The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 677 - 676: Take Down

Chapter 677: Chapter 676: Take Down

The Young Servant was scared too, but he dared not refuse to go, so he tremblingly opened the door.

No sooner had he stuck his head out than he was dragged out by the fierce and aggressive imperial guards.

While screaming miserably, the Young Servant clarified his identity and intentions, "I am the County Magistrate’s personal Attendant. The County Magistrate sent me to ask the officers, what is the reason for surrounding the County Yamen?"

"Shut up! Stop your babbling!" A big soldier with a full beard smacked the Young Servant unconscious with the flat side of his blade and casually threw him aside.

Gao Jin anxiously waited inside the County Yamen for the Young Servant’s return, and when he didn’t, he sent someone else to check. After a long time, the person sent to investigate came back sobbing, reporting that his personal Young Servant had been knocked unconscious and discarded aside.

Suddenly Gao Jin was somewhat perplexed. They had him surrounded but had made no move, and anyone who went out was mercilessly knocked unconscious. What exactly were they planning?

It wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that an eight-bearer red palanquin slowly made its way steadily down the street from the other end.

Upon reaching the entrance of the County Yamen, the soldiers immediately and silently split to both sides, making way for the palanquin.

The palanquin came to a dignified halt at the gate of the County Yamen, and after a long while, a voice came from within, "Summon Gao Jin to see me!"

"Yes!" The bearers nodded, and one gestured to a waiting Colonel nearby.

With a wave from the Colonel, the soldiers, who had been surrounding the place all this time without any action, sent a few among them to agilely climb over the wall. Soon, the great door of the County Yamen was opened.

The rest of the soldiers flooded into the County Yamen like water bursting through a dam.

Gao Jin was still in the study, considering how to talk to the visitors in a way that would clear himself while not turning his partners against him.

With a loud "bang," the door was kicked open, and a troop of soldiers rushed in, taking no consideration as they knocked Gao Jin down, snatched off his official hat, and efficiently tied him up like a rice dumpling, stuffing a walnut in his mouth to prevent suicide or biting his tongue.

At Lady Xia’s side, however, it was remarkably calm. Watching the soldiers burst in, she felt panicked and desperate inside, yet her face remained composed as she held her children close in her arms, not saying a word, just quietly standing there.

The arriving soldiers were relatively polite to her; they did not take advantage of the situation to insult the women in the inner courtyard, nor did they ransack the place or take anything for themselves.

They courteously escorted Lady Xia and her two children to a clean room and had someone stand guard.

The other women of the household could not maintain composure like Lady Xia. As soon as they saw the soldiers charging in, they immediately began screaming, and some even fainted on the spot.

Especially the concubines in Gao Jin’s back house – there were those who cried incessantly, those who cursed loudly, those who clutched their chests of gold and silver and refused to let go, those who threw tantrums on the ground, and even more who cried out to the soldiers, claiming they had been forcibly taken there...

The varieties were endless.

Jinchai lived in a more secluded courtyard. Lately, she had gained Gao Jin’s favor and had even persuaded him to promise her a move to a larger residence soon, which made her devotedly follow Gao Jin.

After all, since becoming a favored concubine, aside from Gao Jin’s older age, there was truly nothing to pick on.

Her life was one of ease, with meals brought to her and clothes provided without effort.

What she ate were delicacies carefully prepared by the cook, what she wore were beautiful garments purchased from the stores.

The fine jewelry she adorned was gifted to her by Gao Jin, not to mention the endless rewards she received as long as she served him well.

Had Jinchai ever experienced such a carefree, affluent life before?

At that moment, her resentment toward her parents had significantly lessened. She was now plotting when to have a child, knowing that it would solidify her position even further.

She had overheard this from the other concubines and etched it in her mind.

The other concubines, having fallen from favor, were in a precarious position. Apart from a few with some status, the rest of the newcomers were carelessly crammed into a single courtyard, living incredibly difficult lives.

Jinchai did not want to end up in such a state, so she was exceptionally diligent in serving Wang Yongan, dreaming of one day ascending to the rank of principal wife, when she heard a commotion outside.

Then she saw a group of officials barge in; without a word, two burly soldiers grabbed Jinchai’s arms and dragged her out.

"What are you doing? What is this about? I am a concubine of the County Magistrate—" cried Jinchai, struggling desperately to escape their grip, hoping someone would come to her rescue.

She screamed until her throat was sore, but no one paid her any mind. They dragged her, showing no pity, into a large courtyard.

Standing in the courtyard were Gao Jin’s mistresses, each with their hairpins askew and looking utterly disheveled.

Pushed into the group of concubines, Jinchai seized the opportunity when no one was paying attention and pulled on a woman next to her, asking, "What, what is going on here?"

Having arrived at the County Yamen recently and spoiled by favor, she had been lofty and away from the dust beneath her eyes, sharing a hostile relationship with the other concubines.

The concubine she had addressed was covering her face, crying; upon hearing someone asking, she turned, saw it was Jinchai, spat at her, and twisted away, moving aside to cry.

Fortunately, there was one kind-hearted concubine who, while wiping away her tears, explained, "This morning, the County Yamen was surrounded by officials. Now, these people have charged in and locked Madam and the young masters and misses in the inner rooms, and they’ve thrown us out here. We don’t know what will become of us—"

On hearing this, Jinchai felt as if struck by lightning and stood there dumbfounded.

How could this be! She had just started to live a life of glory and wealth; how could she now be reduced to a prisoner at the bottom of the social ladder?

In a flash, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted, falling straight to the ground...

※※※

In recent days, Wang Yongan was constantly following Gao Jin, dealing with the issues of the private mines. Together with several of his confidants, they spent nights in the study pondering what to do, often not returning home until nearly the third watch.

With troubles on his mind, he couldn’t sleep well. Tossing and turning all night until dawn, he couldn’t lie in bed any longer and finally got up.

Lady Qian had also been disturbed all night and hadn’t slept well. Seeing that Wang Yongan was up, she dared not sleep any further.

Hurriedly, she got out of bed, washed up, and busied herself in the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Wang Yongan.

Wang Yongan ate his breakfast absent-mindedly, constantly feeling a troubling twitching in his eyelids—a bad omen. He put on a stern face and headed for the courtyard door.

As he opened the door, he saw two fierce-looking soldiers loitering outside. They approached him, grabbed him, and led him away.

"Who are you, what do you want? How can you just grab someone like this?" Wang Yongan asked anxiously in alarm.

"Shut up and move!" The soldiers rudely pulled out a rope and tightly bound Wang Yongan’s wrists together, then led him away, pulling on the rope.

Wang Yongan instantly realized that Gao Jin must have fallen! Lord Zhu from the Capital City, seemingly uninvolved, had secretly entered the city and captured them all in one fell swoop!