
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。356Please respect copyright.PENANALa7tzEBtRA
黃四娘看到我們,又哭又跪的向哥哥磕頭。356Please respect copyright.PENANAdxjBLSoyDU
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。356Please respect copyright.PENANARUQu71qoB2
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。356Please respect copyright.PENANAyh7v0TNtnI
官府大人,原本交代中午左右回來,卻在早上六點就趕回。356Please respect copyright.PENANAFdIbbUB45u
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。356Please respect copyright.PENANALoq9x1xtlC
大人和幾名低層文官,一起趕入牢房:「參見貢士大人!」356Please respect copyright.PENANAJJ94xDoqRA
不動如山的哥哥,終於站起來:「嗯。」356Please respect copyright.PENANA7A99nzxCCU
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。」356Please respect copyright.PENANAgb8XjDXm6g
哥哥向二位牢吏看去。356Please respect copyright.PENANALGdn3nPZeB
他們低著頭,不發一語。356Please respect copyright.PENANAfViQl8nkda
哥哥明顯猶豫,要不要揪出來?356Please respect copyright.PENANA81CWsrcwnx
牢房內的黃四娘,哭著:「貢士大人,請不要……」356Please respect copyright.PENANA5WFmVxJWuC
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。356Please respect copyright.PENANApHRdBQOYg7
哥哥雙眼瞪去:「好自為之。」356Please respect copyright.PENANA9erwIQYSds
他們的臉,壓的更低。356Please respect copyright.PENANAhxyWEohQF7
官府大人困惑看幾秒:「貢士大人,請移駕客房。」356Please respect copyright.PENANA2wk94jMTYn
哥哥雙腳不動:「我想談談黃四娘的事。」356Please respect copyright.PENANA0FlzdY3X3J
官府:「貢士大人請說。」356Please respect copyright.PENANAWFzOQgpoI2
哥哥:「聽說今天就要宣判?」356Please respect copyright.PENANAK80vd7QfS7
官府:「是的。」356Please respect copyright.PENANA4ZWxHZihdU
哥哥:「請大人暫時不要宣判此案,先讓我好好問過張阿牛。」356Please respect copyright.PENANA0QZaMJ5cDJ
官府:「…………」356Please respect copyright.PENANASjRI4G1cgE
哥哥:「可有問題?」356Please respect copyright.PENANAld1Hx3Xy5q
官府:「貢士大人,下毒真兇必定是黃四娘。」356Please respect copyright.PENANAJ0PnIODbzC
黃四娘,磕頭哭喊:「大人!冤枉啊!真的冤枉啊!……」356Please respect copyright.PENANAxcFKFtNqZe
哥哥問:「何以見得她就是真兇?」356Please respect copyright.PENANAel3SVznuDK
官府:「那罐毒物,便是再明確不過的證據。」356Please respect copyright.PENANAKROB9mNoZi
哥哥:「難道就不會是他人栽贓?」356Please respect copyright.PENANA42oKe4nnEf
官府:「敢問貢士大人,那麼又會是誰惡意栽贓?」356Please respect copyright.PENANA3HLHM6nG8v
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。」356Please respect copyright.PENANAOxjHBHqeJD
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。」356Please respect copyright.PENANApsTDQYzDO9
哥哥:「你有你的問法,我有我的問法。」356Please respect copyright.PENANADS3IQb6yoq
官府:「當然,當然。」356Please respect copyright.PENANArJhqbIGSHC
哥哥:「那就先別宣判,讓我好好問過張阿牛。」356Please respect copyright.PENANAn82fYQODlW
官府:「貢士大人,的確沒有這個必要。」356Please respect copyright.PENANAk7Xl2i3S8u
哥哥:「是否因為有什麼問題?」356Please respect copyright.PENANABtgIRs9Npq
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。」356Please respect copyright.PENANAgrKVZ2OoOJ
哥哥:「這我知道。你別擔心,我會出面向刑部說明,你不會有事。」356Please respect copyright.PENANA5yTPo4tjWX
官府大人,沉默:「…………」356Please respect copyright.PENANAOUyibQ7wfz
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……」356Please respect copyright.PENANAwGqDnoJlDg
我問哥哥:「怎麼回事?」356Please respect copyright.PENANAU5r8Qn6wTl
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。」356Please respect copyright.PENANA7CzLDXjeOr
我再問:「如果哥哥可以回到那個時候,又會怎麼辦?」356Please respect copyright.PENANA3HsXsIwfzS
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……」356Please respect copyright.PENANAQodgqloYux
於是,當時的哥哥,一心想重審案件,開口追問:「還有什麼問題?」356Please respect copyright.PENANARPPmUtlcTV
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?」356Please respect copyright.PENANAgWLyyySbXf
我相信,他真正想說的是:貢士大人,請給我一個台階下吧?356Please respect copyright.PENANActmG6hjnbx
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?」356Please respect copyright.PENANAQCn0u4H9kQ
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。」356Please respect copyright.PENANAehEzHNkhwf
二人沉默。356Please respect copyright.PENANAU5GcsU34Os
看這樣,官府大人是會擋住這事了。356Please respect copyright.PENANAv0dgVPP0Nz
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。356Please respect copyright.PENANAVdcDgM7wbg
哥哥:「你是否和張阿牛私下會面過?」356Please respect copyright.PENANAAhnwn2WLSI
官府:「貢士大人!絕無此事!」356Please respect copyright.PENANAmCZQPXJ5OP
哥哥:「那麼為何會有人指控你們私下會面過?」356Please respect copyright.PENANAUVP70ahElj
官府:「必定是無知村民,對下官的惡意中傷!」356Please respect copyright.PENANAKW5PdwHM9t
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?」356Please respect copyright.PENANAoczp27T56Q
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。」356Please respect copyright.PENANAh1MJrelcQ3
哥哥:「所以我也是吃人老虎?」356Please respect copyright.PENANA8vATNsTjhC
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!」356Please respect copyright.PENANAxrqkH425fc
哥哥:「嗯……」356Please respect copyright.PENANAbMQ6KlGKJl
我看哥哥的神情,是真的在懷疑這位官府大人的清白。356Please respect copyright.PENANAvCVYnKOlFP
可是沒憑沒據的,哥哥也無法拿他怎樣。356Please respect copyright.PENANAX15fJs0efO
官府:「貢士大人,不如這樣?」356Please respect copyright.PENANAvogecLBfCX
哥哥:「如何?」356Please respect copyright.PENANAXVg6dA67gy
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?」356Please respect copyright.PENANAKDA62ZPgbh
哥哥:「也好。請帶路。」356Please respect copyright.PENANAZUyHtq0QrL
官府:「貢士大人請隨我來。」356Please respect copyright.PENANA2uQA6Aol6k
黃四娘流著淚,跪在牢邊:「大人……」356Please respect copyright.PENANAxCwjEa6ZqF
哥哥:「別擔心,這事我管定了。」356Please respect copyright.PENANAaoSrENs8fg
黃四娘磕頭:「謝大人!」356Please respect copyright.PENANAz5NVcceWs3
官府:「…………」356Please respect copyright.PENANAi6Lb748cvy
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