Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Arriving at Chengfeng Courtyard and entering the study, Chen Shao gestured, "Sit down."

Wang Cong glanced at Fu Jiu who was standing behind her and watching him curiously, then glanced at Li Tianliu who was leaning against the door with his arms folded across his chest. He picked a nearby chair and sat down nervously.

Quan Shuyu brought the tea over. Chen Shao watched him take a sip and said, "Did your youngest son really marry someone from the Zhu family of Wujun?"

Wang Cong said frankly but reservedly, "Yes. However, I didn't know Fang was from the Zhu family at first. It was only after she got married and became pregnant that her family came to visit her and I learned her true identity. I don't know what Fang's character was like in the past, but her father was kind to me and she has always been honest and dutiful after marrying my son. Even if I don't like her and her father's concealment, there is no reason for me to divorce her."

After Chen Shao said "That makes sense", he continued to ask: "Did Fang's family tell you anything? Or, after Fang's family came, did the Zhu family treat you differently than usual?"

"Fang's family didn't say anything to me, but they just tactfully accused Fang that even though she was married, she couldn't be estranged from her family." Wang Cong frowned unconsciously as he spoke. "After her family left, except for the fifth son Zhu who would come to visit Fang from time to time, the Zhu family didn't treat me any differently, but..."

Wang Cong hesitated for a moment before continuing, "The Fifth Master Zhu used the excuse that Fang was pregnant and needed my son to stay at home to take care of her, so he placed him in a shop of the Zhu family as a manager."

Chen Shao immediately asked: "Which shop?"

Wang Cong said, "It's a cloth shop called Zhuji Cloth Shop."

Quan Shuyu quickly took out the list of Zhu's shops and said after a moment, "There is such a shop, but the business doesn't seem to be very good."

Chen Shao took the roster and saw that the cloth shop was registered under the name of Mr. Zhu Wu, and had been losing money for three consecutive years. "How much is your youngest son's monthly salary at Zhu's Cloth Shop?"

"Two taels of silver, sometimes Mr. Zhu Wu would give him a few more taels." Wang Cong replied. He had only been to Zhu's cloth shop twice, so he was not very clear whether the business was good or not.

Chen Shao probed: "Did Mr. Zhu Wu say anything to your youngest son?"

"This... I don't know the details. After he got married, I didn't ask about his affairs much. I only heard him mention that Master Zhu Wu asked him to work hard and if he did well, he could be promoted to the manager." Wang Cong reminded, "My son is still in the Zhuji Cloth Shop. If you have anything you want to know, you can summon him to come and ask in person."

Chen Shao replied "OK", and then asked him: "Did Mr. Zhu Wu say anything to you when he visited Fang?"

Wang Cong thought for a moment and said, "We have been told many times that we are all family. If there is anything, just go to the Zhu family to find them. In addition, during festivals, Master Zhu Wu will send people to send some money and food over."

Chen Shao: "After the Zhu and Gu families' grain is delivered to Jiangnan, will it be handed over directly to the Zhu and Gu families' relatives, or what?"

Wang Cong: “Just give it to them.”

Chen Shao: "Have you ever asked what the grain was sent to the family for?"

Wang Cong shook his head: "No."

Chen Shao looked into his eyes and said, "In other words, you don't know that the Zhu family and the Gu family colluded with the former crown prince to change the dynasty?"

Wang Cong was stunned for a moment, then stood up suddenly, looking at her with burning eyes: "The Gu and Zhu families colluded with the former crown prince to change the dynasty?"

Chen Shao signaled Chan Yi to take out the Zhu family's hereditary imperial edicts and hand them to him.

Wang Cong didn't care about the difference between the high and the low, he took the hereditary edict and opened it quickly. After reading one volume, he was already furious: "You little brat, you shall not die well!"

Chen Shao raised one eyebrow slightly and said in agreement: "Their end is indeed a miserable death."

After reading the hereditary edict twice, Wang Cong's anger erupted like a volcano, and his breathing became heavy. He handed the edict back to Chan Yi, lifted his clothes and knelt down, saying, "My Lord, if I had known that the Gu and Zhu families had such evil intentions, I would never have accepted their offer of amnesty even if I was cut into pieces!"

Chen Shao smiled, neither saying he believed it nor saying he didn't. After letting him get up, he gently tapped the wall of the teacup twice and suddenly asked, "Can you tell me why you became a robber?"

"There were constant wars at the border. The government collected grains and taxes in the name of the imperial court. The people could not bear the hardship and some fled or died. There were starving people everywhere." Wang Cong said, "Another time the government came to collect grains, there was not even a grain of rice left in my house. The officials were dissatisfied with this and came up with a vicious plan to seize my wife and children as collateral and force me to take grain to the government to redeem them. How could I, a man, watch my wife and children fall into the tiger's den and the wolf's mouth? Since the government is so cruel, I might as well become a bandit."

Perhaps it was because many years had passed, but when Wang Cong said this, he sounded so indifferent that it didn't seem like he was talking about his own affairs.

Chen Shao was silent for a moment, then asked, "Have you ever robbed ordinary people?"

Wang Cong raised three fingers and said resolutely and frankly: "I and all my brothers have never stolen a grain of rice from the common people. If we lie, God will strike us with lightning!"

After saying this, he could not help but snorted coldly: "The reason why I accepted the offer from the Gu and Zhu families was because they swore never to oppress the people. Otherwise, how could I..."

Chan Yi sneered disdainfully, "Never oppress the people? Could it be that the fields on those farms were given to them by the common people themselves with their good fields? And those boys and girls in the gardens, did they also ask to die here?"

Wang Cong's face turned pale and blue for a while before he knelt on the ground again, ashamed, "It's true that I didn't know people well. I have been with the Gu and Zhu families for many years, and they have always treated me and my brothers kindly. I have always been kind to them and never doubted them. Occasionally, when I came back from delivering goods, I went to the fields and saw the endless waves of wheat and the fragrance of rice, and I trusted them even more. After the corpses in those gardens were exposed, I did have doubts, but Master Zhu Wu swore to heaven that it had nothing to do with his Zhu and Gu families, and said that you are the most fair in handling cases. If I don't believe it, I can just wait for the results of your investigation.

"After the Wen family got into trouble, Master Zhu Wu shamelessly said that he had known for a long time that the Wen family and the Ren family were not good people, and that the cases in those gardens must have been committed by them. I listened to his analysis and believed it a little more. Later, after the Zhu family got into trouble, Master Gu and Master Gu Er came to me and accused you of listening to slander and killing the Zhu family indiscriminately, and asked me to join them in seeking justice for the Zhu family. I didn't believe them, but Master Gu and Master Gu Er hinted that I was a robber, and if I rashly came to confront you, you would misunderstand that I was going to rebel. They also advised me that since you listened to slander and raided the Zhu family, you would definitely raid the Gu family next. If I didn't believe that they were framed, I could wait until you went to the Gu family and find an opportunity to question them. I have indeed received a lot of care from the Gu and Zhu families, and I thought it would only take a few more days, so I agreed to them."

Chen Shao nodded, still not saying whether he believed it or not. After letting him stand up again, he asked, "You said before that you could help convince the Fan and Qi families to recruit those robbers?"

"Before Liu Zizhuang and his brothers accepted the amnesty from the Fan and Qi families, although we were kings, we often joined forces to rob in private. It is no exaggeration to say that if we had not accepted the amnesty, with our strength, we would have been the number one robber gang in Jiannan Road." Wang Cong knew that he could not make Chen Shao trust him with just a few words, so he actively showed his attitude, "Later, although we successively accepted the amnesty, we still kept in touch in private. My eldest daughter married his second son. Some time ago, before I brought my brothers to the Gu family, he asked me about the situation and plans."

"If you go to persuade him, what are the chances that he will be willing to surrender?" Chen Shao asked.

Wang Cong smiled, "Even if I didn't persuade him, when you raided the Fan and Qi families, as long as General Li yelled again like he did today, he would surrender immediately. His wife and children died at the hands of the government, and he hated corrupt officials who oppressed the people the most. Since you came to Hongyuan County, he has expressed his feelings to me more than once, saying that it would have been great if you could have come to Jiannan Road a few years earlier."

"It's not too late to come now." After Chen Shao encouraged him for a few words, he got back to the point and said, "Since he hates the corrupt officials who oppress the people so much, then the task of persuading him to surrender is left to you."

Wang Cong stood up and said, "I will not disgrace your order!"

"How long will it take to persuade him?" Chen Shao asked.

"It will be done tomorrow!" Wang Cong said simply.

"Tomorrow..." Chen Shao thought carefully for a moment and shook his head. "Tomorrow is not possible. Your surrender today will definitely arouse the vigilance of the Fan family and the Qi family. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. So, Fu Jiu, you follow the head of the Wang family to the Fan family or the Qi family. The time limit is one hour. Whether he is willing to surrender or not, you must come back! If there is any danger, light the signal and the Yulin Guard will come to rescue him!"

Fu Jiu immediately stood up excitedly.

Wang Cong was inspired by Chen Shao's decisiveness. He answered loudly, "Yes," and followed Fu Jiu out.

Chen Shao looked at the two men's backs and quickly ordered: "Immediately gather all the people participating in today's operation, including Wang Cong's brothers, and be sure to surround the Fan and Qi families within an hour!"

Li Tianliu said nothing and turned away.

Chen Shao stood up and motioned to Chan Yi and Quan Shu Yu: "Take the evidence of their two families' crimes and set off. Let's go check out the place first."

Chan Yi looked at Quan Shuyu and asked: "Shuyu is going too?"

Chen Shao said 'hmm', "Go ahead, it's better to meet him sooner."

Chan Yi pulled Quan Shuyu, and the two of them, each holding a wooden box, followed her into the carriage. Under the protection of the Yulin Guards, they quietly left the prefectural government through the back door.