Imperial Husband Chapter 94

Chapter 94

"What? You’re not mistaken?" 

Zhang Zhiheng stood up in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Zhuzhou had hardly any soldiers, at most just two guarding the city gates. Their families also lived within Zhuzhou city; they wouldn't possibly disregard their own families to oppose him. Moreover, there were only two of them—how could they possibly surround such a large Zhang Mansion?

"Master, it's true," the servant said, unable to hide his fear. "Those people are still outside shouting, demanding that you, along with Master Chi and Master Lu, go... go out, or else they'll come in and arrest you."

"They wouldn't dare!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhiheng's anger immediately flared up.

Chi Zhen said gravely, "Master Zhang, they must be the soldiers transporting the grain. That Lan Mingzhou is indeed not someone to be trifled with, to actually be able to command them."

Zhang Zhiheng raged, "I always knew Lan Mingzhou was no good. I should have finished him off back when he first arrived in Zhuzhou."

"Master Zhang, Master Chi, perhaps we should go and face them," Lu Wentao said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "After all, they are soldiers surrounding the Zhang Mansion. We won't gain anything by directly opposing them. Furthermore, if Lan Mingzhou has the nerve to send soldiers over, it's likely the men we sent have already been captured."

Chi Zhen nodded in agreement. 

"Master Lu makes a fair point. Master Zhang, what do you think?"

Zhang Zhiheng gnashed his teeth and spat out word by word, "Fine, let's go and see what tricks Lan Mingzhou can play."

Lu Wentao added, "Wait a moment. To avoid exposing ourselves, we should first devise a countermeasure."

Outside the Zhang Mansion.

The Zhang Mansion steward smiled obsequiously, "Officers, please wait a moment. Our Master will be out shortly."

"We are merely performing our official duties. We cannot wait here indefinitely. Please forgive the intrusion," said the soldier leading the team, then signaled the other soldiers to follow, intending to enter the Zhang Mansion directly to make arrests.

They had waited outside the Zhang Mansion for a good half-day, already showing utmost forbearance. If the other party insisted on this stalemate, they couldn't be blamed for not saving face.

"All of you, halt!" Zhang Zhiheng, who had stepped out of the Zhang Mansion first, said angrily, "Did I say you could enter my property?"

Emerging along with Zhang Zhiheng were Chi Zhen and Lu Wentao.

"Master, you've finally come out."

The Zhang Mansion steward couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Are you Zhang Zhiheng, the head of the Zhang family?" The soldier had never seen Zhang Zhiheng before, but judging from the steward's words earlier, he had roughly discerned his identity.

"Aren't you here to take me to the yamen? Let's go."

The soldier hadn't expected Zhang Zhiheng to comply so readily. "Uh, then Chi..."

"Chi what? Can't you see us?"

Chi Zhen retorted impatiently.

The Zhang Mansion steward hurriedly said, "Officer, this is Master Chi, and that is Master Lu."

"Why say so much to him? Let's go."

Zhang Zhiheng cast a disdainful glance at the soldier, then walked off directly with Chi Zhen and Lu Wentao.

The soldiers, seeing this, followed behind.

___

Yamen.

"Lord Lan, all of this was ordered by Master Zhang and the others. We are innocent too!"

"Yes, Lord Lan, even if you gave us a hundred times the courage, we wouldn't dare to do such a thing!"

After a secret interrogation by Tao Yichu, the two men in black were brought back to the yamen's main hall and couldn't wait to spill everything.

Lan Mingzhou frowned, "Is this true?"

As he asked, Lan Mingzhou couldn't help but cast a puzzled glance at Tao Yichu.

Tao Yichu, noticing Lan Mingzhou's gaze, immediately responded with a smile.

Actually he hadn't had time to do much. He had merely explained the Da Xia penal code to these two men in black, and when he took out the torture instruments, intending to demonstrate them, their legs gave way, and they immediately spilled everything.

"Absolutely true! Stealing and substituting relief grain is a grave crime. How would I dare to lie?"

"Me too, Lord Lan, please believe us. We were momentarily bewitched and agreed to help Master Zhang and his mother with their tasks."

Suddenly, the constable in the yamen came to the main hall and reported, "Reporting to Lord Lan, Zhang Zhiheng, Chi Zhen, and Lu Wentao are waiting outside."

Upon hearing this, Lan Mingzhou's pupils instantly contracted.

"Good, let them enter."

Shortly after, Zhang Zhiheng and the other two were brought into the yamen's main hall.

Zhang Zhiheng immediately started shouting at Lan Mingzhou, "Lord Lan, why did you send so many soldiers to my mansion to 'invite' us here? Could it be you want to treat us to a meal? But we only eat the finest things, which I'm afraid you can't afford?"

Lu Wentao also said disdainfully, "Lord Lan, you'd better speak quickly. We're busy people, not as idle as you."

Smack!

Lan Mingzhou, with a cold face, slapped the magistrate's gavel and said, "Silence in the court!"

"If Lord Lan were reasonable, we wouldn't be like this," Chi Zhen looked at Lan Mingzhou and said coldly, "Lord Lan, you've really made something of yourself, sending soldiers to surround us for no reason. Aren't you afraid we'll report to the prefect, accusing you of using public office for private gain?"

Lan Mingzhou pointed at the two men in black kneeling on the ground, as well as the five men standing to the side, and said, "You plotted to steal and substitute the disaster relief grain. The evidence is conclusive. They are the witnesses."

Zhang Zhiheng preempted, "Huh? Aren't these two the thieves who broke into the Zhang Mansion the other day and stole several bags of our grain? And them, I remember they were taken away by those two. Why are they here now?"

One of the men in black was dumbfounded, "Master, clearly it was you..."

Smack!

Zhang Zhiheng immediately slapped the talking man in black on the head, "What 'me'? A thief like you who steals deserves to be executed. How dare you implicate me?"

Chi Zhen cupped his hands and said, "Lord Lan, surely you don't intend to convict us based solely on their one-sided testimony?"

Lu Wentao also spoke righteously and threateningly, "Lord Lan, being so arbitrary, aren't you afraid of chilling 'our' hearts?"

The "our" Lu Wentao referred to wasn't the common people of Zhuzhou, but the local gentry and merchants led by them. If they were to cause trouble, it would be no joke.

"..."

Lan Mingzhou found it difficult to pass judgment for a moment and instinctively looked towards Li Jin.

Li Jin subtly shook his head.

Lan Mingzhou clenched his fist, "Since you claim these people are thieves and have nothing to do with you, then this official will convict them of false accusation and theft. Guards, take them to the jail to await sentencing."

"Yes, Lord Lan!"

Upon receiving the order, the constable immediately, along with the soldiers, escorted the five men away.

"Master, clearly it was all your idea. Why do I have to take the blame? I don't want to die, Master, I don't want to die!"

"Master, save me. Master, I beg you, save me!"

Unlike the five men who had already resigned themselves to their fate, the two men in black, upon hearing this, cried out desperately, hoping Zhang Zhiheng and the others would intervene to save them.

Zhang Zhiheng paid them no mind and said to Lan Mingzhou, "Lord Lan, shouldn't you return the items they stole to us now?"

This was precisely the purpose of Zhang Zhiheng and the others coming here.

To them, these captured men were already useless. Keeping them would only be a waste of food. It was better to push them out to take the blame.

"That won't do," Lan Mingzhou shook his head. "This official sent people to inspect the grain they 'stole'. It was all moldy and long unfit for consumption. Therefore, this official took it upon myself to have that grain burned."

"What? You burned it all?"

Zhang Zhiheng gasped, his eyes filled with pain and fury.

That grain was silver. He actually burned it. Burned it!

Lan Mingzhou said unhurriedly, "Since it was unfit for consumption, keeping it would only cause harm. Burning it was for your own good. If this grain accidentally circulated outside and was traced back to you, you would likely face great calamity."

"So, we should be grateful to Lord Lan?"

Zhang Zhiheng looked at Lan Mingzhou with eyes seemingly wanting to devour him, full of venom.

Chi Zhen and Lu Wentao's expressions were also very unpleasant.

They had also contributed quite a bit of the moldy grain meant for substitution. Originally thinking they could share in the spoils, they ended up losing the rice along with the chicken. No wonder their expressions were so grim.

"Court dismissed!"

Lan Mingzhou slapped the magistrate's gavel and left the main hall directly.

"Let's go too," Li Jin patted the back of the hand of Ying Yuan, who was sitting beside him, then stood up and followed Lan Mingzhou into the inner chambers.

"Mm."

Ying Yuan nodded and followed closely behind.

"Damn it."

Zhang Zhiheng couldn't hide his anger and cursed under his breath.

"This is his territory. Let's discuss this after we return."

___

Yamen inner courtyard.

As soon as Lan Mingzhou saw Li Jin following him in, he sternly questioned, "Heir Li, earlier they had already confessed. If I had continued pressing them, they definitely wouldn't have escaped. Why did you still want me to let them go?"

Li Jin calmly looked at Lan Mingzhou and said, "They wouldn't have escaped, but don't forget, pulling one hair affects the whole body. Once they are in trouble, the forces behind them will impact Zhuzhou city, and the ones to suffer in the end will still be the common people."

Back when he was in Liujia Village, Li Jin had already sent Zhou Yunting ahead to Zhuzhou to gather information. He had not only learned that Lan Mingzhou had taken up his post as the county magistrate in Zhuzhou but had also managed to gauge the complex web of local power structures within the city. This was precisely why Li Jin had subtly advised Lan Mingzhou to release them for the time being.

"I was too rash," Lan Mingzhou hung his head. "But in that case, won't I be unable to deal with them? What will happen to the common people then?"

How ruthless they could be, Lan Mingzhou understood completely.

Had it been otherwise—given his cautious nature—he would never have confronted them so directly upon his arrival in Zhuzhou.

"That won't happen," Li Jin shook his head and continued, "Right now, we still lack someone who can ensure Zhuzhou won't be too severely affected when we move against them."

Won't affect Zhuzhou...

A single phrase awakened the dreamer.

Li Jin's words instantly enlightened Lan Mingzhou, "Heir Li, this official has a suitable candidate: the Cheng family. The Cheng family was also one of the prominent families in Zhuzhou back in the day. Unfortunately, they were later schemed against by the former county magistrate Chen Manzhou, along with the Zhang, Chi, and Lu families, and were forced to step back. However, the Cheng family's connections still exist. With the Cheng family's help, everything will surely be resolved."