Chapter 69

PS: I'm working hard on this, please give me some recommendations and favorites, thank you!

Old Du Yan fell ill, and it wasn't a minor illness. He probably caught a cold on the way here. After sleeping for a night, he had a high fever the next morning and couldn't get out of bed.

The doctor from Lantian was invited, and when he left, he gave Du Yan three doses of medicine, strictly warning that Du Yan must not catch another cold, which meant Du Yan couldn't go outside.

For some reason, when Zhao Chen heard this news, he felt something was off. Coupled with the words Cheng Yaojin had specially asked Cheng Chumu to convey, he suddenly grinned.

Cheng Yaojin was right; Old Du Yan was indeed very cunning. Ignoring the matter of his illness, even yesterday, when the welcoming party clearly lacked Zhao Yuankai, Old Du Yan only briefly scanned the crowd and then acted as if everything was normal, not mentioning Zhao Yuankai at all, as if he didn't exist.

"Good that he's sick!" Zhao Chen sat in his room, leisurely sipping a cup of hot tea, a smile of satisfaction on his face.

With Du Yan sick, the Lantian matter had to be put on hold. When Du Yan recovered, the matter would resume.

Zhao Chen estimated that unless this issue was thoroughly resolved, Old Du Yan's cold wouldn't heal anytime soon, which was perfect for him to act without worry.

Since Old Du Yan was sick, Zhao Chen couldn't pretend he didn't know. Out of courtesy and reason, he had to visit him!

When he arrived at Old Du Yan's room, Du Yan was lying on the bed, wrapped in two thick blankets. A small clay stove was boiling a pot of herbal medicine. When Zhao Chen and Liu Hui entered, the pot was bubbling, and the room was filled with the pungent smell of herbs.

Zhao Chen's eyebrows furrowed slightly. Could this old man really have caught a cold? If so, it was serious. If not treated promptly, Old Du Yan might not survive in Lantian.

"The old man is no good anymore!" Du Yan lay on the bed, his body wrapped in blankets, only his aged head exposed. Seeing Zhao Chen and Liu Hui enter, he immediately put on a pained face and sighed, "I just caught a cold yesterday, and today I can't get out of bed. I've let His Majesty down!"

"At this point, Old Sir, you shouldn't worry about other things. Focus on getting well!" Before Zhao Chen could speak, Liu Hui, feeling sympathetic, advised.

"Liu Zhubu is right. At this point, Old Sir should focus on getting well!" Zhao Chen, hearing this, suddenly smiled at Du Yan and continued, "You should rest and recover."

When he first entered, Zhao Chen thought Du Yan had really caught a cold. But now, standing by Du Yan's bed and seeing his normal complexion, he realized the truth.

Moreover, Du Yan's hair was neatly combed. A person who couldn't get out of bed wouldn't look like this.

He probably sat up and drank tea leisurely just before they entered.

"Only this way!" Du Yan seemed to realize Zhao Chen had seen through his act, his face showing a hint of embarrassment. He coughed lightly and sighed.

Confirming that Du Yan was faking his illness, Zhao Chen was completely at ease. He comforted Du Yan insincerely for a while and then left with Liu Hui.

As soon as he returned to his room, Qin Ming arrived from Chang'an, bringing back letters from Old Qin and Cheng Yaojin. They had no objections to Zhao Chen's letter and told him to go ahead.

From their tone, it was clear that the two old generals were indeed frustrated. Now that Zhao Chen had a chance to vent, they immediately supported him wholeheartedly!

This was great. Zhao Chen had initially feared that Cheng Yaojin and Old Qin wouldn't support him. Now, with their backing, he could act freely!

He immediately sent Qin Ming to invite Ma Zhou to his inn. The next steps required Ma Zhou's literary skills. With a ready resource, Zhao Chen wouldn't miss the opportunity; waste was shameful!

Qin Ming went straight to find Ma Zhou, while Zhao Chen went to Liu Hui's office.

The evidence sent to Li Er was provided by Wang Ning, and Liu Hui had a copy. Zhao Chen hadn't sent it to Li Er, and it was useful now.

When he entered Liu Hui's office, he saw Liu Hui sitting alone, staring blankly at a corner of the room, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Zhao Chen couldn't help but smile. No one is perfect, even sages have emotions. Liu Hui was just an ordinary man, after all.

Zhao Chen didn't know if Liu Hui had ever aspired to the county magistrate position, but after Zhao Yuankai's incident, if Liu Hui had no ambitions, Zhao Chen wouldn't believe it.

However, things went wrong. Who would have thought the opposition would be so strong, putting them on the defensive? With Zhao Yuankai's case in a stalemate, Liu Hui must feel some disappointment.

"What are you thinking, Liu Zhubu?" Zhao Chen chuckled, approached Liu Hui, and waved his hand in front of Liu Hui's face, teasing, "You're so engrossed!"

"Heh, Sir, you're making fun of me!" Liu Hui suddenly came to his senses, smiled awkwardly at Zhao Chen, and said, "I was just lost in thought."

"Ha ha!" Zhao Chen laughed, pointed at Liu Hui, and sat down, saying meaningfully, "Liu Zhubu, are you worried about the obstacles from the court?"

Seeing Liu Hui's bitter smile, Zhao Chen smiled and said, "Liu Zhubu, you don't need to worry. I've said Zhao Yuankai must die, and I meant it."

"At this point, do you have another plan?" Liu Hui, hearing Zhao Chen's confident words, was moved and asked.

"Of course!" Zhao Chen nodded and said, "To be honest, I came here for this."

Before Liu Hui could speak, Zhao Chen continued, "A few days ago, you mentioned having a copy of the evidence like Wang Ning's, right?"

"I do have a copy!" Liu Hui nodded, looking at Zhao Chen doubtfully, and asked, "But isn't that evidence not very useful now?"

Liu Hui didn't say it, but the evidence Wang Ning provided was already detailed and presented to the emperor, yet it was intercepted. Could there be a better way?

"How can it not be useful!" Zhao Chen, hearing this, looked at Liu Hui confidently and smiled, "Not only is it useful, but I can guarantee it will be more effective than what Wang Ning provided."

How could this be possible! Liu Hui was stunned. Zhao Chen seemed to have a better method than presenting it directly to the emperor, but how?

"I've sent for Brother Ma!" Zhao Chen, ignoring Liu Hui's stunned expression, continued, "So, if you have that evidence, bring it now."

"If you're really that confident!" Liu Hui, looking at Zhao Chen, took a deep breath and said, "I'll take another bet with you."

This was a bit too obvious. Liu Hui didn't seem to realize it, but Zhao Chen pretended not to understand the deeper meaning.

Liu Hui was much better than Zhao Yuankai. If there was a chance to make Liu Hui the county magistrate of Lantian, Zhao Chen was willing to do this favor.

The evidence was hidden in a secret compartment in Liu Hui's office. Liu Hui opened the compartment in front of Zhao Chen, took out the old evidence, and handed it to him.

Zhao Chen took the evidence, flipped through it casually, and found it indeed differed from Wang Ning's. As Liu Hui said, it was less detailed, as Wang Ning's was based on firsthand observations, while Liu Hui's was secondhand.

However, it didn't matter much. Now that things had gone wrong, Wang Ning was probably more concerned about Zhao Yuankai's fate. If Zhao Yuankai wasn't taken down this time, Wang Ning's future in Lantian would be bleak.

Ma Zhou arrived quickly. Just as Zhao Chen and Liu Hui were discussing calling Wang Ning, Ma Zhou rushed in, out of breath, wearing a thin robe, his face blue from the cold, clearly having rushed over without a coat.

It was no wonder Ma Zhou was so anxious. He was talented but had always been frustrated due to his humble background. Now, meeting someone like Zhao Chen, he couldn't afford to miss this opportunity!

"Brother Ma, you came quickly!" Zhao Chen, seeing Ma Zhou rush in, teased him.

"Sir, you're joking!" Ma Zhou, slightly embarrassed, caught his breath and said, "I heard you had something important, so I rushed over, fearing I might delay your important matters."

"Indeed, it is important!" Zhao Chen, hearing this, suddenly became serious and said, "This is the key to making those in the court back off."

Hearing this, Ma Zhou and Liu Hui's expressions changed, and they looked at Zhao Chen with renewed hope.