The fire burned for a whole day.
At dusk, the solemn and solemn ancestral hall turned into a pile of scorched ruins, most of the surrounding pines and cypresses were burned, and under the dark sky, there were still a few wisps of smoke curling up.
Huo Weilou was standing near the fire scene, with a look of solemnity that was about to rain.
Standing behind him, He Cheng couldn't help but lower his voice, "Master Hou, there must be no other reason why the fire started from inside, but it may take six or seven days to clean up this place."
The ancestral hall is not small, except for the main hall, there are a total of more than ten houses in total. At this moment, the broken walls and rubble, and the beams and rafters that have not been burnt out, collapsed into a hill like smoke, and Huo Weilou's eyes were dark. Looking at the side of the wind, I saw Zheng Wen'an standing aside, with a sad look on his face.
"Gather the attendants in the mansion, and then transfer some people from the Yamen, and clear this place within three days."
As soon as Huo Weilou's words fell, Zheng Wen'an came back to his senses, took a step forward and said, "Master Hou, people in the mansion are panicking now, why not solve the case first, and then clean up this place..."
Huo Weilou looked at Zheng Wen'an, Zheng Wen'an's eyes changed a few times, but he still responded, "Yes, I will arrange it here."
Zheng Wen'an beckoned a few stewards, followed Huo Weilou's instructions, and He Cheng also ordered the arresters to call the yamen. The night was about to fall, and the cold wind was as cold as the bone. The thin figure was climbing up a pile of charred beams.
Huo Weilou frowned, and walked towards Bo Ruoyou.
The fire has gone, but there are still smoke and sparks in this pile of ruined walls, as we get closer, the ground under our feet seems to still be warm, Huo Weilou is puzzled what Bo Ruoyou is doing up there, her skirt is covered Dirty black and ash.
"What are you doing?"
Huo Weilou asked in a deep voice, sounding dissatisfied.
Bo Ruoyou turned her head, but she didn't feel afraid, and instead asked, "What kind of smell does Hou Ye smell?"
Huo Weilou frowned, and Bo Ruoyou walked down from the scorched pile, her hands were also stained with black ash, she clapped her hands and said, "Master Hou, it's tung oil, although it's burnt out, there's still a smell of smoke —”
Huo Weilou joined the army when he was young, and he knew what tung oil was. He often used tung oil for fire attacks on the battlefield, because tung oil burned quickly and was not easy to be extinguished by water. When it burned, it produced thick smoke, which was poisonous.
Bo Ruoyou also said at this time: "Most of the lamp oil used for Buddha offering tablets in Buddhist halls and ancestral halls is ghee. The woman noticed that Madam Yu also smelled of tung oil."
As Bo Ruoyou spoke, she brushed the broken hair on her cheeks with the back of her hand, "The fire started suddenly, and the momentum was swift and violent. Presumably, Lord Hou has already guessed something different, and now the women can be sure that someone deliberately set the fire with tung oil. " She looked sideways at the scene, "The ancestral hall is the most important thing in the clan, and it would never be set on fire unless it was urgent. Mr. Zheng Wu came here last night, and the eldest lady is going to Beijing early this morning. Afterwards, the ancestral hall caught fire again. , there must be something strange in this ancestral hall, and all of this was the decision of Zheng Wuye and Yumao last night, and they were determined to hide something."
After Bo Ruoyou finished speaking, she didn't see Huo Weilou responding. She was worried that she was talking too much, but when she turned her head and saw Huo Weilou looking at her with a confused expression, Bo Ruoyou felt that something was wrong...
Huo Weilou first looked at Bo Ruoyou's face covered with black ashes, and then at Bo Ruoyou's hands.
She had very little scruples during the autopsy, and she did not hesitate to face the rotting corpse. Her ten fingers were soaked in corpse water, and they were also cold. Now the two fingers of her left hand are slightly red and swollen, and they are covered with gray stains that have not been removed.
"The ancestral hall is indeed weird, and the sudden fire is more evidence of this. Someone has been ordered to clean up and search the place." After a pause, Huo Weilou's voice softened, "There is no need for an autopsy today, you don't have to be here .”
This remark made her back down, but Bo Ruoyou hesitated for a moment and said tentatively, "The girl wants to stay here for a while."
Huo Weilou stared, and Bo Ruoyou hurriedly said: "Although a woman is a woman, she has a meticulous mind and will never make a mistake—"
A faint light flashed in Huo Weilou's eyes, and he could hear it clearly. Bo Ruoyou still remembered what he said that he didn't like women in the place where he was on business. Huo Weilou glanced at the scene of the fire, "What can you find in such a situation? With your time , I will call you."
Bo Ruoyou followed his gaze, only to see the scorched beams and pillars falling to the ground, and the rubble and broken walls. It was indeed manual work. Bo Ruoyou understood that before these heavy things were cleaned up, it would be difficult find something.
She sighed helplessly, "Then... that girl has resigned."
The tone seemed a bit regretful, Huo Weilou was used to seeing people who shirk and shirk in the officialdom, looking at Bo Ruoyou now, the more he looked at her, the more attractive her eyes were, even if her face was dirty, she still did not lose her beauty. .
With this thought, Huo Weilou frowned slightly, he had abstained from sex for many years, in the capital, no matter how peerless beauties were in his eyes, he was just a vulgar fan, but now, he felt that Bo Ruoyou was a bit pleasing to the eye.
It must be because she is diligent and skilled in handling errands.
Huo Weilou was determined, looking at Bo Ruoyou again, he couldn't help feeling a little regretful, he responded lightly, Bo Ruoyou turned around and left, He Cheng was coming up to her at this time, seeing the stains on her face, he was surprised, "Xiao Bo, you..."
He Cheng pointed at her cheek, and couldn't help but smile, "Why are you so dazzled?"
It was only then that Bo Ruoyou understood why Huo Weilou's eyes came from just now, although she didn't feel embarrassed, she was a little rude after all, she smiled wryly and walked away quickly. He Cheng looked at her back and clicked her tongue, and seeing that Huo Weilou seemed satisfied with Bo Ruoyou these two days, he said, "You made Hou Ye laugh, Xiao Bo is really more secure than those boys, and he helped you a few times. , never feel tired.”
At this point, He Cheng sighed a little, "Thanks to Xiaobo's help in the past two years, there is no backlog of unsolved cases in Qingzhou. God really treats the next official well. Seeing that Master Hou has no doubts about employing people, the next official is also quite educated. Although he can't use government documents Appointment, I heard that there are quite a lot of talented people under Lord Hou's family. Such a heart of cherishing talents makes the subordinate officials admire. If this is the case, the subordinate officials should also be Xiaobo as a disciple, and let her live in Qingzhou City. It is also more convenient for the state government office to help... "
He Cheng praised Bo Ruoyou and praised Huo Weilou, and felt that the compliment was done in one go without any trace of deliberation, but before he finished speaking, Huo Weilou's face darkened somehow, and in the chilling chill, He Cheng He took out the towel and began to wipe his sweat.
When Emperor Jianhe was in power and enlightened, there were several guest ministers in the court. Huo Weilou was deeply trusted by Emperor Jianhe, and he recruited talents for him many times. Therefore, He Cheng's visit The words were not abrupt, but Huo Weilou was a little displeased, and when he returned to the guest house at night, he was a little gloomy.
Mr. Fu only thought that he was annoyed that he lost the opportunity to search because of the fire in the ancestral hall, so he said: "This time the fire broke out suddenly, and that Yumao is the most suspicious. She is indeed the most trusted person of the old lady. It is not ambiguous to set fire to the ancestral hall. You can burn it." So what if you leave the ancestral hall, Master Hou is wise and mighty, and in a few days, you won’t have to worry about not being able to find out the truth..."
"I remember that the Xiliang Kingdom paid tribute to something a few years ago."
"Ah?" Eunuch Fu was taken aback for a moment, not knowing why Huo Weilou suddenly mentioned this matter, he thought for a while, then nodded, "This year's tribute from Xiliang Kingdom is mainly Qimen weapons, what is Hou Ye talking about? Divine machine crossbow?"
When Huo Weilou joined the army when he was young, Eunuch Fu’s first thought was the magic crossbow. The envoys of Xiliang Kingdom said that the magic crossbow can shoot countless arrows at once and has a range of hundreds of miles. If it can be used, it will surely win the Great Zhou. heavy equipment.
However, Huo Weilou shook his head, "It's a pair of hand guards made of extremely fine copper wire."
Eunuch Fu thought about it for a while, but he still didn't think of this thing, but Huo Weilou ordered: "Flying Pigeon sent a letter back to Beijing, and asked someone to take that thing."
Eunuch Fu half-believed and dubiously sent the letter, and when he came back, he saw Huo Weilou read the official document, but he didn't know what he wanted it for. Eunuch Fu sighed, knowing that he couldn't figure out what Huo Weilou was thinking, so he didn't ask any more questions.
At this time, the embroidered envoy who was in charge of guarding Bo Ruoyou's courtyard came back, and went outside the door, hesitating not to enter.
Eunuch Fu came out and said, "Why are you back? Didn't I tell you to look at Miss Bo?"
The embroidered clothes envoy was puzzled and said: "Miss Bo went to the bamboo forest in the east, and she didn't let her subordinates follow her. If this subordinate felt it was wrong, she should come back and report."
Before Eunuch Fu could speak, Huo Weilou's voice came from inside.
"What is she doing in the bamboo forest?"
The embroidered clothes envoy hurriedly said: "I don't know, it's just that Miss Bo asked the servants in the mansion for some incense and candle money, it seems... to pay homage to the deceased."
Huo Weilou raised his eyes from the official document, and frowned slightly.
The author has something to say: The old iron tree is beginning to sprout.