(43)
In just a few short moments when the sky and sun were blocked, the situation changed drastically.
The original heat was replaced by infinite coolness; the original joy was replaced by infinite sadness.
Faced with all the doubts from the people of Xiahe Town, Sima Tu could only choose to be speechless, pretending to be profound, staring at the blazing fire amidst the thunder and lightning. Maybe, at this moment, he was secretly gritting his teeth and making up his mind to do what he wanted to accomplish?
Believers don't care about so many grievances and hatreds. If Taipingdao can't give them what they want, there is no need to continue serving. In the end, people only believe in the gods who can help them.
What started as a weak voice of doubt has developed into a clear-cut voice of opposition as the rain intensified. Perhaps it is because among the believers there are those who were not originally devout. They only accept the Tao of Taiping as the truth because they are at the end of their rope to satisfy their own appetites.
In Xiahe Town, where the plague is raging, those who are struggling to survive cannot yet protect themselves, because no one knows when and where the plague will be associated with them.
Therefore, some people with keen senses immediately woke up when they saw the evacuated officers and soldiers returning again and pointing their guns at the Taiping Taoists.
"There is no such thing as 'Song Wuji'. Look at the burning clothes in front of Mr. E! The so-called immortal fire is just a 'trick' that everyone can learn."
"So, the fire in Zhang's Pharmacy was indeed deliberately caused by someone!"
"Who is so cruel? My old mother is bedridden all day long, just waiting for Doctor Zhang's medicine to save her life!"
People began to throw all kinds of sarcastic questions at Taipingdao. In short, Taipingdao could not answer any of these questions.
In the rain, the brief laughter and laughter disappeared in an instant. Instead, there were thick rain clouds and gloom, and everyone's expression became solemn, as gloomy as the black sun.
A leading soldier stepped forward and said a few words to Sima Tu, who calmly agreed and immediately led the people on the road. Those believers naturally followed, and everyone wanted to get a peaceful explanation.
The spectators, including E Bing, also left. As for where they are going, it is naturally the so-called place of judgment.
The small government office in Xiahe Town could not celebrate the rain for long before it received a letter from E Binghuan. The letter asked the town officials to prepare for the upcoming public trial.
Not long after the letter was received, the people in the village began to gather outside the Yamen for unknown reasons, as if they knew in advance that the judgment was coming, they came in the heavy rain. Their words to each other made the originally idle Xiahe Town Yamen lively.
Not long after the heavy rain came, hundreds of people gathered in this small area. The leader seemed to have frequent dealings with government officials, and he stopped and chatted quite freely. If you look carefully, you can recognize that it is Xiaohu from Zhang Family Pharmacy.
Perhaps because he couldn't live without the medicine shop due to the cold, dampness and heat, Xiaohu gradually became very familiar with the people in Xiahe Town. They can talk about anything, including the "Zhang Family Pharmacy Arson Case" that will be tried next.
Xiaohu seemed to be giving an advance warning to those in the government, bragging almost brazenly about how he was sure to defeat the arrogant man in Taipingdao.
After a while, E Binghuan and others arrived one after another. Even if they were escorted by someone, their clothes would still be wetted by the rain. Therefore, after E Bing also changed the official position, the public trial was almost fully prepared.
The people in the village looked outside the yamen and saw five people standing on the left: Zhang Yi, Bai Feng, Zhao Kuo, E Feiying, and Murong Yan. E Bing was still sitting in the middle of the hall, and the town official Li was assisting him. However, because the suspects of the arson incident have not yet appeared, everyone has been waiting for a long time.
About half a stick of incense had passed, and the rain had not stopped. Seeing that the person on trial had not yet arrived, E Binghuan couldn't wait to give the order and sent someone to Taiping Road to fetch him. Unexpectedly, as soon as the order was given, a Taoist priest who was soaked by the rain walked out of the yamen. Immediately following that Taoist came Sima Tu, who was escorted by several sword-wielding Taoists, and dozens of followers who accompanied him.
Compared with Sima Tu, who had a dignified posture and a solemn expression, the Taoist whose clothes were soaked looked particularly panicked. I saw the man walking in front, his steps were chaotic, and he looked like a drunkard. His head was drawn in toward his chest, his body was leaning forward, and he ran toward the court, constantly calling the people watching to "get out of the way, get out of the way!"
When he crossed the threshold, if he didn't pay attention, the man fell straight to the ground and broke his nose. When Zhang Yi and others sitting next to him saw this, Bai Feng and E Feiying quickly recognized that this person was the frog-faced Taoist, but they didn't know why he, who was revered as a master by the Taoists, ended up in such a predicament.
When the frog-faced Taoist came to E Binghuan, he immediately knelt down with his hands in his hands, kowtowed a few times, and repeatedly said: "Sir, sir, I have realized my sin! I have realized my sin!"
"The trial of the case has not even started yet. What crime do you know about it?" E Bing still asked in confusion. Then when he saw Sima Tu from the yamen arriving, he waved his hand and asked someone to take a seat opposite Zhang Yi and others.
"I'm telling you, sir, the fire in Zhang's Pharmacy was... set by a villain!" the frog-faced Taoist said, and blood started to flow from his broken nose, which made him howl in fear.
After hearing this, the believers in the village were in an uproar and yelled at each other, asking only for E Bing to be severely punished.
"You are so brave! Do you know that the emperor sent E to Xiahe Town to control the plague, and now that you have set fire to destroy important pharmaceutical resources, isn't this tantamount to going against the emperor!" E Bing was still angry. Before taking the crime, he was stunned and said: "Taiping Road was set on fire. What was the reason?"
The frog-faced Taoist trembled, looked in the direction of Sima Tu, and said: "Sir, this matter has nothing to do with Taiping Dao, it is all done by the villain! The villain has been grudged against Zhang Yi for a long time, and he has painstakingly thought of some strategies. To make things difficult for Dr. Zhang, he bribed some local gangsters and put the specially-made fire dumplings into the warehouse of Zhang Family Pharmacy to set them on fire, which ultimately led to an unforgivable mistake!"
"Is this the 'Huo Zhezi' you are talking about?" E Bing also pointed in the direction of Zhang Yi and said: "The fuel inside is mixed with 'tao stone'. As far as E knows, this is your Taiping A strange stone that only exists in the Tao. That’s where the immortal fire comes from.”
The frog-faced Taoist nodded repeatedly.
"Then why did you suddenly surrender? This is a serious crime of beheading!" E Bing continued angrily and asked Zhang Yi: "Zhang Yi, you have been grudged against this man for a long time, but is it true?"
"My lord, I have never met this person, let alone have a grudge." Zhang Yi cupped his hands and replied: "It's just that as the medical center of Xiahe Town, I have always been on the left with Taiping Dao."
"Master E." Sima Tu bowed his hands and said in respect: "The guy kneeling in the hall is the helmsman of the Taiping Dao branch, the so-called preacher. Because Zhang Dafu often criticizes and slanders Taiping Dao, as the helmsman, he naturally has to I take responsibility for all Taoists. It’s just that this arson is really intolerable, so please forgive me, Mr. E!”
After hearing this, the frog-faced Taoist begged Sima Tu repeatedly: "Heavenly Master, Heavenly Master, please save me!"
"In this case, the witness evidence is conclusive, so this case does not need to be tried again?" E Bing was still stroking his long beard and was about to give his verdict. Unexpectedly, Zhang Yi felt dissatisfied.
"Master E! According to you, is this a crime that only punishes him?"
"The sub-rudder has fully confessed the crime, and Mr. Li has also recorded it. Logically speaking, it is indeed time to make a closing statement?" After E Bing finished speaking, he took pictures of the gavel, finished the verdict, and ordered the officer to The frog-faced Taoist was escorted down.
"How is it possible! Killing a small character casually is not worthy of so many dead people?" Zhang Yi stood from the side to the center, cupped his hands and said: "Master E, please investigate this matter thoroughly. This matter must be related to Taiping Road relation!"
After Zhang finished speaking, the villagers listening to the trial couldn't help but express support. What's more, they began to cry outside and complained that they or the people they knew had been persecuted by Taiping Dao and that none of them had a good death.
"Hehehe..." Sima Tu sneered, stood up from his seat, stood side by side with Zhang Yi, and bowed to E Bing: "Master E, of course this matter cannot end here. Now, Pindao wants to Let me tell you something. Why are the villagers and Dr. Zhang so opposed to Taiping Road? All this is because of the arrival of one person, and that is the rumored 'Xianbei Witch'!"
After everyone heard this, they couldn't help but be surprised.
"The so-called 'Xianbei witches' are evil people who know how to confuse people's hearts. Before you know it, they can make you fascinated, and you don't know what's going on! In the end, you may even feel that suffering and suffering are a wonderful enjoyment..." Sima Tu turned to face the people in the yamen and continued to preach: "During the third Western Expedition with the emperor, Pindao once met a man and almost fell into his trap. So far, Pindao Tao has not forgotten him..."
"Mr. Sima, what do you mean by this?" E Bing asked thoughtfully before the case.
"Pindao thought that there was a 'Xianbei witch' hiding in the Zhang Family Pharmacy. But just a month ago, the Fu family in the west executed a blond 'Xianbei witch' with the surname ' Murong'..." After Sima Tu finished speaking, he turned to face Bai Feng, "So, the matter is far from over."
After Zhang Yi heard this, he angrily rebuked: "You monster, what nonsense are you talking about! My lord, please be careful, Master E. Miss Murong is kind-hearted and often helps the pharmacy. How can she be the evil person he calls her!"
"This..." E Bing hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Mr. Sima, after all, there is no basis for what you say. I'm afraid it's inappropriate to insult someone's innocence like this."
"I have a plan, but I know who is a 'witch' and who is not." Sima Tu looked at the swordsmen accompanying him, and then said: "'Witches' usually practice magic, and their bodies are different from ordinary people. . If you use a sharp instrument to cut the skin by two or three inches, it can be quickly restored to its original shape in a short period of time, just like the original. Please give me your approval and allow me to take measures. "
After E Bing heard this, he looked in the direction of his little daughter and hesitated to make a decision. Because he has always stayed away from this kind of thing. He is afraid of wrongly accusing good people and also afraid of causing trouble. This is the mentality of ordinary people. However, due to pressure from Sima Tu, Taiping Road was finally allowed to be tested.
The two or three swordsmen drew their long swords and slowly approached Murong Yan, while Bai Feng and E Feiying stood in front, ready to fight at any time. However, Zhao Kuo escaped at some point. Bai Feng was probably the one making the plans, knowing that he was defeated by Sima Tu's another vicious plan, so he could only retreat in order to advance.
"Ying'er, Shaoxia Bai, you two get out of the way! Since you are both convinced that Mr. Sima is talking nonsense, what's wrong with letting him test it out?" E Bing also saw his youngest daughter and his favorite successor acting like this. He gave words of advice.
Sima Tu was not in a hurry at this time, sat back on the chair, and said: "Master E, your daughter and Bai Shaoxia have been deeply poisoned, but as long as the 'witch' is pulled out from the crowd, things will definitely be resolved. All the best."
Bai Feng prepared to draw his sword and resist with all his strength, but he was still unable to withstand the encirclement of many people on the other side. In the end, he was hit in the head by a guard who surrounded him, knocking him unconscious to the ground. E Feiying and Zhang Yi, who were not carrying weapons, were stopped aside and watched helplessly as Murong Yan was pulled into the middle of the courtroom and ravaged by the long sword.
The Taoist first roughly slashed Murong Yan's sleeve, exposing her arm, and then swung his long sword to cut it, and a stream of blood flowed out.
Everyone waited for Shao Qing, and then Sima Tu personally wiped away the blood stains, and the complete skin appeared in front of everyone.
"Now, the truth should be revealed? Bai Shaoxia and Murong Yan are not brothers and sisters at all! He is just a person used by this 'witch'!" Sima Tu said proudly: "Master E, please bring Bai Feng and 'Xianbei' How about taking the witches to prison and then letting the poor Taoist slowly educate them?"
Faced with such a real scene, E Bing still had nothing to say, so the young "brother and sister" were taken to prison. Although Murong Yan, who was still young, was so frightened that she forgot to even shout.
