Yangzhou Thirteen
After driving out all the relevant and irrelevant people, the two of them sat facing each other in the side room, with rising heat filling the air between them and the faint aroma of tea.
"Your Excellency, you didn't come here for the sake of the salt administration, did you?" Qi Shaozhen sipped his tea, a strange look flickering across his half-lidded eyes. This was top-quality Xinyang Maojian tea. While there were many wealthy merchants in Yangzhou, few could appreciate this quality... and it just so happened that his family had some.
"Why do you say that, Master Qi?" Su Zirui raised his eyebrows casually, his voice low, and his slender fingertips tapped the table lightly.
"The investigation of the salt administration is definitely a big deal. It is impossible that only a few officials from the Ministry of Justice come for a secret investigation. Moreover, the official documents have been issued in the past two days. Marquis Dingbei came to Yangzhou in person to review the salt administration. Luo Ziran is the head of the Luo family in the capital this generation. He can abandon the affairs in the capital and come to Yangzhou. Naturally, it is not for the lucrative salt administration." I'm afraid that it is closely related to the person in front of me.
Qi Shaozhen discreetly sized up the elegant and aloof man before him, examining every detail, from his features to his figure. He had a good appearance and a nice figure, but his eyes were too cold, a bit menacing, and he didn't seem considerate.
Su Zirui felt a little uneasy under his gaze and frowned slightly, "I remember that Marquis Dingbei is the brother-in-law of Master Qi."
"My sister is dead, so what does her husband have to do with me?" Qi Shaozhen said calmly, a hint of suspicion flashing across his clear eyes. "The person who attacked you a month ago came from the northwest. I believe you are aware of this. Why is this person so eager to eliminate you, even going so far as to attack the Lin and Qin families?"
Su Zirui's eyes sternly turned, and he said righteously, "The government is handling the case, and I have no comment to make."
Qi Shaozhen never fell for the government's tricks. "The batch of government silver you seized in Sizhou was the salt transport envoy, Lord Lin, who was forced to guarantee it and asked me to help transport it. A mere 100,000 yuan in disaster relief silver isn't worth enough for Prime Minister Su to risk his only son. I'm afraid there's some greater temptation behind the disaster relief silver."
Raising his hand and taking a sip of tea, Su Zirui was not surprised that the Qin family could find clues about the official silver, but... this matter was too big for a civilian gang to handle.
"Recently, officials from the Salt Administration have been coming to us, asking us to borrow money from the government. Collusion between officials and businessmen is commonplace in the world of fame and fortune, but this eagerness to win them over is truly a bit unsettling." Qi Shaozhen said with a hint of dissatisfaction. His daughter Shuangshuang was so busy with these people that she had almost forgotten him. "The Jianghuai region is wealthy, and the government has been secretly lending money to merchants, the amounts comparable to the national treasury. However, this is considered a common practice. I've always been curious whether the current emperor really allows this. After all, there's a lot to gain from intervening in this."
Merchants weren't necessarily short of money, but they certainly wouldn't refuse an offer from the government. Where there's money to be borrowed, there's interest. Even the imperial family was tempted by such generous interest, so what about everyone else? The salt transport envoy and the deputy governor... were both members of the Luo family.
"Luo Yin is in Liangzhou, yet he's come all the way to hunt you down in Jiangnan... The court has been in turmoil for the past month, and many officials have been removed from office, especially the powerful and influential factions who have been severely suppressed. Lord Su and his son are quite resourceful."
The White Flame Gang led the Cao Gang along the Grand Canal, so naturally they were well-informed. However, he had no idea that they were also so well-informed about the movements in the northwest. Su Zirui was secretly surprised.
"The instability in the northwest is a long-term issue. Anything that can make Luo Yin so anxious must be a serious crime. Considering the characteristics of the two regions and the connection with money, then the only option is..." Qi Shaozhen withdrew his scrutiny and gently opened his folding fan, "Military pay."
"Master Qi, this matter is of great importance. Are you sure you want to intervene?" Su Zirui interrupted him and asked in a deep voice. He had previously thought that the girl's restlessness might be due to her frequent outings, but now it seems she has a family background in this field.
"Don't be so ruthless. Wouldn't it be nice to have more helpers?" Qi Shaozhen shook his folding fan jokingly.
"I don't need to be held back. If Master Qi is interested in becoming an official, he can take the imperial examination." Anyway, it was rumored that he was a gigolo and had nothing to do.
Qi Shaozhen used his folding fan to hide half of his face, revealing only a pair of narrow, foxy eyes. "I have no interest in officialdom, but since you've extended your hand to my family, as the head of the family, I have to protect my wife, children, and siblings."
He didn't have any children yet, but his wife and two younger siblings were always troublemakers, so as the unfortunate eldest brother, he had to make plans for them early on. Luo Yin dared to touch his junior sister, so how could he rest in peace if he didn't die? Besides, Luo Yin's affairs would at least keep Luo Ziran from caring about his wife and sister.
"What do you want?" Su Zirui was not surprised by his words. He asked calmly with a steady look.
What could he be thinking? Qi Shaozhen laughed instead, his eyes curved, "I want to ask, was Lord Su's approach to Aruo a plan or an accident?"
The Qin family is a very good partner in this matter in Yangzhou, and Aruo had an intersection with him in Sizhou, so... Aruo happened to save him when he went out. Was it expected or unexpected?
Su Zirui was stunned for a moment, then sarcastically said, "How can I find out where she is at large when I'm being hunted?"
Even if there hadn't been an assassination attempt, he'd planned to disappear in the shadows by faking an accident. He hadn't expected Luo Yin to be so reckless, frightened enough to chase him down for a mere exposure of Guan Yin's connection to Xibei. He'd naturally used this incident to confirm the rumors of his disappearance. Plans couldn't keep up with changes; being seriously injured was an accident, as was meeting her.
As if he was very satisfied with his answer, Qi Shaozhen whispered, "Then it really is fate."
"Master Qi, I'll remind you again that this matter is of great importance. Since you are a good citizen, just do your duty." Now that the situation is under his control, Su Zirui doesn't want any unnecessary people to get involved.
"Come to think of it, I haven't thanked you for saving Ruoruo last night." Qi Shaozhen didn't agree, but instead mentioned the girl who was still unconscious. "That girl is afraid of pain. If you hadn't acted decisively and pulled out the arrow and detoxified her, she probably wouldn't have survived."
Su Zirui's heart trembled, and he keenly sensed his temptation. He lowered his eyes to hide his thoughts. In his heart, he thought to himself, she was not so delicate before. She jumped into the river and could drag him to the shore. Now she couldn't survive a single arrow?
Qi Shaozhen didn't miss any of his expressions. Seeing his expressionless face, he raised his eyebrows and smiled, "But he's not doing well now. He's injured in the back of his shoulder and can't even lie down. It's really worrying."
"In that case, just take a rest. It's a good idea not to get involved in other people's affairs." Su Zirui snorted indifferently.
After a slight pause in surprise, Qi Shaozhen glanced at his unconsciously clenched fist and smiled, "It's indeed time for some rest. By the way, Futian County Magistrate Jing Lan is an old acquaintance of mine. He came into the city last night. Since I live here, I should do my best to be a good host."
How can the person who intercepted him still have the nerve to say that?
Su Zirui's eyes turned cold. "What a coincidence! Lord Jing is also an old friend of mine. I'm not very familiar with the affairs of Yangzhou, so I wanted to ask him for advice."
Qi Shaozhen smiled slyly and comfortably, "By the way, he should be here by now."
As soon as the words fell, the door was pushed open from the outside. Jing Lan glared at the smiling Qi Shaozhen and said, "Can you please be a little more loyal and considerate of me? Why don't you take me with you when you come? Are those 999 steps meant for people to walk up?"
I have the skill of lightness and can come up easily, but he, a poor scholar, has to climb up slowly.
"You've already climbed up, haven't you? The Buddha will protect you because of your piety." Qi Shaozhen stood up and patted his shoulder. "Master Su, what I said just now still counts. I'll wait for you."
After saying that, he pressed Qin Zhi's head and left.
Su Zirui looked at his back and sneered. He said so much, who knows which one it was?
There were only two officials left in the room, and the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.
Jing Lan looked at the man in front of him while drinking tea. The cruelty in his eyebrows had turned into coldness, and the aura like a cold sword drawn from its sheath had become calm and restrained. If it weren't for his cold eyes, he could be considered a gentle and noble young man, a graceful and elegant man, who could even wear a decent robe and go out to the Qinhuai River to deceive those ignorant girls.
Alas, the handsome young man who was framed by his father's political enemies and fell into the mountain stronghold and was almost destroyed, was able to overcome his inner demons and grow up to be such a dignified man. Jing Lan had to admire the fact that the famous families in the capital were indeed admirable in their education of their children.
"If you look again, I'll dig out your eyeballs." Su Zirui lowered his head to sip his tea and said coldly.
"Ahem, Master Su, I'm old and can't stand being scared." Jing Lan smiled and retracted his gaze, tactfully changing the subject, "You asked me to come here because of Xuanqing's matter, right?"
"You really did let those remnants go secretly." Su Zirui's eyes were filled with murderous intent.
He shouldn't have cooperated with this person that day. How could someone who could lurk in the village for so long not have any scheming?
Being glared at by that kind of angry eyes, Jing Lan subconsciously shuddered and sighed softly, "I only let go of five children who worked as errand boys for me. They were young and newly abducted, and had done nothing wrong. I really couldn't bear to let them die there like this."
"Bai Yong was the leader of the gambling den in the suburbs of Beijing. How could he be considered innocent? If he had died then..."
"That would just make another person the leader of that gambling house." Jing Lan remarked recklessly, meeting that cold gaze with a soothing smile, "Human nature is inherently complex, and life is unpredictable. His crime doesn't deserve death. Besides, there's no Bai Yong in the world now, only the ascetic monk Xuan Qing. That's enough."
Bai Yong was merely the instigator. Su Zirui's concern was that he hadn't eradicated the root of the problem. He'd known since childhood that to eradicate evil, he had to leave no chance of revenge. The Tiger Stronghold was his greatest nightmare, and he'd personally dealt with it. Now, something he'd overlooked made him particularly worried.
"How many people did you let go back then?" Su Zirui's eyes were dark. He wanted to control these remnants. If they really returned to the right path, he would not kill them all, but if there were any evil people, he would not mind killing them with his own hands.
Jing Lan was stunned, his face solemn. "That day, I only let go five newly recruited servants, all of whom were under my command... But, Xuan Qing just said that in addition to these five children, two of the second-in-command's men also escaped."
With a snap, the teacup in Su Zirui's hand shattered. His face changed drastically, and he could hardly suppress his murderous intent. "Impossible! I wiped out that man and his men. There's no way any of them could escape..."
No, there's another possibility... That year, there were voices in the sea of fire. That was where the big boss, Meng Batian, was imprisoned, but the wailing inside wasn't Meng Batian... He wanted to go and see, but in order to kill Meng Bahai and his men, he gave up and turned back, letting everyone inside burn to death...
"It's not pedophilia, but..." Jing Lan didn't know how to tell him for a moment. The situation was urgent and the burden on the other party's shoulders was heavy enough. This matter was his responsibility and he should be the one to handle it.
"I can use the White Flame Gang to investigate the children who were released. As for the two Xuanqing mentioned, I will also investigate the source. I will tell you when you finish your work."
Jing Lan solemnly promised that they had cooperated with each other many years ago and naturally trusted each other.
"You're... familiar with the Qin family?" Su Zirui wiped the fragments from his hand, a hint of surprise. Qi Shaozhen was from the Qi family in Shu, so it wasn't surprising that he was familiar with Jing Lan. Jing Lan had served as a prominent official in that area. But when he just mentioned so naturally that he was using the White Flame Gang's influence to investigate, that meant they were more than just ordinary acquaintances.
Jing Lan didn't notice the change in his tone and poured him a cup of tea. "Who in Yangzhou doesn't know them?"
Jing Lan, noticing the stern look on his face, sighed and confessed, "Four years ago, Qi Shaozhen's junior sister, Miss Aruo, was imprisoned by Marquis Dingbei in the Liangzhou residence and her life was hanging by a thread. Qi Shaozhen came to me and asked me to find a way to smuggle her out... What's wrong? Why do you look so strange?"
Su Zirui was stunned and stopped what he was doing. "Luo Ziran imprisoned her? Why? Wasn't it four years ago when his wife just died?"
"How should I know?" He couldn't tell the private matters. Besides, Jing Lan had ruined his hard-earned career because of this favor.
His life had been a bumpy one, too. He studied diligently for years, was abducted and taken to a mountain stronghold. His wit and knowledge helped him rise to third in command. After years of lurking, he finally encountered a ruthless opponent and escaped from the stronghold, securing his position as an official. But then, a moment of kindness brought him into disfavor. This journey would have made even the less steadfast want to cry.
"She was less than fourteen years old four years ago. Luo Ziran couldn't possibly fall for her." Su Zirui frowned slightly, his face cold.
This idea was a bit fanciful. After all, Luo Ziran's wife was the only daughter of the Shen family, a family renowned throughout the capital, and possessed remarkable beauty. Jing Lan blinked and asked in confusion, "How do you know her age... Do you know her?"
“I encountered it while working on a case.”
Luo Ziran's deep affections were known throughout the capital. It was impossible for him to fall for a little girl right after his wife's death. So why had he imprisoned her four years ago? She had been wandering around outside for the past four years, not even daring to return to the Qin family. When she heard that Dingbei Hou had returned to the capital, she hurriedly sneaked into the opera troupe and slipped away. Was she afraid of being caught by Luo Ziran?
Thinking about last night, Su Zirui sighed slightly. This girl is really everywhere. How can she always cause trouble... How can he feel at ease if he doesn't keep her under his watch?
Just a relationship they've met before? Jing Lan glanced at him questioningly. His expression was even colder than when he'd mentioned the Tiger Village. Jing Lan was instantly glad he hadn't rashly told him that Aruo was likely a remnant of the Tiger Village.
The Qi family is a big family in Shu. This girl is a disciple of Mr. Shen from Qishan and a sister of the former wife of Marquis Dingbei. No matter how you look at it, there is no way she could be related to Menghuzhai.
The two of them were lost in their own thoughts, and the room fell into silence for a while.
Jing Lan made up his mind to go and see the little girl, so he put aside the matter and changed the subject to an official one, "Have you made any progress in your investigation?"
Su Zirui raised his eyebrows and said, "No comment."
"More people means more power. Perhaps I can help." The Qin family had used a lot of connections to clear his name and allow him to climb to the position of county magistrate, but Jing Lan, a man of many years of education, also had ambitions. How could he stop there? This time, Su Zirui was able to come to Yangzhou in person. With Su Qing, the old fox, behind him, his chances of winning were not small. He didn't want to miss such an opportunity.
"No need." Jing Lan was a patient and shrewd person who could assess the situation and was ruthless. He couldn't be trusted completely; it was too dangerous for him to be a partner. Unless... the Luo family had an irreconcilable feud with him, he couldn't be considered reliable.
Jing Lan sneered, "Qi Shaozhen has been hiding behind Qin Shuang in the past few years, but that doesn't mean he is really weak. You should be careful."
He appeared calm, but his mind was quickening. Qi Shaozhen rarely let anyone see him in action. If he hadn't collaborated with him four years ago, he would have missed it. It seemed that this trip to the Qin Mansion was a must.
Su Zirui could certainly see what he was thinking, but he couldn't stop other people's thoughts. However...he should be able to catch a lot of fish he wanted here. It seems that it's time for Beili to show up.
The two men smiled at each other, the man in green was gentle and the man in white was handsome, it was a picture of reunion after a long separation.
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