Chapter Fifty-Four: A Nighttime Intrusion into the Zheng Residence

The residence of the Deputy Magistrate of Zheng County was located along the main street inside the East Gate. The architecture sprawled grandly: front courtyard, central courtyard, rear courtyard, side wings to the left and right—everything was present, occupying at least ten acres of land.

Courtyards were separated by walls of blue bricks; the outermost wall was particularly imposing, reaching sixteen feet in height—taller even than the city walls of Wuan County!

Wise men always anticipate failure before success, consider retreat before advancing. Li Zhao was such a man. Instead of rushing to climb the walls, he first wandered nearby twice, studying the terrain: where the trees stood, providing cover; where narrow alleys could serve as escape routes; where dead ends lurked, places to avoid at all costs. He took careful note of everything.

Once he had gained a clear understanding, the two used grappling hooks to scale the outer wall of the eastern wing. They didn’t immediately vault over, but cautiously observed the situation inside.

“Growl… growl!”

It was already the second watch of the night. The maids and servants residing in the eastern wing had retreated into dreams, but four or five enormous mastiffs paced the courtyard, occasionally letting out low, threatening growls.

The Deputy Magistrate of Zheng had committed so many wicked deeds that he lived in constant fear of retribution. To safeguard his life, he hired numerous thugs as bodyguards and bought fierce mastiffs to protect his home.

These dogs were ferocious and combative, their senses of sight and smell especially keen. Any would-be assassin would find it difficult to slip past them.

“White Day Rat, it's up to you now.”

“Don’t worry, young master—just watch and see.”

As a master thief, White Day Rat had plenty of tricks for dealing with guard dogs. He produced a handful of little buns from his pocket and tossed them into the courtyard.

These weren’t ordinary buns, but delicately made with white flour, fish broth, egg yolk, minced meat—the very treats that dogs adored. More importantly, they contained a trace of a special seasoning: powdered datura, a powerful narcotic, colorless and flavorless, undetectable even to the dogs.

“Whoosh—whoosh, whoosh!”

Drawn by the aroma, several mastiffs bounded over. They glanced around warily, circled the buns, but refrained from eating. Trained guard dogs seldom touched food not given by their master. Yet the scent was so tempting that the mastiffs’ mouths watered, their restraint weakening.

“Woof woof—thud, thud!”

At last, a black-and-gray mastiff could no longer resist and gulped down a bun. The others followed suit, quickly devouring the lot.

Soon after, the dogs began frothing at the mouth and collapsed, drifting into a deep sleep. There was no need to worry; in two hours, they would awaken, none the wiser.

Success!

Having removed the obstacle, the two slipped into the eastern wing, moving cautiously forward. They scaled another high wall and finally entered the central courtyard, where they found the location of the study. The lights inside were still burning—a sign that the master of the house had not yet retired.

At the door stood a steward in green robes and six or seven burly men, all armed.

Li Zhao and White Day Rat dared not alert them. They crept beneath the rear window, and with a finger moistened in saliva, gently drew a crescent-shaped slit in the white window paper, then squinted through the opening.

The bedroom was divided into two sections, lavishly decorated. In the outer chamber sat an elderly man, nearing his sixtieth year, with thick brows, narrow eyes, a crooked nose with a hooked tip—his face radiated cunning.

There was no need to ask; this was the infamous Deputy Magistrate of Zheng, universally detested, whose reputation stank for three hundred miles. His nickname: Old Fox Zheng.

Standing beside him were two familiar figures—Li De and Lady Zheng.

“Father, that jinx Li Yulang actually got out of jail unharmed. What luck!”

“Hmph, it’s not luck, but skill. I underestimated him. Who would have thought a boy so young had such shrewdness and cunning? In time, he’ll surely become someone great.”

The Deputy Magistrate was not merely vexed—he was exceedingly so.

Earlier, he had incited Black Whirlwind Li Dayong and his gang to stir up trouble at the distillery, intending to test the waters and extort some money. But Li Zhao proved formidable, defeating Li Dayong in a single bout, which unexpectedly presented a golden opportunity.

Acting swiftly, he bribed Green-faced Ruffian Zhao Liu to secretly poison Li Dayong’s medicine, thus ending his life.

The poison was an expensive, exotic toxin from western merchants, colorless, tasteless, lethal, and undetectable even by silver needles.

Once the deed was done, he pinned the blame on Li Zhao, dispatched his foster son, Head Constable Deng, to arrest Li Zhao for murder, and sent his other foster son, Chief Jailer Chen, to discreetly dispose of him.

If Li Zhao died, the distillery would return to his daughter and son-in-law, and thus to him—a goose that laid golden eggs.

Even if someone investigated afterward, there would be no evidence. And if trouble arose, the execution warrant was personally issued by Magistrate Cao—he would bear all responsibility. As for himself, he would claim ‘illness, resting at home’ and never even appear during the trial, ensuring no connection at all.

He never expected such a meticulous, interlocking scheme to fail. Li Zhao not only survived a night in jail, but overturned the case in court, exposing the true cause of Li Dayong’s death and capturing Zhao Liu, the poisoner.

One misstep, total defeat!

Fortunately, he had been cautious. The steward had secretly entrusted the bribe and poison to Zhao Liu through a middleman, and Zhao Liu never knew who was behind it. Thus, even if caught, he could reveal nothing.

After Zhao Liu’s arrest, he immediately had his thugs eliminate the middleman, tied the corpse to a heavy stone, and threw it into a deep, muddy pit. All traces were erased; no one could trace it back to him.

“Father, what about the distillery? Are we just going to give up? It’s a goose that lays golden eggs!”

“Fool! If you can’t seize it by force, resort to stealth. Think of a way to acquire the recipe for Erguotou. As for Li Zhao—he may escape today, but he won’t escape forever. Let me devise another plan; sooner or later he’ll be dead. Don’t be impatient.”

“Yes, father’s wisdom is unmatched. Killing Li Zhao will be as easy as squashing a bug. I’m not in a hurry, not at all!”

Li Zhao crouched beneath the rear window, listening to every word. Rage boiled in his chest; he longed to burst in and slaughter those three heartless villains.

But doing so would certainly alarm everyone in the compound, and he and White Day Rat would never escape unharmed. He could only suppress his fury and wait for the right moment.

Meanwhile, inside the chamber, Li De spoke, “Father-in-law, today someone came to see me, requesting your assistance.”

“Oh? Speak.”

“It’s like this. The eldest son of the Wang Trading House has taken a fancy to Widow Zhang’s only daughter at the North Gate, wanting to make her his ninth concubine. Widow Zhang refused, leading to conflict. During the quarrel, the young master accidentally killed Widow Zhang, and her daughter, in despair, threw herself into a well. Now the young master is in jail. If the case goes to trial, he’s unlikely to escape death.

The Wang family is desperate. They wish for your help to release their son from prison, promising a handsome reward. These ten South Sea pearls are a deposit. If the matter is resolved, another five thousand taels of silver will be delivered. What do you think?”

As he spoke, Li De placed a small pouch on the desk, revealing ten perfectly round pearls, each the size of a cherry.

Such pearls, any one of which could sustain a modest family for years.

“Hmm, these pearls are not bad. I’ll accept them. But the matter involves two deaths; three thousand taels are too little. Tell the Wang family to bring eight thousand taels, and I guarantee the young master will be released. As for the murder, let them find a scapegoat. Understood?”

“I understand. I’ll deliver the message tomorrow. The Wang family will have to bleed for this—they’re wealthy enough.”

“Enough. It’s late. Go and rest.”

“Yes, I take my leave.”

After Li De and Lady Zheng departed, the Deputy Magistrate locked the door, fondled the ten South Sea pearls, then retrieved a thick ledger from beneath the couch cushions. He took up a brush and began writing in the book.

When finished, he carried the ledger and pearls into the inner chamber, returned after a while, then opened the study door.

“Someone, come!”

“Grand Master, where will you rest tonight?”

“Hmm, I’ll go to Little Peach Blossom’s room. Niu Da, Niu Er, you two guard the study door tonight. Do not be careless.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Deputy Magistrate was not only greedy but also a ravenous lecher. He had taken over twenty concubines, reveling nightly without concern for his health.

Little Peach Blossom was the most favored among them—a former courtesan in the local brothel, whose beauty and charm made her the seventeenth concubine of the Zheng household.

After extinguishing the lights and locking the doors, the Deputy Magistrate, surrounded by guards, went off to enjoy his beloved concubine. Two guards remained behind to watch the study door.

“Young master, we have no opportunity. Should we retreat?”

“No, we stay. I must retrieve something—something that will bring down this old fox once and for all.”