Chapter 497

Wangjiang Tower is the largest entertainment venue in Yangzhou.

Moreover, it is an establishment opened by the Cao Clan; tonight all guests of Wangjiang Tower were cleared out, and the entire building was rented out solely by Cao Maolin.

However, the invited guests were somewhat mysterious and low-key; a tightly closed sedan chair was carried into Wangjiang Tower, after which Lord Wang, dressed in ordinary robes and with a sinister face, slowly emerged from the sedan chair.

Lord Wang colluded with Cao Maolin in Yangzhou, exploiting the people and embezzling tax silver; after several years as Yangzhou prefect, he had amassed great wealth.

Even though his hair had turned white and gleamed differently, although he had reached retirement age, he still refused to leave Yangzhou City; moreover, he had bribed senior officials in the Ministry of Personnel in Jing Cheng, and thus remained in Yangzhou for year after year.

Until this time, when Prince Rui personally came down from Shang Jing to conduct an investigation, Lord Wang indeed felt some fear.

Even though today Cao Maolin invited him to the largest venue, Wangjiang Tower, he did not show much happiness on his face.

Lord Wang emerged with a heavy heart, and Cao Maolin hurriedly went to meet him, raising his hands in a cupped-fist salute.

"Lord Wang, may you have blessings and peace!"

Lord Wang waved his hand, and then Cao Maolin led the way ahead, inviting Lord Wang to the most luxurious private room on the top floor.

The private room was lavishly decorated; even the curtain at the doorway was strung with rare southern pearls.

The private room was about the size of several Zheng Ting halls combined; on the east side an indoor performance stage was set up, outside draped with gauze curtains.

Inside came the pleasant sound of strings and bamboo; the graceful figures of the song-and-dance performers flickered faintly behind the gauze curtains, an indescribable luxury and sensuality.

Lord Wang glanced at the table, and his expression eased a little.

"Please, Lord Wang!" Cao Maolin raised his cup and offered a smiling toast to Lord Wang: "Today Wangjiang Tower has been cleared out; these song-and-dance performers are here solely to serve Lord Wang."

"Nanxiang, why don't you quickly pour wine for Lord Wang?"

Gu Nanxiang hurriedly brought forward a glass wine pot made of liuli, smiling brightly, and presented it to Lord Wang.

She was naturally alluring; this time she twisted her supple waist as she walked up to Lord Wang, graceful and elegant, her bearing exquisite.

Lord Wang momentarily froze, his heart feeling as if scratched by a kitten, a tingling sensation arising.

The reason he could not forget Gu Nanxiang was because of her extraordinary background.

Back then he too had passed the imperial examinations as a presented scholar; the various hardships he endured along the way were known only to himself.

Initially he and Gu Shijie took the examinations together; Gu Shijie was twenty years younger than him and won first place outright, becoming the top scholar.

He had studied for twenty more years before barely passing the presented scholar exam, his rank far below that of Gu Shijie.

Just thinking of Gu Shijie's daughter Cheng Huan beneath him aroused a different kind of pleasure rising within him.

This time, his old eyes cloudy, upon seeing Gu Nanxiang a gleam of greed flashed across him, and he laughed with Cao Maolin: "Master Cao, if we speak of dancing, none of the performers filling the tower can compare to the grace of this young lady alone."

Cao Maolin instantly understood, laughing heartily: "Lord Wang, since you enjoy watching Nanxiang dance, I will soon have her perform a solo dance for you."

"However…" Cao Maolin sighed.

Lord Wang's eyes flickered; one hand had already rested on Gu Nanxiang's soft white shoulder, while he looked toward Cao Maolin.

"Master Cao, if you have any matter, speak freely!"

Cao Maolin set down his wine cup, sighed, and said: "Lord Wang, you can see that this time the Imperial Court has been ruthless."

"Especially Prince Rui, known as the Jade-Faced Yama, who acts with cruelty and mercilessness."

"As for me, it's nothing major; if I can't bear it, I'll take my wife and children overseas to make a living—but what about you, Lord Wang?"

Lord Wang's face darkened slightly; he had not expected Gu Kang to bypass him, the Yangzhou prefect, and directly summon personnel from the outer prefectures and counties to investigate the case—clearly a sign of distrust.

Throughout the Yangzhou prefecture, from top to bottom, nobody's backside is clean.

Moreover, Gu Kang is a notorious harsh official of Southern Qi; if he were to get to the bottom of the Zheng family case, his official career would likely be over.

Even if he were not an official, should the Imperial Court's wrath be aroused, even his life would be in jeopardy.

Lord Wang gripped his wine cup tightly, his face turning grim.

Furthermore, he had a vague sense that the Zheng family case was the doing of the Cao Clan.

But the Cao Clan had given him so much silver that he could not resist the temptation, and he helped the Cao Clan conceal the matter.

Now he and the Cao Clan are like grasshoppers on the same rope; if either slips, both will die.

At this moment Lord Wang felt a twinge of regret; had he known earlier, he should not have gotten so close to the Cao Clan, but now it is utterly impossible to extricate himself.

"Lord Wang," Cao Maolin personally poured him a cup of wine, lowering his voice: "Lord Wang, I won't hide it from you—the Zheng family case cannot be contained."

Lord Wang's wine cup slipped from his hand and crashed onto the table; his face changed drastically as he muttered: "Wasn't I supposed to have you clean it up, leaving no trace?"

Cao Maolin gritted his teeth: "An insider has appeared in the manor, actually letting Jia San escape; now Jia San is in Gu Kang's hands."

"I've heard Gu Kang is skilled at extracting confessions in the interrogation room; before long those jianghu swordsmen will be arrested, and when they privately compare testimonies, Lord Wang, this is no laughing matter."

Lord Wang swallowed a mouthful of saliva, also nervous and at a loss.

The Zheng family case involves too many people; if Gu Kang really uses this case to stir things up and bring it to the Imperial Court…

Even without investigating the salt merchants' taxes in Jiangnan, the Zheng family extermination case alone would be enough to ruin him.

Cao Maolin saw Lord Wang silent, his eyes turning colder, and he lowered his voice: "Sir, at this point, do you think you can still remain uninvolved?"

Lord Wang's heart jumped, he met Cao Maolin's bloodthirsty, icy gaze, and could not speak.

He understood what sort of person Cao Maolin was—this man was ruthless and cruel; moreover, having operated in Yangzhou for many years, he had long been bound together with the Cao Clan in weal and woe, so it seems he cannot escape involvement this time.

Lord Wang slowly said: "Master Cao, then according to your opinion, what should we do?"

Cao Maolin whispered: "The current Xiao Yin is quite wary of me; Lord Wang is a clever person."

"Tomorrow Xiao Yin will begin a thorough investigation of the account books of Yangzhou's salt merchants; he must find a place to examine those books, and the prefecture office is the best and safest location."

"Tomorrow I will deliver all the account books to Lord Wang's office; Xiao Yin, Gu Kang, and even Gu Jiu Ling will certainly come to inspect the accounts, and then we will bury nitre and fire oil around the office…"

Cao Maolin's eyes flashed with madness as he uttered an explosive sound.

Clatter—Lord Wang's chopsticks slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.

He opened his mouth, a wave of panic crossing his face: "No, no, if we blow up the office, how will we answer to the Imperial Court?"

Cao Maolin gave a hehe laugh: "What explanation? It's merely a matter of your word, sir."

"The office has long been dilapidated, and it is now the plum‑rain season; a bolt of lightning struck, the building collapsed, and it crushed the imperial envoy to death."

This matter... hehe, he, the Ministry of Works, also has responsibility, right?