Chapter 39: Settling Accounts After Autumn

  Xu Peng transformed into a beast, causing chaos in the Tong manor, beating and smashing things. Tong Yinglong's leg was broken, and he fainted cleanly. Tong Zhen's body was icy cold, and he had never hated his son for being so blind as he did at this moment.

  The county magistrate's master had no big deal, no goods, no grades, no background, and even if he was disabled or dead, he would have a way to suppress the matter, but... why did that master's house live in a young prince?

  Tong Zhen felt that something was wrong, but now is not the time to pursue it. Judging from Xiao Gong Ye and the performance of this group of fierce officials and soldiers, the Duke of Wei in Nanjing is very angry, and the consequences are severe.

  The current situation is no longer just a fight between two children, Wei Guogong's attitude is clearly to kick him out of the position of Zhi Fu, and as expected, Lao Guogong's memorial should now be on its way to Beijing.

  Having thought it through clearly, Tong Zhen's hands and feet became even colder, and a fearful light involuntarily flashed in her eyes.

  He suddenly realized why Xu Peng had to come in person.

  The officials of the Great Ming Dynasty did not investigate, and if they did, they would not be allowed to, one investigation would result in a conviction, and Tong Zhen was no exception.

  "Reporting to Young Master Gong, we found over 200,000 taels of white silver in the warehouse of the Tong Mansion, over 1,000 mu of land deeds, and over 10 sets of house deeds. Also... there are more than 20 pieces of Longquan kiln's secret color green porcelain, which should be presented to the imperial palace as tribute." A soldier reported with a fist salute.

  Tong Zhen was drenched in cold sweat, her body swaying as if she were about to collapse.

  Xu Peng raised his eyes, which suddenly lit up, and then slowly narrowed them, looking at Tong Zhen's earthy face. He smiled coldly and said: "Three years of Qing Dynasty, ten million snowflake silver, tsk, tsk, Lord Tong's wealth is vast, but... you got rich easily, yet dared to privately withhold the tribute presented to the imperial palace? Lord Tong, isn't your courage a bit too big? Even our Wei Guo Gong Fu doesn't have such a reckless spirit."

  It's common for officials to embezzle local specialties as gifts, and it's a usual practice in the officialdom. Who hasn't taken a few catties from the tribute? This has become an unspoken rule in the Ming dynasty's officialdom, called "unspoken" rules, which means it can't be put on the table. As long as everyone is comfortable with it and doesn't break the paper-thin agreement, everything will be fine. But if someone insists on breaking this paper, the nature of the matter will become serious.

  Tong Zhen finally could not bear the great fear in her heart, her knees went weak and she knelt down in front of Xu Pengju.

  "I... I didn't embezzle, these are all... all..." Tong Zhen racked his brains but couldn't come up with a reason, the genuine tribute qingci porcelain was indeed stored in the warehouse of the Tong manor, no matter how he tried to wriggle out of it, he couldn't shake off his involvement.

  "Come! Seal the warehouse of the Tong Mansion, dispatch people to guard it, and no one is allowed to enter or exit. Report this matter to the Nanjing Court of Inspection and request that an inspector be sent to investigate in person. Tong Yinglong has insulted and bullied meritorious officials, so throw him into the great prison of Shaoxing Prefecture immediately! As for you, Governor Tong, haha, I don't dare to interfere with court affairs. You'd better just focus on being a governor... as for how many more days you can remain in that position, it's not up to us to decide now."

  Xu Pengju hehe sneered a few times, then turned and left with a flourish.

  Tong Zhen's eyes were dull and lifeless, her body limp on the ground, like a puddle of mud.

  Qin Kan was imprisoned in the great prison of Shayang County.

  Du Yan was taken away by Du Zhi County, who had fallen into a state of furious madness, and was confined to the inner courtyard. This time it was true confinement, with all doors and windows nailed shut, leaving only a small hole for food to be passed through each day. It was not much different from being imprisoned, except that her boudoir was cleaner than a prison cell.

  Qin Kan was thrown into prison by order of Du Hong.

  He was too angry, his daughter had been instigated by this kid and actually dared to resist the marriage openly in Shaoxing City, this matter had spread all over the streets and alleys of Shaoxing, the county magistrate's face was completely gone.

  As for later, the Tong family beat up Xiao Gongye, and Lao Guogong led troops into the city to wreak havoc on the Tong family...

  These messy things are beyond Du Hong's control, what he wants to do now is to divide Qin Kan into eight pieces, give two pieces to the Tong family as compensation, and keep the remaining six pieces for himself to spend the New Year...

  Qin Kan understood Du Lao Da's mood, this ending he had already expected, wanting freedom requires a price to be paid, being locked up in prison is already a light price, hoping that Du Lao Da will take into account the fact that he once helped him frame someone and not give him a sentence of exile to a distant land. Qin Kan loves Jiangnan, does not love exile to a distant land.

  After Qin Kan was thrown into the big prison, Du Hong didn't bother to clean up after him and stormed off to the inner courtyard to scold his daughter.

  It's obvious that many people want to see Qin Kan get taken down a peg today.

  Less than two hours after being locked in, a furious young master Xu Peng rushed in.

  Looking at Qin Kan locked in the prison door, Xu Peng's anger grew stronger. He habitually lifted his foot and kicked the prison door hard, which was a signature move of the young master. Probably his grandfather had never taught him that knocking on the door should be done with one's hand...

  Young Master Xiao was disappointed. The prison door wasn't something he could kick open with one foot. Young Master Xiao obviously had blind confidence in his leg skills.

  Qin Kan burst out laughing.

  Falling to such a state, Qin Kan actually still managed to laugh, if there was a mirror in the cell, he couldn't help but want to nod his head at himself in the mirror, expressing a little admiration.

  "If Young Master can kick open this door, I'll really have to thank you."

  Xu Peng's face still had a bruise, limping and staggering, with a fierce glint in his eyes, just like a mentally abnormal disabled person.

  "Wasn't this whole thing planned out by you from start to finish?"

  "Yes." Qin Kan honestly admitted.

  "From the moment you asked me to swap rooms with you, I've been had by you, right?"

  "Right."

  "I didn't just get beaten up for you, but also had to help you beat others up in order to save the face of our nation's government, even my grandfather was startled..."

  Qin Kan bowed his head from afar, filled with emotion: "Young Master's righteousness is as vast as the sky..."

  Xu Peng angrily pressed his face against the prison door and roared: "Shut up! Come over, you come take a look..."

  "What's going on?" Qin Kan was completely bewildered.

  "Come and take a look at this face of mine, what do you have to say?"

  "The young master is extraordinary in appearance, with a dignified and majestic demeanor..."

  "Shut up! Qin Kan, don't you think that I, with this face of mine, look like an idiot, a moron?"

  "Xiao Gong Ye must have confidence in himself..."

  Xu Pengju was almost crying with rage, and he wildly grabbed his own hair, suddenly pointing at the prison door and shouting: "Qin Kan, you're dead for sure! How dare you treat me like a monkey! You will definitely die!"

  Qin Kan smiled calmly: "Since I've done this thing, I already expected what would happen next."

  Xu Pengjie gave him a fierce glare and turned around to leave.

  Tong Yinglong had his legs broken, and Qin Kan couldn't let him off lightly. A humble commoner with a clean slate, he actually manipulated the young master, the county magistrate, and even the Duke of Wei from Nanjing, playing them like pawns in the palm of his hand. If such a scoundrel isn't killed, how can Xu Penghui's face be preserved?

  Xu Pengju planned to get out of prison and find Du Hong to discuss what crime to pin on this stubborn commoner.

  Just as he took a step forward, Qin Kan suddenly sighed softly behind him, with infinite sorrow: "If I die, I'll be dead, but unfortunately, a dish called 'pizza', a world-renowned delicacy, will probably be lost to the ages after I'm gone..."

  Xu Peng's action of lifting his leg was frozen in an instant...