Chapter 356: Qinhuai Tower
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Grand Secretary Shen was dead.
...
He was shot in the chest and fell into the grand canal of Jinghang. There was no news.
When the news reached the palace, Emperor Jingchen almost fainted!
"This, this is impossible!" Emperor Jingchen could not believe it.
How could Shen Yao die just like that?
"Your Majesty, I heard that the news has already reached the Shen family..." Eunuch Wan, who was serving the emperor, carefully considered the emperor's expression and asked softly.
"No, that's impossible!" Emperor Jingchen immediately shook his head. "With Shen Yao's ability, nothing will happen to him. Something must have gone wrong!"
On the other side, Zhao Lanhua, who had received the bad news, had also fainted.
The huge Shen residence was in chaos.
The Princess Imperial's residence.
Upon learning that Ji Zhao insisted on going to Jiangnan alone, Princess Kang Le hurriedly stopped her!
"No!" Princess Kang Le waved her hands. "Zhaozhao, don't you know how dangerous Jiangnan is?"
"Mother, I'm going to bring Shen Yao home," Ji Zhao, who was kneeling on the ground, said with a determined gaze.
"Zhaozhao, I know you're sad, but... but you still have Kang'er. How can you not think about Kang'er?" Princess Kang Le persuaded anxiously. "Since this news was sent back by Qin Minghong, it must be true. You..."
"Mother, he promised me that he would return safely," Ji Zhao said firmly. "Zhaozhao, why... why are you so stubborn?"
Ji Zhao pursed her lips and remained silent.
Shen Yao was her husband. Before seeing his corpse with her own eyes, she would not believe this so-called grievous news.
The next day, in the palace.
Emperor Jingchen looked at Ji Zhao's determined expression and suddenly couldn't say the words he wanted to persuade her.
"I will send a team of imperial guards to protect you." After a moment of silence, Emperor Jingchen said with a complicated expression, "Shen Yao is my right arm. I don't believe that anything has happened to him, but if something has really happened to him..."
"That won't happen," Ji Zhao interrupted him forcefully.
Eunuch Wan's eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
This Madam Shen was quite bold. She actually dared to interrupt His Majesty!
"He'll be fine." Ji Zhao emphasized again. "Hl have to trouble Your Majesty to prepare an entry badge for me."
"Okay."
Two days later, Ji Zhao went to see Zhao Lanhua before she left.
"Ah Tao." Zhao Lanhua looked at her and cried sadly. "Although I don't believe that something has happened to Third Brother, I don't want you to take the risk. Ah Tao, you... you shouldn't go to Jiangnan, okay? What if something happens to you? What will Kang'er do?"
"Mother." Ji Zhao held her hand and said with a faint smile, "Have you forgotten? I dream. If something really happened to Shen Yao, I'll definitely dream of it! Mother, don't let your imagination run wild. Hurry up and recuperate. Get well soon and help me take care of Kang'er. Don't worry, I'll definitely bring Shen Yao back!"
On the eighth of April, Ji Zhao disguised herself and took a detour back to Dingyuan County.
Then, she changed to the waterway and traveled south along the canal. Finally, she arrived at Yangzhou before the Dragon Boat Festival.
When Ji Zhao appeared in front of him, Qin Minghong rubbed his eyes in disbelief. In the end, he was extremely worried. "You! How can you mess around like this? Do you know how dangerous the situation in Yangzhou is now? How dare you barge in alone? Do you want to die?"
"I'm here to look for my husband," Ji Zhao said concisely.
At this moment, Qin Minghong felt a dull pain in his heart.
"Shen Yao fell into a trap to save me..." The grief-stricken Qin Minghong covered his eyes in pain and sobbed.
After he calmed down, Ji Zhao asked in a low voice, "Big Brother Qin, what exactly happened?"
"In Jinling City, not far from Yangzhou, there is a famous Qinhuai Tower." Qin Minghong, who had calmed down, recounted the situation from before. "Ever since I came to Yangzhou, I have been secretly investigating the salt tax case. Later on, with the help of the Cao Gang, I finally found some clues. Most of the officials in Jiangnan liked to go to Qinhuai Tower to listen to music, and there is a famous Lady Liu in Qinhuai Tower. She is the confidante of the Jiangnan salt trader, Lin Zhixuan. Therefore, I want to follow this clue of Qinhuai Tower to continue investigating."
On the surface, Qinhuai Tower was a brothel, but in reality, it was also a gambling den.
People with a net worth of less than 500 taels of silver were not qualified to enter the gambling den. However, 500 taels of silver was just a drop in the bucket for Qin Minghong.
"There are a total of seven floors in Qinhuai Tower. The lowest price on the first floor is 500 taels of silver, and each floor is ten times higher. And so on and so forth. Only on the seventh floor can I see that Lady Liu," Qin Minghong said with a frown. "Fortunately, my gambling luck is not bad. I won all the way to the sixth floor, but when I reached the sixth floor, I lost completely. Not only did 1 lose all the money I had won, but I also gained a lot of interest. I owe Qinhuai Tower a total of 6,530,000 taels of silver..."
"In other words, Qinhuai Tower is a casino that only enters but never leaves?" Ji Zhao narrowed her eyes and seemed to be deep in thought. "What happened after that? What happened after Shen Yao rushed over?"
"After Shen Yao came, I told him about this matter. Hence, we set up a trap together and sealed off Qinhuai Tower." Qin Minghong frowned and said, "On the second day after Qinhuai Tower was sealed off, someone handed us a letter. After that, we went to the appointment."
"Actually, Shen Yao had already expected that it would be an ambush, but with the mentality of taking a gamble, I... I insisted on going to the appointment, but in the end, I fell into the enemy's trap. In order to save me, Shen Yao was stabbed in the heart by the enemy's arrow and fell into the Grand Canal. He disappeared without a trace..."
Embarrassed, Qin Minghong silently covered his face. "Ah Tao, I've let you down!"
"Where did Shen Yao go missing?" Ji Zhao, who had calmed down, asked in a low voice.
"On a pleasure boat adjacent to Qinhuai Tower. I've already led people to search for an entire month, but there arc still no clues. It wasn't until a few days ago that someone said that they saw Shen Yao in Yangzhou City that I came back." Qin Minghong hurriedly explained, "Ah Tao, I... I've really let you down. Why don't you hit me? You can scold me, but don't be so calm..."
"Brother Qin, assemble a group of people for me. They don't need to be too strong. Ten people are enough," Ji Zhao said softly.
"Ah Tao, what... what are you doing?"
Ji Zhao smiled and didn't say anything. She turned around and left the teahouse. She mounted her horse and rushed towards Jinling.
Jinling City, where the lanterns were lit, was a place of luxury.
On the banks of the Qinhuai River, there was soft words and gentle laughter
All kinds of pleasure boats floated on the Qinhuai River, forming a beautiful scenery.
Among them, the most eye-catching was the seven-story Qinhuai Tower.
Ji Zhao, who had changed into a male outfit, stuck a fake Adam's apple on her neck and covered her ear piercings. She strode onto the deck of the pleasure boat..
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Chapter 357: How?
Translator: Henyee Translations
Editor: Henyee Translations
...
Ji Zhao was very generous. Even after losing three rounds in a row, she did not even frown.
By the fifth inning, her luck had started to change.
As she continued to win, the chips in her hands increased. In the end, she successfully reached the sixth level.
The manager of Qinhuai Tower, Madam Lou, who was known as a flower in her middle years, swayed her slender waist and gracefully walked in front of Ji Zhao. She winked at Ji Zhao. "May I know your name, Young Master? Which girl are you visiting Qinhuai Tower for today?"
"Mother Lou, are you asking the obvious?" Ji Zhao chuckled. The emotions in his words were unfathomable. "I came all the way to Qinhuai Tower to catch a glimpse of Lady Liu's charm. Mother Lou, don't tell me you don't even have this bit of judgment?"
Ji Zhao smiled and boldly picked up a stack of banknotes and handed it to Mother Lou.
At a rough estimate, it was at least 10,000 taels.
Wealth moved people's hearts. Mother Lou did not expect this young and handsome young man to be so forthright. She immediately smiled until her teeth could not be seen. "Young Master is magnanimous. It's just that Lady Liu is the signboard of our Qinhuai Tower. If Young Master wants to meet her, you have to win a round."
"It's fine. Then let's play another round?" Ji Zhao patted her chest indifferently and said arrogantly, "I'm so poor that I only have money left. As long as I can see Lady Liu, so what if I go bankrupt?"
At this moment, Mother Lou smiled even more happily.
"If that's the case, I'll have to trouble Young Master to wait for a moment." Mother Lou smiled and put the stack of banknotes into her arms. She turned around and left with her graceful waist swaying.
About 15 minutes later, a veiled lady in white walked in.
"Young Master, it's different from the previous bets. This time, the winner will be decided in one go." The voice of the veiled woman was very clear. It was as mellow as an oriole's cry, making one feel charming and soft.
If Ji Zhao was a man, she would definitely be immersed in it.
"Oh?" Ji Zhao deliberately raised her eyebrows and said, "This is interesting. How do you want to compete?"
"A game of dice. It's up to the young master to decide whether the dice are bigger or smaller, is that alright?"
When the veiled woman heard Ji Zhao's voice, a trace of surprise flashed across her eyes, but she immediately restrained her emotions.
Why did Sister Ah Tao come to Qinhuai Tower?
"Then let's compete for small." Ji Zhao didn't hesitate to place all her chips on the place with the word 'big'.
"Alright, after you, Young Master."
Ji Zhao smiled slightly, shaking twice before letting go.
"Done."
"Young Master, are you sure?"
"Of course!"
The woman in white smiled and began to shake the bamboo tube in her hand.
A moment later, it stopped.
"Young Master, how do you plan to open it? Open it first, open it later, or open it at the same time."
"I'm not the type to dawdle. Let's open it together." Ji Zhao waved her hand indifferently.
The points on both sides appeared at the same time.
The three dice in front of the white-clothed woman actually gathered together. The number at the top was one.
As for Ji Zhao, the three dice in front of Ji Zhao had actually turned to ashes.
"Young Master has won." The white-robed woman breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled. "Young Master, follow me."
The seventh floor of Qinhuai Tower was where Lady Liu lived.
The entire floor was covered with red and white curtains.
The window was opened, and a cool breeze blew.
Ji Zhao frowned and looked at the woman in white in front of her. She frowned and asked, "Are you Lady Liu?"
The woman in white who was walking in front of her suddenly turned around. Ji Zhao subconsciously tightened her grip on the dagger at her waist.
Until she heard that familiar voice calling her Sister Ah Tao.
"And you are?"
The white-clothed woman in front of her slowly removed her veil, revealing a beautiful and enchanting little face.
Ji Zhao took a closer look and was completely stunned.
"Xuancao?"
The person in front of her looked exactly the same as Fan Xuancao!
Except for the enchanting red cinnabar mole between her eyebrows.
"It's me." Fan Xuancao nodded obediently and invited Ji Zhao to sit down. "I didn't expect Sister Ah Tao to still remember my appearance after so many years."
"Xuancao, what... what's going on? Didn't you go to seek refuge with your aunt? Why are you in Qinhuai Hall?"
"Sister Ah Tao, it's a long story." Fan Xuancao smiled helplessly. The bitterness hidden in her eyes was self-evident. "I have another identity now. I'm called Liu Ruxuan, and I'm also the top courtesan of Qinhuai Tower."
Ji Zhao never expected that the determined little girl back then would actually fall into a brothel.
"You... must have suffered a lot, right?" Ji Zhao looked at her eyes and her heart ached so much that her eyes turned red. "If we could have insisted on bringing you with us back then... you..."
"Sister Ah Tao, you're still so gentle and kind." Fan Xuancao interrupted her and said with a smile, "This is my life. You and Brother Shen are the only light that shines on my dark life. Moreover, this is not your fault, so you don't have to feel guilty."
"But..."
After talcing a sip of the fragrant jasmine tea, Fan Xuancao slowly said, "Sister Ah Tao, do you want to hear my story?"
"Okay."
It turned out that after Master Fan passed away, Fan Xuancao wanted to go to Suzhou to seek refuge with her aunt.
However, who would have thought that her aunt would die of an illness so early?
Her uncle had married a second wife and coveted Fan Xuancao's beauty, so he pretended to let Fan Xuancao stay in the residence.
One day, the drunk uncle almost bullied Fan Xuancao. Fan Xuancao kept resisting and barely escaped from the tiger's mouth.
However, her uncle's second wife refused to give up. Not only did she give Fan Xuancao a medicine for her to die, but she also sold her to Qinhuai Tower...
"Mother Lou is a money-grubber. When she saw that I was born with some beauty, she felt compassion for me." Fan Xuancao poured another cup of tea and sighed with emotion in a low voice." Gradually, my reputation grew bigger and bigger. Official Lin of the Jiangnan Salt Transportation Department felt that the songs I sang was especially good and wanted to protect me. Gradually, those thieves stopped seeing me. In addition, Official Lin realized that I was still a virgin and was even more excited. Gradually, I became his confidante."
Although Fan Xuancao's voice was extremely calm, Ji Zhao could still hear the bitterness hidden in it.
"Sister Ah Tao, don't look at me with such a sympathetic gaze. Actually, I'm doing quite well."
Ji Zhao could no longer hold back. She rushed forward and hugged her, silently comforting her.
Fan Xuancao did not cry that night when she suffered under Lin Zhixuan's arms.
After all, from the moment she was sold into Qinhuai Tower, she knew her fate.
She also knew that the reason why Mother Lou didn't ask her to serve guests early was because she had the mentality that a rare commodity was more valuable.
However, at this moment, when she was held in Sister Ah Tao's arms, Fan Xuancao suddenly could not suppress the grievance in the depths of her heart.
She cried silently, her tears drenching Ji Zhao's shoulders..
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Chapter 358: Ask a Tiger for Its Skin, I'm Afraid It Won't End Well
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"Sister Ah Tao, let's not talk about me anymore. Why did you come to Jinling?" After crying for a long time, Fan Xuancao felt much better. She looked at Ji Zhao and frowned worriedly, "Jinling City is full of people. It's not a place to stay for a long time."
...
"I know." Ji Zhao raised the back of her hand and wiped the tears off her face. She sighed softly and said, "I came to Jinling to look for Shen Yao."
"Brother Shen, he came to Jinling too?"
"A month ago, Shen Yao disappeared on the Qinhuai River."
"A month ago?" Fan Xuancao raised her eyebrows in confusion. Then, she suddenly looked up. "The person who was shot by Young Master Lin's arrow was Big Brother Shen?"
"Xuancao, were you there that day?"
"Yes..." At this moment, Fan Xuancao's entire body was trembling. "Sister Ah Tao, you should leave Jinling quickly. This is really not a place to stay for a long time!"
"Xuancao, did you see everything with your own eyes that day? Is Shen Yao really dead?"
"Sister Ah Tao, I don't know if Brother Shen is still alive, but if an ordinary person's heart is pierced, they will definitely die, right?" Fan Xuancao looked away guiltily and advised in a low voice, "Sister Ah Tao, the dead can't be revived. You... you have to move on."
Ji Zhao closed her eyes sadly.
Her body began to sway uncontrollably.
"No, he won't... He promised me that he would return home safely. He's not someone who goes back on his word!"
"Sister Ah Tao..."
Just as Fan Xuancao was about to persuade her, she heard a hurried knock on the door.
Her heart sank and she hurriedly opened the door.
"Mother Lou? What's going on?"
"Xuan'er, Official Lin wants to see you. It's urgent."
"But the guest inside—"
"It's fine. Leave it to me."
Fan Xuancao could only nod. Before she left, she secretly exchanged glances with Ji Zhao.
In the end, Ji Zhao, who 'couldn't handle alcohol', was arranged by Mother Lou to stay in another exquisite pleasure boat next to Qinhuai Tower.
"Get lost, all of you!" Ji Zhao scolded fiercely, then slammed the door shut.
Mother Lou shook her head in disappointment. She thought that this handsome young man was useful. Who would have thought that he would become like this after just two glasses of wine? It was really disappointing!
Ji Zhao sat upright on the soft couch, her eyes gradually turning from blurry to clear.
Meeting Fan Xuancao at Qinhuai Tower was indeed beyond her expectations.
However, whether Fan Xuancao's words were true or not remained to be verified.
Although she really sympathized with Fan Xuancao, but now that she was in Jinling city, where danger lurked everywhere, she really couldn't be sure if Fan Xuancao was a trustworthy person.
Now, she only hoped to find Shen Yao as soon as possible. That way, she would be satisfied.
What Ji Zhao did not expect was that Shen Yao was indeed not dead. In fact, he was in a residence not far from her.
Squeak-
Exhausted, Fan Xuancao returned to her residence and walked into the ear room.
It was only when the hot water covered her entire body that she gradually came back to her senses.
Thinking of Lin Zhixuan tonight, she felt so disgusted that she wanted to vomit.
She was really tired of such days. She wanted to be free as soon as possible.
However, she did not expect to meet Shen Yao and his wife again.
She was really grateful to them and really wanted to bring Shen Yao back.
An hour later, when the water in the bathtub was completely cold, Fan Xuancao put on a thin gauze dress and walked into the room next door.
By then, Shen Yao had already woken up.
However, his injuries were too serious, so he could not move.
"Brother Shen, are you feeling better today?" Fan Xuancao slowly approached and gently bit her red lips.
"Thank you for your concern. I'm much better." Shen Yao's tone was calm and emotionless.
Fan Xuancao looked at him in disappointment. "Brother Shen, are you blaming me in your heart?"
Shen Yao pursed his lips and remained silent.
The woman in front of him was no longer the lively and innocent junior sister from back then.
There was a strong scent of cosmetics on her body that made people subconsciously want to resist.
"Brother Shen, shall I help you apply the medicine?" Fan Xuancao pretended to be light-hearted and smiled.
"There's no need. I've already applied medicine myself."
"Brother Shen, do you have to keep me at arm's length?" Fan Xuancao cried pitifully. "I don't have any other intentions. I just hope that Brother Shen can recover as soon as possible..."
"Miss Fan." Shen Yao looked at her deeply. "I'm afraid you won't have a good ending if you ask a tiger for its skin."
"Does Brother Shen despise me for being a prostitute?" Fan Xuancao smiled bitterly. "But what's wrong with me? I'm just a woman. I was sold to a brothel. I once thought of escaping, but what happened in the end? It was a beating! Brother Shen, I don't think you've experienced it before. The scorching feeling of being whipped on the back with a leather whip dipped in salt water is so painful that it's suffocating..."
Shen Yao pursed his lips and closed his eyes gently.
Fan Xuancao suddenly moved closer, wanting to touch his lips—
"Brother Shen, as long as you're willing to make love to me once, I'll think of a way to contact Official Qin. What do you think?"
Shen Yao opened his eyes. The disgust in his eyes was self-evident.
"Brother Shen, are you unwilling?" Fan Xuancao was extremely disappointed. "Since Brother Shen is unwilling, I won't force you. After all, it's not sweet to force it."
"It's just that Brother Shen probably doesn't know yet, right? Today, I saw Sister Ah Tao."
Shen Yao suddenly widened his eyes and looked at her with a threatening gaze. "If anything happens to Zhaozhao, I won't let you off!"
"So Brother Shen isn't a cold-hearted person." Fan Xuancao found it extremely interesting when she saw him getting angry. "So Sister Ah Tao is really your weakness. I thought Brother Shen was invincible!"
"I don't know if Big Brother Shen has heard that Official Lin loves to dote on those beautiful women the most. Today, when I met Big Sister Ah Tao, I realized that Big Sister Ah Tao's looks are above mine!"
Shen Yao glared at her, his eyes almost popping out.
"If I introduce Sister Ah Tao to Official Lin, I wonder if something interesting will happen?"
"Don't you dare!"
"Brother Shen, are you threatening me?" Fan Xuancao pretended to be terrified and covered her chest. "Brother Shen, don't be so rough. I can't take a scare!" "Brother Shen, how about I give you one night to consider? As long as you agree to make love to me once, I'll bring Sister Ah Tao to see you. You won't lose out on this deal!"
Shen Yao glared at her fiercely and did not speak again.
On the other side, Ji Zhao, who had not dreamed for a long time, actually dreamed again.
This time, the dream was exceptionally clear.
She saw the heavily injured Shen Yao and the naked Fan Xuancao approaching him.
The moment she woke up from the dream, Ji Zhao was furious.
Bang!
The sleepy Fan Xuancao heard the bang and panicked.
When she saw the furious Ji Zhao, her mood miraculously calmed down.
"Sister Ah Tao, why are you here?"
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Chapter 359: Who Did She See?
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Ji Zhao sneered and approached her without hesitation. She raised her hand and gave her a loud slap!
...
"Who gave you the guts to hide my husband?"
"Sister Ah Tao? What are you talking about?" Panic flashed across Fan Xuancao's eyes. She covered her face and asked with tears in her eyes, "I know you look down on me, but no matter what, how could you... how could you hit me casually?"
"Hitting you will dirty my hands!"
Ji Zhao narrowed her eyes and sneered. Then, she attacked her face from both sides!
"Initially, on account of our past relationship, I sympathized with your plight. But now that I think about it, I feel that a person like you who degrades yourself is not worth mentioning!"
"I..." Fan Xuancao, whose face was covered in tears, looked at her in fear and unease. Her entire body was curled up into a ball because of fear. In the end, she actually fainted!
Soon, someone tied Fan Xuancao up!
Following the traces in her dream, Ji Zhao finally found Shen Yao.
"Zhaozhao?" The moment Shen Yao saw who it was, he thought he was dreaming.
"Shen Yao, I'm here." Ji Zhao smiled brightly at him.
"Fan Xuancao works for the Jiangnan salt trader, Lin Zhixuan. We can't stay here for long," Shen Yao said hurriedly. "Zhaozhao, leave quickly!"
"If you want to leave, let's leave together!" Ji Zhao carried him on her back and panted heavily. "Shen Yao, I know that doing this will definitely damage the wounds on your body, but we have no other way out now, so bear with it!"
Fortunately, Ji Zhao had brought a group of elite imperial guards with her this time.
With their help, Ji Zhao successfully took Shen Yao and Fan Xuancao away.
Considering Shen Yao's injuries, Ji Zhao did not leave Jinling directly. Instead, she rented a pleasure boat near Qinhuai Tower.
She fed Fan Xuancao medicine that temporarily made her lose her voice, making her weak and powerless.
Then, she began to treat Shen Yao's wounds wholeheartedly.
When she untied the blood-stained bandage around Shen Yao's chest, Ji Zhao suddenly felt tears well up in her eyes.
Her almond-shaped eyes, which had always been beautiful, were covered in a layer of mist.
"Zhaozhao?" Seeing her like this, Shen Yao's heart suddenly ached. "Don't be sad. I'm fine."
Ji Zhao pursed her lips and did not say anything. Instead, she picked up a sharp dagger soaked in alcohol and carefully cut open the layer of rotten flesh on his wound. Finally, she sprinkled special ointment on his wound and bandaged it again.
By the time he was done, a layer of sweat had already formed on Ji Zhao's forehead.
Crystalline sweat dripped onto the back of Shen Yao's hand, making his heart ache so much that he found it difficult to breathe.
"Zhaozhao, are you still angry?"
Ji Zhao took a deep breath, grabbed his arm, and bit him fiercely.
But when she saw the red bite mark on his arm, her heart ached even more.
"What exactly happened? How did you get injured? And Fan Xuancao, why did she secretly hide you?" Ji Zhao had too many questions in her heart.
"It's a long story..." Shen Yao frowned slightly and slowly explained what had happened during this period of time.
Emperor Jingchen had the intention of eradicating the corruption in the Jiangnan area. He had always wanted to find a suitable opportunity to enter the Jiangnan area. Through investigating the salt tax case, he would tear open the dark clouds that enveloped the Jiangnan area.
Coincidentally, Qin Minghong had handed over a secret memo. Nine out of ten officials in Jiangnan were corrupt, it was just a matter of how much.
After Emperor Jingchen ascended the throne, he had already stripped away the power of the aristocratic families and established his prestige. However, how could the corruption in the Great Jing Dynasty be resolved in a day or two? Therefore, Emperor Jingchen set his sights on the fat Jiangnan.
Emperor Jingchen's temperament was completely different from his brother, Emperor Jingyuan. Emperor Jingyuan was addicted to indulgence and pleasure. In the imperial court, he was even more cronyistic and close to the bad people while estranging the good ministers. As for the corruption and devastation hidden in the Great Jing Dynasty, he chose to believe that what he didn't see couldn't hurt him. However, Emperor Jingchen was determined to revitalize Anbang. The emperor's original intention was different, so his style of doing things was naturally different.
"Qin Minghong reported in a secret memorial that the people selling illicit salt in Jiangnan are colluding with officials. As for those people from the Cao Gang, although they help to maintain order on the canal, they can actually earn very little money. Moreover, they earn some hard labor money. Originally, the Cao Gang, the Yan family who sells illicit salt, and the officials from Jiangnan formed an extremely tacit situation and lived in harmony for many years. However, the taxes that Jiangnan pays to the imperial court every year are just a small amount that leaks out from between their fingers."
"It was only three months ago when a case appeared in Qinhuai Tower that the tacit understanding between the three was broken." Shen Yao sighed softly. "Cao Xinyue, the adopted daughter of the Cao Gang's head, died in Qinhuai Tower. Moreover, her corpse was naked and covered in whip marks. The coroner found that Cao Xinyue had been abused by many people before she died."
"As for Cao Xinyue, she was engaged to Lin Youyang, the son of Lin Zhixuan, the salt transporter from Jiangnan... Cao Xinyue died too tragically. Cao Meng, the head of the Cao Gang and Cao Xinyue's foster father, rushed into the Lin residence and broke Lin Youyang's leg. From then on, the situation in Jinling changed."
"Then, has the cause of Cao Xinyue's death been investigated? Why did she die in Qinhuai Tower?" Ji Zhao became more and more puzzled. "Why do I feel that this case is filled with suspicious points?"
"That's right." Shen Yao silently held her hand and sighed softly. "When I rushed to Jinling and heard about this case, I also felt that there were many doubts, so I thought of a way to pull out the case file of this case and found some clues."
"About four months ago, a batch of goods that the Cao Gang was in charge of transporting had some problems. Gang Leader Cao Meng and Qin Minghong's uncle, Cao Xing, were implicated. Immediately after, the officials took the two of them away. However, on the 15th day of the second month, Cao Xinyue, who usually did not leave her house, hurriedly rushed to Qinhuai Tower after receiving a letter from a little beggar. On the next day, something happened.
However, less than half a day after Cao Xinyue's death, Cao Meng and Cao Xing were released."
"In other words, Cao Xinyue met with an accident to save her foster father and uncle?" After listening to the entire case, Ji Zhao became even calmer. "There can't be so many coincidences in the world. Cao Xinyue had just met with an accident when Cao Meng and Cao Xing were released? Or should we assume that all of this was deliberately set up by someone? A trap against the Cao Gang?"
"Zhaozhao is indeed a smart person." Shen Yao smiled and gave his wife a thumbs up. "After that, I hid my identity and went to Qinhuai Tower. I accidentally saw Fan Xuancao and found some clues."
"That day, Cao Xinyue was at Qinhuai Tower. She only saw two people."
"Who did she meet?" Ji Zhao asked curiously..
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Chapter 360: Half Each
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"When Cao Xinyue arrived at Qinhuai Tower that day, it was a quarter past seven. She went to an upper room on the sixth floor. At a quarter before eight, Lin Youyang went to see her. When it was nine, Lin Youyang left. Before he left, he instructed the madam of Qinhuai Tower not to disturb Cao Xinyue's rest."
...
"But on the morning of the 16th of February, Fan Xuancao's maid, Zi'er, saw Lin Zhixuan walking out of the guest room where Cao Xinyue was resting... By noon, Cao Xinyue was already dead. The cause of death was sudden death. Before she died, she had inhaled a large amount of smoke."
Although Ji Zhao and Cao Xinyue did not know each other, at this moment, her heart ached for this seventeen-year-old girl.
"In other words, before Cao Xinyue died, she only saw the Lin father and son?" Ji Zhao narrowed her eyes and said in a deep voice, "The Lin father and son were the murderers? But Cao Xinyue and Lin Youyang were already engaged. Sooner or later, he could marry her and have her openly. Why did he..."
As if she suddenly thought of something, Ji Zhao's eyes widened.
Could it be that the person who bullied Cao Xinyue was Lin Zhixuan?
Cao Xinyue was the Lin family's unmarried daughter-in-law. No matter how crazy Lin Zhixuan was, he shouldn't—
"Zhaozhao, some people are born beasts." Sensing that her emotions were a little off, Shen Yao hurriedly held her hand and comforted her gently.
"If I want to punish the Lin father and son, I need to find evidence. Therefore, I thought of using myself as bait. I didn't expect Lin Zhixuan to be so cunning. He deliberately set up an ambush." Shen Yao sighed helplessly. "I was too careless and fell into his trap."
Ever since Emperor Jingchen ascended the throne, Shen Yao, as the best knife in his hands, had already obtained the title of the Iron Blooded Grand Secretary.
Shen Yao was publicly acknowledged as a resourceful person, so he did not take the Lin father and son seriously at first. That was why he suffered such a huge loss.
"I carefully examined the wound on your chest just now." Ji Zhao pretended to glare at him angrily and said fiercely, "It's all thanks to the archer's poor martial arts that the wound didn't cut into your vital points."
"The King of Hell also knows that I haven't grown old with Zhaozhao yet. He can't bear to take my life."
"Nonsense!" Ji Zhao pinched his ear angrily, then asked, "What about Fan Xuancao? What's going on?"
"Lin Zhixuan added a lot of kerosene to that pleasure boat. After careful consideration, I jumped into the canal. According to the original plan, someone would come to the designated place to pick me up, but for some reason, I suddenly lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was in Fan Xuancao's private residence," Shen Yao explained with a sincere gaze.
"I understand." Ji Zhao nodded slightly, then rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Shen Yao, what should we do now to break this trap?"
"Respond to all changes by remaining unchanged," Shen Yao said with a faint smile.
"But..."
"Zhaozhao, trust me." Shen Yao stroked her palm and explained with a smile, "By the way, Zhaozhao, don't spread the news of you looking for me. The Grand Administrator of Jinling, Du Minghai, is His Majesty's subordinate. Zhaozhao, remember to send someone to inform Du Minghai about the disappearance of the courtesan of Qinhuai Tower, Liu Ruxuan."
Ji Zhao thought about it seriously, then raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Qinhuai Tower?"
Cao Xinyue's case happened in Qinhuai Tower, and everyone knew that Liu Ruxuan was Lin Zhixuan's confidante.
If they followed this lead from Qinhuai Tower, they would definitely find the corresponding evidence.
"What about Brother Qin?"
"Don't tell him about me for the time being," Shen Yao lowered his eyes and said calmly.
Ji Zhao's heart sank. "Shen Yao, do you think Brother Qin can't be trusted?"
Shen Yao shook his head gently. "It's not that I don't trust Brother Qin, but this case involves some people from the Cao Gang. If Brother Qin interferes, I'm afraid he will act on impulse."
"Alright."
Mid-May, the sun in Jinling city was still warm.
In the Jiangnan area, the four seasons were like spring.
After recuperating for half a month, the wounds on Shen Yao's body gradually healed.
"The Cao Gang is blocking the entrance of the Lin Residence every day. I heard that Lin Youyang has contracted the disease and was abandoned by Lin Zhixuan." Ji Zhao said as she peeled an apple, "Unfortunately, we can't find out about the Lin Residence. If we can find Lin Zhixuan's weakness, we can treat the problem."
"Jinling Grand Administrator Du Minghai was His Majesty's trusted aide a few years ago. His Majesty realized that the corruption in Jiangnan was too rampant before he ascended the throne, so His Majesty arranged for Du Minghai to go to Jinling long ago." Shen Yao smiled softly. "Before I came to Jinling, I had already met this Grand Administrator Du. Although the Lin residence is impenetrable, there are people who want to explore the scenery outside the wall."
Ji Zhao understood what he meant and couldn't help but take a bite of the apple. That crisp sound surprised Shen Yao. "So Zhaozhao didn't peel this apple for me to eat?"
"Half each." Ji Zhao smiled and handed him the intact side of the apple.
However, Shen Yao grabbed her wrist bit down on wear her bite mark on the apple was.
For some reason, Ji Zhao felt her ears burning.
"Ahem, in other words, Grand Administrator Du has already planted people in the Lin residence?"
"Mm." Looking at her rosy cheeks, Shen Yao's heart skipped a beat, and he silently curled his lips. "Zhaozhao, just wait. In a few days, Jinling City will undergo earth-shattering changes."
Ji Zhao responded gloomily. She missed Kang'er a little.
Two days later, Lin Youyang actually beat the drums and called the officials on his father, Lin Zhixuan's promiscuous behavior and how he bullied his daughter-in-law!
When this news was released, it shocked the entire Jinling city!
Even Ji Zhao was in a daze when she heard this news.
"Lin Zhixuan was promiscuous. Over the years, he had done countless things that were worse than forcing a good woman into prostitution. Now that Lin Youyang's confession is out, the truth of Cao Xinyue's death is gradually revealed." Shen Yao sighed softly. "It's a pity that we came too late."
If they had arrived in Jinling earlier, perhaps those innocent lives would not have withered just like that.
"The son sues the father, and the people sue the officials. According to Great Jing law, the person suing needs to lie on the bed of nails. If it's proven to be false, the person suing will be punished with firecrackers." Ji Zhao lowered her eyes and asked curiously, "Lin Youyang has always been a debauchee who acts absurdly. Why would he suddenly have the courage to sue his father?"
"Even a good-for-nothing has his weakness.." Shen Yao gently held her hand and said with a smile, "If Zhaozhao wants to know the inside story, why don't you accompany me to the Grand Administrator's residence?"