On an early summer night, in southeastern Guizhou, at the foot of Fanjing Mountain in Yinjiang.
Several small watchtowers are connected by stone walls and wooden corridors, forming a large courtyard. There is another large watchtower in the center of the compound.
There are watch holes and arrow holes all over the watchtower.
This is the legendary Ghost Yamen of Yinjiang Barbarian Chief.
The Changguan Si watchtower stands tall and impregnable. It doesn't look like a civilian government office, but more like a military fortress.
A ditch to protect the Yamen was also dug around the Yamen. Access is only via the drawbridge, which has been raised high.
The moon is dark and the wind is high. The summer cicadas on the yew trees and Davidia dove trees are making noisy noises as if they are risking their lives. It sounded like human screams.
Chief Zhou Wen is sitting in the study. There were ten government officials surrounding him. These tall government officials could not give him any sense of security.
The sultry weather made beads of sweat form on his head.
Anxiety and fear made him feel like an ant on a hot pot.
There are only three days until the expiration of the term. According to the legend of Guiyamen, every officer in Yinjiang will die unexpectedly the night before his term is over.
Zhou Wen felt desperate. In the past month, there have been frequent hauntings in the long lawsuit.
He began to regret why he came to this hellish place to be a sixth-grade officer. The son is silent and his strange power confuses the gods. But the damn ghost is in the Yamen!
An old, hoarse voice came: "Master Zhou."
Zhou Wen jumped up from his chair like a big toad.
A man in his fifties walked up to Zhou Wen: "Master Zhou, don't panic, he is a subordinate."
Zhou Wen took a closer look through the flickering candlelight and found that it was Jin Bao, his chief official.
Jin Bao said: "Master Zhou, the entire inner watchtower has been checked. There are thirty-one government officials in total, and there is no shortage of personnel."
"Brothers guard every road leading to your study."
Zhou Wen asked: "Where is the outer watchtower?"
Jin Bao replied: "One hundred and three people are on guard in front of each lookout hole and arrow hole."
Zhou Wen was still worried: "Are there enough people to guard the winch of the suspension bridge?"
Jin Bao replied: "There are twenty people guarding the winch, which is enough. Not even a fly can fly into our long lawsuit."
"Buzz buzz", a fly dangled in front of Jin Bao without giving any face.
Jin Bao quickly waved away.
Zhou Wen asked: "Are all Minzhuang people Han?"
Minzhuang, who had long-standing lawsuits, was divided into two categories: the Han family and the Barbarian family.
Zhou Wen was obviously worried about the Man family and Minzhuang.
Jin Bao said: "They are all from the Han family and they are loyal to you, sir."
At this moment, Zhou Wen smelled a pungent odor. He thought it was some yamen servant who farted. Where was the fart? If you put some gravy on it, it would be shit!
Suddenly a creepy voice sounded in the watchtower: "Mi ah mi ah mi!".
It's like a woman's sneer, or like a raccoon cat's meow.
Zhou Wen was so frightened that his eyes widened.
Then there was a scream: "Ah!"
Zhou Wen was shocked: "Old, old, Old Jin, didn't you say that not even a fly can fly in?"
Jin Bao smiled bitterly: "Ghosts are much harder to guard against than flies. I'll go down and see what's going on."
Two moments later, Jin Bao led a panicked government servant into the study. Behind them were four government officials, carrying a body on a door panel.
Zhou Wen asked in a panic: "What's going on?"
The government servant next to Jin Bao trembled and said to Zhou Wen: "Sir, I saw Bian Po! Her eyes were glowing green! Bian Po ruined Li Qi. After doing so, she even sucked his blood."
"I threw her with a colorful willow towel stick and she ran away. I rushed to rescue Li Qi and saw that she was already dead!"
Zhou Wen trembled all over: "Chan, Chang Po! Sure enough, she's here to claim her life!"
Bianpo - a kind of monster in the legends of Tujia, Miao and Dong people.
It is said that the transformation of a young woman into a woman after her death. The pupils glow green and the bones of the hands are broken.
There was a record by a criminal officer who was sent to southern Xinjiang: "She changed into a woman, and her coffin was uncovered seven days after her death. Her body was still the same, but her color was different. Her heart was still conscious, and her screams were loud. The smell of filth and filth was blowing in the wind, and she felt nauseated by the smell. , creepy.”
Legend has it that Bian Po likes to do two things. Eat children and destroy mature men.
Zhou Wen suddenly remembered the stench he smelled just now. Isn't it just that "the smell of fishy and foul smell is floating in the wind, and the smell makes you want to vomit"?
Zhou Wen quickly said: "Check the body quickly!"
I saw two rows of teeth marks on the neck of Li Qi's corpse. They didn't look like human teeth marks, but more like animal teeth marks. The blood is still wet.
Jin Bao said: "Sir, are you the one who was killed by the transfiguration? You only need to take off Li Qi's pants to find out."
Zhou Wen nodded
There is a terrifying legend in Yinjiang.
Fifteen years ago, a chief named Lin was about to leave office. This man is an evil official. He has been an official for three years and only knows how to oppress the four alien races under his rule.
He is about to leave office, but he still doesn't forget to do evil. After being drunk, he robbed a Tujia girl and ruined her in a long lawsuit.
After all the waste, Commander Lin waved his hand proudly and rewarded the Tujia girl to his yamen servant.
Dozens of government officials, who were like wolves and tigers, killed the Tujia girl alive.
Chief Lin didn't take it seriously. She is just a foreign woman, she will die if she dies. Someone dug a hole outside the Yamen and buried the girl.
Chief Lin was busy collecting gold and silver, waiting to leave office in seven days, and was transferred to Jiangnan Meizizi for a lucrative position.
Unexpectedly, there was lightning and thunder at night seven days later. A withered and mutilated hand stretched out from the girl's grave.
Immediately afterwards, the girl's whole body crawled out of the grave and became a transformed woman! She wants revenge!
That night Chief Lin died on the couch. His death was hideous, as if he had been damaged by something during his lifetime. There are still teeth marks on the neck.
Chief Lin was the first person to die in Guiyamen. But not the last one.
Since then, for twelve years in a row, every time before an official leaves office, there will always be ghosts in the yamen for a month, and several yamen servants and people will die.
Then on the eve of leaving office, the chief will definitely die a violent death.
At this moment, a Minzhuang came to report: "What a big deal, Mr. Zhou! There are dozens of people outside the suspension bridge!"
Zhou Wen said: "Quick, follow me to see the hole."
Zhou Wen passed by the wooden corridor and came to the observation hole of the outer watchtower.
The dozens of people outside the door were all holding torches.
By the light of the fire, Zhou Wen could clearly see that the leader of the people who came was wearing a sixth-grade cormorant green robe. The rest of the people were all dressed up as followers. It seems that the replacement official arrived early.
Zhou Wen ordered: "Lower the suspension bridge."
The man wearing the sixth-grade cormorant green robe is none other than Chang Feng.
Chang Feng pretended to be the successor officer this time and came to the ghost office to find out the truth behind the ghost murder.
Fatty Xu and Sun Guishou pretended to be his long followers and masters.
The remaining No. 30 followers are all capable warriors in the Wei army, as well as several subordinates of Mrs. Ninth who are proficient in Tujia dialect.
Chang Feng enters the Yamen. Question: "Who is Lord Zhou Wenzhou?"
Zhou Wen came to the courtyard and raised his hands to Chang Feng: "I am."
Chang Feng made up a lie: "I am the new Yinjiang barbarian chief, Chang Huayu."
Zhou Wen said quickly: "Ah, it turns out to be Mr. Chang. Please come into the inner watchtower."
Chang Feng asked as he walked: "I see that this watchtower is heavily guarded inside and outside. Is there any alien rebellion?"
Zhou Wen smiled bitterly: "There is indeed a rebellion from alien races. It's just that the ones who rebel are not aliens, but ghosts from alien races!"
Speaking of this, Zhou Wen glanced at Madam Ninth.
Chang Feng said: "This is my concubine."
Zhou Wen sighed: "Oh, you shouldn't bring your family here to take up the post."
Everyone entered Zhou Wen's study, and the body of the government servant Li Qi was still there.
Chang Feng was surprised: "This?"
Zhou Wendao: "It was haunted just now. The ghost killed a government servant. Come on, take the body to the widow's room first. It will be buried tomorrow morning."
The weather is boring as hell. Chang Feng's official robe can almost squeeze out water.
Jin Bao stepped forward and handed over a towel to wipe his face.
Chang Feng said: "Thank you, brother?"
Jin Bao raised his hand and said, "I am the chief official, Jin Bao."
Chang Feng said: "Then we will take more care of you from now on!"
The chief official is not an official, and there is no such thing as resignation. Jin Bao has been working as a clerk in the lawsuit for many years.
Chang Feng wiped his face and took out his official credentials and a letter from his arms.
Chang Feng smiled and said: "I have a close relationship with Master Zhang Caizhang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. This is the letter he asked me to send to you."
Zhou Wen received the letter and opened it to take a look. The first sentence in the letter was: Brother Zhou, the person in front of you is Jinyiwei commanding Zuo Qianshi Changfeng. Keep quiet and he will save your life.
Zhou Wen raised his head and glanced at Chang Feng.
Chang Feng blinked at him.
Zhou Wen understood the idea and ordered his men: "You go down first. I will hand over the official seal to Lord Chang alone."
Jin Bao was a little worried: "You two adults are alone in the study, I'm afraid."
Chang Tu, who had a royal guard, stood in front of him to strengthen his courage. Zhou Wen became more courageous: "It doesn't matter, Bian Po has already killed one person tonight and won't kill another one."
Everyone left the study. Zhou Wen closed the door and knelt down to Chang Feng with a pop: "Chang Qianshi, please save me."
Chang Feng helped Zhou Wen up: "Brother Zhou, please get up quickly. Don't worry, I won't let anyone kill a court official under my nose. What's more, we have a common best friend Zhang Cai."
Zhou Wen stood up.
Chang Feng asked: "You said there was a transfiguration woman in the government office tonight, and she even killed a government servant?"
"To be honest, my concubine is from the Tujia people. I have heard rumors about her turning into a mother-in-law before."
Zhou Wen said with a trembling voice: "Bian Po appears every three years, causing trouble in the yamen. In the end, on the eve of the officer's departure, he will be destroyed first and then killed!"
After speaking, Zhou Wen told Chang Feng the legend of Yinjiang's transformation into a woman.
Chang Feng smiled slightly after hearing this: "What's the matter of changing into a woman? It's just the murderer pretending to be a ghost. Has Brother Zhou ever heard of the demon fox?"
Zhou Wen nodded: "I've heard of it. In the twelfth year of Chenghua's reign, there was a lot of trouble in the capital!"
Chang Feng smiled slightly: "In the 12th year of Chenghua, I was still young and unable to catch the demon fox. In the 23rd year of Chenghua, there was another demon fox in the capital."
"This time, the demon fox was captured by me! Oh, it's just a disguise by someone with ulterior motives."
Zhou Wen was surprised: "Ah? Chang Qianshi has caught the demon fox? He is such a capable person! No wonder he is so famous in Beijing."
"I heard about you when I came to Beijing to take the exam. Although you were only a thousand households at that time, you were already a popular person around the emperor."
Chang Feng said: "What kind of famous people are not famous? Those are just false names, just like floating clouds."
Zhou Wen poured a cup of tea for Chang Feng.
Chang Feng took a sip of tea and said, "The weather here in Guizhou is stuffy, hot and humid. You have suffered as an official here for three years."
Zhou Wen smiled bitterly: "Zhang Cai was not in power three years ago. If he had been a doctor in the Ministry of Civil Affairs at that time, how could I have been tricked into this place by the people of the Ministry of Civil Affairs."
After speaking, Zhou Wen wiped the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief: "It's so boring tonight, it's probably going to rain heavily."
Chang Feng said: "I think your Yamen is like a fortress for stationing troops. It is difficult for outsiders to enter."
"The so-called transfigured mother-in-law is most likely a mole! You need to know that it is difficult to guard against domestic thieves if you guard against them day and night!"
Chang Feng has been instilling in Zhou Wen the concept of "people pretending to be ghosts and killing people". However, Zhou Wen didn't believe it and insisted that it must be a ghost who killed the person.
no way. People around him have been telling him for three years that ghosts will definitely appear in the ghost government and kill people. Even if it is false, he will firmly believe that it is the truth.
This is like a smart person joining a pyramid scheme in later generations. In less than a month, your brain will be washed.
Relatives and friends will laugh at him: He is really a fool.
But relatives and friends don’t know that if they join a pyramid scheme, their brains will be washed. The difference is that it won't take a month, maybe just a few days.
Chang Feng raised a question: "Brother Zhou, since you insist that the yamen is haunted, why don't you find a place to stay outside the yamen and wait for your resignation?"
Zhou Wendao: "It's even more unsafe outside. The Miao, Tujia, Dong, and Yi people regard the officials appointed by the imperial court as enemies."
"The watchtowers of the Chief's Office stand tall and impregnable. Those foreign gangsters cannot get in."
"If I go out to live, I'm afraid the alien gangsters will tear me into pieces!"
Chang Feng was surprised: "Why do Liuguan have such a bad relationship with foreigners? Do they treat them as enemies?"
Zhou Wen gave a bitter smile: "There is no way! Zuo Zhuan said that if you are not of my race, your heart must be different."
Chang Feng asked: "Who are the people in the yamen?"
Zhou Wen explained to Chang Feng the composition of the personnel in the lawsuit.
The deputy chief has been vacant for a year. There is no way, the name of Yinjiang Ghost Yamen has spread throughout the official circles, and no one dares to come.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs even offered a sky-high price: Juren could skip the big competition and go directly to Yinjiang to become a seventh-grade deputy chief. As long as someone is willing!
You know, the official selection process is to choose one from twenty. If you choose carefully like this, even if you are selected, you will be a real eighth-grade county magistrate from the beginning.
Being able to become a seventh-rank official without participating in the big challenge is basically a pie-in-the-sky good thing.
But no one dared to eat the pie. Who wants to stay in a haunted yamen for three years?
Long lawsuits are different from county yamen. There are no six rooms. Instead, patrol inspectors, officials, tax collectors, and strong squad leaders were set up.
Inspection inspection is similar to the Minister of Arms and Chief of Police in later generations, and his position is from the ninth rank.
Today's patrol inspector is named Gao Chenghu. Just two years ago, he was a member of the Guangxi Dusi Yamen, a member of the fifth grade Qianhu.
Two years ago, the Zhuang people in the ancient city of Guangxi rebelled. Gao Chenghu's improper command resulted in the death of eight hundred of his brothers at the hands of the rebels.
He was demoted seven levels in a row and sent to Yinjiang to serve as a ninth-level inspection officer.
Gao Chenghu was despairing and deeply blamed for the annihilation of his army. After taking office, he didn't care about anything and drank every day. He was nicknamed "The Drunken Cat".
Jin Bao, the chief official, has been working in the government office for fourteen years. He is responsible for almost all lawsuits, big and small.
Although Jin Bao has no rank, he is not an official but a clerk. But his job is equivalent to that of a deputy chief.
The tax collector Huang Liang is a local snake in Yinjiang. He is a lustful person. The ancestors were sent to Yinjiang by the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties to manage the various tribes.
The Mongolian Yuan Dynasty fell and the Ming Dynasty was established. His ancestor suddenly changed his identity and became an official of the Ming Dynasty, and changed his Han surname to Huang.
The Huang family has great influence in Yinjiang.
Lin Sanjiu, the leader of the Zhuang class, used to be a famous hunter in Yinjiang. He has the ability to shoot with a hundred steps.
In addition to these four people, there are ten scribes, thirty-one government servants, and one hundred and three people in the Yamen.
Without exception, the scribes, government officials, and minzhuang were all Han Chinese.
Zhou Wen said while Chang Feng wrote: "That is to say, besides you, there are 148 people who have filed lawsuits."
"The mole is probably among the one hundred and forty-eight people."
Zhou Wen said firmly: "These one hundred and forty-eight people are all loyal and good people! There can be no moles."
"It was the transfigured woman who killed someone! The blame lies with Commander Lin who should not have abused that Tujia girl fifteen years ago. This caused the girl to turn into a corpse and turn into a transfigured woman to take her life."
"You don't know. Bian Po is best at eating children and ruining mature men. My servant Li Qi was killed tonight after being raped by Bian Po."
Chang Feng said: "Where did you just say you put the body of the government servant? Take me to see it."
Zhou Wen led Chang Feng to the widow's house. Fatty Xu, Madam Ninth, and the old birthday star also followed.
Everyone entered the widow's room and carefully inspected Li Qi's body.
His neck looked like it had been bitten off by a wild animal. There are two neat rows of tooth marks. The scars underneath were even more unsightly.
Chang Feng whispered a few words to Zhou Wen.
Zhou Wendao: "Those who have long been involved in lawsuits should retreat first."
Jin Bao and others retreated. There were only five people left in the house: Chang Feng, Zhou Wen, Fatty Xu, Madam Ninth, and the old longevity star.
Zhou Wendao: "Chang Qianshi. You saw it, right! Who can leave such horrific scars on Li Qi except the evil ghost turned woman?"
Madam Ninth put a pair of jade hands on Li Qi's neck and examined it carefully. She was born in a world of martial arts and believed in ghosts and gods but was not afraid of corpses.
Madam Ninth said: "No! These are not wounds from wild beasts."
Chang Feng's eyes lit up: "Oh?"
Madam Ninth explained: "If I guess correctly, these are the scars left by the bear trap."
Chang Feng asked: "You grew up in the capital. You have never hunted wild animals. How do you know that this is an injury caused by a bear trap?"
Mrs. Jiu said: "After the incident in Tumubao, when we Xiangxi natives went to King Qin in Beijing, we brought a batch of animal traps with us. We planned to set them under the city to prevent the Wala people from attacking the city."
"I didn't expect that when we arrived in the capital, Yu Shaobao had already repelled the Wala people. The batch of animal traps were put into the warehouse in Xiangxi Lane."
"You know, when I was in the beauty business, there were a lot of treasures piled up in the warehouse. I was afraid that people would steal them, so I put some bear traps in the warehouse to prevent thieves."
"Once, a little thief who didn't know how to die had a whim. He sold me some pretty goods at the second watch, and then tried to steal my warehouse at the fifth watch. His legs were caught in a trap."
"The scars left behind are exactly the same as those on this body."
Chang Feng said: "That's it. As I expected, someone is pretending to be a ghost."
Fatty Xu suggested: "In my opinion, from now on let the warriors we bring to protect Brother Zhou. I'm sure nothing will go wrong."
Chang Feng smiled slightly: "That's not necessary. Didn't you say that the 'ghost' would attack the night before the officer leaves office? There are still two nights. Brother Zhou is safe for the time being."
Chang Feng's purpose in filing a lawsuit was not just to save Zhou Wen's life. What's more important is to find out the truth behind the murder of the first four officers and catch the murderer who is pretending to be a ghost.
He regarded Zhou Wen as bait to lure the snake out of its hole!
Chang Feng said: "It's late today. We've been on the road all day. Brother Zhou, please arrange the bedrooms for us first, and let's get some rest. We'll do our errands early tomorrow morning."
Zhou Wen nodded: "Okay!"
Half an hour later, Chang Feng and Mrs. Jiu just lay down on the bed in the bedroom.
Only a "bang" of thunder was heard, and heavy rain poured down.
There is a big chapter of 5,000 words before twelve o'clock.
(End of chapter)
