Chapter 25: Biased Li Nuo [asking for monthly ticket]
Chang'an County Government Office.
The back court.
Pei Zhe was finally relieved until he saw Li Nuo eat two large bowls of dumplings, drink up a bowl of dumpling soup, lean back in his chair and burp contentedly, and not pay any extra attention to his wife.
It seems that he really likes dumplings.
At the same time, he was a little confused. He had been eating dumplings made by his wife for almost twenty years, but he didn't think they were very delicious. Could it be that other people's dumplings were more fragrant than his own?
Li Nuo had only been in this world for two days. He had eaten his own meals and the Song family's dinners, but the one that satisfied him the most was this meal of home-cooked dumplings.
This is not about taste, but an emotional sustenance.
After eating and drinking, he couldn't help but praise: "Madam's cooking skills are so superb, Master Pei is so lucky."
Pei Zhe's wife is a beautiful woman with great looks. She looks about the same age as Song Jiaren's aunt, but their temperaments are very different. Mrs. Pei has a gentle and virtuous temperament, perhaps because she comes from a military family. Aunt Song Zhen gives people a more straightforward and heroic feeling.
Being praised by Li Nuo, Madam Pei smiled and said, "If you like it, you can come often."
Li Nuo must come to the county government office often, as it is closely related to his life. After Madam Pei left, Li Nuo remembered something and asked, "Master Pei, is Zheng Yuanwai's concubine still in the county government jail?"
This woman was sentenced to death and her case will be handed over to the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple for review. She should not be taken away so soon.
Speaking of this, Pei Zhe shook his head and sighed, "Perhaps she knew she could not escape death. As soon as the young master left yesterday, this woman committed suicide by hitting her head against the wall in the prison..."
Upon hearing that Zheng Yuanwai's concubine had died, Li Nuo was stunned for a long time.
Although he had handled many death row prisoners in his previous life, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation.
The life that was like a flower yesterday has withered and died today.
This made him feel a little emotional.
As a human being, you still have to abide by the law.
Li Nuo originally wanted to ask her what other special skills she had, but now he had to give up.
After her portrait went out, he probably would not light it up again. Kicking the shuttlecock well and combing one's hair beautifully were certainly outstanding skills, but they were not worth exchanging his life for.
However, although Zhang Xiaoyun committed suicide, his life span did not change much.
It makes sense when you think about it.
After all, even if she didn't commit suicide, she would still be punished by the law, and the final result would not change. If the law took back his increased lifespan, it would be too unfair for him...
After eating the dumplings, Li Nuo took a short rest in the back hall of the county government office.
Last night, Song Qian and his wife were making a fuss in the next room all night, so he couldn't sleep well. Next time if he stays overnight at the Song Mansion, he must stay away from their room.
But yesterday was a special case, and the rooms in the Song Mansion were very limited, so I probably won’t encounter that situation next time.
After a short rest, I suddenly felt refreshed.
At this time, several yamen runners had prepared the case to be judged in the afternoon, and people related to the case were already waiting in the yard outside.
Before the court closed in the afternoon, Li Nuo had only solved four cases.
A marriage case, an inheritance case, a land case, a theft case are all minor cases that can be judged according to the law and there is nothing to dispute.
The only petty thief didn't receive a heavy sentence because he stole a small amount of money.
However, Li Nuo did not gain nothing. After judging the last case, his remaining life span according to the law code was increased by one day and returned to twenty-five days.
This shows that if you want to increase your life expectancy, you don’t necessarily have to impose a heavy sentence; small cases can accumulate to a large number.
This day's work was not in vain. After handling the last case, Li Nuo looked at the Chang'an County Magistrate and asked, "Sir Pei, do you usually have many serious cases in the county office?"
Pei Zhe shook his head and said, "Not many. Ninety-nine percent of the cases are small cases like today's."
Chang'an is the capital of the Great Xia Kingdom, and it is located at the foot of the emperor, so the public security is naturally the best. There are guards patrolling the streets day and night. If there are serious murders every other day, his term as the magistrate of Chang'an County will be over.
At least that's what it looks like on the surface.
As the center of power of Daxia, Chang'an seems peaceful, but in fact, there are constant undercurrents. It is unknown how much dirt and filth there is in the invisible darkness.
Li Nuo looked up at the sky. At this time yesterday, Zheng Yuanwai's concubine had already confessed her guilt. A day had passed, and the special skills he had acquired from her should have become invalid.
He looked in the scriptures and saw that her portrait had indeed darkened.
In order to verify his guess, Li Nuo asked housekeeper Wu to go out and buy a shuttlecock. He tried it twice. The first time, he failed to control the force and direction well, and the shuttlecock flew directly over the courtyard wall. The second time, he simply kicked it into the air.
This skill undoubtedly came from the woman who committed suicide out of fear of punishment.
He even asked the magistrate of Chang'an County to bring the shuttlecock into the prison and let the female assassin kick it to try.
Pei Zhe was no longer surprised by Li Nuo's strange behavior and didn't even ask any further questions.
Lord Pei had done her a favor, and although Gu Yanran was a little confused, she still obediently followed his request.
When the female assassin was playing shuttlecock, Li Nuo hid in the corner and observed.
She used to be the daughter of an official family. She was good at calligraphy and shuttlecock kicking, but she was far inferior to Zheng Yuanwai's concubine.
Even though her portrait was still lit at this moment, Li Nuo still did not inherit her shuttlecock kicking skill, which confirmed his guess.
If you want to be recognized by the code, it is not enough to be "good" alone, you must practice a certain skill to the pinnacle.
However, this female assassin's shuttlecock kicking skills are far inferior to those of Zheng Yuanwai's concubine.
The darkening of Zhang Xiaoyun's portrait was not the only change in the code. Li Nuo also discovered that Cui Ze's portrait had disappeared directly from the code.
Li Nuo guessed that only prisoners with certain special skills could have their portraits preserved for a long time.
Ordinary people like Cui Ze who are good for nothing are not qualified to have their portraits left on the code. After one day, the portraits will disappear on their own.
After a while, Li Nuo walked out of the Chang'an County Government Office and stretched his body.
I've been busy for so long today, but I only added one day to my life.
Although one day is short, it is better than nothing.
It seems that today is the same as if it had not happened, but if one could add one day to one's lifespan every day, wouldn't that be immortality in a sense?
The carriage quickly returned to Li's house.
As soon as Li Nuo stepped into the yard, he saw Song Jiaren's tall and slim figure.
Beside her, there were two small figures.
The two little girls were wearing the same clothes, had the same hair, and wore the same jewelry, but their expressions were completely different.
The one with a flower ornament on her forehead and a little makeup, looking pretty like a fairy, had her hands on her hips and a smug smile on her face, while the other one next to her had a pouty mouth and red eyes, obviously looking like she had been crying.
Li Nuo had already stepped one foot into the yard, and then retreated the next moment.
He never expected that Song Ning'er could chase here from the Song family.
If it was in the morning, it would be fine to just put on some beautiful makeup for her, but at this moment his makeup ability had expired. If he wanted to light up the portrait again and gain the ability, he would have to consume the rest of his life.
He had no intention of wasting his limited life to please a little girl he barely knew.
He originally planned to go out and hide until they came back, but a maid from the Song family had sharp eyes. The moment she saw Li Nuo, she immediately pointed at the door and shouted, "The son-in-law is back!"
Not long.
Li family.
Inside Li Nuo's courtyard.
A maidservant from the Song Mansion looked at Li Nuo with a pleading look and said, "Sir, please give Miss Ning'er the same makeup as Miss Mu'er. I beg you..."
However, no matter how she begged, or how loudly Song Ning'er cried, Li Nuo remained indifferent.
Li Nuo also felt helpless.
This is not just putting makeup on Song Ning'er, this is taking his life.
He was busy from morning till night, mediating and judging. He had spent countless words and wasted countless saliva. He had finally managed to live one more day. How could he waste it so carelessly?
The harder something is to get, the more we cherish it.
If you want his life, don’t mention Song Ning’er, even if she is Song Jiaren.
There is no room for negotiation on this matter.
But he couldn't explain it.
Seeing that Li Nuo didn't say anything, the maid looked at Song Jiaren for help.
Song Jiaren moved her lips but didn't say anything. Her intuition told her that he must have his reasons for doing this.
Seeing that Li Nuo didn't react, Song Ning'er pouted even higher and tears began to well up in her eyes again.
Song Muer looked at Li Nuo, then at Song Ning'er, sighed in her heart, took out a handkerchief from her small bag, wet it by the fountain in the yard, then wiped it randomly on her little face, ran to Song Ning'er, and said, "Now we are the same..."
Seeing her sister's face covered with blood, Song Ning'er wiped her tears, snorted softly, took the maid's hand, and said, "Let's go home."
Li Nuo could only smile helplessly.
Sure enough, she didn't want a beautiful makeup, but she had to have what her sister had.
Now that her sister is gone, she doesn’t have to do without her.
Fortunately, his wife doesn't have such a sister, otherwise he would have no good life.
He gently rubbed Song Muer's head. A sister is always a sister, and Muer is sensible. There is no reason not to be partial to her. Who doesn't like a well-behaved and sensible girl?
After Song Ning'er and the maids from the Song Mansion left, Song Jiaren looked at Li Nuo and asked softly, "Don't you like Ning'er?"
Li Nuo did not answer, Song Muer answered for him: "Of course, when Brother Li Nuo came to our house, Ning'er refused to play with him. Brother Li Nuo wanted to play with her sepak takraw, but she refused to let him play, and she even said she didn't want to play with a fool..."
Song Jiaren looked at Li Nuo and thought of something.
Before the old lady's birthday banquet, Li Nuo went to the Song family once. He wanted to play with Ning'er's toys, but Ning'er refused to give them to him. He was very unhappy about this and made a scene in the Song mansion for a long time. In the end, it was Mu'er who coaxed him into silence...
That incident made the servants in the Song Mansion laugh for a long time.
That was also the first time Song Jiaren met Li Nuo.
She originally thought that she would spend her whole life with this husband who only had the mind of a child, but she never expected that such a big change would take place in him in just a few days.
She looked at Li Nuo and asked, "Is it because of this?"
Li Nuo certainly couldn't tell the real reason. Fortunately, Mu'er had already found a good reason for her. Li Nuo said as a matter of course: "Who told her not to play sepak takraw with me..."
[ps: The editor said that the monthly votes on the new book list have a lot of weight, please vote for next month, so that I can move up the list...]
(End of this chapter)
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