Chapter Fifteen: Behind Bars

“Mercy, my lord!”

Hearing this, Lin You quickly dropped to his knees. “I swear my loyalty to you, to the Right Prime Minister!”

“The main problem is that brat from the Qin family—he’s far too sharp-tongued!”

“Fool!”

Seething with rage, Li Wei kicked Lin You to the ground. “Don’t you understand even now?”

Lin You hurriedly got up and knelt again after being kicked down.

“Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it!”

“How could such words come from the mouth of a sharp-tongued, spoiled wastrel like him?”

“We’ve all been deceived by the Qin family!”

Faced with Li Wei’s fury, Lin You could only tremble on his knees.

“Idiot!”

Since Qin Zhong’s fall from power, the Qin family lost their backing. From Li Wei’s appointment as governor of Jiangnan Prefecture, to the fires at the Qin family’s workshop and warehouse, and finally the failure to deliver the Qin family’s fragrant brocade to the capital on time — all of these were carefully orchestrated.

Cao Huaijie, the mastermind behind the scenes, had plotted all this to gradually crush the Qin family, even to bring about their ruin!

After venting his anger, Li Wei glanced at Lin You and continued, “Qin Zhong’s dismissal is now inevitable. His lordship will surely do everything possible to ensure Qin Zhong never recovers!”

“As for the matter here…”

Li Wei said, “His lordship has ordered me to find every possible way to continue undermining the Qin family’s business!”

“Not a single slip can be allowed!”

“I understand!” Lin You hurriedly replied after hearing this.

“Besides, since some matters have already been exposed, everything must be dealt with thoroughly, leaving no loose ends for anyone to exploit!”

“My lord, do you mean—?”

Lin You obviously hadn’t yet grasped the implication.

“Those pirates who ambushed the Qin family’s fleet—the other group—let Wang Long handle them!”

“That fool only has women on his mind!”

Thinking about how such a secret matter was entrusted to a fool who even dragged others into it, Li Wei couldn’t help but curse.

“Understood, I will go at once!”

Realizing the gravity, Lin You quickly responded. As he stood to leave, something made him hesitate, his expression caught between speaking and silence.

“My lord, what should we do about Master Cao?”

“Hm?”

“Master Cao tortured two courtesans to death. It is now irrefutable evidence, and the entire city knows about it…”

Upon hearing this, Li Wei’s face darkened, and he silently cursed Cao Ruixuan profusely in his heart.

“Fool!”

Yet, considering Cao Ruixuan’s ‘contribution’ to this matter, Li Wei could not help but scold him.

Cao Ruixuan’s presence in Yuezhou was obviously to help dismantle the Qin family.

His deliberate provocation of Lin Wanqing in public, drawing out Qin Song, and ultimately beating Qin Song into a fool was all part of the plan.

However, that blow didn’t render Qin Song foolish; it seemed instead to awaken him.

But no sooner had Cao Ruixuan finished that task than he stormed into a brothel and brutally tortured two courtesans to death.

Even Li Wei had gasped when he saw the bodies.

But since Cao Ruixuan was the grandson of his own master, and had caused such a huge scandal, Li Wei had to find a way to handle the situation cleanly.

“They’re just two courtesans. I have my own methods to deal with this matter!”

“Understood!”

Lin You, though resentful, could only lower his head and comply.

“Two gentlemen!”

At that moment, a subordinate hurried in, looking flustered.

“What news of Master Cao?”

Seeing the expression, both Li Wei and Lin You felt a chill run through them.

“Master Cao’s legs have been broken. It’s unlikely he’ll recover fully, and he will be permanently disabled once healed.”

“What!”

The news struck them like a thunderclap, sending deep dread through their hearts.

The eldest grandson of the Cao family, Cao Ruixuan, had both legs broken and would be crippled for life. If Cao Renjie found out, neither Li Wei nor Lin You could escape blame.

Lin You was the most terrified.

“My lord…”

His legs trembling with fear, drenched in cold sweat, Lin You looked pleadingly at Li Wei.

“Qin Song, you’re courting death!”

Li Wei’s eyes blazed with blazing fury. “This man must not leave the prefecture alive!”

The two exchanged a glance, murderous intent flashing in their eyes.

Meanwhile, in the prison, after Qin Song and his companions were brought in, they were immediately locked up.

“Master Qin, Master Yang, and sir, I’m afraid you’ll have to endure being here for a while.”

Not long after, Li Wusi appeared in the cell, speaking politely to the three.

“Detective Li, you’re too courteous.”

Noticing the worry in Li Wusi’s eyes, Qin Song said, “Detective Li, if Lin You blames us after this, feel free to come and ask me for help.”

“Thank you, Master Qin!”

Pleased with the promise, Li Wusi was delighted. “I will take good care of you all!”

After giving his orders, Li Wusi left the prison.

---

“This is bad. Judging by my father’s expression, he might as well want to kill me on the spot!”

After Li Wusi left, Yang Xiu sat heavily on the floor, worry etched on his face. “I didn’t expect the prefect to come here himself!”

“And judging by the look, the prefect and Lin You are working together!”

“Qin, why aren’t you worried at all?”

Seeing Qin Song’s indifferent demeanor, Yang Xiu fretted like an ant on a hot pan.

“What’s there to worry about? When the enemy comes, we resist; when the water comes, we use earth to block it!”

“Even if I’m beheaded, with a scar the size of a bowl on my neck, I’ll still be a hero eighteen years later!”

Hearing this, Zhang Pengyuan quickly said, “I’m the one who hit him. This has nothing to do with you!”

“You two stop it!”

Yang Xiu shouted, “One of you is the grandson of the navy’s admiral, the other the nephew of the prime minister. The prefect wouldn’t dare touch either of you!”

“Unlike me. My father is just a small guard in Yuezhou, and he wouldn’t dare even fart in front of the prefect!”

Yang Xiu’s voice grew softer and more aggrieved as he spoke.

“Don’t worry; you’re not going to die!”

Seeing Yang Xiu’s despair, Qin Song added, “You’re the only heir of the Yang family. No matter how hard your father beats you, he wouldn’t let the family line end.”

“That’s right!”

Qin Song’s words quickly reassured Yang Xiu.

“But after causing such a big scene in front of the entire city today, I, Yang Xiu, feel my life is fulfilled!”

Yang Xiu’s strange logic made Qin Song laugh and cry. “If you want to die, go find a wall and bang your head against it!”

Zhang Pengyuan said nothing but watched Qin Song with deep worry and regret.

“What do you think the prefect will do with the Cao family’s grandson?”

Yang Xiu’s sudden question silenced the group. Though nobody answered, their eyes spoke volumes.

Unbeknownst to the three in the cell, the story of the eldest Cao grandson’s abuse and torture leading to two courtesans’ deaths, the Qin brothers’ bold assault on the Emerald Brothel and beating the Cao grandson, and Qin Song’s public confrontation with the Yuezhou magistrate, had rapidly spread throughout Yuezhou—and continued to spread.

At the Qin residence, Lady Wu’s face turned pale when she learned of her son’s troubles. She hurriedly gathered people to rush to the prefecture.

But Lady Wu was not the first to arrive. Someone had beaten her to it, arriving before her with a fully armed force, surrounding the entire prefecture.

“Who are you people?”

Two guards at the prefecture gates regarded the heavily armed army as a grave threat.

“I am Chu Haiyuan, Admiral of the Yuezhou Navy. Tell that Lin fellow to come out and see me!”

“How dare anyone kidnap my navy men! They’ve got the courage of bears and leopards!”

The man leading the troops was Chu Haiyuan, stationed at Yuezhou Port. Upon learning that Zhang Pengyuan had been taken by the prefecture’s men, he immediately brought several hundred navy soldiers to surround the prefecture.

The guards quickly scurried to deliver the message.