Chapter 53: The Top Scholar Launches a Surprise Attack; the He Family Cannot Escape Disaster

When Jiang Jiang Mingyu returned to the county yamen with Tu Tu Kesiluo and Liu Liu Churan, Wu Xiaoer, who had previously accompanied He He Dachuan to collect the silver, had already returned ahead of them.

At this moment, seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu return safely, Li Goudan and the others finally set down their heavily suspended hearts; the worried expressions on their faces vanished completely, replaced by the joy of relief.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu took the banknote, looked at the banknote in his hand, felt a stir in his heart, turned around, pulled out three hundred taels, and handed them directly to Liu Liu Churan: "Take it, this is yours."

Liu Liu Churan was startled and quickly waved her hands to decline: "My lord, this sum of money is enough for me to worry neither about food nor clothing for my entire life; it is truly far too much, I cannot accept it..." She had thought the banknotes would surely go into Jiang Jiang Mingyu's pocket, but she did not expect this young scholar-official to be so generous, leaving Liu Liu Churan both surprised and moved.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu waved his hand, stuffed the note into Liu Liu Churan's bosom, and said with a serious expression: "This is what you deserve; if not for your plight, how could I have taken these three thousand taels from the He father and son?"

At this point, Jiang Jiang Mingyu unconsciously curled a cold sneer at the corner of his mouth: "What I say may sound harsh, but if not for you, how could I have found the opportunity to make He He Dachuan spend so much blood and treasure?"

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai, standing nearby, heard these words, looked at the three thousand taels of banknotes in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's hand, and his brows could not help but frown deeply; a nameless displeasure and anger surged in his heart.

In a good mood, Jiang Jiang Mingyu teased him: "What's wrong, Brother Lord Murong? Did I earn this silver, and are you still not happy?"

Before the sound had faded, Lord Murong Murong Yunhai let out a heavy snort, his face clouded with gloom, and said with a tone full of contempt: "That He father and son are worse than pigs and dogs; I thought Brother Jiang would take this good opportunity to root out their entire clan, but who would have expected you to let them go so easily for a little profit. In the future, countless women will still suffer humiliation; how can you protect them from being violated!"

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai's eyes were full of disdain, obviously extremely dissatisfied with Jiang Jiang Mingyu's behavior of forgetting righteousness for profit.

Wu Xiaoer, who had witnessed the whole process, could not help but feel puzzled; Jiang Jiang Mingyu had always been righteous, yet today he let this pair of bully father and son go for money; such an abnormal act left Wu Xiaoer utterly baffled.

After hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu only slowly shook his head and said meaningfully: "Listen to me; you will soon understand my painstaking efforts..." Upon finishing, his expression became stern; he lowered his voice and quietly revealed his various considerations and arrangements to the four people present.

After hearing this, Lord Murong Murong Yunhai was stunned first, then asked in disbelief: "Really?"

A smile hung on the corner of Jiang Jiang Mingyu's mouth, yet his expression was quite severe; he slowly nodded and said in a deep voice: "You will soon understand my painstaking efforts; now it is not early, go prepare quickly."

Shangmu County, He Family Courtyard.

After Wu Xiaoer left with the silver, He He Dachuan's first thought was to severely punish his son He He Muchen, who had nearly caused his death.

More than three thousand taels of silver had disappeared so inexplicably; thinking of this, He He Dachuan's heart burned with fire, and he ground his teeth, unable to quell the inner rage.

He summoned the steward He Qing and angrily questioned: "How is the matter I entrusted to you progressing?"

Seeing the master's ferocious expression and the low pressure radiating from his whole body, He Qing dared only to answer cautiously: "Replying to the master, it has been ascertained; the person is in Che Hongda Lane, Chengnan, a poor family."

He He Dachuan pondered for a moment, a flash of cold light passing through his eyes: "Very good; at the dead of night, lead people there personally to snatch back the silver; there must be no errors!"

He He Dachuan clenched his fist, gritted his teeth, and forced out a sentence: "That official surnamed Jiang is someone I cannot provoke; a mere poor scholar dares to get angry with me?! You must retrieve the silver!"

Thinking of this matter, He He Dachuan felt as if he had been slapped, a burning pain on his face.

He slammed the table heavily, making the teacups on it vibrate with a buzzing sound: "And that wretched woman, capture her and sell her to the brothel in Tenglong County; this is the fate of those who dare to oppose me!"

He He Dachuan wished he could tear Liu Liu Churan into a thousand pieces just to vent the hatred in his heart.

Hearing the master's hateful instructions, He Qing hurriedly nodded and agreed: "Rest assured, master; I will personally lead people there, act cautiously, and never let the Imperial Envoy master catch our fault again."

Having said this, He Qing hurriedly took his leave, fearing that lingering even a moment longer before He He Dachuan would bring disaster.

Night fell, the third watch.

The silent night shrouded the earth, and Shangmu County also fell into a peaceful sleep with the coming of dreams.

In the dilapidated folk house in Che Hongda Lane, Chengnan, Liu Liu Churan was already sleeping soundly in the land of dreams.

The heavy snoring coming from next door rose wave after wave; amidst the noise, it made Liu Liu Churan feel a trace of reassurance.

Just on this beautiful and quiet night, the dilapidated door was suddenly kicked open with a loud "Bang," and the door frame swayed, emitting a mournful sound of being unable to bear the impact.

Immediately following was the steward He Qing's shout, filled with excitement and sinister intent: "Liu Liu Churan, you little bitch, where are you? Get out here for me!"

Liu Liu Churan was awakened by this sudden loud noise; her heart jumped, and before she could react, He Qing's shouting drilled into her ears, making her instantly wake up.

She remembered Jiang Jiang Mingyu's instructions before leaving, telling her not to be afraid no matter what she saw at night.

So Liu Liu Churan took a deep breath and tried hard to calm herself down.

The dilapidated door was forcibly pried open with a "Creak," and outside stood more than a dozen thugs in the darkness, with He Qing at the head.

He Qing's eyes were red, her face full of bulging flesh; one could tell at a glance she had drunk quite a lot of wine, and her whole person radiated an unsettling aura.

He Qing stood at the doorway scanning the room, her gaze revealing a chilling coldness and cruelty.

She sat on the bed, trying hard to appear calm and composed: "In the dead of night, who are you? What do you want?"

He Qing snorted coldly and strode into the room: "I am looking for you! It is you who caused my master to lose three thousand taels of silver; do you think you can escape?"

As she spoke, He Qing grabbed Liu Liu Churan from the bed; Liu Liu Churan only felt her wrist gripped until it hurt...

Shangmu County, He Family Courtyard.

He He Dachuan savor contentedly a cup of fragrant tea, looking extremely smug.

At this moment, the steward He Qing entered with two Retainers in a stream, saying respectfully: "Master, I have returned."

The two Retainers kept their heads down, their faces difficult to see clearly under the flickering candlelight.

He He Dachuan had no interest in these unknown small fry and was too lazy to lift his eyes to look at them once; he just asked He Qing casually: "Is it settled?"

He Qing seemed somewhat nervous, carefully took out a stack of banknotes from her bosom, handed them over with both hands and feet, and said in a flattering tone: "It is settled, master; these are the banknotes."

He He Dachuan took the banknotes, a cunning smile overflowing from the corner of his mouth, and a sinister light flashed in his eyes: "Good, good, good. By the way, how is that little woman?"

Hearing this, He Qing seemed even more nervous, her speech becoming somewhat stuttering: "M-m-master, please rest assured; she has already been detained by me. As soon as the city gate opens tomorrow, she will be sent directly to Tenglong County; I guarantee she will be sold to a brothel. You just sit and wait to collect the money."

After hearing this, He He Dachuan let out a cold sneer, and a cruelty that made one shudder appeared on his face: "Well done; this little wretch actually dared to collude with that dog-official surnamed Jiang to scheme against me; did she think she could take advantage of me? If it weren't for her rare face, which can fetch a good price, I would have sent her to the netherworld long ago!"

Speaking to this point, his face changed; he seemed to think of something, frowned, and said: "Does she have anyone else in her family? Will news of tonight's matter leak out? If that person surnamed Jiang finds out, we will be in a passive position."

He Qing, who had served the master for over ten years, now looked like a fool, asking blankly: "Master, what matter of tonight?"

He He Dachuan flew into a rage, instantly jumping up in fury: "Useless thing, what are you saying? Didn't I order you to bind that little wretch and snatch back my silver?"

He He Dachuan wished he could slap He Qing awake; he continued angrily: "You pig-headed fool, when will you become sharp? Learn more from me; only by doing things without a flaw can one establish oneself for the long term!"

"Just regarding tonight's matter, even if that person surnamed Jiang opened his heavenly eyes, could he guess it was me?" He He Dachuan was extremely smug and full of confidence.

"A mere temporary Imperial Envoy; isn't he still dependent on drinking my foot-washing water to survive? Daring to challenge me, he is still too young!"

"Just wait and see; one day, I will make him die by my hand!" He He Dachuan's eyes were filled with cold, fierce light, brimming with murderous intent.

Just as He He Dachuan finished his harsh words, a familiar voice suddenly interjected: "Master He, you truly plan your affairs by human effort and aim high; however, this official is quite curious; by what means do you intend to make this official die by your hand?"

Hearing these words, He He Dachuan was suddenly startled; his body trembled slightly, and a look of surprise flashed across his face; he looked around alertly: "Who is it? Who is speaking?" A sense of ominous foreboding surged in his heart.

He He Dachuan shouted sternly: "He Qing, go check quickly; which death-seeking person is impersonating that surnamed Jiang Imperial Envoy to scare me?"

He feigned composure, though tension seeped through his tone.

Little did he know, He Qing ignored him entirely, turning instead to the Retainer behind her to say, "I have spoken exactly as you instructed; is that not enough?"

He He Dachuan stood with his mouth agape, unable to believe his ears for a moment: "He Qing, have you gone mad? That Retainer clearly belongs to me; how has he become an official of the Jiang surname?" He tried to calm himself, yet unease continued to spread deep within his heart.

"My residence is guarded so strictly that not even a fly could enter; with Jiang Jiang Mingyu's meager courage, he would surely be terrified out of his wits upon entering my domain." He He Dachuan shouted harshly, as if engaging in self-hypnosis.

"If it truly is him, I will take his dog life tonight!" He He Dachuan forced himself to act imposing, yet the terror in his heart was now impossible to hide.

Just then, the Retainer, who had kept his head bowed, slowly raised it and spoke: "Indeed, Lord He is imposing; you are truly the worthy leader of Shangmu." He He Dachuan felt the world spin, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.

The Retainer continued: "I ask once more, how do you intend to take my life?" The speaker was none other than Jiang Jiang Mingyu, who had arrived here at some unknown time, while the other Retainer was his personal bodyguard, Tuke Tuke Siluo.

He He Dachuan's eyes widened, his body went limp, and he stammered: "Y-you, how are you here? He Qing, what is going on?"

He Qing, usually so submissive, no longer paid He He Dachuan any attention, turning instead to Jiang Jiang Mingyu to say: "My Lord Envoy, I have done exactly as you instructed; I beg you, in consideration of my small contribution, to spare my life."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu waved his hand: "Stand aside and wait; we will discuss matters later."

As Jiang Jiang Mingyu's words fell, ignoring He Qing once more, his cold gaze shifted to He He Dachuan, and he slowly spoke: "Lord He, you have robbed the people of their property, kidnapped innocent citizens, and, more insidiously, plotted to harm this official; do you know the gravity of your crimes?"

His tone was calm, yet every word radiated boundless fury, making He He Dachuan shiver with dread.

A boom echoed in He He Dachuan's mind, and only then did he realize he seemed to have fallen into a trap.

His body trembled slightly, his eyes shot forth a look of venom, and he ground his teeth, saying: "He Qing, you beast, you have betrayed me! I have always treated you well; you conspire with an official to harm me; are you still human?!"

He He Dachuan wished he could devour He Qing alive.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly and slowly said: "Lord He, do not be so agitated; your steward here is also a victim."

He He Dachuan was utterly baffled, his thoughts in chaos: "What on earth is going on? Why is Jiang Jiang Mingyu here?" He tried to sort out his thoughts but found no answer.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu sat down leisurely opposite He He Dachuan and spoke in a gentle voice: "Do you wish to know the reason? This official will explain it to you now."

"The matter began this afternoon, after this official returned from the victim's home to the yamen..."

A look of pride appeared on Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face, as if he were quite satisfied with his own scheme.

At that time, Tuke Tuke Siluo had asked him with a displeased expression why he would release the He father and son, those great villains, over a few silver coins.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu had then whispered into the ears of the group, saying thus: "This official acts in this manner precisely to eradicate the evil consequences."

"He He Dachuan is wealthy and powerful in this place, having committed many evils; he will certainly not stop here. He will surely cause trouble for Young Lady Liu; this is precisely our opportunity." A sharp glint flashed in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes.

Seeing that everyone was still confused, Jiang Jiang Mingyu continued: "Tonight he will surely go to the Liu family to demand the silver, and may even commit even more cruel acts. Therefore, after nightfall, we will set an ambush at the Liu residence, waiting specifically for He He Dachuan to take the bait."

As expected, this led to the scene where He Qing led men into the Liu residence, waking Liu Liu Churan from her "sleep."

Having spoken thus far, a knowing, faint smile curved Jiang Jiang Mingyu's lips as he looked meaningfully at He He Dachuan: "Indeed, the far-sighted and scheming Lord He has not disappointed me. The men led by your confidant He Qing were no match for my subordinate Tuke Tuke Siluo. Your most trusted steward ultimately fell into my calculation; at the critical moment of life and death, he decisively chose to bring me to you, allowing you to confess all your crimes with your own mouth."

"He He Dachuan, with both witness testimony and physical evidence now present, what defense do you have left?"

He He Dachuan, who had thought himself clever, never imagined that Jiang Jiang Mingyu's calculations had reached such a precise level.

Robbing the people's property, trafficking humans, and conspiring to secretly harm the County Prefect; any single one of these charges would be enough for him to spend several years reforming in prison.

He He Dachuan, caught completely off guard, felt a shock in his heart, then forced a calm, cold smile: "My Lord Jiang, you have won this round. But I, He, advise you not to act rashly, lest you invite trouble."

He took a deep breath, striving to make his voice sound firm: "We are all intelligent people. The fact that my He family can occupy such a large territory in Shangmu naturally means we have a patron. To be frank, my background is Prince Qi. If you harm me, you will only invite endless disaster."

He He Dachuan carefully observed Jiang Jiang Mingyu's expression; seeing no sign of wavering, he felt somewhat uneasy in his heart.

He slowly spoke, determined to shatter Jiang Jiang Mingyu's composure: "Listen to my good advice; do not write a story you cannot finish. A young man may be full of youthful vigor, but that may also lead to an early death."

"If you spare me today, I will send someone to the county yamen tomorrow to deliver the overdue taxes."

He He Dachuan spoke with animated eyebrows: "Furthermore, I have prepared a generous gift to show my respect for you, my Lord. A prefect who serves three years cleanly accumulates a hundred thousand taels of silver; do officials not work for silver as well? You take your silver, and I remain my Lord; you will not stay here long anyway, and when the time comes we will be separated by great distances; would that not be wonderful?"

After listening, Jiang Jiang Mingyu remained silent for a moment, then slowly curved a faint smile: "What Lord He says is not without reason; this official is indeed tempted. Very well, then; the overdue taxes need not be paid."