The magistrate of Anyang Prefecture made a move that caught everyone off guard.
Xu Mo was stunned for a long time and couldn't recover from the shock. It was his teacher who snapped him out of it with a slap on his face, "Hurry up and follow along."
As if suddenly awakened from a dream, he brought his younger siblings to follow the prefectural magistrate's entourage.
Passing by an inn, Zheng Ruqian took Xie Daoshan to hire a donkey cart, and conveniently packed away all the cured meat and little belongings of Jiang Sheng and Xie Daoshan.
In the carriage...
Xu Mo was still a little dizzy. Lifting the curtain, he looked at the galloping carriage ahead and couldn't help murmuring, "For the prefectural magistrate to come to the county to handle a case, it's simply unheard of."
Chang Yan pursed his lips. "It's not entirely unheard of, it's just not allowed to be recorded."
The prefectural magistrate was originally the direct superior of the county magistrate. In principle, he could summon the county magistrate to the prefectural city for questioning.
However, it was at least a five days' journey from Anyang Prefecture to Xieyang County, plus the return trip, at least ten days.
If they had to summon witnesses and evidence during that time, by the time a case was finished trialing, the new year would have arrived.
But Xu Mo couldn't wait that long.
The commoners of Xieyang County couldn't wait that long either.
According to Zheng Ruqian, in April the Xieyang county magistrate made an order to close the "tax-free delivery into the city" policy. From then on, all merchants and traders had to pay five percent of the value of their goods as tax.
There weren't many big merchants in Xieyang County to begin with, most were just earning some hard-earned money. After paying this five percent tax, their net profit dropped considerably.
Plus the 200 wen booth fee, and the severe punishment for private trading of goods, the Xieyang commoners had long been full of grievances.
The reason the Anyang prefectural magistrate came to Xieyang County in person, was because he cared for the commoners like his own children, and didn't want them to suffer unreasonable hardships.
Xu Mo finally felt reassured.
He slightly raised his head, looking towards the sky, and murmured in his heart, "Father, mother, did you see that? Your son will soon avenge your injustice."
Early May.
After leaving the county for a full two months, the group of six siblings finally set foot on this land again.
Feeling the warm breeze, breathing the sweet air, Xu Mo raised the corners of his mouth.
However, the prefectural magistrate of Anyang up ahead was not so comfortable. After all, he was already in his forties. The continuous days of long distance rushing had nearly unraveled his body. Both feet touching the ground felt like stepping on cotton.
Seeing his exhaustion, Xu Mo immediately went up to support him, "Your Excellency, this student has a small residence that Your Excellency may rest in."
The Anyang prefectural magistrate pondered for a moment.
Although they had concealed their identities when entering the city, the Xieyang county magistrate was no fool. Such a large group of elite forces entering the city would surely arouse suspicion.
Rather than waiting for the Xieyang county magistrate to realize something was wrong and prepare accordingly, it would be better to take them by surprise and control the situation first.
"Let's go, to the county office."
The Anyang prefectural magistrate walked forward with his hands behind his back, one foot shallow, one foot deep.
Seeing this, Xu Mo's nose soured.
Some wonder if people really can be so dedicated to another person's affairs that they work themselves to death.
The prefectural magistrate of Anyang answered in action: yes, they can.
He could have rested, but for Xu Mo's sake, for the truth, he still handled the case first thing.
Xieyang County Office, in front of the injustice drum.
The Anyang prefectural magistrate stopped and glanced at the attendant runners dozens of feet away. He called out loudly, "Old Yuan."
The Yamen runner Yuan who had shown concern for Xu Mo back then immediately stepped forward and knocked on the door.
Soon the door opened, but only a head poked out. Seeing Yuan's unfamiliar face, he scolded harshly, "What is it, knocking about in broad daylight?"
Yuan was nearly angered into laughter, "This is the county office, a place for commoners to file complaints. How can you not allow knocking on the door? What's the point of having a door then!"
The man didn't expect to be talked back to and was furious. He squeezed out and rolled up his sleeves, "Isn't there an injustice drum? You can beat that."
Having no choice, Yuan picked up two large hammers and banged the injustice drum three times.
"That should be enough right?"
But who knew, the one who opened the door actually turned back into the county office and slammed the door bolt shut.
He only yelled loudly through the door, "The county magistrate is unwell and temporarily unable to hold court. Come back another day."
The Anyang prefectural magistrate was utterly exasperated.
Fortunately he didn't let the yamen runners follow, only bringing Yuan to stand at the county office door.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have witnessed such cruel circumstances, such arrogant attitude.
"What a great Xieyang county magistrate, what a great Xieyang county." The Anyang prefectural magistrate took a breath, and lightly clapped his hands.
Dozens of yamen runners neatly stepped forward, led by Yuan, and fiercely kicked the county office doors a few times.
In the blink of an eye, the door that had just ruthlessly been shut was knocked flat on the ground.
The lazy yamen runners inside were startled. Just as they were about to jump up and scold,
Seeing the dozens of upright and majestic yamen runners behind the Anyang prefectural magistrate, they shut their mouths again and scattered to flee.
The Anyang prefectural magistrate sat down with a cold face on the main seat, a bright mirror hanging over his head, feet on the bench below the court desk.
Yuan led the team to rush into the backyard, and captured the resting Xieyang county magistrate couple.
"Audacious Xieyang county magistrate!"
The bench slammed, and the court session began.
At first the commoners only curiously peeked in, but when they discovered the one on trial was actually their parental official of Xieyang county, they were all shocked into spreading the word.
In no time, the area in front of the injustice drum was crammed full of people.
As a small child, Jiang Sheng was squeezed until her head nearly popped off, but for her big brother's sake, she fearlessly stationed herself at the front line in front of the county office door.
At first the Xieyang county magistrate was still a bit confused, trying to communicate with the Anyang prefectural magistrate based on their shared status as colleagues.
When Xu Mo stood in the center of the hall, his expression finally changed.
"Here today, Scholar Xu accuses the Xieyang county magistrate of murdering Magistrate Xu and his wife. This official has come to Xieyang County in person precisely to uncover the truth." The Anyang prefectural magistrate slammed the bench again, shaking everyone in the hall. "Xieyang County Magistrate, have you anything to say?"
Of course he did.
Although the Xieyang county magistrate appeared shocked and puzzled, his tone was decisive and categorical. "Your Excellency, these are all slanders, false accusations. This humble official is upright and clean, how could I have done such things? It was clearly Magistrate Xu who embezzled finances and committed suicide in shame after being convicted."
He knelt on one knee, flinging his official robe. "I beg Your Excellency to see clearly!"
When faced with crimes, the first reaction of anyone is never to admit guilt, but to try to exonerate themselves.
The Anyang prefectural magistrate was not surprised. He looked to Xu Mo, "Present material evidence and witnesses."
The material evidence was simple, the account books left behind by Xu Magistrate's former accountant, sufficient to prove Xu Magistrate's lifelong probity and that he had never taken bribes.
The witness was Master Fang, whom Zheng Ruqian rushed at full speed with a fast horse to the broken temple in the western outskirts, to bring back.
Although Master Fang was sometimes clear headed and sometimes muddle headed, as soon as he knelt in the hall, mistaking the magistrate under the plaque to be Xu Magistrate, he immediately started bawling, "Your Excellency, it is this concubine who has wronged you. It was this concubine who accepted the bribes of that wretched Zhu Zhi. I have wronged you. That evidence of embezzlement and bribery was completely fabricated."
"You vile woman!" The Xieyang county magistrate angrily spat fire, getting up as if to attack her.
Master Fang was frightened and suddenly shrieked loudly, "Evildoer, evildoer, Zhu Zhi, you will not die a good death."
The Xieyang county magistrate's name happened to be Zhu Zhi.
Everything seemed clear now. Xu Mo took the opportunity to accuse the county magistrate's wife of arranging the murders.
The evidence was simple. The pale blue long knife that Fang Heng had seized was physical evidence. Bringing up the big maid who had already been frightened into a trembling mess, with one slam of the bench she fully confessed everything.
That very day, charges were laid against the county magistrate's wife.
However, when it came to County Magistrate Zhu Zhi himself, he refused to admit anything to the death, constantly proclaiming his innocence.
No matter what methods the Anyang prefectural magistrate used, beating him or interrogating him, Zhu Zhi simply would not confess.
Having no alternative, he could only be temporarily imprisoned for now.
That day, during a time no one knew about, Zhu Zhi's master secretly slipped into a carriage and raced straight for the Anyang prefectural city.
It seemed he had gone to call for reinforcements.
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