Chapter 68

Qiaofu couldn't help but reach out and slap Zhang Ke's forehead.

"It's not hot, so why are you talking nonsense? Brother Ke, the body is lying in the coffin, we just saw it with our own eyes, how could he not be dead?"

Hong Fuchao also looked surprised and said, "Yongzhen, you can't be joking about this! Xiong Jinglei wouldn't come just like that!"

"Master, I'm not joking. The dead Zhu Jinhai is a fake."

Hong Fuchao's eyes widened, and he grabbed Zhang Ke's hand.

"Yongzhen, if Zhu Jinhai is really a fake, then your brother could be alive, and all the charges would be cleared!"

Zhang Ke smiled slightly and said, "Master, when I was paying respects, I smelled something on the Zhu family members."

"What smell?"

"Garlic."

Qiaofu laughed carelessly, "It's just garlic, what's so strange about that?"

"Ha ha ha, using garlic to season food isn't strange, but using it to rub on the eyes to fake crying is strange!"

When Hong Fuchao heard this, his whole body trembled, and he pulled Zhang Ke, both of them as if they had been electrocuted.

"Yongzhen, can you really be sure?"

Zhang Ke said firmly, "Master, not only did the Zhu family members fake crying, but I also found something wrong with the body. I was drinking tea at a teahouse opposite Tianrui Xuan and heard people discussing it. They said Tianrui Xuan is a joint venture, one partner is Jin Wanguan, whom we've met, and the other is Zhu Jinshui."

Hong Fuchao frowned and asked, "What's the relationship between Zhu Jinshui and Zhu Jinhai?"

"Brothers!" Zhang Ke smiled. "Zhu Jinshui is the elder brother, and Zhu Jinhai is the youngest. The Zhu family has been doing business in Liaodong for over a year and has been prosperous for about forty to fifty years, with deeper roots than Jin Wanguan. Zhu Jinhai, born into a wealthy merchant family, would never do manual labor. But I secretly examined the dead man's hands, and they were full of thick calluses, not the hands of a nobleman!"

"Alright!"

Qiaofu jumped up in excitement, "Brother Ke, you're really something! You can solve cases while drinking tea, you're really amazing!"

Yang Long, standing beside him, was also excited, clapping his hands so hard that he suddenly fell to his knees.

"Second Master, you are unparalleled in wisdom. I didn't understand your intentions, I, I apologize to you!"

"Get up!" Zhang Ke smiled. "I've found more than that."

Hong Fuchao also became excited and said urgently, "Yongzhen, what else did you find, tell me quickly!"

"Um, I also learned that the Jin family's caravan specializes in transporting valuable goods, not grain. So the carriages your brother and the others seized, which had flags, should not have been grain carriages, contradicting what the Zhu family said!"

When Hong Fuchao heard this, he nodded frequently, "Yongzhen is indeed impressive. However, the carriages were all burned, so there's no evidence. Otherwise, I could arrest the Jin and Zhu families and interrogate them!"

Although there were these inconsistencies, they were all conjectures, and the evidence was not sufficient. Both master and apprentice frowned, trying to find a breakthrough.

At this moment, there were footsteps, and Wu Boyan ran in, panting.

"Sir, I've investigated the coachmen as you instructed!"

Zhang Ke finally smiled and asked urgently, "What did you find?"

"Sir, I investigated all the coachmen in Shenyang and found that more than ten families were holding funerals, all with deaths. They said these people were killed during the Jurchen raid. But when I asked the neighbors, they said the bodies were brought into the city on the first day of the twelfth month, and the funerals were held after a few days!"

"Oh!" Hong Fuchao's face lit up with joy.

He had been investigating the transport of military grain. According to Ming Dynasty customs, grain merchants transported grain from inside the pass to key towns outside, such as Guangning, Shenyang, and Liaoyang. Then the grain was transported further by auxiliary soldiers and civilian laborers.

However, the military grain for Fengji Fort was handled by Zhu Jinhai. Although the Zhu family had transported grain before, they would usually send a subordinate, not a young master.

"The timing is off. The time when your brother seized the caravan is the same as when these people died. They didn't die at the hands of the Jurchens but around the same time your brother seized the caravan! Why would they lie..."

Hong Fuchao had spent time investigating the records, and although he found inconsistencies, he couldn't catch them. But Zhang Ke was different; he directly had Wu Boyan investigate the entire city. Hong Fuchao, being extremely intelligent, quickly came to a reasonable conclusion.

"After your brother seized the caravan, some people felt threatened. They killed a real grain transport team and used Zhu Jinhai's team as a fake. Then they switched the grain for scrap iron and medicine, creating the illusion that your brother was oppressing the grain merchants."

Zhang Ke nodded with a smile, "Exactly. They bribed the coachmen to keep quiet. After my brother was arrested, they held the funerals, making it seem real. They claimed the Jurchens killed them, indirectly proving that my brother delayed the military, causing the soldiers to mutiny due to lack of food, and allowing the Jurchens to take advantage. Their intentions are truly malicious!"

"Who, who did this?" Hong Fuchao clenched his fists, asking excitedly.

Wu Boyan hurriedly said, "Sir, I investigated all the deceased, and they were all subordinates of General He Guangxian!"

"Good, good! The fox's tail is showing!" Hong Fuchao laughed. "Yongzhen, your subordinate is capable. He solved it so quickly, he should be rewarded!"

Wu Boyan's face turned slightly red, and he waved his hand, "I dare not, I dare not. Actually, I used the same method as you."

"Oh, what method?"

"Using beggars." Wu Boyan smiled. "I heard from Master Qiao how you dealt with fraud in Guangning. I thought beggars are the same everywhere, they know a lot as they wander the streets, and they are especially good at recognizing people. If they didn't have this skill, they would have starved to death long ago!"

When Hong Fuchao heard this, he was even more pleased and said, "With this, I can take action. Go tell General He to mobilize his troops and arrest the families of the deceased!"

Hong Fuchao rubbed his hands excitedly. Just arriving and solving such a big case, exposing He Guangxian, would surely uncover a large network of corrupt officials in Liaodong!

"Hong Sir, Xiong Jinglei has sent someone to invite you over." A subordinate rushed in, dashing everyone's hopes.

"How did Xiong Tingbi arrive so quickly?" Hong Fuchao was surprised.

Zhang Ke's face turned pale. Normally, it would take two days to travel between Shenyang and Liaoyang. As the Liaodong governor, Xiong Tingbi, with his many responsibilities, would need to delegate tasks before coming. It usually took five to six days, and the fastest would be three days. But he arrived in just over two days, meaning he set off immediately upon receiving the news!

This action, besides indicating Xiong Tingbi's concern, also raised the possibility that he was involved!

If even the Liaodong governor was involved, no matter how capable Zhang Ke was, he couldn't turn the situation around!

"Master, what do you think?"

Hong Fuchao frowned and said, "Yongzhen, don't panic. Xiong Tingbi has only been in Liaodong for a short time, so he might not be involved. However, someone might have slandered him. I will go see him and try to negotiate. You must continue investigating and find solid evidence to overturn the case!"

"Alright, Master, I will find it!"

Hong Fuchao nodded and turned to leave.

Zhang Ke hurriedly said to Wu Boyan, "Go and lead the troops to arrest the families of the deceased and interrogate them immediately."

"Yes, Sir!"

Wu Boyan turned and left, and Zhang Ke paced back and forth, his mind in turmoil. If Xiong Tingbi had arrived just a day or two later, the evidence would have been sufficient. But he came at this moment, forcing Zhang Ke to take drastic action!

"Qiaofu, let's go see Brother!"

The two rushed to the room where Zhang Feng was being held. Zhang Ke hesitated for half a minute at the door, unsure how to start.

Biting his lip, he pushed the door open. He had imagined a thousand scenarios for his brother, but the scene before him still shocked him.

Zhang Feng was dressed in a new short outfit, with a silk-lined cotton coat over it, looking neat and tidy. In front of him was a pot of wine and eight dishes, and he was enjoying himself.

"Brother, you're still drinking?"

"Come, come, Second Brother, and Qiaofu, we grew up together. Let's have a few drinks!"

Qiaofu shook his head like a tambourine, "Brother, stop drinking. Think about how to survive. Xiong Tingbi is here!"

Zhang Feng smiled slightly, "I know, that's why I want to have a good drink."

Zhang Ke's face suddenly changed, and he grabbed Zhang Feng's collar, staring at him fiercely.

"Brother, does the last meal taste good?"

Zhang Feng was taken aback, then smiled bitterly, "Second Brother, I know you've been working hard these two days, but there's a saying, 'a small arm can't resist a big leg.' I've made up my mind. If Xiong Tingbi accuses me, I'll take the blame alone. What's the worst that can happen, I die! Second Brother, you still have a bright future, and our family still has a root!"

"Bullshit, stupid, incredibly stupid!" Zhang Ke couldn't help but curse, "Brother, you're being foolish. The Ming Dynasty has a collective punishment law. If you confess, they might throw all sorts of accusations at you. Our family will be implicated. If we are listed as artisans, slaves, or sent to the army, not only us, but our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will be lower class! Living like that is worse than dying. Zhang Feng, listen to me, I'd rather break into the prison and take you to the mountains as a bandit than let you die unjustly!"

Zhang Feng's mouth dropped open, his eyes full of shock, and his face contorted in pain.

After a while, he shook his head painfully, "But they said they wouldn't implicate you!"

Those words were like a thunderclap in Zhang Ke's ears. The person behind this was powerful, directly manipulating his brother. Zhang Ke's anger burned fiercely, and he couldn't suppress it any longer.

"Brother, don't listen to their nonsense. Who promised you this, tell me!"