Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

"Compensation?" The farmer was immediately dissatisfied, "That's not what you just said!"

Zhu Biao raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, then turned to the wealthy family, his eyes sharp: "You are the wealthy family of this village, what is your name?"

The man bowed his head and replied, "My surname is Zhao, my name is Quan, my family has been doing business for generations, and we have farmland here."

Zhu Biao nodded and asked, "Zhao Quan, these cows are yours, right?"

Zhao Quan quickly replied, "They belong to me, but I never intended to drive the cattle to destroy the fields! The cattle suddenly broke free from the reins last night, and I am innocent."

Zhu Biao turned his gaze to the farmer and asked, "How much damage did you suffer to your fields?"

The farmer replied angrily, "Your Highness, three acres of crops have all been trampled to pieces! We rely on these fields to make a living, and now we are about to lose everything. How can we not be anxious?"

Zhu Biao nodded: "I understand your feelings, but since Zhao Quan admitted that the cow was his, it means he is willing to take responsibility. Zhao Quan, how are you going to make up for the loss of these three acres of land?"

Zhao Quan's forehead was slightly sweaty. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "I am willing to pay the grain according to the yield of the land, and I can also pay thirty taels of silver as compensation."

The farmer's expression softened a little when he heard this, but he was still dissatisfied: "How long will these thirty taels last for our entire village? These cows are crazy, who knows if they will cause trouble again in the future!"

Zhu Biao thought for a moment, then turned to Zhao Quan and said, "Zhao Quan, this is indeed strange. I want to ask you, why did your cow suddenly go crazy?"

Zhao Quan lowered his head and thought: "I don't know either. Normally these cows are very docile and have never lost control."

At this time, a young villager stood up and said hesitantly: "Your Highness, I passed by the Zhao family's backyard last night and smelled a strange smell, like the smell of herbs."

Zhu Biao's eyes darkened: "The smell of herbs?"

The villager nodded: "Yes, Your Highness, the smell was very strong. I thought the Zhao family was treating the cow."

Zhu Biao turned to look at Zhao Quan, questioning in his tone: "Zhao Quan, is this true?"

Zhao Quan's face changed drastically, and he waved his hands quickly: "Your Highness, I am innocent! There are indeed some herbs stored in the backyard, but they are used to drive away worms for cattle, and have nothing to do with this matter!"

Zhu Biao looked at him coldly, with a hint of majesty in his tone: "Whether it is unrelated or not, I will find out. Liu Tingsong!"

Liu Tingsong stepped forward, bowed and asked, "What do you want, Your Highness?"

"Immediately send someone to search the Zhao family's backyard to see what these herbs are." Zhu Biao said in a deep voice.

Zhao Quan turned pale after hearing this, but he didn't dare to resist. He could only nod his head repeatedly: "Your Highness, please feel free to search!"

Not long after, the guards found several bags of herbs and several barrels of unused feed in the Zhao family's backyard. After a careful inspection, Liu Tingsong frowned and said, "Your Highness, these herbs are indeed used to expel worms from cattle, but the feed seems to be mixed with some unknown ingredients."

Zhu Biao took the feed and smelled it, then turned to ask the village elders: "Is there anyone here who knows about medicinal herbs?"

An old man walked out of the crowd and said, "Your Highness, I have a basic understanding of pharmacology, so I may be able to see some clues."

Zhu Biao nodded: "Then please have a look, old man."

The old man took the feed, sniffed it, and rubbed some in his hands. After a moment, he looked up and said, "Your Highness, this feed is mixed with something called 'Ma Kuang Grass'. This grass is extremely irritating to cattle, and they are prone to become irritable and out of control after eating it."

Zhao Quan was immediately horrified and kept saying, "Your Highness, I know nothing about this! I bought this feed from a merchant in the city, and I have no idea what's in it!"

Zhu Biao stared at him coldly and said in a low voice: "Whether he was unaware or not, I will not draw any conclusions. But Zhao Quan, as the owner of the cow, you have an unshirkable responsibility."

Zhao Quan knelt on the ground and kowtowed, begging for mercy: "Your Highness, I am willing to compensate for all the losses, just forgive me!"

Zhu Biao waved his hand and turned to the villagers: "Zhao Quan has pleaded guilty and is willing to compensate for the losses. As for whether anyone did it on purpose, I will investigate thoroughly."

The farmers nodded one after another: "Your Highness is wise! As long as the compensation is in place, we will not pursue the matter any further."

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "Very good, Zhao Quan, you must deliver the grain and silver to the village before tomorrow. If there is any delay, you will bear the consequences yourself."

Zhao Quan promised repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I will never disobey your order!"

The next morning, the sun rose and the soft sunlight sprinkled on Zhu Biao's desk.

He was sorting out the notes of yesterday's incident of the mad cattle when suddenly a guard came in hurriedly and knelt on one knee: "Your Highness, a woodcutter outside the city came to report that he found a group of suspicious people who seemed to be burying something in the woods."

Zhu Biao put down his pen, his expression slightly tense: "Woodcutter, can you tell me where those people came from?"

The guard shook his head and said, "Your Highness, the group was dressed differently and moved stealthily. The woodcutter did not dare to approach them. He only saw them from a distance and immediately came to report the news."

Zhu Biao turned to look at Liu Tingsong and said, "Tingsong, bring your men with me immediately and find out the situation."

"Yes, sir!" Liu Tingsong clasped his fists and accepted the order.

Outside the woods, Zhu Biao and his men dismounted and quietly approached the scene. The forest was silent except for the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. Zhu Biao whispered, "Split up and be careful not to alert the enemy."

The soldiers nodded and dispersed. After a while, a soldier reported: "Your Highness, we found freshly turned soil ahead. It seems to have been dug just now."

Zhu Biao rushed over immediately and saw a buried area. He squatted down, grabbed a handful of soft soil and smelled it, then said, "Dig up this area and see what is buried inside."

Everyone worked together and soon dug out several heavy sacks. When they opened them, they found some weapons and scattered armor! Zhu Biao's eyes darkened: "Who is so bold as to hide weapons here?"

As he was talking, there was a faint sound of footsteps in the distance. Liu Tingsong had sharp hearing and immediately signaled the soldiers to hide. A moment later, several men in a hurry appeared in sight. They obviously did not expect an ambush, and when they saw Zhu Biao and others, their faces changed drastically and they turned and fled.

"Catch him!" Zhu Biao shouted sternly.

The soldiers chased after them like an arrow shot from a bow. In a moment, the men were subdued and fell to their knees. The leading man looked pale and trembling as he said, "Your Highness, spare me! I know nothing!"

Zhu Biao's eyes were cold and he asked in a deep voice, "I want to ask you, who hid these weapons? And who ordered you to do so?"

The man was speechless for a long time. Zhu Biao signaled to the soldiers beside him: "Use torture to force them to speak."

Just as one of the followers was about to attack, the leading man immediately cried out, "Your Highness, spare my life! I will tell you! I will tell you everything!" Zhu Biao stared at him coldly, "Go ahead."

The man swallowed his saliva and said in a trembling voice: "These weapons were... Mr. Wu San from Wangjiazhuang ordered us to bury them. He said that this place is secret and not easy to be discovered."

"Mr. Wu San?" Liu Tingsong frowned. "Your Highness, there is a Wu family in Wangjiazhuang. They are indeed one of the wealthy families in the area, but they usually do not move around."

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and said in a cold voice: "Take people to Wangjiazhuang immediately. I want to ask Mr. Wu San in person what he wants to do."

In the Wu Mansion in Wangjiazhuang, Mr. Wu San was sitting in the courtyard drinking tea. He was about fifty years old, with a thin face, and his every move revealed a shrewd aura.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door, and the butler ran in in a panic: "Master, this is bad! His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is here with his men!"

Mr. Wu's hands trembled, and he almost dropped the teacup: "Prince? Why did he come to this remote place of mine?"

Before he finished speaking, Zhu Biao had already strode into the courtyard, and glanced at Master Wu San with a cold look. Master Wu San hurriedly stood up and saluted: "Your Highness, I am sorry for not welcoming you from afar. I hope you will forgive me."

Zhu Biao's tone was calm but dignified: "Master Wu San, do you know why I am here?"

Master Wu pretended to be confused: "Your Highness is joking, I don't know."

Zhu Biao sneered, "Don't know? I just found a large number of weapons in the woods outside the city, and the person who buried them said that you had them do it. Master Wu, do you have an explanation for this?"

Master Wu's face changed drastically, and he knelt down and kowtowed: "Your Highness, you are wronged! I am just a businessman and have never been involved in anything related to weapons. This must be someone's slander!"

Zhu Biao's eyes were cold: "Whether it is slander or not, I will investigate it thoroughly. But if you dare to conceal it, I will not let you off easily."

Master Wu San said tremblingly: "Your Highness, please understand. I am willing to cooperate with the investigation and will not hide anything!"

Zhu Biao nodded: "Very good. I will send someone to thoroughly check your house. If there is nothing unusual, you will be cleared of all charges."

Master Wu's face was ashen as death. He kept saying, "Your Highness, please feel free to check. I have no second thoughts."

A few hours later, the guards found several boxes of unused weapons in the Wu family's backyard, which were exactly the same as the collection in the woods.

Zhu Biao stared at Mr. Wu coldly: "The evidence is irrefutable, what else do you have to say?"

Master Wu San slumped on the ground, sweating profusely, and trembling, he said, "Your Highness, spare me! These weapons are indeed hidden by me, but... but they are only for self-protection, and there is no other intention!"

Zhu Biao frowned slightly: "Self-protection? What are you afraid of?"

Master Wu San stuttered in reply, "Your Highness, you may not know that in recent years, bandits outside the village have been causing chaos. I was worried that my home would be in danger, so I secretly purchased weapons to prepare for any emergency."

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment, then spoke in a slower tone: "Is what you said true? If you dare to conceal it, I will never forgive you."

Uncle Wu immediately knelt down and swore: "I have concealed nothing! If I tell even a single lie, I will be punished by God!"

Zhu Biao gave him a cold look and turned to Liu Tingsong: "Tingsong, confiscate these weapons and send people to closely monitor the Wu family to ensure that he will not make any more unusual moves."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Liu Tingsong bowed and accepted the order.

Zhu Biao took one last look at Master Wu San and said in a low voice, "Master Wu San, considering that this is your first offense, I will not pursue the matter for now. But remember, if you do it again, I will punish your entire family."

Master Wu San was as if he had been pardoned. He kowtowed repeatedly and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for not killing me! I will never dare to commit the same crime again!"

Zhu Biao waved and signaled to leave. When he walked out of the Wu family's gate, he looked deep in his eyes and said to Liu Tingsong, "There may be hidden secrets behind this matter. Keep investigating and make sure to get to the bottom of all the clues."

"I understand." Liu Tingsong replied in a deep voice.

The next morning, Zhu Biao summoned several of his capable subordinates, including Liu Tingsong and two captains of the guards, to discuss how to continue investigating the case of Mr. Wu Sanye.

He stood in front of the desk, tapping the tabletop with his fingers, his eyes deep, "We found some clues yesterday, but where these weapons came from and whether there is someone behind it is still a mystery. If I don't investigate thoroughly, I will not be able to sleep well."

Liu Tingsong clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, this case is indeed confusing. I think that instead of focusing on the Wu family, it is better to trace the source of these weapons. This item is not something that an ordinary blacksmith can make, and it must be supported by a large-scale workshop."

Zhu Biao nodded, "That makes sense. But I don't just want to know the source, I also want to find out the ultimate purpose of these weapons. Although Mr. Wu San said that he was protecting himself, I still can't believe his words."

Captain Zhou Wei, the imperial guard standing by, frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, I am willing to lead people to several blacksmith workshops in Tongzhou and inquire one by one. But if there is someone covering up this matter, I am afraid it will be difficult to quickly find out."

Another guard captain, Li Xing, shook his head and said, "Captain Zhou's plan is good, but Tongzhou is vast and densely populated, and there are many blacksmith workshops. It would be time-consuming and laborious to check them one by one. I think we can first interrogate the captured Wu family members and pry more clues from them."

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and said in a deep voice: "You two have your own suggestions and can both be implemented simultaneously. I order Zhou Wei to track down the source of the weapons and Li Xing to interrogate the suspects. Tingsong, you go back to the Tongzhou government office in person and organize the records related to this case for follow-up."

"Yes, sir!" the three of them responded in unison.

When Li Xing returned to the interrogation room, the arrested Wu family members had been detained for a night and all looked exhausted. When the leader saw Li Xing, he became even more flustered and kept shrinking back.

Li Xing walked slowly in front of him and said coldly, "I gave you a lot of time last night. Have you thought about it carefully? If you continue to conceal it, not only you, but also your family will suffer."

The man gritted his teeth and said nothing, but his fingers were trembling slightly, and he was obviously uneasy. Li Xing saw this and had made some judgments in his mind. He said in a slightly slower tone: "I will give you one last chance. If you are willing to tell the truth, you will not only be exempted from punishment, but you can even be forgiven by the court. Otherwise..."

At this point, he paused deliberately and nodded to the yamen runner beside him. The yamen runner immediately raised the ruler and swung it in the air, making a crisp sound.

The man finally broke down and said in a trembling voice, "Sir, I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything!"

Li Xing's eyes were like torches, and he said coldly, "Very good, let's start."

The man swallowed and whispered, "These weapons... were purchased by Master Wu San from a gangster. He is a traveling merchant who calls himself Du. He brings a batch of goods every few months and says he can sell them at a low price."

Li Xing narrowed his eyes: "Mr. Du? Does this person have other characteristics, such as appearance or accent?"

The man thought for a moment and said quickly, "He has a thin face, a medium build, and speaks with a Jiangnan accent. He doesn't sound like a local."

Li Xing continued to ask: "What was the state of these weapons when they were transported? Was there any obvious workshop mark?" (End of this chapter)