Most of the people in Xiaoguozhuang have the surname Guo and belong to the same ancestor.
There are many earthen furnaces in Zhuangzi, and nearly 80% of the surrounding fields belong to Dabaoen Temple. Fortunately, the people in Zhuangzi did not live on meager land, but most of them were making porcelain.
No matter what dishes, tea sets, or even dolls and statues, the people of Xiaoguozhuang can't make them.
Although the weather was clear at noon, Xiaoguozhuang was filled with smoke and dust, making it difficult for people with poor eyesight to see clearly the figures twenty steps away.
"Sir, the person is dead!"
There is a fire burning in the earthen furnace, and the temperature outside the furnace is not low at all. Who can lie on it and remain motionless? He must be dead!
Jia Cong and others stepped forward. As expected, it was a middle-aged man, wearing a Confucian shirt, with a look of fear on his face. He was lying on the earthen stove with one hand, and the palms close to the stove had long been scorched.
Monk Jian Xing should rarely see dead people. He hid behind a dragon guard and took a sneak peek: "Ah, it's Mr. Yichen from Xiao Guozhuang. How is this possible?"
"Mr. Yichen?"
The burnt smell in the air irritated his nostrils. Jia Cong signaled Long Jinwei to examine the body carefully, walked up to Monk Jianxing, and asked about Mr. Yichen.
Monk Jianxing couldn't help but turn his head to peek at the corpse, his face turned pale.
He gave a Buddhist name, as if to embolden himself: "Mr. Yichen is the only scholar in Xiaoguozhuang, and Guo Xiaosi is his son-in-law. In his early years, his family was very poor, and his master, who was a poor monk, saw that he had the desire to learn. He was very interested, so he allowed him to copy Buddhist scriptures for the temple, and then he had money to go to the exam."
There is no doubt that studying for the imperial examination is extremely expensive.
If you can write good calligraphy, copying Buddhist scriptures for temples can be a good way to make money. You can practice calligraphy and make money at the same time...
"About four years ago, Guo Xiaosi asked someone to propose marriage to Mr. Yichen and married the most beautiful girl from all over the country."
Jia Cong frowned and asked, "Isn't this Mr. Yichen from the Guo family?"
The monk Jianxing hurriedly explained: "The poor monk didn't explain it clearly. Mr. Yichen's surname is Pan. He is originally from Liaodong. He fled here with his father more than 20 years ago. The skill of firing ceramics in Xiaoguozhuang belongs to Mr. Yichen. My father taught everyone, and this is one of the reasons why the Pan family can gain a foothold in Xiaoguozhuang."
Jia Cong nodded and let him continue.
"Mr. Pan left early. Mr. Yichen studied literature since he was a child and determined to become famous in the examination room. Unfortunately, he was only admitted as a scholar at the age of thirty-four. After his failure in Qiu Wei, he fell into despair. Fortunately, he had rice and grain from the government and won the title of Guo Entrusted by the head of the family, I became a teacher in the school and lived a relaxed life."
The monk Jianxing often came to Xiaoguozhuang and knew the situation in the village very well. He gave Jia Cong a general account of Mr. Yichen's past.
When the Dragon Guards were inspecting the body, the people of Xiaoguozhuang finally slowly discovered the anomaly here. They wanted to get closer, but because of the sharp blades in the official uniforms of the Dragon Guards, they were too frightened to come near and only hid in the distance. Whisper.
Jia Cong waved to the crowd, and the crowd instantly became quiet. Most people began to shrink back and want to run away. Some people looked at the government officials in front of them warily, but no one came forward to pay homage.
It wasn't until an old man, surrounded by several young men, whispered a few words to the people around him that he finally gritted his teeth and walked over.
As soon as he arrived, the old man knelt down and said, "Little man Guo Xing, my lord!"
As Guo Xing knelt down, all the young people behind him knelt down, and even the crowd in the distance knelt down unconsciously.
Guo Xing is not very old, and judging from the clothes he wears, he has a rich family. At least the silk brocade clothes he wears are expensive. However, his skin is rough and dark, and he must have endured hardships in his early years.
The young man behind him has a similar appearance. He should be a brother or relative. Maybe he is the son of the head of the Guo family.
"Old Master Guo, there's no need to be polite. Get up and talk."
This old man Guo has such a high prestige in this three-acre land in Xiaoguozhuang.
Those people would unconsciously follow him and kneel down. You must know that this group of people came not too late, but no one took the initiative to kneel down.
Even a fool knows what the purple robe represents. Jia Cong has been in Zhuangzi for so long. Some are curious and some are afraid, but no one takes the initiative to bow down.
Jia Cong's eyes shrank, but his face was full of gentleness. He stepped forward and helped him up with his own hands.
Xia Shouzhong next to him remained silent, but whispered a few words to the captain of the Dragon Imperial Guard next to him...
Guo Xingxing was still bowing respectfully behind him: "Thank you, sir. I wonder why you came to Xiaoguozhuang for important business? Is there a place where the young old man can work?"
Jia Cong didn't hesitate, pointed to Pan Yichen's body and said solemnly: "I originally came to see Guo Xiaosi, but unexpectedly I found a body next to the stove..."
"How could it be Mr. Pan?"
Guo Xing only glanced at it and said in shock: "It's Mr. Pan! Boss, go and report to the official..."
"I am an official!"
Jia Cong frowned and interrupted Guo Xing's exclamation: "I am Jia Cong of the Rongguo Mansion. I am the Dragon Imperial Guard guarding thousands of households in the Fu Temple. I have the final say on this case, so why find someone else!"
To ordinary people, these three words "Long Jinwei" could stop people from crying at night, and they immediately stopped Guo Xing.
At this time, the Dragon Guards officer who was responsible for examining the body came over and said in his ear: "Sir, the left chest was almost penetrated, and he was killed with one knife. The murder weapon was most likely a short knife or something. He died for less than an hour."
Jia Cong nodded and turned his gaze to Guo Xing.
"Mr. Guo, is Pan Yichen's son-in-law Guo Xiaosi here? Please find him."
Guo Xing hurriedly bowed and said: "No old man dares to disobey your Lord's order. Let the dog go find it..."
Jia Cong ordered to the left and right: "Captain Ma, please take two people with you."
The worry that flashed rapidly in Guo Xing's eyes did not escape Jia Cong's gaze. The strange and seemingly accidental murder in Zhuangzi made Jia Cong even more interested.
While the boss of the Guo family went to look for Guo Xiaosi, Jia Cong chatted with Guo Xing for a while.
The topic jumps around a lot. In the first sentence, Jia Cong may be asking about the livelihood of Guojiazhuang, but in the next sentence it becomes the situation of Guo Xingjia, and then he will seemingly accidentally ask about Pan Yichen.
There was no regularity in the things he asked about, and there was nothing suspected of violating laws and disciplines, but it made Guo Xing sweat break out on his forehead.
Until Jia Cong suddenly asked: "It has been so long, and the news of Pan Yichen's murder should have reached Guo Xiaosi's family. Why hasn't the Pan family's daughter come yet?"
"Sir, Xiaosi's wife found a sewing job in the capital a few days ago. She should not be at home this time."
"oh?"
Guo Xing's response made Jia Cong's suspicion even more serious. Monk Jian Xing had already said that Guo Xiaosi's skill in making ceramics was excellent and he earned a lot of money. It would not be a problem to raise a concubine, let alone a daughter-in-law. .
Moreover, the Pan family can be regarded as a scholarly family. Even during the difficult times earlier, Pan Yichen never let his daughter show up...
Although Guo Xing kept hunched over and kept his face down as much as possible, Jia Cong was young and short, so you could always see his expression changing.
However, Jia Cong never pointed out the strangeness. He always looked gentle and chatted with Guo Xing.
When Ma Xiaowei and Guo Xiaosi arrived here, Guo Xiaosi even forgot to pay respects to the official, and went straight to Pan Yichen's body, crying loudly.
"Now that the person has been found, I will take him back first..."
Guo Xing was immediately shocked: "Sir, are you going back now?"
Jia Cong asked in confusion: "Is there anything else wrong with Mr. Guo?"
Guo Xing was confused by Jia Cong's rhetorical question: "Well...don't you, sir, continue to investigate the case?"
Jia Cong was stunned for a moment, and then looked like he had been stabbed in a sore spot. He became angry from embarrassment: "I want you to teach me what to do? I already know what is going on in this case. I will handle it myself after I return to Beijing!"
Seeing Jia Cong's anger, Guo Xing quickly bowed and apologized: "I don't dare, my lord, please forgive me!"
But Jia Cong snorted coldly: "Go back to Beijing! By the way, bring Pan Yichen's body and Guo Xiaosi back."
go! "
The large army marched away. It was not until Jia Cong and others disappeared from the sight of everyone in Xiaoguozhuang that a young and strong man beside Guo Xing said: "Dad, let's go!"
Only then did Guo Xing stand up straight, his face ashen.
"Who did it? Isn't this attracting people from the government?"
The man looked at the cowering crowd not far away, glared at a few of them, and whispered in his father's ear: "I'm afraid it was those people who did it. This morning I heard Xiao Wu Said that Pan Yichen went to those people to cause a scene..."
Guo Xing was furious: "It's really not enough to succeed, but more than enough to fail. Let's notify them immediately and tell them to get out. We can wait until the limelight is over."
"Dad, what about the palace? I heard that Mr. Jia is very difficult to deal with. If he is discovered, our family will be completely destroyed."
His son's reminder did not make Guo Xing be more vigilant. Instead, he sneered: "It's just a young boy spreading rumors. What's there to be afraid of? As long as Guo Xiaosi is dead, everything will be fine."
"Dad, don't worry, my son has made arrangements. Guo Xiaosi won't make it to the capital!"
Jia Cong and his party did leave Xiaoguozhuang, but they did not return directly to the capital. They traveled north along the official road for about half an hour and stopped in a small town.
Because it is adjacent to the capital and is an important route between the north and the south, the town is quite prosperous.
Only a few people escorted Pan Yichen's body all the way north to the capital, and at the same time took away the imperial gold order on Jia Cong's waist.
Xiaoguozhuang really fascinated Jia Cong!
"Has Mr. Xia also discovered something is wrong with Xiaoguozhuang?"
Jia Cong was not short of money and directly booked the largest restaurant in the town.
The private room on the second floor was quite elegantly decorated. He, Xia Shouzhong, Jia Shiyi, and Ma Xiaowei sat in it, drinking tea and taking a break.
After Xia Shouzhong heard Jia Cong's inquiry, he laughed: "Didn't General Jia also notice something fishy?"
"The people in Zhuangzi are behaving very strangely, aren't they?"
Jia Cong raised the tea cup in his hand, Xia Shouzhong responded, and the two looked at each other and smiled.
Just listen to Jia Cong continue to say: "People in Zhuangzi died, and they were still the only scholars in Zhuangzi, and they were indifferent. Moreover, the people in Zhuangzi were like slaves of Guo Xing, and their every word and deed depended on Guo Xing's will. "
Captain Ma cupped his hands and said, "Sir, Guo Xing is the head of the Guo clan in Xiaoguozhuang. The people respect his prestige, so it is understandable that he will obey orders."
"no the same."
Jia Cong shook his head: "If you respect his prestige, you can't be like a puppet on strings. This is no longer what prestige can do, it's more like a threat."
Xia Shouzhong nodded and added: "And one thing is strange. Since the skill of firing ceramics in Xiaoguozhuang was passed down by Pan's father, and Pan Yichen is the only scholar in Xiaoguozhuang, there is no reason why he has no prestige in Zhuangzi. People. After being dead for so long, there is no way that no one in Zhuangzi noticed it, but when we passed by, Pan Yichen's body was clearly lying there... Then there are only two possibilities: someone refused to collect the body, or it was someone from Xiaoguozhuang. You can’t get close to that place easily.”
"Xia Gong is right. I looked around carefully at that time. In the entire Xiaoguo Village, only those stoves were the highest and the largest, and the surroundings were scattered with fine charcoal. The contents in the stove may be unusual."
Jia Cong raised his hand to Xia Shouzhong and asked, "Xia Gong was still cautious and sent people to hide him early. Guo Xing would never have thought in his wildest dreams that we would fight back."
"Dong dong dong!"
There was a knock on the door of the private room. After Captain Ma opened the door, he saw a soldier of the Dragon Guard holding his hands and reporting: "Sir, Guo Xiaosi is dead!"
Wow!
Several people in the private room stood up in surprise, especially Jia Cong, who asked doubtfully: "What's going on? Didn't I ask you to keep a close eye on me?"
"Replying to your lord, I think he died of poisoning. I respect your lord's orders and have never left Guo Xiaosi's side since I went to Guo Xiaosi's home with Guo Da. Just now, when I was interrogating Guo Xiaosi, he suddenly held his stomach and was in extreme pain. , before he could even say anything, he was bleeding from all his orifices.
Death. "
The Dragon Guard's reply made Jia Cong even more convinced that there was something wrong with Xiaoguozhuang, and he said angrily: "It's really cruel. It seems that this trip is really the right one!"
"By the way, sir, Guo Xiaosi secretly stuffed a gold bracelet into the little one before..."
Captain Ma glared at the person under his hand dissatisfied, took the gold bracelet, and presented it to Jia Cong with both hands.
The weight is wrong...
Jia Cong noticed something was wrong as soon as he took it. After careful inspection, he found that the bracelet was hollow. .z.br>
Alas, the gap in the middle can indeed be opened, and there is a thin roll of paper inside.
The whole piece of paper was written in small regular script, but it was signed by Pan Yichen.
hiss!
After reading the contents of the letter, Jia Cong took a deep breath.
He handed the piece of paper to Xia Shouzhong: "Xia Gong, do you believe the content of this letter?"
hiss!
Xia Shouzhong's hands trembled. It was shocking. How could he believe it?
"How could it be Master Thirteen? Why don't you, the princess, tear him alive?"
It turns out that Pan Yichen's daughter, Pan Xiaoniang, was spotted by a nobleman in the capital and was forcibly abducted to the capital.
Neither Pan Yichen nor Guo Xiaosi could leave Xiaoguozhuang at all, and Guo Xiaosi was warned by the clan leader that if he dared to stir up trouble, Guo Xiaosi's mother and younger sister would die without a burial place...
This gold bracelet was originally bought by Guo Xiaosi as a birthday gift for his wife. After his wife was kidnapped, he went to his father-in-law to discuss it.
Worried that the two of them would be silenced, they stuffed a secret letter into it. Unexpectedly, their worries came true.
According to Pan Yichen, the person who abducted his daughter was the housekeeper of Prince Zhongshun. The man known as Prince Zhongshun once passed through Xiaoguozhuang. He had a luxurious carriage, gorgeous clothes, a python robe and a jade belt. He was definitely a nobleman.
Moreover, Guo Xing once said personally that his daughter had entered the royal palace, and if she had great fortune in the future, she might be able to find an official position for Pan Yichen, which would be regarded as a glorious ancestor.
But Pan Yichen abided by the sage's words, and how could he be willing? He tried to escape from Zhuangzi many times and sued the government, but was blocked by people arranged by Guo Xing.
And there is another thing in the letter. Someone from Xiaoguozhuang stole his family’s ancestral ceramics firing secret book...
This is another mystery!
But the most important thing at the moment is the person behind the scenes mentioned in the letter. Even if Jia Cong doesn't believe it anymore, he has to send someone back to Beijing.
"Xia Gong, why don't you go back to Beijing in person?"
Xia Shouzhong smiled bitterly and said, "Although our family doesn't believe that it was Master Thirteen, after all, this matter involved a prince. We can't even go back if we don't!"
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