Little Detective of the Tang Dynasty: What to do if you are beheaded at the beginning?

"You mean, this is a case of manslaughter?"

"This is just my guess, not necessarily, the key is to collect evidence."

Di Renjie and Song Zhen came to the prison and met Dong Feng.

"Two officials, I really didn't kill my wife!"

Dong Feng ran over and grabbed the prison door, eager to seek justice.

"I know you are anxious, but don't be anxious yet."

How can I not be anxious? Killing people will cost you your head.

Song Zhen said: "I was standing on the guillotine at that time. Do you think I was anxious? Young man, be calm and learn from me."

Dong Feng: "..."

Di Renjie shouted expressionlessly: "Confess and be lenient, resist and be strict."

Although this sentence was not proposed until 1952 in modern times, it is similar to the "Tang Law Commentary" that "those who surrender before committing crimes will be pardoned."

Of course, there is a fundamental difference between the two sentences.

In the modern era, people who surrendered before committing a crime were treated leniently, while in the Tang Dynasty, they were directly pardoned.

Di Renjie often heard Song Zhen say this sentence, and he thought it made sense, so he used it as a catchphrase.

However, he did not expect that this sentence would save his life in his later years.

Dong Feng was silent for a while, and then sat in the corner.

"I left Bingzhou three years ago and went to nearby Shizhou to prepare for the township tribute examination."

Song Zhen interrupted curiously: "Wait, why didn't you take the exam in Bingzhou?"

Dong Feng sighed helplessly: "Bingzhou is an upper state, with many talents. Who can compete with the Wang family of Taiyuan? I had no choice but to go to the lower state."

"......" Isn't this the same as the Henan students in later generations? The college entrance examination is in hell mode.

I understand, just like running from Henan to Tibet to take the exam, smart.

"Then, I took the exam for three years, and finally passed the township examination last year and obtained the certificate of passing."

The imperial examination in the early Tang Dynasty was divided into township examination and state examination, which can be understood as a county examination and a provincial examination.

The provincial examination was divided according to the regions of Henan Road, Hebei Road, Hedong Road, etc. Bingzhou and Shizhou both belonged to Hedong Road.

Don't think it's simple. The ancient imperial examination was like a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge.

Even Di Renjie took the exam for many years before he passed the Mingjing exam.

However, maybe he was stubborn and might have chosen to fight with the monsters of Taiyuan Wang family in Bingzhou.

In other words, if Dong Feng had not gone to Shizhou to take the county examination, he probably wouldn't have passed the first level.

After the provincial examination, the imperial examination winners went through the "guan test" (also known as the quan test) of the Ministry of Personnel. Only those who passed were qualified to be officials.

At this time, you can congratulate yourself. You have gloriously become a civil servant to be registered in the Tang Dynasty. Go home and wait for news.

Of course, if you are eager to serve the country, you can also choose to participate in the "Boxue Hongci" or "Shupan Bacui" of the Ministry of Personnel, and you will be assigned a position immediately after passing the examination.

Dong Feng continued: "I signed up for the Quan exam after the autumn, so I went home for a while."

"Wait, Quan exam? Did you pass the provincial exam?"

"Yes, why would I go home if I didn't pass?"

The provincial exam rankings are generally announced in February of the following year, and those who are admitted are called "Jidi".

Now it is mid-to-late February, which means that Dong Feng should have just returned home not long ago.

Song Zhen is very interested in the imperial examination. He asked curiously: "Wait, isn't there another Quan exam? Why did you suddenly go home?"

"The provincial exam is a selection, and the Quan exam is a pass. Which one do you think is more difficult?"

I think it makes sense! In short, it is almost equivalent to landing.

Dong Feng may have felt that his answer was not good, so he added: "In fact, I also study at home. I get up at Yinshi every day and go to the pavilion by the river to read until Youshi (17 o'clock) before going back."

Song Zhen sighed and silently gave a thumbs up.

Reading for more than ten hours in a row is really not something that ordinary people can do.

Di Renjie seemed to have thought of something, and he asked: "What about your wife?"

"She usually does farm work."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am sure."

"Is she at home when you go back?"

"Yes, sometimes when I go back, the food is ready."

Di Renjie shook his head. This is unreasonable. Farmers usually work at sunrise and rest at sunset.

Youshi is exactly sunset. There is no reason to go home so soon?

Song Zhen also thought of it. He whispered: "You said you went to Shizhou to take the exam for three years?"

"Yes."

Three years, three years, do you know how your wife spent these three years?

Don't blame Song Zhen for thinking about other things. Three years is enough to change many things and people's hearts.

Di Renjie: "Okay, go on. Tell me what you have seen recently or what you think is strange.Tell me everything that happened."

Dong Feng leaned against the wall, he looked at the ceiling, recalled for a while and answered.

"Strange things, there are also, I have been having nightmares some time ago."

"I dreamed that I was riding a horse to the south to cross the river, and when I came back, I crossed the river to the north, and then went from north to south. I don't know what happened, the horse suddenly stopped in the water, even if I whipped it with a whip, it didn't leave, just stayed in the water."

"I was very scared, I was at a loss at the time." When talking about this dream, Dong Feng's face showed a very obvious expression of fear.

"Then I looked down and saw two suns in the water!"

"Two suns?" Di Renjie and Song Zhen were puzzled, not knowing what it meant.

"Then what?"

Dong Feng suddenly screamed: "Oh, there's more! I was riding a horse in the water at the time, but the weird thing was that only the left side of the horse was wet, while the right side was black and dry!"

"Langguan, do you think it's scary? "

Horrible? Song really wanted to laugh. You are too timid. I have dreamed of scarier dreams.

I suddenly found myself turning into a beautiful woman one day. Several good friends in the dormitory were standing beside my bed, staring at my body.

Finally...

Isn't it scarier than your dream?

Di Renjie didn't understand what Dong Feng was saying at all. He subconsciously thought, what can this dream explain? Nothing.

Gods and Buddhas sent dreams? Sorry, he doesn't believe it.

Dong Feng's eyes were erratic. He hugged his body and stammered: "Then I dreamed for several days. Later, I went to consult an old man in the village. He was good at fortune-telling."

"So he told me a fortune and frowned immediately."

"He told me not to drink alcohol and stay away from pillows for the next few days. "

Di Renjie and Song Zhen looked at each other and saw the solemnity in each other's eyes.

This sounds a bit outrageous.

But, it seems that there is nothing wrong.

Song Zhen took a breath, he touched his chin and thought, is there really such a magical person?

"Who is the old man who helped you interpret the dream?"

Dong Feng shook his head and said: "After that day, I couldn't find him, and other people didn't know where he went."

Di Renjie asked: "Do you know who reported you for murder?"

"Of course I know, my late wife's brother, he has always had a prejudice against me, thinking that I am away from home all day, and thinks that I should not think about passing the imperial examinations for a stupid person like me, and it is better to spend more time with my family."

"In fact, I also feel sorry for my late wife. Over the years, I have indeed neglected to take care of her."

"She left, and I am really heartbroken. "

As he spoke, Dong Feng lowered his head in shame, his eyes slightly reddened.

......