Chapter 367 Evidence, Tea Tax Records
"Damn it... I've been holding this thing all the way, pretending to cough and it's killing me! What's the smell in this crappy inn? Why did you find such a shabby place?"
Another person said, "Master, please don't be picky. Now you can't go back to your house, and you can't show up in the city. Only this inn doesn't check strictly, so our identity will not be exposed."
"Okay, okay, you're the only one who talks too much. Go ask the waiter to get some hot water. I want to soak my feet!"
Zhou Yang's unpleasant voice came from next door, and then someone opened the door and went out.
Then another delicate female voice was heard.
"Calm down, at worst we can just give the store more money so they can serve us better. Do you think that little bit of money is worth it?"
Zhu Qingyan frowned as he listened.
Judging from her age, this woman is most likely Zhou Yang's daughter, but the tone of her voice feels strange.
"Hong'er's words are still very pleasant to the ears. You stay with the master for a few days, and when we return, we will pick a day to let you come in!" Zhou Yang said with a smile.
The woman called "Hong'er" seemed very satisfied with the other party's promise. She laughed a few times and asked:
"But how long do we have to hide in this inn? Didn't you say that County Magistrate Liao asked Gong to put you in jail and asked you to hide out of the city? Wouldn't it be too dangerous for us to stay in the city..."
Gong Shao on the other side of the wall almost bit his back teeth off. He never expected that his father would take the blame for such a bastard and end up in jail!
Zhou Yang said:
"That Liao guy is just a dog under the young master. Do you think he let me hide away for my own good? Humph, he just wants our Zhou family's property!
My wife can't keep such a big fortune by herself, that Liao guy can find a way to get the rest of my assets. I can't leave, I have to stay here and watch.
Don't worry, Lao Zhao has been with me for thirty years, and he will pass on the news to the mansion on my behalf. As for me, I am sitting firmly in this small inn, making plans. Don't even think of touching a penny of our Zhou family's money, Liao!
What's more, although this inn is small, I have a little beauty like you to accompany me in my romantic and happy life, which is also a good thing! Hahaha..."
It was no longer suitable to continue eavesdropping on the noise next door, so Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan sat back at the same time.
When Gong Shao thought that his father's life was hanging by a thread and Zhou Yang, who should have been imprisoned, was living happily here, he could hardly suppress his anger.
At this moment, he really wanted to rush to the next room and kill the guy named Zhou with a single blow!
After discovering that the inn had very poor soundproofing, the three of them wisely moved to the other side of the room and communicated in low voices.
Zhu Qingyan said indignantly: "Should we go over there now and bring that guy to the Liao County Magistrate for a confrontation and expose their collusion in public?"
Zhu Lan shook his head, saying it was not the right time yet.
She calmly analyzed, "From what Zhou Yang said, he will stay in this inn for some time. If we take him to the county government office now, we will alert the enemy."
Although Gong Shao was angry, he also understood that what Zhu Lan said made sense and did not refute it.
Zhu Lan planned in his mind for a while, and said in a deep voice:
"It's almost dark outside. Qingyan, you are good at fighting, so accompany Master Gong to find evidence.
I stayed in the inn and continued to watch Zhou Yang."
"Okay." Zhu Qingyan nodded.
Soon, Zhu Qingyan left the inn with Gong Shao, who was dressed as a maid.
…
Zhu Lan stayed alone in the room with only one candle burning.
She waited until late at night, and even there was no movement from Zhou Yang's room next door, but Zhu Qingyan and the other man had not returned yet.
Two hours have passed... Could something unexpected have happened?
Zhu Lan began to feel uneasy. She paced back and forth in the room and finally made up her mind to go out and take a look.
As soon as she reached the door, it was gently pushed open.
Zhu Qingyan and Gong Shao's faces appeared outside the door.
After they entered the room, they closed the door carefully.
"What happened?" Zhu Lan asked quickly in a low voice.
Zhu Qingyan winked at her and said, "With me here, how can anything go wrong?"
Gong Shao carefully placed the three things in his arms on the table. Those things were wrapped in cloth and covered with dirt. It was obvious that they had just been dug out of the ground.
"Is this the evidence of the Ning'an Marquis's crime that your father collected?" Zhu Lan asked.
Gong Shao nodded, his face looking excited yet sad.
"The things my father protected with his life...are all here."
Zhu Lan unwrapped the old cloth stained with mud, revealing three account books inside. She flipped through them in the dim candlelight.
As expected, these three booklets are filled with records of the so-called "tea tax" paid by tea farmers.
According to Daliang law, local officials were prohibited from setting up tax collection items privately.
Zhu Lan flipped through a few pages, frowned, and asked:
"You said this was evidence of the Ning'an Marquis's crime, but these tea taxes... were all collected in the name of Jiayu County Government."
Gong Shao was stunned. "But... they are all in the same group. Then shouldn't the tea tax collected by County Magistrate Zhou be handed over to the Ning'an Earl's Mansion?"
Zhu Lan sighed, and Zhu Qingyan beside him could no longer hold back and said to Gong Shao:
"I said, haven't you read the Daliang Law...
Even though everyone knew that the county magistrate was Ning Anbo's lackey, the evidence recorded in these booklets did not mention Ning Anbo at all.
At most, he could bring down Magistrate Zhou, but it would be a long way to get involved in the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion!
If I were Earl Ning An, I would just push the county magistrate out to take the blame."
When Gong Shao heard this, he stood there in a daze as if he had been struck by lightning.
Could it be that these things my father left behind at the cost of his life, at most... can only bring down a small county magistrate like Zhou Xing?
Zhu Lan knew that it was useless to complain. After all, Gong Yuanliang was just an ordinary citizen, and it was not easy for him to achieve this.
The Ning'an Marquis's Mansion is a large and deep-rooted city, and the forces behind it are complicated and intertwined.
How could it be shaken just because Gong Yuanliang said so?
"Mr. Gong, you don't have to be discouraged." Zhu Lan comforted him, "Although these evidences are not enough to directly threaten Earl Ning An, they are not useless."
As he spoke, Zhu Lan's gaze fell on the candle on the table.
"You see, just like this candle flame, although it is weak, once it is knocked over by someone, it can turn into a blazing fire in an instant."
"And what we have to do now is to be the one who knocks over the candle."
Gong Shao nodded with a complicated expression, "Okay... then what do you want me to do?"
Zhu Lan pondered for a moment, looked up into Gong Shao's eyes, and said slowly:
"Before you decide what to do, I want to ask you a question.
When your father got hold of the evidence, why didn't he consider bypassing the county government and sending the evidence directly to the prefectural government - which is now the hands of Magistrate Ding?
Don’t you believe him?”
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