Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 312 Towards the Golden Palace (16)

He performed these tasks of serving others with such naturalness that it seemed as if he had done them countless times before.

Yan Zhen dried his hands, put down the towel, and asked Xue Lin seemingly casually, "Did Jiang Ming offend you at some point? You never give him a friendly look whenever you see him."

Xue Lin paused for a moment: "No."

"So, do you have a problem with him?"

"……nor."

“Even if you do, don’t show it when you see him,” Yan Zhen said. “You’re a grown man now, you need to learn to control your emotions. When you enter officialdom, no one will tolerate your little temper.”

Xue Lin lowered his eyes and replied, "Yes."

“Go back to your courtyard. I have already instructed the servants that there is nothing important before the imperial examination, so they should not cause any trouble in front of you and disturb your studies.”

No sooner had Xue Lin left than Yan Zhen looked toward the small door in the side hall and said, "Come out."

The executive who had been hiding there came out.

Yan Zhen asked, "How was it? Did Xue Lin do or say anything to Jiang Ming?"

The butler shook his head: "No, but Jiang Ming could tell that the young master didn't like him. When you went to the backyard, he found an excuse to leave."

Yan Zhen pondered for a moment, then asked the steward, "Does Jiang Ming own a clothing store in the capital?"

The steward said, "Yes, it's called Qiushui Pavilion. It's quite large, with four floors. The top floor is reserved for wealthy merchants and dignitaries from the capital. A set of brocade robes woven with gold and silver threads can sell for over a thousand taels of silver."

Yan Zhen understood: "Send two people to keep an eye on Qiushui Pavilion."

The steward asked, puzzled, "Manager, what is the meaning of this?"

"Xue Lin might target the clothing stores."

The butler was taken aback.

-

Two days later, Yan Zhen, Xue Lin, and Wang Xiaocui and her son were having lunch when the housekeeper rushed in.

"Manager, news has come from outside that the fabric used in Manager Jiang's clothing is poisonous. A customer who bought a garment and wore it died from the poisoning. His family is causing trouble at Qiushui Pavilion and even injured Manager Jiang."

Yan Zhen was taken aback and immediately put down his chopsticks and stood up: "How could this happen? How is Jiang Ming injured?"

"Manager Jiang was beaten until his face was covered in blood, and that family was demanding that he pay with his life."

"Go and have a look."

As Yan Zhen was about to leave, Xue Lin immediately followed, saying, "Sister, I'll go with you."

Yan Zhen did not refuse, and with a few servants, the group hurriedly went to Qiushui Pavilion.

Qiushui Pavilion was already closed, so Yan Zhen and Xue Lin entered through a side door.

The lobby on the first floor had been vandalized, with fabrics and garments scattered all over the place, and everything was in a mess. Jiang Ming sat amidst a pile of rags, sighing. He hadn't had time to treat the wound on his forehead, and the other employees were also listless.

"Brother Jiang!" Yan Zhen hurried forward, his expression concerned. "How are you?"

Jiang Ming immediately turned around and saw that the person who came was Yan Zhen. He smiled wryly and said, "It's nothing, just superficial injuries."

"Where are the troublemakers?"

"Just left."

What are their demands?

"They demanded compensation, saying that their son was destined to become a high-ranking official, but he was poisoned after wearing my clothes, which ruined their entire family's path to success. They demanded 300,000 taels of silver in compensation, or they would report me to the authorities."

Yan Zhen: "..."

Three hundred thousand taels of silver is not a small sum that Jiang Ming can easily come up with, even after so many years in business.

Jiang Ming rubbed his face, his expression grave: "My family's clothing and fabrics are definitely fine. They are framing me, but things have already blown up. Not only will my Qiushui Pavilion be unable to continue operating, but I doubt anyone will dare to buy the fabrics I send to the capital in the future. This business line that I worked so hard to build in the capital may be cut off."

Yan Zhen frowned: "These people seem to be here to damage your reputation. Could they be business rivals? Tell me the whole story, and we'll analyze it."

Jiang Ming didn't mince words and recounted the whole story.

The customer who died had purchased the garment from Qiushuige two days prior. He succumbed to poisoning last night, and his family caused a disturbance this morning. The news that "Qiushuige garments are poisonous" has now spread throughout Beijing.

After pondering for a long time, Yan Zhen said to Jiang Ming, "Brother Jiang, don't worry. The innocent will clear themselves. I believe you are not the kind of businessman who would betray his conscience. If they report you to the authorities and the government arrests you, I will definitely find someone to defend you and get you out!"

As soon as he said this, Xue Lin immediately stepped forward and pulled Yan Zhen along: "Sister!"

Yan Zhen turned around and looked at him with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong?"

Xue Lin gestured for her to come to the side to talk.

The two walked to a corner, and Xue Lin said in a low voice, "Sister, the relationships in the capital are complicated. We have no connections or foundation here. It's best not to get involved in matters involving murder."

Yan Zhen frowned: "That's true, but Brother Jiang is my friend. Three years ago, when I was at the bottom of society, he not only didn't look down on me for being poor, but also took good care of me. Now that he's in trouble, how can I just sit idly by?"

"But...but what if you get involved and it gets exposed?" Xue Lin said anxiously. "Don't forget, Xie Zhao is still in the capital."

Yan Zhen frowned even more. After weighing the options for a long time, she said, "So be it. A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. I will have plenty of opportunities to get back at Xie Zhao in the future. If Jiang Ming loses his life because of this, he will not have another chance."

Xue Lin: "..."

After Yan Zhen finished speaking, he turned back to Jiang Ming and began to discuss countermeasures and how to deal with this crisis.

Before the two could come up with a plan, the door of Qiushui Pavilion was pounded on roughly: "Open the door!"

"Open the door quickly!"

Jiang Ming was startled and said to the door, "Who is it? Qiushui Pavilion is closed today."

"We have been ordered to apprehend the perpetrators of the poisoning at Qiushui Pavilion. Open the door immediately!"

Jiang Ming's expression changed drastically.

Yan Zhen's expression also turned grim: "The case hasn't even been tried yet, how come you've already been labeled a criminal?"

The steward said worriedly, "The fact that the deceased's family dared to demand 300,000 taels of compensation is enough to prove that they are not an ordinary family. They have connections in the county government. If Manager Jiang goes there, I'm afraid he will be in grave danger."

As they were talking, two plainclothes officers burst through the door, showed an arrest warrant, and grabbed Jiang Ming without saying a word.

Jiang Ming's arms were twisted behind his back, and he kept turning his head to look at Yan Zhen for help: "Brother Cao, I...I'm innocent!"

Yan Zhen hurried a few steps: "Brother Jiang, don't worry, I'll go and beat the drum to appeal to the emperor right now, and I will definitely clear your name!"

As soon as Jiang Minggang was arrested, Yan Zhen immediately ordered the steward: "Come with me to the yamen. I refuse to believe that they would dare to disregard the law and treat human life like dirt under the emperor's nose!"

She had only taken two steps when Xue Lin stretched out his arm to stop her: "Sister!"

“You don’t need to persuade me.” Yan Zhen’s expression was resolute. “I will not stand by and watch Jiang Ming be wrongfully imprisoned. Even if it means exposing my identity in front of Xie Zhao, I will get him out!”

Xue Lin was annoyed by her stubbornness and said with a stern face, "Is Jiang Ming that important to you?"

“Yes, he is my friend,” Yan Zhen said. “It’s not just Jiang Ming. If you, the head of the Gao family, or Xiao Cui and her son were the ones wronged today, I would do anything to seek justice for you. If I can’t even protect my own family and friends, what’s the point of making so much money?”