Chapter 100: Solving the Murder Case

After this incident, nearly hundreds of townsfolk became involved in the copper mine project. Initially, none of them were aware of the true nature of the matter; instead, they held hopeful expectations. It was only after they ventured into the mountains near the copper mine that they were utterly stunned. There was no way out—they could only accept their misfortune.

The Du family had arranged for numerous household servants who not only beat them but also threatened their families back in Blue City. If they refused to comply, their lives would become unbearable. Local ruffians witnessed this situation and deliberately left marks as evidence. With such undeniable proof, what could they do?

“Where do you think you can run?” they snarled. Whips lashed out without giving any time to react. The victims could only resign themselves to their fate. Such vile happenings were the inevitable consequences of their own greed for small gains.

However, the elder Du patriarch felt uneasy about these actions. “Prince Yan, our approach is too conspicuous; it will surely attract attention from the imperial court,” he warned. He sensed something strange about this affair. Moreover, Han Qing was not one to back down easily, yet this time he offered no resistance—it was rather absurd.

“What is there to fear? All the officials in Blue City are under my command. Why should I be worried?” Prince Yan’s face darkened as he spoke. This old man’s cautiousness was perplexing.

The Du patriarch nodded silently, realizing there was no use arguing now.

Meanwhile, Han Qing had already sent a letter to Magistrate Chen in the capital, reporting all the atrocities that had occurred. Once the court learned of this, there was no chance for Prince Yan to escape alive.

Chen Tianwei swiftly arrived with an imperial edict, accompanied by a contingent of soldiers to ensure security. Just as Prince Yan was still dreaming of his triumph, a noisy commotion outside startled him. The raucous arguing drew his attention.

“What’s happening outside?” he asked.

“It’s said the imperial court has dispatched troops here. What should we do?” the panicked Second Young Master Du asked anxiously.

“No one would be so bold,” Prince Yan said coldly. Yet, when Chen Tianwei appeared, the others were truly unsettled.

“Your Highness Prince Yan, His Majesty has ordered me to take over this copper mine,” Chen declared.

This statement left them dumbfounded.

“Magistrate Chen, you must be mistaken. I am merely here to inspect; I have never heard of any copper mine nearby…” Prince Yan tried to explain, but Chen Tianwei was unmoved.

“Is that so? Then what are these laborers digging for? Care to explain?” Chen shot back, having already arranged everything with irrefutable evidence. There was no point in denial.

The cunning Du patriarch immediately knelt, confessing, “Magistrate Chen, we were all coerced. We had no knowledge of such affairs and were powerless to refuse…”

Chen Tianwei ordered all of them arrested without mercy. From the start, he had disliked the Du family and had given them many chances. It was a pity they squandered them.

It was also revealed that the murders of the three scholars had been orchestrated entirely by the Du family. This revelation shocked the citizens of Blue City to their core; they had never imagined such treachery.

“Have you heard? Those three scholars were killed by the Du family. Apparently, they had uncovered the copper mine and tried to expose it…”

“Good heavens, I only knew they were the richest family in Blue City. I never imagined their methods would be so sinister.”

“Luckily, the court intervened just in time; otherwise, we would have been doomed.”

The townsfolk discussed in disbelief, realizing the truth was far different from what they had imagined.

Blue City quickly returned to normal. The Du family’s assets were all confiscated. Merchants who had previously done business with them trembled, fearful of offending the wrong people.

“Thanks to you. If you hadn’t set that trap early, those people wouldn’t have fallen right into it,” Chen Tianwei said, somewhat moved. He had never expected that a single trip back to the capital would resolve all these problems—it was almost unbelievable.

“They were arrogant and never took this matter seriously. Such outcomes were inevitable,” Han Qing nodded.

With the Du family’s spinning mill shut down, several taverns were left deserted. Some merchants eagerly sought to seize them, longing to claim ownership. But they forgot one thing: now that these belonged to the imperial court, there was no way they would be casually handed over to ordinary traders.

Chen Tianwei found himself in a dilemma. He believed these shops should be managed by merchants but wondered how to distribute them fairly. This was a tough problem, and no one dared to suggest a solution.

“Brother Han, what do you think?” Chen asked.

Han Qing shook his head. If they did not lease out these shops, it would breed great trouble. Local merchants might unite to cause unrest. However, he was reluctant to elaborate further.

“I have no idea unless you’re willing to sell all these shops!” Han Qing said casually.

“What? Sell them?” Chen was shocked. After recovering these assets, selling them again seemed pointless.

“But the court has never allowed this before. If I set such a precedent, what if it breeds resentment?” Chen worried about the consequences.

“Then just drag it out, but Blue City’s economy won’t grow, and your position won’t improve,” Han Qing retorted, seeing through Chen’s hesitation.

“That won’t do. I came to Blue City to make achievements. What will I do if I fail?” Chen was torn. The situation was grave. If time dragged on, returning to the capital would only bring more troubles. They could not bear to be seen as incompetent.

“I propose we auction or lease out all these shops. This way, we can also earn rental income,” Han Qing suggested matter-of-factly.

Indeed, auctioning the shops would bring in more silver and quickly elevate Chen Tianwei’s stature in Blue City. Why not embrace such an opportunity?