暮青回到都督府時，望山樓的掌柜正在花廳等著，說鄭家人還在望山樓里候著。暮青馬上便吩咐人備馬車，備驗尸工具，并去盛京府衙請了公文，點了月殺和劉黑子便出了城。                                                                                                                                    到了望山樓門口，暮青下了馬車，見掌柜進去領出來一個青年人，那人穿著身灰布長衫，剛見了禮，暮青便問：“你是鄭家長子？”                                                                                                                                    那青年人一愣，問：“都督怎知？”                                                                                                                                    暮青淡道：“身上有藥味兒，左手食指第一指節有勒繭，右手拇指、食指、中指的指尖微黃。勒繭是常年稱藥所致，指尖微黃是抓藥所致。鄭家家道中落，長子是行腳郎中，沒有銀錢養藥童，只能自己背著藥箱行走于附近村莊，為人診病，開方抓藥，寒暑不誤。因此，你的臉頰和耳朵上有凍瘡，左肩微低。你今日沒背藥箱，但你平時定是習慣用左肩背藥箱。”                                                                                                                                    暮青語如連珠，青年人懵愣地張著嘴，還沒回過神來，便聽暮青道：“上車，帶路！”                                                                                                                                    他吶吶點頭，剛邁腳，便聽后頭有人喜道：“都督！”                                                                                                                                    暮青剛要上馬車，回頭一瞧，見崔遠面含喜色的從望山樓里出來，身后跟著五個少年，皆穿著素衣長衫，一看便知是寒門子弟。                                                                                                                                    “都督剛來，怎就要走？”崔遠住進都督府后，奉暮青之命結交寒門子弟，他便日日來望山樓，今兒還是頭一遭見暮青過來。                                                                                                                                    “趕著出城查案。”暮青從馬車上又跳了下來，問，“他們是你的友人？”                                                                                                                                    “是！”崔遠面帶興奮，回身一一引薦，“這位是良州賀晨，永州柳澤，渝州朱子明、朱子正兄弟，皆是江北人士。這位是江南人士，嶺南蕭文林。”                                                                                                                                    暮青從五名少年身上一一看過，目光在蕭文林身上頓了頓，嶺南人士……那地兒靠近南圖國了。                                                                                                                                    “我趕著出城辦案，三日后是春日宴，都督府人少，諸位若不嫌棄，不妨到都督府小坐。”暮青對五人道。                                                                                                                                    那五個少年望著暮青，面上皆有欽佩之色，聽聞此言更是露出喜色，崔遠激動得臉都紅了，先聲道謝。                                                                                                                                    暮青淡淡頷首，轉身便上了馬車。                                                                                                                                    劉黑子打著馬車簾子，瞄了她一眼，臉上寫滿了不解——都督啥時候會與人寒暄，還有那興致在府里辦春日宴了？                                                                                                                                    暮青神色不露，坐進車里后，鄭家人便坐到車轅上，劉黑子駕著馬車便出了城去。                                                                                                                                    *                                                                                                                                    鄭郎中葬在城外三十里的麥山上，馬車到了山腳下時已是晌午。                                                                                                                                    那青年人的確是鄭家長子，名叫鄭當歸，領著暮青便上了半山腰。                                                                                                                                    鄭郎中的墳前圍滿了人，除了鄭家人還有族里的老人和村中的村民。                                                                                                                                    村民們踮著腳伸著脖子，見鄭當歸領著一名少年正往半山腰上來，少年一身白袍，山風獵獵，束發飛揚，如潑出道墨去，染了漫山黃草團團皚雪。                                                                                                                                    待到了近前，鄭當歸側身一讓，村民們嘩的一聲。                                                                                                                                    誰也沒想到，遠遠瞧著氣勢那般殺伐凌厲的少年，容貌竟如此平常，但年紀的確是輕，實難想象才十七歲便已上過西北戰場，披甲還朝受封三品！                                                                                                                                    “老朽攜鄭家族人見過都督。”老族長忙帶著鄭家人行禮，王氏一家住的那村子的村長也忙帶著村民磕頭行禮。                                                                                                                                    “免禮！開棺驗尸多有驚擾，還望族公勿怪。”正月暮青扶了那老族長起來，回頭看了眼劉黑子。                                                                                                                                    大興百姓重陰司后事，發了案子，少有開棺驗尸的，但也并非全然沒有。若案情特殊，仵作亦可剖尸或開棺，但其一要苦主同意，其二要有官府下發的公文并備案，其三要在公開場合下進行，其四要祭祀以慰在天之靈。                                                                                                                                    劉黑子將盛京府的公文交給那老族長，族里的書生接過來高聲念了，村民邊聽邊瞅著劉黑子，不知朝中三品大官兒，怎會找個瘸子當下人。待那公文念罷，老族長顫顫巍巍地把公文收進懷里，恭恭敬敬地把暮青請到了鄭郎中的墳前。                                                                                                                                    鄭郎中的遺孀王氏領著長媳長孫和二房一家披麻戴孝跪在墳前，一如新喪般在墳前哭著燒紙錢，鄭當歸從妻子手中接過孝服也跪了下來。族長主持祭祀儀式，當眾念了祭詞，暮青到墳前上了香撒了銀寶紙錢，族人們一一進香祭祀，足足耗了半個時辰，這才聽族長高喊一聲：“開墳——”                                                                                                                                    王氏和兩個兒媳的哭聲忽然大了起來，凄凄惶惶，王氏見兩個族中壯年提著鋤頭來，哭著便想去阻止，鄭家老二忙攔了她，悄聲道：“娘，您忘了前些天的事兒？這事兒要不查清，那兇徒再來……”                                                                                                                                    王氏一聽便驚惶地止了哭聲，眼睜睜看著兩個族中壯年將鋤頭交給族公，族公在墳頭上念念叨叨地刨了一鋤頭，隨后便交給了兩個壯年，那兩個壯年便掄著鋤頭開始刨墳。                                                                                                                                    暮青聽見鄭家老二的話，目光忽沉，問道：“你們家中進了兇徒？”                                                                                                                                    鄭家人一直沒有派人去望山樓，今日忽然就去了，她正奇怪，原來是家了進了兇徒？                                                                                                                                    鄭家老二聞言，忙道：“正是！”                                                                                                                                    “何時之事？”                                                                                                                                    “五日前夜里！”                                                                                                                                    “詳細說來！”                                                                                                                                    “就是、就是……那日夜里約莫三更，小的一家正睡著，一個黑衣蒙面的兇徒忽然就闖進了家中，手里提著刀，說、說……說我爹當年知道得太多了，他定然將那些事說給了我們聽，所以要殺人滅口。幸虧有幾個軍爺在村子里，聽見聲響進屋來將那兇徒打跑了！”                                                                                                                                    正因此事，鄭家才商量著開棺，但開棺乃是大事，需稟告族公，族里又是商議又是定祭祀的章程，一來一去便耗去了四五日，今天才派鄭當歸去盛京城里找到了望山樓掌柜，拿著信物到都督府傳了信兒。                                                                                                                                    暮青聽罷沉默了一會兒，問：“那兇徒真是如此跟你說的？”                                                                                                                                    鄭家老二點頭如搗蒜：“正是，小的不敢欺瞞都督！聽聞都督斷案如神，還請都督為小的一家做主，我爹死的冤枉！”                                                                                                                                    兩人說話的工夫，那墳堆便刨平了，刨墳的兩個青壯年常干農活，手腳利索，凍土也刨得不慢，不久就見了棺材面兒。暮青沒有再說話，只看著那兩人繼續清理，那些被請來見證開棺的村民們皆伸著頭望著那棺材，又懼又好奇。                                                                                                                                    待棺旁的土也扒了出來，兩名青壯年過來跟族長回稟，族長看了眼哭著的王氏，嘆了一聲，揚聲道：“起棺——”                                                                                                                                    鄭郎中當年下葬時，家里還在盛京城里開著藥鋪，有些家財，棺材用的木料甚好，盛京地處江北，雨水不如江南多，棺木爛得慢，人下葬了十幾年，棺材只是四周爛了些，墳土堆的高的中間還好好的。                                                                                                                                    四個青壯年下了墳去，鄭家的兩個兒子下墳扶著棺頭和棺尾，山風吹著漫天紙錢，婦人哭聲嗚咽，漢子們齊聲喝著，咬牙將棺木抬起推送到了墳坑上頭。                                                                                                                                    “起釘——”族公又喊道。                                                                                                                                    棺蓋上的鉚釘有的已松，有的棺蓋兩側爛了已經露了出來，鄭家的兩個兒子起了鉚釘，隨后將釘錘丟到了地上。                                                                                                                                    “開棺——”族公的聲音已啞，這一聲卻喊得甚長，山風送著此音遠去，傳了半山，伴著鄭家婦孺的哭聲，聽得人心口發堵。                                                                                                                                    鄭家兩個兒子抬著棺木頭尾，由人幫忙齊力一抬，只聽咔的一聲，未見棺中情形，先聞到一股子腐臭氣。那臭氣被山風一吹，村民們皆背過身去掩住口鼻。                                                                                                                                    “把孩子抱走！”暮青道。                                                                                                                                    王氏等人上山時將家里的兩個小孫子也帶了出來，聽見暮青的話才反應了過來，兩個兒媳忙護著孩子避去了上風向，墳地旁邊的人這時也都紛紛散了開。                                                                                                                                    暮青大步到了棺旁，這時棺蓋已經搬開，鄭家人紅著眼轉開臉不忍看棺中情形，那幾個幫忙刨土開棺的青壯年卻都是膽大之人，但瞥了眼棺中，皆退后幾步，不敢再看。                                                                                                                                    鄭郎中當年是在井里泡爛了才撈上來的，下葬時因肉已泡得軟爛，一動就掉，家里連壽衣都沒法給他換，只在他身上蓋上了衣冠，并以一些古玩珠翠壓著。如今古玩珠翠還在，尸體上的肉早就爛光了，衣袍發了黑，爛得只剩下幾縷繡圖蓋在尸體上。一些珠翠滾在棺邊，伴著密密麻麻的蟲蛹，黑乎乎的，聞著臭氣熏陶，看著令人作嘔。                                                                                                                                    暮青穿上外袍，戴了口罩和手套，提了驗尸的工具箱來。那工具箱是她在拼湖底撈出來的那具尸體時，元修的親兵從義莊仵作那里拿來的，她派人去義莊說了一聲，這工具箱就留在了身邊。                                                                                                                                    她拿出鑷子來，眾目睽睽之下半個身子都俯進棺材里，也不怕臭，捏著那幾縷還沒爛盡的衣袍便將那些碎布提了出來，之后，一副完整的男尸骨架橫陳在她眼前。                                                                                                                                    她大略看了一眼，從棺材里捧出骨盆來看了看，又拿出根腿骨一樣的骨頭瞧了幾眼，放回去后看向鄭當歸，問：“你爹死時二十八歲上下，身長有五尺四寸？”                                                                                                                                    鄭當歸沒敢看棺中，但聽后吶吶點頭，“正是！”                                                                                                                                    那時他年紀雖小，但爹的年紀身長卻記得清楚。                                                                                                                                    暮青點了點頭，道：“人是被掐死的。”