Di Ming

Chapter 128 They've made their move! (8,000 words)

Developing, selecting, and manipulating informants are fundamental skills for intelligence agents.

It seems very difficult to outsiders. But being a professional spy isn't complicated; it's just a matter of following procedures.

Professional spies can create a personality profile of an individual by observing and analyzing their words and actions, knowledge structure, identity and habits, current living conditions, gender and age.

Personality profiles are divided into five major categories and more than a dozen subcategories. The personality profiles of the vast majority of people fall into these categories.

Then, based on the personality profile, appropriate methods are used in a targeted manner.

There are many methods, which can be used individually or in combination.

Incentives are always the most commonly used and effective method for most people.

Starting with Fang Jian, Zhu Yin had already developed eighteen informants in the area, with the three major families as their core surveillance targets.

There are three spies lurking within the Wang family, not counting Gong Ji, the White Lotus Sect leader who is also infiltrating the Wang family.

Zhu Yin pointed to a piece of paper and said to Qingchen:
"This is a message from the second steward of the Wang family compound. It says that Wang Chaoque's confidant, Ba Si, secretly ordered the purchase of some sulfur and other explosive substances..."

"Last night, when Clerk Wang returned, he suddenly said he was busy with official duties and needed to mobilize the local militia to patrol the river..."

"And this one too, Wang Chaoque suddenly gave Ba Si a sum of money, one hundred taels of silver was withdrawn from the account..."

"Look at this one. Ba Si's servant went to our construction site today and chatted with the craftsmen about this and that..."

"Ba Si went to Qingyun Temple to inquire whether it would rain within three days... The person who came to ask us to sublet was sent by Ba Si..."

"The Ji family, which lives closest to the construction site, has two out-of-towners who are asking for lodging today. They said they're here to offer incense at Dongshan Temple..."

As Zhu Yin connected the seemingly unrelated pieces of information, Ning Qingchen also understood.

Although there is no direct evidence, these signs suggest that the Wang Chaoque sent people to set fire to the artisans' huts.

If the casualties are heavy, Zhu Yin and his sister, as the employers, will not be able to escape responsibility.

Zhu Yin then pointed to a piece of paper, "It says that starting yesterday, a young and handsome man got to know Jin Yunniang, who manages the kitchen at the construction site, and started trying to get close to her."

"Jin Yunniang seems to have a good impression of him. Today she even asked him to help her with some things, and he was quite attentive, acting like he was trying to win the beauty's favor."

"Look at this one. The night before last, Ba Si met a young, handsome man from out of town. That man was a pharmacist..."

"All this information combined suggests that Wang Chaoque has two plans: arson and poisoning. Whichever succeeds, we're finished."

Ning Qingchen shivered and hugged Zhu Yin's neck tightly. "What should we do? If he makes a move tonight... it's already dark."

"No rush," Zhu Yin sneered. "The construction site is still busy. Even if they make their move tonight, it will be late at night when everyone is asleep. We'll set up an ambush and wait for them to come to us."

"As for Jin Yunniang..." Zhu Yin narrowed his eyes, "it all depends on her choice. Her life and death are in her own hands. If she forgets her principles for the sake of beauty, then she can't blame us."

Upon hearing this, Ning Qingchen couldn't help but feel worried for Jin Yunniang.

Yunniang, you must never forget your duty for the sake of beauty.

Ning Qingchen knew very well how ruthless the spies were, and they would never tolerate traitors.

Previously, Zhu Yin had infiltrated his sister's side, a ruthless person who planned to kill her if she betrayed secrets.

This cold-blooded animal will show no mercy to women in order to complete its mission.

After Zhu Yin finished speaking, he summoned the Kangxi brothers and made the arrangements.

Even after Kangxi and his brothers left, Qingchen still said worriedly:

"Even if they are caught red-handed, it will be difficult to prove that they are related to the Wang family. The arsonist probably doesn't even know that the real employer is the Wang family."

"There's no evidence that the arsonist was hired by the Wang family, so what can we do to them?"

Zhu Yin's face was filled with murderous intent: "What evidence do you need? As long as we know that Wang Chaoque attacked us, that's his death sentence!"

……

Zhu Yin had just made the secret arrangements when he summoned Jin Yunniang.

Soon, Jin Yunniang, dressed in a beige jacket, arrived.

"My lord," Jin Yunniang greeted as she entered, "what are your orders, my lord?"

"Yunniang, you've had a hard time these past two days," Zhu Yin chuckled. "Sit down and let's talk."

Ning Qingchen looked at the harmless and nonchalant Zhu Yin, and couldn't help but glance at Jin Yunniang, her clear eyes filled with a worry that seemed out of place for an infant.

Jin Yunniang sat down on the stool, nervously clutching the hem of her clothes with both hands.

Zhu Yin didn't act like a child at all; he spoke like a little adult:
“Yunniang, please take good care of the craftsmen’s meals in the next few months. I will allocate one hundred taels of silver to you, and you will be responsible for all rice, noodles, vegetables, meat and eggs. The craftsmen must not only be full, but also well-fed. When we invite them again in the future, they will work even harder.”

Zhu Yin essentially handed over all logistical procurement authority to Jin Yunniang.

Jin Yunniang said, "Yes. My lord, rest assured, I will do my job well and not trouble you. You can focus on your studies. As long as it's not a big deal, I won't bother you."

Zhu Yin nodded. "Are there enough helpers in the kitchen? Are there any other difficulties? If so, just say so."

Jin Yunniang shook her head and said, "We have enough manpower. There are no difficulties for the time being, and I can manage everything."

Zhu Yin's expression was amused, his eyes flickering. After waiting a while and seeing that Jin Yunniang didn't say anything, he smiled and said:

"Alright, then go ahead and get busy. The craftsmen are working by lamplight, which shows they're doing their best. Give them an extra meal for the night."

"Yes!" Jin Yunniang stood up. "I'll take my leave."

Zhu Yin stared at Jin Yunniang's retreating figure with a somewhat indifferent gaze.

Ning Qingchen reached out her little hand, grabbed Zhu Yin's arm, and said in a childish voice:
"If Yunniang really made a mistake, could you spare her life? She's been with us for so long."

Zhu Yin sighed, "I'm sorry, Qingchen, I can't agree to that. A traitor must be punished; there can be no leniency. That's organizational discipline. I've said it before, her life and death are in her own hands."

Ning Qingchen plopped down on the floor, her little face full of a critical sneer:

“You and my sister are the same kind of people. You both like to dominate others and control their destinies.”

"You do not give others a chance to repent and reform, you easily decide the lives of your fellow human beings, you lack basic humanitarian concern, and your so-called 'those who oppose me perish' is actually an absolute selfish tyrant."

Zhu Yin said indifferently, "Qingchen, you can be proud, aloof, and critical, because your sister has protected you very well."

"In a chaotic society, if we don't control others, we will be controlled by them. No one can stay out of it, not even the emperor. Unprincipled benevolence may lead to our utter ruin."

Ning Qingchen got up and staggered toward the thousand-piece canopy bed. "I won't argue with you. You can't talk about ice with a summer insect. Even if you become emperors or empresses, how much better are you than feudal monarchs? Aren't you still just lording it all over everyone?"

Zhu Yin did not speak again.

He agrees with the saying: "You can't talk about ice with a summer insect!"
……

Jin Yunniang returned to the construction site and immediately arranged for a group of students to wash rice and vegetables.

A tall, handsome man appeared before her, smiling warmly as he said:

"Yunniang, come here for a moment, I have something to tell you."

Jin Yunniang smiled gently, "What?"

The man whispered, "Yunniang, you are a good woman. I saw you yesterday and couldn't sleep all night. If you're willing, I'll redeem you. I'm not married yet, and I have land and fields..."

Jin Yunniang lowered her head, looking at her large feet, and said with a embarrassed expression:
"What's so great about me? I'm not worth your sympathy. You should just leave. We've only known each other for two days, and you're already acting like this..."

The man solemnly said, "As the saying goes, old age feels like new friendship, and first meeting feels like old acquaintance. Although we have only known each other for a short time, we feel like old friends at first sight. I am unmarried, and you are unmarried; this is a match made in heaven. Yunniang, as long as you nod, I will redeem you from your servitude."

Jin Yunniang raised her head, her eyes sparkling. "If you are truly sincere, then go home and tell your parents first. Only if your parents agree can you come to redeem me."

The man's face lit up with joy. "Good Yunniang! You really are a woman of good judgment. I didn't misjudge you. I'll go home tonight and tell my parents. Wait for my good news!"

Jin Yunniang said shyly, "Chen Lang, I'll trust you this once. Please don't tease me or make me laugh."

"Don't worry, Yunniang!" the handsome man said. "I am devoted to you, how could I joke about this? Just wait for my good news!"

After saying that, he turned and left excitedly.

Jin Yunniang saw him off, watching his retreating figure before turning back.

.........

Soon after, someone reported this to Zhu Yin.

Zhu Yin said to Ning Qingchen, who was sitting on the bed, "You heard it too. Yunniang may have already secretly pledged her life to her lover without telling us."

"We don't know what they said. But we're sure they've made some kind of agreement."

"The saying goes that girls are more outward-oriented; once a woman sets her sights on a man, her heart will lean towards him. Besides, I'm not her parent. What do you think she'll choose?"

"In any organization, the most dangerous thing is always the traitor within. If Jin Yunniang is used by others, she will become a spy among us, and a ticking time bomb."

Ning Qingchen said with a stern face, "She's just dating, she hasn't done anything to betray us, has she?"

"Not yet," Zhu Yin sneered. "But as long as she's entangled in love, betrayal is only a matter of time. She's only fifteen, just beginning to experience love. Do you think she can resist being deceived by a handsome man?"

Just as Zhu Yin was speaking, footsteps sounded outside again. The footsteps reached the door before the voices could be heard:
"Lancha, has the lord gone to sleep? I have something to report to the lord."

It's Yunniang's voice!

"Heh!" Ning Qingchen suddenly laughed, looking at Zhu Yin with a mocking expression.

Zhu Yin was taken aback, and his expression immediately became playful.

Then, the door opened, and Jin Yunniang entered, dressed entirely in the night.

"Yunniang." Zhu Yin put down the "Spring and Autumn Annals." "Why are you here again? Didn't you say you were fine?"

Yunniang said, "There is something I wanted to report to the lord. But it's still very early on, and it would be too much of a fuss to tell you, and I was afraid the lord would laugh at me. However, things have changed just now, so I still need to report to the lord tonight."

She looked a little shy as she said this.

Zhu Yin felt relieved. "Yunniang, please speak freely."

Yunniang said, "Yesterday there was a man surnamed Chen..."

Yunniang recounted the whole story, and concluded by saying, "I know he has ill intentions. He deliberately approached me, just to play along and see what he's up to."

Ning Qingchen couldn't help but laugh.

Jin Yunniang didn't know what she was laughing at, nor did she know that an infant could understand her words.

Zhu Yin asked, "Yunniang, how do you know he has ill intentions? Is there a flaw in his story?"

Jin Yunniang laughed and said, "When he first arrived, he saw the young girls helping in the kitchen. Because all the girls had big feet, he looked at them with disdain, and I happened to notice that disdain."

Zhu Yin understood, "You also have big feet."

Jin Yunniang nodded: "Since he despises women with big feet, how could he really be interested in me? Is it because my big feet are different? Of course, it's all an act."

"Furthermore, since he comes from a good family and is good-looking, why is he over twenty and still unmarried? Even if he really isn't married, how come he suddenly appeared in front of me and fell in love with me at first sight?"

“I’ve had a hard life since I was a child, and I know how wicked people can be. I’m not a heartless person. Since he has bad intentions, I’ll just coax him and see what tricks he’s up to.”

"It wasn't until just now that I realized he deliberately approached me and bewitched me, probably to use me for his own purposes and to harm our lord."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin felt a pang of guilt towards Yun Niang. He personally poured her a cup of tea, saying, "Yun Niang, you did a great job. What makes me even happier is that you were able to protect yourself and not be deceived."

Yunniang smiled slightly. Looking at Zhu Yin, who seemed like a little adult, her heart was filled with warmth and comfort.

Although her lord was a child prodigy who spoke and acted like an adult, in her heart, he was like a younger brother.

Her life was saved by her lord, and it was her lord who allowed her to live like a human being. Even if it meant death, she couldn't let her beloved younger brother be harmed.

Yunniang said, "I don't care that he lied to me, I'm just worried that he might harm our lord. After all, we are outsiders and we don't get along with the local bigwigs."

Zhu Yin looked relieved. "Sister Yunniang, you are a very perceptive person. Speaking of this, I was just about to tell you that I will not interfere with your marriage."

"Sister, whoever you choose, as long as he is of good character, I will give you a generous dowry so that you can have a grand wedding."

Jin Yunniang was embarrassed, but also very happy. She said shyly, "Then I thank you, my lord. But how should I handle this matter?"

Zhu Yin said, "Just pretend and play along. As long as he can't take advantage of you, you'll agree verbally."

Jin Yunniang smiled sweetly, "Alright, I understand."

After Jin Yunniang left, Zhu Yin couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Women's hearts are truly unpredictable. Even as a veteran agent, I still can't fathom a woman's mind."

"Are most beautiful women good at deceiving people? That guy surnamed Chen thought his wicked scheme had succeeded, but little did he know he was being deceived by Yunniang."

"He underestimates women."

Ning Qingchen smiled and said in a childish voice:
"So, duck, you've misunderstood Yunniang. You dog-headed spies are just paranoid, suspecting everyone of being a mole or traitor."

"Alright, alright, I misunderstood." Zhu Yin laughed happily as he climbed onto the Thousand-Crafts Canopy Bed. "Didn't I say that I would give her a grand wedding in the future?"

He lay in bed, and suddenly felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.

Because Caiwei left.

On the large, intricately carved bed, only he and Ning Qingchen remained.

Ning Qingchen said pitifully, "Little tiger, tell me, where is my sister?"

Zhu Yin looked somewhat lost, and his tone became a little downcast. "Going down the river eastward, covering hundreds of miles a day, we should have passed Yangzhou and be approaching Songjiang soon."

Seeing that the baby, who was easily moved to tears, was about to cry again, Zhu Yin quickly took her in his arms. "Alright, stop crying. She can't see anyway."

Ning Qingchen nestled beside Zhu Yin and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Zhu Yin, however, felt no sleepiness whatsoever; on the contrary, he became increasingly energetic.

His little fists clenched.

Let's start the first battle to rise up in our hometown with the Wang family.

Get started first!
Wang Chaoque, you're asking for death.

………………

Nothing happened all night.

Zhu Yin's judgment was correct; the Wang family had not yet made a formal move.

But it should be within a few days.

Early in the morning, Zhu Yin made some more arrangements before taking Ning Qingchen, who had just finished nursing, to school. That evening, Kangxi secretly reported that the arrangements were complete.

On his second day off, Zhu Yin did not go to the Imperial Academy, but instead planned to go to the garrison headquarters to visit his uncle-in-law, Tian Yi.

As for what to say to Wada Yoshi…

That would be informing on someone, of course.

This was the fourth time he had informed on someone since arriving in the Ming Dynasty.

Before even reaching Tian Yi's garrison headquarters, they encountered the people of Nanjing seeing Hai Rui off.

As expected, Hai Rui headed north today.

Groups of people flocked to the outer city and gathered on the shore of Xuanwu Lake, creating a sea of ​​people, numbering in the tens of thousands!
On the morning of the seventh day of the ninth lunar month, the autumn wind was bleak and the frost was chilly.

Hai Rui, dressed in plain clothes with white hair, bowed deeply to the people seeing him off without uttering a word.

Tens of thousands of people knelt down like wheat fields swaying in the wind, their cries shaking the heavens and the earth.

"Hai Qingtian!"

"Hai Qingtian, take care!"

"Take care, Hai Gong! Take care!"

Many people couldn't help but burst into tears, their cries echoing throughout Xuanwu Lake.

The officials who came to see them off paled upon witnessing this scene.

Hai Rui knelt down and bowed to the sea of ​​people.

One person, and millions upon millions of people, bow to each other!
Zhu Yin held Ning Qingchen in his arms, standing on the carriage, watching this scene from afar, speechless.

Old Man Hai, am I right?
Millions of people wept as they departed, and the long pavilion stood amidst the ten-mile-long post station.

Dad, live well, see you in Beijing again. I hope you live to be a hundred.

After bowing three times, Hai Rui, his white hair sparse, looked up at the blue sky with a vast and desolate gaze, and muttered to himself:
"What virtue or ability do I possess?"

"How kind you are to me, how kind you are to me."

"Heaven, may the people one day truly enjoy a peaceful and prosperous era. May all the people of the world one day truly enjoy a peaceful and prosperous era!"

"Rui, with tears of blood, submits this petition!"

After saying this, Hai Rui suddenly stood up and boarded the carriage without hesitation.

The carriage finally started moving.

"Oh, Haiqingtian!"

Tens of thousands of people shouted together, startling the wild geese in the sky, whose cries were reflected in Xuanwu Lake.

Seeing them off, Tian Yi couldn't help but say:

Hai Rui went north.

The wild geese are flying south.

The only one to worship throughout the ages
This is the only time in the world to witness this.

Hae Gang-bong, oh Hae Gang-bong, I envy you so much, but what you can do, I can never do.

Oooh!
The world is fortunate to have Brother Gangfeng.

The world is filled with sorrow because of Brother Gangfeng.

Take care. Once you leave Nanjing, I'm about to do something that will surely anger you.

At that time, I will await your impeachment.

Tian Yi also looked up at the sky, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

After Hai Rui left, Southern Zhili descended into chaos and bloodshed. Hai Rui, you were trying to maintain the order of the Ming Dynasty, but you alone couldn't do it.

Hai Rui's carriage gradually disappeared into the distance, but the crowd followed to see him off, their cries never ceasing.

The Nanjing officials looked solemn. Alas, to reach this level in officialdom is to have achieved sainthood in the officialdom.

All the officials bowed and saluted as the carriage drove away.

Even the corrupt officials among them couldn't help but feel ashamed at this moment, and looking back on their lives, they felt utterly disillusioned.

It was almost noon when the crowds seeing people off gradually dispersed, making Nanjing's autumn even more melancholic.

Zhu Yin only entered the garrison headquarters at this time.

No one knows what he and Tian Yi talked about.

It just took a long time to talk about it.

Zhu Yin left the garrison headquarters, squinted at the September autumn sun, and suddenly smiled.

Old Man Hai, I'm sorry.

I am not a gentleman.

Zhu Yin certainly wouldn't participate in the ransacking of his home. His future was bright, and his reputation was very important; he couldn't afford to ruin it.

He only does these things from behind the scenes!
…………

The Wang Family Courtyard.

The two brothers, Wang Chaoque and Wang Chao, were having a secret discussion. Under the lamplight, their expressions were unpredictable, like ghosts.

“Brother,” said Wang, the registrar, “I have already transferred the soldiers from the patrol office under some pretext. I am not responsible for any dereliction of duty if anything happens in the village.”

“I’m not worried about Magistrate Zhuang. As long as there’s no evidence, no one can do anything to us. I’m worried about the eunuch who escorted Zhu Yin back before.”

Wang Chaoque smiled sinisterly, "Second son, you're too timid for a civil official like yourself. They're just a few minor eunuchs. Aren't there plenty of powerless and down-on-their-luck minor eunuchs in Nanjing?"

"The Zhang family even has servants in the inner courtyard, what's so special about that? If the Zhu family's son really had that kind of power, why did he have to rent a house in the first place? Why did he have to spend money to register and bribe officials?"

"It's obvious that this kid knows he's an outsider and is afraid of being bullied by us, so he's deliberately putting on a show of bravado."

"I think Kong Jiulang was probably tricked by him. What did Green-Headed Monk say?"

Wang, the registrar, shook his head: "My men did not see Green-Headed Monk. Green-Headed Monk said he was ill and would not see guests for the time being."

Wang Chaoque snorted coldly, "This bastard is actually starting to disobey. It seems that he, the master of Baohua Mountain, is getting too cocky."

Wang, the registrar, sneered: "Let him be for now. If he really doesn't listen, someone will take care of him."

"Brother, is that piece of land really that important? Is it really worth it to go against that innocent Zhu brat for that land?"

Wang, the registrar, was the registrar of Jiangning, and he was very powerful. It wasn't that he was soft-hearted; he always considered whether something was worthwhile.

“Worth it!” Wang Chaoque said. “That feng shui master told me a secret. Do you know the history of that piece of land?”

"What is its origin?" Chief Clerk Wang knew that his elder brother believed in feng shui, and he believed in it too.

Many people believe it.

But my older brother only said that the land had good feng shui, without specifying just how good it was.

Could there be some secret involved?

Wang Chaoque said quietly, "Do you remember what happened to Jianwen?"

"What happened to Jianwen?" Wang, the registrar, was taken aback. "Of course I know. Emperor Jianwen committed suicide by self-immolation in the palace."

"Die by self-immolation?" Wang Chaoque sneered. "Jianwen was cowardly and indecisive. Was he the kind of person who would die by self-immolation?"

"Does he not know what happens to a dethroned ruler? Seeing that the situation is hopeless, how can he just sit idly by and wait for his death? After all, he was an emperor for four years; how can he accept this?"

"He fabricated the story of self-immolation, and Emperor Chengzu was happy to accept it. But if Emperor Chengzu really believed he had self-immolated, why did he keep looking for him, fearing that he would abdicate and surrender to the enemy?"

"It is clear that Emperor Chengzu also knew that the self-immolation was a ruse, and that his real intention was to escape."

Wang, the registrar, asked in surprise, "Brother, do you mean that the land is related to Emperor Jianwen?"

Wang Chaoque nodded: "The secret that the feng shui master told me is that Emperor Jianwen did build a mausoleum back then, but he was actually secretly building an underground palace."

"That underground palace is located beneath the Zhou family's land!"

"What?" Wang, the registrar, was incredulous. He was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations and knew that Emperor Jianwen had not built a mausoleum during his four-year reign.

Logically, once an emperor ascends the throne, he should select a burial site and begin preparations for building his mausoleum.

But Jianwen was an exception.

The reason why Emperor Jianwen did not build a mausoleum was, of course, because the Jingnan Rebellion had occurred, and he had no time to attend to other matters.

But my elder brother actually said that Jianwen secretly repaired the mausoleum!

Wang Chaoque continued, "Before Emperor Chengzu raised his army, Emperor Jianwen had already chosen the dragon's lair. Before construction even began, Emperor Chengzu launched his rebellion. Fearing that the secret of the mausoleum would be exposed and that Emperor Chengzu would hire a master to curse it, he had no choice but to start construction in secret."

"In those years, the underground palace was actually under construction. The people in Qingqiao were originally there to guard the tomb."

"Later, seeing that the Northern Army was becoming more and more powerful, Jianwen simply built a passage in the underground palace to lead to the palace in the city, in preparation for his escape."

"Because the passage was dug inside the underground palace, no one knew of its existence. Later, Jianwen indeed left the city through the passage, then exited the underground palace, and in the deep ravine at the foot of the mountain, took a boat into the Yangtze River and went straight into the sea!"

"A deep ravine!" Wang Zhubu immediately remembered the deep ravine at the foot of Dongshan Mountain.

Could this be how Emperor Jianwen escaped?
Wang, the registrar, could hardly believe it. "So, Jianwen's underground palace and the imperial palace are connected by a tunnel? This is an unprecedented Yin-Yang dragon vein!"

"But how did that Yin-Yang master know such a secret? Why did he tell my elder brother?"

Wang Chaoque smiled, a silent smile.

"Three days before Zhu Yin moved in, I returned from hunting in Dongshan and encountered the feng shui master Luo Wuming, who was looking at the feng shui outside the Zhou family villa. He looked very excited. But when he saw me, he immediately pretended to be nonchalant. Unfortunately, I had already become suspicious."

"Luo Wuming is a feng shui ghost master, and he comes from a family of feng shui masters, having been a feng shui master for nine generations."

"I invited him to my residence, offering him the finest food and wine, but he wouldn't tell the truth. The more evasive he was, the more I knew he was hiding something, and so..."

Wang, the registrar, understood. "So, my elder brother simply resorted to torture to extract a confession and extract his secrets?"

Wang Chaoque nodded. "Once he was taken to the dungeon and tortured, he confessed to everything. We even found a secret map from the Jianwen era in his satchel. It turns out that Luo Wuming's ancestors were the ones who helped Jianwen find the dragon vein, and they served in the Imperial Observatory back then."

“Once I find out the secret, I will kill him to silence him. The next day, I will send someone into the city to find out which brokerage firm is managing this land.”

"After investigating for two days, just as we found out which dental firm was managing the property and were about to rent it out, we were told that it had already been rented to two children..."

“Originally, I wanted to use someone else to do my dirty work, but unfortunately Kong Jiulang was incompetent and Green-Headed Monk did not come down the mountain. A few days ago, I asked Lao Ba to send someone to see Zhu Yin, wanting to pay more to sublet the property, but he refused.”

"Since that's the case, then don't blame us for being ruthless."

"I see." Registrar Wang nodded. "That kid was courting death, a short-lived wretch. It was absolutely worth the trouble for that piece of land. But even if we get rid of Zhu Yin, the tenant, the land still won't be ours. Would the Zhou family be willing to sell it?"

Wang Chaoque laughed and said, "Let's rent it first. After we rent it, we can take our time. It will be ours sooner or later. In short, we must get this land in our hands first. Such a treasure land is sure to produce great people."

"If we make a move tonight, we will use two deadly strikes, one inside and one outside. If either one of them works, the Zhu family will be wiped out."

"That maid from the Zhu family has already agreed to poison them. Once Zhu Yin and the others are dead, we'll just burn everything down."

"Autumn is dry, and water and fire are merciless; it has nothing to do with anyone."

Wang, the registrar, stroked his beard and nodded. "They've already started, haven't they? But what if Old Ba leaks the secret?"

He made a gesture, "Keeping him alive might cause trouble in the future. After all, so many lives have been lost; the law cannot tolerate this."

Wang Chaoque sneered, "Do you think I would keep Old Ba alive? After this is done, he will have to be eliminated. For the past ten years or so, he has been living off the Wang family, and it's time for him to repay with his life."

Only then was Registrar Wang relieved. "My elder brother is always so meticulous, leaving no room for error."

Wang Chaoque said, "Old Ba will be back to report within half an hour. He won't live past tonight."

The two brothers exchanged a smile, their unspoken understanding unspoken.

.........

While the Wang brothers were having a late-night chat, several people quietly sneaked into the Zhu family's construction site.

As the group slowly approached the shack, before they could even make a move, all the lights around them suddenly came on.

The group of people froze on the spot, completely dumbfounded!
Meanwhile, Chen, the pharmacist, who was lying in wait at a nearby mill, was also waiting for news from Jin Yunniang.

After successfully gaining Jin Yunniang's trust, seeing that she was obedient to him and full of expectations, he finally handed her a packet of poison.

She was tasked with poisoning Zhu Yin and his sister-in-law, and the guards.

The reason is that Zhu Yin would definitely not agree to redeem him, so they might as well kill him while he is still young.

Jin Yunniang hesitated for a long time, but reluctantly agreed to his request.

They'll make their move tonight!

Just as he was looking forward to it, he suddenly heard footsteps outside.

Pharmacist Chen was overjoyed.

coming!

They must have already succeeded.

Once she succeeds, kill her to silence her, bury her body in the mill, and no one will know.

How ridiculous that foolish woman thinks she'll marry him; what wishful thinking!

With her big feet, she's not even qualified to be a concubine!
With a loud bang, the door was suddenly kicked open, and a beautiful young girl stood quietly in the doorway, holding a lantern.

It's Jin Yunniang!

Pharmacist Chen was startled and was about to speak when several people walked out from behind Jin Yunniang.

A burly man and a young boy.

"Pharmacist Chen?" The boy shone the lantern on him. "Hello. Did I startle you? Sorry."

P.S.: Over 8,000 words tonight! Thank you for your support, goodnight! I'm amazing!

(End of this chapter)