Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 110: Driving the tiger away from the mountain
Zhang Zheng looked at the group of people who had entered the alley with an air of grandeur and order, but now they were in complete chaos. The alley was already narrow, and because Jia Chuan and his men had damaged several courtyards the night before, Jia Chuan had ordered his men to scatter more bricks and tiles and pile up some dirt before he left. When the Wangfu group entered the alley, it was fine because not many people could get in, but it was a different story when they turned around and went out. The prince hurriedly walked out, and those following him were naturally flustered. Inevitably, some twisted their ankles, some fell, and cries of surprise rang out one after another.

Zhang Zheng shook his head, which showed that Jia Chuan's deduction was correct; the manor outside the city was extremely important to the King of Han.

……

Zhu Gaoxu's grand entrance gave Jia Chuan and Zhang Zheng time to discuss countermeasures. Both of them could figure out why Zhu Gaoxu had come, just as Zhu Heng thought: Why didn't you do this earlier?
At this point, Jia Chuan could only think of one way to protect himself and his house at the same time: to lure the tiger away from the mountain.

Zhang Zheng worried that Zhu Gaoxu wouldn't go to the estate himself, but would only order people to chase after him, and that the house probably still wouldn't be saved.

Jia Chuan remembered Zhu Zhanqi saying that if he brought people into the manor, his father would definitely come.

To ensure that this possibility was bound to come true, Jia Chuan also took Zhang Zheng to visit Zhu Zhanqi.

Zhu Zhanqi remained steadfast in his belief that as long as he could enter the estate, his father would be so frightened that he would personally rush there.

Zhang Zheng asked, "What is it about the estate that makes Your Highness so concerned?"

Zhu Zhanqi did not know Zhang Zheng and did not answer Zhang Zheng's questions.

Jia Chuan knew that time was of the essence, so he hurriedly said, "This is your only chance to make your father die before you. Tell me why quickly, or you can forget about the throne!"

Zhu Zhanqi immediately said, "Didn't I tell you already? There's a young girl being raised in the estate, someone I don't know where she came from..."

"It's not that bad, you better not make me lose my temper!"

After Jia Chuan finished speaking, Chen Mo stepped forward, and Zhu Zhanqi immediately said, "I'm just guessing. Who would tell me the truth?"

“When you were in Beijing, people from the village came to visit. Knowing your personality, you must have inquired about your father’s messy affairs. I forgot about it. Otherwise, if I had known you were keeping it from me, I would have made you experience the pain of broken bones and tendons!”

Jia Chuan spoke through gritted teeth.

Zhu Zhanqi hurriedly begged for mercy, "I didn't hide it from you. The people in the manor are very tight-lipped. I couldn't get anything out of them, but I guess... there's a lot of gold and silver in the manor, lots and lots of it..."

"Gao Yuntian, break his arm!"

"No, no, no, I'll tell you, it seems there's something hidden in the manor. I don't know what it is, but I overheard them chatting and they said a few things, like the King of Han often goes there, and that they can't leave his side for even a moment... Don't go, I haven't finished yet. Are you planning to make a move today?"

Jia Chuan had no time to pay attention to him.

They returned to the hall, where Jia Chuan summoned Wu Bing and discussed some matters with Zhang Zheng before leaving through the tunnel with his 'guard team'.

……

As Zhu Gaoxu rode out of the city, he thought about what he had heard before: after Zhang Zheng led his men into the city, the twenty-odd men he brought with him quickly left the city again. Zhu Gaoxu believed that the one who left the city at that time was Jia Chuan! It was not someone from the Provincial Surveillance Commission who brought anyone into the capital.

With more than twenty people, Zhu Gaoxu thought of how he had tried to kill Jia Chuan several times but failed, which showed how capable the people around him were. He wondered if the three old guys in the manor could stop more than twenty people from going to the manor.

This time, not only the four men who had been transferred out accompanied him, but also the two trained personal guards who had served Zhu Gaoxu, along with more than thirty guards. Zhu Gaoxu, who had been extremely anxious before, was full of confidence after leaving the city. He even felt that Jia Chuan was doing this to help him. This time, he could not only kill Jia Chuan, but also kill all the unknown experts around him. After that, no matter who came, wanting such strong guards... was a pipe dream! Are experts so easy to become?
Moreover, since it was outside the city, he could kill however he wanted, and his nephew wouldn't have any leverage over him. It would save him a lot of trouble compared to doing it inside the house.

Thinking of this, Zhu Gaoxu became spirited, spurred his horse on, and...

……

The journey from the city to the manor was no short one. Zhu Gaoxu, filled with excitement, rode at breakneck speed until he was almost there. He slowed down, looked around, and saw that it was nearly dusk. A soft golden hue filled half the sky, and the surroundings were peaceful and quiet. No one could get close to the manor, so it was naturally quiet. But hadn't someone come? Why was it so quiet?
Upon receiving the news, some people in the village rushed out to greet them.

Zhu Gaoxu reined in his horse. He had a bad feeling; he had been tricked!

Sure enough, it was Lian Sheng, the steward of the manor, who rushed over. He first bowed and then asked, "Your Highness, what brings you here? Is there something important?"

Zhu Gaoxu's face was grim as he forced out six words through gritted teeth: "How dare he! Return to the city!"

Lian Sheng stared blankly at the dust kicked up by the group, scratched his head, and turned back.

Zhu Gaoxu had barely slept all night, and his emotions had fluctuated wildly. At this moment, his anger was burning fiercely. He had also been exposed to a lot of cold wind on the way there. When he went to deal with Jia Chuan in the afternoon, he wanted to show off his princely status by riding in a sedan chair, wearing a gold-embroidered python robe and a winged crown, giving Jia Chuan plenty of face. But after he took off his crown, mounted his horse, and kept speeding up, the cold wind, which seemed to enjoy such behavior, howled and howled. He hadn't felt anything when he was excited on the way there and angry on the way back, until Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but sneeze and shiver. Only then did he realize how cold it was, very cold!
There was also something that made him feel cold.

The return journey slowed down noticeably. For the first time, Zhu Gaoxu truly felt the effects of age; it was undeniable. He not only felt cold but also tired, so the group slowed down. Just then, a lone rider approached them from afar.

Zhu Gaoxu frowned as he watched. The man quickly dismounted as he approached and said urgently, "The blacksmith shop has been occupied, and the tunnel leading to the Prince's mansion has been discovered!"

Zhu Gaoxu felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and fell off his horse. His personal guards were no pushovers; they instantly lifted their prince from the ground. If Zhu Gaoxu hadn't spent many years in the army in his youth, developing a tough and resilient body, this fall might have ended his life prematurely.

……

Jia Chuan followed Wu Bing out through the tunnel, disguised himself, and rode a donkey back into the city. He and Wu Bing split up, with Jia Chuan leading his "guard team" straight to the street where the blacksmith shop was located. At this time, Zhu Gaoxu had just left the city.

The patrolling guards from the Prince's Mansion could easily spot the four men strolling lazily. Gao Yuntian and Chen Mo each grabbed one of them and dragged them directly to the blacksmith's shop, then threw them inside. Gao Yuntian stayed behind, while Chen Mo quickly went to another shop... For years, these men had considered the Prince's Mansion to be their law, and in Le'an, who dared to oppose them? Not to mention being wary of anyone attacking them, they hadn't even had a chance to look at each other in the eye in a long time. Suddenly being grabbed and thrown to the ground, the men even forgot to shout.

The middle room was the one Gao Yunduo and Gao Yuntian had been to. At this moment, Gao Yunduo rushed in with Dong Yuanyuan. Upon seeing the familiar face, Gao Yunduo said a few words and then said, "Help me break down the wall!"

The clanging and banging in the three blacksmith shops immediately stopped. Jia Chuan knew that the shift workers were resting in the blacksmith shops. These useless people were not to be feared. The most important thing right now was to keep quiet.

The men in the Prince's mansion who were stationed at the blacksmith's shop were guarding three separate rooms. When they saw their own men being thrown in, the two men guarding the room didn't react at first. It wasn't until Gao Yuntian grabbed the hammer and started smashing the wall that they realized something was wrong and rushed over. As a result, the hammer hit them.

Actually, the backyards of the three blacksmith shops are connected, but that's useless to Jia Chuan. He needs to break through the shop fronts to attract everyone's attention.

Originally, the plan was to wait until after the snowfall to figure out the layout of the manor and then attack the manor before targeting the blacksmith shop. However, Jia Chuan did not expect Zhu Gaoxu to come to see him in person. Of course, he knew that Zhu Gaoxu's purpose in coming was to kill him. At that time, there were only two options: either run away through the tunnel or wait for Zhu Gaoxu to kill him with his own hands.

Zhang Zheng was very anxious and urged him to leave as soon as possible. Jia Chuan valued his life but was also stubborn. He had fought with Zhu Gaoxu several times. Ever since he arrived in Le'an, Zhu Gaoxu had been trying to kill him. If it weren't for the people protecting him, he would have died countless times. He decided to take revenge for himself. Jia Chuan calmly explained his plan.

Zhang Zheng thought about it. Although it was somewhat risky, if it succeeded, perhaps the King of Han would not be able to resist.

……

Just as the people in the shop were smashing the wall, Zhang Zheng arrived with his men. All the blacksmiths in the shop were summoned out. Zhang Zheng said some passionate words, and then the blacksmiths followed him. Since there weren't enough horses, two people rode each, and the group of men quickly headed towards the city gate.

All of this happened extremely quickly, so quickly that the surrounding people were still too inertia to step into the street. Inside the blacksmith shop, only the people from the Wangfu who were lying on the ground and Jia Chuan and a few others remained.

Jia Chuan sat on a stool in the middle of the blacksmith's shop, calculating the time it would take for the Prince's Mansion to receive the news and arrive, and the time it would take to leave the city to inform Zhu Gaoxu. He hoped that Wu Bing could hurry up, and that they must return to the mansion before Zhu Gaoxu came back.

The timing of the wall-breaking wasn't up to Jia Chuan or Gao Yuntian and his group. If people from other shops on the street came to stop them, they would have to spare some time to stop them.

Time passed slowly, and the people at both ends of the street gradually approached the blacksmith's shop. Each sound of hammering against the wall seemed to make their blood boil, and their courage grew a little stronger. Finally, the two ends of the street were blocked, and the people in front were almost at the blacksmith's shop. Qian Xun arrived with his men.

……

Qian Xun received this news before he and his main force had even returned to the palace.

The only one to blame is Zhu Gaoxu's desire for pomp and circumstance. He had the pomp and circumstance when he went out, but he was far from fast on the way back. Zhang Zheng led his men on horseback to take the blacksmiths out of the city, while Qian Xun and his entourage were still on the road. All the horses in the procession had been taken by Zhu Gaoxu and his guards, which delayed them a bit. Because they didn't have enough horses, they had to borrow more than a dozen horses from the guards at the city gate before they could leave the city. As for the prince's sedan chair, who would dare to ride in it?

The remaining people could only slowly walk back to the Prince's mansion, something Jia Chuan hadn't anticipated. Therefore, Qian Xun arrived later than Jia Chuan expected, allowing Jia Chuan to once again experience the meaning of 'divine favor!'

Qian Xun didn't have time to go back to the Prince's Mansion to discuss things. He only sent someone to deliver a letter, asking Zhu Heng and the others to discuss whether to bring back the people Zhang Zheng had taken out of the city. Qian Xun then arrived directly with Wei Da and a small number of guards.

Just as Qian Xun arrived at the blacksmith shop, took a deep breath, and was about to berate Jia Chuan, Wu Bing and his men, covered in dirt, walked in from the backyard. Jia Chuan immediately stood up, without saying a word to Wu Bing, and the others stopped smashing things. They followed Jia Chuan to the shop entrance, and before Qian Xun could speak, Jia Chuan, with his hands behind his back, sternly questioned, "This blacksmith shop has a secret passage leading directly to the Prince's mansion. Did Chief Secretary Qian know about this?"

This one sentence, like a drop of water falling into hot oil, exploded not only in Qian Xunweida's heart but also among the onlookers.

There's a difference between knowing how something happened and putting it out in the open.

There is no shortage of wise people among the common people; countless people are exclaiming: "I knew it all along!"
Qian Xun's inner shock was reflected on his face as his mouth gaped open in astonishment, his expression frozen.

Wei Da thought a big battle was coming, and he had prepared by stretching his muscles on the way. He never expected that Jia Chuan would say such a thing when he came up.

Wei Da stood there, his mind still a bit foggy. He had known about this for a while, and he figured the people of Le'an would figure it out sooner or later, but so what? As long as the person in the capital didn't know, it didn't matter. Even if they heard a little bit of a rumor, it wouldn't matter. Everyone in the Prince's Mansion knew an unspoken rule: without evidence, it was as if nothing had been done. Who in the Prince's Mansion's shops would dare to investigate?

But Wei Da reacted faster than Qian Xun. He stepped forward, gripped the hilt of his knife, and demanded, "What nonsense are you spouting?! Do you know what crime it is to frame a prince? Based on that alone, I could take your life right now."

Jia Chuan shrugged and asked:
"What is your surname? You are also surnamed Qian? You are also a Chief Secretary? You want my life? Even the Prince of Han couldn't take it, do you think you can? I am an official appointed by the imperial court. Since I am standing here in front of so many people, I naturally have solid evidence. Your royal palace likes to do things without evidence. Hey, what are you? A servant of the royal palace or a private soldier of the royal palace? Or... are you also receiving a salary from the imperial court but only obeying the Prince of Han?"

"you……"

"Don't rush. Look at Chief Secretary Qian, he's not in a hurry. Why isn't he? He's thinking about how to deal with it. He knows me well and knows that I value evidence the most. He won't ask like you, 'Old Wu! Do you see clearly that if you walk from one end to the other, you'll arrive at the Prince's Mansion?'"

"Yes! It's just that the secret door over there wasn't opened today."

"Are both of these hidden doors the kind that open outwards?"

"Yes!"

Jia Chuan looked at Wei Da and asked, "Are you not deaf?" Then he shouted sternly, "Let the water flow!"

"okay!"

Wu Bing ran towards the backyard.

(End of this chapter)