Stone coffin female corpse 6
As they sneaked into the yamen, it gradually grew dark. Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen blended into the night and wandered around the yamen.
As they rounded a rockery, Xie Mowen lowered his voice, "Things happened so fast I didn't have time to bring it up. You weren't blaming me before, were you?"
Xiao Congzhi paused, narrowed his eyes as he looked at Xie Mowen, and said, "How can I not blame you?"
"You seem quite happy teasing Xiao Sizhao about this?"
“Xiao Sizhao is Xiao Sizhao, and those are my uncle and maternal grandfather. You…” Xiao Congzhi was furious and tried to lower his voice to scold them, “Letting them know is one thing, but provoking them is another.”
Xie Mowen hooked his finger into Xiao Congzhi's palm and asked with a smile, "What did they say?"
"You call me treacherous, but I shouldn't have been misled by you."
"So what did you say?"
"I told you I shouldn't have spoiled you so much." Xiao Congzhi slapped away Xie Mowen's hand that was reaching for his wrist. "I think I was right. If you do this again next time, I won't spoil you anymore."
Xie Mowen stubbornly reached out and tugged at Xiao Congzhi's sleeve, pleading, "Then you won't blame me this time?"
Xiao Congzhi looked away without responding, seemingly having moved on.
Seeing this, Xie Mowen boldly touched Xiao Congzhi's wrist again, gripped it tightly in his palm, and whispered, "I think if my master were still alive, he would definitely scold me for disgracing the sect or for my self-degradation in this situation. After expelling me from the Demonic Sect, he would probably still seek you out for a duel. Your martial arts foundation is excellent, and my master values talent, so he shouldn't cripple you. It's just that you and I would have to wander the martial world for a few days with our two ailing bodies."
Xiao Congzhi flipped his hand over and grasped Xie Mowen's hand, saying softly, "I understand."
I know you're playing the victim, and I know what you're saying.
Xie Mowen originally intended to play the victim, but as he spoke, he revealed his true feelings and became genuinely downcast, letting out a soft sigh.
Suddenly, both of them froze, then darted around a corner. A moment later, a man and a woman passed by; they were Feng Huai and his daughter.
Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen exchanged a glance and silently followed, trailing behind without a sound. They circled around until they arrived at a lavishly furnished place, which was Feng Huai's bedroom.
Feng Huai and his daughter hurried into the house and then closed the door. Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi subtly leaped onto the roof, gently lifting a tile to reveal the two people inside.
Feng Huai was about fifty years old, with an average appearance, medium build, slightly overweight, and a belly. He sat at the head of the table with a serious expression.
His daughter was indeed beautiful and had a graceful figure, but her taste was tacky, and her hair ornaments were a bit too elaborate. Yet, she actually knelt down as soon as she entered the room.
Xiao Congzhi frowned in confusion and looked at Xie Mowen. Xie Mowen was also puzzled. He felt that the woman below looked awkward in every way.
"Please!" The woman bowed deeply and pleaded earnestly, "Please have pity on me, don't send me to the Xiao family."
Feng Huai, looking impatient, snapped, "Just go when I tell you to. Do I have to tell you this several times?"
The woman lifted herself up, crawled forward on her knees, moved to Feng Huai's feet, and then bent down again.
Feng Huai stretched out his foot and lifted the woman's chin, saying in a sinister tone, "Don't forget who has been providing you with such a life of luxury until now."
Two clear tears instantly streamed down the woman's face. The next moment, catching the two people on the eaves completely off guard, she...
What followed was completely beyond Xiao and Xie's expectations.
...
In short, Xiao Congzhi looked terrible, as if he was about to vomit, and quickly looked away after only one glance. Xie Mowen, standing next to him, looked even worse, covering his mouth, as if he was about to throw up at any moment.
The two looked at each other silently. At this moment, all the strange things were no match for the mental damage caused by the visual shock. Fortunately, their rationality kept them from turning away.
Not long after, a sigh came from below.
Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen looked down again with tense faces.
After venting his anger, Feng Huai's tone was no longer furious, but still cold: "I really love your skills. If there were no one else around, I really wouldn't be willing to send you into the Xiao family."
The woman said haltingly, "My lord, there must be... someone else who can try the Xiao family on your behalf. Would it be alright if I continued to serve you?"
"You just need to go and find out if the Xiao family has any hidden businesses. You should be back in a few days."
Then came a series of moaning and groaning sounds.
Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen were afraid that they would chat about the Xiao family afterward, so they forced themselves to listen to the whole thing. Xie Mowen didn't turn his head in time and caught a glimpse of something he shouldn't have seen.
Xie Mowen wished he could gouge out his own eyes.
Fortunately, it didn't take long, only about half a cup of tea's time, and then it was over.
Feng Huai, panting, instructed, "You only need to curry favor with the young master of the Xiao family and find out where the account book is. If there are any hidden properties, bring the account book back. I have my own way of dealing with the Xiao family and taking those assets for myself."
After leaving the yamen, Xie Mowen could no longer hold back and found a corner where he vomited violently.
Xiao Congzhi also felt abdominal discomfort and acid reflux, but it would be ridiculous for both of them to be leaning against the wall to vomit, so he forced himself to hold it in.
After Xie Mowen stopped, the two returned to the Xiao family in silence. As soon as they stepped inside, Xiao Sizhao came to greet them.
Xiao Sizhao originally wanted to ask about the progress, but was frightened by the expressions on Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen's faces, and asked nervously, "What's going on?"
Xie Mowen rubbed his stomach, his face pale, looking like he was barely breathing. As soon as he entered the room, he leaned on Xiao Congzhi's shoulder. When he heard the question, he could only weakly raise his hand and wave it, which startled Xiao Sizhao so much that he held his breath.
Xiao Congzhi was in slightly better condition and was able to reply, "It's really strange." He then put his arm around Xie Mowen's shoulder and sat down.
Xie Mowen leaned into Xiao Congzhi's arms, hugging his waist, his breathing heavy with discomfort.
Xiao Congzhi reached out and rubbed Xie Mowen's stomach, then looked up and asked Xiao Sizhao, "Could you cook some hot food?"
Xiao Sizhao nodded and said "Okay," then asked, "Is he alright?"
"I was frightened, but I should be fine."
"Well, I have something to tell you," Xiao Sizhao said hesitantly, "Someone came looking for you."
Looking for me?
"Yes, she is a girl from the Xu family, named Xu Congyun."
Xiao Congzhi frowned and hurriedly asked, "Then where is she now?"
"In the inner courtyard, my father and mother really helped to entertain us."
Xiao Congzhi gently patted Xie Mowen's back and asked in a gentle voice, "Are you feeling better?"
Xie Mowen was still feeling unwell, his stomach churning, but he knew what was important. He stood up and said softly, "Let's go."
On the way to the inner courtyard, Xiao Congzhi supported Xie Mowen's waist, afraid that he would not be able to walk. Xie Mowen walked unsteadily, staggering. Xiao Sizhao, who was in front, couldn't help but look back every few steps, truly puzzled. What exactly did he see at the yamen?!
Although Xu Congyun was chatting with Xiao's parents, she kept her eyes on the door. When she saw Xiao Congzhi appear, she immediately stood up and said, "Young Master Xiao, I have a request."
Xiao Congzhi was taken aback by Xu Congyun's solemn expression. He first helped Xie Mowen to sit on a soft chair to the side, then looked at Xu Congyun and said, "Speak freely."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Congyun knelt down on the ground without warning.
Xiao Congzhi frowned slightly: "I made a promise to you, there's no need for this, I will do my best."
Xu Congyun did not rise, but raised his eyes to look directly at Xiao Congzhi and said seriously, "This matter is abrupt, and it should be done this way."
Xiao Congzhi decided not to force the issue, turned around and sat down in the seat that Xiao Hezhang had given him, raised his hand and simply said, "Speak."
Xu Congyun looked around at the Xiao family members.
Xiao Congzhi said, "It should be fine, but if you mind, I will let them out."
Xu Congyun shook his head: "If you feel it's alright, then it's alright."
Xiao Hezhang, however, took the initiative to bow and say, "My wife and I will not disturb you any longer."
After Xiao Hezhang and his wife left, Xiao Sizhao quietly sat down next to Xie Mowen, waiting for Xu Congyun to speak.
"This is a long story. I wonder if Young Hero Xiao still remembers the woman you met in the woods outside the city?"
Xiao Congzhi nodded: "Of course I remember." He and Xie Mowen had wanted to see what the next move would be, but they were too busy to do so.
"I'm sure you don't believe me, but that person is the daughter of Magistrate Feng of Ninghai County, and also my cousin."
Xiao Congzhi's expression hardened, and he glanced at Xie Mowen, only to see Xie Mowen, who was barely alive, looking at him with a furrowed brow.
"Twenty years ago, Magistrate Feng was transferred to Ninghai and married my father's younger sister. They had only one daughter, Feng Yingwan."
Xiao Congzhi suddenly remembered that Xu Congyun was not in a good mood at the teahouse outside the city.
"As the man I met at the teahouse outside the city said, two years ago, my cousin married into the Qian family, but what happened afterward was completely different from the rumors. My cousin discovered the affair between Magistrate Feng and the Qian family."
"For more than a decade, the Qian family laundered money for Magistrate Feng. The silver allocated by the imperial court for bridge and road repairs and even flood control was embezzled by Magistrate Feng, who then used the Qian family's rice business to circulate the money around and make it legitimate income through legitimate means."
Xiao Congzhi's face gradually darkened.
“My cousin is intelligent. She discovered this matter from the accounts soon after entering the mansion. But to my shame, because Magistrate Feng is her father, she pretended not to know. But later she discovered that Magistrate Feng was actually colluding with the Qian family to do business with soldiers and horses.”
"Soldiers and horses?" Xie Mowen's voice came faintly from the side.
Xu Congyun nodded to Xie Mowen, his expression becoming even more serious. "Spears, shields, and yellow horses. Transporting them from Jiangnan outwards, unlike within the pass. This is a matter of great importance. My cousin has thought about it for several days and decided to expose this matter, all the way to Yidu."
"But the culprit was the magistrate of Ninghai County, who was also her father. It would be extremely difficult to expose this matter. My cousin was desperate and sought out the son of the magistrate of a neighboring county, whom she had met a few times when she was young. They exchanged two letters. The first was a greeting, and in the second, my cousin arranged to meet him in the woods outside the city, and she wanted to explain a few words in case he didn't come."
Xiao Congzhi hesitated, "That letter..."
"It was intercepted by the Qian family and never sent out. But my cousin didn't know that. When she went to the appointment at that time, she was stopped in the woods by the Qian family and... Magistrate Feng. They didn't even give my cousin a chance to explain and directly ordered their men to beat her to death."
"Did Feng Huai actually watch his own daughter be beaten to death?" Xie Mowen stood up, patting the armrest, his brows furrowed with murderous intent.
Xu Congyun lowered his head and sniffed hard, then raised his head again and continued with a sob in his voice, "My cousin learned some kung fu when she was young and knew the art of turtle breathing. When she was seriously injured, she was extremely disappointed and stopped breathing. But... but that Magistrate Feng was afraid that she would rise from the dead, so he sealed my cousin in a stone coffin, and she almost couldn't get out."
"Then how did you get out?" Xiao Congzhi asked.
“When Magistrate Feng brought the body back to the yamen, my aunt was heartbroken and passed away. To show his grief and love for his wife and daughter, he held a grand funeral with countless burial items, which attracted grave robbers. My cousin took the opportunity to get out of the coffin.”
Such a dramatic turn of events made Xiao Congzhi let out a deep breath. He tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of the table twice and asked, "Then why did it appear outside the city?"
"After leaving the coffin, my cousin lived like a beggar in the city, hiding and recovering from her injuries. She was too badly injured to act rashly. The accident happened about a month ago. The man at the teahouse said that the Feng family's ancestral graves were dug up a month ago. This is true. It was done by a second group of grave robbers. They didn't find anything and didn't fill the graves back up. They were discovered by Magistrate Feng."
“When Magistrate Feng saw that the body had disappeared, he was naturally afraid that my cousin was still alive. He ordered a secret search throughout the city. The operation was so large that my cousin burned half of her face with fire in order to escape the city.”
"She was still thinking about spreading the word about what Magistrate Feng and the Qian family had done, so she would often wander around the teahouse. That's how she learned that there was a woman impersonating her in Magistrate Feng's mansion, and about the forced marriage to the Xiao family."
“When we passed through the woods, she recognized me and wanted to ask me to send a message, but I was with the two of you the whole time, so she didn’t find an opportunity and followed me into the city.”
The twists and turns were heartbreaking. Xie Mowen slowly walked to Xiao Congzhi's side, exchanged a glance with him, and then turned to look at Xu Congyun, who was still kneeling, and asked, "Did she eventually beg the Xu family?"
"yes."
Why didn't you ask the Xu family for help in the first place?
Xu Congyun suddenly fell silent, pursed her lips for a long while, then kowtowed and continued, "Upon closer examination, this matter is my fault. Since I married into Anling, my parents have lived a secluded life, often staying at the Guanyin Temple outside the city. A year ago, my cousin couldn't find them, so she gave up. Later, my cousin became neither human nor ghost, so naturally she didn't dare to send her visiting card to the Xu family, nor did she dare to sneak into the mansion for fear of scaring something bad. It wasn't until I returned to the Xu family that she dared to come and tell me all this."
After speaking, Xu Congyun bowed deeply to the ground, his tone firm and his voice clear, "I know that Young Hero Xiao has something important to accomplish, but I only ask that after he succeeds, he can look after Ninghai and reward my cousin's sincere loyalty."
Xiao Congzhi slowly closed his eyes, his fingers on the table twitched, signaling Xie Mowen to help the person up, and asked in a deep voice, "Is Miss Ying at your residence now?"
Xie Mowen was very strong, and Xu Congyun could only reply, "Yes," as she got up.
"I understand." Xiao Congzhi neither agreed nor refused, but only asked, "Has she made any guesses about the woman who impersonated her at the yamen?"
Xu Congyun couldn't figure out what Xiao Congzhi meant and felt a little uneasy. She said hesitantly, "It's not a guess. She sneaked into the yamen the night before. Although I don't know what she saw, she said that the woman must have used a disguise technique. Her real identity is the mistress that Magistrate Feng has been keeping outside the mansion. She also has a son who is probably only one or two years younger than her."
Xie Mowen narrowed his eyes, a murderous intent emanating from him, as if he wanted to slit someone's throat. He took a deep breath and said hatefully, "So you could just watch your daughter get beaten to death."
Xiao Congzhi stood up and supported Xie Mowen's wrist, then said to Xu Congyun, "You should go back now. I will find a way to pass on the message to you once the plan is in place. Just don't let Miss Ying go out again."
After Xu Congyun left, Xiao Sizhao approached Xiao Congzhi with trepidation and asked cautiously, "Why is it getting more complicated?"
Xiao Congzhi shook his head. "On the contrary, it's become clearer."
Xie Mowen said, "When we went to the yamen just now, Feng Huai wanted to marry that woman to you. He wanted to test the strength of your Xiao family. If you have any property in secret, he would take it for himself."
“This! My father just said that he checked and there was no oversight.”
Xiao Congzhi patted Xiao Sizhao's shoulder and explained, "There's no need for any mistakes. If Feng Huai has been dealing with money and merchants for the past twenty years, it wouldn't be difficult for him to hear some speculations about the Xiao family."
Xie Mowen comforted him, "Fortunately, Feng Huai's goal is money, and his direct accusation against the Xiao family should have nothing to do with Yi Du. Prime Minister Jiang probably doesn't know about it."
Xiao Congzhi snorted coldly and scoffed, "He's happy being the local tyrant in Ninghai, but his relationship with Prime Minister Jiang isn't that deep; it's just a matter of exchanging interests."
"What do you think about that military trade?"
"Perhaps it was Minister Jiang who ordered him to do it, and it's inextricably linked to the Xiongnu. This is far more serious than money laundering; if it comes to light, ten heads wouldn't be enough to lose. The Qian family probably doesn't want to do it, but they're being forced to by Feng Huai. To be on the safe side, it's reasonable for the Qian family to ask Feng Huai to marry off a daughter as a check."
Xie Mowen also snorted coldly, "The Qian family probably doesn't know that Feng Huai has no feelings for this daughter."
Xiao Congzhi gently patted Xie Mowen's wrist, sliding it lightly a couple of times, and then analyzed in a softer tone, "Feng Huai married the Xu family's daughter mostly for his prestige in Ninghai, so he presented himself as a good husband in public and in private. But that's not the case. After Madam Xu gave birth, she was unable to conceive again, so Feng Huai took a mistress and quickly had a child. He naturally didn't care about Miss Ying, and Madam Xu's death was probably intentional."
Xie Mowen closed his eyes and grabbed Xiao Congzhi's wrist. He originally thought that Feng Huai was worse than an animal for seducing his daughter, but he did not expect that people could be so shameless.
Xiao Sizhao roughly understood the whole story, but the most urgent matter at hand was still...
"As for tomorrow..." Xiao Congzhi lowered his head and pondered, "This matter is of great importance. We cannot punish Feng Huai at this time. If it attracts the attention of Prime Minister Jiang, it will be a loss."
Xiao Sizhao said, "Then why don't we leave the city?"
Xiao Congzhi didn't respond to that, but looked at Xie Mowen and called out, "Xie Mowen."
“This matter cannot be left unresolved. The Xu family is not like the Xiao family, with people coming and going. Miss Ying’s existence cannot be kept secret for long. If Feng Huai finds out, we will be in big trouble.”
Xiao Sizhao asked anxiously, "Then what should we do?"
Xie Mowen said, "If we want to resolve this matter temporarily without attracting Prime Minister Jiang's attention, there is only one way. Congzhi?" He tugged at Xiao Congzhi's wrist.
"Hmm, how many of you are in Ninghai?"
"Seven or eight people, I guess."
"Then I'll have to trouble you."
Xiao Sizhao didn't understand what kind of riddle they were talking about, and didn't dare to ask. He stared wide-eyed at them, looking left and right.
Xiao Congzhi chuckled lightly, "Si Zhao, once the matter in Yidu is settled, I'll leave the Ninghai matter to you."
Xiao Sizhao nodded, seemingly understanding.
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