Chapter 148 [VIP]

"Let's talk this out."

Duke Wei spoke in a very polite tone, as if afraid of getting a spark on him.

His clothes were stained with wine, and his cuffs were wet.

Just by smelling it, one could tell that this was a fine wine. Duke Wei was already a little drunk, and the smell of alcohol made him even more dizzy.

Oh dear, I shouldn't have drunk so much.

Otherwise, given his skills, he wouldn't have been dragged in so easily.

Duke Wei was lost in a jumble of thoughts when he was choked by the smoke from the tinderbox. He coughed violently and found it hard to breathe.

Oh, right. Miss Gu also mentioned that her old illness might flare up?

His old ailment...

Bang!

The door to the private room shook violently.

Duke Wei was overjoyed, and Prince Li finally summoned someone.

Kick again!

A few more kicks and the door will open.

The joy lasted less than a breath before the man's furious voice suddenly rang out.

"If he kicks me again, I'll burn him to death!"

A hysterical roar exploded in the Duke of Wei's ears. In his agitation, the man brandished the tinderbox in his hand, and the burning flames immediately drew closer to the Duke of Wei, the sparks stinging his face.

The Duke of Wei was terrified and quickly shouted, "Stop kicking! Stop kicking! He has his hands on fire, stop kicking!"

He shouted several times, and the pounding on the door finally stopped.

Duke Wei breathed a sigh of relief, glancing regretfully at the rickety door.

Cough cough cough.

The man pointed the tinder at him: "Tell them to let me go."

The Duke of Wei said in a trembling voice, "Don't be impulsive. What have you done? Tell me, and I will definitely seek justice for you."

The Duke of Wei spoke with righteous indignation.

He could tell that this man was somewhat delusional and couldn't be reasoned with like a normal person. He patiently coaxed him, "Little brother, I know you must have suffered a lot of injustices. I will definitely help you."

"I'm on your side."

Duke Wei's face turned pale, thick smoke swirling around his nose, choking him and causing him to cough repeatedly, as if a wad of air was stuck in his chest.

He scrambled to the side, and the man, thinking he was trying to escape, grabbed his leg. The tinder he was holding fell to the ground, igniting the liquor on the floor.

With a whoosh, flames shot up and burned along the spilled wine on the ground.

Large puddles of wine were spilled around the octagonal table. In no time, flames engulfed the table and the three round stools around it, and the fire grew larger and larger.

The firelight illuminated the Duke of Wei's pupils, frightening him to the point of turning pale. Pointing at the ever-growing flames, he stammered, "It's on fire! It's on fire!"

The man ignored him and bent down to pick up the tinderbox.

The firelight illuminated his face, and he smirked, a chilling smile spreading across one's spine: "Who hasn't killed a servant? Why do you have to come and arrest me!"

"I bought them back with real money, their lives belong to me."

"Don't you think so?!"

As he spoke, he excitedly waved the tinderbox, burning several blisters on the Duke of Wei's face. The Duke of Wei quickly agreed, saying, "Yes, yes."

"Haven't any of your servants ever been beaten to death in your household?!" the man asked, glaring at him.

Duke Wei tilted his head back as far as he could, almost crying out, "Yes, yes, right?"

"Why do they have to arrest me?!"

"Calm down, you...you." Duke Wei stared at his tinderbox and coaxed, "Killing a servant is no big deal, just a fine of silver will suffice."

According to the laws of the Great Enlightenment, a master who kills a slave shall be fined one hundred taels of silver and punished with twenty strokes of the cane. Moreover, no action will be taken unless a complaint is filed.

The man gripped the tinder tightly, his lips pressed together.

"Alright, let me out first. I'll go to the Jingzhao government office and plead for you to have a lighter punishment, okay?" Duke Wei wiped the sweat from his forehead; he was almost sobered up from the alcohol. "Put down the tinderbox first. We'll talk slowly."

The Duke of Wei smiled humbly.

"You'll plead for me?"

"Yes, yes."

"I don't believe it!"

"I guarantee they won't arrest you..."

As soon as the Duke of Wei finished speaking, his heart skipped a beat.

From his angle, he could clearly see a knife protruding from the gap in the window behind him, prying open the window sheath.

The man had his back to the window and didn't notice.

Duke Wei swallowed nervously, stalling for time, and said, "You only killed a servant girl, it's really not a big deal, just accept the punishment. With me on your side, the Prefect of the Capital will definitely not make a wrong judgment."

"By the way, how many did you kill?"

"Eleven."

Eleven!? Duke Wei barely managed to keep his expression from showing any unusual reaction: "Only, only eleven, it's no big deal."

"real?"

"Really! Little brother, you have to believe me. In this whole capital, which family hasn't beaten a servant to death?" He deliberately lightened his tone. "Little brother, what's your name?"

The man slowly lowered his hand holding the tinderbox, and hesitated before saying, "Jiang Chao."

"So it's Brother Jiang..." Duke Wei stared at his tinderbox. "What wrong has your servant done?"

"Borrowing transport".

"Borrowing transport?" Duke Wei was a little confused.

“I bought them back to use them for transportation…” Jiang Chaochong spread his five fingers at the Duke of Wei, “I paid fifty taels for each of them, and we agreed that their lives would be taken care of!”

Click!

The dagger pried open the window sheath, making a slight sound.

Jiang Chao turned around warily, and the Duke of Wei took the opportunity to get up and try to snatch the tinder from his hand, but he was panting heavily and couldn't catch his breath, so he fell back down.

Bang! Just then, the window was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and sunlight streamed into the slightly dim room.

A guard climbed in through the window.

You lied to me!

Jiang Chao let out a scream of being fooled. He grabbed the Duke of Wei and his rough hand gripped the Duke's throat tightly.

Duke Wei was almost out of breath, and his whole body went limp.

"Don't come any closer!"

Jiang Chao brought the tinderbox close to the Duke of Wei, and the sparks that flew out burned a strand of his hair, making a "sizzling" sound. The thick smoke choked the Duke of Wei, causing him to cough incessantly.

His cheeks were red from coughing, and he weakly waved his hands, saying, "Don't come any closer!"

The guards brought by Prince Li pried open the window.

Seeing this, the guard hesitated and stopped, looking at Prince Li outside for instructions.

The sounds of banging on doors and breaking windows had already alerted everyone in the surrounding elegant rooms. Now that the windows were open, thick smoke filled the room, causing everyone to cough repeatedly.

"Your Highness!" the guard shouted, "There's a fire inside!"

Prince Li paced anxiously, asking, "Where is the Duke of Wei? Is the Duke of Wei alright?"

"My lord, he..."

"Let me go."

Jiang Chao pulled Duke Wei Guo closer to the window, forcing the guards to climb out of the window again.

Jiang Chao threw the tinder on the ground, then took out a porcelain bottle. He used his teeth to pull off the stopper, and a strong smell of kerosene wafted out.

"Otherwise, we'll die together."

Prince Li readily agreed, "Yes, yes, yes, let it go."

Cough cough cough.

The thick smoke grew heavier and heavier, spreading outwards from the railings by the pond. In no time, it enveloped the elegant little building. As Gu Zhizhuo walked along the waterside veranda, he turned around and saw the thick smoke filling the sky, almost obscuring a large patch of blue sky above.

"Young Master," Gu Zhizhuo exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be a fire?"

"It's over there in the small building. Look at the second floor, there's a fire!"

They were fine when they came out, how did they suddenly catch fire!

“Prince Li is still here,” Xie Yingchen said, lowering his eyes. “Let’s go back and check on him first.”

"good."

"sister."

As soon as Gu Zhizhuo responded, a familiar voice called out to her from behind.

"sister"

Zheng Silang was covered in leather armor from the Five Cities Garrison, which made his back appear even straighter and less like a spoiled brat.

He arrived in a hurry with a dozen or so soldiers, greeting them warmly.

Xie Yingchen: "..."

In the blink of an eye, Yao Yao had made quite a name for herself outside; look, she's even calling people "sister" now. Her roguish charm is just so endearing.

"Sis, what are you doing here?"

"Fourth Young Master Zheng," Gu Zhizhuo greeted him.

Zheng Si is currently working at the Wucheng Military Command, serving as the Deputy Commander of the East City.

Gu Zhizhuo thought he had come to put out a fire: "You were transferred to the Water Dragon Bureau?"

"No, they're here to arrest people."

As Zheng Si spoke, he waved his hand, signaling the soldiers to go first. After greeting Xie Yingchen, he said, "A criminal has fled here and taken the Duke of Wei hostage. The criminal has kerosene in his possession."

What?

"The Duke of Wei is here as well?"

Gu Zhizhuo thought of his own divination.

The divination indicates that the Duke of Wei will face a calamity caused by fire, and now, this calamity has come to pass.

"Yes, I'm on my way."

"Let's do it together."

These words were spoken to Zheng Si. Seeing that Xie Yingchen also nodded, Zheng Si quickly walked to the front.

As Xie Yingchen walked, he asked, "Deputy Commander Zheng, what case is it?"

"The perpetrator's name is Jiang Chao. He bought more than a dozen girls from a smuggler and drained their blood, saying that it would bring him good fortune."

As Zheng Si spoke, he seemed to recall something he didn't want to think about, and he shuddered.

"The Jingzhao Prefecture investigated for a long time before they finally found him. When they went to arrest him today, Jiang Chao escaped."

Normally, the Five Cities Garrison wouldn't need to assist with a criminal's escape. However, this time, the Prefect of the Capital personally came to see the Commander, saying that the criminal was exceptionally vicious and that he might harm other civilians during his escape, so he asked them to help capture him.

Zheng Si's jurisdiction was in the eastern part of the city, so this task fell to him.

They split into several groups to search the eastern part of the city. Later, one of his soldiers, who had connections and knew all sorts of people, found out that Jiang Chao had hidden in the vicinity. Zheng Si then personally led his men over.

While he was still searching the teahouse ahead, a soldier came to report that Jiang Chao had taken the Duke of Wei hostage in Tianxi Tower.

"Sister, you don't know, I even went to his mansion for a look. The room there was covered in blood on the floor and walls. I've never seen so much blood in my life."

Gu Zhizhuo covered her mouth, blurting out in surprise, "Borrowing luck?"

“Yes, that’s right.” Zheng Si laughed in exasperation. “He was originally from a moderately wealthy family in the capital, but on a whim, he took all the money in his family and invested it in a ship at sea. Unexpectedly, the ship capsized, and he lost everything.”

"He wasn't willing to give up, so he mortgaged all his properties and shops, exchanging them for silver. Did you think he wanted to use that money to make a comeback? No way! He'd lost his mind and insisted on winning back what he'd lost at the gambling table. In the end, he lost everything, leaving him with only his ancestral home. He even sold his wife and daughter!"

"I don't know where I heard the rumors from the countryside, but they said it was a way to borrow good fortune. So I took my wife's dowry and used the money to buy a few more little girls."

"Isn't it bizarre? I think Jiang Chao is just desperate, believing even such a rural rumor!"

Gu Zhizhuo reminded him, "A marriage charm."

Huh? Zheng Si's eyes widened slowly.

He asked urgently, "Sister, sister, are you saying that the luck-borrowing thing is real?"

"I don't know yet, but don't always dismiss it as just a rural rumor."

"I understand." Zheng Si nodded. "Sister, Jiang Chao seems to have gone mad. Be careful not to get too close to him. He's holding kerosene. Sigh. Actually, I don't really want to get involved in this, but Prince Li and Duke Wei are both here. If anything happens to them, I'm sure I'll lose my job."

"Sis, why is it so hard for someone to just relax and have some time to themselves?"

Why.

As a proper playboy, it's not right to be too ambitious.

He should only need to eat, drink, and have fun.

“If I lose this job, my father will definitely send me to the Imperial Guard. Life in the Imperial Guard is tough; three out of every ten days we have to sleep on a wooden bed in the palace.”

Zheng Si sighed again, feeling increasingly miserable.

After venting his frustrations, Zheng Si wanted to talk more about how miserable his life was, but then he suddenly realized that Xie Yingchen was also there.

The words "it's all over" popped into my mind.

He had never worked with this Prince Chen, but his father had mentioned several times after returning home that Prince Chen was not someone to be trifled with, much less someone to be fooled. He was quite formidable.

"Deputy Commander Zheng." Xie Yingchen's voice startled Zheng Si, who straightened his back a bit.

"If you lose this job, you can go to the Imperial Guard."

"Ah?" Imperial Guard? Respectable, and leisurely—even more leisurely now that the Emperor is ill, and it's a lucrative position! Perfect. Zheng Si was overjoyed, increasingly delighted. Afraid Xie Yingchen would change his mind, he quickly replied, "Yes. Brother-in-law Chen, when shall I go?"

He couldn't wait to ruin the job at the Five Cities Garrison.

Fortunately, this "brother-in-law" touched Xie Xinchen's heart. He said, "Go see Commander Xiang tomorrow."

Zheng Si grinned from ear to ear, winking at Gu Zhizhuo and repeatedly cupping his hands in greeting.

Despite their words, they didn't slow down at all; instead, they walked faster and faster, and the pungent smoke was almost pungent enough to be smelled.

Gu Zhizhuo handed Xie Yingchen a handkerchief: "Young master, please cover your nose. The thick smoke is bad for your lungs. I put some medicine on it."

Young master's internal organs are weaker than most people's, so it would be best for him to stay far away from this thick smoke.

Xie Yingchen did as he was told, being extremely obedient, which left Zheng Si dumbfounded.

As expected of my sister!

"how's it going?"

Zheng Si shouted, and a soldier ran over and reported, "Jiang Chao wants us to let him go, and Prince Li has already agreed."

Jiang Chao had kerosene in his hand, which could ignite at any moment. Apart from Wei Gongguo and Jiang Chao, everyone else in the small building came out.

The guards, prioritizing Prince Li's safety, practically dragged and coaxed him out. Prince Li, who had been anxiously watching the small building, turned around upon hearing this, and a relieved smile finally appeared on his fearful face.

"Chen'er, you've finally arrived."

Xie Yingchen walked quickly toward him.

Prince Li waved his hand at him with a pale face: "It was my agreement. As long as the Duke of Wei is released, he can leave."

boom.

Suddenly, a burst of light blazed up, and the fire intensified rapidly, engulfing the entire building in flames in an instant, with thick smoke rising into the sky along with the flames.

Prince Li froze, and after a moment of stunned silence, his eyes widened in fury.

"Duke of Wei!"

Tears welled up in his eyes, and he instinctively took a few steps forward, only to be pulled back by the guards.

"It's alright, Your Highness."

Gu Zhizhuo quickly reassured him, "The disaster that struck the Duke of Wei was not a matter of life and death." In fact, what Gu Zhizhuo was more concerned about was the "recurrence of an old illness" indicated by the divination.

Forehead?

Just as Prince Li was about to ask what it meant, he saw a soldier rush out of the firelight, carrying the Duke of Wei on his back.

"Young master, I'll go take a look." Gu Zhizhuo stared at him and said, "The smoke is heavy ahead, don't come over."

After giving her a word of advice, she quickly ran over, followed by another soldier who came out of the small building. On his back was a slightly overweight man. As he walked, he called out, "Commander, there's no one inside."

The soldier threw Jiang Chao to the ground, wiped the soot from his face, and said indignantly, "We all promised to let him go, but he went crazy and poured all the kerosene into the fire, and it suddenly flared up."

If they hadn't been quick-witted and pulled the two people out of the window, they probably would have been burned to death.

Jiang Chao looked up at his surroundings in a panic.

He muttered to himself, "No, it can't be that bad. I've already borrowed some luck..."

I won't be unlucky anymore.

A note from the author: