Cure the cold-faced general by solving crimes

Chapter 104 It was me back then

When Jiang Xihe found Xu Delu at the entrance of Qiaoxi, he was dozing off with his eyes closed.

This time Pei Zhizhao was carrying roast chicken and a wine pot. Xu Delu opened his eyes instantly when he smelled the aroma of wine.

"Master Pei!" Xu Delu was a little confused and asked Jiang Xihe in a low voice, "What are you... I know you are the county magistrate's wife now, what's the matter? You just thought of coming to see me?"

Jiang Xihe didn't expect Xu Delu to recognize Pei Zhizhao, and he didn't hesitate, smiling broadly, "Forget it, the wine and roast chicken are indeed for you, but Mr. Pei and I are here to ask questions."

Xu Delu took it with a smile, and Pei Zhizhao didn't show any airs. He lifted up the hem of his brocade clothes and sat casually in front of the hanging stall.

Xu Delu smiled and said, "There haven't been any lawsuits in the county government recently. Why do you want to come to me?" But his eyes looked at Pei Zhizhao.

Jiang Xihe pointed at the roasted chicken and pursed his lips, "Master Pei bought this for a lot of money. If you know something, you must tell the truth.

Xu Delu originally picked up the jug, then put it down after thinking about it, "In that case, I'm all ears."

Jiang Xihe looked around and lowered his voice, "Five years ago, there was an old case in Ping'an County. A female victim was found at the foot of Qingfeng Mountain. The murderer is still at large. Do you have any impressions?"

Xu Delu's eyes were as wide as copper bells, and he froze on the spot, his face turning red and white. Jiang Xihe was baffled, and saw that his expression was getting worse and worse, "Half-immortal?"

Xu Delu woke up suddenly, his chair tilted in such a panic that he almost sat on the ground.

"Half Immortal, what's wrong with you? Do you know any clues?" Jiang Xihe couldn't believe it.

Is a turning point imminent?

Pei Zhizhao also stared at Xu Delu with a heavy gaze.

"Why are you... why are you asking about this?" Xu Delu calmed down and asked this as the first question.

Jiang Xihe looked at him, "Someone asked me to investigate, hoping to find the murderer and punish him."

Xu Delu looked into the distance and asked eagerly, "Is her family still alive?"

Pei Zhizhao was suddenly startled by these words, and his eyes looked at Xu Delu with a little more scrutiny.

Jiang Xihe followed Xu Delu's words and asked, "How do you know the situation of her family?"

Xu Delu sighed, with tears in his eyes. He lowered his head and suddenly looked at Pei Zhizhao in horror when he remembered something, "Master Pei! You and that girl..."

Xu Delu's eyes opened wider and wider, and finally turned into fear, regret, and guilt.

He looked at Jiang Xihe, "Tell me, what happened? Who asked you to check?" Then he looked at Pei Zhizhao, "Master Pei, I...I..."

Xu Delu hesitated, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to Pei Zhizhao, "Please forgive me, sir. I deserve to be punished."

The sudden turn of events made Pei Zhizhao's heart sink, and Xu Delu's actions aroused the eyebrows of people passing by Qiaoxikou.

Jiang Xihe was slightly sullen and said sternly, "Xu Delu, what nonsense are you talking about? If you keep doing this, how can we talk when everyone gathers around you?"

Xu Delu blushed and begged Pei Zhizhao, "Master Pei, I made a mistake. Please punish me, Master Pei. I admit it all."

Pei Zhizhao was forced to hum, and suddenly realized that things were not simple.

The three of them moved to the teahouse, and Xu Delu finally told the truth, "Master Pei, if I guess correctly, the girl who was killed back then is related to Master Pei, right?"

Jiang Xihe stopped her sternly, "Xu Delu, don't talk nonsense, just say what you know." Xu Delu seemed to know what Jiang Xihe was going to say, and said clearly, "The girl's name was Pei Ruoyun on the customs clearance document back then. You need to restart the investigation now. , I miss this girl..."

Before Xu Delu could finish his words, Pei Zhizhao grabbed his hand.

Xu Delu endured the pain and spoke what was in his heart for five years, "Master Pei, I was the groom who took Miss Pei from Lin'an Mansion to the capital."

These words were like a bolt from the blue, leaving Jiang Xihe and Pei Zhizhao stunned on the spot.

"How could it be such a coincidence, right? After Miss Pei was killed, I never left Pingan County again. I just wanted to find the murderer. Otherwise, if I didn't feel at ease, I would torture myself to death."

"What did you say?" Pei Zhizhao's eyes were filled with turmoil, and his hand holding Xu Delu was trembling.

Xu Delu lowered his eyes, "Yes, it's me. I was the one who put Miss Pei's package next to her. I was the one who went to the city to report to the official. I have been waiting for so many years and never left Ping'an County. It was just because of my accident. , missed her."

Xu Delu's voice was choked with sobs and he was on the verge of tears.

"What's going on? Tell me quickly." Jiang Xihe was angry and anxious.

Xu Delu suppressed his emotions, looked into the distance quietly, and said slowly, "I am from Lin'an Prefecture. I received this job in front of the city gate of Lin'an Prefecture to send Miss Pei to Beijing. We walked for two days and arrived at the foot of Qingfeng Mountain. Suddenly, I I had an urgent need to urinate, so I stopped the car.”

Jiang Xihe never imagined that what happened was like this. The person who experienced that year was actually right in front of her, and that person turned out to be Xu Delu.

Xu Delu continued, "Miss Pei is a girl and I was embarrassed to be convenient, so I walked far away. When I returned to the carriage, I found that Miss Pei was gone. I thought she was also going to be convenient, so I kept waiting and waiting, but no more I didn’t see her come back for a long time, so I felt something was wrong, so I went out to look for someone.”

Pei Zhizhao's eyebrows were cold and calm, as if he wanted to see through Xu Delu.

Xu Delu recalled the details clearly in his mind, "But I searched for an hour, starting from the position of the carriage, and searched everywhere, but I couldn't see anyone at all."

Jiang Xihe then asked, "Have you looked for the place where Sister Pei was found later?"

Xu Delu nodded fiercely, "I looked for it, but no, there was none on the first day, but I didn't dare to leave, holding on to a glimmer of hope, but until noon on the second day, Miss Pei still didn't show up."

"Have you been waiting all night?" Jiang Xihe finally knew that Pei Ruoyun was not killed that day and his body was dumped.

Based on this time, she was tortured, or the murderer tortured her all night before letting her go.

"I was so panicked at the time. Where could Miss Pei go? Her package was still on the carriage."

Recalling that year, Xu Delu's eyes were full of confusion: "So I opened Miss Pei's package and found that her household registration book, money, dry food, and clothes were all there."

"I was so scared. Did something happen to her? So I looked again, and this time I saw Miss Pei under a camphor tree. I was scared to death and ran back to the city to report to the police."

Jiang Xihe lowered his face and listened carefully to Xu Delu's memories of those years while considering the authenticity of his words, "In that case, why did you put Miss Pei's package next to her? Why didn't you take it and hand it to the county magistrate in person?"

Xu Delu shook his head, "You don't know the situation at that time. I was afraid that someone would find the body when I went to the city to report to the official. There were documents in the package, which could know her identity. If I took her package away, I wouldn't be able to tell myself. .”

Jiang Xihe looked at Pei Zhizhao. His brows were furrowed, his long fingers were clenched tightly, and the veins on the back of his hands were bulging.

Regret reappeared in Xu Delu's eyes, "After I reported it to the official, I quickly came back with the police. At that time, I wanted to cooperate with the county magistrate to find the murderer, but unfortunately the case was delayed again and again, for five years."

Xu Delu looked at Pei Zhizhao: "Master Pei, I never thought about leaving. The reason why I set up a stall here is that I hope to get the news one day and catch the murderer."

(End of this chapter)