Imperial Husband Chapter 99

Chapter 99

The more Zhang Zhiheng thought about it, the more unwilling he became. Instantly gnashing his teeth, he said, "Lan Mingzhou has gone too far, absolutely unacceptable. I can't just let this go. I must write to the Lan family, have them suppress him severely, and then I'll find an opportunity to finish him off from behind."

Chi Zhen was getting a headache from Zhang Zhiheng's antics. "Master Zhang, the Lan family did indeed tell us to deal with Lan Mingzhou, but Lan Mingzhou is, after all, a member of the Lan family. If we truly kill Lan Mingzhou, the Lan family might very well hold us accountable."

Lu Wentao also chimed in, "Yes, Master Zhang, the Lan family is powerful, but we are not part of the Lan family, after all."

"..."

Zhang Zhiheng fell silent.

Simultaneously, the reason Zhang Zhiheng had lost gradually returned. He no longer insisted on putting Lan Mingzhou to death as he had moments before, and instead began to ponder the words of Chi Zhen and Lu Wentao.

Despite his arrogant demeanor, Zhang Zhiheng's attainment of the Zhang family headship was not a matter of simple fortune.

"Fine, I can refrain from killing Lan Mingzhou." Zhang Zhiheng finally listened, but this did not mean he would let the matter drop lightly. "However... I want Lan Mingzhou to be a cripple for the rest of his life."

According to Da Xia law, those who were physically disabled couldn't continue to hold official positions.

Zhang Zhiheng's decision was clearly intended to utterly destroy Lan Mingzhou from another direction.

"An excellent plan, Master Zhang." Chi Zhen nodded with satisfaction. "Doing it this way, we can both vent our anger and show our sincerity to the Lan family."

Lu Wentao also nodded. "I agree as well. That brat Lan Mingzhou has long deserved to be taught a lesson."

Before long, the heads of the Zhang, Chi, and Lu families had discussed how to deal with Lan Mingzhou.

However, the unfolding of events had taken an unexpected turn.

"Lord, our master truly is not inside. What's inside are important items of the mansion. You really cannot enter, Lord... Lord..."

The faint yet urgent cries from outside the door immediately drew the attention of the three men.

Lu Wentao was the first to react, "Could something have happened outside?"

Zhang Zhiheng dismissed it, "Impossible. This is the Zhang residence. Who would dare cause trouble in my place?"

"Master Zhang, something is indeed amiss outside. It seems someone has barged into the Zhang residence." Chi Zhen had been paying attention to the faint sounds from outside all along. As the sounds became clearer, he could tell the visitor's intentions were hostile.

"What? Let me go see. If someone really has barged in, I'll break their legs."

Zhang Zhiheng's anger, which had barely subsided over the Lan Mingzhou matter, was now thoroughly reignited by this sudden intrusion.

Bang.

Zhang Zhiheng strode swiftly towards the door, yanked it open, and barked, "Who dares cause trouble in our Zhang residence? Huh... Who are you..."

Zhang Zhiheng hadn't expected the intruders to be soldiers and was immediately stunned.

"Heh." Tao Yichu sneered coldly. "Here they come out, right? Arrest all three of them."

Zhang Zhiheng thought he could escape danger like last time and arrogantly threatened, "I haven't committed any crime. On what grounds do you arrest me? I'm telling you, if you don't take all the men you brought and leave immediately, be careful I sue you for trespassing."

"Sue me however you want."

Tao Yichu paid no heed to Zhang Zhiheng's words and personally stepped forward to apprehend Zhang Zhiheng on the spot.

Chi Zhen and Lu Wentao, who had been conspiring with Zhang Zhiheng, could not escape either and were both seized by the soldiers who had come with Tao Yichu.

"We are people under the Lan family's banner. By so blatantly helping that brat Lan Mingzhou like this, aren't you afraid of offending the Lan family?" Seeing himself arrested, Zhang Zhiheng panicked and immediately told Tao Yichu his backing was the Lan family.

But it was useless.

If someone else had heard Zhang Zhiheng's words, they might have been intimidated, but Tao Yichu was on Gu Rushuang's side. Only a fool would fear the Lan family.

"Take them away immediately."

At Tao Yichu's order, the heads of the Zhang, Chi, and Lu families were forcibly taken away.

Zhang Zhiheng was not one to submit easily. Along the way, he tried every trick of coercion and inducement, all in an attempt to persuade Tao Yichu to release him.

However, Tao Yichu simply ignored him and did not gag him either, allowing Zhang Zhiheng to rant for the entire journey. Yet, Tao Yichu seemed well aware of Zhang Zhiheng's weakness. Without Chi Zhen or Lu Wentao noticing, he poured a jug of wine down Zhang Zhiheng’s throat.

Because Tao Yichu had secretly investigated: when Zhang Zhiheng drank wine, not only did he get drunk easily, but his courage became even greater than usual, and he was prone to saying things he shouldn't.

Oh no, these words must not be spoken.

"Master Zhang, stop talking, please stop talking."

Hearing Zhang Zhiheng reveal their previous plot to harm Lan Mingzhou, Chi Zhen and Lu Wentao frantically tried to dissuade him in terror, but Zhang Zhiheng seemed bewitched and simply wouldn't listen.

Zhang Zhiheng's words were heard not only by Chi Zhen, Lu Wentao, Tao Yichu, and his soldiers, but also by the commoners passing by.

As Zhang Zhiheng spoke, some words slipped out carelessly, inadvertently revealing things that should have remained unsaid.

The expressions of the commoners who heard his words instantly darkened.

Soon after, the matter of Zhang Zhiheng slandering Lan Mingzhou spread rapidly throughout Zhuzhou City.

This immediately filled the deceived commoners with guilt, and those who had thrown stones at Lan Mingzhou during the day regretted their actions immensely.

"Where is this place? What do you intend to do with us?"

Apart from the drunken Zhang Zhiheng, Chi Zhen and Lu Wentao quickly realized that the place Tao Yichu had brought them to was not the yamen.

Tao Yichu answered their question with one of his own. "What place is this? Surely you recognize it yourselves?"

"Hahaha... isn’t this the execution ground..." Though drunk from the wine Tao Yichu had forced into him, Zhang Zhiheng still recognized where they were.

"You—"

Lan Mingzhou, who had been waiting here all along, sharply cut him off. "Zhang Zhiheng, Chi Zhen, Lu Wentao! You three have colluded with nobles in the capital to raise salt prices, later slandered this official, even set your sights on the disaster relief grain, attempting the crime of substituting it with moldy grain. The evidence is conclusive. How dare you not confess your crimes!"

"We have done nothing. What is there to confess?"

"Lan Mingzhou, how dare you falsely accuse us law-abiding citizens like this? Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?"

Chi Zhen and Lu Wentao simultaneously chose to deny the charges.

What a joke.

These charges piled up amounted to a capital crime. Only fools would admit to them.

However, they miscalculated one person: Zhang Zhiheng.

Even in his drunken state, Zhang Zhiheng was vicious. The moment Chi Zhen and Lu Wentao finished speaking, he immediately retorted. "Chi Zhen, Lu Wentao, it's just the three of us here. What nonsense are you spouting? That brat Lan Mingzhou is just..."

"Zhang Zhiheng, shut your mouth!"

Chi Zhen couldn’t take it anymore and roared at Zhang Zhiheng.

Because Chi Zhen and Lu Wentao were some distance away from Zhang Zhiheng, they couldn’t smell the alcohol on him. As for why the two didn’t realize Zhang Zhiheng was drunk, it had to do with Zhang Zhiheng’s unusual behavior when intoxicated.

Whenever Zhang Zhiheng got drunk, he acted just like a normal person. Moreover, Zhang Zhiheng himself was aware of this quirk, so he had never drunk in front of the two of them.

Naturally, neither had ever seen Zhang Zhiheng drunk before, so how could they possibly tell?

"Chi Zhen, how dare you speak to me in such a loud voice?" Zhang Zhiheng, still in a drunken rage, flared up at Chi Zhen’s words and wanted to rush over and give him a beating regardless of the consequences.

Tao Yichu had been watching Zhang Zhiheng's every move. Furthermore, since he was the one holding Zhang Zhiheng, how could he give Zhang Zhiheng a chance to break free?

"All of you, be silent!" Seeing that Zhang Zhiheng had already confessed to the crimes committed by himself and the heads of the Chi and Lu families, Lan Mingzhou immediately declared sternly, "Zhang Zhiheng, Chi Zhen, Lu Wentao, for committing numerous evils in Zhuzhou, the sentence is immediate execution."

"Lan Mingzhou, you are merely a county magistrate. You have no authority to execute us directly."

Chi Zhen knew a bit about the law. He was aware that after a county magistrate pronounced a death sentence, it had to be reported to the higher-level prefectural magistrate. Only after the prefect verified the facts and issued the official document could the execution be carried out.

"This is the Seventh Prince’s command."

Lan Mingzhou immediately produced Ying Yuan’s token.

Chi Zhen was instantly dumbfounded.

The Seventh Prince? Did I hear that right... Did Lan Mingzhou just say the Seventh Prince?

Lu Wentao was also stunned, unable to utter a word.

The Lan family they served was the maternal family of Consort Chun, so their backer was naturally Consort Chun. But the person behind the Seventh Prince was the current Empress, Gu Rushuang. Which side carried more weight was clear at a glance.

"Carry out the execution immediately."

Lan Mingzhou acted so decisively because he understood clearly that if he didn't execute them now, once they caught their breath, it would be difficult to deal with them like this again.

"Magistrate Lan, you've done well! These evildoers deserve to die!"

"Magistrate Lan, execute them quickly!"

"It's all because of you! All of this is your doing! You don't deserve to be called human!"

More and more commoners gathered to watch the proceedings.

Over the years, the evil deeds committed by the Zhang, Chi, and Lu families were no fewer than those of Chen Manzhou, the former magistrate of Zhuzhou. The reason people usually dared to be angry but not speak out was entirely because their livelihoods were controlled by these families. Now, seeing them captured, the commoners naturally no longer suppressed their grievances.

"Yes, Lord."

The executioner in charge nodded and immediately began the execution.

"No... don't kill me... I'll give all the silver from my house... Mmm..."

Before Chi Zhen could finish speaking, he was the first to have his head cut off.

Following closely, Lu Wentao and Zhang Zhiheng were also executed.

With their deaths, the commoners cried out with joy.

"People of Zhuzhou, besides executing them, I will also have you see another person." Lan Mingzhou abruptly clapped his hands. Chen Manzhou, tightly bound, was immediately escorted up by soldiers.