Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Chen Shao returned to the main house and picked out the smallest pharmacy from the pharmacies belonging to the Gu and Zhu families, a medium-sized pharmacy from the pharmacies belonging to the Fan and Qi families, and a medium-sized and a high-quality pharmacy from the pharmacies belonging to the Zhou and Hu families.

Holding the four selected medicine store credentials, Chen Shao said slowly: "Several of them are qualified to obtain the official medicine store operating rights, but who is the most qualified, let them compete with each other. From tomorrow until the end of next month, I will make a comprehensive evaluation based on the operating conditions of several medicine stores in this month, and then decide the final winner. As for the evaluation criteria, I will tell them in person after they come over tomorrow."

"What about these two pharmacies?" Chan Yi asked with a distressed look on her face as she picked up the credentials of two small pharmacies that did not belong to any aristocratic family or wealthy family.

Chen Shao laughed: "This is hunting, they are not prey."

Oh, yes, she almost forgot. Chan Yi quickly put away her heartache.

"Are Luo Shurong and Wang Zhouli still living in Juxian Building?" Chen Shao asked.

Fu Jiu nodded: "Still living there."

"Changshun Shoe Shop and Shiweizhai used to have good business. It would be a pity to just abandon them. Go ask them tomorrow if they are willing to take over. I can split the profits with them 70% and 30%. If they are not willing, you can also ask them to change the two shops to their previous business. I don't want their profits, just pay me the rent on time. In addition..." Chen Shao paused, hesitated between Zhao Liangzhu and Qi Ye for a while, and then continued, "Tomorrow you go to Changning Village in person and take Qi Ye to the prefectural governor's mansion. I have something to entrust to him."

Fu Jiu nodded in agreement.

The night watchman's drum struck five times.

It's the fifth watch again.

Without Chan Yi's urging, Chen Shao waved his hand, told Li Tianliu and Fu Jiu to go back and rest, and then he went into the house and lay down.

Just as they were resting, a secret meeting had just begun in the Zhengxin Hall outside the Fan Family Ancestral Hall.

"We have lost more than we gained. I wonder if the Ren and Wen families can still sleep well tonight?" Master Gu spoke first, his gloating tone evident in his words.

"How can it be just a loss of a handful of rice? Huichuntang, Changshun Shoe Store, and Shiweizhai, they are three huge handfuls of rice!" Master Zhu followed closely behind, also eager to watch the fun.

Master Qi snorted coldly: "You have evil intentions, you deserve this!"

"They are not evil-minded, but they have too many tricks up their sleeves." Master Gu said cheerfully, "They deliberately set up a crazy horse formation around Huichuntang, hoping to kill two birds with one stone, to solve the crisis of Lu Yuanfei and to show Huichuntang off. But despite all their calculations, they didn't expect the Yulin Guards to be so agile. Not only did they fail to solve the problem of Lu Yuanfei, but they also lost several shops."

"It's not that they didn't expect the Yulin Guards to be so agile, but they underestimated Master Chen Liu!" Ding Lisheng, led by two beautiful maids holding lanterns, walked slowly into the hall, took the wine glass handed to him by Fan Zhirong, took a sip, praised the wine, and then said, "Do they really think that Master Chen Liu caught Shi Xing by accident?"

Fan Zhirong poured him more wine and asked, "Isn't it?"

Ding Lisheng smiled and asked back: "The serial murder case was an accident, so what do you say today?"

Knowing that he was showing off, Fan Zhirong said in agreement, "Isn't it because she threatened Dong Jin with beheading, and Dong Jin was afraid of death?"

Ding Lisheng asked again with a smile: "Then how did she find Huichuntang?"

Master Qi San also agreed, "Wasn't it that Dong Jin himself who found Master Chen Liu?"

Ding Lisheng took out the certificates of several medicine shops belonging to the Wen and Ren families and threw them on the table. "Look at what this is?"

This time even Master Gu and Master Zhu had to put down their airs. Master Gu asked, "Master Chen Liu has delegated the power of selecting official pharmacies to you?"

"That's not the case." Ding Lisheng took two sips of wine. "This is the certificate that Mr. Chen Liu asked me to return to the Ren and Wen families after dawn."

After a pause, he continued, "Mr. Chen Liu is not just talking nonsense. She brought a silver fish bag and a certificate."

Master Gu and Master Zhu not only put down their airs, but also sat up straight. After the two looked at each other, Master Gu asked again, "Did you see it?"

Ding Lisheng said: "Of course."

Master Zhu took the voucher from Fan Zhirong, looked at it carefully, and asked, "Master Chen Liu asked you to return these vouchers. Does that mean he has recognized you?"

Ding Lisheng's eyes flashed with viciousness, "Not only that, I also suspect that she also told Lei Dehou that she would promote one of us to be the governor."

Master Zhu asked carefully, "Why do you say that?"

Ding Lisheng looked at the voucher in his hand and said viciously, "That idiot Zhao Letian is also one of our sworn brothers, and he, Ren Yujie, and Wen Gui will all be executed tomorrow. Why did Young Master Chen Liu only let me pick the pharmacies of Ren and Wen families and return the vouchers, but not the pharmacy of Zhao's family? There is only one answer, that is, she wants to leave it for Lei Dehou to choose. If I am not mistaken, Lei Dehou will not only pick the pharmacy of Zhao's family, but also my Ding family's pharmacy, or even your pharmacy."

After taking another sip of wine, he told the story of his plot against the Ren and Wen families in the lobby.

Master Gu and Master Zhu looked at each other again before they spoke cautiously, "Master Chen Liu wants to use the competition between you to find out our bottom line."

Master Qi San said, "It seems that we can't keep Lei Dehou."

Master Gu and Master Zhu said in unison: "Don't touch him!"

Ding Lisheng followed up and said, "It is indeed impossible to move."

Third Master Qi snorted, "So we're just going to let him run wild? Don't forget, even though he doesn't know what we're doing secretly, he's been a clerk in the army for fourteen years. Even if he's a blockhead, he should know everything about our families. With Sixth Master Chen's keen sense, who knows what he'll say, and she'll be able to find some clues!"

"Be patient." Fan Zhirong patted his shoulder and said to Ding Lisheng, "From what you said just now about plotting against the Ren and Wen families in the lobby, did Young Master Chen Liu hand over the investigation of those gardens to you?"

"Yes." Ding Lisheng admitted frankly.

"Not bad." After Fan Zhirong praised him, he looked at Master Qi and said, "To deal with Lei Dehou, we don't have to get rid of him. Getting rid of the Zhou family will have the same effect!"

Turning back, he asked Ding Lisheng: "What is your next plan?"

Ding Lisheng said: "My next plan was to get rid of the Ren family and the Wen family, but if you want to get rid of the Zhou family first, you can do that, but you have to give me a reason to deal with Mr. Chen Liu."

"I'll tell you the reason later." Fan Zhirong couldn't wait to mention the purpose of calling him here. "What did Master Chen Liu say to Wu Dong's family when he was executing Luo Zhengxin and Wu Dong?"