Chapter 35 Shelter
The next morning, Shen Changze and Jiang Shu set out from Sangyan Manor to Cenhe Manor.
The two manors were only thirty miles apart, and they arrived before noon.
Unlike Sangyan Manor, the manor manager of Cenhe Manor was a distant nephew of Shen's mother.
"Madam Hou, you have been tired all the way. Come into the manor and have a rest and a meal." The manor head Zhao Dezhu welcomed the two into the manor with a smile on his face.
Perhaps Zhao Dezhu had received the news and made some preparations.
A sumptuous meal, a clean house, and an impeccable account book.
Jiang Shu knew that Shen's mother must have sent someone to inform Zhao Dezhu, and nothing could be found.
But she had heard that Zhao Dezhu was a lewd man who used his status as the head of the manor and the name of the marquis's mansion to rape other people's wives and daughters and committed countless evil deeds.
Therefore, before entering the manor, Jiang Shu ordered Huo Chong and Tan Yu to leave the team and quietly visit the manor households.
"The weather is too hot and I'm tired. Let's stop here first." Jiang Shu put down the account book and stood up.
Through the gauze screen, Zhao Dezhu stared at the figure behind the screen with lustful eyes, and his mind was full of fantasies.
This screen was specially prepared by Zhao Dezhu. It was thin and transparent, and people's figures could be seen, which aroused people's imagination.
Jiang Shu, who stood up and left, noticed a burning line of sight. She turned her head to look at the screen and saw Zhao Dezhu peeking at her.
It was simply too audacious!
Jiang Shu frowned fiercely.
"What's wrong?" Shen Changze followed Jiang Shu's line of sight and frowned.
Jiang Shu had told him about Zhao Dezhu's lust. But he didn't expect Zhao Dezhu to be so bold that he even dared to covet his wife.
Shen Changze was annoyed and was about to explode.
Jiang Shu stopped him.
After returning to the house, Shen Changze asked angrily: "Why did you stop me?" Jiang
Shu pursed his lips and said: "If I didn't stop him, what would the Marquis do?"
"Of course, he would go to war to punish him and teach him a lesson."
No matter how distant a relative he is, he dared not be disrespectful to his wife, and he could not be tolerated.
"What crime will he be punished for?"
"Coveting the wife of the Marquis is a great disrespect."
"How can you convince people without actual evidence?"
Shen Changze was silent.
Just a glance through the screen was not evidence.
"Besides, how does the Marquis plan to teach him a lesson?" Jiang Shu pressed.
For an old pervert like Zhao Dezhu, scolding and reprimanding are not painful, and minor punishments are insignificant and cannot curb his evil deeds at all.
If he is to be punished, he must be punished thoroughly so that he will not be able to do evil again.
In the evening, Huo Chong and Tan Yu came back.
"Marquis, Madam. These are the crimes of Zhao Dezhu as described by the tenants of the manor." Huo Chong presented a stack of papers.
Shen Changze took it and looked through it carefully.
On the eighth day of the sixth month five years ago, Zhao Dezhu injured Old Man Wang, forcibly occupied Old Man Wang's fourteen-year-old daughter, and forced her to marry him as a concubine.
On the third day of the second month four years ago, Zhao Dezhu insulted Li Meiniang, who refused to obey and was forced to jump into the river to commit suicide. On
the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month four years ago, Zhao Dezhu forced Chen Xiu'e to be his concubine but was rejected. He had a conflict with Chen Xiu'e's fiancé Lin Lei. Later, he took revenge by asking Lin Lei to patrol the manor on a rainy night, causing Lin Lei's leg to be broken by a rock rolling down the mountain, leaving him with a lifelong disability...
On the sixteenth day of April last year, Zhao Dezhu took advantage of Zhang Da's busy farming and sneaked into Zhang's house to rape his pregnant wife, causing her to miscarry.
Shen Changze read through the pictures one by one, his face as cold as ice, and veins on his forehead bulged.
Huo Chong and Tan Yu stood quietly, their faces full of anger and hatred.
These charges were recorded by Tan Yu when Huo Chong went door to door with Shen Changze's token and asked questions.
At first, the villagers were very resistant, fearing that the Marquis' Mansion would protect Zhao Dezhu and make it difficult for them to tell the truth.
Huo Chong and Tan Yu had to persuade the villagers to speak half-heartedly.
"Does he still have justice in his eyes?" Shen Changze was furious.
Jiang Shu took it from him and read it carefully.
As he read, Jiang Shu's brows furrowed a little, and in the end, he was as angry as Shen Changze.
"Why didn't they report it to the authorities or the Marquis' Mansion?" Shen Changze was puzzled.
Huo Chong said, "It was reported. But Zhao Dezhu bribed the yamen runners, and there was not enough evidence to bring him to justice."
"As for the Marquis' Mansion, the farmers said that there was no response after they reported it."
"Later, Zhao Dezhu ordered his thugs to keep a close watch on it, not letting the farmers leave the manor without any reason, and threatened their families."
"A mere farmer is trying to cover up everything with one hand." Shen Changze paced back and forth angrily.
"They reported the Marquis' Mansion, do you know?" Shen Changze asked Jiang Shu.
In the past six years, the Marquis' Mansion has been managed by Jiang Shu.
Facing Shen Changze's suspicious look, Jiang Shu said coldly: "I have heard about this matter, but the man was summoned by my mother at that time, and I have never seen him."
She vaguely remembered that it was the second year after she married into the Marquis' Mansion. Although she was in charge of the general affairs of the Marquis' Mansion, some things were still handled by Shen's mother, not by her.
Shen Changze's question was really ridiculous.
"You mean, mother is protecting him." Shen Changze was shocked and unbelievable.
"What does the Marquis think?" Jiang Shu looked at him with cold eyes.
Shen Changze opened his mouth, unable to speak.
He suddenly remembered that when he left the mansion, Shen's mother had reminded him: Be more lenient to your own relatives, and even if they make mistakes, you should handle them appropriately.
What a lenient and what a discretion. Shen Changze finally understood what he meant.
Seeing Shen Changze remained silent for a long time, Jiang Shuhan asked, "How do you plan to deal with him?"
Zhao Dezhu had violated all the family rules and national laws, and his crimes were extremely serious.
No matter what the reason, his crime was unforgivable.
But Zhao Dezhu was Shen's mother's distant nephew. Would Shen Changze deal with him impartially?
Or would he continue to cover up for him like Shen's mother
? Shen Changze was torn between heaven and man, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "Severe punishment is not allowed."
If such a serious crime is committed in the army, the person will be punished by military law and beheaded as a warning to the public.
Shen Changze was disgusted by Zhao Dezhu's behavior.
"Huo Chong, Tan Yu, you run again." Jiang Shu ordered.
"Yes." The two took the order and left.
"Let's go, Marquis, let me see how you punish Zhao Dezhu." Jiang Shu got up and walked towards the hall.
Shen Changze followed with a frown.
It was almost dinner time. Zhao Dezhu had prepared some wine and was waiting for dinner in the room. He was a little confused when he was suddenly called.
"Marquis, Madam, I wonder what you want me to do?" Zhao Dezhu asked, bowing in front of the screen.
Not knowing that a disaster was about to happen, he was still spying on Jiang Shu with a sly look.
Seeing his action, Shen Changze stood up angrily and kicked over the gauze screen.
"How dare you covet the wife of the Marquis? Do you think I am dead?"
Shen Changze suddenly shouted angrily, frightening Zhao Dezhu so much that his legs went soft and he fell to the ground, with his head lowered, not daring to look at Jiang Shu who was sitting in the upper seat.
"Marquis, calm down, I dare not." Zhao Dezhu begged for mercy in panic.
Zhao Dezhu was a distant nephew of Shen Muyuan, and had no family relationship with the Marquis' Mansion, so he did not dare to be presumptuous in front of Shen Changze.
Jiang Shu looked at him coldly.
Zhao Dezhu, who was kneeling on the ground, was about 30 years old, with a fat head and big ears and a greasy face. One could tell at a glance that he had plundered many farmers.
"You dare not, why don't you dare? I think you are very brave!" Shen Changze threw the evidence of Zhao Dezhu's crimes in front of him.
Zhao Dezhu's heart skipped a beat, thinking that it was not good. He trembled and picked up the paper on the ground to check.
After seeing the contents of the paper clearly, he kowtowed in panic and cried out: "My Lord, please investigate clearly. I am innocent."