Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

The Huzhuang coal drying workshop, once a bustling place filled with smoke and noise, was now surrounded by a large number of yamen runners, the atmosphere grim. In front of the largest coal drying furnaces, a number of coal workers with fearful expressions had gathered.

An old foreman with graying hair, a face stained black with coal dust, and large knuckles blocked the way of the constable who was about to lead his men into the main furnace room. His face was full of anxiety, and he bowed repeatedly: "Sir! Sir! You mustn't, you absolutely mustn't! These furnaces... these main furnaces can't be shut down! Once the fire goes out, the furnace chamber, flue, and firebricks inside will crack due to the sudden cooling and contraction! If we want to restart them, we'll have to dismantle and rebuild half of the furnace! We can't afford that loss... we can't afford that loss! Our boss now... alas, we old fellows depend on these furnaces to make a living!"

The constable in charge frowned and shoved him aside without any politeness: "What are you babbling about! This is Lord Zhang's strict order! Don't worry about the losses, even if the Emperor himself came today, this furnace would be extinguished! Anyone who dares to obstruct it will be punished for obstructing official business!"

The old foreman was shoved and stumbled. After regaining his balance, he was filled with grief and indignation, slapping his thigh and saying, "The Hu family has no one in charge now! We coal miners depend on this furnace to survive! Are you government officials trying to cut off our livelihood? Are you trying to wipe us out?"

Just then, Zhang Jingwei, accompanied by Yuan Liang and Qian Ming, walked over. His face was still pale, but his eyes were sharp. Hearing the old foreman's words, he said directly, "Losses? I'll compensate you! Now, shut down the furnace immediately! All the workers on duty, come to me and collect two strings of cash each as compensation for today's lost work!"

Seeing that it was the county magistrate himself, the old foreman's arrogance subsided slightly, but he still looked worried: "Sir... this... these two strings of cash are quite a lot, but money always runs out eventually. Once this furnace goes out, the trouble and expense of relighting and repairing it... unless you can promise that after your inspection, the government will provide the money and labor to help us relight the furnace and restore it to its original state, we won't dare... we won't dare to put out the furnace." He knew that relighting the furnace meant hiring specialized bricklayers and blacksmiths to clean the slag, unclog the flue, and repair the cracks—a time-consuming, laborious, and expensive project.

Zhang Jingwei was well aware of the trouble this would cause. He glanced at the furnaces, still emitting high temperatures and billowing black smoke, and then, thinking of the horrifying evidence that might be hidden within them, gritted his teeth and said decisively, "Fine! I agree! After the furnaces are shut down, all repairs and relighting will be handled by the county government's workshop, and the necessary funds will also come from the county government! It's just a matter of removing slag, clearing pipes, and patching cracks! Now, shut down the furnaces immediately! There must be no delay!"

With the magistrate's personal promise, the old foreman finally stopped obstructing the work. He sighed, turned around, and shouted, "Did you all hear that? The magistrate has ordered that there will be compensation! Turn off the furnace! Be careful!"

As the workers reluctantly but dared not disobey, they began operating the furnace. The massive blower ceased its roar, the coal feeder was sealed, and the fire, lacking air and fuel, began to gradually weaken. The billowing black smoke turned into thin blue smoke, until only wisps of heat escaped from the gaps in the furnace opening and chimney. The enormous furnace, deprived of its internal high-temperature support, emitted a slight "clicking" sound as it contracted.

Before the furnace temperature had completely dropped, the constables, enduring the high temperature and smoke, began a thorough search of the more than twenty coal drying rooms, coal leaching pits, stockpiles, and Hu Sheng's main house in the coal workshop, as instructed by Zhang Jingwei.

Time ticked by in anxious waiting. Constables, looking disheveled yet excited, kept running in from all directions to report:

"Sir! All twenty coal drying rooms have been shut down, and the furnaces are cooling down! But it's still too hot inside; we can't see or touch anything. We'll have to wait a little longer!"

"My lord! A locked iron box has been found in the secret compartment where Hu Sheng usually rests in the main house! Inside are some documents and miscellaneous items!"

"Sir! In the long-abandoned coal drying room in the far west corner, we found some torn pieces of clothing stained with dark brown stains under the coal pile! It looks like blood!"

"Sir! Deep inside the furnace of the No. 3 main furnace, we found some... some unburnt bone fragments! They were black, but they were definitely human bones!"

The last report invigorated Zhang Jingwei! He strode towards Furnace No. 3, ignoring the still intense heat, and approached to examine it. Several constables were using long iron hooks and shovels to carefully sift through the still-warm ashes and unburnt coal, removing fragments of bone of varying sizes, charred and carbonized, with gruesome shapes.

“As expected…” Zhang Jingwei murmured, a cold glint in his eyes, “The furnace in the coal drying room burns firewood and low-quality coal, and the temperature is far from reaching the point where iron can be melted into gold. Human bones are hard and rich in calcium, so they can’t be melted in a short time! They can only be burned black, cracked, and shattered!”

Several constables responsible for emptying the furnace were flushed and drenched in sweat from the high temperature and soot. They were almost exhausted and reported breathlessly, "Sir... this is all we could find... It's too fragmented, and it's mixed with the slag, making it difficult to distinguish..."

Huang Liang, the registrar, also took a closer look at the charred bones, his face grave: "Although they are broken and severely carbonized, judging from their size and shape, especially these larger pieces... they resemble limb bones and skull fragments of an adult male. If there are no surprises, this is probably... the missing Chang Da."

On the other side, Yuan Liang had already opened the iron box that had been searched from the main house. Inside, besides some land deeds and account books, there was also a neatly folded document with fresh ink. He quickly glanced through it, his expression turning extremely serious. He walked to Zhang Jingwei's side and whispered, "Sir, take a look at this."

Zhang Jingwei took the document and unfolded it. In neat but slightly hurried handwriting, it clearly recounted how Hu Sheng, disliking his first wife Bai's frail health and coveting the meager inheritance left by her family, not only refused to treat her illness but also verbally abused and deliberately delayed treatment, ultimately leading to Bai's death in poverty, illness, and despair. At the end, there was Hu Sheng's signature and fingerprint! This was a "confession" written by Hu Sheng himself, admitting that he indirectly drove his wife to her death!

“Plum Blossom Taoist…” Zhang Jingwei held the confession in his hand. The feel of the paper stirred something within him, and a realization flashed in his eyes. “She really is still in Gaoyang! And she’s been active just recently!”

Yuan Liang asked with some doubt: "How can you be so sure, sir? This confession might have been written by Hu Sheng in his early years?"

“No, look at this paper.” Zhang Jingwei held the paper up to the light, carefully examining the edges and texture. “This is ‘Snow Wave Paper,’ a new paper mill from the ‘Beigong Group’ that just launched last month. The paper is delicate and tough, with subtle patterns. This batch of paper is made from the same raw materials and by the same craftsmen as some of this year’s tribute paper. Because the quantity is limited, it is prioritized for supply to the capital and a few other major cities. In Gaoyang, we only recently obtained a small quantity through caravans. Hu Sheng, a coal mine owner, usually uses rough paper. How could he suddenly use such expensive new paper to write his confession? Moreover, the ink is still fresh, so it could not have been written in his early years. This paper, this ink, and the means by which Hu Sheng was forced to write his confession… it can only be the work of someone who has recently been in contact with Hu Sheng and has the ability to obtain this new paper!”

Upon hearing this, Yuan Liang carefully examined the paper and smelled the ink. He suddenly realized what was going on and sincerely praised, "Your Excellency is extremely perceptive! I hadn't even noticed such a detail!"

Zhang Jingwei's lips curled into a cold smile: "I was prepared for this move. Wang Ergou!"

At his call, a lean, ordinary-looking man, who seemed capable of blending into the shadows of the crowd at any moment, silently emerged from behind a pile of coal. He was none other than Wang Ergou, the head of the undercover intelligence unit specializing in reconnaissance and tracking.

"Young Master," Wang Ergou bowed, his voice steady.

"Dog, any news? Have you got anyone on your radar?" Zhang Jingwei asked directly.

Wang Ergou nodded, his voice steady and clear: "Young Master, as you instructed, our men have been keeping an eye on Xinqing Temple and several places that might be related to Plum Blossom Taoist. Half an hour ago, our informant reported that a figure dressed as a female Taoist was spotted burning incense and making offerings at the tomb of Madam Bai, deep in the western mountain valley. Her behavior was suspicious. Judging from her figure and gait, she bears a striking resemblance to the characteristics of Plum Blossom Taoist. Our men have secretly surrounded her and temporarily contained her in that area, without alerting her, awaiting your orders, Young Master."

"Good!" A fierce glint flashed in Zhang Jingwei's eyes. "The Plum Blossom Taoist is highly skilled in martial arts, especially in lightness techniques and Taoist secret arts. Ordinary constables probably can't capture her. Qian Ming!"

"exist!"

"Immediately mobilize all armed constables on duty, and bring bows, crossbows, nets, and grappling hooks! With Wang Ergou leading the way, rush to the western mountain pass! Be extremely careful and try to capture them alive! If they resist fiercely... you may use necessary means, but you must leave them alive!" Zhang Jingwei gave the order decisively. He knew that this mysterious Plum Blossom Taoist was likely the instigator of all this.

"Yes!" Qian Ming and Wang Ergou responded in unison, turned around and quickly mustered their men, and sped off towards the west of the city like arrows released from a bow.

Inside the coal-drying workshop, the fire had died down, but residual heat remained, and smoke lingered. Charred bone fragments, bloodstained clothing, a confession in an iron box… shocking evidence surfaced amidst the heat and dust. Meanwhile, in the western mountain valley, a crucial arrest operation was about to unfold, demanding the ultimate truth. Zhang Jingwei stood before the gradually cooling coal-drying furnace, gazing intently at the distant, layered mountains to the west, his eyes deep and thoughtful. All the clues, like scattered beads, were finally about to be strung together by the thread known as the "Plum Blossom Taoist."