Judge of the Lamp

Chapter 37 Red Lantern's Court
Shi Chuan's words pushed Meng Shizhen into an extremely disadvantageous situation.

According to Shi Chuan's guess, Xu Zhiqiong is suspected of murder. He was not in Beiyuan at all last night, but went to Wang'an River.
It was the other four lantern bearers who watched the night and lit the lamps, not Xu Zhiqiong at all.

Meng Shizhen lied and deliberately covered up Xu Zhiqiong.

This is to punish Xu Zhiqiong and Meng Shizhen to death.

Meng Shizhen went all out, and he was ready to tell the truth: "Xu Zhiqiong lit the lights last night, I'm all going..."

He wanted to say that they all went to Zhukukulou Tea House to drink tea, and the owner of Zhukukulou Teahouse can testify.

Xu Zhiqiong lit the lamp alone, and Xu Zhiqiong was in Beiyuan all night, so it was impossible to go to Wang'an River.

In the middle of speaking, Xu Zhiqiong took the conversation away.

Saying these words does more harm than good.

He said that all the lights were lit by Xu Zhiqiong, which seemed to prove that Xu Zhiqiong was in Beiyuan all night.

But this also triggered another problem at the same time, Xu Zhiqiong was out of sight of Meng Shizhen and the other Bai Denglang all night.

Would their testimony be valid if it was out of their sight?

Of course, this matter can also be made clear. Xu Zhiqiong was originally honest and honest, and it was normal behavior to light the lamp alone.

But now that Shi Chuan is biting, he doesn't need to reason, he just needs to find loopholes.

It would be a disadvantage for him to expose any flaws and let him bite. The more the focus of disputes, the greater the disadvantage for him.

The focus of the problem must be shifted away from oneself.

Xu Zhiqiong said: "Besides Meng Qingdeng and a few other Bai Dengs, there are people who know that I went to Beiyuan."

Yi Xulou asked, "Who?"

"North Gate City Gate Captain, Wu Shanxing, I passed by the city gate last night and sat down with him for a while."

Yi Xulou nodded and said, "You told me about this person, he is your classmate."

Shi Chuan coughed and said, "Student, this friendship is naturally deep."

He also suspected Wu Shanxing of perjury.

This man is really a vicious dog, Meng Shizhen was so angry that he gritted his teeth, Green Lantern Lang Qiao Shungang couldn't help it anymore: "Shi Chuan, you have such a big mouth, everyone is telling lies, but you are telling the truth?"

Shi Chuan cupped his hands and said, "This subordinate just said it casually, and it doesn't mean that Xu Zhiqiong is guilty."

Meng Shizhen was trembling with anger, turned around and said to Wang Zhennan: "You have a good mouth, tell me for me, you say Shi Chuan is dead, I will find you a new concubine."

Wang Zhennan is known as Wu Xiucai, and his eloquence is one of the best in the yamen.

It's not that he doesn't want to say it, Shi Chuan's mouth is too rascal, it's easy to fall into his trap if he speaks hastily, and he also realizes that the more disputes there are, the more Xu Zhiqiong will suffer.

Xu Zhiqiong said: "At that time, not only Wu Shanxing saw me, but all the guards at the north gate saw it. If they said that all the guards were lying, they would go to the Ministry of War to demand someone and arrest them all!"

Shi Chuan pursed his lips and said, "I, I didn't mean that either..."

I can't hold back this bite, Xu Zhiqiong must have been to Beiyuan, there is no doubt about the city gate captain and ten city guards who testify.

But Shi Chuan wanted to bite again in another place: "When did you meet Wu Shanxing?"

Xu Zhiqiong said: "Two more."

"Have you been drinking?"

"It's cold, I had a few drinks."

Shi Chuan calculated the time: "Second watch, from Beiyuan to Wang'an River, if you walk faster, it will take more than an hour. After finishing the work, it will be four watch."

Meng Shizhen was about to rush up and beat Shi Chuan: "What are you doing? You fucking..."

Wang Zhennan held back from the side.

Shi Chuan hid behind Dong Qingshan, and continued: "This young man, after drinking some wine, is easily impulsive. I'm not saying Xu Zhiqiong is guilty, I just said so casually."

According to his statement, after Xu Zhiqiong and Wu Shanxing drank, they went to Wang'an River and killed Wang Shijie.

It sounds absurd, but some cases are really judged like this.

I feel that this person has a motive and time to commit the crime. If he is dragged to the execution room and beaten to death for several days and nights, he will definitely be able to make a confession.

As for whether the confession is true or not, it doesn't matter, and it doesn't matter if there are any unreasonable things. It is very important to close the case.

Fortunately, Xu Zhiqiong was well prepared: "Someone saw me in Beiyuan."

Yi Xulou asked, "Who else?"

Xu Zhiqiong said: "The proprietress of the white peony tea shop, I went to drink tea in the middle of the night! If Qianhu doesn't believe it, you can ask someone to ask."

Shi Chuan thought for a moment and said: "If you go to Wang'an River in the middle of the night, and hit Wang Shijie in the fifth watch, there is still time."

Wang Zhennan said from the side: "It sounds like you saw it, have you been following Wang Shijie?"

Shi Chuan shook his head and said, "I just said that casually..."

Wang Zhennan took over the conversation and said, "I just said this casually. Although you and Wang Shijie are the closest, even if you stayed with him for one night, you can't say that you killed this person."

Shi Chuan rounded his eyes and said: "What does this have to do with me? I'm talking about Xu Zhiqiong, even if he went to Wang'an River in the middle of the night, there is still time..."

Xu Zhiqiong said: "I didn't go to Wang'an River last night. After drinking tea, I continued to watch the night. On the fourth watch, I went to Second Sister Lin to buy flower cakes. Second Sister Lin can testify."

Shi Chuan pursed his lips and said, "Then, after your fourth watch..."

"After the fourth watch, I continued to watch the night, and at the fifth watch I went to Goulan."

"You went to Goulan?" Meng Shizhen was surprised.

Shi Chuan shouted: "Is it the Goulan of Qiaotouwa City?"

Wang Zhennan stomped his feet and thought: This idiot really went to Wang'an River last night?

Lu Yinpeng turned straight in a hurry. If he knew this kid wanted it so much, he wouldn't have robbed him last night.

Xu Zhiqiong said calmly, "I went to the Peach Blossom Shed in Beiyuanwa City, and watched the dance there."

"Peach Blossom Shed?" Meng Shizhen was taken aback, "Are you going to that poor place too?"

Xu Zhiqiong sniffled and said, "It's pretty good there, and the owner of Taohua Shed can testify for me."

Wang Zhennan looked at Shi Chuan and said, "What do you say this time? Xu Zhiqiong stayed in Beiyuan all night."

Shi Chuan still wanted to continue to bite: "If it's the fifth watch..."

Yang Wu quit: "Shi Denglang, Wang Denglang's body was already seen at the fifth watch! Don't you know about this?"

Shi Chuan pursed his lips and said, "I wasn't there at the time, so it really was..."

Wang Zhennan got the chance and asked, "Shi Denglang, where did you go?"

Shi Chuan was taken aback: "I went to light the lamp at that time!"

Wang Zhennan said: "Who can prove that you have lit the lamp?"

Shi Chuan said in amazement: "Dong Qingdeng testified for me, he asked me to light the lamp, and I lit both lamps."

Wang Zhennan said: "The two lamps were turned on in a blink of an eye. With so much time left, where have you been?"

Shi Chuan went to Zuiyu Pavilion last night and got drunk all night in the clouds and rain, but he couldn't say that.

"Wang Denglang, what does it matter to you where I went last night? I have a good relationship with Wang Shijie, and you actually suspect me?"

Wang Zhennan said: "Because you were acquainted with him, Wang Shijie was defenseless when he died, did not fight, and did not call for help. Do you think this is the reason?"

Shi Chuan said angrily, "What's the point?"

Wang Zhennan said: "I'm not saying that you must have done this. I'm just saying this. Although the murderer looks like you, it may be someone else."

"You!" Shi Chuan's veins jumped up and he couldn't think of how to refute for a while.

Meng Shizhen was so happy in her heart: "Old Wang, let me find you a concubine first."

Qingdeng Lang Dong Qingshan hurried out to smooth things over: "Talk too much, talk too much, these are all angry words, just now Shi Chuan said something wrong, please don't mind."

"Don't talk about your mother! How can you say you don't mind!" Green Lantern Lang Qiao Shun was furious earlier, "This is a trial! I will say that Shi Chuan did it now! I say he killed someone!"

Xiao Songting knew Qiao Shungang's temper, he was wronged, and hurried forward to comfort him: "Old Qiao, blame me for this matter, blame me, Shi Chuan owes me, I will definitely give you an explanation in the future."

"Tell me!" Qiao Shun just pushed Xiao Songting away, stepped forward and grabbed Shi Chuan, "I said today that you killed someone, are you not convinced?"

Shi Chuan was so scared that he peed his pants: "Qiao Baihu, I just said it casually, calm down, calm down!"

There was a commotion in the main hall, and the red light Yi Xulou's blood pressure was about to explode.

"Stop it!" The old red lantern roared, and everyone fell silent.

Yi Xulou pointed to Wu Zuo and said, "We have collected Wang Shijie's body and examined it carefully. All the lantern bearers are resting in the small house, and they are not allowed to leave the yamen!"

He felt that what Shi Chuan said was right, he believed that this matter was done by an acquaintance, Xu Zhiqiong was the most suspected, and the others had to control it first.

Yi Xulou selected a few confidants, took the two green lights involved, Xiao Songting and Qiao Shungang, and went to Beiyuan first.

It stands to reason that the witness should be referred to the yamen for questioning in the yamen.

But this matter is no small matter, Yi Xulou interrogated on the spot, and did not give the other party a chance to figure out the confession.

When they arrived at Beiyuan, Yi Xulou went to the city gate first, and Wu Shanxing was resting in the camp. When he heard that the red lantern man came to ask questions, he hurried forward and answered: "Xu Zhiqiong came here last night and had two glasses of rice wine with the humble worker. It's a mistake to be greedy."

Yi Xulou asked, "When did he come?"

Ng Sam Sing replied: "At the second watch, I remember hearing the bang sound, it's usually around this time."

Yi Xulou cupped his fists, Wu Shanxing returned the salute, and Hong Denglang went to the white peony tea shop again.

There was no business during the day, and the proprietress was dozing off in the back room, and asked the waiter to look after her. When she heard that the Red Lantern was coming, the little lady was so frightened that she was sweating, and it took a while to understand the question: "Ask Xu Denglang? Xu Denglang has been here and has a cup of tea every night."

"When did you come?"

"This, this..." The little lady thought for a long time, and suddenly remembered that Xu Zhiqiong asked the time last night, "It's more than three, and it will take a while to walk over."

There is no problem with the testimony of the Baishaoyao tea shop.

Yi Xulou went to Second Sister Lin's flower cake shop again. Although Second Sister Lin was a girl, she was naturally calm and calm, and she didn't panic when she saw Lantern Lantern.

Yi Xulou asked: "Xu Zhiqiong, the white lamp man in charge of the yamen, did you come to your place last night?"

Second Sister Lin nodded and said, "Come here, I bought a catty of multi-flower cake."

Yi Xulou asked again: "Do you remember when you came here?"

"On the fourth watch, the watchman just left."

Second Sister Lin's testimony is also fine.

Finally, I arrived at Beiyuan Washe, Peach Blossom Shed.

Peach Blossom Shed had no performances during the day, the boss and the dancers were all asleep, leaving only one guy to watch the door outside.

Seeing Red Lantern, the man thought he was having a nightmare, so he slapped himself a few times, but found that it was not a dream, and his body went limp, kneeling on the ground and shivering non-stop.

Yi Xulou asked: "Xu Zhiqiong, the white lamp man in charge of the yamen, did you come here last night?"

"Hey, hey..." The guy opened his mouth, but couldn't close it, and couldn't speak clearly.

"Come or not?"

"Hi, hi evening!" (Come on, come in the evening)

"What do you mean?"

"Xu Deng, hi, hi tonight!"

Hearing his babbling nonsense, Yi Xulou was furious: "Lang Lantern! Hold the lantern!"

Gong Taijin, the man of the green lantern, took out a three-foot iron box, pulled the mechanism, and released forty-eight red lanterns, divided into twenty-four on the left and right, and took out a lantern for the court.

The row of red lantern man is much bigger than that of blue lantern man, and the one holding the light for him is not white lantern man, but green lantern man, Gong Taijin, a seventh-rank cultivator of the Mohist school.

Yi Xulou has not held a lamp for many years, and under the lanterns on both sides, there is an invisible wall, which is the Biaozhi Iron Wall, which looks no different from Qingdenglang's Biaochi Iron Wall.

But now it's daytime, but inside the iron wall it's night,
The sky is pitch black, the red lights are shining brightly, the dark clouds are rolling with lightning and thunder, and the wind is whistling, and smoke and dust are everywhere. This court with lights is like moving hell to the world.

Looking outside, I was terrified.

Looking inside, the soul flies away.

The man was frightened out of his wits, and passed out directly above the lantern court. Yi Xulou was furious, and ordered the lantern man to arrest all the people in the fence.

The boss, the dancer, the handyman, and the cook were all arrested. In the courtroom, only the boss could speak.

"Xu Denglang has been here, every night, last night too!" The boss spoke in a miserable tone, but at least he articulated clearly.

Yi Xulou shouted, "When did you come here!"

The sound was like a thunderbolt falling from the sky.

In fact, this is a thunderstorm. If Yi Xulou suspects that the boss is lying, he can kill the shop boss with just a roar.

"What, when, when..." The shop owner really couldn't remember, when Xu Zhiqiong came, he fell asleep.

Yi Xulou shouted: "Give me torture!"

A red light floated over Yi Xulou's head, and it was filled with hot oil, which was about to fall on the boss.

The boss screamed, and suddenly heard a dancer say: "I remember, I remembered, Xu Denglang came at five o'clock last night, I heard the sound of clapper, Xu Denglang asked me to rub my legs, and I rubbed both of them." After that, Xu Denglang fell asleep and left before dawn, what the girl said was the truth!"

The dancer remembered this scare.

The buddy also woke up, "That's right, it's the fifth watch!"

The testimonies of all parties are clear. In addition, there are twelve night vigil lights that can be used as physical evidence.

There are many marks on the night watch lights!

Xu Zhiqiong's suspicion was cleared.

Who could it be if it wasn't Xu Zhiqiong?
Since this matter has nothing to do with Xu Zhiqiong, it also proves that it has nothing to do with Beiyuan, so we can only go to Wang'an River.

Yi Xulou ordered the lights to be turned off, and led the crowd to Wang'an River. They searched the place where the body was found all afternoon, but found nothing.

Who would do this?

Is it really Shi Chuan's thief calling for a thief?

Old Hong Deng clutched his forehead and became dizzy for a while, when suddenly a Qing Deng man came to report: "Wu Qianhu has returned to the yamen."

(End of this chapter)