Chapter 70 The Truth Behind the Breach Case (Part 1) Are you blind?

"Zheng Zhizhang! You beast!"

Two or three servants rushed over and stopped the woman. Zheng Zhizhang, as if he had seen a ghost, pulled up his trousers and ran. On his way out, he saw Wang Yan sitting to one side and stared at him wide-eyed. However, the woman was hot on his heels, and after only a brief pause, he disappeared in a flash.

Shen Minghuai immediately got up and moved to another seat, completely blocking her view. Wang Yan, however, went over to the woman at the next table and inquired about the two people.

"Zheng Dayou's mistress and his son, I don't know what happened, but they actually tried to pull out a man's manhood."

It was a stroke of luck—like a wheat awn falling into the eye of a needle. The timber used to repair the fortifications back then was purchased by the timber merchant Zheng Dayou. Wang Yan pulled Shen Minghuai behind him to his side and listened to the woman recount her story.

As we just saw, Zheng Dayou's mistress was very beautiful and had a daughter who was twelve years old and also a little beauty. His wife had a son and a daughter, both of whom were of average appearance. In particular, Zheng Zhizhang frequented brothels every day and squandered money recklessly. He was a notorious playboy in Huazhou City.

She unfortunately saw the man's appearance, which was more than just ordinary. Wang Yan had to stare at Shen Minghuai for a moment before she could alleviate the discomfort caused by that glance.

"Is the Zheng family very rich?"

The woman's husband said, "His net worth is at least 100,000 strings of cash."

The woman continued, "There was no such person before. After we started cooperating with the government five years ago, Zheng Dayou supplied all the supplies. How could he not be rich?"

Shen Minghuai frowned slightly. "Have you been using Zheng Dayou's scraps for every annual repair in the past five years?"

“Yes,” the woman said with a sneer, “over the years, no one has been able to get a share of the profits from him.”

Since the Zheng family couldn't take this bowl of soup away, they might as well overturn it and start over. They were just about to go to the Zheng family's lumberyard to find out what was going on when the guide came knocking on their door. When Wang Yan saw that face, she felt like vomiting up the soup she had just eaten.

Seeing the two of them so intimately, Zheng Zhizhang asked, "Is this your elder brother?"

Wang Yan spat, "Are you blind? Calling him 'brother'?"

The smile plastered on his already swollen face made him look even more eerie. Zheng Zhizhang said with a forced smile, "I was blind. He should be the one calling me brother."

Shen Minghuai pulled Wang Yan behind him, his eyes gleaming with a dark light as he looked at the man before him. "I cannot bear this responsibility."

From the moment she entered the inn, Zheng Zhizhang's eyes never left her. Wang Yan felt as if her face had been licked with saliva by a licking tongue, making her feel nauseous. She suppressed her discomfort and asked him to lead the two of them to the lumberyard.

Once seated in the carriage, unable to contain himself any longer, Wang Yan clenched his fists and exclaimed, "I really want to gouge his eyes out!"

Shen Minghuai, who was standing to the side, showed a slight change in expression. He grasped her fist and clenched his fingers into her palm. "Okay."

Seeing that he was serious, Wang Yan quickly said, "Not now. We haven't obtained any evidence yet, so we mustn't alert them."

Shen Minghuai pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her affectionately, "I'll listen to you."

Beneath the spacious tiled roof, rows of logs were piled up like mounds, all newly felled timber from the winter. The manager, seeing Zheng Zhizhang, greeted him with a beaming smile, calling him "Young Master." Zheng Zhizhang explained that he had brought friends to see the timber, and the manager then led the three of them on a tour of the lumberyard, explaining in great detail the types, uses, and qualities of the timber. The "Young Master" only needed to nod in agreement.

The four returned to the hall and sat down. A servant brought over a pot of hot tea. The first cup was given to Zheng Zhizhang, and the second to Wang Yan. Wang Yan held the tea in his palms to warm his hands, but Shen Minghuai didn't even touch the teacup.

The steward put down the porcelain cup and asked, "Is the tea not to your liking, young master?"

It seems that no matter when, Shen Minghuai's spine is always straight, except when he is holding her, he bends over. Just like now, his upright posture is out of place with the other three people. In the eyes of others, he may seem mature for his age, but they would never think of him as a shrewd businessman.

"I've heard that the timber yard has been selling very well in recent years, and I've come to discuss a deal with your yard."

The manager only knew him as a local gentry, saying, "Our lumberyard business isn't something just anyone can do."

That malicious gaze clung to her like glue, and Wang Yan's malice to gouge out his eyes deepened. She could only hope that Shen Minghuai would end this game of chess as soon as possible.

"I know of a place where a large grove of willow trees grows. Their resilience is sure to meet your needs." Shen Minghuai's ability to make up stories has become increasingly sophisticated.

The manager leaned back in his chair, drank half a cup of tea, and his patience was wearing thin. "Who told you the lumberyard sells scrap timber?"

Shen Minghuai remained unhurried, saying calmly, "If we don't lack willow branches, we also have reeds. I know of a place where a large patch of green reeds grows—"

"Green reeds?" The manager suddenly became agitated. "Who uses green reeds for timber? I think you're not here to look at timber at all, you're just trying to mess with me! Someone, show them out!"

Zheng Zhizhang snapped out of his daze and advised, "Hey, what's wrong? Old Zhang, calm down. Our family doesn't need this deal."

Shen Minghuai stood there, stunned, as if he had said something wrong, and somewhat regretted it. "I'm new to this field and have been deceived. I don't understand much, so please forgive me. But we are sincere—"

"Walk!"

"Since that's the case, why force them to stay!" Wang Yan couldn't stand this insult. He grabbed Shen Minghuai and strode out of the lumberyard, walking briskly as if afraid Zheng Zhizhang would chase after them.

As the carriage returned to Huazhou City, Wang Yan looked out the window several times before the wave of nausea in his heart finally subsided.

Seeing this, Shen Minghuai said worriedly, "Next time I can act alone." Otherwise, he might really lose his eyes.

After only two visits, Wang Yan was already feeling extremely uncomfortable and had no choice but to give in.

"Very well. Did you find anything on this trip?"

"Hmm. To confirm my guess, we need to make a trip to the Nitrate River."

By the time they reached the banks of the Xiao River, it was already afternoon. Boats came and went constantly, and the bustling dock was bathed in the warm sun, which felt like a furnace. The thin snow was melting, but it didn't warm them. Wang Yan, holding a hot water bottle, stood under the eaves and saw Shen Minghuai talking to several porters before they all went to the shore. Soon, the porters left happily with some loose silver coins, and Shen Minghuai, having packed some grass roots and pebbles into a cloth bag, walked towards her.

According to Wang Yan's knowledge of medicinal herbs, the branches used for binding and sweeping included both willow branches and green reeds. Green reeds are new shoots that sprout in spring and have poor toughness. Green reeds are especially unsuitable for the tough branches and leaves needed for the top dressing. Since the matter was of great importance, the two also went to the villages outside the city to inquire with the farmers. If one looks at green reeds alone, it is very easy to distinguish them, but if the two are mixed together, it can easily deceive the farmers at a glance, and it is even more difficult for ordinary people to distinguish the real from the fake.

Hua Xin searched the entire lumberyard alone, but Qingwei was nowhere to be found. Wang Yan huddled in the inn, troubled. Only by obtaining the two ledgers could he obtain irrefutable evidence to overturn the verdict. However, after the decisive battle five years ago, a large number of files in the archives were accidentally damaged. What was salvaged were all old ledgers; all previous annual records were destroyed.

Prince Su informed Shen Minghuai that the Prefect of Huazhou had been in office for ten years, and this man might be the key to breaking their deadlock. However, this Prefect Qin was an orphan with no parents, wife, children, or friends; his background was as clean as a blank sheet of paper. Shen Minghuai spent two whole days running around before finally managing to get a chance to approach him.

On the twentieth day of the first lunar month, the day of the ten-day holiday, Qin Dai would go to Mingfu Temple to look at fortune tellers. The lanterns would be taken down on the nineteenth, and people would rush out of the city to enjoy the spring. The usually quiet temple would temporarily become a bustling marketplace for the people to welcome spring. Many people came to look at fortune tellers that day, including Zheng Zhizhang.

Wang Yan and Shen Minghuai had arrived early and were waiting. Having nothing else to do, they first admired the nine-story pagoda and then wandered around the various courtyards. Just as they were about to leave the hall, they heard voices approaching, seemingly from a couple who had come to meet. They were unsure whether to leave or stay, and finally, Wang Yan decided to pull Shen Minghuai behind the hall door.

"I was stung on the face by a bee the other day, so I covered my face. I hope Madam Yan will forgive me."

Madam Yan sat down on the stone bench with the masked man. "So that's how it is. How is Young Master Zheng now?"

"Okay, okay." The man seemed quite nervous, which was different from what was rumored.

Lady Yan then asked, "What does the young master usually like to do?"

The man opposite him hurriedly replied, "Drinking—I mean, playing drinking games, pitch-pot; tea tasting, chess...cuju (ancient Chinese football)."

Lady Yan asked in surprise, "Young master, you also know how to play Cuju?"

The man replied, "Yes, yes. What does Madam Yan usually do?"

Lady Yan laughed and said, "It's just about music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; there's nothing much to say."

A young girl suddenly burst in, pointing at the man and saying, "Sister, you can't trust him! Your brother has six or seven concubines, and his wives are everywhere. He's a heavy drinker and not a good match for you!"

Zheng Zhizhang, who had been hiding somewhere, jumped out and reached out his sharp claws towards Zheng Ying'er. Seeing this, Yan Niangzi, who was sitting on the stool, fled, and the masked man quickly tried to stop her.

"Do you believe I'll sell you to a brothel right now?!"

Zheng Ying'er, light as a feather, spun him around until he was dizzy, and spat, "Go ahead and sell yourself if you dare! With me around, you'll never get a good marriage!"

"Wu Fu! Go and strip her clothes off!"

"Let's see who dares!"

Pan Haixia walked in, her anger palpable, shielding her daughter behind her and sternly warning, "Zheng Zhizhang, if you harbor any more filthy thoughts towards Ying'er, I can't guarantee what crazy things I might do."

"When did this young lady dare to point fingers at me like that..." Zheng Zhizhang said, but he ran faster than anyone else.

Shen Minghuai stopped Wang Yan, who was about to draw her sword, and followed her out of the hall. Pan Haixia mistook her for Zheng Zhizhang's guard and nearly drew her knife.

Wang Yan took out a small porcelain bottle that he had treasured for a long time and handed it to Pan Haixia. "One pill is enough to kill off a person's lineage." If it weren't for the pure land of Buddhism, such a beast would have been dead long ago.

Pan Haixia stared at her blankly, feeling a pang of pity. She then looked at Shen Minghuai beside her, her eyes welling up with tears. "Thank you."

Wang Yan was momentarily flustered, so she sat under the ginkgo tree to wait for him. Half an hour later, a handsome face suddenly came into view, and a pair of hands touched her cheeks, bringing her some warmth.

"Why are you sitting here? Your face is frozen."

Wang Yan leaned weakly on his shoulder, the scent of cedar and jasmine enveloping her, which eased some of her weariness. "Ziqian, I want to go home."

Shen Minghuai gently stroked her head, "It'll be over soon. It'll be finished soon."

In the days that followed, Shen Minghuai continued searching for a way to persuade Qin Dai, while Wang Yan remained secluded in the inn, refusing to leave. Perhaps to protect her emotional state, Shen Minghuai now slept on the couch in her room every night, watching over her. Before he could pry Qin Dai open her mouth, a shocking piece of news arrived first: Zheng Zhizhang was dead, and Pan Haixia had been arrested and imprisoned.

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Author's Note: The following is the interactive section: Reply with "1".