My eunuch godfather

Chapter 15 Revenge the Next Day

Unlike the Qing Dynasty, where donations for official positions were rampant, in the Ming Dynasty, it was easier for those who passed the imperial examinations to become officials, making the degree of their qualifications more prestigious.

Most county magistrates were graduates of the imperial examination system, and many rose to the positions of prefect, governor, or even higher.

Outstanding figures like Hai Rui rose to the rank of second-grade official, ranking among the Nine Ministers.

"What are you saying, Guo Xiaolian? I was merely standing up for justice."

Zhang Kun remained unmoved by Guo Juren's threats, and sneered:

"Fine, I won't refund your money. Just wait for your son's shameful deeds to spread throughout Hejian!"

"I may earn a few less coins, but your family is ruining its future!"

Guo Shengyuan was able to enter the prefectural school not only because of Guo Juren's connections, but also because his academic performance must have been quite good.

"ha,"

Guo, the scholar, sneered and shook his head at Zhang Kun, saying:

"So what if the news spreads throughout Hejian? I'll just ask my classmates and friends to recommend him for a place at the Imperial Academy."

He picked up his teacup and instructed the servant, "See the guest out!"

After Zhang Kun left, Guo Juren's expression changed drastically. He slammed his teacup on the ground and cursed:

"Fuck your mother! A nobody like you, a mere centurion, dares to threaten me!"

He sternly ordered the servant, "Prepare the writing materials; I need to write a letter to the government office!"

A few moments later at the Hejian Prefectural Government Office, the prefect finished reading the letter and frowned:

I've already advised Zhang Kun against this, so why did he still go and provoke the Guo family?

"Your Excellency, how should I respond to Guo Xiaolian?"

The prefect thought for a moment, "If you say that, I will summon this person to the prefectural office tomorrow to give him a warning."

......

The next day, at the Hejian Prefectural Government Office, the Prefect, Zhang Kun, and the guerrillas who had rushed back to the prefectural city sat together for a meeting.

Zhang Kun produced a map marked with the bandits' hideouts and a list of their informants, and said to the prefect and the guerrilla commander:

"This is the intelligence I obtained from interrogation. Those thieves are truly cunning, having laid so many hidden agents throughout Hejian."

The guerrilla took the map and list, and after looking them over, said to the prefect:

"This is appalling!"

He then praised Zhang Kun, saying, "Thanks to Commander Zhang for discovering this, otherwise these thieves would have continued to plague Hejian for much longer!"

The maps and lists were very detailed; even if they were fabricated, they were fabricated in a way that seemed very real.

"This prefecture is not knowledgeable in military affairs; the task of suppressing the bandits is left to the general."

The prefect spoke first to the guerrilla commander, then looked at Zhang Kun, "Commander Zhang, you still need to recruit river workers. Don't let other matters interfere with your important business."

He handed Guo Juren's invitation to Zhang Kun, saying, "This is, after all, a family matter for the Guo family."

"What family matter?"

The guerrillas nearby, seeing this, asked with some curiosity.

Zhang Kun immediately abandoned Guo Shengyuan and ran away from the bride. The bride was innocent, but the Guo family broke off the engagement. He briefly told the story to the guerrilla.

After listening to Zhang Kun's words, the guerrilla shook his head and said:

"Running away for one's life is understandable, but breaking off the engagement is truly shameless!"

"Your Excellency, you did not finish your explanation earlier."

Zhang Kun pointed to the last few paragraphs of the list of informants and respectfully said to the prefect:

"The thieves have already extended their reach into Hejian City, and many spies have been recruited into the Guo family's residence."

I need to recruit river workers, which has caused a dispute with the Guo family, especially since the Guo family has official titles.

"I implore Your Excellency to order a search of the Guo residence and apprehend these thieves as soon as possible!"

"...Commander Zhang, the Guo family is also a victim of robbery."

The prefect stared wide-eyed at Zhang Kun, and after a moment said with displeasure, "How could there possibly be a thief hiding in your home?!"

"Your Excellency, it's not that there's a thief hiding in the house, but rather that the thief is bribing a spy in the Guo family."

Zhang Kun, in a serious tone, spouted nonsense to the prefect:

"These thieves planned ahead and gathered nearly two hundred people before they were able to hijack the wedding procession."

Otherwise, with the thirty-odd skilled men employed by the Sun family, ordinary thieves wouldn't have been able to move the caravan at all.

"Your Excellency, Commander Zhang is right."

The guerrilla leader had a very poor impression of the Guo family and helped Zhang Kun persuade the prefect:

"Since the Guo family is the aggrieved party, we should capture those thieves as soon as possible to prevent any unforeseen complications."

The prefect knew that the so-called informants and spies of the Guo family were most likely added to the list by Zhang Kun as revenge.

However, compared to the credit Zhang Kun provided, offending the Guo family a little is not a big deal.

Even if the entire list is fake, if you want to make amends and receive a reward, you must make the list real!

Even if something goes wrong in the future, it will be the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the list will be a fake one provided by Zhang Kun.

Thinking of this, the prefect said to the guerrilla commander, "Then let's hand it over to the general to handle as well."

......

The gate of the Guo residence, which had just been repaired, was broken open again.

The guerrilla commander personally led his troops into the Guo residence, shouting, "Men, seal off every area!"

"You...most of you!"

The lame scholar Guo, supported by his guards, rushed over and questioned the guerrilla:

"Most people are asking, why did you suddenly break into my house?!"

"Guo Xiaolian, you may not know this, but the government has already interrogated the thieves arrested the other day. Your family has many spies they bribed!"

The guerrilla officer bowed respectfully to Guo, the scholar, and showed him the warrant, saying, "This is the prefect's order. Please take a look, Guo Xiaolian."

Before Guo, the scholar, could reply, he ordered the servants:

"Quickly, a few of you escort Guo Xiaolian out, the rest of you protect Guo Xiaolian's family!"

Two servants rushed over, pushed aside the guards beside Guo, and "helped" Guo away from the Guo residence.

Outside the Guo residence, Zhang Kun sat on horseback, watching the spectacle with a wicked grin on his face.

"You did it!"

Guo, the scholar, immediately realized what was happening. He struggled free from the servants, limped over, pointed at Zhang Kun, and angrily shouted:

"You fabricated a thief's testimony and disturbed my home!"

"Hey, Guo Xiaolian, you can't just say things like that."

Zhang Kun looked down at Guo, the scholar, and sneered:

"Even if the testimony is false, it's because the thief has a grudge against your family and is deliberately lying."

Otherwise, why would the thieves not rob his house, but instead ruin your wedding?

"Your Excellency and I, along with the Prefect and the Commander, were merely concerned for your safety and that of your family, and our actions were perhaps a bit hasty."

"Fire has broken out!"

Guo, the scholar, turned his head and saw black smoke rising from somewhere in the house, seemingly from the direction of the study.

"It's most likely a spy hired by the thieves to set the fire, hoping to escape in the chaos!"

Zhang Kun instructed Xu Xin beside him:

"Go inside and find the Grand Commandant, tell him this, and ask him to kill the traitor and rid Guo Xiaolian of this scourge!"

Upon hearing Zhang Kun's instruction, Guo, the scholar, trembled with rage and, abandoning all pretense of decorum, burst into a tirade of curses:

"You, you wicked murderer, you beast! How dare you commit such a despicable act! I..."

"You surnamed Guo! If you don't return all the gifts to the Sun family, we'll search every corner of your house, as you have spies everywhere!"

Zhang Kun interrupted Guo, the scholar, sharply, and threatened:

"Moreover, Guo Xiaolian is unaware that my father passed away early, and fortunately, he was adopted by a fellow villager who was also a high-ranking official."

My adoptive father is now a court attendant in the Directorate of Ceremonial, the head of the Imperial Horse Administration, and an imperial commissioner to supervise the tax collection in Tongwan, Zhili, Xuanda, and Dali!

Even if your son were to study at the Imperial Academy in the capital, I could still ruin his reputation!

Upon hearing Zhang Kun's threat, Guo Juren was struck dumb, stumbled, and fell to the ground.

"father!"

Guo, who was being "escorted" out of the Guo residence by the guerrilla servants, saw this scene, broke free from the servants, and rushed over.

Seeing the grief and indignation on Guo's face, Guo, the student, said shrilly to Zhang Kun:

"How dare you disrespect my father!"

"Scholar Guo, please don't speak nonsense. I respect you greatly."

Zhang Kun mocked Guo Shengyuan:

"Your father learned that there were many 'spies' in the house, and he was so panicked that he lost his balance."

He then threatened Guo, the scholar who was being helped by Guo, saying, "Guo, the virtuous and learned scholar, don't forget my warning just now!"

Guo, the scholar, stammered a few times, but finally, utterly despondent, he seemed to age ten years in an instant, and said in a trembling voice:

"...This old man will remember it."