The passenger ship carrying the corpse came to Shimen County, and saw the city wall houses and docks from a distance, Xu Hao ordered the guards to keep an eye on everyone because the murderer might be on the ship, and quietly instructed the ship's owner to notify the earth guard to come and wait.

The guests on the ship were still talking, Xu Hao felt that they really didn't look like murderers, but in fact, he had some feelings in his heart.

There were countless flies gathered in the cabin, and one of the men used two planks to block the front so as not to look disgusting.

When the ship docked to the shore, the ground security jumped directly on the boat, got into the cabin, and the boatman followed in.

The local security guard brought the wooden plank, lifted the deceased's quilt and looked at it, and asked the boatman to touch the deceased's body to see if there was anything on him. The boatman frowned and pinched his nose, reached out and touched it, and said, "There is a small bag, it seems to be all silver." ”

Dibao took matters into his own hands, took out a sachet, opened it to see, it was full of silver pieces, and picked out the small folds inside, which read "Li Daiji", and there was a red stamp of Xinglong Buzhuang.

Di Bao said: "You have put this thing away, and you will return to the court." Looking at this excerpt, this person should be surnamed Li. I don't know where this Xinglong cloth shop is, since it has a business name, there is no one who can't be inquired about. ”

After speaking, he said to Xu Hao, Doctor Pei and other guests: "You all have understood, did anyone hear some noise last night?" ”

Xu Hao said: "There is only the sound of falling water, and there is no other movement. ”

"Hmm." The landlord said to the boatman, "In front of you, count the luggage of the guests, so that I can make a list of them." ”

As he spoke, he took out a brush very professionally, and wrote in a notebook with a small bottle of ink. The boatman ordered one, and he wrote it down, and wrote down the color of the body's clothes and knife wounds.

In the end, the earth protector said to everyone: "This matter is not trivial, the owner of the ship naturally can't get out of it, even everyone has to suffer some grievances as a witness." We do what we do. I don't dare to indulge anyone, and if I have something urgent, I can only say that I can't help it. Now I will go to the county with the old brother of the boat family to report the case, don't get off the boat first, just wait on the boat, and then go back to the yamen to send someone to conduct an autopsy, waiting for a reply. ”

The big guys were very annoyed at the moment, but they couldn't help it. Xu Hao saw him untie the iron chain from his waist and put it on the boatman's head.

The boatman begged again and again, and the earth protector said: "Human life is a matter of heaven, and business is done." Just set a chain, still not happy? Let's go, early in the morning, for your, the water and rice haven't touched your teeth yet, you have to pay attention to decency. ”

Not only did he put on an iron chain, but he also had to add a lock, Xu Hao saw this, took out two taels of silver, and said, "Brother." This money has the right to buy a bowl of tea to quench your thirst, I still have a bit of identity, go to the county government with you, and take down the chain. ”

Di Bao smiled: "This guest understands friendship. I'm too embarrassed not to take it, what do we buddies have to say? You're going to break the bank. It's just that the people in the yamen have wide eyes and big hands, but it's not easy to get rid of them, so I'm taking care of you. Dare to ask what is your identity? ”

Xu Hao said: "The former imperial guard with a knife is now home and does business. Thanks to the care of brothers from all walks of life in the world, it can be regarded as a small family property. ”

"Yo! That's a noble man with status. The ground guard was immediately in awe.

And so the chains are set back. Several people went ashore together, and Xu Hao had to take his second daughter with him wherever he went, and asked someone to hire an ox cart.

In front of the county yamen, the same people in ancient times were the greatest, and they first invited the local security to the restaurant to have a drunken meal, and it was the local security to help them find an old generation of scholars.

The boatman carefully explained the reason, and Lao Xiucai shook his head for a long time, drank half a pot of wine, and then said slowly: "This case is unusual and comparable. Isn't it too cheap that someone died on your ship, and you are half a murderer, and now you want to be the plaintiff? It's also a loss that you took the initiative to report the case, otherwise the local security guards heard about it and arrested you in the county, and they would have to clamp you back first, hit the forty boards, and go to prison, is it still wronged you? ”

Xu Hao is no stranger to these, and he knows that this is a common trick to sing and harmonize, and eat this line of food.

The ground guard burped and said: "Mr. is a husband in the end, fortunately, the boat brother is not an outsider, can this presentation still be at the same price?" ”

Lao Xiucai said: "Who told us to be good friends? There is no way, the person in charge of the ship, you take ten taels of silver out first, and I will have to write a superbirth. ”

The boatman is not Kaizi, and at the moment he asked An Zuoyi to beg, and the land guard pretended to persuade him on the side, and talked about four taels of silver.

After writing the submission, the boatman paid for the meal, and the group walked to the county office. Di Bao asked the boat family and Xu Hao to sit in the teahouse, he went to the yamen first, found the team leader on duty, and came to the teahouse together.

Xu Hao sighed in his heart, isn't this exactly the same as the mechanism of the later generations? Speaking of China's humane society, it really has a long tradition. Of course, it is also a virtue in foreign countries, even in the Western world, which is famous for its contract society, doesn't it have to negotiate the price first, and then sign the contract? It's just that the Chinese are too smart, and there are many twists and turns, which produce a lot of side effects, and there is no simple and simple way that foreigners sometimes come.

Do everything that should be done properly, just before the noon hall retreats, the county master is sitting in the lobby.

Xu Hao is very confident in the governance of officials in the vicinity of Gyeonggi and even in the whole of Zhejiang, and there must be corrupt officials, but they can basically ensure that the level of integrity is above the average line. As for the land protection, scrivener, government servant, etc., it is the same thing, no matter what dynasty, they all count on the three religions and nine streams such as the small officials.

The county grandfather's surname is Cheng, and he came to Shimen County to be an official in his thirties.

This time, various cases were tried from the morning, and by noon it was still not finished, so the head of the duty team handed over the submission.

Cheng County's order unfolded it, and it read: "Gu Cheng boat owner Wang Fu, forty-five years old, a native of Jiashan County, is engaged in sailing. On the second day of the first month of this month, from Jinling to Jiashan, a total of 22 people were picked.

In the middle of the night last night, the boat sailed to the Guimen Bay place in this county, and the pick-up was killed. The villain boarded the boat to check and saw the corpse lying on its side without a head, with silver coins and a surname of Li, and no clothes were missing.

I would like to issue a list for submission, with a list of papers, counting: a burden, a bag, a pair of covers, a sachet with a carry, there are thirty-six taels of silver, and all the clothes are complete. ”

Cheng County Ling saw that there was a murder case on the boundary of the county, and he couldn't help but be very shocked, and immediately put pen to paper to submit it for approval. Command to bring people.

The torture room immediately issued a signed order, and the arrester quickly escorted the land security and the boatman's family, and the officials shouted to the land security to enter the hall.

The dibao ran in, knelt on the ground and said, "The small one is the nearby dibao, named Zhao Xianliang." ”

Cheng Xianling asked: "The guests killed on the ship, are they thieves or thieves?" Or is it murder for money? ”

Zhao Xianliang replied: "The little one has seen it on the boat, and there is no damage on the ship, but the nail in the west canopy window was cut off by a knife, which is obviously not a thief." If it is a thief, the cargo on board is not lost. Even the goods of the corpse were left intact. ”

Cheng County Ling said: "It seems that it is an intentional homicide." ”

Zhao Xianliang said: "The old man is clear, but the head of the corpse is unknown. ”

Cheng Xianling asked, "Did any of the guests on the ship steal it?" ”

"The little one has already ordered people to guard, a total of twenty-one people, and none of them dare to leave." Zhao Xianliang thought for a while, and then said: "There is a guest who claims to be a former imperial guard, and when the incident occurred, he also woke up others first when he heard the movement, and then strongly advocated reporting to the official, and took the initiative to help the ship be pressed, and made a great contribution. ”

"What's your name?"

"Claiming to be surnamed Xu."

Cheng Xianling frowned slightly. He said to himself: "Former guard, surnamed Xu? Could it be a member of the British family? Call the owner of the ship first. ”

The landlord retreated, and the official stepped forward with the trembling owner of the ship and knelt under the desk.

Cheng Xianling asked, "Are you Wang Fu?" ”

The owner of the ship hurriedly said: "The small one is." ”

Xu Hao walked to the door to watch. The officials saw that he was well-dressed and extraordinary, and that he had two girls who were like flowers and jade, and they did not stop him. It was also Cheng County's order that the people couldn't help but watch.

"Is the boat your own, or leased?"

"My lord, it's my own."

"You sail from Jinling. Have you ever stopped a boat on the road? ”

"Back to my lord, because of the wilderness of the ghost gate, there are many rumors, I didn't dare to leave at night, and I stopped there for an hour."

"It happened when the ship was stopped?"

"Yes, Xu Gongzi heard the sound of falling water and woke up the big guy, but one guest said that the other guest's head was missing."

"Hmm." Cheng Xianling nodded and asked, "Do you know the name and surname of this guest?" When you got on the boat, did you come alone? Or was it sent by a friend or family? ”

Wang Fu shook his head and said: "I don't know the name of the small one, but the earth guard sees that he carries a watch mark with him, and his surname must be Li." When I got on the boat, there was no one to see him off. ”

Cheng Xianling asked, "How many guys do you have on board?" ”

Wang Fu replied: "There are eight in total, one is in charge of the rudder, six sailors and slender men, one is a man who entertains guests, and one is a villain brother who is responsible for boiling water and cooking and bookkeeping. ”

Cheng County Ling said: "Then let me ask you, are these eight guys old or new?" ”

Wang Fu said: "There are no new arrivals. ”

"Did you have any ships with you when you anchored last night?"

"Nope."

"And how many years have you been sailing?"

"It was opened by the villain's brother before, and then the elder brother passed away, and the younger one has taken over for more than three years."

Xu Hao, who was watching from the sidelines, saw this, and admired in his heart, although he often despised pedantic scholars, but in the end, those who could be admitted to the Jinshi and become officials were all human spirits, and if the court officials were clear, they would not choose people who were not familiar with world affairs to be local officials, and those messy things in the officialdom were also big in the forest.

At this time, I saw Cheng County's order suddenly shouted: "Bastard, you have been sailing for many years, and you have taken familiar roads, where is it too peaceful, where is it not peaceful, don't you know?" As a result, the guest was killed and the head was taken! I don't ask you what is to blame, which one do you ask? Come on, drag it down and fight. ”

Wang Fu was so frightened that his soul was not possessed, and he lamented: "Adult, the little one is really wronged. ”

Cheng Xianling sneered: "When the thief attacked, he got on and off the boat, except for the guest surnamed Xu, none of you heard it?" What's in charge of the ship? Shouldn't it be played in this section? ”

Wang Fu said: "The little ones should be damned, but the guys pulled the fiber in the middle of the night, and the little ones also went down to help, and they were half tired to death, so they expected to stop the boat and rest for a while, and they all fell asleep and didn't hear it, and asked for the grace of the adults." ”

Cheng County Ling said: "I should have blamed you for being careless, but it was quite true to read your words, and wait for the county to examine the body before leaving the hall and retreating." (To be continued......)