Chapter 55: Coveting Personal Gain

  Zu Ke's furious attitude startled Wang Xianjun and others. After all, the Zu family was a powerful clan, and now there were over a hundred armored soldiers stationed in the county. Such intimidation could not be underestimated. However, Wang Xianjun maintained his dignity, still exuding an air of official authority, and sternly slammed his hand on the table as he stood up.

  "You dare to assemble a crowd on your own, and there was no prior notification. Those who know think you've come to suppress bandits, while those who don't think you're rebelling with sharp weapons! This official has not yet investigated this matter, and yet you still dare to shout at this official - is this reasonable?"

  "It's true, privately hoarding sharp weapons is a serious crime. Don't think that just because you're from a noble family, you're above the law." The county clerk, emboldened by his position, said with an air of pretentious authority.

  However, after all, it has grasped the weakness of the ancestors. This is not Xu Wu, and the influence of the ancestral family may not be useful. If the neighboring counties make a big deal out of this matter, the consequences would be unthinkable. The Great Han Dynasty has repeatedly had internal turmoil, and various places are very cautious about military affairs. Although the Han house is now in decline, if it really rises again, it will also be uneasy.

  Zu Fan immediately knew the pros and cons of the situation, so he hastily stepped forward, pulled on Zu Ke's sleeve, and gave him a meaningful glance.

  Zu Ke's temper flared up, and he couldn't care about so many things. He turned his hand over and shook off Zu Fan's hand, staring at the county officials with a fierce gaze.

  Even Tian Xuan was sweating at this moment, he still had a good impression of Zu Zhao and didn't want things to get out of hand.

  "Now that the county magistrate has already closed the case, we common people shouldn't be too entangled. However, this matter is closely related to my ancestral home after all. This little thief robbed my ancestral home's horse and killed many of my ancestral home's gate guards. If we don't investigate the cause clearly, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain to the families of the deceased." At this time, Zu Zhao, who had not spoken much, spoke up in a calm tone. His face was serene, and although his words were neither arrogant nor humble, they also carried an unyielding attitude.

  "Ancestor, what do you want to do?" Wang Xianjun's face remained unchanged, but in her heart, she had already thought that this matter should be settled quickly. In the cold and dark night, she was looking forward to returning to her warm bed as soon as possible.

  "Since Wang Da-ren has made up his mind, we don't need to ask too many questions. However, I would like to request that you, sir, grant us a small favor and allow us to go to the prison to personally interrogate several thieves. Is this possible?" Zu Zhao said calmly.

  "Presumptuous! You dare to call yourself the Honorable Ancestor's son? Do you know what kind of place a prison is? Can commoners like you come and go as they please? Nonsense!" Just as Wang Xianjun was about to speak, the county clerk on the side deliberately sneered and ridiculed him.

  "Ancestor, you don't have to worry about this matter anymore. Even if those thieves had some sinister plot, now that the bandits have been defeated, I'm sure these petty thieves won't dare to offend again. In a few days, the local officials will report this matter to the prefecture, and they will certainly mention your bravery in killing the bandits, Ancestor. This matter will be settled for now." County Magistrate Wang didn't care about Zu Zhao's request; it wasn't just Zu Zhao, even ordinary families wanting to visit their relatives in prison was a simple matter. He just really didn't want the Zu family to get entangled in this affair. This time, the bandits were defeated, but as the county magistrate, he hadn't contributed anything, wouldn't that be laughable if it got out?

  This matter before us is either a great achievement or a dereliction of duty, and the key to it all lies in the influence of these people from the ancestral home. The most urgent task at hand is that he hopes the people from the ancestral home will leave as soon as possible, so that he can do a good job.

  Having said that, he didn't wait for Zu Zhao to see if he had anything else to say, and with a wave of his hand, he led the crowd away.

  Zu Ke was furious and wanted to chase after him, but was stopped by Zu Fan and Tian Xuan.

  "This bird-like man, neglecting his duties and playing tricks on people, is this reasonable?!" Zu Ke burst out scolding.

  Tian Xuan hastily turned his head towards the doorway, worried that County Lord would hear this foul language and must have further investigation.

  "Alright, uncle," Zu Zhao reminded Zu Ke with a gentle tone.

  "Is that all you have to say, Young Master? My ancestors' sons bathed in blood and killed bandits, only to return home and receive such treatment. Not to mention how I can swallow this bitter pill with my brothers, but also how will we explain ourselves to the families of those who suffered?" Zu Ke said fiercely.

  "Yes, this matter must have a plot, and I don't know if those barbarians are specifically targeting my ancestral home. Now that we've defeated the bandits, if we don't get to the bottom of it, won't it be a waste of our efforts?" Zu Li said with a face full of disgust and resentment.

  "Let's put it this way, after rushing around for so long, everyone should go back to the inn and rest first. We can make plans again in the morning." Zu Zhao said calmly, with a commanding tone.

  "Great young master! Can it really end like this?"

  "Hum, I'll go find that Wang fellow and get a clear answer."

  Zu Ke and Zu Li did not give up. They thought that since Zu Zhao was indecisive, as the elder, he should set an example at this moment.

  "Fourth Uncle, Seventh Uncle, this is not the Xu family's territory. If you make a big deal out of this, who will be able to clean up the mess?" Zu Zhao suddenly spoke in a heavier tone, his voice stern but not angry.

  "A small county like this, what can it do to me?" Zu Ke said in discontent.

  "Do you want to rebel?" Before Zu Ke's voice had even finished, Zu Zhao sternly rebuked.

  These words are obviously double-edged, one is saying that Zu Ke wants to rebel against the government, and the other is hinting at not obeying the eldest son of the Zu family.

  Zu Zhao's brief words were full of momentum, and his dignity was evident. The small hall suddenly fell silent, and although Zu Ke still had some dissatisfaction with the lesson from his junior, he also felt the pressure from Zu Zhao's aura at this moment, and dared not to speak again.

  Tian Xun's face was awkward, and he remained silent. As a county official, he was caught in the midst of emotions, with many unspoken secrets.

  After a moment, Zu Zhao saw that Zu Ke had stopped making trouble and turned to look at Tian Xuan, cupping his hands in apology: "I've made a fool of myself in front of Lord Tian. We'll take our leave now."

  Tian Xuan let out a sigh, nodded slightly and said: "Everyone has been working hard for a long time, you should take a good rest."

  Zu Zhao and others came out of the county government office, Tian Xian accompanied him all the way. When they arrived at the gate of the county government office, everyone rushed to mount their horses. Zu Zhao, however, did not hurry to get on his horse. He deliberately slowed down a step and suddenly turned his head back. Tian Xian, who was standing not far away, seemed to have realized something and walked slowly towards him.

  Zu Zhao bowed to Tian Xian and said, "Lord Tian, this time the bandits have gathered and are causing trouble, I believe you also have concerns. It's not that I'm being overly cautious, but these bandits first robbed my family's merchant caravan and then hid around your county, they must be plotting something. So I took the liberty of asking, just now when County Magistrate Wang was interrogating those bandits, Lord Tian must have been present, dare I ask, did those bandits reveal their plot?

  Tian Xuan sighed slowly and said, "The worries of the ancestors are also felt by me. The several bandit chiefs who were interrogated in the hall just now had almost no leads, and they all confessed that this time it was a collusion between the Taiping Sect and the Hu people to rob the official road. They have been subjected to torture, but what these thieves said was nothing new."

  Zu Zhaos face was deep in thought, he naturally believed Tian Xians words, the other party had no need to hide anything. However, if it were true as the other party said, then this gathering of thieves basically had no ulterior motives, and simply wanted to make contact with the Hu people, intending to invite them to be partners, doing some robbery and looting. But if that was all, there were obviously too many inconsistencies.

  Not to mention other things, the fact that Black Arrow Thief had dealings with my grandfather in the past is already suspicious. If this time it's just a coincidence, there are too many unconvincing points. Moreover, this time the Black Arrow bandits seem to be different from before, and there must be more factors at play, making the whole thing even more mysterious and confusing.

  After a long silence, he still remained calm and said, "If it's really like that, maybe I'm just overthinking."

  Tian Xuan shook his head and said, "Zu Gongzi is not being overly cautious, I also have a deep feeling that something is amiss. Alas, to be honest, Wang Xiangjun is greedy and afraid of trouble, he's not even worthy of consideration. If this matter is handled carelessly, it will likely leave behind great troubles."

  Zu Zhao saw that Tian Xuan was not a pedantic person, so the next thing to do would be much easier. Immediately, he showed a serious and sincere attitude, and said solemnly: "Tian Daren has such concerns, I have great respect for you. Although I am a humble person, I also have a heart of sincerity. Since Tian Daren and I both think that there must be some hidden reason behind this matter, I dare to ask Tian Daren, can you arrange for someone from my side to go to the county prison tomorrow and interrogate the thief again?"

  Tian Xuan's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and just as he was about to speak, he hesitated.

  Zu Zhao could see that Tian Xian was in a difficult position, so he waited for a while before saying with a sigh: "If Governor Tian has difficulties, I will not force him to do something against his will. However, this matter is probably going to have to come to an end."

  Tian Xuan let out a sigh and said in a low voice, "Ancestor's grandson, please don't be like this. It's just that today the county magistrate has made up his mind, and it may not be convenient for a while. If you wait for some time, it won't be difficult."

  Zu Zhao smiled and said, "If Lord Tian says so, I am grateful. Whenever Lord Tian is free, I will make arrangements again. In any case, I will definitely investigate this matter until the truth is revealed."

  Tian Xuanfu nodded and said in a loud voice: "Zu Gongzi's righteousness is above all, I admire him. As for the specific arrangements, let's wait until dawn and then I will personally go to the inn to meet with Zu Gongzi again to discuss the details."

  "Alright. Let's go and thank Lord Tian first."

  Our local custom is to eat New Year's Eve dinner early in the morning. Taking advantage of the fact that the New Year's Eve dinner has just ended, I quickly wrote a chapter. Sincerely wish all readers a happy new year, good health and smooth work. From today until the Lantern Festival, all readers must have fun oh!!!!!!!!