Chapter 361: Recruitment

Chapter 361 Recruitment

Zhang Yuchen's son, named Zhang Chen, is just sixteen years old. It’s impossible for such a young boy to evade the search by numerous Jinlin Guard and local officers on his own.

He Qingxiao interrogated Zhang Yuchen again but failed to uncover any new accomplices.

Zhang Yuchen, who had endured severe torture, was on the verge of death and weakly pleaded, "There really are no more, please spare me."

The Jinlin Guard in charge of the torture looked to He Qingxiao.

He Qingxiao did not allow his subordinates to continue.

In such a high-profile case that has drawn the attention of both the court and the public, there must be limits to the interrogation and torture. If the prisoner dies under torture, it could lead to complications.

The search for Zhang Yuchen's son, Zhang Chen, would not cease, nor would the interrogation of the officials held in the imperial prison in the capital.

This case involves a wide range of individuals, and it won’t be resolved in just a few days. Xin You, while monitoring the progress of the case, did not neglect her own tasks.

The announcement for the upcoming sale of the sixth volume of "Journey to the West" was posted on the wall outside Qingsong Bookstore.

Soon, the announcement was surrounded by a crowd, three layers deep.

"When will it go on sale?" asked those who couldn’t squeeze in, anxiously.

Those who had read the announcement shifted their focus: "What does this mean? Mr. Songling is recruiting forty-nine disciples?"

"What? Mr. Songling is accepting disciples? Those with experience as storytellers are preferred?"

"Wow! If one could learn Mr. Songling's skills and write such masterpieces as 'Painted Skin' and 'Journey to the West,' wouldn’t that bring fame and fortune?"

This immediately drew laughter and scoffing.

"What are you thinking? Could Mr. Songling's disciples write 'Journey to the West'? Could the students of a top scholar surely pass the imperial examination?"

"Top scholars don’t have time to take on students; they become officials."

"Wait, have we all forgotten that Mr. Songling is actually Lady Xin!"

Someone clarified, "Mr. Songling is not Lady Xin; Lady Xin wrote down Mr. Songling's stories—"

Before he could finish, he was interrupted: "No need to be so exact. Without Lady Xin, could we have seen Mr. Songling's stories?"

"That’s true, perhaps it was Lady Xin who polished the stories to make them so captivating. In that case, learning to write stories from Lady Xin might truly surpass the master!"

"Ahem, have you all forgotten Lady Xin’s status?"

This reminder made many even more enthusiastic.

Lady Xin is a golden branch and jade leaf!

Although she hasn’t been officially titled a princess, even three-year-olds in the capital know her true identity.

Whether one can become skilled by learning to write stories from Lady Xin is another matter, but the mere chance to know her is rare!

For a time, countless people signed up, and the staff at Qingsong Bookstore were swamped.

A few days later, Xin You came to Qingsong Bookstore to ask Liu Zhou about the situation.

Hu Boss, being old and having limited energy, Xin You entrusted this task entirely to Liu Zhou.

Seeing Liu Zhou with heavy dark circles under his eyes and a lifeless gaze, Xin You's expression became slightly complicated.

When he first took on the task, the young clerk had been brimming with energy and enthusiasm.

"Boss, here’s the list of candidates who passed the screening," Liu Zhou handed over a list.

Xin You didn’t rush to look at the list, instead offering a comforting word: "You’ve been working hard these past few days."

Tears welled up in Liu Zhou’s eyes: "Not hard at all—"

Yeah, sure!

These past few days, he felt like throwing up every time he saw someone’s face!

"Are all these people qualified?" As she flipped through the list, Xin You was surprised to see the number was way over forty-nine.

But this was actually a good thing. The next step was for her to meet them in person. With so many candidates, she could select the most suitable group.

If Qingsong Bookstore’s release of the new "Journey to the West" was a big deal for storytellers, then Xin You's recruitment of students attracted attention from all sides, especially from the officials and nobles.

Many households gathered the exam questions written by the applicants, only to end up even more confused.

"What’s she up to now?"

"Who knows? These questions are really weird. Look at this one—it even asks if they’re willing to relocate."

"She moved way too fast. In just a few days, she’d already filled all the spots. Otherwise, we could’ve sent someone to check things out."

Among the officials and nobles, some were just curious, while others were nervous and uneasy.

There was no way around it. As the imperial prison started filling up, they realized Lady Xin was really good at causing trouble.

This wasn’t the kind of trouble their kids caused by messing around on the streets, but rather the kind that suddenly erupted into a major incident, sending a wave of people to the imperial prison.

Thus, they had no choice but to keep tabs on Lady Xin’s activities, trying to figure out her intentions to feel at ease.

But the more they looked into it, the more confused they got.

Why was Lady Xin suddenly recruiting so many students? Could it be to have them write more stories and make more money in the future?

"There’s no way it’s that simple!" some concluded decisively.

By the end of October, the verdicts for Chief Minister Zhang and his group were announced.

The entire Zhang clan—every male, no matter their age—was sentenced to immediate execution, while the female members were to be sent to the government brothels with no chance of redemption. As for Zhang Yuchen, he got "special treatment" and was sentenced to death by a thousand cuts.

Those implicated by Chief Minister Zhang and his nephew were dealt with according to their crimes after interrogation. Those still under investigation or with lingering doubts were to be handled in the second batch.

The executions were still set to happen in the West Market.

On the day of the executions, the West Market was packed with people, all there to watch the spectacle. Many small vendors, hearing the news, came to set up various businesses.

The people’s love for a show wouldn’t be dampened by bloodshed; if anything, it might even get them more excited.

This time, Xin You did not go to witness the executions.

She stood by the roadside, along the path from the prison to the execution ground, watching as one prison cart after another passed by.

She saw Chief Minister Zhang, his head bowed and his face obscured by disheveled hair. She saw Zhang Yuchen, his face ashen and his eyes numb. And she also saw Zhang Xu.

Zhang Xu, a spoiled young man with little interrogation value, and He Qingxiao, the head of the Northern Pacification Office, who had no penchant for tormenting others, so Zhang Xu suffered little in the imperial prison. Being young, he appeared to be in the best condition at this moment.

Perhaps because he had not experienced the true cruelty of the imperial prison, his eyes still held a spark of life that was absent in the eyes of Chief Minister Zhang and others. Even now, on the way to the execution ground, he felt it was unreal, unable to believe that he would die.

Xin You silently watched the prison cart carrying Zhang Xu pass by. There was no dramatic moment where he noticed her presence as if by fate and then began to curse her.

This young man, who first appeared at Qingsong Bookstore with the demeanor of a domineering official's son, had not yet learned how to be a proper person before he marched toward his death under the public's watchful eyes.

Just like with Dai Ze back then, Xin You felt neither joy nor satisfaction at Zhang Xu's end, but she also felt no sympathy.

He paid the price for the choices made by his father, and she was the direct victim of those choices.

Sympathy was a luxury she couldn’t afford.

Xin You turned and walked towards the young man standing under the tree.

He Qingxiao was not wearing his crimson official robe today but an emerald-green robe, as elegant and outstanding as a lotus in ink.

The heavy gloom in Xin You's heart quietly lifted, and she raised the corners of her lips at him.