How could He Lin endure being taught by his brother-in-law like this in public, he immediately bent down and picked up the stick, gritted his teeth and said, "This is a family matter of our He family, you have no right to intervene, my son will be disciplined by myself, and it doesn't matter if I beat him to death!"
Although the words were harsh, when he saw Yan Li and Gongsun Yan who were staring at him behind Tang Fan, the stick in his hand couldn't be swung for some reason.
"Shut up, you don't have the right to speak here!" It was Mr. He who yelled at him.
He didn't even look at his son's blushing face, he stepped out of the crowd and said to Tang Fan, "Nephew, I have a few questions to ask you, which has nothing to do with today's affairs, and I also ask nephew to take a step to the side and say a few words. "
Although Tang Fan was very polite, he didn't follow his words and walked to the side. He just smiled and said, "If Uncle has something to say, just say it here. A gentleman has nothing to tell anyone."
First Yan Li, and then Tang Fan, these two are both soft and hard, and Mr. He couldn't, so he could only ask: "My nephew came to stay here for a while, the old man was originally welcome, but now I know that I am with you My nephew is accompanied by Jin Yiwei, so this old man will inevitably ask a few more questions, and ask my nephew to forgive me."
Tang Fan nodded: "I know what my uncle wants to ask. These two Jin Yiwei brothers are worried that it is not safe for me to travel alone, so they came to accompany me specially. They have nothing to do with the affairs of the court. Uncle doesn't have to worry about affecting the He family."
Jin Yiwei's identity is sensitive. Now that people know about it, it's normal to ask more questions. What's more, even if Mr. He knew that he was dismissed, he would still treat him the same as before, no matter if the friendship was for his late father or something else. For whatever reason, Tang Fan kept it in his mind.
Therefore, although he was disgusted with this brother-in-law because of what he had seen and heard, especially the indiscriminate beating of his son by He Lin today, Tang Fan naturally couldn't be rude to Mr. He.
Yan Li, who was next to him, said, "Our Zhenfu envoy and Master Tang have a good relationship with each other, so we specially sent me and the other two to follow them around for the purpose of expulsion, and to protect the master comprehensively, Master He does not need to be suspicious."
After listening to their explanations, Mr. He had more doubts instead of less.
It's not unusual for Tang Fan to be on good terms with Jin Yiwei, but what kind of friendship does it take to make Jin Yiwei act as his bodyguard
And judging from the expressions of Yan Li and the others, the two of them were not at all unwilling, so it could be seen that they were obedient to Tang Fanyan.
What the hell is going on? Could it be that Tang Fan has been in the capital these past few years and has some incredible backing
Others don't think as much as Mr. He. They only heard the identities of Yan Li and Gongsunyan, and when they saw how respectful they were to Tang Fan, they were already shocked, and their impression of Tang Fan immediately changed from a "frustrated in officialdom." person" rises to "mysterious person with deep background".
With and without background, the difference here is big. Even if Tang Fan will not have an official job for a while, as long as someone in the official circle is willing to cheer for him and help him plead for mercy, he can get up at any time when the time is right.
Thinking of this, even He Lin, who was full of anger, could not help but relax a bit with the strength of the stick in his hand.
Tang Fan didn't care what they thought. He bent down, helped his sister and nephew up, and then gently lifted He Cheng's chin to check his injuries.
"Qilang, does it hurt?" Tang Fan asked softly.
He Cheng nodded, shook his head again, gritted his teeth, and didn't even let out a moan.
He usually looks weak and introverted, but he is extremely stubborn in his bones.
Before his mother protected him, he still suffered two sticks. Although it was not heavy, he was young and tender, and his endurance was naturally not as good as that of an adult.
Seeing him covering his other forearm with one hand, Tang Fan gently rolled up his cuff to check his injury for him.
But seeing a swollen purple red mark on He Cheng's forearm, Tang Fan touched it lightly, and he couldn't help but let out a low cry.
Tang Yu was so distressed that she burst into tears.
Tang Fan resisted his anger and looked up at Yan Li.
The latter understood it, stepped forward to inspect it, and said, "I didn't hurt the bones, just put some medicine on him."
He Lin heard this and couldn't help but say, "I just said I didn't do anything hard..."
Before he could finish speaking, two stern eyes shot over, and immediately strangled his unfinished words in his throat.
One of the eyes came from Tang Fan.
The other one is Mr. He.
Mr. He coughed lightly: "Nephew, since the Wei family has reported this matter to the official, should we leave it to the county magistrate to handle it?"
Even though Mr. He is not arrogant, but if it were before, he would never have asked this question when Tang Fan was standing behind Jin Yiwei, because regardless of whether He Cheng had anything to do with the case, He is from the He family.
According to the current etiquette, as He Lin said, it is only natural for Laozi to beat his son.
Of course, if Tang Yu's family background is very hard, for example, Tang Yu's father is the first assistant of the dynasty and has six books, then Tang Yu will not live in the He family without enough daily expenses.
In the final analysis, it is nothing more than that Tang Yu's family is unreliable, so over the years, the He family has turned a blind eye to this.
But now that Tang Fan is here, the situation is very different.
Since Mr. He knew that Tang Fan had a close relationship with Jin Yiwei, he should be more polite when he said it.
Tang Fan nodded: "What my uncle said makes sense."
But after saying this, he handed over to the county magistrate Weng: "Brother Weng, this matter has nothing to do with me, and I shouldn't meddle in my own business, but I also ask Brother Weng to see how my nephew is involved in this matter. Come on, let me help from the side, as my uncle, I really can't sit back and watch him be wronged."
County magistrate Weng nodded: "Of course."
This little episode came to an end, and the county magistrate Weng began to ask the case.
People at this time also know that when such a case of death occurs, the scene is extremely important. It is not a last resort. People will not take the body to the county government to check it again. In that case, many clues about the surrounding environment will be ignored. .
Therefore, Weng county magistrate first asked the yamen to enclose the backyard, not allowing idle people to enter and exit, and ordered the gate of Wei's house to be strictly guarded. Whether it is a male guest or a female family member, no one is allowed to let go for the time being.
Of course, this also caused a lot of complaints from customers.
The place where Wei Zhuniang played before her death was actually located in the backyard garden, not yet the place where the women's family had a banquet in the backyard, and it was also some distance away from the banquet venue in the front hall.
It is full of flowers and fruit trees of various colors, and it is spacious enough that children who often come and go with the Wei family like to come here to play.
Wei Zhuniang was originally accompanied by a maid, but at this time she had been found and was kneeling on the ground crying.
Weng county magistrate asked her why she hadn't stayed with the little master when the accident happened.
She then said: "It was the fifth girl who asked the maid to go to the kitchen to find something to eat. She said she wanted to eat golden jujube cake, but there was no table, because the fifth girl often played here, and there were also girls from the He family and the Zheng family at that time. When the girls and the others were present, the maid went first. Who knew that the jujube cake was not ready, so I heard about it, I heard that the five girls..."
The girl from the He family and the girl from the Zheng family in her mouth, one is He Xuan and Weishi's daughter He Yuan, and the other is Zheng Juren's daughter Zheng Qingqing.
In addition, there were also the young masters of several families present at the time.
Everyone heard what Wei Zhuniang said to the maid, and they all confirmed that what the maid said was true.
He Yuan and Zheng Qingqing were called for questioning again.
They were frightened by this incident, and they stammered when they spoke. It was not easy to talk for a long time. Although the beautiful Wei Zhuniang was not pleasing to the eye on weekdays, it was all the jealousy of the little girl before. He Yuan and Zheng Qingqing obviously never thought about it. Wei Zhuniang will die.
In fact, before the county magistrate Weng came, they had already been interrogated for a round, and what they said now was not too different from what Yan Li told Tang Fan before.
Both said that they had heard He Cheng and Wei Zhuniang's quarrel.
After the quarrel, He Yuan and Zheng Qingqing were at the rockery at the time. They felt that they couldn't go out just like this. If they were seen by Wei Zhuniang, they would definitely be embarrassed. Although the girl from a big family is young, she already knows a lot about the world.
So they left from the other direction of the rockery and played elsewhere for a while before going back to find Wei Zhuniang.
He Yuan and Zheng Qingqing couldn't see Wei Zhuniang in the old place, and thought she ran away, until the boys who went to pick flowers and catch birds for Wei Zhuniang also came back, and they couldn't find anyone anywhere, so they mobilized the Wei family's maids and servants. Find together.
It was also a maid who found Wei Zhuniang's pearl earrings by the well, and discovered the abnormality.
Finally, the man was pulled out of the well.
After hearing this, Weng County magistrate frowned: "Then after Wei Zhuniang fell into the well, she should have called for help. Didn't you hear it?"
Everyone said they didn't hear it.
When magistrate Weng was questioning, Tang Fan walked to the well, bent down, and looked out.
He found that it was very possible that no one heard Wei Zhuniang's cry for help.
Because the water level of that well is very deep, at first glance, you can only see a dark area, and you can't see the reflection of the water surface.
Moreover, after the little girl fell into the water, she could only struggle and flutter twice, and her voice was weak. If no one happened to pass by at that time, she might not be able to hear it.
He watched intently for a while, then walked to Wei Zhuniang's side again, lifted the white cloth covering her, and took her hand to examine it carefully.
Because there were two Jinyi guards beside them, everyone watched Tang Fan touching the corpse, but they didn't dare to say anything.
At this time, the county magistrate Weng had already asked many people, and their confessions were all correct.
When Wei Zhuniang fell into the water, no one was present.
But before falling into the water, He Cheng and Wei Zhuniang quarreled, which He Cheng himself admitted.
So the question is whether Wei Zhuniang accidentally fell into the water, or someone pushed her down.
If someone pushed her, is this person He Cheng
The magistrate Weng asked He Cheng, "Where did you go after you quarreled with Wei Zhuniang?"
He Cheng gradually calmed down under the comfort of his mother, and he no longer seemed so frightened, so he whispered, "I'm in the garden."
County magistrate Weng: "What are you doing in the garden?"
He Cheng lowered his head and said nothing.
He Lin became angry when he saw his son's useless appearance, but who let him be taught a lesson before, and he had to endure it no matter how angry he was.
However, He Cheng refused to speak, and even the magistrate Weng couldn't help frowning slightly.
Anyone who sees this child's hesitant, hesitant appearance will not help but be suspicious.
Only Tang Yu was convinced that her son was not such a person, and was still coaxing him to speak.
At this moment, Tang Fan stood up from the corpse, took the damp cloth handed by Qian San'er and wiped his hands.
He walked over to He Cheng and said warmly, "Qilang, tell your uncle, where did you go after the quarrel?"
He Cheng still did not speak.
Tang Fan smiled and patted his head in a soothing way. He didn't seem to mind that He Cheng didn't speak. He turned around and said to everyone, "Wei Zhuniang was indeed pushed down, but the murderer was not He Cheng."
Wei Ce couldn't help but said angrily, "Young Master Tang, I know that He Cheng is your nephew. You want to protect him, but it doesn't seem that you should decide whether to kill or not!"
The magistrate Weng also said, "Brother Tang Xian, what evidence do you have for saying this?"
"The evidence is there." Tang Fan nodded.
He walked to the corpse and showed everyone Wei Zhuniang's fingernails: "There is no moss in it, no matter if she falls or is pushed down, she will definitely struggle violently before she dies, and her fingers will definitely try desperately to cling to her. things around, but her nails are so clean."
"And Wei Zhuniang's neck bone was broken at the back of her neck, which means that she was thrown off after her mouth and nose were covered and her neck bone was pinched, so she didn't experience any struggle in this process, much less There was any sound coming out because she was dead before she fell."
This conclusion was earth-shattering, and everyone couldn't help but let out a cry.
There were a lot of people who came close to take a look, and sure enough, there was no moss on the ten fingers of the corpse, only some blood stains.
Seeing that everyone accepted his explanation, Tang Fan added: "If that's the case, then Wei Zhuniang's death was a deliberate murder. Regardless of whether He Cheng and her were just quarreling, whether there was such a deep hatred or not, To put her to death. A more important piece of evidence is that He Cheng is not much taller than Wei Zhuniang. Let me ask, he can cover Wei Zhuniang's mouth and nose with the strength to ensure that she does not make a sound at all, Squeeze her neck bone again, and then drag her to the edge of the well and cast her down?"
Everyone looked at He Cheng and Wei Zhuniang, and they all felt that it was really impossible.
Tang Fan said: "Even with the strength of an ordinary woman, it is impossible to do this. Therefore, the murderer of Wei Zhuniang is most likely an adult man with considerable strength, and naturally it will not be He clear."
When he said this, many people suddenly realized.
Weng county magistrate Xinyue sincerely said, "Brother Tang Xian is worthy of being a member of the Penal Department. In just a short period of time, things have been organized in such an orderly manner."
Tang Fan said with a smile, "I also care about it and mess up. If you don't care about me, I will be more grateful than you."
Wei Ce came over ashamed to ask for the guilt: "Just now, Wei has no words, please forgive Tang Gongzi!"
Tang Fan waved his hand: "You are worried about your daughter's death, why are you guilty? The top priority is to find out the murderer first."
Wei Ce said sadly, "Young Master Zhibi Zhuge, I beg you to show the Wei family a clear path. Who might this murderer be?"
Tang Fan didn't answer, but looked at Weng county magistrate.
County magistrate Weng knew that Tang Fan was here to show himself the wise and martial arts of the county magistrate, so as not to misunderstand that Tang Fan stole his limelight.
Seeing that everyone was puzzled, he explained: "There are bloodstains in the nails, which means that Wei Zhuniang must have struggled violently before she died, and it is very likely that she has broken the murderer's arm, so you can start screening from males based on this range. "
There was a breakthrough in this case in an instant. Although Magistrate Weng’s remarks saved some face, anyone with a discerning eye could see that if it wasn’t for Tang Fan’s perseverance at the beginning, everyone would have thought it was true at this time. He Cheng did it.
This case had nothing to do with Tang Fan. If it wasn't to clear up his nephew's suspicions, he would not have spoken beyond the Weng county magistrate. Now that I have a clue about the case, I no longer intervene, and instead whispered a few words to Weng County Magistrate, and said goodbye to him.
Mr. He glanced at Tang Fan's sister and brother, then at his unsatisfactory son, sighed secretly, stepped forward, and said to Tang Fan, "Nephew, Gan Yu did something wrong, and he was anxious just now. I will argue with you only because of the reputation of the He family, so please don't take it to heart."
Gan Yu is He Lin's name.
Tang Fan didn't change his face: "Uncle is serious, this matter has nothing to do with you, why did you come to apologize on his behalf? My little nephew really can't bear it. What's more, the reason why my little nephew was angry was not because my brother-in-law was rude to me. But because he is Qilang's father, he charged Qilang indiscriminately! Mr. Xianzun has not been convicted yet, so he roared in such a hurry. If there were more doubts about Qilang just now, he would be Aren't you going to kill Shichiro in front of my sister and me?"
Mr. He was a little embarrassed. He thought that he would be soft and Tang Fan would go down the steps, but he didn't expect him to show his face in public, and he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.
But Tang Fan's words were not wrong. After all, He Lin was still to blame for being too confused.
Tang Fan glanced at He Lin, who was also embarrassed and annoyed, and in front of the He family, said coldly, "Brother-in-law, Qilang is your son, let alone tiger poison and not eating children, what kind of temperament is Qilang, you Being a father, don’t you understand? Even people like me who have only been here for a few days know that although Shichiro is easily shy, he doesn’t speak much when he meets strangers. People who don’t know him think he is gloomy and introverted, but The elders who know him must know that this child is kind-hearted. My sister said that he would cry for a long time even when his little rabbit died. How could such a child push Wei Zhuniang down the well? !"
He Lin clenched his fist tightly and said nothing.
Tang Fan was accusing him of incompetence every word.
As the owner of the He family, Mr. He, his father, actually looked at it like this, standing by without stopping Tang Fan.
Being reprimanded by his brother-in-law like this, he felt as if his face had been peeled off, and it hurt a lot.
And watching this scene, not only people from the He family, but also people from the Wei family, people from the government, and the guests who are attending the banquet today...
After Tang Fan said these words, he ignored him, instead squatted down and hugged He Cheng.
"Qilang, can you tell your uncle now, where did you go after you quarreled with Wei Zhuniang?"
The redness and swelling on He Cheng's cheeks seemed to have disappeared after applying the medicine that Yan Li brought.
He wrapped his hands around Tang Fan's neck, snuggled softly in his arms, and was silent for a while, before whispering, "I found the bracelet she left before, but I didn't want to give it back to her, so I threw it in into the pond over there."
Tang Fan asked, "Are you afraid that your parents will scold you if they find out, so you dare not say it?"
He Cheng nodded and glanced at Tang Yu timidly.
At this time, it was too late for Tang Yu to cherish him, so how could she scold him
She didn't dare to kiss He Cheng's face, for fear of hurting his wound, she held He Cheng's hand tightly and rubbed it on the ground.
Seeing this, Tang Fan said to Mr. He, "Uncle, Qilang is injured and needs to rest. My sister and I will take him back first."
Mr. He had no reason not to agree, so he quickly asked a servant beside him to take them back, and instructed Tang Yu and He Cheng to take a good rest.
Mrs. He said: "It's better to find a doctor to see Qilang's injuries, and it's better not to leave any hidden dangers."
He Xuan said: "Mother, we still have some high-quality medicinal materials in our warehouse. Let the doctor ask if we can use it for Qilang, and if it is possible, give it to Qilang."
Tang Fan was not polite to them: "Thank you very much then."
Mrs. He said with a gentle smile: "It's all a family, Runqing should not be seen outside."
The He family has the intention to repair with Tang Fan, so as not to leave a rift in each other's affairs just now. In the end, it depends on the two Jin Yiwei who follow Tang Fan. Tang Fan naturally knows it well, but he will not reject the kindness of others.
But even He Xuan, who had nothing to do with him, took the initiative to release his goodwill, but He Lin, who should have come to care about his wife and children the most, still stood there and didn't move.
Mr. He couldn't bear it anymore, and said angrily, "Why are you here if you don't follow me back!"
He Lin looked up at them, threw the stick in his hand to the ground, turned around and pushed the crowd away, and walked away without looking back.
Mr. He was so angry that he blew his beard and stared at him. If it wasn't for everyone to watch, I'm afraid he would be scolded for being a rude son.
Now the old faces of the He family were all lost.
Tang Yu looked at this scene, she lowered her head, her eyes fell on He Cheng, and she didn't know what she was thinking.
Tang Fan supported her: "Sister, let's go, let's go back first."
The He family took advantage of the excitement and returned with disappointment, not to mention being depressed.
Because Wei Zhuniang was Wei Shi's younger sister, He Xuan and Wei Shi still stayed in Wei's house to help their father take care of the funeral.
The rest of the He family came back first with Tang Fan and the others.
Tang Fan took his sister and nephew, and instead of returning to Tang Yu's residence, they came to the bamboo courtyard where he lived before.
He asked his maid to take He Cheng to rest first, and then screened the others away.
"Sister, if it wasn't about Qilang today, how long would you have to hide it from me? The feud between you and your brother-in-law has long been over for a day or two?"
After today's change, Tang Yu's face was full of tiredness, but Tang Fan knew that he couldn't give her time to rest and think, otherwise the sister would have to make excuses to escape, so she was cruel and chose to reveal her Wound.
Since it will hurt sooner or later, it is better to have more pain than to have constant pain, so as to get better faster.
Tang Yu sighed: "He wasn't like this originally. When I first married into the He family, he was really good to me. He also told me that although it was common for men in big families to have three wives and four concubines, he had One of me is enough. I used to think that he was a joke, but now you can see that even if we made a mess like this, he didn't ask for a concubine. I always remembered his affection in my heart, so he was later My temperament has changed drastically, and I have never had two hearts, and I don’t want to make you more troublesome, but who would have thought that today, he would treat Qilang…”
Thinking of the injury on He Cheng's body, Tang Yu was so distressed that he couldn't speak.
Her husband is no longer considerate, and her younger brother is far away, so her son has become her only hope.
The "Da Ming Law" stipulates that all men who have reached the age of forty and have no heirs can take concubines.
But this is not to say that a man can take a concubine at the age of forty without a child, but to say that if a man has no children at the age of forty, he must take a concubine in order to continue the blood of the children.
Of course, some people are under forty, and their wives can bear children.
Therefore, when it comes to taking concubines, it is not the law, but the human heart.
For many men from big families, if they have this condition, they can own a forest, so why should they guard a tree alone? Like the eighth girl of the He family that Yan Li had taken a fancy to before, she was not also a concubine born to Mr. He who was old and strong.
It is indeed rare for He Lin to make a promise not to take a concubine and insist on fulfilling it.
After listening to Tang Yu's words, Tang Fan's face finally softened a little: "In this way, my brother-in-law is not incurable, but the fact that he has tried and failed for so many years has made him frustrated again and again. The ghosts are obsessed with doing such stupid things."
The most important thing a man values is his face.
Tang Fan saw that He Cheng was beaten like that before, so he said in front of everyone that He Lin failed many times. When I look back, I must vent on my wife and children.
Tang Fan saw that Tang Yu was in a low mood, and said, "Why don't I go back and apologize to my brother-in-law?"
Tang Yu shook his head: "What are you apologizing for, you said everything I couldn't say, I should thank you for venting your anger for me!"
She paused and looked sad: "You don't have to say good things for him, Qilang is my lifeblood, for the sake of him and the He family's face, he was so cruel to Qilang, no matter how much love between husband and wife , and let him be beaten."
Seeing that she finally woke up and no longer held back, Tang Fan felt some comfort in his heart: "What's the big sister's plan now?"
He held Tang Yu's hand: "I was going to take you and Qilang out of here and live in the capital for a while, but this is not my decision, I have to listen to you. In any case, you don't have to worry, With my brother here, you will always have a family."
Tang Yu couldn't help hugging Tang Fan and started crying.
Tang Fan patted her on the back and said with a smile, "I haven't told you yet, in fact, although I don't have an official position, I don't have no friends in the capital. You already know the identities of Yan Li today, and Jin Yiwei will care for them. You are indeed my good friend. If the He family or He Lin dare to embarrass you, I can make people turn their family upside down, so you don't need to worry, and you don't have to feel sorry for yourself for those gossip in the future, who dares to say You are a person without a family, and the entire Jinyiwei is your family, is there anyone more powerful than you in Daming?"
Tang Yuming knew that he was trying to solve himself, but he was still teased and laughed.
"Well, my sister knows that you love me and Qilang, but even if I want to leave, I can't leave like this. Tell me, can I reconcile with your brother-in-law and take Qilang away?"
Seeing his elder sister looking at him expectantly, Tang Fan wanted to say yes, but in the end he could only slowly say: "I can do it if you want to reconcile or leave righteousness, but if you still want to leave after reconciliation It would be a little difficult to take Qilang away. Because in any case, Qilang is a member of the He family. Even if the brother-in-law is willing, Mr. He and the others will not agree. No matter where you put it, we don't account for it. reason."
Tang Yu was a little disappointed, but she knew that her younger brother was familiar with the law and would never deceive herself.
"Then what should I do?" Tang Yu asked.
"If you can't reconcile for the time being, and just leave in the name of returning to your mother's house, would you like it?" Tang Fan said.
Tang Yu nodded without thinking. For the sake of Qilang, she endured hard for several years. Now that her brother came, she seemed to have the backbone and didn't want to endure anymore.
After receiving a positive answer from his sister, Tang Fan also became happy: "Then I'll find a way, sister, just wait for the good news."
The two were talking when Qian San'er knocked on the door and said, "Sir, Weng county magistrate has sent someone here."
Tang Fan said, "Let him in."
Tang Yu wiped away her tears and avoided entering the inner room, while Qian San'er brought the visitor into the room.
The other party's surname is Huang, and he is the entourage of Weng County magistrate. Tang Fan has just met him.
Lao Huang bowed and saluted, and then said, "Mr. Tang, our lord invites you to come to Wei's house."
Tang Fan was taken aback: "Didn't this just come back from there?"
Old Huang frowned: "No, but someone died just now."
The author has something to say:
Tang Fan: Sister, let's have a discussion. If there are outsiders in the future, don't call me a nickname
Suizhou: I am not an outsider.
He Cheng: Uncle Mao Mao, neither am I.
Wang Zhi: Hehe, I won't call it, does Mao Mao have a melon baby
Tang Fan: …
A person's character is multi-faceted. While he is scum on the one hand, he must have merits on the other hand, but this does not mean that his brother-in-law's actions can be forgiven.