Chapter 105: This Corrupt Official Must Be Loaded with Wealth!

Shhh-shhh-shhh~

The river wind rustled, brushing through the bamboo grove along the riverbank.

Gongsun Duan crouched beneath the bamboo leaves, knife and shield in hand, carefully scanning the riverbank for any movement, waiting for prey that might appear at any moment.

Because they didn't know whether Xie Jinhuan would enter the trap or when he would, this stakeout work was excruciatingly dull.

After scanning for a long time, Gongsun Duan saw no movement along the riverbank; instead, Zhou Ming'an, who had last entered the house two quarters of an hour ago, had not shown his face again.

As time passed, Gongsun Duan couldn't help but feel a premonition of ill fortune; after a brief pause, he quietly rose and approached the wall, leaping slightly to peer over.

What he saw was the study lit by lantern light, the door open, and from atop the wall, all he could make out were two legs hanging in the center of the room…

"Hss?!"

Gongsun Duan's face turned ashen; he rushed into the room and saw Zhou Ming'an hanging alone from the beam, tongue protruding, long dead, with a final note still on the table.

The other four elite ambushers arrived outside the study and, upon seeing this, stared in shock:

"What happened?"

"Didn't anyone see anyone come by? How did Lord Zhou die?"

"Judging by the scene, it looks like he committed suicide out of guilt…"

"Bullshit! How could he possibly kill himself?!"

Gongsun Duan had spoken with Zhou Ming'an just moments ago and refused to believe such a high-ranking corrupt official could silently end his own life—but they had been stationed right outside the compound and hadn't seen anyone approach.

Their mission was to lure and kill Xie Jinhuan; now the bait had been eaten right under their noses, and returning without results would mean certain failure.

Gongsun Duan could only search the room for any trace of evidence.

But after the accompanying imperial guards inspected everything, they all agreed Zhou Ming'an had hanged himself; one finally said:

"Whether Zhou Ming'an killed himself or not, he's dead. Maybe we should fabricate some evidence…"

Gongsun Duan glared angrily: "Catch thieves red-handed! Do you even know where Xie Jinhuan is? If he's currently being summoned by the Emperor or the State Tutor, and you forge evidence accusing him of murder, then the murder becomes ours!"

"Uh… my lord is right."

"Go notify Li Gongpu immediately…"

——

Meanwhile, within the city.

Large red lanterns hung outside the Li Fu gates; two sword-wielding guards stood on either side of the steps, watching passing carriages and sedan chairs, while patrols circled the perimeter.

Xie Jinhuan sat in a corner tavern, before him dishes of white-cut chicken, raw fish slices, camel's hoof soup, and a flask of Xinghua Chun wine from Jiangzhou, savoring his late-night feast alone.

After killing Zhou Ming'an, Xie Jinhuan avoided overdoing it—he ignored the five ambushers and returned directly to the city, heading for his next target: Li Gongpu.

Having lived in Jingcheng for years, he understood "Eunuch Li" well: a collateral branch of the Hua Lin Li clan, he passed the imperial examinations in Jian'an Year Four, initially serving as a proofreader in the Chongwen Pavilion; after the Jian'an Incident, he seized the opportunity, won the trust of Emperor Gan, and rose rapidly.

As for how Li Gongpu gained favor, a rumor had long circulated in Jingcheng—when the Emperor licked his lips, Li Gongpu already knew what he craved and had it prepared and waiting outside the door.

The rumor was surely exaggerated, but Li Gongpu was exceptionally skilled at reading the Emperor's mind; he had perfected the art of sycophancy beyond all others—without the Emperor needing to speak, Li Gongpu would quietly handle everything, then willingly take the blame, endure scolding, even beatings, without complaint.

The palace's Yun Tai terrace, various gardens, and the Emperor's beloved paintings, calligraphy, and horses—all were arranged by Li Gongpu, without draining much from the imperial treasury.

Because he sought to let the Emperor enjoy everything without ever tainting him with even a speck of dirt, Emperor Gan often scolded: "Li Gongpu, Li Gongpu, you've truly made my life miserable," yet never punished him severely—even promoting him to Rank 2.

Such a well-behaved lapdog—anyone else, unless absolutely forced, would never dare kill him.

Though Li Gongpu was greedy, he understood the source of his power and never touched the Emperor's sacred boundaries; even the court ministers had little recourse against him.

For instance, smuggling Deng Xian San and burying gamblers alive—if pursued, it would merely require sacrificing a nephew in the name of righteousness.

And to set a trap to kill him, you first had to sacrifice Zhou Ming'an as bait; if he didn't kill Zhou Ming'an, Li Gongpu wouldn't dare kill him outright and risk being accused.

Even if this escalated to the imperial court, Li Gongpu would remain untouched—after all, what could they accuse him of?

Xie Jinhuan tried to assassinate an imperial official—why didn't you send enough guards to stop him?

But if he resorted to underhanded tactics, secretly murdering Li Gongpu, the nature of the crime would change entirely.

Han Jingchuan and Zhou Ming'an had just died; if Li Gongpu now suddenly perished, even if he erased every trace, he'd have "MURDERER" branded on his forehead.

Even if the court strictly followed the law and presumed innocence until proven guilty, killing the Emperor's beloved dog behind his back and provoking suspicion—could he possibly continue serving in the Great Gan?

So Li Gongpu must not be assassinated secretly—he must be defeated with his own methods!

Li Gongpu set a trap for him; he must set an equal trap in return—with his mind, not his blade!

Ye Hongshang, as a ghost, couldn't join him for dinner, but now sat across the table, swaying a small wine cup in her hand:

"What are you thinking? Up to more mischief again?"

Xie Jinhuan picked up a slice of raw fish and dipped it in wine: "Mischief? I'm planning how to eliminate corrupt officials and cleanse the Emperor's court. Li Gongpu is unique—never commits a major crime, but constantly commits minor ones, and enjoys the Emperor's extreme favor. We must first win over the Emperor, or any attempt to kill him will bring endless trouble."

"What if we bury a straw doll with the Emperor's name on it and stir up witchcraft?"

Xie Jinhuan considered it briefly—this method would get every Wu Alliance agent in Jingcheng killed, and Li Gongpu would have no motive; with high-level adepts from multiple sects stationed in the capital, merely burying a straw doll wouldn't work as framing unless they actually cursed the Emperor.

"We need to first gather intelligence on Li Gongpu and the Emperor—only then can we find an opening. Wait until tomorrow, when Princess Changning arrives, and we'll learn the general situation first."

As he spoke, Xie Jinhuan devoured his meal, eager to finish quickly and return to train with the glasses-woman.

But before he finished his flask, the Li Fu gates suddenly opened; a group emerged in procession, led by a thin old man accompanied by a guard, conversing as they walked.

From his vantage point, Xie Jinhuan confirmed the old man was none other than the Yellow Gate Official Li Gongpu; he leaned slightly back behind the window, eating and drinking calmly, observing covertly.

Gulu-lulu…

Soon, Li Gongpu, surrounded by attendants, boarded a carriage and headed toward the outer city. Xie Jinhuan, using his Rank 3 supernatural perception, faintly heard angry shouts from within the carriage as the procession passed the tavern:

"It's definitely Xie Jinhuan who killed him—Gongsun Duan, that useless fool, couldn't catch even a single clue while sitting right there?"

"My lord, please calm down. Gongsun Duan personally inspected the scene and found no irregularities—Zhou Ming'an truly did appear to have taken his own life…"

"Nonsense. If he can't tell, notify the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the Red麟 Guard to investigate…"

"My lord, forgive this subordinate's frankness—if Xie Jinhuan can assassinate Zhou Ming'an without a trace, what's to stop him from targeting you…"

"Let him come if he dares—I refuse to believe it!"

…

The carriage passed the wine tower, and the conversation became too faint to hear clearly.

Xie Jinhuan raised his wine cup and drained it in one gulp, a trace of displeasure surfacing in his eyes:

"That old Wang Ba, he said I wouldn't dare touch him. If I don't make him believe in something supernatural, he probably won't be able to sleep tonight."

Ye Hongshuang cupped her cheeks with both hands, pondering for a moment:

"How about chopping off a horse's head and tossing it onto his bed to scare him?"

"That definitely won't work."

Xie Jinhuan wasn't incapable of doing such a thing, but he felt sorry for the innocent little horse. After a brief consideration, he turned his gaze toward the Li Fu mansion, whose gates were already closed:

"If Li Gongpu has gone out now, he must have gone to Songhe Bay. Very few people are left guarding the house. Such a great corrupt official must surely possess great wealth!"

"?"

Ye Hongshuang paused, then nodded slightly:

"Makes sense. Shall we go in and take a look?"

To kill Li Gongpu, Xie Jinhuan first needed to set up a scheme to avoid the Emperor's suspicion; but for a preemptive raid on the family, he didn't need to worry about how the Emperor viewed it.

Currently, he was still short over twenty thousand taels of silver for the medicinal herbs. Relying on scattered Daoist friends for aid would make it hard to gather the sum in such a short time.

With such a huge fat pig as Li Gongpu right before his eyes, notorious for corruption and bribery, and yet he dared to say Xie Jinhuan wouldn't dare make a move.

If he didn't go inside to have a look, taking a bite and grabbing a bit as interest first, how could that possibly repay Li Gongpu's hard work in going out late at night to find evidence of his crimes?

Thinking thus, Xie Jinhuan was too lazy to even eat his meal. After watching the carriage convoy depart, he paid the bill, stood up, crossed to the opposite street, bypassed the visible and hidden sentries, and climbed over the wall...

The autumn moon hung in the sky.

Inside the luxurious mansion, silence reigned; only a few servants could be seen moving about in the front courtyard.

Because the master was away, and to prevent the women and children of the household from committing adultery, the guards patrolled mostly in the outer courtyard. The main house by the lakeside in the rear courtyard had its doors and windows tightly shut, with only one guest scholar patrolling the courtyard and corridors.

Xie Jinhuan advanced step by step, bypassing the sentries. Like a white-clad ghost, he crept to the main courtyard and peered out from the roof ridge.

To coordinate, Ye Hongshuang conjured a red tight-fitting outfit for herself, covering her face with red gauze. Seen from the side, she looked like a hot-figured female special agent. After a brief reconnaissance, she beckoned with a finger.

Buzzzz~

A dragonfly sleeping in the nearby tree canopy was immediately disturbed. It flew out to the garden beyond the wall, landed in the bushes, and flapped its wings frantically, producing a 'rustle-rustle' sound of grass being disturbed.

"Hmm?"

The guest scholar standing in the pavilion frowned tightly, listening intently with his ear cocked. Then, holding his sword, he leaped down into the garden and began searching carefully for the source of the sound.

Seizing this opportunity, Xie Jinhuan flipped down from the eaves, landing before the main house. After confirming there were no traps or mechanisms, he quietly entered.

Click~

After the faint sound of a door closing, no further anomalies occurred in the lakeside courtyard.

Standing in the elegantly decorated room, Ye Hongshuang merely glanced around, then raised an eyebrow:

"Yo~ It seems you've gathered enough money for your medicinal herbs."

"Really?!"

Because the room was pitch black, Xie Jinhuan adjusted for a moment before using the faint moonlight to carefully inspect the room.

The result was that even with his considerable experience, he felt a degree of surprise at that moment.

Putting aside the screens, calligraphy, paintings, and furniture in the room, the carpet laid in the center of the house was made of tribute goods imported from the Western Regions. Judging by the embroidery and craftsmanship, it was undoubtedly the same style as the one laid in the Emperor's study; the Emperor had one piece, and he had one piece.

The vases and other items were all imperial porcelain, appearing to be gifts from the Emperor. Even in the Wu Wei Pavilion of his landlord's wife, he had only seen one or two pieces, yet here a full multi-treasure cabinet was filled with them!

Xie Jinhuan glanced around briefly, feeling as though he had hit the jackpot with a single shot.

However, to kill Li Gongpu, Xie Jinhuan first searched the study for evidence of crimes.

He discovered that Li Gongpu was merely a lapdog. Although he was corrupt and took bribes, he had truly done nothing that touched upon the Emperor's reverse scale. There was no evidence in the room; all the documents were related to the Emperor's eating, drinking, and playing.

For a man like Li Gongpu, even if he forged evidence, the Red Scale Guard or the county government office would not dare to break in and search, and it would easily expose himself.

Therefore, after a quick glance around, Xie Jinhuan quietly approached the tea couch, pulled out a blanket embroidered with a qilin, skillfully wrapped it up, and began his "Joyful Treasure Appraisal":

"A seven-colored glass cup crafted by Longyun Valley? This must have cost a great deal of the people's fat and blood..."

"Tsk tsk~ A bracelet made from seeds taken from the Bodhi Ancestral Tree at Tiantai Temple. No wonder he isn't afraid of ghosts knocking on his door at midnight..."

"Heh?! The calligraphy from the Twin Sage Leaf Shrine, and it's an authentic original. Having it in the hands of that old Wang Ba is truly a waste of good resources..."

"Whoa! The 'Thousand Li of Jiangshan' painting by the Demon in the Painting, Chen Tong. From afar the mountains have color, close up the water makes no sound. It's also an authentic original. Now it belongs to me..."

Ye Hongshuang floated nearby. Seeing Xie Jinhuan pack up items as if they were his own family treasures, taking no gold, silver, or jade, but specifically choosing calligraphy, paintings, and curios, not even sparing the inkstone or paperweight, she raised an eyebrow and commented:

"You only take your favorites. When Li Gongpu returns, he'll probably die of anger."

"This is called asking for a hammer and getting a hammer. I originally didn't want to move against him tonight, but he insisted I lacked the courage."

After Xie Jinhuan had stripped all the calligraphy and paintings from the walls, he swept through the treasures arranged on the multi-treasure cabinet. He took not only the valuable items, but anything Li Gongpu frequently polished, played with, or placed in a central position, packing them away even if they weren't worth much.

As for whether these items could be sold, it didn't matter; what mattered was that Li Gongpu was gone!

There were a few large items he couldn't carry away, which made Xie Jinhuan feel somewhat heartbroken.

If only he had a storage ring or something. Today, he would have rolled up the carpet and taken it away, giving Li Gongpu a big surprise...

After completely emptying the main house, Xie Jinhuan, carrying a large bundle weighing over a hundred jin, looked around to ensure nothing good was left behind. He then asked his ghost wife to check once more to avoid leaving any traces, before quietly leaving the room...

(End of this chapter)