Chapter 114 A Divine Assistance: A Stroke of Genius^^……
In the dead of night, figures lurked, clad in cloth armor, their knives neatly bound so as not to reflect light, their breathing shallow and weak, as if afraid of disturbing something.
It had been a week since they had laid in ambush, and they still hadn't found anything. Some of the greenhorns were getting sleepy in the middle of the night, while others had lost patience and were restless after many days. But when Boss Mao's eyes flashed with a sharp look not far away, they felt a chill run down their spines, and with a shiver, they dared not be careless anymore.
Fifty or sixty militia members were dispatched, but now about ten of them have been assigned to the most arduous and exhausting camouflage and logistical work, and they are suffering terribly because of a small mistake during the midnight ambush.
Suddenly, a militia squad leader's eyes lit up; the house he was responsible for keeping an eye on had finally shown signs of movement!
The sounds of battle erupted, and the courtyard was filled with cries of agony. The sudden screams only lasted a few times before fading away.
The young man lying in the mud slowed his breathing, only nudging the messenger beside him with his elbow. His companion's arm was also tense as he made a secret message as instructed by Lord Mao.
Before long, people in various directions received the news and rushed in...
Liuzhou at that time.
The lights were still on in Wang Shou's courtyard, and the woman was tidying up clothes with the wardrobe door open. There was a large bundle on the bed.
Zhong'er, who usually goes to bed early, was struggling to keep his eyes open today, whimpering from sleepiness, but he insisted on packing his clothes into his trunk, too excited to go to sleep. His father said that before he went to join the army, they had to go to the capital to see the remaining relatives he had never met.
Wang Shou left the small courtyard and went to the main courtyard to talk to Qi Chengming.
Qi Chengming was discussing with Wang Shou the arrangements after their return from the capital: "Cousin, you're going to join the army soon, so I'll take care of the family for you then. I never go to the backyard of Granny Liu's. You're saying you insist on having them move out? This..."
“Cousin, gossip is a powerful thing. It’s not that I don’t believe you,” Wang Shouzheng said seriously. “Will this interfere with your future marriage? You don’t have anyone to look after you, and I, as your cousin, can’t help you… I can’t let you down, can I?”
Qi Chengming was speechless.
If we have to talk about the proper masters, besides Qi Chengming, the only other family in the entire Prince's mansion is his cousin's family. It wouldn't be very pleasant if his cousin passed away, and his uncle, aunt, grandmother, and nephew returned to Liuzhou to live with him. But isn't such a senior elder still here? Old Madam Yang and Yang Tianniang are together every day, and Qi Chengming doesn't go to the back courtyard, so there's no chance of any controversy.
He couldn't refute what his cousin said.
Ordinary people might not care, but that doesn't mean the family arranging the marriage won't. My cousin's intentions are truly good, and he can't very well refuse.
"...We don't even know when the marriage negotiations will take place yet." Qi Chengming could only mutter this to himself before changing the terms, "Then we'll have them live not far away, near Conghu Street by the gate, so that everyone can stay together and take care of each other."
Qi Chengming didn't mention that he was leaving the house. The Yang family had taken care of the fruit trees on the hill, so they certainly wouldn't lack money. They would probably prefer to buy their own house, which would give them more peace of mind. Qi Chengming would instruct the Imperial Guards to patrol the area more often; patrolling Conghu Street was their duty after all.
"That's even better." This time, my cousin didn't refuse and happily accepted, but the smile on his face faded, and he asked with concern, "I heard you've been having a falling out with a powerful family in Yulin Prefecture lately. Is it serious?"
He heard from Zhong'er that it had been a long time since he had seen Uncle Mao training the militia.
"Everything is going according to plan." Qi Chengming smiled reassuringly. "Cousin, you can set off tomorrow without worry."
After seeing his cousin off, Qi Chengming returned to the main room, where Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi were fumigating his bed with mugwort incense. Xiao Dezi looked up and chatted, "Your Highness, how could you let those militia go? I thought it would be the Imperial Guards."
"How many people are in the militia? How many can the Imperial Guards send out?" Qi Chengming took off his coat and sat down on the edge of the bed to ask.
"But such an important matter... the militia hasn't been training for very long, are they sure they can handle it?" Xiao Chengzi also had concerns. The Imperial Guards were all selected from the palace. Although they weren't considered particularly good or bad at the time, compared to those outside the palace, they were still elites who had undergone proper training.
"They were also trained by Commander Mao and Youzi," Qi Chengming thought to himself, especially since they also added many training insights from his three great books. "Alright, stop worrying. Even the new recruits need to see some blood."
Qi Chengming wasn't without worries, but he wasn't a nanny or a saint. He was lavishing food and drinks on this elite force and training them relentlessly. They had already mastered the basics, so what was there to wait for?
If they keep hesitating to use them, then this is not the elite force Qi Chengming wants; it's just a "militia team."
So this test...
'Don't let me down.' Qi Chengming murmured to himself, gazing at the bed curtains, before closing his eyes to sleep.
...
It's January again.
His cousin's family had already gone far away, and Qi Chengming finally received the follow-up news from Yulin Prefecture—
The result, however, took him by surprise.
The events described in the thick stack of letters were still within his expectations. One night, the militia caught the group of murderers who had gone to the Yang family to kill and silence them. After capturing them, they explained the situation to the alarmed Yang family in a friendly manner and told them to pretend that nothing had happened.
The Yang family consisted of more than a dozen branches. Two branches were killed by the swift-acting murderer, leaving only a young lady who was visiting. Upon hearing the tragic news, she wept uncontrollably and fainted. The rest of the family members were comforted by Commander Mao, caught in a dilemma, gritting their teeth in anger.
On one hand, there is the ruthless pursuit and extermination after conflicting interests; on the other hand, there is the downfall of the entire family after the evidence of their crimes is revealed.
The Yang family members were used to a good life and didn't want to choose any of them. But now they had no choice. The heads of the several direct branches of the family gritted their teeth and discussed it for a while, but finally gave in.
Meanwhile, the militia, following clues and through interrogation, relentlessly pursued the case, engaging in fierce competition and meticulous investigations over the next two weeks. They endured numerous perilous and difficult ordeals before finally compiling a list of incriminating evidence and names. The list included the prefect of Yulin Prefecture, local officials of all ranks, several gentry and prominent families, and several former imperial envoys who had already been transferred.
Hmm, surprisingly, Shen Shuzhi isn't included.
Commander Mao should have followed Qi Chengming's instructions and used Lu Yu's official seal and order as a pretext to temporarily detain those who could be arrested, while leaving the out-of-town officials who had not yet been arrested untouched. The matter would be reported through the official channels of the post station as quickly as possible, and then further evidence would be collected.
This should be considered Lu Yu's achievement—
Yes, there are too many pitfalls in this matter, and it will offend a lot of people.
But don't forget, Lu Yu is from the Jiangnan faction. He has a low official position and many enemies. When he heard about it, he didn't even blink and immediately vouched for his own willingness.
Their Jiangnan faction was essentially promoted by the emperor to amass wealth everywhere, and their reputation was mixed. This meant that some of their officials used various methods to enrich themselves, which the emperor tended to turn a blind eye to. If Lu Yu could simply siphon off a large amount of money from these convicted officials and secretly hand it over to the palace under the guise of embezzlement, it wouldn't be a big deal.
...The "mad dog" persona remains unchanged.
The only concern is that Lu Yu, the prefect, is based in Liuzhou. He is too close to Qi Chengming. If this matter gets out, the emperor will suspect that he is related to Qi Chengming, and Lu Yu's talents will be impossible to hide.
After Qi Chengming read this far, a major turning point occurred.
Imperial Commissioner Shen Shuzhi secretly visited Yulin Prefecture and stole the credit.
—He has already reported it to the imperial court.
It is understood that he had noticed the irregularities in the dikes of Yulin Prefecture last year, but although he was an imperial envoy, he was of low rank and power. He was busy repairing the dikes and settling the people, and could not investigate further. He could only put it aside for the time being and investigate it later.
Unexpectedly, the prince's people acted so quickly. Now that both the goods and the people are in place, he will accept them without hesitation.
Qi Chengming was stunned when he saw this.
Interspersed among the thick stack of letters was a letter from Shen Shuzhi expressing his loyalty. The letter provided a comprehensive analysis and stated that the previous claims were merely excuses. The real reason was that he had noticed Prince Rui's financial difficulties and suggested that he handle the matter himself, as it would not attract attention and that his allies in the court would take care of everything...
The following pages are entirely dedicated to proving his loyalty and actively serving and sharing the burdens of the task.
Qi Chengming looked at it for a while, his surprise subsided, and he even chuckled a little:
"...Shen Shuzhi, I never expected this, Shen Shuzhi."
He hadn't expected that Shen Shuzhi was truly loyal to him, the kind who was decisive and capable.
Qi Chengming made his previous arrangements because he only had so many cards to play, and maximizing his benefits was the best he could do. But Shen Shuzhi's brilliant move changed everything.
His identity couldn't be more suitable:
He was the imperial envoy personally appointed by His Majesty last year to manage the floods and went to Yulin Prefecture—this was the pretext with the prior cause.
He wanted to continue his covert investigation of the Yulin River embankment afterward, and now, under the guise of an imperial envoy for water management, he had come to the south with ample manpower and carriages. It was the perfect time to investigate—he had a legitimate reason to do so and could expose this major case.
He bravely risked his reputation to report back to the court. Although he would incur much resentment afterward, Shen Shuzhi was not only the next leader of the Shanxi faction but also a highly regarded disciple of the Third Prince's maternal family. Ordinary people could not touch him, and he had no worries about the future. He was much more capable than Lu Yu, a nobody.
Finally... Shen Shuzhi's identities had nothing to do with Qi Chengming. He only stayed in Liuzhou for a few days because of the flood control efforts, unlike Lu Yu who was a direct official in Liuzhou and lived closer to him.
Once this matter was reported, it completely erased the past entanglements between Qi Chengming and the Yang family, and from the perspective of water management, it prevented the exposure of Qi Chengming's period of seclusion. Even the Empress in the capital had to thank him for not mentioning the Yang family.
If things really escalate, Emperor Hongren won't care whether your dirty deeds were done by the Yang family's relatives or something else; he'll only have a worse impression of the Empress.
"Great! That's wonderful..."
Qi Chengming was so excited that he got up and paced back and forth in the study. Finally, he rode his bicycle out for a few laps before calming down.
Although he still felt that Shen Shuzhi's judgment of people was not very good, that he could be so devoted to a prince like himself, Qi Chengming wanted to find an opportunity to talk to him, since Shen Shuzhi was capable and conscientious. He wanted to at least find out what Shen Shuzhi thought of the Third Prince, and if possible, persuade him... to try to use some scare tactics to stop him from hedging his bets.
Otherwise, even if Qi Chengming knew he was pledging allegiance in the future, he would still be hesitant to prioritize him, just like this time.
That concludes the discussion.
The case concerning the Yulin Prefecture river embankment has been temporarily settled. The convicted officials and criminals have been detained, and the vacant official positions have been left vacant. Only after the imperial court replies to Shen Shuzhi can he proceed with the next steps.
The local government offices and prisons were overflowing with people, and there weren't enough people to keep order. After the militia joined up with Youzi and the others, they had to stay behind to serve as Shen Shuzhi's men, and that's how they've been busy preparing to return home.
Qi Chengming returned from his drive, feeling refreshed, and asked Steward Song to fetch Uncle Huang.
"Go and arrange for half of the veterans to familiarize themselves with the route to the seaside," he instructed, unable to contain his smile. "In less than three months, a large number of prisoners will be able to be sent there to do hard labor."
Although the Yang family's name wasn't mentioned in Shen Shuzhi's memorial, their crimes were included in the river embankment case, and they would inevitably face execution or exile—this referred to the direct descendants of the Yang family. The remaining dozen or so branches of the Yang family had also committed heinous crimes, and those crimes wouldn't be overlooked by Commander Mao; they would all be judged by the Imperial Envoy, Shen Shuzhi.
And then there were the officials, both high and low... the wealthy landowners and gentry...
If they were all sentenced in Yulin Prefecture, where else could such a large group of people be exiled? The generally accepted places of exile are Liuzhou or Lingnan!
Wow, that's great! They have plenty of manpower.
Qi Chengming was overjoyed and opened the infrastructure panel—the rest was all good news.
There are four new tasks in total. Among them, Shen Shuzhi will have to do the hard work for [punishing the Yang family], [cleaning the river], and [treating the people]. He only needs to sit at home and wait to receive the rewards.
Oh, there's one more thing.
Qi Chengming was experiencing a sweet dilemma: his main task was to expand his territory to Yulin Prefecture... so he had to think about how to place his own people in Yulin Prefecture after the convicted officials were sentenced.
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Author's Note: (Second bonus chapter!)
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