Chapter 307 Zhang Jing
Chapter 307 Return to Beijing (Two in One)
But is it enough?
The atmosphere at the crab feast froze for a moment, and everyone's astonished eyes were focused on Wang Chusheng, who had been missing for many days.
After a brief silence, the officials present could no longer remain calm and an uproar broke out.
"Wang Chusheng! He's the Magistrate of Taicang County!"
"The imperial envoy actually captured the man? Why is there no news?"
"What exactly is going on? Didn't they say that they searched everywhere but couldn't find him? Didn't they think he had escaped from Linfeng?"
Inside the seats, the Governor Gao Lian, who had been calm and composed and leading the charge, was stunned on the spot. At that moment, his pupils shrank into a small dot, as if he had turned into a stone sculpture.
The exhausted Censor Liu Ji stood up, his face flushed with excitement:
"It's you...it's really you..."
Prefect Sun was stunned, and suddenly turned his head to stare at Zhao Duan's profile, his eyes filled with astonishment, surprise, confusion, fear, emotion, fear... and many other emotions:
"Master Zhao, this is..."
Is this your work? What does it really mean to accomplish your goal in one fell swoop?
...Xu Junling was in a trance.
Although she didn't know the truth, she had already realized that Zhao Duan did not care about the so-called counterattack from the Linfeng officialdom.
Because he had already prepared everything.
"Quiet."
Zhao Duan waited for a few breaths to give everyone time to digest the situation, then raised his hand and pressed down into the air.
In an instant, the noisy banquet became quiet.
He paced in the hall with a smile on his face, and his voice chiseled into the ears of the local officials:
"I know that you must be confused and curious at this moment, and want to know what is going on. But in fact, the process is not complicated. I believe that many people present know that I appeared in Taicang County Government a few days ago.
Well, outsiders may not know, but you definitely know.
It's nothing more than that, when I entered the city, I divided my troops into two groups, and ordered someone to pretend to be an imperial envoy to attract public attention, while I went to Songjiazhuang first and retrieved the evidence that Song Tiju had painstakingly obtained after his investigation and deposited there."
“Why go to all this trouble?
This is because the case of corruption in the mines and silver is definitely not something that a mere county magistrate can handle, because the order from the capital has not yet been issued, and the two key figures have mysteriously disappeared, and because you... have been strictly guarding against me and resisting me!"
When Zhao Duan said this, he swept his fingers across the table.
Wherever he passed, officials turned their eyes away, not daring to look at him, no matter how high or low he was.
"Ha!" Zhao Duan sneered, his eyes full of mockery:
"It has been proven that this is the right thing to do. Otherwise, perhaps even the last bit of things left by Song Tiju would not have fallen into my hands! However, this alone is not enough.
The evidence that a mere supervisor can obtain cannot touch the core after all. Fortunately, I have a third group of people. From the moment I stepped into Taicang City, the troops were divided into three groups instead of two.
It was also thanks to my public presence that I attracted the attention of certain people, and that I was able to arrest Wang Chusheng."
Divide the troops into three groups!
The officials present were dazed upon hearing this simple, uncomplicated, yet unexpectedly effective answer.
Prefect Sun and Censor Liu suddenly realized what was going on. They didn't know that Zhao Duan had used a similar method once when he dealt with the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple.
However, that time the troops were just divided into two groups.
There were three teams. The fake imperial envoy at the post station was there to cover up for the real imperial envoy. And that day, Zhao Duan took the initiative to reveal his identity.
It's also to provide cover for the shadow guard team.
When Zhao Duan took the initiative to reveal the "real and fake imperial envoy", local officials would subconsciously think that was all.
But I would never have thought that there was another layer.
The so-called strategy never needs to be complicated. The more complicated it is, the more likely it is that there will be problems with the entire process, leading to a greater probability of failure.
It was just like the fake coup: it was carefully planned, laid out step by step, and ultimately a victory was achieved by sheer skill.
The real coup is to invite people to dinner, ambush a few trusted people, and then kill them when they are least prepared.
As for the specific method of finding Wang Chusheng that Zhao Duan deliberately left vague,
Prefect Sun and others had some guesses that perhaps, just like the disguise, some extraordinary means were also used.
Not important anymore.
What really matters is...
Everyone came to their senses, looked at each other, their hearts beating like drums, and suddenly in the quiet hall, the sound of some people swallowing saliva was heard.
A tense atmosphere mixed with anticipation gradually spread.
Since the key figure in the case, Wang Chusheng, has been arrested.
So……
Does it mean that the people behind him will also come to light?
Furthermore, combined with Zhao Duan’s previous words, today’s “crab feast” seemed to have been premeditated.
All the important officials and gentry in the city were gathered in the Chrysanthemum Terrace. When the army in the city approached, it was like closing the door to fight the dog.
"Imperial... Imperial Envoy... You are Zhao Du..."
At this time, the Taicang County Magistrate, who had crawled out of the sack and sat on the ground, and had already surrendered after being punished by the shadow guards, finally spoke tremblingly.
The dark eyes were fixed on Zhao Duan, and his thinking seemed slow.
Next to him, the weak scholar-like shadow guard quietly placed a hand on Magistrate Wang's shoulder, causing the latter to shudder.
"You call the imperial envoy by his name. It seems you haven't realized the current situation."
“No… no…” Wang Chusheng’s face turned pale, fear seized his heart, and he suddenly kowtowed like crazy: “Sir Zhao, I am your humble servant… No, I am here to see the Imperial Envoy…”
"Don't scare people."
Zhao Duan said it lightly, first "warning" the shadow guard, then smiled warmly, looked down at the other party, and said faintly:
"I summoned you here for one thing. Please identify the person who is your backer among those present.
Confess and be lenient, be the mastermind or an accomplice, execute the ringleader or punish the entire clan, it all depends on your decision, Lord King."
"I say!" Wang Chusheng was tied up like a worm. He sat up with difficulty without any hesitation.
During the interrogation in the past few days, he had already confessed the truth and signed his name. His presence today was just to repeat it.
Immediately, Wang Chusheng raised his head and glanced at the acquaintances in the hall. Anyone who looked at him looked away, for fear of being stared at.
Finally, his sight stopped at someone, his eyes filled with resentment and the madness of dying together:
"Master Gao, I'm sorry."
Many people present changed color slightly.
Wang Chusheng had already uttered the name: "Report to the Imperial Envoy, the one who ordered this villain to commit such a terrible crime was him! The Temporary Provincial Governor, Gao Lian!"
Boom!
In an instant, the eardrums of the guests in the Chrysanthemum Terrace seemed to be dizzy by the sound of a drum.
Countless eyes, in shock, were focused on the smooth, wrinkle-free scarlet official robe!
Focus on Gao Lian's neatly trimmed, elegant and calm face!
"It's you?!" At this moment, Censor Liu and Prefect Sun turned their heads at the same time and looked at their colleague with extremely complicated eyes.
Before people could react, Wang Chusheng's face was almost distorted, and he accused like a broken jar:
"The whole Linfeng knows that although I work in Taicang County, I used to work in Linfeng Prefecture. I have been doing dirty things for Gao Lian for many years, and the mine silver case is just one of them!
It was he who asked me to embezzle silver in the name of fire consumption, send it to the Taoist temple designated by him as a donation to launder the money, and then put it into the money house. After this incident, it was also he who asked me to hide and stay out of the limelight, saying that as long as the people sent from the capital could not catch me, he could make light of the matter!
Not only this, the underworld people who protect me were also sent by him. In fact, they were the ones who monitored me. The ones who colluded with and raised underworld killers and helped him eliminate the enemies were all this Mr. Gao!
From what I know, he has killed no less than ten people!
He was also the one who orchestrated the corruption case at the Linfeng Weaving Bureau three years ago. He also fabricated charges against the Linfeng silk merchant Li Jia, who was killed because the merchant was unwilling to work for him anymore and he was afraid that the truth would be revealed...
Furthermore, the women of the Luo family whose property was confiscated did not commit suicide, but were raped by this old thief with a human face and a beastly heart... and..."
At this moment, Wang Chusheng, a subordinate who had worked for Gao Lian for many years, blurted out all the charges he knew in one breath.
It immediately caused an uproar in the room.
Even Zhao Du'an was stunned. He didn't expect that among the nine governors of Dayu, the one with a good reputation for integrity and a bright official robe actually had countless evil deeds.
"What evidence do you have? Just your words?"
Finally, an official in the hall questioned, "Wang Chusheng! You said that you were assigned by Governor Gao, so why did they keep you here? And let you live?"
This news was so explosive that many officials present found it difficult to accept.
"Evidence? Of course I have it!"
There was a look of indifference on Wang Chusheng's scarred face.
He stared at Gao Lian, who was sitting in the hall like a clay sculpture or wooden carving, and said mockingly:
"Master Gao, you never thought that I would expose all these things about you. Isn't this what you asked for?
That day, I noticed that Mr. Song was investigating, so I had to ask you for your permission. I waited and waited until you came to see me in private. That day, you brought people here. You actually wanted to silence me, right? But I'm used to seeing all your dirty deeds, so how could I not have a backup plan?"
He shifted his gaze and looked at Zhao Duan, with a faint, almost crazy smile on his face:
"Master Zhao, if I work for someone like him, wouldn't I be afraid of being abandoned?
So, I have been secretly collecting evidence of his crimes over the years. Like Mr. Song, I am also afraid that I will be killed suddenly one day, so I prepared several copies of the evidence of Gao Lian's crimes and placed them in the hands of extremely reliable relatives.
So, when Gao Lian came to see me that day, I told him that as long as I died or disappeared for a long time, my relatives would hand over the evidence of his crimes directly to the Capital Censorate after a period of time...
We are tied to the same rope. Unless he wants to die with me, he has to protect me.
He had no expression at the time, he just comforted me, saying that I was overthinking and that he would not harm me, but do you think I believed him or not? "
Zhao Duan glanced at him, then looked up at the two shadow guards. The armored woman nodded:
"Sir, the things he mentioned have been obtained."
Wang Chusheng seemed to have understood that he could not escape death, which made him seem a little neurotic.
He sneered and stared at Gao Lian, who was expressionless in the hall, with provocation and hatred in his eyes:
"Master Gao, don't look at me like that. If you had treated me better, I wouldn't have sold you out. But you are unkind, so don't blame me for being unjust. I am going to die anyway, and you and those people behind you, don't even think about living! Die together! All die together! Haha, all die together!"
Zhao Duan frowned. He was not interested in the feud between the two. He said coldly:
"Wang Chusheng, what happened to Song Tiju's disappearance? Do you know where he is?"
After Wang Chusheng vented his anger, he was no longer afraid, but instead had a trace of compassion, almost like a monk who had just attained enlightenment: "I don't know. I only know that he disappeared before Gao Lian came to find me. Gao Lian even asked me where he had gone, but how could I know?
Maybe Song Tiju also realized that his betrayal had been discovered, so he ran away and hid in order to protect himself, or maybe he was killed by Gao. Who knows?"
Disappeared early?
Hiding, running away?
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows. He had always been curious about the "Song Tiju" whom he had never met before.
But now is not the time to look for this person.
Zhao Duan finished the interrogation, turned around, and said coldly: "Gao Lian, do you have anything else to say?"
Gao Lian, wearing an official robe and with his black and white hair neatly arranged, had no expression on his face. It seemed as if he had just come to his senses. He shook his head and said:
"It's just a little slander."
After saying this, he closed his eyes, as if he knew that any argument would be futile at this moment.
"A little slander... a little slander..."
Zhao Duan seemed to be so angry that he laughed, but in an instant, his expression turned as cold as winter:
"Whether it is slander or not, we will take you back to the capital for trial, and the saint will make the final decision."
The crime of a second-rank provincial governor is not something that the imperial envoy can determine.
He must, and had no choice but, be escorted back to Beijing.
"Come here! Strip Gao Lian of his official robes! Take him into custody immediately! Prevent anyone from coming in contact with him! Return to the capital with me tomorrow!"
Zhao Duan said in a deep voice.
"Yes!" The Lihuatang Jinyi people who were standing at the back as a background and rubbing their hands ready to fight rushed forward like wolves and tigers and pressed the mortal Gao Lian on the table.
"I almost forgot to say it," Zhao Duan turned around as if he had just remembered something, glanced at the faces, and smiled:
"The soldiers outside the city are now arresting the lower-level officials involved in the evidence left by Song Tiju, as well as some gentry and merchants who are related to this case... I believe that they have all been captured by now."
Zhao Duan took out a list from his bosom, looked at the seated Sun Zhifu, who had a complicated expression, and said with a smile:
"The city cannot be without a leader for a day. Immediately, the prefect Sun Xiaozhun will be reinstated in all his official duties. Some of the people on this list are also guests at the Chrysanthemum Terrace today. The few lackeys will be detained and interrogated by Prefect Sun first."
Sun Xiaozhun stood up, took the list with both hands, and said calmly:
"I will not let you down."
Zhao Duan patted his shoulder, and their eyes met, and everything was said without words.
At this moment, Sun Xiaozhun understood that the empress's favorite minister in front of him had understood the hidden meaning of his words that day.
Zhao Duan smiled at the nervous local officials and said:
"In addition, I came here on the orders of the Emperor to execute only the main culprit. Now Gao Lian and Wang Chusheng have been arrested, and more than a dozen related suspects have been temporarily detained. I will return to the capital tomorrow to report. I hope that in the future, you will take this as a lesson and work together with Prime Minister Sun to protect the country and the people, and do not let down the Saint's appointment."
After these meaningful words were spoken, all the local officials breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
I understand what the imperial envoy meant, which is that only this group of people will be arrested, and no one who has nothing to do with the case will be implicated.
At the same time, the four words "protect the territory and the people" mean that the people who are asking for orders should stop making trouble.
With just this one sentence, the ironclad structure that Gao Lian had worked so hard to build was instantly shattered into pieces.
Since the imperial envoy said that he would not pursue the matter any further and would only punish the main culprit, why should officials like them make things difficult for Zhao Duan?
A crisis was resolved.
"Hey, Lord Zhao, I... and I..." Zhao Duan made a decision and was about to leave.
Liu Anchashi finally couldn't hold it in any longer, and stood up and called out, forcing a flattering smile on his good-natured face:
"Prefect Sun has recovered, so I..."
Zhao Duan didn't look back. He was too lazy to pay attention to this old official who just wanted to keep things quiet and wait for retirement: "Reflect on yourself at home for a month."
Liu Anchashi opened his mouth but did not dare to bargain. He wiped his sweat, sighed, and said to Prefect Sun:
"You said Mr. Gao, is it really..."
Sun Xiaozhun glanced at him and distanced himself from him: "I don't talk to people who have been suspended."
Liu Ji: ...
……
……
The crab feast is over.
However, the aftershocks of this event, which swept across the entire Taicang Prefecture and shook the vast Linfeng area, have not yet shown their power.
The cavalry that had been roaming the entire city returned one after another and arrested all those involved in the case who had no time to react.
The government prison was overcrowded at one point.
Zhao Duan believed that Sun Xiaojun could handle the next thing.
He returned to the inn, sat in his own courtyard, and took care of the follow-up matters.
"My lord, this is your magical weapon."
The armored woman took out the patterned Fengyue Baojian and presented it to him with both hands. Under the mask, a pair of eyes through the holes looked at him curiously.
Zhao Duan sat on a stone bench, happily took it, and said with a smile: "Is there something on my face?"
The armor-covered woman didn't understand humor and shook her head honestly:
"No. I just heard that you defeated Monk Tianhai."
Tsk, could it be that I already have a crush on the Shadow Guard? The champion of the competition really increases popularity. Speaking of which, I wonder how the Paris Olympics went before I traveled through time... It's a pity that I just watched the opening ceremony and then I traveled through time...
Zhao Duan complained in his heart and smiled like an idol: "It was just luck."
"Yes. I understand." The female shadow guard wearing a bronze mask nodded sincerely.
"..."
Zhao Duan took a deep breath and thought that this fangirl was a little too honest and that Shadow Guard's overall emotional intelligence needed to be improved.
"Cough cough..."
Next to him, a scholar who looked frail, with a weak physique but unusually white hands interrupted the awkward atmosphere and held out a thick file:
"Sir, this is the evidence Wang Chusheng hid to accuse Gao Lian."
Zhao Duan's face turned serious. He took the book and started reading it. His expression became visibly ugly.
Although Wang Chusheng had orally narrated it once in the classroom, I only listened at that time and didn't feel much.
At this moment, flipping through the pages of paper with his own hands to record the events, Zhao Duan felt that the thin paper had become extremely heavy.
Frame-up, wrongful killing, silencing, rape, corruption, raising enemies...
"Gao Lian..."
The upright face of the governor emerged in Zhao Duan's mind. Who could have imagined that he was actually a beast in human clothing?
"Oh... Everyone says that I'm a treacherous minister, cruel and ruthless, and that anyone can kill me. But in comparison... I'm as clean as Hai Rui..."
Zhao Duan laughed at himself and closed the file.
Suddenly losing interest in chatting with these two gold medal shadow guards, he waved his hand:
"Thank you for your hard work. When I return to Beijing, I will recommend you for your achievements."
The armor-covered woman's eyes lit up, she was satisfied and a smile appeared on her face.
He glanced at the Mirror of Love and Lust on the table with reluctance, thinking that this thing was very useful, and it would be great if it could be given to him.
"Thank you, sir. We will not bother you any more." The scholar, who saw what his colleague was thinking, said goodbye and left with his female colleague.
I felt extremely helpless: Would the famous "King Zhao Yan" be easy to get along with?
You dare to take credit for it... With such a stubborn personality, if you are not good at killing people, how can you gain a foothold in the Shadow Guards?
Zhao Duan had just put away his precious mirror and files.
Then a silk dress floated in and the lady from a noble family, Xu Junling, walked towards them.
Behind him followed the maid Lu Shui, the old man in plain robe Lu Qingfeng, as well as the big man with a knife, the female knight with a sword, and other guards.
"Princess?" Zhao Duan came back to his senses from his inexplicable emotions and smiled.
Xu Junling stared at him with his bright eyes and said:
"This princess is ready to leave first."
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, then nodded:
"Yes, I should return to the capital tomorrow. It is indeed time to say goodbye. Haha, I thought the princess would leave tomorrow, or stay in the city for a few days."
Xu Junling said bitterly:
"I don't have the mood to appreciate it anymore. I've been away from the palace for a long time. It's time to go back. I didn't expect that this small silver mine would involve such a big thing."
She suddenly said seriously: "Gao Lian is from a Jiangnan aristocratic family, and his wife's family is from an even more powerful family in the south."
Zhao Duan laughed: "I know, so?"
Xu Junling said angrily:
"So, Gao Lian is also a member of the Li Party. Moreover, as a second-rank provincial governor, he is a powerful local figure. To some extent, he is much more important to the Li Party than many Beijing officials.
If you tie him up and take him back this time, Li Yanfu will not sit idly by. Even if he doesn't want to care, he must do something. Otherwise, not only will Li Yanfu's men not agree, but the big families in Jiangnan will not agree either.
Just like what Wang Chusheng said, they are all on the same boat. Wang Chusheng can be treated as a discarded pawn, but Gao Lian is different.
Zhao Duan didn't care much and said:
"My lord, are you advising me? But I have also brought down more than one high-ranking official of the Li Party."
Xu Junling sighed:
"You can do it once or twice, but not three times. Today we will retreat one city, tomorrow we will retreat five cities... Never mind, I won't tell you anymore. Anyway, you should think it over and decide whether you want to wade into this muddy water or not."
After saying that, she turned around and left.
"Wait a minute," Zhao Duan suddenly called her and handed her the Taicang Geography on the table.
"I don't have any gifts. Take this book with you to entertain yourself on the way. It's a parting gift."
Xu Junling almost laughed out of anger, thinking, are you so stingy?
Give me your worn-out book as a gift.
After hesitating for a long time, she took it and turned away:
"Take care of yourself. I'll treat you to crabs when you come to Huaishui next time."
(End of this chapter)