Someone nodded. “Yes, we smashed the one belonging to Zhu Xuan’s family.”
He was Qingya’s right-hand man, named Pang Chengqiu.
Qingya slowly stuffed a few peanuts into his mouth, staring at the sleeping Little Black, clearly somewhat puzzled. “Zhenbao Hall was kidnapped? They smashed Zhenbao Hall…”
Pang Chengqiu added, “Master Qing, that young sect leader Wang also sent someone to invite you over.”
Qingya: “Was the invitation sent?”
Pang Chengqiu laughed heartily. “Master Qing, we smashed Zhu Xuan’s shop. How could there be a good outcome? Those three fellows have already been arrested by the Zhenhai Office people. How could the young sect leader Wang’s invitation be delivered? Even if it reached their hands, they couldn’t attend the banquet. The young sect leader Wang is probably inviting you for this matter.”
Qingya frowned, increasingly baffled, feeling things had gotten complicated. “What the hell?”
…
Zhenhai Office had a guest, an honoured guest.
On the topmost terrace of Zhenhai Office, pavilions and towers formed a landscape, and the honoured guest strolled among them. Zhu Xuan personally accompanied him.
Actually, Zhenhai Office frequently received honoured guests. Being right beside Qianliu Mountain was actually quite a helpless matter. Even when some figures merely sent their servants over, he, Zhu Xuan, had to treat them as honoured guests.
After finally seeing the guest off, watching the guest ride a flying mount into the air, Zhu Xuan on the great terrace let out a light breath. His smile vanished, and his face instantly changed. With hands behind his back, he said, “Still haven’t found out where that fellow sneaked off to?”
There was no one else accompanying him, only Qi Duolai. He said somewhat awkwardly, “Commander, it may still need some time. Previously he always used water escape. We made ample arrangements in the water. Who knew he suddenly changed to drilling through underground sewage channels today. We didn’t have time to arrange things. Next time we will certainly make complete preparations, striving to quickly find out where he sneaked off to.”
Zhu Xuan: “The people have been kidnapped too. How are things progressing?”
Qi Duolai: “We have been watching. We will report immediately if there is new news.”
Just as the words fell here, a person ran out from the stairway of the pavilion, hurrying over with a somewhat anxious appearance. Arriving before the two, after a hasty salute, he urgently reported, “Commander, something happened. Zhenbao Hall was smashed…”
“What?” Zhu Xuan immediately turned with his heart pounding, saying in a deep voice, “How many times have I said it? Those who can go to Zhenbao Hall to buy and sell treasures are not ordinary people. Every guest who enters the shop must be treated as an honoured guest. Didn’t I tell them to restrain themselves? Didn’t I tell them to treat guests politely? Who did they provoke again?”
Ordinary people all thought that he, this Zhenhai Commissioner, wielded absolute power in the sea market, thought he was omnipotent in the sea market. In reality, it was far from as beautiful as everyone imagined. In reality, this piece of ground in the sea market truly hid dragons and crouching tigers. Among those coming and going in the sea market, one couldn’t be sure which one was a friend of some big shot from Qianliu Mountain. Offending one could bring him utter disgrace.
Similar incidents of offending people were not unheard of. The shop assistants sometimes didn’t know the gravity of things, being self-righteous, thinking we belong to the Zhenhai Commissioner’s family. When they met someone they didn’t like, or someone who spoke rather unpleasantly, their confidence immediately surged, and they ended up provoking someone. Incidents of nearly smashing Zhenbao Hall were not unheard of.
And this time, it was actually really smashed.
His first reaction was that the shop assistants had provoked which honoured guest again. Which ordinary person would dare smash his Zhenbao Hall? Tired of living, or had water entered their brain.
Qi Duolai also felt his heart pounding, not knowing which great deity they had provoked again.
The person who came was speechless for a moment, not expecting the Commander to be so anxious that he wouldn’t even let him finish speaking. He quickly explained, “The Zhenbao Hall people didn’t cause trouble. Someone actively sought trouble with Zhenbao Hall, saying Zhenbao Hall kidnapped their people. The patrol personnel have already detained the people and brought them back to the office. It’s the three people we were watching: the little beard, the fatty, and the strong man.”
Zhu Xuan and Qi Duolai both choked speechless.
The two stopped talking nonsense, quickly walking away. Qi Duolai waved his hand to signal the person who came to lead the way.
Outside the public hall of Zhenhai Office where cases were heard, Yu Qing’s martial brothers all stood there. They hadn’t gone to court yet. Relevant personnel were still waiting for instructions from above.
Zhu Xuan and Qi Duolai peeked from behind the lattice window of a room. This time Zhu Xuan finally saw what “A Shiheng” looked like. So it turned out that the world’s number one talent was actually this fellow with the wretched little beard.
“Truly, one cannot judge a person by his appearance!” Zhu Xuan muttered to himself, then asked in a low voice, “Why did they smash my shop? Could it be he knows we are behind the mischief, and that local ruffian said something random?”
Qi Duolai: “Logically speaking, Qingya couldn’t speak randomly. But this directly hit the Commander’s shop. It shouldn’t be without reason. To be able to touch so accurately, either he received information, or he somewhat detected something. But this is nothing. The kidnapping was their own doing. It has nothing to do with us.”
Learning that it wasn’t a matter of offending some big shot, Zhu Xuan actually already didn’t care. Matters of this kind of person, with his power he could completely control the situation. “Smashing onto my shop, I shall see what medicine this Tanhua scholar is selling in his gourd.” After speaking, he left.
The group directly arranged a carriage and left Zhenhai Office.
Before leaving, he instructed his subordinates to first bring Yu Qing’s three people to court, first pass through a session to understand the situation before speaking.
They didn’t go anywhere else, directly going to Zhenbao Hall.
When they arrived, there were still many people on the road watching the excitement.
When their carriage arrived here, although it was an ordinary carriage that outsiders couldn’t see anything special about, the front was still quickly cleared by Zhenhai Office personnel.
Zhu Xuan on the carriage merely pulled aside the curtain to personally see the damage condition of Zhenbao Hall. Seeing that the perfectly good shop front was indeed destroyed to a miserable sight, his face immediately darkened.
Afraid of being seen by outsiders, the carriage didn’t stop here. It only pulled over after going around the street corner.
Before long, the Zhenbao Hall shopkeeper was summoned, entering the carriage. A round of salutations couldn’t be avoided, then he reported the specific course of events to Zhu Xuan.
After having a clear understanding of the relevant situation, Zhu Xuan finally concerned himself with the practical matter. “What are the shop’s losses? How much will it cost to restore it to its original state?”
The shopkeeper thought for a moment. “It’s just that the shop front was smashed to look ugly. The losses aren’t actually great. Although some of the valuable furnishings inside were smashed onto the ground, they were basically not too damaged. Estimating down, within ten million taels it can completely be restored to its original state.”
Zhu Xuan slightly raised his chin. “Looking broken and tattered there is not good looking. Repair matters should be quick. Additionally, make a loss list of around five hundred million.”
The shopkeeper was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood his lord’s meaning. The people who smashed the shop would probably bleed heavily. He immediately smiled and said, “Yes, I understand. I’ll go do it now.” After speaking, he quickly got off the carriage and left.
When the carriage set off to return, Qi Duolai had to try reminding him, “Commander, according to the information about A Shiheng obtained from Qianliu Mountain, those fellows don’t stay at inns but squeeze in that elevated little nest for a reason. They are truly poor, owing a buttload of debts. Every year paying interest to Bihai Shipping is already tough. Five hundred million, I’m afraid even beating them to death they couldn’t take it out.”
Zhu Xuan glanced at him, saying lightly, “My shop was smashed. The culprit shouted in public that I was kidnapping. How can I not investigate the cause? Find out who instigated the kidnapping, and severely punish whoever it is.”
Wang Wentian? Qi Duolai flashed this name in his mind, his eyes instantly lighting up. He understood, and a name popped out of his mouth, “Wang Xuetang!”
Zhu Xuan: “Speaking of which, this ‘A Shiheng’ indeed has some backbone. He said he would abandon literature for martial arts, and truly did what he said. He would rather be poor and destitute, and would not pick up the pen to write half a word to sell for money. I heard his characters are rather valuable. It’s a pity he insists on being at odds with himself.”
Qi Duolai: “Indeed. If the Commander is interested, since the person is in our hands, shall I find a way to make him write a few pieces for you?”
Zhu Xuan waved his hand slightly. “Everyone is watching coldly. Who knows what they are brewing behind the scenes. It’s not appropriate for us to step out and expose his identity. It’s better to continue pretending to be confused.”
Qi Duolai thought about it and agreed, nodding in assent.
When the carriage returned to Zhenhai Office, the two had just gotten off the carriage when the person in charge of hearing cases rushed over to report the situation. “Commander, they confessed. The three of them said there were still accomplices of the kidnappers at their residence, already injured and dead. But before dying, he said it was Zhenbao Hall, saying he was instigated by Zhenbao Hall. This subordinate has already sent people to fetch the corpse.”
Zhu Xuan merely gave a light “Mn” sound, looking like he didn’t care, leaving unhurriedly. The remaining matters would naturally be handled by someone.
Qi Duolai cupped his hands in farewell. After putting his hands down, he muttered to himself, “Testimony from a dead person. Truly found a good witness. What exactly do they want to do?”
This matter obviously had problems. He was very clear that how could Qingya’s people before dying possibly implicate Zhenbao Hall. It was clearly a lie.
The person who came asked, “Chief Officer, how should those three fellows be handled?”
Qi Duolai: “We can’t just release them like this. Lock them up for now.”
Just as this person retreated, another person hurried over, reporting to him in a low voice, “Chief Officer, Qingya requests an audience.”
Qi Duolai was slightly silent, then tilted his head to indicate, “Take him to the dark room.”
The so-called dark room was an underground chamber. The person who led Qingya into the dark room took out a luminous stone to provide light, then turned and left.
Qingya, left alone, looked around. He was barefoot. From the moment he entered Zhenhai Office, he had taken off his wooden clogs and hung them at his lower back.
Qi Duolai didn’t put on airs and make him wait long. He quickly arrived, and upon meeting reminded him, “Didn’t I warn you to come here directly as little as possible?”
Qingya smiled bitterly. “It’s not that I want to run here, but it’s that Wang Wentian. With the Chief Officer’s well-informed ears and eyes, you must already know about the Zhenbao Hall being smashed. Wang Wentian kidnapped a hostage and was about to deliver another invitation to those three people, but those three people were arrested by Zhenhai Office, making him come up empty, a joyous occasion turned to nothing. He is not resigned, insisting I help think of a way.”
Qi Duolai raised his eyebrows. “What does he want to do?”
Qingya: “His idea is actually simple. After those three were arrested, he was actually quite happy. First, he asked me to find a way to inquire about the news, to see how Zhenhai Office planned to handle them. Wang Wentian’s meaning is, when punishment is meted out, if it’s light, find a way to make it heavy. Best to directly get them killed in Zhenhai Office. He is willing to pay money for me to handle things.”