Chapter 743

Sure enough!

Hearing that it was for the position of Duke Yansheng, Li Yan and Sha Lifei looked at each other.

This was the same as their previous guess.

The procuress Jin Ping was a shrewd person; she saw the two winking at each other, pretended not to see it, and continued: "This position of Duke Yansheng involves more than just a false name. Young Master Li also knows that because of that incident with the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom back then, although the main branch of the Kong family has the hereditary title of Duke Yansheng, the orthodox bloodline has been broken for several generations."

"And now this Duke is old, which has already made the various branches restless. His death is like pulling out the stake that was pressing down on the snakes, and the tangled roots of the entire Kong family have revealed their true form. The wrestling between several parties has its source in the interests involved behind this title."

"That is the control over the incense and ancestral fields of the Confucian scholars in Qilu and even Jiangbei; just the annual income is a mountain of gold and a sea of silver!"

"Indeed."

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "Which parties are wrestling now?"

"Young Master Li, please wait a moment."

Jin Ping curtsied, turned and left, and not long after, she returned with a brocade box in her hand.

After opening it, she took out the information and said while reading:

"First, let's talk about the branch of Kong Zhenyuan; he is the eldest son of the old Duke Yansheng, but he prides himself on his orthodox bloodline and is arrogant, and his son Kong Shang'an is even disliked by the clansmen because of his violent temperament. The old Duke Yansheng had many constraints on his father and son while he was alive; he thought that once the Duke died, the title would be his, but the person with the highest official position in the Kong family now, Kong Zhenlin, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, has long been dissatisfied with him."

"Kong Zhenlin let out word, implying that when the Duke Yansheng was alive, he intended to let Kong Zhenwen, who was from a side branch and had always had a virtuous reputation, inherit the title. Although Kong Zhenwen is from a side branch, he is supported by a teacher in the capital and has connections with the sea merchants of Qingzhou; he has connections from the Prefect's Yamen to the guard stations in Jinan City, and he also has a good reputation among the scholars."

"These are the two main parties fighting."

Sha Lifei asked suspiciously: "They can fight if they want, why did they involve Shopkeeper Kong?"

Li Yan also asked: "Which party is protecting Shopkeeper Kong?"

Jin Ping replied: "It's the branch of Kong Zhenyuan."

"What?!"

Hearing this, Li Yan and the others were somewhat incredulous.

Kong Zhenyuan's son, Kong Shang'an, was the one who had a feud with Kong Shangzhao and forced him to flee to the capital to avoid trouble.

Shopkeeper Kong was also the biggest suspect in this matter; according to common sense, they should be the ones who want Shopkeeper Kong dead the most.

Now that they are protecting him, there must be something odd about it.

Sure enough, Jin Ping explained: "Originally, Shopkeeper Kong's life was in danger, but as the branch of Kong Zhenwen exerted its strength, fighting for the position became the top priority, and the death of the Duke Yansheng became secondary."

"That night, the Duke Yansheng died suddenly in the ancestral hall; it is true that it was heavily guarded at night, but Li Qi, the 'Shadowless Kick' guest of Kong Zhenlin's mansion, happened to 'ask for leave' that night and disappeared afterwards. Coupled with the fatal wound on the Duke's chest that was cold to the heart, the technique was clean and neat, and even the blood barely seeped out; it was definitely not something Shopkeeper Kong, a mere merchant, could do."

"Kong Zhenyuan seized on this matter, saying that Kong Zhenlin sent someone to commit murder in order to fight for the position of Duke Yansheng, so even though he had a feud with Shopkeeper Kong, he could only pinch his nose and protect him."

"Just at this time, Master Lu Hongyuan, the master of Mingde Martial Arts Hall, also spoke up, saying that the murderer must be identified, otherwise no one should think about touching the position of Duke Yansheng."

"The Kong family can still show off their power now, first because of the Kong family's thousand-year incense, and second because of this Grandmaster Lu, so no one dares to cause trouble again and can only keep the person in Jinan Prefecture until the matter is clarified."

After hearing this, Li Yan and Sha Lifei both breathed a sigh of relief.

According to the current situation, Shopkeeper Kong is locked in prison, and both sides have to protect him; otherwise, once the person dies, it's hard to guarantee that the other side won't dump the blame on their own heads.

Similarly, as long as the murderer is identified, no matter who it is, Shopkeeper Kong can be saved.

"Many thanks, Senior."

Thinking of this, Li Yan and the others stood up and prepared to say goodbye.

"Hahaha..."

Jin Ping covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed: "Young Master Li, what's the rush? I heard long ago that you are the little champion of the brothel; I have specially notified a few girls to push away other guests and wait for you; I'll call them over now."

Li Yan's eyelids jumped, "No, I have other things to do."

Sha Lifei was full of mischievous smiles, watching the fun on the side.

"Fine."

Seeing Li Yan in a hurry to leave, Jin Ping also pretended to be helpless and said: "Young Master Li is busy with many things, and I dare not disturb you, but there is one thing you must pay attention to."

"The news of the Twelve Twelve Yuan Chen heading south has already been spread by our Jin Yanmen; there are many people who want to contact you, all with generous rewards and sufficient local influence; you must take a case when you have time, so as not to let others laugh at our Jin Yanmen for not being reliable."

"That is natural."

This was a cooperation that had been agreed upon long ago, so Li Yan naturally nodded in agreement.

……

After leaving Yanbo Pavilion, it was already late at night outside.

"Easy to say!"

"Brother Yan, what should we do?" Sha Lifei asked.

Li Yan looked ahead, "Go back first; Brother Kong is probably in a hurry. Tell him the situation, and tomorrow we will think of a way to see if we can go to the prison to visit Shopkeeper Kong and ask about the situation by the way."

After saying that, the two left quickly and disappeared into the darkness.

Long after they left, a window on the second floor of Yanbo Pavilion opened a crack.

A gaze was withdrawn from the crack.

"Young Master, it really is that Li Yan!"

Inside the elegant pavilion, Feng Ping, the leader of the Lu family guards, bowed respectfully.

The current head of the Lu family, the former second young master Lu Xiaowu, was sitting on a grand master chair, wiping his hands with a hot towel, his face full of exhaustion; hearing this, he shook his head and sighed: "People say that one should look at a scholar with new eyes after three days of separation; it really doesn't deceive me."

"Think of this Li Yan; when he first entered Xianyang, he was just a greenhorn, and even Zhou Pan could easily crush him to death. But in just a few years, he has become famous throughout the Divine Land, while our Lu family is struggling and looking at people's faces everywhere."

"Young Master is too modest."

Feng Ping hurriedly bent down, his eyes full of admiration, "Since the Young Master came to this Jinan Prefecture, he has been unfamiliar with the place, and those people who received favors from the old master before have all turned their faces and refused to recognize him, and even tried to swallow the Lu family's assets."

"The Young Master has maneuvered and used many brilliant strategies, allowing our Lu family to gain a foothold; no one dares to look down on us!"

"In the end, it's still not presentable..."

Listening to Feng Ping's flattery, Lu Xiaowu felt no waves in his heart, drinking tea and thinking thoughtfully: "Although we have gained a foothold in Jinan City and solved those troubles, we still have to look at people's faces in the end."

"I came forward to do business, and coupled with my father's demotion, it is impossible for me to enter the court as an official. Today I spent a great price, and tomorrow I can go to the Prince De's mansion; if I cannot receive his protection, those industries will be a disaster."

Feng Ping rolled his eyes and whispered: "Young Master, the most lively topic in Jinan City now is the humanitarian artifact of the Qiankun Academy; because the road is long and the news is not well-informed, many people have missed the opportunity, and the Prince De's mansion is also..."

"You mean to find Li Yan?"

Lu Xiaowu shook his head: "I am not familiar with them, and besides, my father was still considered an enemy with them at that time; with their current status, even if I send money, they won't look at it, so there is no need to ask for trouble."

"Yes, Young Master is right."

Feng Ping nodded, also somewhat helpless.

In fact, he had cooperated with Li Yan at that time and had the opportunity to build a good relationship.

But at that time, the status was disparate, so how could he look down on these people in the Jianghu.

For a time, the room fell into silence.

Lu Xiaowu looked at the direction of Prince De's mansion in the distance, his eyes uncertain...

…………

At the same time, inside the private room of the Jiangzhe Chamber of Commerce.

The candlelight was dim, and a group of people were guarding and not sleeping.

"Brother Kong, don't worry."

After Li Yan recounted the situation, Sha Lifei comforted him: "Now your father is a precious treasure; no one dares to touch him, and even the Jinan Prefecture Yamen has to take good care of him, after all, the matter is of great importance."

"Tomorrow, we will find a way to visit the prison."

"Hmm, many thanks to you all."

Kong Shangzhao was full of gratitude, stood up and bowed deeply.

He hadn't thought that everyone would be involved in this matter.

With the status of Fatty Lin's family in the Jiangzhe Chamber of Commerce, the connections were very wide, not to mention the identity of Li Yan and the others, who could speak in both the Commandant's Office and the Law Enforcement Hall.