册,"在‘土壤黏度’栏填‘沙质’," 银签子划过伪造的勘验记录,"却在暗格里用米汤标着‘膏腴’," 指向显形的布帛,"每亩三钱的重税," 声音发颤,"是从百姓的骨血里榨出来的。"
更夫的梆子声穿过雕花窗,陈墨借着月光细看布帛,果然在经纬间发现若隐若现的血色北斗。他忽然想起老郎中的话:"曹氏死后,荣昌的织机声里总混着哭声," 指尖抚过星图的斗柄,"每到税期,布帛就会渗出血泪," 望向林宇,"卑职在义庄见过被扒光衣服的尸体," 喉结滚动,"背上的鞭痕竟与这七星纹一模一样。"
林宇的火铳突然指向窗外的苏府方向,枪管在月光下泛着冷光:"老子在辽东见过建州女真剥汉人衣服," 声音像绷紧的弓弦,"没想到在自家地界,百姓被扒的不是衣服," 指向布帛,"是身上的皮!" 他忽然抽出腰间短刀,在布帛边缘划开一道小口,"你说这北斗," 刀尖挑出一缕混着血丝的经纬,"真能断了苏府的税根?"
陈墨接过布帛,看着断口处露出的细小花纹:"建昌卫的军户曾用夏布传递军情," 他指向北斗斗柄的走向,"这纹路暗合万历二十七年平播州的进军路线," 想起县志记载的 "白杆兵裹伤布","秦良玉的弟兄们," 声音低沉,"就是靠着这样的布帛,在杨应龙的重围里杀出一条血路。"
皂角水渐渐变浊,布帛背面的指甲算术完全显形。陈墨数着 "三丁折银九两" 旁的三个断指图案,忽然想起停尸房里李二妞的断指 —— 右手食指齐根而断,断口处还沾着靛青:"她本是县学教谕之女," 从袖中取出半本《算学启蒙》,"本该用这笔算学开方," 翻开被血浸透的书页,"却用来刻下自己的身价。"
林宇的枪口重重砸在《算学启蒙》上,惊飞了趴在血字上的飞蛾:"三钱银子," 他掰着铁指套算道,"能买三斗糙米、五把锄头、半担盐," 突然指向布帛,"可苏府要的是三条人命!" 想起军中发饷时的克扣,"老子的弟兄们在辽东冻掉耳朵," 声音发闷,"换不来三钱安家费。"
陈墨看着布帛上的血字在皂角水中摇晃,忽然发现每个数字周围都有极细的针孔:"这是‘挑经显纬’的女红," 他想起李二妞闺房里的绣绷,"用绣花针挑开经纬,填入米汤和血," 银签子穿过针孔,"每孔代表一次顶名," 望向窗外的乱葬岗,"岗上的新坟," 声音哽咽,"比这针孔还密。"
卯时将至,陈墨将显形的布帛与苏府假
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