Chapter 69

After seeing the body, Zhao Zhentang instead let out a long breath, fell silent for a moment, and then turned back to say, "Now that it has come to this, please send one of you back to inform the household. The rest of you stay here as witnesses. We will report to the authorities at the yamen first thing tomorrow morning."

Although the guards were all strong men, they were all a bit startled when they suddenly saw a dead body. Hearing this arrangement, they had no objections and each found a place to sit.

After arranging these people, Zhao Zhentang turned to Zhao Jin and said, "Xiao Jin, you go back and rest... or stay until dawn!"

Halfway through, he realized it wasn't safe for Zhao Jin to go back at night and changed his mind. After saying this, Zhao Zhentang sat directly on a chair and said with some weariness, "Those who do this kind of work will eventually face this day."

Despite the door being open, it wasn't cold inside. There was still a fire in the stove, indicating that Mr. Mu should have had someone to attend to him. But now that he was dead, the absence of others was indeed strange.

Closing the door, he added firewood to the stove and closed the study door. The guards sat there in silence. Soon, the guards from the Wang household started dozing off, and Zhao Jin's eyelids were also heavy. However, thinking about the body in the next room, he felt a chill and couldn't fall asleep. Zhao Zhentang sat on a chair in the main hall with his eyes closed. Apart from the crackling of the fire in the stove, there was no other sound.

They remained in silence until dawn. Zhao Zhentang took out two taels of silver and handed it to one of the guards, saying politely, "Thank you all for your efforts last night. Please stay for another half an hour while I go to the yamen to report the incident."

The guards from the Wang household hesitated for a moment but then smiled and accepted the silver. Zhao Zhentang called Zhao Jin to the courtyard and whispered, "Stay here and watch. Don't let them rummage around. There should be quite a bit of valuable stuff in his house."

Zhao Jin nodded in agreement. Zhao Zhentang, carrying a knife, was about to leave when Zhao Jin hesitated and called out to his father, also in a low voice, "Father, you know Mr. Mu. He is from that sect. If you report to the authorities, will there be any trouble in the future?"

Hearing this, Zhao Zhentang couldn't help but be taken aback. Then he smiled and patted Zhao Jin's shoulder, saying solemnly, "Xiao Jin, you've grown up. You can think so thoroughly."

"Don't worry. When Mu Wusheng first drifted to our inn, he couldn't pay for the room. His wife died of illness, and he was forced to sell Xiao Lan. I couldn't bear to see it and helped him. I even lent him our old house in the southern part of the city. That's how we got connected. There's nothing else." Zhao Zhentang explained a few words to reassure Zhao Jin, patted his shoulder again, and then left.

Zhao Jin hadn't expected such a past. He pondered for a moment before turning back. He didn't know when the yamen officials would return, so he took out two strings of copper coins and asked one of the guards to buy breakfast for everyone. The guards, who had come out in the middle of the night to help, were not necessarily willing, but seeing how considerate the Zhao family was, they became more polite.

Before the person buying breakfast returned, the officials from the prefecture yamen arrived. It was probably due to Zhao Zhentang's influence, otherwise, they wouldn't have come so quickly.

There were constables, forensic experts, and a clerk from the criminal department. They conducted an on-site examination and quickly concluded it was a murder by an enemy.

"... We will report this to the magistrate, issue a warrant, and apprehend the culprit..." Zhao Jin heard this arrangement and watched as two constables carried the body out. He felt strange, thinking it was so simple and smooth.

The guards said their goodbyes and returned to the Wang household. The clerk from the criminal department also left after a quick tour. The constables and forensic experts were laughing and joking, not taking it seriously. Before leaving, they handed two seals to Zhao Zhentang, saying with a smile, "Remember to put them up, Old Zhao."

"Brothers, eat a little less at noon, and we'll have a good meal in the evening!" Zhao Zhentang replied with a smile, and everyone laughed and dispersed.

Zhao Zhentang turned around and closed the courtyard gate. Zhao Jin was still a bit dazed, unsure what to do next. The smile on Zhao Zhentang's face had disappeared, and he said, "Don't stand there like a fool. Help me search this house. We need to split the gold and silver in half."

Zhao Jin still didn't understand but subconsciously followed along. He saw his father search the house thoroughly, not missing any corners inside or outside. Soon, they found two bundles of gold and silver and several strings of copper coins, totaling about 370 taels. In those days, even a wealthy household wouldn't have so much loose wealth. After finding these, Zhao Zhentang didn't stop and also found five bolts of cotton and two bolts of silk.

"Father, what are you doing?" Zhao Jin was completely confused, thinking it looked like taking advantage of the situation.

"When I take charge of a case, I can keep three-tenths of what I find. That's the rule," Zhao Zhentang explained while searching.

It turned out that the constables' primary goal was to make money, not solve the case. In a household like the Mus, where no one was left after the death, all valuable items would be searched and divided. Whoever discovered the case and searched the house could keep three-tenths.

When Zhao Zhentang came, was it just to make money? Zhao Jin had just thought this when he saw his father pull out a dagger and start cutting into the seams, searching thoroughly. Zhao Jin coughed, thinking it was too shameless to do such a thing after the girl, Xiao Lan, had come to their house in the middle of the night.

While he was pondering whether to stop his father, Zhao Zhentang found something. There was indeed a hidden compartment in the bed cabinet, containing several old, yellowed books, some images, and dozens of sachets and purses.

Finding these, Zhao Zhentang finally relaxed and threw them to Zhao Jin, saying, "Burn them all in the stove. Burn them to ashes, leave no trace."

Zhao Jin roughly guessed his father's intention. Feeling ashamed, he took the items to the stove.

The fire was still strong. When he threw the books in, Zhao Jin glanced at them. They were titled "Maitreya Sutra," "Lotus Sutra," and so on. The images were of various deities and demons, and the sachets were embroidered with lotus patterns, some even with a "Wang" character.

These items were likely related to the White Lotus Sect or the Fragrant Sect. His father had deliberately searched to burn and destroy the evidence.

High treason was a serious crime, and any involvement could cause major trouble. Zhao Zhentang spoke lightly but acted cautiously, not wanting to leave any traces for others to find.

After searching inside and out, they found a few more books and dozens of images, all of which were thoroughly burned in the stove. Zhao Zhentang came in with a grim face and said, "If there's anything else hidden, I can't do anything about it. What I can't find, others can't either."

Usually carefree, Zhao Zhentang was very cautious about this matter. He even opened the stove and used an iron hook to stir the ashes, making sure they were completely burned.

Not only in this courtyard, but Zhao Zhentang even climbed over the wall to the neighboring house where Mu Shulan lived. However, he returned quickly and said in a low voice, "He still cared about his daughter. That place is very clean."

Zhao Zhentang found two pieces of cloth and divided the gold and silver on the table into two halves. He wrapped one half and handed it to Zhao Jin, saying, "Take it home and have your mother keep it. Tell her it's someone else's, don't open it or touch it."

Then Zhao Zhentang wrapped the remaining gold and silver, along with the copper coins and fabrics, and said, "I need to go to the yamen. When you get back, don't let Xiao Lan go out. Let her rest and have your mother keep her company."

Zhao Jin quickly agreed. After these few days, he realized he didn't really understand his father. He had always thought his father, Zhao Zhentang, was a rough and careless man, but he was actually very meticulous and thorough.

They made a simple paste and stuck the seals on the door. From then on, this house would be evidence, and no one could enter without the authorities' permission.

By the time they finished, the sun had just risen, and there weren't many people on the street. Zhao Jin used a spear to carry the bundle on his shoulder and hurriedly returned home.

As soon as the courtyard gate opened, he turned the corner and saw He Cuihua rushing out. Seeing it was Zhao Jin, she sighed in relief and complained, "You and your father didn't even send a message. It was Zhao San who went to the Wang household to find out everything was fine."