Chapter 62: Rong Chu's Thoughts

  Since that night when Huo Hu captured the Fire Tiger, Tai Shi Lan's status in the eyes of those above and below him at Beiyuan Mansion changed instantly, from contempt to fear. Everyone couldn't forget that rainy night when she carried the Fire Tiger over the three corpses of dogs, using her gaze to intimidate the county magistrate into not daring to say a word.

  The direct consequence of this change is that although the bullying still exists, the attitude no longer dares to be condescending, and the approach appears to be more gentle and cautious. For example, handing over a difficult old case that has been pending for years or even decades for her to review, saying that the superior requires it to be solved within ten days, otherwise she will be dismissed and investigated; for example, sending her to deal with certain particularly troublesome underground gangs, requiring her to quickly clean up public security and bring peace to the people; for example, ordering her to manage the prison, but secretly releasing prisoners at midnight.

  As a result, the old case fell into her hands. She locked up all the original accusers, witnesses, neighbors, and suspects in one room, then went in alone. Everyone was sneering, waiting to see her make a fool of herself. The murder case had always been short on evidence, complex and confusing, and after passing through many experienced officials' hands, it still couldn't be cracked. Now that so much time had passed, what chance was there of solving the case? Locking up everyone together was an especially foolish move. At the time, Magistrate Wu said that if she could find the real culprit this way, he would crawl on his belly three times in front of the prefectural yamen.

  Then not long after, someone inside shouted again, and soon after that, Tai Shi Lan came out, carrying a witness who everyone thought was honest.

  The witness burst into tears in her hands, and the bamboo tube poured out the beans, confessing to the crime, speaking clearly and logically without any loopholes. The Beiyuan government quickly organized seven most experienced and powerful criminal masters to analyze the case, all of whom had to admit that this was indeed the real culprit.

  A decade-long case was solved overnight, and the plaintiff beat drums and gongs, personally presenting a plaque to the court. Under pressure from Su Ya, Wu Pushan crawled backwards in circles three times at the entrance of the prefecture, while looking at Tai Shi Lan, hoping she would understand and help him out with his superiors. However, Tai Shi Lan looked through him as if he were invisible, and instead discussed the glaze of Jingtai blue porcelain with Su Ya.

  Magistrate Wu wanted to erupt, but remembered that day, the witness who had been stubbornly sticking to the truth with an unchanged face, tearfully confessed his crimes in front of Tai Shi Lan, and couldn't help but shudder... Better continue crawling.

  Dealing with the gang, it was thrilling at first. Charging into the underground headquarters of the gang, demanding that they stop extorting protection fees in the future, Taishi Lan almost got surrounded, but after entering the boss's inner chamber, she was soon sent out warmly by the boss. Not only did he agree to her request, but also kept patting his chest and saying "From now on, Miss Taishi is a friend of our Golden Knife Society, just speak up if you need anything!"

  Then the common people beat gongs and drums to see off the officials, while a group of government officials and yamen runners were left stunned...

  Someone was puzzled and quietly asked Jin Dao Hui's master for help, but the old man remained silent. Finally, he burst out laughing, "We are just trying to make a living in Jianghu, so we prioritize loyalty. Tai Shi Lan has done great favors for me and Jin Dao Hui! That treasure that was supposed to be offered as tribute, if it weren't for her, I would have lost my head... Let me warn you, this girl is not an ordinary person, smart people should avoid offending her!"

  It was said to close friends, but soon spread quietly, so that not only the officials in the government, but also the entire Beiyuan City knew that "Taishi Lan is an extraordinary person, even the leader of the Golden Knife Society is afraid of her!"

  As for the management of the prison, the prison guards "carelessly hung the keys on the door lock", but later the keys were indeed still on the door lock, but had turned into a pile of slag. The slag blocked the door lock, and not only could the prisoners not get out, but the guards themselves could not open the door either. At this moment, Tai Shi Lan said that she remembered an important clue that needed to be verified, and repeatedly urged the guards to bring out the suspects for questioning. On one hand, they were urging them to hurry up, while on the other hand, the guards' keys had been destroyed and they could not open the door. Losing or damaging the keys was a serious crime for them, so the guards were anxious and had no choice but to cut off the bars to bring out the suspects. After that, they quietly repaired the damage, but when they were repairing it, they were caught red-handed by the same official. The people of Chapter 062 brought fresh fruits and vegetables to their doorstep. In the city, the Golden Knife Society's subtle support for Tai Shi Lan also made the merchant guilds and various practitioners dare not to bully her.

  The reward for capturing Huo Hu has been issued, 10,000 taels of silver without a single cent missing. Additionally, as she is a student of the 25th Camp, the camp's performance for that year will be given extra points. She was awarded the "Tiger Prestige" medal and will be promoted one rank after joining the official ranks. Together with the reward she received previously for her adopted suggestion, when she enters officialdom in the future, she can skip the ninth grade and directly enter the seventh grade, which is a shortcut of five years of hard work.

  Days passed like this, and in the blink of an eye, nearly a month had gone by. Everything was back on track, even the death sentence for Huo Tiger, who was imprisoned in the great prison, had been issued and would be carried out after autumn.

  Meanwhile, the prefectural tax officials who had entered the capital to escort the annual taxes and grain supplies returned to discuss various matters in Li Jing. One said that King Kang had won a great victory in the martial arts competition at the Eastern Hall and received heavy rewards from the Empress Dowager; one said that King Kang had submitted a memorial, stating that there were too many Guangwu Camps established locally, wasting resources, and suggesting that those with lower rankings be abolished, with the 25th Camp being the first to be affected; one said that the Emperor had not held court for a long time, reportedly due to contracting smallpox, although it was not officially acknowledged, but someone claimed to have seen the palace at night "offering sacrifices and sending off the gods", which is a ritual held by the imperial family whenever someone contracts smallpox, so Li Jing speculated wildly, all worrying about the Emperor's health.

  Tai Shi Lan heard the news and glanced at Jing Tai Lan, who was eating snacks and playing with a rubber ball without a care in the world, laughing so hard that his chin was shiny with saliva, no heavenly flowers but a mouthful of blooming beans indeed.

  It's been raining again today, and since the storm that night, it hasn't stopped much. The clothes and bedding were so soaked with water vapor that they became heavy and sticky, clinging to his body, so every day Zhao Thirteen had to start a fire to dry the quilt for Jing Tai Lan.

  "The rain is too heavy." On that evening, Tai Shi Lan stood in front of the window, gazing out at the endless rain outside.

  Su Ya stood beside her, gazing out of the window at the rain, with a worried look in his eyes.

  This rain was already abnormal, and thinking of Huo Tiger's words on the dam that day, both of them felt a sense of foreboding.

  Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound came from outside, and the distant sound of people rushing to and fro was heard. Zhao Thirteen sent someone to inquire and returned saying "Several houses on Niujiao Street have been neglected for years and collapsed due to rain."

  Tai Shi Lan listened, as if he had finally made up his mind, suddenly turned around and said "Let's go."

  "Where are you going?"

  "Big prison watches fire tiger!"

  Walking in the dark and narrow alley at midnight, I can only hear the sound of footsteps splashing water, the continuous rain sliding off my oilcloth coat, spinning into whirlpools on the ground, with a deep black center and bright white edges.

  Huǒ Hǔ Guān was heavily guarded in the dungeon on the lowest level, and one floor above were the thirty prisoners from Lóng Mǎo Lǐng. The thirty prisoners didn't seem to be in prison but rather on vacation, with sunshine, decent food, and spending their days loudly bragging through the bars and joking with the guards. According to the presiding judge, their case had already been reported up the chain of command but hadn't received a response yet. On the other hand, Huǒ Hǔ's case was quickly decided - he would be executed after his sentence was finalized. It was said that originally it was going to be an immediate execution, but Kāng Wáng, who oversaw the three law enforcement agencies, suddenly became interested in this notorious thief and wanted to personally oversee the execution, intending to make an example of him in front of the people who had suffered at his hands.

  Kang Wang was the most trusted person by the current Empress Dowager after the death of the previous emperor, so his words were naturally not disobeyed. The execution date of Huo Hu was thus postponed to autumn.

  The jailer of the dungeon, although with a difficult expression, still opened the door for Tai Shi Lan. He couldn't help it, thinking of his fellow prisoners who had been sent to the black prison, his heart trembled.

  Huǒ Hǔ yī kàn jiàn jìn lái de tài shǐ lán, liǎn sè jiù biàn le biàn, "hái zài xià yǔ me?"

  Translation:

  As soon as Huohuo saw Taishi Lan coming in, his face changed, "Is it still raining?"

  He was in the dungeon, unable to feel the passage of time outside. However, these days, the thick water vapor on the prison guard's body and the increasingly damp utensils in the dungeon made him restless.

  He said to the eunuch who was shrinking aside, "It's late at night, and Lord Qiao's place is not convenient for you. What are you still doing here? And you two..." He pointed at Zhu Qing and Li Pear, "The master is unwell, don't you know how to decoct medicine or serve tea?"

  He came in and turned the tables, Qiao Yurun was so angry that her eyes were blurred. The eunuch was driven out, two maidservants were at a loss, wanting to get out of bed to stop him, but she herself had taken off her clothes, covering herself with a pile of silk, not daring to move.

  She believed that if she really got out of bed and stopped him, Rong Chu would definitely shout loudly that he had been molested by her, and wouldn't let her save face.

  He absolutely can do it.

  Qiao Yurun had no choice but to sit on the bed wrapped in a pink gauze, looking slightly strange...

  "Since Director Qiao is ill, she needs to rest quietly." Rong Chu also didn't allow anyone to take her pulse and instead spoke directly to the Western Bureau scouts who had rushed over, "Then don't let anyone disturb Director Qiao. The Western Bureau's affairs are busy, and Director Qiao has been worrying too much, making her condition worse. You should consider your superior's feelings and not come to bother her for no reason." After finishing speaking, she waved her hand at her own guards, "The guard on this house is too weak, look, I was able to enter so easily, how can this be? The Western Bureau officials must have limited energy and cannot take good care of Director Qiao's daily life and safety. Then we will take the trouble to do it ourselves, come..." He smiled and said, "From today on, protect Director Qiao well."

  "Yes."

  "Prince of Jin!" Qiao Yurun's face turned pale, her eyes almost blacking out as she leaned against the edge of the bed, her fingers trembling. "You...you actually want to put me under house arrest..."

  "Master Qiao, what are you talking about?" Rong Chu asked in surprise. "This garden is not my mansion, and this place is not my master's territory. You and I are both guests here. What do you mean by 'soft confinement'? Your defenses are weak, and you're just a woman who's still ill. If something really happens, I live in the same manor as you, so it would be considered my fault for not protecting you well enough. The imperial court would investigate and hold me responsible. You should thank me instead. I'll assign some of my guards to watch over your house and protect you."

  "I don't dare to let the national protector be treated as a lowly servant." Qiao Yurun pursed her lips for a moment, and quickly regained her composure, suppressing her anger with great difficulty. She spoke word by word, "Your identity is noble, it's only right that I protect you, how could I dare to take away your guards to protect me? What if your guard is weakened and something happens, you get killed or robbed, I wouldn't be able to bear the responsibility."

  "That's okay too. I'm indeed more noble than you." Rong Chu nodded in agreement, sincerely saying, "So, will you allocate half of the Western Bureau personnel to me as my guards? Don't worry, I won't think that you're putting me under house arrest."

  Qiao Yurun pressed her hand against her chest...

  This is even better, his people didn't come, his own people were taken away, old wine in a new bottle, this is unbearable, so cruel.

  Also very quick to respond.

  She took a deep breath and forced a smile, saying "The Duke has given an order, how dare I disobey, only..."

  "That's it." Rong Chu interrupted her immediately, "Thanks for your trouble."

  Qiao Yurun held her breath and hung on by a thread, almost unable to come up - she hadn't finished speaking yet...

  "I won't bother you anymore." Yong Chu finally felt satisfied, and didn't examine her further or care if she had anyone to serve her tea and medicine. He turned around and left, saying to Wen Si as he walked away, "Quickly send a letter to the northern border and ask about Mr. Li's condition. How could he be seriously injured? Who could have hurt him? Also, send some medicine over..."

  Qiao Yurun, who was about to get up, heard the last sentence and paused for a moment.

  Li Fu Zhou was injured at the border? Or seriously injured?

  Qiao Yurun's face changed - Li Fuzhou and Hua Xunhuan were sent to support the front line, it was her idea, just to move Li Fuzhou away from Ta Shi's side, convenient for action, and save her from thinking about the two together and burning with anger, but now... he was seriously injured?

  Qiao Yurun's heart was slightly disturbed, if something really happened, how could she put it down?

  "Someone's coming." She thought for a moment, then finally called someone over and made some secret arrangements. The western scout led several people to the northern border to investigate according to her instructions.

  Qiao Yurun thought that when daylight came, she would think of another way to leave. However, looking at the few small cats by her side, thinking about the half of the Western Bureau's subordinates being taken away, and adding the ones who were just sent out to gather information, there was no one left around her who could be used. If she wanted to get people from the nearby Western Bureau branch office, it wouldn't be easy in the short term. With so few people on her side, how could she escape from under Rong Chu's control?

  She heaved a sigh of resentment, flung down her spinning and went to sleep.

  She gave up her idea and reluctantly fell asleep at that moment.

  Several swift horses quietly galloped out of the manor.

  Digression

  Rubbing my chin, to be honest, I didn't plan on releasing this today, but after hearing the voices in the comments section, I finally made an exception and slightly revised my original plan, letting Rong Chu out for a stroll. Not only did I let him out for a stroll, but I also analyzed his current state of mind a bit. Sisters, don't shout anymore, I'm really being considerate.

  My old readers are familiar with the fact that I have always adhered to my writing plan and never been influenced by readers. This is not disrespecting readers, but rather a book is hard to please everyone, each person has their own opinion, if one is too affected by various opinions, the final product will become unrecognizable and be ruined. An author must stick to his original intention in order for classics to emerge. In fact, my works over the past five or six years have also proven that my persistence was not wrong.

  So, thank you all for your patience and support over the years, giving me a quiet space to write. Also, for my rare exception, do the sisters who have been saving votes want to reward me by smashing me?