The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 158

Soon, Chen Zhao drafted an IOU and then handed the IOU and pen to Zhang Ziyi.

Zhang Ziyi had no choice but to sign it, but in his heart he thought that as long as he could go back, no one would acknowledge this IOU. At worst, he could just hide at home and not come out. Did Zhou Chu dare to come to his house to arrest him?

"get out."

After receiving the IOU, Zhou Chu waved his hand impatiently.

Zhang Ziyi and his wicked servants felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They turned and left without hesitation, fearing that Zhou Chu might change his mind at any moment.

"It's all gone."

Zhou Chu looked at the Jinyiwei guards from Suzhou Prefecture in front of him and said irritably.

"Did you hear me? Go do what you're supposed to do."

Chen Zhao glared at his subordinates behind him and shouted.

Upon hearing this, no one dared to linger and they all entered the Jinyiwei compound, each busy with their own affairs.

After returning home, Zhang Ziyi grew angrier the more he thought about it. The thought of how he had been terrified by a fifteen-year-old boy only fueled his anger.

At this moment, the others in the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce were waiting for his result, but when they saw Zhang Ziyi's swollen face and disheveled appearance, they realized that the vice president in front of them had definitely not gotten the better of him.

"Zhou Chu has arrived, and he has brought quite a few men with him."

Before anyone could speak, Zhang Ziyi said with a gloomy expression.

Upon hearing this, the others' expressions changed. In recent days, they had been sending men to intercept Zhou Chu, but none of them had returned. They already had a bad feeling, and now that Zhou Chu had suddenly appeared in Suzhou Prefecture, their hair stood on end, and they felt like they were being pricked by thorns.

If Zhou Chu were alive, he would undoubtedly be a sharp blade hanging over their heads, making them unable to eat or sleep in peace.

"Go and invite the prefect. Oh, and send someone to deliver a letter to the governor, informing him of this matter."

By this time, Zhang Ziyi had recovered and began to make arrangements in an orderly manner.

The prefect was an official in charge of Suzhou Prefecture, holding the rank of fourth grade. The governor, on the other hand, was a provincial governor, a powerful official in charge of a province. The governor Zhang Ziyi referred to was naturally the governor of Jiangnan Province. The governor system was established during the Xuande era and gradually developed over the years. Starting from the Xuande era, it became common for governors to lead troops. Although they held the rank of second grade, they had both military and political power, possessing unimaginable authority over the administration, military, supervision, and judiciary of the entire Jiangnan Province.

With the abolition of Yingtian Prefecture by the powerful eunuch Liu Jin, Cui Wenkui, the governor of Jiangnan Province, could be said to have absolute power in the entire Jiangnan region. With this governor in office, Southern Zhili was practically rendered powerless, and Wang Yangming, the Minister of War in Nanjing, was merely a figurehead with no real authority.

The entire interest group in Jiangnan Province operates around key figures such as Cui Wenkui, Yang Tinghe, and Xia Yan. To be precise, it revolves around the Governor of Jiangnan Province, the Grand Secretary, and other high-ranking officials of the second rank.

It doesn't matter who holds these official positions; what matters is that whoever gets into that position is likely to become the core of this huge interest group. The Grand Secretary and other officials may not be part of this interest group, but the Governor of Jiangnan Province is no exception.

Soon, Wang Zan, the prefect of Suzhou, arrived at the headquarters of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce with a group of his officials.

Wang Zan knew about Zhou Chu before he came. This was Suzhou Prefecture, and he naturally knew everything that happened in Suzhou. Not to mention that Zhou Chu had caused such a big commotion. If he, as the prefect, didn't know, he would probably have been removed from his post long ago.

"Tell me, what are you planning to do? This Zhou Chu is no pushover."

After taking his seat, Wang Zan tapped on the desk and said with a serious expression.

"My lord, I believe that once we find Zhou Chu's residence, a single fire will solve the problem."

A businessman said.

"Hmph! How many times have we arranged for bandits to ambush and set fires along Zhou Chu's journey? If he could be burned to death so easily, he wouldn't have been able to come to Suzhou Prefecture alive."