In the abandoned courtyard, there were countless white bones hidden under the mud.
Song Taotao did not dare to look and turned his face away. He was furious.
After the last corpse was moved out, there was no other place to stand in the courtyard. Even though the red armor soldiers of Xia Ling County had seen many tragic scenes, they could not help but feel a chill in their hearts.
"This … this …" Yuan Baozhen was also speechless.
"What does Imperial Censor Yuan want to say?" Xiao Jue spoke slowly, "Or is it that in your heart, this is still a misunderstanding?"
"How can this be a misunderstanding?" Without waiting for Yuan Baozhen to open his mouth, He Yan spoke first, "This is Magistrate Sun's own residence. If someone were to bury female corpses here behind Magistrate Sun's back, it would be fine if it was one or two corpses, but if dozens or even hundreds of corpses were buried here, it wouldn't be hard to find out why an assassin would sneak in. The Sun family's front door is probably made of paper. Could it be that Magistrate Sun's family guards are all deaf and blind?"
Sun Xiangfu was sweating profusely. He didn't know how Xiao Jue knew about this underground court case. He gritted his teeth for a moment and argued, "These are just servants who committed crimes in this official's residence. After being beaten to death, they were buried here. This … this kind of thing often happens in large families."
He Yan laughed coldly, "I also come from a big family. Big families do not have this kind of cruel behavior. If these are servants who committed crimes, I would like to ask Magistrate Sun to take out their contracts. I think it would also record the reason why they were killed. In addition, the corpses on the ground are all women … Magistrate Sun, these are all your servants? You are a seventh-ranked magistrate and you have hundreds of servants in your residence. You can kill them as you wish. You are even more powerful than His Majesty! "At the end of his words, his eyes and tone became fierce. It was difficult to resist.
When he said this, Sun Xiangfu quickly knelt down and kowtowed, crying loudly, "No! No! I am wronged! I am wronged! " He kept repeating the same words over and over again, but he couldn't say why he was wrongly accused. The situation was already hopeless.
He Yan's anger still hadn't subsided. He only felt that the person in front of him was really hateful. Last night, when she was fighting with Ding Yi, Ding Yi had said that every Buddha statue in the room was a dead person. At that time, she had thought that Ding Yi was joking to scare her. Now it seemed that it was true. How ridiculous was that?
Sun Ling and his son had done all kinds of evil in Liang Province. They had kidnapped countless women, and if they did not like them, or if they were just tired of looking at them, they would easily take their lives. To be buried in the Sun family's backyard was already considered good. At least there was still a whole corpse. Who knew if there would be even more pitiful ones who would be thrown into a mass grave after death, and even their corpses would be eaten clean by the wolf beasts, leaving no trace behind.
How arrogant and inhumane was this!
Song Taotao felt a chill in her heart. If she hadn't met He Yan that night, would she have been like these women, becoming a pile of yellow soil and rotting in this dark underground, never to be discovered by anyone?
Her eyes reddened, and she said hatefully, "This is too despicable. We must avenge these women!" As soon as she finished speaking, she felt someone poke her arm. She turned her head to look. He Yan was giving her a look, indicating for her to look at Yuan Baozhen.
In an instant, Song Taotao understood what he meant. She turned to Yuan Baozhen and shouted, "Uncle Yuan, I've suffered so much this time. You're the only person I trust here. You have to make a decision for me!"
Song Taotao's father used to be Yuan Baozhen's superior. Yuan Baozhen boasted that he had a close relationship with the Song family. Naturally, he could not ignore Song Taotao's words. He wiped his sweat and smiled, "Of course."
"Commander in chief, this corpse is a bit different," a red-clothed soldier said.
He squatted down, picked up a handkerchief, and wiped the face of the person on the ground, revealing the face. In the room full of female corpses, this person was the only man. He had died not long ago, and his expression was terrified.
"Tsk," the person who spoke was Xiao Jue. He stood there and said slowly, "Looks like Imperial Censor Yuan's bodyguard has been found."
The male corpse that was dug out was Ding Yi, whom Yuan Baozhen had been looking for since early in the morning.
He Yan, "…"
After she killed Ding Yi last night, she was not in the mood to collect Ding Yi's body. She left immediately. However, Xiao Jue discovered her identity and told Xiao Jue that Ding Yi was dead. This was done by Xiao Jue. She dragged Ding Yi out and buried him. Now that she dug out his body in front of Yuan Baozhen, He Yan felt a trace of sympathy for Yuan Baozhen.
Yuan Baozhen's lips trembled, and he could not speak for a long time.
"The imperial censor's bodyguard was loyal and brave. He found many female corpses hidden in the backyard of the Sun family and was killed by Magistrate Sun." Xiao Jue looked at him with a faint smile, "Imperial Censor Yuan, don't you feel pity for your bodyguard who died in vain?"
"Nonsense!" Sun Ling roared and stood up. He was pressed down by the soldiers beside him, but he did not give up. He struggled and shouted, "I didn't kill him! This is slander! I don't know why he is here, I didn't kill him — — "
He shouted until his voice was hoarse. In the silent courtyard, it was particularly ear-piercing. Xiao Jue frowned and said indifferently, "Shut his mouth."
The soldiers took rags and stuffed them into Sun Ling and Sun Xiangfu's mouths. This time, they could only make 'wu wu' sounds.
"Imperial Censor Yuan," Xiao Jue looked at him and smiled faintly, "What do you plan to do?"
Yuan Baozhen's heart was filled with hatred. He also knew that Ding Yi could not have been killed by Sun Xiangfu's men. The person in front of him already knew everything, but he could not refute. He could only squeeze out a few words from between his teeth, "Please advise me."
"Sun Xiangfu and his son had tyrannical power. They took bribes and robbed the people. They took advantage of the villagers. They kidnapped good girls and used them as bait. " He said, "As an imperial censor, Imperial Censor Yuan has the responsibility of investigating the officials and will not tolerate such vicious people. I have already informed the Xialing County Chief of this matter. Together with Imperial Censor Yuan, we will report this matter to the Emperor. As for Imperial Censor Yuan, "he fixed his gaze on Yuan Baozhen and said with a hint of mockery," It is not my place to interfere whether it is a public report or a secret one. "
Yuan Baozhen almost couldn't breathe.
He had clearly said, "It is not my place to interfere," but he had already led this matter from beginning to end. Even if Yuan Baozhen wanted to do something, the Xialing County chief had already reported it. He could not avoid it. Sun Xiangfu and his son's recommendation was Prime Minister Xu's disciple. Prime Minister Xu's disciples were all over Da Wei. The case of the Liangzhou County Magistrate had embarrassed Prime Minister Xu. In addition, to avoid suspicion, the new county magistrate would not be one of Prime Minister Xu's men.
Prime Minister Xu had completely lost control of Liangzhou. How could he cause trouble for Xiao Jue?!
When he returned to Shuo Jing, Prime Minister Xu would not let him off easily. Yuan Baozhen only felt despair.
Xiao Jue turned to look at the servants shivering at the side and said, "Tell me what you know and you will be spared."
She wanted the servants of the Sun Manor to expose the crimes of Sun Xiangfu and his son.
The servants were still hesitant. They were afraid that Sun Xiangfu and his son would seek revenge if they escaped. However, the servants were overjoyed and went up to agree. As a woman, there was no way out in the Sun Family. Even if they were beautiful, talented, and gentle, the best they could be given as gifts to their superiors. Maybe they could live for a few more years. Most of them were killed by Sun Ling and his son after they got tired of playing with them.
Living here was like living in jail. No one knew when the day of execution would come. Now that they suddenly had a chance to live, they could not wait for Sun Xiangfu and his son to die immediately. Therefore, everyone said that the crimes committed by Sun Ling and his son were chilling. They only felt that such a cruel and merciless person would lead to the wrath of the gods and the resentment of ghosts.
Fei Nu and the head of the soldiers of Xia Ling County recorded that Sun Xiangfu and his son were forced to kneel on the ground. Xiao Jue turned and walked out.
Yuan Baozhen was still standing in the same place. With such a sudden change, he had no one to discuss it with. His thoughts were in a mess and he did not know what to do. Then, he saw the person who made him grit his teeth calmly walk over with a calm expression.
The moment they brushed past each other, Xiao Jue suddenly stopped in his tracks. The young governor curled his lips and said in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, "Imperial Censor Yuan wants my life, but I want you to live. If you live, Xu Jingfu will suffer more than if you die. "
He stood up straight and smiled mockingly. He said calmly, "When you return to Shuo Jing, send my regards to Prime Minister Xu. Imperial Censor Yuan, have a safe trip. "
He turned and left.
Behind him, someone exclaimed, "Imperial Censor Yuan! What happened to Imperial Censor Yuan? Imperial Censor Yuan? "
Yuan Baozhen fainted. He Yan turned back to look. Xiao Jue's figure disappeared beyond the wall of flowers and could not be seen.
This matter … was settled.
The county magistrate's manor was sealed by the soldiers of Xia Ling County. The originally imposing manor was now covered with seals and the lanterns were in a mess. It was in a state of decline. Song Taotao saw many female corpses in the courtyard and was very uncomfortable. He Yan comforted her for a long time and finally calmed her down. When Song Taotao felt sleepy and leaned on the table to rest, He Yan greeted Chi Wu who was protecting Song Taotao and went to find Xiao Jue.
She still had some doubts.
Xiao Jue was talking to Fei Nu.
Sun Xiangfu and his son had done countless evil things. The servants had exposed them one by one. There was no need to mention them one by one. Just based on what they had done, no one could protect them. The sins they had committed were enough to kill them more than ten times. In the whole of Da Wei, it was rare to see such a heinous act.
For ordinary people, it was tantamount to a disaster when a cruel person had power. Wolves, tigers, and leopards were scary, but how could they be compared to the viciousness of the human heart?
"Uncle!" He Yan stood at the door and shouted.
Xiao Jue and Fei Nu's conversation came to an abrupt end. He Yan walked in. Xiao Jue raised her eyebrows, "You still call me uncle?"
He Yan, "… Governor."
She said it as if anyone was willing to call him uncle. It was obvious that he was the one who took advantage of her, but he was still unwilling.
"Why aren't you accompanying Miss Song? Why are you looking for me?" He asked.
He Yan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Today, you punished Sun Xiangfu and his son. Why did you leave Yuan Baozhen behind? You clearly know that Yuan Baozhen was the one who wanted to kill you. "
Sun Xiangfu and his son were abominable and deserved to die. However, the person who tried to assassinate Xiao Jue at the banquet was Town Commander Yuan Baozhen. Ding Yi was already dead, but Yuan Baozhen could still return to Shuo Jing alive. Would Xiao Jue be so kind?
"I didn't kill him here because he will die when he returns to Shuo Jing." Xiao Jue looked out of the window, "It's just a matter of time."
"What about the others?" He Yan asked, "The Sun Xiangfu and his son in Liangzhou are able to do whatever they want. They must have accomplices." Those who supported Sun Xiangfu and those who supported Sun Xiangfu were still entrenched in Liangzhou. Why not kill them all?
Xiao Jue, "When the water is too clear, there will be no fish. Lady He, you are too naive."
Fei Nu stood silently at the side, as if he did not hear the conversation between the two. The trees outside the window were lush and green. Who knew that such a beautiful house would be buried with so many sins?
In reality, Xiao Jue's goal was never Yuan Baozhen.
He already knew that the banquet at the Sun Mansion was a trap. He also knew that Yuan Baozhen's appearance would definitely be murderous. He did not come to Liangzhou City to participate in a game of cat and mouse. Instead, he came to control Liangzhou City in the palm of his hand.
He led the new soldiers to guard Liangzhou City in order to temporarily avoid the sharp edge and avoid Xu Jingfu's eyes and ears. However, Old Dog Xu's disciples were all over Da Wei. The practice of selling official positions and titles was prevalent throughout the country. Sun Xiangfu of the Liangzhou City Guards was one of them. Yuan Baozhen came under Xu Jingfu's orders. If he could kill Xiao Jue, it would be best. If he could not kill Xiao Jue, he would secretly contact Sun Xiangfu. Sun Xiangfu would directly take orders from Shuo Jing. It was easy to trip up the Liangzhou City Guards.
Even if a fly could not kill an elephant, it would be disgusting if it kept buzzing by one's ear.
He Yan was' blind 'on the night of the banquet. Xiao Jue disappeared for the next few days. Everyone thought that he had left the mansion. Ding Yi also followed him. In reality, Ding Yi was following Fei Nu in disguise. The real Xiao Jue had always been in the Sun Mansion.
Sun Xiangfu had committed many evil deeds and had dealings with many wealthy families in Liangzhou City. These wealthy families "offered" Sun Xiangfu gold and silver, and Sun Xiangfu guaranteed their "peace" in Liangzhou City. He also bribed his superiors and subordinates. He took care of everything. Everything he did and the gifts he gave were recorded in an account book.
Xiao Jue found the account book and replaced it with a fake one. He also found something else here.
Over the years, Sun Ling had killed countless girls. The original girls were all thrown into a mass grave. In the past two years, perhaps because he had done too many evil deeds, he had a guilty conscience and often had nightmares. The Sun family invited a Taoist priest to take a look. They said that they had to bury the girls who died in Sun Ling's hands in the northwest direction and suppress them with a Buddha statue charm.
Thus, there was a mountain of corpses and a Buddha statue in the backyard.
Xiao Jue originally planned to use Song Taotao to punish the Sun family's father and son. With this discovery, even if Xu Jingfu personally came to protect them, he would not be able to save them.
In the past few days, he confirmed the people underground and searched for the account book. On the last day, he actually left the mansion. He did not do anything else outside the mansion. He picked a few people from the account book and copied the relevant records in the book one by one. He then sent them to the various manors.
The business tycoons in Liangzhou City were all in his hands. In the future, when the new Liangzhou County Magistrate took office, no matter if he was Xu Jingfu's man or not, he would not be able to do anything to him.
From today onwards, Liangzhou City was his.
Yuan Baozhen's biggest mistake was to miscalculate his direction. Xiao Jue did not care about the assassination at the banquet. All he wanted was Liangzhou City.
However, He Yan's appearance and strangeness attracted all of Yuan Baozhen's attention. In a way, He Yan also became the bait. It was just that this bait had a hook, and the prey that followed the scent to bite it. That was why things went so smoothly.
While he was silent, He Yan was also thinking.
Xiao Jue had already expected today's events. She asked, "Did you let Yuan Baozhen go because Yuan Baozhen messed up his job and would be betrayed and punished by his master? That master is Prime Minister Xu." She paused and asked, "Is Prime Minister Xu the current Prime Minister Xu Jingfu?"
When she said this, even Fei Nu could not help but look at He Yan in surprise.
She actually said it so directly. What she meant was that she did not know Xu Jingfu. But who knew if she was lying?
"Lady He is so attached to the imperial court. Does your father know?" Xiao Jue said calmly.
He Yan knew from his answer that the Prime Minister Yuan Baozhen mentioned was indeed Xu Jingfu.
"Although my father is only a military officer at the city gates, and Prime Minister Xu is the current Prime Minister. It seems like the difference between heaven and earth, but a military governor should know better than to bully a poor youth. I am sixteen this year, and I have defeated all of the Liangzhou guards. I am unrivaled. "She boasted shamelessly," In the future, I might achieve great things and become an official with a higher rank than a military governor. So what if he is Prime Minister Xu? I also have a younger brother who is younger than me. To say something disgraceful, we are like the rising sun, and Prime Minister Xu is already in his twilight years. When my brother and I reach the age of a military governor, who knows if Prime Minister Xu will still exist in this world? "
Fei Nu choked on his own words and coughed.
Based on He Yan's words, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that he was not one of Xu Jingfu's people. How could Xu Jingfu tolerate such a disgraceful thing being under his command? He Yan was afraid that it was all due to luck that he was able to survive until now.
Xiao Jue heard this and sneered, "You don't know the difference between life and death. Maybe you won't live as long as Xu Jingfu."
He Yan thought that Xiao Jue had guessed wrong. She had already lived one more life than Xu Jingfu. Who cared about how long she lived?
"Military governor, you don't have to be so guarded against me." He Yan looked at him, "We have a common enemy."
"I don't know," he said calmly, "why would Xu Jingfu bother to have a dispute with a military officer at the city gates?"
"Naturally, a military officer at the city gates is not related to Prime Minister Xu. However, if a dog bites someone, the master should also be held accountable." He Yan sighed, "My enemy is Prime Minister Xu's subordinate. In fact, I am Prime Minister Xu's subordinate." She smiled, "You and I share a common enemy. We should be friends. You have doubted me time and time again. It makes me very sad."
Xiao Jue glanced at her. She did not look sad at all.
"Then you will be disappointed." He said, "I don't make friends, and I don't make friends with liars."
He Yan, "…"
Was this person invulnerable to swords and spears? He really wanted to fight with him to vent his anger.
"Then military governor," He Yan held back his anger and asked, "what about the corpses in the courtyard of the Sun residence?"
Those corpses had been there for a long time. Their faces could no longer be recognized and only the bones were left. Some of them could still be recognized. It was not a good idea to leave all of them in the Sun residence.
Xiao Jue looked at the trees outside the window. The shadows of the trees swayed slightly. After a while, he said to Fei Nu, "Inform the people in the city to come and identify the corpses."
When the people of Liangzhou City heard that the military governor of the right army had brought people to seal the gates of the Sun residence and detained the father and son of the Sun family, they all clapped their hands and cheered. Those who were more courageous ran to the Sun family's door and spat on the ground, cursing loudly. Those who were less courageous stood not far away and waited for the soldiers to pass by. They then pulled one of them and asked carefully, "Sir, Magistrate Sun was really … really arrested?"
After so many years of darkness in Liangzhou City, it was finally dawn.
It was a good thing that the father and son of the Sun family had pleaded guilty. The cries of the Magistrate's residence shook the sky. Those who had lost their daughters or knew that their daughters had been kidnapped but could not do anything about it came to identify the corpses.
The corpses of the women were laid out in the courtyard. They filled the front and back courtyards. Although it was autumn, there was still a strange smell. He Yan followed Fei Nu and saw a mother-in-law being supported by her daughter-in-law looking for her daughter who had been missing for three years among the corpses. There was also a young man dressed like a scholar holding his wife who had been kidnapped on the night of their wedding and crying loudly.
He Yan saw a dark-skinned man in a white robe holding a female corpse and sobbing. "Sister, sister! Brother is here. Brother will take you home … "His voice was so sad that it made anyone who heard it cry.
The little girl in his arms was small. She was at most twelve or thirteen years old and was still a child. If the naughty ones in the family were at this age, they would still like to catch crickets and fight crickets. Now, her small body was curled up into a ball. It was hard to see her lively figure from the past. Before a flower bloomed, it had withered.
The whole courtyard was filled with cries and goodbyes. He Yan looked up at the sky and felt that the cries were about to break through the sky. This was the most tragic thing in the world.
Fei Nu looked at her with some surprise.
Girls were soft-hearted and could not bear to see such a scene. Song Taotao, for example, had already hidden in the house and could not bear to watch. He Yan stood there. There was sadness in her eyes too, but she did not cry.
He Yan had seen too many goodbyes in life and death. Many men on the battlefield went out as the eldest son of the family, the husband of the wife, and became a pile of yellow dust when they came back. Living in the world, there was no lack of joys and sorrows.
These girls were bullied when they were alive and imprisoned when they died. They lived a miserable life. Now, they were finally free and returned to the embrace of their families. Their families would always remember them and shed tears for what they had gone through.
What about her?
He Yan thought in a daze. Was there such a person who would cry for her death? Who would remember her when there was no one around and feel pain for her. Her family in her previous life sent her to the Yellow Springs with their own hands. Even after she died, she was still used. Was there ever a moment when she received the sincerity of her family?
"Young Master." Fei Nu's voice interrupted He Yan's thoughts. He turned his head and saw that Xiao Jue had come out.
He asked, "Have the families of all the corpses been found?"
Fei Nu shook his head. "There are still twenty-three unclaimed corpses."
Some of the girls who were kidnapped to the Sun family were like Song Taotao, who was not from Liangzhou. Once they were separated from their families, it was an eternal farewell.
"Let's bury them."
He Yan was startled and looked up at Xiao Jue.
He stood tall and straight in the desolate courtyard, like the Drinking Autumn Sword hanging at his waist, sharp, calm, and reassuring.
"Young Master, where should we bury them?" Fei Nu asked.
"Outside Liangzhou City, there's a peak called Chengfeng." Xiao Jue looked into the distance, as if he saw something through the branches in the courtyard. His expression was calm and his tone was indifferent. However, there was a trace of imperceptible pity in his indifference. He said, "These girls had no choice when they were alive. They were like fish in a pond. Bury them here. May they be free in their next life and enjoy the wind. "
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