Chapter 682: Making Wedding Dresses for Others
Zhao Shen said, "If we search for them in vain, we probably won't find them in three to five years. However, Prince Yong is a man who plans before he acts. He must have decided on a hiding place long ago. Qi San has been fighting against Japanese pirates at sea for many years. He should know the situation on those islands."
Ji Yunshu had to admire Zhao Shen's brain. No wonder he killed Yu Chuannan so easily. It turned out that he was confident in his plan.
She now suspected that Yu Chuannan might not know as much as Zhao Shen guessed.
But her excitement was fleeting: "Are we really going to face Prince Yong this time?"
Zhao Shen laughed and said, "He's always been very secretive. How do you know we haven't faced each other before?"
"Yeah, they have to match up anyway."
The two were busy all night and fell asleep while talking.
Ji Yunshu was still dreaming of the scene where Yu Chuannan bit Miss Cai's neck and sucked her blood.
When she woke up in a daze, it was already the afternoon of the next day.
Zhao Shen was not in the room, and only after asking did he find out that Qi Zheng had come.
She also said that Zhao Shen had instructed her to go directly to his study when she woke up.
Ji Yunshu went straight over.
Zhao Shen and Qi Zheng were sitting face to face, both with serious expressions.
Seeing Ji Yunshu come in, Zhao Shen's expression softened a little: "How was your sleep?"
Ji Yunshu had nightmares and screamed in a daze several times, and he heard it.
So I didn't wake her up when I got up.
Ji Yunshu sat down next to him: "Not bad."
As she spoke, she glanced at the two people who were a little silent: "Did I disturb you?"
Zhao Shen shook his head. "Let's talk about what happened in the other courtyard. We've found over 600 bodies so far, including some children."
Qi Zheng pounded the table with his hands: "That bastard Yu Chuannan, it's too easy for him to just kill him like that."
Zhao Shen said expressionlessly, "It's fine if he's dead. Even if we torture him, those who died won't be able to come back to life."
Qi Zheng was still unwilling to accept the fact. "I've met Yu Chuannan a few times since I came to Hangzhou, and he didn't seem unusual. It's also my fault for being careless. If I had known he was such a beast earlier, perhaps fewer people would have died."
At least those people didn't have to die last night.
Zhao Shen shook his head: "Our speed is not slow. Even if you saw it earlier, you might not be able to find the other courtyard right away. It would take time to verify it in the middle."
In fact, if Ji Yunshu hadn't paid attention to the girls who were murdered on the flower boat, they wouldn't have discovered the truth so quickly.
Qi Zheng had to admit that Zhao Shen was right. He sighed and said, "I've been fighting on the seashore for many years, so I'm used to being straightforward. After all, I'm a little lacking in scheming. I had the steward of that other courtyard interrogated, and he knows a lot. You guessed right, some of those girls do come from good families. I've had someone compile a preliminary list. Can you tell me which ones might be useful?"
As he said that, he handed a list to Zhao Shen.
Zhao Shen picked it up and took a look at it, frowning and saying, "In Hangzhou alone, there are so many families who have lost their daughters. Didn't these families notice anything wrong?"
Girls from official families are always accompanied by someone wherever they go, and if they go out, they must be protected by guards.
There are more than a dozen girls on this list, some of whom have backgrounds no lower than Miss Cai's.
Don’t those families know how to look for their lost children?
Qi Zheng said disdainfully, "Even though the emperor is far away in this place, those aristocratic families think highly of themselves and value rules and etiquette more than those in the capital. Just look at Cai Xingsi, he actually loves his daughter. After discovering that Miss Cai might have eloped, he hurriedly announced her death. Yu Chuannan seized on this very opportunity. As long as he tarnished the reputation of those girls, their families would be busy covering up the scandal, not looking for help."
Zhao Shen didn't say anything else. He stared at the list for a long while, then pointed at a few of them and said, "You can contact these families. They have vested interests with the Yu family. If they know the Yu family is about to fall, they might intervene."
Qi Zheng admired Zhao Shen for this point: he always considered interests first and never gambled on people's hearts.
So he didn't expect these families to seek revenge on the Yu family for a daughter.
"I'll send someone to do it right away. As long as these families take action, Jiangnan won't be in turmoil after the Yu family gets into trouble. This will also be good for the people."
The Yu family's reputation as the number one aristocratic family in Jiangnan is not exaggerated. The foundation accumulated over generations has made them an existence that even the emperor cannot easily shake.
Originally, Qi Zheng was worried that if he rashly dealt with the Yu family, there might be a lot of trouble.
Now, Yu Chuannan has found an ally for them himself.
Once the Yu family falls, the interest structure in Jiangnan will be redistributed.
As long as these people can help stabilize the situation, Qi Zheng doesn't want to worry about who benefits in the end.
Zhao Shen thought for a moment and then warned, "These families may not be clean either. Others are fine, but those related to Prince Yong cannot be used."
They came to deal with King Yong, not to provide assistance to him.
If the Yu family is eliminated and a few families related to Prince Yong are supported, then it would be like making wedding dresses for others.
Qi Zheng was somewhat embarrassed: "Prince Yong is hiding something very well, and so are his lackeys. How can we find out the truth in such a short time?"
Zhao Shen pointed at one of the names and said, "When Prince Yong forced the emperor to abdicate last year, he killed a son of the Qian family who was the Minister of Revenue in the capital. They probably wouldn't be used by Prince Yong."
Qi Zheng asked, "What if Prince Yong guessed that we would think this way and subdued the Qian family beforehand?"
Zhao Shen's lips curled slightly, a smile on his face: "Then it would be best if everyone in their family behaved themselves and didn't have any handles for people to catch."
Qi Zheng shuddered: "Okay, I get it. If there is any ulterior motive, the Yu family will be the next, right?"
Working with Zhao Shen, he sometimes felt that compared to him, Zhao Shen was the one who should lead the troops to fight.
On the surface, he looks like a gentle scholar, but in fact, his decisiveness and ruthlessness are no less than any other general.
The largest family in Jiangnan can be eliminated at any time.
No wonder the emperor asked him to come.
The Yu family was confident in their profound background and had no idea what was about to happen.
Zhao Shen said, "Jiangnan is controlled by the aristocratic families, and the officials appointed by the court follow their orders blindly. If we don't rectify this now, it will surely lead to disaster in the future."
Qi Zheng has been in the south for many years and knows more about these families than Zhao Shen. He said solemnly: "Don't worry, I know what to do."
After saying that, he said goodbye and stood up to walk out. Old Master Yu’s birthday party was about to arrive. Before that, he not only had to block the news about the villa, but also had to organize the evidence of the Yu family’s crimes. There were many things to do.
But as he reached the door, he thought of something else: "Now that we have evidence to prove that Yang Zhen was wrongly accused, should we release him?"
Zhao Shen smiled and said, "Since we have evidence, let him go, but don't worry about other things for now."
Qi Zheng was stunned for a moment, and quickly realized what else he was talking about.
Before being imprisoned, Yang Zhen was the commander of the Hangzhou guards. After being released, he should be reinstated.
But now, there is someone in his place.
And he must be from the Yu family.
Qi Zheng didn't understand Zhao Shen's intention for a moment.
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