Two Qiantang County officials and ten runners visited thirty tenant households that farmed for the Chen Clan. It was not until the Xu hour that night that they reached Chen Family Cove. Without even stopping to eat, they first reported their findings to Chen Xian, Clan Chief, and Zhu Yingtai, Kuaiji's deputy commissioner for Tuduan. According to the tenants, several men from Shanyin had also come asking questions late last month, inquiring whether the Chen Clan bullied their neighbors, seized farmland, and so forth. The tenants had all praised the Chen Clan to the skies for their generosity, benevolence, and service to the local community-
Hearing that someone had indeed come to gather evidence of the Chen Clan's faults, Chen Xian knitted his brows tightly. "Who is without fault? There are bound to be things our Qiantang Chen Clan has failed to consider thoroughly. When someone wants to pin a crime on you, what shortage of pretexts can there be!"
Xie Daoyun said, "Uncle Chen, do not worry. Tuduan is being implemented by Grand Marshal Huan, and Zizhong is someone Grand Marshal Huan appreciates and entrusts with important duties. If the Lu Clan and He Clan try to frame Zizhong, they will only taste the bitter fruit themselves. I examined the Chen Clan's land registers carefully just now and found no violations of any prohibitions or laws. The taxable fields should be entered in a separate register over the next two days. Do everything possible to leave no opening for anyone to exploit."
Chen Man said, "My son Chen Chang has already urged the Dianji to draw up new registers." Then he scratched his white hair and sighed. "Caozhi still hopes to marry the Lu Clan Lady, but now we've become enemies. How can there be a marriage alliance!"
Concerned