Chapter 193: The Murder Case of Chang'an, Alone on the Snow Road
After coming out of Taiji Palace, Fang Jie did not take the city carriage back, but walked slowly on the street facing the snowflakes. Before leaving the palace, the snow had only covered the ground with a layer of white. After turning two streets, the snow was already as thick as the soles of boots. The remnants of the last snow have not yet melted, and this snow comes one after another. I don¡¯t know if God thinks that Chang¡¯an City is not beautiful enough, so he will try to decorate it in winter.
Feeling that the snow under your feet is getting thicker and thicker, if you experience it carefully, you will have a very boring and wonderful feeling. Fang Jie, who looked relaxed, was actually so worried that his steps were a little heavy. He lowered his head slightly as he walked, watching the smooth and clean snow surface being marked by his feet. Step by step, so clear.
The emperor's words kept ringing in his ears. The emperor who picked him up with his own hands seemed to be very playful. He threw him into the cage, released him, and then kicked Fang Jie into a place that logically Fang Jie couldn't afford. In this situation, the emperor was very happy, but Fang Jie wanted to fight for his life.
If Chang'an City is a big lake, then the imperial court is the deepest part of the lake. Few people can easily paddle on it and come and go freely. Fang Jie now only has a reed under his feet. If he wants to cross the lake is it easier said than done?
There were very few pedestrians on the street, and there were no people on the carriages passing through the city. When the carriage passed by Fang Jie, the driver warmly greeted him to get on the carriage. Perhaps he did not see clearly that Fang Jie was wearing the uniform of the Yanwu Academy. What he shouted was If you don't want to sit in the car as a young man, eight copper coins will be delivered to your door.
Fang Jie asked seriously, "Isn't it five copper coins?"
The coachman quipped, ¡°Isn¡¯t it heavy snow? It¡¯s not too much to add three copper coins.¡±
Fang Jie asked, no matter where he sent it, it was eight copper coins?
The coachman said if you just ride one mile, would I have the nerve to charge you eight copper coins? Within ten miles, there are still five copper coins. Is it fair to charge three extra fees for exceeding ten miles?
Fang¡¯s explanation is indeed very fair, but I won¡¯t sit down.
The coachman almost twisted his nose with anger, thinking to himself, why are you talking to me for so long if you don¡¯t just sit down? He looked at Fang Jie with the most contemptuous look, then urged his horse to whip up his whip and drove the carriage away. Fang Jie smiled stupidly, as if he had taken advantage of him.
The sky is getting gloomier and gloomier, and the clouds are so low that it seems like you can pluck a handful of newly bloomed snowflakes with just one hand. Fang Jie suddenly regretted not taking the carriage. It would have taken at least an hour to walk all the way back to the shop. If the hospital clothes are dirty, you have to wash them yourself. Even though there is a woman Shen Qingshan is not the type who is willing to wash clothes with a wooden basin.
So he decided to take a shortcut.
Turning into another street, Fang Jie looked at the sign at the intersection when he walked into this street.
East 18th Street
Fang Jie calculated the distance and found that it was still far away from East 23rd Street where the shop was located. There was not a single pedestrian on this street, and it looked particularly peaceful and peaceful. The layout of each city in Chang'an City is almost the same. Straight streets separate the cities like tofu cubes. If you can overlook it from a high altitude, you will be shocked at how this majestic city is so well-organized.
The sound of feet stepping on the snow was very clear. Fang Jie looked at the shops on both sides of the street as he walked. About a hundred meters into East 18th Street, he found that this supposedly prosperous place actually had a bunch of dilapidated houses. Judging from the incomplete appearance, it seems that no one has cared about it for decades at least. We must know that although the city of Chang'an is very large but every inch of land is very valuable, how could the businessmen ignore such a good place?
So he couldn't help but stop and take a closer look at the house.
The walls have collapsed in several places, but the doorways are still intact. The iron lock, which had turned into a ball of rust, could not see its original appearance, and almost melted into the iron chain. Fang Jie looked inside along a gap in the wall and found that the withered grass in the courtyard had covered the entire courtyard. It's not possible to see clearly what the house looks like inside, but the dark broken window exposed is like the door to hell, which makes people feel chilly.
Fang Jie is puzzled, why is this place abandoned?
He stopped in front of the yard for a while, always feeling that something was wrong with the house. So he didn't rush home, but walked into a teahouse across the street not far from the house. Originally, the business of this teahouse was not very good, and the owner of the teahouse so close to that depressing place was also miserable. On this snowy day, a customer actually came in, and the boss quickly greeted him personally.
When he saw clearly the Yanwu Academy uniform on Fang Jie, he became even more excited. Students in the Yanwu Academy can go out for three days every month. During these three days of classes, students do not have to return to the Yanwu Academy at night. When Fang Jie was released from prison, classes at the Yanwu Academy were closed.
"Sir, please come in quickly"
The veteran picked up the duster and swept the snow off Fang Jie's body. His enthusiastic attitude made people feel happy. Fang?I said thank you and then chose a seat by the window to sit down.
"What do you want to drink, Master?"
The boss asked.
Fang Jie has no research on tea ceremony, so he casually pointed out a medium-priced tea on the list, which was neither ostentatious nor low-key. The boss first sent someone to bring four kinds of dried fruit snacks, and then personally made tea for Fang Jie.
¡°Boss, the house over there has been abandoned for many years, right?¡±
Fang explained the question.
He was curious because he wanted to know why no one was interested in the sought-after and valuable land.
"Where are you talking about? Well stop talking about it, that place is extremely unlucky!"
The boss sighed, as if full of complaints.
He waved away a wild cat that appeared at the door, with disgust in his eyes. The wild cat looked back, walked to a wall and lay down, looking a little pitiful in the heavy snow.
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When he mentioned the house across the street not far away, the owner of the teahouse started chatting. He sat down opposite Fang Jie with his purple clay pot and asked the waiter to add two more dried fruits. In this kind of weather, only one customer can be accommodated. The boss may be too bored, so he can't stop once he opens his mouth.
"It is said that a court official lived in this house a long time ago. I remember hearing my father or my grandfather mention it This place has been in ruins for seventy or eighty years even if it has not been in ruins for a hundred years. It is said that it was because of that man The master committed a crime and was stripped of his official rank, and his family was kicked out of Chang'an City. Before leaving, he sold the house to a wealthy businessman at a low price. This place was once prosperous, and now it is even more prosperous than Dong Ersan Tiao. It¡¯s not as prosperous as it once was.¡±
The boss took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and continued: "Because this was a prosperous place in Chang'an City at that time, the wealthy businessman was naturally happy to buy the house at a low price. He tidied it up a little and moved in with his family. Speaking of which, It¡¯s also strange, maybe because his status couldn¡¯t suppress the aura of the house, his family members died of illness one after another. Later, his family was even poisoned by his business rivals.¡±
"There are dozens of people in the family, and not one is left."
"oh?"
Fang Jie couldn't help but ask: "With such rampage, the murderer must not have a happy ending."
"That's natural. It is said that the emperor personally issued the decree and all the members were killed. Dozens of people in the family of the wealthy businessman who poisoned the poison were also beheaded, and the rest were turned into slaves."
The boss sighed and said: "Later, this house was bought again, and things happened one after another. Either the servant fell into the well and drowned, or he died of illness. This place became more and more evil, and later I heard that it was that The man who was dismissed from office was so grief-stricken that he poisoned his family members as soon as he left Chang'an. Then he returned to Chang'an alone and hanged himself in a side room of the house. It was said that his body was not found until a long time later. If the resentment is too strong and the ghost spirit is too strong, everyone will be in trouble. "
"So this house has become abandoned. Because of this dilapidated house, the entire East 18th Street has declined, and no one comes here on weekdays. It is precisely because this place is no longer good that East 23rd Street is prosperous. Get up.¡±
Fang Jie nodded and couldn't help but look at the house again. He didn't believe in any ghosts. If it wasn't a coincidence, it was someone who had done it deliberately at that time. But I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t take over the house later. As for so many ghost stories, they were mostly rumors.
"Who owns the title deed to this house?"
Fang explained the question.
"do not know"
The boss shook his head and said: "Probably in the Chang'an Mansion Yamen."
Fang Jie hummed, drank all the tea in the cup, and looked at the house again: "If we buy this place and build a new courtyard, it should be fine. After all, so many years have passed. Even if there are ghosts, It must have disappeared long ago.¡±
"Not always!"
The boss said: "There are naughty children who often climb in and play hide-and-seek. This morning, a few children went in and ran away crying in fear. They said there were evil spirits inside. I asked a lot and they said it was inside. A wild dog that originally lived there died, and its head was bitten off. I don¡¯t know what it was. But it can kill a wild dog silently, and there can¡¯t be any wild animals here, except evil spirits. What could it be?¡±
To prove what he said, the boss pointed to the wild cat huddled outside against the wall, shivering with cold, and said, "Look, even that wild cat doesn't dare to enter the house to avoid the snow."
Fang Jie followed the boss's fingers and looked over, then frowned slightly.
Indeed, that wild cat would rather curl up in the corner against the wind and snow than enter that dilapidated house.?It goes against common sense.
¡°Perhaps, there is something weird in that house.
Fang Jie smiled and gave up the thought of this dilapidated yard. Originally, he was just curious. He spent the money of a pot of tea and listened to an interesting story. The afternoon passed like this. Fang Jie stood up, paid for the tea and walked out of the teahouse. After walking only a few steps, the owner of the teahouse chased him out and gave him a new oil-paper umbrella.
"It's not worth anything. Master, take it to keep out the wind and snow."
The boss put the umbrella into Fang Jie's hand, waited for Fang Jie to say thank you, and then ran back with satisfaction. It had been a long time since anyone had been willing to sit down and listen to his stories. This boy was a good listener. Fang Jie walked back holding the oil-paper umbrella and couldn't help but take another look at the wild cat.
I don¡¯t know why, but there seems to be a very complicated application in the wild cat¡¯s eyes.
Fang Jie smiled and said to himself that he became suspicious after hearing a story.
On a windy and snowy road, a young man walks alone.
As he disappeared at the corner of East 18th Street, a dark cloud seemed to fall rapidly from the sky and fell into the dilapidated yard. The wild cat curled up in the corner gave a shrill cry, turned around and ran away. The owner of the teahouse curled his lips when he saw the wild cat running away in panic, and said in his heart, don't even think about scaring me.
He watched the young man leave, not noticing a pair of gloomy eyes looking out from the crack in the wall in the dilapidated yard.
The boss thought that the boy gave him an extra twenty yuan of tea money, which was enough to buy a new oil-paper umbrella. He got a favor by sending an umbrella, and maybe got another regular customer, so he felt a little proud and felt that he was really a genius in business.
The wild cat fled without a trace, and the boy also disappeared.
On this day, three more murder cases occurred in Chang'an City.
The three who died were all students of the Yanwu Academy.
PS: How cool is it to vote for a red ticket while drinking tea and reading?