The place where the bones were dug up is located under a hill on the outskirts of Fengming County, a place where people usually walk around. Strange to say, the seemingly thick soil here has never been able to produce crops. Several people who have traveled here have said that this place is very cloudy and ominous, and no one will come over time.
" Sir, what should I do now? " A daring laborer leaned on his head and asked Zhang Ruomi in a rough voice. It was the first bones he discovered just now.
" You guys don't make a sound, find some light straw mats to cover this place. " Zhang Ruomi thought for a while, and then asked the daring coolie: " What's your name? "
" If you go back to the adults, the youngest is called Liang Dasheng. "
" Okay, Liang Dasheng, if this officer asks you to watch here alone, are you afraid? "
" What's there to be afraid of? Small families have been carrying coffins for generations, not to mention bones. Even small ones with meat are seen a lot, so don't be afraid. "
Zhang Ruomiao glanced at Agui, who nodded at him, then took out twenty copper plates from his arms, walked over to Liang Dasheng and threw them to him.
" Take care of this pit for Master Zhang, and there will be a big reward when the matter is over, you know. "
Thinking about the heavy copper plate in his hand, Liang Dasheng couldn't stop laughing, and hurriedly bent over to thank him.
" Thank you sir, thank you son! "
For the rest of the servants and coolies who participated in the digging, Agui paid the sealing fee one by one, and then followed Zhang Ruomiao back. On the way, the two discussed what to do next. Agui meant that the excavation of the bones must be reported to the court, so the matter could not be delayed, but Zhang Ruomiao seemed hesitant.
" What the hell are you thinking, Ziyi. " Agui pulled the reins in his hand, looked at Zhang Ruomiao, who was immediately lost in thought, and noticed the small book he was carrying in his arms. book. " And this book, where did you come from, don't tell me it's the Hanlin Academy again! "
Agui has been very close to Zhang Ruomiao since he was a child. Brothers are better than brothers. It can be said that there are no secrets between the two, but since he left Beijing half a year ago, Zhang Ruomiao seems to have something in his heart to hide from him. He was holding the booklet in his arms and looked around, but he never asked Agui to look at it. Maybe it was because of the anger in his heart, Agui's voice raised a lot, which caught Zhang Ruomiao's attention, and he turned around in confusion.
" Ah? " Mr. Zhang dared not hear Agui's previous question at all.
" You, you're mad at me! " Agui shook his hands and pointed at Zhang Ruomiao with a whip for a long time, and finally beat the horse helplessly, leaving only Zhang Ruomiao, who was stunned, chasing slowly behind. He was not good at riding since he was a child. Usually, Agui always accommodated him. This time, people were really anxious. No matter what Zhang Ruomiao shouted from behind, Agui didn't look back at all and disappeared in a while.
At this time, the Fengming County Office did not stop. The county official Fang Ping was sending people everywhere to look for the county magistrate. Early in the morning, there was a widow holding a child at the entrance of the office to file a complaint. The house of the grandfather and Mr. Agui was empty, and the anxious old master was full of oil, and his forehead was bright.
Agui just came back at this time, with an angry expression on his face, he raised his hand and threw the reins to the yamen waiting at the door, and bumped into Fang Ping who was in a hurry. When Agui saw his serious appearance, he found it funny, and most of the depression in his heart disappeared, and he couldn't help but jokingly said.
" Aah, clerk Fang, is this a freshly shaved head? "
Seeing Agui Fangping heaved a sigh of relief, as if he had seen a savior, he ran over with the hem of his clothes and shouted hastily, " My lords, where did you two go this morning? "
"I went out of town to do something, and I'm scared. " Agui took the towel handed over by the servant and wiped the sweat from his forehead, watching Fang Ping standing at the door of the yamen, looking up at him with the bitter gourd The corner of his mouth crooked, and the cloth towel was pasted on his face.
After a long day of trouble, Zhang Ruomiao rushed back out of breath. It must have been a long time since he had been in such a hurry. Zhang Ruomi's whole body seemed to lose his strength and rolled down immediately. His two hands were hesitant for a moment and then pulled back, but Fang Ping quickly grabbed them and caught them.
" Fang clerk, the study is ready for pen and ink, I want to write official documents. " Zhang Ruomiao wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, grabbed Agui's wrist and walked into the yamen, the latter was pinched by him, but also Without breaking away, he reluctantly followed behind with a coffin face hanging on it.
" Okay, how old are you, and you're still as angry with me as you were when you were young. " The two entered the study, and Zhang Ruomiao said helplessly when she saw that Agui was still gloomy.
" Who's mad at you, Master is such a stingy person? Humph! " Agui was still stubborn. Zhang Ruomiao didn't go to quarrel with him either. This friend has been good since he was a child, even if he has a small heart, he is still good with Zhang Ruomiao.
" Aren't you going to write an official document? Why are you arresting me? We have no ink on our chests and have never entered the Hanlin Academy. Don't delay Master Zhang's official business . " The chair was tilted, and there was no intention of avoiding it at all.
Zhang Ruomiao looked at his duplicitous appearance, and was amused. After thinking for a long time, she took out the booklet that she had been carrying in her arms, covered Agui's face, and turned to sit by the desk. Agui took the book without saying anything, but his heart was filled with joy. He wanted to read it for a long time. He just looked at the two lines next to the dirt pit, and felt that the stories recorded in this book were particularly thrilling and interesting, so he wanted to read it for a long time. I can't wait to open the page just now and read on.
What Zhang Ruomiao showed him just now was the first story recorded in this booklet - the Mystery Case of Mengliang.
The records in the booklet are very general. It is about a place called Mengliang County in the previous Wanli period, where two champions came out in a row. Emperor Wanli was very happy and sent an official named Li Xun to Mengliang County. Inspector of school, intended to reward local officials and squires for running a school well. However, after this Master Li Xun lived in Mengliang County for half a month, he gave the court a note, saying that witchcraft was prevalent in this place, and the students were only able to improve their knowledge with the help of witchcraft. He wrote that he had seen it with his own eyes, saying that someone in the Mengliang Academy here boiled the booklet of the classics and history for the students, boiled the booklet into soup for the students to drink, and the article can be printed in the mind after drinking. After reading this excerpt, the emperor was furious, thinking that Li Xun was lying to confuse the public, so he dismissed all his official positions and demoted him to a commoner, and never hired him. Not long after that, Mengliang County suffered a sudden earthquake, and the whole county was covered by ground fissures, and there was no trace to be found.
After reading the story, Agui looked thoughtfully at Zhang Ruomiao, and saw that the other party was also looking at him.
" Ziyi, do you think that the bones buried in the pit is the Mengliang Academy in Mengliang County that day? "
" Of course not, haven't you checked it out, there are children in that pit, and I saw that the corpses were neatly arranged, obviously they were placed deliberately. If they died due to the earth's movement, they should have different postures. Right . " Zhang Ruomiao got up and poured a cup of tea for himself and Agui, and sat down next to him. " The purpose of my excavation at first was indeed to find the Mengliang Academy mentioned in the book, but the bones in the pit were beyond my expectations. "
Agui nodded after hearing this, and then looked at the booklet in his hand.
" Hey? Ziyi, this is your handwriting! " Agui called out in hindsight, and Zhang Ruomiao rolled her eyes.
" You can't see it, my eldest young master? "
Agui scratched his head embarrassedly: " You know , I haven't read carefully since I was a child. Could it be that you wrote this book? "
" Of course not. This is when I was an editor at the Hanlin Academy, and I copied and transcribed it from the library. " When Zhang Ruomiao mentioned this, he couldn't help but sigh. The emperor was such a vengeful person that he sent himself a Hanlin Academy editor who had no real power. He stayed in the library for seven months, but he was bored. Agui also knows very little about these matters. It is inconvenient for Zhang Ruomiao to tell him too much about these matters. Besides, there are many secret palace files in the royal collection, and several of the books he copied have problems. That's why the booklet was kept secret from him. But now, the development of things has exceeded everyone's expectations, and the next verification will inevitably require Agui's help.
" Okay, let's not talk about this book, Agui, you are right, so many human bones have been dug up in the suburbs of the county, this is a big case, and it must be reported. I will write an official document and send it to the prefect immediately. " Zhang Ruomiao made up her mind, sat in front of the desk and began to write excerpts, Agui also jumped up from the rattan chair and studied ink for him . Zhang Ruomiao wrote the book soon, and Zhang Ruomiao checked it from the beginning. He blew the wet ink on it with his mouth, and was about to give it to the Fang clerk who was waiting outside to send it away, but A Gui held his wrist.
" Do you need to send a message to Jingli? " Agui blinked and asked in a low voice.
" What do you mean? "
" I always feel that this matter will not be so simple. It is better to inform your father Zhang in advance. In the future, it is better to have a response in advance in the court. After all, the emperor will not deal with you. " Zhang Ruomiao listened to Agui . If so, he nodded slowly.
" You're right. "
" Aiya, why have you changed your mind today, and promised so happily? " Agui got a bargain and behaved well. He twirled the folding fan between his fingers and tilted his head to joke with Zhang Ruomiao.
" Then if I don't agree, will you not communicate with my father? "
" No. "
Just know! Zhang Ruomiao rolled Agui's eyes, shook off his hand on his wrist, pulled his neck and called Fang Ping in. The old master frowned and looked cautiously at the door, but saw that the two masters were still stiff just now, but now they are fine, and shook his head helplessly. Just after taking the official document, I was about to leave, but I remembered something, and hurried back to report.
" My lord, the widow who complained is still waiting at the door. "