usatvline Chapter 124 Attending the Banquet
Chapter 124 Attending the Banquet
It's no wonder Liu Shan had such doubts, because the mountain where Chen An had taken refuge was geographically remote and not even within the territory of Cangzhou.
Seeing that Liu Shan was hesitant to accept the order, Qu Dacheng snorted coldly and said in a deep voice, "County Magistrate Liu, this case is no small matter; it concerns the face of the imperial court. If you don't go, who will dare to take on this important task? Set off immediately and do not delay!"
Liu Shan scoffed, saying that his words sounded high-sounding, but he clearly wanted to use this opportunity to get rid of him so that he could execute the entire Qin family.
With that in mind, he naturally couldn't let Qu Dacheng have his way.
He sneered, "Lord Qu, since this case concerns the face of the court, why not go there in person?"
Qu Dacheng's face darkened, and he angrily said, "Liu Shan, how dare you disobey orders? You were in charge of investigating this case from the beginning, and the responsibility is heavy. How can you shirk it!"
Liu Shan was stunned; it seemed to make perfect sense.
He did indeed preside over the Liu Xinian case, and Liu Xinian's death en route to the capital was indeed a slap in the face to the imperial court...
Liu Shan was immediately caught in a dilemma.
At this moment, Han Chengjia, who was standing not far away, pointed to himself.
Liu Shan instantly understood Han Chengjia's meaning. A thought struck him: perhaps Han Chengjia could go in his place.
So he said, "This case should indeed be investigated by me, but Han Chengjia is skilled in light-footed martial arts and has outstanding abilities. If he goes in my place, he will surely be able to find out the truth. I hope Lord Qu will grant my request."
Han Chengjia stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Lord Qu, I am willing to go and investigate on behalf of Magistrate Liu, and I will certainly live up to your trust."
Qu Dacheng scrutinized Han Chengjia for a moment, and although he was displeased, he finally nodded: "In that case, Han Chengjia, you must be careful and return quickly."
Han Chengjia clasped his hands in acceptance of the order and turned to leave.
Liu Shan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but he was even more puzzled about Chen An's matter.
Qu Dacheng watched Han Chengjia's figure disappear, then turned to Liu Shan and said coldly, "Although you stay, you must fully cooperate with the investigation and there must be no mistakes."
Liu Shan chuckled inwardly, but outwardly he respectfully agreed.
The two had their own agendas, yet they were forced to feign cooperation and pretend to work together.
Time flies.
Because of Liu Shan's checks and balances, Qu Dacheng's plan to slaughter the Qin family was repeatedly thwarted.
Qu Dacheng harbored resentment in his heart, but he had no choice but to endure it for the time being.
Half a month later, Han Chengjia brought back news that Chen An had indeed become an outlaw and had gathered a group of desperate men in the deep mountains. His power was growing and threatening the peace of the area.
Chen An even confessed to intercepting and killing Liu Xinian, his motive being revenge for his wife.
Upon hearing this, Liu Shan frowned. Chen An had truly gone all out, going against the imperial court, and there was no good end for him.
Upon hearing the news, Qu Dacheng's face darkened, and he coldly snorted, "Just as I thought. If this villain is not eliminated, the consequences will be endless."
He looked at Liu Shan and said, "You will personally lead the troops to wipe out Chen An. You must capture him alive to uphold the law."
Liu Shan looked at Qu Dacheng as if he were an idiot. Suppressing Chen An was no easy task; the mountains were deep and treacherous, and the enemy outnumbered them…
Of course, these are not major problems, but what really stumped Liu Shan was how to eliminate Chen An.
Are they county constables or yamen runners?
Those people are good at catching petty thieves, but when it comes to dealing with Chen An and his gang of desperate criminals, it's like throwing an egg against a rock.
Furthermore, Liu Shan understood that Qu Dacheng's actions were intended to use someone else to do his dirty work. If he acted rashly, he would not only fail but also risk his own life.
It's possible that he might be ambushed and killed by Qu Dacheng's hidden troops as soon as he steps out of Cangzhou.
Liu Shan took a deep breath and said slowly, "Lord Qu, this matter is of utmost importance and requires careful consideration."
Qu Dacheng retorted angrily, "Deliberately consider this? Magistrate Liu, what else can you say besides this?"
Liu Shan remained calm and said in a deep voice, "My lord, please calm down. The bandit suppression requires careful planning, otherwise it will only increase casualties. I believe that the prefect must have a well-thought-out plan. We might as well send a letter to inquire, so as not to act rashly and disrupt the prefect's plans."
Upon hearing this, Qu Dacheng, though unwilling, knew that Liu Shan's words were true, so he had no choice but to suppress his anger for the time being and said coldly, "In that case, issue the official document immediately without delay."
Liu Shan nodded in agreement, secretly relieved, and pondered how to deal with the situation ahead.
The next day, the official documents written by Qu Dacheng and Liu Shan were placed on Yin Nantian's desk.
Yin Nantian read through the document carefully, his brows gradually becoming serious.
He revealed the news of Liu Xinian's robbery and murder to Qu Dacheng and Liu Shan simply because Liu Xinian had once been the magistrate of Jinhua County, and it was just a routine matter.
Unexpectedly, this gave Qu Dacheng the opportunity to attack Liu Shan.
However, he did not actually consider sending troops to suppress the bandits, because strictly speaking, Chen An was not under the jurisdiction of Cangzhou, but rather under the administration of the neighboring Qingzhou Prefecture.
However, it is not impossible to send troops, since the two places are adjacent and banditry is difficult to distinguish.
Yin Nantian pondered for a moment, then picked up his pen and wrote on the official document: "A decision will be made after discussing with Qingzhou Prefecture."
He handed the document back and instructed, "Send this document to Jinhua County immediately and tell them to calm down."
Immediately afterwards, he wrote a new official document, affixed the prefect's seal, and ordered it to be handed over to Princess Changning.
Princess Changning replied quickly, with only two words: Wait.
Yin Nantian frowned, unable to fathom Princess Changning's intentions.
However, he soon found out the reason.
Because King Kang was going to hold another banquet, the banquet was called the Ping Le Banquet.
Yin Nantian was secretly both amused and exasperated. Ever since Liu Shan wrote that poem, King Kang had become particularly fond of holding the Ping Le Banquet.
If he remembers correctly, this is the third banquet he has hosted this year.
He secretly admired the King of Kang, thinking, "King Kang is indeed King Kang, with such leisure and refined tastes!"
Although Yin Nantian was helpless, such banquets were often an excellent opportunity to connect with various forces, and he could not miss it.
Not only Yin Nantian received an invitation from the Kang Prince's Mansion, but Liu Shan and Qu Dacheng, who were far away in Jinhua County, also received the same invitation.
Liu Shan felt particularly helpless, but he had no choice but to go, as he couldn't refuse to give face to the Prince of Kang.
The only reason he could convince himself was that "this trip might allow him to gather more information."
After discussing it with Qu Dacheng, Liu Shan decided to go to the Kang Prince's Mansion together.
Three days later, Qu Dacheng and Liu Shan set off from Jinhua County on their journey to the Kangwang Mansion.
During the journey, although the two harbored resentment, they had to temporarily put aside their prejudices and maintain a facade of calm.
Upon arriving at the Kangwang Mansion, one finds the mansion brightly decorated, filled with guests, and the atmosphere lively and extraordinary.
Yin Nantian had been waiting for a long time. When the two arrived, he nodded slightly, indicating that they should follow him to their seats.
Both of them had their own plans, but they remained calm and followed Yin Nantian into the banquet hall.
Inside the hall, wine glasses clinked and laughter filled the air as Prince Kang chatted amiably with several distinguished guests.
Yin Nantian led the two to a secluded corner and whispered, "Be careful what you say and do today, and don't cause any trouble."