Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 245 Old File
Folk tales are always like this, not very tightly written and full of flaws.

Xiaocai was contemptuous and his far-fetched stories and legends were widely spread, but no one was interested in his storybook with subtle clues and hidden clues.

Fortunately, the seventh brother was so curious that he asked the old man selling wontons on a camel pole about the situation of the Li family. The old man shook his head and said that there was a war in the past and many people died in several nearby counties and prefectures. In Jiangning County, only one in ten old households remained. The old man fled from the countryside of Huizhou to Nanjing Yingtian Prefecture after the war twenty or thirty years ago and finally settled down in Jiangning County. He really didn't know.

Xiaocai ate his wontons in two or three mouthfuls, wiped his mouth, stood up suddenly, checked the banknotes, and said, "Seventh Brother, it's getting late, we have to hurry back."

Wang Heng was thinking about something, so he was slow to move. He still had half a bowl left, so he quickly finished it all in one go and said, "Wait for me another quarter of an hour."

Just now, when the driver was circling Li Garden, Wang Heng saw a corner gate on the east side of the main gate. Although the gate was closed, it seemed that there was a gardener there.

Madam Xu usually went in and out in a sedan chair, and she would definitely order servants around like a wealthy family. Considering Madam Liu's extravagant lifestyle, it was not surprising that Li Garden had so many servants.

After carefully considering his words, Wang Heng banged on the doorbell.

With a creak, a servant soon answered the door. He was a middle-aged man with deep eyes and a high nose. His eyes looked unfriendly and slightly fierce.

Xiaocai was stunned. What was this?

Wang Heng winked at him, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Butler, I am a student of the Nanjing Imperial Academy. I heard that the Li Garden in Jiangning is the most magnificent in the southeast, so I came here to see it. Could you please inform the owner of the garden?"

The doorman was full of impatience: "Go away, go away, my master is not here, and he never lets anyone in even when he is."

Wang Heng reached into his waist bag and said, "Housekeeper, please help me. This garden is very big and it will be discovered in a short time."

Before the man could finish his words, the doorman slammed the corner door shut.

Wang Heng and Xiaocai stared at each other. They had not experienced being treated so poorly in this way very often.

There was a faint sound of string music coming from the garden. The two stood at the door for a long time, but no one paid any attention to them, so they had to leave in shame.

When the coachman saw Wang Heng and Xiaocai coming, he hurriedly drove forward to meet them. They got on the mule cart and told the coachman to leave the city and rush back to Jubao Temple.

Xiaocai said, "The gatekeeper of Li Garden is a bit strange. People who look fierce and evil are usually not asked to guard the gate."

Wang Heng echoed, "That doorman looks like a thug."

Xiaocai held up his hands and said, "Maybe the widow who is in charge of the family is afraid of being bullied, so she hired some fierce-looking people to keep the place under control." "It's not impossible." Wang Heng thought of something and said, "Xiaocai, go back to the temple and ask Wuming and the others, or you can ask Wufa, what was the surname of the monk Guangzhi who was killed? Who else was in his family? Why did he become a monk?"

Xiaocai smiled and said, "Gu Bantou from the county government took the coroner to the temple to perform an autopsy this morning. They should conduct a thorough investigation and collect evidence. We just need to wait and hear the news."

Wang Heng said sadly, "I think Magistrate Wu is very stubborn. Since Qiu Erlang has already confessed his guilt, the magistrate may not consider the details."

Xiaocai was silent for a moment, then said, "I thought that County Magistrate Wu was a member of the Xing Society, and must be a diligent and upright official appointed by the court."

Wang Heng sighed and said, "There are hundreds of Xingshe members, and naturally there are also many people who curry favor with the powerful."

Such people joined the society for different purposes, most of which were to form a clique to attack dissidents and to gain fame.

The mule cart drove out of Mi Cang Lane. The lane was quiet and deserted. Cicadas were chirping in the deep green trees. Wang Heng had a vague feeling that he had missed an important clue, but he couldn't really point out what it was.

The mule cart rumbled and soon left the city gate.

The official road was long and the return trip was very tiring. I slept for a long time without realizing it. I heard the driver shout, "Young Master, get off the carriage."

I woke up with a start, lifted the curtain and got out of the car, and I had already arrived at Huayang Terrace in Jubao Mountain.

As I climbed the stairs, I happened to meet Gu Bantou from the county government office who was coming down the mountain with the officials and the coroner.

After a few pleasantries, Wang Heng asked about the results of the investigation into Monk Guangzhi's murder case.
Gu Bantou was well versed in the world and said that they would have to wait for Magistrate Wu to open the court to try the case before they could reach a conclusion.

He said that if it was a trivial matter, it might take three to five months to reach a conclusion, but for a serious case like murder and robbery, the county magistrate would definitely try the case immediately, and asked the people at Jubao Temple to wait for a few days before a notice would be issued.

Wang Heng asked, "Does the squad leader feel that there is something wrong?"

Gu Bantou shook his head and smiled without saying anything. He thought for a moment and said, "I feel like I have seen that gold filigree butterfly-embellished heart before in the county government's old files, but I can't remember which case it was from."

Wang Heng bowed deeply and said, "If the squad leader finds the file, please send a message to Jubao Temple and tell Xiaoke."

Gu Bantou was a practical man, so he nodded in agreement, and the two sides said goodbye.