Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 275 Asking the Prince for a Favor
Changlefang, in a small courtyard on East Street.

Carpenter Zhang was sawing wood in the yard when he suddenly saw his four-year-old son jumping towards him.

Carpenter Zhang didn't take it too seriously at first, but when his son approached, his face suddenly changed. He ran over and grabbed his son's hands.

I saw bright red blood on the little boy's black hands.

Carpenter Zhang thought his son was injured, so he hurriedly checked his son's body carefully and kept asking, "Erlang, are you hurting anywhere?"

The little boy said with a grin, "Dad, what are you doing? It's so itchy!"

Carpenter Zhang saw that his son was not injured and asked him hurriedly, "Where did the blood on your hand come from?"

The little boy was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't quite understand.

Carpenter Zhang pointed to the red blood on his hand and asked, "Where did this come from?"

The little boy finally understood, looked at the blood on his hand, turned his head and pointed at the wall not far away.

Carpenter Zhang walked over cautiously and came to the corner. He looked around and suddenly saw a pair of scissors on the ground with bright red bloodstains on them.

Apparently, his son accidentally got the blood stains on the scissors while playing with them.

Carpenter Zhang hurriedly called his son over and said, "Erlang, do you know where these scissors came from?"

The boy raised his arm, pointed to the other side of the courtyard wall, and said, "It flew over from the other side."

Carpenter Zhang was shocked.

He had lived here for more than ten years and was very familiar with his neighbors. The only difference was that the Huang butcher family, who lived next to his house's west wall, moved to Luoyang a few months ago.

The person who bought his house was mysterious. He seemed to be a young man in his twenties, but he did not live here and only came here occasionally in a carriage.

Carpenter Zhang saw several times that the young man always brought a woman with him when he came.

The women are different each time, with only one thing in common: they are all very beautiful.

Carpenter Zhang guessed at that time that this man must be a nobleman of high status, and this courtyard was just a place for him to enjoy himself.

Carpenter Zhang stared at the bloody scissors for a while, took a deep breath, carried his sons into the house, asked his wife to look after his two sons, and then went out to Wannian County to report to the authorities.

An hour later, Carpenter Zhang came to the outside of the yard with a group of Wannian County yamen runners.

The bailiffs knocked on the door first, and when no one opened it, they broke in.

However, after searching for a long time, nothing was found and there was no one in the house.

The leading yamen runner had no choice but to send someone to invite the neighborhood chief to come and inquire about the identity of the homeowner.

Carpenter Zhang stood in the yard, looking at the wardens and whispering a few words to the leading yamen runner.

The leading yamen runner's face changed drastically, and he said to Carpenter Zhang, "Mr. Zhang, you can go back first. We will take care of the rest."

Carpenter Zhang had no choice but to go home.

At noon, when the family was having lunch, they heard a knock on the door, and Carpenter Zhang went to open it.

When he returned to the house, he looked dazed and had a very strange look on his face, and he was holding a bag in his hand.

Mrs. Zhang asked with concern, "Why did you take so long? Who did it take?"

Carpenter Zhang didn't say anything, he just opened the bag. Inside was shining silver, and there were actually two silver ingots.

Ms. Zhang covered her mouth with her hands. She had never seen so much money in her life.

"My dear, where did this come from?"

Carpenter Zhang smiled bitterly and said, "Just now, a man in a black cloak knocked on the door and gave it to me."

"Why would you give us silver ingots for no reason? My dear, is it dirty money?" Mrs. Zhang said fearfully.

Carpenter Zhang whispered, "This is hush money. He asked me to give him the bloody scissors and never mention this to anyone again."

Madam Zhang's face turned pale and she said, "My dear, you can't accept this money. It might even cost someone their life!"

Carpenter Zhang smiled bitterly and said, "I didn't want to accept it, but that person forced me to. The man who lives west of our house is probably a man of high status. When the Wannian County yamen officials learned of his identity, their faces changed."

Madam Zhang said, "We can't accept that either. Otherwise, if the murder case is investigated, we will be held accountable too!"

Carpenter Zhang hesitated and said, "The young master is so well-known, he will definitely take care of everything. We can keep this money and use it to support Dalang and Erlang's studies."

Mrs. Zhang glanced at her two sons, who were engrossed in their meal, and whispered, "Haven't you had more and more work lately? If we live frugally, we can still afford to send them to a private school for three years. If we take that money, I'm afraid I'll never sleep well."

Carpenter Zhang looked at his wife, thinking that this was the truth. He took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I won't take this money. I will go to the government office to file a complaint and explain the situation to them." Then he turned and left.

Mrs. Zhang chased him to the door and shouted, "Be careful."

Carpenter Zhang never came back after he left.

Mrs. Zhang sat in the room, waiting for her husband all night, and her two children fell asleep on her knees.

……

Inside the Wannian Prison, Carpenter Zhang huddled in the corner, his heart filled with regret.

At this moment, he finally understood who lived next door to him.

For a commoner like him, trying to compete with such powerful people is like hitting a rock with an egg.

I lay there in a daze. The light in the prison was dim and I had no idea what time it was.

Suddenly, there was a sound of hurried footsteps, and a young man in a red official robe strode to his cell door.

Behind him followed a woman in white, who was his wife.

Mrs. Zhang waited for her husband all night last night, but when he didn't come back, she knew that he was in danger. She sent her two sons to her parents' home, then changed into plain mourning clothes and went to Wannian County to appeal for justice.

Because she was shouting loudly outside Wannian County, she alarmed the county magistrate Changsun Quan.

After Changsun Quan asked her about the situation, he became furious and immediately summoned all the officials and clerks to inquire about the situation.

As a result, he learned from the county lieutenant Wei Chang that a carpenter named Zhang had come to report a crime the previous day, but was treated as a murder suspect and was arrested and imprisoned in Wannian Prison. Only then did Changsun Quan bring Madam Zhang to the prison.

"Whoever put him in prison, come out and show up." Changsun Quan said sternly.

All the officials trembled, but no one stepped forward.

County Magistrate Wei bowed and said, "My Lord, this was done by County Magistrate Wang."

A county lieutenant with a mustache glared at County Lieutenant Wei, then finally stood up and whispered, "Sir, may I have a few words with you in private?"

Zhang Sunquan glanced at him and said, "No need to. Let's talk about it here and let Carpenter Zhang and his wife hear who it is that has caused you, the county lieutenant, to bend the law for personal gain!"

County Magistrate Wang whispered, "Sir, I am also concerned about your future."

Chang Sunquan said sternly, "How could a scum like you actually become the county lieutenant of Wannian County? No wonder the people are increasingly distrusting the government!"

County Magistrate Wang shuddered slightly and said, "I, there's nothing I can do."

Carpenter Zhang suddenly shouted, "Zhangsun County Magistrate, I know who that man is!"

Chang Sunquan asked, "Who?"

Carpenter Zhang shouted, "Zheng Xuankai, a descendant of the Zheng family from Xingyang!"

……

"General Zheng, I'm honored to be here. What brings you here?"

In the living room of the Changsun Mansion, Changsun Wuji sat at the head of the table, holding a teacup in his hand, and asked Zheng Rentai.

He seldom entertained guests in the living room. Only those whom he disliked would be invited into the living room.

Zheng Rentai and Zhangsun Wuji's relationship is indeed not very good.

When Zhangsun Wuji was at the height of his power, Zheng of Xingyang kept her distance from him because of Concubine Zheng.

Later, not long after Empress Wu was enthroned, the Zheng family was one of the first aristocratic families to turn to the emperor.

Since then, Zheng had almost no contact with Changsun Wuji, and Changsun Wuji was a little surprised at Zheng Rentai's visit.

Zheng Rentai said in a deep voice, "Uncle Changsun, I don't come to your temple for no reason. I'm here for your cousin Changsun Quan."

Changsun Wuji said calmly, "If you need to see him, why don't you go directly to the Princess's Mansion?"

Zheng Rentai snorted and said, "I've already been there, but unfortunately, Prince Consort Changsun is young and energetic, so I had no choice but to come to you."

Changsun Wuji twirled his beard and smiled, "I am a commoner, and no one listens to me these days. I'm afraid it's useless for you to come to me."

Zheng Rentai said, "Uncle of the Emperor, there's no need to be so modest. You are the only one who can influence your cousin right now. I beg you to do me a favor and ask him to show some mercy."

Changsun Wuji was surprised and asked, "What could have happened that made General Zheng say such a thing?"

Zheng Rentai sighed, "I was not a good parent. My second son, Zheng Xuankai, accidentally killed a woman. This matter fell into the hands of the prince consort. I am desperate and have come to you for help."

Zhang Sun Wuji was silent for a moment, then said, "The laws of the country are strict, especially when it comes to human lives. General Zheng, I can't help you with this matter."

Zheng Rentai said anxiously, "Uncle, I just said that this case was entirely an accident, not intentional murder by that evildoer. Please show some leniency."

Changsun Wuji asked, "Accident?"

Zheng Rentai said: "Yes, it was the woman who took out the scissors first and wanted to kill Xuan Kai. When Xuan Kai fought back, he accidentally killed her."

Changsun Wuji said, "If that's really the case, then it was self-defense. You can tell the truth in court, and my cousin will definitely handle it impartially."

Zheng Rentai slapped his thigh and said, "There were only the two of them in the room at the time. There was no third person. My son can't prove this!"

Chang Sun Wuji frowned and asked, "Then how can you be sure it was an accident?"

Zheng Rentai clenched his fists and said, "To be honest, my uncle, although my son has behaved badly, he has never lied to me since he was a child. I guarantee with my life that he never intentionally killed anyone!"

Zhang Sun Wuji sighed and said, "General Zheng, before the law of the land, evidence is paramount, and family ties must be set aside."

Zheng Rentai stood up suddenly and said, "Do you think I'm lying to help him get away with it?"

Zhang Sun Wuji said, "I believe the old general's words, but the country has its own rules. If you can be exempted from guilt by relying on the guarantee of relatives, the prestige of the law will be completely destroyed."

Zheng Rentai angrily said, "Zhangsun Wuji, I begged you so humbly, and yet you're talking to me about the authority of the law. I thought you were a kind person, so I came to you, but I didn't expect you to say one thing and do another!"

Zhang Sun Wuji picked up the teacup and said calmly, "How could I say one thing and do another?"

Zheng Rentai said sternly, "In the second year of the Yonghui reign, an imperial censor reported that officials from all regions still valued personal relationships when handling matters. Do you remember what you said at the time?"

Changsun Wuji remained silent.

Zheng Rentai sneered, "You mentioned favoritism and favoritism. This has existed since ancient times. When dealing with things, you have to consider human feelings. I'm afraid Your Majesty is not immune to this!"

Changsun Wuji put down his teacup and said, "I did say that, but everything has its limits. How can we talk about personal feelings when it comes to murder?"

Zheng Rentai snorted, "You don't have to quibble. Well, I've come here for nothing. Let's just wait and see!" He turned and strode away.

A carriage was parked quietly outside the Changsun Mansion. A man was in the carriage. He stuck his head out and looked anxiously at the gate of the Changsun Mansion.

When he saw Zheng Rentai coming out, he hurriedly got out of the car and said, "Father, have you made your point?" This person was Zheng Rentai's eldest son, Zheng Xuanguo.

Zheng Rentai's face turned pale and he got into the car without saying a word.

Seeing his reaction, Zheng Xuanguo guessed the result and caught up with the carriage. With a shout from the coachman, the carriage headed back towards Zheng's residence.

"Father, what should we do now? My second brother has been taken to Wannian County by Changsun Quan!" Zheng Xuanguo said anxiously.

Zheng Rentai said in a deep voice: "At this point, we can only find the Imperial Concubine and ask her to put pressure on Yongzhou Prefecture. Perhaps there is still room for maneuver."

Zheng Xuanguo said, "But if Changsun Quan lets Princess Xincheng come forward, I'm afraid it will get to the Saint."

Zheng Rentai said calmly, "It doesn't matter. As long as we can delay it and get rid of the body and other evidence, we won't be able to convict them. Then we can stick to our guns and the Saint may not be biased towards them."

Zheng Xuanguo said, "Then I'll deal with it immediately." He got off the carriage and headed towards Changlefang.

(End of this chapter)