Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 161 The Governor's "Justice"

?

Zhou Guoxin calmly accepted the silver note, glanced at him, and asked coldly, "Are you Gao Hongtu, the manager of Hongtu Money Shop?"

Gao Hongtu was startled, a bad feeling rising in his heart. He stammered and pointed to his nose: "...I am."

Zhou Guoxin glanced at him, then waved behind him: "Men, seize him and take him back for severe interrogation."

Upon hearing that the so-called treason case was related to him and that he would be subjected to severe torture, Gao Hongtu was terrified and shouted, "My lord... how could I be involved in a treason case? I'm innocent..." Two imperial guards came over and sandwiched him between them, making him unable to move.

Liu Ye coughed: "Ahem, my friend from the Imperial Guard, we are Manager Gao's rivals, here to cause trouble, so whether he is involved in treason or not is none of our business, right? Now that you've arrested the main culprit, can we leave?"

Zhou Guoxin glanced at everyone present and said loudly, "Gao Hongtu colluded with bandits and funded thieves. The evidence is conclusive. All of you here are suspected of colluding with Gao Hongtu. Come with me."

Upon hearing the words "colluding with bandits," Gao Hongtu immediately realized what was happening. Pointing at Liu Ye, he was about to utter the words, "So it was you who framed me!" when a sharp-eyed and quick-handed Imperial Guard delivered a resounding slap, silencing him. Undeterred, Gao Hongtu tried to speak again, but several more slaps followed, knocking him unconscious, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. Liu Ye, seeing this, shook his head, secretly admiring the professional's skill; even his slaps were steady, precise, and ruthless.

He Chengzong sighed deeply, lamenting that he must have forgotten to check the almanac before leaving home, as one misfortune after another had befallen him. Although he knew he was innocent and had no connection to any treason case, it was still incredibly unlucky for a perfectly innocent person to have a visit to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Moreover, he had come on the orders of the Prefect to support Gao Hongtu, and if things got serious, the Embroidered Uniform Guard could easily accuse him of associating with traitors, and he wouldn't be able to clear his name easily.

Gao Shunqin didn't know how Gao Hongtu had gotten involved with the bandits, but since the Embroidered Uniform Guard had come to arrest people, it couldn't be without reason. He thought to himself: Manager Gao, I can still help you fend off the Liu family, but I can't help the Embroidered Uniform Guard. This is all I can do for you. You'd better pray for the rest.

He lifted his official robe and was about to leave when he was blocked by the Imperial Guards. Zhou Guoxin said in a sinister tone, "Sir, I've already said that everyone in the bank is suspected of colluding with Gao Hongtu. Didn't you hear me?"

Gao Shunqin was furious: "Do you know who I am? You are just a lowly centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Without any real evidence, you dare to detain a dignified imperial inspector based on mere guesswork?"

Zhou Guoxin did not back down at all: "I am indeed just a centurion, and I am not qualified to compare with the Imperial Inspector. However, we are also acting under orders. This is a major case of treason, and we dare not be careless in the slightest."

Gao Shunqin flicked his sleeves and shouted, "Get out of the way! I have absolutely no connection with this bank. If you dare to lay a finger on me, I'll directly impeach your Commander Luo. You lackeys won't be able to afford the consequences!"

"Wait, something's not right!" Liu Ye, always eager to stir up trouble, said, "Inspector Gao just said that he and Manager Gao are distant relatives, that they are practically the same person, and that going against the money shop is going against him, Lord Gao. We all heard that with our own ears."