Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 80 Qiao Wu
Zhang Zheng was a little tired after talking, so he took a sip of tea and was silent for a moment before he continued:
"Although the King of Han dislikes this bastard, he is the most like him. After returning to Le'an from Beijing, Zhu Zhanqi was still reluctant to leave for Fengyang. The King of Han, remembering him, sent someone to urge him. Zhu Zhanqi is about your age, but he has a loyal maidservant. He has been living with this woman in a remote area of ​​Le'an, where life is bitter and cold."

Jia Chuan asked in confusion, "Did the Jinyiwei find out all this?"

Zhang Zheng shook his head and said, "Emperor Taizong wouldn't have done that during his reign. The late emperor did, but the people he sent were secretly investigating and somehow got exposed. They were killed silently, so the late emperor couldn't question them. However, they did leave some information behind, which could be used this time. After the emperor ascended the throne, didn't he order you here? I've been in Jinan for a long time, so I naturally know more details. The Prince of Han's Palace is not immune to corruption."

Jia Chuan nodded, but his mind was racing, thinking about how to make use of this commoner son who had the same personality as the King of Han.

Zhang Zheng glanced at Jia Chuan who was in deep thought. The emperor had asked him to give more advice in the secret letter. He was wondering whether he should tell him directly what he had been thinking in the past few days?
Zhang Zheng was still hesitating, but Jia Chuan spoke first. "This Zhu Zhanqi is indeed a stepping stone. First of all, no matter who the emperor sent to the palace or who is lurking in the palace, I am afraid that no one knows as much as this bastard. If I can get him to talk, it will be much better than me sitting in the office and wondering. He must know where his father's vital point is and may be able to show him a way out. Secondly, I can use his hatred for the King of Han to do things that I can't do."

Zhang Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. This was the solution he had thought of after many days. He was not completely sure whether Zhu Zhanqi could be used. Perhaps this commoner's son would turn around and complain to his father, just to be excused from the trip to Fengyang. However, he had seen over the years that some insignificant matters were useless to the King of Han. Just like Jia Chuan said, the King of Han relied on the concerns that the late emperor and the emperor did not dare or do not want to make. What the emperor wanted was to have a legitimate reason for his expedition, and a name known to the world.

"If you want Zhu Zhanqi to be willing to speak up without going to inform on you, you need to think of a good way. This person has a precedent to learn from. You need to think it through. Um... there's one more thing. I received news that the King of Han announced that you are the descendant of Ying Cheng Bo Sunyan."

"Who? Who do you want to say I am a descendant of?" Jia Chuan asked with his eyes wide open.

Zhang Zheng smiled and talked about Sun Yan's past.

After hearing this, Jia Chuan took a deep breath and couldn't help but say, "That black-clad swordsman said he wanted to kill me because of a deceased friend, and to avoid disaster... But in reality, he believed the rumors and wanted to avenge the old ministers of Emperor Jianwen. The so-called avoidance of disaster was because he thought I would be like Sun Yan, bloodthirsty, full of evil intentions, and like to climb up by stepping on corpses. Of course, in my opinion, these are all excuses. Revenge is true, and there was also the ambush on the way to Jinan..."

Jia Chuan thought for a moment and said, "If the King of Han wants to kill me, he'd better wait until I'm caught in a trap. No, wait until I'm in Le'an. There's no need to go to such great lengths. Those who want to kill me are all highly skilled in martial arts and cannot be bribed by the King of Han. They think they are righteous men and believed the rumors, thinking that killing me is the way of justice! But... who did the King of Han tell the outside world?"

As Jia Chuan was speaking, he finally reacted.

Zhang Zheng didn't expect that the young man in front of him would think of the key point immediately. He couldn't help but smile with relief and said:
"During the reign of the late Emperor, many relatives of Emperor Jianwen's former ministers were pardoned. Although these people were spared, they suffered greatly. They should be grateful for their pardons, but they certainly harbor resentment. If someone instigates them... Your Majesty could take this opportunity to see who still harbors resentment. This incident alone shows that the King of Han will stop at nothing to secure the throne. Killing you is probably just the first step..."

Jia Chuan frowned. The first thing that came to his mind was that the King of Han was making preparations in all aspects. No wonder Zhu Zhanji wanted to force him to act in advance. What if he waited until everything was ready... Then he thought that there must be a sequence for this matter. Was it because he was intercepted and killed on the way to Jinan that the emperor had this idea, or did the emperor receive some news first and use him to confirm it?
Jia Chuan didn't ask this question out loud. He knew Zhang Zheng couldn't answer it either. Was he trying to compete with the emperor? Jia Chuan advised himself to play dumb. Even Dong Yuanyuan knew that troubles were all imagined, so why bother with himself? And what good would it do even if he knew?

Jia Chuan sighed in frustration and said, "I'll go back and think of a way. Then I'll go to Le'an in disguise and see if it works."

After Jia Chuan left, Zhang Zheng immediately wrote a secret letter, in which he focused on Jia Chuan's reaction after learning that the King of Han had spread rumors.

……

After returning to the house that night, Jia Chuan organized a mobilization meeting to offer suggestions and advice for the trip to Le'an.

He wanted to gather everyone's wisdom. A person's brain is always limited, but having more Gao Yuntians would be useless.

Fortunately, Gao Yunduo was there. She asked a crucial question: "Does the King of Han go to urge him regularly, or does he go whenever he remembers? Does he persuade him patiently, or does he question him harshly?"

Jia Chuan instantly thought of a scene: a hero saving a beauty. No, it was when he saw someone bullying the weak, he roared out in injustice!

Zhu Zhanqi was a man who was demoted to a commoner. No matter who went to the palace, he would not speak kindly to them. Just look at the reputation of the Han Palace in Le'an over the years. What kind of scene would it be like for a Husky to raise a group of dogs?
Therefore, Jia Chuan concluded that the person who went there would definitely not be polite and would be very arrogant.

If this is the case, there will be an opportunity.

……

Over the next two days, Jia Chuan and Zhang Zheng made careful plans, and then Zhang Zheng made arrangements for a few more days. After everything was ready, they finally chose a day with continuous autumn rain. Jia Chuan, Chen Mo, and Gao Yuntian were among the first group of people to leave the city gate when it opened. Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan, with Shunzi and two centurions, were the second group, and the rest were the third group.

Old Zheng is looking after the house.

Old Zheng initially refused to accept the offer, but Jia Chuan said the operation was extremely dangerous. Old Zheng then changed the subject and asked, "Will I be in danger if I'm home alone?"

Jia Chuan said that the Censor would arrange for an equal number of people to live in the house. These people would disguise themselves and enter and leave the house as usual, doing this for the people who were monitoring them nearby, hoping to deceive them.

Everyone else has been found, but it is difficult to find a fake Dong Yuanyuan, so the position has to be left vacant. Fortunately, Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan don't go out on weekdays, but Dong Yuanyuan's voice can be heard throughout the neighborhood every day.

This matter really stumped Zhang Zheng, but fortunately he didn't have to show up in person. As for the noise, he could find a man to replace him.

As for these people's travel permits, it was even easier. Jia Chuan had never used a travel permit when he went from Dongzhao County to Beijing and then to Jinan. Those were all business trips sent by the government. But this time, he had to do without it.

He was quite familiar with the pass, as it was the main thing he learned when he was working in the Inspection Office. In his opinion, Zhu Yuanzhang formulated a series of detailed rules and implemented them very strictly. On the one hand, it was for the convenience of management, and on the other hand it was probably to prevent the people from becoming refugees and rebelling like he did in the past, and to try to restrict the people to the areas where they lived.

Any Ming Dynasty citizen who travels more than 100 miles must have a travel permit.

But the pass was not free to apply for. He had heard Dong Shuben tell him about this. There were many complications involved. A pass was worth one ingot for a heavy ticket, four strings of cash for a medium ticket, and three strings of cash for a low ticket. To put it bluntly, a gray industry chain was born - buying and selling identity documents.

They don't need to buy it, it's a blatant forgery, intended to give them a new identity when they enter Le'an, which says they are not from Jinan.

There must be people stationed by the Prince of Han's Palace at the city gates of the two places, so it won't hurt to be careful.

Jia Chuan didn't believe that the King of Han was indifferent to his every move. The fact that the King of Han could contact the descendants of Jianwen's old ministers showed his determination to kill him, but the ambush on the road would certainly cause great damage to those descendants. Moreover, no matter whether Zhu Zhanji knew about it before or after, as long as he determined that they were involved with the King of Han, he would definitely not tolerate them. These people posed little threat to Jia Chuan.

But the King of Han was different. The distance between Jinan and Le'an was less than 200 miles, and a fast horse could reach there in one day, so it was convenient to pass on a message. However, after arriving in Le'an, Jia Chuan didn't know how many days he would have to wait before the palace sent someone to urge Zhu Zhanqi, so he had to disguise himself to buy himself more time.

When leaving the city, Jia Chuan, Chen Mo and Gao Yuntian dressed up as older men of the martial arts world. Jia Chuan painted his face black, wore a straw hat and a raincoat, Gao Yuntian had a birthmark painted on his face, and Chen Mo covered the scar on his eye socket with pig skin. They took advantage of the cloudy and rainy weather so that the soldiers guarding the city could not see clearly.

Fortunately, the journey out of the city was not long, otherwise the "birthmark" on Gao Yuntian's face would have miraculously disappeared.

Facing the drizzle, the three of them rode at full speed. They had agreed before that they would go their separate ways on the road, and someone would pick them up at the arranged place when they arrived in Le'an.

The rain that day was sometimes heavy and sometimes light, but it never stopped. The three of them stopped three times to touch up their makeup, drink water and eat dry food.

When they arrived at Le'an, the city gates were still open, but the sky was terribly overcast. Jia Chuan had never been a thief before, and his whole body was stiff. He didn't know if it was from the cold or fear. He asked himself countless times, why didn't he plan it so that he could take Gao Yunduo with him, and the others could follow in two groups. Then he could take his beautiful woman away from the world, travel freely in the rivers and lakes, and have another fat baby...

On rainy days, not many people went into the city. Chen Mo walked steadily, Gao Yuntian walked arrogantly, and in between them was Jia Chuan, who walked like a zombie. The horse he led was more energetic than him.

Fortunately, the soldiers in front of the city gate were annoyed by the rain all day long. They had to take turns twice a day, and this time it happened to be at this time. The autumn rain and the autumn wind hit their bodies, and it was so cold that it could not be described.

Jia Chuan and the other two were allowed into the city in this way, without even looking at their pass.

……

Zhu Zhanqi's residence was quite remote. Not to mention that it was the first time for the three of them to come to Le'an, even those who came here often might not be able to find it right away.

Fortunately, Zhang Zheng was well prepared and had someone draw a rough map. He was not going to visit Zhu Zhanqi directly, so the street intersection he needed to reach was not difficult to find. It was just that the three groups had different destinations.

Jia Chuan, Gao Yunduo and others were going into the city, but the Jinyiwei did not need to, as their destination was the village outside the city.

In order to facilitate future activities, Zhang Zheng prepared temporary residences for the people entering the city. They were all not far from Zhu Zhanqi's residence. The two groups did not live in the same place. Jia Chuan still thought it was better to be cautious. After all, they were strangers, and they would have to go out frequently in the future. Living separately might reduce unnecessary trouble.

As for Zhu Zhanqi's home, Jia Chuan felt that the King of Han would not have any concerns about this commoner son. It was very likely that he ordered people to keep an eye on the area, but he was not concerned about Zhu Zhanqi's every move. However, after such a long time, whoever was watching would probably have relaxed or even withdrawn.

A son forgotten by his father, even if everyone around him knew that his father was the King of Han, I am afraid no one would curry favor with him, and it would be good enough if they didn't stay away from him.

At this time, Zhu Zhanqi was not as free as an ordinary citizen.

The three of them followed the sketch and found an alley. Someone was waiting at the entrance of the alley in the rain. After seeing them, the person asked, "Is it your cousin?" Chen Mo asked back, "Is it your cousin?"

So the strangers became a family and returned home happily.

Jia Chuan felt very much like the spy drama he had watched in his previous life. Although he had only seen a few scenes, the impression was still quite deep. The actor had to perform a sense of familiarity in the unfamiliarity, a sense of expectation in the trial, and when excited, he had to wipe the corners of his eyes to express the sadness in the excitement, and then take the stranger away.

But Jia Chuan was a little puzzled. Who would watch such a performance? Just now, there was no one in the streets and alleys. In a few minutes, there would be curfew and no one would go out. Who would he shout "cousin" to?

……

The three of them followed their "cousin" into a yard, which was also arranged by Zhang Zheng. Zhang Zheng not only arranged this place, but also had another one waiting for Gao Yunduo and the others.

There are also people in Lijia who work hard, but if anyone reports it, it will be a troublesome matter.

Jia Chuan wondered why the King of Han didn't drive his son out of the city first. It would be much more convenient for them if he was outside the city.

This house also has two entrances, but the courtyard is not big and its simplicity is only slightly better than Gao's house which has not been lived in for a long time. My cousin said that all the people living in this area are poor, so he bought this broken courtyard and moved in since Zhu Zhanqi moved here.

Zhu Gaoxu didn't want a son anymore? Dapang didn't believe it. This was a clue that had been laid long ago.

Jia Chuan changed into a dry long gown, drank a sip of hot tea, and asked, "Is Zhu Zhanqi's life difficult right now?"

"Hmph! He deserves what he's going through! When he first moved in, he relied on his royal bloodline and the fact that he was surrounded by honest people, so he bullied them a lot. When he had no food, he would go to other people's homes to get it, and beat anyone who tried to stop him. Some people were brave enough to go to the government office to complain, but the yamen runners said privately that they couldn't do anything and that they should go to the Prince of Han's Mansion. Alas, if they didn't make the honest people angry, they would become stubborn. Several people knelt in front of the Prince of Han's Mansion. Not to mention that he didn't care about the Prince of Han's men being domineering outside the mansion and bullying the weak, but he really sent people to teach his son a lesson in front of the nearby neighbors. After that, Zhu Zhanqi restrained himself a lot, but the Prince of Han's Mansion would send people to teach him a lesson from time to time and urge him to go to Fengyang."

"How is he living now?" Jia Chuan asked.

"What else can I do? His wife is quite hardworking. She grows some vegetables in her yard and goes out every day to do some sewing and mending, and wash clothes for others. The little money she earns is not only not enough to pay for the people who come to the Prince of Han's Mansion every time, but it is also difficult to fill Zhu Zhanqi's stomach. If he doesn't have enough to eat, Zhu Zhanqi will take action. Alas, she is also a poor woman. She was sold into the palace as a child and followed such a man. Logically, they grew up together and should have some feelings for each other..."

"It's unnecessary to show kindness to a beast!" Chen Mo said in a deep voice.

"Please sit down first. I'll go cook some noodles for you. I'm afraid you'll be inconvenienced while living here..."

Jia Chuan waved his hand and said, "Business is not a vacation. No, it's not like I'm really visiting relatives. Even if I were, I'd still be treated like this by my relatives. How dare I despise them? I don't know what to call them."

"Call me Qiao Wu, that's what everyone around here calls me. I'll tell you my real name after I finish the job, so you don't call me by the wrong name."

After saying this, Qiao Wu left the house.

……

Not long after, Qiao Wu returned with noodles. Gao Yuntian hurried over to help. Qiao Wu said, "The second group of you has arrived at your accommodation, and the third group went directly to the village arranged outside the city."

"Pretty fast!" Jia Chuan sat at the table, feeling relieved and immediately having an appetite.

"Tomorrow I'll take you to the Lijia and buy some cakes. If he's happy, he'll keep his mouth shut. Then we'll go visit the neighbors. The people you came with don't live far away, so a chance encounter wouldn't be out of place. If there's any urgent news, I'll pass it on. You'll have to wait until someone from the Han Palace arrives. It might take some time, but it should be soon. I remember it was scorching hot the last time I came here. It was so hot that there weren't even any onlookers."

"Zhu Zhanqi is so stubborn. At least he will be provided with food and drink if he goes to Fengyang. Why should he stay here?" Gao Yuntian muttered.

Qiao Wu smiled and said, "He feels that if he goes to Fengyang, there will be no hope of returning. Instead, if he stays in Le'an, his father will still think of him from time to time. Although it is definitely not a good thing, he still thinks of him. This means he has a chance to return to the palace."

"Are you dreaming?" Gao Yuntian said.

Jia Chuan said, "This is obsession. The late emperor agreed to demote him to a commoner and to let him guard the imperial mausoleum, but he didn't issue an order. He felt there was a loophole to exploit, so he endured it like this, waiting for his father to change his mind. Does he take action every time someone from the palace comes?"

"Not really. Those people were probably tired, especially last time when it was so hot. They were too lazy to do anything. They just stood in the yard and cursed for a while before leaving." Qiao Wu replied.

Jia Chuan said "hmm".

After they finished their noodles, they fell asleep.

……

The rain stopped in the middle of the night. The autumn rain brought a chill. The next morning, Jia Chuan got up and went to the yard, and he felt the chill.

In the morning, Qiao Wu took the three of them to the street to buy some cakes and took them to Lijia's house. Lijia was very happy and asked a lot of questions, and Qiao Wu answered them one by one.

Seeing that the three men were dressed decently, Lijia knew they were not poor relatives seeking refuge there. He seemed genuinely happy for Qiao Wu and even wanted to invite him to dinner. Qiao Wu politely declined, saying that the three men wanted to see what kind of livelihood Le'an had and that they would have to visit other places later.

Qiao Wu is a widower, at least that is his current identity, and he is a childless widower. However, because he is not good-looking, is short in stature, and is very picky about his second wife, he has not remarried for a long time. The Lijia even tried to persuade him a few words before leaving.

Last night, when Gao Yuntian was resting, he whispered to Jia Chuan, "This Qiao Wu is a bit like the Wu Dalang you mentioned."

Jia Chuan ignored him. He didn't believe that Gao Yuntian couldn't see that Qiao Wu was skilled. The so-called shortness also depends on who you compare him with. If they really fight, the shorter one will be more agile.

After leaving Lijia's house, Qiao Wu took the three of them for a stroll in the nearby streets and alleys. During the walk, they passed by Zhu Zhanqi's yard, and the gate was closed.

Just looking at the gate revealed the family's poverty. Jia Chuan figured that if things continued like this, within a year or two, Zhu Zhanqi would relent and go to Fengyang to guard the imperial mausoleum. The presence or absence of the gate made little difference. Jia Chuan could see through the broken gate into the courtyard. It wasn't a large one, and amidst the tattered debris grew a few green plants...

After just a glance, the few of them left. Along the way, Qiao Wu kept greeting people and introducing his three cousins. Gao Yuntian also bowed to people enthusiastically. After walking for a while, they happened to meet an acquaintance who also had relatives seeking refuge. The man was taking Shunzi for a stroll. The few of them warmly clasped their fists to each other on the street, chatted for a few more words, and then parted ways.

……

After a few days of this, Gao Yuntian felt that he could circle the nearby streets with his eyes closed. Fortunately, he told the local police that he was looking for a job. Otherwise, if he wandered around like this every day, it would definitely arouse suspicion from others.

Jia Chuan asked Zhu Zhanqi about his daily life in the past few days. He had no fixed time to come to the Prince of Han's Mansion. He came in the morning, noon and evening. He also came every few days. There was even a time when he didn't come for two months.

Hmm... a little messy.

Several people were waiting anxiously. Shunzi had said before that he was powerless to stop Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan from going out, and the two of them could rush out at any time.

Before coming, Gao Yuntian asked Jia Chuan why he brought them both with him?
Jia Chuan said, "Zhu Zhanqi has a woman with him. I don't know if she can be of any use to me right now. If she can be, where can I find a trustworthy woman to help me?"

Gao Yuntian was worried about leaving his sister in Jinan, so he didn't stop her. But Jia Chuan was right again.

As the saying goes, there is no coincidence in the world. Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan finally broke free from their restraints and went to the street. Shunzi could only follow them. Gao Yunduo gave herself psychological counseling: This place is different from other places. Don't act on impulse. Just go out to the street to take a look and get some fresh air. No matter what you see, don't act rashly. What may happen to you is a small matter, but delaying Jia Chuan's business is a big deal.

So Dong Yuanyuan was in a state of letting herself go along the way. Gao Yunduo was still relatively cautious, but she still encountered something that made her feel unhappy.

Not long after the three of them went out, they saw five burly men in uniform at the entrance of an alley. They were cursing and kicking a woman who had fallen to the ground. It was not just one person kicking her, but four people kicking her at the same time. Only one person who seemed to be the leader was standing aside and watching coldly.

The woman was kicked several times. The leader shouted, and the four men withdrew their feet and were about to move forward. The woman actually struggled, threw herself at one of them, hugged his legs and begged desperately.

(End of this chapter)