Chapter 53

Jiang Mingyu returned to the county yamen with Tukesulu and Liu Churan; Wu Xiao'er, who had earlier accompanied He Dachuan to retrieve the silver, had already arrived ahead of them.

At this moment, Li Goudan and the others, seeing Jiang Mingyu return safely, finally lowered their hearts, their worried expressions vanishing, replaced by relief and joy.

Jiang Mingyu took the banknotes, looked at them in his hand, and with a sudden thought, turned and pulled out three hundred taels, handing them directly to Liu Churan: “Take it. This is yours.”

Liu Churan was startled and quickly waved her hands to refuse: “My lord, this sum is more than enough to ensure I never lack food or clothing—I cannot accept it, it’s far too much...” She had assumed the banknotes would go straight into Jiang Mingyu’s pocket; she never expected this young scholar-official to be so generous, leaving her both astonished and moved.

Jiang Mingyu waved his hand and shoved the notes into Liu Churan’s arms, his expression serious: “This is what you deserve. Without your plight, how could I have extracted these three thousand taels from the He father and son?”

At this, Jiang Mingyu’s lips involuntarily curled into a cold smile: “My words may sound harsh, but without you, how could I have found the opportunity to force He Dachuan to part with such a fortune?”

Murong Yunhai, who had listened to all this, frowned deeply as he stared at the three thousand taels in Jiang Mingyu’s hand, a strange unease and anger rising within him.

Jiang Mingyu, still in good spirits, teased him: “What’s wrong, Brother Murong? Am I not allowed to be happy about earning this silver?”

Before he finished speaking, Murong Yunhai let out a heavy snort, his face dark with clouds, his tone brimming with contempt: “Those He father and son are worse than pigs and dogs. I thought Brother Jiang would seize this chance to eradicate their entire bloodline—but instead, you let them go for a few coins! Countless women will suffer abuse in the future—how will you protect them?”

Murong Yunhai’s eyes were filled with disdain; he clearly despised Jiang Mingyu’s greed-driven leniency.

Wu Xiao'er, who had witnessed the entire scene, could not help but wonder: Jiang Mingyu had always been righteous—why had he let these bully-father and son go for silver? This unusual behavior left Wu Xiao'er utterly baffled.

Jiang Mingyu, however, merely shook his head slowly and spoke with deep meaning: “Listen to me—my intentions will soon become clear to you all...” With that, his expression hardened, and he lowered his voice to whisper his full plan to the four men present.

Murong Yunhai listened, stunned, then asked incredulously: “Really?”

Jiang Mingyu’s lips curved into a faint smile, though his expression remained grave; he nodded slowly and said in a low tone: “You’ll understand my intentions soon. It’s late—go prepare.”

Shangmu County, He family compound.

After receiving the silver, Wu Xiao'er left, and He Dachuan’s first thought was to punish his son He Muchen, who had nearly gotten him killed.

Three thousand odd taels had vanished without explanation; the thought sent fire burning through He Dachuan’s heart, his rage too fierce to quell.

He summoned his steward, He Qing, and demanded angrily: “How did you handle the task I gave you?”

He Qing, seeing his master’s terrifying expression and oppressive aura, dared only to answer cautiously: “Master, we’ve confirmed it—the woman is in Hongda Alley, south of the city, in a poor household.”

He Dachuan grunted, a flash of cold light in his eyes: “Good. At midnight, take men and retrieve the silver yourself—no mistakes allowed!”

He Dachuan clenched his fists and gritted his teeth: “I can’t touch that Jiang official—but a poor beggar dares defy me?! You must recover the silver!”

Thinking of it, He Dachuan felt as if he’d been slapped—his face burned with humiliation.

He slammed his fist on the table, making the teacups rattle: “And that bitch—capture her and sell her to the brothels of Tenglong County! That’s the fate of anyone who crosses me!”

He Dachuan longed to tear Liu Churan into a thousand pieces to satisfy his hatred.

He Qing, listening to his master’s furious orders, nodded frantically: “Master, rest assured—I’ll lead the men myself, act carefully, and ensure the Imperial Envoy finds no evidence against us.”

With that, He Qing hurriedly took his leave, afraid that even a moment longer near He Dachuan might bring disaster.

Night fell, third watch.

Silent darkness blanketed the earth; Shangmu County slept peacefully.

In a dilapidated house in Hongda Alley, south of the city, Liu Churan slept soundly.

The heavy snores from the neighboring room rose in waves, noisy yet somehow comforting to Liu Churan.

In this peaceful night, the old door was suddenly kicked open with a loud “bang,” groaning under the force.

Immediately after came the steward He Qing’s excited, cruel shout: “Liu Churan, you little whore—come out, all of you!”

Liu Churan jolted awake, heart pounding; before she could react, He Qing’s voice pierced her ears, snapping her fully alert.

She remembered Jiang Mingyu’s parting words: “No matter what you see tonight, don’t be afraid.”

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

The door creaked open, and over a dozen thugs stood in the darkness—He Qing at their head.

He Qing’s eyes were bloodshot, his face swollen with fat; clearly drunk, he radiated an unsettling aura.

He Qing scanned the room from the doorway, his gaze cold and cruel.

She sat upright on the bed, striving to appear composed: “It’s the middle of the night—who are you? What do you want?”

He Qing sneered, striding into the room: “I’ve come for you! You’re the one who caused my master to lose three thousand taels—do you think you can escape?”

He grabbed Liu Churan by the wrist and yanked her off the bed—her wrist throbbed with pain...

Shangmu County, He family compound.

He Dachuan sipped his tea calmly, looking smug.

At that moment, steward He Qing entered with two retainers, bowing respectfully: “Master, I’ve returned.”

The two retainers kept their heads lowered, their faces hidden in the flickering candlelight.

He Dachuan had no interest in these nameless men and barely glanced at them; he lazily asked He Qing: “Done?”

He Qing seemed nervous, carefully pulling a stack of banknotes from his bosom and offering them with both hands, his tone fawning: “All done, Master—here are the banknotes.”

He Dachuan took the notes, a sly smile curling his lips, a sinister glint in his eyes: “Good, good. And the girl—what happened to her?”

He Qing grew even more nervous, his speech stumbling: “P-Please, Master, she’s been detained. As soon as the city gates open tomorrow, we’ll send her straight to Tenglong County—guaranteed to fetch a good price in the brothels. You just wait for your money.”

He Dachuan laughed coldly, a cruel expression twisting his face: “Well done. That little bitch dared collude with that Jiang dog-official to trick me—did she think she could get away with it? If she weren’t half-decent-looking and worth a decent price, I’d have sent her to the underworld already!”

Then his expression changed—he seemed to recall something, frowning: “Does she have any family? Could tonight’s affair leak? If that Jiang fellow finds out, we’re finished.”

He Qing, who had served the master for over a decade, now stared blankly: “Master... what affair tonight?”

He Dachuan flew into a rage: “Fool! What are you saying? Didn’t I order you to capture the girl and recover my silver?”

He Dachuan wanted to slap He Qing awake: “You idiot brain—when will you learn? Observe me! Be flawless, or you won’t survive long!”

“Even if that Jiang fellow had divine sight, could he guess I was behind tonight’s affair?” He Dachuan boasted, utterly confident.

“A temporary Imperial Envoy? He survives only by drinking my washwater! How dare he defy me? He’s still a child!”

“Just wait—I’ll make him die in my hands one day!” He Dachuan’s eyes gleamed with lethal intent.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a familiar voice interrupted: “Master He, you truly plan with wisdom and ambition—but I’m curious—how exactly do you intend to make me die in your hands?”

He Dachuan froze, his body trembling slightly, his face flashing with shock; he glanced warily around: “Who’s there? Who spoke?” A dread settled in his chest.

He Dachuan barked: “He Qing! Go see who’s impersonating that Jiang Imperial Envoy to scare me!”

He forced calm, but his voice betrayed his tension.

Unbeknownst to him, He Qing ignored him entirely, turning instead to the retainers behind: “I’ve said everything you told me to—was that enough?”

He Dachuan stared, speechless, unable to believe his ears: “He Qing, are you mad? Those are my retainers—how are they the Jiang official?” He tried to stay composed, but his inner dread spread like poison.

“My estate is heavily guarded—even a fly can’t fly in. That Jiang Mingyu? He’d faint the moment he stepped onto my land!” He Dachuan shouted, as if convincing himself.

“If it really is him, I’ll take his life tonight!” He Dachuan clung to bravado, but his fear was now unmistakable.

At that moment, the retainer who had kept his head lowered slowly raised it and spoke: “Master He, you’re truly formidable—the undisputed lord of Shangmu.” He Dachuan’s world spun—he turned deathly pale.

The retainer continued: “Let me ask again—how exactly do you plan to kill me?” The voice belonged to Jiang Mingyu, who had arrived unseen; the other retainer was his personal guard, Tukesulu.

He Dachuan’s eyes widened, his body went limp; he stammered: “Y-You... how are you here? He Qing—what’s going on?”

The ever-obedient He Qing now ignored He Dachuan entirely, turning to Jiang Mingyu: “Your Excellency, I’ve done exactly as you ordered. Please, for my humble service, spare my life.”

Jiang Mingyu waved his hand: “Stand aside. We’ll settle accounts later.”

Jiang Mingyu turned his cold gaze to He Dachuan and spoke slowly: “Master He, you robbed the people, kidnapped innocent civilians, and plotted to murder me—do you know the gravity of your crimes?”

His voice was calm, yet each word carried boundless fury, chilling He Dachuan to the bone.

He Dachuan’s mind exploded—he realized he had walked into a trap.

His body trembled; his eyes glowed with venom as he snarled: “He Qing, you beast! I treated you well—how could you betray me? You conspire with the official to destroy me—are you even human?!”

He Dachuan longed to devour He Qing alive.

Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly: “Master He, don’t be so agitated. Your steward is also a victim.”

He Dachuan was utterly confused, his thoughts in chaos: “What’s happening? Why is Jiang Mingyu here?” He struggled to make sense of it, but found no answers.

Jiang Mingyu sat calmly across from He Dachuan and spoke gently: “Want to know why? I’ll explain.”

“It begins this afternoon, after I returned from the victim’s home...”

A faint, satisfied smile appeared on Jiang Mingyu’s face—he was pleased with his scheme.

At the time, Tukesulu had frowned and asked him: “Why let these evil bastards go just for a few taels?”

Jiang Mingyu had whispered to them: “I do this to uproot the evil.”

“He Dachuan is powerful and corrupt here—he won’t stop. He’ll target Miss Liu. That’s our chance,” Jiang Mingyu said, a sharp glint in his eyes.

Seeing their confusion, he continued: “He’ll come tonight to reclaim the silver—perhaps worse. So after dark, we set an ambush at Liu’s home and wait for him to walk into it.”

And so it happened—He Qing led men to break into Liu’s home, waking the “sleeping” Liu Churan.

Jiang Mingyu smiled knowingly as he looked at He Dachuan: “Indeed, Master He, you did not disappoint. Your trusted steward’s men stood no chance against my guard Tukesulu. Your most loyal servant ultimately fell into my trap—and at the moment of truth, he chose to bring me to you, forcing you to confess every crime yourself.”

“Master He, with witnesses and evidence in hand—what do you have to say?”

He Dachuan, who had thought himself clever, never imagined Jiang Mingyu’s scheme had reached this level of precision.

Robbery, human trafficking, conspiracy to murder a county official—any one charge would condemn him to years in prison.

Stunned, He Dachuan forced a cold laugh: "Judge Jiang, you've won this round, but I advise you not to overreach—you'll invite disaster."

He took a deep breath, forcing strength into his voice: “We’re both smart men. My family holds such power in Shangmu because we have backing. Let me be frank—I answer to Prince Qi. Move against me, and you’ll invite endless ruin.”

He Dachuan watched Jiang Mingyu’s expression closely; seeing no tremor, his heart grew uneasy.

He spoke slowly, determined to shatter Jiang Mingyu’s calm: “Listen to my advice, young man—your passion may be noble, but it may also cut your life short.”

“Let me go today, and I’ll have the overdue taxes delivered to your yamen tomorrow.”

He Dachuan beamed: “Moreover, I’ve prepared a generous gift to show my respect. A clean magistrate for three years earns a hundred thousand taels—aren’t officials all after silver? You take your silver, I’ll keep my status. You won’t stay here forever—then we part ways, won’t that be better?”

Jiang Mingyu listened in silence, then slowly smiled: “Master He, your words hold merit—I’m tempted. Very well—the overdue taxes need not be paid.”