Green Mountain

Chapter 535 397: Silencing Witnesses

The servants from the Chen Mansion searched all over Fuyou Street but found nothing, and they didn't dare to disturb the dignitaries living there. The Qi family and the Hu Family were both in the area, and even with the Chen family's influence, they wouldn't dare to recklessly search the Qi Mansion and the Hu Mansion.

The servants looked at the chief holding the Mountain Ghost Coin: "What should we do?"

The chief thought briefly: "The only hope left for that little girl now is the Zhang Family. Send ten people to keep an eye on the Ministry of Personnel, and another ten to watch around the Zhang Family. Don't give them a chance to seek refuge with the Zhang Family!"

"Understood," the servants split into two groups and left.

As soon as the servants arrived in front of the Ministry of Personnel, they watched helplessly as Xiao Man pulled the little monk off the carriage, running into the government office. The servant was shocked but could do nothing.

In front of the government office, Zhang Li was vigorously writing on a blank scroll while absentmindedly kicking the horse's rump. As for where the carriage was taking him, he seemed unconcerned.

A servant blocked the carriage, asking fiercely: "Why is Daoist Master Zhang Li hiding the people we need to catch?"

With no choice, Zhang Li stopped writing, raised his head, and spoke sincerely: "Child, my master's a grandmaster of the Divine Realm. How dare you speak to me this way?"

The servant's expression froze.

Zhang Li smiled gently: "I refrain from losing my temper because I want to be approachable, not because I lack a temper... Now, get lost!"

The servants exchanged looks, hurriedly returning to the Chen Mansion to report.

By the time the chief holding the Mountain Ghost Coin arrived at the Qingzheng Garden council hall, Chen Lizhi was smashing things, shards of porcelain scattered all over the main hall.

There were so many fragments of blue and white porcelain from Ru kiln, white porcelain from Dehua, and chicken oil yellow porcelain vases that there was nowhere to stand.

Chen Wende stood by silently, as Chen Lizhi smashed one, he silently handed another, allowing his father to vent. The servants and maids stood outside the hall, so terrified their legs shook, silent as cicadas in winter.

Seeing that all the porcelain in the room was about to be smashed, Chen Wende calmly walked to the door and said: "What are you standing there for? Bring more porcelain in."

A maid trembled and let out an "ah."

Chen Wende placidly said: "Ah what? It's better for the master to vent on porcelain than on you, go."

"Oh, oh," the maid and servants hurried to the storeroom.

Chen Wende looked at the waiting chief outside the door: "Come in."

The chief mustered the courage to enter the council hall, hiding the Mountain Ghost Coin in his sleeve, and saluted: "Master, the chief disciple of the Huangshan Dao Court, Zhang Li, has hidden those two and secretly brought them to the Ministry of Personnel."

Chen Lizhi had just smashed a vase and turned his head fiercely to stare at the chief: "Do you think emphasizing the disruption by Huangshan's chief disciple can prove you're not a stupid dog? Why didn't you stop them at the Qingzheng Garden, why couldn't you even stop a little girl? Do you also want to be drowned in a pond?"

The chief answered in a low voice: "Master, our skilled hands left in the mansion have all been culled by the main house. That little girl is remarkable, she's seen blood..."

Chen Lizhi laughed neurotically: "Yes, they kill two of my men every month, leaving me with worthless dogs like you. Why don't they just kill me too!"

Chen Wende whispered: "Father, be cautious with your words."

Chen Lizhi slowly straightened up, speaking coldly: "Everything's already torn apart, what's there to be cautious about?"

The chief bowed his head saying: "Master, Zhang Li asked me to kneel in punishment at the City God Temple in Chongnan Fang..."

Chen Lizhi picked up a Dehua white porcelain and smashed it on his head, cursing: "Then why aren't you quickly kneeling? Do you want me to kneel for you?"

The chief let the blood flow through his hair, humbly acknowledging: "I'll go at once."

As he retreated to the threshold, Chen Lizhi suddenly called out: "Wait."

The chief looked up to see Chen Lizhi tidying up his disheveled clothes, his face showing no emotion, starkly different from earlier: "I've cursed and punished, now do the proper work. First, bring Mrs. Liang and Wang Gui, then go to the City God Temple and kneel. This is a vendetta between your Beggar Guild and the Dao Court. I won't step in for you."

The chief quickly responded: "I understand."

After the chief left, Chen Lizhi sat in the Taishi Chair, leisurely sipping a cup of warm tea.

He dipped a few drops of tea with his fingers, closing his eyes, and spread it over his eyelids: "All worthless."

Seeing his father's calm demeanor, Chen Wende finally spoke: "Father, I sent someone to inquire at Yuanjue Temple. That little monk indeed hasn't revealed to outsiders what he saw."

Chen Lizhi spoke casually with his eyes closed: "He didn't tell those bald heads because he's not familiar with them. How do you know he won't tell Chen Ji? The only person in this world who keeps secrets is a dead person."

Chen Wende whispered: "Father, what about Yao Man and the little monk..."

Chen Lizhi put down the teacup, fingers tapping the armrest of the Taishi Chair, momentarily also unsure what to do. Who, apart from the one in Renshou Palace and the Poison Minister in Jiefan Building, dares to seize someone from the Ministry of Personnel?

After thinking for a while: "You go visit Zhang Zhuo. Doesn't he want to implement his new tax law? Even the Xu Family doesn't support him. As long as he hands over these two, our Chen family's second house will support him!"

Chen Wende nodded: "Alright, I'll go now."

After speaking, he lifted his robe carefully, avoiding the shattered porcelain on the floor as he exited the room.

...

...

Chen Lizhi leaned back in the Taishi Chair, lost in thought. He wasn't sure how much time had passed when the chief of the second house brought Mrs. Liang into the council hall, calling softly, "Master, Mrs. Liang is here."

Chen Lizhi slowly opened his eyes and saw Mrs. Liang looking gaunt, her eye sockets hollow, lips bloodless, as if she wouldn't live much longer.

Chen Lizhi stopped paying attention to her and instead asked, puzzled, "Where's Wang Gui?"

The chief, in a panic, replied, "Wang Gui is off today and didn't come to the mansion. I sent someone to find him but discovered his house in chaos, with all his gold and silver missing..."

Chen Lizhi raised an eyebrow, "Couldn't you just say he ran away, and be done with it?"

The chief lowered his head, "Master, Wang Gui has fled."

Chen Lizhi picked up the teacup beside him and threw it out, "Why haven't you caught him yet?"

The chief let the teacup hit him on the head without dodging, "I'm going right away."

Chen Lizhi suddenly frowned, "Wait! Inform the Cao Guild that anyone trying to sneak out of the capital on a boat today is not allowed; otherwise, what I promised earlier will fall through!"

"Yes."

After the chief left, only Chen Lizhi and Mrs. Liang remained in the council hall. The large door slowly closed, dimming the room, with only slivers of light seeping through the paper windows.

Chen Lizhi rubbed his cheeks, donned a smiling face, and said to Mrs. Liang, "Sister-in-law, excuse my laughter; these years, the main house has messed things up, leaving me only with useless people. Please sit, have a seat."

Mrs. Liang did not sit. She stepped on the broken porcelain and walked softly to the center of the hall, "What is Second Master calling me here for?"

Chen Lizhi replied with a smile, "It's like this: I previously promised to help you take the lives of Chen Ji and Yao Man, helping Chen Wenxiao get revenge. But I also said, once the matter is settled, you can't stay here anymore, for you know too much. If you use this matter to manipulate me in the future, it wouldn't be appropriate, would it?"

Mrs. Liang was silent for a moment, "I've been taking medicine recently, not missing a single day, and it seems I won't live much longer."

Chen Lizhi smiled slightly, speaking sincerely, "Now, there have been some complications, and I must ask you to leave the world a bit earlier, sister-in-law."

Mrs. Liang was stunned and spoke fiercely, "Second Master, what do you mean? You promised me I would live to see Wenzong succeed in the Imperial Examination."

Chen Lizhi stood up and came beside Mrs. Liang, comforting her, "Your son Wenzong is exceptionally talented, a sure candidate for top scores. He won't fail, rest assured and go peacefully; nothing will happen."

Mrs. Liang stepped back two paces, her embroidered shoes crunching on the shattered porcelain against the blue bricks.

She weakly said, "Second Master, I have just two sons, one died in Guyuan, the other is in the Imperial Examination. Now, only one hope remains. Please let me live for a few more days, just until the results are released. I only wish to see Wenzong become a scholar, then I can die without regret."

Chen Lizhi calmly walked forward, "Sister-in-law, Chen Ji and Yao Man killed Wenxiao. You are unable to take revenge, so I will do it for you. We clearly agreed, didn't we? And we also said that I'd avenge you, but you must give me the account books of Chen Liqin from these years, and you can't stay in this world, right?"

Mrs. Liang shouted angrily, "But Chen Ji and Yao Man are still not dead!"

Chen Lizhi spoke earnestly, "Don't worry, they will surely die. If they don't, I can't sleep. But sister-in-law, you know too much. With you alive, I also can't sleep."

Chen Lizhi walked step by step towards Mrs. Liang, who retreated step by step back to the door, with no way to retreat further.

Mrs. Liang pushed the door but couldn't move it.

Gritting her teeth, she turned to face Chen Lizhi, loosening her clothes, "Second Master, as long as you let me live for a few more days…"

Chen Lizhi grasped Mrs. Liang's neck, "Sister-in-law, what kind of person do you take me for? I'm not like those beasts from the main house. All I've ever sought is to avenge my father; nothing else matters, neither silver nor women."

Mrs. Liang's face turned purple with anger and contorted, "Saying all this, you're actually just afraid your scandal might be revealed by that little monk. Are you worried the main house will find out that their extinction was your doing?"

Chen Lizhi laughed heartily, "You think you're clever; if even you can guess, can't they? Every time we ate, after my father's death, they would wait for me to eat first, but they didn't realize, I'm not afraid of extinction. I hate them profoundly, they hate me profoundly too!"

Mrs. Liang suddenly said, "Then what are you afraid of? What did the little monk actually see in your heart? Could it be you colluded…"

Chen Lizhi suddenly exerted force, choking Mrs. Liang into silence.

He looked into her eyes, saying, "Chen Chi was just a bastard back then; after my father's death, that dog Emperor in Renshou Palace made him Minister of Revenue, pressing the legitimate heir of the Chen family. You from the third house rallied clan elders to support this bastard, adding a 'Lu' character to his name in the clan registry. He, a bastard, becomes Family Head, and you are accomplices. My Chen family split into three branches, letting a bastard take over, causing the world to laugh at our family."

At this moment, Chen Lizhi suddenly changed his tone, "No, no, we can't blame that dog Emperor. He merely gave a Minister of Revenue position, leading to more than ten years of family strife. No blame on him, blame the unworthy descendants of the Chen family for failing themselves. Clearly, it was the dog Emperor's overt plot, yet my family's descendants insisted on jumping into his trap."

The light in Mrs. Liang's eyes gradually dimmed, and she finally bowed her head.

Chen Lizhi released his hand, letting Mrs. Liang fall into the broken porcelain.

He squatted down and helped close her eyes gently, "Sister-in-law, rest assured, besides others, Chen Ji is definitely not going to live."