Chapter 104: Investigating the Zhang Family

Qin Zhanhong suddenly laughed.

That Zhang's cheeks, with a hint of bewitching allure, blossomed like a peony, but his gaze was sharp, as keen as a wasp's stinger.

"Your Provocation Tactic is terrible!" she said, shaking her head.

Chen Wuji replied calmly, "I never meant to provoke you; I also placed no hope in you. You almost killed me, yet I still begged at your door. Tell me, am I sick?"

Qin Zhanhong let out a snort of laughter, "You play the part quite convincingly. I'll tell Inspector Zhang not to trouble you. To them, you're just a frog in a well, a mayfly in a pond; even a glance would kill you, but don't expect them to care about you."

Chen Wuji said calmly, "Even a thousand‑mile dam can be destroyed by an ant's nest."

"Yo, you still want to do it to him? Quick, quick, tell me, how do you intend to do it?" Qin Zhanhong's eyes lit up, leaning forward excitedly.

Chen Wuji shook his head, "I'm just a small hunter; what good plan could I have? Even if I die of frustration, it's only a common man's rage, blood splattering five steps."

Qin Zhanhong rolled her eyes, "Shut your broken mouth. I thought you might come up with some exquisite idea, but that's it? You're better off just farting—more honest."

"Lord Qin, I'm just a hunter who even greets the Xianya's officers politely!" Chen Wuji corrected, "Reaching this point, I think I must be quite bold."

"Shut up!" Qin Zhanhong suddenly became angry, her complexion turning sour.

Chen Wuji said nothing further.

He didn't at all hope this woman could have any feelings for him.

But, it seemed, somehow...

She really did have a bit of interest.

Forcefully breaking in, could it even lead to affection?

That's absurd.

"Go back and focus on your own affairs; you needn't worry about the Zhang Family matters. As my favorite, I won't let you die until I grow tired of playing with you. The only thing you have to do now is keep your body healthy, bathe spotless, and appear before me the day after tomorrow." Qin Zhanhong said through clenched teeth.

"The day after tomorrow won't be good," Chen Wuji said.

"I don't care; you must come the day after tomorrow, and you must be spotless."

"I've always been clean; I bathe daily, perhaps even more diligently than you."

Qin Zhanhong narrowed her eyelids, a dangerous glint appearing in her eyes.

"You filthy man, you already have a way to meet death!"

She's been too busy lately; indeed she can't bathe every day.

But a little broke hunter, why would he be so particular, bathing daily—who would believe that!

"Get out, get out, get out!" Qin Zhanhong waved her hand irritably.

Chen Wuji's mouth curled into a faint smile as he left the study.

This matter should now be settled.

After Chen Wuji left, Qin Zhanhong summoned Duan Yingxiong into the room.

Unlike when she saw Chen Wuji, Qin Zhanhong straightened her lazy posture, sitting upright on the couch, her expression stern and unsmiling, exuding an official authority that commanded life and death.

"Send people to investigate the massacre in Zhao Village and determine what connection the Bandit Refugees have with the Zhang Family," Qin Zhanhong said thoughtfully, her voice deep, "Also, look into the magistrate Zhu Wei."

"Lord, you suspect the Zhang Family is linked to the Bandit Refugees?" Duan Yingxiong asked.

"Investigate first!"

"Yes!" Duan Yingxiong replied, then said, "Lord, the brothers below have recently, through some contacts, uncovered some information: since magistrate Zhu took office in Yunan, he seems to have had many disputes with the Zhang Family, visiting them every few days to solicit favors."

"But the relationship between the two doesn't seem that hostile. Magistrate Zhu's wife died last night, and the Zhang Family sent a very luxurious coffin, reportedly worth several thousand taels of Silver."

Qin Zhanhong, still thoughtful, said, "Explain in detail how magistrate Zhu goes to the Zhang Family to solicit favors."

"When the county suffers a disaster, Zhu Wei goes to the Zhang Family to seek charity, even once kneeling at their gate to beg for money and grain," Duan Yingxiong laughed.

"This magistrate is also unscrupulous; in the two years since his appointment, as the brothers have discovered, he seems to have obtained hundreds of mu of land from the Zhang Family, plus tens of thousands of taels of Silver."

Qin Zhanhong glanced at Duan Yingxiong, "So you fool still think the relationship between Zhu Wei and the Zhang Family isn't that strained? Come, tell me what made you so benevolent; speak, and I'll give you a proper lesson."

Duan Yingxiong's expression hardened, his mind suddenly cleared.

He quickly clasped his fists and said, "I will investigate at once, my lord. I now suspect that the death of magistrate Zhu's wife was orchestrated by the Zhang Family; the Bandit Refugees' village massacre may have been the Zhang Family's way to pressure Zhu Wei."

"Not too stupid, go investigate, and be thorough, including how the Zhang Family acquired those tens of thousands of mu of fertile land," Qin Zhanhong snorted.

Finally, she added, "Also, investigate that little hunter again."

"Lord, didn't we just investigate that? Investigate again?" Duan Yingxiong was somewhat confused.

"Do you talk too much?" Qin Zhanhong raised an eyebrow.

Duan Yingxiong straightened abruptly, "Returning, my lord, that's all."

"If that's all, get out!"

"Yes!"

Chen Wuji entered the city with Yuan Jinshi.

The number of disaster victims outside the city had decreased greatly, now about half of what it was a short while ago.

However, the Porridge Stalls outside the city multiplied.

Besides the few Porridge Stalls established by the Court, there were many bearing the banners of various merchants and firms.

Among them, the Zhang Family's Porridge Stall was undoubtedly the most conspicuous and largest in scale.

Besides handing out porridge to the victims, they also set up several tables where the disaster‑stricken were queuing to register for something.

Curious, Chen Wuji went over to take a look and found they were recruiting workers.

They mainly recruited miners and servants.

The conditions were outrageously poor; whether miner or servant, the Zhang Family offered only two meals a day and not even a copper coin as wages.

Yet even so, a large number of refugees queued there.

This scene left Chen Wuji feeling quite blocked inside.

Under the heavenly disaster, even the bit of flesh and blood on the common people's bodies became extremely cheap.

Providing them with food to eat seemed, in some people's eyes, already a great kindness.

In their blackened wooden ladle, every scoop they serve out is not kindness, but pure profit.

They couldn't possibly think this is work-for-relief, could they?

"Brother Wuji, why are these rich people so stingy? Not a single cash in wages, just two meals a day—how are they supposed to feed their families?" Yuan Jinshi asked, his expression angry, in a low voice.

Chen Wuji shook his head, leading Yuan Jinshi away from the crowd, "Because in the eyes of these wealthy families, the lives of the destitute commoners are not lives at all—no different from the livestock in their pens. Would you be willing to pay wages to livestock?"

"Good horses and mules are hard to find, but there are plenty of people who work for nothing under heaven."

Yuan Jinshi didn't quite understand those words; he stood there stunned for a while before hastily catching up to Chen Wuji's steps, "Brother Wuji, are all the rich people in the world like that?"

"Of course there are good people; it's just that what we see now is utter wickedness." Chen Wuji said, although he had witnessed endless hardship, he still wanted to hold onto a glimmer of beauty.