Chapter 407: Taking Charge

Chapter 407: Taking Charge

The people stared wide-eyed at the scene.

It turned out that Zhang Laoer's home truly housed a great person!

Though they did not know who this official with the provincial inspector's seal was, seeing the reactions of these two individuals, they knew his status was certainly high.

Zhang Shuitong's eyes sparkled even more. Although no one was at the entrance to the back courtyard for the moment, she seemed to see glory and wealth through it.

While these people did not understand what the provincial inspector's seal meant, the two soldiers were well aware. The provincial inspector was akin to the highest governor, usually directly dispatched by the central court, wielding administrative, military, supervisory, and judicial powers over the entire region. They were appointed directly by the Emperor and could be considered the Emperor's eyes and mouth outside the palace.

Any provincial inspector was without exception a close confidant of the Emperor!

On this trip, they had thought it would be a light-hearted break from the army, a chance to play for a couple of days. Who would have thought they would encounter a provincial inspector at Zhang Laoer's house? If they had known, they would have given this task to someone else no matter what.

Zhang Laoer's family also stood in shock, never imagining that their guest was indeed a significant figure. A fleeting thought crossed their minds about asking the provincial inspector for help, but they quickly became dejected.

The provincial inspector must have important matters to attend to, concealing his identity for a reason. Who knew he would be forced to reveal himself because of their family's issue? They had caused him such a big trouble; how could they possibly ask for his assistance?

But just as Zhang's old lady felt utterly hopeless, she heard Zhe Jing say, "The provincial inspector is investigating Zhang Laoer's desertion case. You two must recount every detail."

The two soldiers were completely stunned, knowing they had hit a hard wall. Yet, they dared not disobey and could only reluctantly recount everything they knew.

In fact, what they knew was not very specific. They only knew that on that night, an alarm was sounded in the camp, announcing a deserter. By the time they saw the man, he had already fallen down a hill and been half-dead from being bitten by the army dogs. When they brought him back, he was barely breathing and was then publicly executed as a deserter, beaten to death.

"Sir, that's all we know. We really don't know anything more. Even those from the same village and tent as Zhang Laoer said he ran away in the middle of the night. We're not framing him," the two soldiers said, their faces now as bitter as a gourd.

"My father would never be a deserter! He promised to make us wooden swords, and he has already made them. In a couple of days, he was going to bring them to us. How could he be a deserter? He was framed!" Little Flower, clutching two small wooden swords, ran up and held them out to everyone, trying to prove her father's innocence.

The two soldiers felt immense pressure. They had gone through Zhang Laoer's bag, taking the money inside, and naturally saw the wooden swords. Because they were worthless, they left them untouched, never expecting this turn of events.

How could they know if Zhang Laoer was framed? They were merely following orders.

But upon closer reflection, Zhang Laoer's family consisted of elderly, women, and children—people who couldn't run away. How could he be a deserter, especially when his leave was due in a couple of days, which would have been a better time to escape?

They cursed their bad luck. They had planned to enjoy themselves in town after completing their mission, but now, not only had they failed, but they had also encountered a high-ranking official and might face severe punishment upon return.

Zhe Jing extended his hand, and Little Flower immediately handed over the wooden swords.

He examined them for a moment, then looked at the scattered belongings on the ground, picking up a half-polished wax block. He asked everyone to wait and returned to the back courtyard.

"Sir, these wooden swords are exquisitely crafted, but the final waxing is incomplete."

Zhe Jing returned to the back courtyard and showed the items to Xie Yuan and Su Youyue.

"I suspect there is something amiss with Zhang Laoer's case. If he had returned home as scheduled, these two wooden swords should have been fully waxed."

Su Youyue took one of the wooden swords.

The craftsmanship was indeed excellent.

She had played with wooden swords as a child, some made by her father and others by the most skilled craftsmen in Yanjing, but these two were no less impressive.

Just by looking at them, one could tell how much care Zhang Laoer had put into making these swords for his children.

Such a person could not suddenly become a deserter so unreasonably.

When the commotion started in the front courtyard, the secret guards had already informed them of all the details, and many voices were loud enough for them to hear clearly.

Understanding the whole story, Su Youyue recalled the joy of Little Flower and Ah Gou when they spoke of their father's return a few days ago, feeling a pang of sympathy.

However, she did not speak, unsure of Xie Yuan's intentions.

They were still within the territory of Prince Rong, and handling matters here would naturally come with various inconveniences.

Once they returned to the Capital, they could send someone to resolve this issue, but Zhang Laoer's family would likely suffer for some time, enduring rumors and gossip.

Xie Yuan's expression turned cold. "Order them to reinvestigate."

Zhe Jing immediately went out to deliver the command.

Su Youyue felt a sense of relief.

Xie Yuan was never the monster she had imagined in her past life. His methods were harsh, but only towards the truly wicked. He was always lenient towards commoners.

It was his unwillingness to argue with those people that made his reputation worse.

She lowered her gaze to the wooden sword in her hand, her mood sinking again.

Regardless of whether Zhang Laoer was a deserter or not, it was clear that the sky had fallen for this family...

The days ahead would undoubtedly be filled with hardship and suffering.

In the front courtyard, everyone waited anxiously, while Zhang Laoer's family continued to sob, their hearts hollow, as if a large part of them had been torn away.

"The provincial inspector orders a reinvestigation of Zhang Laoer's desertion case," Zhe Jing commanded coldly.

The two soldiers groaned inwardly but hurriedly bowed and agreed, quickly returning the monthly salary they had taken from Zhang Laoer's bag to Wu Xiaolian.

"We forgot, Zhang Laoer received his salary. Here you go!"

After saying this, they tried to run away, but one of them suddenly remembered something and turned back, asking bitterly, "Brother, what is the provincial inspector's surname? If we can't even mention his name when we report back, it won't look good."

Zhe Jing remained calm. "The provincial inspector is on a secret mission. You only need to report back, and in half a month, someone will come to inquire about the matter."

Hearing this, the two soldiers dared not ask further, quickly bowing and fleeing without looking back.

The villagers of Small River Village, witnessing this, instantly changed their tune.

"It seems this pair of underpants might have been truly wronged; otherwise, how would the governor have taken up his cause!"

"What kind of official is this governor?"

"He must be a powerful one; didn't you see those two constables were terrified! The Zhang family has truly encountered a benefactor!"

Hearing this, the Zhang family's faces, which had been filled with despair, finally showed a glimmer of hope.

Zhang Laoer must have been wronged. He had served as a soldier for ten years with integrity. Even if he were to die, he could not bear to be falsely accused of desertion, for how could he rest in peace in the netherworld!