Chapter 10, Melodramatic Couples

... ...

As for Zhu Zhanhe

This Lu Hongqiang forcibly abducted six women, and I have already instructed my guards to obtain statements from the relevant individuals

"What you said, this prince is also quite helpless..." The rocking chair came to a halt, and Zhu Zhanhe straightened up with a slight effort, causing the hat covering his face to slide down to his thighs, revealing his true appearance

This investigation indeed did not disappoint Zhu Zhanhe, as Lu Hong has a criminal record; however, Zhu Zhanhe was rather unfortunate.

One must live in the present, learn to let things go; otherwise, one will be overwhelmed by busyness

Zhou Xin simply did not know how to describe his current feelings

Zhou Xin hesitated.

Originally, Zhu Zhanhe intended to hand the person directly over to Zhou Xinde, but this woman kept entangling him, causing him great difficulty

Later, the famous gourmand... Oh no, it was the great poet Su Dongpo who made some efforts, and as a result, West Lake improved somewhat, but that was all there was to it. With the two major droughts during the Southern Song Dynasty, West Lake became completely silted up.

The common people... The common woman requests to take her leave...

During the Yuan Dynasty, West Lake had already lost much of its water. By the early Ming Dynasty, there was some improvement, but it had long since become merely a rice paddy.

I originally intended to inform our Governor Lu at the government office, but unexpectedly, I happened to encounter his son forcibly abducting a woman from the village

Zhu Zhanhe directly instructed someone to notify Zhou Xinlai to handle the matter, after all, he is the Inspector of Zhejiang, and Hangzhou Prefecture is under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang. Naturally, such an incident should be entrusted to him for resolution

He wants to see what Zhu Zhanhe actually intends to do

Then I shall take the person away, but I will report this matter truthfully to the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Justice

In response, Zhu Zhanhe merely waved his hand, indicating that he did not care.

However, will things truly develop in the manner that Zhu Zhanhe desires

The hope of boating on West Lake was dashed, and Zhu Zhanhe vented his resentment on the family of Lu Xiude, the governor of Hangzhou, forcing them to live a "man plowing and woman weaving" life by the shores of West Lake

Draw the dagger from the waist, and with a swift motion, strike down!

Our Hanwang Crown Prince has merely found a water-rich water field

However, based on his understanding of Zhu Zhanhe during this period, Zhou Xin felt that he was not someone who would seek trouble for himself without reason, which is why he hesitated

Although the time spent together has been extremely limited, Zhou Xin has already gained a general understanding of Zhu Zhanhe as a person. The depth of understanding is not very profound, but it is sufficient.

Zhu Zhanhe originally intended to inform the governor of Hangzhou that if anyone sought him, they should take the person to West Lake, as he planned to stay there for a while.

After Zhou Xin left, a woman not far away bowed and withdrew with trepidation

"Alright, you can take him away now." Zhu Zhanhe tossed aside the fishing rod and the hat, squinting as he stood up.

Lu Xiude is an official, and you do not have the authority to deal with him. As for Lu Hong, a commoner, you certainly do not have that right either! Why was there no hesitation when you ordered the guards to strike?

He does not have the leisure for this; to put it bluntly, such matters will certainly not be few. If he were to handle it personally, he would be busy for a lifetime and still not finish.

He felt quite ridiculous early in the morning, after all, encountering the forcible abduction of a woman was already absurd, but what he did not expect was that the reality was far more ludicrous than he had imagined

However, this governor's son must be left with me

"Yes!" Zhu Ling responded, walking up to Zhou Xin and pulling a piece of paper from his pocket.

However, now that the matter has come to this point, Lu Hong's severed head cannot be reattached, and Zhou Xin can only accept it.

Zhu Ling

In fact, many people are unaware that West Lake was originally a bay connected to the Qiantang River. During the Tang Dynasty, it was quite well-regarded; however, starting from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, West Lake gradually became silted up and slowly transformed into an independent lake.

In a bamboo house by West Lake, Zhu Zhanhe cradled a fishing rod in his arms, his face covered by a bamboo hat, reclining on a lounge chair and swaying leisurely. Not far from him, a few individuals were being watched while they worked.

... ...

Indeed, our Hanwang Crown Prince is fishing in their rice fields

However, since everyone had been beaten, Zhu Zhanhe initially thought to just throw it aside and ignore it. However, Lu Hong's reaction was somewhat unusual, so he simply had Zhu Ling investigate it.

In the early Ming Dynasty, West Lake could no longer be called West Lake, as a lack of management had caused most areas of the lake to silt up into flat fields

Zhou Xin's words may seem full of sarcasm, but in reality, they are filled with helplessness

Your Highness, if you do not raise the rod soon, the fish will likely escape" Zhou Xinhui, who had hurriedly arrived, could not help but remind Zhu Zhanhe, who was indulging in his leisure.

Zhu Zhanhe disdainfully curled his lips, remaining silent

It is just the carp in the rice fields; anyway, the harvest of the more than 400 acres of early rice will begin in the next couple of days. Where can it run off to?

That is not causing trouble for Zhu Zhanhe, but rather inviting trouble for oneself

However, he soon regretted it

These individuals are the family of Lu Xiude, the governor of Hangzhou

Indeed, one is willing to strike, and the other is willing to endure

He made countless assumptions in his mind, but he never expected Zhu Zhanhe to have his guards directly kill Na Luhong

The woman who had previously been "forcibly taken" saw him, the Crown Prince of Han, and naturally cast aside Lu Hong, the son of the governor, and began to weep and complain to Zhu Zhanhe, adopting an attitude of servitude and gratitude towards him.

It is actually incorrect to say this, because at this point, the rice fields can no longer be referred to as paddy fields, as there is not always water in the rice fields. As the harvest approaches, the water is even more scarce.

I am also a young lord, a member of the royal family, how can I just stand by and do nothing?

These are the testimonies of those witnesses along with their residential addresses, which Inspector Zhou can inquire about one by one. As for the governor of Hangzhou, I do not have the authority to handle this matter, so I have entrusted it to Inspector Zhou

... ...

This does not comply with the rules

The young prince truly has a refined taste, completely unbothered despite just having resolved a case involving the son of an official forcibly abducting a commoner woman

From what he understands, it is evident that this prince of Han has always been purely playing with the affairs of the world. If he were not so clear about it, he probably would not even care about the current situation

However, this is a good thing, as there is no longer a need for the governor of Hangzhou to act as a mouthpiece, because he has a troublesome son who was caught red-handed by the Crown Prince of Han.

Zhou Xin was stunned

Although Zhou Xin acknowledged it, he still did not change his fair and impartial character

Although the inspector Zhou Xin is primarily responsible for officials, the main culprit this time is Lu Hong, the son of Lu Xiude. What Zhu Zhanhe mentioned is evidently against the regulations

Then I, a humble minister, must express my gratitude to His Highness the Young Master. Zhou Xinwen also smiled, but it was not a mocking smile; rather, it carried a hint of teasing amusement.

It is true that Lu Hongqiang forcibly took a woman, but this woman is not to be underestimated; according to later interpretations, she can be described as a gold digger

Zhou Xin only saw Zhu Zhanhe gently wave his hand, and Zhu Ling, who was standing beside Zhu Zhanhe, immediately walked over to the Lu family members, and then...

Alright. Zhu Zhanhe nodded in satisfaction and lay back down on the lounge chair

Still the same saying, he is the heir of the Han Wang, indiscriminate killing of innocents is unacceptable, but a confirmed criminal, once dead, is just dead, no one will trouble him over this matter

"If they ran away, then so be it." Zhu Zhanhe continued to sway in the rocking chair, his voice emanating from beneath the straw hat.