Chapter 120 I've Never Killed Anyone

Du Min's feigned smile vanished instantly.

"Lord Chen, your memory is truly terrible. And rightly so, it's been two or three years since you left Chang'an. Given your nature, it's normal that you've forgotten the past and remain incorrigible. Let me remind you again: when I took the provincial examination, it was you who vouched for me, which is why other scholars were willing to pay for my services, allowing me to travel to the capital for the exam." Du Min said coldly, "If the charge of holding a banquet during the mourning period only results in your dismissal, then accusing me of being unfilial will land you in jail. Once you are imprisoned, your children and grandchildren will become sons of criminals, and they will be barred from taking the imperial examinations."

Chen Mingzhang's braced spirit burst at the slightest provocation, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.

"Don't even think about using someone else to report me. We're in the same boat. If I die, you won't survive either." Du Min showed no fear on his face. He said confidently, "Since you've heard about my affairs, you should understand that the powerful backer behind me will definitely not let anything happen to me. If you make a scene, you'll be the only one who ends up in dust."

Chen Mingzhang's spine, which he had been forcibly supporting, collapsed instantly. His face turned ashen, and he lost all his energy, looking as if he had aged four or five years in an instant.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and forced himself to say the pleading words: "Lord Du, for the sake of the help I've given you before, could you please help me this once?"

Seeing him like this, Du Min felt refreshed, and the pent-up frustration in his chest finally found an outlet.

Meng Qing also felt relieved. In previous years, the person who could make her give up expanding her business with just a few words was now bowing her head and showing weakness in front of her.

“The street isn’t a good place to talk, let’s find somewhere else. Lord Chen, where are you staying? Are you also at the post station?” Meng Qing stepped forward and asked.

Chen Mingzhang nodded. He had stayed at the post station last night, and this morning he overheard the postmen discussing an official named Du Min. After inquiring carefully, he confirmed that this Du Min was the same Du Min he knew. He went to the courtyard where Du Min was staying to look for him, but was told that Du Min had gone out to visit Prefect Yin. He couldn't wait to follow him out and sat down in a teahouse outside the county government office.

The group of four returned to the post station not far from the government office. Du Min led them directly into his courtyard. Magistrate Zhao was out visiting a friend, so there were no outsiders present. He spoke without restraint: "Lord Chen, I can't help you with your matter. The Ministry of Justice has already summoned you, which means the case has already started. How can I help you?"

Chen Mingzhang looked at Meng Qing and said, "You were the host of the banquet on the pleasure boat, and you were the one who invited me there back then. As long as you come forward to prove that I wasn't there, Gu Wuxia's accusation will be false. If Lord Du issues another letter with his testimony, I can overturn the case."

Du Min raised an eyebrow. This fool wasn't completely stupid, but unfortunately, he hadn't changed his nature and was still arrogant and conceited. If he had begged and pleaded as soon as they met, Du Min might have actually let him off the hook.

“Of course I’m willing, but won’t the Gu family have a backup plan? There were more than just a few of us who knew about this back then. Not to mention Dr. Xu, the boatmen and helmsmen on the pleasure boat all knew about it.” Meng Qing said with difficulty, “We can help you, but we can’t be implicated, especially my third brother. He is the hope of our whole family and clan. I don’t agree to him giving false testimony.”

Du Min chuckled inwardly, remaining silent.

Du Li spoke up: "I disagree with Meng Qing coming forward. If Lord Chen cannot overturn the case, she will also be implicated, which will prevent our son from taking the imperial examination."

"After the incident, did Lord Chen return to Wu County? Or did he send someone back? Are the boatmen and helmsmen on the pleasure boat still in Wu County? Were they taken to Chang'an by Gu Wuxia?" Meng Qing inquired.

Chen Mingzhang remained silent.

Du Min smiled, shook his head, and sighed.

Chen Mingzhang's face flushed red from the smile on his face. The dog that used to wag its tail and beg for mercy in front of him was now dressed in fine clothes, clinging to a wealthy master, and putting on airs in front of him.

"My crimes today are all your fault. If it weren't for giving you face, I wouldn't have gone at all. Du Min, don't act like a big shot in front of me. Now you're wearing shoes, and I'm barefoot. Your career is going smoothly, while mine is already at its end. If I can ruin you, I'll have satisfied my hatred. With you by my side, it's worth it." Chen Mingzhang's face turned crazed. "And don't even think about threatening me with my children and grandchildren. They're all useless lackeys. Even with me paving the way, they still can't pass the imperial examinations. If I fall, they'll have even less hope. I don't expect them to revive the family, and I'm not afraid of your threats."

"Fine, go ahead and sue," Du Min said casually. He poured a bowl of cold tea and handed it to him, but when the man didn't take it, he flicked his wrist and spilled the cold tea on the ground.

"Trying to extinguish a raging fire with a bowl of cold tea?" Du Min sneered. "Go ahead and sue me. First, see if any yamen will accept the case, then see if anyone will come forward to testify. Who will testify for you? Dr. Xu? He won't. If he testifies, he'll be ruined too. Lord Chen, are you worth his self-destruction? Between you and me, whose side will he take? As for those shameless scoundrels from the prefectural school back then, they couldn't be more opportunistic. Would they offend me for you?"

“I don’t have that ability, but what about the Lu family? Doesn’t the Lu family of Fanyang hate you? Don’t they want to bring you down?” Chen Mingzhang asked. “Aren’t you afraid?”

"Where's the evidence? Where's the evidence of my filial impiety? Your mourning banquet is proof, while I was just delirious from illness and didn't recognize people. Oh, right, the doctor who treated me back then is a witness, and Dr. Xu will be my witness too. If the Lu family wants to retaliate against me, they need evidence. Without evidence, they're just eliminating dissidents and forming cliques. I'll become a tool for the sage to suppress powerful families again. Oh dear! Maybe I'll get promoted." Du Min felt a sense of apprehension, but his demeanor remained strong. He chuckled a few times, "Lord Chen, go ahead and file a complaint."

Chen Mingzhang's hands trembled with anger. "So, in the end, you just refuse to help, right?"

“I can’t help you.” Du Min sat down. “Lord Chen, we have no grudges against each other. You don’t need to hate me so much. Just go to the capital and confess your crimes honestly. In a few years, when this matter has been forgotten, I might be able to help you find a minor official position.”

Chen Mingzhang spat at him, "Who are you trying to insult!"

"I don't need your charity." He turned and left.

Du Min took out a handkerchief to wipe his face, staring at the door with a sinister look on his face.

Meng Qing sat down and asked, "Do you want to take a gamble? As you said, let him sue. Who knows, he might actually be able to gain face in front of the sage."

“I’m worried about trouble back home. The Lu family of Fanyang doesn’t know my background, but with Chen Mingzhang’s commotion, they’ll definitely notice something. If they send someone to Wu County to inquire, the first place they’ll go is Dujiawan. Dujiawan is full of wicked people, mostly short-sighted. As long as there’s a big reward, someone will definitely turn against them.” Du Min was furious. At this moment, he wished that the ground in Dujiawan would suddenly collapse overnight, and the entire village would disappear in one night.

“There’s something you don’t know, something I haven’t told you. Last year when I went back to the village, my father stabbed me with scissors. He wanted to kill me. If the Lu family of Fanyang finds him, given his madness, he’ll probably come forward and identify me.” Du Min’s chest was filled with rage. He clenched his handkerchief tightly and felt a pang of regret. Perhaps he shouldn’t have acted rashly and retaliated against Chen Mingzhang.

"This situation is entirely my fault," Du Min admitted. "Second sister-in-law, second brother, I've dragged you into this."

"What's done is done, so let's not talk about these useless things and think of a solution." Meng Qing waved his hand. "In the worst-case scenario, Chen Mingzhang is backed by the Lu family of Fanyang, which you can't deal with. You can only let the Zheng family of Xingyang step in. So you need to inform Governor Zheng about this case in advance and have him contact Minister Zheng by carrier pigeon."

“I have an idea.” Du Li glanced at the two of them, his gaze finally settling on Du Min. “Don’t you realize that Chen Mingzhang is the one who should be dealt with the most? As long as he can’t go to Chang’an, how will the Lu family of Fanyang know about him?”

Du Min swallowed hard. “But I’ve never killed anyone before, so I’m a little hesitant to do it. I can’t just drug him like I did with… He’s still an official, and he has a case against him. If he dies, we’ll be investigated. We had dealings with him today, so we’ll be the focus of the investigation. Or should we stage an accident? Make him fall overboard? That’s difficult too. There are many helmsmen on the ship, and it’s easy to be discovered.”

Meng Qing stared at the two brothers in horror, "I'm going to report this to the authorities!"

Du Li laughed out loud, "Go ahead and report it."

Meng Qing glared at him, her face showing hesitation. "Du Lao Er, are you just pretending to be honest? I only met you today."

Seeing that she seemed to be serious, Du Li dared not play around anymore and quickly explained, "I didn't have any intention of killing him. I just wanted to injure him so he couldn't go to Chang'an, write a statement and submit it, and then you and I would go to Chang'an as witnesses, and the case would be closed."

Meng Qing let out a deep breath. She looked at Du Min again, who was speechless. He really did have the idea of ​​killing her to cover it up.

“My second brother’s method works,” Du Min said dryly.

Meng Qing thought for a moment, and this method was indeed a permanent solution. "However, you can't intimidate him. He's too proud and can't stand being subservient to you. If you try to retaliate by mocking and threatening him like he did back then, you might provoke him to the point of wanting to take him down with you. You should find a way to get Governor Zheng to intervene and get Chen Mingzhang's confession. Then, either I or your second brother can go to the capital with the confession. Chen Mingzhang will probably be able to resign and return to his hometown."

Du Min nodded, "I'll think about what to say."

Voices came from the courtyard; Magistrate Zhao had returned. The three people inside the house began to talk about other things in tacit agreement.

"Lord Du, you're back? Someone came looking for you this morning. He was the military advisor from Runzhou. He said he was your mentor and was also staying at this post station. Did you see him?" Magistrate Zhao asked.

"Yes, I saw him. He is indeed my mentor." Du Min nodded, then changed the subject: "Lord Zhao, have you seen my nephew? We've been back for almost an hour, and we haven't seen him yet."

“He went out to play with his uncle, didn’t he? Ask the postman. I went out this morning and just got back.” Magistrate Zhao leaned closer to Du Min. “Guess what I heard? Prime Minister Lu resigned and went back to his hometown to retire because of Lu Zhan’s case of kidnapping you.”

"I heard about it from Prefect Yin as well," Du Min said with a crocodile sigh. "Lu Zhan is both stupid and wicked, truly unforgivable, for he has even implicated Prime Minister Lu."

Magistrate Zhao smiled but remained silent.

"I'm going to look for Wangzhou. I wonder where he went with his uncle." Meng Qing got up and left.

“I’ll go too,” Du Li said.

"I'll go and have the courier bring me a pot of hot tea." Du Min carried the teapot and followed him out. As soon as he was out of Magistrate Zhao's sight, he immediately dropped his act, quickly approached Du Li, and grabbed him by the neck from behind. "Second brother! You did this on purpose, didn't you? You're trying to frame me in front of my sister-in-law again!"

"How could I frame you? You're the one who's a bad person." Du Li pushed his arm away and ran off in two strides.

"And what kind of good thing are you!" Du Min gritted his teeth.

Du Min handed the teapot to a passing courier and asked him which courtyard Chen Mingzhang was staying in. After finding out, Du Min went back to his room to talk to Magistrate Zhao for a while, and then found an excuse to go out again. He took two strings of cash to the steward and asked him to add one or two good dishes to Chen Mingzhang's meals every day the next day.

"If he hasn't left by the day after tomorrow, come find me again, and I'll give you two more strings of cash so you can continue to serve him more food. Don't let him know about this; my mentor has an eccentric personality and doesn't like being flattered by his students," Du Min instructed.

The steward nodded repeatedly. Two strings of cash were enough to prepare two large tables of good food. How much could Lord Chen eat by himself? The rest of the money would be his anyway.

Chen Mingzhang had no appetite and didn't notice any change in the food. He still refused to give up on Du Min, his lifeline, and went to find Du Min again the next day, this time pleading softly and no longer resorting to threats.

Du Min seemed to be moved as well, and finally when Chen Mingzhang came to ask him for help for the third time, he relented, "I will go to see Governor Zheng tomorrow, and I will ask him then if he is willing to help."

Chen Mingzhang breathed a sigh of relief. He said a lot of nice things, and then waited anxiously at the post station.

*

"Lord Du, Lord Zhao, the Prefect has sent me to pick you up." Early in the morning, the Prefect's steward and his coachman arrived at the post station with a carriage to wait for you.

Du Min and Magistrate Zhao both expressed their gratitude.

"Lord Du, where is Lady Meng? The governor has asked her to come along as well," the steward said.

Du Min asked in surprise, "My second sister-in-law is going too? I'll go get her. Is she going alone? Is my second brother going?"

The steward hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's fine too."

Du Min found it strange. After thinking about it, he decided to invite Du Li along as well. This man was just like him, with a wicked heart. If he came along to listen in today, who knows what good ideas he might come up with.

The four arrived at the governor's mansion by carriage and, led by the steward, were able to enter Governor Zheng's study without any hindrance, rather than his duty room.

"Your humble servant greets Your Excellency the Prefect," Du Min and Magistrate Zhao greeted each other.

"This humble woman/commoner greets Your Excellency the Governor." Meng Qing and Du Li then followed suit and paid their respects.

"Please sit down." Governor Zheng rose and sat down casually in a chair, smiling as he asked, "Lord Du, I was just looking for you and here you are. Did you hear some news beforehand?"

"I have come with Lord Zhao on official business. Lord Zhao has invited me to work with him to address the problem of extravagant funerals in Heyin County. I also intend to take this opportunity to crack down on this practice, so I have come to ask for your permission, Your Excellency," Du Min explained his purpose.

Prefect Zheng looked at Magistrate Zhao, who stood up and said with a face full of shame, "This humble official is incompetent. With only my own strength, I am unable to deter the outsiders who have come to Beiman Mountain for the funeral. I can only ask Lord Du for help."

“That’s fine, it’s commendable that you have such ambition. However, it’s a bit much for Lord Du to be in charge of two counties by himself,” said Prefect Zheng. He got up, picked up an official document from his desk, and handed it to Du Min. “Open it and take a look.”

Du Min unfolded the official document, and in the next instant, his eyes suddenly lit up, his face flushed with excitement, "This...this is a promotion for me?"

"A sixth-rank official, a minor official title, used to promote your rank and salary, but your actual position is still county magistrate," Governor Zheng explained. "The emperor knows what you did in Heqing County and praises you as an iron-headed magistrate, saying that you have been wronged. This is a gift of condolence."

Du Min wanted to burst into laughter. He held the official document and touched it again and again, shouting with ecstatic joy that it was totally worth it.

Prefect Zheng was amused by his appearance and said, "Take this and use it to assist Magistrate Zhao in governing Heyin County. You will be promoted in the future."

"Yes! This humble official will do his utmost to assist Lord Zhao," Du Min assured. "This humble official thanks the Prefect for speaking well of me before the Emperor."

Prefect Zheng was satisfied. He glanced at Magistrate Zhao and said, "Learn more from Lord Du."

Magistrate Zhao: "...Yes."

"You should go back to the post station first. I have some private matters to discuss with Lord Du," said Prefect Zheng.

Magistrate Zhao agreed again, and with his backside still warm from being touched, he retreated.

Governor Zheng relaxed and leaned back to look at Du Min. "You're quite lucky, kid. The Minister is still concerned about your marriage. He specifically asked me in his letter to inquire about any progress in your marriage. If there's no progress, he asked me to put in a good word for you."

Du Min was so overwhelmed by the two surprises that he couldn't sit still any longer. He leaned forward and asked, "My lord, is Minister Zheng capable of winning the position of prime minister?"

“It’s not that easy.” Governor Zheng looked at Meng Qing. “I have a letter for you here, from Minister Zheng. It tells you that you don’t need to pay accounts this year, and to build more free schools.”

Meng Qing nodded hurriedly.

Governor Zheng looked at Du Min and asked, "Is there any progress on the marriage arrangements?"

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Author's Note: There will be another update at 12 o'clock.