圈,每个圆圈都套着断指图案,"活人变死人,死人变顶名,顶名变荒田," 声音哽咽,"每亩三钱的税银," 戳向沙盘中心,"是用百姓的断指在秤!"
林宇的枪口突然顶住陈墨的肩甲,铁甲的温度透过官服传来:"你说,苏府的田亩清册," 指向窗外漆黑的苏府,"是不是每笔良田都沾着断指血?" 忽然想起在义庄看见的场景:新坟前摆着断指和田契残页,每个坟头都插着半片火漆印,"那些哭坟的老妇人," 望向李二妞的尸体,"手里攥的不是纸钱," 砸了砸田契,"是被夺走的地契和断指!"
陈墨取出从苏府三房搜出的《良田清册》,每页天头都标着缺笔 "损" 字,对应着断指数量:"表面是‘新垦良田’," 他指着官方批注下的隐形墨字,"暗线里记着‘断指抵田,丁税三钱’," 银签子划过李二妞的条目,"每个字都是用断指血写的," 望向林宇,"和暗格里的密写布帛," 指向停尸床,"是同一个人的手。"
卯时将至,林宇的火铳在停尸房泛着冷光,映得田契上的三房族徽像滩凝血。他忽然用火枪管挑起盖尸布,少女腕上的勒痕在灯光下格外狰狞,绳纹里的松脂颗粒清晰可见:"收了田还要顶名,顶了名还要充公," 声音像绷紧的弓弦,"苏府这是要把人活剐了炼油!" 转身时甲胄擦过陈墨的衣袖,铁叶间露出半片暗格布帛,"明日卯时三刻,随我踏平三房!老子要让他们的火漆印," 火铳上膛声清脆,"永远盖不了百姓的田契!"
陈墨望着尸体脚踝的朱砂痣,忽然想起李顺的临终遗言:"田在人在,田亡人亡。" 他将田契残页放在少女手中,断指血与靛青染剂在羊角灯下融为一体,形成一道暗红的符印 —— 与前文在青泥岭义庄看见的百姓血书完全一致。"大人,这不是普通田契," 他指向田契暗格,"是青泥岭百姓用断指刻的《告地状》," 望向窗外的苏府,飞檐下的灯笼映着 "耕读传家" 的匾额,"苏府的每寸良田," 握紧银签子,"都浸着断指户的血。"
林宇猛然扯开验尸格目,在 "死亡原因" 栏用枪尖刻下 "断指夺田" 四字,铁屑落在李二妞的断指旁:"老子要让都察院的老爷们," 他将格目塞进甲胄,贴近心口的位置,"对着这具尸体发誓," 望向陈墨,"再敢用缺笔暗号断指夺田," 声音如雷,"老子的火铳就对着他们的乌纱帽!"
窗外传来火铳队的集结声,铁靴踏在青石板上如闷雷滚过。陈墨握着祖传放大镜的手紧了紧,镜
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