Iris Girl
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jiangsheng, who was about to leave through the window, paused and turned back to ask, "Head of the Academy... is there anything else?"
Qi Minghua nodded, the weariness in his eyes vanished, replaced by a deep, dark color, like a bottomless pool. He walked up to Xiao Jiangsheng and lowered his voice, saying, "Please tell Ce'an that the flowering season is approaching and ask him to make preparations as soon as possible."
The flowers are in bloom...
Prepare early...
Having served in the army for many years, how could Xiao Jiangsheng not know the profound meaning hidden beneath this code? Almost as soon as Qi Minghua finished speaking, his two sword-like eyebrows furrowed tightly. After a long silence, he nodded: "I understand, Chief Qi, rest assured, I will certainly convey the message."
Qi Minghua sighed silently and bowed, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble General Xiao."
The window was opened silently, and a figure passed through like a gust of wind, leaving only Qi Minghua in the room.
Through the gaps in the stained-glass window, the brilliant afternoon sunlight poured in like a tide. After watching quietly for a while, looking at the swaying vines outside the window, Qi Minghua walked over and closed the open window.
Since His Majesty fell seriously ill, these vines have not been cleared away for quite some time.
I used to think that climbing vines up the white wall was a unique sight, but I overlooked the fact that although the vines are flexible, their roots are extremely tough and always damage the wall silently. If they are not cleaned up, it will go against my original idea.
We need to clean it up quickly.
...
The capital city, Jingzhao Prefecture.
Outside the archives room, a middle-aged man dressed in a purple official robe and wearing an official hat wiped the fine sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and looked nervously at the open archives room.
In the archive room filled with countless files, a man in an indigo brocade robe leaned against a wooden shelf, intently flipping through the files in his hands. The more he looked through them, the colder his expression became, and his brows furrowed unconsciously.
With each turn of the page, the purple-robed man waiting outside grew increasingly uneasy, as if Zhou Yanzhi were not looking at a file, but a book of life and death that determined whoever he pointed to.
Looking up at the blazing sun high in the sky, Zhao Zhong, the Prefect of Jingzhao, felt a cold sweat pouring down his back, but not from the heat, but from fear.
When he heard his subordinates report that Zhou Yanzhi had come to the Jingzhao Prefecture, he didn't believe it. Why would the dignified Minister of the Court of Judicial Review come to the Jingzhao Prefecture instead of solving cases properly?
Thank goodness, thank goodness...
As Zhao Zhong smoothed out the wrinkles in his official robes, he carefully glanced toward the archives room.
Although he didn't quite believe Zhou Yanzhi would come, he figured it was better to be safe than sorry, so he still dressed in his official robes properly so as not to be too impolite in front of Zhou Yanzhi.
Thinking of this, Zhao Zhong felt even more apprehensive, and so did everyone else in the Jingzhao Prefecture.
But... why did the Minister of Justice come to the Capital Prefecture? He rushed into the archives room as soon as he entered, and when asked, he only said he was just looking around. But this demeanor... it was definitely not just a casual look!
Could it be... could it be that his secret bribery and falsification of the case files have been discovered?
Just then, two soft voices suddenly came to my ears.
"My lord, my lord..."
Zhao Zhong snapped back to reality, only to see the servant beside him reminding him, "Lord Zhou is calling for you."
Startled, Zhao Zhong immediately turned his head and saw that the person leaning against the shelf had at some point withdrawn his gaze from the file in his hand. Now, that gaze was pressing heavily on him, the eyes slightly narrowed, filled with intense inquiry.
Their eyes met briefly in the air, and Zhou Yanzhi spoke first.
"What were you thinking about, Lord Zhao, so lost in thought just now?"
Zhao Zhong wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and said with an embarrassed smile, "This humble official... this humble official was thinking..." When his gaze met Zhou Yanzhi's hawk-like eyes, the lie that was already on the tip of his tongue changed, and he turned to tell the truth.
"—I'm wondering, why has Your Excellency come here?"
"Oh?" Zhou Yanzhi raised an eyebrow, smiled with amusement, and said, "Then, in your opinion, why do you think I have come here?"
"this……"
Seeing the smile that didn't reach Zhou Yanzhi's eyes, Zhao Zhong's heart skipped a beat. He immediately knelt down and said in a trembling voice, "Please spare my life, Your Excellency! I will never dare to accept bribes again!"
As Zhao Zhong knelt down with a "plop," everyone else in the Jingzhao Prefecture followed suit, kneeling on the ground with a "plop." For a moment, apart from Zhou Yanzhi, there was no one left standing in the Jingzhao Prefecture.
After all, who among those holding official positions can confidently say they haven't abused their power for personal gain?
Even if someone is a low-ranking official or holds a low position, they will inevitably feel a slight sense of superiority when facing ordinary people.
Human nature has always been this way.
Looking at the people kneeling on the ground, Zhou Yanzhi chuckled twice, his tone unusually calm, even carrying a faint smile: "Why are you all kneeling? Do you feel guilty?"
No one dared to answer.
Zhou Yanzhi clicked his tongue and said, "Zhao Zhong."
Zhao Zhong, whose name was called, raised his head shakily and said in a trembling voice, "M...Sir?"
Then, at Zhou Yanzhi's signal, he stood up, bent over, and quickly walked to him. His face, covered in cold sweat, was full of anxiety, as if he was afraid that Zhou Yanzhi would kick him away at any moment.
However, although Zhou Yanzhi was indeed annoyed by his cowardly appearance and really wanted to take him to the Dali Temple right now, he only frowned in restraint.
After all, Zhao Zhong's matter can be settled at any time, but the current case may not be able to wait that long.
then……
"Tell me," Zhou Yanzhi said impatiently, handing the file to Zhao Zhong under his uneasy gaze. He rubbed his temples, looking troubled, and asked, "How come this old patriarch has an extra concubine?"
After all, in his memory, the old patriarch Zhang and the elder's wife were a harmonious couple. In their entire lives, the two only had two children: the virtuous concubine who has now entered the palace and the jade-faced general Zhang Mingyuan.
Furthermore, there has never been a concubine or maidservant...
So, what's the story behind this concubine named "Yuan Niang"?
Upon hearing this, a hint of panic flashed in Zhao Zhong's eyes.
Damn it, why did it have to be this?!
Zhao Zhong rubbed his hands together, a pained expression on his face, and feigned difficulty: "My lord, this... this humble official doesn't know what you're talking about? This... how could this humble official know about something from so many years ago..."
He tried to play dumb to avoid this disaster.
But Zhou Yanzhi was well aware of his little scheme, so he frowned and said coldly, "Tell the truth, or I'll be forced to use torture."
Anyone who dares to play dumb in front of him must have lost their mind from being an official.
Seeing that Zhou Yanzhi's expression was genuine, as if he would be imprisoned and sent to the Dali Temple as a "guest" if he uttered another falsehood, Zhao Zhong immediately cried out in his heart.
If he doesn't tell the truth now, he'll have to confess even after being tortured. It's better to tell the truth now; maybe, just maybe, the King of Hell will consider his good attitude and give him a lighter sentence later.
In the blink of an eye, Zhao Zhong had already made a decision.
Before Zhou Yanzhi could urge him, he changed his expression and recounted the old story he had kept hidden in his heart.
"Back then, when Zhang, the old patriarch, was still a member of the Xiaoyu Guard, he was ordered to go to Yuezhou to suppress bandits. He fell in love with a courtesan in Yuezhou. This woman was called 'Yuan Niang'."
"In the seventh month of the bandit suppression, the old Zhang family head fell in love with the woman and secretly raised her in Yuezhou without the knowledge of the old Madam Zhang. The two had a daughter, who also stayed in Yuezhou with Yuan Niang."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanzhi raised an eyebrow imperceptibly.
It turns out that the harmonious relationship was just a facade; the real issue was the fading of beauty and the loss of love.
Zhao Zhong glanced at Zhou Yanzhi and continued, "Unexpectedly, this matter was leaked to Old Madam Zhang by someone with ulterior motives, and as a result, Yuan Niang and her daughter were able to be brought back to the capital."
Take them back?
Zhou Yanzhi smiled almost imperceptibly.
This is definitely not the intention of the old Zhang family head; it's probably the intention of the old Zhang lady.
After all, with Yuan Niang and her daughter far away in Yuezhou, it was difficult for Old Madam Zhang to extend her reach. But if they were in the capital, under Old Madam Zhang's very nose, it would be a different story. Killing someone silently would be far too easy.
As expected, Zhao Zhong's next sentence was—"But after Yuan Niang and her daughter arrived in the capital, they did not have a good life."
"Fearing that the beautiful facade of 'harmonious marriage' would be shattered, the old Zhang family head strictly forbade Yuan Niang and her daughter from leaving the mansion. As a result, few people in the capital knew that the old Zhang family head actually had a concubine."
Zhou Yanzhi nodded knowingly, signaling Zhao Zhong to continue. But Zhao Zhong hesitated, his face flushed, and he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.
Zhou Yanzhi frowned: "Is something the matter?"
Zhao Zhong quickly shook his head: "No, no, no, it's nothing." After a pause, he hesitated and said, "At that time, I was just a minor official in the Jingzhao Prefecture, and I didn't know much about this matter."
Zhou Yanzhi said helplessly, "Just tell me everything you know."
"Okay...okay." Zhao Zhong nodded.
"I heard that General Zhang had an affair with his half-sister, and then that 'Yuan Niang' was secretly beaten to death, and the young lady she gave birth to was sent out of the capital by Old Madam Zhang."
"But... I'm not entirely sure where it was sent."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanzhi lowered his eyes and stared at Zhao Zhong. He saw that there was still fear in Zhao Zhong's eyes, but he did not flinch, so it did not seem like he was lying.
After a moment of silence, Zhou Yanzhi took the file and said mercifully, "Alright, I understand."
After saying that, he walked out of the Jingzhao Prefecture.
But after taking only a couple of steps, he suddenly stopped, turned around and said to Zhao Zhong, who was already slumped on the ground, "Investigate thoroughly about your abuse of power in the Jingzhao Prefecture in recent years, compile a list and send it to the Dali Temple."
"If anyone dares to deceive, once the truth is revealed, don't blame me for showing no mercy."
Zhao Zhong quickly agreed, completely suppressing his ulterior motives and daring not to act rashly.
...
As Zhou Yanzhi stepped out of the gate of the Jingzhao Prefecture, he glanced down at the file in his hand, then thought of the old story he had just heard, and turned to look in the direction of the Forbidden City.
It seems that Consort De saved Dao Ying on her way to the capital.
Then, because of that incident, Madam Zhang sent him to the Jiangzhou Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution).
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