The Golden Hairpin

Everyone looked at Lu Zhiyuan in an uproar.

This old man has been standing in the corner with his head buried in the corner since he entered Dali Temple. No one has noticed him. Because of his contempt for him, even when it comes to a few people related to Di Cui, other people's eyes only pass on him, and they don't stop there.

However, at this time, Huang Zixia held up the wire and asked him questions.

Everyone's eyes fell on him along with Huang Zixia.

Lu Zhiyuan was in the shadow of the hall, trying to hide his figure. He was still slumped, with a half-old shirt, and the darkness made his face appear thicker.

As if he didn't understand, he slowly raised his eyes to look at Huang Zixia, and asked slowly: "What did you say?"

Cui Chunzhan also echoed: "Duke Yang, didn't you say that this case was related to the emperor's last pen in the Zhang family's collection? Since his family treasures it, has Lu Zhiyuan ever seen that painting?"

"Naturally I have seen it. Just after Wei Ximin's death, Di Cui once took out Zhang's paintings to him in order to send him the father who asked for a betrothal gift, and told him that a few of us had speculated about the three in the picture. The content of the graffiti. It was only at that time that Laozhang Lu said that she did not believe it, so she took a pity and gave it to him."

"So that painting... Mr. Lu really saw it." Zhou Ziqin agreed with certainty, but his expression was uncertain, "But...but you also said that he was going to ask for a betrothal gift. He looks like this, isn't it? Really... Will it kill people?"

"Huh...I don't have it. I have all the money in my hands, why do I kill someone for a girl movie?" Lu Zhiyuan sneered and shook his head, with a firm face, "No! I haven't let this kind of thing in my candle, maybe Someone made it, or maybe it was the iron wire mixed in the incense, and it was burned like this in the incense burner. What does it have to do with me?"

"But in the chaos at the time, only the large incense burner in Jianfu Temple did not fall. If the iron wire was in it, how could it be brought out? And you said that the iron wire was inserted into the candle wick by someone else. Possible thing." She showed him the curved end, "If it is straight up and down, it may be possible to insert the reed core, but the bent wire is underneath, except for the hand you made when you first made it. Besides, who can insert the curved end of it into the straight bundle of reed cores?"

Lu Zhiyuan slowly said again: "Oh...I am old and dazzled. Maybe when a wire got in the reed core, I didn't notice it. But I dare to ask my father-in-law, I'm out of this. What's wrong with it?"

"Did you really let the wire in accidentally? In short, I don't believe it, because your seemingly inadvertent move is actually the beginning and focus of the whole case." Huang Zixia shook his head and said, "Lao Zhang Lu, you It took a lot of thought for the layout of this killing. The weather a few days before the incident was depressing, and there was a thunderstorm, and you noticed that the one-foot-high candle was already flush with the main hall. Just plug it in. A piece of iron wire is easy to attract thunder. So you insert a piece of iron wire into the core of the huge candle you made. In order to prevent others from discovering it, you are determined to set up this candle by yourself— —In this way, you can pull out the iron wire that was originally hidden inside the candle after the candle is erected. When the ladder is removed, who can notice that there is a thin wire hidden in the flame of the candle wick burning. Where is the long wire?"

"It turns out... the so-called thunderbolt from the sky was caused by him?" Cui Chunzhan was stunned.

"No, of course there is a reason. Otherwise, how could Tianlei choose Wei Ximin in an impartial manner among the thousands of people in Jianfu Temple?" Huang Zixia showed the wire to everyone, "I don't know if you can notice. This wire bends straight up and down. The upper half of the straight wire not only has traces of burning, but also a bit of black ash. But there is no trace of burning on the curved part below. Isn't this weird? Because I have seen Lu Laozhang make the candle wick for this giant candle. After the reed wick is wrapped tightly in linen, it is soaked in wax oil, and then the red iron tip is inserted into the semi-solidified candle. So even At that time, the candle exploded, and the reed core tied on the iron wire was tied with sackcloth and was frozen with wax, and it was extremely difficult to disperse. Even if you step back 10,000 steps, it really broke, and the wire that had absorbed the wax would burn for a moment. It burns out a black layer, and it can’t be washed away even if it enters the water. But your wire is completely clean underneath. What's the reason?"

Cui Chunzhan, Wang Lin, Jiang Kui and others passed on to see this iron wire with thoughtfulness.

Although the emperor was also curious about the eunuch's death, he didn't respond much. He only said, "Yang Chonggu, you come here as soon as possible."

"Yes. According to the maid’s conjecture, the candle wick made by Lu Zhiyuan at that time was only half the length of the iron wire. The straight, blackened part was sandwiched in the wick, and under the wax surface of the candle, there was no wick at all. , The wire is inserted, of course there is no way to burn it."

Everyone was stunned, Zhou Ziqin asked quickly: "So, what use is it for him to make such a giant candle with only a short candle wick on it?"

"Because, he wants to use that candle to hide something. And the arc under the wire is to avoid that thing."

Zhou Ziqin slapped his head and immediately said, "He must have hidden sulfur and explosives in the candle! So when the sky thunder struck, the iron wire led to the thunder and the candle burned, and Wei Ximin next to him was burned to death!"

"No, I went to check it shortly after the explosion. I didn't smell a strong smell of sulfur gunpowder at the scene." Cui Chunzhan immediately retorted, "Furthermore, Lu Zhiyuan was not at the scene at the time. How could he guarantee that when the candle exploded, Wei Ximin must be right next to the candle, and the one that burned to the point of thunder is the Wei Ximin that he wants to kill?"

Zhou Ziqin scratched his head and could only look at Huang Zixia with a puzzled expression on his face.

"The above mentioned is the evidence we saw. However, there is another invisible evidence in this case. That is-the people present at the time, Lord Kui, Zhou Ziqin, Zhang Xingying, Lu Dicui, and me, five of us Individuals were far or near the giant candle that exploded, but no one had seen Wei Ximin before the candle exploded." At this point, Huang Zixia turned his head to look at Li Shubai.

Li Shubai nodded and said affirmatively: "At that time, the king did not see Wei Ximin. Because he was by the princess's side, if the king glanced at him at Jianfu Temple, he would be impressed."

"A person like King Kui never noticed Wei Ximin. Perhaps it can be said that Wei Ximin was mixed in the crowd, so he was too far away to see. But Zhang Xingying and Lu Dicui were right next to the candles at the time, and Wei Ximin was the one who hurt Lu Dicui, and he was still wearing a crimson eunuch's costume. Since he could be burned by the fire for the first time, he must be very close to the candle. Why was he beside the giant candle, but Wei Ximin was not caught Does anyone see it?"

In the thoughtful eyes of everyone, Huang Zixian finally said the most important conclusion: "Because, the height of that candle is more than ten feet and a half thick, even if the melted wax on the top and the lower one are removed In the small area, the rest is eight feet tall, and Wei Ximin's height is only five and a half feet, which is enough to hide in a candle!"

There was a moment of silence in the hall, and everyone was astonished, surprised, and couldn't believe this crazy idea.

"Originally translucent yellow wax was dyed colorfully to hide what was hidden inside; in order to have a larger space, the candle wick was cut off; some small holes can be pierced in the carving of the candle body to ensure that it is inside. People don’t die from suffocation; the bent wire is because it needs to avoid Wei Ximin’s head, and it can guide the thunder fire inside the candle, so that the candle mixed with cinnabar, sulfur, black oil and other flammable substances explodes and scatters quickly."

Zhang Xingying, Zhou Ziqin, Li Run and others were stunned. They looked at Huang Zixia and at the wretched Lu Zhiyuan, they couldn't believe it.

Lu Zhiyuan looked down at the green brick floor under his feet, with a sneer on his face: "Father-in-law, I don't know what you are talking about. I hide a big living person in the candle? I sent the hidden candle to the blessing Temple? You are so whimsical!"

"It sounds absurd, but I have said that I have conclusive evidence in my hands." Huang Zixia said clearly, "First, on the day that the candles were sent to Jianfu Temple, you obviously rushed to make candles overnight. , Exhausted, why refuse to lay hands on others, insist on sending it to Jianfu Temple by yourself, and leave it only after it is erected?"

"I am devout to the Buddha, this candle cost me months of thinking, I don't worry about being sent to me by others!"

Huang Zixian was non-committal, and said: "Second, it took Jianfu Temple more than half a year to collect so much wax to make the giant wax. As a result, the candle exploded and burned all at once. Ordinary wax would burn in the event of a fire. Have to be so thorough, leaving only the half jar of wax that you scraped off at the end? You are afraid that if there is too little wax left, people will know that your candle is hollow, so you just add a lot of it that burns when heated Paint, burn out all the remaining wax."

Lu Zhiyuan didn't even look at her, and said, "What do you know? When making candles, in order to render various colors, various colors of paint must be added."

"However, if you have made candles for decades, don't you know that there is more cinnabar, sulfur, black oil, etc., maybe the whole candle will burn when it hits a fire?" Huang Zixia said, shook his head again, and said, "What's more, you also made a mistake that a candle maker absolutely couldn't make, that is, mixing wax with cinnabar."

Lu Zhiyuan sneered and said, "Who said I chose cinnabar? You obviously use the same ordinary paint as usual. How can you just say me without any evidence?"

"Although the people present did not have a major incident, I do have evidence. After the incident, the heavy rain washed the embers of the candles into the fish pond, and all the fish in the release pond died overnight!" Huang Zixia said. Looking back at Zhou Ziqin who couldn't close his mouth, he asked, "At that time, you picked up dead fish and went back for inspection. What was the cause of the death of those fish?"

"It's mercury poisoning," Zhou Ziqin said quickly.

"Yes, this is the reason why cinnabar cannot be used as a pigment when making candles. Because after cinnabar is burned in a fire, it will turn into mercury, and the mercury will diffuse into the air. Everyone who breathes it will be poisoned. How can you use it? To make the candles flammable, I still chose cinnabar!" Huang Zixia looked at Lu Zhiyuan directly, "When I went to your store before, I saw you put red on the candles. The red wax is definitely not made of cinnabar, and it will never be. Poisonous smoke. And why did you use the expensive and dangerous cinnabar for that giant candle? You keep saying that you are pious, but why do you make such a harmful candle for the Buddhist Society? Are you not afraid of the candle burning? Will the later poisonous smoke affect all men, women, old and children in Jianfu Temple?"

Lu Zhiyuan was speechless for a while, standing in the backlight, the wrinkles on his face became more profound, and his face seemed to be older in an instant.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.