Chapter 318: The Main Text Concludes

Chapter 318: The Main Text Concludes

Deputy Magistrate Ye ducked his head and cautiously reminded, "Sir, have you forgotten? The soldiers from the garrison are the ones guarding the docks."

Upon hearing Deputy Magistrate Ye's words, Xu Zeping finally realized that his mind was indeed in a fog.

Garrison soldiers guard the docks, while the government office handles mooring fees and customs duties to prevent local officials from amassing too much power.

Xu Zeping suddenly thought of something and turned sharply to Deputy Magistrate Ye, "Are all the garrison soldiers in our Guangnan Province from the Western River Navy Camp?"

Deputy Magistrate Ye was taken aback by Xu Zeping's reaction, unsure why the prefect was so worked up. He swallowed hard and replied, "Yes, sir."

Official ships... garrison soldiers...

A wild idea popped into Xu Zeping's head, but he dared not voice it until the truth was confirmed. "Deputy Magistrate Ye, what is the surname of the commander of the thousand-household unit stationed in Changnan Prefecture?"

Xu Zeping had been busy with administrative duties and hadn't stayed in Changnan Prefecture for long. When this matter came up, he suddenly realized he had never interacted with the thousand-household commander of Changnan Prefecture...

Ah, he had truly failed to heed Rongsheng's advice.

"Sir, the thousand-household commander of Changnan Prefecture is surnamed Hong, with the given name Xingwu. He is a kinsman of Admiral Hong of the Western River," Judge Zhu interjected while Deputy Magistrate Ye hesitated. "I know Commander Hong somewhat. If you wish to befriend him, I can help facilitate an introduction."

Deputy Magistrate Ye shot a glance at the unassuming Judge Zhu, thinking to himself. Usually so quiet, who would have thought he was such a skilled connector? How long had he been managing the mooring taxes? And already he had connections with Hong Xingwu?

Xu Zeping smiled faintly, "No need for that. I need you to handle something for me."

"Sir, what is it?"

"On May 23rd, get Commander Hong to a party or some fun. Make sure to keep him occupied and prevent him from taking anyone to the East Dock!"

Judge Zhu was stunned by Xu Zeping's serious tone. After a moment, he asked, "Sir, why is that?"

"I suspect the Western River Navy is mixed up in trafficking women from the flower boats!"

Both Deputy Magistrate Ye and Judge Zhu were stunned. This was a big deal!

But then they quickly realized the opportunity. If this were true, cracking the case would be a significant achievement. Promotions were almost guaranteed, if not immediate, then certainly within a couple of years.

"Sir, what can I do?" Deputy Magistrate Ye eagerly inquired.

Xu Zeping looked at Deputy Magistrate Ye and said sternly, "Get your men ready. Round up all three shifts of government officials. We will go to the East Dock on May 23rd to make arrests!"

"Yes!"

With everything set, all they had to do was wait for the right time.

On the evening of May 22nd, Judge Zhu invited Commander Hong to a drinking session at the Drunken Cloud Pavilion, claiming he needed a favor.

Judge Zhu's link to Commander Hong was both a fluke and a sore spot he'd rather not talk about.

Judge Zhu had a rebellious eldest son who was into drinking, singing, and... well, men.

Not just any guys, but young ones.

And he was the bottom in those relationships.

Commander Hong was his son's lover.

As for how it was discovered, it all began when he was arranging a marriage for his eldest son, who had already reached the age of majority but still refused to get married.

Over this issue, he even ran away from home.

Madam Zhu was livid and told Judge Zhu to go find him.

Judge Zhu knew that his no-good son, whenever he ran away from home, would definitely hide in the pear garden.

So he went to the pear garden to catch him, thinking at most he'd find the brat singing opera... but instead found him cuddled up in a man's arms, singing opera.

In broad daylight, Judge Zhu was so furious that he passed out right then and there.

When he came to, he saw his no-good son and the burly man kneeling before him, begging for his approval.

Just thinking about this incident made Judge Zhu feel cursed.

If it weren't for his political ambitions, he'd rather not see Hong Xingwu at all.

Entering the Drunken Cloud Tower, the burly man looked at Judge Zhu pleadingly: "Father-in-law, if you've got something to say, just say it. I'll do whatever you tell me."

Judge Zhu was so enraged by his words that his eyes rolled back, and he flicked his sleeve in disgust: "Who is your father-in-law!"

"Ah, then I'll call you dad." Seeing that Judge Zhu had already spoken, Hong Xingwu was not annoyed. He grinned goofily and eagerly handed over a cup of tea.

He couldn't risk pissing off his father-in-law, or his sweetheart would be mad at him.

Judge Zhu rolled his eyes at his shamelessness, "Shuwen is parking the carriage downstairs. Go check why he hasn't come up yet."

Hearing that Shuwen had also come, Hong Xingwu quickly agreed.

Once Hong Xingwu was gone, Judge Zhu pulled out a packet of powder from his pocket and dumped it into the wine jug. Of course, the powder wasn't poison, just a knockout drug that would put someone out for two days and nights.

By the time Hong Xingwu and Zhu Shuwen made it upstairs, Judge Zhu had everything ready.

Zhu Shuwen was delicate and good-looking. If he were a girl, he'd be a perfect match for the brawny Hong Xingwu.

But alas, he was a guy.

Ever since his dad caught him in the act, he'd been treating him with contempt. Now, seeing his dad in such a good mood, Zhu Shuwen couldn't shake the feeling that something was fishy.

But since his father was rarely in a good mood, Zhu Shuwen didn't think too much about it.

With Judge Zhu egging them on, Hong Xingwu and Zhu Shuwen ate and drank to their hearts' content.

After three cups of wine, they felt dizzy and then collapsed, unconscious.

Their last thought before blacking out was—we're done for.

Early on the morning of May 23rd, the officials from the government office divided into three groups. These officials were either in plain clothes or dressed in ordinary coarse short garments.

Chief Constable Chang took two officials in plain clothes and infiltrated Liufang Courtyard to keep an eye on the madam.

Another group of officials was arranged by Xu Zeping near the thousand-household office, ready to report at any time.

The last group, the largest with nearly thirty people, was arranged by Xu Zeping near the East Dock.

Since the East Dock was where official ships berthed, and no unauthorized personnel could approach, some officials who were good swimmers hid in the grass on both sides of the dock by diving.

Acting early, although the wait was long, ensured a high success rate.

Time crept by, and the sky grew darker.

The East Dock patrol tightened up. Soldiers set up barricades and started shooing away vendors near the dock.

Xu Zeping, dressed in a dusty short outfit, raised his dusty face and slipped two copper coins into the hands of the approaching soldier: "Officer, officer, I still got melons to sell. Can I stay a bit longer?"

"Get lost! If you don’t scram, you’ll feel my blade."

The soldier stuffed the coins into his pocket and pushed Xu Zeping away.

With no other choice, Xu Zeping started packing up his melons.

Feigning disappointment, he shouldered his load and trailed the crowd.

"Boss, what should we do?"

Xu Zeping and his crew ducked into a safe alley, keeping an eye on the dock where soldiers patrolled with torches.

Truth was, Xu Zeping wasn’t sure either. He was gambling on Su Ming’s tip being legit.

"Wait!"

Time dragged on, and it was now past 9 PM.

The street went quiet. Just as hope was fading, Chief Constable Chang and two others came sprinting over, out of breath.

"Boss, boss, they’re here!" Chief Constable Chang bent over, catching his breath. "The madam from Liufang Courtyard is coming to the East Dock with three enforcers."

Meanwhile, a two-story government ship pulled into the East Dock.

In the dark, Xu Zeping couldn’t read the ship’s markings.

He watched the soldiers eagerly greet the ship and secure its anchor.

The thirty officials, who’d been half-asleep, snapped to attention, eyes locked on the madam and her three enforcers heading to the dock...

From afar, Xu Zeping spotted a man unloading a group of young girls and boys from the ship, letting the madam pick her choices.

—Whoosh! A sharp whistle cut through the air, and four or five officials burst from the grass on both sides of the dock.

At Xu Zeping’s whistle, the thirty officials with him stormed the dock.

The two sides clashed.

—This is a Crown Prince’s investigation! Everyone, stand down!

Chief Constable Chang took down a soldier and whipped out a golden dragon-head token from his pocket!

Xu Zeping had handed him the token, but where had Xu Zeping gotten it?

Long Xihe had given it to him.

Before leaving, Long Xihe had given Xu Zeping the token as insurance, worried someone might try to take over his mission.

After all, the telescope and cement were priceless assets.

But by luck, it let Xu Zeping wield the Crown Prince’s authority in the brothel boat case.

The moment the Crown Prince's order was revealed, even the most unruly soldiers dared not cause any trouble.

A vast crowd hastily dropped to their knees.

Xu Zeping also clearly saw the large characters on the official ship—Western River Military Supply Ship.

This matter involved the military, and Xu Zeping dared not preside over the case. He captured over twenty crew members from the pleasure boat and the ten soldiers patrolling the dock, tying them up and throwing them into prison.

Then he wrote two letters, one sent to the Governor of Guangnan and the other sent posthaste to Yanjing.

As Xu Zeping had anticipated, this case was beyond his jurisdiction, as the mastermind behind it involved a high-ranking official of the Great Jing Dynasty, the Western River Admiral, in collusion with the Crown Prince.

At the time Xu Zeping sent out the letters, a mutiny erupted in the Western River military camp—the Western River Admiral was plotting a rebellion!

They had already received news of Hong San's capture, and with death certain, why not risk it all?

Spurred on by his second son, Hong Yanhui, the Western River Admiral mustered his troops to march on Yanjing.

Fortunately, the Guangnan Commander, Hong Yanchen, quickly mobilized troops to blockade Nanzhou, crushing the rebellion.

By the time the conflict ended, a month had passed.

Hong Yanchen, armored in black chainmail, stood coldly at the forefront of the warship, tasked with escorting the main conspirators of the rebellion and the criminals involved in the trafficking of civilians on the pleasure boat to the capital for interrogation.

Hong Yanhui, who had incited the Western River Admiral to rebel, had already been ordered executed by Hong Yanchen. Watching the sunset, he felt nothing but exhaustion.

Standing on the deck, Hong Yanchen looked at Xu Zeping, who was laden with bags, and managed a faint smile: "County Consort, shall we head to Yanjing together?"

The rebellion in Nanzhou, with Hong Yanchen's firm hand, left Changnan Prefecture untouched.

During this time, the telescope designed for military use had been developed by the craftsman Hu.

Moreover, Xu Zeping had received an imperial decree from the Sheng'an Emperor, and he was elevated to the position of second-rank Governor of Guangnan and County Consort.

At the age of twenty-three, he became the youngest second-rank official in the history of the Great Jing Dynasty.

There was no denying he owed his rise to the favor of his beloved husband.

Once back from Yanjing, he would officially assume the post of Governor of Guangnan.

"Of course."

The warship journeyed all the way, and they arrived in Yanjing City on the twentieth day of the seventh month.

As the warship approached the dock, Xu Zeping saw the orderly ranks of Imperial Guards clearing the dock.

Long Xihe, clad in an apricot-yellow robe adorned with a four-clawed python, stood at the forefront...

Behind him was Xu Zeping's familiar and long-missed little husband.

Cheng Ge Er saw the figure on the deck from afar and began waving with excitement.

As the warship docked, Xu Zeping and Hong Yanchen's party finished their salutations, and then Xu Zeping ran towards Cheng Ge Er.

The bustling crowd split into two groups.

Hong Yanchen was responsible for escorting the criminals, following Long Xihe towards the imperial palace.

And Xu Zeping?

"Pingping, let's go home."

"Alright."

"Pingping, I've arranged for Dad and Mom to be transported from Qingshui Town to Yanjing."

"Sure."

"It's been so long since we last saw each other. Yuan Ge Er and Man Ge Er probably don't recognize you as their little father anymore."

"Alright."

Cheng Ge Er, hearing the person beside him dodging the question, glared at him in dissatisfaction. But when he looked up, he met those eyes filled with tenderness, and he pouted, saying, "Yeah, right."

Xu Zeping smiled gently, tightly clasping his intertwined fingers, "I missed my little husband so much that I was completely lost in thought."

He huffed, "Hmph."

The sky was filled with the glow of sunset, illuminating the silhouettes of the couple.

The servants and maids following them trailed far behind, could hardly make out their conversation.

"Cheng Ge Er, I really, really missed you so much."

"I missed you too."

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