Chapter 274
"Elder Mr. Qiu, what do you think of this matter?" Magistrate Zhu said with a fawning smile, looking obsequiously at Qiu Zongxi.
This young girl spoke eloquently, but after all, she was just a girl. Even if she was royalty, all important matters were decided by men. When the girl packed up and returned to the capital, what would happen to him, who had offended the Zhenbian Marquis Manor? He couldn't possibly chase after the girl to the capital.
Zhan Feiyu looked speechlessly at Magistrate Zhu, who was seeking a definitive answer. Well, this was a case of a smooth talker who couldn't get things done!
"Magistrate Zhu, if you are afraid, you can send people to investigate the case and find the murderer, and then you will have no worries," Elder Mr. Qiu sneered, refusing to engage further. If he had the ability, he should investigate thoroughly!
Magistrate Zhu's face instantly fell. He wished he could shrink into a tortoise. How could he, a minor official, contend with the Zhenbian Marquis Manor?
As for investigating the case? Magistrate Zhu looked at the eight corpses on the straw mats, then glared fiercely at Constable Luo, who was cowering to the side. He had originally intended to find a ruffian to scare Yang Xu and give the Zhenbian Marquis Manor an explanation. How did it turn into a murder case with eight deaths? Useless!
Constable Luo, who was being scapegoated, lowered his head, without any thought of retaliation.
When he learned that Yang Xu had gone to the Zhao family and had spent money to get the Baozi Xi Shi out, Constable Luo knew that Yang Xu intended to reopen the old case and deal with him. Therefore, he found several ruffians to watch outside the Qiu residence. As expected, Yang Xu went to Aozi Village yesterday after a whole day of snow.
Coupled with the urgent demands from the Marquis Manor, Constable Luo reported to Magistrate Zhu, gathered a group of ruffians, more than a dozen or twenty people, and ambushed Yang Xu on the official road.
Constable Luo had intended for Yang Xu to accidentally kill someone. This way, he could take Yang Xu to the yamen and fulfill the Marquis Manor's request. On the other hand, once Yang Xu killed someone, he would have leverage over him. Constable Luo was not worried about Yang Xu secretly dealing with him by reopening old cases.
But Constable Luo never expected eight people to die at once. Moreover, when he rushed to the official road with constables, Yang Xu and his party had already left. Since he didn't catch anyone at the scene, it was difficult to threaten Yang Xu.
"Since Your Excellency does not wish to investigate, why not let the Imperial Guards come to Xiangwu County?" Zhan Feiyu suggested with a smile, her attitude so amiable that she seemed unwilling to cause trouble for Magistrate Zhu.
"Imperial Guards?" Magistrate Zhu's lips trembled. His plump body shook. Suddenly, he felt that this fair-skinned young girl was more terrifying than the fierce guards of the Marquis Manor.
Zhan Feiyu nodded. "Yes, otherwise why do you think Commander Wu left Stone Village in such a dejected manner?"
Constable Luo, who had been acting like a quail, suddenly looked up. So that was it! It was the Imperial Guards. No wonder Commander Wu's face had changed greatly at that time.
At this moment, Constable Luo felt that the slap he received was not undeserved. A noble person had hit him, which meant that the matter was settled. If he hadn't acted, the reckoning in the autumn would have been even more terrifying.
"Miss is joking. How would I dare to disturb the Imperial Guards..." Magistrate Zhu couldn't even speak clearly. His ruddy face was now ashen. "Thank you for your kindness, Miss. I will be a witness today."
Seeing Zhan Feiyu nod, Magistrate Zhu finally felt his scattered souls return. How could he dare to play both sides? He quickly walked to the table beside him, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and without even looking at the contents of the eight deeds, he quickly wrote his name on the lower right corner. Fearing that Zhan Feiyu might still be unsatisfied, he even took out his personal seal and stamped it.
"Then let it be. However, since there was a murder case, Magistrate Zhu should still pay more attention. If the villain is not apprehended, and this spreads, a charge of misgovernance will be imposed. I believe Your Excellency cannot bear it," Zhan Feiyu said lightly, leaving behind a threatening remark, and directly led He Sheng and He Nuan towards the main entrance.
The relatives of the eight deceased had already received one hundred taels of silver notes. Seeing Magistrate Zhu bowing and fawning over Zhan Feiyu, they naturally did not dare to cause trouble. They quickly called their family members to carry the corpses away.
A moment later, at the county yamen.
"Your Excellency, how could this be?" Advisor He Xuezhi was stunned. His hand trembled, and he pulled off two strands of his mustache. But he didn't care about the pain now. He quickly asked, "Your Excellency, the attackers are likely people from the Zhenbian Marquis Manor. If Your Excellency investigates?"
"Shut up, do you think I don't know?" Magistrate Zhu angrily slammed the table. He had been subservient to Zhan Feiyu, but when he returned to the county yamen, he was the supreme ruler. He cursed He Xuezhi with spittle flying everywhere, "She is someone who can command the Imperial Guards. How many heads do you think I have to lose?"
The more he thought about it, the angrier Magistrate Zhu became. He roared at the door, "Tell Luo Shunxiang to get in here! Day after day, you can't do anything right. What's the use of me raising you useless gluttons!"
After a long while, not only Constable Luo arrived, but also the county yamen's registrar, county captain, and others. If Magistrate Zhu was unhappy, those under him could not expect to be at peace.
"Your Excellency, when I arrived yesterday, Yang Xu and his party had already left. There were only some bloodstains left at the scene," Constable Luo recounted the entire incident in detail. "After I returned, I went to Hu Shan's house. Although he was stabbed twice, his vital points were not injured. The others had similar injuries. I don't know why Hu Shan and the other seven died unnaturally this morning."
Even though Magistrate Zhu was incompetent and corrupt, he was still a scholar and had a brain. If Yang Xu didn't kill them, then the Zhenbian Marquis Manor did, with the intention of framing Yang Xu. Of course, the ultimate intention was to deal with General Yang and Yang Shoucheng.
Both sides were formidable ancestors, and they could not afford to offend either! Magistrate Zhu was overwhelmed with a headache, and so were the others. They thought that Xiangwu County, this barren land, was just a place to earn a salary, but who knew it would attract such great trouble.
Magistrate Zhu snorted angrily, glaring at them. "Raise troops for a thousand days and use them for a moment. Are you all mute now? What use do I have for you?"
Let alone being scolded a few times, even if Magistrate Zhu put a knife to their necks, they would be helpless. Someone who could command the Imperial Guards must be royalty!
One was the Zhenbian Marquis Manor, which controlled the Longyou Dao. They were like local emperors. They were just minor officials in the Xiangwu County yamen. They were nothing. To put it bluntly, they had to nod and bow to the steward of the Marquis Manor.
He Xuezhi tugged at his mustache. In the face of absolute power, all calculations were in vain. "Your Excellency, since the noble person asked Your Excellency to investigate thoroughly, why doesn't Your Excellency personally go to the Dong family's courtyard?"
After Zhang Yiyi failed to show off her familial affection to Yang Xu, she did not leave but stayed at the second courtyard in the South Gate owned by the merchant Dong family. Previously, the orders from the Zhenbian Marquis Manor were also conveyed through Zhang Yiyi's letters.
He Xuezhi's suggestion was merely to pass the hot potato back to Zhang Yiyi. Those were the Imperial Guards, and it was estimated that the Zhenbian Marquis Manor would not dare to act rashly.
"Your Excellency, I think this is feasible," the registrar echoed. Anyway, they did not dare to provoke them. Besides, this was originally a matter between the Zhenbian Marquis Manor and the Yang family. They were just minor characters caught in the middle, suffering from both sides.
Magistrate Zhu remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "Someone, prepare the sedan chair."
...
Yang Xu thought Zhan Feiyu was pampered, while Zhang Yiyi had lived a life of luxury and comfort in the Marquis Manor for several years. In terms of pampering and enjoyment, she was definitely no less than him.
At this moment, a charcoal brazier was burning in the room, and the faint scent of sandalwood permeated the air. Coupled with the aroma of tea on the table, the mixture created a comfortable, drowsy feeling.
"Madam, those people have already carried the corpses to the Qiu residence," Lian'er said while massaging Zhang Yiyi's shoulders, her disdain and contempt unconcealed. They were just lowly commoners, driven by profit. How could they care about the death of a family member? As long as they could extort money, they would surely make a fuss. It was estimated that by tomorrow, the news would spread throughout Xiangwu County.
Zhang Yiyi was dozing with her eyes half-closed. Since arriving in Xiangwu County, everything had been going wrong. Fortunately, she had finally found a breakthrough. "Xu'er is my son after all. He is unrighteous, but I, as his mother, cannot be unrighteous. Go to the yamen again later. Xu'er can go to prison, but he absolutely cannot have any charges."
Zhang Yiyi just wanted to find a legitimate reason to arrest Yang Xu. This way, she would not be afraid that the Yang family father and son would not agree to her demands. Of course, she also knew that her future depended on Yang Xu, so arresting him was acceptable, but he absolutely could not be convicted.
"Madam is benevolent and kind. This servant has noted it. Young Master Xu will surely understand Madam's good intentions in the future," Lian'er said flatteringly. "But I wonder if that old Mr. Qiu will interfere?"
The Yang family had lived peacefully in Stone Village for these years, and even when they offended the local tyrant Constable Luo before, nothing happened. All of this was due to Qiu Zongxi's protection.
And if Yang Xu were to have an accident this time, the Yang family father and son were still criminals. Naturally, they were not to be feared. Only Qiu Zongxi was an unpredictable factor. If he intervened forcefully, even the prefect would have to show him some respect, let alone the incompetent Magistrate Zhu.
Thinking of Qiu Zongxi, Zhang Yiyi's beautiful face suddenly darkened. Her voice was still soft and pleasant, but her words carried a cold, overbearing tone. "If he dares to interfere in the affairs of the Zhenbian Marquis Manor, the Marquis will surely handle it."
In Longyou Dao, losing a person or two was very common. Zhang Yiyi, as the Zhenbian Marquis's confidante, knew clearly that although the Marquis appeared upright and heroic, he secretly kept assassins to eliminate his opponents. It was a pity that the real military power in Longyou Dao was still in the hands of the Holy Emperor. The Marquis, fearing the Holy Emperor, dared not act overtly, so the results had been minimal in recent years.
"Madam, Magistrate Zhu is here to visit." Outside the door, the maid's report sounded.
Zhang Yiyi opened her eyes, and Lian'er stopped massaging her. "Madam, is Magistrate Zhu here to ask for a reward?"
"Let's go and see first." Zhang Yiyi stood up, tidied her hair in the bronze mirror, then put on her fox fur cloak and walked out the door with Lian'er's support.
In the reception hall, the maids served tea and waited quietly. Magistrate Zhu had been tossed around all morning and had been憋屈 all morning. He had no intention of drinking tea and kept looking towards the door.
As soon as Zhang Yiyi entered, seeing Magistrate Zhu's anxious appearance, her heart skipped a beat. However, she maintained her composure. "Magistrate Zhu."
"Madam Zhang, please forgive my presumptuous visit," Magistrate Zhu said. Even though he disliked Zhang Yiyi, who caused him trouble, he could only suppress his annoyance and exchange pleasantries, thinking that she was the Zhenbian Marquis's confidante.
After Zhang Yiyi took her seat in the main position, Magistrate Zhu immediately stated his purpose, eager to pass this troublesome matter back to Zhang Yiyi. "Madam, I am also powerless. The families of those eight deceased did not file a complaint with the yamen. Moreover, since a murder case has occurred, I need to send constables to investigate. But once I investigate..."
The Zhenbian Marquis Manor had meticulously planned to have Constable Luo lead the constables to catch Yang Xu "red-handed." This way, there would be a reason to bring Yang Xu back to the yamen for questioning.
However, Qiu Jinyu and his party suddenly interfered, causing the fight to be two quarters of an hour faster than expected. Therefore, when Constable Luo and his men arrived, apart from the bloodstains left on the ground, there was not a shadow of anyone.
"Your Excellency means the Qiu residence?" Zhang Yiyi's hand in her sleeve suddenly clenched. It was the Qiu residence again that ruined her plans!
Although Qiu Zongxi lived in Xiangwu County, his residence had only about twenty people in total, including maids, servants, and guards. Yang Xu took at most seven or eight people when he went out. Constable Luo's side first dispatched nearly twenty ruffians, and then the Marquis Manor sent twenty more people. It was supposed to be foolproof.
Moreover, to avoid being implicated, the Marquis Manor would immediately return to Xiangwu County after success and would not report back to Zhang Yiyi, thus clearing their relationship. This also led to Zhang Yiyi not knowing that people from the Qiu residence had appeared yesterday.
Magistrate Zhu was, after all, a county magistrate. Qiu Jinyu and his party stayed in the Qiu residence, but the remaining dozens of people almost filled the inns in Xiangwu County. Magistrate Zhu sent people to investigate, and from the鏢師 (bodyguards), he also learned of Qiu Jinyu's identity.
"Yes, he is the young master of the third branch of the Qiu family from Qianzhong Dao. He has already achieved the title of Xiucai in this year's imperial examinations, and he is also the rare Xiao Sanyuan. Young Master Qiu came to Xiangwu County to visit Elder Mr. Qiu and happened to see the fight on the official road, so he lent a helping hand." This help disrupted Zhang Yiyi's plan to frame Yang Xu.
As for why Qiu Jinyu chose to help Yang Xu, firstly, Yang Xu was young, and secondly, those ruffians looked like bad people. A scholar like Qiu Jinyu would naturally draw his sword to help those in distress.
No matter how angry she was, it was useless now. Zhang Yiyi picked up her teacup and took two sips of tea, finally calming her anger. She looked at Magistrate Zhu, who wanted to shirk his responsibility. "Magistrate Zhu, are you going to defect? It seems that the Zhenbian Marquis Manor is not as important as the Qiu family of Qianzhong Dao in Your Excellency's eyes."
No woman is good, whether young or old! Magistrate Zhu was so angry that he almost cursed, but looking at the noble and extraordinary Zhang Yiyi, he could only suppress his anger and explain with a smile, "Madam, you misunderstand. It's not that I'm not helping, but that I am powerless."
The Qiu family was in Qianzhong Dao, thousands of miles away. Compared to the Zhenbian Marquis Manor, they were indeed not to be feared. But when he thought of Zhan Feiyu's identity and her ability to mobilize the Imperial Guards, Magistrate Zhu would not dare to help the Marquis Manor deal with Yang Xu even if he had the courage of a leopard.
Before Zhang Yiyi could say anything more, there was a sudden commotion outside.