The Hairpin of the Red Chamber

Chapter 156

Baochai hadn't seen people finishing the internal yamen, when he heard the people in front shouting for the master, and Jia Lian said in a panic: "I'm not your master, but the one behind." Knowing that everyone saw that Jia Lian was old and stable , regarded him as Baoyu, couldn't help laughing, and said to Daiyu: "Jia Lian is not very knowledgeable, but he looks a bit like walking outside."

Daiyu said: "Everything in the world is knowledgeable. Jia Lian's knowledge in this world is much better than Baoyu's."

Baochai said: "Everyone has their own good." During the conversation, Jia Lian had clarified with the previous ones, and all the way in, Daiyu and Baochai lifted the curtain and went in, asking him about the banquet through the curtain.

Jia Lian frowned and said, "A fellow magistrate and a general judge went to Fucheng. People from the other two counties have arrived, but the Tong magistrate and county magistrate Lu left after sitting for a while, and even his subordinates followed suit one after another. Go on. I thought it was boring to sit, so I asked Baoyu to say that I was not feeling well, and came back first." During the banquet, the colleague was naturally the leader, and Bai Ding, such as Jia Lian, could only sit at the bottom, remembering that he had donated one before. The same knowledge is in the body, but I have tossed myself alive, I can't help but feel emotional.

Baochai asked, "Where is Baoyu? Why don't you see anyone else?"

Jia Lian nunuzui said: "I received a case on the way, and I called someone in to ask in front of me."

Baochai said in amazement, "There's no government office yet, so why did you accept the case?"

Jia Lian said: "It's an old woman who stopped the sedan chair and complained. She probably said that her son had disappeared, and his life was probably murdered. I asked her if she had evidence, but she couldn't. She just kept crying. I think there are three people in this city. The county government office, a government office, if there is really a big grievance, why don't you go to the government office to complain, but come to our place? Don't be a trap, just waiting for Baoyu to drill it. It's a pity that Baoyu won't listen to my words , I will come to find you later, it may be useful for you to persuade - they are all from my own family, you don't have to avoid suspicion, just follow me to the front."

Baochai said, "Let me go and have a look." Pulling out the curtain, Daiyu also said, "I haven't seen what it's like to ask questions. I'll go with you."

Baochai laughed and said, "It's not a court trial. What's there to see?" Even so, he held her with one arm. Jia Lian led the way and turned all the way to the side hall. Looking inside, I saw Baoyu sitting on a chair in casual clothes, an old woman kneeling on the ground, crying and talking, and a person stood by, translating her words into official language, seeing Daiyu and Baochai When he came in, he hurriedly turned his back, his head drooping, not daring to raise his head.

Seeing them coming, Baoyu said happily, "Sister Bao, you're here just in time. I took office on the first day, and I don't know much about solving cases and so on. Please refer to me for details."

When Daiyu heard him say this in front of Jia Lian and his subordinates, she couldn't help but give him a blank look. Baoyu caught her look and immediately knew what was going on. She is decisive, and you will treat her as you would treat me in the future." Then he said to Baochai, "This is Wang Cheng, the history of the county's classics."

When Baochai saw that Baoyu didn't shy away from it, she simply became generous and asked directly, "Where are you from and what did you do in the past?"

That Wang Cheng didn't dare to raise his head, so he just lowered his head and said: "The lower official is a local. He used to be a county lieutenant in Changzhou. It’s the next official’s interim.”

Baochai said with a smile: "It turns out that it is the master Dian Shi, and my concubine is from Jinling, surnamed Xue. Please take care of me in the future."

Wang Cheng said again and again: "How dare you dare?" Seeing that there were female relatives around, it was not easy to stay, so he made a gesture to say goodbye to Baoyu-he deliberately asked Baoyu to keep him, because he guessed that Baoyu could not understand the dialect, and the trial had to rely on He, who knew that Baoyu said goodbye to him politely, waited for him to walk away, and leaned close to Daiyu and said, "Sister Lin, this person was coaxing me just now! He deceived me that I couldn't understand Wu language, but in fact, I and you At that time, he had already understood three or four times, and he didn't tell me about several places."

Baochai coughed, stood in front of him and Daiyu, and looked at Jia Lian again. Jia Lian smiled and said, "I haven't seen the trial, so let me listen? Maybe I can have some ideas."

Baoyu laughed and said, "They're all my brothers. What's wrong?" Calling someone to make tea again, the old woman couldn't speak official language. After a few words, the old woman seemed to shrink back when she saw someone who understood Wu language, and replied a few words tremblingly, Daiyu sent her out to wait, then turned to the three of them and said, "She said that her son took 100 taels of silver a month ago. Going out to do business, I originally made an appointment with my cousin to meet in the previous town, but my cousin waited there for three days but no one was seen, so I reported it to Li Zheng, who sent people to search along the road for a few days, but there was no trace, so I asked the neighbors No one in the township heard about it, so they reported it to the officials, but the officials didn't pay much attention to it because they didn't see the body, so they dragged it on for a while, until now, when this woman heard that a new county magistrate took office, she came to complain."

Baoyu said: "strange, this is the same as what Wang Cheng said - just now I clearly heard the two of them say 'working hard outside' and 'the new master is handsome', there are a lot of miscellaneous things, it doesn't seem like about the case."

Jia Lian said: "They are all from the same place, and they went to sue first. It is not surprising that Wang Cheng knew the inside story a long time ago, chatted with her about the family affairs, and then relayed the case."

Daiyu sneered and said, "She is a woman from a common people's family, how does she know when you will take office, and so happens to stop you on the way back to the yamen? Besides, you brought the twenty or thirty yamen servants with you, and one or two of them were taken for nothing. Money doesn’t work? Just let this woman approach you, what if it’s an assassin?”

Baoyu laughed and said, "I am a little county magistrate, how could an assassin come to kill me? You are overthinking."

Baochai said: "Don't be afraid of [-], just in case. It's always right to be careful." Then he blamed: "You too, when people meet people who come to complain on the road, they just avoid them. Why don't you just pour them out?" Accepted, this person must have nowhere to sue and nowhere to go, so he came to look for you, which means that there must be something tricky about this case, which made the other yamen evade it. You are a new official, just handle such a case, and handle it well Now, it seems that the government office and the other two counties are incompetent, and they are just hated by others. If they don’t manage well, they just want to see your jokes, so they might make trouble for you!"

Baoyu said with a smile: "Sister Bao is right, but I also have my own thoughts. One is that she just rushed to my sedan chair at that time, and there is no way to avoid it. Two, there are so many people on the street, and most of them know each other. Hers, I am a new official who has just arrived, and it is just when I want to comfort the people. When I meet the first case, but refuse to accept it, it will inevitably chill the hearts of the officials. Thirdly, I believe in the talents of Sister Yibao and Sister Lin. Regardless of whether the case is solved or not, it will definitely be dealt with properly."

Baochai pursed her lips and smiled, but Daiyu glanced at him and said with a smile, "What is breaking and not breaking? You think we can't do it before the matter is done?"

Baoyu hurriedly bowed and said, "I just left my mouth open, and I trust you two very much in my heart, no, either of you can handle the case beautifully without leaving any clues. "

Daiyu snorted and said, "It counts that you have some sense of people - but although we know the official handling of this case, we need to find a caring person in the foreign economic affairs office. These yamen servants are unreliable, you see Li Gui or Mingyan, whoever is usually more diligent and tolerant of mess, asked them to inquire about the case along the way first, whether it is consistent with what the old woman said, even where her son walked that day, how many people nearby Every family, report one by one."

Baoyu cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Yes." Just as he was about to call someone, Jia Lian said, "I'm going to find shops and weavers anyway, so why don't I run this trip for you by the way."

Baoyu said: "If my brother is willing to go, that's the best. Once the expenses are paid, my brother will come out of the treasury."

Jia Lian waved his hand and said, "How much is that worth? Just let me congratulate you on your new appointment. But there is one thing, I want to command your people. Except for Wang'er, all the people I brought with me are members of the Xia family. It's inconvenient to use."

Only then did Baoyu realize that his ulterior motives were in human hands, and said with a smile, "My servants are the same as my elder brother's servants. Not only this, but my elder brother will just order them to do whatever happens in the future."

Jia Lian was overjoyed, bowed and said, "Then thank you brother." He walked briskly and went out without waiting for a moment.