Chapter Seventy: The Bloody Case by the Willow

  "Miss Zhao, as the old saying goes, there are three unfilial acts, and having no descendants is the worst. I, Lu, have now reached a suitable age for marriage and have also taken up the position of county magistrate. Therefore, it's time to find a virtuous woman to inherit the incense of the Lu family. I'd like to trouble Miss Zhao to help me select one." Lu Haoshan said with some embarrassment.

  Zhao Min's expression changed, and she said somewhat displeased: "Sir, wouldn't it be better to find those experienced matchmakers for these things? As a young woman who has not yet married, I'm afraid this matter is not quite suitable for me."

  Not doing matchmaking, not doing guarantees, not doing matchmakers for three generations. The rice bowl of a matchmaker is not easy to eat, and the vast majority of people don't even want to touch it. What's more, I'm still serving in the boudoir, if I run out to help others with matchmaking, wouldn't that make people laugh their teeth off? In fact, as soon as Zhao Min saw the couplet left by Lu Haoshan, she already knew she had lost. She thought Lu Haoshan would ask for gold, silver, and wealth or let her donate more money, but unexpectedly, he actually wanted her to help him find a woman.

  Is this taking oneself as a matchmaker? It's too much, Zhao Min was somewhat displeased on the spot.

  Lu Haoshan shook his head and said, "Those matchmakers take bribes from both sides. With a broken mouth, they can make the bad sound good, make the fat sound thin, and make the short sound tall. How can you believe them?"

  "What can ordinary people do to you? You are a seventh-rank county magistrate, the most respected in the county. Who else would dare to cheat you?"

  "Miss Zhao, is it against moral principles for you to help this official find a suitable woman?"

  Zhao Min hesitated for a moment, shook her head and said: "No"

  "Is it beyond your capabilities?"

  "It doesn't seem like it either"

  "That's right!" Lu Haoshan said with some complacency: "We had an agreement beforehand, that as long as it doesn't go against the moral code and is within your capabilities, you would help me. How about it, are you going to go back on your word?"

  Zhaomin felt extremely depressed, how could she agree to that bet and then run into such a terrible county magistrate? Now letting herself do something so unreliable, is it even possible for her to survive? However, since she had already spoken, she couldn't take it back, so she explained: "I didn't say I wouldn't comply, it's just that this young woman thinks it's not quite suitable, sir. You also know that these kinds of things are naturally better with more experience. This young woman has no experience at all, and is afraid that good intentions will lead to bad consequences."

  "Don't worry about this, just focus on finding a suitable candidate for me, and I will ask the matchmaker to make arrangements."

  This is a bit better. Zhao Min secretly let out a sigh of relief, then smiled and asked: "I wonder what kind of woman the lord has in mind? I'd like to know so I can find someone who fits the bill."

  "My requirements are simple, best if everyone is a talented and beautiful lady, well-educated, pretty, virtuous, capable, and also proficient in the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art, so that you can help me with accounting too. That's all I require."

  When Zhao Min first heard Lu Haoshan say it, she didn't think much of it, but after hearing the rest, her pretty face suddenly turned red. What's with being proficient in the Nine Chapters on Arithmetic? Isn't that just a hint that the woman he has a crush on is herself? What does this mean, letting him introduce himself to her? In an instant, Zhao Min felt both angry and indignant, but deep down, there was a thread of sweet and complicated feelings.

  The county magistrate was so angry that he had been fooled by himself, turned a corner, and finally hinted that it was himself. He felt a kind of ** feeling, how could he say such things to himself? He was still a woman in the boudoir, if this matter got out, where would his face be? Suddenly, Han Yue's mouth was wide open, and this county magistrate was really too reckless.

  However, the person in front of him is a seventh-rank county magistrate, barely considered an official, looks barely okay, young, and talented, actually not that annoying...

  An ordinary woman would have been at a loss by now, but Zhao Min had grown up following her father and had seen many storms. In the past two years, her old father had intended to retire, and many family matters were handed over to Zhao Min to handle, so she was still quite calm and composed, her mind hadn't been muddled, and she was still very clear-headed. Her emotional breakdown was only a momentary lapse, and Zhao Min's thoughts turned quickly, and she soon calmed down.

  "Sir, your request is quite special. It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but I fear I have no experience and might do a poor job, which would be disappointing for you." Zhao Min smiled and said: "If sir doesn't mind, how about making another request? Perhaps it will be easier to fulfill."

  Just now that condition, oneself should also not be, shouldn't also not be, Zhao Min decided to let Lu Haoshan change a condition, let him dispel this idea.

  This girl is awesome, Lu Haoshan couldn't help but praise in his heart. She's beautiful, smart, articulate, and has a good sense of propriety in her words and actions. Perhaps this is the true nature of a well-bred lady, able to dissolve one's offense without leaving any marks, with excellent emotional control, high IQ and EQ.

  "Ah, okay." Lu Haoshan smiled and said: "The Zhao family is a prominent family in this county, and Old Master Zhao is even more impressive. Having built such a large foundation, if we were to say something without difficulty, it would be belittling. Miss Zhao, I'll get straight to the point."

  Suddenly wearing such a big high hat, it's definitely not good, Zhao Min thought secretly in her heart, but on her face she still wore an elegant smile: "Sir, please speak directly."

  "I heard that the tea-horse trade is quite profitable, and I also heard that Old Master Zhao has some connections in this area. Would it be possible for you to introduce me?" Lu Haoshan said calmly.

  Tea-Horse Trade

  Zhao Min's heart skipped a beat as she asked, "Sir, where did you hear this from? My Zhao family has been law-abiding citizens since we settled in Jiangyou County. Tea and horse trading have been lucrative businesses since the Hongwu Emperor's time, but only the imperial court is allowed to engage in it. Ordinary people who participate in tea-horse exchange may make a profit, but it's all taken away by taxes and fees from government officials along the way. Sir, I advise you not to harbor such thoughts."

  "Hehe, Miss Zhao is just a lady waiting to be married, yet she's so familiar with the tea-horse trade. It seems the rumors are true." Lu Haoshan said with a serious face: "Miss Zhao doesn't need to worry, I'm not here to investigate old cases, and I don't have any ill intentions towards the Zhao family. I can guarantee this with my personal integrity. It's just that I'm a bit short of money and want to find another way to make a fortune."

  "Oh, I couldn't think that an adult would say something like this. I thought I misheard it." Zhao Min said with some surprise.

  Lu Haoshan, as soon as he took office, first overthrew County Lieutenant Chen Gui, establishing his own authority and position. Then, he vigorously rectified the official system, and the atmosphere of the county government changed accordingly. Next, he went to great lengths to solicit donations for the people of Jiangyou, which can be said to be a rare honest official. Now, however, he is actually thinking of doing something illegal, and it's really hard to understand why he would say such a thing.

  "In life, if you don't want to be mediocre, you naturally need to achieve something. What people pursue is ultimately just fame and wealth. Fame and wealth are like fish and bear's paw, it's hard to get both. The officials think they can have both, but the common people of Jiangyou are too poor and miserable, they can't even afford to take action, and even if they do, there's not much oil to be squeezed out. It's better to just aim for fame and wealth.

  Jiangyou is located on the ancient Tea-Horse Road, this road is like a golden mountain, but guarding the golden mountain as a beggar is too foolish. Lu Haoshan pointed to his forehead and said: "Anyway, there are people above us, we can't be disrespectful, it's better to take advantage of this opportunity to make a good profit. Zhao girl, don't beat around the bush, I know your Zhao family has made a lot from the tea-horse trade."

  "Sir, you have carefully planned and lured me into your trap. It turns out that it was all about the tea and horse trade. What a deep scheme."

  Lu Haoshan shook his head and said, "No, this world is very realistic. It won't stop functioning just because one person is missing. If Zhang Tuhou is gone, can't you still eat hairless pigs? Now that the Zhao family has withdrawn, does the tea-horse trade come to a halt? It's just cooperation, mutually beneficial, that's all."

  "What's this mutually beneficial method?" Zhao Min's heart skipped a beat as she hastily asked.

  Lu Haoshan smiled and said: "This official can get the document, as for the seller and the buyer, I think the Zhao family has connections in this regard."

  "What? You can get the official document?" Zhao Min said in surprise.

  "The heavens' secrets cannot be revealed" Lu Haoshan said with an inscrutable expression: "Miss Zhao, just say whether you're interested or not."

  "The adult is so frank, this humble woman is ashamed, but since it's a big deal, only father can make the decision. It's just that we might have to discuss it later."

  Lu Haoshan nodded and said: "Alright, then I'll wait quietly for good news."

  "Yes, sir."

  "By the way, what about those officials selecting beautiful women?"

  Zhao Min: ...

  A horse will not gain weight without the grass of a night, and a man will not become rich without windfall profits. This is an old saying, a very philosophical old saying. At least, Sun Xiongbin, the post house clerk at Liu Bian Post House, understood this principle well.

  As a station clerk, he only had a few subordinates, and his monthly salary was meager. In the end, he was just a small shopkeeper with an official identity. However, there are many people in the world who can achieve extraordinary feats in ordinary positions, and Station Clerk Sun Xiongbin is no exception. He proved that even in the most mundane places, one can still make a profit.

  Sun Xiongbin was best at using the government's money to make his own fortune, renting out rooms in the post station to traveling merchants and then secretly not reporting it, selling off the post station's goods and hiding the income while exaggerating expenses. He even rented out the post horses to others; if you were willing to pay silver, he could also play the role of a pimp and lead **women into your room. Anyway, he recognized money but not people.

  That night, Sun Xiongbin extorted ten taels of white silver from a pair of traveling merchants and hid in his room, watching the silver while drinking tea, feeling indescribably happy. Suddenly, someone shouted "Fire! Fire!"

  "What's wrong, is the fire spreading?" This startled Sun Xiongbin greatly. He recognized that it was Old Wang's voice. Looking out of the window, he saw flames shooting up into the sky. Hurriedly putting the silver in his bosom, he rushed outside while shouting loudly: "Old Wang, stop yelling! Quick, put out the fire, hurry and put out the fire!"

  Tonight, there are no guests staying overnight. One courier took a leave of absence and two couriers were sent to deliver messages. The entire station is left with only Sun Xiongbin and Old Wang, the latter being a relative who is tight-lipped and can cook, making him a good helper for Sun Xiongbin. With no outsiders around, it's the perfect opportunity to embezzle station supplies and line their own pockets.

  On ordinary days, when called, Old Wang would respond quickly. But today was strange, he only heard him call out "Fire" twice and then there was no sound. Sun Xiongbin thought to himself while running: This old Wang is really useless, can't do anything, must deduct his monthly salary. Hmph, runs faster than the county magistrate. However, as soon as he walked out of the door, he suddenly got a fright: He saw several men riding tall horses and wearing black scarves covering their faces standing in a row at the door, staring at him with eyes that were devoid of emotion, like they were looking at a dead person. As soon as Sun Xiongbin made contact with such eyes, his heart turned cold. One of them pointed at Sun Xiongbin and asked: "Is it him?"

  Someone nearby whispered in response: "That's right, he is Sun Xiongbin."

  "So many good men, don't...don't kill me, I have a lot..." Before he could finish speaking, a horseman rushed over, raised his knife and chopped off the man's head. The head flew into the air, and the man swiftly stretched out his hand, grabbed the hair on the severed head and let out a loud cry:

  "Run".

  In the blink of an eye, everyone present had left without a trace. In the dark night, the fire at Liubian Inn grew stronger and brighter, illuminating two corpses on the ground, one of which was headless, exuding an inexplicable eeriness...