Chapter 279: Distant Cousin

Chapter 279: A Distant Cousin

But Cheng Ge, that fellow, was thick-skinned and had a tongue as smooth as honey.

He somehow managed to cozy up to Su Wanyun, claiming to be a distant cousin of Shen Chongzhuo’s—a cousin many times removed—and said his family had met with disaster, forcing him to seek refuge with his cousin to scrounge a meal.

He spoke with such convincing sincerity, and with his cleaned-up, deceptively handsome face, plus the melancholy he affected after his “misfortune,” he easily won Su Wanyun’s sympathy.

And so it went—Cheng Ge had found himself a “patron.” Every day, he was “sister-in-law” this and “sister-in-law” that.

Either praising her cooking skills or complimenting her kind heart, and occasionally telling a few folksy jokes.

He managed to coax smiles out of the pregnant Su Wanyun, even improving her appetite.

When Su Wanyun was happy, she was generous in what she ordered from the kitchen.

Thus, Cheng Ge’s meals visibly improved—chicken soup, fish soup, seasonal stir-fries—all served up in endless variety and sent to his room.

The extravagance sometimes made even Shen Chongzhuo, her actual husband, a bit jealous.

Busy with official duties, he always had Su Wanyun prepare simple meals—when had he ever enjoyed such treatment?

One day at lunch, Shen Chongzhuo stared at his own plate: a dish of greens, a plate of braised pork, and a bowl of rice.

Then he caught a glimpse of what the servant was carrying into Cheng Ge’s room—a steaming, fragrant braised pork hock and a steamed perch—and couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

Unable to hold back, he said tactfully to Su Wanyun, who was eating slowly: “My dear, this Cheng… cousin is a guest after all. Isn’t our hospitality a bit… too lavish? Ordinary home-cooked meals would be enough, lest we spoil him.”

But Su Wanyun replied with a gentle smile, picking a piece of greens for him: “Husband, that’s where you’re wrong. Cousin has suffered a family disaster, his body and mind are traumatized—he needs proper nourishment.

Besides, he came to us all alone; if we don’t take good care of him, won’t it make us seem cold-hearted? It’s just a couple more dishes—no harm done.”

Looking into his wife’s innocent, kind eyes, Shen Chongzhuo swallowed all his complaints, turning them into a silent sigh.

He bowed his head and picked at his rice in his bowl, finding it tasteless as sawdust, while mentally “cursing” the freeloading Censor Cheng who had taken over his place over and over.

Meanwhile, in his own room, Cheng Ge, enjoying his feast, took a satisfied bite of the tender pork hock and squinted with contentment.

Just as he was relishing his meal and planning how to coax “sister-in-law” into preparing a late-night snack, the door slid open without a sound, and a dark figure slipped in—it was Wufeng.

Wufeng knelt on one knee and spoke, his voice as calm and low as ever, but carrying a weight that couldn’t be ignored: “Sir, I’ve discovered something.”

Cheng Ge immediately set down the bone, his expression turning serious, wiping his greasy hands on a cloth: “Speak.”

“I kept watch on the outskirts of Blackwater Valley for several days and eventually figured out their transport patterns and routes. They disguise the smelted iron ingots as ordinary goods and transport them via a caravan to Min City.”

“Min City?” Cheng Ge frowned slightly.

He knew the place; though it wasn’t in Yuanzhou, it still fell within Chengping Province. With its extremely convenient land and water transport, it was known as the “crossroads of seven provinces,” with merchant routes radiating in all directions.

“Sent to Min City… that complicates things.” He stood and paced a few steps in the cramped room.

Min City was like a massive goods transshipment hub; once goods entered the city, it was like a drop of water disappearing into a river—they could be easily dispersed, disguised, and sent on to any number of destinations.

Whether heading north to the frontier, south across the seas, or even infiltrating the outskirts of the capital... the difficulty of the pursuit multiplied instantly.

Cheng Ge's eyes grew sharp, and he had already made up his mind.

After spending these days in Wei County, observing both openly and in secret, he had come to understand Shen Chongzhuo's character fairly well.

This man might not be a pure official with bold ambition and unwavering integrity; he had the pedantry of a scholar and the caution of a bureaucrat, but he still had a basic sense of responsibility and duty.

Under his governance, the people of Wei County, though not wealthy, lived in relative peace, with taxes and forced labor not overly oppressive.

He had stayed in this post for so long, likely because he hadn't colluded with those corrupt officials.

However, when it came to the matters of Luoying Ridge, Heishui Valley, and the deeper salt and iron business, Shen Chongzhuo had always been evasive and kept his distance, clearly aware of the dangerous waters and unwilling to get involved.

That night, under a bright moon and scattered stars, Cheng Ge went to Shen Chongzhuo's study again.

This time, he didn't climb through the window or hang upside down; he knocked on the door and entered properly.

When he saw him, Shen Chongzhuo put on his usual polite but wary smile.

“Cousin, is there something urgent that brings you here so late?” He still tried to keep up the pretense.

Cheng Ge, however, was too tired to play along with his hypocrisy. He closed the door behind him and walked over to the desk.

Cheng Ge sat down across from Shen Chongzhuo, adjusted his sleeves, and got straight to the point.

“County Magistrate Shen, after spending these days together, I won't beat around the bush with you.

You must know in your heart why I've come and what I'm after. As for these salt and iron matters, being stationed in Wei County, you can't be completely unaware.

I understand the dangers of officialdom and the need to protect yourself. I'm not here today to force you to take sides, just to get some leads from you.

Rest assured, just a hint, and it won't implicate you later. But if these corrupt officials aren't rooted out, the souls in the mines will never rest, the living people will never know peace, and the realm will never see tranquility!”

Shen Chongzhuo's face changed slightly, but he forced himself to stay calm, trying to deflect with a dry laugh:

“Censor Cheng... what do you mean? I... I really don't understand. What salt and iron affairs? I...”

Cheng Ge looked at him, not immediately refuting, but silently staring for a long time, his eyes seeming to pierce through all pretense.

Then he glanced toward the door and said in a low voice, “Bring him in.”

The study door opened softly, and Jiyue came in carrying a young man covered in old and new scars, almost nothing but skin and bones, carefully setting him down on a nearby chair.

The young man's breathing was faint; he was Li Tiezhu, who had narrowly escaped death from the Luoying Ridge mine.

Cheng Ge pointed at Li Tiezhu, his voice not loud but each word hitting Shen Chongzhuo's heart: “His name is Li Tiezhu, a commoner from Ping'an Town under your jurisdiction.

Three years ago, while looking for work in town, he was kidnapped and sent to the Luoying Ridge mine. County Magistrate Shen, look at him, look at the people under your rule.”

Shen Chongzhuo's eyes fell on Li Tiezhu's emaciated body and the gruesome scars, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

His face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling, trying to speak but unable to get a word out.

Cheng Ge's voice carried suppressed fury as he continued: “We dug him out of a mass grave, filled with rotting bones and corpses.

Tell me, whose sons are they? Whose husbands? Whose fathers? They rotted away in the mountains without a sound...”