Chapter 183

Chapter 183: How Could They Dare

Du Cheng continued, “Now this cotton is the commoner’ life. How could you burn it? Who in the world wrote this letter? Isn’t this person trampling human lives!”

A heavy slap cracked across Du Cheng’s face.

Third Master Du tried to block it, but Third Master Du was stopped by a sharp look from his own father.

“Du San, who told you to bring him here?” Old Madam Du was too excited and muddled. Old Madam Du had not even noticed Du Cheng was here!

“I… I…” Third Master Du had thought that if his son was present when that one’s letter arrived, then Du Cheng would be tied to that one earlier than the other juniors. Maybe Du Cheng could even do something and win that one’s favor.

But Third Master Du never imagined the order would be to burn cotton.

A matter like this was bad enough if only the elders knew it.

If a half-grown junior like Du Cheng ruined it-

Old Madam Du’s voice turned cold. “Du San, I do not care if you tie him up or bind him. Not a single word of this can leak out! Otherwise-”

Old Madam Du glanced at Du Cheng.

Du Cheng felt like he fell into an ice pit. Du Cheng suddenly realized that the gentle and kind great grandmother from before was terrifying.

Du Cheng was dragged home by his father, pulled and yanked along the way.

Du Cheng tried to speak on the road, but Third Master Du ground his teeth and hissed, “Do you want the whole Du Family to be buried with you?”

The words on Du Cheng’s tongue were swallowed back down.

Even after Du Cheng was locked in his room, Du Cheng still felt dazed.

Outside, Father said something to Mother, but Du Cheng could not hear clearly.

From that day on, Du Cheng was truly locked away.

The room was neither very large nor very small. It had only one window, and Father had people nail it shut from the outside. Only a tiny opening was left.

Du Cheng could see the snow piled outside.

Du Cheng could see the servants guarding outside, shivering as they stood.

Even wearing clothes that thick, they still suffered frostbite.

Then what about the people who did not even have padded coats?

Du Cheng fell sick again, and because it was sickness of the heart, it was worse than before.

Third Madam Du cried until her eyes swelled, keeping watch at her son’s side.

It was all Du Yi Zhi’s fault!

If it were not for Du Yi Zhi, how could her son have been frightened, and how could Master have locked Du Cheng away like this?

At the same time, Lin Yi finished reading the letter as well.

After reading it, Lin Yi sat alone in the room for half the time it took to drink a small cup of tea, then finally came out.

Jiang Mang waited outside. Jiang Mang was not very literate.

Lin Yi smiled at Jiang Mang and said they would release cotton in two days. Jiang Mang was very happy.

Lin Yi looked at the brothers guarding outside and said they had worked hard. Lin Yi told Jiang Mang to go buy good dishes for everyone.

They could not drink wine, but eating some meat and drinking hot soup to warm up would be good.

Jiang Mang was delighted and left without hesitation.

Lin Yi used that moment to go to the Southern Du Branch and meet Old Madam Du and Prefect Yan.

The three discussed matters for the time it took to burn half a stick of incense.

Lin Yi left the Du Residence, and on the way back, Lin Yi drifted without thinking to the outside of Sheng Shi Hall.

Outside Sheng Shi Hall, the line was still long.

Those commoner who bought cotton were moved to tears, and those who did not buy it yet still stretched their necks and waited.

Everyone behaved and followed the rules.

Perhaps it was because Sheng Shi Hall did not plan to sell one batch and flee. Instead, Sheng Shi Hall even planned to set up more low-priced cotton branches in the counties below, and that act calmed the commoner.

Hope still remained on their faces.

They stood in line and talked about how they would divide the cotton once they bought it.

Lin Yi stood there for a long time.

So long that even the people behind Lin Yi could not endure it.

Someone called, “Master Lin?”

Only then did Lin Yi turn around, face cold. “Let’s go.”

That night, Du Yi Zhi felt uneasy.

In the distance, the Ya Men Runner guards sent by Prefect Yan were still dutiful.

Thirty men, four shifts a day.

These days, Du Yi Zhi especially told his people to be wary of those Ya Men Runner guards.

Talk less with them. Touch them less.

Those Ya Men Runner guards did seem honest. They only stood far away, and only came over to help when trouble broke out.

If no trouble happened, they simply paced and patrolled.

At most, when the carts bringing cotton arrived and the cotton was pulled into the residence, they would lend a hand and push a few times.

All in all, they spoke little and worked well.

If they were not Prefect Yan’s men, Du Yi Zhi would have felt like he was judging gentlemen with a petty heart.

But this cotton did not represent only silver. It represented the hope of countless commoner.

So no matter how careful Du Yi Zhi was, it was not too much.

On top of that, Du Yi Zhi was certain the Southern Du Branch and Prefect Yan could not endure for long.

Those great cotton merchants could not endure for long either.

It was only a matter of which thunder cracked first, and in what form.

The sky slowly darkened.

Following Du Yi Zhi’s orders, the courtyard where the cotton was stored needed three teams guarding at the same time, checking for gaps in each other and also watching each other.

The three teams had just eaten in turns.

It was time to change shifts again.

Suddenly, someone saw a point of light leaking from inside the cotton yard. That person rubbed his eyes and walked over to see more clearly.

A moment later, someone screamed, “Fire!”

“Quick, someone, help! The courtyard storing the cotton is on fire!”

That single shout threw the entire residence into chaos.

In the bitter cold, the north wind howled.

The snow had stopped, but it still lay thick. Fire would not easily spread in other places, yet the fire started in the cotton yard.

Cotton was the easiest thing to catch fire.

And to Ji Zhou Prefecture now, it was the most important thing of all.

Everyone knew why they were called here, fed well, and paid rich silver.

Now, with so many people guarding, the cotton still caught fire right under their eyes.

How could this happen?

Some grabbed buckets. Some searched for ice.

Even if they dumped snow all over the cotton and made it wet and damp, it could be dried later. Anything was better than burning it all to ash.

Du Yi Zhi’s face turned dark.

Du Yi Zhi had imagined many moves Prefect Yan might use, including but not limited to sending a fake band of mountain bandits to rob the cotton, or stirring up commoner to loot it and striking at him in the chaos.

But Du Yi Zhi never imagined they would choose the one thing Du Yi Zhi least expected.

They burned the cotton.

If they wanted to target Du Yi Zhi, there were a thousand ways.

Yet Prefect Yan chose the one that would anger everyone the most.

Burning cotton!

Everyone knew what cotton meant right now. How could Prefect Yan dare?

Du Yi Zhi’s anger surged.

But at that moment, from the courtyard next door, a child’s crying and screams suddenly rang out.

Du Yi Zhi’s mind buzzed.

“Ci Ji Orphanage!” Du Yi Zhi’s heart dropped.

Next door was Ci Ji Orphanage.

When Du Yi Zhi first arrived in Ji Zhou Prefecture, there were three possible residences to choose from. Du Yi Zhi personally went to see each one before choosing this place.

First, it was not far from the storefront where Sheng Shi Hall would open, and the roads were safe for transport.

Second, three sides of the residence had no neighbors. Only on the right side lived five women and children caring for over thirty children.

The oldest child was only a little over ten, and the youngest was only a few months old. Those women and children could not possibly affect them.

But who could have guessed that if the cotton caught fire, the Ci Ji Orphanage next door would also catch fire?

The two courtyards did not share a wall. A narrow passage, only as wide as a palm, lay between them.

And the weather was like this.

Du Yi Zhi barked, “A’Jian, take a few people and check next door!”