Chapter 27: Interrogation Once More

Madam Wu, having grown utterly disappointed in Qin Hu, had no desire to say more. "After you leave, the Qin family will make proper arrangements for your wife and daughter."

Having said this, she walked past Qin Hu, but stopped as if remembering something. "By the way, there never were any new Xiangyun brocades from the Qin family to begin with!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Hu’s body trembled slightly. His eyes widened, his face eventually contorting with profound self-mockery, tinged with a hint of regret.

"Hahahaha..."

Once Qin Song had left the room, sounds of Qin Hu’s heart-wrenching laughter echoed from within.

"Mother, are you all right?"

Qin Song, who had been keeping watch at the door and had overheard everything, stepped out and couldn't help but ask upon seeing Madam Wu’s silent expression.

"Song’er, you have grown up!"

"Eh?"

Madam Wu stared at Qin Song for a long time before these words finally escaped her lips.

"It is good that you have grown up!"

"It is good that you have grown up!"

With eyes full of gratification, a smile appeared on Madam Wu’s face. She kept muttering the phrase to herself as she walked away. Qin Song, having processed this, watched his mother’s receding figure with a smile of his own.

Not long after, Qin Song received news from Zhang Pengyuan: Zheng Tong had regained consciousness.

Upon receiving the message, Qin Song hurried with his men to the naval garrison.

Back in the same room, Zheng Tong remained tightly bound. Though he was awake, his spirit was listless. When Qin Song entered, Zheng Tong’s expression remained unchanged.

But when he saw the old man following behind Qin Song, Zheng Tong’s gaze shifted instantly. The memory of that bone-deep, agonizing pain—the feeling that his entire body, and especially his head, was about to explode—was an experience Zheng Tong never wanted to repeat in this lifetime.

"You’re awake."

Zheng Tong’s change in expression did not escape Qin Song’s notice. Sitting down before him, Qin Song continued, "Your name is Zheng Tong, a native of Qinzhou, Liaodong Commandery, who came to Yuezhou three years ago."

"Two years ago, you married and had a child, who just turned one."

"If you have something to ask, just say it," Zheng Tong said, looking up at Qin Song with a listless tone.

"Three years ago, why did you come to Yuezhou from Qinzhou?"

"I followed Lin You from Qinzhou to Yuezhou."

"Years ago, I committed a grave crime in Qinzhou, and it was Lin You who brought me out of prison."

"Ever since then, I have served him."

Hearing this, Qin Song’s expression turned grim. He had been told that before Lin You served as the Prefect of Yuezhou, he had held an official position in Qinzhou, Liaodong Commandery.

"Is this the letter Lin You gave you last night?" Qin Song asked, pulling a letter from his robe. This was the letter seized from Zheng Tong when he was first captured.

Qin Song had already read it: Lin You was contacting the river pirate Wang Long, ordering him to ambush the Qin family’s transport again while they were shipping the Xiangyun brocade to the capital.

Seeing Zheng Tong nod, Qin Song pressed on, "How is the letter delivered to Wang Long, and where is his lair?"

Zheng Tong shook his head first, then replied, "Wang Long has men at the Yuezhou docks. As long as the letter is handed to them, it will naturally reach Wang Long."

Qin Song was not surprised by this. One of the reasons these river pirates were so difficult to eradicate was that their informants were hidden everywhere along the river; the moment the navy made a move, these pirates would receive word in advance. The fact that Zhang Pengyuan had managed to save the Qin family’s ships that night was, in truth, largely due to luck.

"Do you have any other evidence of Lin You’s collusion with the pirate Wang Long?" Qin Song asked, staring fixedly at him.

To Qin Song’s disappointment, Zheng Tong shook his head. "Lin You and Wang Long rarely communicate, and when they do, it is always by letter."

"I am illiterate, and Lin You never let me learn to read."

"Aside from this, what else has Lin You made you do?" Seeing that the man didn't seem to be lying, Qin Song continued his questioning.

"Other than occasionally delivering letters to Wang Long, every month Lin You would give me a letter to deliver to a restaurant in the city."

"If there was a reply, Lin You would have me go retrieve it."

"But in the last few months, the frequency of his sending and retrieving letters has increased quite a bit."

"Which restaurant?"

"Yunlong Restaurant."

"Uncle Hu!"

"Young Master, I shall go at once." Hu Shangdong turned and left to investigate the establishment.

"Is there anything else you need to add?"

Seeing Qin Song ask this, Zheng Tong looked up, hesitating.

"Old Gou!"

"Young Master Qin!"

"I’ll tell you!" Zheng Tong’s body trembled as he hurriedly said, "All the goods Wang Long plunders on the river are eventually turned over to Lin You to dispose of."

"How does he dispose of them?"

"As far as I know, it should be the Tang family helping him handle them."

"If I find out you have withheld anything else, I will make you taste the pain of last night all over again." Qin Song, his face dark and icy, leaned in close to Zheng Tong, his cold eyes like those of a venomous snake.

After the interrogation, Qin Song and Zhang Pengyuan left the room together.

"Brother Qin, we must not let this opportunity slip by!"

Once outside, Zhang Pengyuan spoke impatiently. The opportunity he referred to was, naturally, the chance to wipe out the pirate Wang Long.

"Brother Zhang, you mean to take advantage of Wang Long targeting my family's fleet to annihilate his pirate faction in one stroke?"

"That is exactly the plan."

"But we must plan this carefully. Wang Long has informants everywhere at the docks and along the river. As soon as the navy’s warships leave the harbor, they will be discovered."

"Furthermore, I fear we must inform the Admiral."

For such a crucial operation, relying solely on the men from Zhang Pengyuan’s few ships would certainly not be enough to defeat Wang Long.

While Qin Song and Zhang Pengyuan were devising ways to deal with Wang Long, inside the Yuezhou Prefectural Office, Lin You was flying into a rage.

"These unruly commoners are completely lawless! This must be the work of the Qin family behind the scenes!"

Yesterday morning, as soon as Lin You stepped out to head to the office, he was pelted with a deluge of rotten eggs and vegetable scraps. Upon fleeing to the office, he discovered that someone had splashed excrement all over the main gate, sending him into a fury.

Later, when Li Wei heard the news and rushed over, he too was treated to a barrage of rotten eggs and vegetable scraps by the commoners. Although Li Wei arrested many of the people on the spot, the situation only escalated; that very night, even their private residences were doused with excrement. Fearing the situation would spiral out of control, a panicked Li Wei ordered the release of the commoners.

Even so, the two men remained holed up in the government office, not daring to step outside.

"A letter has arrived from the capital. His Lordship is very dissatisfied with this incident."

As Lin You raged, Li Wei’s words poured over him like a bucket of ice water. Lin You knew well that the "His Lordship" Li Wei referred to was the current Right Chancellor, Cao Renjie, and he knew even better that this "dissatisfaction" was directed at him.

"Who could have guessed that this young master of the Qin family would not only seem like a different person but also get involved with Di Chao!" Hatred and murderous intent burned in Lin You’s eyes at the mere mention of Qin Song.

"It is because you are too stupid!" Li Wei snapped as soon as Lin You finished speaking. "What has happened in Yuezhou these past few days will reach His Majesty’s ears before long. How do you expect His Lordship to explain this to the Emperor?"

Facing Li Wei’s interrogation, Lin You’s heart turned cold.

"His Lordship is very angry, and with the commoners rioting these past two days, it is bound to provoke the Emperor’s displeasure."

"And then there is the matter of Young Master Cao having his legs broken by Qin Song. If His Lordship finds out about this, how do you intend to answer to him?"

"I fear your position as Prefect of Yuezhou will not last much longer."

"Does His Lordship mean..."

Seeing the flicker of hope and excitement in Lin You’s eyes, Li Wei gave him a look that suggested he was dreaming. "His Lordship hopes you will voluntarily resign on the grounds of illness."

"Resign!"

Lin You was stunned. He had attained his position late in life after nearly twenty years of struggle, and now that he had finally secured the post of Yuezhou Prefect, he was being told to resign?