Chapter 80 This person has a problem
Xiao Yunzhan asked Xu Li some more questions, but found nothing new, so he ordered the yamen runners to take Xu Li away.
At this moment, the constable who had gone out earlier brought in a somewhat reserved-looking man.
The man was in his early thirties and wore a dark robe.
He had just stepped across the threshold when his eyes quickly scanned the hall.
The person sitting at the head of the table was not County Magistrate Liu Jingchang, but a young man dressed in fine clothes. Standing beside him were a man and a woman, both of whom were extraordinary in both demeanor and attire.
Before he had even stood still, he knelt down and kowtowed.
"This humble citizen, Xu Chu, greets Lord Liu." He rested his head on the ground.
"I wonder what brings you here so urgently, sir?"
Liu Jingchang picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Raise your head."
As Xu Chu looked up, Liu Jingchang pointed in Xiao Yunzhan's direction.
"This is His Highness Prince Rui. He has asked you something today. Tell him what you know, and do not hide anything."
Upon hearing this, Xu Chu kowtowed three times, his forehead slightly flushed: "This humble subject, Xu Chu, greets Your Highness!"
"If Your Highness asks, this humble subject will answer without reservation, daring not to utter a single falsehood!"
Xiao Yunzhan slowly asked, "How long have you been staying at the Xu family?"
Xu Chu remained bowed low, looking up as he replied, "Your Highness, I am a servant born into the Xu family."
My father used to be a manager at a manor outside Xu's city. Later, Master Xu saw that I was quite strong, so he had me learn some martial arts and run with merchant caravans.
A few years ago, Master Xu took pity on me and allowed me to manage the Xu Family Ink Workshop, making me the manager.
Xiao Yunzhan raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of a half-smile: "Logically speaking, the caravan manager should be able to earn much more money than the ink shop manager, so why did you choose a much easier job?"
Xu Chu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled, "Your Highness even knows this."
To be honest, Your Highness, the caravan manager does earn more, but my personality doesn't quite match my appearance.
Outsiders see that this commoner is always running around doing business and thinks he's a restless person.
But in the hearts of ordinary people, they would rather keep a shop, so they don't have to live in the open or have to worry about being in fear.
Besides, although the ink shop owner earns less, when he goes out, people still have to politely call him "Manager Xu," which is more respectable than running around with a merchant caravan.
Xiao Yunzhan nodded in agreement, but then changed the subject: "A few years ago, didn't you go to inspect the shops with Xu Li, the eldest son of the Xu family?"
As soon as he said this, Xu Chu's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Pei Zhiwei quickly scanned his entire body and noticed that his right thumb, which was braced against the ground, suddenly contracted, and his nail was digging into the first joint of his index finger. The thumb was so forceful that even the nail plate had lost its color.
Xu Chu was stunned for a moment, but then his face was full of smiles again.
"That was the last time I worked for a caravan. After I came back, I mentioned to Master Xu that I wanted to find a more stable job."
Master Xu, feeling sorry for the commoner who had suffered along with him, granted the commoner's request and allowed him to manage the ink workshop.
"Did you run into bandits on that trade trip?" Xiao Yunzhan's voice remained calm, as if he were confirming something with him.
Xu Chu replied decisively, "Yes."
That year, there was a lot of rain, and several surrounding villages were flooded, resulting in a complete crop failure. This led to the emergence of many bandits.
Our caravan was traveling on the official road, and everything was going smoothly until we were almost in Yangzhou when it started raining for several days in a row.
While we were resting at a roadside tea stall, some passersby said that the road ahead was too muddy, and several horse-drawn carriages were stuck, blocking the road completely and it wouldn't be passable for a while.
I discussed it with my brother, saying that we were almost at Yangdu, so it wouldn't make a difference if we went back to the previous post station and waited for the road to be cleared before continuing.
But perhaps because he was homesick, Dalang insisted on riding his horse along a roundabout path.
“Since the eldest son has spoken, how dare this humble subject disobey?” Xu Chu sighed, looking helpless.
“I knew there were many bandits in the mountains back then, so I suggested bringing more people. But Dalang said that we would just take a short detour, which is close to Yangdu, so nothing would happen. He only asked me to bring three guards.”
The commoner thought that what the eldest son said made sense, so he didn't insist anymore...
Who knew, they were so unlucky, actually running into bandits, and not just any bandits, but ruthless ones who wanted their money and their lives too.
When he said "ruthless bandits," his voice rose a little.
"We fought and retreated while protecting our eldest son. We were about to be overwhelmed when Lord Cui Yanwu happened to pass by with his men. That's how we were saved and our lives were spared."
Thinking about it now still makes me shudder.
Xiao Yunzhan didn't respond to his question, "Were the three guards you brought with you the most skilled fighters in the caravan?"
Xu Chu answered almost immediately: "It's high, but not the highest."
Firstly, because the caravan was also carrying some valuable goods, I thought I should have the best guards watch over the goods to prevent any mishaps.
Secondly… I, a humble citizen, should never have taken such a chance, thinking that since we were almost to Yangzhou and the detour was shorter, nothing would happen.”
Xiao Yunzhan's lips twitched slightly, his tone carrying a barely perceptible chill: "So, in your heart, those goods are more important than Xu Li's life?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Chu was so frightened that he quickly waved his hands: "No! Your Highness, you misunderstand! This humble subject absolutely did not mean that!"
On that trip, I made sure my eldest son wore coarse clothes, just like the other caravan members. Unless someone specifically came for him, no one could tell he was the eldest son of the Xu family.
But those goods were on display, and they looked valuable. If the bandits saw them, they would definitely rob them first.
So I thought that these openly traded goods needed more protection…
"I see." Xiao Yunzhan interrupted him, but did not ask any further questions.
"Then think again, was there anything strange about that attack?"
Xu Chu blurted out almost immediately, "No!"
Xiao Yunzhan: "You say there's nothing without even thinking about it carefully?"
Xu Chu paused again, and after a moment, explained, "Because I thought about it many times afterward, and I didn't find anything strange about it. It was just an ordinary bandit robbing someone on the road..."
Xiao Yunzhan stared at him for a long time, then didn't ask any more questions, only saying, "I understand. You can go back now."
He paused, then added, "Remember, don't tell anyone about the matter of the government contacting you, and don't mention to anyone what I asked you."
You know the consequences if word gets out.
Xu Chu quickly kowtowed: "This humble subject will remember! This humble subject would never dare to tell anyone!"
Once Xu Chu's figure had completely disappeared under the corridor, Xiao Yunzhan turned to look at Liu Jingchang, his tone becoming more serious: "Send more people to keep an eye on Xu Chu day and night."
Remember exactly who he contacts and where he goes, and don't disturb him.
Furthermore, send men to guard the city gates and prevent him from leaving the city.
Liu Jingchang had already sensed something was amiss, and upon hearing this, he immediately nodded and turned to look at Wei Wu standing to the side: "Officer Wei, this matter is entrusted to you."
Remember, do it all secretly, don't let him find out.
Wei Wu clasped his hands in a fist salute and said in a loud voice, "Understood! I will make the arrangements immediately!"
Pei Zhiwei: "This Xu Chu is definitely suspicious."
Xie Ji scratched his head, looking puzzled: "What's the problem?"
What he said was pretty much the same as what Xu Li had said before—just an encounter with bandits. What's wrong with that?
"Didn't you notice his reaction?" Pei Zhiwei looked at Xie Ji and gestured with her fingers.
"When the prince mentioned encountering bandits with Xu Li, his thumb nail almost scratched his index finger raw. If it weren't for the calluses on his hands from years of holding knives, his finger would have bled long ago."
Xie Ji was still skeptical: "Maybe they've never seen such a high-ranking official as Your Highness before, and they're just getting more nervous when asked about dangerous matters?"
Pei Zhiwei: "So many years have passed, what's there to be nervous about?"
Before Xie Ji could speak again, she suddenly asked, "Who was the most satisfying fight you had two or three years ago, Young Master Xie?"
"Don't give me that. I know you mean he replied too smoothly."
"But that's because our prince asked a specific question, while yours was too general, which is why I might have stumbled over my words."
Xie Ji gave him a look that said, "Don't think I don't know anything."
Pei Zhiwei didn't argue with him. Instead, she turned to look at Liu Jingchang and said in a natural tone, "Lord Liu, I have a favor to ask."
Of the cases you handled two or three years ago, which one was the most unforgettable? Could you tell us about it?
Liu Jingchang was taken aback, not understanding what she meant, but still answered honestly: "The most unforgettable one... should be a case of a village woman killing her husband."
It was early spring then, and in a village west of the city, a woman reported that her husband had gone missing…
While Liu Jingchang was speaking, Xiao Yunzhan quietly tugged at Xie Ji's arm, signaling him to look into Liu Jingchang's eyes.
Xie Ji followed the gaze and saw that although Liu Jingchang was talking to Pei Zhiwei, his eyes would occasionally glaze over, unlike his usual sharp and spirited gaze.
"I understand!" Xie Ji tapped his finger repeatedly.
"When Lord Liu recalls the case, his eyes dart around, but when Xu Chu talked about encountering bandits, his eyes gleamed with a sharp light. It didn't seem like he was recalling anything; it was more like he was reciting a poem!"
Liu Jingchang also realized what was going on and frowned: "Now that you mention it, it's true!"
Why not just arrest him and interrogate him? Maybe we could get more information out of him.
Xiao Yunzhan: "It's easy to catch them."
But we don't have solid evidence, and if he refuses to talk to the death, there's nothing we can do about it.
"Let him out there and keep an eye on who he contacts; maybe that will lead to the discovery of someone more crucial."
Liu Jingchang thought about it and felt it made sense. "Your Highness is very thoughtful. Then I will have Wei Wu send more careful people to keep a close eye on Xu Chu."
"My lord! Your Highness! Someone from Yaoguang Garden has arrived, saying they have important matters to report to Prince Xie!" A yamen runner hurried over to report.
The yamen runner stepped aside, and a young man dressed in the uniform of a servant from Yaoguang Garden stepped forward and bowed to Xiao Yunzhan and Xie Ji.
"Your Highness, I was sent by Manager Lin of Yaoguang Garden."
Steward Lin said that someone from the military governor's side reported that they had made contact with Lord Cui!
Lord Cui is riding at breakneck speed towards Yangdu and should be able to enter the city tonight. He will then go directly to Yaoguang Garden.
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