Another heavy snowfall fell at night, and Bo Ruoyou woke up in the morning, the snow was still rustling outside the window, she got up and changed her clothes, and her footsteps stopped before she walked to the desk in the warm pavilion.
There were words on the newly folded paper boat last night.
Bo Ruoyou stood quietly for a while, then turned and walked towards the door. As soon as she opened the door, a biting cold wind hit her face. There were layers of snow on the bluestone floor in the garden, and the cornices of the house were all as white as onyx. Bo Ruoyou turned and took He took an umbrella and went to the front yard.
Now it's the middle of the twelfth lunar month, and the new year is approaching. Cheng Yunzhi not only has to prepare a dowry for Bo Ruoyou, but also prepares new year's goods. Bo Ruoyou will get married in the next year. This is her last year at home.
The house was cleaned and cleaned, and new lanterns were replaced. Occasionally, the laughter of children and the sound of firecrackers could be heard on the long street outside.
After breakfast, Bo Ruoyou took a carriage to Wuzhaohou's mansion. As soon as she entered the mansion, she heard that there were guests in the mansion. She was hesitating when Eunuch Fu came out to greet her and said with a smile: "It's Lin Shilang, Lord Hou and Lin The servant knows that Youyou is here, and is waiting for you to go to the study to talk."
Bo Ruoyou had no choice but to go to the study, but just as she reached the door, she heard Lin Huai's voice inside.
"Your Majesty is the most taboo about these things. When the first emperor was still alive, there was a scourge of witchcraft in the court. After His Majesty ascended the throne, there was a rebellion by the White Lotus Sect in the northwest. This anger is expected. Now it is only half a month before the Chinese New Year, Hou. Are you sure about it?"
Bo Ruoyou stopped and didn't go inside, but looked at Eunuch Fu suspiciously. Eunuch Fu sighed and said softly: "This case has been reported to His Majesty, and His Majesty asked Lord Hou to investigate this case to the bottom. How can I make it in time? I think His Majesty just doesn't want Lord Hou to have a good New Year."
"Taichang Temple is the closest yamen to the royal family among the five temples. That's good. Wang Qingfu came here to guard himself. He is a third-rank compound in the imperial court, but he has something to do with those dirty and evil sects. , How much His Majesty admired him back then, how annoyed he is now—"
Lin Huai was still sighing, but Huo Weilou's eyes fell to the door, "It's cold outside, why don't you come in?"
Lin Huai didn't know who Huo Weilou was talking to, so he heard the door creak and it was opened. Bo Ruoyou walked in wearing a moon-white embroidered bamboo pattern cloak with a chill in his body. He hurriedly smiled, Huo Dangerous Building stood up and greeted him.
"My Lord, Uncle Lin—"
In front of Lin Huai, Bo Ruoyou was blessed with good manners, Huo Weilou helped her up, Bo Ruoyou untied the cloak tie, he took it and hung it aside, his movements were intimate and natural, flowing clouds and flowing water, looking at Lin Huai Huai was speechless.
After being seated, Lin Huai couldn't help caring for Bo Ruoyou, "I heard that Youyou was a little seriously ill a while ago?"
Of course, Lin Huai didn't know what Bo Ruoyou's illness was, and Bo Ruoyou just dealt with it. Although she didn't interrupt, but when she sat there, Huo Weilou obviously lost his mind on discussing the matter, and Lin Huai got up tactfully and left.
After sending Lin Huai away, Huo Weilou turned around and took Bo Ruoyou's hand, "It's snowing so heavily, I also said to visit you in Cheng Zhai in the afternoon."
Bo Ruoyou then asked: "I have Mr. Ming's arrangement in mind, so I came here to take a look. Is there any news?"
Leading her to sit down, Huo Weilou said: "Last night, I sent someone to tell me that the house has been found, and it's just outside the city. It's just that it will take two days to arrange the scenery. Don't worry, it seems that the New Year is coming, and it's over. It’s okay to go again next year.”
Bo Ruoyou's heart is naturally shrouded in gloom, but this method is dangerous, no one knows what will happen at that time, if there is something wrong with her, Cheng Yunzhi must not be able to hide it, so she made up her mind and asked the Buddha Po's case.
"Wang Qingfu was able to take the scientific examination and stayed in the capital. The head of the official department at that time may have helped. This person has retired and returned home. On Yue Mingquan's side, the person who helped him at the beginning is probably the deputy commander of the Zhenxi Army. , both of them have one thing in common, they are both from Huai'an."
Bo Ruoyou's eyes moved slightly, "Could it be that the person behind Wang Qingfu is one of them?"
Huo Weilou shook his head, "It doesn't look like that. Zhao Qianshan, the head of the official department, only served as the servant of the official department before returning to his hometown. Because he came from a poor family and has few supporters in the court, he can be regarded as a Qingliu faction. He has been an official for many years. There was no stigma, and when he reached his age, he retired and returned to his hometown, so it seems that there is no one who asks for anything."
Bo Ruoyou understands that most people who believe in these evil sects want something, and if they don't get what they want, they will go crazy. At this time, Huo Weilou continued: "As for Yuan Jie, he is still holding an important position in the army, and his family members In Beijing, I don't think they are the people behind Wang Qingfu, but most of them have some relationship with that person."
After Huo Weilou finished speaking, his face was pensive, as if he was caught in a certain doubt, Bo Ruoyou asked at this time: "Did you find any clues in the investigation of the palace servants and the origin of the fake Buddha treasure?"
Huo Weilou said: "Duo Shou died in Wang Qingfu's mansion. Two of the imperial guards' whereabouts are still unknown. As for the fake Buddhist treasures, even if they are fake, their carving skills are extraordinary. We have already recruited craftsmen from Beijing to come. Look, there are so many sayings, it may not be easy to find the craftsman who made this Buddha treasure back then."
These investigations are like looking for a needle in a haystack, and Bo Ruoyou knew that it was not a day and night effort, "Then why did your majesty ask Lord Hou to do a thorough investigation a few years ago?"
Huo Weilou laughed, "Your Majesty is not forgiving, if there is really no progress, nothing will happen."
While talking, Eunuch Fu knocked on the door outside with a smile on his face. When he was allowed to come in, he saw a brocade box in his hand, "Master Hou, Ji Wen, who was sent by Qin Tianjian to marry you and Youyou, is here."
Huo Weilou took the brocade box, and when he opened it, he saw a thin booklet with red cloud patterns inside. It was the auspicious text that would be read at the wedding ceremony on the day of the wedding, so the date of the wedding was obtained from the divination of the Qintian Supervisor, so there was nothing wrong with it. It seems to be a good day and auspicious day, God's destiny bestowed by God, the words of golden jade and good fate, even if he knows that it is a good talk from Qin Tianjian, Huo Weilou also finds it quite pleasing to the eye.
Eunuch Fu even laughed and said: "Although Lord Hou thinks that the days are far away, this day will be the best day in the whole year next year. I just heard from the Qin Tianjian that it will be a rare day for a lifetime." The three sunny days, plus the divination signs are all auspicious, it cannot be the best day."
Bo Ruoyou was also looking at the auspicious text, and she felt happy when she heard this, but she didn't understand the words of the three yangs, "Why are they three yangs?"
Mr. Fu laughed and said: "It's also what their sorcerers said. In the ten heavenly stems, Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren are Yang, and in the twelve earthly branches, Zi, Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen, and Xu are Yang. This is the year of Yang." According to the theory of yang, moon, yang, sun, and yang, it is said that the four yangs are extremely rare, and the three yangs only appear once every Jiazi, what's wrong?"
Eunuch Fu said happily, but the smile on Bo Ruoyou's face was replaced by seriousness. Huo Weilou didn't care about these things at first, but when he heard the words and went to look, he saw Bo Ruoyou's beautiful eyebrows frowned.
Bo Ruoyou looked at Huo Weilou, "I suddenly thought of those children's birthdays."
Bo Ruoyou read the files of several cases several times, and seemed to memorize them by heart. Although when she read them, she read the details of the case and the autopsy, but the ages and birthdays of the children were all recorded, and she always glanced at them. At a glance, she didn't understand yin and yang before, but at this moment, Eunuch Fu's thoughtful thoughts immediately drew her vigilance.
"If I remember correctly, apart from Wen Jin, the other five children, including my younger brother, all have three birthdays." She stood up after she finished speaking, "Li Shen said in his confession before that he said that when choosing children, he only chooses those from wealthy families. Young master, because he thinks that the son of a rich family has a good fortune, he didn't think it was weird at the time, but he is a Taoist priest, so is it rash? Even a child of a rich family has a poor life and low fortune."
Huo Weilou frowned, "But he is a little Taoist priest, how does he know the birthdays of so many young masters?"
In Feiyun Temple, Li Shen is not considered to be a Taoist priest who can serve as a sect leader, but if he is put in the capital, he is just a young man. Although these families are more or less related to Feiyun Temple, if they are not in the Taoist temple Asking for a signature for a child, that is the Taoist priests, it is not easy to inquire about the birthdays of the little princes.
Bo Ruoyou's heart was beating extremely fast, "I thought his testimony was a bit far-fetched before, and now it is even more difficult to explain, and to specifically select these children with special birthdays, it is natural to investigate more children, a Li Shen, Where is this ability?"
Huo Weilou pondered for a while, and told Eunuch Fu, "Call Wu Xiang."
Eunuch Fu should be right, and quickly ordered the servants of the Hou's Mansion to go to Jingzhaoyi Yamen, but he didn't expect that this trip not only called Wu Xiang, but also Huo Qinghong, and he and Wu Xiang went to investigate together in the past two days The pilgrims who once worshiped at Feiyun Temple worked very hard.
Upon seeing Wu Xiang, Bo Ruoyou first asked about his discovery, Wu Xiang was stunned, "Is there such a coincidence?"
Bo Ruoyou shook his head, "If several people are like this, then it's not a coincidence. Right now, I'm going to send someone to Feiyun Temple to ask, to see if all these families have done rituals and asked for runes in the temple. ,in case."
Bo Ruoyou made this arrangement for the sake of rigor, but even if she really asked the Taoist temple to know the birthdays of several children, Li Shen's testimony did not mention it, which is already a great doubt. After Wu Xiang left, Huo Qinghong He sighed and said, "I ran for three days, but found nothing. It is common for these families to add some sesame oil money to the Taoist temple. I haven't seen anyone who is strange."
"The case is not that easy to solve, and it is often futile." Huo Weilou finished speaking and looked at Bo Ruoyou, "You just said that only Wen Jin's birthday is not Sanyang?"
Bo Ruoyou nodded, "Yes, only he is not—"
Her beautiful eyes were full of contemplation, "Why isn't this the last one? There are fewer auspicious days in Sanyang, so naturally there are fewer children born in Sanyang. Li Shen knew that he was terminally ill, so he made a random choice?"
Huo Weilou couldn't answer this question, Huo Qinghong was even more dazed, and Wu Xiang went out of the city to Feiyun Temple to inquire, and didn't return to Beijing until nightfall. His cheeks were flushed with cold.
"Master Hou, I went down and asked very carefully. Among these families, only Lord Liu had been enshrined in Feiyun Temple for a period of time. At that time, they asked for autographs for the two sons of the family. Therefore, the birthday of this child is I know, as for other people, they occasionally go to Feiyun Temple, or they have little involvement, and the temple doesn't know their birthdays."
After Wu Xiang finished speaking out of breath, she poured down the hot tea served by the attendant, while Huo Weilou and Bo Ruoyou fell silent.
After the case was finalized, it kept changing. First, it was involved in the case of the theft of the Buddhist treasure. Now, there are still such weird mistakes and omissions. Li Shen confessed to all the crimes, calm and complacent. Even admitting to murder, it is impossible to lie about such an important choice motive.
After thinking about it, all the strange things about Li Shen seemed to point to a possibility, and Bo Ruoyou and Huo Weilou spoke almost at the same time—
"Li Shen is not the only murderer."
"Only Wen Jin was killed by Li Shen."