SALT CONSPIRACY

CHAPTER TWENTY

Yuan and his father went out the front door, stopped near the side wall and opened the hidden door.

They then entered a covered hallway. Then went up the stairs.

There are three rooms in the second floor.

One for Yuan, another for the eldest daughter who married and the third room is the entrance to the study room.

Fanfan, as the youngest, her room is at the base floor next with Yu Quibai and Shan Xuefei.

Opening the lock on the third room, Yuan and Yu Quibai entered and locked the room from the inside.

At the center table, there are three big night pearls, the size of an adult's fist, illuminating the space.

Yu Quibai carried a bench to a corner while Yuan stepped on it then stretched his arm to the ceiling. Yuan pressed a panel then a door opened revealing another flight of steps.

Yu Quibai locked the door from the inside again then they went up. Arriving at the top, Yuan opened the door lock again then they entered the study.

Same as the second floor, there are night pearls at the center table illuminating the room. But instead of just three, there are ten adult fists sized pearls.

Yu Quibai sat down on a padded chair while Yuan gave him the parchment. Yu Quibai opened the tied parchment.

"Illegal Hoarding and Speculation of Salt?" Yu Quibai was stupified.

"uhm." Yuan replied, unruffled.

Yuan walked to the shelf, took out the wine flask bottle and filled two cups.

Sitting opposite his father, he silently handed the other cup to him and took a sip of his wine.

While waiting for his father to finish reading the manuscripts, he stared at the night pearls blankly.

When he was young, he once asked his father where he got so many night pearls. The sizes were uniform and big.

His father just smiled and said it was given by a General. He was skeptical about his father's answer.

Then he asked his mother. His mother froze for a moment then stared into space. Then she said it was given by a Princess.

He was sure his parents were bullying him! One said from a General. The other from a Princess.

Yuan smirked in remembrance.

Turning his attention to the window, he stood up and opened it. Cold air came rushing to his face as he looked at a direction where Feifei was.

Has that girl eaten?

Would she be afraid of sleeping alone at an unfamiliar place?

She wouldn't be afraid of the dark, would she?

Yuan mulled over.

Oil lamps are unreliable. Any accident could happen. He will give five night pearls to Feifei. Five should be enough for her room.

She won't be afraid then. If she would be reading at night, it won't hurt her eyes if her room would be as bright as day.

"Is this information credible?" Yu Quibai pondered.

Yuan turned and walked back to his seat. "Its a matter of time."

Silence.

Yu Quibai took a gulp of wine from his cup. "Get the bottle." He motioned his cup to the wine flask bottle.

Yuan stood up, got the bottle and handed it to his father. Then he sat back down.

"We caught Marshal Zhou Shan and his left hand man together with some insignificant flies. Han Lan said Zhou Shan is playing the innocent card. However, his left hand man owned up. The others also came clean and blew the lid off. They all professed to have been ordered by Zhou Shan. Drawing inference from the confessions as established truths, it won't take time, Zhou Shan will spit his guts out." Yuan snorted.

Yu Quibai contemplated."On the condition that Zhou Shan is embroiled on this salt case business, then his brother in law, Magistrate Chen Xie, is not unsullied by all this. Now its a matter of deliberation whether County Head Chen Shou has partaken on this venture or not. Chen Shou and Chen Xie are brothers after all."

"Supposing the County Head is entrenched in this conspiracy, its a ground of power play." Yuan pondered, scratching his brow with the thumb which was holding his cup. "It will be a race against time. The County Head won't just wait for the guillotine to cut his windpipe off. Sooner or later, he will show his feet."

Yu Quibai studied Yuan's apathetic face.

"Son, this case seems more than it appears to be. Illegal Hording and Speculation is a consequential business. This is like a cobweb with its extrusive threads diverged to different individuals of the same prospects and interests. County Head Chen Shou maybe a subject of someone of higher authority. And we cannot discount the probability on the involvement of Court Officials in Imperial City."

Yuan hummed with a blasé attitude.

"The Minister of Justice handed over this sensitive case to me through secret channels. This gives me the conjecture that some important, influential figures might be privy to some inside information with regard to this case." Yuan shrugged as if this matter does not concern him at all.

"These Court Officials have meager wages with a not so meager expenditures. Opening their lion mouths, they would no doubt look for the most lucrative business to satisfy their vanity. Salt is money. Who knows if some of these Court Officials already have their stakes on this salt trade, speculated in contraband market and saturated monopoly on salt sales while waltzing around heavy tax exploitation, that they themselves demanded." Yuan derisively scoffed.

Silence.

Only the slush of wine can be heard as it was twirled slowly in the cup.

Yu Quibai uttered weakly. "I would much rather be in the midst of battle. I at least know who my enemies are. I don't need to use my head nor expend too much energy. Your enemy is right infront of you, what is there left to think about? Let your body do the talking and the killing. While the complexities of these court matters, this is what you call troublesome and a headache. I wouldn't have the patience to withstand such grueling nonsense!"

Yuan laughed heartily.

"I would have already been enlisted in the army if not for your extreme opposition." Yuan muttered lightly.

Yu Quibai glared at Yuan. " Trust me. It won't do you good. I would have wished for you to be a normal upstanding man with your feet firmly rooted on the ground. But you just have to be.... different. "

Yuan stared at Yu Quibai. "I am different. And we both know it."

Yu Quibai sighed, took a long drink directly from the wine flask.

"At least being in the military would be child's play compared to parrying high sounding convoluted words back and forth with these pretentious Court Officials." Yuan chuckled.

Yu Quibai laughed in agreement.

"Father, you have to be extra careful these days. It's going to be quite a rough spin with this salt conspiracy hanging on our heads. We need to take strict precautions against being plotted with false charges. You are not only the Village Head but also the head of this household. We wouldn't want to have anything wrong to happen to you. We couldn't afford to lose you on whatever collusion they might be cooking up right now."

Yu Quibai's face turned cold. "Don't worry, I will be on the look out for possible tricks and schemes around me. I will also keep one eye open on whatever unusual happenings that might occur in our village. Dont worry about us. I will also caution your mother and sister to pay attention to their safety and be on guard against strange people."

"Its just you. You should always be prepared for any eventuality." Yu Quibai deeply emphasized the gravity of his words. His tone heavy. "You might be a master of martial arts but your not invincible."

"I know, Father. I will do what I must but I can only do so much. Don't worry, I know my limits." Yuan assured.

Silence.

"Does Feifei know she will be working at a salt mine?" Yu Quibai asked, curious.

Hearing Feifei's name, Yuan's body stiffened for a moment.

"I doubt it. Shen mustn't have the time to speak of it. It's a secret that's hard to mention over letters. Even the villagers doesn't know that the mine here is salt instead of gold." Talking about Feifei working in the mines makes his head throb.

Feifei just had to appear at this uncertain time.

Thinking of Feifei being implicated by him makes him uncomfortable.

"Don't worry, Father. I will take care of her." Yuan firmly stated with genuine commitment.

Yu Quibai looked at Yuan, startled by his son's seriousness.

Discussing about the intrigue brought about by the salt trade, Yuan was unconcerned and even.... impatient.

But simply talking about Feifei makes his son sober with a hint of something in his voice, like....thoughtfulness?

So....Feifei has more weight compared to the gravity of Illegal Hoarding and Speculation of Salt...?

Yu Quibai looked at Yuan secretly.

Strange....

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NOTES :

Town hierarchy :

1. Magistrate

2.Town Marshal / Marshal

3. Deputy in Command

4. Deputies

5. Village Head

6. Village

Each City in the Kingdom has this hierarchy:

1. City / County Head

2.Town Head Magistrate

3. City / Head Marshal

4. Chief Marshal

The FIRST TWO interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to cases like a judge.

The LAST TWO detect or solve crimes.

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NOTES :

In this case, Town Marshal Zhou Shan is the brother in law of Magistrate Chen Xie.

Magistrate Chen Xie is the brother of City/County Head Chen Shou.

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NOTES :

BAOJIN CITY, east city of Yingshan Kingdom has three towns :

1. Agantuk Town > Guhya Village > Ichtaca Village > Hisoki Village

2. Chryses Town

3. Eurig Town

>> Magistrate Chen Xie presides

>> Marshal Zhou Shan