Regarding this matter, Liang Quanbin was dismissive.
Xiao Tingyi had been spirited and intolerant of any slight in his youth. How had his spirit been eroded by these years of illness?
A mere merchant family, in the eyes of people like them, was nothing more than a tool for a warning.
Did he care about such things?
Changing his tune, he said, "Your Highness, you may not know, but the Zhu family has been secretly colluding with nobles in the capital. Relying on their official positions, they have been quietly embezzling a considerable amount of official grain. I discovered this matter when I first arrived in Jinling City. Unfortunately, the mastermind behind it was not apprehended, which is why I decided to make an example of the Zhu family, to deter those who engage in wicked deeds."
Having served as Prince Ding for many years, living in seclusion and recuperating in Dongdu City, he was naturally unaware of the affairs in Jinling City, and thus fabricated this story on the spot.
As expected, upon hearing his words, Prince Ding's expression changed slightly.
"Embezzling official grain?"
"Precisely! When I sent people to seal the Zhu family's assets, I stumbled upon clues. Unfortunately, Zhu Hong and Huo Chong learned of it in advance and destroyed a great deal of evidence. The official grain has long since been transferred, and I do not know where it has gone."
He was quite adept at shifting blame.
Prince Ding fell silent. In Liang Quanbin's eyes, this silence was a good sign, indicating that he was seriously considering his words.
Seizing the opportunity, he presented further "evidence" and declared righteously, "This was retrieved from the Zhu family's secret chamber. Your Highness, please take a look!"
On it were densely written records of the amounts of official grain they had embezzled over the years.
As Prince Ding read, he realized that Liang Quanbin had put considerable effort into this. All the evidence of the Zhu family's crimes had been meticulously gathered and sent to him by Chi Zimo before their downfall. This current ledger was undoubtedly fabricated by Liang Quanbin.
Having served in the Dali Temple for many years and handled no less than ten thousand cases, fabricating false evidence to frame the Zhu family was not a difficult task for him.
Therefore, with a darkened expression, feigning anger, Prince Ding looked at Liang Quanbin and said,
"The Zhu family is so audacious! Lord Liang, why do you not issue an order to apprehend all those involved?"
Upon hearing Prince Ding's words, Liang Quanbin could finally begin his "plea."
"Your Highness, it is not that I am unwilling to act, but that Patriarch Chi has gone too far. Not only did he send people to assault my investigators, but he also threatened that if I continued my unchecked searches in Jinling City, I would face dire consequences. As you know, I have little influence in court. My ability to come to Jinling City this time is entirely due to His Majesty's grace. Being suppressed by the Chi family, a local power, I am truly willing but unable."
He then proceeded to sow discord, suggesting that the Min family and Prince Ding would be best suited to deal with the Chi family.
One had deep roots in this region, while the other commanded significant military forces in the southwest. Their influence far surpassed his own.
"The Chi family?"
"Yes."
Seeing that Prince Ding remained silent, Liang Quanbin struck while the iron was hot, "Although there is no concrete evidence, my intuition tells me that the Chi family is inextricably linked to the embezzlement. Everyone knows they have the power to control everything in Jinling City, and they are related by marriage to the Zhu family. It is possible they are all accomplices, which is why the Chi family is so protective of Huo Chong."
With his glib tongue, he managed to connect the dots with ease.
If his audience were not Prince Ding, he might have succeeded in deceiving them.
Xiao Tingyi nodded, his hand gripping a jade toad. This jade toad had been given to him by the elder Mr. Min upon his arrival in Jinling City.
It was said to be warm in winter and cool in summer, capable of alleviating his summer heat ailment.
After rubbing it back and forth for a while, Liang Quanbin, seated below, began to feel uneasy.
What did this mean?
Was he not agreeing, nor denying?
He replayed his words in his mind. There was no error, which only fueled his anxiety.
He had never interacted with Prince Ding before. If it weren't for the Zhulong Pill he had offered to cure Prince Ding, he wouldn't even have been able to enter the Min family's doors, let alone speak to him like this.
After an indeterminate amount of time, during which fine beads of sweat appeared on Liang Quanbin's forehead, Xiao Tingyi slowly spoke.
"If that is the case, then Lord Liang, you may proceed with apprehending them without restraint. As for the Chi family, I will speak to them myself."
Liang Quanbin was overjoyed. With this powerful figure shielding him, he was no longer afraid. He quickly nodded in agreement.
He left the Min residence with a cheerful demeanor and headed straight for the Directorate of Military Affairs, then turned and rushed towards the Naval Camp.
Since Prince Ding had vouched for him, he was determined to capture Huo Chong this time and round up all the remaining remnants of the Zhu family.
Otherwise, the weeds would grow back after the fire, and spring would bring them anew!
Leaving behind future trouble would be problematic.
He hurried out, unaware that Prince Ding, watching his retreating back, regarded him as if he were already dead.
Xu Lin and Su Cheng emerged from the shadows and knelt before Prince Ding, saying, "We shall not fail Your Highness's command."
With that, the two, along with some hidden guards, quietly departed.
Meanwhile, before Liang Quanbin even reached the Naval Camp, as he passed a lively tavern, several masked men in black appeared and descended upon him, attacking with lethal intent, leaving him no room to breathe.
Sitting in his carriage, listening to the sounds of fighting outside, Liang Quanbin felt a pang of fear for the first time.
He did not know martial arts, so escape was futile. Moreover, this was a busy street; even if he wanted to escape, he doubted he could.
Fortunately, he always traveled with a large entourage, each member skilled in combat, which should have protected him.
However, to his surprise, after only a brief exchange of blows, his men were already half-dead. The leader of the black-clad assailants shouted, "Your life!" and pointed his sword at Liang Quanbin's head.
Terrified, he leaped out of the carriage, nearly breaking his leg.
Even so, he could not evade the man's sword.
With a *thud*, the sword pierced his body. Liang Quanbin felt a sharp pain as a bloody hole appeared on his right shoulder.
Wincing in pain, he saw the attacker preparing to strike again and immediately shouted,
"I am a second-rank official! How dare you attempt to assassinate the Inspector of the Grand Canal in broad daylight? Are you tired of living?"
The masked assailant spat and said fiercely,
"Bah! When you slaughtered my entire Zhu family, you should have foreseen this outcome!"
"You are Huo Chong!"
Liang Quanbin finally realized that falling into his hands meant his life was likely forfeit.
The sword flashed coldly, once again aimed at his chest. Liang Quanbin thought he was about to meet his end when, halfway through, another rescuer appeared.
A silver spear blocked the deadly sword and even used the momentum to deflect it.
The black-clad assailant, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the silver spear, was nearly injured.
"Nephew!"
Liang Quanbin was overjoyed, feeling the elation of surviving a near-death experience.
Feng Jinlin was truly his lucky star, saving him from peril for the second time.