Chapter 81

Chu Huan was slightly taken aback. He had guessed that Wei Tianqing's status was not low, but he did not expect that his official position would be so high.

In the Great Qin, each region had military garrisons, and the nominal highest military commander was the Commander. However, even the Commander could not easily mobilize the army. Under normal circumstances, the mobilization of more than five hundred troops required an order from the Military Council, and the highest-ranking official, the Governor, had no authority to inspect the military affairs of the garrisons.

However, the Governor did have a detachment of the Imperial Guard under his command, with a maximum strength of five thousand men, mainly responsible for guarding and protecting duties. Occasionally, when there were civilian unrest or banditry in the region, the Imperial Guard would be used to quell the disturbances.

Wei Tianqing, who commanded five thousand Imperial Guards, was naturally the Governor's most trusted subordinate, and the military power in his hands also indicated his prominent position in Yunshan Prefecture.

Chu Huan was only slightly taken aback but did not show too much surprise. He smiled and said, "Brother Wei, I didn't realize you held such a high position. I must have been shortsighted!"

Seeing that Chu Huan did not show any signs of respect or fear, Wei Tianqing appreciated him even more and smiled, "Brother Chu, no matter what position I hold, our friendship remains equal."

Chu Huan smiled and asked, "Brother Wei, as the commander of the Imperial Guard, you have come here for a mere county magistrate. This Hu Zhixian must be quite a person."

Wei Tianqing shook his head and said, "Brother Chu, don't underestimate this small Qingliu County. Do you know that Qingliu County is the largest county in Yunshan Prefecture, with a vast area and a strategic location? It is a bustling place with merchants coming and going from all directions, making it very prosperous. Its status is extraordinary." He picked up his wine cup, drank a cup, and asked, "Brother Chu, do you know what five businesses are the most profitable in the world?"

Chu Huan shook his head and smiled, "I am just a commoner and know very little. Please enlighten me, Brother Wei!"

Wei Tianqing held up five fingers and said, "Salt, iron, tea, porcelain, and silk... These five businesses are highly profitable. Any merchant in these fields makes a fortune every day!"

Chu Huan frowned, not quite understanding, and asked, "Brother Wei, I am a bit slow. What does this Hu Zhixian have to do with these five businesses?"

"It's not about him personally, but about the position he holds," Wei Tianqing said. "You probably know that Qingliu County has several iron mines, which are a great source of wealth. Although the Ministry of Works has issued an order to prohibit mining, Qingliu County, with its rich mineral resources, could become a source of great wealth once mining resumes."

Chu Huan seemed to understand but did not speak.

"Besides these mines, Qingliu County, due to its strategic location, has customs checkpoints. Once goods from these five businesses start flowing, heavy taxes must be paid...!" Wei Tianqing said seriously. "Just the customs duties alone bring in a large amount of tax revenue for Qingliu County every year!"

Chu Huan seemed to understand something and said softly, "Brother Wei, do you mean that this time, bringing down Hu Zhixian is to gain these revenues...?"

Wei Tianqing shook his head and said, "It's not that simple." He paused, seemingly hesitating, but finally said, "Brother Chu, there are some things I shouldn't tell you outright, but I feel a connection with you. Since you are involved in this case, I feel uneasy if I don't explain some things to you."

Chu Huan calmly said, "Brother Wei, as a commoner, I shouldn't know too much about official matters. If it's inconvenient, it's better not to say!"

Wei Tianqing laughed and said, "Brother Chu, you are indeed open-minded. But in such matters, everyone knows the truth. If you were an official, I wouldn't be so straightforward." He raised his cup and drank with Chu Huan, then said, "Brother Chu, among the counties under Yunshan Prefecture, Qingliu County has the largest area and should have the highest tax revenue. However, in recent years, the tax revenue Qingliu County has paid to the Prefecture has been the lowest!"

Chu Huan frowned and said coldly, "But as far as I know, Hu Wei has been heavily taxing the people in Qingliu County for years... Many people are struggling to make ends meet. Could he have the audacity to keep the tax revenue for himself?"

"He doesn't have the nerve!" Wei Tianqing said coldly. "If he really did that, he wouldn't just lose his position as magistrate; he would have lost his head long ago!"

Chu Huan was still confused. He had not been in the bureaucracy and was not yet familiar with its complexities.

Wei Tianqing said softly, "Hu Wei may take some benefits, but they are minimal... The tax revenue has another channel, flowing to his biggest master!" He hinted at this but did not say it outright.

Chu Huan frowned and said, "If he has been consistently underpaying taxes, why hasn't anyone investigated him? Why let him act so recklessly?"

"Brother Chu, the Governor has been trying to remove this cancer for a long time," Wei Tianqing sighed. "But there is a powerful force supporting Hu Wei. Removing him is not easy. The Governor won't act unless he has a sure chance of success."

Chu Huan smiled and said, "So, this time, you found the opportunity, and that's why Brother Wei struck with certainty?" He said softly, "If I may be frank, that coroner Ye must be one of your people, right? Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so casual in his examination and concluded that Zhao Bao was stabbed with a dagger!"

Chu Huan had been puzzled about this. He couldn't understand why Zhao Bao would have knife wounds.

Moreover, he knew that even if Hu Zhixian were foolish, he wouldn't be so stupid as to frame someone for murder using a knife, as it would be a fatal flaw.

Hu Zhixian wouldn't leave such a loophole.

Wei Tianqing thought for a moment and then said, "To be precise, he is Zhao Hongwen's man!"

Zhao Hongwen was the County Deputy.

Chu Huan nodded slightly. He had noticed the subtle signals between Ye the coroner and Zhao Hongwen, indicating they were working together.

"Zhao Hongwen is not a simple person. He once held an official position in the capital but was demoted and came to Qingliu County, where he became the County Deputy under Hu Wei, with no real power," Wei Tianqing said slowly. "He is very patient and has long been under the Governor's command, watching Hu Wei and waiting for the right moment!" He looked at Chu Huan and said, "Brother Chu, Lord Lan once said that without you, it might not have been possible to bring down Hu Wei. That's not an exaggeration!"

Chu Huan sighed, "But I still don't know how I helped."

"Your character," Wei Tianqing smiled. "Brother Chu, you are not someone who can be easily controlled. Your straightforward nature led you to beat up the prisoners in the jail after you were arrested, showing great courage!"

Chu Huan didn't quite understand the meaning of this but smiled faintly.

Wei Tianqing then said solemnly, "Brother Chu, from that moment on, Zhao Hongwen had his eye on you. He believed you would not accept injustice and would become the most troublesome person for Hu Wei... Zhao Hongwen had already learned from Ye the coroner that Zhao Bao died from a blow to the head, but Ye was certain that the injuries you inflicted and the fatal blow had a time gap. In other words, Zhao Bao did not die at your hands...!"

Chu Huan said, "It seems they just didn't like me and wanted to frame me for murder!"

"Exactly!" Wei Tianqing said solemnly. "Once Hu Wei decided to act, he wouldn't let you live. To him, you were just a commoner, and dealing with you would be easy." He paused and said softly, "If it were just an ordinary person, they would have been framed and possibly died in jail, but this time, you owe it to Su Linlang!"

Chu Huan nodded, "I know!"

"Zhao Hongwen knew that once Su Linlang got involved, Hu Wei would be worried about an investigation from the Prefecture," Wei Tianqing said slowly. "Hu Wei feared that your case would be overturned, so Zhao Hongwen deduced that Hu Wei would try to kill you secretly!"

Chu Huan narrowed his eyes and said, "This Zhao Hongwen is indeed not simple."

Wei Tianqing smiled, "He has held office in the capital and has experienced many storms. He is indeed not to be underestimated. What impresses me most is that Zhao Hongwen predicted that Hu Wei might try to kill you!"

"Indeed, a remarkable person!" Chu Huan sighed. The most knowledgeable about the dark side of the bureaucracy were those within it.

"However, Zhao Hongwen's predictions were not baseless," Wei Tianqing said coldly. "I know that similar incidents have happened in Qingliu County before. Several people have died in jail, reported as suicides, and investigations were conducted, but the cover-up was so thorough that no evidence was found!"

Chu Huan frowned and said softly, "Brother Wei, is the jailer Zhang Xuan one of your people?"

Wei Tianqing smiled faintly but did not answer directly, his expression confirming it.

"If Zhang Xuan is one of your people, he must have been involved in Hu Wei's previous attempts to harm others," Chu Huan looked at Wei Tianqing and asked, "Logically, you should have had a chance to act against Hu Wei long ago. Why wait until now?"

"You are right," Wei Tianqing said. "The key is that Zhang Xuan is a crucial figure. However, he was not originally one of us. He colluded with Hu Wei, covering up many things and leaving no traces. Zhang Xuan joined us out of desperation. Just two months ago, Zhao Hongwen caught him in a major scandal. If exposed, it would have cost Zhang Xuan his life. With no other choice, Zhang Xuan was controlled by Zhao Hongwen and played a significant role in bringing down Hu Wei this time!"

Chu Huan nodded, understanding, "I see." He thought for a moment and frowned, "So, Zhang Xuan's poisoning... was intentional?"

"Just a ruse!" Wei Tianqing said. "Zhao Hongwen was waiting for Hu Wei to order the poisoning. Hu Wei, not a particularly wise person, was indeed predicted by Zhao Hongwen. He ordered Zhang Xuan to poison the food. Zhang Xuan, upon receiving the order, discussed it with Zhao Hongwen. Hu Wei's move played right into Zhao Hongwen's hands. Zhang Xuan's poisoning, while seemingly ordered by Hu Wei, was actually ordered by Zhao Hongwen. The goal was to use the poisoning to create an opportunity to bring down Hu Wei...!"

Chu Huan said, "So, Zhang Xuan's retrieval of the body and evidence from the jail was just for show?"

"Not just for show. He wanted to preserve the evidence to prevent it from being destroyed. He didn't expect you to intervene... Your firm intervention gave Zhang Xuan confidence. Following Zhao Hongwen's instructions, he used this opportunity to lure Hu Wei into the jail. By doing so, Hu Wei was at the crime scene, and his midnight visit to the jail confirmed his malicious intentions...!" Wei Tianqing sighed, "At that moment, we had already arrived at the county office and, after discussing with Zhao Hongwen, we acted at the right time, making it seem like a timely intervention...!"

Chu Huan, hearing this, felt a chill. He realized that the events of the night were full of traps, and everyone had their own cunning plans. The struggle for power was truly terrifying.

Suddenly, Chu Huan's face turned cold, and he said faintly, "Brother Wei, Zhao Hongwen ordered Zhang Xuan to poison someone to bring down Hu Wei... but the target of the poisoning was actually me. Does this mean that Zhao Hongwen planned to kill me from the beginning, using my life to bring down Hu Wei?"

Wei Tianqing smiled bitterly, "Brother Chu, after Su Linlang left last night, I pleaded with the Governor to save you, but the Governor, prioritizing the bigger picture, did not agree." He paused and continued, "Whether you believe it or not, I had already decided that even if the Governor did not publicly help, I would secretly assist you to escape...!" He spoke sincerely, and Chu Huan nodded, believing that Wei Tianqing had indeed thought that way.

"However, before I could make plans, Zhao Hongwen had already sent someone to the Prefecture, reporting that Qingliu County was in turmoil and the time was right... The Governor, upon receiving Zhao Hongwen's secret message, knew the opportunity had come and changed his mind, sending me and Lord Lan to ensure Hu Wei's downfall." Wei Tianqing sighed, "I didn't know that Zhao Hongwen had set such a trap for Hu Wei or that he intended to poison you...!" He looked at Chu Huan with a strange expression and finally smiled bitterly, "Fortunately, good people have good luck. By a twist of fate, you survived... As the saying goes, those who survive great disasters are destined for great fortune. You, Brother Chu, have a bright future ahead!"

Chu Huan raised his wine cup, drank it in one go, put down the cup, and said with a faint smile, "Indeed, very clever...!"

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ps: Someone is urging for passion. Don't worry, the book won't lack passion. It will come gradually. Women, after all, can't be missing...!

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