Before long, He Lingchuan brought Fat Wang into He Chunhua's temporary quarters, where two guards left behind by He Chunhua were still on watch.
The woman of the house was there as well, trembling uncontrollably as she looked at them.
He Lingchuan asked her, "Was the man in this house earlier a bandit too?"
"The father of my children was murdered, and that cursed villain took his place to spy on you." The foul things the bandit had done to her did not end there. Tears streamed down her face. "I beg you officers, save our lives!"
He Lingchuan sighed. "Go into the inner room and bolt the door. Whatever happens out here is no concern of yours."
The woman nodded mutely, turned, and went into the main room. A moment later, the metallic click of a lock echoed through the door.
He Lingchuan placed Fat Wang and Zhu-shi in the kitchen. The five men split up to watch the doors and windows, their grips tight around their weapons.
Before long, footsteps sounded outside.
He Lingchuan listened closely. There were quite a few people, their steps measured and steady, devoid of panic.
More importantly, he caught the sound of light, hurried steps.
Those were Madam Ying's.
He threw open the front door and stepped out.
Sure enough, He Chunhua had returned with his wife and younger son, followed by his personal guard Zhao Qinghe.
The other man was named Mozhe Jingxuan, an aide He Lingchuan recognized as someone his father had brought back from Blackwater City.
The group started when He Lingchuan opened the door. He Chunhua let out a sigh of relief. "You're back. Good, good!"
During the chaotic skirmish by the lake, his heart had been burdened with worry for his eldest son, who had been missing the entire time.
The party entered the house, and the personal guards fanned out to secure the perimeter, ensuring the safety of their masters.
Madam Ying asked her eldest son, "Where were you just now?"
"Preparing a gift for Father." As He Lingchuan spoke, he led his father inside and pointed at Fat Wang on the floor. "This fat bastard is one of Boss Lu's inner circle, a man of no small standing among the bandits. He was staying over at Zhu-shi's place, and I was wondering how to haul him back here when the fighting broke out by the lake..."
Hearing that this fat man was close to Lu Han, the tension that had knotted He Chunhua's brow relaxed slightly. He patted He Lingchuan on the shoulder. "Well done!"
"He has already given an initial confession. The bandits seized Qianteng Town the day before yesterday, and they still have over two hundred accomplices there right now."
"Accomplices?" He Chunhua's expression turned grim.
"The interrogation was interrupted earlier, but I can—"
Before He Lingchuan could finish, He Chunhua cut in, "No need. Leave the rest to me."
He dispatched men to interrogate Fat Wang, and Zhu-shi, who had been waiting in the kitchen, hurried out.
Six or seven people were now crowded into the small dining room. She walked straight up to He Chunhua and dropped to her knees with a thud.
"Lord He, save me!"
The sudden move caught everyone off guard, leaving even He Chunhua momentarily stunned.
Madam Ying stepped forward, helped the peasant woman to her feet, and said gently, "Stand and speak."
"My name is Zhu Xiu'er. I am the granddaughter of Zhu Xiyan, the Minister of the Imperial Stud. Seven years ago, during the Flower Festival temple fair in Xin'an, I was drugged and abducted, then sold to a wealthy merchant in Qianhai. His wife was terribly jealous and secretly resold me to this place."
She pushed up her sleeves to reveal a patchwork of old scars crisscrossing her slender arms, looking like the marks left by whips and ropes. "I tried to run away several times but was caught every time, which left these behind. The other scars are in places where it would not be proper to show them."
Everyone exchanged glances, struck speechless for a long moment.
After a while, He Chunhua said in a low voice, "Minister Zhu's granddaughter went missing seven or eight years ago, and his prolonged search bore no fruit. That matter was widely discussed in the capital, and the Vice Magistrate of Xin'an Commandery even lost his post over it. Still, how do you propose to prove that you are Zhu Xiu'er?"
This kind of riddle—proving that you are who you say you are—was always the most vexing.
Yet Zhu Xiu'er had clearly come prepared. She turned, swept up her hair, and showed everyone a mark on the nape of her neck. "This red lotus-petal mark has been with me since I left my mother's womb. When my grandfather first saw it, he said that when I grew up, I would possess the grace of a lotus and the fragrance of an orchid. My grandfather is fond of wine, and he would always warm it under the trellis in the back courtyard."
She paused for a second. "I can recount everything from my childhood for you. Every single detail can be verified."
Seeing how fluently she answered and how clear her conscience appeared, the aide said to He Chunhua, "My Lord, this matter will be very easy to verify."
He Chunhua nodded. "Very well. You will travel with us."
Overwhelmed with joy, tears welled in Zhu-shi's eyes as she bowed deeply. "Thank you, My Lord!"
"You have aided us greatly. We are the ones who should thank you," He Chunhua replied, waving his hand. "Otherwise, the bandits would still be plotting against us from the shadows."
He caught Madam Ying's eye. Understanding his cue, she stepped forward, took Zhu-shi by the hand, and led her aside to talk.
Upon hearing that her husband and mother-in-law had both been murdered and her two children taken hostage by the bandits, Madam Ying sighed. "Scoundrels like that deserve to be brought to justice."
He Lingchuan pulled out a green apple and took a loud, crunchy bite. "Justice? Justice doesn't give a damn about this. It takes a villain to grind down a villain."
Ouch—why were the mountain apples so sour? He clutched his cheek, his teeth aching to the roots.
Madam Ying shot him a glare.
Comfort! Those were words of comfort! What did this wretched boy know?
***
Once both leaders had given their nods of agreement, the soldiers and the routed troops quickly withdrew to their respective sides, the former taking the eastern half of the village and the latter occupying the west.
He Chunhua had actually wanted the other side to release the residents in the western half unharmed, but Lu Yao was no fool. Knowing these people made excellent hostages, he refused under any circumstance.
When the news reached them, the villagers in the west burst into loud wailing.
Lu Yao ignored them at first, but the deafening clamor grated on his nerves until he finally waved a hand. "Tell them to shut their traps, or in a minute I'll be slicing their tongues out to go with my wine."
He used to do just that, but with the soldiers right across the line, provoking them too much would be unwise.
At that thought, he glanced around. "Where's that dead fat bastard?" Usually, Lu Yao didn't even have to open his mouth for petty annoyances like this; Fat Wang would be the first to rush out and sort it out.
Naturally, there was no sign of the fat man.
A few bandits were kindling a fire to roast fish, and Lu Yao took a swig of wine. Although they had just fought a skirmish, he was in surprisingly good spirits.
Before, he had constantly worried that his unreliable underlings would slip up and give them away to the soldiers. Now that the pretense was dropped, establishing a truce through the village actually left both sides at peace.
A trusted subordinate nearby advised, "General, drink a little less. What if they attack during the night?"
Lu Yao let out a scoffing laugh. "Them? Attack? Don't give that dog official too much credit!"
He wiped his mouth. "That lord is on his way to take up his post in Xiazhou. Those three hundred men are his entire foundation, just like you men are to me. Without his personal retainers, a stranger in an unfamiliar land like Xiazhou won't be able to get a single thing done! Forget losing half of them—he can't even afford to lose thirty percent! You tell me: is he hoping dawn comes early so he can be on his way, or is he planning to sneak-attack us in the dark?"
"He definitely wants to slip away as early as possible," another bandit chimed in with flattery. "That dog official's vision and nerve aren't even in the same league as our general's. Besides, he's just passing through—why would he stick his nose into local affairs? As long as we let him know we can part ways peacefully come morning, he definitely won't make a move tonight!"
Lu Yao narrowed his eyes and set down his wine cup. "Step up the watch after the fourth watch. We can't let them slip away. By the way, where did you say Wu Shaoyi and Pei Xinyong's men have reached?"
Chapter 108