Union

Chapter 41 Night Detective
The news that Ruizhu had been entrusted with an important task by Aunt Ding was quickly known to Yunying and the other two in the backyard.

Qiu Ning naturally disagreed with this, and despite the darkness, she pouted and went to find Yun Ying. She completely forgot that she was still arguing with Yun Ying and had decided to ignore her for at least a month.

Yunying flipped through the storybook in her hand idly, responding to Qiu Ning's complaints and dissatisfaction in a nonchalant manner.

Qiu Ning spoke for a long time, but Yun Ying didn't respond with any substantial words, which made her even more dissatisfied.

"Are you even listening to me?"

Yunying: "I'm listening. You just think Aunt Ding is biased towards Ruizhu, right? Well, there's nothing I can do to make Aunt Ding turn her heart around."

Qiu Ning choked for a moment, then mumbled, "I knew it. Aunt Ding still thinks Ruizhu is a member of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, so she treats Ruizhu differently. Don't be fooled by how Aunt Ding praised us for learning quickly and being quick-witted when we were in charge together. When it came to actually appointing people to be in charge, Aunt Ding would never have thought of us. It's because the three of us come from poor backgrounds and are always thinking about going out to play. We don't care about the big picture and aren't steady enough. It would be a miracle if Aunt Ding would give us such a good job, even if it meant bypassing Ruizhu."

Yunying: "..."

Qiu Ning: "In the end, it all comes down to Ruizhu being too cunning. We wouldn't do something like this, only she would. Humph, she's definitely suited to serving others; she knows how to read people's minds!"

Yunying: "..."

Qiu Ning: "Now I just hope that Second Master will return to the manor soon and dismiss Ruizhu from her post. Otherwise, if she really takes charge of the inner quarters in the future, do you think Ruizhu will be able to hold her head up to the sky?"

Yunying suddenly interjected, "Second Master isn't at home?"

Qiu Ning: "No, I don't think so. It's said that when Aunt Ding went to look for Second Master, she happened to run into Suiyun, who said that Second Master wouldn't be returning to the manor tonight. Why are you concerned about Second Master's whereabouts? Are you also hoping that Second Master will quickly dismiss Ruizhu from her post?"

Yunying: "..."

Qiu Ning chattered on for quite a while before leaving, leaving Yun Ying alone in the quiet room, feeling a little uneasy for a moment.

Soon it was time to rest, and Yunying washed up and lay down on the bed.

The moonlight shone brightly outside the window, and the faint fragrance of hibiscus flowers wafted in.

The room was filled with a light floral fragrance, as if I were in a riot of flowers.

Yunying's body felt light and airy, as if she were lying on a cloud, seemingly about to fall into a deep sleep. But her mind was wide awake, showing no sign of sleepiness.

Yunying couldn't help but wonder: If Second Master doesn't return to the manor tonight, could it be that he went into that secret room overnight?

Yunying felt she was probably right, and the truth was just as she thought.

Chen Yanzhou had made all the necessary arrangements in advance, and when the night was deep and quiet, he seized the opportunity to enter the secret room.

These days, the Shang residence is under tight security.

Previously, the servants on duty only went through the motions during patrols; it was only after the new county magistrate took office that they began to take serious precautions.

With the downfall of Magistrate Fan, security in this area has become even tighter. The number of people on night duty alone has increased by fifty or sixty. It can be said that there are guards in almost every nook and cranny, and any outsider who tries to break in will never return.

Under such tight security, Chen Yanzhou entered the secret room.

The secret chamber was so well-sealed that it seemed it had never been opened. Dust floated everywhere as they descended the stairs. Chen Yanzhou led Sui Yun and Mo Xue inside; the three were dressed in night clothes and carried tinderboxes for light. They proceeded cautiously, tentatively searching for the unknown exit.

The darkness of the passage amplified all sounds; in the pitch-black tunnel, only the barely audible breathing of the three people could be heard, nothing else.

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, a faint candlelight shone in. Mo Xue extinguished the tinder first, and then the three of them saw the scene outside through the cracks in the stone door.

It was a very spacious hall, with torches burning on the stone walls, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day. The crackling sound of the torches masked any subtle movements around them, ensuring their actions remained undetected.

In the very center of the hall, there was a stone table, several stone benches, and a recliner.

Now, Magistrate Fan is sitting in that recliner, and there is another kind-looking old man sitting next to him on a stone bench.

The two were extremely careful; even in secluded environments, they spoke close to each other's ears, demonstrating the utmost caution they could muster.

Unfortunately, all their precautions were of little use when facing highly skilled masters.

Unsurprisingly, Chen Yanzhou and his companions heard the crucial word from them—smuggled salt!
Then, I heard how they arranged the delivery, how much payment they collected, how they divided the profits, and how they managed to keep a portion of the goods for themselves without the other three people noticing.

They naturally mentioned Chen Yanzhou as well. Magistrate Fan hated this man with a passion, but he was unwilling to take action against him until the very last moment.

Magistrate Fan said, "If we take his life, it might attract the wrath of the angels and incur the wrath of the Duke of Rong. Even the extermination of our entire clan wouldn't be enough to appease the anger of the higher-ups."

"But he pressed on relentlessly, and it seemed he had already found the saltworks."

"So what if they find out? The people at the saltworks are in cahoots with us. If they implicate us, they'll all be dead too. If things really come to that," Magistrate Fan made a throat-slitting gesture, "if it really comes to that, then just kill them."

"And Lingqu Village..."

"We will continue to collect the well salt over there, but you will need to go there later to tell them to be more careful in the future. Although it is said that the law does not punish the masses, the fact that everyone in Lingqu Village is involved in the sale of smuggled salt is a serious crime. If they are not found out, fine, but if they are, it is not impossible for the entire village to be imprisoned."

……

The night grew deeper, and the whole earth seemed to fall asleep, with only the chirping of cicadas and insects gently echoing in the air.

Just before dawn, several dark figures seemed to dart out of the Shang residence.

The person in charge of surveillance rubbed his sleepy eyes, unsure if he had just imagined it. But the Shang residence was already heavily fortified; how could someone have bypassed all those defenses, broken into this central area, and escaped unharmed… He must have been mistaken.

The night was peaceful, but the next day brought further unexpected events.

First, Chen Er received a reply from the yamen (government office) that they were no longer planning to sell the Shang family's old house, saying that the county magistrate had other uses for it.

Chen Er was hoping to make a fortune from this deal, but now that the prize was slipping away, he was furious.

Unfortunately, the county government office was not a place where he could act recklessly. No matter how frustrated Chen Er was, he could only slip money to the clerk in charge and inquire about what was going on. He even thought that he might take a smaller commission, just to make sure he closed the deal.

However, after taking the money, the clerk only offered a half-baked explanation: "The magistrate gave the order, how dare we question him? We don't have the face or the ability. If you can't do this job, then find another one. There are plenty of houses and shops that have been confiscated by the county government, you can sell other ones."

(End of this chapter)