kvmb Chapter 207 Combing Hair
Chapter 207 Combing Hair
[Chapters 205-206 have been replaced. Those who haven't read them can go back and check them out!]
After the poisoner confessed, Judge Wan did not immediately convict him. He ordered the yamen runners to take the people to prison, and then personally took the confession to the prefect.
The offices of the prefect and the sub-prefect were very close to each other in the prefectural government. Sub-prefect Wan walked across his office, knocked on the door, and went in after receiving a response. Looking up, he saw the young prefect sitting behind his desk, working.
Judge Wan stepped forward and bowed, then placed the confession in his hand on the table in front of the young prefect: "Your Honor, these are the confessions of those who poisoned the poisoner."
The young prefect raised his head and slightly parted his thin lips: "Thank you for your hard work, Lord Wan."
He picked up the confession and looked at it.
The confessions contained the identifications of Yang Da by several poisoners, as well as the local gentry and landlords behind him. Zheng Hao remained calm and composed, slowly scanning the lines of text on the paper.
In Wan Tongpan's view, the young prefect was very good at maintaining his composure and behaved as usual. However, when he thought about the contents of the confession, even though he had been an official for many years, Wan Tongpan couldn't help but get angry after reading it. But the young prefect Zheng, who was not yet twenty, did not react at all.
After a while, Zheng Hao put down his confession.
"grown ups······"
Upon seeing this, Judge Wan hesitated before speaking.
Zheng Hao looked up at him and said calmly, "Lord Wan, please speak your mind."
Seeing that the other party's words were not merely polite, Judge Wan thought for a moment and then spoke his mind: "Sir, the families that the poisoners identified are all prominent local families. Among them, the Xie and Huo families have many members serving as officials in the court. They cannot be easily touched!"
Wan Tong pleaded earnestly.
Like Prefect Zheng, he came from a poor family, and his success in reaching his current position is inseparable from his luck and careful management.
Having served as the Vice Prefect of Youzhou Prefecture for many years, why did he turn a blind eye to these local prominent families and even merchants? It was not only because the powerful could not suppress the local snakes, but also because these people had connections in the imperial court.
Zheng Hao didn't say much: "I have my own plans for this matter, Lord Wan, there's no need to say more."
Seeing the young prefect's indifferent and resolute expression, Judge Wan swallowed his unfinished words and said, "Yes."
There was a knock on the door, and Da Zhuo came in. He saw Judge Wan standing to the side and was still reporting to the young prefect behind the desk: "Sir, the Xie and Huo families have brought people here, saying that they have caught the clansmen who were behind the poisoning. They deliberately made people walk around the streets before bringing them to the government office. Now everyone outside is saying that the Xie and Huo families have put righteousness before family."
Judge Wan looked astonished. After a moment, he came to his senses and smiled bitterly. This was indeed something the Xie and Huo families were capable of doing.
The actions of the Xie and Huo families served two purposes: to provide an explanation to the public, to give Prefect Zheng a way out, and to warn him and the prefectural government to stop the investigation there and not to pursue it any further.
Zheng Hao stood up, glanced at Judge Wan, and said to Da Zhuo in a calm tone, "Let's go."
Wan Tongpan's heart skipped a beat when he noticed the young prefect's glance at him before leaving.
What does Lord Zheng mean? Does he think that he has some kind of secret collusion with the Xie and Huo families?
Judge Wan's expression gradually turned ugly, and he immediately lifted his leg to follow the young prefect's steps.
Returning from the newly built white porcelain factory outside the mansion, which had started firing porcelain today, Gu Lin went back to his courtyard but didn't see the young man. Looking up outside, he saw that it was getting dark. Gu Lin called Da Yan over and asked, "Did the master send anyone back to deliver a message?"
Da Yan replied truthfully, "The magistrate said that there was something to attend to at the government office today, and asked my husband to have a meal and rest first."
Gu Lin frowned, clearly thinking of the poisoning incident.
Seeing that Da Yan's eyes were somewhat evasive, he said in a slightly deep voice, "Speak, what exactly happened?"
Da Yan disregarded Bu Da Zhuo's instructions and dared not conceal anything. He could only reveal what he had overheard outside: "Today, the prefectural government held a trial to interrogate the poisoners. The poisoners confessed to being the masterminds, saying that the Xie and Huo families were dissatisfied with the government building waterwheels that cut off their source of income. However, before the prefectural government could determine the crimes of the poisoners and the Xie and Huo families, the clan elders of the Xie and Huo families brought their clansmen to the prefectural government to denounce their own relatives, saying that they had done such inhuman things behind the back of their families, harming their elders and fellow villagers. They asked the prefect and the vice-prefect to deal with them according to the law!"
At this point, Da Yan added, "It must be because of this that you returned home so late, sir."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lin couldn't imagine how the young man would have reacted to such a situation in the government office during the day. He personally experienced how difficult it was to deal with the local powerful families.
Footsteps sounded outside the door. Gu Lin looked up at Da Yan and said, "You can go down now. Tell someone to bring in dinner later."
Da Yan must have left the house when she encountered the young prefect who was walking in this direction.
He bowed swiftly.
The young prefect, dressed in his official robes, appeared calm on the surface but exuded an aura of icy coldness. Da Yan lowered her eyes and head, becoming increasingly cautious in her movements, as if afraid of provoking the angry prefect.
Seeing the young man walk in with an icy expression and a frozen demeanor, Gu Lin wasn't afraid. However, he couldn't help but think that this matter had really angered the other party.
In Gu Lin's memory, ever since Zheng Hao became sensible, he had rarely seen the other party lose control of his emotions over external things.
The young prefect walked toward the young man, while the servants had already left the house.
Gu Lin stood up and took a few steps forward, ignoring the wind stirred up by the other's brisk pace and unfazed by the young man's icy and cold expression. With a gentle face, he raised his hand and reached out to the other. The young man did not flinch. Gu Lin grasped the other's hand through several layers of clothing, led Zheng Hao to the table, and said softly, "Come and sit down."
Zheng Hao's expression remained cold and stern, but after sensing Gu Lin's movement, his eyes softened slightly, and he sat down at the table following the young man's lead.
Gu Lin didn't say anything. He lowered his head slightly, raised his hand to remove the official hat from the young man's head, and then took off the jade hairpin. The young man's black hair cascaded down. He turned around, picked up the comb that had been prepared, and combed the other man's long hair one stroke at a time.
Young people love cleanliness and wash their hair every two days, so even though they are often out and about, their hair doesn't have a strange smell; instead, it has a faint minty fragrance.
The young man remained silent, as did Zheng Hao. He sat upright at the table, feeling the varying pressures on his scalp, which felt comfortable and pleasant. His brows gradually relaxed, and Zheng Hao exhaled a heavy breath.
Hearing the exhale, Gu Lin said nothing, neither asking what had happened to the young man nor offering any comfort. Instead, he ran his fingertips through the hair, massaging the acupoints on the young man's head.
Although Gu Lin did not speak, Zheng Hao felt the comfort of tranquility, gentleness, tolerance, and patience from his every move.
Raising his arm, Gu Lin grasped the hand of the young man behind him, stopped combing his hair, and looked down at the young man who had turned to look at him.
The night was cool, but the room was warm. The young man's hands, having dispelled the chill of returning home late, gradually warmed up.
Zheng Hao spoke, his slightly deep voice echoing in the quiet room: "Uncle Gu, they all see me as a poor kid who can be easily manipulated, so I just went along with their wishes."
The young man's voice was low and slow, neither hurried nor impulsive, but Gu Lin sensed a different meaning in it. He took the initiative to raise his other hand and grasp the other man's hand.
Feeling the warmth and smoothness on the back of his hand, Zheng Hao felt a warmth in his heart: "I originally wanted to handle this fairly and in accordance with the law, but since they are unwilling, I will not be lenient."
During the day, the elders of the Xie and Huo families escorted several old servants to the government office to appease him. Zheng Hao was not angry; anger was useless. He would only make sure that the Xie and Huo families could never recover.
Gu Lin didn't say anything to stop him. Zheng Hao and the local gentry and landlords of Youzhou Prefecture were irreconcilable enemies and obviously couldn't get along. Under such circumstances, it was a matter of life and death between them and the local prominent families.
Gu Lin naturally favored his own people, and he lowered his eyes slightly, saying, "As long as innocent people aren't killed indiscriminately, it's fine."
After a moment, Gu Lin said again, "If they harbor murderous intent, you need not show mercy."
With a sudden tightening of his grip, feeling the youth's increased strength, Gu Lin looked down at him. Zheng Hao looked back, his dark eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.
He stood up and faced the young man. The young man, who had suddenly stood up, was very tall and cast a shadow over Gu Lin. Gu Lin neither retreated nor dodged.
Suddenly, Zheng Hao stepped forward and picked up Gu Lin. Whether out of habit or something else, Gu Lin subconsciously hugged the other's neck in return.
One person looked up while the other looked down, their eyes meeting.
Dinner was never brought in.
The next day.
Feeling the soreness in his body, Gu Lin lifted the curtain and looked out the window. Seeing that it was about noon, he got up and dressed.
Gu Lin was having lunch when Yu Ercheng came to see him outside. When he felt he had eaten enough, he had the food on the table cleared away and then invited Yu Ercheng in.
Gu Lin looked up and saw Yu Ercheng walking in with a beaming face, as if he had eaten a magic pill.
Before he could ask any questions, Yu Ercheng stepped forward and bowed to him: "Master, as soon as the Song family porcelain shop opened today, it attracted countless officials and wealthy merchants from Youzhou Prefecture. In just half a day, gold and silver kept flowing in. Then, at noon, many merchants came to the white porcelain factory to discuss business. Without your permission, I refused them all. Several nimble-fingered people who wanted to sneak into the white porcelain factory were caught and turned away."
After putting down the tea he was rinsing his mouth with, Gu Lin asked, "Are there enough guards at the White Porcelain Factory?"
Before deciding to build the factory in Youzhou Prefecture, Gu Lin arranged for guards. It wasn't because he was worried about someone stealing the recipe for firing white porcelain, as the craftsmen had memorized the firing techniques.
The guards were there to protect the artisans and the white porcelain, so that no one would have malicious intentions and try to abduct the artisans or steal the white porcelain.
Speaking of the guards, Yu Ercheng's eyes were full of satisfaction: "The guards you hired are all experts. No one can escape their eyes. It's just a pity to have them guard the white porcelain factory."
Those guards were highly skilled; they were perfectly capable of fighting on the battlefield or serving as personal bodyguards for wealthy families. Using them to guard the gate of the white porcelain factory was a waste of their talents.
Understanding the other party's meaning, Gu Lin said, "Those guards won't stay in the factory forever. After a while, once the situation at the White Porcelain Factory stabilizes, they'll have other places to go."
As the two were talking, a servant came to report that Steward Da Yan had something to report.
Gu Lin nodded, and the servant left. A moment later, Da Yan came in and saw Yu Ercheng in the room. He had an expression on his face that said, "I knew it."
Da Yan stepped forward and said to Gu Lin, "Husband, Boss Song sent someone to the mansion to deliver a message, saying that many merchants have not been able to see you and have come to the Song mansion to ask him to help deliver the message, wanting to invite you to the banquet."
As she said this, Da Yan glanced at Yu Ercheng almost imperceptibly.
Gu Lin didn't notice that he turned his head and looked at Yu Ercheng, understanding the merchants' intentions.
Calming himself, Gu Lin instructed Da Yan: "Tell the messenger from the Song family that I've been busy these past few days and can't find the time to attend the banquet. Please come back in a few days."
Da Yan agreed, and then left to relay a message to the Song family.
Yu Ercheng smiled and said to Gu Lin, "It's better for the boss to let them cool off, so they don't think that our Gu family's white porcelain begged them."
Gu Lin shook his head slightly, while Yu Ercheng was somewhat confused about his boss's meaning.
Gu Lin did not immediately attend the banquet for two reasons: first, he wanted to give the merchants of Youzhou a warning; second, he remembered what Zheng Hao had said last night. Inside the tent, as he breathed heavily, the young man's deep eyes held a restrained intensity, the beast within them about to break free of its cage.
He wasn't afraid of Zheng Hao in that state, nor did he blame the other party for wanting to kill the Xie and Huo families.
The relentless pressure from the local powerful families was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing Gu Lin's emotions from head to toe. If they didn't press forward to suppress the powerful families of Youzhou Prefecture, given the precedent of dealing with the merchants of Youzhou Prefecture, they might not even suffer the same fate as Wan Tongpan, whose power was effectively usurped.
After the old servant was taken to the government office, the clan elders and patriarchs of each clan waited for the government's response, or in other words, for the young prefect's reply. Unexpectedly, the next afternoon, the servant ran back from the government office, beaming with joy, and said, "Clan leader, the government office has already determined the old servant's crime."
The middle-aged man, who had been sitting tensely in his chair waiting for his servant's report, gradually relaxed. But when facing the clan elders in the main hall, he said calmly, "If Prefect Zheng wants to continue serving in this area, he cannot offend our powerful clan. My Huo family is not a merchant family without any foundation."
“The clan chief is right,” an elder echoed obsequiously. “Prefect Zheng must have found out about the relationship between the Huo family and Lord Huo, which is why he dared not touch us.”
The Huo clan patriarch smiled but remained silent.
Gu Lin was stunned upon hearing the verdict from the government office.
In the evening, when the young prefect returned, Gu Lin looked up to observe his expression, but before he could see anything amiss, Zheng Hao noticed his gaze and softened his expression: "On my way home from the prefectural office, I passed by Chen's Restaurant. Uncle Gu likes their roasted mutton, so I bought some to bring back."
Gu Lin looked hesitant when he didn't see him carrying a food box.
Zheng Hao explained, "The weather was cold, and the roasted mutton was cold when I brought it back. I asked Da Zhuo to take it to the kitchen to heat it up, and it will be served with dinner later."
"but"
Zheng Hao's expression softened, and he said to Gu Lin, "Roasted mutton that has been heated is not as good as freshly roasted mutton. In a few days, Uncle Gu and I will go to Chen's Restaurant to roast it fresh, how about that?"
Seeing that the young man seemed unaffected and not at all upset by what had happened that day, Gu Lin hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then who poisoned him...?"
Based on their behavior last night, it doesn't seem like they intend to let the Xie and Huo families off the hook.
With a gentle retreat, Zheng Hao said calmly, "Grasshoppers in autumn can't jump around for much longer."
Seeing the young man looking at him with a troubled expression, Zheng Hao said, "From the beginning, I never thought I could bring them to justice."
"Uncle Gu, we cannot hesitate or show any mercy when dealing with these local powerful clans. We must defeat them decisively and ensure they never rise again."
The young prefect spoke in a low, slow voice. His performance yesterday, when he returned home from the prefectural office, was a final ultimatum to the Xie and Huo families, signaling their impending doom.
Gu Lin is slowly maturing. He's gone from being too afraid to kill to accepting that if someone tries to kill his son, he'll tacitly allow Zheng Hao to retaliate with deadly force. Zheng Hao is deeply moved because Uncle Gu is making concessions and changing for him. The two have different values, but they are willing to constantly change for each other!