Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 187 Opinions
"Why did Zhou Cheng go to Prefect Cai for a travel permit after seeing me? It wasn't that he thought it was necessary; it was the fake Shunzi who told him it was. Zhou Cheng's mind was probably on a woman at the time. It's hard to say whether he knew that asking for a travel permit was to kill me. Perhaps he thought it was just the fake Shunzi who wanted to send some people. So here's the question: Tang Hu and the others could have left Yangzhou by obtaining their own travel permits in Yangzhou, which would have been the proper way. But they insisted on using travel permits from Kaifeng and almost got detained by the city gate guards because of their accents..."

Shunzi hurriedly said, "So they were in such a hurry when they set off that they didn't have time?"

“I’ve thought about that, but it takes at least five days to get from Yangzhou to Kaifeng. From the time Zhou Cheng asked Prefect Cai for the travel permit until you all collapsed that night, it was less than five days. That means that someone delivered the travel permit to Tang Hu and his group when they were halfway there. If that’s how it was done, why didn’t they send it from Yangzhou? It should have been much simpler.”

"They just want to get the Kaifeng government involved!" Shunzi said.

"Just ask Tang Hu about these things, why bother figuring it out yourself?" Old Zheng said.

"He can't even remember how many days it took him to get here. They are just following orders and have no right to ask questions. If he accidentally gives me the wrong information, it will affect my deduction. What we can be sure of right now is that the person behind the scenes has not contacted the Kaifeng government. It is Zhou Cheng alone who is dealing with the government. That's why they dare to involve the government now. The more chaotic it is and the more people are involved, the safer they will be."

"How could Zhou Cheng be completely unprepared?" Gao Yunduo asked.

Jia Chuan thought for a moment and said, "Zhou Cheng is eager to have a son. If it were a prince or some official who came to him, he might be on guard. It's because it's a merchant who came to him that he's not on guard."

Shunzi took a deep breath and said, "To be honest, they are very meticulous and can take advantage of every opportunity. Originally, they wanted to involve the Duke of Qian's Mansion and the Prince of Zhou's Mansion. The Duke of Qian's Mansion alone is probably enough to give the court a headache..."

"How can we involve the Duke of Qian's mansion?" Old Zheng asked.

Shunzi looked at Jia Chuan and asked, "Didn't you just say that they accidentally found out that someone from the Duke of Qian's mansion was secretly working at the herb-gathering bureau? You were talking about Mu Lian, right?"

Jia Chuan nodded and said, "If the fake Shunzi hadn't been killed by Mu Lian, he would have somehow informed the investigators that someone from the Duke of Qian's mansion was hiding in the herb-gathering bureau, and that Zhou Cheng had been investigating the matter. Mu Lian wouldn't stand being questioned. You can tell her personality; if she were asked a few questions, she would definitely get angry and confess without being asked. In that case, the Duke of Qian's mansion would be implicated. I don't know what else the fake Shunzi arranged, but Zhao Dewen would definitely be used, and that headdress would also be used, which is why he wasn't eliminated immediately."

“Yes! They didn’t expect that the fake Shunzi would die along with them. They don’t know what to do next. You investigated quickly, so they didn’t have time to discuss it. They may have even forgotten about this headdress. Where did you find this headdress?” Shunzi asked.

"When the old prince was alive, he had his own courtyard in the herb-gathering bureau, a fact I overlooked. After his death, there was no safer place in the entire bureau than this. So, those who were brought here for drug testing initially lived in this courtyard. There's a secret passage leading directly to the west wing of the courtyard, which suggests that these people were very quiet. I even think they might all be... doing it voluntarily. Going down the secret door from the west wing, you soon reach the secret testing room. Although the room is well-ventilated, the smell is still unpleasant..."

"Is anyone else here?" Dong Yuanyuan asked anxiously.

Shunzi hurriedly said, "Mulian only saw the group of people who went out that night. There should be others. Everyone in the Herb Gathering Bureau, whether alive or dead, above or below ground, as long as they were their people, would be taken out that night. Because Zhou Cheng is the one who calls the shots in the Herb Gathering Bureau. He died the next night. If he wants to do something, he might be able to do it as long as he doesn't come up to the surface. But once he comes up, it won't be so easy."

Old Zheng said, "That's right! They need to go through the North Gate to transport the corpses, so Zhou Cheng will naturally clear out all irrelevant people beforehand. If they come on their own, humph! And Mu Lian still saw it, didn't she? If you ask me, this is just fate."

Gao Yunduo looked at Jia Chuan and asked:

"So, their original plan was to pin Zhou Cheng's death on the Duke of Qian's mansion and the Prince of Zhou's mansion. When the Prince of Runan returned before the New Year by imperial decree, they saw it as an opportunity to stir up trouble even more. Judging from the fact that the Prince of Runan had a hallucinogenic powder, he and Zhou Cheng had been in close contact before and after the New Year. As for you, they know that you were ambushed in Le'an, and they think that by imitating that, they can lead everyone to think of the Prince of Han. But, I'm wondering, if everything had gone according to their plan, and the fake Shunzi hadn't been killed by Mu Lian, would they have found out that they were using living people to test their drugs?"

Old Zheng seemed to have realized something and hurriedly asked, "How did you know they were using living people to test drugs?"

Dong Yuanyuan interjected, "Mulian saw someone transporting corpses. Big Brother ordered people to dig up the grass and wood garden and dug up a lot of bones. You even went to examine the corpses. It stank so bad that it was pungent outside the yard. Sister was standing at the yard entrance listening to the commotion inside, afraid that Big Brother would be suffocated by the stench. After you came out, didn't you say that bad people were using living people to test medicine?"

Old Zheng sighed and said, "That's why they say you become useless as you get older; you forget everything."

Shunzi said, "In other words, if Mulian hadn't been there, the drug trial might not have been discovered."

Jia Chuan raised an eyebrow and said, "They don't need this incident to add to their charges. As long as the Emperor knows that the Duke of Qian's Mansion, the Prince of Zhao, the Prince of Han, and the Prince of Zhou have been traveling too frequently to the Herb Gathering Bureau and that someone has died, that will keep the court busy for a while. In this way, the Emperor may not have time to think about moving the capital. However, I think they will definitely make use of the remains in the Herb Garden. It's just that the order shouldn't be like mine. It would be better to find out who might be involved first, and then discover the remains."

"Do you think the emperor will move the capital?" Old Zheng asked.

……

The case analysis was led astray by Old Zheng. By the time Mu Lian pushed the door open with a gloomy face, the group was already discussing where it would be most suitable to settle down in the future.

Jia Chuan could understand Mu Lian's feelings. If it was really Zhao Dewen who leaked her identity, then this matter would be easy to handle. The real problem was that it was leaked by one of her own people. If it was unintentional, then it would be fine, but if it was intentional, then it wouldn't be as simple as just wanting Mu Lian to die.

Old Zheng felt that some things shouldn't be thought about too much; the more you think about them, the less you can live.

……

On this day, all the Imperial Guards worked very hard and reaped considerable rewards.

This time, Lu Baihu didn't dare to have any selfish thoughts. The Zhou family had been the richest family in Kaifeng for many years, so they naturally had a lot of good things in their home. However, Jia Chuan still believed that Zhou Cheng's net worth was more than that.

Most of the garden had been dug up, and several skeletons were unearthed. Although no more skeletons were found, the combined excavations from before were enough to indicate the time span involved.

They had basically figured out where all the tunnels beneath the herb-gathering bureau led, but the secret room Chen Mo discovered on his first trip down still couldn't be opened. Even with Tang Hu's immense strength, he couldn't break down the iron door. Yes, that secret room had a thick iron door.

Tang Hu followed the Imperial Guard closely, fearing that they might discover the gold and silver but forget to give it to him.

Jia Chuan felt that Tang Hu probably didn't understand what the Embroidered Uniform Guard was and wasn't afraid at all. But Dong Yuanyuan's words reminded Jia Chuan that no matter whether he could keep Tang Hu or not, he didn't want Tang Hu to still be thinking about the knife Dong Yuanyuan had stabbed him.

So, after dinner, everyone else went back to rest. There was still some finishing work to be done tomorrow. The tunnel under the herb-gathering bureau needed to be checked carefully again, and the secret room with the iron door needed to be opened.

Tang Hu lived in the main room with Jia Chuan, making it much easier for Jia Chuan to have heart-to-heart talks.

"Let me ask you something." Jia Chuan sat down by Tang Hu's bedside with a teacup in hand. "Yuan Yuan's strength is not weak. Although she used the back of the knife in the heat of the moment, how come you're alright? I didn't treat you. You just slowly recovered on your own. Do you have some kind of divine power protecting you? Or some self-made tonic pill?"

Tang Hu snorted coldly and said, "If you had stabbed me again back then, I would have been dead for sure. Since I didn't die... you'd better save your breath and don't ask any more questions."

"Do you have a wife and children? I don't think you do." "Aren't you tired?" Tang Hu sat up and asked, puzzled.

"I'm not tired. That's just how I am. If I don't get to the bottom of something, I feel uneasy."

"Then you can be upset. Once I get the money and leave, we'll never see each other again in this life. There's no need for that."

"How do you know we won't meet again? Don't you want to kill Yuanyuan to avenge that knife wound?"

“I’m here to kill you… and I’m not allowed to save you? I may be a fool, but I understand this principle. If you want to say that fat girl spared my life, I should thank her.”

Jia Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Where are you going with the money?"

"You're meddling a bit too much!"

“It’s not that I’m meddling, but your life is somewhat related to mine. I’m worried that you’ll go down the wrong path again. If you make another mistake, no one will give you another chance.” After saying this, Jia Chuan stood up and said, “Let’s rest. I’m tired too.”

Tang Hu was a little confused. Why did they leave? He seemed to have left something unsaid...

The next day, the Embroidered Uniform Guard continued their work, and Jia Chuan did not follow them.

Tang Hu was persistent, and Chen Mo was naturally willing to help. This guy could handle all the dirty and hard work by himself, especially that iron gate, which he was determined to break down today.

Jia Chuan woke up naturally and then went to the east wing to talk to Gao Yunduo. Dong Yuanyuan and Shunzi sat in the courtyard talking. Old Zheng looked at Mu Lian coming and going in and out of the house and said loudly, "You'll get used to it. If you want to chat with someone, just sit next to them without any shame. That's how I am. But those two in the house rarely stay together. I mostly chat with Shunzi and Yuanyuan. They have nothing to do. They're together every day, and they've already said all the secrets they could say."

As soon as Old Zheng finished speaking, he saw Tang Hu enter the courtyard. Dong Yuanyuan instinctively moved to protect Shunzi, who smiled and said, "He won't do anything."

Tang Hu didn't even glance at the two of them, and went straight to the corridor where Old Zheng was sitting.

Old Zheng asked hurriedly, "Why are you back so early?"

Tang Hu snorted and said, "I'm not stupid. They just want me to open that iron gate. Let alone how much gold and silver I find, why should they all be idle and only order me around?"

Old Zheng nodded and said, "They're in the wrong. You're not one of them, so you can just disobey orders. Sit down for a while."

At this moment, Mu Lian also came over and asked Tang Hu, "Why are you so concerned about money? With your martial arts skills and great strength, it shouldn't be difficult for you to make a living, right?"

Tang Hu glanced at Mu Lian but didn't say anything.

Mu Lian snorted and looked at Old Zheng, asking, "Why aren't Shunzi and Yuanyuan married yet?"

"I've just been too busy."

"Don't they have parents?"

“Yuanyuan has one, but her mother always wanted to sell her for a good price so that her son could get a wife. But where would Shunzi get the money? Shunzi’s mother died early, and his father remarried and had several children. Could he still care whether Shunzi got married or not? Jia Chuan couldn’t stand it, so he brought them all out.”

Mu Lian was surprised and asked, "Won't Yuan Yuan's parents go to the yamen to sue him?"

"Who should we sue?" Dong Yuanyuan asked as she walked over.

"She asked your parents if they would sue Jia Chuan for taking you out," Old Zheng replied with a chuckle.

Tang Hu looked at Dong Yuanyuan with a puzzled expression. Dong Yuanyuan glared at him and said, "What are you looking at? My brother is doing this for my own good. My father knows, and my mother... my father will make my mother understand too. Anyway, I can only marry Shunzi."

Shunzi followed and kept grinning foolishly.

Old Zheng said, "When we were in Xian County, Jia Chuan said that he would arrange your wedding when we returned to the capital. First, we would buy a house, and then he would find Shunzi a stable job. I didn't expect that we would come to Kaifeng after returning to the capital. I reckon that this time when we return to the capital, your wedding will definitely have to be arranged."

Dong Yuanyuan smiled so broadly she looked like a steamed bun. Mu Lian looked at Yuanyuan with envy and lowered her head. Tang Hu asked in surprise, "Why are you following Jia Chuan?"

Dong Yuanyuan widened her eyes and retorted, "If I don't follow my eldest brother, who will I follow?"

Shunzi said, "He makes sure we have enough to eat and wear, and he always thinks of us. To be honest, you've seen it for yourself. We don't need to do anything. If something really happens, he's the one who takes care of it. The Emperor trusts him and always gives him some difficult tasks. We just follow along. You still want to keep an eye on the Embroidered Uniform Guard to search for gold and silver? We don't need to. What's his will be ours."

"How should it be allocated?" Tang Hu asked anxiously.

"What things are divided?" Dong Yuanyuan asked, puzzled.

Shunzi smiled and said, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you. Anyway, you're leaving, so what's the point of asking so many questions?"

Old Zheng snorted and said to Tang Hu, "You, once you've tasted the sweetness of money, you're always thinking about it. Your eyes can't see anything else. You've forgotten that there are other things to do in life. If you live like this, you'll be taken advantage of by others, or you'll end up hurting yourself sooner or later! If you ask me, it was really unnecessary to save you this time. It won't be long after we leave, and you'll still lose your life. What's the use of earning so much money? The money is still there, but the person is gone."

Old Zheng shrugged.

Tang Hu's expression turned serious. At this moment, Jia Chuan came out of the east wing and said as he walked over, "I could hear you all chattering outside. What were you saying?"

(End of this chapter)