Jiao Da Gongzi intended to foster good relations, and Magistrate Zhu would not act as a villain. The matter of the noodle shop was quickly settled.
As for the Zhao family's pastry shop, which had already closed, it was as Master Zhao had previously considered. Even if Zhan Feiyu kindly shielded the Zhao family this time, once she left Liuxian, Zhenwei Xuan would still target the Zhao family again.
The annexation of the Zhao family's pastry shop was only a matter of time. It was better to seize this opportunity. Zhenwei Xuan did not suppress the price, and Master Zhao and Jiao Da Gongzi did not fall out. In the long run, this move was the most correct choice.
Exiting the county yamen, Jiao Da Gongzi looked at the carriage parked not far away. He Sheng was dressed in simple gray clothes, no different from the carriage drivers on the street, but who would have thought he was a master.
"Miss Zhan." Jiao Da Gongzi glanced around nonchalantly, his attitude still arrogant, appearing to be bidding farewell to Zhan Feiyu. "It is said that the Old Master is vengeful and ruthless. Miss Zhan should still be very careful."
It was better to be safe than sorry. The Old Master had been thwarted by Zhan Feiyu repeatedly, and he would surely seek to regain face. Previously, the Old Master had misjudged Zhan Feiyu's strength, but his next move would surely be well-prepared, making Zhan Feiyu's situation dangerous.
"Thank you for the reminder, Young Master." Zhan Feiyu sincerely thanked him. Even though the Imperial Guards had investigated, they had not discovered the identity of this Old Master. "May I ask if Young Master could reveal a little, so I can be prepared?"
Not only in Liuxian, but throughout the entire Qianzhong Circuit, anyone with a certain status and position knew of the Old Master's existence. This person was elusive, deeply hidden, and possessed immense power.
Whether it was the government yamen or martial arts factions, as long as they did not offend the Old Master, he would not deliberately target anyone.
A hint of hesitation appeared on Jiao Da Gongzi's proud face. After a long pause, he said in a low voice, "Three years ago, the Prefect of Jinzhou died of a sudden illness. At that time, Minister Qiu personally led Divine Physician Zhu to Jinzhou. In the end, they only found that he was poisoned, but what poison it was, and how the poison was administered to Prefect Liao, all remained unresolved."
However, everyone in the Qianzhong Circuit knew that Prefect Liao's death was inseparable from the Old Master. This was because Prefect Liao's only son had been abducted by kidnappers twenty years ago, causing Madam Liao to fall ill and pass away three months later.
Prefect Liao did not remarry afterward.
...
Hiss! Even Constable Cao and Constable Miao, who had seen many corpses, still turned pale at the sight of these two headless bodies.
"Brother Sheng, this murderer is too vicious." Constable Miao calmed his emotions and said in a low voice. He killed them, but he also cut off their heads. Not to mention the large patch of dried blood on the bed, the stab wound to the chest, and the face with crisscrossing knife wounds. This was not killing but torture.
Cao Sheng carefully avoided the blood splattered on the ground and walked towards the bed, carefully observing the two corpses. "The fatal blow should be the stab to the chest, a single blow to kill."
"Then are the remaining knives meant to intimidate?" Constable Miao, standing by, glanced quickly and then turned his head away. "If it was just to silence them, there would be no need to go to such lengths to cut off their heads."
Not to mention the faces of Old Man Tu and Tu Da Niu, the wounds were deep, the flesh swollen and everted, revealing bone. The crisscrossing scratches on their faces were like a spider web, making people shudder.
Generally, scratching the face of the deceased was either out of resentment or to conceal identity. Cao Sheng did not dare to be careless and, enduring his discomfort, looked at the faces of the corpses. "They are indeed the Tu father and son."
Constable Miao nodded and quickly surveyed the room filled with a strong smell of blood. "The tables and chairs are all intact, and there are no signs of a struggle in the room."
He walked to the window in a few steps. It was likely that they did not want mosquitoes from outside to fly in, so the window was closed from the inside. Constable Miao then went to the door to check the bolt. "The bolt is intact. The murderer must have known the Tu father and son, which is why they were able to enter."
The Tu father and son had previously beaten Master Zhao and his nephew Zhao Ling until they were bruised and swollen at the entrance of the medical clinic. Even though the father and son were not martial artists, they had the strength of farmers from years of farm work. If the murderer made a move, the father and son would surely resist. It was impossible for there to be no signs of a struggle in the room.
By the afternoon, the coroner's autopsy results were also out.
Magistrate Wei put down the document in his hand, his expression turning somewhat grim. "Did they cut off the heads after killing them?"
"Yes, both the Tu father and son were killed with a single blow." Cao Sheng replied in a low voice, roughly describing the situation in the room. "My lord, the murderer was so brutal this time, it is estimated that they were targeting Miss Zhan."
Otherwise, even if they wanted to silence the Tu father and son, there would be no need to mutilate the bodies.
Magistrate Wei remained silent. He had not expected the Old Master's men to be so ruthless. "What is the situation with Master Zhao?"
"I heard that Master Zhao has decided to sell the pastry shop to Jiao Da Gongzi." Cao Sheng knew this clearly because Zhao Ling had visited Magistrate Cheng's residence at noon.
Although the conversation was in the study, Cao Sheng had previously bribed a maid in the Cheng family, which was why he received the news immediately.
Cao Sheng did not know if Zhan Feiyu was frightened, but Master Zhao was indeed terrified. No matter how good the money was, one needed to be alive to spend it. Zhenwei Xuan was not only backed by Jiao Da Gongzi but also by the Old Master. Master Zhao was truly scared.
"With the Tu father and son killed, in Liuxian, apart from Magistrate Zhu, I'm afraid it will be Magistrate Cheng's sole domain." Magistrate Wei smiled self-deprecatingly. Master Zhao cherished his life, and what about the officials in the county yamen? If opposing Magistrate Cheng meant a gruesome death, who would dare?
Cao Sheng also had a solemn expression. He was at odds with Constable Wang, and Constable Wang was a dog raised by Magistrate Cheng. Once Constable Wang's leg injury healed, even if he backed down, he probably wouldn't be able to stay in the yamen.
...
The next day, it was drizzling.
Passersby walking by the Zhao family's pastry shop with umbrellas stopped in surprise.
"Higher on the left, be careful..."
"Two more people, catch the signboard!"
The shop assistants stood on a ladder and carefully took down the shop's signboard. Master Zhao and Zhao Ling stood at the entrance watching, rain falling all over them, yet the uncle and nephew paid no mind.
"As long as we are safe, when we return to the countryside, we will buy some good land and send the talented children of the Zhao family to study. There is no doubt that the Zhao family will rise in the future." Master Zhao comforted Zhao Ling by patting his shoulder.
An arm cannot twist a thigh. In the end, the Zhao family was still just lowly merchants. If the Zhao family produced a few scholars, and their descendants served in the court, who would dare to bully the Zhao family like this?
With red eyes, Zhao Ling understood, but he still felt a tightness in his chest. "Second Uncle, I know. After the news dies down, I will try to do some small business again."
It was impossible to live off savings, and the Zhao family needed money to cultivate future generations for study. Although Zhao Ling was unwilling, he could only accept his fate for now.
Just as Master Zhao was about to speak, he caught sight of a figure not far away and immediately walked over quickly. "Miss Zhan, greetings. Please forgive Zhao for breaking my promise; this shop has already been sold to Zhenwei Xuan."
Standing under the umbrella, Zhan Feiyu watched the pastry shop being emptied little by little. "A loss in the east is a gain in the west. No one knows what the future holds. Master Zhao, please be at ease."
"Thank you for your kind words." Master Zhao smiled bitterly, but he was content to escape unharmed. "Thanks to Miss, Zhenwei Xuan did not suppress the price, nor did we fall out."
Leaving the Zhao family's pastry shop, Zhan Feiyu walked slowly forward. As for the people secretly watching them, even Zhan Feiyu could detect their presence, which meant these people had no intention of hiding.
He Nuan glanced behind her. "Miss, shall we go to the county yamen now?"
"Magistrate Zhu personally extended the invitation, so we must go." Zhan Feiyu nodded, roughly guessing Magistrate Zhu's intention.
A quarter of an hour later, in the back residence of the county yamen.
It was truly inconvenient to discuss matters at the dinner table given Zhan Feiyu's young age and gender. Magistrate Zhu could only invite Zhan Feiyu under the guise of tasting tea.
"I heard that Miss likes Red Sparrow. I will offer this as a gift today." Magistrate Zhu, seated in the main position, spoke loudly. A small clerk respectfully handed a pound of fine red tea to He Nuan.