Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 7 Encounter
On this day, Wang Dianshi was sighing in front of the family hall. His lovely Aunt Hong twisted a towel and wiped his face. She said with heartache: "Master works hard for the people of the county every day. I just wish I could share your worries for you." "

Wang Dianshi's wife, Ling Shi, said with a smile: "I think the price of my concubine's wife has gone up again, which makes me worried. She doesn't think about food or tea. She is really a passionate seed."

"Madam, what you said is wrong. Even the girls in the brothel, there are also those strange women who are not inferior to men. Then Liang Hongyu has to be granted the title of Madam." The speaker was Miss Feng, who was originally a maid of the Ling family. When Aunt Hong came in, she made her acquaintance. She had served her for several years. She was still a girl. The emperor was not short of hungry soldiers, and Miss Feng was no longer as respectful to the Ling family as before.

When the monk scolded the bald man, Aunt Hong, who was born in the Tang Dynasty, blushed with shame and went back to her room sobbing.

On weekdays, Wang Dianshi would always say a few words to defend her, but he didn't have the time to care about this at the moment, so he brushed his sleeves and walked to the locust tree across the courtyard in a daze.

Maybe Wang Dianshi's expression was too sad, and someone came to talk to him again, "Dad, why are you suffering from a difficult and complicated disease?"

The boy who spoke was about fifteen or sixteen years old. He was the youngest son of Wang Dianshi. Wang Heng was born to the Ling family and ranked seventh in the clan.

The friend next to him is called Wang Cai. He is the son of Wang Dianshi, who is slightly younger than Wang Heng.

He is said to be a long-term follower, but he is actually a fellow villager from his hometown in Taicang Prefecture.Because Wang Dianshi failed to study, his cousin Wang Yuanyu got him an assistant official in the same year after he became successful. His family was poor and he couldn't afford the people under him, so he brought a few villagers to make a spectacle.

Wang Dianshi stopped talking, waved his hands and said, "It's not easy to deal with the Yamen's affairs."

Young Wang Heng said: "Ever since Mr. Maolin was transferred from Jinhua Mansion, I'm afraid dad's life will be difficult. Whether he invites his uncle to do sports or we return to our hometown to farm, we have to make arrangements, but now dad still has to deal with it. It’s better to go on an errand.”

Duke Maolin was in the same year as his uncle Wang Yuanyu. Last year he was promoted from the prefect of Jinhua to the chief envoy of Huguang.
Wang Dianshi didn't expect Wang Qi to be somewhat calculating at such a young age, so he couldn't help but hesitate.

Wang Heng said: "One person can think about the shortcomings, and two people can think about the advantages. Why don't you tell your son about it, and he can think of ideas together."

Wang Dianshi then told the story of He Xiucai's disappearance. This strange case had long been spread in the streets, and Wang Heng had also heard people talk about it many times.

He sorted it out carefully in his mind and said: "The two suspects, Shopkeeper Xiaojin, said that they went to Yezhai, Changle Village, Yanshan, with He Xiucai on August [-]th. He Xiucai disappeared and there was no witness. Ye Nineteen said that on August [-]th Liu was alone at home, and because the old servant was on vacation, there were no witnesses. This case seemed strange, but after all, the sky was wide open and there were no leaks. If He Xiucai was harmed, there would always be clues. My son had recently made acquaintance with a very powerful person. Mr. Wei is a talented man. I'll ask him to go over the details together. Maybe he can help dad. If we want to see the suspect, please ask dad to say hello to Li Tou and the others and let us in."

Wang Dianshi nodded and said: "Qi Lang really makes dad happy. I will tell Lao Li later."

Whether the case can be solved or not is still a matter of debate. Qilang has an energy that is willing to do things. He once had it in the past, but it was all gone.

Wang Heng left the house immediately, and Wang Cai followed behind with a basket of sweet-scented osmanthus brown sugar cakes. He walked east through two alleys and arrived at Tongren Pagoda Courtyard to visit Mr. Wei.

Speaking of my acquaintance with Mr. Wei, there is a story.

It was late autumn at that time, and fishing by the stream was quite chilly.

The Chinese tallow tree on the bank produced small cotton-like fruits, which became toys for young Wang Heng and his little friend Wang Cai.They throw them at each other, which is very effective as a game against the cold wind.

The friends have been fishing and having fun here for many days. The difference is that there is a young man by the stream in the past two days. He looks about twenty years old, with a tall and tall body, very white skin, and slightly bright-colored clothes. It's old-fashioned, but it has a different kind of bearing.

The young people must have been observing them. The two friends caught several fat-headed fish before sunset that day, and they were a bit heavy to put in the barrel.

The young man walked over and said, "Are you descendants of the Wang family in Taicang, South Zhili?"

The young man's accent is very strange, but it is indeed Wu dialect, and the young man can understand it.

"Taicang Wang Qi, Wang Dianshi of Lanxi County Government is my father." Wang Heng bowed.

The young man looked up and down and said, "I'm telling you a secret. Although it's a bit shocking, you'd better believe it."

"The Wang family, a giant businessman in Lanxi, owns thousands of salt boats and has countless wealth. Such a huge business empire will collapse next year, their salt boats will be reduced to ashes, and everyone in the county will be implicated. Although your father will not be lost. It is very possible that your whole family will freeze and starve to death in exile, and from now on you brothers will not be able to pass the imperial examination."

The friends were a little at a loss, and the young man patted them on the shoulders and said, "It's still too late for you to break free from this tragic fate. Tomorrow will still be the same time. I'll be waiting for you here." This young man , Mr. Wei from Lanxi Academy, Wei Li, a scholar from Taicang Prefecture in South Zhili.

According to Mr. Wei, he ended up living here due to mysterious and unpredictable opportunities, and accidentally discovered that they were township party members, so he couldn't help but feel close to them, and he was born with some ability to predict the direction of history.

Mr. Wei lived in Tongren Pagoda Yuan and rented a small courtyard in the monastery, which was full of wild flowers and trees. The monk treated him very well and even provided him with meals, but the food in the monastery was a bit bland.

"Osmanthus, lard and brown sugar cake, I love you all." Mr. Wei turned around and closed the courtyard door with a gentle manner.

Wang Cai said happily: "Sir, are you afraid that the monks will come and steal the food?"

Mr. Wei said: "The young man is really clever. After a while, the fragrance of the sweet-scented osmanthus cake drifted over, and the great monk who understood the Dharma was so distracted that he ran over and confessed his sins through the fence. If I am polite to him, I will give him a gift." A few bucks for him, but he is so tired that the great monk is fighting with heaven and man."

Wang Heng chuckled and said, "Sir, that's how narrow-minded you are."

Mr. Wei crossed his legs and said, "I'll just pay you back the sugar rice cakes. I haven't been able to eat anything like glutinous rice for several years, which makes me very melancholy."

Wang Cai said: "Our wife loves to tinker with these things. Sir, you just say it doesn't matter, and it will be done."

Mr. Wei said: "Zuo is just a local product from our countryside, glutinous rice balls stuffed with perilla. Zhejiang people don't like to eat it."

Wang Heng said: "I thought it was a rare thing. This is easy. We used to eat it when we lived in the countryside. But now we have a difficult matter, and we have to ask my husband to help me plan it."

Then he recounted the case of He Xiucai's disappearance that Wang Dianshi was trying from beginning to end, and said: "My father was originally a useless man, but he never harmed the people. Others became officials and moved back to the hometown where they were rich in gold and silver. My family's fertile farmland was passed down from our ancestors." There is nothing left after the sale. Previously, relying on Maolin Gong's influence, he still had a foothold in the county. Now the case of He Xiucai cannot be solved. The He family is powerful and County Master Liu is pressing hard. My father may not be able to keep it. Errand. Since Mr. Da predicted such misfortunes, I think it would be good to go back to my hometown to farm. However, many uncles in my family were jealous when my uncle offered me a job for my father. Now that he cannot handle the errand, he rushes back in despair. From now on, How to be a human being, it is necessary to survive this period. I am here to persuade him to resign and not do anything in order to maintain some dignity."

Mr. Wei heard this and said: "Human life is at stake, not for anything else but for the innocent people not to be wronged. We should not stand idly by."

Wang Heng bowed and said, "Sir, you are very righteous."

Mr. Wei stood up, paced back and forth in the room, and suddenly said, "He Xiucai is nowhere to be seen. The Yamen has detained shopkeeper Xiao Jin and Ye Shijiu. Their confessions are contradictory. It seems very suspicious. One of them must have told a lie." . But if He Xiucai’s disappearance has nothing to do with them, then the government is looking in the wrong direction.”

Wang Heng said: "The He family has offered a reward. If someone else has something to do with He Xiucai, they should have discovered it long ago."

Mr. Wei said: "No one went to He's house to ask for ransom, so he shouldn't have been kidnapped. I think He Xiucai probably suffered an accident. He was in his early twenties. He didn't stay away for several months without reporting to his family." reason."

Mr. Wei continued: "He Xiucai is the financial backer of shopkeeper Xiao Jin. Shopkeeper Xiao Jin has no motive to kill him. Mr. Ye wants to sell his calligraphy and paintings, and there is no motive to kill him."

Wang Cai stated his opinion and said: "Shopkeeper Xiaojin insisted that He Xiucai had gone home. Could it be that someone from the He family killed He Xiucai?"

Wang Heng shook his head and said: "I have also heard people say that the He family is very thin. The only serious owners of the house are He Xiucai and his wife. There is no situation where the nephews and brothers from the side can benefit. The eldest grandma of the He family has always been virtuous. Besides, she is a young lady from an official family, so it seems unlikely that she would murder her husband. Many of the servants of the He family are the old family members left behind by the He family. The He family is wealthy and is now being raised with honor. Even though they are not very loyal, is it possible? She murdered the young master she had served since childhood, and then asked Grandma He to sit on the floor and recruit a husband to serve the new master again? This is unreasonable. "

Mr. Wei said: "The last place where He Xiucai was seen was the old Zhangjia store in Sandongqiao. According to shopkeeper Xiao Jin, it was in Changle Village, Yanshan. Although the Yamen sent Bantou Li and the others to Changle Village once, , but I guess Bantou Li and the others only brought back the land insurance money, and may not have carefully visited Changle Village to see if there are any traces of talents. We might as well follow the route and think carefully about whether the time and place are reasonable."

Wang Heng said: "Sir, you are absolutely right. The sun is facing west today. Let's set off at the west gate tomorrow at the beginning of the morning ([-] o'clock in the morning)."

Wang Cai said: "I will hire some animals for you, so I can go into battle lightly."

"Young man is so considerate." He thought of something for a moment, turned around, took out twenty or thirty coins in a clay pot and handed it to Wang Cai, saying: "You take the money to hire the donkey first."

Although Wang Cai and Wang Heng were both a little shy, Ruan was shy and Mr. Wei was older than them, so they had no choice but to keep the money given by the elder.Fortunately, Mr. Wei was already acquainted with them, and he also knew that Wang Dianshi was not good at running the family. The Yin family only ate a lot of food, and everyone in the family only knew how to use flowers, but Wang Heng was the only one who was very good at being a family.

(End of this chapter)