Chapter 194: Making Trouble

After a bout of tossing and turning, Kong Lin returned to his residence without any untoward incidents.

It was already the fifth watch of the night; a bone-chilling cold permeated the vast darkness, stinging Kong Lin with a sharp pain.

Now, he had no remaining sleepiness or leisure.

He sat alone in the hall for a long time.

Various consequences of submitting the memorial involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

If he were lucky, the most that would happen was being stripped of his rank and dismissed from office. If he were unlucky, even his little life would be forfeit.

He knew deep down that the Kong Family had long since become the center of a power struggle between the bigwigs of the imperial court.

Unlike Duke Yansheng, he was merely a collateral branch of the Kong Family.

A tiny magistrate.

For an official of his rank, if a big shot in the capital were to stamp their foot, one could only wonder how many would be shaken to death.

But if he did not agree, he would very likely die right now.

That written confession was like a fishbone stuck in his throat, gripping his lifeblood so tightly that he could not summon the courage to resist.

After thinking it over, Kong Lin let out a long sigh, rose, and stepped toward the bedroom.

On the other side, after Zhao Wenshan left the prison and rested for a few days, he dragged his semi-crippled body straight toward Jinan Prefecture.

As the location of the provincial capital of Shandong.

The Prefecture Yamen, the Administration Commissioner Yamen, and the Governor Yamen were all located here.

Because Zhao Wenshan had previously been subjected to torture and forced confession, he had become famous. As soon as he returned to Jinan Prefecture, before his carriage had even entered the city, a vast crowd of Scholars was already packed on both sides of the city gate to welcome him.

With tears in his eyes, Zhao Wenshan stepped out of the carriage.

Putting on the appearance of a sturdy man who vowed never to yield, he waved to respond to his supporters while gritting his teeth and shouting: "Everyone, everyone rest assured, I, Zhao, will never bow to these lackeys. Today, I will fight them to the death."

In that instant, he seemed to have truly cast himself as a Scholar who viewed death as a homecoming.

Most of these Scholars also possessed a heart full of hot blood; today, being provoked by Zhao Wenshan, they were immediately filled with righteous indignation.

One young Scholar raised his fist high and shouted urgently: "Brother Wenshan is truly a model for the Scholars of Shandong, and even the Scholars of Great Ming!"

"I once studied hard with Brother Wenshan at the academy; I knew long ago he had such integrity!" another excited voice quickly rose.

"Defend the Sage, never bow to the lackeys! Defend the Sage!" The atmosphere at the scene was completely ignited, and angry voices resounded at the city gate.

Soon, the Scholars at the city gate crowded in more and more.

If one looked down from the sky, one would only see a single carriage squeezed lonely in the middle of a sea of heads. The tunnel of the city gate was also blocked, making it difficult to move.

People pressed against people, shoulders rubbing against shoulders.

This made it miserable for the commoners who wanted to enter or exit.

How the world was, they could not manage. How these Scholars were, they cared even less; they only cared about when the city gate would be clear.

So they could go about their own business.

Finally, after half an hour of clearing the way, the city gate was at last restored to flow. As for the instigator of all this, he sat in his carriage and arrived at the Governor Yamen.

After announcing his name, a Junior Official from the duty room led him to the inner hall to sit.

After brewing tea and giving a few instructions, the Junior Official withdrew.

Zhao Wenshan scanned the room's decorations; seeing that the windows were bright and the furnishings elegant, his mood improved by several degrees.

In the prison a few days ago, he had faced nothing but moldy straw, rats, and cockroaches.

And the lash of the whip from time to time.

Hiss. Recalling that whip striking his body, Zhao Wenshan could not help but shiver.

On his thin, sallow cheeks, a look of extreme fear appeared. Shaking his head to cast out the distracting thoughts, Zhao Wenshan composed himself and waited quietly for the big shot to arrive. After an unknown amount of time, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall.

Zhao Wenshan opened his eyes abruptly.

He fixed his gaze to look.

An old man appeared at the hall entrance. He appeared to be about fifty years old, of medium build, slightly plump, with a face like a ball of dough.

Amiable.

He wore a bright red official robe and stepped in black boots inlaid with gold thread.

As he walked, it made a "clack-clack" sound.

It was none other than the Shandong Provincial Administration Commissioner, Lu Shude.

Although Zhao Wenshan had never seen the Governor in person, seeing the newcomer's extraordinary bearing, he knew he must be a big shot, so he immediately rose and cupped his hands: "Student Zhao Wenshan pays respects to the honorable Governor!"

Lu Shude stepped forward twice, extremely warmly, and with a smile, helped the lowering Zhao Wenshan up, then sighed: "A strong wind reveals the sturdy grass; time reveals a person's heart."

"If there were more Scholars like you in this world who speak righteously, the world would not be in such a foul state!"

Having said this, he signaled for Zhao Wenshan to sit, and he himself moved to the main seat to sit down.

Praised like this, Zhao Wenshan's face flushed red.

Before he could speak, Lu Shude went straight to the point: "Rest assured, that Embroidered Uniform Guard is acting as a tiger for the evildoer and abusing private torture; I will certainly submit a memorial to the Emperor to impeach them severely!"

"Yes, this student was also preparing to report that Han San!" Zhao Wenshan said, pulling open his lapel and pointing to the scars on his chest while sobbing, "These are all the evidence of those beasts forcing a confession through torture!"

Lu Shude stood up with a start and paced to in front of Zhao Wenshan.

He took a look.

He saw that on his fair skin, bloody whip marks like centipedes were spreading across his flesh.

It was a shocking sight, and it immediately made Lu Shude's back feel cold.

After a few seconds of silence, Lu Shude stamped his foot and gritted his teeth: "What a fine Embroidered Uniform Guard, what a fine pack of lackeys! That Han San is nothing but a dog raised by others, yet he dares to lay hands on a Scholar!"

"Rest assured, I will definitely pursue this matter to the end!"

Zhao Wenshan looked moved and said the usual words of gratitude. Lu Shude waved his hand, maintaining a modest demeanor throughout.

After a few words.

Zhao Wenshan proposed, "Governor, this student will go back now to write the accusation letter. In half a month, we shall gather the officials and Scholars of Jinan Prefecture to hold Han San accountable together!"

"Good, good, good, this is a good idea." Lu Shude clapped his hands repeatedly and instructed, "You go back now and write the indictment first; I will go and summon the officials from all quarters."

"Many thanks, Governor!" Zhao Wenshan bowed slightly to show respect.

Lu Shude smiled and waved his hand, his face appearing approachable.

He was originally a protégé of Gao Gong; in the sixth year of the Longqing reign, Gao Gong was dismissed from office and stripped of his rank.

Zhang Juzheng ascended to the position of Senior Grand Secretary.

Because he feared the lingering influence of Gao Gong, and because he acted cautiously, he was considered obedient to this new Senior Grand Secretary. For over ten years, he had walked on thin ice, and only then was he able to preserve himself.

For ten years, he had endured humiliation and shouldered heavy burdens.

It was only to seek justice for his old mentor, and today he had finally caught an opportunity! He wanted to disgust this Senior Grand Secretary and make him unable to do anything about him. Thinking of this, Lu Shude looked at Zhao Wenshan, this pawn, and found him increasingly pleasing to the eye.

"In this way, you first find a place to stay. For these few days, let us not contact each other, so as to avoid people saying that I am practicing favoritism and malpractice, colluding with you to frame him!" Lu Shude's brows relaxed as he instructed Zhao Wenshan.

"The Governor's words are reasonable; then this student will take his leave first!"

(End of this chapter)