soon.
The shop owner Wang Hou, the cook Wang Ahe, the waiters Xiao Er, the waiters Xiao Wu, and the waiters Xiao Qi came to Dong Ba's room under the escort of the Yamen servants.
Ren Changyi was the best at dealing with the common people. He raised his belly and showed his official authority, saying coldly: "The murderous thief is among you. If you dare to commit crimes in our Fengqiu realm, I will make you regret it!"
The store owner Wang Houzhan was trembling with fear, and Wang Ahe's eyes were even redder. He had obviously cried. For a woman, what she had experienced in the past two days was like the sky falling.
At this time, after hearing such words, the two of them were even more shocked and fell down suddenly: "The county magistrate is wise! We didn't do anything. We are unjust! We are unjust!"
Seeing the store owner kneeling down, the three boys also immediately knelt down and huddled together.
Ren Changyi didn't accept this trick at all: "Stop pretending, if you want to survive, tell the truth! Who brought the wine from the kitchen to Dong Ba on the second floor the night before yesterday!"
The five of them froze. Among them, the waiters Xiao Er and Xiao Wu immediately looked at the store owner Wang Hou, and Wang Hou's expression changed drastically: "Yes...it's me!"
"Okay! It's you indeed! Take it!"
Seeing that the officials on the left and right were suppressing Wang Hou firmly, Ren Changyi dared to walk up to him and said coldly: "Tell me! Why did you want to kill Dong Ba? Was it because he scolded you that day and you had a grudge and drank it in the wine?" Drugged him, then sneaked into the room late at night and killed Dong Ba?"
Wang Hou didn't dare to struggle, and his face was full of despair: "I have been receiving and sending you off all day long, and how can I never get a look at you? How can I hold grudges against such things? Sending you fine wine is just what my wife said. I wanted to make that official disappear. Calm down!"
Ren Changyi was startled and quickly took a few steps back and looked at Wang Ahe: "Did you suggest that your man send the wine over?"
In comparison, Wang Ahe was much calmer: "If you don't drink the Chen family's fine wine after it's warmed, you won't ask for it again. When I was a cook at Zhangjiayuan, the capital, I met many noble people. They were all like this." He is very particular...and the official was very vicious. The servants were afraid that he would cause trouble again, so they wanted to use wine to please..."
Ren Changyi looked at the three guys again: "That's you!"
Xiao Er and Xiao Wu kowtowed: "It's unfair! It's unfair! We didn't do anything!"
Ren Changyi looked left and right, showing an irritated look.
Everyone thought he was lying, but it didn't sound like there were any flaws...
Investigating cases like this is so annoying!
As a last resort, he turned to Di Jin and forced out a smile: "Di Liulang, what do you want to ask?"
Di Jin had been watching and saw that the county captain had learned nothing. He took over the right to speak unceremoniously and first asked Wang Hou: "What did you do in the capital? Why did you come here to open an inn?"
Wang Hou trembled and said: "To be honest, Xiucai Gong, I worked as a shopkeeper in a footwear shop in the capital. The footwear shop couldn't open and closed. I was thinking about opening a shop of my own. An acquaintance happened to tell me that this footwear shop in Fengqiu The inn is for sale, the location is good and the price is reasonable..."
Di Jin said: "Since the location is good, why is it transferred in such a hurry? Is there any death involved?"
Wang Hou was anxious: "I asked about it! There was no death. The previous owner gave birth to an unfilial son who was addicted to gambling and was detained in a gambling house. The couple had no choice but to transfer the inn to save the son. At that time, there were others vying for it, but the younger one just felt that the opportunity was rare, so he went to the Daxiangguo Temple and asked for some money..."
Wang Ahe next to him said: "The elder brother of the Nu family became a monk in Wutai Mountain and has a close relationship with Xiangguo Temple. Only by knowing an eminent monk can he ask for money..."
"The monk from Mount Wutai...could he still be a warrior monk?"
When Di Jin was on his way, he had chatted with his sister about the skills of the Wutai Mountain monks. Now he saw a relevant person and looked at the three guys huddled in the corner: "Are they hired?"
Wang Houdao said: "They were left by the previous family. I will bear the hiring fee as well. They are familiar with the work of this inn, so I have not replaced them."
Di Jin said: "Are the three of us brothers?"
Wang Hou said: "They are not brothers. This one ranks second at home, he ranks fifth at home, and the youngest one ranks seventh. That's how they are called. It's easy to remember..."
Di Jin specifically pointed at Xiao Qi: "He is ugly and disabled. Why did you keep him and let him run the hall? Aren't you afraid of surprising the guests?"
Wang Hou said bitterly: "The three of them are just two people's wages. This kid eats very little. I thought he was pitiful, so I kept him... I only feed the horses in the stables on weekdays, and don't go to the lobby. It was really hard the day before yesterday." It was because we were short of manpower that we asked him to help..."
To put it simply, it means using a disabled child to work for free. It is naturally tempting for the couple who took out a loan to open a shop. But then again, there was no such thing as child labor in ancient times. They can take in this disabled child and give him a meal. Eat, it is indeed a good intention.
But now Wang Hou, the store owner, felt that his kindness was not rewarded, and muttered: "Who knew this kid was so evil? I'm afraid he attracted evil spirits and killed people!"
As soon as these words came out, Wang Ahe trembled and said: "The Taoist priest did say..."
Di Jin raised his eyebrows: "Taoist?"
Wang Ahe said slowly: "Four months ago, a wandering Taoist came to the inn to ask for tea. At that time, I went to the back kitchen to make tea. When I came back, I saw the Taoist caressing Xiao Qi's head and said that he had strong Yin energy and could... If you really see evil spirits, you have to believe them, otherwise you will be in great trouble..."
At the end of the sentence, Wang Ahe covered his face with regret: "I knew this... I knew this..."
Everyone's expressions suddenly became serious.
The most offensive religious figures today are actually not monks in monasteries, but Taoist priests.
The reason is very simple. Zhenzong's Book of Heaven and its seal of Zen have greatly strengthened the influence of Taoism among the people.
Now is the early period of the Renzong Dynasty. Although the farce of the Book of Heaven is over and the Queen Mother Liu E regarded it as a burial object and was buried underground with Zhenzong, the vigorous wave of advocating Taoism will not subside so easily.
So when a Taoist came to ask for a cup of tea, the innkeeper didn't chase him away, but actually respectfully went to the kitchen to get it. The Taoist's words conveyed by Wang Ahe also made the listener look solemn, and even Ren Changyi could not bear it. He couldn't help but say: "That's a Taoist immortal! Oh, how could you not report it to the Yamen? Maybe there will be auspiciousness!"
Wu Jingze, who had been silent all this time, stared at Xiao Qi: "The Taoist priest said you can see evil spirits? If so, why do evil spirits want to harm my young master? Tell me!"
Xiao Qi first shrank back, but when she realized that there was no way to retreat, she started muttering, repeating one sentence over and over again: "I can see ghosts... I can see ghosts..."
Normally, Di Jin wouldn't be able to stand it if so many people forced a child, but now his eyes moved slightly and he said softly: "Xiao Qi, did that ghost say something to you?"
Xiao Qi raised his head suddenly, one eye glared, and even the shriveled eye sockets were slightly protruding. A long-suppressed pain and madness burst out from his throat: "Yes! Ghosts also have grievances. Redress their grievances, otherwise It just keeps killing! Keeps killing!!"
