Find out the inside story
Zhang Ping stood up and looked directly at the woman in front of him.
He realized that An Hongdou was not someone who could be easily fooled, and if he wanted her to hand over something, he would have to treat her with sincerity.
"What does Madam wish to know? I can answer your questions. But let me make it clear beforehand that there are some things that Madam should not know, so I hope you will not ask too many questions. This is also for Madam's sake."
After saying that, Zhang Ping sighed and sat back down, waiting for An Hongdou's question.
An Hongdou pondered for a moment, then stood up to return the greeting.
“My husband has been away from home for a long time and we have no news of him. I must be careful in my daily life. If I have offended you in any way, please apologize.”
"You're too kind, Madam."
"May I ask, sir, is my husband alright? Is he in any danger?"
"Madam, rest assured, Lord Li is neither sick nor injured, and is currently safe. As for his safety, if Lord Li can gain the favor of my master, my master will naturally protect him."
However, after a brief exchange, Zhang Ping steered the conversation back to the road map, demonstrating its importance to them.
In that case, she should be able to ask some more substantial questions.
After a moment's thought, An Hongdou continued, "Is my husband's current job related to the corruption case in the three prefectures of Jiangnan?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping's expression changed.
"How did you know about the corruption case in Jiangnan, Madam?" Zhang Ping's tone was stern, completely unlike his previous polite and courteous manner.
“I have some business dealings with the Lu family, and we can exchange a few words.” According to Li Lai’er, the Xie family was an enemy, not a friend, which An Hongdou did not mention. As for the Lu family, everything she said was true, but she did not say that the Lu family was related to the affairs of Jiangnan; how Zhang Ping interpreted it was his business.
“The Lu family…” Zhang Ping’s eyes flashed as he fell into thought.
An Hongdou was not entirely without consideration, nor was she making baseless accusations.
During her conversation with Maple Tree, she overheard that the Lu and Zhang families were related by marriage. Although she didn't know the exact relationship between Zhang Ping and the Zhang family, the fact that he was here at this time to collect important evidence suggested that he was highly valued and must know about the relationship between the Zhang and Lu families, which would make him more cautious in his actions.
An Hongdou pressed her advantage and continued, "I am acquainted with Feng Qiang, who married into Qingzhou County. Now, the old lady of the Feng family in the capital is about to celebrate her birthday, and Feng Qiang asked me to prepare a proper birthday gift for her."
An Hongdou deliberately exaggerated her relationship with Feng Qiang to show Zhang Ping how familiar she was with the Feng family.
The relationships between aristocratic families are complex and intertwined. Those who are related by marriage often share common interests and are willing to curry favor with each other to maintain harmonious relations.
An Hongdou wanted to take this opportunity to make Zhang Ping treat her as one of his own, put aside his concerns, and reveal some of the truth about the Jiangnan case.
On the one hand, she was worried about Li Zeli's situation, and on the other hand, she wanted to know what she could do.
After pondering for a moment, Zhang Ping cleared his throat and said, "Madam, what the Feng family can tell you is all you need to know. Why make things difficult for me further?"
"Those who navigate the officialdom are never simple; he's a real old fox," An Hongdou thought angrily.
“That’s not the case, sir. Even distant water can’t quench a nearby fire. We’re far away, how could we know what’s really happening in the three counties of Jiangnan? I’m not trying to make things difficult for you, sir. I know that the less I know, the better. But since it concerns my husband’s future and life, even if it’s a huge problem, I have to get involved.”
An Hongdou continued to reason with him and appeal to his emotions, trying to break through Zhang Ping's defenses and extract the information she wanted to know.
"Alas!" Zhang Ping sighed deeply, then softened his tone: "Madam's love for her husband is rare, but since the matter was accomplished in secret, I hope Madam will not delve into it. I can only tell Madam that Lord Li is safe now."
"When will my husband be able to come home?" An Hongdou wanted to use this to guess their progress.
“If Madam is willing to hand over important evidence, it will be much sooner.” Zhang Ping was meticulous, but he eventually softened his tone and was willing to say a few more words: “Following my master, Lord Li’s future will be limitless after the matter is accomplished.”
It seemed that Li Zeli had sided with the Zhang family, An Hongdou understood.
"I am just a woman, and all I hope for is my husband's safety. I do not ask for a bright future. Lord Zhang, I hope you will take good care of my husband and let him return home safely as soon as possible," An Hongdou pleaded.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Ping, who had been calm and composed since they met, revealed his emotions. The change was so drastic that An Hongdou was momentarily confused.
Zhang Ping's brows twitched a few times, and he couldn't help but say, "No wonder people always say that birds of a feather flock together. It seems that Madam and Lord Li are rare kindred spirits."
Zhang Ping's emotions were fluctuating strongly. An Hongdou, who had originally intended to hand over the items, suddenly felt a breakthrough and thought she could test the waters a little more.
For Li Zeli to move Zhang Ping so deeply, who had previously been so flawless, it must have been something Zhang Ping found unacceptable. An Hongdou was curious about what her husband had done to cause such a strong reaction from Zhang Ping.
“Hmm… but has my husband offended you in any way? He comes from the countryside and is not as knowledgeable as you. If he has truly offended you, I apologize on his behalf and hope you will forgive him,” An Hongdou said.
"It's not that you've offended me. It's just that scions of noble families who enter officialdom are always striving for advancement. Since I entered the court as an official, all the scholars I've seen from humble backgrounds have been working hard to improve themselves. Lord Li is the first person I've ever met who is so... so attached to his family."
Zhang Ping paused to find the right words before continuing.
An Hongdou blinked, realizing what was happening. Li Zeli must have seen things were going badly and tried to escape, but he didn't leave and was forced to stay and work.
An Hongdou felt relieved. It seemed that Li Zeli's focus wasn't on investigating the case, but on self-preservation. In that case, although she didn't know if the Jiangnan case could satisfy the bigwigs, Li Zeli's safe return shouldn't be a problem.
However, An Hongdou still wanted to help him. She wanted to solidify the image of Li Zeli as someone who "drifts through life" in the minds of his colleagues, making them think that Li Zeli was incompetent and that it would be safer to bring him back as soon as possible.
“Everyone has their own ambitions. Yours is far more ambitious than my husband. I also long for my husband to return to me soon. The higher the official position, the greater the responsibilities, the busier my husband is, and the less time he has to spend with me. Alas, you really don’t understand us.”
An Hongdou seemed impossible to reason with, which made Zhang Ping's lips twitch.
“A good man should take it upon himself to make achievements and establish a career, how can he waste his days at home?” Zhang Ping was not giving up and wanted to try to persuade An Hongdou.
If An Hongdou can understand this and advise Li Zeli to choose a wise ruler and serve diligently, then her previous and present earnest advice will not have been in vain.
Zhang Ping believes that while it is a pity that Chen Wenfang passed away, his hard work and ambition are exactly the kind of performance that men from ordinary backgrounds should show when they seize opportunities.
Even if Li Zeli lacked courage before and didn't know how to make connections with influential people or take sides, now that God has given him a great opportunity, he should seize it.
Unexpectedly, Li Zeli not only refused to accept the bowl, but also smashed it himself. This puzzled Zhang Ping, and he could not accept it.
Chen Wenfang had already discovered crucial evidence before his death and concealed it properly. Li Zeli only needed to cooperate with them to obtain the evidence and send it back to the capital, which would be a great achievement.
Furthermore, due to Chen Wenfang's murder, Zhang Zhao is finding it difficult to find a trustworthy person for the time being, which is precisely when he is short of people. If Li Zeli performs well and leaves a good impression on Zhang Zhao, making Zhang Zhao willing to take him under his command, not only will his official career be smooth, but his future will be far more than just a minor official of the ninth rank. He may even have the opportunity to go to the capital.
Therefore, adhering to the idea of building a good relationship with future allies, Zhang Ping arranged for Li Zeli to stay and talked with him many times to build a closer relationship.
However, Zhang Ping never imagined that Li Zeli didn't want to befriend him; he only wanted Zhang Ping to help him escape the troubles in Jiangnan and return home safely.
"Oh, so it's because those who strive can't stand others not working hard," An Hongdou thought to herself.
She and Li Zeli understood each other and had reached a consensus: within their capabilities, regardless of their status, they would do their best to do good deeds, accumulate virtue, and uphold justice; beyond their capabilities, they would protect themselves, abandon vanity, see the essence, and not show off their abilities.
What Zhang Ping described was definitely beyond Li Zeli's capabilities. It makes sense; the person being investigated is guilty, but the investigators are not necessarily clean either. The interests and power dynamics involved are intricately intertwined, far beyond the comprehension of ordinary people like them. They might as well forgo this credit.
Thinking of all this, An Hongdou said, "I'm sorry to say that you disagree, sir. You are interested in your future, while my husband is attached to his family. Which is more important, your future or your family? Everyone has their own perspective, different pursuits, and different choices, but there's no need to blame each other!"
“You…” Zhang Ping hesitated several times before finally letting out a long sigh: “Fine, I won’t argue with you. I would like to ask Madam to hand over the item that Lord Li mistakenly sent. If my mission fails, it will affect your opinion of Lord Li and be detrimental to him.”
Seeing that Zhang Ping was not quite rational at the moment, An Hongdou did not intend to provoke him further.
"Please wait a moment, sir, I will fetch it for you."
A moment later, An Hongdou rolled up the portrait of a lady embroidered with a route map and handed it to Zhang Ping.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Ping didn't answer.
“I have told Madam everything I can, so why does she still not believe me?” Zhang Ping was somewhat displeased. Li Zeli had told Zhang Zhao that he had copied the circuit diagram that Chen Wenfang had left on the inside of his clothes onto a handkerchief.
Although it wasn't opened, what An Hongdou handed him was clearly not a handkerchief.
An Hongdou was stunned for a moment, then realized what was going on.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, sir, but that you don’t trust me. Although I don’t know what lines are drawn on the handkerchief, considering the danger my husband is going through, I dare not leave the items untouched, for fear of bringing trouble upon my family.”
"I am skilled in embroidery, so I incorporated the lines from the handkerchief into the portrait of a lady I found for reference. The handkerchief was destroyed the day I received it."
"Later, it turned out that I wasn't just being paranoid. Someone had searched my room and moved the letters in my drawers."
An Hongdou spoke calmly and slowly, recounting the events in detail.
After hearing this, Zhang Ping realized he had misunderstood and quickly apologized.
"It's alright, sir, you are unaware of this. Please open it and take a look. I hid this route map in the painting of ladies. If you have any questions, I can answer them."
"Does Madam know who came to the manor looking for this item?" Zhang Ping asked as he took the scroll and opened it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
