Chapter 35: The Three Arrows Eliminate Future Troubles (Part 1)

"Should it be today, then?"

"It's today!"

A faint scent of sandalwood lingered in the air, but the room was more filled with the aroma of the sumptuous dishes on the table. However, the cryptic conversation between the two men in the room did not match the setting, each word brimming with intense hostility.

The incense of the Tianning Temple, known for its exquisite vegetarian cuisine, though not as famous as the Miaosheng Temple, which was listed in the Honglu Temple, was renowned for its elegance and tranquility amidst the bustling city. It also had a famous chrysanthemum garden, which many officials in Qinzhou enjoyed visiting in autumn to admire the chrysanthemums and drink wine.

Now that it was winter, the vegetarian dishes were not as popular in the northwest, and the officials visiting Tianning Temple were almost nonexistent. Only Chen Ju, who enjoyed fine food, frequently visited, and his donations of incense oil were not insignificant.

Chen Ju used a spoon to scoop up a piece of stuffed tofu and swallowed it, half-closing his eyes as he savored the smooth and delicate texture spreading in his mouth. The tofu at Tianning Temple was exceptionally tender, without the bitter taste of the usual tofu, thanks to its unique recipe, which no one knew how to make. This dish was one that Chen Ju never tired of.

Liu Xian, sitting opposite Chen Ju, had not touched his bowl or chopsticks. "According to the schedule, if there were no delays, Han Gang should have already left Xiyang Town and be heading to Pei Canyon."

"I wonder if the Moshi tribe will succeed..."

Liu Xian laughed easily. "The ambush is manned by the best of the best, selected from a thousand. Han Gang has only about thirty civilian laborers, and Xue Erba and Dong Chao are working as insiders. Even if Wang Shunmin is capable, how much can he do when surrounded by several times his number of elite soldiers?"

The Moshi tribe could barely mobilize eight or nine hundred soldiers. But such a large group would make too much noise, so a hundred was the limit to prevent any leaks. A hundred elite soldiers selected from nearly a thousand would not lose to less than half their number of civilian laborers.

"We must also be prepared for any contingencies..." The more Chen Ju dealt with the tribes, the more he realized they could not be fully trusted, and precautions were necessary.

"With Qi Duyan, even if Han Gang reaches Gangu, he will not escape death. By now, Xiao Qi should have reached Gangu and informed Qi Duyan. There's no need for you to worry, Sir."

Chen Ju slowly nodded, confident that the multiple traps he had set for Han Gang would not all fail. As long as one of them worked, Han Gang would surely die. The only concern was if he might run away. "Han Gang's parents have fled to Fengxiang Prefecture. He might also run."

Chen Ju put down his chopsticks and picked up his wine cup. Liu Xian quickly refilled it and smiled. "Fourth Brother is also in Fengxiang... If Han Gang flees, his parents will surely be imprisoned, and Fourth Brother can take the opportunity to act."

"He just needs to do his job well. I will arrange for someone to eliminate the root of the problem!"

Chen Ju was a clerk, and his family had been powerful in Chengji County for three generations. He wanted to pass this power to his son. He had eight sons, but only three survived. In both the common and royal families, the infant mortality rate was over half, and it was rare for all three sons to grow up like in the Han family. Chen Ju's youngest son was just eight years old, while his second and fourth sons were adults. His second son, Chen Ji, worked in the Chengji County office and had recently been sent on a mission to Jingzhao Prefecture. As for his fourth son, Chen Luo, Chen Ju had decided early on not to let him compete with his eldest son in Chengji County. Instead, he spent money to buy him an official position, and he now worked as a tax supervisor in a county under Fengxiang Prefecture.

The official position Chen Ju bought for his son was called a Jinna official. Although Jinna officials were often despised in the bureaucracy and had little chance of promotion, having an official position reduced taxes and exempted them from corvée labor, making life easier. Chen Ju's deceased second brother had also bought an official position to help reduce the family's tax burden.

"As long as Han Gang is dead, and his entire family is wiped out, no one will dare to challenge you, Sir."

Chen Ju tilted his head back and drank the watered-down wine in one gulp. Putting down the cup, his eyes narrowed with a murderous intent, and his right hand clenched so tightly that it almost crushed the cup.

Since the military equipment warehouse incident, his authority in Chengji County had plummeted. In the past, when he asked someone to do something, there were no objections. But now, many tasks were delayed.

Who was to blame?

Han Gang!

To cover up the hole and prevent future troubles, he had spent tens of thousands of strings of cash, depleting his family's savings. His business almost couldn't keep up, and he had to sell several good pieces of land and houses to make up for the losses.

Who was to blame?

Han Gang!

Wealth should not be flaunted, but many officials envied him. Every night, he tossed and turned until the third watch, only falling into a light sleep, often waking up in a cold sweat from nightmares.

Who was to blame?

Still, Han Gang!

How could he be at ease if Han Gang lived?

"As long as Han Gang is dead!" Chen Ju said viciously.

Yes, as long as Han Gang is dead...

"Are you asking me, the supervisor of Gangu, to help your Sir kill a clerk from Chengji County? Who is this Han Gang, and how did he offend Chen Ju?"

In the public hall of Gangu City, a middle-aged official in a blue robe asked with a hint of amusement. Qi Duyan was his nickname, but his real name was Qi Juan. Both of his eyes were open, and it was impossible to tell which was real and which was fake. However, a trace of compassion could still be seen in his left eye, while his right eye was cold and merciless.

Qi Juan, the supervisor of the Gangu City warehouse, was well-known in Qinzhou. No clerk who fell into his hands ever returned home safely; they all had to go bankrupt to satisfy this one-eyed, blood-sucking wolf. Many people disliked him, and it was said that Zhang Shouyue, the military supervisor of Qinzhou and the governor of Gangu, also disapproved of him. However, Qi Juan only targeted clerks and never tampered with military supplies, and as a civil official, Zhang Shouyue had no reason to interfere.

In front of Qi Juan, a tall, dusty young man bowed and replied, "Sir, the Sir sent me to Gangu to meet you and only gave me this message to convey."

Qi Juan squinted his eyes, his voice turning cold. "Li Qing, is this how your Sir asks for help?"

"The Sir said that you are as close as brothers, and he asked me to serve you carefully. But for things he didn't instruct, I dare not speak out of turn," Li Qing replied respectfully but firmly.

Qi Juan snorted, knowing he wouldn't get anything more from Li Qing. Anyone Chen Ju sent must be deeply trusted, and Li Qing, being a household servant, would have been serving the Chen family since his parents' time. Such a background would not easily reveal his master's secrets.

He casually picked up a heavy box that Li Qing had placed on his desk, opened it slightly, and glanced inside. A faint smile appeared on his lips, and the coldness in his right eye faded. His tone became more amiable. "The situation in Gangu is not good, but you managed to get in."

"To serve the Sir, this is a small matter," Li Qing said softly, bowing his head.

"A small matter?" Qi Juan laughed dryly, but the laughter quickly stopped. He looked somewhat worried. "It's not a small matter..."

"Supervisor..." A clerk suddenly appeared at the door.

"What is it?" Qi Juan asked.

"Supervisor, the clerk from Longcheng County who came last month has died. He was brought back from the sick camp. Please inspect the body before we burn it."

"Finally dead, he really could drag it out..." Qi Juan shook his head, seemingly dissatisfied. He walked to the door, and Li Qing followed.

In the courtyard, a young man's body lay on a reed mat. Due to the winter, the body had not decomposed, but a strong stench of death filled the yard. Through the tattered and messy fabric, one could see that there was almost no intact skin, with various colors of bruises and blackened areas, a sight that was both shocking and terrifying.

The face of the corpse, including the nose, ears, and cheeks, was missing a lot of flesh, and even the bones were visible. Li Qing guessed that rats had gnawed on the body, and the purple-black blood clots at the edges suggested that the bites occurred while the person was still alive.

"Here is the clerk from Longcheng who came to Gangu last month," Qi Juan said, covering his nose with a scented handkerchief and pointing to the body. "This ungrateful scoundrel caused many losses during the transport. When asked to make up for them, he refused. I didn't bother with him and broke his legs, then threw him into the sick camp."

He kicked the body, exposing the wounds on the legs, which had been completely gnawed by rats, leaving only white bones with a few blood threads. "If it were summer, the wounds would have been infested with maggots, and he would have died in a few days. But now that it's winter, he managed to drag on for half a month, making me wait so long."

Qi Juan's tone was as casual as if he were talking about killing a chicken or a dog, showing no regard for human life. Li Qing felt a chill. He had worked for Chen Ju for a long time and had seen many ruthless people, but Qi Juan's attitude of treating all lives equally was something he had only seen in Chen Ju.

Qi Juan waved his hand, signaling for the men to carry the body away. He turned to Li Qing and said, "It's hard to leave Gangu now. Stay here for a couple of days. Once Han Gang arrives, he will be like a cooked duck, unable to escape!"

Li Qing's wooden face showed a hint of a smile, and he knelt down, bowing deeply. "Thank you, Sir Qi!"

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