Chapter 599 Anger
The few children who fell into the water looked in peril, but after being treated by Doctor Luo at the medical hall, they had all recovered. Qi Changlin's face was ashen, and he tried his best to suppress his emotions, but his stern expression made it clear that he was not calm.
As several carriages sped towards the village, the news of the third son of the Provincial Administration Commissioner's family being caught in the act of adultery by villagers spread like wildfire throughout Qianzhong Prefecture.
The butler rushed to report the news. Seeing Madam Qiu in a rage, the butler couldn't help but lower his eyes. The news had spread so quickly, clearly someone was plotting against the third son.
"Go to the yamen and inform your master of the news." Madam Qiu became calm in her anger. She had just sent her confidante to the capital to inquire about the fifth daughter of the Gu family, and now Huai Xin's reputation was ruined. Madam Qiu, who had managed the household for many years, recognized the calculating tactics at a glance.
"Yes." The butler acknowledged and retreated. Since it involved matters outside the Qiu mansion, the master had to make the decision.
By the time the butler arrived at the Provincial Administration Commissioner's yamen, Qiu Bingde, who had also received the news, hurriedly dismounted. Half an hour later, in the study.
With an expression of anxiety and anger, Qiu Bingde paced back and forth in the study. He looked up at the Qiu Grand Master, who was calmly handling official documents at his desk, and couldn't help but speak, "Father, someone doesn't want our Qiu family to form a marriage alliance with the Gu family, which is why they used such despicable methods to plot against Huai Xin!"
"An elder brother is like a father!" Qiu Bingde was naturally gentle and magnanimous, and he had always felt a sense of responsibility towards his younger brother, Qiu Huai Xin. Now that Qiu Huai Xin had been so schemed against, not only would his marriage to the fifth daughter of the Gu family fall through, but even families of equal standing would be reluctant to marry their daughters to Huai Xin. It was no wonder that even the honest Qiu Bingde was so enraged, rushing to the Qiu Grand Master's side after receiving the information, abandoning his official duties.
Compared to his eldest son's fury, the Qiu Grand Master showed no outward signs of emotion. He methodically finished reviewing the remaining official documents before putting down his brush and speaking in a gentle tone, "Calm yourself. This is Qianzhong Circuit, and it's not yet the turn of outsiders to plot against the Qiu family."
Even though the third branch had been convicted of colluding with the enemy and treason, and even though the Old Master had hidden deeply, the Qiu family was still the dominant force in this corner of Qianzhong Circuit. The魑魅魍魉 lurking in the shadows were nothing to fear for the Qiu family.
"Within half an hour, this news has spread to every corner of the city. It's clear that someone deliberately did this." Qiu Bingde paced again and then sat down on the chair with patience. However, the thought of the matter still made him furious. "Father, I've already sent Shi Zhu to investigate."
Since someone had spread the news, following this clue would surely lead to the mastermind.
The Qiu Grand Master nodded in agreement and stroked his beard, smiling as he asked, "Who do you think is responsible for this matter?"
On the way to the Provincial Administration Commissioner's yamen, Qiu Bingde had already considered this question, and now he blurted out, "To spread the news so quickly, it must be a local power within Qianzhong Prefecture, and one that is an enemy of our Qiu family. Besides the Old Master, who has been lurking in the shadows and has not yet revealed himself, Commander She is the most likely suspect."
This was the Qiu Grand Master's study, and it was guarded by Qiu family guards, so Qiu Bingde dared to speak so openly. In the Great Qing Dynasty, apart from the capital, all circuits were governed by the three departments.
The Provincial Administration Commissioner's yamen was responsible for all the major and minor affairs of a circuit, while the Commander's Office maintained the safety of the circuit. The least powerful was the Surveillance and Investigation Department, which was responsible for criminal cases in the circuit.
In terms of power, the Provincial Administration Commissioner had the greatest authority among the three departments, and his official rank was also the highest. However, the Commander's Office controlled the military power. Although the civil and military officials were said to complement each other, they also restrained each other.
In Qianzhong Circuit, the Qiu Grand Master could be said to be the sole ruler, as all the aristocratic families in Qianzhong Circuit followed the Qiu family's lead. Commander She had always been dissatisfied, but unfortunately, the Commander's Office was in turmoil internally, leaving him unable to attend to other matters.
Although Yin Ling was only the Commander's Assistant, he bore the imperial surname, and in a certain sense, he represented the imperial Yin family. Therefore, Commander She's energy was focused on guarding against Yin Ling and preventing him from seizing power.
As a result, the Qiu Grand Master had complete control over Qianzhong Circuit. As for the Old Master, he was an exception. This force could be traced back to the previous dynasty and was deeply hidden, having not emerged in recent years. It was understandable that the Qiu Grand Master had not taken it seriously even after sensing it.
"This matter doesn't seem like Commander She's doing," the Qiu Grand Master said gently. Although he and Commander She were not on good terms, they had worked together for many years, and the Qiu Grand Master knew Commander She's style of doing things well. Such domestic schemes were not Commander She's style.
Qiu Bingde also agreed. In that case, only the Old Master was the most likely suspect. As the saying goes, one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. If the Qiu family were to fall, the Old Master would benefit.
However, after much deliberation, Qiu Bingde was still somewhat puzzled. He couldn't help but ask the Qiu Grand Master for advice, "Father, logically speaking, I am the heir of the Qiu family. Why would the Old Master target Huai Xin?"
Among the three brothers of Qiu Bingde, only he had entered officialdom. Qiu Wangshu was indifferent to officialdom, preferring to enjoy the scenery, and Qiu Huai Xin was even less so, lacking any scholarly achievements.
If the Old Master wanted to cause chaos in the Qiu family and then take advantage of the situation, targeting Qiu Bingde would have been the best choice, as the Qiu family would have no successor if something happened to him.
The Qiu Grand Master did not speak but slowly picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea. This made the already confused Qiu Bingde even more bewildered. Could there be a third force lurking in the shadows in Qianzhong Circuit?
Seeing that his eldest son still hadn't figured it out, the Qiu Grand Master slowly said, "In the past, the Ji brothers of the State of Lu were about to attack Zhuanyu, and Confucius advised Ran You and Ji Lu."
When the Qiu Grand Master said this, Qiu Bingde was truly stunned for a moment, but he still replied fluently, "The Sage said: I fear the Ji family's troubles are not with Zhuanyu, but within their own walls."
This was the so-called "disaster from within the walls." But Qiu Bingde couldn't understand what the Qiu Grand Master meant by this. This would be more appropriate if it were applied to Magistrate Jiao's family, as everyone in Qianzhong Circuit knew that Jiao Lianping and Jiao Lianyu were not on good terms, and their fraternal strife had already shown signs.
However, such a situation as "disaster from within the walls" and "fraternal strife" would absolutely not happen in the Qiu family. Qiu Bingde and his two brothers were born of the same mother. Moreover, Qiu Wangshu and Qiu Huai Xin had always respected their elder brother, and neither of them had any intention of competing for power. Qiu Huai Xin had even directly stated that he would rely on Qiu Bingde's care in the future.
The Qiu Grand Master's sudden mention of this allusion truly shocked Qiu Bingde, causing him to stand up abruptly. He said with certainty, "Father, this is impossible. Wangshu would never act against Huai Xin!"
Although the incident with Sheng Xuan that day had not been clarified, and the assassin who attempted to assassinate Qiu Huai Xin had committed suicide, cutting off all clues, Qiu Ningde absolutely did not believe that the mastermind would be his second brother, Qiu Wangshu.
"Huai Xin has been safe for many years. Just as I was planning to have Huai Xin represent the Qiu family to visit relatives and old friends, Huai Xin was assassinated," the Qiu Grand Master said slowly. His tone was still calm, but it made Qiu Bingde, who heard this, break out in a cold sweat.
The Qiu Grand Master glanced at his eldest son, whose eyes had suddenly widened, and continued gently, "You know how dangerous that night was. If it weren't for Zhan Feiyu's subordinates helping, Huai Xin would have been beheaded."
Qiu Huai Xin had truly narrowly escaped death at that time. The blade had grazed his neck. If the cut had been any closer, he would indeed have been beheaded.
"Now your mother has sent people to the capital to inquire about the fifth daughter of the Gu family. If there are no problems, she will ask for the marriage to the Gu family for Huai Xin. But today, Huai Xin was caught in the act of adultery, and furthermore, he insulted the wife of his close friend," the Qiu Grand Master said, and with each word, Qiu Bingde's expression became more solemn.
All these signs indicated that someone did not want Qiu Huai Xin to "gain power." Qiu Bingde had also been in the officialdom for several years. If analyzed from the perspective of who benefited, both he and Wangshu were suspects.
However, it was impossible for the two brothers to harm Huai Xin. Therefore, only one possibility remained: husband and wife are one, and it was very likely that their wives were the ones who acted.
After a long silence, Qiu Bingde's expression had returned to normal, but his hands, which were resting on his knees, were clenched into fists, showing that he was still suppressing his turbulent emotions. "The Wu family has been restless during this period. I only thought the Wu family wanted to get a share of the pie in Qianzhong Prefecture."
Madam Wu's marriage to Qiu Bingde could be considered a match made in heaven. The Wu family was his maternal family, and by rights, it was the closest and most trusted family to Qiu Bingde besides his own. However, after several years of interaction, Qiu Bingde did not like the Wu family's way of doing things.
Compared to Qiu Bingde, who steadily advanced and adhered to the principle of governing a region for the benefit of its people, the entire Wu family was ambitious. The Wu family's descendants resorted to any means to achieve their accomplishments, sometimes even disregarding the lives of the common people, which was what Qiu Bingde disliked the most. He had also gradually distanced himself from his in-laws over the years.
Therefore, when the Old Master's influence surfaced, the Wu family had been restless in secret. Qiu Bingde was aware of this but did not pay much attention to it, only thinking that the Wu family was vying for power. However, he had never imagined that the Wu family might have tried to kill Qiu Huai Xin, and the motive was self-evident.
(End of Chapter)