Thinking this way made Charles Grant's chest ache even more, feeling that Walter had died far too unjustly.

Seeing the veins bulging on Charles Grant's forehead and David Grant's bloodshot eyes, both still seething with anger, Henry Foster worried he might not be able to restrain the father and son. Frowning, he said to David Grant, “David Grant, ride back to the city at once and inform my father of this matter—if you feel I have handled this unfairly, my father will make the final decision. But before that, you must not take the law into your own hands and tarnish the Han family’s reputation!”

The Han family’s reputation in Xuanzhou might not be all that great, but at this moment, Henry Foster wanted to use this as leverage to keep Charles Grant and the other family retainers from acting rashly.

Hearing Henry Foster say this, Charles Grant had nothing more to say.

A family retainer tugged at the stubborn David Grant's sleeve, quietly persuading, “Let me go with you to the city to report this to the master…”

“There's no need for so many to return. Can't David Grant explain things clearly on his own?” Henry Foster said, stopping the retainer from accompanying David Grant, sending David Grant alone back to the city to inform his father.

Although David Grant was indignant that Walter Grant had been killed by a tenant and couldn’t understand why he wasn’t seeking justice for Walter Grant at this moment, David Grant wasn’t one to hold grudges. Henry Foster wasn’t worried that he would twist the facts when reporting to his father.

Seeing David Grant return to the manor to fetch his horse, Henry Foster looked around and said, “I’ll wait here for the county yamen to send someone to handle this matter…”

Henry Foster lowered his head and entered the dimly lit thatched hut. Warren Grant's corpse lay motionless on the muddy ground, a pool of blood gathered beneath him.

The hut was so shabby that Henry Foster could hardly imagine it. In the inner corner, a small pit had been dug in the ground to serve as a hearth, with a pile of half-burned firewood scattered about. Bowls and jars were smashed all over the floor, some with old chips and cracks, clearly already damaged before being broken.

In the corner was a wooden table, broken and falling apart.

Other than that, there were only a few simple farm tools in the main room.

The east room had no bed, just two piles of dry straw laid on the ground. The bedding was relatively clean, though patched countless times—fortunately, being in the mountains, the house was dry, perhaps thanks to a diligent housewife, and looked reasonably tidy.

In the west room stood two crude, nearly broken spinning wheels. In the corner, a bed board was propped up on a tree stump, likely the sleeping place of that frail young girl…

Henry Foster truly couldn’t imagine a household living in such poverty!

……

……

Although David Foster was only a fourth-rank idle official at court, the Han family wielded considerable power. When a murder occurred at a manor David Foster had purchased in Jiangcheng County less than a year ago, the Jingzhao Prefecture might not care, but the county dared not take it lightly.

The county seat was some distance away, but County Captain Leonard Harris personally led yamen runners to the manor before noon to investigate the case.

Leonard Harris was a native of Jiangcheng County. In his youth, he served in the Huainan Army, earning the rank of sixth-rank Brave Cavalry Captain through merit, then became a local headman, and only recently was promoted to county captain—he was an old soldier who had risen with Emperor Tianyou.

After the founding of Chu, Emperor Tianyou, following Han and Tang precedents, implemented the Three Elders system below the prefecture and county levels, appointing retired, meritorious veterans from the Huainan Army as officials to solidify the Yang clan’s foundation in the Jianghuai region.

If a Han family retainer had killed a tenant, as long as it wasn’t a wanton murder, the law would only require a fine or a beating, and the matter would be quietly settled. But now, a tenant had killed a Han family retainer who had forced his way in. When Leonard Harris first heard of this, he found it extremely troublesome.

He didn’t know how to handle it—on one hand, he didn’t want to be cursed by the locals, but on the other, he couldn’t afford to offend a powerful clan like the Han family.

Although the Han family wasn’t a native power in Jiangcheng, and David Foster was only a minor official at court, Jiangcheng was only two or three hundred li from Xuanzhou. David Foster knew very well what kind of powerful clan the Han family was in Xuanzhou, even if the common folk didn’t.

Moreover, David Foster had a reputation for effective governance. As chief secretary to the Guangling military governor, he originally had a chance to be promoted to deputy governor or prefect, but was transferred back to the capital as Junior Director of the Secretariat—a seemingly idle post, but who knew if he’d soon be promoted again? As a mere county captain, Leonard Harris dared not offend him.

Arriving at Qiuhu Mountain, Leonard Harris found the situation difficult, but he hadn’t expected that the Han family’s young master, Henry Foster, would be so “reasonable” and “impartial.”

Of course, even with the facts clear and the Han family’s young master so reasonable, showing no favoritism or abuse of power, Leonard Harris still dared not hastily write the case report or arrest James Sullivan and bring Walter Grant’s body back to the county office to close the case.

Jiangcheng County was under Jingzhao Prefecture, right next to Jinling City, where powerful clans were everywhere—any random family might be related to princes, ministers, or even the imperial family. In such a homicide case, not only would there be no lack of investigation, but even sparing the perpetrator’s lowly life in the end would be considered merciful.

The Han family’s young master was almost too reasonable, which made Leonard Harris even more cautious, worrying that this might be a trap set by the Han family, with something more dangerous waiting for the county officials elsewhere.

Fortunately, he heard that the Han family’s young master Henry Foster had already sent someone back to Jinling City to inform David Foster. Leonard Harris, with his yamen runners, insisted on staying at Qiuhu Mountain until he received definite word from David Foster before deciding how to write the case report.