chapter 96

Chapter 96: Surely, nothing could go wrong?

The server at Yunjian Tower, hearing a massive ruckus from the private room, hurriedly approached the door and asked, "Young Master Shen, do you need assistance?"

Before he could finish his sentence, the room's door swung open.

On Shen He's usually cheerful face, which appeared ever so amiable, now sat a layer of intense anger the server had never seen before. Shen He brushed past him and bolted downstairs.

The others in the room quickly followed suit, rushing down with equally grim expressions.

The server's heart raced, wondering what could have caused such a reaction.

He glanced at the empty private room and then hurriedly followed them downstairs.

Shen He stepped out from the Yunjian Pavilion, quickly mounting his horse. Zhongyan and the guards caught up, asking, "Young Master, what happened? Where are you headed?" Why does your face look so pale?

Fire gleamed in the boy's eyes: "To the magistrate's office!"

If he endured such humiliation for one more day, he'd be betraying himself.

Shen He didn’t even bother to stop the others. Instead, he took a shortcut, heading straight to the magistrate's office, waiting for them to bring the man there.

Fears of being discovered by Qi Zhuoyun and concerns about exposure were all thrown to the back of his mind.

The rage filling his head and chest made Shen He disregard all his messy concerns.

They charged towards the magistrate's office. From a distance, they spotted a carriage stopping at the entrance. A man stepped out, using a small stool.

The man, looking decent enough, dusted off his clothes at the entrance and was respectfully ushered in by the bailiffs and the servant behind him.

Qi Yanbing, following Shen He, noticed him slowing down and remarked, "That's Chen Yuejiang. I met him last year with his elder brother; he was standing right beside him."

Shen He, filled with disbelief, chuckled, "He dares to come?"

Liu Zheng was still worried for Shen He: "Xiao He, you don't have to confront him. Let Qi Yanbing or Zheng Xuezhe handle it." As for Liu Zheng, being closer in relations with Shen He and not from a family known to run such establishments, his involvement would likely implicate Shen He.

Handling matters through Qi Yanbing or Zheng Xuezhe would be much more straightforward. Qi Yanbing was always unpredictable, and as for Zheng Xuezhe, his family background was evident. Owning a store was expected of him.

Liu Zheng knew Shen He didn't want the Crown Prince to find out about this.

However, Shen He said, "Either none of us get involved, swallow our pride, or the Crown Prince will investigate and trace it back to me. The reason he hasn’t yet is merely due to a lack of suspicion and interest."

With a sense of resignation, Shen He declared, "We're bound to be discovered sooner or later. Might as well clear the air now!"

Nevertheless, Shen He gradually cooled down, choosing not to enter immediately. He waited outside with the three men and sent for the Prefect of Jingzhao.

Inside the magistrate's office.

Chen Yuejiang was smug, waiting to send the manager of Tang Xin Square to prison. If the person behind him was wise, Chen wouldn’t have taken such drastic measures.

But last night, that man went out of his way to infuriate him!

If Chen Yuejiang didn't teach him a lesson, how would he ever establish his standing in the capital?

A servant by Chen Yuejiang's side brought forth a chair, inviting him to sit and wait for the shopkeeper and his party to be brought in.

The local official in the hall felt an impending headache, not daring to say much.

For such a noble young master, why not seek the Prefect of Jingzhao? Why put a minor official like him in such a tight spot?

It wasn't that Chen Yuejiang didn’t want to.

He neither dared nor had the means to.

If his elder brother were here, perhaps he could have solicited the Prefect's favor. But Chen himself was hardly qualified.

The Chen family wasn’t a deeply-rooted prominent clan. Their foundation in the capital was shaky. Even his elder brother had to tread lightly, making Chen's actions even more covert.

This time, Chen was capitalizing on the other party's low status. If the opposition was of high rank, they wouldn't have allowed him to take a share of the capital’s profits, let alone silently endure their shop being vandalized the previous night.

Thus, Chen Yuejiang grew more convinced that the mastermind behind Tang Xin Square was of modest origins, unwilling to confront him directly.

Settling the matter with a local official was enough. If the Prefect was involved, wouldn’t that invite unnecessary trouble?

With an air of superiority, Chen sat below the magistrate in the hall, looking as though he ruled the place.

Especially when the bailiffs escorted the shopkeeper and his group through the main gate.

Chen Yuejiang put on an even grander show, glancing coldly at them, and took a sip from his tea cup.

His peripheral vision caught their panicked and shaky demeanor, further satisfying him.

It seemed their master was indeed incapable. Otherwise, why would these subordinates appear so flustered?

As they were made to kneel and pay their respects, Chen Yuejiang's servant knelt with glee, addressing the magistrate: "Sir, this shopkeeper from Tang Xin Square, along with others, vandalized our shop last night and spread rumors tarnishing my master's reputation. Given my master's stature, would he even bother with their trinkets, let alone steal from them? Yet these rascals, not only have they stolen our techniques and taken our business, they have the audacity to counter-accuse! With such blatant audacity, I beseech you to see through their deceit and bring justice to our family!"

Following this, evidence was presented, albeit weakly, to support their claims.

The flimsy evidence made the magistrate's eyes twitch.

Sweat formed in his palm. If he followed Chen Yuejiang's whims, it meant incarcerating the accused.

But in the capital, how many influential figures could he afford to offend?

While Young Master Chen might have backing from his family, a minor official like him might end up losing his position over this.

Feeling as if his life was on the line, the magistrate sent for the Prefect of Jingzhao, wondering if the man could be summoned in time.

While the county official was pondering how to stall, a commotion erupted outside the office.

"My Lord! I've been wronged and wish to file a complaint! Young Master Chen Yuejiang bribed craftsmen from our workshop, stole our goods, and after being discovered, had someone set fire to the workshop, nearly causing a loss of life! The flooding in Fengtang Alley of Beicheng last night was his doing! I’ve brought witnesses and evidence! I plead for your discernment!"

Hearing this, the county official was elated and immediately commanded, "Let him in!"

With this man's presence, the matter could be dragged out further, buying time for the Prefect's arrival, and offloading this hot potato.

Chen Yuejiang's heart raced as he glanced at the entrance. He noticed a tall, robust young man with dark skin, who looked like an ordinary citizen, dragging two men in; one of them was unmistakably his man.

Looking past them, there seemed to be no one else.

Relief washed over him, and a confident smirk appeared in his eyes. He stared intently at the leading man, hoping to intimidate him into backing down.

With such minimal representation at this critical juncture, it was evident their backing was indeed from a minor household.

Today, he'd make them swallow their losses, no matter how bitter.

Zhao Yongsheng nervously led the men inside, bowing respectfully to the county official, recalling that Young Master Shen had instructed him to handle this matter properly with the witnesses and collected evidence.

Young Master Shen also discussed with the other gentlemen that this was their last stand. If Chen Yuejiang didn't humble himself before the Prefect, Shen would take drastic measures.

With the Prefect's imminent arrival, nothing could go wrong, right?