Chapter 44: Reaping the Rewards

  Xia Liu spoke in a tone full of threat to the county magistrate, but Xia Liu didn't take it seriously and said: "Qi Yuanwai has been doing evil in Putai County for so many years, yet he is safe and sound. Yang Mou is worried that someone in the government has taken his bribe and is intentionally covering up for him. Now that things have come to this point, why doesn't the county magistrate give an order? We can all go in together and rescue those poor women. Wouldn't that be a great merit? This can also prove the integrity of the county government."

  At this time, the government had already dispatched a large number of archers and catchers, and the neighbors' courage grew, they came out of their homes one after another to surround and watch. Under the gaze of the crowd, the county magistrate was even more tense, his face stern and his voice severe as he shouted: "The country has its laws, the family has its rules, the court has its own laws and regulations, the use of civilians must be authorized by the official in charge of capturing thieves, Chu County Cheng, with a fire sign. To search the enemy's house, you also need to hold a sign card issued by this official or Chu County Cheng. This is the law, how can you take it upon yourselves? Yang Gongzi is a scholar, doesn't he even understand such reasoning? Quickly obey and retreat!"

  "What if I refuse?" Xia Han sneered.

  The county magistrate's face turned stern and he sneered: "I'll send a memorial to the Qingzhou Prefecture, stripping you of your honors! Officer Chu, take them away!"

  "Wait, wait..."

  Someone panted and shouted, the crowd followed the sound to look, and saw dozens of torches gathered into a long dragon rushing into the Qiu Mansion. The two old men in front had white beards, stumbling steps, if not for the students supporting them on both sides, they could hardly move their feet.

  County Magistrate Xuan lost his voice and said: "Chang Jiao, Wang Xun, you... you two are doing what here?"

  The county school's constant teaching, panting heavily, said: "Single adult, old man heard that the county officials autumn greed and lust, forcibly seizing civilians, being reported still stubbornly resisting, so he led the county students to come and assist adults in capturing the culprits!"

  The county magistrate was shocked and lost his color, Xia Jun was an outsider scholar, Du Qianhu was a dog who exceeded his post, if he made up his mind to come, he would be offended, this matter could be covered up by hardening the skin, as long as the evidence was destroyed in time, they said they were communicating with bandits then so be it? Just the fact that military officers interfered with political affairs was enough for the high-ranking officials of the imperial court to quarrel.

  Even if it offends King Qi, King Qi doesn't have the ability to influence the decision of the Ministry of Officials. As long as Sheng Long is in Putai County, even if he can't stay there, he can still be an official elsewhere, what's to fear? But the county's instructors and trainers have also arrived, so how should these two old guys be dealt with?

  The county magistrate steeled himself and said, "This official is about to search for evidence of the enemy's lair. But knives and guns are blind, if we're not careful and hurt the two masters, this county will be guilty of a crime it can't escape. Come on, quickly escort the two masters to a safe place! Archers and capture troops, take these rioting civilians who are taking advantage of the fire to loot into custody. Those who resist with weapons will be treated as bandits and executed on the spot!"

  "Halt!" Chu County's lieutenant coldly observed from the side, already knowing that Single County's commander was doomed. He immediately spread his arms wide and let out a loud shout, stopping his subordinates' rash movements, and slowly retreated several steps back.

  The county magistrate was both shocked and angry: "County Lieutenant of Chu, what is the meaning of this?"

  "Your Honor, scholars discussing politics is a privilege granted by the Emperor. Good citizens assisting the authorities in capturing thieves and bandits is a manifestation of the imperial court's teachings, something that should be encouraged and commended locally. These citizens are willing to assist the officials in catching thieves, which shows the pure and simple customs of this place, where everyone strives to do good. Why must you reject them from afar and mistakenly treat them as bandits?"

  The county magistrate was so angry that his whole body trembled, pointing at the county lieutenant and saying: "You... you're good! You're good!"

  Chu County's vice magistrate was in charge of capturing thieves, but this vice magistrate was not allowed to arrest people. This county official really couldn't control those bow-wielding bailiffs, and the single county magistrate was so angry that he became a Buddha and ascended to heaven.

  Magistrate Chu smiled faintly, pointing at Du Qianhu and Tang Yaoju, and shouted loudly: "I am Magistrate Chu Mai of Puyang County, specially in charge of capturing bandits and thieves in this county. Now I have summoned you to assist the government officers in arresting the people above and below the Avenging Mansion, searching for evidence in the mansion. If anyone resists, kill them without hesitation!"

  Du Qianhu burst out laughing, raised the knife in his hand and shouted loudly: "Did you all hear that? Charge in! Anyone who dares to resist will be beaten to death by me!" The crowd responded with a loud roar, brandishing their knives and guns as they charged towards the study...

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  "I report to Your Excellency, behind the bookshelf in the study of the Avenging Mansion, there is a secret passageway. Underground, there are more than ten rooms, each room is decorated as a boudoir, but there is no one inside, only embroidered beds, silk couches, women's clothes, and cosmetics."

  The inspector finished speaking, and Du Qianhu and Tang Yao's faces changed color. The avenger, who was tied up with five flowers, sneered silently. The single county magistrate, who had been sitting in a chair like a prisoner waiting for death, suddenly became spirited, jumped up, and shouted loudly: "You have framed good officials, forcibly entered the Avenger's mansion, and injured countless innocent people. This official will punish you! Yang Zhusun, this official will write to Qingzhou Prefecture to strip your honors! Chang Jiaoxun, Wang Xun, you are not teaching students properly, but listening to rumors and participating in political affairs without authorization. This official will write to Jinan Educational Administration to impeach you! Chu County Cheng, you..."

  Chu Mai Kou was also secretly shocked in his heart, but since he had already chosen to tear his face with his superior, there was no room for maneuver left. He turned pale and asked Ou Qiu: "Why is there a secret cave underground, with silk curtains and embroidered tents, rouge water powder, all of which are women's belongings? What is the reason?"

  Qiu Qiu looked up at the sky and laughed loudly: "I like it, I'm willing! In the underground cave, it's warm in winter and cool in summer. I, Qiu Qiu, am happy to take my beautiful wife and concubine to live underground, just to be quiet and free. Which law have I broken? Lord Chu, you are the official responsible for capturing bandits and thieves, tell me, which law have I, Qiu Qiu, broken?"

  Xia Yu glanced at Ji Gang again, and Ji Gang nodded affirmatively. Then Xia Yu smiled slightly and said: "If Qi Yuanwai takes his own wife and concubine to hide in a cave, it's naturally Qi Yuanwai's personal preference, which can't be considered a crime. But if those women are not your wife or concubine, what should we say?"

  Qiu Qiuyu glared at Xia Jie with a cold smile and said, "Yang Xiuzai, Qiu has no grudges against you, but you've gathered people to make things difficult for me. Your official position won't be secure soon, what kind of person are you pretending to be? Haha, haha...

  The laughter had just subsided when a soft and refined voice spoke up, "What's going on here? Officer Yu is laughing so heartily. Oh dear, are all the dignitaries present?"

  As the voice sounded, a man stood out from the crowd, with a round circle of people around him, and he got up with a smile.

  Qiu Qiu's smile froze, and she stared in shock: "Lin, you... what are you doing coming to my house?"

  Lin Yuqi smiled and said: "Avenging officer, you asked the right question. The fact is that tonight, some of Lin's store employees came to report that there were several tables of customers who ate the tyrant's meal without paying, and even smashed plates and bowls before leaving. The employees in the store didn't dare to stop them because they were outnumbered. Don't you think this is a bit too much?"

  Xia Yu and Du Qianhu listened, both of them broke out in a cold sweat at the same time.

  Lin Yuqi said, "In our Putai County, under the governance of County Magistrate Zun, it has always been a place where doors are not closed at night and things are not picked up on the road. Now, there are such bandits, Lin Mou is really angry, so he gathered his family's guards, shop assistants, and armed them to chase after them. Coincidentally, when they were chasing near your house, they saw the county's scholars blocking six or seven large carts, fighting with each other."

  Lin asked, and those students said that there were many women with bound hands and feet on the carriage. This was a group of kidnappers. Lin had seen it, so he couldn't just stand by and do nothing. He helped the students capture these bandits. When questioned, all the bandits claimed to be from your household's guard, and the kidnapped woman also said she was kidnapped by you.

  "Good heavens! Lin felt it was very suspicious, I thought to myself that in all likelihood this was someone setting a trap to frame the great official, but what they said not only did I hear, my shop assistants and guards heard, the county school's students and teachers heard, even the onlookers from the street heard, Lin really couldn't hold it in, so I brought them all here, let them confront you on the spot, and clear your name. Brother, is this enough?"

  Qiu Qi's face turned pale, almost fainting. Chu County Magistrate was overjoyed and rushed forward in a flurry of steps, grasping Lin Yuqi's arm and shouting: "Where are those people now?"

  Lin Yuqi turned his head and shouted: "The adults have ordered it, all the gentlemen of the Imperial Academy, please bring a group of people to testify."

  "Oh, great lord, I'm innocent..."

  "Daughter!"

  "Husband!"

  "Big Brother Tang!"

  "Despicable autumn dog thief, unforgivable crime!"

  A group of people rushed up, chattering and shouting, when Xia Yu and Chu Xian, Chang Jiao and others heard a sob beside them. They quickly turned their heads to see that the magistrate of Shan County was lying on the ground, his eyes rolled back, with a wet patch...

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  It turned out that Xia Yu had anticipated the possibility of transferring evidence, and he also knew that the landlords in the north, especially those in small towns and counties, were most likely to be affected by war or banditry. Therefore, many of their buildings had military defense functions, fearing that a direct attack would not succeed, they intentionally intimidated the culprits into transferring the evidence, so as to capture them more easily under better conditions.

  He was a stranger in the local area, and the government was unreliable, so he had to rely on the group of students at the county school. These students were all strong young men who had practiced martial arts, archery and shooting, and could be useful in critical situations. Gao Xianning visited the county school and made friends with them, which was a pre-emptive move.

  When the murderer was confirmed, Xia Yu and Du Qianhu led a group of people to rush over. Ji Gang also arrived at the county school in no time. Those scholars were all passionate young men, even if some of them were boastful but didn't actually do anything, they all had a sense of responsibility for the world. Ji Gang was eloquent, and he and Gao Xianning sang in harmony, shouting slogans like "Establish the heart for heaven and earth, establish life for the people, inherit the legacy of the ancient sages, and bring peace to the world." The students were immediately stirred up, cheering and eager to follow them to eliminate the bandits.

  The two old teachers, who had already fallen asleep, hurriedly dressed and rushed to the students' dormitory. They were explained by the students in a flurry of words, but before they could respond, they were dragged here by the students without touching their feet. Along the way, Ji Gang suggested to the two teachers that someone had already infiltrated the Qiu mansion, and it was feared that the Qiu mansion would secretly transfer evidence. Rather than letting the students enter the mansion and fight with the guards, it would be better to guard the perimeter, which might have an unexpected effect.

  The two old men were both very strong in their sense of justice, but they also worried about the well-being of their students and didn't want to have to explain things to the families of Xue Zheng and Sheng Yuan. Several dozen students were waiting outside, trying to catch fish in a leaky net, which was much less dangerous than rushing into the enemy's headquarters. Of course, they agreed immediately, not wanting to be bound by Ji Gang's orders, and several large carts escaped from the side door of the enemy's headquarters.

  Tang Yaoju first sent Luo Li to infiltrate the Qiu mansion, but Lin Yuqi didn't know about it. However, when Luo Li was captured and the others retreated in disarray, Tang Yaoju made a desperate last-ditch effort to kill his way into the mansion. By then, Lin Yuqi had already found out, but he only sent someone to secretly observe the situation without intending to send anyone to assist. In his view, Tang Yaoju's reckless actions had no chance of success, and it was unnecessary to get himself involved as well.

  He immediately heard the news that dozens of strong men, led by Tai Bai, were approaching the Qiufu mansion with torches and weapons. He felt that something was amiss and ordered his men to investigate the situation at the Qiufu mansion. He himself brought some trusted followers to sneak closer and observe the situation. Xia Xun, Du Qianhu, and others broke into the Qiufu mansion and confronted Qiufu across a window. The county yamen's archers and catchers rushed to the scene, and both sides were at an impasse. He was well-informed about all these developments.

  At this moment, the students of the county school blocked the big carts that escaped from the Qiu mansion, and a fierce fight broke out between the two sides. Lin Youqi knew that the wind direction had finally changed, and today Qiu Yuanwai would probably suffer a great defeat. So he made a decisive move and lent a hand to assist. In fact, even if he didn't lend a hand, those small but fierce students would have been enough to deal with the few escorts guarding the carts. With his assistance, the students' side gained a significant advantage, and no one was seriously injured, which could be considered a good deed.

  After capturing those villains, Ji Gang was worried that Du Qianhu's official status would not be enough to suppress the county magistrate of Shandong, and he also wanted to inform Xia Liu as soon as possible. He hastily invited the two old masters, Chang Jiao and Wang Xun, to come over. Lin Yuqi assisted the students in binding the stubborn bandits and untying the difficult girl, which delayed them for a while, and they had just arrived.

  Luoli's body was covered in scars, which served as evidence of the private court set up by the Qiu family; The young wife of the Tang family hugged her husband and cried loudly, and it was said that his wife had preserved her chastity due to her menstrual period, Tang Yao was both relieved and fearful; Some of the kidnapped women were among those who went missing in Putai County in recent years, and the evidence was conclusive.

  These girls fell to the ground, kowtowing to their benefactors and officials, wailing loudly as they recounted their experiences. The crowd's discontent was boiling over, especially when an old man among the onlookers who had come to see the commotion recognized one of the rescued women as his own long-lost niece, causing the emotions at the scene to reach a fever pitch.

  The angry people picked up bricks, tiles and mud and beat Qiuqiu and the tied-up thugs until they were bruised and bleeding. The victims revealed more and more crimes on the spot, saying that several girls had killed themselves or died after being raped by Qiuqiu, some of whom knew their names, while others did not even know their identities. The scholars were also furious and rushed up to beat them violently until Qiuqiu and his accomplices were badly injured, and the police stopped only when they feared someone would be killed.

  Although everyone already knew that the Magistrate of Shan County and Qiu Qiu were in cahoots, Qiu Qiu had been knocked unconscious and hadn't confessed yet. Moreover, the Magistrate of Shan County was the highest official in the county, and no one dared to arrest him. He walked back to the county government office alone under the cold and hostile gaze of the crowd. As soon as he entered the county government office, enthusiastic citizens and Lin Yuqi's people guarded all the entrances and exits of the county government office. The patrol officers also strengthened their patrols around the county government office on the orders of the County Lieutenant Governor.

  The county magistrate was very self-aware, he didn't wait for the Chu County lieutenant and the two old masters of the county school to impeach him to the Jining Governor's office, nor did he wait for the gentry of Putai County to file a complaint against his crimes to the Jining Prefecture. After hastily handing over the affairs at the county yamen, he took off his belt and hanged himself.

  The county magistrate is dead, but Qiu Qiu is still alive.

  He was beaten by the common people, then beaten again by the students of the Imperial Academy, and when he was thrown into prison, he was already on his last breath. After hearing about his shameful crimes, Qi Da Ye was beaten once more by the other prisoners in the same cell, but he still managed to cling to life, hoping that his brother, who held office in the provincial capital, could save him from death.

  The enemy outside has become more formidable, although the hope of survival is so slim...

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