Chapter 116 "What nonsense!"...
The female voice that came through the wall was sweet and clear, touching people's hearts. For a moment, it attracted the three people in the room to turn around and look.
I saw her clothes fluttering, unable to hide her haste.
Wen Yu stepped into the inner room, and when half of her body was still outside the threshold, she anxiously looked for Song Linsheng.
She was delayed at Shen Sheng's place just now, and she asked Song Linsheng to come to Tongzhiyuan alone. After she settled Shen Sheng, she hurried here.
"Madam Wen?" Mu Tong, who turned around last, was the first to call Wen Yu. However, he had known Wen Yu's whereabouts since early in the morning, so it was not surprising that she appeared here at this moment.
Seeing Song Linsheng and Jia Ren standing on opposite sides, with Mu Tong standing in the middle, Wen Yu didn't bother to exchange pleasantries. She walked over without hesitation, standing in front of Song Linsheng. Her bright, clear almond-shaped eyes stared directly at Jia Ren, and she asked, "If I don't ask you, who else should I ask?"
Seeing that the person coming was Wen Yu, Lord Jia, who was originally a little surprised, relaxed his brows, did not respond, but asked about Wen Yu instead.
"Miss Wen was frightened today. Why isn't she staying at home to recuperate?"
Although he was talking to Wen Yu, Jia Ren's gaze quietly turned to Song Linsheng behind her, and his tone changed, the meaning unclear.
"My Tongzhiyuan is a place of trouble right now. If you come here and catch a cold, it will be bad."
Wen Yu was a little confused at first, but when she saw Jia Ren staring at Song Linsheng, she seemed to understand a little.
Mortals value reputation and etiquette the most. Song Linsheng must have said something to protect her when she was captured. Although she didn't care much, she couldn't let Song Linsheng reveal his true intentions.
Thinking of this, Wen Yu straightened up, not showing any fear, "Master Jia, why are you avoiding the topic?"
"Since I have some free time, why not think carefully about what Lord Mu said?" Wen Yu crossed his arms, looking quite confident. "Or—"
"Master Jia, these things are already so well known to me, as if you had experienced them firsthand?"
After Wen Yu said this, no one in the hall responded. It was so quiet that not even the sound of wind could be heard. However, Song Linsheng and Mu Tong were both calm and silent. However, it was unknown what Lord Jia was thinking...
Jia Ren paused, then narrowed his eyes slightly. This girl was straightforward in her words and deeds, just like him in his old style.
Back then, when he first arrived in Jiangyang, he was fearless and vowed to cleanse the Jiangyang atmosphere and establish the authority of the government. However, the result later...
Let’s not talk about it.
"What nonsense!"
Just when Wen Yu thought Jia Ren would remain silent, he suddenly spoke in a loud and excited voice.
"You little girl, you're just making up stories out of nothing. Lord Song hasn't spoken yet, so why are you talking nonsense?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Yu glanced sideways at Song Linsheng. Seeing him nod slightly, she turned around and faced Lord Jia as if she had received some approval.
"yes."
Her tone was as light as clouds floating in the sky, but the meaning behind her words was as heavy as a thousand pounds.
"Master Song hasn't spoken yet, and you're allowed to talk nonsense?"
"I would also like to say this to Lord Jia."
"You!" For a moment, Jia Ren fell silent and stopped talking.
Wen Yu took a moment to explain everything in detail.
"Why don't I, a 'girl', explain this Central Plains story to Master Jia? If there are any mistakes or omissions, please correct me."
After she finished speaking, without waiting for Lord Jia to react, Wen Yu began to speak. There were some things she had been holding back for a long time, and now that everyone was here, she had the chance to say them.
"The banditry Lord Mu just mentioned was none other than Cheng Lian."
"Back then, Cheng Lian gathered a group of men and seized control of the area, engaging in robbery and murder. The merchants who fell victim to his brutal actions were mostly those sailing along the Jiangyang Prefecture waterway."
At that time, the dynasty was just established and many things needed to be rebuilt. The former prefect of Jiangyang, Song Linsheng's father, was transferred to Shangdu to take up a post. Naturally, the post of prefect of Jiangyang Prefecture was vacant. The prefecture was already short of staff, so the only thing left of Jiangyang Prefecture was Tongfu.
"Jiangyang Prefecture naturally cannot sit idly by. Otherwise, if he dares to rob a merchant ship today, he will dare to stop the fishing boats that the people use to make a living tomorrow."
Wen Yu stood with his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth in the hall. There was some imposingness in his movements.
"Therefore, the relationship between the Jiangyang government and Cheng Lian is naturally like water and fire."
"Ever since Lord Song was transferred to the Jiangyang Prefecture, there has been no leader capable of overseeing the overall situation, until this person appeared."
Wen Yu turned his gaze back, glanced at Lord Jia, and then met Mu Tong's eyes.
"That man is the one Lord Mu mentioned who rose to fame due to his bandit suppression and became a Tongzhi."
"That's right." Mu Tong nodded in agreement. "The leaderless Jiangyang government has always advocated for surrender and a slow approach to Cheng Lian's fate. However, this officer has defied all odds and insisted on sending troops to suppress and eliminate him by force."
Song Linsheng curled his knuckles slightly and tapped the table, listening to Wen Yu and Mu Tong talking back and forth without saying a word.
It seems that as long as Madam Wen is around, there are no mountains that cannot be climbed and no obstacles that cannot be overcome.
As long as Madam Wen wants to do it, she can definitely do it.
The corners of Song Linsheng's lips curled slightly, and he seemed unaware that he had already developed a sense of "proud".
"While recruiting the people is conservative, suppressing the bandits is radical." Wen Yu paused. "The government's actions have thoroughly angered Cheng Lian, leading him to take such a risk that he even contemplated holding the city's residents hostage in order to force the government to withdraw its troops."
Wen Yu was not very worldly-wise and had little experience in Taoism, but he understood that the old and weak were easy to control, while soldiers and officials were difficult to resist.
Cheng Lian's move was just a gamble to win big with a small investment, betting that the government wouldn't dare take the risk. However...
"It's just that he obviously made a wrong bet." Wen Yu had just finished speaking when Mu Tong, who was standing beside him, continued, "If he had won the bet, he wouldn't have been able to successfully suppress the bandits and receive such a promotion."
Wen Yu nodded in agreement. "I never thought that the Lord would act decisively and personally lead a group of officers and soldiers to attack Cheng Lian's lair. Meanwhile, another group of skilled watermen took advantage of the situation and boarded the cargo ship where Cheng Lian hid the hostages."
No matter how brave Cheng Lian was, he was just a rough guy. How could he compete with those who were well-versed in military tactics? How could his makeshift team be a match for the officers and soldiers who had received formal training?
"After a fierce struggle, the hostages were rescued, and Cheng Lian's accomplices were mostly apprehended, making it impossible for them to cause any more trouble."
"This is a blessing for Jiangyang Prefecture, and a great opportunity for the imperial court to show its power. As a result, this person, who had just taken office, was promoted to the position of Jiangyang Prefecture's co-governor."
"This Tongzhi Lord, for a time, became extremely famous and enjoyed unparalleled fame..."
This coincided with what Mu Tong had found out from the files, and they just proved each other. Song Linsheng spoke at the right time, he wanted to make the fire burn more vigorously.
"If that's the case, Cheng Lian should have been imprisoned and tried long ago. Why is he showing up in Jiangyang now?"
He asked Wen Yu questions, but his eyes did not look at her, but were fixed on Lord Jia who was sitting opposite him.
"I'm afraid I can only ask the lord who experienced it at the time, who later became the Tongzhi, about this matter. What do you think—"
"Master Jia?"
As soon as Wen Yu said this, in addition to Song Linsheng, Mu Tong on the side also turned his gaze to Lord Jia who was sitting opposite him.
There was endless silence again.
Occasionally, the night wind blew through the window, and Wen Yu felt a chill on her shoulders. She looked out in the direction of the wind.
This silence is just like the night outside the window, so thick that it cannot be dissolved. However, the sky will eventually dawn, but no one knows when Lord Jia's silence will end.
At this moment, retorting or losing your temper would seem to be a joke.
Jia Ren just sat there quietly, as leisurely as before.
At first, what Wen Niang said made him feel like a raging fire, but as the night wind blew, his heart gradually calmed down.
"Did he tell you that?"
Jia Ren's question disrupted Wen Yu's flow of words. She had imagined countless possibilities to describe how Lord Jia would react when he heard her words, but she had not expected him to say such a thing out of the blue.
"What do you mean by that?" Wen Yu asked. He? Was he referring to Cheng Lian?
"Oh." Jia Ren chuckled, but he didn't know if he was laughing at Wen Yu or at himself. "Madam Wen, why are you saying these unfounded words?"
"I am not the Tongzhi you are talking about. You are asking the wrong person."
He emphasized the words "no evidence" so strongly that even Wen Yu could hear the subtext.
"You--" Wen Yu subconsciously wanted to step forward, but after taking only half a step, she suppressed her anger and stopped. She couldn't panic.
"What I just said is all Cheng Lian's confession." Wen Yu clenched his fists and hid them in his sleeves. "In other words, I originally had evidence."
But her witness died today under Jia Ren's arrow.
But Jia Ren shot the arrow to save her!
Wen Yu didn't know what to do for a moment.
The situation was deadlocked and stalemated.
"Cough——" A light cough was heard, and Wen Yu turned around and saw that it was Song Linsheng.
He glanced at Mu Tong, who was standing beside him. Mu Tong immediately understood and said leisurely, "It's not without evidence."
"All officials in the government office are recorded in a book according to the law. As long as we find that book, we will know whether Lord Jia is the former Tongzhi Lord."
Having said that, he and his group all knew in their hearts that Lord Jia was almost certainly the Tongzhi Lord back then, but they still needed some "evidence".
"This is not difficult. I have sent Xiyan to get it." Song Linsheng said with a faint smile.
Lord Jia, who was sitting opposite him, gave an ambiguous smile and leaned back in his chair, having been leaning slightly forward.
"The Ministry of Finance is quite far from my position as the Vice-Minister of the Court. I hope your men will go there and come back quickly."
But I'm afraid it's just like looking at flowers in the mirror or the moon in the water, it's all in vain.
He had already torn off the page about him in the record book and hid it away, so Song Linsheng would definitely not find it. Now Song Linsheng's men went to the Ministry of Finance, but they found nothing.
Song Linsheng raised his eyebrows, knowing what Master Jia was thinking without hesitation. However, he did not directly point it out, but just pretended to be surprised and replied;
"Thank you for your concern, sir, but I don't want to wash the inkstone in the government office." Song Linsheng paused, and a feeling that his words were finite but his meaning was infinite immediately arose.
Jia Ren's body stiffened for a moment, then he relaxed a little, but now he felt as if he was sitting on pins and needles - wasn't this the government office?
"The inkstone is in the courtyard behind the master. It's only about a hundred steps away, right?" Song Linsheng nodded. "I think he'll be back soon."
After hearing this, Wen Yu and Song Linsheng looked at each other. She and Song Linsheng had checked the scrolls in the Palace Museum together, so they naturally knew that there was nothing in the Palace Museum. But what was there in Lord Jia's yard?
Wen Yu was a little confused.
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