“朝廷將撫恤銀兩運來后，你將其入賬，存入了哪家銀號？”暮青問，賑災銀、撫恤銀，這等銀兩朝廷下發時皆會派人護送，走的是驛站，但奉縣知縣收到后賄賂上官時必不會用現銀，銀兩太重，一箱箱往府里抬未免太過顯眼，因此他一定會用銀票！                                                                                                                                    “……興隆銀號。”奉縣知縣眼神有些虛散，想了會兒才道。                                                                                                                                    這等重要的事他不可能忘，但人長時間被關在地牢，精神緊繃，情緒頻臨崩潰，又有些日子未與人交談了，思維慢些才是正常的——他沒說謊。                                                                                                                                    暮青對興隆銀號有印象，盛京里有名的票號，戶曹尚書之子曹子安在玉春樓里用的銀票上蓋的就是興隆銀號的大印。                                                                                                                                    “你都賄賂過誰？”                                                                                                                                    “越州刺史秋大人、戶曹尚書曹大人、翰林院掌院學士胡大人。”                                                                                                                                    “你是誰的門生？”                                                                                                                                    “胡大人！胡大人曾是京外南麓書院的院長，我出仕前在南麓書院求過學。”                                                                                                                                    “那為何要賄賂越州刺史和戶曹尚書？”                                                                                                                                    奉縣知縣沉默了，他如今頭腦不清，這些事要想想才知如何答。                                                                                                                                    步惜歡捏了捏暮青的手心，道：“越州刺史是上官，豈有不賄賂討好之理？戶曹往下撥銀子，若不討好，像奉縣這等地貧人疏的小縣，還不知能撥下多少銀子來。”                                                                                                                                    奉縣知縣聽了忙點頭。                                                                                                                                    暮青眼神一飛，刀子般來回抹了抹步惜歡，道：“問你了？”                                                                                                                                    步惜歡只覺得脖子和心口都涼了涼，不由暗嘆她不僅嘴毒無人能及，如今連眼刀的功力也精進了。                                                                                                                                    “陛、陛下說的是，軍中需多少撫恤銀都是直接跟朝中說，撥下來多少那都是戶曹說了算，若不使銀子，撥下來的數目定有苛減。”奉縣知縣道。                                                                                                                                    “哦？既是說，戶曹將撫恤銀兩撥給你們，你們再將撫恤銀兩孝敬回去？”暮青不知該怒還是該笑，這與洗錢無異！朝廷將軍中撫恤銀兩發給地方，地方官將銀兩化成銀票，再孝敬回去，如此一來一去，官銀就變成了私銀！                                                                                                                                    這些臟官為了貪國庫的銀子，還真挺會費心思！                                                                                                                                    “你在奉縣任上幾年？”                                                                                                                                    “三年。”                                                                                                                                    “可能記起都給了誰幾次、多少數目的銀兩？”年前在奉縣縣衙，步惜歡將奉縣知縣革職查辦后，御林衛便將衙門里前前后后給查抄了，清點了縣衙庫房，查抄了賬簿，但那賬一看便知是假賬，真的賬簿沒有找到，只搜出了約莫十萬兩的銀票。就憑真賬簿沒有找到這點，暮青就斷定奉縣知縣對行賄的數目一定記得清，這些臟官多會給自己留條后路，行賄的賬目他一定藏在了何處。                                                                                                                                    “此事有賬，下官將其藏在了……藏在了城外石橋下。”奉縣知縣雖有些猶豫，但他已被革職收押，招與不招，朝中都會有人想要他的命，既如此，不如招了！臨死看能不能拉個墊背的，“石橋東的橋墩下，下官埋了只木匣，里面除了賬簿，還有與胡大人這三年來往的書信。”                                                                                                                                    書信！                                                                                                                                    賬簿在暮青的意料之中，書信稍稍給了她些驚喜。                                                                                                                                    奉縣知縣自嘲一笑，以前是他看走了眼，以為圣上昏庸，沒想到如今生死皆在圣上手中。但他只是小小的知縣，胡大人是元相國的心腹，圣上想懲治他，怕是不那么容易。                                                                                                                                    “除了我問你的這些，你還能想起什么來？”暮青問，審案時在問過必要的問題后，她習慣讓嫌犯自己回想與案情有關的事。以她的辦案經驗來說，辦案者能看到和問出來的大多是表面的案情，有些案子有隱情，有些案子藏著案中案，這些都只有讓嫌犯自己開口才有可能發現。當然不是每件案子都如此，但是審問不可懶憊，一定要審徹底。                                                                                                                                    奉縣知縣怔了怔，想了會兒便搖了搖頭，“下官知道的事，都與將軍說了。”                                                                                                                                    他自回京就被秘密關押在大寒寺的地牢里，并不知暮青任江北水師都督的事。                                                                                                                                    暮青也不在意這些，她只道：“我不相信你真的會知無不言言無不盡，你必須再說出三件事來，不然此處會成為你的終老之地。”                                                                                                                                    三件事？                                                                                                                                    步惜歡揚了揚眉，見奉縣知縣急得險些要哭。                                                                                                                                    “不要跟我說你真的都說了，想！”暮青不待奉縣知縣開口便打斷了他，“我五更天前需要回城，你還有半個時辰。”                                                                                                                                    所謂三件事，不過是引導手段。                                                                                                                                    或許奉縣知縣真的把他知道的都說了，但那只是他認為的要事，有一些事他認為沒用，或許對她有用，所以她采取了逼迫審問的方式，要的就是不近人情。                                                                                                                                    嫌犯的壓力大，在他想不起要事的情形下，必會拿他覺得無關緊要的事來湊。而這些無關緊要的事或許真的與案情無關，或許對案情有助，暮青不知道，但她必須聽聽這些無關緊要的事——還是那句話，問案要徹底。                                                                                                                                    奉縣知縣越急越想不出，他貪污軍中撫恤銀兩，賄賂朝臣，此乃死罪，事到如今只求速死，而不是被關在這暗無天日的地牢里，每日一碗飯，無人說話，不見天日，不知年月，困在這三丈之地，直到老死。                                                                                                                                    他被關在地牢里，早就沒了時辰感，也不知半個時辰過去了多久，只覺得越來越急，想不出要事可說，他只能挑無關緊要的湊數。                                                                                                                                    “……押送撫恤銀兩的官差來后，縣衙會留飯，有一年宴席擺在青樓，一人酒后曾說，奉縣地貧，上頭卻不管這些，只瞧孝敬的銀兩多少，別地兒孝敬的多，上頭有了肥缺，自不會想到下官頭上。”                                                                                                                                    “呃，下官剛到奉縣上任時，將朝廷下撥的撫恤銀兩分作三份，送給了越州刺史秋大人、戶曹尚書曹大人和恩師胡大人，那時胡大人已任翰林院掌院學士，下官送去的銀兩自是最多，但恩師來信時曾說謀朝中肥缺需銀兩打點，頗有嫌銀兩少的意思，下官忙又送了些去，恩師卻還是年年嫌少，時常催要銀兩。這三年，送給恩師的銀兩足有朝中下撥的撫恤銀兩那么多，打點秋大人和曹大人的銀兩都是從稅銀里擠出來的。”                                                                                                                                    “將軍以為下官這知縣貪得多？下官原是想撈些銀兩，可哪知孝敬打點的上峰竟是填不滿的無底洞？這三年，下官貪的銀兩全都拿來打點了上官，自個兒兜里可是少有攢下的，將軍查抄縣衙時搜出來的那些銀兩，本是攢了來年打點上官的。這些年，上頭催要銀子就像催命，下官卻不得不孝敬！夜里難眠，連想做夢夢到銀子都不成……上了這條船，就下不去了。”                                                                                                                                    奉縣知縣悲戚一笑，本是隨便說些事來湊數，卻說出了胸中的苦悶，不知不覺竟也說了不少，只是不知這算不算三件事。                                                                                                                                    暮青沒說算不算，只是面色沉靜如水，片刻后不發一言出了地牢，在塔里尋了筆墨，往抄經的禪桌前坐了，道：“掌燈！”                                                                                                                                    話音落下，步惜歡已從菩提塔外檐角提了盞燈籠回來，也不放去禪桌上，就這么拿手提著為她照著。                                                                                                                                    “研墨！”暮青頭也沒抬道。                                                                                                                                    步惜歡連氣都懶得生，習慣了，于是一手提燈，一手研墨。墨香暗浮，西窗袖影，燭光幽幽照進硯臺，墨如水，生了漣漪。                                                                                                                                    暮青低頭疾書，沒瞧見，也沒心思欣賞，片刻后便寫好了幾頁供詞，上頭皆是方才她與奉縣知縣說的話，一問一答，除了沒提地牢，其余不差半字。                                                                                                                                    寫好后，暮青便回了地牢，要奉縣知縣畫了押。                                                                                                                                    “你再在這牢里待幾日，過些日子定有人來提你出去。”說完這話，暮青便收起供詞，與步惜歡出了地牢。                                                                                                                                    大寒寺里的更聲敲了四下，暮青卻知離五更不遠了，于是不再耽擱，與步惜歡原路返回，出了寺，進了林中的馬車里，車夫便速速趕著馬車往山下去。                                                                                                                                    馬車里，暮青問：“剛才可聽出什么了？”                                                                                                                                    “此案有些耐人尋味。”馬車疾行，寒風撲著簾子，月光時不時透進來，照得男子眉宇間忽明忽暗，“一個胡文孺能催要出朝中撥去奉縣的全數撫恤銀兩，奉縣打點別處的銀兩竟是另擠出來的。這還只是奉縣，其余州縣的撫恤銀兩都進了誰的兜里，數目有多少？”                                                                                                                                    暮青沉默了一會兒，“那就要看你前幾日派出去的人能查些什么回來了。”                                                                                                                                    這點她不擔心，刺月門乃江湖門派，月部的專長就是收集情報，讓這些隱衛去查案可比縣衙里的那些捕快靠譜得多。                                                                                                                                    步惜歡的懷疑也是她心中的懷疑，但兩人誰都沒說破，畢竟僅靠奉縣知縣的話就斷定案情如何太過武斷，他們需要等，等前幾日派出去的月部隱衛送回其他州縣的調查情報，再等人將奉縣城外石橋下埋著的那只匣子取回來。                                                                                                                                    馬車如同出城時一般，在離城門兩三里外就停了下來，進了林中，步惜歡帶著暮青下了馬車，兩人徒步回城。                                                                                                                                    下了馬車，步惜歡便道：“奉縣城外石橋東的橋墩下有只木匣，三日內取回。”                                                                                                                                    暮青以為他跟那車夫說話，卻聽林中樹梢颯颯一響，她猛一抬頭，只瞧見數道黑影在月色里一顯，眨眼間便退入了密林深處，不辨行蹤。                                                                                                                                    這些人一直在林中？還是一路都跟著？                                                                                                                                    江湖武功對暮青來說是神秘的領域，她全然不懂，也沒時間琢磨，隨即便與步惜歡趕回了城門口。城門開著條縫兒，兩人進去，回了角樓，不一會兒，那偏將便挨個兒把那隊睡死了的龍武衛叫醒，說是要換崗了。                                                                                                                                    那龍武衛的小隊長起來，迷迷糊糊道：“今兒怎么覺得這覺睡得長了些？”                                                                                                                                    那偏將道：“你哪日也不少睡，不過是今兒睡得沉些罷了。”                                                                                                                                    那小隊長還沒睡醒，竟不覺得古怪，擺擺手便帶著人出了角樓，待換崗的人來里，便帶著他的人走了。                                                                                                                                    暮青和步惜歡走到來時的那條巷子，與早已等后在那里的兩人換了回來，便趁著天色未明，沿原路密道回了內城。                                                                                                                                    一個回府，一個回宮。