Wanjin Lady

Chapter 113 The mastermind behind the scenes
Yuan Jing hadn't thought of this and was stunned.

Cheng Yunzhang broke free from the shackles in an instant and was about to rush out with his sword, but unexpectedly the servant in front of him had already stumbled back and brought back the latest news.

"Sir...you are wrong...you are wrong!"

The servant ran out of breath and leaned against the doorway, panting, "It's not Shopkeeper Wen! It's a girl named Lu Ping who was by her side!"

"Manager Wen is fine in the winery, and is now being escorted home by the winery staff!"

"I saw it with all my heart. A large group of people from the Wen Family Winery marched through the main street, but Manager Wen was unharmed! I don't know who started the rumor that Manager Wen was kidnapped by bandits!"

"The guys at the brewery were so angry they were looking for the person who spread the rumors with sticks!"

Yuan Jing's expression changed slightly, "Not Wen Wan? Just a maid beside her?"

His tone was filled with indescribable frustration and disappointment.

This caused Cheng Yunzhang to look at him frequently.

Yuan Jing sneered and glared back, "What are you looking at? Wen Wan and I haven't been at odds for a day or two. I pray every day that she'll die in a carriage fall or choke on water... Is there something wrong with that?"

Cheng Yunzhang frowned and said to the servant, "Since Shopkeeper Wen has returned safely, you should also go to the Wen family on behalf of our Cheng family. Tell them that if there is anything you can do, it's at your disposal. Oh, and take a few more people with you to help find that girl named Lu Ping."

Cheng Yunzhang walked back and signaled his servant to light a lamp. "I'll write a letter to the wealthy families in the city, asking them to send people to help search for her. There's strength in numbers. Although she's just a girl, she's also a life. If night falls, it will be too late..."

Cheng Yunzhang stopped there.

But everyone in the room was terrified when they heard it.

If we wait overnight, even if the girl comes back alive, there will probably be no place for her in Ping County.

Cheng Yunzhang returned to his study. Seeing that it was getting dark outside and listening to the noise coming from the city, he sat down slowly.

My mind methodically recalled what I had seen and heard today, as well as Yuan Jing's reaction.

moment.

He called his attendants and said, "Go and check the itinerary of Mr. Zhou, the accountant, and Mr. Zhu, the shopkeeper of Zhu's grain store, over the past few days."

The follower was shocked.

These two people were the ones closest to Sixth Master in the past.

The man tapped the tabletop with his slender fingers. The light flickered in his eyes, adding a touch of allure. "Let's go to Qianjin Casino again. Check if Sixth Cousin was there today. And while we're at it, let's find out...how much gambling debts Sixth Cousin owes."

The follower understood.

My own young master...doesn't trust Sixth Master.

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Dusk is falling and the moon is as cool as water.

Ping County was brightly lit because of the news that a girl from the Wen family was missing. In a jungle covered by bushes somewhere on Lingshan Mountain, several young men wearing coarse cloth and short hemp clothes had lost their weapons and were sitting cross-legged in the grass.

There was a pot in the middle of the grass, with mutton soup boiling in it, and the aroma wafted far away.

Not far away, a woman was unconscious and tied up and thrown into a haystack.

Ignoring the scalding water, one of them dipped his long knife into the pot, picked up a piece of tenderly stewed lamb chop, and with a slurp, tore it off and swallowed it. "Damn it, this lamb is way too tough! We brothers work for him, and this is what we get to eat?" "Sigh. At least we have something to eat, it's better than being wanted by the authorities!"

Just as he finished saying this, in the pitch-black night, the bushes moved with the light of a lamp, and then a forty-year-old skinny man with a dark face emerged from it.

Seeing a familiar face, everyone relaxed their guard and greeted him with a smile: "Oh, Accountant Zhou is here. You've really come at a great time. Come on, come on, the freshly made lamb stew...it's so delicious in this weather!"

A piece of mutton with skin was handed to me straight away.

Accountant Zhou couldn't stand the smell of meat, so he pinched his nose and hid away. Then he took one look at the bound girl and said with a sullen face, "You still feel like eating meat? You've got the wrong person!"

"What?"

When they heard that the wrong person had been arrested, several people looked over immediately.

Accountant Zhou said bitterly, "This isn't the woman from the Wen family! This is one of her maids!"

"How could it be?!" The dark-faced man in the lead didn't believe it. He opened his eyes wide and hurriedly explained, "The servants of the Wen family call her Miss. The dress she wore... was made of silk. What kind of girl would wear silk? Besides, I heard her praying to the Buddha clearly. Even if the king of heaven came today, she is still the young master of the Wen family winery!"

The other two, however, had already grabbed their knives and surrounded Zhou the accountant, shouting fiercely, "Brother, don't waste your time talking to him! He's trying to shirk his debt!"

"We absolutely can't have arrested the wrong person! We just asked her, and she admitted with her own mouth that she was Wen Wan! This old man wants to deny his guilt, haha, that can't be possible!"

Accountant Zhou had never seen such a scene before. He was frightened and his tone softened immediately. "It's true that we arrested the wrong person, but it's not your fault. It's because that little girl from the Wen family was too cunning. She actually sent a maid to pretend to be her to pray to the gods. Not to mention you brothers, even I only realized we arrested the wrong person just now!"

It turned out to be the case.

The three men's expressions relaxed slightly, and the leader said, "That's your business! We brothers can't work for nothing. The price we agreed on earlier... can't be reduced by a single cent!"

When Zhou the accountant saw the three men surrounding him, he regretted that it was too late to try to get the skin of a tiger, and was annoyed that his careful planning had gone to waste.

He could only pretend to be calm, "Of course! I can't let you guys make this trip in vain."

Accountant Zhou took out a bag of heavy silver ingots and threw it over.

The three of them immediately looked delighted.

One of them asked, "Since we've arrested the wrong person, what should we do with this girl?"

"Were you wearing a veil when you abducted her?"

"Of course! Who would dare to show their face when doing shady work?"

Accountant Zhou smiled with relief, "If that's the case, what are you afraid of?"

"You mean to kill her?"

Before Zhou could reply, the other man immediately shouted viciously, "Killing someone is a different price! You have to pay more!"

"I didn't say murder!" Accountant Zhou was a little upset, thinking to himself that these were really a bunch of country bumpkins who couldn't understand what he was saying. "What I meant was... since she didn't recognize you, just let her go! Ping County has always been peaceful. The imperial court wouldn't pursue the kidnapping of a girl, but if someone died... the county magistrate would definitely investigate!"

"Let him go?" The leader refused, "My brothers and I worked so hard to catch him!"

"Well...well...Anyway, I've conveyed the master's intention. As for this little girl..." Accountant Zhou's narrow eyes flashed with a lewd smile, "She's just a maid. You brothers can do whatever you like with her. Just don't implicate my master!"

Accountant Zhou stroked his beard, looked at the three people whose desires were aroused by his few words, and retreated calmly.

(End of this chapter)