Chapter 234: Taking the Opportunity
Gu Yan, along with his guards and servants, headed straight for the East City of Pingjiang.
Half a li from the Zhu family residence, guards waiting by the roadside rushed out to meet them. They bowed from their horses, then turned their mounts and led the way, directly to a small courtyard in a corner of the garden, where the Old Master Zhu was staying.
Wang Gui stood by the entrance to the small courtyard, hands clasped.
Gu Yan stood at the courtyard entrance, turned to survey the surroundings, stepped onto the stairs, and as he passed Wang Gui, asked, “How is it?”
“Regarding the murder, Zhu Weishan and his son have both confessed in detail. Here are their statements. All those involved in this case who were in the residence have been apprehended and have also given their statements. Those who were outside have been sent for.” Wang Gui followed closely behind Gu Yan, holding out a stack of thin bamboo paper.
Gu Yan stopped, took the stack of papers, examined them carefully, returned the thin paper to Wang Gui, and asked, “What about the silk trade?”
“They’ve confessed to that as well,” Wang Gui replied, handing over another stack of statements.
Gu Yan took it, skimmed through it, returned it to Wang Gui, and asked, “Where is Huang Xianzhou? Where is he?”
“Judging by the time, he should be arriving soon,” Wang Gui answered hastily.
When he departed from Jinling County, he had already dispatched someone to Linhai Town to fetch Huang Xianzhou. It seemed this Master Huang was not a good rider; if he had traveled back and forth at their pace, he would have arrived long ago.
Gu Yan grunted, walked around the screen wall, crossed the courtyard, and stopped before a Taihu stone with orchids growing on it, situated at the foot of the main house’s steps. He paused, squinted, and carefully admired the Taihu stone covered in orchids and calamus. He reached out, plucked a couple of calamus leaves, rubbed them, and smelled them. He then smiled at Wang Gui and said, “It smells like blood, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” Wang Gui replied. Though he knew what his Young Lord meant by the smell of blood, he still carefully plucked two calamus leaves, rubbed them thoroughly, and smelled them.
Gu Yan entered the main house and stood before Old Master Zhu and Zhu Weishan, who were bound to chairs, scrutinizing them.
Zhu Weishan’s face was ashen, while Zhu Weishan dared not look up, his gaze fixed on the hem of Gu Yan’s robe. He trembled so much that the chair continuously bumped against the high table beside him.
“Go to Jianle City. Behave yourselves, and I will spare the lives of your Zhu family and your clan members,” Gu Yan said to Zhu Weishan in a calm voice.
“Yes,” Zhu Weishan replied, his throat dry and his expression dazed, as if he had returned to his childhood, watching his great-grandmother kneel before the statue of Guanyin, murmuring prayers:
Every cause has an effect, it’s simply a matter of cause and effect…
Gu Yan came out and met Huang Xianzhou, who was panting heavily. “Take a breath first and have some tea.” He then instructed Wang Gui, “After Mr. Huang finishes questioning them, send them to Jianle City. Take good care of them on the journey and deliver them to General Wen intact.”
Huang Xianzhou cupped his hands and bowed, while Wang Gui clasped his hands and replied in assent.
Two hours later, Zhu Weishan, with his son Zhu Xingwen, went around to the main entrance and loudly instructed the doorman there: their father and son were going to the Capital City to celebrate Prime Minister Pang’s birthday.
After giving the instructions, a procession of about ten carts began to move.
The doorman stared at the ten or so carts, bewildered and confused. The Old Master and Ninth Master were going to the Capital City together, and only these few carts were accompanying them? Ninth Master needed more than these few carts just to go to Linhai Town!
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Yu Chengfu received word from Li Wenliang and rushed to the Zhu family residence in the East City, circling the entire compound.
The surroundings of the residence were silent. All the courtyard gates were tightly shut. Yu Chengfu tried knocking on the corner gate and a side gate, but after waiting for a long time, there was no response from within.
Yu Chengfu walked back with his hands in his sleeves. Midway, he stopped, frowned, and thought for a moment. He then jogged to a familiar real estate agency and spoke in hushed tones to the senior guild member he usually dealt with.
The senior guild member went out and returned shortly, bringing with him a servant with a cheerful expression and quick eyes. Yu Chengfu took the servant and headed straight for the Zhu family’s grand residence in the East City.
The servant went directly to the main gate of the Zhu family residence. Yu Chengfu hid behind a tree, craning his neck to watch the servant.
The servant knocked and called out for a good quarter of an hour before the courtyard gate opened a crack, revealing half a face.
Yu Chengfu stared intently at the doorman whose half-face was visible. He watched as the doorman and the servant exchanged a few words before the courtyard gate slammed shut.
The servant ran back in a flash and reported to Yu Chengfu, “As per your instructions, sir, I said I was from Linhai Town and had urgent business with the Old Master. The doorman said the Old Master and Ninth Master left before noon. He said the Old Master instructed that they were going to the Capital City to celebrate Prime Minister Pang’s birthday and that they were taking about ten carts. That’s all.”
“Thank you,” Yu Chengfu said, slipping a small silver coin to the servant.
The servant bowed repeatedly to thank Yu Chengfu and then ran off, hopping and skipping.
Yu Chengfu slowly straightened his back and let out a long sigh.
They left before noon, so how could they have set off at noon?
Only about ten carts for a trip to the Capital City, hehe! It seems Old Master Zhu and Ninth Master Zhu were indeed taken away.
This must have been a message deliberately sent by the Prince’s Estate. Elder Li is truly remarkable!
Yu Chengfu shook his shoulders and strode with renewed vigor straight to the Pingjiang Silk Trade Association.
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Elder Wu and several other senior guild members watched Yu Chengfu leave after saying a few words, standing up as if he couldn’t be bothered to pay them any more attention. However, they couldn’t afford to be angry.
“Is what he said true or false?” Elder Chu’s face had turned somewhat pale.
Old Master Zhu and Ninth Master Zhu had been apprehended and taken to the Capital City!
That was too terrifying a statement!
“Since they were apprehended and taken to the Capital City, they must be staying at the posthouse. Let’s send more people ahead to guard the posthouse?” Elder Feng’s voice was very low as he looked at everyone.
“Yes, yes, yes! If we can get there and see them, maybe we can even speak a few words. Even if we can’t speak, we can at least see them,” Elder Wei quickly agreed.
“Each family picks one person, quickly!” Elder Wu finished speaking, feeling a panic and dizziness, unable to catch his breath.
“Elder Xu’s family has a distant marital connection with the Zhu family, don’t they?” Elder Feng suggested hesitantly.
“Do you trust him?” Elder Chu asked impolitely.
“That’s true, that’s true,” Elder Feng replied with a smile.
“Pick people quickly and leave quickly!” Elder Wu urged impatiently, tapping the ground with his crutch.
Yu Chengfu left the Silk Trade Association and headed straight for his own weaving workshop. He first grabbed a servant and sent him to summon the steward from his brother-in-law’s weaving workshop. Then, he instructed his own weaving workshop’s steward to start work immediately, as they needed to catch up on the work that had been delayed recently.
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As night deepened, the situation in several weaving workshops within and outside Pingjiang City was reported to the villa.
Shi Gun, holding a handful of thin bamboo slips handed to him by a servant, walked alongside Gu Yan, reporting as they went, “The earliest was Yu Chengfu’s and his brother-in-law’s weaving workshops; they started working around the hour of 1 PM-3 PM.
“Around the hour of 5 PM-7 PM, the weaving workshops of the Wu, Chu, Feng, and Wei families also opened. They said their respective stewards had ordered candles from the candle shop, as they needed to work through the night and would have to adjust and start weaving silk first thing tomorrow morning.”
Gu Yan listened intently, grunted, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
With the Silk Trade Association dealt with, half the task was complete. He could now focus his energy on the Maritime Tax Bureau.
