint voices of the embroidered messengers behind her, and her heart beat like a drum. She was even more excited. He lowered his voice and said, “Master Hou, please speak lower. The daughter of the people is not weak anymore. It’s just that the muscles and bones of Master Hou’s body are so hard that the women of the people really can’t massage him.”
While she was talking, she stopped, but Huo Weilou turned to look at her with an incomprehensible expression, “Why do you keep your voice down?”
Bao Ruoyou was hesitant to speak, but that was all in front of Eunuch Fu and the others, but there were quite a few embroiderers following them today, and Xu Kang and his wife were behind them. They were riding in the same car just now, so Xu Kang Kang Wei looked at her in surprise, wishing he could poke a hole out of her. Mrs. Xu looked even more wary of her, as if she had something to do with Huo Weilou.
She is not a fool and knows that they have misunderstood.
“It is easy for a common girl to follow the Marquis and lead to suspicion. If others hear…”
Before Bao Ruoyou finished speaking, his face turned a little red. The light in the carriage was dim, but Huo Weilou saw her shame and annoyance in his eyes. He said seriously: “So what if I heard it, it’s just to let you For——”
Bo Ruoyou wanted to stamp his feet anxiously, but when he saw that he couldn’t do it, his head was filled with confusion and he even wanted to cover Huo Weilou’s mouth, “Don’t say anything–“
Her hand stopped just an inch away from Huo Weilou’s lips, and she was about to cover it, but in the end she still had a sense of awe for Huo Weilou, so she stopped. Halfway through Huo Weilou’s words, she was struck by her words. Xing was shocked, his sword eyebrows raised high, as if he didn’t expect Bao Ruoyou to be so bold. Their eyes met for a moment, Bao Ruoyou hurriedly retracted his hand, stood up and was about to kneel.
“Forgive me, Lord Marquis, but the daughter of the people is so presumptuous——”
Before her knees touched the ground, she was already being supported by Huo Weilou. He held her arm with a bright smile on his face. Bo Ruoyou was a little frightened, but she was stunned when she saw him so cheerful. She had never seen Huo Weilou smile like this.
The coldness and solemnity on his face swept away, and his handsome features suddenly shone brightly, especially a pair of phoenix eyes, with the tails of the eyes raised and the bottom of the pupils gleaming. Bo Ruoyou stared straight at him and was stunned, “Master Hou—— ”
Huo Weilou picked her up and made her sit on her side before letting go. He glanced at her right hand that had just been extended to his lips, and said with a half-smile: “I am getting bolder and bolder. ”
Bao Ruoyou retracted his hands into his sleeves nervously, but Huo Weilou leaned closer to her and lowered his voice as she wished, “What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that others will think you are charming?” Go up? Or are you afraid that others will think that I am forcing you to do so regardless of my personal status?”
Bo Ruoyou’s face turned red when he asked this question, “A civilian girl is just…”
Huo Weilou didn’t give her a chance to speak, “Is there anything unclear between you and me?”
His voice was still lowered, and the already low and melodious words were even more sultry. Bao Ruoyou couldn’t help but lean back. He thought his worries were reasonable, but now he was being treated like this by Huo Weilou. Asking, it seemed as if her mind was not pure.
She blushed and shook her head. Huo Weilou stared at her so closely for a moment before he straightened up, “I am very courageous and think a lot. I never bring women by my side on errands. Now that I have you, It is indeed eye-catching, but you have no guilt in your heart. What are you afraid of them doing?”
Seeing his righteous words, Bo Ruoyou felt that there was some truth in his words, but he couldn’t help but cursed. He was the superior Marquis Wu Zhao, so of course he was not afraid, but she was just a lowly female widow.
Huo Weilou saw at a glance that she disagreed and raised his eyebrows, “Are you still not convinced? Or… are you actually having other thoughts?”
He narrowed his eyes and his tone was a little scary. Bo Ruoyou immediately swore to the sky, “There are absolutely no civilian girls!”
Huo Weilou’s face froze, and Bo Ruoyou said with determination: “Please rest assured about this, the women of the people know your taboos, no matter how much you value the women of the people, the women of the people will never Dare to have other thoughts, but you have a distinguished status, and you never use women as inferiors, so others will doubt you, the daughter of the people… The daughter of the people does not want others to think that the daughter of the people has gained your respect by her appearance, not to mention that you have a good reputation You have a reputation for not being flirtatious with women, and women among the common people don’t want to ruin your reputation.”
Seeing that she looked embarrassed and wanted to avoid suspicion in front of others, Huo Weilou thought that her daughter’s family was interested in something, but he didn’t expect her to think like this. He was afraid that others would think that she relied on her appearance to get in front of Marquis Wu Zhao. I’m afraid of ruining his reputation!
This thought really amazed him. There are still women in this world who are afraid of ruining his reputation as Huo Weilou. Is he a chaste and virtuous man?
Huo Wei’s building was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he looked her up and down in disbelief. After a moment, he was finally sure that this was not her trick of playing hard to get. He raised his hand to stroke his eyebrows. Before, he was just tired, but now, he is Headache, very bad headache.
Seeing that he leaned back again with a cold look on his face and closed his eyes, Bo Ruoyou’s mind was so confused that it was difficult to discern what he was thinking. Not only did she boldly and boldly want to cover Huo Weilou’s mouth today, but she also asked Huo Ruoyou to Weilou felt that she might be flirting with him, which violated Huo Weilou’s taboo. What should he do?
Bo Ruoyou was anxious all the way. When the carriage reached Fengming Mountain and saw the cemeteries and cemeteries all over the mountains, her heart suddenly sank. She opened the curtains and looked outside. It was clearly a clear day. , but Fengming Mountain seems to be enveloped in a gloomy atmosphere, making people feel solemn and desolate when approaching it.
Towering pines and cypresses stood along the road. Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the Xu family cemetery. The Xu family has been in the capital for generations. This cemetery has been around for many years. Bo Ruoyou cautiously called Huo Weilou, “Master Hou, we are here. ——”
Huo Weilou suddenly opened his eyes, glanced at her coolly, and got out of the carriage first. Bo Ruoyou curled his lips and walked down carrying the small wooden box containing the autopsy equipment. After getting off the carriage, he realized that the mountain was really solid. Cold and tight.
Xu Kang led the way for his wife and they walked along the muddy path of the cemetery for half a stick of incense before they saw Xu Wanshu’s tomb.
Her tomb is located in the northwest corner of the Xu family cemetery, which has the worst geomantic omen. It is surrounded by grass and grass. Only the tomb stands alone, and the spiritual flags and unburned paper incense candles are piled dilapidated in front of the tombstone. When the mountain breeze comes, it becomes even more desolate and lonely.
No one cared about her during her lifetime, and she was so pitiful after her death. Bao Ruoyou stood aside and watched the embroiderer dig the grave, her hands holding the wooden box tightened slightly. No one knew how much grievances she had buried in her heart. She was suffering, and no one knew how scared and desperate she was on the night of the accident. Her father would rather she died miserably than report it to the official, so today, she would express her grievances on her behalf.
Half an hour later, a brand new coffin was dug out. Without Huo Weilou’s instructions, Bo Ruoyou walked forward with the box and cage…