Prime Minister

Chapter 210, Page 209: [The Bet]

Spring returns to the earth and everything revives.

For the land of Lianghuai, the spring of the twentieth year of Taihe was full of boundless vitality.

Upon the recommendation of the Jiangsu Provincial Administration Commission and with the approval of the Ministry of Personnel, Zhang Shi, the former magistrate of Yizhen County, was promoted to the position of Vice Prefect of Yangzhou Prefecture, becoming Xue Huai's capable assistant.

In addition, the vacancies for officials at the prefectural and county levels have been filled, and Wang Gui, Hao Shifang, Kong Li, and other officials who were among the first to follow Xue Huai have been appointed.

The new policies in Yangzhou and the reform of the salt administration in Lianghuai were carried out simultaneously, and long-standing problems were gradually eliminated. The charter of the Salt Industry Association was continuously improved, and private commerce in this waterway hub burst forth with amazing vitality.

On the afternoon of the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, in the office of the Assistant Magistrate.

Ye Qing, the commander of Jing'an Division, nodded to Jiang Sheng and stepped inside.

"Commander Ye has arrived. Please have a seat."

Xue Huai put down the documents on spring plowing in various counties that he was reviewing, stood up and greeted him with a smile.

Before Xue Huai arrived in Yangzhou, Ye Qing had never had such frequent contact with local officials. He was more accustomed to hiding in the shadows, quietly monitoring the movements of the people, compiling them into a book, and sending it to the capital, where it was then forwarded to the emperor through Han Qian.

This was the original purpose of the Jing'an Division; they only needed to faithfully serve as the emperor's eyes and ears.

However, over the past six months, Ye Qing has gradually gotten used to walking in the sunlight. Officials in the government office often see him, and their attitude towards him has changed from initial respect and fear to now daring to greet him with a smile. Ye Qing feels that this feeling is actually quite good.

As for his close relationship with Xue Huai, Ye Qing felt neither repulsion nor worry, since it was Han Qian's instruction, or more precisely, the Emperor's arrangement.

"Master Xue."

Ye Qing said with a slightly solemn expression, "There must be a master behind Jimintang."

Ten days have passed since Xu Zhiwei poisoned the patient. The Jing'an Division has been secretly investigating the secrets of Jimintang and the aunt Xu Zhiwei mentioned. However, they have not found many valuable clues. Jimintang seems to have no dark side. It has an excellent reputation in Jiangnan. Even the prefect of Hangzhou has publicly stated that having Jimintang under his jurisdiction is something to be proud of.

"As expected."

Xue Huai calmly said, "There's no need to rush this matter. As long as Xu Zhiwei is still in our hands, the other party will expose their whereabouts sooner or later. Commander Ye, is there any progress on the matter I asked you to handle before?"

Ye Qing said, "After you spoke up, I immediately ordered someone to send a message to the capital as quickly as possible. Commander Han has always been concerned about your matter and I believe we will receive a reply soon."

"That's great."

Xue Huai thanked him and then asked, "Where are Xu Zhiwei's two attendants hiding now?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing sighed, "Those two are highly skilled, and my men dare not keep too close a watch on them. For now, we can only confirm that they are hiding in Taixing City."

Xue Huai pondered for a moment and slowly said, "It seems that the other party is indeed very patient. Perhaps we can change our approach and start with the accounts of Jimintang in Yangzhou. I have always felt that the source of Jimintang's funds is a breakthrough point. If we can find the flaws, we may be able to further uncover the true face of this charitable organization."

Ye Qing nodded and said, "Okay, I'll arrange for someone to investigate right away."

The two talked privately for another half hour before Ye Qing got up to take his leave. Xue Huai also sent someone to tell Tan Mingguang, and then left the government office to return to his official residence. Jiang Sheng, Qi Qingshi and others guarded him closely, not daring to relax their guard in the slightest.

While the official residence appeared relaxed on the outside, it was under tight security on the inside. Bai Cong and Yue Zhenshan led their men to set up a series of well-organized and heavily guarded sentry posts, especially Xue Huai's residence and the small courtyard to the east, which were patrolled continuously for twelve hours a day, with hidden sentries taking turns to keep watch.

Xue Huai washed and changed clothes with Mo Yun's help, and then walked into the small courtyard alone.

In early spring, the air is still chilly, and a few green plants have appeared in the courtyard, but these few green plants cannot cover up the quiet atmosphere of this place.

Xu Zhiwei lived here.

It was ostensibly a period of rest and recuperation, but in reality, it was a form of house arrest.

Xue Huai did not mistreat her. Apart from not allowing her to leave the courtyard, her daily living standards were no lower than his own, and he even specially arranged for Mo Yun to come and talk to her every day.

However, according to Mo Yun, Xu Zhiwei had spoken no more than twenty sentences in the past ten days, and most of the time he sat blankly by the window.

She was still alive, yet she seemed to be dead.

This is the scene that Xue Huai saw when he stepped into the room.

Xu Zhiwei sat quietly in a round-backed chair by the window, dressed in white, her dark hair loosely tied up with a wooden hairpin, a few strands falling down her cheeks, making her face appear even paler and more translucent, like fragile glass.

The cool sunlight slanted through the window, casting a thin layer of gold on her exquisite profile.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze seemingly fixed on a void abyss. The charcoal brazier in the room emitted wisps of heat, but it could not dispel the icy, deathly stillness surrounding her.

Those once clear eyes that could see into the depths of a patient's illness are now only shrouded in an impenetrable twilight. Her stunning beauty remains, but her demeanor is like that of a withered butterfly stripped of its flesh and blood by the autumn wind, leaving only a delicate yet lifeless shell.

She knew Xue Huai had come in, but she didn't even blink, maintaining her desolate posture.

As for whether this would anger Xue Huai, it was clearly not something she cared about, because she had been determined to die on the day she poisoned him, only Xue Huai used the people of Jimintang as leverage to prevent her from taking her own life. Since she didn't even care about life and death, why would she care about Xue Huai's opinion?
Xue Huai looked at the still scene and did not immediately break the silence in the room.

The two stood and sat, Xue Huai looking at Xu Zhiwei, while Xu Zhiwei looked out the window, creating a scene that was both eerie and harmonious.

"Miss Xu."

Xue Huai spoke calmly, with a deliberately gentle tone: "Early spring is still chilly, and there's a breeze by the window. It would be better to move closer to the stove."

Xu Zhiwei remained silent.

Xue Huai didn't mind. He slowly walked to a similar round-backed chair next to her and sat down. A few steps away, they created their own invisible space.

A faint sound emanated from the charcoal brazier, echoing clearly in the quiet room.

Xue Huai's knuckles unconsciously tapped lightly on the smooth armrest. The sound was so faint that it caused Xu Zhiwei's pale, slender fingers, resting on her knees, to curl almost imperceptibly.

This subtle reaction did not escape Xue Huai's notice.

"In these ten days, I have had people thoroughly investigate your past, but we have not been able to find even a trace of your aunt's clothes, as if she never existed in this world."

Xue Huai's voice carried an invisible pressure as he continued, "I initially thought, as you said, that the conflict between your aunt and our Xue family was merely a personal feud. But upon further reflection, I believe you have most likely been deceived by your aunt."

Upon hearing the last two words, Xu Zhiwei's breath caught in her throat for a moment.

She finally slowly turned her eyes, her gaze falling on Xue Huai's face like a pool of dried-up water.

Xue Huai met her gaze and said calmly, "Can you answer a question for me? Did your aunt's tragic experience happen about ten years ago?"

Xu Zhi responded with a faint, almost inaudible sound.

Xue Huai sighed softly, a hint of pity in his eyes, and slowly said, "Why don't you consider this: if your aunt wasn't lying, why would she wait until I went south to Yangzhou to take revenge?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhiwei's eyes finally showed a flicker of emotion.

“You’re a smart man, so let’s get straight to the point.”

Xue Huai's tone was low, yet it possessed a strange penetrating power, reaching deep into Xu Zhiwei's heart: "Perhaps you don't know much about my past, so let me tell you now. Before heading south to Yangzhou, I was just an ordinary official in the capital, unpopular and constantly frustrated, without even a bodyguard when I went out. If your aunt wanted to kill me, she had countless opportunities. Why wait until I had grown powerful and was heavily guarded?"

"But the capital..."

Xu Zhiwei hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

Xue Huai knew her thoughts perfectly well and immediately picked up the conversation, saying, "Are you trying to say that the capital is under the emperor's nose, and your aunt, as the daughter of a wanted criminal, dares not set foot there? Miss Xu, how long do you intend to deceive yourself? Your aunt was able to raise a divine doctor like you, and the Jimintang has deep roots throughout Jiangnan. The power she can mobilize is immense. Does she really need to go to the capital to seek revenge herself? Take the two people who used to be by your side, for example. They are both rare masters. Is it difficult for them to assassinate me, an ordinary official who has just entered the officialdom, in the capital?"

Xu Zhiwei's breathing became somewhat erratic.

This seems to be a detail she overlooked.

A sense of unease welled up inside her, as if everything in the past had been an illusion.

Initially, Liu Ying said that Xue Huai was a treacherous villain who deceived the world and hoped that Xu Zhiwei could rid the people of this scourge. However, what she saw and heard after arriving in Yangzhou forced her to change her mind.

Later, Liu Ying recounted the tragic incident involving the Ling family years ago. Xu Zhiwei couldn't bear to see her tormented by hatred, so she had no choice but to agree against her own conscience. Now, Xue Huai has used a brief deduction to overturn Liu Ying's reasoning once again.

Could it be... that her aunt had been lying to her all along?
Xue Huai observed Xu Zhiwei's changing expression and said frankly, "Miss Xu, I admit that your aunt's methods are very clever. Jimintang has very few flaws. Considering its influence among the people in Jiangnan, I cannot force a major attack. However, I firmly believe that Jimintang is not simple behind the scenes. Your position in Jimintang must be quite high. I hope you can think it through. If Jimintang's good deeds are for ulterior motives, it may cause a turmoil that harms the people in the future."

Xu Zhiwei felt her mind was in complete chaos, and the pain was constant. She couldn't help but say in slight pain, "Can I be alone for a while?"

"of course can."

Xue Huai was not in a hurry. As he stood up, he suddenly said, "Miss Xu, how about we make a bet?"

Xu Zhiwei suppressed her discomfort and looked up at him.

Xue Huai said, "I know you are unwilling to say anything detrimental to your aunt because of her upbringing and nurturing, but the world is far more cruel than you imagine. It won't be long before your aunt sends someone over. Although I can't be sure what methods she will use, I am absolutely certain that her goal is to make sure you never have to speak."

"Impossible, Auntie wouldn't do that."

Xu Zhiwei responded quickly, but her tone was not as firm as she thought.

"Let's make a bet then."

Xue Huai smiled slightly and said, "If you win, I will no longer use the doctors of Jimintang to threaten you, but if I win, you must tell me the secrets behind Jimintang."

Xu Zhiwei stared intently into Xue Huai's eyes, and finally whispered a single word: "Okay."

(End of this chapter)