After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

Chapter 174 Arrival in Jibei Prefecture

Before he could think it through, the young man who had been sitting with his back to him, who had heard him finish washing up, spoke.

"Liu San Niang and her group had a meticulous plan and ruthless methods, unlike ordinary robbers. The group had few guards, all of whom were court officials. In order to prevent their accomplices from coming over, the group set off at dawn."

As the hot towel on his face gradually cooled down, Gu Lin nodded slightly. From the ruthlessness displayed by the bandits in the inn, Gu Lin knew that they were not the ordinary petty thieves who would go around in twos and threes, fighting and playing around.

This group of people had a strong aura of bloodlust, and each of them had taken several lives.

Judging from their posture, there are likely hundreds of people hiding behind them.

The person outside the carriage brought breakfast into the carriage. Zheng Hao reached out and took it, then told the person to get off. He then placed the breakfast on the table in front of the young man.

Gu Lin looked down and saw a bowl of hot noodle soup. It wasn't easy to get a bowl of noodle soup while the group was on the move.

Zheng Hao reached out and handed the chopsticks to the young man: "Uncle Gu, have some breakfast to fill your stomach."

Gu Lin ate nothing last night except some pastries. Smelling the fragrant soup noodles in front of him, he picked up his chopsticks and slurped up the noodles.

Only after finishing the bowl of soup noodles, including the broth, did the young man seem to stop, as if he were full.

Putting down his chopsticks and wiping his lips with a handkerchief, Gu Lin looked up at Zheng Hao and asked about last night's events: "Did you get anything out of those bandits at the inn?"

Zheng Hao got up and walked a few steps to sit down next to him, but Gu Lin remained expressionless.

Instead of answering Gu Lin's question, Zheng Hao asked in return, "Uncle Gu, do you still remember the purpose of my trip?"

Zheng Hao had told him this before, and Gu Lin nodded.

He said, "You came to Jibei Prefecture for two reasons: first, to urge the Zhenhong Army to quickly recruit the Red Army and quell the unrest in the south; and second, to warn the generals in the Zhenhong Army who embezzled military funds to return what they did not deserve."

With his eyes slightly lowered, Zheng Hao picked up a cup of tea from beside him and handed it to Gu Lin. Young men like to drink tea after every meal.

Gu Lin paused, then reached out and took the teacup.

Zheng Hao continued, "The purpose of my trip to Jibei Prefecture as the military supervisor is obvious to anyone with eyes to see, and how could the generals of the Zhenhong Army not know it?"

The rhetorical question, however, is phrased with an affirmative tone.

Gu Lin frowned, his mind racing.

He didn't speak immediately, but after a moment's thought, he said, "You mean these bandits were sent by the commanders of the Zhenhong Army?"

"It is possible that it is or it is not."

Zheng Hao's eyes darkened: "The supervisory team has already entered the territory of Jibei Prefecture. If no one suspects me, the Zhenhong Army generals will not take action against me in Jibei Prefecture."

"Instead, they should kill me when I leave the capital, or when I am halfway there."

Only in this way can the Red Army commanders in Zhenzhou clear themselves of suspicion.

After listening to Zheng Hao's analysis, Gu Lin pondered for a moment and said, "What you said makes sense, but it's not necessarily true."

Meeting the young man's gaze, Gu Lin explained, "There are three possibilities why we were attacked and killed by bandits at the inn."

He looked at Zheng Hao and analyzed point by point: "The first is what we suspected. The Zhenhong Army general who embezzled military funds did not want you to enter the city, so he specially sent people to intercept and kill you, so that you would die in the suburbs. This way, they could destroy all the evidence before the next supervisor arrived."

Secondly, officials in Beijing who colluded with the Red Army in Zhenhong Prefecture acted after you arrived in Jibei Prefecture to prevent any investigation and to clear their own names. Thirdly, there were more than a few generals in Zhenhong Army who embezzled military funds; with so many people, things could easily change, and some might have sent people to kill you without consulting their superiors.

The young man remained silent, listening attentively to the younger man's analysis. Seeing that he hadn't finished speaking, Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, just speak frankly."

Gu Lin didn't say much, but offered a reminder: "Sometimes, the most unlikely thing is actually the most likely."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hao's usually aloof expression faltered. He didn't reply, but instead frowned slightly as he pondered.

After a moment, the young man's brows relaxed slightly. He looked down at the young man and said, "I was overthinking it. Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Gu."

Gu Lin shook his head. The reason why the other party had not thought of or confirmed this was simply because the people he usually dealt with were all extremely intelligent and shrewd. He spent his days with these people, and they were so intelligent that they could do the work of five or six people. No one would have such a crude method to deal with the enemy.

Suddenly leaving the capital, the young man encountered someone who wanted to kill him, and subconsciously associated that person with the group of old foxes in the imperial court.

Last night, after encountering that group of bandits at an inn in the suburbs, the other officials in the group dared not travel slowly any longer. Without even taking a break, they sent someone to tell Zheng Hao, "Lord Zheng, you don't need to worry about us. The imperial order is more important. Our priority is to reach Jibei Prefecture as soon as possible and join up with the Red Army in Zhen."

The officials accompanying him all appeared righteous and awe-inspiring. If Gu Lin hadn't been on a month-long sightseeing trip with them, he would have almost been fooled by them.

The group traveled quickly and finally arrived in Jibei Prefecture before nightfall.

The soldiers guarding the city watched their formation from afar and quickly entered the city to report to the prefect.

As the procession approached the city gate, it came to a halt, and Da Zhuo announced from beside the carriage: "My lord, the prefect of Jibei Prefecture has come out of the city to personally welcome you."

Zheng Hao turned to look at Gu Lin: "I'll go out first. Uncle Gu will be able to enter the city in a little while."

Gu Lin nodded slightly, urging him to leave quickly, as the prefect of Jibei Prefecture had specially come out of the city to welcome him.

Zheng Hao stepped down from the carriage.

The prefect of Jibei Prefecture, of average height and normal build, stepped forward and said to Zheng Hao, "I have long heard that Lord Zheng has come to Jibei Prefecture on imperial orders. I have been looking forward to it day and night. I am so glad to have finally welcomed Lord Zheng."

Although Zheng Hao concurrently served as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Revenue, his primary position was a sixth-rank compiler in the Hanlin Academy. It was not enough for a high-ranking official to treat him so well and personally come out of the city to welcome him. However, he was entrusted with an imperial mission, serving as both an imperial censor and a military supervisor. It was not inappropriate for the prefect of Jibei Prefecture to personally come out of the city to welcome him.

Zheng Hao replied, "I am grateful to Lord Ren for personally welcoming me outside the city."

Prefect Ren smiled and said, "It's just a short walk. It's only right to welcome Lord Zheng."

Zheng Hao turned to look at Da Zhuo and gestured, and Da Zhuo immediately walked to the back of the group. Prefect Ren did not understand what he meant.

A moment later, Da Zhuo led a dozen or so people over, including Liu San Niang. Their hands and feet were bound with straw ropes, and they walked step by step to Prefect Ren.

Zheng Hao turned to Prefect Ren and said, “My colleagues and I stayed at an inn on the outskirts of Jibei Prefecture. Unexpectedly, the inn’s original manager and waiter were killed by bandits. These bandits disguised themselves as the manager and waiter and continued to run the inn. When we let our guard down, they poisoned our food in an attempt to kill us.”

As soon as Zheng Hao finished speaking, an official in the group immediately chimed in: "If it weren't for Lord Zheng's men having some knowledge of pharmacology and noticing something amiss at the inn, we would all probably be dead, far from home."

Prefect Ren's face immediately contorted with rage: "Who on earth dares to be so audacious as to plot against an official of the imperial court!"

The official standing behind Zheng Hao spoke up: "Lord Ren, we have entered your territory and gotten into trouble. You must investigate this matter thoroughly!"

Prefect Ren looked apologetic: "It's my fault. Bandits are rampant in Jibei Prefecture. Every time I send troops to suppress them, they just grow back like weeds after being burned."

As Prefect Ren spoke, he was extremely distressed.

Zheng Hao said, “We can understand Lord Ren’s difficulties. As the head of a prefecture, Lord Ren must have many things to do. It is understandable that he may have overlooked the bandits’ disturbance for a while. However, the officials on this trip are all pillars of the court. We hope that Lord Ren will do his best to find out why these bandits have been so ruthless towards us, the court officials.”

"Natural nature."

Lord Ren said, "Since these things have happened in Jibei Prefecture, I am also responsible."

"I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and get to the bottom of it."

Zheng Hao said, "I will have my men who have interrogated the bandits assist Lord Ren in the interrogation."

Prefect Ren remained unfazed, smiled, and said, "With Lord Zheng's help, we will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Prefect Ren continued, "I have prepared a banquet, and I would like to invite Lord Zheng and all the other officials to join me."

Without refusing, Zheng Hao led a group of officials behind him to accompany Prefect Ren.

Gu Lin sat in the carriage, lifted the curtain, and watched them enter the city gate.

Da Zhuo sent someone to report: "Husband, the lord has gone to the government office for a banquet."

"My name is Da Yan. Steward Da Zhuo asked me to take you to your lodgings."

Gu Lin nodded, lowered the carriage curtain, and soon arrived at their lodgings.

Da Yan said, "This is where the previous censors and military supervisors stayed after arriving in Jibei Prefecture. The last military supervisor was attacked by the enemy and unfortunately died in the line of duty. Now only Lord Zheng and you are staying here."

Knowing that no other female relatives of officials lived here, Gu Lin was relieved, and he didn't need to bother dealing with them.

Da Yan asked the young man, "Husband, the kitchen has prepared the meal. Would you like to eat?"

Gu Lin shook his head slightly and said, "Take me to my place first."

Da Yan agreed, and then led Gu Lin to the backyard.

Upon arriving at the courtyard, Gu Lin dismissed all the servants. Da Yan, having learned from Steward Da Zhuo that her husband disliked having others serving him, also dismissed them.

Once the room was empty, Gu Lin said to Da Yan, "You may leave."

Da Yan looked troubled, and Gu Lin frowned: "Is there anything else?"

Da Yan said, "My lord said that if my husband doesn't need to eat dinner..."

Hearing the other person's words, Gu Lin's eyes turned slightly cold: "What will he do if I don't eat dinner?"

Da Yan lowered his head: "Then we won't have to eat either."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and said, "Just a bowl of soup will do."

As long as the other party is willing to eat, Da Yan quickly agreed and then withdrew.

Seeing the other party leave in a hurry, looking afraid that he would change his mind, Gu Lin laughed out of anger. After a moment, thinking of Zheng Hao's threat, the smile on his face gradually faded.

After the meal, Gu Lin originally planned to wait for Zheng Hao to return before going to see him, but after sitting for two hours, Zheng Hao still showed no sign of returning.

With heavy eyelids, Gu Lin couldn't stay awake any longer and decided to contact the other party again tomorrow.

With his eyelids closed, Gu Lin fell asleep on the bed.

The next day, after waking up and washing up, he was about to go to the front yard when Da Yan came over to report: "Husband, Lord Zheng has gone to the military camp. He left a message saying that he will stay at the military camp for the next few days and that you should take enough people with you when you leave the mansion."

Upon hearing the content of the message, Gu Lin had no doubt that it wasn't Zheng Hao who spoke it. Who would send someone to deliver a message and repeatedly remind him to bring people with him when he travels?

Considering the other party's identity as a military supervisor, the bandits at the inn, and the covetous Zhenhong Army general, Gu Lin knew just how much Zheng Hao was hated.

Therefore, he did not refuse the guards' request to follow him.

Accompanied by several guards, Gu Lin stepped out of the mansion gate and onto the busiest street in the city.

Unlike the capital and other prefectures, the people of Jibei Prefecture, even when setting up stalls on the street and enthusiastically hawking their wares, had worried and panicked expressions on their faces. If there was even the slightest commotion on the roadside, they would look around like startled birds.

It is unclear whether it was due to the threat posed by the Red Army dozens of miles away, or for some other reason.

Gu Lin walked onto the street. Pedestrians hurried by, and seeing that he was followed by several guards, they quickly dodged out of the way, as if afraid of bumping into him.

Gu Lin frowned slightly. Whether in Yueming Prefecture or the capital, although many officials' sons travel with guards and the common people avoid them, they are not as fearful as this.

Seeing that the pedestrians were hostile towards him, Gu Lin did not act rashly. He turned to the guards beside him and said, "Be more gentle in your expression."

The guards exchanged bewildered glances: "..."

Then, a guard tried to force a smile, and just then a child passed by. Upon seeing the guard's smile, the child was so frightened that he burst into tears and ran away.

Seeing the other party's expression, which resembled that of a murderous maniac, Gu Lin fell silent for a moment and stopped pressuring them.

The guards returned to their expressionless faces.

As Gu Lin strolled around, after passing a few stalls, he learned what the local area was famous for.

The ground was covered with ceramic wares. As Gu Lin walked around, he appraised which craftsmanship was better.

The first family's earthenware jar is well-made; although it looks small, it can hold a lot. The second family's earthenware bowl looks nice, but after a year or two of use, it will inevitably crack from frequent water contact. The third family...

Suddenly, the young man stopped in front of a small stall.

The stall owner was a man with a sallow and rough complexion. Seeing that the young man was followed by several tall and strong guards, he said cautiously, "If you see any pottery that you like, please take it. It would be my honor."

Gu Lin's brow twitched.

He pointed to a dozen or so slightly yellowed and brownish pottery pieces on the stall and asked, "Why is your pottery different from the others?"

Upon hearing this, the man's expression showed a hint of disappointment as he said, "I don't know either."

Seeing the young man's enthusiastic expression, the man mustered his courage and explained, "Young master, please don't be fooled by the appearance of my pottery; its texture is more delicate than that of ordinary pottery."

The young man said "Oh," his tone slightly raised, indicating he seemed quite interested.

The man thought for a moment and said, "The clay for my ceramics is not like that of other stalls, which are obtained from the river. This clay is obtained from the hill behind my house."

Gu Lin had a guess in his mind, but he still needed to go and confirm it in person.

He feigned curiosity: "I've always been interested in firing ceramics, but I've never seen the clay you mentioned. May I go to the hill behind your house to take a look?"

The man shook his head slightly and said, "That back mountain has no owner; it doesn't belong to my family."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin's heart burned even hotter.