
094:官府大人說
哥哥擔心獨自關在牢裡的黃四娘,所以又帶著我回到牢屋。330Please respect copyright.PENANABonvykY9xr
黃四娘看到我們,又哭又跪的向哥哥磕頭。330Please respect copyright.PENANA3YvkE0URie
走廊上,哥哥讓牢吏搬來一張長凳,簡單向黃四娘交代情況,便閉眼坐下,正人君子般不動如山,以免惹人閒話。330Please respect copyright.PENANAZcEabrGdMv
我安靜坐在哥哥身邊,不敢亂說話,沒多久就睏起來,直接躺靠在哥哥身上睡去,一起在牢屋內度過一晚。330Please respect copyright.PENANAdyzDpj7b0z
官府大人,原本交代中午左右回來,卻在早上六點就趕回。330Please respect copyright.PENANA4scCr0MGSN
必定是昨晚哥哥抵達官府之後,立即有人趕去通知,才讓官府大人連夜摸黑回程。330Please respect copyright.PENANAcUYGO68QvQ
大人和幾名低層文官,一起趕入牢房:「參見貢士大人!」330Please respect copyright.PENANAEvPCW6unug
不動如山的哥哥,終於站起來:「嗯。」330Please respect copyright.PENANA8WvcQHCD2k
官府:「貢士大人為何整晚留在牢屋內?官府還有幾間客房,可供大人和夫人稍歇。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAyueoRiTtis
哥哥向二位牢吏看去。330Please respect copyright.PENANAAdQaXt8IZK
他們低著頭,不發一語。330Please respect copyright.PENANAisFxCHoIYX
哥哥明顯猶豫,要不要揪出來?330Please respect copyright.PENANAoF9nIafr1q
牢房內的黃四娘,哭著:「貢士大人,請不要……」330Please respect copyright.PENANA1Wry91f8bD
關押這麼多天,不論到底有沒有發生什麼,那樣的年代,傳出去都不能聽。330Please respect copyright.PENANAlCzkjYv4CA
哥哥雙眼瞪去:「好自為之。」330Please respect copyright.PENANALLtzC5x8lX
他們的臉,壓的更低。330Please respect copyright.PENANAdV6fWqtgrk
官府大人困惑看幾秒:「貢士大人,請移駕客房。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAWoBYeDVpOu
哥哥雙腳不動:「我想談談黃四娘的事。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAANjdaT2Zz0
官府:「貢士大人請說。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAtIRxMKuF0R
哥哥:「聽說今天就要宣判?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAkuUqeshmsy
官府:「是的。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAMG9HAFDOYa
哥哥:「請大人暫時不要宣判此案,先讓我好好問過張阿牛。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAlPDzBWHADO
官府:「…………」330Please respect copyright.PENANARX31okruQ3
哥哥:「可有問題?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAB14FSwAR1R
官府:「貢士大人,下毒真兇必定是黃四娘。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAerCsdY4chF
黃四娘,磕頭哭喊:「大人!冤枉啊!真的冤枉啊!……」330Please respect copyright.PENANA3uKlAyUttU
哥哥問:「何以見得她就是真兇?」330Please respect copyright.PENANA3Q2JNq2Nvi
官府:「那罐毒物,便是再明確不過的證據。」330Please respect copyright.PENANA7jEoCQNHUZ
哥哥:「難道就不會是他人栽贓?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAFCGT7nX8LE
官府:「敢問貢士大人,那麼又會是誰惡意栽贓?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAipXHj474sz
哥哥:「最重大的嫌疑人,正是張阿牛。只要讓我好好問過張阿牛,必然知道詳細。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAjhFGSuYhpM
官府:「下官已經仔細訊問過張阿牛,相信不會有差錯。甚至於,這一切都有明確的文字紀錄,隨時可供貢士大人翻閱。」330Please respect copyright.PENANA9Vhmvv2xaj
哥哥:「你有你的問法,我有我的問法。」330Please respect copyright.PENANA5MMY3nhBPg
官府:「當然,當然。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAp4KLEM9SKf
哥哥:「那就先別宣判,讓我好好問過張阿牛。」330Please respect copyright.PENANARiuXRgOtIF
官府:「貢士大人,的確沒有這個必要。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAAM45VpSUXD
哥哥:「是否因為有什麼問題?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAYQIqUDRKWa
官府:「或許貢士大人不知道,大順律規定,刑案必須在廿天內宣判。今天正好是廿天,下官必須做出宣判,把報告書送交中央刑部。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAWAMzTqLLGO
哥哥:「這我知道。你別擔心,我會出面向刑部說明,你不會有事。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAfEF6jlj2AR
官府大人,沉默:「…………」330Please respect copyright.PENANA6i7yBCPzHz
幾十年之後,哥哥回頭談到這整件事,曾經表示:「唉……當時我的應對真的太年輕,太不懂世事了……」330Please respect copyright.PENANA31uEMUbvaJ
我問哥哥:「怎麼回事?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAkZ8Fs6srA2
哥哥回我:「先不說官府大人是否有收賄,毒藥是誰的。如果官府大人同意讓我重審案件,發現真兇的確是張阿牛,他的面子擺哪裡?接著,中央吏部如果知道這件事,可能會給差評,影響到未來的升官路,所以他怎麼可能答應讓我重審?當然要想辦法阻止到底。」330Please respect copyright.PENANA53piZdjA3L
我再問:「如果哥哥可以回到那個時候,又會怎麼辦?」330Please respect copyright.PENANABGXxhXAsa8
哥哥苦笑:「那時的情況,黃四娘命在旦夕,還是只能堅持重審,只差在出口話語的輕重程度而已……」330Please respect copyright.PENANAXeMV5gYOek
於是,當時的哥哥,一心想重審案件,開口追問:「還有什麼問題?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAHpWOvhtN1s
官府委婉說著:「貢士大人這樣做,不是有點魯莽?一切遵照大順律制度走,不是最好?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAD9BjTwyfG1
我相信,他真正想說的是:貢士大人,請給我一個台階下吧?330Please respect copyright.PENANAtZHLE2LEr5
哥哥:「人命關天。讓真相水落石出,讓真兇伏法,不是很好,怎麼會魯莽?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAqg9DewgPs8
官府:「大順律規定廿天結案,必然有它的道理。再說,下官自認已經徹底清查此案,沒有任何遺漏,的確無須貢士大人費心。」330Please respect copyright.PENANA8pqpuQZ4me
二人沉默。330Please respect copyright.PENANAeqYL7EjlwF
看這樣,官府大人是會擋住這事了。330Please respect copyright.PENANAjtrWfGWNfL
哥哥猶豫一會,直盯著官府大人看去,開口直問,要好好把他的態度看進眼裡。330Please respect copyright.PENANAjtAtHqBL7l
哥哥:「你是否和張阿牛私下會面過?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAzdfgIo7uhZ
官府:「貢士大人!絕無此事!」330Please respect copyright.PENANAGda5mcsXJV
哥哥:「那麼為何會有人指控你們私下會面過?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAaneFokudsa
官府:「必定是無知村民,對下官的惡意中傷!」330Please respect copyright.PENANAsOML2dcXTO
哥哥:「村民真的無知?我本身是小漁村出身,從小和你口中的村民一起長大。怎麼覺得沒讀過書的老鄉們,反而比我更懂人間世事,事情看得更清楚?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAjGcD5KqXgU
官府:「有道是三人成虎,錯的事也有可能被傳成對的。大人請勿輕信此事,毀損下官清白。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAlmWoEvLndr
哥哥:「所以我也是吃人老虎?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAueyS5ByXBD
官府:「下官不敢!只是希望大人別隨疑聽信村民讒言。望大人明查!」330Please respect copyright.PENANApWBLi5iV1y
哥哥:「嗯……」330Please respect copyright.PENANAXajiK6BXhl
我看哥哥的神情,是真的在懷疑這位官府大人的清白。330Please respect copyright.PENANAbgvMVI1DFd
可是沒憑沒據的,哥哥也無法拿他怎樣。330Please respect copyright.PENANAXZCinZUyGt
官府:「貢士大人,不如這樣?」330Please respect copyright.PENANA7TyAQnc5UY
哥哥:「如何?」330Please respect copyright.PENANADe0dcE5WbD
官府:「現在時間還早。再說,這裡終究是牢屋,不是好好談話的地方。先讓我帶貢士大人前往客房,我們再邊用早餐,邊談黃四娘的事?」330Please respect copyright.PENANAvb2XWDx4aY
哥哥:「也好。請帶路。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAc0s8XEQcpD
官府:「貢士大人請隨我來。」330Please respect copyright.PENANAkzS6nltsTg
黃四娘流著淚,跪在牢邊:「大人……」330Please respect copyright.PENANA2cfABvbBeL
哥哥:「別擔心,這事我管定了。」330Please respect copyright.PENANA6pnJis4F3l
黃四娘磕頭:「謝大人!」330Please respect copyright.PENANAl0FdLFdZYD
官府:「…………」330Please respect copyright.PENANAIsEDpyfouk
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