Chapter 89: The Crown Prince's Wet Nurse's Husband

The mourning hall in the middle of the night was eerie, white banners fluttering, bringing its own terrifying atmosphere.

Liu Shi guarded the mourning hall for a day. Chen Guanlou stepped forward and persuaded softly, "Sister-in-law, hurry up and rest for a while; more people will come tomorrow. If you don't keep your spirit, I'm afraid you won't be able to hold on. We have a few people guarding here; don't worry, nothing will happen."

Liu Shi hesitated for a while, feeling the fatigue on her body, and finally nodded. "Thank you, Chen Tou, thank you all. If it weren't for your help, I, a woman, really wouldn't know what to do."

"Sister-in-law, you are being too polite. Sister-in-law, rest assured."

Liu Shi, supported by the little maid, returned to the backyard.

In the mourning hall, only Chen Guanlou, Lu Datou, and Old Zhang Tou remained.

Old Zhang Tou tucked the pipe into his waist, a mouthful of tobacco smell, and came to the coffin.

Chen Guanlou and Lu Datou cooperated, bringing the candlestick to illuminate. "Uncle Zhang, please look!"

Old Zhang Tou took out his housekeeping skills and began to examine the corpse.

The specific process is not detailed, but half an hour later, Old Zhang Tou put away all the tools, his expression heavy. However, he was usually like this, making people unable to guess his inner joy or anger.

After cleaning up, Old Zhang Tou walked out of the mourning hall.

Chen Guanlou and Lu Datou followed quickly.

"Old Zhang, what's the situation? Give me a truth. Don't be silent; it's creepy in the middle of the night." Lu Datou rubbed his arms, looking around, afraid that a person's shadow would suddenly drill out. He hurried to lean against Chen Guanlou's side, feeling safe when two people squeezed together.

Who would be willing to squeeze together in the hot summer, and Lu Datou was an old gambler, smelling of stench, not knowing how many days he hadn't bathed, stinking, Chen Guanlou silently pulled away the distance with great disgust.

"Uncle Zhang, if you have anything to say, just say it. There are only three of us here, no outsiders."

He had sharp senses, sensing the surroundings; there were only three living people in front of and behind the house in this courtyard. There wouldn't be a fourth.

Old Zhang Tou took out the pipe, and Chen Guanlou sensibly lit the flint to light it for him.

"Old Zhang, can you stop being profound? Is there a problem? Give me a truth." Lu Datou was very impatient.

Old Zhang Tou smacked his lips twice, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I can only say that Li Dahong was indeed drowned."

Listen to the tone.

Chen Guanlou instantly grasped the key. "Listening to Uncle Zhang's meaning, there is a name inside?"

"You said he drowned in the river?"

"Yes! The county yamen fished the person out of the river; when they fished him out, the person was already gone."

"That river over there in the Nancheng?" Old Zhang Tou asked again.

Chen Guanlou nodded again. "That's it. The county yamen constable also took us to the scene, and the neighbors proved that the person was fished out of the river. Is there any problem?"

Old Zhang Tou sighed. "Whether there is a problem, I don't know. I only know one thing: Li Dahong didn't drown in the river. Li Dahong's mouth was clean, without any dirty things from the river."

Lu Datou was shocked.

Chen Guanlou thought: Sure enough.

Lu Datou was terrified in his heart, subconsciously lowering his voice, "Old Zhang, you didn't see it wrong, it really wasn't drowned in the river?"

"I have been doing this for decades, whether it's drowned in the river or drowned in the well, I can still distinguish it. Li Dahong is clean and unlikeable. Obviously not drowned in the river."

River water is dirty!

Don't look at the clear river water; in fact, various aquatic plants grow in the water, with a rich raw water taste. Moreover, the river water in the city must be dirtier than the river water in the countryside. Washing clothes, washing vegetables, bathing, all kinds of dirty and smelly things are poured into the river, dead branches and rotten leaves, decaying small animal corpses, a big city of hundreds of thousands of people, it's strange if the river water can be clean.

Old Zhang's verification result can definitely stand the test.

People drowned in well water must be cleaner than those drowned in river water. Indisputable.

Lu Datou panicked and hurriedly asked Chen Guanlou, "What should we do now?"

Chen Guanlou was silent for a while. "Nothing to do. Everything as usual, what it was before, what it will be in the future. It's just that from now on, pay more attention to strangers."

"Just this?" Lu Datou couldn't believe it.

Chen Guanlou had a heavy face. "Otherwise? We are not the Six Shanmen's spies; we are just Heavenly Prison guards. Li Dahong's death reminds us to be more careful in the future, drink less, and don't go to the river when drunk."

Lu Datou opened his mouth and couldn't refute.

Chen Guanlou returned to the mourning hall silently and burned paper for Li Dahong.

Old Zhang Tou pulled Lu Datou and whispered, "Chen Tou is right; prison guards should do the work of prison guards, don't stretch your hands too long. This matter should not be publicized; the water is deep, we can't carry it."

"Then why bother to invite you to examine the corpse."

"Just treat it as giving yourself an explanation, seeking the truth. Li Dahong was first drowned in the well, and then thrown into the river, disguised as drunk and falling into the water. No murderer, no murder case, the funeral is finished, and it's over."

After a long time, Lu Datou "hey"ed, "First Prison Warden Jiang drowned, and now Li Dahong was also drowned. These two accidents, Old Zhang, do you think there is a connection?"

"Don't ask, don't think, live a long life." Old Zhang Tou smoked the soil tobacco, his expression profound like water.

After Chen Guanlou finished burning the paper, he left the mourning hall.

Recently, there was a curfew, and everyone couldn't go back, so they decided to guard the night in the mourning hall together.

The night was cool like water.

Chen Guanlou suddenly remembered one thing and asked Old Zhang Tou casually, "Has Uncle Zhang ever heard the name Liu Minghui?"

Old Zhang Tou shook his head.

Chen Guanlou asked casually, and didn't expect to get an answer.

However, Old Zhang Tou actually said, "Although I haven't heard the name Liu Minghui, I have heard of Liu Mingchang."

Eh?

"Who is Liu Mingchang?"

"This person, the origin is big. When Liu Mingchang was young, he married a wife, surnamed Wang. The Wang family was just an ordinary family on the outskirts of the capital. However, the women of the Wang family had an incredible tradition; for several generations, they were wet nurses for wealthy and luxurious families. Decades ago, Wang married Liu Mingchang, and soon gave birth to a son. Coincidentally, at this time, the Imperial Household Department was looking for a wet nurse, and Wang was selected. Guess, whose wet nurse did Wang become?"

"Whose?"

"Old Zhang, don't sell the pass, hurry up and say it." Lu Datou was impatient to guess.

Old Zhang Tou still didn't hurry, saying, "Wang looked good, dressed decently, and was clean every day, plus her milk was sufficient, and she was patient and meticulous. This sky-high wealth fell on her head. She was selected as the Crown Prince's wet nurse. Before her, the Crown Prince had already changed more than ten wet nurses. Wang was the longest one, and also the last one.

Liu Mingchang naturally became the Crown Prince's wet nurse's husband, turning from a poor man who didn't know a big character into someone serving by the Crown Prince's side. From then on, the Liu family flourished, and the whole family followed the chicken and dog to heaven. However, the Liu family's good days only lasted for more than thirty years."

"The Crown Prince's wet nurse's husband?" Lu Datou scratched his head, "Why do I seem to have heard of it."

"In those years when the Liu family was glorious, who in the capital didn't know." Old Zhang Tou smoked.

Chen Guanlou pursued, "What happened to the Liu family later?" ===== CHAPTER 90 =====