Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 83 Come again!

Jia Chuan was a little confused. The task given by Zhu Zhanji was very different from investigating a case. Investigating a case was about unraveling the truth and forming a closed loop of evidence chain, while this task was about finding a place to start in a pile of tangled mess mixed with thorns and weeds. He didn't need to reveal anything. On the contrary, as long as he could tie the mess into a knot in the end, the task would be considered done.

Jia Chuan sighed. Being a leader is really good. You just need to state the purpose, and your subordinates will have to figure out the specific implementation methods. Anyway, the leader wants this result, and he won’t care how hard you work or how much hair you lose. If you want this job, you have to work at full speed.

Jia Chuan recalled a case he had handled in which the company's top filer was poisoned to death. The murderer was a colleague, a pregnant woman. This top filer was an abomination to the company's employees, and the middle-level leaders were also in danger. No one knew who would replace him, so it took some effort to investigate the case.

When the pregnant woman was arrested and interrogated, she said excitedly, "...no matter how difficult the task assigned by the higher-ups is, he can do it all. He does what others don't want to do, and he does what others can't do. He does overtime when others don't want to work, and he does all the late nights when others don't want to work. How can we survive? I was originally worried that the company would cut my salary and transfer me because I was pregnant. Yes, I can seek arbitration. If I sue the company with a big belly, won't it affect the child?"

Although Jia Chuan did not understand the pregnant woman's logic and was afraid that a lawsuit would be bad for the child, what about murder?

In short, when a person habitually uses his extraordinary ability to do things, it is certain that he will attract some unnecessary trouble in this society where people live in groups and rely on personal relationships. Even if he holds a certain position one day, he will still demand the same from his subordinates, because that is how he got here, and others should do the same.

Just like now, Zhu Zhanji gave him a task that ordinary people couldn't complete. He had to use his extraordinary abilities to complete it. Even if he didn't care who he would offend, he still had to have such extraordinary abilities! This couldn't be accomplished by working overtime and staying up late.

Jia Chuan scratched his head, still not figuring out what to do with the assignment. He first advised himself that if he holds a high position in the future, he cannot just assign such tasks to his subordinates. He can let his subordinates display their talents, but at least he must know the solution.

When Jia Chuan and Zhang Zheng were planning this, they had hoped Zhu Zhanqi could be exploited. How? Through Zhu Zhanqi's mouth, they could start with seemingly insignificant links around the Prince of Han's mansion, tearing them apart bit by bit, and gaining a large amount of evidence on matters that seemed insignificant to the Prince of Han. If they were lucky, they could purposefully sneak into the palace at night and get some key evidence, even better. Then, they could submit a petition to the court, and it would have to be a joint petition by multiple people, magnifying the matter and showing that every piece of evidence was irrefutable. Naturally, someone in the court would tip off the Prince of Han. Once the Prince of Han felt that the Emperor had no reason to endure it any longer and that he was going to have to go through this anyway, he would rebel.

Of course, this takes time.

Zhang Zheng also said at the time: "The reason why the Prince of Han is so arrogant is, firstly, that he has the Emperor Taizong's will to protect him, and secondly, Le'an is under his tight control. It is difficult to find evidence of his deeds! Most of the officials sent by the emperor to the palace were idle, and some were even placed under house arrest or bribed. The officials in the Le'an Prefecture government dared not oppose him. The prefects during the Yongle period simply recognized only the Prince of Han and not the court. After the late emperor ascended the throne, the previous prefects were convicted and imprisoned. The new prefects secretly used countless channels to get out of Le'an, even if it meant being demoted."

Therefore, Jia Chuan knew that going to the provincial government was useless, at least not for the time being. He could only focus on Zhu Zhanqi. But when he questioned him today, he found that he was even worse than a palace servant. He only knew about serious crimes that could be executed directly, but these serious crimes required actual evidence. How could he investigate? Would he use Zhu Zhanqi as a witness? Would he rely solely on his own words?

Putting aside the question of whether the Emperor believed this man with a split personality would defect, let's just say that the Emperor valued history books so much, how could he convict his uncle based solely on what he said? If he could, his father would have killed both father and son last year.

It's true that the second uncle might have been driven to revolt by his own son's latest accusation. But if Zhu Di was forced to rebel, then wasn't the second uncle also forced to rebel? With no concrete evidence, they convicted a rebellious son with a criminal record who didn't live at home based on a few random accusations. If that wasn't forcing rebellion, what was it?
Besides, Zhu Zhanji has been here all the time. If Zhu Zhanji feels that he is enough, there is no need for Jia Chuan to make this trip.

It was indeed necessary to force him to rebel, but it had to be done quietly, so that the history books would record that the King of Han was still harboring evil intentions.

Jia Chuan sighed deeply. What he had heard today was quite comprehensive. Right now, he hadn't figured out which one he could use as a breakthrough. He looked at Gao Yunduo and asked, "Have you memorized everything?"

Gao Yunduo nodded.

Chen Mo asked, "How will this matter end today?"

Jia Chuan said, "Simple."

Jia Chuan asked the leader what time they usually returned home. The leader said they could return before dark.

Jia Chuan nodded and said:
"There are five of us too. Let's put on their clothes and drop him off at Qiao Wu's house. Then, while it's dark, we'll leave the alley and make some noise. When someone from the palace comes looking for us..." Jia Chuan looked at Zhu Zhanqi, "Just say they've left. The people in the palace won't be suspicious. Who would have thought you'd dare to do anything? They might ask the neighbors, but they wouldn't dare to tell anyone from the Han Palace. If they do, they'll bring trouble upon themselves. They'll just think these people got some money and went somewhere carefree. That way, we can spend the night in peace."

Zhu Zhanqi said anxiously, "Tonight is over, what about tomorrow? If they don't see these people, they will definitely come back to ask again."

"Then it depends on how you handle it. If you handle it well, you'll be able to hold on until we come back. If you don't handle it well, you might be killed by a single sword. I'm afraid no one will believe you now. If you don't handle it well, you'll be guilty before you die. You can figure it out if you think about it yourself."

"If you push me to the limit, I, I..."

"You know full well that in the eyes of those in the Prince of Han's mansion, you're probably not as important as those five. They could easily report you to the Prince of Han by beating you to death... Just say you died of illness, and your father won't come to see you off... And I'm sparing your life because you're still useful to me. I want revenge, and you're no different. Once I've avenged my vengeance and the court has taken action against your father, I'll naturally have someone explain your contributions to the court. Then, maybe you'll even inherit the title of Prince of Han."

Chen Mo looked up at the sky to hide the disdainful expression on his face.

Who can believe this kind of talk to fool a three-year-old?
Zhu Zhanqi believed it. He thought what Jia Chuan said made sense and actually discussed with Jia Chuan seriously how to deal with it.

After finishing the work in the backyard, Gao Yuntian returned to the front yard with the others, carrying the bloody clothes. Jia Chuan pointed at the leader on the ground and said, "Take off his clothes too. The five of us will change into them, and then take him to Qiao Wu's house."

No one mind the blood stains on clothes.

Gao Yunduo went back into the room and gave Yuyan some instructions. Jia Chuan pointed at Zhu Zhanqi and said, "When I come back, if I hear that you hit her again, I will beat you to death."

Zhu Zhanqi lowered his head and said nothing.

It was already the end of dusk and the light was dim. The five men, who were servants of the palace, walked out of the courtyard arrogantly, cursing and shouting all the way.

Before leaving, Dong Yuanyuan reluctantly hugged the leader. Jia Chuan consoled her, saying, "Just think of it as holding a dog."

Dong Yuanyuan was furious: "He is worse than a dog!"

But Yuanyuan still needs to be held.

The "house slaves of the royal palace" were moving forward arrogantly in front, while Dong Yuanyuan, holding a seriously injured person, quickly followed Gao Yunduo and headed straight for the dilapidated courtyard next to Qiao Wu's house.

No one from the surrounding neighborhood dared to come out and peek. They knew that these demons might have done something evil today, so it was better to stay away. Only after hearing the figures moving away did someone stick their heads out to take a look. The alley was as quiet as before.

……

Dong Yuanyuan and Gao Yunduo put the person on the floor of the room in the yard, found a hemp rope to tie his feet to the bed legs, locked the door and left.

The man's wrist was broken and he was completely unable to use any strength. Gao Yunduo was not afraid that he would be able to untie the hemp rope. In addition, his ribs were broken, so even moving would make him grimace in pain, let alone getting up. Even if he wanted to exert strength and continue shouting, he couldn't. By the time the pain subsided, he would be too hungry to do anything.

If Zhu Zhanqi's brain was really seriously ill and he told the truth to the people in the Han Palace, they would definitely find the Qiao family, but they would never think that the courtyard next door also belonged to Qiao Wu. What's more, how could the people in the Han Palace believe what Zhu Zhanqi said?

The few of them did not dare to delay for a moment. Under Qiao Wu's arrangement, they rushed out of the city gate at the last moment before the city gate closed.

Qiao Wu stayed, but would not return to that home. He wanted to keep an eye on the movements in the city and report to Zhang Zheng in Jinan in a timely manner.

The reason why other Jinyiwei were arranged in various places outside the city was to provide support in case of emergencies, but now Jia Chuan had a new task and ordered them to secretly investigate the situation in the farm outside the Hanwang Mansion.

The residences that Qiao Wu arranged for the Jinyiwei were not close to the Hanwang Manor, but the villagers must know some details about the manor that others did not know. They should collect them first, as they would surely be useful one day.

After Chen Mo left the city, he stayed away for a while to issue a notice.

Qiao Wu felt very guilty. Although he had been in Le'an for several years, the Han Palace kept a close watch on him, and he had never been able to arrange more spies. Some of them had been caught by the people from the Han Palace at the beginning, and all of them lost their lives. Although Qiao Wu was not affected, it made Qiao Wu more cautious in his actions.

Before parting, Jia Chuan patted Qiao Wu on the shoulder and said, "You've done a great job. Only because you laid a good foundation can I be so successful."

Qiao Wu didn't quite understand, and the group had already left the city gate.

……

The group rode at full speed and entered the city of Jinan after the city gates were opened the next morning.

The few of them dispersed, Jia Chuan went straight to the Censorate, and Zhang Zheng had to find a way to replace the people in the house.

Jia Chuan fell asleep on the table in the office. When Liang Bo woke him up, it was already noon.

Liang Bo wanted to ask where he had been all these days, but he remembered the Censor's instructions: Don't ask too many questions. He held back and just said, "The Censor is looking for you."

Jia Chuan rubbed his eyes and went to see Zhang Zheng.

Zhang Zheng prepared lunch and placed it on the table. He watched Jia Chuan wolf it down before asking, "Did everything go well?"

Jia Chuan recounted the trip in detail, and Zhang Zheng listened attentively, not interrupting. After Jia Chuan finished, Zhang Zheng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You managed to remain calm in the face of danger. That's great! You seem to be in better shape now than before."

Jia Chuan knew that no one cared about Zhu Zhanqi's life or death. This man, who was the same age as him, had lived a lonely life.

"Does the Censor know about the manor and blacksmith shop outside the Han King's Le'an City?" Jia Chuan asked.

Zhang Zheng said:
"The late emperor wanted to investigate Zhuangzi's affairs during his reign, but all those who investigated have disappeared. You have to understand that it takes more than one or two years to train someone in Zhuangzi and send him to the capital. If he went in and out frequently, it would be easier to find any loopholes, but with such strict supervision and little interaction, it would be difficult to find anything! As for the blacksmith shops, I only know that there is a street with a few blacksmith shops on it, and that the street is guarded by people from the Prince of Han's Palace every day. Qiao Wu said that street should not be visited lightly. The word among the people is that the street is full of shops of the Prince of Han's Palace, so it is guarded by the Prince of Han's Palace to prevent anyone from causing trouble. This cover-up is pure deception, but Qiao Wu and his men have been watching for so long and haven't found anything unusual."

Jia Chuan nodded and said, "Now we know what illegal things the King of Han has done, but I'm still hesitant about where to start. The Han Palace in Le'an is like an imperial court, so it's too difficult to investigate. I personally prefer the manor outside the city."

"Oh? Why?"

“Good running!”

Zhang Zheng smiled and said, "That's a valid reason, but the manor has many skilled guards."

"I've thought about this. When the King of Han arranged for people to ambush the Emperor, he must have used a lot of these people. The guards around the Emperor were annihilated, and it's impossible that they were not injured. It was precisely because they also suffered heavy losses that the Emperor was able to survive. Therefore, I infer that there are not many people left in the manor. In addition, the capital is currently investigating the trafficking of women and children..."

Jia Chuan paused, thinking about his words, and then continued, "Before I came here, the capital had just investigated a case of kidnapping and buying people. The emperor ordered the Jinyiwei to take action, and there must be quite a few officials and nobles involved."

Zhang Zheng said, "I heard this matter caused quite a stir in the capital. The Emperor didn't want to use the Imperial Guards, but since the Shuntian Prefecture Governor was also involved, he had no choice but to use them to investigate. Are you trying to connect this case to the manor house at the Prince of Han's Mansion?"

Jia Chuan nodded and said, "This idea is immature. This is purely forced. The case in the capital has no connection with the Han King's manor. The people sent to the capital by the Han King will not hide like those people."

Zhang Zheng nodded.

Jia Chuan added, "But no matter how bold the King of Han is, he wouldn't dare send anything to the capital at this time. The manor should be strictly guarded, and the evidence is naturally well protected. Besides, the King of Han may not have enough manpower at the moment, so the manor is focused on guarding it and won't allocate personnel for transportation or... 'purchase'."

"you think……"

"I've asked Zhu Zhanqi and the Han Palace servants. They both seem to know a little bit, but they only know the basics. Zhu Zhanqi, in particular, has never lived in the Le'an Palace. But they both said it's difficult to even get close to the manor, let alone enter it."

Zhang Zheng thought for a moment and said, "We need to think long and hard about this matter. You should go back and rest first. Only after you have rested yourself can you come up with more solutions."

"Have they all gone back?"

"Ah."

"Will Qiao Wu be okay?"

"No, he's been in Le'an for many years, and his subordinates are all very capable. He lives in more than one place, so it's not easy to catch him. Let's wait for news from him. The Han Palace should have sent someone to inquire yesterday or this morning at the latest. The first visit will be easy for Zhu Zhanqi to deal with, but the next step will depend on what happens next. In my opinion, these people are arrogant and domineering on a daily basis, and they do all kinds of evil on the streets. Who knows if the palace will really investigate in other directions, and they will never think of what Zhu Zhanqi can do."

"I'm afraid they'll get serious and start asking every household."

Zhang Zheng waved his hand and said, "They're just a few lowly servants. Their supervisors are also servants. They might not dare to report to the higher authorities. As long as Zhu Zhanqi doesn't say anything...these people have committed so many evil things, and with no trace of their bodies, they might just get away with it."

This was exactly what Jia Chuan was thinking, so he made this decision. When he heard Zhang Zheng say the same thing, he felt more at ease.

……

Zhang Zheng ordered someone to send Jia Chuan back to the house.

When Jia Chuan arrived at the house, everyone in the house except Old Zheng was asleep. Jia Chuan also wanted to take another nap, but Old Zheng pulled him to tell him about his experience.

Jia Chuan gave a brief account, then offered self-criticism, saying, "I was impulsive at first, thinking that coming here would inevitably involve encountering some old cases. What if I needed to examine bones again, or perhaps there was a new homicide? Bringing you with me would make me feel at ease. I wouldn't trust other coroners. But now that I'm here, I realize I was being too simplistic."

Old Zheng sighed and said, "Don't overthink it. I've lived to this age, and although I don't understand many other things, I do understand the word 'chance'. I'm here, so I'm here. However, seeing you go out this time, I can't follow you, and I feel bad. Everyone has their strengths, and I can only help with corpses. Seeing you young people going through wind and rain, I really envy you."

Jia Chuan was stunned for a moment. He always complained in his heart before, but Old Zheng's words suddenly reminded him of what the captain said: It is a blessing to be able to work hard!

He looked at the water tank in the yard. What use would it be if there was no water to hold it?
Seeing Jia Chuan in a daze, Old Zheng thought he was tired from the long journey, so he said, "Go and rest quickly. I think the fat girl has lost a lot of weight in the past ten days. I guess she needs to make up for it after coming back. I'll go to the kitchen to see if there is enough food. She can eat meat now. It's better for the girl to lose some weight, otherwise she will be very fat tomorrow."

Old Zheng left muttering to himself, and Jia Chuan was stunned for a while before going into the house to catch up on his sleep.

……

After two days of silence, Qiao Wu's first news arrived. The Prince of Han's Mansion had only looked for Zhu Zhanqi once and had not come again. They had been searching quietly in the city for a whole day, but had no clues. It seemed that the matter was unresolved and they had to wait for a few more days. Qiao Wu secretly went to the yard and saw that the leader was still alive. Although he had not seen a bonesetter, the man's injuries were slowly healing. Qiao Wu asked if he needed to be injured again?
The letter was dictated by Jia Chuan, written by Chen Mo, and delivered by Zhang Zheng.

The letter only said to wait for another five days, as long as the leader was still breathing, it would be fine.

Six days later, Dong Yuanyuan recovered all her losses, and then Qiao Wu's second message arrived.

For five days, the Han Palace did not take any action. The people stationed in the palace said that no one in the palace knew that someone was missing.

Jia Chuan then realized that Qiao Wu had actually planted people in the Han Palace. Zhang Zheng said:

"That's nothing strange. It's just that the King of Han is very suspicious. He won't use anyone who enters the palace through other channels except those he personally selects. Besides, these people have only been there for a year or two. If they want to get other information or help find evidence, then forget it. They don't even have the chance to follow the servants to do evil. They are just doing odd jobs."

Everyone else has been resting these days, but Jia Chuan has to report to the Censorate every day, and then find Zhang Zheng to plan the next step. If the palace does not take further action, what should they do?
But no matter what, this incident can more or less illustrate Zhu Gaoxu's ruthlessness and paranoia. If he had not been so heartless to his son, how could the low-ranking servants in the palace dare to bully him and even make a living from it?

Jia Chuan felt that it was time to make another trip.

This time, he wanted to hang out near the blacksmith shop.

"Don't you want to start with Zhuangzi?" Zhang Zheng asked after taking a sip of tea.

"Once we get close to Zhuangzi, we'll attract attention, and it will be difficult to do anything else. Besides, I've been in Jinan for over a month now, and the King of Han must be very anxious. He thinks I should move, at least to Le'an. If I don't move, I'm afraid he'll send someone to urge me."

Zhang Zheng smiled and shook his head, saying, "If you don't move, he'll send more people to check on you, to see what you're doing every day, and to see if there's a chance he can take action."

"So, I'll go give him some tips to get his nerves on edge and his blood pressure up."

"Ok?"

"Oh, just to make him anxious. The leader said last time that most blacksmiths in the smithy are forced to work. I want to start with this. I did it bravely. Let's see if he can find out."

……

This time we couldn't wait until it rained, so we had to set out early on a cloudy day.

There were only a few people this time, so they did not split up. Gao Yunduo, Dong Yuanyuan and Shunzi were added to Jia Chuan's team.

Jia Chuan admired Dong Yuanyuan very much and felt that Yuanyuan was the most flexible fat person he had ever seen.

A person who had never ridden a horse could actually run at the same speed as them. The last time Gao Yunduo brought Dong Yuanyuan to follow them into Le'an, Jia Chuan never had a chance to express his feelings. This time, when he saw it with his own eyes, he really felt sympathy for the horses for five seconds.

The group saw several Jinyiwei wearing coarse clothes waiting outside Le'an City. This time they prepared carriages and donkeys.

(End of this chapter)