Now that the new Acting Prefect had helped them out, they were too busy trying to repay the new Prefect to dare hold him back.
Most importantly, although this Young Prefect is young, he has eyes like a hawk; he can spot any error they make in their accounts at a single glance.
Who would dare to cause trouble right under his nose? Are they looking to end up in the Heavenly Prison?
Because no one dared to take the case, the assets of those small and medium-sized wealthy households basically ended up in Zhu Ci's own pockets.
Of course, not all wealthy families were so unscrupulous; there were always those with upright characters and fair ways of doing things. As long as their landholdings were proven to be legitimate, they would naturally pay what was owed.
Zhu Ci's move left the remaining three great clans feeling somewhat bewildered.
They truly didn't understand what he was actually seeking—was it just that little bit of gratitude from the common people?
What use is it for ordinary people to call him a Just Official? Can it be eaten or worn?
No one understood Zhu Ci, Zhu Ci had no need for them to understand him; he continued to return the landed estates in an orderly manner.
Right at this moment, the person Jiang Quan had sent to follow the Fu siblings returned to report that the Fu siblings had already returned to Songjiang Prefecture, but Fu Chunsheng seemed to have disappeared.
Zhu Ci was somewhat surprised. Missing? How was he missing?
Was it that he was gone, or was it something else?
It was just a pity that the news brought by the subordinates was also not very certain. After all, Songjiang Prefecture was not their territory. Most importantly, while they were watching the Fu siblings, they always felt that another group of people was also watching the Fu siblings.
Not only were they watching the Fu siblings, but they were also watching them.
The men sent out by Li Cheng did not dare to act rashly, for fear of having their identities discovered; they could only keep watch for a few days before returning.
After receiving the news, Zhu Ci tapped the armrest of the grand master's chair and asked, "Were there any strange occurrences along the way? Never mind, have your men come over and report the details of the journey."
Some things might go unnoticed by ordinary people, but a professional can spot a problem at a single glance.
His subordinates were not professional trackers or intelligence gatherers, so they might overlook some details.
Of course, even if they were to repeat it, some details might still be missed, but there was no other way; he would just have to make do.
Jiang Quan and Jiang Xueyan stood on either side behind him, the two exchanged a look, both finding it somewhat strange.
He always felt that the Young Master's attitude toward these two was very strange.
It seemed like he was paying close attention, yet he had clearly ignored them before, not allowing them to approach and serve him.
Zhu Ci closed his eyes and listened as the scout recounted the two men's movements along the way bit by bit.
Along the way, their traveling speed was neither fast nor slow; they stayed at inns most of the time, there was nothing strange about it.
If one had to say, it was that these two had once detoured to Huating.
“Huating? What did they go to Huating for?”
Zhu Ci's ears perked up at the mention of Huating; it was truly difficult not to pay attention when the famous Marquis of Huating resided there.
“It seems they were seeking medical treatment, but they didn't visit the famous doctors in the city; instead, they simply picked up a few doses of medicine at a Chinese medicine shop and left.”
If they only needed a few doses of medicine, why would they need to detour to Huating?
The land he gave to the siblings was still quite far from Huating, as Songjiang Prefecture was quite large after all.
As for the background of that pharmacy, spies had indeed gone to investigate, but unfortunately, they had no roots in Huating, so naturally, they were unable to find anything.
Zhu Ci narrowed his eyes, a bold idea suddenly occurred to him: Could the Fu siblings or even Xia Lei and the others have been sent by the Marquis of Huating?
Thinking about how the Hundred-man Commander from the Garrison had previously bought beehive coal from him and even repaired roads, how he frequently sent him grain, cloth, honey, even some medicinal herbs during festivals and holidays.
At that time, he judged that the person behind it must hold high status and power; otherwise, how could they have bribed two Garrisons?
With this connection, the person behind it was naturally obvious.
The Marquis of Huating, Fu.
Zhu Ci did not have a deep impression of him; whenever he thought of this man, he thought of that Green Jade Wurtz Tree from back then, that brief meeting in Jiaxing.
So these people were all his subordinates.
Strange, it was normal to arrange the Fu siblings to be by his side when he was still the Crown Prince, but why were Xi Ya and Xia Lei arranged to be with him later?
He knew perfectly well that he was here, yet they had neither reported it to the imperial court nor made any other move; they just kept arranging people to be by his side. What on earth was the purpose?
If it were for the purpose of stealing intelligence from the very beginning, he wouldn't believe it either.
At that time, he was hiding in a Small Mountain Village; what value could he possibly have?
Zhu Ci frowned and thought for a long time before finally slamming the table and saying, "Enlist! Starting today, we enlist!"
Jiang Quan and Jiang Xueyan were stunned. "Huh?"
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: To hell with all that, let's recruit some people first and find an opportunity to beat him! Evil kitty is rubbing its paws. jpg
Next update at 6:00 PM~
Chapter 71
Zhu Ci suddenly felt a sense of urgency.
It was terrifying. The garrisons were all the Marquis of Huating's men. Although he hadn't moved against these garrisons yet, if he didn't arm himself now, what would happen when Suzhou was finally settled? The Marquis of Huating would just turn around and command people to come and seize the territory and reap the rewards.
People are already rebelling; who cares if you have some imperial decree from the Crown Prince or not?
Moreover, even if it were a decree from the Crown Prince, he is indeed the Crown Prince, but his position as Prefect is truly illegitimate.
Even if they had done nothing, he did not consider them friends after they had planted so many people in his position like this.
Better to be prepared first; even if the opposition is numerous and strong, one can never be too sure.
The Marquis of Huating's greatest desire right now is definitely to kill the foolish ruler; if he doesn't take out the foolish ruler, his rebellion will have been in vain.
Moreover, the Qing Army would soon make a southward advance. When that time comes, they might all be retreating south, perhaps unable to worry about this place.
Thinking this way, Zhu Ci's hostility toward Fu decreased slightly, but his efforts in recruiting soldiers did not diminish in the slightest.
It was at this very moment that an invitation from the Yan Family arrived.
The person delivering the invitation was Gu Rouqian.
Zhu Ci held the invitation and looked at Gu Rouqian with a smile. "They must have exerted a great deal of effort to find you, I imagine?"
Gu Rouqian said with some helplessness, "My family has some marriage ties with them. They pleaded with my parents, I also.."
Luckily, it was just helping to deliver an invitation, it would be even better to say a few kind words to persuade Zhu Ci to attend the banquet.
Gu Rouqian thought it over and realized it wouldn't be difficult, so he agreed.
Zhu Ci placed the invitation on the table and said, "Fine, I'll make a trip there for your sake."
Gu Rouqian breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to Zhu Ci, saying, "Thank you, Prefect."
“You're very welcome.”
Zhu Ci watched him with a beaming smile, making Gu Rouqian feel somewhat uneasy; he felt as though the other man's smile held a hidden meaning, yet upon careful thought, he could not find anything amiss.
Regardless, since the matter others had entrusted to him had been addressed, Gu Rouqian did not think much more of it.
On the day of the banquet, Gu Rouqian accompanied Zhu Ci all the way to Taihu Lake.
The banquet was held on a boat upon Taihu Lake. The scenery on Taihu Lake was uniquely beautiful, at night, many Flower-Maiden Boats shuttled through it.
The Yan Family chartered the largest boat to host a banquet for Zhu Ci.
Zhu Ci did indeed place some importance on the Yan Family; he specifically changed into a new outfit, wearing a dark red outer robe paired with a belt inlaid with gold, white jade, gemstones, sitting atop his horse as upright as a pine.
The moment Gu Rouqian saw him, four words flashed through his mind: a youth in fine clothes on a spirited steed.
The young man before his eyes was indeed in the prime of his youth, high-spirited and acting with reckless abandon.
When they arrived, the head of the Yan Family, Yan Hefang, came out to meet them personally. The moment he saw Zhu Ci, even he couldn't help but freeze for a moment, he couldn't help but shout in his heart: What magnificent bearing!
He had heard rumors in the martial arts world before that this new Acting Prefect was exceptionally handsome.
He hadn't taken it to heart when he heard it back then. Having traveled far and wide for so many years, what kind of people had he not seen? Ordinary beauty was no longer enough to catch his attention.
Only after seeing the real person now did he realize how meager the words "extraordinary appearance" were to describe the youth before him; the youth was not only exceptionally handsome, but most precious was that aura of uprightness and chilling purity.
Those star-like eyes were so bright they seemed capable of seeing through one's very soul.
A person like that—if his looks were even slightly less striking, anyone standing by his side would surely feel inferior.
However, Yan Hefang was, after all, a man who had weathered many storms. After the initial moment of astonishment, he immediately reacted and cupped his hands, saying, "Greetings, Prefect."
Zhu Ci walked over holding a fan and used it to give a slight gesture, saying, "Old Man Yan, there is no need for such formalities."
Yan Hefang stood up straight, turned slightly, extended his right hand: "Please, Excellency."
Zhu Ci looked around; many Flower-Maiden Boats drifted upon Taihu Lake, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the entire Taihu Lake was illuminated by lights.
In that instant, he suddenly thought of a line of poetry: "The singing girls know nothing of the nation's sorrow, as they continue to sing of the Rear Court Flowers across the river."
Tsk, what time is it, yet these nobles and wealthy families are still indulging themselves.
As for these singing girls and dancers.. they are merely trying to make a living. The fall of the nation is indeed a catastrophe for them, but what power do they truly have to change anything?
Zhu Ci entered the Flower-Maiden Boat and found that the interior was arranged in the ancient style of dining at a low table. Everything in sight was truly magnificent, filled with intimate warm tones and a subtle, sweet scent of incense.
The head of the Yan Family invited Zhu Ci to sit in the seat of honor, the two sat down side by side.
Zhu Ci's gaze grew cold. Although Yan Hefang had behaved extremely respectfully from the very beginning, certain small details still revealed that Yan Hefang did not hold him in any regard at all.
Even if he was only an Acting Prefect, in terms of rank, he was only half a grade lower than a regular Prefect. A Prefect held the rank of Senior Fourth Rank, he held the rank of Junior Fourth Rank, making him a high official of the region. Yan Hefang was merely a merchant; where did he get the confidence to sit on equal footing with him?
Zhu Ci usually doesn't put on airs, but only if your attitude is appropriate.
It seems that, in this case, it truly is.. no pleasant banquet.
Zhu Ci had a smile on his face, but the warmth did not reach his eyes.
Gu Rouqian, who had accompanied him, couldn't help but feel his eyelids twitching at that smile of his, sensing that something terrible was about to happen.
He vaguely remembered that when he was courting death at the Liu Family back then, his family's Prefect had smiled just like this.
Thinking of this, Gu Rouqian could hardly sit still; he really wanted to remind Yan Hefang to stop putting on airs and just behave himself.
Judging from this Prefect's series of actions, he is actually quite easy to talk to. Since he is willing to come, it shows he has no intention of being ruthless, it would be best if Yan Hefang did not force his hand to that extreme either.