In the middle of the day, Bo Ruoyou suddenly woke up from the nightmare. She gasped for breath, her heart was still beating wildly, but she couldn't remember the scene in the dream. She only felt anxious, extremely anxious, as if urging someone to worry .
Wiping the thin sweat off her forehead, Bo Ruoyou's mouth was parched, she opened the curtain and got up, and saw a shadow on the window sill, Bo Ruoyou was startled, "Who's outside?!"
The shadow moved and came towards the door, and soon heard Huo Weilou's voice, "It's me."
Bo Ruoyou suspected that she was dreaming, she was stunned for a moment, hurriedly got up and changed her clothes to open the door, when the door opened, there was a lot of snow outside, Huo Weilou's shoulders were covered with frost and snow, everyone was frozen stiff, but his eyebrows and eyes Worries surged in the gentle, dark pupils.
"Master Hou?!" Bo Ruoyou hurriedly pulled him in.
"It's not yet dawn, why is Lord Hou here?" Bo Ruoyou took off the wet cloak for him, and asked while hanging it on the screen, "What happened?"
Huo Weilou's body was full of coldness, he rubbed his hands first, and waited for the earth dragon to dispel the coldness from his body, before he stepped forward and said: "Feng Qin has recruited."
Bo Ruoyou's eyes lit up slightly, but when she looked out the window, she still felt strange, "That's why Lord Hou came so early?"
"When you and Lan Zhou were taken away, you let Lan Zhou hide in the cabinet, and wanted to lure Feng Qin away to let Lan Zhou escape, but who knew that Lan Zhou was too timid to run away. Feng Qin chased you for a while and was killed by you. Stabbed, seeing that you were alone, realized that you had been tricked, and returned to the ruined temple, so that Lan Zhou was captured, and you were overwhelmed by the rain and became seriously ill, so you forgot about it."
Huo Weilou continued: "Youyou, you never left Lanzhou behind, you are very smart, you took the risk to lure Feng Qin away, if Feng Qin's target is not Lanzhou, then you are the one who caused the accident."
Bo Ruoyou was stunned. She recalled what she saw in the fake temple outside the city. At that time, she thought, the cabinet is so cramped, it's impossible for both of them to hide in it...
"Li Shen's confession is Professor Feng Qin, he is killing people."
Huo Weilou's neat nonsense was fine, he thought, the sooner he told Bo Ruoyou, the sooner she would be freed from the guilt of "abandoning her younger brother".
Bo Ruoyou moved her lips, but she didn't know what to say. She just felt oppressed in her heart, and she didn't seem to be much relieved. The truth couldn't change her brother's death, and she still couldn't remember what happened that night.
The daze in her eyes moved Huo Weilou, he raised his hand and pulled her into his arms.
Bo Ruoyou blinked, wrapped his arms around his waist, and slowly buried her cheeks in his chest. It turned out that back then, she did not leave her brother out of fear, and she also wanted to seek a chance for his brother's life.
"Even though Feng Qin knows that you have forgotten the old things, but you are an office worker in the Yamen, the most likely to re-examine the case of the year, plus you recover from illness, you may remember it again one day, so he wants to stimulate you, If you are as seriously ill as you were when you were young, he can rest easy."
Huo Weilou caressed the top of her hair while talking, feeling sorry for the torment she had endured for the rest of this month.
Bo Ruoyou slowly felt the tip of her nose sore, and when she raised her eyes, there was some water in her eyes, "Why did Feng Qin do evil?"
Huo Weilou took her by the hand and sat down, and told about the chaos in Feng Qin's home when he was young, and finally said: "He has a heart demon, and he wants to practice sorcery, and wants to surpass Feng Yuan to be the real celestial master. It's truly deplorable."
"It turned out that this was his motive for the murder."
The truth is always cruel and pale. Feng Qin had a father who practiced Taoism, and witnessed his mother being tortured to death.
Thinking of his younger brother dying in the hands of such a person, Bo Ruoyou's heart throbbed. A person who practiced sorcery had an unusual mind, and when he was cruel, he would not recognize his relatives. He almost died in Feng Qin's hands.
"What about the others? Can he explain clearly?"
Huo Weilou shook his head, "Revealing the old affairs of his father and mother, he is a bit out of his mind. When I left the prison, I ordered Lu Ke to invite the imperial doctor. It will take some effort to interrogate him thoroughly."
Bo Ruoyou nodded and looked dazed again. The case has not been fully explained, but as Bo Lanzhou's only relative in the world and the victim of that night, what she wants to know most is already clear. The murderer is Feng Qin. He never abandoned his brother.
After a while, she asked, "Isn't it Feng Qin's death penalty?"
"Yes." Huo Weilou held her hand, "Thousands of deaths cannot atone for one's sin."
Bo Ruoyou's heart ached again, the murderer would be punished, but the deceased would not be able to survive, and the pain caused by this could not be healed after all, she could only ask for a result, but even if it was only a result, it was extremely important.
Bo Ruoyou didn't speak for a while, Huo Weilou didn't say anything immediately, he was quiet for a while, and then he hugged her to his knees, "It's the Chinese New Year, go to Fengming Mountain another day, and tell them about it, they will know, be relieved."
Bo Ruoyou met his eyes, his eyes were full of tenderness, it could be seen that he wanted to give her more comfort, but he was really not a good talker, he was more willing to coax her like a child than fancy words Usually hold her in his arms.
Bo Ruoyou took a deep breath, and exhaled all the pain in her heart, she grabbed Huo Weilou's shoulder, "Okay, Master Hou will accompany me."
Huo Weilou smiled and said, "Naturally."
It was night in winter, and it was still dark outside the window, and the wind and snow were still howling, but Bo Ruoyou felt relieved. Suddenly, she wondered: "There is no light outside, Uncle Liang is still resting, who opened the door for Lord Hou?" door?"
Huo Weilou hesitated for a moment.
Because, he came in through the wall.
The absurd thing that I never did when I was young, but I did it today.
Bo Ruoyou is so smart, she looked at the cloak hanging on the screen in the distance, and keenly remembered that she had seen a speck of mud stains on the edge of the cloak, "Okay, the dignified Marquis Wu Zhao, to do such indecent things, If I let my adoptive father know—”
Huo Weilou didn't give her a chance to continue, he kissed her softly, tenderly, his big palm was around her waist again, making her get closer to him, he didn't have any desire, he tasted the kissing method, but it was exhausting Her cheeks were flushed, she separated from her for a moment, and then whispered: "I want to tell you earlier, I don't want to delay a moment..."
Bo Ruoyou laughed, "I know."
She put her arms around Huo Weilou's neck, raised her head, and took the initiative to push past him.
Huo Weilou didn't stay until dawn, after he left, Bo Ruoyou sat for a while looking at the paper boat on the desk, when Cheng Yunzhi and the others got up in the bright sky, she went to the room and informed the outcome of the case.
…
Although the imperial physician was invited, Feng Qin's mind was still on the verge of collapse. When Huo Weilou returned to the prison, others were still talking nonsense. Huo Weilou was not in a hurry, so he ordered the imperial physician to administer heavy medicine to wake Feng Qin up.
It took two days to interrogate the five boys including Feng Qin's kidnapping of Ming Guilan and the murder of Bo Lanzhou. The case of instigating Li Shen to murder Wen Jin also came to light.
The case was presided over by the Chief Envoy, under the threat of the Jingzhaoyi Yamen, and because it was merged with the Fobao case, it was considered to be very involved. Huo Weilou first brought the evidence to the saint, which aroused the anger of Emperor Jianhe and the Empress Dowager. Order Huo Weilou to investigate strictly.
In order to find out all the joints, in addition to Feng Qin's evidence, we must also look for witnesses and physical evidence as much as possible. Huo Weilou is not in a hurry to finalize the case, but let the direct envoy and Jing Zhaoyi's office continue to sort out clues to find witnesses, and During this time, the case spread like wildfire. No one in the family in the capital could have imagined that Uncle Loyalty, who devoted himself to cultivating Taoism, murdered his wife and son, and was also a murderer who specialized in murdering children!
Although Emperor Jianhe said that he didn't want to spread rumors, Huo Weilou didn't react when he heard that the news had leaked out. Since the truth is so, why can't it be revealed to the world
When there was an uproar in the public, Ming Zhonghuai and his son entered the Hou's Mansion. It was already the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, and the main facts of the case had been clarified. As one of the victims, they naturally wanted to know the history of the case.
Huo Weilou told the two of Feng Qin's motives for the murder, and why he chose Ming Guilan was exactly as he had speculated earlier. Ever since Feng Qin wanted to find a child with auspicious fate in Sanyang, his first target fell on an acquaintance's family Among them, through the daily entertainment and contacts, he probed without leaving any traces. He was born noble, and those with better acquaintances would not be on guard. The birth date comes in horoscopes.
This day Lin Huai and Sun Zhao were also there, and everyone gathered together. Sun Zhao said: "I have interrogated the servants of the uncle's family these days. Back then, Feng Yuan was really obsessed with cultivating Taoism. Although Mrs. Uncle died of illness, some mothers said that Her body was full of injuries, and she was often beaten and scolded by Feng Qin and locked in a dark room, Feng Qin's distorted character has been cultivated since then."
Lin Huai, as the servant of the Ministry of Punishments, now that the murderer has been identified, he is also quite sad, "Feng Yuan was still an official in the Ministry of Officials, and he looked decent on the surface, but he did not expect that he practiced sorcery and was still in the mansion. Treat your wife and children like this."
The Ming family was familiar with the Feng family earlier, and Ming Zhonghuai was even more annoyed by the fact that Ming Guilan was injured and became disabled. When asked when the case would be finalized, Huo Weilou said, "It will be a year later, and we still have to find Witnesses, Feng Ye is a little crazy now, he can't explain many details, so he can only ask the direct envoy and the Yamen to investigate, and also inform the relatives of the murdered children."
Ming Zhonghuai also knows that the direct envoy has its own rules for handling cases, and now that the murderer is found, his long-cherished wish has been fulfilled. It is only Ming Guilan's leg, which is bound to be a regret for their entire life. It is conceivable that the children who were murdered have already died. Turned into a pile of bones, he felt that Gui Lan was still alive, which was a blessing among misfortunes.
When leaving the mansion, Lin Huai asked, "Is that child Youyou okay?"
Asking about Bo Ruoyou, Huo Weilou's eyes softened, "She was originally determined to be tough, but now that the truth of the case is revealed, she is relieved, but thinking of her brother's death, she always feels sad."
Lin Huai sighed, "It looks like the Chinese New Year is coming, and our family will visit them again in the next year."
Huo Weilou didn't say anything. In the early morning of the next day, he rushed to Cheng's house early, and accompanied Bo Ruoyou to worship his parents and Bo Lanzhou outside the city. Cheng Yunzhi didn't follow because he caught the cold.
On the carriage, Huo Weilou told Bo Ruoyou of the new progress, "When Feng Qin was sober, he explained everything he could. According to what he said, he did find a steady woman who delivered babies for wealthy families in the capital. The mother-in-law has not been found yet. He has never committed any murder in his own village. He also bought a house in Baijia Village back then, and the case in the city was also committed in the demolished Pingning Square. It is equal to what he told Li Shen back then. Most of the confessions are true."
The most wonderful lies are usually hidden in the truth, and Li Shen's crime must be strictly investigated and interrogated by the yamen. Gentleman?"
"It's a long story here. The Feiyun Temple and the Taoist temples outside the city are all familiar with the uncle's mansion. This also starts with Feng Yuan. Before he practiced Taoism and became a demon, he was really practicing Taoism for a while. Please tell me It is common for the elders to preach the Taoist scriptures, and it was only later that the idea of becoming a celestial master and holy master gradually came into being. At that time, he had an official position and was reluctant to leave it behind. Therefore, he secretly built a Taoist palace in the mansion, and Feng Qin was brought by his side since he was a child, and he was also his first apprentice."
"Feng Qin was young at that time, and he was afraid of his father, so he was naturally very obedient. He followed Feng Yuan to many Taoist temples outside the city, and he became quite familiar with the Taoist priests. Even witchcraft and shamanism are involved, and Feng Qin is also fascinated by them, and Li Shen's misbehavior has also led to crooked ways in Feiyun Temple."
"Feng Qin was offering incense at Feiyun Temple sixteen or seventeen years ago when he accidentally discovered that Li Shen was reading a forbidden Taoist book. There were some evil ways of cultivating Taoism in the forbidden book. He knew that Li Shen was not a follower of the orthodox Taoism, so he quickly captured him."
At this point, Huo Weilou's voice was tinged with coldness, "There are not many people who practice sorcery. Feng Qin not only wanted to find a confidant, but also wanted to be worshiped like his father, so he turned Li Shen into a At that time, Li Shen could only use some forbidden books of Taoism to practice Taoism, and he did not dare to dabble in the method of using human blood to sacrifice alive, so Feng Qin told Li Shen about this method. While Li Shen was horrified, he only felt Feng Qin's Taoism higher than him, so he willingly obeyed his orders."
"Li Shen asked for money, so he gave Li Shen money. Li Shen wanted to return to vulgarity, and he helped a lot. Li Shen even obeyed him. Later, when Li Shen went to Yizhou, he was targeted by the government because of his arrogance. He was afraid from the bottom of his heart, and asked Feng Qin for help, although Feng Qin was angry, he had to help, and later when Li Shen got the blood disease, Feng Qin even found a way to control him."
Bo Ruoyou never expected the two to have such a bond for so many years. At this time, Huo Weilou said: "We thought that the money for Li Shen's treatment came from the Taoist temple and he deceived the believers, but in fact, The money he got from these heretics was limited, and it was Feng Qin who helped him. Feng Qin not only gave him money to buy medicine, but even told Li Shen that only by becoming his believer could he protect Li Shen. It was also he who said that Li Shen's time has come and he can ascend to the Tao."
Bo Ruoyou heard it in disbelief, "Li Shen actually believed it?"
Huo Weilou shook his head, "I don't know. Without Feng Qin, Li Shen would not be able to use precious medicinal materials. He would not be able to survive now, and he would not be able to rely on Feng Qin. As for whether he really believed in Feng Qin as the living God, Only he knows that."
Bo Ruoyou suddenly said, "No wonder, no wonder Li Shen is willing to come forward to take the blame, and he has no shame in murdering Wen Jin, I'm afraid he really regards killing people as a method of cultivating Taoism, the two of them are like dogs!"
While talking, the carriage left the city, it was winter, the snow had not yet melted outside the city, and the surrounding fields were full of mist, Bo Ruoyou wanted to lift the curtain to look out, but Huo Weilou raised his hand and let it go, "God It's very cold, beware of typhoid fever again, how will I get married next month?"
Bo Ruoyou's heart skipped a beat, and she was inexplicably embarrassed. The wedding ceremony between her and Huo Weilou was scheduled for the third day of February, so it was only a month ago. She said "oh", honestly. Put your hands down, "Time flies so fast."
Huo Weilou looked at her with a half-smile, "I think it's slow, but you think it's fast?"
Bo Ruoyou's face was reddish, but her words were very frank, "Master Hou knows, I also want to marry Master Hou."
These words pleased Huo Weilou, he put Bo Ruoyou's hand to his lips, and kissed her deeply.
The carriage went along the official road to Fengming Mountain. Bo Ruoyou didn't know what to think of, and suddenly sighed: "These days I followed my adoptive father to count the dowry, and I only realized that the treasures are precious, especially those blessed by Buddhism. It's a pity for those Buddhist treasures." —”
Feng Qin indeed melted the Seven Treasures Stupa, not only that, but other Buddhist treasures he found were also melted in the pill furnace, and the Buddha bone relics had already been refined and swallowed by him in pills.
The embroidered clothes envoy later found some unmelted chalcedony among the gold and silver pieces recovered from Zhuangzi, and sent them to Xiangguo Temple and Zhenbao Sijian for inspection. It was confirmed that they were ornaments on the Seven Treasures Stupa. Feng Qin was interrogated , which he also confessed to.
Huo Weilou said warmly: "From now on, whatever you like, I will find it for you."
Bo Ruoyou is not a person who loves gold, silver and jade, but Huo Weilou is sincere in what he says, and she also knows that Huo Weilou will do what he says, and he himself is the person who really enjoys the glory but does not love vulgar things, so she tenderly Rou replied "OK".
The carriage went up the mountain road, and they arrived at Bo's cemetery in a short time. The two walked along the path to the tomb of Bo Jingxing and his wife. They first worshiped their father and mother, and then went to worship Bo Lanzhou. After explaining the cause and effect, I just took out the paper boat brought from the mansion.
Some of these paper boats were white and flawless, and some were written with crooked ink characters. She burned them with incense candles, and the fireflies illuminated her eyes, and her fear of the long night seemed to have dissipated.
Bo Ruoyou left the cemetery with Huo Weilou after the last paper boat was reduced to ashes.
The second day was New Year's Eve, Bo Ruoyou accompanied Huo Weilou to visit the eldest princess during the day, and obediently accompanied Cheng Yunzhi to eat New Year's dinner at night.
Their father and daughter have lived together for several years. This year is as stable and happy as in Qingzhou, but now in the capital, Bo Lanzhou's case has been solved, Cheng's family has been rehabilitated, Bo Ruoyou's marriage is approaching, the future is a new atmosphere, Cheng Yunzhi is happy Besides, he drank a few more cups, and took a rest before the second watch, Bo Ruoyou was hesitating whether to watch the New Year's Eve, when Huo Weilou came.
There was a banquet in the palace on New Year's Eve, Huo Weilou smelled faintly of alcohol, and hearing that Cheng Yunzhi had rested, he took Bao Ruoyou out the door.
The carriage went all the way to the shore of Weiyang Lake. Tonight, New Year's Eve, every household will celebrate the New Year, and the West Market is quite deserted, but the restaurants and buildings along the street are all brightly lit, and the fireflies are shining brightly, like Qionglou Yuyu.
Huo Weilou brought Bo Ruoyou to Weiyang Lake.
There were fewer drinkers laughing and making noise on the painting boat tower, but there was still the sound of silk and bamboo orchestras, Huo Weilou had drunk wine, but his eyes were very clear, and when the carriage stopped by the lake, Bo Ruoyou asked suspiciously: "What did Lord Hou bring me here for? "
She wanted to lift the curtain to get out of the carriage, but Huo Weilou held her back, "Get out of the cold, and stay on the carriage."
Bo Ruoyou looked at him strangely, at this moment, a sound of "swoosh" burst through the air, and soon, it exploded with a "bang", Bo Ruoyou was surprised when he saw Huo Weilou Chen Mo in front of him There is a radiance reflected in the like eyes!
At some point when the curtain was raised, Huo Weilou signaled her to look out, and when Bo Ruoyou turned around, she saw colorful fireworks rising into the sky from the frozen surface of Weiyang Lake!
Dafts of multicolored flames shot straight up, and scattered in all directions. It was originally a starless and moonless night sky, but at this moment, a galaxy of galaxies was born out of thin air, and the stars fell like rain. After a daze, some sense of surprise slowly emerged, and the pupils also shone brightly, and couldn't help but grab Huo Weilou's wrist, "Is this prepared by Master Hou?"
She was lying on the window, and Huo Weilou took her into his arms from behind, and said very contentedly: "What I saw at the banquet in the palace, I didn't notice anything in previous years, but this year I found it very beautiful, so I want to see it with you."
His voice was a little vague, Bo Ruoyou turned to look at him, "Master Hou is drunk?"
Huo Weilou's eyes flashed brightly, with enthusiasm, he looked straight into Bo Ruoyou's heart, seeing her snow-skinned and beautiful face, he couldn't help leaning closer, "Youyou, I wish you a happy New Year, and always be with me."
Huo Weilou pressed his lips, Bo Ruoyou was covered by him, and soon the two hugged each other.
The 32nd year of the founding of peace came quietly amidst the sky filled with fireworks.