Chapter 1097 Outwardly Compliant, Inwardly Defiant
The guy who was keeping watch was miserable. He didn't know if the person inside had gone weak in the knees, but he was running around and was so tormented that his legs went weak.
Once there was no more noise from inside the room, the waiter finally breathed a sigh of relief, found an empty room, and fell asleep immediately, soon snoring loudly.
"The guy is exhausted. Let's hurry up and get back as soon as possible."
Qi Heng glanced at the sky; it was already late at night, the perfect time to go to Sunjia Village.
"They're here!"
As Lin Yuesha spoke, she carried a paper bag containing cakes and peach slices to eat on the road to replenish her energy.
The couple kept bothering their assistant, calling for water again and again. Lin Yuesha herself was also exhausted. To make it more realistic, she washed herself several times.
When the two arrived at Sunjia Village, they found a group of people patrolling at the village entrance.
"Brothers, keep a close eye on things. If there's any unusual activity, report it to the lord, and you'll be rewarded handsomely."
The leader, carrying a lantern, shouted with great spirit, "This is no small matter. This is a business deal made by adults. It must not be discovered, or the consequences will be severe."
"Boss, it's all that idiot's fault for causing trouble. Otherwise, why would we be on night duty here without sleep?"
The subordinates were very dissatisfied. On such a cold day, the best place to sleep is in a warm bed, not out wandering around in the cold wind.
The scholar only said he suspected that the meat served at the He Tai Restaurant wasn't donkey meat, which was just baseless nonsense. The adults became so nervous and on high alert. Isn't that making a mountain out of a molehill?
Those bookish idiots, what do they know?
"Sir, this is taking precautions."
The leader raised his foot and kicked the complaining subordinate, emphasizing once again the seriousness of the matter.
According to the laws of the Great Qi Dynasty, killing a horse is a serious crime. As an official of the Great Qi Dynasty, Prefect Shen knowingly violated the law, and his crime was compounded.
If it were an ordinary person causing trouble, even if they were beaten to death, there would be no one to seek justice. However, the hot-headed scholar was no ordinary person; he was the son of a county magistrate, which forced Prefect Shen to act cautiously.
If it wasn't Wen Shusheng's idea, but rather his father's instigation, then things would get complicated.
"But our lord has already pledged allegiance to General Qi, and his position is secure."
I heard that General Qi is about to return to the capital and will definitely pass through Wuzhou. His master is preparing to curry favor and show his loyalty so that he can make a profit.
"Therefore, at this critical juncture, we must be even more careful and absolutely avoid causing any trouble."
The leader was a confidant of Prefect Shen, who kept reminding his men to be vigilant on patrol, in case Wen Shusheng had someone backing him, they might actually be able to find this place.
Qi Heng and Lin Yuesha hid by the haystack and listened to the whole thing.
After everyone had gone, Lin Yuesha sighed, "I never imagined Wuzhou was so corrupt."
Forcing the people of Sunjia Village to leave their homes and sell horse meat may have other ulterior motives behind it.
Because Prefect Shen was the first to side with Qi Heng, he used Qi Heng as his patron and protector, and did whatever he wanted.
There were guards at the entrance of Sunjia Village. Qi Heng led Lin Yuesha around to the other side and entered the village, where a hidden world awaited them.
The houses in the village have long been demolished and replaced with several thatched-roof stables. Through the Korean paper, one can see the shadows of people moving by the windows of the small houses next to the stables.
"That's right, these are warhorses from the Northwest."
Qi Heng touched the stable to confirm, and finally came to a conclusion.
The warhorses of the Great Qi in the northwest were a large number of ponies, and the wounds on the horses showed that they were indeed caused by weapons specially made by the foreign tribe Helian Cheng.
Warhorses that made great contributions on the battlefield, even if they were disabled, were kept in horse farms as members of the army until they grew old and died.
Every year, Qi Heng would allocate a large sum of money, sometimes as much as tens of thousands of taels of silver.
Unexpectedly, these warhorses with past merits were not left at the Northwest Horse Ranch, but were sent to Wuzhou City to become a delicacy on the people's tables. Qi Heng clenched his fists, the veins on the back of his hands bulging. Under his very nose, they were outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant. Qi Heng never imagined that Prefect Shen would be so bold.
"Not only are they bold, but they are also very good at hiding their true intentions."
Upon closer examination, it's no wonder that Prefect Shen took such a risk; it was truly a highly profitable business.
The injured warhorses are kept in the horse farm, which requires a lot of manpower and resources, resulting in considerable costs every year.
Slaughtering these horses and selling them would bring in a considerable profit, while saving the money of hiring someone to take care of them.
In addition, with the annual military supplies allocated, money was saved and money was made at the same time, and the money quietly entered their pockets.
Moreover, the origin of the warhorses is easy to conceal, and Qi Heng will not have much energy to focus on this, making it easy for him to find a loophole.
A large stable can hold a hundred or so warhorses. Sunjia Village has a vast area, so there must be at least several dozen stables.
It's impossible for a single restaurant like He Tai Restaurant to handle so much horse meat; there must be other ways to get these horses out of the country.
There were patrols inside the horse farm, so Qi Heng immediately pulled Lin Yuesha to hide. After the patrols left, he said, "Wife, this is not just about money."
Warhorses have always been under the command of the Northwest Army. Such a major oversight is not something a lowly soldier could have accomplished.
Since Wang Jinhu and Wang Binglan fled to the alien tribe, and Helian City was defeated, the two of them have also disappeared without a trace.
Qi Heng wasn't entirely sure how many tricks Wang Jinhu had up his sleeve after serving in the military for so many years. Some people are so well hidden that they may never have been discovered.
The Great Qi of today is only calm on the surface, while undercurrents are surging beneath.
Qi Heng had originally decided to stay in Wuzhou, but now he has a new idea.
Uncovering the intricate relationships behind this cannot be resolved in a few days; it requires following the clues and a long-term plan.
"But shouldn't the people of Sunjia Village give us an explanation?"
Lin Yuesha thought Qi Heng's words made sense, but if they were to seek justice for the people of Sunjia Village, the Shen family's shady dealings would be exposed.
The Sun family father and son had no other choice but to go to the fishing village to complain, as they couldn't very well stand idly by.
As the couple was about to leave, they suddenly noticed dozens of torches lit up in the distance, and the barking of dogs could be heard frequently, creating a noisy scene.
"Quickly! Someone has broken in! Arrest them! We can't let this person get away!"
"Quick, after them!"
Qi Heng and Lin Yuesha exchanged a glance. They were well hidden. Who exactly were the patrolmen chasing?
Someone broke in late at night. Could it be that the people from Sunjia Village have returned?
No matter who you are, you must not fall into the hands of these people, or you will surely be silenced.
However, Qi Heng wanted to quell the matter and avoid alerting the enemy, but the sudden intruder disrupted his original plan.
Lin Yuesha was in a real predicament, but she couldn't just stand by and watch someone die, because the patrolmen were already heading this way.
A short man dressed in black suddenly appeared ahead. He ran very fast, but he was unfamiliar with the terrain and wandered around like a headless fly, unable to find a way out for a while.
The man ran towards Lin Yuesha, but Qi Heng grabbed his arm.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
