Volume 1 Battle in the Sand Garden Chapter 40 The Soul is Not Far Away
What Qin Zhong said was incredible.
How could he go to pay homage at night? Chen Ping's face suddenly darkened, feeling that Qin Zhong was teasing him. For Fan's sake, he didn't have an attack on the spot and sat down slowly. An unsophisticated young man had his own way.
There is no need to become a bad person yourself if you are taught by your teacher.
Fan Zhongwen was stunned for a moment, and then he began to ponder. In his recent impression, Qin Chong had a strong mind and was by no means a reckless person. Once he used the Analects of Confucius to defeat the troubled scholars; and again, in today's court hearing, he had already done so.
The evidence was in hand, but he had to wait until the last moment before he was willing to show it.
Why is this? There is a saying in the art of war, which is to lure the enemy deep into the enemy.
He wanted to see what kind of web the people behind the scenes had woven. Then, based on the clues, he could easily find out the person who framed him. How could such a scheming person be reckless?
"Tell me, why do we need to pay homage at night?" Master Liu said.
"Sir, Qin Zhong does have a plan." Qin Zhong bowed and continued, "Although it has been found out that A'e's death has nothing to do with me. However, we must find out who forced A'e to die.
clear."
"How do you want to check?" Chen Ping interjected and asked.
"There is a god three feet above your head." Qin Zhong raised his hand and pointed to the sky with a stern expression. "A weak woman was first paid off by her brother-in-law, and then was forced to throw herself into a well. How innocent can she be?"
"Qin Chong, the law does not convict people based on words." Chen Ping understood Qin Chong's thoughts and said, "Even if someone really made sarcastic remarks and caused A'e to commit suicide by throwing herself into a well, I, the Song Dynasty Law, cannot find him guilty."
"The county magistrate is a clear guide." Qin Chong knew that the law does not incriminate people based on words. However, because of this, Qin Chong became even more angry. "Although he cannot be convicted, he is frightened every night and condemned every day."
Chen Ping took a breath of air and looked at Qin Zhong again. Is this a young man? It seems that he has been bullied, and his heart is full of hatred and hostility. He is frightened every night and condemned every day. Who can bear this?
This is probably more cruel than killing him. Just thinking about it made Chen Ping feel cold on his back.
"Hmm." Master Liu coughed and stood up, "Confucius said, repay evil with kindness, how can we repay kindness? Repay evil with straightness, repay kindness with kindness. Although Qin Zhong's words are biased, they are still a way of deterrence."
Master Liu has always been upright and hates evil as much as he hates evil. What Qin Zhong said was exactly what he wanted. Ru Qingqing was so contrary to human ethics that he dared to pay off his sister-in-law's gambling debts, but the law could not help him. He could even force someone to death, but he could still do it.
Get away with it and not be punished. If everyone was like this, wouldn't the world be in chaos?
Moral condemnation is also a Confucian teaching method.
The weight of Master Liu's words was naturally far greater than that of Qin Chong. Chen Ping opened his mouth and closed it knowingly. For such a thing, it didn't matter whether he went during the day or at night. However, according to the usual custom,
It’s just that no one does this. What’s more, it adds another layer of shock.
The memorial ceremony was decided like this. Since the county magistrate was going to go, the county magistrate and his gang had to follow. They had to notify Xiaodongzhuang in advance and make preparations. It was almost noon, and the meal was supposed to be served.
time. There are a lot of things waiting to be done now, don’t even eat, and get busy working one by one.
"San Bao'er." Qin Zhong called San Bao'er and ordered, "Go and get a table of good food."
Today's Qin Chong is no longer as straightforward as he once was, and he is very quick-thinking.
When he saw the meal was served, he hurriedly served the food. He couldn't let the county magistrate and the two wives go to Xiaodongzhuang hungry, right? Besides, he himself had not eaten water or rice for several days, and he was already hungry. Moreover, The two masters are here today, and they just take this opportunity to get close to the county magistrate.
Chen Ping accompanied Fan and Liu to a side hall to sit and drink tea. Qin Chong finally got out and rushed to the yamen gate. The people had finished watching the excitement and were leaving in all directions. Where could there be that beautiful figure in the crowd? Qin Zhong looked around for a long time, sighed in disappointment, and his mood fell to the bottom.
"Boy." A lazy voice came from behind Qin Chong.
Qin Zhong turned his head in confusion, and was suddenly overjoyed. He rushed over in three or two steps. Old Gui, He Wu'er, and the veterans of the Xiaoqi Battalion, more than a dozen people squatted in the corner, looking at Qin Zhong with a smile. They didn't Wearing a military uniform, he was dressed like an ordinary citizen. He had a bulging body behind him, obviously carrying weapons.
"What are you doing with this guy?" Qin Zhong asked, squinting as he was used to them.
"The old ghost wants to rob the prison." Someone said with a smile. As soon as he finished speaking, the old ghost kicked him on the butt.
"Old ghost, are you so nice to me?" Qin Chong also smiled.
"Huh." The old ghost turned his head and ignored Qin Zhong.
Qin Chong chuckled and squeezed to sit next to the old ghost. His eyes suddenly turned red and he quickly lowered his head to cover it up, but the heat in his heart still rushed up to his throat, making him choke even more and speechless.
The old ghost wants to rob the prison, which sounds like a joke. However, Qin Zhong knows that the old ghost probably thinks so, otherwise he would not come with weapons today. Once Qin Zhong is sentenced to prison, they really dare to break in Go and rescue Qin Chong, and then fly far and wide into the sky.
These rough guys don't have so many calculations. They treat a person well and dare to go through blood and fire.
"What a bad idea." Qin Zhong muttered, but tears overflowed from his eyes.
"Let's go, let's go, go back." He Wu'er shouted and stood up to block Qin Zhong. The man was bleeding but did not shed tears. Qin Chong's crying look was embarrassing. If these rough guys saw it, they would definitely laugh at him for half a year.
"We are not here in vain. One person and one jar of good wine cannot be left behind." The old ghost patted Qin Zhong on the head, and suddenly his face changed like a profiteer, his eyes widened, and he shouted loudly.
"That's enough, that's enough." Qin Zhong calmed down and responded repeatedly.
"Is everything settled here?" He Wuer asked.
"There is still a finishing touch." Qin Chong chuckled and told the story of laying a memorial ceremony for A'e at night.
"It's really hateful that the Gao family forced people to die." Someone said angrily.
"What kind of memorial can be done to scare them every night?" Some people couldn't figure it out.
"What else can I do? Just pretend to be a god." The old ghost curled his lips disdainfully, having already seen through Qin Zhong's trick. He patted the dirt on his body, turned around and left. He Wu'er and others waved their hands at Qin Zhong and left one after another.
After watching the old ghost and others leave, Qin Zhong took a long breath, cheered up, and returned to the Yamen.
At noon, all preparations were completed and we left the city for Xiaodongzhuang.
Xiaodongzhuang is not far from the county seat, only four or five miles away. The county magistrate Chen Ping, as well as two wives, Fan and Liu, are riding in a carriage. Behind the carriage, He Yangyang is following a large group of people. Not only the Yamen officials, but also There were gentry and wealthy people, all accompanied by the county magistrate. After that, there were hundreds of people watching the excitement.
Xiaodongzhuang had been notified, and Baozheng led the village elders to greet him from a distance.
Behind them, there were fifty or sixty men and women, all from Xiaodongzhuang village, including the Gao family. After hearing the news in advance, the villagers were all trembling with fear. The idea of paying homage at night was very interesting, but this was a county
It was decided that no one dared to question it. When they saw the large group of people, they became even more panicked.
"Son." Suddenly, an old woman rushed out of the crowd and cried loudly.
This was Qing Qing's mother, Mrs. Tian. The sudden sight of Qing Qing was like a bolt from the blue. He was wearing shackles and was being held behind a carriage. He fell countless times along the way. His clothes were stained with mud and water, and his hair was disheveled and miserable.
Seeing his mother's figure, Qingqing struggled and screamed, "Mother, mother."
Tian was stopped by the government officials and could not get even half a step closer to the carriage.
"Why are you arresting my son? Why are you arresting my son?" Tian cried, looking panicked.
"The high-ranking man is falsely accused and has been detained. The sentence will be announced at a later date." A burly man, wearing civilian clothes, walked over with his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice. When the surrounding government officials saw him coming forward, they all bowed and saluted.
"I've met Lieutenant Cai County." Baozheng hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.
"Yes." Cai County Lieutenant nodded, in response to Baozheng, and looked at Tian, "Quickly get out of the way, the County Lord is here to pay homage to your daughter-in-law A'e, go back and get ready."
Tian was stunned when he heard this, in bewilderment and disbelief.
After a long while, he finally came back to his senses, wailed and sat down on the ground, crying with snot and tears. "You captured my son, how will this old woman live?"
She was blocking the road and crying, which finally alerted Chen Ping.
He stuck his head out of the car and asked, "What happened and why did you stop?"
Cai Xianwei walked a few steps quickly, approached the car window, and briefly explained the situation. Chen Ping suddenly frowned.
"Perhaps he heard the news, so he blocked the road and caused trouble." Captain Cai Xian was quite experienced.
Chen Ping nodded, thinking the same thing. The younger son falsely accused him of rebelling and would definitely be punished. The eldest daughter-in-law was forced to commit suicide by throwing herself into a well. She, the mother-in-law, was naturally the most suspicious. At this time, people were most taboo about family scandals being publicized. Because once word got out,
The neighbors are buzzing with gossip and chatter, and I can't even raise my head to see anyone.
She must have made such a fuss because she didn't want people to enter the village and took the opportunity to disrupt the memorial ceremony.
"Take the person away and take him to the cemetery." Cai County Lieutenant ordered.
"Yes." Several government officials responded, walked over to pick up Tian, and left.
At this time, the sky was already dark, the heat was receding, and the coolness was coming. I walked along a poplar forest for about a quarter of an hour, but I still hadn't reached the place. The road became increasingly difficult to walk, winding and overgrown with weeds. From time to time in the forest, there were sounds.
The birds chirped in strange tunes. In such a desolate place, my scalp was numb for no reason.
The oppression of the darkness made people feel nervous. Fortunately, at this moment, Baozheng, who was leading the way, lit a torch. The flickering light of the fire illuminated the narrow path and made everyone feel relieved. The torches were lit one after another, and they continued to grow.
The long fire dragon and the bright surroundings finally gave it a little more vitality.
Qin Zhong supported Fan and Liu, one foot deep and one foot shallow, and walked forward slowly.
Now, I'm afraid everyone is scolding him, and Qin Chong knows it. However, it doesn't matter to him. Because everyone who comes here has their own purpose. The county leader wants to gain official reputation, the subordinates want to flatter the superior, and the gentry wants to get close to him.
The government and businessmen want to please the officials. Who is really here for A'e?
There were only two masters who were very simple-minded and wanted to educate the people.
After walking for more than a moment, we finally arrived at the end of the field, a remote grassy hill.
"That's it?" Chen Ping suppressed it all the way and then became furious.
At this time, the world attaches great importance to the matter of the Yin House. If the family has the slightest conditions, they will build the Yin House properly, and they will also seek the guidance of a Feng Shui master to find the place where the wind and Qi are stored. The Gao family is not poor, and although the population is not prosperous,
But he also has a house, land, and a tofu workshop, so he can't even afford a cemetery.
It was so hasty and perfunctory, buried in this messy grass hill, and no tombstone was erected?
"Is this the cemetery of the Gao family?" Chen Ping asked Baozheng with a bad look.
"The ancestral grave of the Gao family is not here." Baozheng lowered his head, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Why is A'e buried here?"
"This? This?" Baozheng was very hesitant and didn't know how to answer.
"Did A'e make a big mistake?"
"Never."
"Is there anything unfilial?"
"No." Baozheng fell to his knees on the ground.
"Hmph." Chen Ping snorted coldly and said, "Go and bring all the Gao family here."
After a while, everyone in the Gao family was brought over. There were three brothers from the Gao family, four generations old, middle, young and young, totaling more than 40 people. Tian was among them, bowing his head and saying nothing. The others had different expressions.
, some were trembling, some were indifferent, some were ashamed, and some were panicked, just like opening a dyeing workshop.
"Who is in charge of the Gao family?" Chen Ping asked.
When an old man in the front row heard this, he took two trembling steps forward and bent down to salute.
"The younger brother, Gao Tai, has met the county magistrate."
"I would like to ask you why A'e is buried here?"
"This, this." Gao Tai stumbled, his face flushed, but he couldn't answer for a long time.
"That bitch doesn't follow the rules of a woman, so she won't be able to enter the ancestral grave."
Chen Ping frowned and followed the sound, but it was Tian who was speaking. At this moment, he was staring at the grave in the distance, his face full of anger. Gao Tai's beard trembled for a while, he turned around and shouted angrily, "Shut up."
"How could A'e not be a woman? It's not because she was harmed by your son." Not far from Tian's side, another middle-aged woman said. After saying that, she curled her lips in disdain, with a look of disgust on her face.
"You filthy bastard, let's see if I don't tear your mouth apart." Tian felt as if her tail had been stepped on, and her hair suddenly exploded. She rushed over and slapped her. The two women refused to give in, grabbed their hair and tore them until they were beaten.
one place.
The two of them each had their own interests, and each one came to help. Some were arrogant, and some were shady. More and more people were involved, and the situation became bigger and bigger. I don’t know which woman suffered a loss and actually provoked the man.
He took action. This was great. Men from other families also rushed over. They screamed and cursed, and there was a big chaos.
Chen Ping's eyes widened and he was stunned. He had never seen such a battle before.
Qin Chong watched coldly, feeling more and more worthless for A'e. He walked silently to the grave and looked at the small handful of loess. In just a few days, many weeds had grown up, swaying in the wind, and it was hard to understand.
.In a daze, Qin Zhong seemed to see A'e again, still the same as that night, with helpless eyes and desolate shoulders.
"Sister-in-law A'e, your soul is still alive, look at these bastards." Qin Zhong said softly, but his heart felt like a ball of flames, wishing it could burst out and burn all the evil in the world.
Suddenly, a shrill scream came from the forest.
"Give me back my life." The sharp female voice had a long vibrato.
In an instant, the chaotic crowd suddenly became quiet. Everyone looked at the forest in horror, and their whole bodies began to sift chaff. The scream was extremely clear and high-pitched, and everyone heard it. Many timid people had already begun to scream.
He fled far away. When everyone was feeling anxious, a white shadow suddenly floated up from the forest.
"Give me back my life." The shrill cry seemed to come from the Nine Netherworld.
"Mother." At this moment, all men, women and children, old and young, were heartbroken and ran away like crazy.
Qin Chong had a smile on his lips and thought to himself, "Good luck Yun Ni, you are indeed here."