Chapter 343: Speculation
Chapter 343: Chapter 343: Speculation
Rong Ruiyuan spoke persuasively, but it seemed like no one present believed him.
Still, the appropriate emotions were expressed, and everyone wore a look of gratitude.
Gu Baijiang expressed his loyalty again, and only then did the Third Prince invite him to take a seat.
"Your Highness, why did the Emperor suddenly think of suppressing the bandits?" The bandit problem in Lingnan is rampant and has never been entirely eradicated. For so many years, the troops would only make a token show as long as Lingnan remained stable.
"This time, for some reason, Father obtained evidence of collusion between officials and bandits here, so he sent me to resolve it..."
Rong Ruiyuan recounted the difficulties he had faced recently, and because he was so busy with affairs at hand, he couldn’t fully handle matters related to the Gu Family.
"Every day, I’m overwhelmed with tasks. If only you, Gu Baijiang, could assist me, I could be more at ease," Rong Ruiyuan said thick-skinned, using the flattering phrases he had learned recently. "This mission falling on me is quite a headache. Besides the constant pressure from the capital, I also have to play mind games with the corrupt officials and bandits here."
Gu Baijiang mused, "Did the Emperor send someone to Lingnan before?"
"That shouldn’t be the case," Rong Ruiyuan had some understanding of his father, "but he has always wanted to clean up Lingnan because the officials here haven’t been changed for some time."
After all, no one wants to take office in such a backwater. Generally, only those officials without power or influence are assigned here.
It seems the Third Prince isn’t so knowledgeable about the Emperor, Gu Baijiang thought to himself. "Among the other officials exiled with us, does Your Highness know any of them well?"
"What do you mean?" Rong Ruiyuan quickly shook his head. "That’s impossible; along your journey, the escorts wouldn’t allow you to move freely, making it impossible to investigate."
Moreover, it’s not that he looked down on these people; those banished to Lingnan this time were all useless. If Gu Baijiang didn’t hold something he wanted, he wouldn’t pay any attention.
"They may be unable to move, but that doesn’t mean they can’t bring people. The Emperor only needs a decision maker, a supervisor. His subordinates don’t have to do everything themselves."
Rong Ruiyuan directly looked at Ming Peifeng, "Have you noticed anything unusual?"
Ming Peifeng, "There has been quite a bit. So many people came to assassinate, I only managed to investigate a few instigators behind the scenes, while some remain unidentified."
Gu Baijiang, "I’ve always felt that Mr. Chen in the group is highly suspicious."
"Which Mr. Chen?" Rong Ruiyuan had no recall, as he too had spent time with the exiled group.
"It’s Chen Dafu, the former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. His family is also in this exile, but he hasn’t involved his clan." Previously, Gu Baijiang thought the Chen clan would be sent straight to Lingnan, but though they had reached Lingnan, the Chen clan hadn’t been heard of, which seemed off.
The main issue is that old devil Chen Dafu is very afraid of death but insists on staying close behind us.
Upon hearing that the Third Prince had no impression of Chen Dafu, he remembered that during the journey with the Third Prince, the Chen family never showed up.
"Him?" Rong Ruiyuan also recalled the person. Chen Dafu’s reputation in court was truly unspeakable.
After all, he was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, yet exuded pettiness, skimping everywhere.
It was said that he always tried to take advantage of colleagues, and the Chen family was constantly crying poor in the capital.
When the brothers sat together, they occasionally brought him up, all debating whether Chen Dafu was genuinely poor or just pretending.
After all, guarding the National Treasury, could he really be that poor?
Moreover, this person could not be swayed; though the brothers tried to court him, he either feigned madness or outright refused.
But at least he was low-key and didn’t join any faction, so he was directly overlooked.
If he was the Emperor’s man, it would make sense. "Tell me carefully, what unusual behavior has Chen Dafu shown on this journey?"
Gu Baijiang also wanted to impress Rong Ruiyuan, so he shared his observations and suspicions.
"As you say, Chen Dafu does appear highly suspicious. Have you tried to understand more about your doubts?"
Gu Baijiang’s expression stiffened, "I haven’t investigated much further, it’s just that when we were pardoned, many chose to return to the capital. Though they could afford or pool the resources to return, they insisted on staying; there might be more to this."
In Tian Village, Chen Dafu sneezed several times in a row, alarming his wife and sons.
Mrs. Chen quickly put down her work and hurried over to check on him, "What’s wrong? Have you caught a chill?"
"Father, are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Grateful for the care from his wife and sons, Chen Dafu quickly reassured them, "I’m fine, probably just someone talking about me behind my back."
"Better put on another layer," Mrs. Chen found this idea suspect, "Getting sick harms your body, and we’ll have to spend on doctors and treatments, it’s not worth the cost."
"Yes, Father, if we have a small ailment, get it treated quickly. Don’t drag it on. The town clinic charges two ounces of silver just for a fever remedy."
"I say put on another layer of clothing. It’s so cold despite the sunlight, you need to dress warmly."
Clothes aren’t worth much, so you can layer up completely."
Seeing his sons absorbing his frugality, Chen Dafu felt oddly sad, pondering if he fell ill, would his wife and children give up on him to save money?
Quickly dismissing his thoughts, he focused on more pressing matters, "Why didn’t you tell me earlier when the Gu Family entered the town?"
"What’s so strange? They’ve spent days away, they must be restocking vegetables and meat again, always making us shadow them until we’re exhausted," complained the second eldest of the Chen family.
They always trekked into town on foot, tailing the Gu Family tirelessly.
While they ate well and shopped in abundance, they went hungry or gnawed on a dry bun brought from home, feeling desolate.
"What nonsense! If you don’t do the job properly, how can you expect a good life in future?" Chen Dafu scolded. "You rascals, complaining about every task, can I trust you to support this family eventually?"