Chapter 225 The Hunt for Zhengzhou...

Chapter 225 The Hunt for Zhengzhou...

After examination, the doctor found that Meng Chun's left arm was dislocated and sprained, but not broken.

The doctor grabbed Meng Chun's elbow and twisted it, causing Meng Chun to break out in a cold sweat from the pain, almost collapsing onto the table.

"Come on, you two hold him down," the doctor called to Du Li and Du Min for help. "Put him on the table and don't let him move around."

"What are you doing? It's not done yet?" Meng Chun was scared. He suspected that the old man was a quack doctor who was using excessive force.

"The sprained tendon needs to be massaged to loosen it up; the bone has already been repositioned," the doctor explained.

Du Li and Du Min had no doubts. The two of them restrained Meng Chun from the left and right, making it easier for the doctor to take action.

The next instant, Meng Chun shouted, nearly throwing the two people on top of him off.

"Press it down!" the doctor shouted. He used his palm to push and rub down Meng Chun's arm, leaving purplish-red bruises under the skin.

"I won't get treatment anymore! I don't want to get treatment anymore!" Meng Chun cried out in pain, shouting outside, "Sister! Sister! I don't want treatment anymore! Tell the doctor to stop!"

"If you don't get treatment soon, you won't be able to straighten your arm anymore; the tendons will be stuck together." The doctor said while pushing the arm. "Bear with it. Push it once every two days today and tomorrow, and apply the plaster for a while, and you'll be cured."

"Still going to postpone it tomorrow?" Meng Chun couldn't take it anymore and started howling.

"Doctor, be gentle." Du Li noticed that Meng Chun's neck was sweating and red, and the veins on his neck were throbbing, so she couldn't help but remind him.

The doctor ignored him and pushed down to the elbow. He stopped, turned around, took two plasters from his medical kit, melted them over a fire, and slapped them onto Meng Chun's arm.

"Okay, I'll do it again tomorrow morning."

“We’re not coming, we’re not coming. We’re leaving this afternoon.” Meng Chun waved his hand weakly. “I’ll go back to Hanoi County to continue treatment.”

"Stay in Wen County for one night, then leave tomorrow." Du Li helped Meng Chun put on his sleeves and said, "This doctor is extremely skilled at treating sprains and bruises. In the past three years, he has been responsible for treating any laborers who have broken their legs or twisted their arms. Once the injured are in his care, they can be up and running again in as little as a day or as long as half a month."

"I'll trouble you to make the trip, Doctor." Du Min saw the doctor out, "and I'll trouble you to come again at this time tomorrow morning."

The doctor nodded.

Meng Qing had just seen off the newly appointed Magistrate Xing when she ran into the doctor and Du Min. She asked with concern, "How is my younger brother's left arm?"

"It's just a dislocation and a sprain, nothing serious, it won't affect your future activities," the doctor replied. "Please stay, sir, there's no need to escort you any further."

Du Min nodded and stopped walking.

Meng Qing walked inside and said, "The newly appointed county magistrate has arrived. His surname is Xing. He heard the news and came to visit. I received him and just sent him away."

When Magistrate Guo's term was up, he was promoted for his achievements in building the Yellow River dike and paper mill. Since there were no vacancies in the Huai Prefecture Prefectural Office, he went to Zhengzhou to serve as the Chief Secretary.

"Is it related to the Xing family of Hanoi?" Du Min asked. There was a powerful clan in Huai Prefecture, whose main branch lived in Hanoi County. When Xu Ang was in office, this clan was heavily exploited and also used Xu Ang's power to engage in many deceitful and fraudulent activities. After Du Min came to power, he arrested eight members of the Xing family and imprisoned them. In recent years, the Xing family members have lived a rather low-key life in Hanoi County.

“According to him, he was born in Youzhou, but he also mentioned that Henan County was his ancestral home, and he had never returned.” Meng Qing recalled Magistrate Xing’s words and deduced: “This Magistrate Xing should be a branch of the Henan Xing clan, but he probably separated in the previous generation and may still have some grudges with the main branch of the clan.”

Why do you say that?

"It's easy to find out about the Xing family's reputation in Hanoi County. I don't believe he didn't inquire about it after taking office. In this situation, who wouldn't be careful to avoid suspicion? Why would he bring it up on his own initiative, especially since he can't establish any useful connections?" Meng Qing analyzed. "Besides, he's a collateral branch that moved away at least thirty years ago. I doubt even the main branch knows him. You wouldn't go to Youzhou to investigate openly. Why would he bring up the Xing family of Hanoi for no reason? I think there are only two purposes. First, he doesn't want to serve in Wen County and wants to use this connection to get you to report to the Ministry of Personnel and transfer him; second, he wants to get your attention."

“If he wanted to be transferred, he would have reported it to the Ministry of Personnel when he made the appointment,” Du Min continued. “So, secondly, he wanted to get my attention.”

“Yes, knowing that you despise the Xing family, why would he still try to get your attention?” Meng Qing walked into the room. “So I guess he has a grudge against the main branch of the Xing family, and like Ren Wenqiu, he probably wants to use you to gain some benefit.”

“What a coincidence, I need his help too.” Du Min stopped outside. “I’m going back inside to sleep. I’ll see him when I wake up.”

"Speaking of Ren Wenqiu, has he written to you? Where did he go to take up his post?" Meng Qing asked.

Ren Wenqiu had completed three years of service at the free schools in Bianzhou. Having previous experience managing free schools in Huaizhou and being on good terms with Meng Qing and Du Min, he had not only expanded the free schools to all six counties of Bianzhou during these three years, but also managed the academies with great success. Most of the books in the academies originated from the Qingniao Academy in Huaizhou, making it second only in size to the Qingniao Academy. His outstanding achievements led to a promotion. At the end of last autumn, Ren Wenqiu visited Huaizhou, obtained a personal letter from Du Min, and then went to Chang'an to see Vice Minister Yin.

"Also in Zhengzhou." Du Min looked towards the southwest sky and chuckled softly. "In Xingyang County, as the magistrate of Xingyang County."

In the old stronghold of the Zheng family in Xingyang.

Upon hearing this, Meng Qing withdrew. "Was it also your arrangement that Magistrate Guo was sent to the Zhengzhou Prefectural Governor's Office?"

“No, that’s not it.” Du Min shook his head with a smile. “I told him that when Prime Minister Lu resigned from his post and returned to his hometown, it was because he was implicated in a crime committed by a member of his clan.”

Meng Qing glanced at him and smiled.

Du Min also smiled, "The good reputation brought by overthrowing a prime minister is still very attractive."

"You're a great role model." Meng Qing felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction; Du Min had played this move brilliantly.

"Is that what you said to Ren Wenqiu too?" she asked.

"No, he came directly to my door asking where I needed him to take up a post." Ren Wenqiu was different from Magistrate Guo. Magistrate Guo had been an official for over ten years, accumulating a network of connections, considerable administrative experience, and remarkable achievements. He admired Du Min and intended to curry favor with him, but he wouldn't prioritize Du Min. Ren Wenqiu had no background or powerful connections; his origins were even inferior to Du Min's. In his network of relationships, Du Min was the most influential, so he wisely chose to align himself with Du Min and prioritize Du Min's position.

Meng Qing placed his hands together and bowed to Du Min.

Du Min returned the greeting and left happily.

Meng Qing walked into the room with a smile on her face. Meng Chun was lying on the bed, almost asleep. Hearing the light footsteps, he complained resentfully, "Sister, you finally remembered me."

Meng Qing laughed and said, "I met a doctor outside, and he said you're fine."

Meng Chun waved her hand, "Forget it, I'm too lazy to argue with you. You and my brother-in-law should go back to your room and get some sleep. You haven't slept well in the carriage these past two days."

"Open your eyes and look at your sister. She's got the energy to kill a bull right now," Du Li teased from the side.

Meng Chun was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. He squinted and peeked out, then smiled and said, "Your complexion is indeed better than on your wedding day."

Du Li clicked his tongue.

Meng Chun smiled smugly, "Let's go."

Meng Qing nodded to Du Liyang, and the two walked out.

*

I woke up to find it was already dusk.

Meng Qing and Du Li got out of bed hungry. When they opened the door, they saw Du Min and Meng Chun eating in the courtyard. Lu Bushang, Wang Bushang, Li Bushang and others were sitting on the side. The excitement on their faces had not yet faded.

"It seems you all know about the imperial decrees." Meng Qing took his seat.

“Lord Du and nephew Meng have already told us,” Wang Bushang replied. “We will leave tomorrow and immediately head back to Suzhou to transport the money.”

"Are you going to transport money over?" Du Min, having finished eating, took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

The seven wealthy merchants exchanged glances, confirming that they shared the same idea. Wang, the cloth merchant, said, "We think that Lord Du needs us more here, so we plan to transport money to Huaizhou to buy land."

Du Min waved his hand, “Merchants from all over the country will not miss the opportunity as long as they can afford this price. I have no shortage of wealthy merchants who are willing to pay to buy land. Besides, your connections are not in Huaizhou, so you cannot use them to buy land from local gentry and landlords. Compared with local merchants, you are at a disadvantage.”

Lu Bu hesitated, "But Suzhou is far from Luoyang. Can government orders be implemented in Suzhou? What if the government doesn't accept the land we buy?"

“That’s easy. Just send a letter to your Lord Du, and he can send the governor and the censor to Suzhou,” Meng Qing interjected.

Du Min's heart stirred, and he asked, "Which of you has connections in Zhengzhou? I have a colleague with whom I have a good relationship who is the Prefect of Zhengzhou, and a subordinate with whom I trust who is the Magistrate of Xingyang County. They are new to their posts and are unfamiliar with the local area. I estimate that they will have some difficulty in implementing their policies and may need your support."

“I have a godfather who serves as the waterway transport commissioner in Zhengzhou,” Lü Bu said.

"What's your surname?" Du Min asked.

“Fang,” Lu Bu replied, carefully considering Du Min’s meaning. “My adoptive father comes from the Fang family of Zhengzhou. They are a powerful local clan with plenty of land. If I transport money there, and with the support of your colleagues, we should be able to buy land.”

"I'll give you a letter tomorrow morning. Before you return to Suzhou, go to the Prefectural Governor's Office in Zhengzhou to visit Chief Clerk Guo," Du Min decided.

"I'll listen to you." Lu Bu was overjoyed. It was worth it to have this adoptive father; he had finally gotten on Du Min's good side.

Wang Bushang was anxious; he also wanted to establish a connection with Du Min. His family's ancestral graves had been moved to Beiman Mountain, and once his descendants were no longer registered as imperial relatives, he planned to buy a house in Luoyang or Huaizhou to settle down, allowing them to study near the capital from a young age and thus settle in the heart of the Central Plains. If Wang's descendants could befriend Du Min, Meng Qing, and their descendants, they would have no worries in the future.

“Lord Du, I am also willing to take the money to Zhengzhou,” Wang Bushang tried to persuade him.

“Do as you please, I don’t care. I’m just thinking that it will be easier for you to redeem the land in Suzhou,” Du Min said.

"We'll figure out how to buy back the land ourselves. If we really can't, we'll go back to Suzhou to buy it." Wang Bushang was determined to take a gamble.

“You’d better think this through. The prefectures and counties surrounding Luoyang are full of local strongmen. Going back two or three dynasties, each of these powerful families has renowned scholars, prime ministers, or famous generals,” Meng Qing warned. “The local powerful families of Suzhou are no match for you here.”

"Let's give it a try," Li Bushang said. "This decree won't be suspended anytime soon, will it?"

"No," Du Min replied.

“We’ll transport the money to Zhengzhou,” Li the cloth merchant decided. “Sir, do you have any colleagues who need our support?”

"That's all." Du Min didn't have many people available, and Magistrate Sun didn't need his help.

“We’re all going to Zhengzhou,” Lu Bu said, making a grand promise.

Du Min concealed the smile on his lips by drinking tea; Zhengzhou was about to get lively.

"You're going back tomorrow? Then I'll leave tomorrow too." Meng Chun thought he could stay for a few more days. "Sister, I've already talked to Uncle Lü and Uncle Wang, and they'll help me raise 300,000 strings of cash. After I leave, I'll leave the matter of redeeming the land to you and Father and Mother."

“Nephew Meng, don’t go back now that you’re injured. Don’t sell the workshop or the paper horse shop either. Consider this 200,000 strings of cash a loan to you. You can pay it back in three to five years,” said Wang Bushang.

“Yes, yes, we’re not short of money. Your workshop and paper horse shop are making money right now, so you can’t sell them,” Lu Bu Shang chimed in. “This money is a loan from us uncles. You can pay it back in installments every year, no rush.”

Meng Chun was tempted, but he knew that there was a price to pay for borrowing money; his sister and nephew would have to repay the debt of gratitude on his behalf in the future.

“My parents are getting old, and I’m in a hurry to get married and have children. I don’t want to keep going to Jiangnan. Let’s just sell them all.” Meng Chun refused.

“With reliable people managing it, you won’t need to run around. At worst, we’ll keep an eye on things for you.” Lu Bu glanced at Meng Qing’s face and, seeing her thoughtful expression, he made a decision: “It’s settled then. If you’re determined to sell the workshop, we won’t take it. If you need to borrow money, we’ll leave all the money we’ve earned this time to you.”

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Author's Note: There will be one more update tonight.