The Prodigal Son

Jiangning Prefecture.

Upon learning of Qin Yu's arrival, many officials in Jiangning Prefecture panicked.

However panicked they were, they still had to go and greet Qin Yu!

The imperial court has already announced to the world that Qin Yu will temporarily take charge of the military and political affairs of the Liangjiang region and the Hai and Yuan prefectures.

Qin Yu is now the local tyrant of this region!

Putting aside whether they colluded with those salt merchants, the fact that they didn't go to greet Qin Yu is enough to give them a hard time.

Led by Fu Mingzhu, who was acting as the prefect of Fangzhou, a group of officials of all ranks waited early outside the south gate of Jiangning Prefecture.

At this time, the weather in the south has gradually warmed up.

Standing at the city gate, the officials felt a chill in their hearts.

They had heard that Qin Yu was not a reasonable person.

When he first arrived in Linhai, without saying a word, he immediately ordered his men to arrest the prefect of Linhai and then torture him to extract a confession.

Because of this matter, many people here have submitted memorials impeaching Qin Yu.

If Qin were to encounter the same trick from Jiangning Prefecture, their fate would likely be no better than that of Wang Zhaojie and his group.

A group of officials gathered together, but there was no whispering; each was preoccupied with their own affairs.

Some people hadn't even seen Qin Yu yet, and their foreheads were already sweating.

After waiting for about an hour, Qin Yu finally arrived with his men.

Qin Yu did not ride in a sedan chair or a carriage, but instead rode a warhorse, wearing armor.

It was as if he was reminding everyone that he was a man who led troops into battle!

Since it was inconvenient for Lü Si to show himself, he changed into the armor of the Golden Armored Imperial Guard and hid in the crowd.

Fu Mingzhu called out to the crowd and quickly led them forward: "This humble official, Fu Mingzhu, along with officials of all ranks from Jiangning Prefecture, respectfully welcomes Lord Qin!"

"Welcome, Lord Qin!"

Everyone bowed in unison.

"No need for formalities!"

Qin Yu raised his hand with considerable force.

"Thank you, Lord Qin!"

Qin Yu, mounted on his horse, glanced at the group of officials before his gaze settled on Fu Mingzhu.

Meeting Qin Yu's sharp gaze, Fu Mingzhu felt a sudden panic, but she tried her best to remain calm and not show any weakness.

"What was Lord Fu's original position?"

After a long silence, Qin Yu finally spoke up and asked.

Fu Mingzhu replied, "I was originally the Prefect of Fangzhou. After Lord Sun was murdered, I was appointed to temporarily assume the position of Prefect of Fangzhou."

"understood."

Qin Yu nodded slightly, then nimbly dismounted. "I'm waiting for someone. Let's talk over there."

wait?

Fu Mingzhu looked at Qin Yu with a puzzled expression, "Whom is Your Excellency waiting for?"

"You'll find out soon enough!"

Qin Yu smiled mysteriously and led Fu Mingzhu to the side.

Fu Mingzhu was secretly puzzled, wondering what Qin Yu was really up to.

The two stood aside, and Qin Yu cut to the chase, asking, "Was Sun Min really killed by Jia Dequan?"

"really!"

Fu Mingzhu nodded slightly, "Lord Sun's guards and some soldiers from Jiangning Prefecture all witnessed this..."

As he spoke, Fu Mingzhu briefly described the situation to Qin Yu.

After hearing his description, Qin Yu asked again, "What about Madam Sun's suicide? Are you sure she committed suicide and wasn't murdered?"

"It seems that he did indeed commit suicide out of grief and despair."

Fu Mingzhu said solemnly, "Although the bodies of Madam Sun and her young daughter were charred, the Prefectural Governor's mansion extinguished the fire in time and managed to retrieve their bodies! The coroner has examined them, and there were no external injuries on either of their bodies..."

Qin Yu thought for a moment, then asked, "Didn't Madam Sun leave a will? Where was the will found?"

Fu Mingzhu replied, "Madam Sun and the others committed suicide by self-immolation in a room in the back hall. Their suicide note was left in the main hall of the governor's mansion..."

During the few days he temporarily served as the prefect of Fangzhou, he also investigated this matter.

However, based on the current situation, it is clear that Madam Sun was devastated after receiving news of the tragic deaths of Sun Min and his son, and committed suicide by self-immolation.

In addition, he deduced that there was another reason.

His investigation revealed that Sun Min had indeed committed many acts that violated the laws of the imperial court.

Once the imperial court investigates, Sun Min's affairs will be exposed. As the family member of a convicted official, Madam Sun will either be exiled or sent to the brothel.

Madam Sun must have known this, which is why she was so resolute!

She left a suicide note, pointing the finger at Qin Yu, probably to put pressure on the court and indirectly avenge Sun Min and his son.

Listening to Fu Mingzhu's words, Qin Yu couldn't help but ponder them silently.

Fu Mingzhu's analysis is indeed reasonable.

But he always felt there was something more to this story.

"Have all of Jia Dequan's family members been arrested?"

"Arrest them all! They're all in jail; you can take them in for interrogation anytime, sir!"

"Did they give any explanation?"

"The Jia family confessed that the night before Lord Sun was murdered, Jia Dequan handed over the account book of his secret dealings with Sun Min over the years to one of his guards, and told the guard that if he met with misfortune or was imprisoned, he should give the account book to Lord Sun..."

"I still haven't received the account books."

"That person probably doesn't know where to find the lord, and may still be hiding in Jiangning Prefecture waiting for the lord to arrive."

"Tell me about Sun Min's past and resume!"

"good!"

Fu Mingzhu nodded and immediately began to recount Sun Min's resume to Qin Yu as if it were a treasure trove of knowledge.

Sun Min initially served as a minor clerk in Xinpu County, Fangzhou, but his quick wit earned him recognition, and a few years later he was promoted to magistrate of Xinpu County, a position he held for five years.

Later, the crown prince was assassinated in Haizhou.

All officials of the seventh rank or above in Haizhou Prefecture and its five counties were imprisoned.

The Crown Prince case resulted in a severe shortage of officials in Haizhou.

The imperial court transferred many officials from nearby Fangzhou, which resulted in many vacancies in Fangzhou.

Afterwards, Sun Min was quickly promoted to the position of Assistant Prefect of Xiaping County, Fangzhou.

From then on, Sun Min began to rise rapidly in rank.

In just six years, he rose from Assistant Prefect of He'an County to Prefect, then to Assistant Governor of Fangzhou, and finally to Governor of Fangzhou.

Before his death, Sun Min had a very good reputation in Fangzhou.

Sun Min and his wife had a very good relationship, and even after he was promoted to governor of Fangzhou, he did not take a concubine.

This is unique among the governors of the surrounding prefectures!

Afterwards, Qin Yu chatted with Fu Mingzhu for a while.

It was almost noon, so Fu Mingzhu tentatively said, "It's almost noon. I've already ordered a banquet to be prepared to welcome you, sir. How about..."

Before Fu Mingzhu could finish speaking, a muffled sound suddenly came from beside him.

Fu Mingzhu was slightly taken aback and looked in the direction of the sound, but could not see anything.

When he looked at Qin Yu, he saw a smile on Qin Yu's face.

Fu Mingzhu was puzzled.

Is this the person Qin Yu has been waiting for?

Before long, the sound grew closer and closer, and the originally muffled sound gradually turned into a sound like war drums.

As the sound drew closer, the earth seemed to tremble.

Fu Mingzhu's eyelids twitched, and he blurted out, "Cavalry! A large-scale cavalry force!"

Qin Yu smiled upon hearing this, "Lord Fu, you still have a lot to learn!"

"Um?"

Fu Mingzhu was confused. "Aren't they cavalry?"

"It's cavalry!"

Qin Yu nodded and smiled. "However, you should shout 'Protect the master!' and then spread your arms to shield me! Regardless of the danger, you must show your loyalty when it's time to do so!"

"..."

Fu Mingzhu was taken aback and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Seeing Fu Mingzhu's performance, Qin Yu couldn't help but shake his head secretly.

Even though it was an open-book exam, he didn't know to copy the answers?

Do you still want to improve?