Upon hearing this, Hua Cuicui tapped on the table with her finger and interrupted The Second Brother Lai. She asked curiously, "The Second Brother Lai, you said that you left Chang 'an City a month ago. When did you come back?"

The Second Brother Lai was a little agitated and shouted, "Today!

I just came back today!

I came back with Zhao Xiao, who lives in the south of the city!

He was also doing hard labor at the docks in Rongjiang City.

When we reached Chang 'an City, we parted ways and went home separately. However, when I got home, I didn't find out that Erhua was there. I asked the neighbor next door and found out that she was at Juxin Square! "

At this moment, Bao Fu came over with the deed.

Hua Cuicui took the deed and slammed it on the table. She said loudly, "Steward Lee must have shown you this deed. It's written clearly in black and white. You even put your fingerprint on it. Everyone in the gambling house can prove that you lost all your money and gave Hu Erhua to us. In the end, you won twenty taels of silver before leaving.

How do you explain this? "

The Second Brother Lai snorted and said, "That's impossible. No matter how bad I am at gambling, I would never bet Erhua. Moreover, I was on my way back to Chang 'an City the day before yesterday!

Juxin Square must be cheating! "

"Oh?

You're saying that Juxin Square is cheating?

You gambled the money and sold the woman. Let's not talk about how Juxin Square is cheating. Let me ask you something!

Why would Juxin Square cheat you? "When Hua Cuicui heard The Second Brother Lai say that Juxin Square is cheating, she immediately became angry.

Although they were running a gambling house, they would never do anything unjust.

"How would I know what Juxin Square is scheming?

All I know is that when I got home, my wife was gone! "Lai Laoer yelled, unconvinced.

Hua Cuicui retorted, "Go to the front hall and ask how many of them saw you bring Hu Erhua in yourself that day!"

"You can also ask that Zhao Xiao from the south of the city. I, Rong Jiang City, have always been with him on the way back!

I couldn't have been in Chang 'an the day before yesterday! "

The second brother Lai was arguing loudly. Hua Cuicui felt a headache coming on. While she was rubbing her temples, she saw Li Byeon-hui walk in. She quickly went forward and asked, "Did you bring him?"

Li Byeon-hui looked at Hua Cuicui and squeezed out an expression that was uglier than crying. He said hoarsely, "When I arrived, I found that Hu Erhua had already hanged himself."

"Uncle Li, what did you say?!"

Hua Cuicui turned pale with fright when she heard Li Byeon-hui's words. She stared at Li Byeon-hui with her eyes wide open.

"Miss, when I arrived, he was already dead." Li Byeon-hui said bitterly.

After a long time, Hua Cuicui finally turned around and walked to the stone table. The second brother Lai said in a hoarse voice, "The second brother Lai, Hu Erhua committed suicide."

The second brother Lai, who had just picked up the teacup and drank a mouthful of tea, almost choked on the tea when he heard Hua Cuicui's words. He muttered with difficulty, "You said … Erhua is dead?"

The second brother Lai sat on the stone bench in a daze. His eyes were full of confusion. After a while, he suddenly howled, "My Erhua!"

Then he stood up and pointed at Hua Cuicui and roared, "You killed my Erhua, you murderers!"

Hua Cuicui stepped back to avoid The second brother Lai and said to Li Byeon-hui, "Uncle Li, let's report this to the government."

Li Byeon-hui immediately said, "Miss, that's not good. We run a gambling house …"

"If we don't report this to the government and let the coroner do an autopsy, the people of Chang 'an will think that we killed Hu Erhua in Juxin Square." Hua Cuicui said helplessly.

"Okay, Miss, I'll go to the government office now." Li Byeon-hui said and walked out.

After Hua Cuicui told Li Byeon-hui what to do, she stopped and said to The second brother Lai patiently, "It's impossible for us to kill Hu Erhua in Juxin Square. What good would it do us to kill her?"

The second brother Lai, who seemed to have gone crazy, did not listen to Hua Cuicui's explanation at all. He cried and roared, "Erhua was killed in Juxin Square!

If it wasn't you who killed her, who else could it be? "

"Calm down first!" Hua Cuicui felt that her head was about to explode.

"Give Erhua back to me!

As long as you give Erhua back to me, I'll give you all the taels of silver I earned this time, okay? "The second brother Lai suddenly collapsed to the ground. He covered his head with his hands and murmured with tears streaming down his face.

"Ai, what should we do?"

Helpless, Hua Cuicui could only seal The second brother Lai's acupoints. She called Bao Fu and An Fu to carry him out of the door.

When they finally arrived at the government office, Hua Cuicui looked at Li Byeon-hui, who was standing in front of the door, and said, "Uncle Li, have you reported this to the government office?"

Li Byeon-hui nodded and said in a low voice, "Yes, I have."

"Okay, that's good. Let the coroner finish the autopsy and prove that Hu Erhua's death has nothing to do with us."

As Hua Cuicui spoke, she signaled Bao Fu and An Fu to carry The second brother Lai, who was unable to move, into the government office. She also walked in.

… …

In the solemn court, Magistrate Shen, who had a board with the words "Mirror Hanging High" above his head, sat behind the court table. With a crisp sound, he said, "Begin the court!"

"Mighty …"

The two yamen runners who stood neatly on both sides of the court picked up the red and black water fire sticks in their hands and continuously hit the ground, making a solemn sound.

Magistrate Shen lightly coughed and slowly said, "Who is in the court? Why are you beating the drum and crying out for injustice?"

"Reporting to Magistrate Shen, I am the person in charge of Juxin Square on West Street, Hua Cuicui." Hua Cuicui slightly bowed and respectfully said.

Magistrate Shen looked at the people in the court and asked, "Who is the one who is paralyzed on the ground?"

Hua Cuicui stepped forward and unsealed The second brother Lai's acupoints. The second brother Lai wanted to stand up, but because his body had been numb for a long time, he knelt on the ground again.

He wailed, "Magistrate, I am The second brother Lai, who lives in the north of the city. This Juxin Square stole my wife and killed her!

Magistrate, you have to make a decision for me! "

Magistrate Shen slammed the gavel in his hand and pointed at Hua Cuicui sternly. He asked, "The second brother Lai is telling the truth?

Hua Cuicui, do you admit to your crime? "

Hua Cuicui stood up straight and said loudly, "Magistrate, this official was reported by Juxin Square. If Hu Erhua was really killed by us in Juxin Square, we can't be so stupid as to come to the court ourselves, right?

Magistrate, please judge clearly. "

After hearing Hua Cuicui's words, Magistrate Shen pondered for a while and then said, "First, tell me the whole story."

Hua Cuicui glanced at The second brother Lai, who was kneeling on the ground, and then told him the whole story in detail. After hearing this, Magistrate Shen asked with a serious face, "Where is Hu Erhua's body now?"

Li Byeon-hui, who had been standing to the side, stepped forward and said, "The second brother Lai sold Hu Erhua to us in Juxin Square, and then we settled her in the Jade Embroidery Pavilion. Magistrate, please wait a moment. I have already asked people to bring Hu Erhua's body here."

Speaking of the Jade Embroidery Pavilion, it was actually a big embroidery shop in Chang 'an City.

Juxin Square was different from other gambling houses. If they took in children and women, they would be sent to embroidery shops to work or private schools to study. Since Juxin Square had been operating, Hua Zhiyi had always insisted on this, even though it was more profitable to sell them …

After a while, Hu Erhua's body was placed in the court. The deep red mark on her neck was very obvious. The second brother Lai saw Hu Erhua's body and rushed over to hug her, crying, "Erhua, my Erhua …!"

Hua Cuicui looked at The second brother Lai, who was hugging Hu Erhua and crying. She felt a little emotional, but she couldn't help thinking, "If The second brother Lai hadn't lost money and sold Hu Erhua, Hu Erhua wouldn't have ended up like this … Now that she's gone, what's the use of crying?"

The second brother Lai no longer looked at Hua Cuicui. She turned her head and said in a deep voice, "Magistrate Shen, The second brother Lai kept saying that it was us who killed Hu Erhua in Juxin Square. However, we only arranged for Hu Erhua to work in the Jade Embroidery Pavilion. We didn't mistreat her at all, let alone kill her. As long as we let the coroner do an autopsy, we will know whether Hu Erhua was persecuted or committed suicide."

Magistrate Shen called the private advisor over and whispered a few words in his ear. The private advisor nodded and walked into the inner court. When he came out again, a middle-aged man in black followed behind him.

"Ye Huanzuo, check Hu Erhua's body and see how she died," Magistrate Shen said.

Ye Huanzuo walked up to Hu Erhua's body and squatted down. He used his hands to open Hu Erhua's eyes and looked at her body. He looked at her exposed hands and feet and then carefully checked the marks on her neck. After a while, he stood up and said to Magistrate Shen, "Magistrate Shen, I have checked the marks on her neck and determined that the cause of death was suffocation due to the cloth being tightened around her neck. There were no other injuries on her body. According to the marks, she hanged herself and was not killed by force."

After hearing Ye Huanzuo's words, The Second Brother Lai slapped himself like an idiot and muttered, "Erhua … Didn't I promise you that we will live a good life in the future? Why are you so stupid? I told you to stay at home and wait for me to come back. Why are you not here when I get home …?"

After he finished speaking, he stood up and took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to him to knock his head against the pillar. When the yamen runners who were standing at the side reacted, they were one step too slow. The Second Brother Lai slowly fell to the ground with a scarlet red mark on his forehead …

The second brother Lai collapsed on the ground. Everyone was dumbfounded. At this time, Ye Huanzuo quickly walked up and checked The Second Brother Lai's neck. He shook his head at Magistrate Ye and said, "Magistrate Ye, The Second Brother Lai is dead."

Magistrate Ye sat in the armchair and sighed slightly. He said slowly, "Since it has come to this, let's close the case."

Hua Cuicui pondered for a while and said to Magistrate Shen in a low voice, "Magistrate Shen, after all, this matter is related to Juxin Square. The Second Brother Lai and his wife's funerals will be taken care of by us. We will definitely bury them properly. It can be considered as a token of appreciation from Juxin Square."