Chapter 26: The Building Will Fall, Urgent Dispatch (Part 1)

A dull thud accompanied by a stifled scream of pain, and in the next moment, a crisp sound of shattering came from Chen Ju's study.

Huang Deyong held his head with his hand, the skin on his forehead, visible through the gaps between his fingers, was bruised and black. If he let go, one could see the tumor on his forehead, which was as large as the one on his neck. At his feet lay fragments of stone. The fragments, with their purple and green hues and the smooth phoenix eye on one of them, clearly indicated that they were once a rare and high-quality Duan inkstone. Now, shattered on the ground, it was truly a pity to see.

Struck on the head with a Duan inkstone, the usually arrogant Head Constable Huang Deyong did not even dare to cry out in pain. He simply held his head and stood there obediently. However, the blow to his forehead was severe enough to make his vision blur with stars and his head buzz as if swarmed by a thousand glowing flies.

The person who had thrown the thousand-gold Duan inkstone at Huang Deyong's head approached and, with a seemingly concerned tone, asked, "Head Constable Huang, does it hurt?"

Huang Deyong trembled at the words in his ear, quickly lowering his hand and standing straight with his head bowed. The two tumors on his forehead and neck complemented each other. Despite his grimacing face, it was clear he was in great pain. In Qinzhou City, there were many people who could make Huang Deyong behave, but the only one who could make him genuinely fear was Chen Ju.

Chen Ju, nearly fifty years old, was unremarkable in appearance, of medium height, and thin and dark. However, his face was kind and honest, always wearing a humble smile. To the young, he was a kind elder; to his superiors, he was a trustworthy subordinate. Such a sincere person could win the favor of his superiors at first sight, and if he were also capable, which superior would not trust and value him?

This seemingly kind middle-aged man had caused several county magistrates to leave in anger and left many officials helpless. Chen Ju's influence was not limited to Chengji County; he had people in the military, among the tribal groups, and even in the capital. Once, a clerk with the status of a jinshi (imperial scholar) tried to challenge Chen Ju's position. The result was that the clerk was exiled to a remote island, and his wife and daughter were taken into Chen Ju's household. For thirty years, Chen Ju had controlled the internal and external affairs of Chengji County, and his influence had only grown deeper and stronger.

Chen Ju glanced at Huang Deyong again, and a flash of disgust crossed his eyes. Huang Deyong was useful and obedient, so even though he was somewhat lustful, Chen Ju had never taken it to heart. He never imagined that a twelve-year-old girl would cause such a commotion.

Thinking about this, Chen Ju felt even more hatred: "At sixteen, he dared to travel alone for a thousand miles to study. Such a person is not easy to deal with. And he is a disciple of Mr. Hengqu. Has he not considered how many officials' sons are among his classmates? How many friends his teacher has?"

Chen Ju also felt frustrated with the self-important Liu Xian. Han Gang, a penniless scholar, dared to confront the large tumor Huang Deyong on the street, clearly showing a reckless and fearless nature. Placing such a person in charge of the military equipment warehouse in De Xian Fang, thinking it would serve two purposes, without considering the risk of a complete failure. Why did he give the position of supervisor of the military equipment warehouse to the timid and fearful Zhou Feng for just eighty guan?

Stepping on the fragments of the inkstone, Chen Ju paced heavily in the hall. This was his favorite Duan inkstone, made from old pit stone. He had spent considerable effort to obtain it from a fallen official family, and if sold, it would fetch at least a thousand guan. Now, it was crushed under his feet, emitting a mournful creak.

Chen Ju ground the fragments under his shoe, wishing they were Han Gang's face, which he could stomp on mercilessly!

In Chen Ju's study, besides Huang Deyong, there were seven or eight others standing at various heights. They were all Chen Ju's confidants, summoned urgently after the incident at the military equipment warehouse. They watched as the inkstone hit Huang Deyong's forehead and remained silent, fearing that Chen Ju's anger would shift to them.

They all waited, hoping for further news.

The drum beats echoed, marking the third watch. The alarm had spread throughout Qinzhou City at the second watch, and only an hour had passed. The crescent moon had not yet reached the zenith.

Qinzhou City had a curfew, with city patrols, night watchmen, fire brigades, and city guards patrolling the high walls. This strict surveillance system made it difficult to move around the city at night. Chen Ju received news of the incident at the military equipment warehouse within a quarter of an hour and gathered his subordinates from all corners of the city within half an hour, demonstrating his considerable influence.

Finally, when the drum beats marked the first quarter of the third watch, a trusted servant entered to report, "Sir, Second Master Liu has returned!"

The people in the study perked up. Chen Ju quickly said, "Why don't you bring Second Master in!"

Liu Xian, hearing the summons, dragged his heavy feet into Chen Ju's study. He had worked hard to gather information to make up for his mistake. He had mistakenly caught a venomous snake, thinking it was a harmless one, and now, even if he died, he could only blame himself for his mistake.

"Where are they now?" Chen Ju asked urgently as Liu Xian entered.

"They are all at the county office. Han Gang, Wang Wu, and Wang Jiu are there," Liu Xian said, shaking his head. "None of them have been imprisoned!"

According to the rules, regardless of guilt, one must be imprisoned before sentencing. Han Gang and Wang Wu, Wang Jiu, all had blood on their hands and should have been imprisoned immediately. The fact that Judge Wu Yan did not follow the law clearly indicated that he had already determined the guilt of Liu San and his backers. The people present, all experienced in official matters, understood this and became even more uneasy.

"Don't worry, it's a small matter," Chen Ju reassured his subordinates. He did not believe that a penniless scholar could cause such a stir. However, Han Gang's ruthlessness and decisiveness reminded Chen Ju of his younger self. He felt a sense of nostalgia, thinking that the older one gets, the more cautious one becomes, and only the young can act without considering the consequences.

Liu Xian offered a suggestion, "Han Gang can be set aside for now. The most important thing is the military equipment warehouse. As long as the shortfall in the warehouse is not discovered, Liu San's matter can be pushed aside."

"It's only a shortfall of about ten thousand guan. We can cover it. The money can come from me," Chen Ju said casually, but the ability to casually produce ten thousand guan was rare even in the capital. "Besides money, the shortfall in weapons must be clarified by morning. We can borrow as much as we need from Zhao Bin. Even if Li Xiang investigates, he won't trace it back to the arsenal. If he does, we can have the craftsmen make some to cover the shortfall without much effort."

Chen Ju regretted his actions. If he had known about this, he could have adjusted the accounts months ago to cover the shortfall, or he could have spent a few thousand guan to fix the problem.

"But now, with the county office watching De Xian Fang, even if we bring the money and supplies, we might not be able to get them in!" a confidant reminded him.

Liu Xian sneered, "Why not just store them in the county office? As long as the numbers match, we can add a transfer to the accounts. Who could say anything?"

Chen Ju nodded. This plan was foolproof. The biggest problem was solved, and the next challenge was the difficult situation Han Gang had created. Chen Ju had a plan, "The key is Wang Wu and Wang Jiu. They were scared by Han Gang, and we can't blame them."

If Wang Wu and Wang Jiu changed their statements, Han Gang would have no way to implicate Chen Ju. Chen Ju turned to a tall, strong youth standing in the corner of the study and said, "Xiao Qi, find a way to meet with them. Tell them that I, Chen Ju, personally say that the past can be forgiven, but..."

"Sir!" Liu Xian suddenly interrupted, sighing, "Sir, you don't know. Liu San and the others have knife wounds, all in vital areas! They were inflicted by Wang Wu and Wang Jiu's swords."

Chen Ju was speechless. Han Gang's actions were flawless, not at all like those of an eighteen-year-old but rather those of an eighty-year-old fox. After a long pause, he spat out, "What a Han Gang!"

The people in the study looked at each other, and Huang Deyong's face grew even more pale. They all knew that since Wang Wu and Wang Jiu could not be swayed, there was only one solution to the problem with Liu San. Liu Xian hesitated, and Chen Ju, after a moment of hesitation, sighed and said to Huang Deyong, "Brother Huang... you should go home first."

Huang Deyong was stunned. He understood the meaning behind Chen Ju's words. He cried out, "Sir!"

Liu Xian walked to Huang Deyong's side, placing a hand on his shoulder and speaking softly, "Old Brother Huang, go home and rest. You've had a tough day."

Huang Deyong's face was as white as lime, and his tumors were a sickly green. The day before, he had been lying in the bed of the nun Miaoxin at Jinghui Temple, holding a beautiful bald nun and thinking about the young girl from the Han family. Now, twelve hours later, he was facing a dire situation. At the temple gate earlier, he never imagined that a penniless scholar he had looked down upon would put a noose around his neck.

Desperately, he looked at Chen Ju and Liu Xian, then fell to his knees, grabbing Chen Ju's boot and crying, "Sir, for the sake of our past friendship, please spare me a way out!"

"De Yong, what are you doing? You are my brother. How could I not spare you a way out?" Chen Ju said expressionlessly, stepping back and gesturing to two confidants at the door, "Why don't you help Brother Huang out?"

The two men nodded, understanding that they were to monitor Huang Deyong to prevent him from doing anything in his despair. They covered his mouth and lifted him from both sides, dragging the struggling Head Constable out of the study.

"Second Brother, later, you go after Huang Deyong and tell him that I will ensure the safety of his wife and children for life. Let him go with peace of mind," Chen Ju said, his usually fake smile gone, his face dark and terrifying.

Liu Xian nodded, indicating he had heard. Chen Ju turned and looked through the half-open window toward the county office. No one could see his expression, but after a long pause, they heard him mutter through gritted teeth, "Han Gang!"