Chapter 402: Silencing

The servants of Chen Manor searched all over Fuyou Street but found nothing, nor did they dare to disturb the high-ranking officials and nobles residing there.

Xiao Man and the little monk had vanished without a trace, as if into thin air.

How could this be?

The servants searched alley after alley, eventually reconvening on Fuyou Street, shaking their heads as they looked at each other.

More than twenty servants gathered together. "Those two good-for-nothings, they haven't hidden in the Qi family or Hu family, have they?"

The steward, holding a mountain ghost charm, shook his head. "The Qi and Hu families have patrolling officials stationed there; how could they allow those two to act so presumptuously?"

The servants looked at him. "What do we do now? If we go back like this, the master will probably beat us to death."

The steward pondered briefly. "That little girl can only rely on the Zhang family now. Send ten men to watch the Ministry of Personnel's yamen, and another ten to watch the Zhang family's residence from the front and back. Don't give them a chance to seek refuge with the Zhang family!"

"Yes," the servants replied, splitting into two groups and departing.

But just as the servants arrived in front of the Ministry of Personnel's yamen, they watched Xiao Man pull the little monk out of a carriage, and they both ran into the yamen.

The servants were startled but helpless.

In front of the yamen, Zhang Li was writing furiously on a blank scroll while kicking the horse's rear without lifting his head.

As for where the carriage was taking him, he seemed not to care.

A servant blocked the carriage and menacingly asked, "Reverend Zhang Li, why are you hiding the people we're looking for?"

Zhang Li, resigned, stopped writing and looked up, saying earnestly, "My boy, this Daoist's master is a Grandmaster of the Divine Path realm. How dare you speak to this Daoist like that?"

The servant's expression froze.

Zhang Li smiled. "This Daoist isn't losing his temper because he wants to be approachable, not because he has no temper... Now hurry up and get out!"

The servants exchanged glances and rushed back to Chen Manor to report.

By the time the steward, who held the mountain ghost charm, arrived at the deliberation hall in Qinzheng Garden, Chen Lizhi was throwing things, and the main hall was littered with broken porcelain.

Ru ware blue-and-white porcelain, Dehua white porcelain, and chicken-oil yellow porcelain vases—there were so many fragments that one could barely find a place to stand.

Chen Wende stood silently by his side. Each time Chen Lizhi smashed a piece, Chen Wende would quietly hand him another, letting his father vent his anger. Seeing that the porcelain in the room was almost all broken, Chen Wende walked outside and calmly said, "What are you standing there for? Go get more porcelain."

The maid outside the door let out a trembling "Ah."

Chen Wende calmly said, "What 'ah'? It's better for master to vent his anger on porcelain than on you. Go."

"Oh, oh," the maids and servants quickly ran to the storeroom.

Chen Wende looked at the waiting steward outside the door. "Come in. Don't worry, you haven't betrayed my second branch; Father won't kill you. You're just foolish."

The steward bravely entered the deliberation hall, hiding the mountain ghost charm in his sleeve, and cupped his hands. "Master, Zhang Li, the head disciple of Huangshan Dao Court, hid those two and secretly took them to the Ministry of Personnel's yamen."

Chen Lizhi, who had just smashed a vase, bent over and turned his head, staring fixedly at the steward. "What, do you think emphasizing that the Huangshan head disciple caused trouble proves you're not an idiotic dog? Why couldn't you stop them in Qinzheng Garden? Why couldn't you even stop a little girl? Do you want to be drowned in the pond too?"

The steward whispered, "Master, all the skilled hands we had left in the manor have been eliminated by the first branch. That little girl is remarkably capable; she's seen blood..."

Chen Lizhi gave a neurotic laugh. "Yes, they kill two of my men every month, leaving me with idiotic dogs like you. Why don't they just kill me directly!"

Chen Wende whispered, "Father, mind your words."

Chen Lizhi slowly straightened up and said coldly, "The pretense has already been dropped; what words are there to mind?"

The steward lowered his head and said, "Master, Zhang Li told this humble one to go to the City God Temple in Chongnan Ward and kneel as punishment..."

Chen Lizhi picked up a Dehua white porcelain vase from nearby and smashed it onto the steward's head, cursing, "Then why aren't you kneeling already? Do you want me to kneel for you?"

The steward let the blood flow from his hair and quietly replied, "This humble one will go at once."

He backed out of the door, and just as he reached the threshold, Chen Lizhi suddenly called out to him, "Wait."

The steward looked up and saw Chen Lizhi straightening his disheveled clothes. His face gradually became emotionless, making him seem like a completely different person from before. "I've cursed and punished you; now let's get to business... First, bring Liang Shi and Wang Gui here!"

The steward quickly replied, "Yes."

After the steward left, Chen Lizhi sat in his grand armchair, picked up a teacup, and slowly took a sip of warm tea.

He dabbed a few drops of tea with his finger and, closing his eyes, smeared it on his eyelids. "All useless."

Seeing his father's mood calm, Chen Wende spoke. "Father, I sent someone to Inlightenment Temple to inquire. The little monk indeed hasn't revealed to outsiders what he saw."

Chen Lizhi, with his eyes closed, casually remarked, "He didn't tell those bald monks because he's not familiar with them. How do you know he won't tell Chen Ji? The only people in this world who keep secrets are the dead."

Chen Wende whispered, "Father, what about Yao Man and that little monk...?"

Chen Lizhi put down his teacup and tapped the armrest of his grand armchair with his fingers, finding himself at a loss for what to do.

Under heaven, besides that person in Renshou Palace and that venomous prime minister in Jiefan Tower, who else would dare to arrest people inside the Ministry of Personnel's yamen?

He pondered for a long time. "Go and visit Zhang Zhuo at once. Doesn't he want to implement his dreadful new tax law? Even the Xu family doesn't support him. If he hands over these two, my Chen family's second branch, which controls half of Luzhou, can allow him to implement the new tax!"

Chen Wende nodded. "Alright, your son will go now."

With that, he lifted his robes, carefully avoiding the broken porcelain on the floor, and exited.

Chen Lizhi leaned back in his grand armchair, eyes closed in thought. After an unknown period, the second branch's steward brought Liang Shi to the deliberation hall and quietly announced, "Master, Liang Shi is here."

Chen Lizhi slowly opened his eyes to see Liang Shi looking withered, with sunken eyes and no color in her lips, as if she didn't have long to live.

Chen Lizhi no longer looked at her, instead asking with confusion, "Where is Wang Gui?"

The steward stammered, "Wang Gui was on leave today and didn't come to the manor. This humble one sent people to look for him but found his residence in disarray, and all his gold, silver, and valuables were gone..."

Chen Lizhi raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you just say he ran away?"

The steward lowered his head. "Master, Wang Gui has fled."

Chen Lizhi picked up a teacup nearby and threw it out. "Then why aren't you going to catch him quickly?"

The steward let the teacup hit his head, not daring to dodge. "This humble one will go at once."

Chen Lizhi suddenly frowned. "Wait! Tell the Grand Canal Gang to send out their men to find Wang Gui too. If he's not found, what I promised them before is off!"

"Yes."

After the steward left, only Chen Lizhi and Liang Shi remained in the deliberation hall.

The large doors of the deliberation hall slowly closed, and the light inside the room instantly dimmed. Only faint shafts of light filtered through the white paper windowpanes into the room.

Chen Lizhi rubbed his cheeks, then put on a smiling face and said to Liang Shi, "Please forgive me, my sister-in-law. For years, the first branch has been targeting me, leaving me with nothing but useless subordinates. Please sit, quickly, please sit."

Liang Shi did not sit. Stepping on the broken porcelain, she came to the center of the hall and softly asked, "Why has Second Master summoned this concubine?"

Chen Lizhi smiled and said, "It's like this. Earlier, I promised you I'd help you take the lives of Chen Ji and Yao Man to avenge Chen Wenxiao. But I also said that after it was done, I couldn't keep you around. After all, you know too much, and it wouldn't be appropriate if you used this as leverage against me later, right?"

Liang Shi was silent for a moment. "This concubine has been taking the medicine Second Master gave me on time every day, without missing a single dose. I suppose I don't have long to live anyway."

Chen Lizhi smiled and said earnestly, "Now, something has gone wrong, and I'm afraid I must ask my sister-in-law to depart this life sooner."

Liang Shi was startled. "What do you mean, Second Master? You promised this concubine that I would live to see Wenzong succeed in the imperial examinations."

Chen Lizhi stood up and went to Liang Shi's side, comforting her, "Your Wenzong is incredibly talented, a scholar destined for the top. How could he fail the examination? Just go peacefully; nothing will happen."

Liang Shi took two steps back, her embroidered shoes stepping on the broken porcelain, which scraped against the green bricks with a grating sound.

She weakly said, "Second Master, this concubine only has two sons. One died in Guyuan, and the other is taking the imperial examination. Now I only have one hope left. Please let this concubine live a few more days, just until the results are announced. As long as I see Wenzong become a Jinshi, I will die without regret."

Chen Lizhi calmly stepped forward. "Sister-in-law, Chen Ji and Yao Man killed Wenxiao. You were unable to avenge him yourself, so I helped you, right? We made it very clear then, didn't we? We also said that I could help you avenge him, but you had to give me Chen Liqin's account books from over the years, and you also couldn't remain in this world, correct?"

Liang Shi sharply retorted, "But Chen Ji and Yao Man are not dead yet!"

Chen Lizhi said earnestly, "Don't worry, they will die. If they don't die, I won't be able to sleep. But sister-in-law, you know too much. As long as you are alive, I won't be able to sleep either."

Chen Lizhi stepped forward, and Liang Shi retreated step by step until she was at the door, with nowhere left to go.

Liang Shi pushed the door, but it wouldn't budge.

She gritted her teeth, turned to face Chen Lizhi, and began to loosen her clothes. "Second Master, if only you'd let this concubine live a few more days..."

Chen Lizhi gripped Liang Shi's neck. "Sister-in-law, what kind of person do you take me for? I'm not like those beasts from the first branch. All Chen Lizhi has ever sought in his life is to avenge my father. Nothing else matters—money doesn't matter, and women don't matter."

Liang Shi struggled, "I still have Chen Liqin's account books hidden. If you kill me now, you'll never see them!"

Chen Lizhi smiled. "Doesn't my sister-in-law know? Wang Gui has already given me the account books!"

Wang Gui!

Liang Shi's heart instantly turned to ashes.

Chen Lizhi loosened his grip and sneered, "Sister-in-law, you can guard against outsiders day and night, but a thief from within is hard to guard against."

Liang Shi struggled. "You're really afraid that little monk will expose your dark secrets, aren't you? What, are you worried the first branch will find out that their line ending was your doing? I had Dongzhi hide a letter long ago. If you kill me today, Dongzhi will reveal this secret to the first branch!"

Chen Lizhi burst into laughter. "So you think you're clever? If even you can guess, how could they not? I hate them to the bone, and they hate me to the bone too!"

Liang Shi suddenly said, "Then what are you afraid of? What exactly did the little monk see in your heart? Could it be that you colluded with..."

Chen Lizhi's hand suddenly tightened, choking Liang Shi into silence.

He looked into Liang Shi's eyes and said, "That Chen Chi was originally just a concubine-born son. After my father died, that dog emperor in Renshou Palace made him the Minister of Revenue, putting him above my Chen family's legitimate eldest line. Your third branch, in order to carve up my Chen family's assets, actually colluded with clan elders to favor this concubine-born son, helping him be entered into the family genealogy, and even adding the character 'Lu' to his name. For a concubine-born son to become the family head, your third branch was also an accomplice."

"In other families, the legitimate eldest is respected, yet my Chen family's power is split into three branches, with a concubine-born son usurping the rightful place, making the whole world mock my Chen family. Guard against outsiders day and night, but a thief from within is hard to guard against. Blame yourselves, and blame that dog emperor!"

At this moment, Chen Lizhi pressed his hands harder, calmly watching as Liang Shi's eyeballs bulged and her tongue protruded. "No, no, it's not the dog emperor's fault either. It's my Chen family's unworthy descendants who are weak and unspirited. It was clearly the dog emperor's open scheme, yet my Chen family's descendants insisted on falling into his trap. He merely offered the bait of the Minister of Revenue position, and it led to my Chen family fighting for over a decade."

The light in Liang Shi's eyes gradually faded, and finally, her head dropped.

Chen Lizhi released his grip, allowing Liang Shi to collapse onto the shattered porcelain.

He squatted down and closed Liang Shi's eyes. "Sister-in-law, rest in peace. Others aside, Chen Ji will definitely not live."