Chapter 4 The Truth Behind It All: "Why must Young Master Shen perform such a grand ceremony? It is truly..."
"Young Master Shen, there is no need for such a grand ceremony. It is simply my duty."
Liu Danian quickly helped him up, and Zhang Changchuan followed closely behind to help him up on the other side.
Shen Minghuai looked troubled. "To be honest, I've heard that bandits are rampant in Yunyan Mountain, so I'm worried about my friend..."
Liu Danian tried his best to hide his anxiety, "Young master, rest assured, I will do my best to help you reunite with your friends."
Shen Minghuai bowed again, "Thank you for your trouble."
"I need to see Magistrate Liu! Don't stop me!"
The carriage, which should have stopped at the county government office, drove straight away.
"Old man, who is that?" Shen Minghuai sat down at a beverage shop not far from the county government office.
The old man turned around and looked at him. "Him? That's the big merchant Dou. Is your husband from out of town?"
Shen Minghuai adopted an innocent and naive demeanor. "Yes. I was on my way back to the capital and was just stopping here for a couple of days."
"So he's a young master from the capital. You don't know this, but the mountain bandits near Yunyan County have been running rampant for years, specifically targeting wealthy families. It's said they only rob for money; once the ransom is paid, the kidnapped woman is released immediately. That wealthy merchant Dou had never been kidnapped before, but this time his youngest daughter was abducted, and even after paying the ransom, she hasn't returned. Yesterday, he caused quite a scene at the county government office, but was driven away by the guards. And today he's back again..."
"You, surnamed Liu, come out here! You have the title of county magistrate but have turned a blind eye to the bandit problem for years. Yunyan County will rot and stink under your rule sooner or later!"
The old man shook his head repeatedly.
"This has been going on for years. Does the magistrate really not care?" Shen Minghuai's gaze remained fixed on Dou Chongkang.
"It's already spread throughout Yunyan County that the magistrate is in cahoots with that bandit leader. How can he possibly control him? Besides, those bandits can't rob us ordinary people. Our lives are far worse than theirs. How can we possibly have the mind to plead for them?"
The old man sighed deeply.
Shen Minghuai picked up the bowl of drink in front of him and asked, "Does this kind of thing happen often?"
"Young master, are you saying that merchants come to the county government to seek justice? There aren't many, but in the past, the slightly wealthy and noble families who came didn't have much prestige, and the yamen runners would chase them away immediately. Moreover, nine out of ten of those who were kidnapped would return from Yunyan Mountain within half a year. This is quite the first time such a thing has happened." After saying this, the old man went back to showing off his drinks.
As night fell, Ying Ming introduced Liu Danian to his relatives and friends before returning to the inn.
"Just as you predicted, Magistrate Liu has close ties with the bandits of Yunyan Mountain."
After hosting Shen Minghuai at Jinmanlou, Liu Danian returned to the county government office and soon went out through the back door to meet someone at Shenxianju. A moment after Liu Danian left, the bandits from Yunyan Mountain emerged from the side room.
Hua Xin asked, puzzled, "How do you know he's the bandit leader of Yunyan Mountain?"
Ying Ming was certain that it was the same person who had entered the house with his arm around Chu Rushuang's shoulder. "If it weren't for him, I really wouldn't have recognized him."
Hua Xin suddenly slapped his forehead. "That's right. I followed the magistrate back to his mansion. The courtyard was very large, but there were not many servants. Most of the place seemed to have no signs of life. There were many wrinkled and old clothes hanging in the backyard. Are all his treasures hidden in the house? Who is he pretending to be poor for?"
“If a seventh-rank county magistrate were to collude with the bandits of Yunyan Mountain, things would not be like this…” Shen Minghuai seemed to have been lost in thought for a moment, his words coming in broken sentences, “Tomorrow we will visit that Mr. Dou, the great merchant.”
"Whoa—"
"Who are you! How dare you stop the Dou family's carriage?!" the driver shouted angrily, pulling on the reins.
Ying Ming clasped his hands in a fist and said, "My young master invites you, as it concerns your daughter and the Yunyan Mountain."
Without saying a word, Dou Chongkang followed Ying Ming to Yinmanlou. As soon as he saw Shen Minghuai, he knelt down and begged, "Please, Young Master Shen, save my daughter!"
Shen Minghuai strode forward and helped Dou Chongkang up, saying, "Master Dou, please get up quickly."
"Please help me this time, young master. Even if it means going bankrupt, I'm willing!" Dou Chongkang refused to get up.
Shen Minghuai maintained his supporting posture but did not exert any force. "It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but I need your cooperation."
Dou Chongkang firmly grasped Shen Minghuai's hem, "Young master, just ask. Whatever you need me to do, I will do my best to cooperate!"
Ying Ming then lifted Dou Chongkang onto a chair, and Shen Minghuai poured tea and handed it to him. "Master Dou and Magistrate Liu, are you old friends?"
Dou Chongkang glanced at Shen Minghuai, then hesitated and refused to elaborate.
"Because of your friendship, Magistrate Liu instructed the bandits not to harm the Dou family. But for some reason, they not only robbed you of your money but also abducted your daughter. I wonder if my guess is correct?" Shen Minghuai's gaze never left his teacup, as if he didn't care whether the answer was right or wrong.
"Since it's just a guess, what's your basis, Young Master Shen?" Dou Chongkang's previous obsequious manner changed, and his brows were now furrowed with displeasure.
Shen Minghuai gently set down his teacup, rose to leave, and said, "Since His Highness Prince Wei has other matters to attend to, I must take my leave—"
Upon hearing the words "Prince Wei," Dou Chongkang relented, "I am indeed an old friend of Liu Danian, and I know that he often associates with bandits... but I never knew he would share the spoils with those bandits! Nor did I know that he would be so ruthless..."
Shen Minghuai had been observing his expression. "Wasn't Magistrate Liu like this before?"
"Yes. We met in Yangzhou. He went north to take up his post, and I went north to do business. We ended up meeting again in Yunyan County. But I don't know what has happened to him in recent years. Not only has he been colluding with bandits, but his former pride has also disappeared."
Seeing Liu Danian's pained expression, Shen Minghuai acknowledged his words and added, "My solution requires Magistrate Liu's assistance."
“I have gone to see him for two days in a row, but I have been turned away both times. He is no longer the Liu Danian he used to be!” Dou Chongkang’s emotions became agitated again.
Shen Minghuai fixed his gaze and said, "Although many things have changed, some things may remain unchanged."
Dou Chongkang looked at Shen Minghuai with suspicion, "Young Master Shen, have you discovered something?"
“It might be necessary for the master and I to put pressure on him together.” Shen Minghuai seemed quite confident.
Dou Chongkang instantly understood, "You mean his collusion with bandits was a last resort?"
"If we want to use the power of the county government to capture the thieves, we cannot go straight to their hideout; we must use some clever tactics."
Shen Minghuai then informed Dou Chongkang of some information about the bandit strongholds. After the last incident, he would definitely need to change his appearance this time. However, he did not have anyone with the necessary skills by his side.
Dou Chongkang thought this was inappropriate. "How can Young Master Shen put himself in such danger? I will immediately find a handsome gentleman and have him go and scout ahead for us."
"Why need a husband? A wife is the same." A charming female voice rang out from outside the room.
Dou Chongkang immediately became alert, "Who?!"
The name sounded familiar. Shen Minghuai gestured for Ying Ming to open the door to the room, and a familiar face came into view.
"I am a good friend of Young Master Shen from the capital. I did not expect to meet you here. I happened to hear that you two need someone to enter the stronghold as bait. I happened to have been there a few days ago and am still somewhat familiar with the place. Since your daughter has been kidnapped and has not returned, it is clear that the bandits are not only interested in handsome young masters. Moreover, I know some martial arts. After finding your daughter, I can protect her. What do you think, Master Dou?"
Dou Chongkang couldn't see the young woman's face clearly, but he could see a pair of bright eyes behind her veil. Even if she wasn't a high-ranking official from the capital, she was still the daughter of a wealthy family.
Shen Minghuai stared intently at her, as if trying to see right through her with his eyes, or perhaps wanting her to leave after making a fool of herself; she couldn't tell. But Wang Yan was determined to interfere in this good deed; he hadn't even gotten revenge for knocking her unconscious yet!
Why did you help Dou, my lady?
"Young Master Shen is my good friend."
Dou Chongkang glanced at Shen Minghuai and then quickly invited Wang Yan to take a seat.
"No need, you two must have other things to attend to. Master Dou, all you need is a fine set of clothes, a carriage, and a few servants."
Dou Chongkang then looked her over from head to toe. She was dressed rather plainly, with no gold ornaments around her neck or jade rings around her waist; she didn't look like a child from a wealthy family at all.
"Tonight I will send someone to deliver a set of clothes to my wife, and write down the exact time on a piece of paper."
Wang Yan smiled and said, "Master Dou is very generous. I won't disturb you two any longer. Farewell."
No sooner had the woman left than Dou Chongkang asked, "That lady is truly a friend of yours, young master. Why did you not utter a single word?"
Shen Minghuai also got up and walked out, "No."
“This—” Dou Chongkang quickly followed up, “Does this woman know martial arts?”
Shen Minghuai paused, then quickened his pace, "If you want to save your daughter, you should hurry and find Magistrate Liu."
"Magistrate, Young Master Shen requests—"
"Liu Danian! Don't think that just because you've become the magistrate of Yunyan County, you can erase the friendship from back then! What a display of official arrogance."
"Dou Chongkang? Who told you to let him in!" Liu Danian was at a loss and was about to hide when someone called out to him.
“Magistrate Liu, I’ve come to bother you again.” Unlike Dou Chongkang, Shen Minghuai bowed respectfully from behind.
Liu Danian turned around and forced a perfectly straight smile, "Not at all, not at all. Young Master Shen, what brings you here?"
"On the way, I met Master Dou, who was seeking justice for his daughter in front of the county government office but had no way to get help. I also heard that he was an old friend of Magistrate Liu. I thought that he was not deliberately avoiding me, so I came to try my luck with him. Unexpectedly, the magistrate was indeed in the county government office."
Judging from his appearance, he was clearly a young man in his early twenties, yet he seemed mature beyond his years. Seeing Liu Danian's demeanor, Dou Chongkang realized he wasn't the only one who underestimated Shen Minghuai. As their eyes met, Dou Chongkang began cursing again, angrily reaching out his hand, only to be stopped by the guards.
"You surnamed Liu! If my Yu'er doesn't come back, I'll die with you!"
“Master Dou, we are here to discuss cooperation with Magistrate Liu,” Shen Minghuai casually reminded him.
Dou Chongkang slowly stepped back behind the young man, while Shen Minghuai's gaze toward Liu Danian held a hint of probing.
"We do not ask Magistrate Liu to suppress the bandits for the people, but only hope that he can help us find the important person."
Dou Chongkang glanced to the side, puzzled, and became even more confused after Liu Danian spoke.
"Was Young Master Shen's friend really kidnapped by those bandits?" Liu Danian still had the same skeptical expression as Jin Manlou.
Shen Minghuai, however, said, "Perhaps he did it voluntarily."
"Voluntary?!"
Liu Danian immediately dropped his fawning demeanor, his expression turning serious. "What do you mean by that?"
“My friend came from the capital, but his family had fallen on hard times. Fortunately, he found a good job with His Highness and his life is not bad. At the beginning of the robbery, he may have resisted fiercely, but after entering the stronghold and seeing the mountains of jewels and gold and being treated to good wine and meat, why would he come back to be a mere retainer of His Highness?”
Shen Minghuai spoke with great seriousness, expressing his sorrow and sigh.
Dou Chongkang was displeased. "How do you know he stayed voluntarily and not under duress? I feel indignant on his behalf for having a friend like you who makes such wild guesses."
"How do you know it wasn't His Highness who sent him to the stronghold to scout out the enemy's situation, so as to wipe out the bandit's den in one fell swoop?"
As they spoke, something seemed to change; the intangible steps suddenly vanished, and the bent spine quietly straightened. This was the first time Liu Danian had looked Shen Minghuai directly in the eye.
"He didn't tell me, so how would I know? Even if this matter is ultimately accomplished, how will the people know of his contribution?"
Dou Chongkang then turned his gaze back to Shen Minghuai, whose words seemed to make some sense.
Liu Danian slowly said, "Most people would love for the bandits to steal more gold and silver, since they can't be robbed anyway. With so many people staying out of it, who would care?"
Dou Chongkang glared angrily, "Liu Danian, what are you saying! You think we deserve to have our hard-earned money stolen?!"
"They don't care who the next person to be robbed will be, but they do care that their county magistrate, an official appointed by the imperial court, is in cahoots with mountain bandits."
Before Dou Chongkang could even look at Shen Minghuai, Liu Danian quickly spoke again.
“I know the news has already spread throughout the county. As a person in a position, I should do my job. Some things don’t need to be understood by everyone.”
Dou Chongkang pointed at Liu Danian and shouted, "I knew it! You have a guilty conscience!"
Shen Minghuai's raised voice startled Dou Chongkang; this young man was surprisingly energetic.
What if I said you have a clear conscience?
Beneath Liu Danian's glaring eyes, there was a barely perceptible tremor.
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