AWB Chapter 390 We have to be on guard
Chapter 390 We have to be on guard
Bai Xian De held a grand banquet in his mansion to warmly entertain the guests from the capital.
He performed the etiquette perfectly, and even wanted to trap them all in Bai Mansion so that the turmoil in Cenzhou would pass.
Yuan Qing came to Cenzhou with a purpose, so naturally he would not let him get his wish.
"Since Patriarch Bai is so sincere, I will speak frankly." Yuan Qing took out a memorial from his bosom. "A few days ago, someone anonymously submitted a report to Your Majesty about the truth of a tragic case nineteen years ago and requested a retrial. This case is related to your Bai family."
Bai Xian De took the memorial and his expression became increasingly gloomy as he read it.
But he quickly adjusted his expression, "This, this is slander!"
"Whether it is slander or not, no one in the capital knows now." Yuan Qing took a sip of tea and pretended to be quite conflicted. "This matter is of great importance. His Majesty strictly ordered me to find out the truth as soon as possible, but Master Bai only said the word 'slander' to me. How can I explain this to His Majesty?"
Bai Xian De looked terrified and at a loss, almost kneeling down to the envoy in front of him, and acted very humble. "I have only been doing a small business relying on the family fortune accumulated by my ancestors. It was not until my father's generation that I started to make some progress. I hope that Lord Gong will see clearly and protect my entire family! I would never do such a heinous crime, even if you kill me!"
Yuan Qing immediately stood up from his chair and went to help Bai Xiande. "What is Master Bai doing? If I suspected the Bai family, I would not have brought out the memorial today."
She patted Bai Xian De's hand and sat back. "It's been nineteen years since this case was filed. It's really not easy to investigate. I'm sure you've heard about the last case in Pingjin Mansion. I was almost implicated and was imprisoned. I suffered a lot."
She smiled bitterly and said, "They say being an official in Beijing brings honor to your family, but who would have thought there would be so many dangers involved?"
"That……"
"Master Bai, don't worry. If there is really something else going on in this case, I will never implicate any innocent person." Yuan Qing glanced around, approached Bai Xian De, and whispered, "But we still have to do what we should do. The case still needs to be investigated. I hope Master Bai can help us with this."
Bai Xian De immediately understood what he meant and said that he would cooperate with the investigation and provide assistance if necessary.
After seeing off the envoy from Beijing, Bai Xian De’s panic faded away and he regained his usual composure.
"Is father really going to take them there?" a voice came from the side hall.
"Since he has proposed it, he has to make this trip anyway." Bai Xian De rubbed his brows, "You should not show up for a while. Cenzhou is a place of trouble right now. Your father is not completely sure how to deal with it. It is better to be on the safe side and act cautiously."
Bai Yang walked out from behind the door with a nonchalant smile on his face, "He's just an unknown boy who has just taken office not long ago. Father, are you thinking too seriously?"
"Yang'er, what does your father usually tell you?" Bai Xian De's voice was unusually stern.
Bai Yang answered honestly: "Never look down on others, especially your enemies, but——"
"But what?" Bai Xian De said sternly, "Although he doesn't look threatening, he is very successful in both the martial arts world and the imperial court. Moreover, I talked to him today and found that he is very different from the rumors. It is indeed beyond my expectations. In time, he will definitely become a great enemy of the prince, so we must be on guard."
"That's what my father taught me."
Bai Xiande sighed, "Yang'er, don't blame me for being harsh on you. Our Bai family is in a business that costs us our lives. Our current prosperity is just a flash in the pan and won't last long. If we want to continue our prosperity, we have to fight hard."
He patted his son's shoulder and said, "That's why I never asked you to meddle in the secret affairs of the Bai family. I thought that if things fail one day, you can use this to escape. As long as you have a green mountain, you will not be afraid of running out of firewood."
Bai Yang nodded heavily, "I know."
"Go and bring Wang Sheng here. I have something to talk to him about."
Shen Chi was completely unaware of Wang Sheng's coming to Cenzhou.
After finishing the previous business, Wang Sheng helped Wen Chengxuan do many things in private, which naturally involved dealing with Bai Xiande.
After a few interactions, Bai Xian De, who had always been cautious, began to trust Wang Sheng, and the two often called each other brothers.
Therefore, the moment he received the news, Bai Xian De hid Wang Sheng to avoid exposing himself in front of Shen Chi.
Cenzhou can almost be regarded as the territory of the Bai family. Even if the people are not hidden, Bai Xiande has a way to deal with it.
However, Wang Sheng seemed unreliable, and he was afraid that something might go wrong, so he had no choice but to do this.
When Wang Sheng was brought to Bai Xiande, he was still in a trance.
He didn't understand why the head of the Bai family suddenly wanted to take him away and hide him in such a haunted place. Every night, there were ghosts howling and he was so scared that he couldn't sleep well every day.
He almost thought he was going to be taken out into the wild and killed.
"General Wang?"
Wang Sheng replied in a daze: "Huh?"
Bai Xian De was helpless. His brain was indeed not very smart. He didn't know why the prince chose such a person to do the job. If he continued to get along with him, he would start to worry about his life.
"General Wang, how much do you know about Gong Bin and Shen Chi?"
Wang Sheng rolled his eyes slowly, "I don't understand. I don't know Gong Bin. General Shen is too fierce."
Bai Xiande: "..."
Well, after being locked up for a few days, he looks even more stupid.
Then he waved his hand and asked someone to take Wang Sheng away.
Unable to get any definite information from Wang Sheng, Bai Xian De could only place his hopes on the capital. If he couldn't find out the details of those people, he would always feel uneasy.
……
Yuan Qing and Shen Chi lived separately, and it was almost impossible for them to meet alone in the Bai Mansion.
Only when Bai Xiande brought them to the place where the accident happened nineteen years ago did the two have a chance to communicate briefly with their eye contact.
Yuan Qing left behind the followers sent by Bai Xian De and went forward to check alone.
The attendant followed immediately, "Master Gong, this place has been abandoned for a long time and is very dangerous. If you are not careful, it will cause a collapse. Please stay away from it."
"I'm just going to take a closer look. I won't do anything else. You don't have to worry."
Shen Chi still stood there motionless.
Yuan Qing stood not far from the foot of the mountain, looking at the devastated mountain. She was speechless for a moment, not knowing what words to use to describe what she was seeing.
This area was once jointly managed by several companies in Cenzhou. In order to mine rare minerals, several companies competed with each other, without paying any attention to the rules, and mined indiscriminately.