Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 116 Everyone's in a hurry

Zhu Gaoxu, growing impatient, sat up and asked sternly:

"Do you think that by obediently following orders, we can win over those we want? They won't see my forbearance; they'll only see my helplessness! Even if we deal with these few, won't Jia Chuan still be around? The reason they're lingering here is because they know about the blacksmith's shop and want to wait for the imperial decree from the capital. All your arrangements are just a blatant attempt to cover it up. Let's just put it out in the open. My nephew wants to act like he has no choice but to attack me, so I'll put on a show of desperate madness for him!"

Everyone in the room was stunned. Zhu Heng was the first to react, and in his surprise, he hurriedly asked, "What's the next step...?"

"Hmph! I've gone mad today. Won't they be rushing back to the capital to discuss this? Once they're gone, I'll take Jia Chuan's life first, and then we'll talk about everything else!"

One second Wang Bin was thinking about how he had wronged the prince, and the next second he was filled with sorrow.

……

Today, Lin Wei misses the days before yesterday immensely. Even if Jia Chuan forced him to interrogate cases, it would be better than having Gu Zuo by his side now. Gu Zuo's face is full of wrinkles, as if he is holding a thousand weapons, and if he hesitates even slightly, they will fly out and hit him in the face.

When Hou Tai returned to the state office in a panic, Lin Wei was personally organizing the documents in the office, while Gu Zuo sat to the side, looking through the documents with a sullen face.

Liu Mian and Jia Chuan stayed in the second hall. After Hou Tai returned, he drank two cups of tea to catch his breath. Then he recounted Zhu Gaoxu's arrogant remarks from earlier that day and said urgently, "...We can't stay any longer. We must set off for the capital immediately."

Jia Chuan stopped Hou Tai and advised, "Don't be hasty. If you rush, you'll fall into his trap."

"Such outrageous talk, and besides, I saw those things with my own eyes..."

"Even if you didn't see the Emperor, you could guess. He didn't say anything today, but he already knows. Why are you in such a hurry to go back?"

Hou Tai thought for a moment, then turned to look at Liu Mian.

Liu Mian said with a stern face, "Jia Chuan is right. I was wondering why he was cooperating so well, but it turns out he was trying to get rid of us!"

"Why did he want to send us away?" Hou Tai asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Liu Mian looked at Jia Chuan, who smiled bitterly and said, "On one hand, it's because of that tunnel. On the other hand, the Prince of Han is quite angry with me this time. It's inconvenient for him to kill me, so when you return to the capital, you must put in a good word for me. I'm really using myself as bait to do a favor for the Emperor. If something really happens to me..."

"Don't say discouraging things! Write a secret letter about today's events and send it to the capital as soon as possible. We'll wait for the Emperor's decree before making any further plans. As long as we don't leave for now, the Prince of Han can't do anything to you," Liu Mian said in a deep voice.

Hou Tai asked, "Shall we go together?"

Jia Chuan said, "You don't need an imperial decree to leave. I am still the judge of Le'an Prefecture. Without an imperial decree or any very special reason, where can I go? I am keeping you here to save my life. The Emperor should understand."

Jia Chuan finished speaking with a smile, but he was very uneasy inside. No matter what Han Wang's purpose was in wanting to drive away Liu Mian and the others, killing Jia Chuan would be a big part of it. If Han Wang hadn't fallen into a coma due to a high fever, and if Liu Mian and the others hadn't arrived in time, Jia Chuan felt that he should be on the run right now. His original plan was to kill a few more people, run away in a sorry state, gain Zhu Zhanji's sympathy, and at the same time, let Zhu Gaoxu calm down.

But right now, Zhu Gaoxu has nowhere to vent his anger. If things continue like this, one of them will have to die. Just like Wu Bing said last night, even if he leaves, the Prince of Han will find a way to kill him. He has to live for his life every day.

Only by uncovering the secrets of Zhuangzi as soon as possible, forcing Zhu Gaoxu to rebel whether he wanted to or not, and using Zhu Zhanji to kill Zhu Gaoxu, could Jia Chuan feel that he could finally live a peaceful life.

Jia Chuan had a general idea of ​​the skill level of the people in the manor. Although Dong Yuanyuan had shown exceptional bravery last time, her strengths required a combination of factors to be fully utilized, making her a rare and unpredictable opponent. He couldn't arrange opponents for her in advance. Gao Yunduo, the most capable fighter, was still injured, and only Gao Yuntian's iron ruler could hold his own against the apprentices in the manor, let alone his master. Although there were Chen Mo and Wu Bing's swords, along with the Imperial Guards and Wu Bing's men brought by Chen Mo, Jia Chuan wasn't sure how effective these people would be against a master, or even if they could save their lives. He had no confidence, let alone find anything.

But now that Liu Mian and the imperial inspector are here, can't they take advantage of the situation and make a move against the estate?

Hou Tai had calmed down by this time. He pondered Jia Chuan's words and said, "The Prince of Han is indeed prone to acting recklessly, which shows that you have angered him recently."

Jia Chuan thought for a moment and said, "He said the emperor forced him. If we find the evidence of his treason that he had prepared long ago..."

"Those weapons..."

"That counts as one, but it's not comprehensive enough. Besides, you're the only one who saw those weapons."

Liu Mian waved his hand and said, "Write a letter first, then wait for the imperial decree. I will go and take care of the matter of disbanding the guards, so that the King of Han will feel that we are leaving, and they will be more willing to accept it."

Jia Chuan didn't know what to say. He got up, walked to the door, and looked up at the sky. He had been hoping for snow. Only when it snowed could he learn more about the situation in the manor. Although it would take time and he might not be able to learn much, it was still better than being completely in the dark and leading people to force their way in based on just a little bit of deduction.

Can we find the secret by forcing our way in?

Wu Bing has been in Le'an for so long, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard has tried to investigate the manor, but they have found nothing. This shows how well the manor is secured. Since it is so well secured, it further suggests that what is in the manor must be directly related to the rebellion.

Wu Bing asked Jia Chuan why they were waiting for snow. Jia Chuan briefly discussed trace analysis with Wu Bing. The tighter the guards were around the manor, the more clues the snow would leave behind. These clues would reveal information about the manor, such as the number of patrols each day, the number of carts entering and leaving the manor, the amount of goods they carried, the routes they took into and out of the manor, and where the carts went. From this, they could deduce the daily consumption of meat and vegetables…

Wu Bing said that they had followed the carriages coming out of the manor. They usually went to the Prince's Mansion after entering the city, and the carriages going to the manor mostly came from the Prince's Mansion. Because it was so frequent, they couldn't see anything, so he didn't order anyone to keep a close watch on them.

Jia Chuan said that there must be others who went to other places, and others who went to the village from other places. Normally, it is impossible to see them or keep an eye on them. But when it snows, we can deduce some information that we would not be able to obtain on ordinary days from the traces.

Jia Chuan looked up at the sky, thought seriously for a moment, and felt that it was necessary to have a deep talk with Liu Mian and first win Liu Mian's support. Censor Gu Zuo always had a sullen face, and Jia Chuan had hardly spoken a few words to him.

Hou Tai is of little help in this matter, but as long as he doesn't leave for the time being, that will suffice.

Jia Chuan understood his situation. Wu Bing had reminded him last night, but he hadn't taken it to heart. Today, he finally understood that his relationship with Zhu Gaoxu was one of life and death, and that thinking only about running away was useless.

……

Everyone else was busy that afternoon, except for Jia Chuan and Hou Tai, who had just finished writing the secret letter.

As dusk fell, everyone returned to the house. Zeng Xiang had already gone back to Jinan. He must have left very happily. Who would want to stay in Le'an?

After everyone had dinner, Jia Chuan wanted to find an opportunity to have a good chat with Liu Mian, but Liu Mian said he was tired and went to bed early.

The next day, the sky was overcast, as if it knew something big was about to happen in Le'an, and the whole city was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.

Jia Chuan, however, was in a very good mood. He was looking forward to snow, the heavier the better.

It seemed as if Heaven had heard Jia Chuan's plea, for it snowed just as they were preparing to go to the prefectural government office.

...For the next two days, Jia Chuan did not go to the prefectural government office, nor did Liu Mian and Hou Tai. Instead, Zuo braved the wind and snow to go and handle official business every day.

The snow fell on and off for two days.

Qian Xun was summoned for questioning, and several clerks and runners in the prefectural government were dismissed after being flogged.

Since the Prince of Han has not yet done anything against the will of Heaven, Gu Zuo can only issue verbal warnings to those associated with him. Those who have actually done favors for the Prince's residence or even received benefits from him will naturally be punished, such as Hao Wen and those clerks and runners.

Gu Zuo had met all the officials under the Prince's residence, but he had spent the most time with Qian Xun and met him the most times.

Qian Xun knew he had no way out. After Gu Zuo returned to the capital, his position as Chief Secretary would be over. What would happen next? Qian Xun was completely at a loss.

On the night of the snowfall, Wu Bing led his men out of the city through a secret passage and never returned, which is why Jia Chuan did not go to the prefectural government office.

With the Prince's Mansion's full cooperation, Liu Mian's mission was completed, so he naturally didn't need to go to the prefectural government office again.

Inside the house, Jia Chuan, Hou Tai, and Liu Mian would gather around the stove every day to enjoy tea and admire the snow, looking quite content.

But the three of them had their own thoughts, and the room was mostly quiet.

After much deliberation, Jia Chuan finally broke the silence and told Liu Mian his thoughts in front of Hou Tai: only by launching a surprise attack on the manor with the help of the Embroidered Uniform Guard could they possibly find the secrets within.

Liu Mian didn't say anything, only insisting on waiting for the emperor's decree. Jia Chuan emphasized the importance of the estate again, but Liu Mian still insisted on waiting for the decree.

Hou Tai sipped his tea without saying a word.

……

Two more days passed, and the Emperor's decree still hadn't arrived.

During this period, Chen Mo would come back to check on Jia Chuan every morning, just to put Jia Chuan at ease, to let him know that everything was fine there, and that Gao Yunduo was recovering very well and was already able to walk around.

Of course, Chen Mo's daily return was also to show off in front of Liu Mian. Gao Yuntian, however, didn't have that kind of brain. Jia Chuan wanted to remind Chen Mo to invite Gao Yuntian along, but then he thought that Gao Yuntian was just a captain. After this mission, his promotion to centurion should be a matter of course, regardless of whether he met Liu Mian or not. If he wanted to be promoted to commander of a thousand in the future, he would need to pull some strings. And from commander of a thousand, he would have to rise higher... Jia Chuan shook his head. He felt that his brother-in-law's abilities were more suited to going back to farming. If he didn't correct his intermittent mental lapses, the higher his rank, the greater the trouble he would cause.

Chen Mo was different.

During this period, Wu Bing also returned once. He and Jia Chuan chatted in his room all night, and then he left again the next day.

……

The people in the mansion were anxiously awaiting the imperial decree, and the people in the prince's palace were equally anxious.

In front of Zhang Zheng, Zhu Gaoxu dared to stab Jia Chuan to death with a single sword, but in front of Liu Mian and Hou Tai, he couldn't, or at least he felt it wasn't that he didn't dare, but that he couldn't.

So he was anxious. Why hadn't these people left yet?
He even ordered Qian Xun to urge them on, but what right did Qian Xun have to urge them? He was now desperate to avoid going to the prefectural government office, but he couldn't even get through the gate of Jia Chuan's residence.

Zhu Heng and Wang Bin both realized that these people were waiting for an imperial decree to arrive. What would the decree contain? This was what they were really worried about. However, Zhu Gaoxu felt that he had already made himself public, which meant that the problem had been handed over to his nephew. There was nothing to worry about.

After his elder brother ascended the throne last year, all they could do was appease him. Why? He wasn't ready. Was the court ready? Now, his nephew's ascension was also sudden. What could they do about it? If anything went wrong, Zhu Gaochi wouldn't think much of himself, but he felt that his elder brother and nephew would be ashamed to face Emperor Taizong.

Zhu Gaoxu didn't think he had acted rashly. On the contrary, he felt he had made a brilliant move. He believed that forbearance was useless and it was better to put things out in the open and see who was prepared first.

Wang Bin didn't know where the prince's confidence came from. Who was better prepared, the prince or the imperial court? Right now, apart from finding some supporters in Shandong, they hadn't made proper contact with their old subordinates in other places, and they hadn't even reached the final step in the village. The Prince of Han had basically not taken a single step yet, but he had already exposed himself to the public.

Wang Bin was in a bind. If the prince had a backup plan after being so powerful, Wang Bin would naturally admire him wholeheartedly. But right now, all the prince wanted to do was kill Jia Chuan.

For the first time, Wang Bin felt that Jia Chuan truly deserved to die!
He knew that the longer these people stayed, the fiercer the fire burning in Zhu Gaoxu's heart would become, and even the snow outside couldn't cool down the heat in his heart.

……

That evening, Gu Zuo, unusually, sat with the others for a while after dinner, and during their casual conversation, they mentioned why the imperial decree had been delayed.

Logically, the Emperor should have received a message from the people at the manor while they were halfway there, or he should have received a secret letter from Jia Chuan explaining the situation first. Then, two or three days later, Zhang Zheng and the blacksmith should have arrived in the capital.

Liu Mian said with a stern face, "His Majesty may want to get something out of the person who sent him before issuing an edict, but the person is tight-lipped and has not succeeded in getting anything in a day or two."

Jia Chuan said, "I've left one here. He's very tight-lipped and has injuries..."

“You have nothing of value here; the Imperial Prison is different.”

Jia Chuan nodded.

Gu Zuo said, "Those blacksmiths won't arrive much later than the people in the village. Your Majesty needs to think about this."

Hou Tai said, "The Prince of Han is no different from others; he is truly a difficult person to deal with."

Gu Zuo looked at Jia Chuan and asked, "Have you ever met with the King of Han?"

Jia Chuan shook his head.

Gu Zuo was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "I've never seen you before, so why is the Prince of Han so determined to kill you?"

Jia Chuan shrugged and said, "Back in Dongzhao County, the Prince of Han had already made his move. On my way to Jinan, he tried to use me as a tool to kill me again, but I still didn't die. Later, when I arrived in Le'an, he ordered his men to intercept and kill me in the street, but they still couldn't harm me at all..."

"He simply ordered his men to attack the house, but they were all captured and no one harmed you."

Jia Chuan nodded.

(End of this chapter)