Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 189 The Mu Family

Jia Chuan took a deep breath and said, "Greed is not a good thing. Most people will be more discreet when doing bad things. When you kill the rich to enrich yourself, even if you know no one can stop you, you will still do it under the cover of darkness, not in the open. Most of the money we find will be confiscated, but we can't let so many people work for nothing. The Emperor will reward us, and as the person in charge of this project, I can also control some of it. But this is something everyone knows but won't talk about openly."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"If you want to stay, you must abide by my rules. I won't distribute silver every month as you think, but what I have, all of you can enjoy. They have never asked the questions you asked, and we haven't discussed them either, but they all know that my goal is for everyone to have a stable second half of their lives. Solving the problem of food and clothing is not the problem; the problem is that it must be stable."

Tang Hu thought for a moment and said, "Okay!"

"Huh?" Jia Chuan didn't expect Tang Hu to agree so readily.

“You’re right. No matter where I settle down, the future is full of uncertainties. The fastest way I can think of to get money is to target the rich, but that’s not a long-term solution. Actually… I don’t know what I need so much money for. I just know I have to have it.”

Jia Chuan stood up and said, "You don't need to worry about this anymore. Settle down and start a family first!"

"How do you know I didn't..."

"Nonsense! If you had, you would have negotiated with me long ago."

Tang Hu stood up and asked, "Is that girl with the injured back your fiancée?"

Jia Chuan gave a serious "hmm" and started walking towards the courtyard.

"Does anyone want that girl named Mu Lian?"

Jia Chuan stopped and stared at Tang Hu with wide eyes: "So these past few days you haven't been thinking about whether to stay or leave, but just wondering who could be your wife? Don't even think about Mu Lian. Even if she wasn't involved in this case, she's not someone you can be interested in."

"what for?"

Jia Chuan sighed and said as he walked, "She killed someone, and I'm still trying to figure out a way to save her."

"Kill her if you want! If it really doesn't work, I'll take her with me."

"You're struggling to survive yourself, and you still want to take her along? I've already told you not to think about her. She is... Do you know what a noble title is? It's a reward the emperor gives to meritorious officials. Her family has the highest noble title, understand?"

"Does your family have power and influence?"

"Correct."

"Why do you need to worry about her when she gets into trouble?"

Jia Chuan was so choked up that he almost tripped. He thought about his words and finally finished telling Mu Lian's background and experiences before returning to the courtyard.

With a gloomy face, Tang Hu said, "Since her family treats her like this, she might as well come with me."

"Shut up! I'll say it again, you'd better get that idea out of your head..."

You want both?

"fart!"

"Big brother! I heard some noise, and it really is you guys..." Dong Yuanyuan hurriedly ran out of the courtyard, and after a moment of excitement, she said mysteriously in a low voice, "People from Mu Lian's family have come."

"So... you can't help but keep talking about it?" Jia Chuan frowned.

"I'm going to argue with them!" Tang Hu huffed and puffed as he headed into the courtyard.

"Theory my ass!"

Jia Chuan couldn't stop Tang Hu and almost fell over. Dong Yuanyuan grabbed Tang Hu angrily and said, "If you don't listen to me, I'll beat you up!"

Tang Hu immediately remembered Jia Chuan's words, "If you want to stay, you must abide by my rules," so he stopped resisting and stood firm.

Jia Chuan told himself to be patient. It was his own decision to keep this person, and he needed to take it slowly.

“You are a reasonable person, which is why I am willing to keep you here. You don’t understand the affairs of the court and are very likely to cause a big disaster. Since you also want peace and stability, you must first learn to keep your composure.”

Tang Hu frowned and asked, "Can you protect her?"

"It's her family who came, not officials. What's the point of talking about protecting her? Do you think her family would still be thinking of taking her away at this point? It takes at least a month to get from Yunnan to Kaifeng. The people who came couldn't have come from Yunnan. They've most likely been in Kaifeng all along. Why didn't they come to me before? Mu Lian appeared after the murder. I immediately had the Embroidered Uniform Guard protect the family she mentioned. Do you think they didn't have a chance to find out what Mu Lian did?"

Tang Hu understood: "You mean they now know that the case you're investigating has nothing to do with her family, so they came to your door. They should be pleading for Mu Lian."

"I hope so. If that's the case, Mu Lian will feel a little better."

……

Unfortunately, no.

The visitor was Mu Lian's cousin, a man from the Duke of Qian's mansion who remained in Beijing, named Mu Guang.

Mu Guang knew about Jia Chuan before anything happened in Kaifeng. After receiving news from Kaifeng, he asked around and so on. Therefore, he was very enthusiastic when he met Jia Chuan.

Mu Guang brought a lot of things, mostly jade and gold carvings, and more than a dozen wooden boxes. Jia Chuan didn't stand on ceremony and had Shunzi take them to Gao Yunduo. Then he dismissed everyone, leaving only Mu Guang, Jia Chuan, and... Tang Hu in the room.

Tang Hu wouldn't leave, which infuriated Jia Chuan. He glared at Tang Hu fiercely, as if to say: Wait until the guest leaves!
Mu Guang exchanged a few pleasantries, and Jia Chuan responded with a smile, making it seem to anyone who didn't know them well that the two were acquainted.

Originally, in a conversation, if one party is extremely enthusiastic and the other doesn't intentionally snub, there wouldn't be any awkwardness. Although Jia Chuan didn't have much experience in this area, he still enjoyed being fawned over, and he cooperated very well. However, Tang Hu was constantly watching him intently, and Mu Guang would glance at him every now and then, which prevented the originally harmonious conversation from getting to the point and began to drift towards an awkward silence. Jia Chuan sighed and turned to Tang Hu, saying, "Go find Mu Lian and tell her what I said. Have her tell you about the Duke of Qian's mansion."

Tang Hu hesitated for a moment, but then actually went out.

Mu Guang took a deep breath and waited for Tang Hu to leave before asking, "Who is he?"

“My brother comes from the countryside. I wanted to broaden his horizons. He doesn’t even know about the Duke of Qian’s mansion. Mu Lian has been getting along very well with us these past few days. Don’t worry, they will have a good talk.”

Jia Chuan chuckled and said something completely irrelevant. Since they had spent several days together, they should have known about the Duke of Qian's mansion long ago. Why did they only ask now?

Fortunately, Mu Guang also thought that Tang Hu was in the way and it would be better if he left, so he didn't ask any more questions.

Jia Chuan quickly got down to business: "Young Master Mu has come all the way from Beijing to Kaifeng. Do you know what Mu Lian has done?"

Mu Guang sighed and said, "My cousin has always been aloof and eccentric since childhood. She always causes trouble when she gets along with her other brothers and sisters in the clan. I didn't know she had run off to Kaifeng on her own. I thought she had been staying in Yunnan all along. But when I received the news a few days ago, to be honest, Vice Envoy Jia, it was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. I was so angry that I couldn't get out of bed for two days. If it weren't for that, I should have arrived two days earlier..."

Jia Chuan sized up Mu Guang's sturdy build and ruddy face. The smile on his face slowly faded, and his eyes gradually turned from gentle to cold. Mu Guang, who had been speaking, suddenly didn't know how to continue.

Mu Guang felt that since the gifts had been accepted, he should naturally be prepared to help. Moreover, his request was simply to say that Mu Lian had gone to the herb-gathering bureau on her own, and that it had nothing to do with the Duke of Qian's mansion. This small matter was truly not worth as much as those jade stones. No matter how you looked at it, this young man was the most suitable.

How can someone change their attitude so easily?
"Since Young Master Mu puts it that way, then I shall ask him properly."

Mu Guang's heart jumped into his throat.

"Did Young Master Mu make this trip because he suddenly learned that his cousin Mu Lian had been away from home for seven or eight years and was actually in Kaifeng, so he came to personally bring Mu Lian home? Or did he hear something and rush to sever ties with Mu Lian?"

"What she did has absolutely nothing to do with the Duke of Qian's mansion. Everyone in the capital is saying that Vice Envoy Jia's investigations are like divine intervention, so it seems the murder case at the Herb Collection Bureau has already been solved..."

"So that means Young Master Mu heard something, and didn't come to take his runaway cousin home?"

Mu Guang hesitated: "Is it...or not?"

"Why does Young Master Mu ask me this?" Jia Chuan said coldly, "If Young Master Mu has heard something, then I must ask you, what have you heard? And where did you hear it from?"

Mu Guang's expression immediately darkened. Was this something to be said? Wasn't this just picking a fight?

Jia Chuan stood up, hands behind his back, head held high, and said, "It seems Young Master Mu has heard something, but I dare say what you've heard is very different from what I've seen with my own eyes. The Mu family guarded Yunnan and made indelible contributions to the stability of the world. In my heart, those who can fight for their country on the battlefield are heroes, and those who can make the enemy tremble are also heroes. I have respected the Duke of Qian since I was a child, but I thought that only the Duke of Qian was a hero in the Duke of Qian's mansion. After seeing Mu Lian... I didn't expect that a girl from the Mu family would have such courage!"

Jia Chuan turned to look at Mu Guang and asked seriously, "Are you sure you're also a member of the Mu family?"

"Of course!"

"This case was originally designed to target the Duke of Qian's mansion! I can give you a thousand reasons to tell the world that everything that happened at the Kaifeng Prefecture Herb Collection Bureau is inextricably linked to the Duke of Qian's mansion!"

Mu Guang stared in disbelief, his mouth agape.

Jia Chuan got emotional as he spoke, his finger trembling as he pointed to the door and said, "If it weren't for Mu Lian risking her life to protect the Duke of Qian's mansion, if it weren't for her searching for clues at the risk of her life, if it weren't for her saving my men, not only would your Duke of Qian's mansion have been implicated, but I wouldn't even have had a chance to live! If I die, no one can clear the name of the Duke of Qian's mansion!"

Mu Guang felt the hairs on his body stand on end. He could clearly hear his own heavy breathing. A sudden murder case had suddenly become something extraordinary.

Jia Chuan glanced at the tall figure outside the door and the short one beside him, then looked at Mu Guang and said, "Now that the case is almost solved, you're telling me that Mu Lian has nothing to do with the Duke of Qian's mansion? You're telling me that Mu Lian has a bad temper, doesn't get along with others, and willfully ran to Kaifeng on her own. You mean that what Mu Lian did at the herb-gathering bureau has nothing to do with the Mu family? Am I right?"

Mu Guang didn't know whether to nod or shake his head.

"I don't care how Mu Lian got to Kaifeng, and you don't need to beat around the bush with me. I'm just asking you, is it right that the Duke of Qian's mansion doesn't intend to save Mu Lian and wants her to take all the blame herself?"

Mu Guang's forehead was covered in sweat. He could tell from what he heard and what he saw that this Vice Envoy Jia had designs on Mu Lian!

The Duke of Qian's mansion is marrying an official in the capital, and even a favorite of the emperor... He needs to write back and find out the truth as soon as possible. He doesn't know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, but it seems that this person wants to protect Mu Lian.

Mu Guang raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He had carefully inquired about Jia Chuan. Although this young man was a favorite of the emperor, he had no foundation in the court. Since this man wanted to climb up to the Duke of Qian's mansion, then everything was negotiable.

Mu Guang cleared his throat and said, "Mu Lian is a member of the Mu family, how could we abandon her? It's just... her coming to Kaifeng was indeed a willful act..."

"You've been acting recklessly for seven or eight years, and yet no one in the Duke of Qian's mansion knows about it? They've never even sent anyone to look for you? The Emperor won't believe you for that."

Upon hearing this, Mu Guang leaned forward and asked in a low voice, "Then... how can we say it so that the Emperor will believe us?"

Jia Chuan sat back down in his chair, his face grim, and asked, "Do you think the Emperor is someone you noble families can easily fool? Does Mu Lian not have a mouth? Won't she tell the truth?"

Mu Guang said he wouldn't do it. What does this mean? What kind of attitude is this? Does he still want to marry Mu Lian? Shouldn't he be offering advice to the Mu family at this time?
Jia Chuan said seriously, "I only know that Mu Lian poisoned the criminal and helped me find out the truth of the case. If the Duke of Qian's mansion feels that Mu Lian is involved with you, you can disown Mu Lian. The Mu family does not have such a daughter, and the person in the herb collection bureau is not a member of the Mu family. If you want to get rid of her, then get rid of her completely. Whether Mu Lian is beheaded or sentenced to life imprisonment in the future has nothing to do with your Duke of Qian's mansion."

For a moment, Mu Guang thought this was an excellent idea. What the Duke of Qian's mansion feared most was any unusual activity at the herb-gathering bureau, and such activity was related to a power struggle. That's why they placed Mu Lian in the herb-gathering bureau to keep an eye on things. After all, most of the good herbs from western Yunnan ended up at the herb-gathering bureau in Kaifeng. And after all, the old prince had lived in the Mu family for a period of time.
This is a matter of goodwill, but sometimes goodwill can also be a source of trouble.

But then Mu Guang thought about Jia Chuan's purpose in making this suggestion. Without the Duke of Qian's mansion, what use would Jia Chuan's marriage to Mu Lian be? Perhaps it was to gain the Duke of Qian's mansion's gratitude and secretly help them in the future?
Jia Chuan frowned as he looked at Mu Guang, who was deep in thought. He wanted to provoke him and let the Mu family know his meaning: Mu Lian must be protected, but it wouldn't be enough for him alone. The Duke of Qian's mansion needed to protect her together. But it seemed that his cousin hadn't quite understood.

Jia Chuan let out a long breath and simply said, "If we want to protect Mu Lian, we must work together. Do you understand?"

Mu Guang was stunned again.

"If your Mu family doesn't want to protect her, I have no objection. I will simply tell the Emperor what I have found out. Mu Lian has both faults and merits. As for the final outcome, it is entirely up to the Emperor to decide. As for your Mu family, you'd better watch out. Show them out!"

Jia Chuan's shout finally woke Mu Guang up. He hurriedly said, "I understand, I understand. Mu Lian is my sister. How can I not protect her? Vice Envoy Jia, just explain how to protect her. I am young, and Yunnan is too far away. It would be quite time-consuming for messages to come and go. It would be better if Vice Envoy Jia spoke frankly, and I would do as he said."

(End of this chapter)