Chapter 422
He Nuan set out the morning meal. "Seventh Master is likely delayed by some matter. Miss, please eat first."
Since elder brother had personally come to Minhe Prefecture, there must be significant developments. Zhan Feiyu took her chopsticks and asked, "What's the situation at Dongsheng Inn?"
"There was no wind last night, so the fire didn't spread to the adjacent shops. The inn has been reduced to ruins. This morning, the yamen sent people to investigate. They say the arsonist was a merchant who had stayed at the inn before. He lost his heirloom there and harbored resentment, so he hired a group of desperadoes with a hefty sum to set the inn ablaze."
He Nuan placed the mushroom congee in front of Zhan Feiyu before continuing, "The innkeeper has already filed a complaint with the yamen and offered a reward of one hundred taels of silver to find the arsonist."
"Did Governor Yuan also help to cover it up?" Zhan Feiyu's expression turned cold. If they hadn't discovered it in advance last night, with the fire spreading, the innkeeper and staff had escaped early. However, there were still several guests, and if the fire had spread to the neighboring shops, it could have led to the deaths of innocent people.
Governor Yuan had always been constrained by the Jin family in Minhe Prefecture, but he was, after all, a prefect. He couldn't possibly not know that Yao Zhenyi had orchestrated the arson; the claim of a merchant's revenge was merely a smokescreen.
Without waiting for He Nuan's reply, Zhan Feiyu added, "The Jin family has always acted cautiously. It's likely they deliberately used Yao Zhenyi this time to scheme against Governor Yuan. If Governor Yuan doesn't bring his own kin to justice, he'll be handing a ready-made handle to the Jin family."
"But if Yao Zhenyi is brought to justice, Yuan Kangping will be ruined," He Nuan couldn't help but say, suddenly feeling some sympathy for the predicament of Governor Yuan.
The accidental deaths of the Yuan family's second branch couple back then, the culprits behind it were likely the Jin family. This was a warning from the Jin family to Governor Yuan; one could say the second branch couple died because of Governor Yuan.
Now, if Governor Yuan brought his own kin to justice, Yuan Kangping's official career would be ruined.