[Fantasy] A Strange Encounter with an Immortal (Complete) - 4-6

Chapter Ten: Investigating the Case for Beauty

Since discovering the taste of love, Zhu Chuanzong had secluded himself at home, spending his days with Hua Caiyun and Zhu Shuiyue. Zhu Shuiyue and Hua Caiyun were close friends, and Zhu Shuiyue, finding an opportunity, tearfully recounted her affair with Zhu Chuanzong to Hua Caiyun.

Seeing that things had come to this point, and considering that Zhu Shuiyue meant well like herself, Hua Caiyun couldn't bear to blame her, instead comforting her. She even said that perhaps she might marry Zhu Chuanzong someday! After all, she was only the adopted daughter of the Zhu family, and there were precedents for this.

Zhu Shuiyue was deeply grateful, and from then on, her relationship with Hua Caiyun became even closer.

Zhu Chuanzong spent his days at the Zhu family's residence indulging in pleasure and extravagance. That day, he sneaked into Zhu Shuiyue's room. Zhu Shuiyue scolded him, "What are you doing sneaking in like this in broad daylight?"

Zhu Chuanzong laughed, "I missed you! Who cares about day or night?"

Zhu Shuiyue said, "You're getting more and more audacious, you don't even think about me. You're not allowed to come during the day next time."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Alright. But since you're here this time, I can't let you off the hook."

Zhu Shuiyue couldn't resist him, so she had no choice but to give in. Zhu Chuanzong said, "Good sister, would it be nice if I became a big fat man? Alas, I don't know what's wrong with me now, I can only change into my original appearance, I can't change into anything else."

Zhu Shuiyue blushed and said, "Luckily you can't change into anything else. You big fat man, you're going to crush me!"

Zhu Chuanzong laughed, "Others might want to crush me, but I won't!"

Zhu Shuiyue said, "Sooner or later you'll tell your sister-in-law. She's so beautiful and smart, I don't believe you'll only tell me your secret."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I can't tell anyone else. Otherwise, who knows what trouble it might cause! The more people who know, the more dangerous it is."

Zhu Shuiyue laughed, "Then I understand, kill me to silence me!"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Okay, I'll kill you."

He used all his strength.

Zhu Shuiyue couldn't help but cry out, "Oh no, I'm going to die! I'm going to die!"

The fact that Zhu Chuanzong was a eunuch was a widely circulated rumor. The Zhu family was one of the wealthiest and most famous families in Shengjing, the capital city. There was a saying, "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste; on the streets, frozen corpses lie." Any news about the Zhu family spread quickly. Originally, Zhu Chuanzong was a eunuch, and the extinction of the Zhu family line was a shameful thing. However, to protect Zhu Chuanzong, Madam Zhu ordered the Zhu family not to discuss the matter or spread any rumors, threatening a massacre if they did. Thus, news about the Zhu family was kept quiet.

The maids around Zhu Chuanzong and some of the inner maids gradually learned about Zhu Chuanzong and Hua Caiyun's affair, but no one dared to speak out. Some people thought it was just a pretense, a way for them to comfort each other.

Zhu Chuanzong, Hua Caiyun, and Zhu Shuiyue, having been intimate for a long time, began to set their sights on his maids. Nuanyun

was always gentle, kind, and obedient. She was Zhu Chuanzong's personal maid who served him at night, so she had the advantage of proximity, and soon the two also went to the brothel.

However, Xiao Yu was different. Zhu Chuanzong both loved and feared her. If Xiao Yu was in a good mood, Zhu Chuanzong could get some benefits behind her back—a touch of her hand, a kiss on the lips. But anything else was out of the question. Sometimes, when Xiao Yu was unhappy, she would curse Zhu Chuanzong as a pig-headed idiot, and Zhu Chuanzong could only glare and listen.

As for the girls like Siji, Zhu Chuanzong had no opportunity to touch or flirt with them, taking advantage of them only a little. As for the others, he had no chance to make a move.

However, seeing beautiful women in front of him every day, how could Zhu Chuanzong remain unmoved! He racked his brains to find an opportunity to make his move.

One day, Zhu Chuanzong and Siji were out in the park as usual. Zhu Chuanzong's health had returned to normal, but his old habits remained unchanged.

Ever since he had been intimate with Hua Caiyun and Zhu Shuiyue, he had become addicted to their gentleness and often spent time with them. His attitude towards the four girls, Siji, cooled considerably. Only after some time had passed did he begin to make advances towards them. However, Hua Caiyun instructed Xiaoyu to keep an eye on him, so he could only touch and kiss them for a while.

One day, Zhu Chuanzong played tag again, but this time he was much more agile, and none of the four girls escaped being caught. Naturally, their warm, red lips also couldn't escape Zhu Chuanzong's large mouth.

As Zhu Chuanzong played with the four girls, his desire gradually rose. On a whim, he said, "I'm all sweaty, let's stop playing. Let's go home and take a bath."

When Zhu Chuanzong returned home, Xiaoyu and Nuanyun prepared the bathwater, and then Chunfeng and Qiuyue helped him bathe.

Zhu Chuanzong took off his clothes. He was relatively well-behaved at first, but after a while, he began to tease the two women, asking Chunfeng, "Chunfeng, do you think I'm more impressive now? Look, I'm all muscle now, unlike before when I was all fat."

Chunfeng smiled and said, "Young Master is indeed impressive. To change like this in such a short time is like becoming a completely different person. We who are with you every day are amazed. People outside are saying that you've been switched at birth and replaced with a different person."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Since I'm impressive, then you'll be rewarded if you listen to me."

Xia Yu saw that Zhu Chuanzong's eyes were gradually turning wicked, stuck out her tongue, and said, "Young Master, Sister Xiaoyu and the others are outside! Don't do anything rash. I think you have bad intentions."

Seeing the two women, one gentle and the other playful, Zhu Chuanzong could no longer resist. He forcibly pulled them aside and was about to have his way with them.

The two women were both delighted and frightened, letting him touch and kiss them, saying, "Young Master, please

don't do this. Sister Xiaoyu will come in soon." Zhu Chuanzong heard this and realized it was true, so he didn't dare to be too presumptuous. If he didn't let them go, their moans would be heard by the people outside. He was seething with hatred for Xiao Yu, thinking, "That little hussy, if she finds out I'm not being honest and tells my sister-in-law, I'll be in big trouble. I'll drag her down with me sooner or later and let her know the taste of ecstasy."

Thinking this, Zhu Chuanzong released the two women, letting them put their clothes back on. He then pulled Chunfeng over, saying, "Come on, let me show you my big thing."

Chunfeng blushed, closing her eyes, too ashamed to look, and said, "What's so interesting? It looks like a dead snake, haven't we seen those before?"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "No! Look, it can be big or small! Touch it, what does it feel like?"

He forcibly placed Chunfeng's small hand on it, asking, "What does it feel like?"

Helpless, Chunfeng could only say, "It's warm."

Zhu Chuanzong swaggered around, showing off in front of the two women, making them blush with shyness. Seeing their bashful expressions, he felt incredibly pleased.

It wasn't until Xiao Yu called from outside, "Hey, are you ever going to stop? I'm coming in!"

that Zhu Chuanzong reluctantly said, "Alright, alright. I'm coming out."

Zhu Chuanzong came out looking refreshed after changing into new clothes.

Xiao Yu said, "What mischief have you been up to? Why are you out so late?"

Zhu Chuanzong said to Xiao Yu, "Good Xiao Yu, you can help me bathe from now on! I'll be quicker. They're clumsy, not as clever as you."

Xiao Yu said, "Even if I'm clever, I can't be quick when I'm as clumsy as you."

Zhu Chuanzong couldn't please Xiao Yu and glared at her angrily.

Xia Yu took the opportunity to happily scold, "Serves you right! You tried to use us to please someone, but you got a cold shoulder."

Zhu Chuanzong was disappointed and said listlessly, "You bullied me, I'm not talking to you anymore."

Zhu Chuanzong then went to visit Hua Caiyun.

Just then, they ran into Ying'er outside the door and started flirting with her. By sheer coincidence, Hua Caiyun came out, saw the two of them laughing and joking, snorted coldly, and went back inside.

Ying'er turned pale with fright. Zhu Chuanzong said, "It's alright, don't worry,"

and went inside.

Hua Caiyun was inside with her back to him, ignoring him.

She barely responded to Zhu Chuanzong's words. To cheer her up, Zhu Chuanzong changed the subject, deliberately smiling and saying, "Sister-in-law, why is there a black mark on your face..."

Before he could finish, Hua Caiyun said, "Really?"

and quickly went inside to get ready.

Zhu Chuanzong couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, following her in, wondering how Hua Caiyun would react when she saw the black mark on her face in the mirror! But he saw Hua Caiyun carefully applying her makeup again, completely oblivious to whether there was a black mark or not.

Zhu Chuanzong hadn't paid attention to the girls dressing up, but now, seeing her applying makeup, he was mesmerized. Although he'd seen maids like Nuanyun doing their makeup before, he hadn't paid much attention. Now, seeing it, he found it very amusing. He pulled up a small chair, sat down next to her, took a box containing something that resembled both orchid and musk, opened it, and smelled a pleasant fragrance. He asked curiously, "What is this?"

He dipped his finger in and applied it to his face.

Hua Caiyun turned and saw him, laughing incessantly. Zhu Chuanzong blushed and said angrily, "What are you laughing at? Tell me quickly, what is this for?"

Hua Caiyun laughed, "My dear brother, that's lipstick! Why are you putting it on your face?"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "What lipstick? Why isn't it red?"

As he spoke, he picked up something else and fiddled with it. Hua Caiyun giggled, "Silly brother, you only like red! You don't understand anything. Oh dear, don't spill my rosewater!"

She snatched a small bottle filled with clear water from Zhu Chuanzong's hand.

Zhu Chuanzong blushed and said, "What's so special about this? If you want to treat it like a treasure, tell me what it is, and I'll get you a whole cartload."

Hua Caiyun mocked, "Silly boy, do you think this is water? Cartloads and cartloads! This is rose dew, made from the spring rain on the spring equinox, the snow on the winter solstice, and the roses that bloom on the summer solstice. Just think about it! How rare that is!"

Zhu Chuanzong exclaimed, "What? If any one of them is out of season, wouldn't it take many years? You're not lying to me, are you?"

Hua Caiyun said, "Why would I lie to you? What good would it do?"

Zhu Chuanzong believed her then, and couldn't help but marvel. He looked at her curiously for a while and said, "Good sister-in-law, tell me how much rose dew you have?"

Hua Caiyun said, "What are you doing? Why are you calling me so affectionately? Are you after my rose dew?" Zhu

Chuanzong smiled sheepishly and said, "Sister-in-law ..." "Indeed, she's incredibly clever."

Hua Caiyun laughed, "You want to give it to those maids, right? This stuff is rare, but your sister knows how to make these things better than I do, she doesn't need it. If you want to please those maids, I can give you some! But..."

Zhu Chuanzong jumped up early, coming over to coax her, "But what? Sister-in-law, tell me quickly."

Hua Caiyun laughed, "As long as you do my hair and makeup, I'll give you a bottle."

Zhu Chuanzong laughed, "That's easy."

He picked up an eyebrow pencil and started drawing her eyebrows, saying, "There's no greater pleasure than drawing eyebrows in the boudoir!"

Hua Caiyun saw that he knew this allusion, and said coquettishly, "Since you're drawing my eyebrows, remember, I'll be your wife from now on. You can't forget me."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Don't worry, you're my sister-in-law and wife, how could I forget!"

The two flirted and teased each other.

Zhu Chuanzong was a carefree and philanderer at home, but he made a three-point agreement with Hua Caiyun: he couldn't touch any other woman outside, or he would be punished. The purpose of this was twofold: firstly, to prevent him from engaging in illicit affairs and contracting any diseases; and secondly, to cover his tracks and prevent others from discovering he wasn't a eunuch and attempting to harm him. Zhu Chuanzong was obedient and agreed to everything. Sometimes,

Zhu Chuanzong couldn't resist the repeated advances of the sons of princes and ministers and had to go out to play. When he drank too much, they would sometimes mock him for being incompetent, calling him a "good-for-nothing." Zhu Chuanzong would just laugh it off and not argue, thinking to himself, "What do these good-for-nothings know?"

When Zhu Chuanzong saw some novel and exquisite trinkets outside, he would bring them back to Zhu Shuiyue, Hua Caiyun, and the maids. They loved things like bamboo cages and flower baskets.

The Zhu family had all sorts of pearls and treasures, and they were tired of seeing them. On the contrary, these common folk trinkets, which weren't worth much, aroused their interest.

That evening, it was Nuanyun's turn to serve Zhu Chuanzong. Zhu Chuanzong took out the rose dew he had obtained from Hua Caiyun and gave it to Nuanyun.

Nuanyun was delighted with it and said, "How could I dare accept something from the eldest mistress! Why don't you give it to Xiaoyu? Otherwise, she'll gossip and make things difficult for her."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I specifically got it for you. Why should I give it to her? I can give it to whomever I want; it's none of her business."

Nuanyun retorted, "You're so fierce in front of me, but in front of her, you're like a mouse. I know you, young master!"

Zhu Chuanzong laughed, "Who told you to be a little lamb! I'm a big tiger; if I don't eat you, who will I eat?"

With that, he let out a howl and pounced on Nuanyun.

Nuanyun quickly said, "My little darling, don't be so loud! It's so loud; there are maids outside! It'll be embarrassing if you wake them. I'll do whatever you want. Just don't be so loud."

Zhu Chuanzong obeyed. The two then began to playfully wrestle.

Zhu Chuanzong was extremely happy at home and rarely went out. His two closest friends were Zhao Shusheng, the second son of Zhao Xianjin, the Minister of Rites, and Wang Zongying, the third son of Wang Ren, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. Zhu Chuanzong spent most of his time with these two. The Censorate was a supervisory department directly under the emperor, with Left and Right Censors-in-Chief, all high-ranking officials of the second rank. Because of its supervisory function, the Censorate wielded considerable power. Therefore, Wang Zongying's family background was actually higher than the other two.

One day, Zhu Chuanzong, Wang Zongying, and Zhao Shusheng traveled out of the city together in an official carriage. Because they were traveling in an official carriage, they encountered no obstacles. However, halfway there, they were suddenly stopped by someone crying out for justice.

The three, eager to enjoy their trip, initially didn't want to pay any attention. Their servants also told the woman who had stopped the carriage that the people in the carriage were not adults, but relatives and family members of officials.

However, Zhao Shusheng, with his sharp eyes, noticed that the person who stopped the carriage was a young lady of about seventeen or eighteen. She had an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and a pair of clear, bright eyes. Zhao Shusheng was immediately captivated and hurriedly got out of the carriage.

Zhu Chuanzong and Wang Zongying also got out of the carriage. Seeing the young lady's appearance, they both understood Zhao Shusheng's intention.

The young lady, seeing that the three men were dressed similarly, knew they were not ordinary young masters and began to weep, recounting her grievances. The young lady's name was Yue Keren, and she was from Shangqing County, Lutong Prefecture, Jianghuai Province. Her family had originally been a wealthy household in the area, but her mother had disappeared for unknown reasons. Her mother's family suspected that her father, Yue Yiming, had killed her. Coincidentally, a headless female corpse was found by a river, and the Shangqing County government arrested Yue Yiming, accusing him of murder.

Yue Yiming refused to confess, so the Shangqing County government used severe torture, beating him for three days and three nights. Unable to endure the torture any longer, Yue Yiming confessed under duress. But just before his execution, a relative discovered that Madam Yue was still alive. Upon hearing this, Madam Yue went to the county government to plead her innocence, but the county government claimed she was an imposter.

More than a hundred relatives, neighbors, and friends of the Yue family jointly petitioned the prefectural government, which then sent the case back to the Shangqing County government for handling. After this back and forth twice, the Shangqing County government finally sentenced Yue Yiming to fifteen years in prison, and the matter was dropped. Three years had passed since the lawsuit began.

The two young masters, Wang Zongying and Zhao Shusheng, paid no attention to the woman's case, but patiently stared at her face with lustful eyes.

Zhu Chuanzong, however, found it utterly unbelievable that the person the defendant had killed had come back to life and that the defendant had actually been found guilty. He thought to himself, "How could there be such a ridiculous case in our Great Liang Kingdom? This woman must be desperate to save her father."

Although he felt some sympathy, he believed that Yue Keren was lying or being used.

Wang Zongying and Zhao Shusheng, on the other hand, appeared indignant in front of Yue Keren, assuring her that they would definitely find a way to help her. Both of them wanted to take Yue Keren into their residence.

Wang Zongying said, "My father is the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. This case must be due to official corruption and abuse of power. Come home with me, and I'll ask my father to help you."

Zhao Shusheng wasn't about to back

down, saying, "My father is the Minister of Rites. He knows officials in the Ministry of Justice. I'll have my father handle this matter with the officials in the Ministry of Justice." The two started arguing. Zhao Shusheng pulled Wang Zongying aside and said, "I took a liking to this woman first. How can you compete with me for her?"

Wang Zongying said, "You have so many women, but I particularly like this one. We're brothers, are you still going to compete with me?"

Neither of them would give in, and they almost came to blows.

Finally, Wang Zongying said, "How about this? Let's send this girl to Zhu Chuanzong's house first, and then we'll discuss it further."

He then gave a wink, meaning that Zhu Chuanzong was a eunuch, so there was no need to worry. Zhao Shusheng understood, and the two laughed together, handing Yue Keren over to Zhu Chuanzong.

The three of them didn't go out for a stroll and went home separately.

Back at the Zhu family home, Zhu Chuanzong said to Yue Keren, "Miss, those two boys are just fooling you! They're after your beauty; they wouldn't do anything good! You're a young lady; it's better to stay home. It's too dangerous to be out here! Your family is so far away in the capital; they'll feel safer."

Upon hearing this, Yue Keren burst into tears, saying, "Home? Where do I have a home anymore? After the incident, my house was ransacked. All my property was confiscated. I... I have nowhere to go!"

Zhu Chuanzong asked in surprise, "Even if your father killed your wife, how could he confiscate your family's property? " "Is this really true?"

Yue Keren cried, "How could I dare to lie to you, sir!"

Zhu Chuanzong smiled and said, "Don't cry, I'll help you. Don't call me 'sir,' call me Bao'er! Or Young Master Bao."

Yue Keren said, "Yes, Young Master Bao."

Zhu Chuanzong saw that she was crying so hard that her face was pale, but she still had a kind of pitiful appearance. He thought to himself, "She's really a little beauty. No wonder those two guys were attracted to her."

The next day, Zhu Chuanzong told Hua Caiyun about the case of Yue Keren's father being wrongly accused of killing his wife, but Yue Keren said that her mother was not dead.

Hua Caiyun asked, "Isn't Yue Keren a beauty?"

Zhu Chuanzong feigned composure and replied, "What does her beauty have to do with me? I'm only here because of this injustice."

Hua Caiyun stared at Zhu Chuanzong and said, "You little rascal, trying to hide it from me? Go find Tu Langzhong in the Ministry of Justice for this matter! He's a fifth-rank official and used to be your father's subordinate; you've met him before."

Hua Caiyun intentionally wanted Zhu Chuanzong to handle this matter to hone his abilities.

Zhu Chuanzong laughed, "Those officials are always trying to curry favor; how could I remember them all? It seems I'll still be useful now."

Zhu Chuanzong then went directly to the Ministry of Justice to find Tu Langzhong.

When Tu Langzhong heard that Zhu Chuanzong, the young master of the Zhu family, had come to visit at the Ministry of Justice, he was quite surprised. He came out to greet him from afar, saying, "Young master, what brings you here? What business do you have? You could have just sent a

servant to let me know. Why bother with your presence?" Zhu Chuanzong smiled and said, "How could I not come in person to ask for your help, Lord Tu?"

Tu Langzhong smiled broadly and repeatedly said that he was too kind, thinking to himself, "Everyone says that the young master of the Zhu family isn't stupid anymore, he's become clever, and he really knows how to talk. It's a pity he's a eunuch... what a pity."

Zhu Chuanzong briefly explained Yue Yiming's case to Tu Langzhong, who frowned and said, "Young master, this Yue Yiming and the magistrate..." "What connection could there be that requires your intervention?"

Zhu Chuanzong replied, "There's no connection whatsoever. I just happened to encounter one of his relatives on the road, crying out for justice. I was just curious to see if such an absurd thing could happen—a murderer killing someone who is still alive."

Upon hearing this, the physician's brows relaxed, and he smiled, "I see. I heard from you, young master, that this case, since it's a death penalty case, we have files here in the capital. I'll bring them to you so you can see them and you'll understand." The physician

asked a clerk to fetch the case file concerning Yue Yiming from the Shangqing County government office in Jianghuai Province.

With the physician's help, Zhu Chuanzong began to read it.

The physician said, “Young master, look, there are no loopholes in this case. Yue Yiming committed murder, and there are witnesses and physical evidence. Moreover, Yue Yiming confessed to the crime. Furthermore, because more than a hundred people recommended him, and his attitude in admitting his guilt was good, his sentence was later reduced to fifteen years in prison, which is already a lenient treatment. From the case file, it all seems reasonable! I wonder if there is anything else you would like to see, young master?”

Zhu Chuanzong laughed and said, “I told you it was a false accusation! How could such a laughable miscarriage of justice occur in our Great Liang Kingdom? I will go back and tell her now. Thank you for your help, Master Tu.”

The physician smiled and said, “Young master, you are too kind. Please come whenever you need anything. I used to work for Master Zhu, and it was all thanks to Master Zhu’s promotion that I am where I am today. Please give my regards to Master Zhu.” After exchanging pleasantries,

the two parted ways.

Episode 2

Synopsis:

In order to clear the name of Yue Keren’s father, Yue Yiming, Zhu Chuanzong, carrying the title of Imperial Inspector, set off in a grand procession towards Shangqing County, Lutong Prefecture, Jianghuai Province. Finally finding the man, he was covered in wounds, clearly having been tortured into confessing. But to everyone's surprise, he vehemently denied any wrongdoing… Meanwhile, due to the investigation, Yue Keren became a murder suspect. With witnesses providing compelling evidence, even a reasonable defense was difficult to maintain… One problem after another, leaving Zhu Chuanzong utterly bewildered. How could he possibly solve the case?

Chapter 1: Mr. Wu

Zhu Chuanzong encounters the beautiful Yue Keren, who is pleading for her father's innocence. Because he was wrongly convicted in heaven and thus descended to mortal life, hearing about the injustice and recalling his past in heaven, he is filled with anger and decides to stand up for Yue Keren. Furthermore, Yue Keren is beautiful, and the case she describes—a wife-murder where the victim survived but was wrongly accused—is quite absurd. Intrigued, Zhu Chuanzong decides to investigate.

However, Zhu Chuanzong, through connections, accessed the case file of Yue Yiming's murder of his wife and found no errors. He found it laughable, thinking, "Miss Yue must have been deceived."

Zhu Chuanzong returned home and invited Yue Keren over, saying, "Miss Yue, I went to the Ministry of Justice to look at your father's case file, and there's nothing wrong with it! You must have been fooled. Or perhaps you were too eager to save your father. I don't blame you, but it's dangerous for a young woman like you to be out there. If you hadn't met me, who knows what might have happened to you!"

Yue Keren cried, "I know you're a good person, young master, but my father was truly wronged! My mother is still alive; many relatives witnessed it. To save my father, my mother went to the county..." " I filed a complaint with the yamen, and all of this can be verified. Young master, please have mercy and save my father! I will never forget your great kindness."

Zhu Chuanzong saw her tear-streaked face and said with pity, "Don't cry, don't cry. It's pitiful. I've been wronged before, so I understand how you feel. The case file does contain what you said, but the woman mentioned is the wife of a commoner named Hou Xiaoxing from Guangxing County. She suffers from an illness and is mentally ill, as certified by a doctor at Guangxing County Hospital. The evidence is irrefutable; your father should have been sentenced to death! Considering his good attitude in admitting his guilt, his willingness to donate some of his family's wealth, and the recommendation of gentry, I spared your father's life. How can you still be so ungrateful?"

Yue Keren cried, "Officials protect each other! How could you believe them, young master! They're all lies! My mother really isn't dead. If you don't believe me, you can come with me to our hometown to investigate. If I'm wrong, young master, even if you cut me into a thousand pieces, I'll accept it willingly."

Zhu Chuanzong laughed, "I wouldn't dare."

However, this wasn't the time to take advantage of her vulnerability, so he said seriously, "You stay at my residence first, and I'll go and investigate further."

Zhu Chuanzong knew his sister-in-law was shrewd, capable, and knowledgeable, so he told her everything he had found out in detail.

Hua Caiyun said, "On the surface, this case has complete evidence and is an ironclad case. But in our Great Liang Kingdom, we can't judge things by appearances. I'm not good at handling cases either. Why don't you find a clerk familiar with criminal law to help you?"

Zhu Chuanzong asked, "Where can I find one?"

Hua Caiyun replied, "I don't know either. You're a man, you should take responsibility for everything. Figure it out yourself."

Zhu Chuanzong chuckled and said, "When you're serious, sister-in-law, it's frighteningly solemn. It's completely different from your charming and graceful self before."

Hua Caiyun immediately blushed, glared at him with her bright eyes, and scolded, "You can't expect anything good from a dog's mouth. You're getting worse and worse."

Seeing that the maids were all waiting outside and no one was around, Zhu Chuanzong laughed and said, "You say I'm bad? Then I'll show you how bad I can be!"

He reached out and grabbed Hua Caiyun, his large hand slipping into her bosom, touching her soft, smooth breasts, looking completely intoxicated.

After leaving Hua Caiyun's place, Zhu Chuanzong sent someone to invite Tu Langzhong, a senior official from the Ministry of Justice, to dinner at Zuixianlou that evening. That evening, Physician Tu arrived as promised. After some pleasantries, the two began drinking. When they were quite tipsy, Zhu Chuanzong inquired about Yue Yiming's case.

Physician Tu, his face flushed from drinking, laughed and said, "Young Master, this case is indeed problematic. If Yue Yiming killed someone, it's a capital offense; if he didn't, he should be released without charge. The fact that he's neither released nor executed is highly suspicious. However, the evidence is complete, making the investigation extremely difficult."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Uh, what you say makes sense, sir! So, if you were to investigate this case, would you be able to uncover the truth?"

Physician Tu shook his head vigorously, saying, "I absolutely cannot solve this case. Looking throughout the capital, no one has that ability."

Zhu Chuanzong looked disappointed.

The physician, burping, chuckled, "But as long as you, young master, investigate personally, and have someone assist you, this case isn't impossible to solve."

Zhu Chuanzong was overjoyed and asked, "Who is that person?"

The physician replied, "This man was originally a sixth-rank clerk in the Ministry of Justice in the capital. He served as a county magistrate in another region. His official rank wasn't high, but his name was known throughout the land; people addressed him as 'Master' rather than by his name."

Zhu Chuanzong asked, "What are his abilities?"

The physician said, "This man is named Wu Siyuan. He is upright and incorruptible, well-versed in the ways of officialdom, and has written two books that have circulated widely. One of them, 'The Way of Officialdom,' fully explains the intricacies of our dynasty's officialdom. However, he was convicted for this and imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail. If you, young master, can win him over, how can this case not be solved?"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Isn't this... To solve the case, must we first save the person? I'm afraid it's not that simple."

Tu Langzhong secretly praised Zhu Chuanzong's intelligence and smiled, "It would be difficult for others to save Mr. Wu Siyuan. But for you, young master, saving him is not only easy, but also beneficial."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I would like to hear the details."

Tu Langzhong said, "Wu Siyuan was punished for his words, and the people of the world are indignant, spreading the word and crying out for his innocence. The Emperor is also very troubled. If you, Master Zhu, ask the Emperor to release Wu Siyuan and let him become your tutor, the Emperor will be at ease, and another thorny case can be resolved."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I'm determined to do this. I must see what this world-renowned Mr. Wu looks like!"

Zhu Chuanzong returned to his residence and went to the Old Madam and Madam Zhu, acting coquettishly and crying loudly, demanding a tutor to teach him. The Old Madam and Madam Zhu thought this was a good thing! Besides, Zhu Shuiyue had already told them that Zhu Chuanzong's knowledge was growing too great for her to teach. Seeing Zhu Chuanzong so ambitious, how could he not be happy?

Madam Zhu said, "My son, it's wonderful that you want to study and pursue knowledge! What's so difficult about that? We could afford a hundred teachers, let alone one."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "But I only have teachers I truly respect. There are very few like that in the whole world, and even if I approve of one, I might not be able to find one."

The old lady tapped her cane heavily on the ground and laughed, "If there's such a person in the world, I can even persuade the Emperor himself. There's nothing our Zhu family can't do. My darling, just say the word, even the Crown Prince's tutor, I can persuade you to hire him."

Zhu Chuanzong hurriedly threw himself into the old lady's arms and said, "Grandmother, you love me the most. I don't need the Crown Prince's tutor; I can't afford that. Just ask Mr. Wu Siyuan, who once served as a sixth-rank clerk in the Ministry of Justice."

The old lady said, "Good, good, good. We'll hire him then. Send someone to invite him now."

Zhu Chuanzong hurriedly said, "I'm afraid this will have to trouble Father."

The old lady immediately sent someone to summon Zhu Youji to handle the matter.

Zhu Youji sent his subordinate, Zhao, to report that Wu Siyuan was a wanted criminal and couldn't be easily summoned; it would be better to send someone else.

The old lady was furious and berated Zhao, saying, "Go back and tell this unfilial son not to use your bureaucratic methods against me! What crime did Wu Siyuan commit? Even if he killed someone, as long as the money is spent, he can still be released! My poor grandson has finally become smart, and this is his first time asking me for help, and you reject him like this? Does he think his mother is senile? If he can't do it, I'll risk my old face and personally beg the Emperor to see if he'll grant me that favor."

Zhao, after being scolded, quickly returned and reported back to Zhu Youji. Zhu Youji knew that his mother had been a palace maid who had breastfed the current Emperor, and the Emperor valued her highly. If she lost her temper, what would become of her? This matter had to be resolved.

Seeing Zhu Youji's hesitation, Zhao Shiye said, "Sir, this matter is not difficult to handle! The people of the world are crying out for justice for Wu Siyuan, and now the Emperor is also in a dilemma. If we release him, we will not feel at ease. If we do not release him, what will the people say about the Emperor? Now is the perfect opportunity to invite Wu Siyuan to our home to keep him under surveillance, which will also help the Emperor out of his predicament. Isn't that a win-win situation?"

Zhu Youji was overjoyed and said, "Let's do it that way!"

Zhu Youji had Zhao Shiye draft the memorial overnight, and it was submitted the next day. As expected, the Emperor was very pleased and praised Zhu Youji for "sharing my worries." He also promoted Wu Siyuan to the sinecure of a fifth-rank compiler in the Hanlin Academy and sent him to the Zhu family to be Zhu Chuanzong's teacher.

Zhu Youji, still worried, summoned Zhu Chuanzong and gave him detailed instructions, saying, "My child, I've heard you've become much smarter, which is why I asked Mr. Wu to be your teacher. Mr. Wu is indeed a very capable man, but what is said in society is not what is done. I'm very relieved that you'll understand the true state of society by following him. However, if you dare to act recklessly and violate the rules of officialdom, you'll cause a great disaster. Not only will you be persecuted, but our family will also suffer. So, you must be very careful. Of course, I've already met Mr. Wu. He suffered imprisonment and now only hopes for peace. He won't instigate you to do anything bad. I'm his savior, so I doubt he would harm me. But you must be more cautious. Although your father holds a high position of power, the officialdom is turbulent and extremely dangerous. You must be careful!"

Zhu Chuanzong repeatedly agreed, and Zhu Youji was greatly pleased to see his appropriate response. He only had this one son in his old age. Seeing that he was no longer fat and was much more handsome than before, exuding a kind of spirit, he was extremely happy.

Zhu Youji invited Wu Siyuan over and had Zhu Chuanzong perform the apprenticeship ceremony. Zhu Chuanzong saw that he was a thin, unremarkable old man in his fifties and thought to himself, "This old man is really learned."

After everything was finished, Zhu Chuanzong led Wu Siyuan to his study.

After taking their seats, Wu Siyuan said, "What merit do I, an old man, possess to be Young Master Zhu's teacher? I am honored by Master Zhu's kindness in allowing me to escape from prison, but surely Young Master doesn't really need an old man like me to teach him! From now on, let's keep things simple. When Young Master needs me, please just call me; otherwise, there's no need for any lessons that would waste Young Master's time."

Zhu Chuanzong smiled and said, "I asked my father to save you, not to find a tutor. I hope you can do me a favor."

Wu Siyuan said calmly, "What favor can I do? The Zhu family is a powerful family in the capital; how could we not handle something!"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "You're too kind, sir. I want to ask you to help me solve a case."

Wu Siyuan asked in surprise, "A case?"

Zhu Chuanzong had his maid, Xiao Yu, invite Yue Keren over, explained her father's case in detail, and then asked Yue Keren to leave, recounting the case files he had reviewed at the Ministry of Personnel.

Wu Siyuan said calmly, "This case is probably a miscarriage of justice; there shouldn't be any doubt about it. I just don't know what you want, young master? There are thousands upon thousands of such cases; it's nothing unusual. You've taken a fancy to that girl, haven't you?"

Zhu Chuanzong's mind went blank for a moment. He said, "You mean there are thousands upon thousands of cases of people being wrongly accused of murder?"

Then he frowned and said, "Why does everyone say I've taken a fancy to Miss Yue? Although she's beautiful, I have many pretty maids. Can't I be moved by righteous indignation?"

Wu Siyuan rolled his eyes at Zhu Chuanzong before realizing, "Young master, you come from a wealthy family; naturally, you don't know the hardships of life. Such cases are indeed numerous in our Great Liang Kingdom; there's no need to be angry about them!" Zhu Chuanzong

gritted his teeth and said, "I will make sure there are no more miscarriages of justice in the world."

He thought to himself, "This old man is truly heartless; no wonder he's in prison. "

Wu Siyuan smiled slightly and said, "But can you manage it all by yourself?"

Zhu Chuanzong was stunned and said, "But as long as I know it, I will do my part. If everyone in the world thought like me, wouldn't that be great?"

Wu Siyuan wanted to sneer, but after thinking about it, he realized that when he was young, wasn't he also a passionate young man who wanted to sweep away all the injustices in the world? He then suppressed his mocking mood and instead smiled, saying, "Young Master, your courage is commendable."

Seeing Wu Siyuan suddenly smile, Zhu Chuanzong knew he intended to help and said, "Now, regarding this case, please teach me how to clear his name. I'll ask officials from the Ministry of Personnel to investigate; what do you think?"

Wu Siyuan stroked his beard and said decisively, "If you want to overturn the case, the Censorate will have to send a Circuit Inspector, commonly known as the Eight-Prefecture Circuit Inspector, to Shangqing County to investigate. Moreover, this person must be upright and incorruptible, unafraid of hardship, refusing bribes, and unafraid of offending people. Such a person is hard to find!"

Zhu Chuanzong smiled and said, "As long as you give the order, sir, I will do my best. I think being the Eight-Prefecture Circuit Inspector shouldn't be too difficult for me!"

Wu Siyuan said, "Being young master isn't difficult, but it's not easy."

Zhu Chuanzong, mimicking the official tone he'd heard elsewhere, said, "Then I'll rely on you, sir!"

Hua Caiyun had already informed Zhu Youji about Zhu Chuanzong's efforts in handling Yue Yiming's wife-murder case. Seeing that Zhu Chuanzong had grown up and had things he wanted to do, Zhu Youji thought it was a good thing. He believed Zhu Chuanzong could learn a lot from these experiences, understand human nature and social dynamics, and strengthen his will. Besides, a case in a county wouldn't cause much trouble, so Zhu Youji didn't hinder him; instead, he supported him.

Under Zhu Youji's intervention, the case was reported to the Censorate. The Censorate was the highest supervisory body in the Great Liang Kingdom, with its highest officials being the Left and Right Censors-in-Chief, second-rank officials. Although their rank wasn't high, their power was considerable.

Of course, there was also the Court of Judicial Review, but it didn't handle criminal cases; it generally didn't deal with minor ones. They were specifically responsible for reviewing major cases. However, in cases of great importance, the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate would jointly try the case, known as the Joint Trial by the Three Judicial Offices. In cases of exceptionally serious crimes, the aforementioned three judicial offices, along with the ministers of various ministries and the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, would jointly try the case, known as the Round Trial.

After receiving the case of Yue Yiming's murder of his wife, the Censorate, seeing that it was a case transferred by the Minister of Works, immediately reported it to Wang Ren, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.

Wang Ren and Zhu Youji were old friends, and Wang Ren wondered why Zhu Youji had transferred this case; there must be a reason.

Sure enough, that evening, Zhu Youji sent someone to invite Wang Ren to dinner. The two were old friends, so there was no need for formalities. Zhu Youji recounted Yue Yiming's case and concluded with a smile, "My son encountered the complainant along with Brother Wang's third son. Speaking of which, the Censor-in-Chief is also involved in this case! I'm afraid

we can't afford to be careless." Wang Ren laughed, "Brother Zhu originally wanted your son to get a position in the Censorate. That's easy enough. With just a word from you, how could I refuse? It's a pity that none of my sons are capable. They only know how to eat, drink, and have fun all day long. Even if I give them a job, they're afraid of hardship. Your son's future is limitless!"

Zhu Youji quickly said that he was being too polite and added, "Brother Wang, haven't you always liked the jade pendant I wear? I'll give this to you."

He then took it off and gave it to Wang Ren.

Wang Ren was overjoyed and said, "This...this is impossible. This was once worn by the beautiful Consort Xiang. I'm ashamed to ask Brother Zhu to part with it!"

Zhu You continued, "We're brothers, why would we care about this? I've worn it for years and I'm tired of it. I'll give it to Brother Wang to play with!"

Wang Ren was delighted and said, "Good, good. I'll take care of your son's matter tomorrow."

Zhu Chuanzong was originally a seventh-rank official, so transferring him to the Censorate wasn't too difficult. However, the Censorate was an important department directly under the Emperor, so he had to consult the Emperor. Wang Ren, along with several other officials' promotions, submitted Zhu Chuanzong's case to the Emperor for review. The Emperor glanced at it, saw nothing special, and simply wrote "Understood," meaning there were no problems. As

soon as Zhu Chuanzong took office, the Censorate assigned him the case of Yue Yiming's murder of his wife. When Wang Ren summoned Zhu Chuanzong, he encouraged him to eradicate evil and repay the Emperor's grace. Although Zhu Chuanzong had met Wang Ren privately, in this setting, he felt that Lord Wang was kind, approachable, and upright—truly a good man.

The news that Zhu Chuanzong was going to handle a case a thousand miles away spread throughout the Zhu family. The mansion was bustling with preparations for his departure, a lively affair.

Some officials, having heard the news, came to offer their congratulations and presented numerous gifts.

Wang Zongying and Zhao Shusheng, upon learning of this, seeing that they had missed out on their chance with the beautiful woman, all complained about Zhu Chuanzong, saying he had brought this upon himself. They privately gossiped about him, saying he was a eunuch, and wondered what he was after? With mountains of gold and silver at home, why go out and suffer? He must still be delusional.

Zhu Chuanzong was leaving to handle a case. Madam Zhu and the Old Madam were reluctant to part with him, giving him many instructions, especially to his two maids, Xiaoyu and Nuanyun. They also invited Wu Siyuan over, giving him a large red envelope and instructing him to take good care of Zhu Chuanzong.

Zhu Shuiyue knew that Zhu Chuanzong appeared young, but he was a celestial being descended to earth, capable of transformation (in reality, Zhu Chuanzong only turned fat), and possessed exceptional intelligence. She figured there was nothing to worry about, but she was still reluctant to part with him.

However, Hua Caiyun didn't know Zhu Chuanzong was a celestial being descended to earth. Seeing how young he was, she was very worried. Although she wanted to train him so he could achieve great things in the future, she was still uneasy.

Hua Caiyun went to see Zhu Youji and expressed her concerns. Zhu Youji smiled and said, "Don't worry. I'll send my maid to accompany him, so we don't need to worry."

Hua Caiyun's eyes lit up, and she repeatedly praised her master's wisdom, feeling reassured.

That evening, the Zhu family closed their doors to guests, and the whole family dined together to bid farewell to Zhu Chuanzong. During the meal, Zhu Youji said, "Just eating is a bit boring. I'll have someone perform for us!"

Everyone happily agreed.

Except for the matriarch, everyone was actually a little afraid of the usually serious Master Zhu, and seeing that he was so considerate, they were all curious about what he would have perform.

Zhu Youji sent someone to give the order, and a moment later, a tall, thin man, as thin as a stick, entered. Everyone recognized him as Fang Zhongxi, the head of the Zhu family's guards. Fang Zhongxi

first clasped his hands in a salute, then demonstrated his martial arts skills, moving with ease and agility in the small open space in front of him.

The crowd cheered.

After the martial arts demonstration, Fang Zhongxi summoned two guards armed with clubs and swords. He channeled his inner energy, transforming himself from a tall, thin man into a massively fat one. The guards took turns striking him with their clubs and swords, breaking them all, yet Fang Zhongxi remained unharmed.

The onlookers were stunned and couldn't help but cheer.

Zhu Shuiyue whispered to Zhu Chuanzong, "You can transform into a giant fat man, but I wonder if you also possess the ability to be invulnerable?"

Zhu Chuanzong remained silent, thinking, "Right now, I can only revert to my former appearance. I haven't discovered any other abilities. Could I possibly gain any other useful magical powers?"

He was deeply frustrated. After

Fang Zhongxi finished his demonstration and withdrew, Zhu Youji said, "Mother, Madam, I'll have General Fang accompany Bao'er. Are you at ease now?"

The Old Madam was pleased and repeatedly praised Zhu Youji for his filial piety. The banquet ended in high spirits.

As for whose room Zhu Chuanzong secretly visited that night for a romantic encounter, there's no need to go into details.

Chapter Two:

After Zhu Chuanzong, the Imperial Inspector of Eight Prefectures, finished packing, he set off for Shangqing County, Tong Prefecture, Jianghuai Province, accompanied by Yue Keren, assisted by Wu Siyuan, and served by Xiao Yu and Nuanyun, with Shi in his room for protection.

Yue Keren was anxious to save her father and wanted to get home as soon as possible. Zhu Chuanzong understood her feelings and traveled by day and rested by night, focusing on the journey.

Originally, Zhu Chuanzong had never traveled so far and really wanted to see the scenery and customs along the way, but saving lives was urgent, so he had to hurry on his way. He thought to himself, "If only mortals could fly like immortals."

Then he realized how absurd that thought was and couldn't help but laugh while riding his horse.

The women were all sitting in the carriage when Xiao Yu opened the curtain and said, "Young Master, what are you laughing at?"

Zhu Chuanzong replied, "I'm not laughing at anything. Why are you staring at me in the carriage? Are you missing me?"

Xiao Yu retorted, "Missing you, my foot!"

This immediately banished Zhu Chuanzong's teasing thoughts. Xiao Yu continued, "Young Master, are you thinking that if you rescue her father, she will be extremely grateful and offer herself to you, is that why you're laughing?"

Zhu Chuanzong quickly leaned down on his horse and whispered in her ear, "Don't talk nonsense, Miss Yue will hear you."

Xiao Yu chuckled, "You're already so considerate before you're even married. Should I call her Young Mistress now?"

Zhu Chuanzong chuckled, "If you're willing, how about you be Young Mistress?"

Xiao Yu blushed and said, "Don't talk nonsense, how can a maid like me be a Young Mistress? Besides, who wants to marry a fat pig like you?"

She then shrank back into the carriage.

Nuanyun, who was in the car, heard everything clearly and laughed, "Well, now you've gotten yourself humiliated after trying to trick others, haven't you?"

Xiaoyu, however, was quick to retort, "Oh dear, I wouldn't dare take your place, sister! Do you think I don't know about what happened between you and the young master? I should call you 'Young Mistress' from now on!"

Nuanyun immediately blushed and angrily said, "What nonsense are you spouting in front of Miss Yue? It's one thing to slander me, but slandering the young master? Are you tired of living?"

Xiaoyu had let slip the secret, but it was unintentional. She was always arrogant and had a temper that wouldn't back down even when polite, but she didn't mean any harm. Realizing her words had been too harsh, she quickly said, "I was just joking! Sister, you took it seriously. Miss Yue is a lady of high birth, so please don't criticize a little girl like me for being silly."

Yue Keren had been smiling silently, but then said, "Sisters, please don't laugh at me. I'm just a person in distress, how can I compare to you who come from wealthy families! Even the Prime Minister's family has a seventh-rank official; your status is far higher than mine. Please don't mock me. Young Master Zhu is a good person, an honest official, which is why he was willing to travel thousands of miles for our family. Those corrupt officials ruined my family; how could they be so heartless!"

As she spoke, she wiped away her tears.

Xiao Yu and Nuan Yun quickly comforted her, knowing that at such a young age, she had gone to the capital alone to file a complaint, and they could imagine how much hardship she had endured behind the scenes.

Tired from riding, Zhu Chuanzong rested in the carriage behind Wu Siyuan, listening to him recount stories of unjust cases. Wu Siyuan was indeed learned and knowledgeable, explaining many principles Zhu Chuanzong had never encountered in books, greatly inspiring him.

After traveling for more than half a month, the group arrived at Shangqing County.

They had barely reached the county's borders, and hadn't gone ten li along the official road, when a group of people came to greet them, beating drums and gongs. Leading them was a man wearing an official hat, none other than Zhou Chongsheng, the magistrate of Shangqing County, who led the county magistrate, registrar, battalion commander, patrol inspector, and other officials.

Zhou Chongsheng greeted Zhu Chuanzong, expressing his apologies for the long and arduous journey and for not being able to greet him properly.

Zhu Chuanzong said, "This isn't a proper welcome! Does it have to be in the capital to welcome me?"

Zhou Chongsheng laughed, "You're right, sir. I heard from the capital that you were coming to our county for an inspection, so I've been eagerly anticipating it day and night, wishing I could go to the capital to welcome you!"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "You're quite well-informed. But you're not just eagerly anticipating it day and night, you're sleepless, hoping I won't come!"

Zhou Chongsheng smiled ingratiatingly, "You flatter me, sir. This isn't the place to talk. Please, sir, go to the county office!"

Zhu Chuanzong was fifteen or sixteen years old, full of youthful vigor, and always found things slow. Upon hearing that they were going to the county office, he readily agreed.

Zhu Chuanzong boarded his carriage and headed towards the county town. Once there, he was surrounded by a retinue of officials, like a star being fawned over, and entered the Shangqing County government office.

Ignoring the fatigue of the journey and the advice of Magistrate Zhou and other officials, Zhu Chuanzong immediately began to try the case of Yue Yiming's murder of his wife.

After alighting from their sedan chairs and riding horses, and following the cannon salute signaling the start of the court session, the officials, both civil and military, lined up in two rows. Magistrate Zhou, trembling with fear, reluctantly followed suit, his mind in turmoil. He thought, "The Imperial Inspector is so young, yet I cannot underestimate him! He's giving me a taste of his power first; it seems I'll have to spend a fortune. I heard he's the son of the Minister of Works; indeed, like father , like son!"

Zhu Chuanzong took his seat in the main hall, and Wu Siyuan sat down in the chair to his left. Although Wu Siyuan's rank was higher than Zhu Chuanzong's, and he was his teacher, he should have been more humble in the main seat. However, Wu Siyuan was there to assist Zhu Chuanzong, so his attire as a secretary made it impossible for anyone to guess that this unassuming old man was actually a fifth-rank official.

Zhu Chuanzong slammed his gavel and said, "Magistrate Zhou, do you know why I've come here?"

Magistrate Zhou hurriedly replied with a smile, "Your Excellency, the Imperial Inspector has been ordered to inspect Shangqing County. I have no idea what it's about." Zhu Chuanzong

sneered, "It's about the case of Yue Yiming murdering his wife. Yue Yiming's wife is still alive, yet you falsely accuse him of murdering her. Is there anything more absurd than this? If you confess the truth, I will protect you and give you a lenient sentence. Otherwise, hmph, you know the consequences."

Although Magistrate Zhou was flustered, he was a seasoned official with extensive experience and quickly said, "Your Honor, so this is the case you're referring to! There's no injustice in this case! Yue Yiming's uncle is a notorious scoundrel; he must have instigated the false accusations. Even Yue Yiming himself confessed to the murder. What doubts are there? Please, Your Honor, see the truth."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Is that so? If you don't use torture, will the prisoner be forced to confess? Summon Yue Yiming to court immediately."

Magistrate Zhou gave a signal, and the bailiffs quickly went to bring the prisoner.

A prisoner wearing shackles was brought in. Zhu Chuanzong saw that he was a refined-looking man, around forty or fifty years old, with a sallow complexion, kneeling on the steps, head bowed, tears streaming down his face.

Yue Keren, who had been hiding in the back hall, saw her elderly father and rushed out, kneeling beside him, crying, "Father!"

The two embraced and wept bitterly.

Zhu Chuanzong felt great pity, but since this was the main hall, he called out, "Yue Yiming!"

The prisoner replied, "Present!"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Why did you kill your wife without cause? What is the reason? Is there any injustice? Speak freely, and I will help you. Your daughter has traveled a thousand miles to the capital to plead your case, so I have been ordered by my superior to come here to clear your name. Tell me what you have to say!"

Yue Yiming's eyes were filled with tears as he kowtowed and said after a long while, "I was indeed careless and accidentally killed my wife. There is no injustice. Please forgive me, Your Honor."

Yue Keren said sadly, "Father, this Lord Zhu will clear your name. He is a high-ranking official..." "Yes, you don't need to be afraid. No one will torture you again."

Zhu Chuanzong, seeing that Yue Yiming dared not cry out for justice and noticing the numerous wounds on his body, said with pity, "That's right, you have a grievance. Speak freely. I am acting on the Emperor's orders to sweep away all injustices and bring peace and justice to the world. You can rest assured."

Yue Yiming sobbed for a while, then kowtowed and said, "Your Excellency is a just and upright official! But I have truly not been wronged. Please, Your Excellency, spare me!"

Zhu Chuanzong was stunned. After a while, he asked Magistrate Zhou, "I heard there is a woman who claims to be Yue Yiming's wife. Is that true?"

Magistrate Zhou hurriedly smiled and said, "Your Excellency is wise, indeed..." "There is such a woman, but she's insane. According to the laws of our Great Liang, an insane person cannot be a witness."

Zhu Chuanzong sneered, "You say she's insane, so she's insane? Summon this person."

Magistrate Zhou still smiled and said, "Sir, there are doctors from the hospital who can testify that the woman is indeed insane. This woman lives in Guangxing County. If you want to summon her, you'll have to wait two days."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Alright, I want to see her tomorrow. Send someone immediately."

After finishing his official business, Zhu Chuanzong went to the back residence, took off his official robes, and sat idly with Wu Siyuan in the study. Recalling what had just happened, he said, "Strange," "Sir, what's wrong with this Yue Yiming? He..." "Are you afraid of being beaten? Why don't you dare to cry foul?"

Wu Siyuan said, "I told you long ago that this case isn't so easy to handle. Even if it's innocent, these officials collude and insist it's black, and there's nothing you can do. We don't know what Yue Yiming is afraid of right now; we'll have to question him slowly!"

Zhu Chuanzong angrily said, "I might as well just lock this corrupt official up."

Wu Siyuan said, "Without evidence, how easy is it? If we beat him first and then try him, what's the difference between us and these corrupt officials? Besides, according to the law, officials in our dynasty cannot be dealt with arbitrarily."

As the two were talking, Magistrate Zhou came to visit, bringing gifts and a visiting card.

Wu Siyuan said, "Officials don't punish those who offer gifts. I think you should just accept it, young master. This case won't be easy to handle anyway. It's better to do someone a favor

while you're at it." Zhu Chuanzong tore the gift list to shreds and said, "What do you take me for? If it were for money, why would I have come all this way?"

He told his servant, "Go tell Magistrate Zhou that I said it. Except for official business, everything else is waived. If he sends any more gifts, don't blame me for charging him with bribery."

The servant left, and Wu Siyuan said, "According to the rules of officialdom, this guy thinks you want even more money! He'll send even bigger and better gifts. Once you refuse, he'll know we're serious, and he'll be our enemy from now on."

"Him? A mere county magistrate, is he worthy to be my opponent?" Zhu Chuanzong said disdainfully. Wu

Siyuan said, "If the case isn't thoroughly investigated, and we use our higher rank to find fault with him, then I think this trip won't have been worthwhile."

Zhu Chuanzong said resolutely, "Sir, you are right. I must investigate thoroughly and convince others to admit my abilities. Please take care of it, sir."

He thought to himself, "Mr. Wu seems to have high expectations of me; he really considers me his apprentice."

Sure enough, the next day, Magistrate Zhou invited Zhu Chuanzong to dinner under the pretext of discussing official business. Zhu Chuanzong declined, but Magistrate Zhou said he had official business to discuss, and at noon, he dragged him to lunch.

Zhu Chuanzong sneered inwardly, thinking, "Let's see what tricks you're playing."

He simply didn't refuse.

At the dinner, Magistrate Zhou and some officials discussed romance and then brought out a painting for everyone to admire. This painting was a herd of horses by the famous painter Shi Shanzi Chang, a rare treasure.

Everyone praised it highly, saying that even ten thousand taels of silver couldn't buy such a treasure.

Magistrate Zhou said, "I obtained this treasure by chance, but how can a lowly official like myself be worthy of owning such a valuable painting? Why not ask Your Excellency to collect it? Only Your Excellency is qualified."

Everyone quickly chimed in with their praise. Zhu Chuanzong saw that the painting was indeed exquisite and liked it very much, but he knew that if he accepted such a generous gift, he would be unable to solve future cases, and he realized the difficulty of solving cases. Zhu Chuanzong said, "I don't like calligraphy and paintings. Besides, I can't accept such a valuable gift; wouldn't that be bribery?"

Magistrate Zhou, seeing Zhu Chuanzong's expression, knew he actually liked the painting very much and quickly said, "Sir, this isn't bribery! I'll give you this painting, and you can write a piece of calligraphy for me. We're exchanging gifts. How can that be considered bribery?"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "How could my calligraphy be worth ten thousand taels of silver? That still won't do."

Magistrate Zhou said, "No, your calligraphy is a treasure of the world. How can it not compare to this Shanzi Chang? You must write it; I'm determined to have your calligraphy."

Zhu Chuanzong laughed and said, "Unfortunately, I can't write! I'm full and have to go back. The prisoner can be brought here this afternoon, right? I'll rest for a while; I still have to hear the case! Farewell!"

Zhu Chuanzong strode away.

A minor official said, "Lord Zhu is from a wealthy family; perhaps he really can't write!"

Magistrate Zhou's face turned ashen, and he slapped him, saying, "He's serious now. He wants our lives and his own promotion. You all better serve him carefully; if anything goes wrong, I won't live, and neither will you."

That afternoon, Zhu Chuanzong held a trial. A woman was brought into the courtroom, looking utterly distraught. Zhu Chuanzong ordered Yue Keren to come forward and identify her.

Yue Keren rushed to the woman, crying, "Mother, how come you haven't been seen for so many years? Where have you been?"

The woman could only sob and stammer, unable to speak.

Zhu Chuanzong frowned, snorted coldly, and said, "Summon Yue Yiming."

After Yue Yiming entered the courtroom, Zhu Chuanzong shouted, "Yue Yiming, look who this woman is! Do you recognize her?"

Yue Yiming knelt on the ground, also weeping incessantly, but remained silent.

Zhu Chuanzong slammed his gavel and shouted, "Zhou Chongsheng, is this the Yue Yiming murder case you've been talking about? Madam Yue is still alive, what's going on?"

Although Magistrate Zhou's face was ashen, he forced a smile and said, "Your Honor, this woman is not Madam Yue! She is the wife of Hou Xiaoxing from Guangxing County. If you don't believe me, you can summon witnesses. Moreover, Madam Hou is insane; there are doctors from the hospital to testify. Witnesses."

A man in his forties stepped forward, knelt down, and kowtowed, saying, "I am Hou Xiaoxing. This woman is my wife. Because she suffers from insanity, she claims to be his wife to everyone she meets, which is why she has been mistaken for Yue Yiming's wife, causing such a big lawsuit. Please forgive me, Your Honor."

Then, the doctor from Shangqing County came forward and presented Madam Hou's medical records.

After reading them, Zhu Chuanzong said to Hou Xiaoxing, "Look, Hou Xiaoxing, do you know the consequences of giving false testimony in court and deceiving this official?"

Hou Xiaoxing said, "I am telling the truth and do not know any consequences. Your Honor is wise and will not punish me."

Zhu Chuanzong, after all, lacked experience, and at this point in the case, he was somewhat bewildered.

He said to the doctor, "You are also from a government department, so of course you know the consequences of perjury—not only will you lose your official position, but you'll also go to jail. Is this woman really insane?"

The doctor replied, "I have examined her thoroughly, and she is indeed ill, and her voice is hoarse. Her neighbors can also testify. Does Your Excellency not trust the doctors from our hospital?"

Zhu Chuanzong's tone softened upon hearing this, and he said, "Let's end the case here for today! Tomorrow, summon Hou Xiaoxing and Yue Yiming's relatives and neighbors to see if this woman is indeed Madam Yue. Court adjourned."

Back in the back room, Zhu Chuanzong said to Wu Siyuan, "Sir, is there no injustice in this case? It seems we made a mistake. When Miss Yue left her mother, she was still young; she might have mistaken someone for someone else."

Wu Siyuan sneered, "Things in this world are very complicated. What you say makes sense, young master. But according to..." "In my experience, these people are conspiring to deceive us! If I'm not mistaken, none of the people summoned tomorrow will say that the woman is Madam Yue's."

Zhu Chuanzong asked curiously, "Sir, that's strange. If this woman really is Yue Yiming's wife, how could so many people all be wrong? How could they all speak in unison?"

Wu Siyuan slowly said, "You're still young, so naturally you don't know the intricacies of this. Magistrate Zhou has already bribed everyone, including Yue Yiming. Yue Yiming was originally wronged and desperately wanted to clear his name, but Magistrate Zhou promised him that he would get justice after you left, so he won't risk overturning the case. Don't you see that all the evidence is against Yue Yiming? Even if Yue Yiming cries innocence, what can you do, Your Honor? A doctor has testified that the woman is insane; that alone is enough to overturn the case!"

Zhu Chuanzong was speechless.

Wu Siyuan said, "A county magistrate who ruins his family, a prefect who exterminates his entire clan. Have you ever heard of this saying?"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Please enlighten me, sir."

Wu Siyuan said, "I will tell you a case. This is a real case from our Great Liang Kingdom. Of course, there are thousands upon thousands of such cases, and they are still happening now. I am only telling you one example."

Zhu Chuanzong frowned and listened carefully.

Wu Siyuan said, "In Wulin County of Zhili Prefecture, there was a wealthy man named Chen Dake who had a wife and a concubine. The wife's surname was Huang, and the concubine's surname was Yang. The two quarreled, and Huang happened to fall ill. She became so angry that her illness worsened and she died. A busybody in their neighborhood, who had always been envious of their family, instigated Huang's brother to file a lawsuit, claiming that the death was mysterious and demanding money from Chen Dake. Huang's brother was happy to join in the extortion and made a deal with the rogue. He would act as the 'official,' while he would secretly manipulate the money and split it 50/50."

"The magistrate of Wulin County was a corrupt official. He had a fellow villager who was freeloading at his place, and he couldn't get rid of him. Seeing that this case involved a life, and that Chen Dake was a wealthy man, he was overjoyed and wanted to get some benefits from him to get rid of his fellow villager. So he immediately approved the petition, issued a warrant for Chen Dake's arrest, and imprisoned him without explanation."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Is there any justice left?"

Wu Siyuan said, "The justice is used to bully the common people. What's there to say? Look, this petition is open to approval or disapproval. Even if it is approved, when they bring him in for questioning, they can either listen to Chen Dake's defense or not. How much power do officials have? As soon as Chen Dake was imprisoned, he quickly asked someone to invite his brother-in-law to come and bribe officials. He spent several hundred taels of silver, and bribed everyone, especially the magistrate's freeloader fellow villager, who was satisfied and spoke well of Chen Dake before he was released."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Qianli..." "Officials are only after money," Wu Siyuan said, "I finally understand the meaning of that sentence in the book."

He continued, "The real drama is yet to come! Unexpectedly, Chen Dake's brother-in-law, dissatisfied with his earnings, chased after the magistrate's fellow villager and forcibly reclaimed the forty taels of silver he had bribed him. Upon hearing this, the magistrate was furious, reopened the case, and implicated Chen Dake's brother-in-law on charges of 'murder.' He immediately fled." Zhu

Chuanzong, seeing the sudden turn of events, hurriedly asked, "And then?"

Wu Siyuan replied, "After Chen Dake and his concubine, Yang, were brought back to the yamen, they were first severely beaten and imprisoned without explanation. Then, an order was issued to exhume the body and examine the corpse to determine the cause of his deceased wife's death. At the same time, local officials were summoned to conduct the examination and investigate. The magistrate, determined to frame Chen Dake and impose a severe punishment, first ordered the forensic doctor (also called the coroner)..." The coroner, understanding his meaning, fabricated numerous injuries, reporting fatal blows from punches and kicks. Huang, who had a sweet tooth as a child, had lost a tooth and was also accused of being struck by a hard object. Chen Dake was charged with murder in a fight, and Yang, the concubine, was charged with coercing a relative or elder to death, each sentenced to death by hanging. Chen Dake pleaded with several people to plead his case, but they wouldn't listen.

Zhu Chuanzong stared in disbelief, saying, "Amazing, amazing! Ordinary matters can be turned into such murder cases. What happened next?"

Wu Siyuan said, "This case was originally closed, nothing serious, but the magistrate, seeking revenge, managed to re-convict two people to death. This shows how powerful a magistrate can be in legally harming others. Therefore, the common people call the magistrate 'the magistrate who ruins families,' while the prefect has even greater power, capable of executing entire families, hence the name 'the prefect who exterminates entire families.' This magistrate was indeed named Chen Dake." The family was ruined. Seeing that neither of them could survive, Yang took all the blame upon herself, wrote a confession, and then hanged herself in prison. Chen Dake bribed her with large sums of money, and only then was the case closed.

Zhu Chuanzong sighed, "Sir, you are so learned. Today I understand how society works."

Wu Siyuan said, "To use a folk saying, 'An official has ten options.' Even if the facts of a case are slightly unclear, officials have at least ten legal choices, and no judgment is wrong. Even if the facts are clear, officials can fabricate charges, or even make judgments that clearly violate the law, and it's very difficult to overturn them. If a citizen sues an official, according to the laws of our Great Liang, they will first be given twenty strokes of the cane. Miss Yue was fortunate to meet you, and now she can overturn the case. Do you know that in Nanzhuang, in the capital, there are tens of thousands of people who come to the capital to file complaints? When they arrive at the yamen, no one pays them any attention."

Zhu Chuanzong had never heard of this before and was even more stunned. Chapter 3 (

May

15th): Helplessness.

Zhu Chuanzong, after listening to Wu Siyuan's words, suddenly understood. Thinking of the current case, he said, "So officials have such great power and means! Those witnesses are afraid of retaliation. If they testify and can't convict Magistrate Zhou, they'll have no way out. It seems finding witnesses will be very difficult!"

Zhu Chuanzong frowned. He had originally thought solving Yue Yiming's wife-murder case would be easy, but he hadn't expected Zhou Chongsheng to handle it so flawlessly. Although he was furious, he couldn't find any evidence. Although he was an official appointed by the court, he couldn't arbitrarily punish Magistrate Zhou.

Seeing Zhu Chuanzong's anxiety, Wu Siyuan smiled and said, "Young master, why are you in such a hurry? The officialdom is so complex. Solving a case isn't easy. Stay calm and think of a way. There will always be a way. A wrongful conviction is a wrongful conviction; there will always be flaws."

Zhu Chuanzong suddenly burst into laughter upon hearing this, saying, "That's right, I'll keep this case going until I've figured it out. Let's see if this kid gets impatient. Besides, I don't believe we can't find someone willing to testify for us."

After chatting for a while, Wu Siyuan went back to his room to rest. Zhu Chuanzong sent someone to invite Yue Keren over. As soon as Yue Keren entered, she knelt down before Zhu Chuanzong and cried, "Young Master, please believe me, that woman really is my mother, she's not dead!"

Zhu Chuanzong saw that Yue Keren was thin and her eyes were red and swollen, and he felt very sorry for her. He helped her up and said, "I know. Don't worry, but the situation is very unfavorable right now. But you must believe me and not give up. Otherwise, your father will be wronged for the rest of his life."

Yue Keren still had tears in her eyes, but she said happily, "I know you are smart and capable, Young Master, and you will definitely be able to clear our family's name."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Good, it's good that you believe me. I'll invite your father over later, and we can persuade him." "To put his mind at ease."

Yue Yiming was taken to the study, and Zhu Chuanzong had his shackles removed. Yue Yiming knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly, and said, "I will never forget your kindness, sir."

Zhu Chuanzong had Yue Keren help him up, saying, "What are you repaying? I have no kindness to give you."

Yue Yiming said, "You are letting me sit in a chair now, giving me human dignity, that is kindness. And you have traveled a long way to seek justice for me, that is even greater kindness."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Since you know my kindness, why are you mocking me?"

Yue Yiming knelt down again, crying sadly, "How dare I? Firstly, I was thinking of myself, and secondly, I was thinking of you, sir." "I want to,"

Yue Keren said. "Father, for Lord Zhu's sake, you should speak out against this injustice!"

Yue Yiming said, "Child, you are still young, there are some things you don't understand. Didn't you see those witnesses in court today? Even if I cry out for justice, what use will it be? Magistrate Zhou has already promised me that after Lord Zhu leaves, he will imprison me for another year or two, and then release me to go home. He will return my original property, and as for the confiscated family property, I don't want it anymore. From now on, my daughter and I will take care of your younger brother and live a good life."

Zhu Chuanzong sneered, "You deceived me, all for your own good, and you say it's for my sake? What crime should you be charged with?"

Yue Yiming sighed, "Sir, if this..." "Wouldn't this outcome be beneficial to you, sir? Magistrate Zhou would be extremely grateful and would offer you a large sum of money. You would save me and also gain something in return. Why not? Otherwise, even if you are a powerful dragon, it would be difficult to punish a local scoundrel!"

Zhu Chuanzong said sternly, "You are thinking of your own safety, and I will not force you; I am here to uphold justice and to clear the name of this wrongful conviction. You can live a life of shame, bearing the stigma of a murderer, but I will not allow such a tragedy to happen. You may leave! I can still investigate this case without your testimony."

While Yue Yiming was still in a daze, he was led away.

Yue Keren said to Zhu Chuanzong, "Young Master, why is it so difficult to get anything done in our Great Liang Kingdom? A matter that distorts the truth can exist so openly and legitimately, hidden beneath the lies of so many people. You are a good official, yet you are powerless against the bad guys."

Zhu Chuanzong didn't know how to answer. Seeing Yue Keren's captivating beauty, he felt an indescribable pity. He used to spend his days joking and laughing with the beauties in the Zhu family, finding only pleasure. Now, facing such a beauty, although he found her beautiful, he felt no other desire.

After a while, Zhu Chuanzong said, "You haven't gone home to visit your relatives yet. Didn't you say your uncle supported your going to the capital to file a complaint? Let's visit them and ask them to testify tomorrow to dispel their concerns. Otherwise, if they are threatened, they won't dare to tell the truth. With witnesses, the case will be much easier to handle."

Yue Keren smiled and said, "Young Master is right."

The two changed their clothes, accompanied by a servant from the room, and walked out through the main gate. The four constables at the gate immediately followed behind them.

Zhu Chuanzong said, "We're just going out for a stroll. You don't need to follow us."

One of the constables said, "The magistrate said that whenever you go out, we must protect you. Otherwise, if anything happens to you, my whole family will be executed."

Hearing this, Zhu Chuanzong knew that no matter what, these constables wouldn't listen to him and wouldn't follow him. So even if they went out, it would be useless. He quickly changed his mind and whispered to Yue Keren, "You two wait for me at the street corner ahead."

Then he said loudly, "Since that's the case, I won't go out. You two go for your stroll." He

turned and went back.

Zhu Chuanzong returned to his room and said to Xiaoyu and Nuanyun, "Hurry up and find me some oversized clothes, the kind I wore when I was fat."

These past few days, Zhu Chuanzong had been busy with cases and hadn't had time to joke around with these two girls. They felt neglected, but instead of blaming Zhu Chuanzong, they felt that he had grown up and was capable of great things. The two girls were both gratified and secretly happy.

Nuanyun went to get her clothes, and Xiaoyu asked, "What do you need these clothes for?"

Zhu Chuanzong smiled mysteriously and said, "I need to disguise myself so that others won't recognize me."

Xiaoyu said, "Are you going out? Can I go with you?"

Zhu Chuanzong hurriedly grabbed his clothes and left, saying, "Not today, we'll talk about it later!"

Xiaoyu knew that Miss Yue had already gone out and guessed that he must have gone to meet her, so she couldn't help but feel jealous.

Zhu Chuanzong went to a secluded place, changed his clothes, and transformed into his former fat self before going out.

As expected, the constables at the gate didn't question him. Zhu Chuanzong transformed back into his former self when no one was around, found Yue Keren and the mat in the room, and the three of them went to Yue Keren's uncle's house together.

Arriving at an ordinary courtyard, Yue Keren went to knock on the door. A boy of about twelve or thirteen years old opened the door. As soon as he saw Yue Keren, he turned around excitedly and shouted, "Daddy, Sister Yue is back! Xiaoshunzi, come quickly, your sister is back!"

A middle-aged man in his forties and a child of seven or eight years old came out upon hearing the noise, both of them very happy.

Yue Keren said, "Uncle, these are my two friends. Let's go inside and talk!"

The group went inside, and a woman brought tea and then pulled the two boys, who were asking questions, away.

Yue Keren's uncle, Yue Xiangdong, said, "I've been thinking of you ever since you left. Fortunately, a few days ago, some people from the county government came. They first threatened you, then tried to win you over, and that's how I found out you filed a complaint with the authorities in the capital. This young master has an extraordinary bearing; he must be of noble status! I pay my respects to you both."

He saw that the man in the room had an extraordinary air about him, like an official, yet he was standing beside Zhu Chuanzong, serving him, and guessed Zhu Chuanzong's identity.

Zhu Chuanzong helped Yue Xiangdong up and said, "Please don't be so polite. To be honest, I am the newly arrived imperial inspector. I'm here to investigate this injustice. This is a private matter, so please feel free to speak your mind. I'll take care of everything."

Upon hearing this, Yue Xiangdong immediately knelt down and kowtowed several times, then said, "My lord, no wonder Magistrate Zhou sent word that as long as we don't overturn the case, my elder brother Yue Yiming will be released in a year or two, and his property will be returned. This is all thanks to you, my lord!"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Is Madam Yue alive or dead? The woman who appeared in court, even the doctors at the hospital said she was mentally ill. What exactly happened?"

Although he believed Mr. Wu Siyuan's deduction, he still had doubts and wanted to get to the bottom of things.

Yue Xiangdong sighed, "She is Keren's biological mother! What a pity!" He hesitated,

then stopped.

Yue Keren, being clever and quick-witted, knew it was because of his presence and said, "I'll go to the inner room to see my second aunt and brothers."

He then went into the inner room.

Yue Xiangdong then said, “My elder brother has a wife and a concubine. His wife is Li, who is very beautiful, and his concubine has a son, Yue Xiaoshun. My elder brother has a bad temper and dotes on his concubine, especially since she gave birth to a boy. He neglects Li. What a tragedy! Li, for some reason, met Hou Xiaoxing, her childhood sweetheart, and the two eloped. Coincidentally, at this time, a headless female corpse appeared in the county town. Li's family, unaware of the situation, filed a lawsuit because their daughter was missing. The officials, unable to find a scapegoat, sentenced my elder brother to death. Several months later, a neighbor happened to meet Li in Guangxing County. Although Li hated her elder brother for his heartlessness, she was moved when she heard that he had been sentenced to death because of her disappearance…” He then went to the county government office to turn himself in.

Zhu Chuanzong suddenly realized and said, "So that's how it happened. It's hateful that Magistrate Zhou made a wrong judgment; he

should have corrected it. Why did he continue to make the same mistake?" Fang Zhongxi interjected, "That's the rule of officialdom. If a case is wrongly judged and then overturned, the judge will be fined, which will also be bad for their career. In their eyes, ordinary people are no different from beasts; human life is nothing! So, if a judgment is wrong, it's wrong; they just treat it as if it's right."

Yue Xiangdong said, "Yes, but there's another reason. Because my elder brother's family is quite wealthy, another wealthy family in the city, the Cai family, had long coveted their property but hadn't had the chance. Taking advantage of this opportunity, they colluded with the county government office to confiscate my elder brother's property." " My elder brother's family fortune and property were divided up by the county magistrate, who then sold the property and land to the Cai family, making a large sum of money. So how could the case be overturned?"

Zhu Chuanzong said. "If I hadn't heard these words with my own ears, I would still have a sliver of hope. I hoped that our Great Liang Kingdom wasn't as bad as Mr. Wu Siyuan described. Now it seems I was the only one who was naive!"

Yue Xiangdong said, "Sir, you've arrived. Now that Magistrate Zhou wants to reconcile, you should agree to it! Originally, I still had a slight idea to overturn the case, but I heard that the prefect also accepted money and divided up my elder brother's property. This case is too difficult to overturn. Sir, you are so young; it's not worth fighting with them. Doing them a favor will even bring some benefits..."

Zhu Chuanzong was furious. Enraged, he said, "Are you saying I'm too young to fight them?"

Yue Xiangdong was so frightened that he knelt down with a thud, saying, "My lord, I didn't mean that! It's just that we, the relatives of the Yue family, dare not testify in court! We all have wives, children, and elderly parents. Please understand us! I feel sorry for my elder brother. He has been raising his son and daughter for years and even sent Keren to the capital to file a complaint. But I used to be a teacher at the school, but I was dismissed two years ago. A few days ago, someone from the yamen told me that if this continues, my family will be ruined!"

At this moment, Yue Keren came in from the inner room, knelt in front of Yue Xiangdong, and cried, "Uncle, thank you so much. These past few years, only you have helped us. You've worked so hard."

Yue Xiangdong couldn't help but shed tears as well.

Zhu Chuanzong sighed, "I understand everything. I won't make things difficult for you. Get up!"

Zhu Chuanzong had a general understanding of the case, but he had lost the original desire to clarify the case and find out the truth. His heart was heavy. He remained silent the entire way, and no one else dared to speak.

Near the county government office, Zhu Chuanzong changed his clothes, transforming into a large, fat man. Yue Keren was puzzled but dared not ask.

Xi, in the room, exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master, what kind of kung fu is this?"

Zhu Chuanzong replied, "If you know qigong, why can't I?" He

then went inside with the two men.

Zhu Chuanzong returned to his room dejectedly. It was already late, but Nuanyun and Xiaoyu were still waiting for him.

Xiaoyu had been very angry, but seeing Zhu Chuanzong return listlessly, her anger dissipated.

Seeing Zhu Chuanzong plop down in a chair without saying a word, Xiao Yu brought him tea and said, "What's wrong? Is the case difficult? If it's not working, let's just give up and go home."

Nuan Yun asked curiously, "Didn't you always hope that the young master would be successful? How come you're the one making him back down now?"

Zhu Chuanzong said resolutely, "I'm not backing down because the case is difficult. I feel that the common people are suffering too much. We live in luxury, but they live like pigs and dogs, at the mercy of others. I must solve this case. I remember reading a sentence in a book. At first, I didn't understand its meaning, but now I do."

Zhu Chuanzong looked up and sighed, "How can one sweep away all the injustices of the world? I only ask that my conscience be clear! Even if there are many injustices in the world, they can't sweep them all away, but if I see them, I will sweep them away one by one."

The two women were stunned. At this moment, in their eyes, Zhu Chuanzong was like another person, a peerless hero they could only dream of.

Zhu Chuanzong was stunned to see the two of them silent. He frowned and said, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you. Let's not talk about it anymore, go to sleep."

He then went to sleep himself.

It was Nuanyun's turn to be on duty today, and Xiaoyu went reluctantly.

Nuanyun helped Zhu Chuanzong take off his clothes, her eyes shining with admiration. She said, "Young Master, I've noticed you've grown up, you're like a real man now."

Zhu Chuanzong put the day's events behind him, turned around, and hugged Nuanyun's slender waist. He said, "I am a man, you know that! Who's the one groaning and begging for my attention? Saying I'm incredibly strong?"

Nuanyun blushed and said, "No, I didn't mean that. I meant you have ambition, like you're going to be a great person."

Zhu Chuanzong laughed, "So, do you like it or not?"

Nuanyun laughed, "I like it immensely. Even that proud and arrogant Xiaoyu admires me so much!"

These days, Zhu Chuanzong had been thinking about the case and hadn't paid attention to this. "Really? Did she say that?" Zhu Chuanzong asked

. Nuanyun laughed, "No, how could she say that! But didn't you see the way she looked at you? Full of admiration. Also, she doesn't scold you anymore. If it were before, she would have laughed at you for talking big! She would have said, 'You fat pig, what nonsense are you spouting!'" Zhu Chuanzong thought for a moment and said, "That's true! If she really likes me, that's great, I can eat her little suckling pig."

Nuanyun was furious and said, "Hmph, then go find her! Don't pay attention to me."

Zhu Chuanzong said with a grin, "You should pay attention to her too. Now I'll eat your little suckling pig first, don't be angry."

He reached out his big hand, and Nuanyun struggled for a while, but still surrendered.

There were Yue Yiming's neighbors, relatives and friends, and Hou Xiaoxing's neighbors.

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Listen carefully, this time you're being asked to identify the woman. If you make a mistake and deceive this official, you'll suffer the consequences."

He then asked the men to identify whether the woman was Yue Yiming's wife, Li Shi.

The men hesitated, not daring to speak first, but under pressure from the constables, they finally all said that the woman was not Yue Yiming's wife, Li Shi. However, Hou Xiaoxing's neighbors testified that the woman was indeed Hou Xiaoxing's wife, and they had been married for over ten years.

Zhu Chuanzong was furious, but he laughed loudly and said, "Good! Today's case went very smoothly. Court adjourned. You may all go back now. We'll summon you again if needed."

Zhu Chuanzong returned to the back hall, paced back and forth, stamping his feet in anger. He said to Wu Siyuan, "Sir, how many people have deceived me! There are clerk's documents proving she is Hou Xiaoxing's wife, and there are doctors' testimonies from the hospital. Those common people were forced into it, I don't blame them. But these doctors and clerks, receiving salaries from the court, have also colluded to deceive me. If I don't bring them all to justice, I'm not worthy of being a human being."

Just then, a servant announced that Magistrate Zhou had come to pay his respects. It turned out that Magistrate Zhou, seeing that Zhu Chuanzong's case had been handled quickly and that no one had been given a hard time, assumed that Zhu Chuanzong had changed his mind and didn't want to investigate the case further. So he came to plead for leniency and offer gifts.

Zhu Chuanzong looked at Wu Siyuan and said hatefully, "This man is so hypocritical and ruthless, I really don't want to see him."

Wu Siyuan said, "I'll deal with him!"

After Magistrate Zhou entered, he saw that only Wu Siyuan was in the room. He understood and thought, "Lord Zhu deliberately avoided me. He must have sent his advisor to negotiate with me. Humph, don't be fooled by his previous upright appearance. In the end, he still showed his true colors. Where in our Great Liang Kingdom can you find an honest official?"

Magistrate Zhou smiled and said, "Greetings, Advisor Wu! You've gone to rest, haven't you? He must have had a hard day. I just wonder how you intend to conclude the case?"

Wu Siyuan stroked his beard and said calmly, "Lord Zhou, I know why you've come, but..." "I'm not afraid to tell you. Lord Zhu is determined to investigate this case thoroughly. In our Great Liang Kingdom, almost every official is corrupt, yet some always end up in jail. There are two reasons for this: one, those who walk by the river often get their shoes wet; the other is that officials fight amongst themselves, one faction defeating another. But you're neither of those; you're just unlucky to have encountered Lord Zhu. Lord Zhu is a rare, incorruptible official, a nemesis to you corrupt officials! If you listen to me, admit to the wrongdoing, and are dismissed and investigated, you'll only be exiled for a maximum of three years. Lord Zhu might put in a good word for you, and perhaps you'll be spared. Otherwise, you might face ruin and death. It's up to you whether you listen or not. Show him out."

Wu Siyuan finished speaking and picked up his teacup.

Magistrate Zhou was initially excited, thinking the case was finally over, and even if he lost money, he could recoup it later. But he didn't expect to be flatly refused. It seemed the case would be pursued relentlessly. Even if it wasn't pursued further, the Imperial Inspector wouldn't leave, and he couldn't accept money for a favor. With a sword hanging over his head, he couldn't sleep at night!

Magistrate Zhou racked his brains all night, trying to resolve the case, never considering resigning to save his life. When officials encounter problems, they try to solve them—this is their strength. However, not knowing when to stop, not knowing when to advance and when to retreat, is also the source of ruin and death.

The next day, Zhu Chuanzong was going to investigate Hou Xiaoxing's house in Guangxing County. Magistrate Zhou was inwardly groaning, sending people to make arrangements while accompanying Zhu Chuanzong. As their sedan chair passed a street corner, they saw a group of people gathered in front of a shop, wondering what was going on. Seeing Zhu Chuanzong's sedan chair stop, Magistrate Zhou quickly got out to serve him, sending someone to inquire what was happening.

The yamen runner returned and reported that the shop was called Pu Wufang, a cooked meat shop with over a hundred years of history. Because it sold cooked food, it needed to buy chicken, duck, fish, and other meats as raw materials.

That day, a countryman from outside the city carried a cage of chickens into the city to sell. A shop assistant from Pu Wufang happened to see this and stopped him, wanting to buy a few chickens. After looking around for a while, the chickens were fine, but the two couldn't agree on the price. In the end, the assistant put the chickens back in the coop and didn't buy them. However, when the countryman counted them, he found one was missing and asked the assistant for it back. The assistant denied taking a chicken.

The two started arguing in the street, attracting a crowd of onlookers. When the onlookers saw that it was a shop assistant from Pu Wufang arguing with a countryman, they all thought the countryman was in the wrong, saying, "How could a reputable century-old shop cheat you out of a chicken?"

The countryman was also aggrieved, saying, "If all these chickens were mine, it wouldn't be so bad. But some of them are for the villagers to sell. If they're lost, how am I supposed to explain it back home?"

Neither the countryman nor the shop assistant would give in, so they couldn't resolve the issue and the argument escalated.

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Zhou said, "This case is easy to solve. I'll go."

Zhu Chuanzong and Wu Siyuan followed behind him.

Magistrate Zhou only asked a few general questions in the crowd before concluding that the country bumpkin was causing trouble and ordered him to be driven away. These shops all gave gifts to the magistrate during festivals; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to do business. Magistrate Zhou naturally had to speak up for these shops.

The country bumpkin was indignant and started crying like a child.

Zhu Chuanzong said to Wu Siyuan, "If this person is just being unreasonable, why would a grown man cry? It's a pity there's no way to prove this!"

Wu Siyuan said, "Let me try!"

After saying that, he questioned the shop assistant from Pu Wufang's shop.

The shopkeeper replied, "The magistrate has already asked! How dare I lie? Besides, even if I kept the chicken, it wouldn't be mine. Why would I steal a chicken to please the shopkeeper?"

Wu Siyuan asked him, "Have you bought any chickens today?"

The shopkeeper replied, "Not this morning."

Wu Siyuan said, "Alright, then bring all your chickens here."

The shopkeeper did as instructed, and then Wu Siyuan asked the shopkeeper, "Tell me, what do you usually feed your chickens?" The

shopkeeper said, "We feed them millet and rice bran."

Wu Siyuan then asked the countryman, "And you? What do you feed your chickens?"

The countryman said, "We country folk don't have any feed. The chickens find their own food in the wild."

Wu Siyuan ordered both chickens to be killed and their bellies cut open for inspection. The investigation revealed that the countryman's chickens were filled with grass and pebbles, while most of the chickens from Puwufang's shop were filled with millet and rice bran, with only one chicken also containing grass and pebbles. Clearly, one of the countryman's chickens was indeed present.

Wu Siyuan laughed, "This case is solved."

Upon seeing this, Magistrate Zhou's face immediately changed, and he sternly said to the shopkeeper, "Now the matter is clear. You weren't after a chicken; you just wanted to bully a countryman. Weren't you deceiving me? Fine, I'll close your shop now."

The owner of Puwufang's shop came to plead for mercy, but Zhu Chuanzong said, "Forget it, just punish them. There's no need to close their shop."

After having the owner of Puwufang compensate the countryman for his loss, Zhu Chuanzong led his group on their way.

Chapter Four: Hero Saves the Beauty

The next day, Zhu Chuanzong arrived in Guangxing County and went to Hou Xiaoxing's residence. The magistrate of Guangxing County, having heard of the incident, also rushed to serve him.

Zhu Chuanzong personally went to Hou Xiaoxing's neighbors to inquire about the situation. These people were all hesitant and flustered, but they all insisted that Hou Xiaoxing's wife had married into the family more than ten years ago.

Zhu Chuanzong knew they were being threatened, so he didn't press them. As he was leaving, he saw a seven or eight-year-old child playing outside. He went up to him and said, "Little brother, I have something to ask you. If you answer, I'll give you two coins so you can buy something good to eat."

The child was always mischievous, and being so young, he didn't understand anything. He laughed and said, "Really? Judging from your appearance, are you a high-ranking official? You can't go back on your word."

Zhu Chuanzong laughed and said, "Of course! Look at that family, when did their wife arrive? Why don't they have any children?"

The child laughed and said, "The Hou family! He was originally a bachelor. Three or four years ago, he brought a wife from out of town. If they had children, they'd be too young to come out and play with me. " " Go ahead and play! As for other things, I don't know, and I can't say anything carelessly, my father will scold me if he finds out."

Zhu Chuanzong gave the child two coins and said to the pale-faced Zhou Chongsheng, "Lord Zhou, what can we say about this child? It seems children are more likely to tell the truth. If we take a few children back, this case won't be difficult to solve."

Zhou Chongsheng was sweating profusely and didn't know what to do when suddenly the county magistrate next to him said, "Sir, according to the laws of our Great Liang Kingdom, the words of children under the age of fourteen cannot be used as evidence in court."

Zhou Chongsheng wiped his sweat and forced a smile, "Yes, yes. Sir, children's words can't be taken seriously. You must be tired from your journey. Why don't we go to the Guangxing County government office to rest?"

Zhu Chuanzong ignored him and glanced at Wu Siyuan, who said, "That's right, unless the circumstances are special, children really can't be witnesses."

Zhu Chuanzong looked disappointed. He had no experience in investigating cases, but Wu Siyuan seemed to be testing him, offering no advice. How should this case be handled?

Zhu Chuanzong racked his brains but couldn't come up with any other solutions. The next day, urged by Zhou Chongsheng, he returned to Shangqing County.

Back at the Shangqing County government office, Zhu Chuanzong paced back and forth in the room. Slapping his forehead, he said, "What should we do? I don't know how to investigate a case, and Mr. Wu won't tell me either. He's testing me! But what's the best way to solve this case?"

Xiao Yu pouted and raised an eyebrow, saying, "What's so difficult about that? Just arrest the witnesses, beat them up, and see who dares not to tell the truth!"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "No. First, Mr. Wu thinks that using torture is a sign of incompetence; second, that scoundrel Magistrate Zhou will definitely not agree and will accuse me of coercing a confession and report it to the court. Then the case will be completely unsolvable."

Xiao Yu was also discouraged and said, "Then what should we do?"

Nuanyun said, "Miss Yue's mother isn't dead, but her father is convicted of murdering his wife... That's right, I have an idea."

Zhu Chuanzong and Xiao Yu hurriedly asked, "What idea?"

Nuanyun smiled and said, "A blood test to determine kinship. Isn't that brilliant?"

She finished speaking with great pride.

Zhu Chuanzong had read about this method in a book, and upon hearing it, he was overjoyed. He pinched Nuanyun's fragrant cheeks with both hands, kissed her small mouth, and said, "You are truly a clever and beautiful woman."

Then, excitedly, he changed into his official robes and ordered his servants to hold court.

Magistrate Zhou, hearing that Zhu Chuanzong was holding court and interrogating the prisoners, rushed over, hoping to remedy any mistakes that might be made.

Zhu Chuanzong said in the courtroom, "Since Miss Yue says her mother is not dead, but everyone says that woman is not her mother, why not have a blood test to determine kinship? That way, the matter will be clear."

Magistrate Zhou, sweating profusely, hurriedly said, "Your Honor, according to the laws of our Great Liang Kingdom, a blood test can only be used to determine blood relations when there is no evidence whatsoever, or when the evidence is evenly matched."

Zhu Chuanzong angrily retorted, "Are you saying that my use of this method to judge the case is wrong?"

Although Magistrate Zhou did not want to offend this imperial investigator sent by the court, he could not win him over, so he could only stand firm and said, "That's right. Even if their blood mixes, this evidence can only serve as corroborating proof. In the presence of witnesses and physical evidence, it cannot overturn the original case. Moreover, chicken blood can also mix with human blood, so this method cannot be completely relied upon."

Zhu Chuanzong had originally thought he could solve the case, but he did not expect so many arguments. His excitement immediately vanished, and he stormed off, not even bothering to say "advance court."

Zhu Chuanzong returned to his room, sulking. Nuanyun and Xiaoyu, knowing the outcome, rushed to comfort him. Nuanyun said remorsefully, "Young Master, it's all my fault for giving such a bad idea. Don't take it to heart."

Xiaoyu, who had initially been jealous, was now more pleased than jealous. She resented Zhu Chuanzong for not treating her well, only doting on Nuanyun, and said, "Serves you right! You've always been so clumsy; I never believed you could solve a case!"

Xiaoyu was used to bickering with Zhu Chuanzong, but this sparked his ambition. He turned to Xiaoyu and said, "Fine, if I solve this case, how will you thank me?"

Xiaoyu noticed his lecherous gaze... Knowing his wicked scheme, she tilted her head and said, "If you solve the case, I'll reward you with a beautiful woman."

Zhu Chuanzong laughed, "Alright, you said it yourself."

Xiao Yu laughed, "Yes, if you solve the case, won't Miss Yue thank you?"

Zhu Chuanzong said disappointedly, "So you mean her! I won't do it, I want you to reward me."

Xiao Yu said, "Fine, wait until the next life!"

Zhu Chuanzong was greatly discouraged, thinking, "If Xiao Yu's father is wronged, I'll go and seek justice for him, and she'll beg me."

Thinking of this, Zhu Chuanzong felt that solving the case was more important, so he sent someone to invite Wu Siyuan to his study to meet him.

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Sir, you see, I've tried so many methods, but none of them have worked. Can you give me a hint? I won't force you to give me advice. I'm still young and inexperienced. For example, I don't know how to distinguish who owns a chicken after killing it!"

Wu Siyuan laughed and said, "If you don't understand, learn slowly! This case isn't complicated, yet you're already struggling with it. What will you do when you encounter even more difficult cases in the future? I'm getting old, and I can't always follow you around. Young master, you should put in more effort! Actually, you don't have much to do anyway, so staying here and observing the people's conditions is good."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Sir, you're right. It seems I still need to work harder."

In the following days, Zhu Chuanzong investigated the case in Shangqing County. He went to the original courtyard of Yue Yiming's family, because the courtyard had been sold to the Cai family, and began to investigate whether there were any illegal activities inside.

Magistrate Zhou was overwhelmed with problems. Although he had instructed his constables to work diligently and avoid causing any trouble, many avenues were blocked, and they still had to come to work on time, leading to widespread complaints.

That day, Zhu Chuanzong was chatting with Wu Siyuan in his study when Magistrate Zhou arrived to request an audience.

Zhu Chuanzong knew Magistrate Zhou was a corrupt official, but he couldn't refuse to see him, so he reluctantly suppressed his disgust and let him in.

Magistrate Zhou entered, exchanged greetings, and said, "Sir, something terrible has happened! A murder has occurred in Wangshui Village, which is under my jurisdiction, but the case is so bizarre that I'm at a loss! Your wisdom and intelligence are sure to solve this case."

Zhu Chuanzong and Wu Siyuan exchanged a glance, thinking, "This kid is indeed capable; he's making things difficult for me. He's making me uncomfortable."

Zhu Chuanzong lazily said, "Tell me, what kind of case is it? You've been the magistrate of this county for so many years; is there any case you can't solve? Aren't you..." "Do you always frame innocent people? Just find a scapegoat, and the case will be closed, right?"

Magistrate Zhou was taken aback, then smiled bitterly, "Your Excellency is joking. This is a murder case. We had some leads, but during the autopsy, the female corpse turned out to be a male corpse."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Such a thing? Tell me in detail."

It turned out that a hundred miles from the county seat was a village called Wangshui. A family surnamed Yang, having worked hard and been frugal for generations, had become relatively wealthy in the village by the time of Yang Fuchun.

Yang Fuchun had a son, and thus, from a young age, he had a child bride—a girl from the Zhang family in another village. She was gentle and hardworking.

When Yang Fuchun's son, Yang Kaifu, grew up, they were married. However, after one night, and the next day past noon, neither of them came out.

Yang Fuchun's wife went in and found the bride naked and dead on the bed, while the groom, Yang Kaifu, was nowhere to be found.

Yang Fuchun immediately notified the Zhang family. Three days later, when the Zhang family arrived, the bride had already been buried.

The Zhang family made a huge scene, but the Yang family claimed it was because it was summer and the weather was hot, and they were afraid the body would decompose, so they buried her. They offered to pay some compensation.

The Zhang family suspected their daughter had been murdered, so they went to the county government to file a complaint.

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Zhou immediately went to Wangshui Village to open the coffin and examine the body. To his surprise, when the coffin was opened, they found only the body of an old man in his sixties or seventies, with axe marks on his back. There was no sign of a woman's body.

Magistrate Zhou was puzzled and questioned the Yang family, who were equally puzzled. They asked where their son was, but they didn't know either.

Magistrate Zhou then imprisoned Yang Fuchun and ordered the arrest of Yang Fuchun's son, Yang Kaifu.

Two days later, Yang Kaifu's son, hearing of his father's imprisonment, came to surrender. Magistrate Zhou asked him what had happened that night.

Yang Kaifu said that on his wedding day, he and his bride were deeply in love and everything was harmonious. However, he remembered learning acupressure from someone and jokingly said he knew it.

The bride didn't believe him, so he pressed her Shentan acupoint. Unexpectedly, the bride laughed a few times and then became motionless.

Yang Kaifu hurriedly lit a lamp and saw that the bride was dead. Terrified, Yang Kaifu couldn't think straight and fled to avoid punishment.

Magistrate Zhou, upon hearing this, asked him about the old man's corpse, to which he replied that he didn't know.

Unable to determine the case, Magistrate Zhou summoned Zhu Chuanzong to investigate.

Zhu Chuanzong was completely baffled by the case and had no idea what to do. But he couldn't show weakness, so he said, "Give me all the case files, and I'll definitely solve this case."

Magistrate Zhou was more than happy to do this, so he wouldn't have time to deal with other things.

After Magistrate Zhou left, Zhu Chuanzong said to Wu Siyuan, "Originally, I wanted to stay here and drag this guy out, but now that there's a case, I can't ignore it! If I can't solve it, I'll lose even more authority, and how will I handle Yue Yiming's case? Sir, what do you think this case is all about?"

Wu Siyuan pondered for a while and said, "I don't know either. Let's go to the burial site and take a look!"

Because Yue Keren was familiar with the terrain, he led her and asked her for directions.

Led by the village head, the group arrived at the cemetery. Wu Siyuan carefully examined the surroundings and saw a small path in the distance, so he asked the village head where that path led.

The village chief said, "This path leads to Wan'an Township and Guanshui Township. However, it's a very secluded path, rarely used by anyone."

Wu Siyuan pondered for a moment, then said to Zhu Chuanzong, "Young Master, I've got it."

Zhu Chuanzong was overjoyed and said, "I've been wondering about this all along, sir. How did you know?"

Wu Siyuan said, "I don't know the details of the case right now, but I suspect that if the woman isn't dead, she would have been rescued by villagers from those two villages. If she is dead, her body was most likely stolen by the villagers of those two villages. If we split up and investigate those two villages, we might be able to solve the case."

Zhu Chuanzong was exceptionally intelligent, and upon hearing Wu Siyuan's analysis, he immediately understood how to investigate the case. Overjoyed, he said, "Sir's words have truly enlightened me!"

Wu Siyuan led some constables to Wan'an Township, while Zhu Chuanzong, Fang Zhongxi, and Yue Keren went to Guanshui Township.

Zhu Chuanzong and his companions arrived at Guanshui Township. On the way, Yue Keren, looking at the scenery, suddenly burst into tears.

Zhu Chuanzong asked in surprise, "Miss Yue, why are you crying?"

Yue Keren replied, "I remember when I was little, my father took me here to play. How carefree we were then! But now my father is in a dark and hopeless prison, bearing a false accusation. Thinking of this makes me sad."

Zhu Chuanzong sighed, "It's all my fault for being useless; I can't clear your father's name."

Just then, a large, fat man approached from a distance. This man was very tall, about the same height as Zhu Chuanzong, and looked quite heavy, likely weighing over 300 jin (approximately 150 kg).

Zhu Chuanzong recognized him and, remembering his former appearance, focused his attention. He saw that the man was carrying a carrying pole; he was selling tofu.

The large man walked up to Zhu Chuanzong, suddenly unloaded his pole, and struck Zhu Chuanzong with it.

Caught off guard, Zhu Chuanzong was struck in the waist by the carrying pole. He expected to be sent flying, but his body suddenly grew larger, generating a force that deflected the pole.

The burly man struck again, exclaiming, "You know sorcery?"

At that moment, Fang Zhongxi also made his move, striking the man on the forehead.

Fang Zhongxi hadn't paid much attention initially, but then this scoundrel appeared and attacked Zhu Chuanzong without warning. Seeing Zhu Chuanzong being hit, he became extremely anxious and swiftly attacked, asking, "Young Master, are you alright?"

Zhu Chuanzong, his shock subsiding, replied, "I'm fine. This scoundrel dared to attack me for no reason! Take him down!"

Fang Zhongxi, hearing this, attacked even more fiercely. However, the man didn't know martial arts, but he was naturally very strong. It took Fang Zhongxi a long time to subdue him.

Zhu Chuanzong roared, "You bastard, why did you hit me? Did someone instigate you?"

The man, his hands bound by a mat in the room, knelt on the ground, panting, and said, "You bullied a woman, you're a bad guy. My mother said we should be good to women. When I saw someone like you, I had to beat him."

It turned out that this fat man was a villager from Guanshui Township named Wang Daniu. He was incredibly strong from a young age and had a huge appetite. It was said that his father died from exhaustion while raising him. Because of his weight, he was known as Fatty Wang.

Wang Daniu was kind-hearted, but single-minded. He was always ready to fight injustice. He made a living selling tofu. As he was carrying his load, he suddenly looked up and saw Zhu Chuanzong dragging a beautiful woman along. The woman was crying and sobbing. He was puzzled and thought, "Could this man have kidnapped someone's daughter? Or is she a maid or servant girl? He's taking it out on her, he doesn't know how to cherish women. Since I've run into this today, how can I, Wang the Fatty, ignore it? Besides, Brother Liu said he rescued a beauty and got a wife, maybe I'll have that good luck too!"

Thinking this, Wang Daniu was happy. He put down his load, not caring that it wasn't set down properly and fell to the ground, scattering tofu everywhere. He didn't care, grabbed the carrying pole, raised it, and fiercely swung it at Zhu Chuanzong. He hit Zhu Chuanzong with the pole first, but Zhu Chuanzong dodged the second blow, and the pole missed, falling to the ground and making a deep crater. The pole also broke.

Wang Daniu, wielding half a carrying pole, charged at Zhu Chuanzong again. Just then, Fang Zhongxi arrived.

Enraged, Fang Zhongxi unleashed his true skill. Seeing the half-pole approaching, he dodged and delivered a flying kick to the burly man's wrist with his left foot, sending the pole flying. He then struck Wang Daniu with a palm strike, but Wang Daniu, with his great strength and thick skin, felt no pain and instead struck back. The two fought for a while before Fang Zhongxi swept his leg, knocking the fat Wang to the ground and finally subduing him.

Zhu Chuanzong was taken aback by the words of the fat man before him. He said, "You're really stubborn! Why didn't you ask first before you hit me? This Miss Yue is my...my sister. You didn't even explain before raising your carrying pole to hit me. If I didn't know some kung fu, would you have killed me?"

Fatty Wang said, "Since you're her brother and sister, why didn't you explain it to me earlier? Then I wouldn't have used force. Besides, you're the older brother, how can you let your sister cry? Why don't you try to cheer her up?"

Zhu Chuanzong was both amused and exasperated. He said, "There's no way to reason with someone as stubborn as you."

At this moment, Yue Keren said, "Brother, let's go quickly, don't bother with this fool."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Alright, we have important business to attend to. Let him go!"

The man in the room released Wang Daniu, saying, "Our young master is kind-hearted. If you continue to act recklessly, don't blame me for being ruthless and taking your life."

Wang Daniu stood up and kowtowed, saying, "Young master, I'm so sorry, please don't blame me. It was all my recklessness. Why did I do this? I broke the carrying pole, spilled the tofu all over the ground, and lost all my capital. When I get home, my mother definitely won't let me eat. Actually, I'm not stupid! A few days ago, Brother Liu told me that he saw a girl crying and rescued her, and ended up getting a wife for free. I thought I'd have that kind of luck too, so my mother wouldn't always worry about me not being able to find a wife. I said, what's so good about a wife! If only I could eat my fill every day..." "I don't need a wife!"

Zhu Chuanzong hadn't paid much attention at first, but suddenly sensed something amiss in Wang Daniu's words and quickly said, "You mean? There's a Brother Liu in your village who's picked up a wife these days?"

Wang Daniu said, "Yes? Do you think I'm lying? It really is, otherwise why would I hit you without even thinking? Do you think I'm really stupid?"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I don't believe you. You must be lying to me so I'll forgive you, right?"

Wang Daniu's eyes turned red with anger, and he roared, "I don't lie! I, Wang Da Pangzi, have never..." "I'm not lying, you can ask around the village if you don't believe me."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "They're all from your village, they might be lying to me too. Unless you take me to see that guy called Brother Liu, and see if he has a new wife."

Wang Daniu was about to take Zhu Chuanzong and the others away immediately, but suddenly remembered something and stopped, saying, "No, time is running out, we can't be late getting back. I have to get these things home first, and I have to pick up this tofu so my mother can see it really fell on the ground." "It was stolen by a trick, not something I ate because I was hungry,"

Zhu Chuanzong said. "No need to pick it up anymore. How much is it? I'll buy it."

Wang Daniu angrily replied, "No way! It's my fault. How can I ask you for compensation? My mother will scold me if she finds out. My family is poor, but we have pride."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Alright, alright. Then we'll go with you to your house first, and then we'll go find that guy surnamed Liu. Is that alright?"

Wang Daniu nodded repeatedly, delighted, "Perfect! You can testify to my mother that I didn't slack off and refuse to sell tofu."

The group then headed towards Wang Daniu's house. Tofu sellers start selling in the morning and sell out by noon. It's midday now, and there aren't many pedestrians on the road, but most of the people he encounters are villagers who know Wang Daniu. They all greet him, one saying, "Fatty, coming to our house for dinner tonight?"

Wang Daniu mutters, "Don't try to fool me. I might actually come and eat your family out of house and home."

Some children see Wang Daniu and jump up, singing, "Fatty, you can really eat, one bite and you're a big fat pig; on a rainy day, you trip and fall, and dig a well."

Wang Daniu chuckles a few times, not caring at all.

Chapter Five: A Case Within a Case.

Zhu Chuanzong, having heard Wang Daniu being mocked along the way, recalls his past suffering from obesity, the times he was looked down upon and despised, and feels a pang of sympathy. He chats with him, asking his name and family situation. It turns out he only has an elderly mother in her seventies, and he is already thirty years old and still unmarried.

Zhu Chuanzong laughed, "Wang Daniu, why don't you come with me and become my follower? I guarantee you'll find a wife."

Wang Daniu shook his head, "You're lying! I don't believe you! So many people have tried to fool me like this."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I'm no ordinary person. Listen to my accent, are you from around here? I'm a wealthy man from Shengjing, the capital!"

Wang Daniu said, "Come on! You do have a Beijing accent! Tell me you're from far away, so I don't have to come to your door and embarrass myself." Zhu Chuanzong said, "

My grandfather helped the emperor seize the throne, made great contributions, and was appointed a high-ranking official. My name is Zhu Chuanzong, and I'm very famous in Shengjing. Do you believe me?"

Wang Daniu said disdainfully, "Look at what you're saying. So you know Lord Zhou from our county?"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "What is he? Just a minor official. I know many high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Justice. The Censorate is my office. Don't be afraid to tell you, in the capital, I'm a powerful figure..." "Let me tour the palace with you!"

Zhu Chuanzong had never been to the palace before. After being in the capital for so long, he had heard people on the street talking about the imperial palace with great envy, so he boasted about it, thinking, "When I return to Shengjing, I will visit the palace. I'm not lying now."

Wang Dani stuck out his tongue and said, "Are you crazy? You can make up such a big story."

Yue Keren smiled and said, "He's right. He is the imperial inspector who came here from the capital. His family is the famous Zhu family."

Wang Dani's eyes turned green and he said, "Zhu... family? Is it the one that everyone says uses gold as a rice bowl and uses luminous pearls for lighting at night?"

Yue Keren smiled and said, "Yes!"

Wang Dani was stunned, then suddenly ran up to a courtyard, pushed open the door and shouted, "Mother, something bad has happened! Who did I run into?"

Zhu Chuanzong and Yue Keren smiled at each other and then followed him into Wang Dani's house.

Wang Daniu helped an old woman out to greet them. The old woman was about to kneel to pay her respects, but Zhu Chuanzong quickly stopped her. The old woman said, "Honorable guests, I wonder if my son has done something wrong, or offended us in any way?"

Seeing the old woman's flustered expression and Wang Daniu's flushed face, Zhu Chuanzong, fearing he might say something reproachful, smiled and said, "Grandma, don't worry, your son is very honest and a good man. I've come to ask him for some help."

The old woman then calmed down and quickly invited the three of them into the house. Once inside, the old woman busied herself pouring them water, but Zhu Chuanzong said, "You don't need to bother us. We have other matters to attend to, so we won't disturb you any longer. We'll talk to you when we're done.

" Although he was quite old and had seen a lot of the world, he didn't know what to say at this moment, only managing to say, "Good, good."

Staring at Yue Keren, he said, "This girl is truly beautiful, no wonder she's from a wealthy family. We haven't seen a girl like her in our village for decades. You and Young Master Zhu aren't married yet, are you?"

Yue Keren blushed and said, "Please don't say that. How could a girl like me, fallen and alone, be worthy of the young master?"

Zhu Chuanzong had always treated Yue Keren with utmost respect, never daring to go too far, because Yue Keren seemed righteous and he was afraid of offending her or upsetting her. She was in dire straits; to do so would be like kicking someone when they're down. Yue Keren had come to the capital alone to file a complaint; her temper must be very strong, so he dared not be presumptuous. Hearing Yue Keren's words now, she seemed to have a great liking for him, and hurriedly said, "You are worthy, you are worthy."

Yue Keren blushed even more, spitting out, "You're not a good person, what nonsense are you talking about?" But

inwardly, she was very pleased.

Wang Daniu suddenly realized and said, "I understand! Miss Yue likes Young Master Zhu, but he doesn't know, so Miss Yue is crying."

Yue Keren got up and stormed out, saying, "I'm ignoring you all! Stop gossiping!"

Laughter filled the room.

Zhu Chuanzong, knowing Yue Keren's feelings for him, was overjoyed. Suddenly remembering the danger of catching a thief, he said, "Grandma, we have some business to attend to, and it's inconvenient to bring a young lady along. Could Miss Yue stay with you for a while?"

The old lady was delighted; she rarely had company and readily agreed.

The three of them left, setting off amidst Yue Keren's reluctant gaze.

Grandma Wang brought Yue Keren a glass of water and chatted with her, asking about her family.

Yue Keren, remembering her family's troubles, said, "I'm a person in distress, and things aren't over yet. It's truly heartbreaking to think about!"

She briefly recounted the events at home.

Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Wang felt a pang of sympathy and said, "You're such a young girl, and your body is so delicate, yet you have the ability to go to the capital alone to file a complaint. I've heard that many people go to the capital to file complaints, and many are falsely accused. Fortunately, Heaven hasn't been unkind to you, giving you the opportunity to seek justice. I think this young master Zhu is no ordinary person. Since he's interested in you, he'll surely be able to help your family clear their name."

Hearing this, Yue Keren thought of her elderly father and tears streamed down her face. She said, "I hope the young master can find a way to clear my father's name."

The old lady also sighed and comforted her.

Now, in this Guanshui Township, there lived a rogue named Kang Neng. He was friends with Wang Daniu and spent his days drunk. One day, he was drunk again, staggering home until he bumped his head against the gatehouse wall. Anger rising within him, he exclaimed, "Whose gatehouse is this? The construction here is blocking the way! It's infuriating!"

Kang Neng looked up carefully and thought, "Ha! That's it, this is the gate of that fool Wang Daniu. Since I'm passing by and have nothing else to do, I might as well go to his house. If they have anything good, I'll steal some to exchange for wine." "That's good."

Thinking this, he went inside, calling out, "Fatty Wang! I've come to see you. Are you home?"

Hearing the call, Old Mrs. Wang quickly came out of the house. Seeing it was the rogue Kang Neng, she said, "Da Niu isn't home. Come another day!"

She pushed him out, but Kang Neng said, "I've come all this way, why won't you let me in?"

Entering the house, he saw a beautiful woman sitting on the kang (heated brick bed), and said, "So that's why I wasn't allowed in! There's a guest here!"

Guanshui Township was a poor place, and women were unwilling to marry there. Having arrived here, the village was teeming with bachelors, and Kang Neng, a rogue, was even more unable to find a wife. Even an ordinary woman would have stirred his heart, but Yue Keren was as beautiful as a fairy, and Kang Neng was immediately captivated. His heart stirred, and his lust took over, he asked in a daze, "Where did this woman come from? Could she be Da Niu's wife?"

Seeing Kang Neng's expression, Old Lady Wang quickly said, "This is Lord Zhu's fiancée. She's from a wealthy family. She's only staying here for a short while, she'll be leaving soon." Kang

Neng said: "You old hag, you're talking nonsense! When has our village ever been able to find a young lady like that? You must have tricked her into coming here. Look at me, I don't even have a wife. Why don't you grant me my wish? Marry her to me! I'll marry her, and I'll never forget your kindness for the rest of my life."

Hearing this, Old Mrs. Wang flew into a rage, shouting, "You bastard! Get out of here! How dare you cause trouble in my house! When Da Niu comes back, I'll chop you up!" She

reached out and grabbed a rolling pin, aiming to strike.

Kang Neng dodged, avoiding a blow to the head but taking a hit to the shoulder. He swayed, then roared, "You old hag, Old Mrs. Wang! You were the one who arranged the marriage, but you shouldn't have hit me with that rolling pin! Do you think I'm easy to bully? I think you're tired of living at your age. Today is your death day!"

He drew a steel knife from his waist and swung it at Old Mrs. Wang. Old Mrs. Wang lay on the ground, hacked to pieces. Kang Neng, blinded by rage and drunk, had lost all humanity and delivered the final blow, killing Old Mrs. Wang instantly.

The incident happened so suddenly that Yue Keren hadn't even had time to react before Old Mrs. Wang was dead. The rogue Kang Neng pointed his knife at her and said, "You little girl, will you marry me? If not, you'll end up like this old woman, I'll kill you with one blow."

Seeing Kang Neng kill someone on the spot, Yue Keren knew he wasn't bluffing. She thought, "If I die, my father's wrongful conviction might be over. If this villain kills me and escapes, my death and this old woman's death might have been in vain."

She frowned, a plan forming in her mind. Yue Keren's journey alone to the capital to appeal required courage, boldness, and wisdom; yet, facing this crisis, she remained calm.

Yue Keren said, "Don't kill me, I promise to marry you. I was tricked into coming here. If you treat me well, I will be devoted to you."

Kang Neng was overjoyed and said, "If you really come with me, how could I not treat you well?"

So he threw the knife on the ground and said, "Hurry up! Come with me to my house to get married."

Yue Keren pretended to ask, "Where is your home?" while

thinking of a way to escape.

Kang Neng said, "I live in the east of the village."

Yue Keren said, "You'd better hide this old woman's body. Otherwise, if someone sees it and takes you to the authorities to pay for her life, our marriage won't last."

Kang Neng said, "Yes, that makes sense. This is easy. There's a well behind this courtyard. I'll just throw her in the well, and that'll be it. Even if that fat Wang comes back, he won't be able to find her." He

was overjoyed and laughed heartily. He picked up the body and said, "You come with me too."

Yue Keren cursed inwardly, "You villain! I wanted to lure you out so I could escape. Who knew you were so cunning, making me come along? It seems escape will be difficult."

Helplessly, she followed Kang Neng to the well in the backyard. Kang Neng threw the body into the well with a "plop" and said, "Come with me quickly."

He then took her hand.

Suddenly, Yue Keren had a flash of inspiration and said, "Look into the well! Is the corpse floating or has it sunk to the bottom? If it's floating, that's not right; we should move a stone to weigh it down."

Kang Neng said, "That's right, I was confused. Thank you for reminding me."

So he leaned over and looked into the well.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, seeing that Kang Neng was off guard, Yue Keren used all her strength to push him. With a "plop," Kang Neng fell into the well and drowned.

Just then, Wang Tong, the neighbor to the west, was sweeping his yard when he suddenly heard a "plop" from next door. Curious, he wondered, "What's Fatty Wang doing?"

He peered over the wall and, instead of seeing Kang Neng throw away Old Lady Wang's body, saw Yue Keren push Kang Neng into the well. Startled, he immediately ran outside, shouting, "It's terrible! Neighbors, neighbors, village head, and local officials, come quick! A vixen has come from nowhere and pushed Kang Neng into the well!"

Wang Tong's shouts brought the villagers, including the village head and local officials. A group of people arrived quickly. Wang Tong told them, "A very beautiful woman pushed Kang Neng into the well; it must be a vixen!"

The crowd asked, "Where is she?"

Wang Tong said, "Come with me."

The crowd, armed with hoes and sticks, rushed into the well in Wang's backyard.

Yue Keren, after pushing Kang Neng into the well, was already terrified, lying on the ground, trembling.

Seeing Yue Keren's breathtaking beauty—the likes of which had never been seen in the village—the crowd dared not approach her. They all pointed their weapons at her, shouting, "Don't run! Who are you? Are you a vixen? Why did you kill him?" Wang

Tong said, "You all guard her first, don't let her escape. Retrieving Kang Neng is the most important thing." Hearing this, the crowd grabbed hooks and poles, and hastily began pulling the body from the well. Upon pulling the body out, the crowd was horrified to see it was the body of Old Lady Wang. Wang Tong said, "It was clearly Kang Neng who fell into the well! Let's pull him out again!"

The group searched again and, sure enough, found Kang Neng's body. They were even more horrified; this was a major case involving two deaths. The headman and the local constable hurriedly sent someone to report the crime, and then detained Yue Keren to prevent her escape.

Magistrate Zhou, upon hearing it was a case involving two deaths, and especially with an imperial envoy present, dared not delay. He ordered a sedan chair to be prepared, and, accompanied by three shifts of constables, clerks, and a coroner, rushed to Guanshui Township.

Magistrate Zhou was shocked to see that the fox spirit the villagers claimed was the murderer was actually Yue Keren. He exclaimed, "How did you get here? Why did you kill someone?"

Yue Keren replied, "I came with Lord Zhu. This scoundrel killed the old lady and tried to kill me, so I pushed him into the well."

She thought to herself, "This corrupt official will definitely not let me off easily. Young master! Why aren't you back yet?"

At this moment, the coroner finished examining the bodies and reported, "The male corpse drowned in the well and has no injuries; the female corpse was stabbed to death."

The clerk filled in the body record. Magistrate Zhou now knew everything and was secretly delighted, thinking, "This is heaven's will to let me escape!"

He ordered the headman and the local constable to dispose of the bodies. Then he escorted Yue Keren back to the yamen.

Meanwhile, Zhu Chuanzong and Wang Daniu went to the house of Brother Liu, whom he had mentioned. This man surnamed Liu was a carpenter, and people from all around would hire him for work.

Wang Daniu arrived at the Liu family's house, entered the courtyard, and called out, "Brother Liu, I've come to see your bride!"

A voice came from inside the house: "Don't come in yet, you fatso! What are those two men doing next to you?"

The man in the room quickly replied, "We heard you're a good carpenter, so we came specifically to ask you for some work. What, have you given up business?"

As they spoke, the three men entered the house. They saw a burly man, in his thirties, holding an axe, looking at them with astonishment and fear.

Zhu Chuanzong saw the axe and a thought struck him. He remembered that the male corpse in the coffin had been killed with an axe. He exchanged a glance with the man in the room, and they both immediately understood.

Wang Daniu laughed, "Brother Liu, look how scared you are! Did you think I came here to steal your wife? Why are you carrying an axe? Where's your wife? You're not going to prevent me from seeing her, are you?"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "We're here to discuss business. It's best not to see our families; that would be too impolite."

Hearing this, the man surnamed Liu felt relieved, put down the axe, and laughed, "We've brought guests; it's truly impolite! I'll have my wife pour you some tea."

He then went into the inner room, and a moment later, a woman came out and poured tea for everyone.

Wang Daniu exclaimed, "She's truly beautiful!"

Zhu Chuanzong noticed a hint of sadness in the woman's expression, as if she were preoccupied. He gave her a signal, and Xi, seizing the opportunity, grabbed the man surnamed Liu and demanded, "Where did this woman come from? Did you abduct her? Did you kill someone?"

Seeing the man captured, the woman burst into tears, knelt down, and cried, "My benefactors, please save me! He killed someone and forced me to be his wife."

Zhu Chuanzong asked her name; indeed, she was Zhang.

The man surnamed Liu was captured without resistance, sighing, "It's all my fault for being so foolish as to kill my uncle. I was blinded by lust! If I had a wife earlier, this wouldn't have happened. I never expected retribution to come so quickly!"

Wang Daniu, who was watching from the side, was stunned and said, "Young Master Zhu, you really are from the yamen! You're really here to solve the case! You're amazing!"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "We are from the yamen. Let's take them back to the yamen first and interrogate them slowly."

Although the case was not yet fully clear, Zhu Chuanzong had guessed most of it, so he took the two men back.

They went to Wang Daniu's house to pick up Yue Keren to go back together. However, the villagers they encountered on the way were all talking about how a fox spirit, more beautiful than a fairy, had killed Old Lady Wang and drowned Kang Neng. When

a villager saw Wang Daniu, he pointed and whispered. Wang Daniu asked in surprise, "What strange news are you talking about?"

One person said, "Why don't you hurry home? Your mother has been murdered!"

Wang Daniu was stunned and ran home like a madman.

Zhu Chuanzong thought of Yue Keren and felt a sense of foreboding. He said to Xi in the room, "Watch over the prisoner, I'm going now,"

and ran off.

Just as he was running, he suddenly heard someone shout in the street, "Make way! Make way! The magistrate is here!"

Zhu Chuanzong looked up and saw the yamen runners dragging Yue Keren along, bound hand and foot. His mind went blank; he knew something terrible had happened. He quickly stepped forward and blocked the sedan chair, saying, "Stop! What are you doing?"

Although Zhu Chuanzong had changed his clothes, the yamen runners recognized him as the imperial inspector and immediately stopped. When Yue Keren saw Zhu Chuanzong, remembering her misfortune in encountering such a case, she couldn't help but shed tears.

Magistrate Zhou alighted from his sedan chair and said, "Your Honor, you've come at the perfect time. A major case has occurred. Two lives have been lost!"

Zhu Chuanzong, upon hearing this, asked, "Even if it is a major case, why is Miss Yue bound?"

Magistrate Zhou replied, "Someone witnessed Miss Yue committing murder, so she was bound."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "She came with me. I doubt she could harm anyone; there must be a reason. Untie her first. Are you afraid she'll escape?"

Magistrate Zhou smiled and said, "I know Miss Yue is Your Honor's confidante; everything is negotiable."

He ordered Yue Keren released.

After Zhu Chuanzong went to a banquet in his room on the way, the group returned to the county office.

Upon arriving at the county office, Magistrate Zhou was to hold court to hear the case.

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I'll handle the case! I've already apprehended the main culprit in the body-swapping case. I'll try all the cases together."

Magistrate Zhou said, "Your Excellency is indeed capable, but this Yue Keren has an unusual relationship with you, and she was with you. According to the rules, she should recuse herself. Of course, if Your Excellency wants to handle the case..."

He hesitated and stopped speaking.

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Alright, then you handle this case!"

He was annoyed, but Magistrate Zhou's words sounded high-sounding. If he insisted on handling the case, it would be difficult to get things done if he submitted a memorial.

At this time, Wu Siyuan received the news and had also rushed back. Chapter Six, May

15: The Three-Day Trial. Magistrate Zhou held court and tried the case. Zhu Chuanzong and Wu Siyuan sat and watched from the side. Magistrate Zhou ordered all the witnesses to be brought in. At this time, Wang Daniu had also arrived, crying uncontrollably, muttering, "My poor old mother!" Magistrate Zhou first questioned Wang Tong, who recounted what he had seen. After listening, Magistrate Zhou ordered, "Bring the female offender to the court." Yue Keren entered the court, knelt down, and cried, "Your Honor! I'm innocent!" Magistrate Zhou asked, "Where do you live, female offender? What is your surname? What is your name? What were you doing in Guanshui Township? You have killed two people. Confess the truth to avoid torture and physical suffering." Yue Keren gave her name and address. Seeing Magistrate Zhou's attitude, which seemed to implicate Lord Zhu Chuanzong, she only cried and said nothing else. Magistrate Zhou slammed his gavel and said, "Speak! Since you are a young lady from the county town, you should stay at home. Why did you go to Guanshui Township?" Zhu Chuanzong frowned upon seeing this and said, "I went to Guanshui Township to handle a case. Because I didn't know the way, I asked her to guide me."

Magistrate Zhou dismissed the scribe, then smiled and said, "Your Honor, this is official business, so I'm handling it strictly. Please forgive me."

He then shouted, "Yue Keren, since you went with Magistrate Zhu to investigate the case, why did you kill someone without cause? Speak!"

Yue Keren, with tears in her eyes, said, "Magistrate Zhu was going to apprehend a criminal, so he told me to wait at Old Madam Wang's house. But a villain came and demanded that I become his wife. Old Madam Wang, angered, slapped him, and he killed her and threw her into the well; seeing that he was off guard, I pushed him into the well. Please, Your Honor, investigate thoroughly."

Magistrate Zhou thought to himself, "This woman is my enemy. Her words seem plausible, but if I tell the truth..." "If I question her about her crime, how can I get rid of her father's case? Losing my post is a minor matter; if this Lord Zhu finds a fault in me, my life will be in danger. It would be better to pin these two murders on her. Lord Zhu will surely beg me, and my troubles will be gone.

It's a win-win situation." So he slammed the gavel and shouted, "You cunning woman, spouting nonsense! You went to the capital to file a complaint beyond your rank, disobeying the laws of this dynasty. You already have a criminal record, but since the court sent an imperial envoy, I shouldn't say anything! But you haven't changed your bad habits! And you've committed murder again. I can't let you off this time. Since you refuse to tell the truth, guards, quickly begin the torture!"

The yamen runners banged their batons, threatening him.

Zhu Chuanzong knew that this magistrate was a scoundrel, resorting to torture without asking any questions, deliberately trying to punish Yue Keren to wear down his case. But since the matter involved him, he couldn't personally handle the case, and he was furious.

At this moment, Wu Siyuan smiled and said, "Magistrate, I think we should postpone this case for now. Since Lord Zhu has already apprehended the culprit in the body-swapping case, why not try that case first? As for the other cases, we can discuss and try them together, Magistrate and Lord Zhu. What do you think?"

Magistrate Zhou, being a local official, had managed to get to this point and was quite astute. He sensed Wu Siyuan's intention to reconcile, so how could he not agree? He hurriedly replied, "In that case, very well. Since the Inspector has personally solved the case, then it's best if you preside over the trial."

He then slammed the gavel and said, "Since this case is related to the previous one, let's start with the previous one. Please, Inspector, preside over the trial." He then

smiled and invited Zhu Chuanzong to take his seat.

Zhu Chuanzong didn't quite understand Wu Siyuan's meaning. He thought, "Am I really going to let this scoundrel off and give in to him? What kind of world is this? I will never admit defeat."

However, he decided to try the body-swapping case first and think of a solution later.

Zhu Chuanzong entered the court and ordered the carpenter surnamed Liu and Ms. Zhang to be brought before him.

Zhu Chuanzong questioned Ms. Zhang, who tearfully recounted her ordeal. It turned out that on her wedding night, her groom, in a joke, accidentally pressed her pressure points, causing her to feign death. She was buried in a coffin, and when she awoke in the middle of the night, she screamed. Fortunately, the carpenter and his nephew, surnamed Liu, happened to be passing by and rescued her.

The young carpenter, seeing her beauty, wanted to take her home to marry her, but his uncle refused. The two argued, and in a fit of rage, the carpenter killed his uncle and placed the body in the coffin.

Zhu Chuanzong, upon hearing this, understood the truth of the case. However, the case was truly bizarre; it would have been unbelievable had he not heard it with his own ears.

Magistrate Zhou secretly admired Zhu Chuanzong's swift resolution of the case.

The carpenter surnamed Liu sighed, "Sir, everything this woman said is true. I was foolish enough to kill my uncle, and my conscience is tormented. But I've finally tasted the flavor of a woman; even if I die, my life won't have been in vain."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Since you've confessed to the crime, killing someone is a capital offense."

He had him sign and put his fingerprint on the document before taking him away.

Zhu Chuanzong then called Yang Fuchun and his son Yang Kaifu forward and said to them, "Now that the truth of the case has been revealed, you can clear your names. But what will you do with this woman, Zhang, since she has lost her virginity?"

Yang Kaifu said tearfully, "Sir, I was also at fault in this matter. It's all thanks to you that we met and you solved such a bizarre case; otherwise, my son and I would have lost our lives. This isn't my wife's fault either. I'm willing to take her back and be husband and wife as before."

Yang Fuchun nodded in agreement.

Zhu Chuanzong was overjoyed and said, "You are all sensible people. I hope your family will live in harmony. I wish you all the best."

The Yang family knelt down to thank Zhu Chuanzong, praising his brilliant judgment. Zhu Chuanzong ordered the yamen runners to take them away.

Zhu Chuanzong said to Magistrate Zhou, "Look how this case has been solved. Miss Yue also deserves credit. What she said was all true. She wouldn't kill someone without a reason. I think her case..."

Magistrate Zhou hurriedly said, "Sir, I think there must be more to this than meets the eye. It's not as simple as it seems. Why did Kang Neng wait for Miss Yue to arrive before coming? Was it pre-arranged? They were caught in an affair by the old lady, so they killed each other to silence her. Then Miss Yue wanted to frame Kang Neng and kill him to cover it up."

Zhu Chuanzong was furious and said, "You are slandering me! You bastard..."

Wu Siyuan quickly pulled Zhu Chuanzong back, begging him to calm down.

Just as Zhu Chuanzong and Magistrate Zhou were arguing fiercely, a subordinate announced, "My lords, the Prefect has arrived."

It was Wu Zheng, the Prefect of Lutong Prefecture. A prefect was a fourth-rank official, higher than Zhu Chuanzong. Although Zhu Chuanzong was an imperial envoy of the Censorate, responsible for supervising and investigating all officials, he couldn't punish officials of higher rank; he could only report to the emperor.

Prefect Wu Zheng entered without waiting for their greetings. Seeing the two men arguing, he laughed loudly, "I've arrived just in time! What's wrong, Imperial Envoy?"

Zhu Chuanzong had heard that Prefect Wu Zheng had also accepted bribes from Magistrate Zhou, which was why he had ignored Yue Yiming's case. He was angry, but being young and inexperienced, he simply snorted and remained silent.

Wu Zheng, a seasoned veteran, though displeased, smiled and said, "Magistrate Zhou, look how you've offended the Imperial Envoy! He's so angry!"

Zhou Chongsheng said, "Your Excellency has come at the right time. There is a case that requires the Imperial Envoy's recusal. I was only arguing my case for the sake of the court, but the Imperial Envoy got angry." Wu

Zheng's face hardened and he said, "I see! I think the Imperial Envoy may have been in a hurry and spoke rashly, causing you to misunderstand his meaning. Lord Zhu is a young and talented man and would not do anything against the laws of our dynasty."

Zhu Chuanzong also realized that he could not act impulsively in officialdom, so he said, "In recommending the virtuous, one should not avoid relatives. As long as the law is followed in judging a case, even relatives can judge it. Besides, this woman has no connection with me, so why can't I judge this case?"

Wu Zheng smiled and said, "You are absolutely right. Your Excellency speaks very well. You are indeed a talent that the court will value highly! I came here from my residence specifically because I received an order from the court to ask the Imperial Envoy to return to the capital immediately." "

After saying this, he produced an official document.

Zhu Chuanzong was completely bewildered, but he had no choice but to kneel down and accept the order.

It turned out that the Censorate had ordered Zhu Chuanzong to return to the capital three days after receiving the order, as he had an important appointment. They also commended his journey and promised to reward him upon his return.

Zhu Chuanzong took the document and returned to the back hall. Before he could even ask, Wu Siyuan said, "This is because Zhou Chongsheng, Wu Zheng, and others have made connections in the capital. They've bribed the Censorate, and you're not allowed to investigate Yue Yiming's case!"

Zhu Chuanzong was furious. He tore up the document and said, "Did I come all this way for nothing? Sir, I know you've always taught me how to handle cases, but I only have three days left before I have to return to the capital. Aren't you going to guide me in solving this case? If you can't, then even if I lose my position and go to jail, I will still punish this corrupt official."

Wu Siyuan sighed, "I underestimated Zhou Chongsheng's power. I didn't expect he had connections in the capital. Solving the case within three days should be easy. But now that the prefect is here, this case will definitely involve him. To solve the case, we must make good use of him and not let him become a stumbling block."

Zhu Chuanzong was overjoyed and said, "So you have a plan, sir! Tell me quickly, I'm willing to pay any price."

Wu Siyuan smiled and whispered in his ear.

Meanwhile, Prefect Wu Zheng and Magistrate Zhou Chongsheng of Shangqing County were discussing matters at Zhou Chongsheng's mansion. Wu Zheng picked up his tea, took a slow sip, and said slowly, "Brother Chongsheng, you've gotten yourself into a lot of trouble this time. You're usually a very shrewd person, so how come you can't handle this Zhu Chuanzong? Just give him what he likes. It's made me have to beg the Provincial Treasurer to go to the capital to lobby, which has cost a fortune!"

Zhou Chongsheng smiled obsequiously, "I understand. I know the ten thousand taels of silver I gave you last time wasn't enough, and you've added a lot more. I won't let you waste your efforts. I'll arrange your travel expenses when you leave."

Then he sighed, "Zhu Chuanzong... " "That Zong kid is wicked! No wonder everyone in the capital says he was born a eunuch. I offer him money, but he won't take it; he won't take antiques or trinkets; and as for women, since he's a eunuch, he

's even less likely to accept them. His advisor and guards are like blocks of wood, completely unresponsive. What should I do, sir?" Wu Zheng sighed, "You're getting senile. If he can be interested in Yue Keren, can't he be interested in other women? Everyone has desires, and everyone has other interests. Don't think eunuchs don't love women; I'm telling you, he loves her! This woman is a real gem!"

He finished with a knowing smile.

Zhou Chongsheng laughed along, saying, "You're absolutely right, sir! The wonder of this woman! It's truly... how can I put it? It's beyond description, even in the words of books. Your insight far surpasses mine! I'm truly impressed!"

He then winked and said, "Sir, tonight I'll invite you to experience the taste of Red Peony at the Cuihong Pavilion. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Wu Zheng replied, "I'd love to see for myself."

The two men laughed heartily.

Early the next morning, Zhu Chuanzong came to pay his respects to Wu Zheng. Wu Zheng had spent the night indulging in pleasure, and although reluctant to get up, he still managed to receive Zhu Chuanzong.

Upon seeing him, Zhu Chuanzong smiled and said, "This junior was truly rude yesterday, please forgive me, Lord Wu! I've been in Shangqing County for so long, and I'll be leaving in two days, yet I haven't accomplished anything, which is truly shameful. I've come today specifically to seek your guidance, sir!"

Wu Zheng was pleased to hear him refer to himself as a junior, thinking, "This plague has finally given in. It's a pity I spent so much money to bribe him."

However, it wasn't the time for regret. Although there were still three days left, it was best to get rid of this plague as soon as possible. Besides, if he didn't treat Zhu Chuanzong well, given that Zhu Chuanzong's father was a high-ranking official in the court, he would be very useful; how could he not curry favor with him?

Wu Zheng said, “Young man, it’s good to want to make something of yourself, but you can’t be impatient for quick success or take shortcuts. I’m not just being old-fashioned, this is all based on experience! Your Excellency is so young and comes from such a good family, you’re sure to rise to great heights in the future, and I’ll be relying on you in the future! Your Excellency personally solved the body-swapping case this time, that’s a great achievement! I will definitely submit a memorial to recommend you for credit.”

Zhu Chuanzong said, “Thank you very much. But what about the case of Miss Yue being wrongly accused of murder…”

Wu Zheng said, “As long as you stop investigating Yue Yiming’s case and put in a good word for him when you get back, I think you should preside over Miss Yue’s case! Don’t worry, I’ll listen to Zhou…” "Chong Sheng said that Yue Yiming has a good attitude in prison and has realized his mistakes. Given his behavior, his sentence will be reduced. You can rest assured. Of course, Zhou Chong Sheng also made mistakes; his attitude towards you was very bad. I will discipline him. I have also prepared some gifts; please take them back to the capital and give my regards to your father."

Zhu Chuanzong said happily, "You want me to preside over the case of Miss Yue being wrongly accused of murder? That's wonderful! Prefect, rest assured, I will not pursue Yue Yiming's case any further. Anyway, there are no leads. If there were witnesses, I could try the case, but without witnesses, how can I preside over it?"

The two laughed together.

Wu Zheng smiled and said, "There are no troublemakers in Shangqing County who dare to give false testimony. Your Excellency can return to the capital with peace of mind."

Although the two were laughing, the content of their laughter was quite different. If Wu Zheng knew what Zhu Chuanzong was laughing about, he would probably cry.

Wu Zheng informed Zhou Chong Sheng, then the court was convened, with the two as jurors, and Zhu Chuanzong presiding.

Zhu Chuanzong first concluded the case of the body swap. He summoned Yang Fuchun, Yang Kaifu, and others to court, questioned them about the case again, and then brought in Liu the carpenter. Liu the carpenter, unwilling to be tortured and seeking death, confessed to his crimes without hesitation.

Zhu Chuanzong had them sign and affix their fingerprints, then sent the Yang family father and son back with Zhang the woman, sentencing Liu the carpenter to death, to be executed in the autumn.

After this case was concluded, Zhu Chuanzong began interrogating Yue Keren's case.

The witnesses recounted what they had seen, and Yue Keren also explained the situation in detail. Zhu Chuanzong said to Wang Daniu, "Your mother was killed by that scoundrel Kang Neng. Miss Yue and I investigated the case; she, a young woman, would never kill your mother. She is both intelligent and brave, avenging your mother; you should thank her. Do you have any objections?"

After hearing the whole story last night, Wang Daniu's neighbors all felt that Yue Keren's account was reasonable. In Guanshui Township, there were many bachelors and few women, so rape cases were common; this was not unusual. Furthermore, Yue Keren had come with the Imperial Inspector, and there was no reason for him to kill an old woman. After discussing it with Wang Daniu, although Wang Daniu was simple-minded, he wasn't stupid and knew that Yue Keren wasn't the murderer. However, he cried out, "My mother is dead! What am I going to do now?"

His mother had always helped him make tofu, and now that she was gone, he was completely distraught.

The villagers suggested, "I think the Imperial Inspector and Miss Yue have an unusual relationship. Just tell him you want to work for him and earn a living. If he doesn't agree, you won't close the case. He'll have no choice but to agree. Wouldn't that solve your livelihood?"

After listening to the villagers' advice and hearing Zhu Chuanzong ask him, Wang Daniu, with a mournful face, recounted what the villagers had told him. He was straightforward and spoke the truth without any tact. Zhu Chuanzong laughed heartily and said, "Alright! You can come with me. Even without this case, I think you're honest and strong, and I'd like to keep you by my side anyway!"

Wang Daniu was overjoyed and hurriedly kowtowed.

Magistrate Zhou laughed, "Congratulations, Your Excellency! All the cases have been successfully concluded. This trip has been a great success for you!"

Zhu Chuanzong laughed, "Thank you for your blessings!"

Wu Zheng also laughed, "Since that's the case, let's adjourn the court! Magistrate Zhu, we must celebrate properly. To commemorate the Imperial Envoy's successful completion of his official duties, we've prepared a farewell banquet for you."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Wait a minute, there seems to be something else."

Wu Zheng and Zhou Chongsheng asked curiously, "What is it?"

Wu Siyuan stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "According to the laws of our Great Liang, based on the ancestral principle of governing the world with benevolence and filial piety, if anyone in the county commits adultery or is unfilial, the magistrate, as the head of the county, must be dismissed."

Zhu Chuanzong remained expressionless and said, "The woman Zhang in the case of the body swap was raped by Liu the carpenter. Magistrate Zhou, as the head of the county, has failed in his duty of moral education. Guards! Remove his official robes."

Several of Zhu Chuanzong's subordinates stepped forward and removed Zhou Chongsheng's hat.

Wu Zheng and Zhou Chongsheng were dumbfounded. According to the laws of the Great Liang Dynasty, the clause Wu Siyuan mentioned did indeed exist. However, this law was practically defunct, like almost all other laws in the Great Liang Dynasty. For officials, it was mostly just talk, or merely a written document. No one ever took it seriously.

In any county, there were adulterers and unfilial children. When Emperor Taizu enacted this law, he thought that through harsh laws, officials would fulfill their duties. But even if officials truly devoted themselves wholeheartedly, it was impossible to ensure that not a single one among tens of thousands of people was unfilial or adulterous. Therefore, this law had never been truly implemented since its promulgation. Of course, the Ministry of Personnel, which reviewed and appointed officials, profited greatly from this. But if bribes were paid, no one would use this clause to dismiss an official.

Wu Zheng was the first to realize what was happening. A seasoned official, he was quick-witted and thought, "These high-ranking officials' sons are truly despicable. Zhou Chongsheng offended them, and they'll definitely punish him. Oh well, it's better not to offend them. Once they're gone, reinstating Zhou Chongsheng will be a piece of cake."

He chuckled and said, "That's right, I was careless. Magistrate Zhou, the Imperial Envoy is right. You've already served two terms as magistrate; you should rest more."

Zhou Chongsheng said with a sob, "My lord, I..."

Wu Zheng's face darkened. "Do you dare disobey orders?"

He then pulled Zhu Chuanzong aside and turned to Zhou Chongsheng, saying, "Let's go! You deserve it. The Imperial Envoy dismissing you is already a lenient punishment. At the banquet later, you must properly toast the magistrate." At

the banquet, Wu Zheng praised Zhu Chuanzong extensively, doing everything he could to win him over. Zhou Chongsheng, feeling wronged, could only drink along with a mournful face.

Zhu Chuanzong indulged in eating and drinking, secretly sneering, "You think everything's settled? Just wait and see what happens tomorrow!"

After the banquet, Zhou Chongsheng complained to Wu Zheng, who replied, "What are you complaining about? I'll recommend you after this is over."

Zhou Chongsheng's gloom vanished, and he cheered up. He even invited several famous courtesans to serve the prefect.

However, the next day, Wu Zheng was woken up in his fragrant bed. Zhou Chongsheng's advisor had come to report that Zhu Chuanzong had issued a notice dismissing Zhou Chongsheng and giving those with grievances only two days to appeal against him.

The people were in an uproar, filing numerous complaints. Zhou Chongsheng had been arrested and was currently on trial!

Wu Zheng's mind went blank. He rushed to the courtroom to hear the case. Upon arriving, Zhu Chuanzong smiled and rose, gesturing for him to sit down. He had a chair brought for Wu Zheng and then continued the trial.

Several villagers wept, recounting how Zhou Chongsheng had seized their land and built luxurious mansions. Some even accused him of abducting a young woman, taking her as his ninth concubine.

Zhu Chuanzong was furious and pressed Zhou Chongsheng on the number of concubines. Zhou Chongsheng hesitated, initially saying ten, but eventually admitting to fourteen. The youngest concubine was only thirteen years old.

Zhu Chuanzong roared, "Zhou Chongsheng, you've harmed the people! What kind of official are you? You've disgraced our Great Liang Dynasty! Give him twenty strokes of the cane!"

The yamen runners, who usually hesitated to use torture, were utterly displeased with Zhu Chuanzong's men. After a few strokes, Zhou Chongsheng was trembling and unconscious.

Wu Zheng, his face ashen, couldn't bear to watch and said, "Lord Zhu, the law doesn't apply to officials. For the sake of your official position, you should at least show some respect!"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Very well, imprison him for now. We'll hear the case again this afternoon."

With a dismissal, he bowed to Wu Zheng and left.

Wu Zheng had never encountered such a person in officialdom before, showing no leniency whatsoever, leaving him furious and helpless. However, Zhou Chongsheng was closely related to him, and he couldn't simply ignore him. He was extremely anxious, and only after his advisor reminded him did he send someone by fast horse to report the matter to the Provincial Governor. The Provincial Governor was the highest official in a province, a second-rank official; if a major case occurred in his province, he would also be implicated.

By the afternoon, more people in Shangqing County had learned of Zhou Chongsheng's imprisonment and beating, and even those who were previously timid came forward to lodge complaints.

Zhou Chongsheng's numerous acts of seizing other people's property and condoning his relatives' tyrannical behavior were exposed. Upon hearing this, Zhu Chuanzong ordered the confiscation of Zhou Chongsheng's property. Following the people's reports, a total of seven or eight of Zhou Chongsheng's homes were searched, and a rough estimate revealed that approximately one million taels of silver were confiscated.

Zhu Chuanzong said to Wu Zheng, "Shangqing County is a poor county, and the imperial court allocates a lot of silver every year. I wondered where it all went! Turns out it all went into Zhou Chongsheng's pocket."

Wu Zheng was completely pale and whispered, "I have such a corrupt official under my command, yet I knew nothing about it. I will definitely submit a memorial requesting punishment."

Zhu Chuanzong said sarcastically, "That's for the best. Since the prefect was unaware, he wasn't complicit, so the crime he committed won't be serious..."

Wu Zheng said, "Yes..." "Yes, Your Excellency. In your wisdom, I was indeed deceived by this scoundrel. It is thanks to Your Excellency's inspection that this wolf has been discovered. When Your Excellency submits your memorial, please show mercy!"

Zhu Chuanzong smiled and said, "I am not someone who is out of touch with reality. As long as the Prefect cooperates with me, I do not wish to exterminate him."

He thought to himself, "Let's keep him calm for now."

Wu Zheng, upon hearing this, hurriedly smiled and said, "Understood, understood. Whatever Your Excellency commands, I will obey."

Chapter Seven: The Truth Comes to Light

The next day, Zhu Chuanzong continued to hear Zhou Chongsheng's case. More and more people came to appeal their grievances, and the cases involved became increasingly serious.

Zhu Chuanzong had not experienced much before and had no comparisons, so he did not know how important this case was. You must know that a county magistrate's home was confiscated, yielding nearly a million taels of silver, which was considered the most important case in the history of the Great Liang Kingdom since its founding. It wasn't that other officials embezzled less money than Zhou Chongsheng, but rather that no one had ever raided a house like Zhou Chongsheng without any warning or preparation, nor had anyone shown such ruthlessness as Zhu Chuanzong.

Zhou Chongsheng had seized land, disregarded human life, and bullied men and women in Shangqing County—truly committing all sorts of evil. Those who came to file complaints wept and wailed, young and old, men and women alike.

Zhu Chuanzong grew increasingly angry as he listened. He ordered Zhou Chongsheng to be brought in, slamming his gavel and berating him for his shamelessness. Zhou Chongsheng had initially held onto a sliver of hope, believing that Wu Zheng would surely find someone to pull strings and rescue him. Even if he lost his official position, his life wouldn't be in danger. However, seeing that Zhu Chuanzong was serious and no one came to his rescue, he became frightened. At this point, he disregarded everything else and shouted, "Injustice! Your Excellency, please spare me! I'm innocent! I had no choice! Your Excellency, you've come because of Yue Yiming's case. I know I was wrong. I knew Yue Yiming didn't kill anyone, but the case also involved Prefect Wu Zheng, and he also received a share of Yue Yiming's property."

Wu Siyuan, who was taking notes, heard this and said, "You're talking nonsense. How could the Prefect be involved in Yue Yiming's case?" "You confiscated hundreds of thousands of taels of gold and silver from your house. Was that something the prefect ordered you to embezzle?"

Zhou Chongsheng, seeing the situation escalating and knowing he was doomed, decided to take some of his men down with him. He shouted, "Wu Zheng isn't any better! He embezzled even more than me. I heard that when the Imperial Envoy came this time, I gave him 50,000 taels of silver to smooth things over! He said he gave that silver to Provincial Treasurer Zheng Wenrong and didn't get a single coin. And that's not all! Every year I give him tens of thousands of taels of silver as a bribe! If you don't believe me, Your Honor, you can confiscate his property. Much of my wealth is registered under my name! Otherwise, where would I get so much money?"

Wu Siyuan noted down his words and said to the excited Zhu Chuanzong, "Your Honor, let's adjourn the court for now!"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Why? This is a crucial moment..."

Wu Siyuan frowned and gave Zhu Chuanzong a meaningful look. Zhu Chuanzong was impressed by Wu Siyuan's scholarship and erudition and had always listened to him. Seeing him so anxious for the first time, Zhu Chuanzong reluctantly left the court.

Upon reaching the back hall, Zhu Chuanzong rubbed his hands excitedly, saying, "Jianghuai Province is so corrupt, I've caught a big fish! If I report this to the Emperor, hehe, I'll have done a great service!"

Wu Siyuan sneered, "Be careful you don't end up getting caught by the big fish instead. We're leaving in two days, so this case ends here. Since Zhou Chongsheng's confession involves Wu Zheng, Wu Zheng will definitely listen to you. If you remove him from this case, he'll be extremely grateful and will surely submit a memorial recommending your merit."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "But he's also a corrupt official. Why don't I continue the investigation? Why don't I petition the Emperor and arrest him too? Provincial Governor Zheng Wenrong is a high-ranking official and is also connected to them. We can investigate them together and restore peace to Jianghuai Province."

Wu Siyuan said, "If I'm not mistaken, Provincial Governor Zheng Wenrong has probably already received the news. He'll arrive the day after tomorrow. Your official position..." He's powerful, and his influence runs deep. The Emperor values him highly; you can't bring him down. If you do him a favor, it will benefit your future career. With greater ability, you can make greater contributions to the people. If you seek momentary pleasure, you won't achieve anything significant.”

Zhu Chuanzong gritted his teeth and said, “Are you suggesting we let other corrupt officials go? I think you're too timid. Evil cannot prevail over good; I don't believe there's no justice in the world!”

Wu Siyuan said, enunciating each word clearly, “You've made quite a stir. Once this case is reported, Wu Zheng will lose his position as prefect, and the provincial governor Zheng Wenrong will also be punished. Isn't that enough? Do you think only Jianghuai Province is corrupt? Actually, every province is like this; the pot hasn't been lifted yet, but once it is, it's all black at the bottom. The Emperor has his reasons, which you may not understand. You're new to officialdom, and you're already so flamboyant; I'm afraid that won't work!”

Zhu Chuanzong thought for a long time, then said, “I don't yet understand the ways of the world.” "Understood. Let's listen to Mr. Wu first. We won't lack opportunities to deal with these corrupt officials later."

He then said, "Alright, I'll listen to you, sir. I've realized there are so many things I don't understand. These are things I've never thought about or encountered before. I only now truly understand how hard it is for ordinary people to live."

Wu Siyuan wanted to say, "What you've seen is nothing! You haven't seen anything even more tragic!"

But he held back, saying, "Look at Guanshui Township, they're so poor they can't even afford food or wives, which is why adultery and theft are so common. If the officials could give the people even a sliver of hope, there wouldn't be so many cases."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Yes! The common people can't even afford a wife. My family has plenty of beautiful girls, enough to be my wives and concubines. And this bastard Zhou Chongsheng, his name is strangely auspicious, he worships saints, but he has over a dozen wives, and who knows how many more he's having affairs with behind the scenes! It's truly..." "Outrageous!"

Wu Siyuan smiled when he saw that Zhu Chuanzong had also gotten himself involved. Remembering that he'd heard Zhu was a eunuch, he felt a pang of sorrow for him, thinking, "This child has a strong sense of justice, unlike ordinary people. What a pity."

Wu Siyuan, a man of profound understanding and unwavering composure, sighed briefly before getting down to business, saying, "Confiscating so much money and reporting it all to the Emperor will surely enrage him. It would be better to use a portion of this silver to compensate the people harmed by Zhou Chongsheng. Wu Zheng will certainly agree. Two days later, let Wu Zheng handle the remaining minor cases. This is the way to manage people. His life is in your hands; how can he not do his job properly? Otherwise, your lingering here isn't a good thing. Even if you bring him down, what if a new official comes along who only cares about money and doesn't do his job?"

Zhu Chuanzong, with very little experience, found Wu Siyuan's words both absurd and seemingly reasonable, and nodded repeatedly.

Before Zhu Chuanzong could even approach Wu Zheng, Wu Zheng had already rushed over to curry favor with him, sending numerous gifts to Xiao Yu and Nuanyun. The two girls resolutely refused without Zhu Chuanzong's permission. Wu Siyuan, however, insisted they accept them.

Yue Keren received even more flattery. Seeing her as Zhu Chuanzong's most important person, Wu Zheng asked his wife to visit Yue Keren, wanting to adopt her as his goddaughter.

Yue Keren firmly refused, saying, "Madam thinks so highly of me, but I am but a commoner, how could I presume to be so presumptuous? If Madam needs any help, I will certainly do my best. As for presumptuousness, that is absolutely unacceptable."

After Wu Zheng's wife left in frustration, Yue Keren went to see Zhu Chuanzong. While they were discussing what had just happened, Wu Zheng arrived.

Zhu Chuanzong asked Yue Keren to leave and went out to greet Wu Zheng. They met him at the door.

Zhu Chuanzong said, "My apologies, my apologies. I failed to greet you properly."

Wu Zheng smiled and said, "Sir, there's no need for such formalities. You've worked so hard and deserve rest. I'm sorry to bother you at this time!"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I'm young, it's only right that I do more work."

The two sat down, and Wu Zheng subtly probed to get Zhu Chuanzong's opinion.

Zhu Chuanzong frowned and showed him Zhou Chongsheng's confession.

Although Wu Zheng had already heard the news, when he saw that it was Zhou Chongsheng's confession implicating him, he was so frightened that he slid off his chair with a thud, still trying to defend himself, "Sir Zhu, this is just him being desperate and talking nonsense!"

Zhu Chuanzong thought to himself, "You usually act so dignified, but you're so scared when things get serious."

He helped him up and said, "I know, Zhou Chongsheng has committed heinous crimes. He wants to shift all the blame onto you, sir. He's really up to no good. What do you think we should do?"

Wu Zheng gritted his teeth and said, "This guy has committed so many crimes... " "His crimes must not be tolerated; he should be hanged."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I think so too."

Wu Zheng was overjoyed and said, "Your Excellency is indeed a young talent; no wonder the court sent you down here. Your Excellency is wise and decisive; I will certainly submit a memorial to recommend you for merit. I have already reported Zhou Chongsheng's case to Provincial Governor Zheng Wenrong, who will arrive in a couple of days. Your Excellency has uncovered such a major corrupt official for our Jianghuai Province; Governor Zheng will be extremely grateful."

Zhu Chuanzong secretly admired Wu Siyuan's brilliant strategy and said, "I have only done my part." "I hope the world can be just and peaceful, but what about those who have been persecuted by Zhou Chongsheng and filed complaints?"

Wu Zheng said with a forced smile, "Sir, why not compensate them with a portion of Zhou Chongsheng's property? This originally belonged to the common people; it would be a fair return. Besides, it wouldn't look good if Zhou Chongsheng's property were truthfully reported to the court; it would be a loss of face for the court."

Zhu Chuanzong said in surprise, "Mr. Wu, you said the same thing! How did he foresee this?"

Wu Zheng flattered, "Sir, you have a good advisor! Truly, a wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on!"

Zhu Chuanzong Realizing he had let something slip, he stopped talking and said, "Do as you say. But you must handle these people's cases with utmost care. I'm entrusting this matter to you. I could have applied to stay a few more days to continue the trials, but since it involves you..."

Wu Zheng was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Sir, please go ahead, I understand. I will never forget your kindness. My wife originally wanted to adopt Miss Yue as her goddaughter, but she absolutely refused. Please persuade her, sir! When she gets married, I will make sure she receives a generous dowry."

He then laughed heartily.

Zhu Chuanzong admired his tact and gift-giving skills, saying, "She's very stubborn, I'll give it a try!"

Actually, he had no intention of saying anything, thinking, "I'll deal with you, you corrupt official, sooner or later. I don't want your money!" Seeing

Zhu Chuanzong's sluggishness, Wu Zheng knew he was getting impatient. Having achieved his goal, he took out the invitation and said, "These are local specialties, nothing valuable. Please accept them, sir."

Then he took his leave.

Before Zhu Chuanzong could refuse, Wu Zheng left. Wu Siyuan and Yue Keren came out. Zhu Chuanzong said, "This guy is guilty; he gave so many gifts. I'll send them all back!" He

said to Yue Keren, "Look at these officials, how corrupt they are. No wonder your father was wronged; they only care about money! They say they're as pure as water and as clear as a mirror, but it's all lies."

Wu Siyuan said, "Wait, accept it! Do you want to be an honest official?"

Zhu Chuanzong asked in surprise, "That's strange. Can't I be an honest official?"

Wu Siyuan sneered, "You can, but if you want to bring disaster to the country and the people, I won't stop you."

Zhu Chuanzong stammered, "Did I hear that right?"

Wu Siyuan said, "In the Great Liang Kingdom today, there are no officials who aren't corrupt. If you want to be an honest official, can you still hold the position? And even if you could, everyone would be wary of you. Do you think you could accomplish anything worthwhile? You had the opportunity to do great things for the people, but you wasted it." "If this opportunity is seized, wouldn't it be a disaster for the country and its people?"

Zhu Chuanzong, being extremely intelligent, understood immediately and sighed, "What you say, sir, is truly enlightening. I've read many books, but I've never seen such a principle before. This trip to the capital, I've discovered that many things are not as I imagined. If you say so, then accept it! My family has plenty of money; you and Miss Yue can share these things!"

Wu Siyuan laughed and said, "Money is a good thing!"

The next day, Zhu Chuanzong had time to hear Yue Yiming's case. As soon as the witnesses came to court, there was no need for a trial; they all rushed to plead for Yue Yiming's innocence, requesting punishment, saying they were forced into it, and that under the majesty of the upright magistrate, they were finally able to see the light of day, so they wouldn't suffer the pangs of conscience later. The doctors from the hospital also cried and begged for mercy, saying they shouldn't have given false testimony and that Madam Yue was crazy.

Zhu Chuanzong sneered, "Do you have any conscience as doctors? You side with whoever has power and influence?"

He originally intended to sentence them all to three years in prison, banning them from practicing medicine forever and losing their livelihoods. However, Wu Siyuan said, "Your Honor is merciful; please spare them! They were forced into it, so it's somewhat understandable."

Zhu Chuanzong frowned and asked, "In that case, what should we do?"

Wu Siyuan smiled and said, "Release them."

Upon hearing this, those who had committed perjury cheered and praised Zhu Chuanzong.

Yue Yiming was declared innocent, and Yue Keren and Yue Yiming embraced and wept tears of joy. The remaining perjury perpetrators were not pursued, and Zhu Chuanzong left the court amidst the jubilation and praise.

Wu Siyuan followed Zhu Chuanzong to the back hall and said with a smile, "Young Master, you seem a little unhappy?"

Zhu Chuanzong, seizing the opportunity, vented his anger, saying, "Now that I've finally solved the case, why did you release these bastards who committed perjury? I can understand the common people being forced into it. But why did you release the clerks in charge of household registration and the doctors at the hospital? Isn't that condoning their wrongdoing?"

Wu Siyuan stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Young Master is a cultured man, only asking me this after we've come to the back hall. What you say makes sense, but that's just a pretense ..." "These people all have families; let them off the hook if possible. Harsh punishments are useless."

Zhu Chuanzong said unhappily, "I disagree. Only by increasing the severity of punishment for criminals can we instill fear and better ensure social justice."

Wu Siyuan said, "That seems to make some sense, but I don't agree. I won't argue with you; some things can only be understood after going through many experiences. I hope you'll pay close attention and see if your thoughts change in the future."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "We'll see!"

Wu Siyuan smiled and took his leave.

Xiao Yu and Nuan Yun came in with tea. Seeing his grim expression, Xiao Yu asked, "The case is solved, isn't it? Why are you so unhappy?"

Zhu Chuanzong angrily retorted, "Wu Siyuan is a bastard! He prevented me from bringing those bad guys to justice. No wonder the laws of our Great Liang Kingdom can't be enforced; it's all because of people like him!"

Nuan Yun comforted him, saying, "Mr. Wu is a learned man. His ideas are far superior to ours. I've heard many people outside speak highly of him. Perhaps you don't understand his thoughts yet! Why don't you ask him?"

Zhu Chuanzong retorted angrily, "If he tells me, wouldn't I understand? But he means I'm still young, I haven't experienced anything, I haven't seen anything, even if he tells me, I won't understand. Isn't that insulting?"

Xiao Yu said, "What's shameful about having little experience ?" "You're still young, just focus on your studies. Only those who refuse to work hard are shameful."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I'm not talking to you anymore. You always side with him. Am I still your young master?"

Nuanyun smiled, about to comfort Zhu Chuanzong, but Xiaoyu said, "It's better if you ignore us. Haven't you been eyeing Miss Yue for a long time? What do you need us for? It's a good opportunity to get rid of us."

Zhu Chuanzong was stunned to see Xiaoyu's light anger and reproach, which had a unique charm. He said, "When did I think that? Don't wrong me."

Xiaoyu said, "The case is solved. See how she thanks you! Haven't you been looking forward to this day?"

Zhu Chuanzong quickly retorted, "No, I wouldn't be so heartless! I wouldn't abandon you."

Just then, a servant came to report that Yue Keren and her family had come to express their gratitude.

Xiaoyu pouted and said, "See, they came just as I said they would!"

Zhu Chuanzong was a little embarrassed, but how could he not see them?

Yue Yiming and some relatives came to present Zhu Chuanzong with a plaque, expressing their gratitude profusely and offering numerous gifts. Zhu Chuanzong was delighted and somewhat smug.

Yue Yiming's words implied a willingness to marry Yue Keren to him, even if it meant serving him like a slave, though she feared she wasn't good enough for him. Zhu Chuanzong was overjoyed, stealing glances at Yue Keren, whose blushing face only enhanced her allure. As

Yue Keren blushed, Nuanyun whispered in her ear, "Miss Yue, Mr. Wu wishes to see you. Come with me quietly!"

The two women went out together, and no one knew what they were doing; young women's affairs were best left unsaid.

In a side room, Wu Siyuan sat reading. Seeing Yue Keren arrive, he invited her to sit down.

Yue Keren bowed and said, "Mr. Wu, you have devoted so much effort to my father's case. I am deeply grateful. Please accept my bow."

Wu Siyuan did not help her up, and waited until she finished bowing before saying, "You are grateful to me now, but you might curse me later."

Yue Keren said, "How could I? I will remember your kindness for the rest of my life."

Wu Siyuan said, "I asked you to leave Young Master Zhu. Won't you hate me?"

Upon hearing this, Yue Keren was struck dumb, her face turning pale. She said, "Why is that? You are a genius of unparalleled talent, there must be a reason." Wu Siyuan stroked

his beard and sighed, "Nanzhuang in the capital is a gathering place for people from all over the country who have gone to the capital to file lawsuits and are still stranded. When these people file their lawsuits, they are... " They were passed from one government office to another, their travel expenses exhausted, forcing them to beg and scaveng for a living. They carried the hopes of their families and hometown, so even if they starved to death, they wouldn't return. Clinging to a sliver of hope, year after year they waited to appeal to the emperor, hoping one day they would encounter an honest official.

Yue Keren said, "I know, I know meeting you, young master, is my blessing. If it weren't for him, I might have become someone else's concubine long ago, or starved to death. Because I know how much you have done for me and my family, that's why I want to repay you."

Wu Siyuan said, "I'm very pleased that you think this way. How will you repay him?"

Yue Keren said, "I'm willing to be his slave, to serve him faithfully."

Wu Siyuan said to Yue Keren, "If you want to repay Young Master Zhu, then you can't stay by his side now."

Yue Keren felt a pang of sadness, remembering how Xiao Yu had half-jokingly, half-seriously told her that the young master had an illness and asked if she would mind. She replied, "Why? I'm willing to serve him for the rest of my life, even if... he's a eunuch, I'm still willing to stay with him for life. It's not his family background that I value; I truly love him as a person. I don't care about anything else..." She

finished speaking and choked up.

Wu Siyuan's eyes revealed approval as he said, "Good girl, you are indeed a person of great loyalty and righteousness. But you must know that you are a party involved in the case. If you go with him, rumors will spread that he is working so hard to solve the case for your sake. What kind of reputation will he gain? It will also hinder his career!"

Yue Keren raised her head, her eyes showing a resolute expression, something not commonly seen in women, and said, "I do not agree with your opinion, sir. How can we care too much about what others think? Even if this gets out, some people might think it's a good story! I know that the officialdom may value this, but the officialdom is inherently a place of right and wrong. Even if one is clean-cut, it's impossible to guard against rumors spread by others. As long as one's conscience is clear,..." "After a while, it will get better. Besides, the young master is so young; if his reputation is too good, it will actually be a bad thing."

Wu Siyuan was greatly surprised and sighed, "I know you are extremely intelligent, but I didn't expect you to have such profound insights. If you were a man, I would definitely take you as my disciple. What you said is all correct, but it's still best if you don't get together with Young Master Zhu right now."

Yue Keren's beautiful eyes became misty for a moment, and she asked, "Why?"

Wu Siyuan said, "You've been to school, you know the saying 'a cunning rabbit has three burrows,' right?"

Yue Keren said, "I know, a clever rabbit needs three homes, so it has another place to go when there's danger. This is being prepared for a rainy day!"

Wu Siyuan said, "The officialdom is unpredictable. Today you're a guest of honor, tomorrow you might be a prisoner. No matter how powerful the Zhu family is, Young Master Zhu hates evil as if it were his enemy." "You'll always offend people. Besides, even if he can command the wind and rain, and gain the emperor's favor, serving a ruler is like walking on thin ice; sooner or later, he'll fall from grace. If you truly like him, why not prepare a safe haven for him? I won't force you to do anything else, I only hope you can wait here for him for three years. If after three years he's still very powerful, or even if he's no longer an official and there's no danger, you can go find him."

Yue Keren said, "Since you've said so, sir, what's three years to me? I'd even be willing to wait ten."

Wu Siyuan said, "Your father was injured in prison, so just pretend you're going to guard him for three years. After three years, go find him, and he'll definitely believe you."

Yue Keren asked curiously, "Why not tell him the truth?"

Wu Siyuan sighed, "Do you really think he..." "Does he understand everything? Lovers, no matter how intelligent, can become foolish. He didn't even ask about your mother's crime of eloping with her husband; he doesn't know anything about it. You see, he's actually ignorant of the ways of the world. He didn't deliberately avoid asking for your family's reputation; he genuinely doesn't know. If you tell him the truth, he doesn't know the dangers of the world and insists on being with you. What should you do? He's still young. Even if I'm wrong, he's incredibly intelligent and can protect himself. In three years, when you're both young and full of life, it won't be too late to get married! I will definitely officiate your wedding then and won't mistreat you."

Yue Keren felt that what Wu Siyuan said was actually a win-win situation for her family. When she heard that Wu Siyuan was willing to officiate the wedding, she was overjoyed and thanked him profusely.

Chapter Eight: Encountering Robbers

Zhu Chuanzong was leaving Shangqing County in one day. He had dealt with all the matters and cases, leaving the rest to Prefect Wu Zhengshan. It was a huge irony that the corrupt official involved in the case had to handle it personally, but in the Great Liang Kingdom, this was a very common occurrence.

Zhu Chuanzong found it unbelievable, but Wu Siyuan said, "This is reality, and it's the best outcome for the people. If we satisfy the people's desire to rid the land of corrupt officials just to vent their emotions, can you guarantee that the new officials won't be corrupt? Not only can't we, but they're usually corrupt. New officials, not yet flush with cash, will naturally be even more greedy. So it's better not to go to extremes."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I'm not a corrupt official. How can you say there are no honest officials?"

Wu Siyuan gave him a meaningful look, shook his head, and thought, "You still don't know how you became an official?"

But seeing his shrewdness, he didn't say it outright.

The Yue Yiming case was considered closed. However, the case of the unidentified female corpse that framed Yue Yiming for murder remained unsolved. If the corpse wasn't Yue's wife, then who was it?

But because so much time had passed, and the original case file accurately recorded the false accusation against Yue Yiming, and Zhu Chuanzong was leaving in a day, it seemed he had to give up on solving the case.

Zhu Chuanzong sighed to Wu Siyuan, "It seems nothing in this world is perfect. I must leave this place with some regrets. But it concerns a life! I can't solve the case, and I feel uneasy. If only I had the ability to judge ghosts, I could avenge her."

Wu Siyuan said, "Even though there's still one day left, we might still be able to solve the case. Let's do our best! In every murder case, there are wronged ghosts. I hope they can bless us to avenge her." Wu Siyuan

sent people to post notices near the location where the body was found, saying that the Imperial Inspector would be judging the case of the headless female corpse at night. He had the yamen runners spread the word with gongs and drums.

Zhu Chuanzong was puzzled and said, "I don't understand, can this solve the case?"

Wu Siyuan said, "Didn't you say you were going to judge ghosts at night to solve the case? This is a good opportunity for you to show your talents."

Zhu Chuanzong was confused. In addition, Yue Keren had told him that she had to take care of her father and could not go to the capital with him. They made a three-year promise to meet again in three years. Zhu Chuanzong greatly admired her desire to take care of the family; she was a kind and beautiful young woman. Since she had such a heart, he couldn't force her. Although he supported her decision, the thought of separation still pained him.

Zhu Chuanzong recalled everything that had happened since regaining his memories, sitting alone in the government office until midnight. Nuanyun and Xiaoyu, since coming outside with him, felt they understood Zhu Chuanzong less and less. Seeing him so lost in thought for the first time, they didn't dare disturb him.

But love is something that the less you understand it, the more mysterious it becomes, and the better it works. The two girls had been neglected these past few days, but they felt Zhu Chuanzong had developed a manly spirit, and their affection for him grew even stronger.

It wasn't until midnight, when Wu Siyuan ordered the lanterns to be lit, illuminating the government office brightly, and invited Zhu Chuanzong to judge a case, that Zhu Chuanzong finally came to his senses.

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Without a criminal, how can I interrogate? Am I really going to have to interrogate a ghost?"

Wu Siyuan laughed, "It's the middle of the night, and there are several commoners outside watching you handle the case. I suspect one of them is the murderer."

Zhu Chuanzong thought for a moment, then smiled, "I understand. Whether the case can be solved depends on fate."

Zhu Chuanzong went to the courtroom. The bailiffs were all sleepy, thinking, "There isn't a single suspect. How will Your Excellency conduct this interrogation?"

Zhu Chuanzong slammed his gavel, ordered the courtroom closed, and then arrested ten people who had come to watch the spectacle. After careful interrogation, one man said he had been dragged

there by a companion who promised him a reward. The two men lived far away and had come specifically for this purpose. The others all lived nearby and were idle people who had come to watch the spectacle.

Zhu Chuanzong interrogated the man carefully, and with a little torture, he confessed. Indeed, he had killed the woman's corpse. He had a guilty conscience and wanted to know the details of the case, so he came to watch the spectacle, never expecting to walk right into a trap.

Zhu Chuanzong noted down the details of the case and asked the next magistrate to handle it. By then, it was already dawn. Wu Siyuan and the others had already packed their bags, and no one knew that Zhu Chuanzong was leaving. The group set off.

Zhu Chuanzong kept looking back in the carriage. Wu Siyuan smiled and said, "I haven't told anyone you're leaving. If Prefect Wu knew you were leaving, he would be happy and would come to see you off. And the people would all think you are a righteous official and would line the streets to welcome you. But what use are these empty titles? To do things without shame and without seeking personal gain is what makes a true man."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I don't care about these empty titles."

He felt melancholy and thought, "Was yesterday the last time I saw her?"

The group arrived at the pavilion outside the city where they had seen each other off. It was summer, and a gentle breeze was blowing. A woman stood in the breeze, her posture incredibly graceful. It was Yue Keren.

Zhu Chuanzong stepped forward with delight, saying, "I thought you didn't know I was leaving!"

The others, understanding the situation, greeted him and went to wait on the road ahead.

Yue Keren gazed tenderly at Zhu Chuanzong, her eyes filled with deep affection, and said, "Young Master, I can't go with you. But in my heart, you will never leave me."

Zhu Chuanzong carefully took her delicate hand and asked, "Really?"

Yue Keren nodded shyly.

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Then you must come find me three years later! Don't forget." Yue Keren replied, "I won't. Even if the sea dries up and the rocks crumble, my heart will never change." Zhu Chuanzong was overjoyed and gently embraced her. The two were deeply in love, but unfortunately, they had to part ways. The sun was already high in

the sky, and the weather was growing hotter.

Zhu Chuanzong sighed, "It's a pity I have to leave; they must be anxiously waiting."

Yue Keren took out an umbrella and said, "Young Master, take this umbrella; consider it a gift from me!"

Zhu Chuanzong smiled and said, "No need, I can get into the carriage in a few steps. You should keep it; you still have to go home in the sun! Girls are sensitive to the sun." Zhu Chuanzong laughed

heartily, suddenly kissed Yue Keren on the cheek, and then ran away quickly.

Zhu Chuanzong ran a long way, waving to Yue Keren from afar, slowly catching up with the carriage, and gradually disappearing from Yue Keren's sight.

Yue Keren helplessly put down the umbrella, her heart filled with sorrow, and sighed, "Young Master, I hope you are well while I'm not by your side."

Yue Keren forgot that there is a custom between lovers not to give each other umbrellas; giving an umbrella as a sign of separation implies parting.

After clearing Yue Yiming of the murder charge, Zhu Chuanzong and Wu Siyuan and others headed towards the capital. Although Zhu Chuanzong was separated from the beautiful Yue Keren on his return journey, he knew they would meet again, so his sadness only lasted a short while. Having solved the case, his spirits were high, and he stopped to admire the beautiful scenery along the way. Although he had orders to keep him from lingering, he still managed to enjoy many sights.

Zhu Chuanzong, originally a celestial being, had never experienced the pain of separation. Now, separated from Yue Keren, he felt the emotions of an ordinary person facing life and death. Sometimes, thinking about it made him sad, but with Nuanyun and Xiaoyu by his side, and knowing he would see his elegant sister and charming sister-in-law again upon returning home, his sadness quickly subsided.

That day, Zhu Chuanzong and his group arrived at Huabiao County, a suburb of the capital, about thirty li away. With their journey nearing home, a warm feeling filled their hearts. As they hurried on their way, they suddenly saw a commotion ahead and heard shouts of "Catch the thief!" A group of people soon came chasing after them.

Upon seeing this, Fang Zhongxi had already ordered his guards to draw their swords and knives for defense. As they approached, they saw more than ten constables wielding knives and clubs chasing three burly men carrying kitchen knives.

Perhaps due to the men's ferocity, the constables dared not approach, intending only to subdue them before capturing them.

Fang Zhongxi cursed, "What a disgrace to the government!"

He then ordered three guards to step forward, capture the three men, and hand them over to the constables.

At this moment, Zhu Chuanzong stepped out of his sedan chair and asked what was wrong. A head constable replied, "Sir, these three robbers brazenly committed three robberies in the street in one day! They're incredibly arrogant, they don't even respect our government! We're so grateful for your help, sir."

Zhu Chuanzong lazily replied, "No need to be so polite. It's outrageous that there are such audacious bandits near the capital. How much silver did they steal?"

The head constable said, "Well... I haven't asked yet! I'll go ask."

The man in the room brought the three men over, kicked and punched them a few times, and said, "Quickly tell me, sir, how much silver did you steal?" "

One of the men, with a mournful face, said, 'The first person we robbed was an old woman who only had ten coins. The second person we stopped was a scholar; seeing he had no money, we stole a book to take home for our children. The third person we robbed was a woman; we took her jewelry, but it turned out it was all fake, and we only got one hundred coins in return. We need one tael of silver for our journey home. We had no choice but to rob again. That's when the adults caught us.'

Zhu Chuanzong's face changed color. He said, 'What? You only managed to steal less than one tael of silver?'

The three men, with mournful faces, said one after another, 'If we could have stolen one tael of silver, we wouldn't have robbed anymore.'"

"We were so homesick that we resorted to this desperate measure!"

"Zhao Laosi, it's all your fault for coming up with this terrible idea."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Where are you from, and why did you come to Huabiao County? If you tell the truth, I might be able to put in a good word for you and give you a lighter sentence."

One of the men said, "My name is Zhao Laosi, this is Zhang Laowu, and this is Qian Laoliu. The three of us are from Qiuzigou, Wutong County, Longzhong Prefecture, Jin-Jin Province. We've been building a bridge here for almost two years, but we haven't received a single penny of wages, so we want to go home. But we have no travel expenses, so we resorted to this desperate measure, trying to rob someone for some money to get home. Just one tael of silver, and the three of us can go home."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Nonsense! If you are bridge builders, how could you be willing to pay silver? You clearly want to rob someone on the road, but you've come up with this excuse to fool this official. Are you tired of living?"

The three men hurriedly kowtowed and said that they were not lying and that it was indeed the truth.

At this moment, Wu Siyuan approached Zhu Chuanzong and whispered in his ear, "What they said is true. These craftsmen work hard all year round, and it's common for them to not receive a single penny. Since they didn't steal much money and didn't hurt anyone, how about we plead for them and let them go? These yamen runners from Huabiao County are just trying to arrest people for personal gain."

Zhu Chuanzong's face changed upon hearing Wu Siyuan's words, and he said, "I want to capture these three criminals and bring them back to the capital for interrogation."

He didn't allow the yamen runners to say anything more. He had Wu Siyuan write out a receipt for them and then set off with the three men.

The three men were all from poor peasant backgrounds and didn't know where they were being taken. They were terrified and filled with regret.

When Zhu Chuanzong and his party returned to the capital, Shengjing, they first sent a messenger on horseback to the Zhu residence to inform them. When Zhu Chuanzong arrived at his doorstep, he was already greeted by his sister-in-law, Hua Caiyun, and his elder sister, Zhu Shuiyue, leading the household staff.

Zhu Chuanzong alighted from the carriage and called out, "Sister-in-law, sister, I'm back."

Hua Caiyun's phoenix eyes welled with tears as she stroked Zhu Chuanzong's head, saying, "You've grown taller and thinner."

Hua Caiyun was the head of the Zhu household, always dignified and assertive; she had never been like this before, leaving everyone stunned.

Zhu Shuiyue had also been quite excited, but seeing Hua Caiyun's loss of composure, she calmed down and smiled, "My dear sister-in-law, Bao'er is back, isn't he? Look how much you've missed him. Now that he's back, what's there to be sad about! Madam and the Old Madam are waiting anxiously inside."

Hua Caiyun then laughed and said, "Look how happy I was, I forgot about them. Good brother, let's go see your mother and grandmother! They always nag about you, they'll be so happy to see you back!" Zhu Chuanzong

didn't have a deep affection for them before, and was even a little afraid to see them, but after his experiences outside, he realized the preciousness of family. Only family will never abandon you, and they will help you even in the most difficult times. So, hearing how much they cared about him, he was moved.

Zhu Chuanzong rushed to the old lady's residence, taking three steps at a time. As soon as he entered, he knelt at Madam Zhu's feet, saying, "Madam, your unfilial son has returned!"

Then he knelt at the old lady's feet again, saying, "Grandmother, I'm back! How are you?"

Madam Zhu's eyes filled with tears, and she hurriedly wiped them away with a handkerchief. The old lady, having experienced much joy and sorrow and seen much of life, did not shed a tear. She happily stroked Zhu Chuanzong's head, saying, "Good child, it's good you're back. You're becoming more and more promising."

She gazed at Zhu Chuanzong, her love for him growing stronger with each passing moment.

Hua Caiyun laughed, "Madam, look at you. Even the Old Madam isn't crying. Why are you crying on such a joyous day? But it's truly a joyous occasion that Bao-di is returning from his first long trip."

Zhu Shuiyue said, "Sister-in-law, you're trying to comfort Madam! You're the first one to shed tears!"

Hua Caiyun said, "You brat, you're talking nonsense. I'm not that pathetic."

The family chatted amongst themselves, all trying to make Madam Zhu and the Old Madam happy. Zhu Chuanzong even told some jokes. After a while, the Old Madam said, "Bao-di has come back from a long journey. He should go and rest first! He doesn't need to keep this old man company. When you get old, you lose your charm. You young people are having a good chat, so you should go!" A maid

came to help the Old Madam back to her room. Zhu Chuanzong said goodbye to Madam Zhu and also went back to his room to rest. When

Zhu Chuanzong returned to his room, Siji and the others came to ask him all sorts of questions and inquire about his well-being. The room was quite lively for a while.

After a while of commotion, Siji, worried that Zhu Chuanzong, Nuanyun, and Xiaoyu might be tired from their journey, told them to rest.

Nuanyun and Xiaoyu were indeed exhausted from the long ride, so they went to rest, leaving Chunfeng to look after Zhu Chuanzong.

Zhu Chuanzong hadn't lost some of his memories from heaven, and although he hadn't achieved any significant cultivation through the incantations he practiced there, his body was very strong and his spirit was high. Lying in bed, he wasn't sleepy at all and chatted with Chunfeng.

Zhu Chuanzong asked about some things at the manor, and seeing Chunfeng's charming smile and her engaging stories, he was initially a little reserved after being separated from them for so long. However, as they became more familiar, and seeing the affection in her eyes, he couldn't help but feel a flutter in his heart.

Zhu Chuanzong first held Chunfeng's small hand. After a while, seeing that she was shy but not displeased, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her fragrant lips, saying, "Such a fragrant little mouth, let me taste it."

Chunfeng blushed, both happy and afraid, and mumbled, "Look who's coming in, young master, don't do this."

She wanted to refuse, but her body was weak, she had a strange feeling, and her mind gradually became blurred.

After returning from his trip, Zhu Chuanzong's horizons had broadened, and he was no longer the boy he once was. He naturally exuded an air of authority. Chunfeng had already been fond of her young master, and now, seeing that he had become even more manly, she was both attracted and afraid. With a slight movement from Zhu Chuanzong, Chunfeng submitted to him.

Zhu Chuanzong, in the scheming and tense environment outside, had no mood for romance. But once he returned home, he felt an inexplicable sense of peace. Seeing the beautiful women around him, their charm and allure stirred his desires.

Zhu Chuanzong and Chunfeng shared a passionate encounter, enjoying themselves immensely.

Afterwards, Zhu Chuanzong wanted to talk to Chunfeng, but Chunfeng was afraid someone would come in and pleaded, "Young Master, please spare me! If someone comes in, how can I live with myself?"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "So what if someone comes in? Do they dare to interfere in my affairs?"

Seeing Zhu Chuanzong's stern demeanor, so different from before, Chunfeng believed him completely. She buried her face in his chest and said, "Young Master, you're so mean. I don't ask for anything else, just that you don't forget me and don't send me away after you have a wife. Let me serve you for the rest of my life, just be your maid."

Zhu Chuanzong didn't expect her to say this and said, "You're always so cheerful, why are you saying such sad things now!"

Chunfeng said, "I'm the most plain-looking of all the maids. Since you've taken a liking to me, it's my good fortune, but I'm afraid you'll send me away later."

Zhu Chuanzong laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'll never let you leave me." "I can't bear to part with any of these girls,"

Chunfeng laughed. "I'm just afraid that if you marry a formidable wife, you won't have a choice."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I can simply not marry someone like that. Surely I can find a virtuous and gentle woman?"

Chunfeng said, "That's true. Young Master is becoming more and more formidable. Let's see which young lady will be a match for you in the future. Maybe even a princess!"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Don't talk nonsense. A princess isn't necessarily beautiful. I don't want one! By the way, is the palace very beautiful? I haven't been there yet!"

Chunfeng laughed, "Young Master, you've forgotten. The Old Madam has taken you there many times!"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I don't remember."

Chunfeng chatted with Zhu Chuanzong for a while, gradually coming to her senses. She got up and put on her clothes, saying, "There's a banquet tonight! Young Master, you should get some sleep!"

The news of Zhu Chuanzong's return to the Zhu family had already reached the court officials. Some ministers who were on good terms with Zhu Youji and officials from the Ministry of Works came to offer their congratulations.

A grand banquet began that evening. People came to offer their congratulations in an endless stream, and the gate was bustling with carriages and horses. Zhu Chuanzong was used to such things and didn't think much of it. However, seeing so many officials bringing valuable gold, silver, jewelry, calligraphy, and antiques, he thought, "Isn't this a disguised form of bribery? I never thought of it before, I thought it was normal! Now it seems that our family's wealth is all due to corruption!"

Zhu Chuanzong was somewhat displeased. He turned around to talk to someone and saw Wang Daniu, whom he had brought back from handling a case. Wang Daniu looked dazed and found everything fascinating. Zhu Chuanzong called him over and said, "Daniu, are you settling in with us?"

Wang Daniu replied, "Everything is fine, except that going to the toilet is a bit..." Habit.

Zhu Chuanzong asked curiously: "What's wrong?"

Wang Daniu murmured: "Your toilet is better built than our house. I don't dare to go there."

Zhu Chuanzong laughed and scolded: "It's really worthless."

Wang Daniu said: "I'm stupid!" Master, I ask you something. If you agree, I will definitely repay you in the future.

Zhu Chuanzong thought to himself: "I miss my wife so soon."

Said: "Come and listen!"

Wang Daniu said: "Those three robbers are all poor people, with old people and children at home. They have been working for nothing for almost two years and haven't received a penny. They are homesick and that's why they went to rob. You can spare them, okay?" Daniel kowtows to you.

After saying that, he knelt down and kowtowed vigorously.

Zhu Chuanzong was stunned and said: "Get up, I promise you."

Wang Daniu said: "Young Master is so kind-hearted. I will serve you all my life, even if I die." "

At this time, the banquet started, and the servants invited Zhu Chuanzong to go out to meet the guests.

There were dozens of banquet tables in the hall. High-ranking officials of the imperial court had set up a table in the inner court.

Although Zhu Chuanzong was the young master of the Zhu family, with his father present, he sat in a lower, more back position, next to Lü Bobing, a senior official in the Ministry of Works.

Lu Bobing, being eloquent and persuasive, seized the opportunity to curry favor with Zhu Chuanzong.

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Lord Lu has been an official for many years and knows everything. There are some things I don't understand and would like to ask you. I wonder if you could enlighten me?"

Lu Bobing was overjoyed and laughed heartily, "Young master, you're too kind. Please ask whatever you want to know. I may not know much about other things, but I do know a bit about these matters of officialdom."

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I've heard that bridge and road construction, as well as some government projects, are all in debt. Is that true? Does the government not have enough money and still owe money?"

Lu Bobing thought to himself, "Everyone says that Young Master Zhu is exceptionally intelligent, but it turns out he's still young and doesn't know even this much."

However, fearing that Zhu Chuanzong's questions might not be so simple, he began to show off, saying, "There are many intricacies involved. For some projects, the Ministry of Works allocates funds to local governments, who then use them to lend money. The longer the loan is held, the more silver they can earn. So, the longer the loan is held, the more money they can get." "The later the better. Besides, those merchants who get the projects will bribe the officials in charge of finances to get the money sooner, so why not?"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I see!"

Lü Bobing said, "That's just one way. Some merchants who get the projects have connections above them, and the officials below don't dare to offend them or not pay them. These merchants are ruthless. They make the craftsmen work for a year or two, saying they'll pay them when the project is finished. But when the project is finished, they claim the money from the court hasn't arrived, and those people have worked for nothing."

Zhu Chuanzong was stunned, glaring angrily, and said, "They even lied about those small amounts of money?"

Lü Bobing laughed, "Small amounts? There's a lot! Let me calculate it for you. If the wages for craftsmen and laborers are ten taels a year, a typical project would require tens of thousands of people, right? That's a lot of money!"

Zhu Chuanzong was dumbfounded.

Lu Bobing said smugly, "But officials aren't idiots! How could they possibly make so much money?"

Zhu Chuanzong said, "I'd like to hear the details."

Lu Bobing said, "A project might be budgeted, say, one million taels of silver! In reality, it only costs six hundred thousand taels of silver to complete. Of course, some capable officials can raise the budget to one million two hundred thousand or three hundred thousand taels of silver. Then they can subcontract the project for five hundred thousand taels of silver. You do the math, how much profit do they make?"

After saying this, he patted his big belly and laughed.

Zhu Chuanzong said, "Impossible! You clearly said it would take 600,000 taels of silver to complete the project. Who can contract it out for 500,000 taels? Who would do a losing business?"

Lü Bobing said, "Young master, have you forgotten? After we get the project, after deducting the cost of timber, sand, bricks, and stones, it will cost about 200,000 taels of silver. We can leave the remaining 400,000 taels unpaid. That's for the laborers. They'll run away as soon as the project is finished, or we simply won't pay them. Those laborers have no money or power, where will they get their money? If we contract it for 500,000 taels, we can still make 300,000 taels! Of course, we can pay some of the wages, but we can still make more than 200,000 taels, right?"

Seeing that Zhu Chuanzong was stunned, Lü Bobing couldn't help but feel smug and laughed, "Don't look at how much money those merchants make. Young master, look, we officials in the Ministry of Works make far more than them! Haha, we officials are still smarter than those merchants."

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