Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 109 Pomp
Gao Yuntian knew that ordinary pain was useless for martial artists, and this person was already enduring pain. Dong Yuanyuan's kick made Doctor Deng shake his head. Although he prescribed a medicine, it could only delay his death. Doctor Deng said that how long he could live depended entirely on himself.

Neither Gao Yuntian nor Chen Mo dared to use excessive force. Jia Chuan could only appeal to their emotions and reason with them, but to no avail. After interrogating the man for a long time, he didn't utter a single word.

Jia Chuan sighed and instructed that the wounds should be treated first.

……

Hao Wen, whom the Prince's Mansion was eagerly anticipating seeing, was indeed in the house at the moment, but he was fast asleep. Jia Chuan thought that rather than knocking him unconscious, it would be better to let him have a cup of hot tea.

Although Hao Wen didn't know anything, Jia Chuan felt it wasn't appropriate for only himself to lose hair, so he wanted the people in the Prince's Mansion to lose some too. The less they could see Hao Wen, the more anxious they would be to see him. When they finally saw him and found out that Hao Wen knew nothing, Jia Chuan thought about how satisfying that would be.

Of course, Jia Chuan had another purpose. If he wanted to stay alive until Zhang Zheng arrived with his men, he had to leave the Prince's Mansion with some suspense so that Hao Wen could take advantage of it. It was just a pity for Lin Wei.

He felt that there was no one in the Prince's mansion who could be decisive and make the final decision; otherwise, he wouldn't have the chance to be so arrogant.

……

Jia Chuan was thinking about how to get through the night. If the corpses sent to the state government were taken away, the people in the Prince's Mansion would definitely know who was missing. If they came to the house tonight to snatch people without regard for anything else, how would he deal with it?
Even though Jia Chuan had thought things through very carefully, there were still times when he hadn't considered everything. He never thought that the Prince's Mansion would be on guard. There was no need to take the bodies away; he could have just sent someone to count them and take a look.

This one instance of overcomplicating a simple matter caused Lin Wei to live in fear and sleepless all night.

The people in the Prince's mansion were thinking of taking advantage of Jia Chuan's inaction to quickly come up with a countermeasure. Although they knew that the important person was in Jia Chuan's hands, they did not know whether he was alive or dead. This alone made them hesitate. In addition, Hao Wen was nowhere to be seen, which added to their concerns. However, Zhu Gaoxu still made a decisive decision in the afternoon to transfer four more people from the estate.

Others may not know, but Wang Bin does. As a result, only those three old guys are left in the village. Although these three old guys are skilled in martial arts, since two of them left, the three of them have become restless.

Zhu Zhanqi knew that his father had found people from the martial arts world, but he didn't know exactly how many. Zhu Gaoxu had found five people in total. Last year, the two who came first resigned, saying that they were too old and frail to serve the Prince of Han. In reality, they had seen through some clues and withdrew in time.

Zhu Gaoxu wanted to stay but couldn't. It was simple: just ask for no salary for the month and leave. Who could keep him?
Their disciples are strictly forbidden from revealing their sect's identity; if rumors spread in the martial arts world, these two will personally deal with any rebellious disciples.

The two left so freely that the three who remained couldn't stand it any longer. Zhu Gaoxu had no choice but to increase the pay and extend the contract for another two years, promising them freedom to come back in two years.

At that time, the eldest brother had just ascended the throne, and Zhu Gaoxu thought that two years would be enough. How could he have imagined that his elder brother would be so heartless as his father, disappearing without a trace? All his previous preparations needed to be re-planned, after all, his nephew was different from his elder brother.

Five martial arts masters from different regions took turns teaching two disciples each. Of the four disciples taught by the two who left, two stayed with Zhu Gaoxu as his personal bodyguards, one was placed by the Crown Prince's side, and one was left to guard the manor. The one Zhu Zhanqi met last year was the one left to guard the manor.

Including the remaining three apprentices who had not yet completed their apprenticeships, there were a total of seven people on the estate.

Zhu Gaoxu had no way to deal with the older generation, but these ten men were orphans without parents. They had been raised by Zhu Gaoxu in his mansion since childhood. Like other assassins, they were not only sold into servitude in the Prince's mansion, but also trained from a young age to obey only the orders of the Prince of Han. The difference was that these ten men had met a human-like master a few years ago, while the other assassins only had devils by their side.

Wang Bin knew he was powerless to persuade the Prince of Han to be cautious at this moment. At the same time, he felt that only by dealing with Jia Chuan as soon as possible and letting the Prince vent his anger could the Prince's mansion return to normal. Even if that person in the capital sent someone later, that was a matter for later. What the Prince's mansion needed now was time.

The messenger sent to the village to deliver the message didn't leave until the afternoon. By the time he got to the village and brought the messenger back, the city gates were already closed. Normally, he would only need to give a word to the general guarding the city to open the gates and let them in, but this time, Zhu Gaoxu didn't allow it.

He learned to be cautious. Although there were many soldiers guarding the city, not all of them were his men. He did not want to leave any leverage for Jia Chuan. In Zhu Gaoxu's view, there was still plenty of time.

This caution, however, gave Jia Chuan a way out.

If Jia Chuan hadn't been divinely protected and hadn't planned to occupy the high ground and ambush the enemy beforehand, he would have been the one caught in the sneak attack. And with the skill of those three, if they had launched a sudden attack, none of the people around him would have been able to stop them.

Jia Chuan had also considered what would happen if the three of them entered the house. Although there were hidden crossbow traps in the walls around the house and a large number of people inside, as long as one of them entered alive, there would be a chance to open the gate. Of course, it wouldn't be difficult to escort him away, but he didn't know how many people would die, and his career would be over.

This is the worst-case scenario. What if the people in the courtyard end up killing all the intruders? Would Zhu Gaochi have no choice but to mobilize troops?

Of the four people Zhu Gaoxu recalled this time, one of them had already completed his apprenticeship. Jia Chuan was unaware of this. If he had known the truth, he probably would have fled with his men overnight. He didn't know that someone who had completed his apprenticeship had arrived, but he knew that someone from the manor had come again. He calculated that the manor might only have the old man left, and he also knew that Zhu Gaoxu's determination to kill him was unwavering.

……

Jia Chuan escaped death once again.

As dawn approached, he had Gao Yuntian and Chen Mo carry Hao Wen outside. A cold wind blew, and Hao Wen woke up dazed and frozen.

Not long after Hao Wen staggered out of the alley, someone from the Prince's mansion came to greet him, and then Hao Wen mounted the donkey.

By the time Hao Wen arrived at the gate of the Prince of Han's mansion, it was already broad daylight. He was basically carried into the mansion by others.

Zhu Heng, Wang Bin, and the others had been hoping to see Hao Wen, but he still hadn't returned by late at night. They figured that Hao Wen had probably discovered something and was being held captive by Jia Chuan.

The group rested just before dawn, but were soon awakened by servants who said that Hao Wen had returned.

Not returning home all night meant he had gone to Jia Chuan's mysterious house and knew part of the situation there. Hao Wen had gone to the scene of the crime early on, so he was very likely to have seen the actual casualties. Not to mention that he had stayed there for so long and heard some gossip, all of which could be used to judge Jia Chuan's next move.

But when the group struggled to their feet and rushed to Zhu Heng's study, they saw Hao Wen looking completely bewildered and clueless. Their disappointment made their swollen eye bags even more prominent and their faces even paler.

Wang Bin angrily asked, "You went there early on. Even if Jia Chuan hadn't said anything, are your eyes just for show? Couldn't you have seen something yourself?" Hao Wen wanted to explain that he was pulled aside by Jia Chuan to talk shortly after he arrived, and he didn't have a chance to observe carefully at all. But he knew that if he said that, these people would ask him what they talked about. If he said that it was all unimportant stuff, and that he drank a cup of tea and then fell asleep just now, then in the eyes of these people in the Wang Mansion, he would truly become a good-for-nothing.

So he quickly replied, "When I arrived, I was standing in the alley, about to take a closer look, when Judge Jia pretended to be considerate and gave me a cup of hot tea. How could I have imagined he would be so vicious? After drinking it, I felt extremely sleepy, and then I lost consciousness. When I woke up..."

"Alright! I don't have time for your nonsense. I just want to ask you, what did you see in the alley?" Zhu Heng interrupted Hao Wen, asking urgently. "I saw neatly arranged corpses, and I also saw an old coroner examining the bodies. I heard Jia Chuan tell the old coroner, 'The injuries on the corpses also need to be recorded...'"

Qian Xun quickly checked the number of corpses with Hao Wen. Hao Wen was secretly glad that he had counted them, but Qian Xun knew that what Hao Wen saw were the corpses lying in the remote courtyard of the state government office, no more and no less, and was extremely disappointed.

Wang Bin waved his hand and said, "Go back now."

Hao Wen quickly and tactfully retreated, fearing that if he didn't leave, these people would make a move.

Mei Qing watched Hao Wen leave and sighed. The most difficult thing for them to determine right now was whether the three people on the estate were dead or alive. There were ways to deal with the dead and ways to deal with the living, but not being able to determine it would cause trouble.

Wang Bin pursed his lips and said, "The four people from the manor should have arrived by now, and the Prince has just rested. Let's wait a little longer, and after lunch, we'll discuss this with the Prince again..."

Before Wang Bin could finish speaking, someone rushed in to report: The Shandong Provincial Judicial Commissioner has led his men into the city.

Everyone in the study stood up, stunned into silence.

……

Zhu Gaoxu didn't get much sleep and was groggily woken up. Before he could even show his morning grumpiness, he heard that Zhang Zheng had arrived. Zhu Gaoxu was furious: "So what if he comes? Does he deserve to wake me up for something like this?"

The attending eunuch knelt down in fright and said, "It was Minister Wang who said this matter was of great importance and ordered me to wake the prince."

In fact, Zhu Gaoxu knew the seriousness of the problem as soon as he finished yelling, so he quickly got out of bed to change his clothes.

The atmosphere in the study was very heavy. While waiting for Zhu Gaoxu to get up, someone came to report that the Provincial Inspector had led a group of people directly to Jia Chuan's residence, and of the more than thirty people who followed, twenty of them went out of the city towards the capital.

"They've taken the person away," Zhu Heng muttered, slumping into his chair.

Mei Qing said, "We were so focused on watching the Tibetans leave the city that we forgot we also had to stop them from sending a message."

Wang Bin snorted and asked, "Even if you anticipated this, what will you rely on to stop him? We have people at the city gate, but they can only deliver messages. If they encounter anyone suspicious, they'll arrest them and bring them in for interrogation. I've said it before: don't pay any attention to Jia Chuan until we're prepared. So what if he's jumping around and temporarily loses face? What the Prince wants is to rule the country one day! But all you're thinking about is avenging the Prince..."

"I will definitely avenge this!" Zhu Gaoxu entered the study with his hands behind his back: "They're just people from the manor. So what if they're sent to the capital? It won't be that easy to get them to talk. We'll have to guard against them committing suicide. I refuse to believe that the Embroidered Uniform Guard can't interrogate them and dare to fabricate confessions!"

Zhu Gaoxu sat down in the main seat with an air of dominance, his face grim. "Now that the people from the manor have arrived, while Zhang Zheng is at the residence, I will personally go and question him. Instead of paying his respects to me first upon arriving in Le'an, he went directly to see Jia Chuan. I want to know where he places me in his heart! I will personally go, and as soon as the gates open, I will kill that arrogant, lawless, and rebellious Judge Jia in front of Zhang Zheng... I want to see what my nephew can do to me!"

Zhu Heng took a deep breath and thought to himself: It should have been done long ago! But he said aloud: This is an open scheme, not something that a treacherous villain like Jia Chuan can handle.

Zhu Gaoxu snorted coldly: "Then, leave no one alive from Jia Chuan's side!"

……

Zhang Zheng's arrival gave Zhu Gaoxu an idea. In front of Zhang Zheng, he angrily denounced Jia Chuan's crimes. Then, in a fit of rage, he impulsively killed Jia Chuan. Zhang Zheng saw it with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears. What could the emperor do if he asked?

Zhang Zheng's rank is just right; too low and he's useless, too high and he'll cause trouble.

Then, before Zhang Zheng could react, they captured everyone in the house and brought them back to the Prince's Palace, including those hiding inside.

……

When a prince goes out, he has to make a grand entrance. Zhu Gaoxu wanted to attract the attention of the people of Le'an. Jia Chuan always did the same thing, and Zhu Gaoxu finally had a chance to show off the majesty of the prince's mansion.

Wang Bin and Zhu Heng did not go with them, but Mei Qing, Wei Da, Qian Xun, and a group of officials from the Prince's Mansion went with them. Guards led the way, and palace maids and eunuchs accompanied the sedan chair in the middle. The officials followed behind the sedan chair, and the whole procession headed towards Jia Chuan's residence.

Wang Bin wanted to persuade him, while Zhu Heng wanted to stop him. The two old brothers rarely agreed on anything, but this time they were of the same mind: it was good that the prince was making this trip in person, but why the fuss? The prince's residence was not close to Jia Chuan's place. If they were to travel like this, wouldn't it take two or three hours? Jia Chuan would definitely receive the news, and what if he ran away?
……

Jia Chuan had run away, and Zhang Zheng was waiting at the gate of the house.

Zhu Gaoxu was tired of sitting. He regretted not riding a horse, but even if he did, he couldn't run and would still be just as tired!

As Zhu Gaoxu was thinking this, he walked up to Zhang Zheng. Zhang Zheng bowed, and Zhu Gaoxu snorted coldly before saying, "The Inspector is quite imposing; I must come to see him in person."

Zhang Zheng, neither humble nor arrogant, bowed and said, "I dare not!"

"Where's Jia Chuan? He's actually..."

"Jia Chuan discovered that the people who attacked the house the night before were from the Prince's estate outside the city. Eager to make a name for himself, and knowing that more people from the estate had entered the city this morning, he felt that the Prince's estate was currently undefended. I tried my best to stop him but failed. He is convinced that there is an unspeakable secret in the Prince's estate..."

"What do you mean by that? He went to my estate?" Zhu Gaoxu's eyebrows shot up.

"Yes! And he brought quite a few people with him."

Zhu Gaoxu turned to Wei Da and shouted, "Prepare horses and guards immediately, and come out of the city with me!"

(End of this chapter)