Chapter 192: The Stubborn Old Man Hai Rui

Four or five days passed in a flash.

After a few days of rest, Zhao Wenshan's injuries were much better.

This was all because Han San had been very measured in his strikes, aiming only for fleshy areas, and the golden sore medicine had been highly effective.

In just four or five days, the bloody wounds had formed a thick layer of scabs.

These past few days, he had truly experienced what it meant to be at the peak of life.

Originally just a minor character, he had become famous among the Scholars because he had been "severely tortured" by Han San, and even the Magistrate of Qufu had taken notice of such a small fry.

Early this morning, a large, warm sedan chair with apricot-yellow silk curtains, carried by eight men, slowly pulled up in front of the Qufu County jail.

As soon as the sedan chair was steady, the head bearer turned to the side and carefully lifted the curtain. Then, a voice, not loud but extremely dignified, came from inside.

It immediately caused the guards to bow and salute.

Kong Lin bent his waist and stepped out, wearing his green official robes.

He glanced at the Embroidered Uniform Guards guarding the gate with a look of disdain, spat "lackeys" under his breath, and then stepped forward.

Before he had taken many steps, several sword-wielding Embroidered Uniform Guards at the entrance shouted, "Halt!"

Kong Lin was startled into a shiver.

"Are you blind? Look clearly, this is the Magistrate of Qufu, Lord Kong!" Before Kong Lin could answer, his lackey Secretary stepped forward, poked the chest of the leader with his folding fan, and cursed, "You tiny Small Banner Officer, how dare you obstruct our master? I'd like to know who gave you the guts? Huh!"

A Small Banner Officer was only a military official of the seventh rank.

But as an Embroidered Uniform Guard, he had carried out many house raids.

Not to mention a magistrate like Kong Lin, he had even been to the homes of third-rank high officials; how could he be intimidated by Kong Lin's lackey? He glared fiercely at the lackey, swung his arm in a full circle, and slapped him heavily.

With a crisp "slap," the lackey Secretary spun around in place and then fell onto his backside.

On his previously fair cheek, a deep, blood-red fingerprint was clearly visible!

"Y-you dare hit me?" The lackey was full of disbelief.

As the lackey of the Magistrate, he was used to throwing his weight around in Qufu; when had he ever suffered such grievances? As the saying goes, to beat a dog, one must look at its master. Being hit in front of his master, how could he endure it?

He let out a loud "Ah," struggled to crawl up from the ground, and struck a pose as if he were ready to fight to the death.

The Small Banner Officer smiled, flew a kick at him, and the lackey Secretary was hit hard, falling flat on his back.

The Small Banner Officer's face suddenly turned cold; he patted the long blade at his waist and shouted, "Without the order of our Commander, anyone who dares to trespass into this prison will be executed on the spot!"

In the distance, Kong Lin was so angry his features were contorted.

This was Qufu.

It was his own prison, and now that he wanted to go in and take a look, he had to look at these people's faces instead? His face flushed red, then turned pale, and he flicked his sleeves and turned back to the warm sedan chair.

He snorted coldly, "Go back!"

On the other side, Han San, who was at his residence, had long known that Kong Lin had been rebuffed today. He sat on the bed and pondered for a moment, knowing it was time to have someone "report" on himself.

Having figured this out, he went to the prison again and gave Zhao Wenshan another beating.

This time, he did not continue to detain Zhao Wenshan, but sent him, covered in blood, outside the prison.

Upon hearing the news, the Scholars were in an uproar.

Some cursed Han San openly, some cursed him in secret by sticking pins into effigies, and some submitted petitions to impeach him. Han San, however, was like a man with so many debts he no longer worried, or a man with so many lice he no longer felt the itch; he was not affected in the slightest by the outside world. After briefly instructing his men, Han San walked with his hands behind his back, heading straight for Hai Rui's residence.

The two met and took their seats in the main hall.

After the servant poured the tea, he tactfully withdrew. Hai Rui picked up his tea, took a small sip, and asked with a dark, gloomy face, "Commander Han, why did you use private torture on these Scholars?"

Glancing at Hai Rui, whose forehead was still wrapped like a rice dumpling, Han San replied with a bitter face, "Oh, my old Mr. Hai! These Scholars are bold enough to defy an Imperial Envoy."

"I was just making sure they learned a lesson."

Hearing this, Hai Rui furrowed his brows into a tight knot, cupped his hands toward the direction of the Forbidden City, and shouted, "The Imperial Court has its own laws. By setting up a private court like this and abusing the Scholars with private torture, what laws are you following?!"

Stung by this retort, Han San's face turned from pale to red.

He already disliked this stubborn donkey intensely.

But thinking that this matter still needed to be led by him, he suppressed his temper and brought the conversation back to the main point: "Vice Minister Hai, let's put my issues aside for now. The most important thing at the moment is how to make the Kong Family's affairs known to the public."

Hai Rui's angry expression subsided, and he replied, "I have already sent people to secretly visit over a hundred merchants whose land was forcibly seized by the Kong Family."

"And the result?" Han San asked.

"When they heard that they would have to confront the Kong Family in court in front of everyone, only a few responded." Hai Rui sighed long and hard, shaking his head as he answered.

Only now did he know what it felt like to be a lone commander.

It wasn't just here; Scholars were pouring in from all the prefectures and counties of Shandong. Openly or secretly, their target was directed straight at him, Hai Rui. If this continued, even if he were made of iron, he would be exhausted.

Fatigue could not help but appear on his face.

Looking at Hai Rui's appearance, the dissatisfaction in Han San's heart vanished.

He pondered for a moment, then explained his and Zhao Wenshan's plan.

After listening, Hai Rui said skeptically, "Will this work?"

"It will definitely work. We will first stir up the Scholars' anger, and then pull the rug out from under them!" Han San said, clenching his fists tightly, his sharp eyes full of triumph.

Hai Rui thought for a moment and nodded, "Very well, I will send people to prepare, and at the same time, make the evidence of the Kong Family's crimes complete and solid!"

"Mm."

Han San stretched, then turned and walked out of the living room, disappearing into the endless night under the stars and moon.

By the time he returned to his residence, it was already the end of the Hour of the Rooster.

After a quick wash, Han San put on his undergarments and lay on the bed to rest his mind.

After experiencing these past few days, he realized the Kong Family's power was indeed far beyond his imagination.

It wasn't just here; even in the capital where Zhang Yunxiu was, the situation was tense, and calls for impeachment were rising everywhere. Impeachments from all over the empire were falling onto the Emperor's desk like snowflakes.

If not for the Emperor's support behind the scenes, he feared he would have been finished here before even returning to the capital.

But there was no turning back now; he, Han San, owed everything he had today to the Senior Grand Secretary and the young master. Even if there were a vat of boiling oil ahead, he would have to jump in, stir up a few waves, and then climb back out.

"Third Master, Song Ming requests an audience." Just as his thoughts were tangled, a shout suddenly roused him.

What is he here for at this hour? Muttering a complaint to himself, Han San propped up his body, draped his clothes over his shoulders, and ordered, "Take him to the guest hall; I will arrive shortly."

(End of this chapter)