
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANAAlibSnlAxz
黃四娘看到我們,又哭又跪的向哥哥磕頭。343Please respect copyright.PENANAxJRh0SjbGa
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANAPMXzgs4EnZ
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANATcHp5eEFiO
官府大人,原本交代中午左右回來,卻在早上六點就趕回。343Please respect copyright.PENANAE4fs8o4SLE
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANAup93M69ZWW
大人和幾名低層文官,一起趕入牢房:「參見貢士大人!」343Please respect copyright.PENANAVyisBcXgXA
不動如山的哥哥,終於站起來:「嗯。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAOv5W3U813y
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。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAnPFMmrqIhL
哥哥向二位牢吏看去。343Please respect copyright.PENANAepB14RzdFE
他們低著頭,不發一語。343Please respect copyright.PENANAdgKRHXU1zO
哥哥明顯猶豫,要不要揪出來?343Please respect copyright.PENANAqFYqynTz1B
牢房內的黃四娘,哭著:「貢士大人,請不要……」343Please respect copyright.PENANAAUCA6QWkkY
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANAwAgDfwcCh9
哥哥雙眼瞪去:「好自為之。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA7XFgtjh86n
他們的臉,壓的更低。343Please respect copyright.PENANArPsy0Pg57I
官府大人困惑看幾秒:「貢士大人,請移駕客房。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAvjNKvZHmkK
哥哥雙腳不動:「我想談談黃四娘的事。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAGPdx8ISjRQ
官府:「貢士大人請說。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA76gOup00QH
哥哥:「聽說今天就要宣判?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAx9VTFtR6lM
官府:「是的。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAxDeaFI9V9h
哥哥:「請大人暫時不要宣判此案,先讓我好好問過張阿牛。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAKZJi4Eji5p
官府:「…………」343Please respect copyright.PENANAFcFm2a80Iv
哥哥:「可有問題?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAaAVRLRZdKX
官府:「貢士大人,下毒真兇必定是黃四娘。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAdCHzNcFoaL
黃四娘,磕頭哭喊:「大人!冤枉啊!真的冤枉啊!……」343Please respect copyright.PENANA6wAN4kUI5S
哥哥問:「何以見得她就是真兇?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAIJOQg6VxCj
官府:「那罐毒物,便是再明確不過的證據。」343Please respect copyright.PENANALlxfvuSbsi
哥哥:「難道就不會是他人栽贓?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAyuh7pBwaSq
官府:「敢問貢士大人,那麼又會是誰惡意栽贓?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAf2zXJfNPos
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。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA2yAI8coa6a
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。」343Please respect copyright.PENANABGAOaB3sNc
哥哥:「你有你的問法,我有我的問法。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAlri58XPTh0
官府:「當然,當然。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA0yMsPEo50Z
哥哥:「那就先別宣判,讓我好好問過張阿牛。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAafFBV6ysTw
官府:「貢士大人,的確沒有這個必要。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA4kWOMyjv63
哥哥:「是否因為有什麼問題?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAr978ovTa2v
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。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA7UGd2RcquE
哥哥:「這我知道。你別擔心,我會出面向刑部說明,你不會有事。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA3Pz4KuBKgW
官府大人,沉默:「…………」343Please respect copyright.PENANANjT1CyVzVW
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……」343Please respect copyright.PENANA4KlwJp9ruU
我問哥哥:「怎麼回事?」343Please respect copyright.PENANA0udZrjFJB6
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。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAuypgi2xmyO
我再問:「如果哥哥可以回到那個時候,又會怎麼辦?」343Please respect copyright.PENANA0RaZpEZwkS
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……」343Please respect copyright.PENANAgFbWeUhNk7
於是,當時的哥哥,一心想重審案件,開口追問:「還有什麼問題?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAOWa3DpzfI7
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?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAp1EVs9krAA
我相信,他真正想說的是:貢士大人,請給我一個台階下吧?343Please respect copyright.PENANApMprr2Sab6
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?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAXpedB7xpjE
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。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAretG4eJ2xN
二人沉默。343Please respect copyright.PENANATKFHtCdDOf
看這樣,官府大人是會擋住這事了。343Please respect copyright.PENANADg87fJzan7
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANArheCj1GNVY
哥哥:「你是否和張阿牛私下會面過?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAWn0QMD0Kip
官府:「貢士大人!絕無此事!」343Please respect copyright.PENANAT6WekbuKpF
哥哥:「那麼為何會有人指控你們私下會面過?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAGRjiQgpaDH
官府:「必定是無知村民,對下官的惡意中傷!」343Please respect copyright.PENANAeYQbynuXPu
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?」343Please respect copyright.PENANALVbvAS3UOW
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。」343Please respect copyright.PENANACQ2gn5tWF7
哥哥:「所以我也是吃人老虎?」343Please respect copyright.PENANANTRQWkKA69
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!」343Please respect copyright.PENANA4FhJuE7tot
哥哥:「嗯……」343Please respect copyright.PENANAX1pGxqGilz
我看哥哥的神情,是真的在懷疑這位官府大人的清白。343Please respect copyright.PENANAfbvayBsfMO
可是沒憑沒據的,哥哥也無法拿他怎樣。343Please respect copyright.PENANA5Q89N5dmeq
官府:「貢士大人,不如這樣?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAgcK1MRTsuT
哥哥:「如何?」343Please respect copyright.PENANA9V9UsTrg80
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?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAkSTR6JMTm1
哥哥:「也好。請帶路。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAurfS0W8PPv
官府:「貢士大人請隨我來。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAPGZZjpFfqm
黃四娘流著淚,跪在牢邊:「大人……」343Please respect copyright.PENANArsZBdZfFJv
哥哥:「別擔心,這事我管定了。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA2V1qj2MiFj
黃四娘磕頭:「謝大人!」343Please respect copyright.PENANAigDQH9ibjy
官府:「…………」343Please respect copyright.PENANAy37gtt4nWD
………………343Please respect copyright.PENANA56lCKHtwjL
…………343Please respect copyright.PENANAqLvfR0yF4p
……343Please respect copyright.PENANAUJf4myTBtO
343Please respect copyright.PENANAsuJlJJWbaL