Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Zhao Mucheng

The blood in the basin was turbid.

Xiao Ye lay sprawled on the wooden couch. Wen Rong had just applied medicine to the whip and stick wounds on his back. He looked out the window at the fire and ordered Fu Feng, "Go investigate the cause of the fire."

Fu Feng obeyed the order and was about to leave the study when Xiao Ye suddenly stopped him and said, "Go inside to see Shu Yun first."

"I will go immediately. I have already told Biluo not to tell Miss Yun about the young master's injuries."

Fu Feng responded and strode out of the study.

Although the young master had confined Miss Shuyun to his mansion, he was responsive to her every request, unwilling to cause her worry, and even deliberately concealed the fact of his injury. Fu Feng had been with the young master for many years, but this was the first time he had seen him so attentive to a girl. This was no longer a brotherly relationship; it was a sought-after love between a man and a woman.

The study wasn't too close to the bedroom, but it wasn't far either. You had to walk through a long corridor. Seeing Biluo faint outside, Fufeng's heart skipped a beat. He thought something was amiss, and hurried into the room. But Shuyun was nowhere to be found.

It’s over after all the fun.

Shuyun escaped again.

…

The candlelight in the room was dim, illuminating the man's gloomy face. He exuded a cold air that was chilling.

Xiao Ye stood in front of Siqin. It turned out that her memory had been restored a long time ago, but she became lax and failed to guard against the person she should have been most wary of.

He ignored the injury on his back and leaned over, grabbing her neck with his big hand. A sneer appeared on his tight lips. "Very good! You dare to play tricks under my nose?"

Siqin spat, "Bah! Your father has caused the Shen family so much suffering. Like father, like son. My daughter has been detained in your house and suffered humiliation."

She didn't know why the son of Marquis Anlu rescued her from the Tian family and took great pains to treat her illness. If Xiao Ye was a good man, he would not have imprisoned the girl in the house and sent his men to guard her.

Siqin glared at him, refusing to yield. "Even if you kill me, I won't tell you the whereabouts of your girl!"

Seventeen years ago, she let her wife down and was unable to keep the girl. Seventeen years later, she would protect the girl even if it cost her own life.

A ruthless look flashed across Xiao Ye's deep eyes. He suddenly let go and threw Siqin to the ground.

"Leave a breath and take it to the dark room."

Xiao Ye gave the order, his voice as cold as ice.

Fu Feng took Siqin away.

Xiao Ye looked at the empty bedroom, his dark pupils filled with anger. The wound that had just been bandaged opened again, and blood seeped out of the white shirt on his back, staining a large area red, which was shocking.

Very good.

So what if he runs away? We can just catch him again after a while.

…

The winter night was cold and foggy as dawn approached. The river was covered in a vast expanse of white, and it was difficult to see clearly, as if in a dream.

Shuyun hid here and there in her maid's clothes, fearing that she would be caught by Xiao Ye. Before she even arrived, she had already guessed that Siqin had not escaped, and that it was impossible for Shuyun to go back. Siqin had set the fire at night, and as long as she escaped safely, everything Siqin had done would not be in vain.

The dock was bustling in the early morning, with workers unloading and loading cargo. Shuyun had planned to hide in a cargo ship and leave with it south, but she was discovered and driven out.

Shuyun was penniless and didn't have anything valuable. She was wandering around the dock, at a loss as to what to do, when she met an acquaintance.

Li Ce had just parted ways with Lin Yunxi and was about to head to the ferry to board the ship when he saw Shu Yun. The dock was huge, with people coming and going, unloading and loading cargo. Even if they were looking for someone sincerely, it would take a while, not to mention that neither of them knew the other would be there.

A red sun rose, the white mist gradually dissipated, and a large ship sailed south along the river.

There was a charcoal fire burning in the cabin, and Shuyun's frozen toes slowly warmed up and she regained consciousness.

Shu Yun bowed and said, "Thank you, my lord, for taking me in and giving me a ride."

Li Ce usually wore brightly colored clothes, and his colorful figure could be seen from a distance. But now he was dressed in plain white, which made Shuyun somewhat accustomed to it.

Li Ce asked, "Where are you going?"

He didn't ask where Shuyun had been during her disappearance or why she suddenly appeared at the dock. He only asked about things that concerned him.

"I don't know yet, let's take it one step at a time." Shuyun stayed where she was going, and when she arrived in Huainan, she would find a way to go to Nanzhou.

Shu Yun didn't expect to run into Li Ce at the dock and asked, "Why did the prince suddenly want to return to his fiefdom?"

Li Ce: "I went to the funeral. My mother passed away."

Shu Yun was stunned. She was locked up in the house and had no idea what was happening in the capital. She apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't know. Your Highness, I accept your condolences."

Li Ce shook his head, already sad. He had come to the capital at the age of five, and in all the years that had passed, he had actually forgotten what his father, the king, and his mother looked like. This affection was both light and heavy.

This time I am returning to my fiefdom, and next time I return to the capital, I may be joining my father in the attack.

==========

The white fog dissipated, and the soft sunlight with warmth shone into the house.

Fu Feng walked to the couch in the scattered light, knelt down and reported: "The young lady met the Prince of Huainan at the dock and has boarded his ship and left."

Xiao Ye had just changed the medicine. The man lowered his head and threw the scissors into the plate. A clanging sound rang out in the quiet room, and Fu Feng's heart trembled inexplicably.

"Got it, back off."

Xiao Ye looked out the window slowly. His face was gloomy, and his deep black eyes were dark and his expression was gloomy, like the calm before the storm.

…

The ginkgo leaves on the tree turned from green to yellow. When the chilly wind blew, the bright yellow leaves fell down one after another.

Xiao Ye brought the plan forward and invited Liang Meng to his house.

"The Emperor attaches great importance to the construction of Tongtian Tower. In addition to the Minister of Works reporting on the progress every month, the Imperial Eunuch Fu is also ordered to visit Tongtian Tower." Xiao Ye opened the lid of the teapot, poured boiling water into the pot, poured a cup of tea for Liang Meng, and said calmly, "Lord Liang needs to make a big deal about this matter when Eunuch Fu comes. Lord Liang simply discovered that there was a problem with this batch of wood and had a small dispute with the craftsmen on site. It just so happened that Eunuch Fu, who was on inspection, saw it."

A cup of steaming hot tea drives away the coldness of winter.

The first snow came, and heavy snow fell. A thick layer of snow accumulated overnight. The accumulated snow bent the branches and broke a twig with a crackling sound.

In the Purple Palace, Emperor Wucheng finished discussing state affairs with the Crown Prince and then reviewed memorials at the imperial desk.

The imperial eunuch hurried into the hall holding a whisk. His face turned pale, as if he was frozen by the biting cold wind, but not because he was cold.

Eunuch Fu's back was covered in cold sweat as he reported, "Your Majesty, there's a problem with Tongtian Tower."

Emperor Wucheng put down his red brush and looked up.

Eunuch Fu held a whisk in his hand and bent low. "Today, I was ordered to go to Tongtian Tower. The water minister found something wrong with the wood and started arguing with the craftsmen."

Emperor Wucheng frowned slightly, and after a moment he said, "Send Liang Meng to the emperor for an audience."

Eunuch Fu bowed and left the Purple Palace. He looked at the man waiting at the bottom of the stairs and said, "His Majesty has ordered that Langzhong Liang Meng of the Ministry of Water Resources be summoned to the palace for an audience."

Liang Meng passed by Xiao Ye who was guarding the steps, walked up the steps step by step, and entered the Zichen Hall.

Liang Meng knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

Emperor Wucheng said, "Stand up and answer."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Liang Meng stood up and bowed. "I dare to ask Your Majesty to suspend the construction of Tongtian Tower. I accidentally discovered that the wood used in Tongtian Tower has been replaced with fir. Fir cannot bear weight, and the building will collapse! Not only has the wood been replaced, but the structure has also been damaged. The foundation is unstable. The taller the building, the faster it will collapse."

Liang Meng presented a list, "The wood is significantly different from what's on the list. Please review it, Your Majesty."

Eunuch Fu understood and presented the list to the emperor.

Emperor Wucheng read it, his majestic expression darkening slightly. Since ascending the throne, he had fought numerous wars, expanding his territory. However, he was not satisfied with this achievement, so he wanted to build a tower so tall that he could reach for the stars, to demonstrate the majesty of his dynasty.

The Tower of Babel has collapsed once. He can wait for the building to be built slowly, but he will never allow anyone to interfere.

"I am going to sue the Minister of Works for corruption and substitution of materials."

Liang Meng knelt and said earnestly, "I guarantee with my life that I am not exaggerating or intending to obstruct the project. Your Majesty, please suspend the construction of Tongtian Tower and thoroughly investigate this matter."

Emperor Wucheng placed the list on the imperial desk and said, "Pass on my oral order. This matter will be thoroughly investigated by the Dali Temple, and the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate will jointly investigate. All officials involved in the construction of Tongtian Tower will be thoroughly investigated. I want a result in ten days."

Due to the biting cold wind, the construction of Tongtian Tower was halted and the doctor of the Ministry of Works was taken to the Dali Temple.

The wood and quantity used in the Tongtian Tower were very different from those in the list, and there was no doubt that the wood had been replaced.

The yamen runners found 10,000 taels of silver of unknown origin in the residence of the Langzhong of the Ministry of Works.

Three days later, the doctor of the Ministry of Works confessed everything. It was he who replaced the load-bearing wood with fir, and split the money saved with the Minister of Works in a ratio of 40% to 60%. He got 40%, and the bulk of the money went to the Minister of Works.

The Minister of Dali Temple led the jailer to the residence of the Minister of Works to arrest the person, but it was too late. The Minister of Works drank too much the previous night and fell into the pond in the residence and drowned.

The jailer also found a large amount of silver of unknown origin in the residence of the Minister of Works, but according to the 46% given by the Langzhong of the Ministry of Works, the amount of silver was less than half.

Where did the missing silver go?

Or did the doctor of the Ministry of Works lie?

Just as the Dali Temple Minister was wondering, the drum outside the Dali Temple was struck.

"Sir, a lame man with a cane wants to see you. It's about Tongtian Tower."

"pass!"

Liu Bo was brought to the main hall and knelt down, saying, "I would like to sue someone. Please, sir, help the innocent craftsmen who died tragically seventeen years ago!"

The Dali Temple Minister frowned, and later realized that the man in the hall was talking about the collapse of the Tongtian Tower seventeen years ago, but that case had already been closed.

The Dali Temple judge slammed the gavel and asked, "Who are you suing?"

"I want to sue the Marquis of Anlu."

Liu Bodao said, "The General Construction Supervisor has a total of 3,000 craftsmen, and I used to be one of them. Seventeen years ago, Marquis Anlu paid a large sum of money to bribe a group of craftsmen, or threatened them with their families' lives, so that the craftsmen would slack off on their work, and even used methods to cause the building to collapse quickly. There may have been problems with Tongtian Tower during its construction, but after Marquis Anlu's torment, the building collapsed with a loud bang. This little man's leg was broken by it back then!"

The Supreme Court official sternly demanded, "The case of the Tongtian Tower collapse was closed seventeen years ago. Why didn't you come forward and accuse me then? Your words are useless, and I could easily assume you're slandering an official appointed by the imperial court!"

Liu Bo said, "My wife and children are in the hands of Marquis Anlu. How could I have dared to point fingers back then? I never expected that Marquis Anlu would later start silencing them and slaughtering all the craftsmen! God has eyes, he can't kill them all. A few craftsmen from back then managed to escape, and we can all testify to that."

The Dali Temple Minister temporarily detained Liu Bo and retrieved the files from seventeen years ago.

Six former supervisors of the construction work came forward to identify Marquis Anlu, and the news reached the ears of Emperor Wucheng.

Marquis Anlu had just repelled Northern Yan. He had spent half his life in the military, and his military exploits were illustrious. How could the emperor not be wary of him? Life and death depended on the emperor's whim.

Emperor Wucheng ordered a retrial of the case of the collapse of the Tongtian Tower seventeen years ago, to be heard together with this case.

Marquis Anlu was taken to the Dali Temple for questioning. He passed by a carriage parked at the entrance of the alley. Xiao Ye lifted the curtain and saw the figure getting farther and farther away, so he slowly narrowed his eyes.

"Go back to the house."

Xiao Ye ordered in a cold voice.

＊

Seventeen years have passed since the incident, and Marquis Anlu has long forgotten how many craftsmen he had to deal with. These six who escaped the net are not to be feared, as he does not recognize them.

The line between life and death on the battlefield was nothing new to Anlu Hou. He didn't take this little interrogation seriously at all. With his fierce eyes and one question after another, the craftsmen were frightened and began to stammer.

Liu Bo really admired that kid Xiao Ye, and what he said was right. In court, they were no match for Marquis Anlu.

Liu Bo said to the Dali Temple Minister, "Your Excellency, we have said everything we need to say. You forgot one person, the Langzhong of the Ministry of Works who has already confessed his guilt. He also experienced the collapse of the Tongtian Tower seventeen years ago."

Marquis Anlu frowned, and only then did he notice the person who was speaking. His sharp gaze was like a sword that was about to chop him to death.

The Dali Temple Minister suddenly realized what was going on and detained Marquis Anlu in the Dali Temple. He immediately went to the prison to interrogate him.

The files from seventeen years ago record:

Chen Yanzhi, a Langzhong of the Ministry of Works, was favored by the emperor at a young age and was expected to be promoted to Vice Minister of Works. However, the seniority of the Yuanwailang of the Ministry of Works was inferior to that of Chen Yanzhi, but he was relegated to the position of deputy. Seeing that Chen Yanzhi was about to be promoted, he felt resentful, so he obstructed the process and designed the collapse of the Tower of Heaven, framing Chen Yanzhi.

The scheme seemed flawless, but Chen Yanzhi refuted the evidence against him one by one, clearing himself of suspicion. New evidence he found pointed to the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Works. The truth was revealed, and the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Works pleaded guilty.

The current Langzhong of the Ministry of Works was the former Yuanwailang of the Ministry of Works.

The Langzhong of the Ministry of Works never expected that even the Marquis of Anlu was found out. This retrial of the old case has some results.

He confessed, "Back then, it was the Marquis of Anlu who approached the Yuanwailang, exploited his selfishness, bribed countless supervisors, and together they framed Lord Shen, Chen Yanzhi. In fact, when the Marquis of Anlu approached the Yuanwailang, Lord Shen had already noticed something was wrong with the wood, but for some reason, the Yuanwailang ultimately took the blame. He was the one who orchestrated the collapse of the Tongtian Tower, and he was jealous of Chen Yanzhi, so he pinned the blame on him."

"I was completely baffled by this matter back then, until I became a Deputy Director of the Ministry of Works, and later promoted to my current position of Director of the Ministry of Works, that I gradually understood the reason. This whole thing was instigated by the Minister of Works from beginning to end. He stole the timber, was extremely greedy, and pushed the blame onto someone else to keep himself out of it. Later, he tried to win me over, tempting me with money. Who wouldn't want to go easy on piles of silver? We split the money we embezzled 40% to 60%."

The Dali Temple official said, "The Minister of Works drowned last night."

"What?!" The doctor of the Ministry of Works was shocked and couldn't believe it. "How could he die?"

The Dali Temple Minister came to the palace to report the case. Emperor Wucheng's face was indistinguishable from emotion. He said, "The emperor is guilty of the same crime as the common people. The evidence is irrefutable. We shall do as the law requires."

"Did the Minister of Works drown or was he silenced? Investigate thoroughly. I want the results."

The Dali Temple Minister paused for a moment and replied, "I understand."

He left the hall. This evidence could convict Marquis Anlu, but it couldn't convict him either.

…

A dark prison.

Light streamed into the prison from a small window. Marquis Anlu stood beneath it, looking up at the tiny patch of light. He thought of how he had spent half his life in the military, how he had returned to the capital in glory a few months ago, and how he was now incarcerated in the blink of an eye.

Footsteps were heard in the prison. Xiao Ye came in carrying a food box. Anlu Hou frowned. He knew this rebellious son too well. "You come to see me make a fool of myself."

"I'm here to bring food to the Marquis." Xiao Ye handed the food box to the jailer.

The prison door was locked tightly with iron chains, and the jailer brought out a sumptuous meal and put it into the prison.

There were all kinds of delicious fish and meat. Marquis Anlu was furious. He kicked the dishes away and pointed at Xiao Ye through the iron railings, "Are you giving your father a last meal?"

Marquis Anlu was furious. "I'm not going to die yet! I'm a great warrior. Just two of my military achievements can make up for this crime."

Xiao Ye stood outside the prison and said, "Your Majesty has spent half his life in the military and has made great achievements. Don't worry, your son will definitely help you from outside. I have already gathered your friends in the court to plead for you. If one memorial is not enough, I will send two."

Marquis Anlu's anger subsided for a moment, and he realized something. He glared at Xiao Ye, "You rebellious son! You are trying to kill me!"

Since ancient times, ministers have been most afraid of being more successful than their masters. Marquis Anlu wanted to beat this rebellious son to death. He grabbed the iron cage and stretched his hand forward, but he couldn't catch the rebellious son. He was so angry that his face was ferocious.

Xiao Ye watched him from a distance, his face cold, and said, "My Lord, why are you so angry? I will go out and plead for you right away."

As he turned around, a hint of cruelty flashed across his eyes, and his face hidden in the light and shadow also showed a fierce look. He walked straight out of the damp and narrow corridor.

Marquis Anlu's face was horrible as he shouted angrily, "Rebellious son! Rebellious son! Rebellious son! Do you think you can get away with this?!"

As the winter solstice approaches, snow begins to fall, and the palace is covered in white, becoming even more solemn.

Letters pleading for Marquis Anlu were handed in like snowflakes, but Emperor Wucheng threw them aside.

It's true that a friend in need is a friend indeed. Both of them are begging for mercy.

Eunuch Fu entered the palace and reported, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards General requests an audience outside the palace."

Emperor Wucheng leaned against the dragon throne and rubbed his tired brows. "Send it."

Eunuch Fu went outside the hall to invite someone. Xiao Ye walked on the snow on the steps, brushed off the snow on his court clothes outside the hall, and entered the hall.

Xiao Ye knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live the Emperor."

Emperor Wucheng casually picked up a memorial and threw it on the imperial desk. "Look, this is a memorial pleading for mercy for your father, and you're even discussing his merits and demerits with me."

Emperor Wu Cheng's tone was neither anxious nor impatient, neither angry nor happy, "How are you going to ask your father for help?"

Xiao Ye said, "I am not here to plead for mercy. I am here to ask Your Majesty to sentence Marquis Anlu to death and execute him immediately, as a warning to the souls of the countless craftsmen who have died."

Emperor Wucheng leaned forward slightly, "Oh?"

"Merits are merits, faults are faults. If merits and faults can be balanced out in every matter, then I can get away with it by first performing meritorious deeds and then committing misdeeds. Where is the law then? Precisely because the Marquis has made great contributions and achievements, we should handle this with impartiality, so as not to chill the hearts of the people."

Xiao Ye pleaded, "Your Majesty, please punish the Marquis of Anlu!"

Emperor Wucheng looked at the man kneeling on the ground and said, "You are a good boy who sacrifices his relatives for the sake of justice."

After a while, Emperor Wucheng ordered, "Come here, go to the prison and give him some wine."

"Yes."

Eunuch Fu received the order and left the Purple Palace. He had been by the emperor's side for many years. Even if Marquis Anlu survived, he would be charged with other crimes later. His life and death were a matter of the emperor's decision.

==========

After several days of gloomy weather, the sky finally cleared up today.

The winter in Nanzhou is warmer than in the capital. It is already the middle and late part of the twelfth lunar month, and there has not been a single snowfall.

The proprietress of Fuyuan Inn waited at the door of the inn for a long time, and finally saw a familiar figure on the street. The man was tall and stood out in the crowd. He was wearing a light green official uniform that outlined his broad shoulders and narrow waist. He had a sword on his waist, his hair was as sharp as a knife, and his brows were full of sharpness.

The proprietress came over and whispered, "County Lieutenant Zhao, you're finally here."

Zhao Mucheng's brows furrowed as he asked, "Where is he?"

"The first room on the second floor is the Yun room." The proprietress led Zhao Mucheng into the inn. "She's still in the room."

Zhao Mucheng lifted his robe and strode up the stairs. "Don't worry, as long as this county lieutenant knows her whereabouts, she won't be able to escape!"

In the past two months, there have been a series of financial scams. Girls from other places used their beauty to approach wealthy businessmen, won their sympathy, and then defrauded them of a large sum of money before disappearing.

Recently, a beautiful woman came to Fuyuan Inn. She had an accent from another place. When asked how long she had been staying in the inn, she was unsure. Sometimes she didn't go out, and sometimes she went out and came back very late. Her whereabouts were suspicious.

The landlady noticed something was wrong, and while the woman was away, she searched her room and found a lot of silver in the box.

The boss lady saw a beautiful woman with a foreign accent and a huge amount of money. She felt something was wrong and thought that this might be the female con artist who was trying to steal people’s money!

The proprietress immediately called the county lieutenant. Their county lieutenant, Zhao, had been a soldier before, having been demoted from the position of judicial officer in Nanzhou to gain experience. He was quite a capable person.

In the room, Shuyun sat by the window, lost in thought as she stared at the jade pendant. Li Ce had lent her five hundred taels of silver, and Shuyun had traveled from Huainan to Nanzhou. However, Nanzhou consisted of seven counties, each with six or seven towns. She didn't know where to find her parents, so she settled down here first, perhaps setting off to the next county after the Spring Festival.

Shuyun randomly found an inn to stay in, and discovered that there was a room with the word "Yun" in the inn, which was destined to be hers.

“Knock, knock.”

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Shu Yun collected her thoughts, put the jade pendant back, looked towards the door, and asked, "Who is it?"

The proprietress said, "It's me. We have prepared snacks for each room. Miss, can you open the door?"

"Here I come."

Shuyun stood up and went to open the door, but as soon as the door opened, a strange man put a knife to her neck and pushed her against the door without saying a word.

Shuyun had a knife on her neck and her back was against the door panel, which hurt her so much that she frowned and hissed softly. Her palm-sized face looked pitiful when she frowned.

She is indeed a charming vixen.

Zhao Mucheng said coldly, "Finally I've caught you. Come back to the county office with me and explain your crimes."

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The author has something to say: Zhao Mucheng, the protagonist's sworn brother in the copy