The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 678 - 677: Showing Leniency

Chapter 678: Chapter 677: Showing Leniency

Lady Qian and her parents watched, stunned, as Wang Yongan was tied up by the soldiers and was about to be dragged out of the courtyard.

It was only then that Lady Qian snapped out of it and rushed forward, grabbing hold of Wang Yongan, "What are you doing? You can’t arrest my husband! Release him at once—"

Wang Yongan was their family’s support; what would they do if he was taken away?

"My... my son-in-law is the County Magistrate’s master! How dare you arrest him? I’m going to report you to the County Magistrate! Let me tell you, my granddaughter is the County Magistrate’s favored concubine, you’d better release my son-in-law immediately, or you won’t get away with it!" Lady Qian’s mother also rushed over, spreading her arms to block the soldiers.

The soldier, impatient, pushed Lady Qian’s mother aside with a sneer, "The County Magistrate is now a prisoner under our master’s feet, what is a master who climbed up by selling his daughter worth? If you obstruct our official duties again, be careful that we lock you all up in the big prison!"

Hearing this, Lady Qian’s mother immediately retracted her hands and stepped aside.

Both Lady Qian and Wang Yongan were dumbstruck; Wang Yongan had not expected Gao Jin to fall so quickly, and his last hope was lost.

Wang Yongan lowered his head, concealing his expression and eyes.

Lady Qian was taken aback by the soldier’s words; if the County Magistrate had been imprisoned, what about their daughter?

With this thought, Lady Qian came to her senses looking for the soldiers, but they had already dragged Wang Yongan far away.

"Father, father, what should we do now? And Jinchai, with the County Magistrate arrested, who knows how she is now?" Lady Qian, completely at a loss, looked at her father.

Shopkeeper Qian, Lady Qian’s father, had a face full of worry, never imagining that disaster would strike from the heavens, and even his granddaughter was involved. Just when they were on the verge of glory and riches, the County Magistrate had fallen!

What could he, a commoner, possibly do?

Wang Yongan had always been the decision-maker in the family. As a scholar who had seen the wider world, they had indeed lived a good life following his lead.

They were accustomed to following Wang Yongan’s lead. Now that he had been taken away, the family looked at each other, at a complete loss for ideas.

※※※

The arrest and purge lasted for a full three days and nights.

The citizens hid in their homes every day, anxiously listening to the noises outside.

Some noise caused them to panic, but no noise was even more alarming.

Finally, after three days, the troops patrolling the streets day and night disappeared.

Many people got up early, peeked through the cracks in their doors, and saw stillness outside, the streets deserted, not a soul in sight.

The bolder ones tentatively opened their doors, and no one was there to scold them with a knife.

They ventured outside, and found the streets empty.

After confirming this for a good while, they called out to their neighbors, "Come out everyone, those officials have left!"

More people flooded the streets, looking at each other, showing smiles of relief after surviving the ordeal.

The city gates, which had been closed for three days, were also opened. Those who had been waiting outside the city for news saw the gates wide open. However, the faces guarding the gate had changed to strangers, all fully armed, with stern faces, watching everyone entering and leaving vigilantly.

Honest people dared not look more than necessary; after presenting their guide passes and registering, they were only then permitted to enter or leave the city gates.

Not having entered the city for a few days, many felt like strangers upon their return.

Though the streets remained familiar, they were now eerily desolate, devoid of their usual bustle.

The few pedestrians hurried along, heads down, barely daring to speak.

On the main thoroughfares, occasional squads of soldiers conducted their patrols, and passersby made sure to steer clear.

The County Yamen was the only place still guarded by troops, as Zhu Haoran had taken over and temporarily resided in the front courtyard.

All county office members linked to the illegal mines had been arrested.

The cells of the County Yamen, typically empty, were now overcrowded.

In the study of the County Yamen, Zhu Haoran sat in the seat of honor; though he was nearly forty, he still exuded a scholarly and affable charisma, dressed in a blue changpao, appearing every bit the literate, without a hint of having just handled a major case that sent nearly a hundred people to prison.

Song Chongjin sat below him; after drinking the water Wang Yongzhu had provided, the spot on his leg that used to throb with pain no longer hurt and felt pleasingly numb and tingly.

Song Chongjin understood the intention but pretended to be oblivious on the surface; it was enough to silently accept the gesture in his heart.

"My dear nephew, how is your leg injury?" Zhu Haoran began with a caring inquiry about Song Chongjin’s injury, and upon hearing it was not serious, looked relieved only after noticing his complexion was much improved from the time of his injury.

Since the palace examination, his career as an official had been smooth sailing, held in high regard by the Emperor, and no one in the Capital City dared underestimate him.

Although he reminded himself constantly, he couldn’t help but develop a slight air of arrogance.

This time, assigned by imperial mandate, and with Duke Weiguo paving the way for him, he felt confident that a mere county town, even if someone were engaging in illegal mining, would be no match for the imperial edict he carried and the honor guard bestowed by the Emperor. Would this small matter prove difficult?

He had not anticipated that his bit of arrogance would lead to a hard fall in Qi City; had it not been for Song Chongjin’s life-saving rescue, he would probably have met his maker by now, rather than continuing to serve the Imperial Court.

Therefore, the way he looked at Song Chongjin was especially kind.

Moreover, when Duke Weiguo, Song Hong, came to hand over duties, he vaguely mentioned that Song Chongjin was a kinsman of his own and asked Zhu Haoran to look after him, which made Zhu Haoran treat him even more as a close relative.

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhu Haoran finally broached the main subject.

When Song Chongjin first came with a heap of evidence, he had mentioned having irreconcilable hatred with Gao Jin and his aide, Master Wang. Zhu Haoran had been skeptical at the time, but after Song Chongjin’s rescue, he came to believe it fully.

Now that Gao Jin and Wang Yongan were imprisoned, Zhu Haoran inquired how Song Chongjin had become such sworn enemies with both of them.

Song Chongjin fell silent for a moment before he laid bare the root of his enmity with Wang Yongan, omitting no detail.

After hearing everything, Zhu Haoran’s previously tense gaze softened with a hint of a smile; he patted Song Chongjin’s shoulder, "My noble nephew, although the Yue Family are farmers, they understand right from wrong. Despite producing a disgrace like Wang Yongan, their family values remain sound."

Song Chongjin’s eyes narrowed, showing an earnest and fearful expression, "My lord flatters me too much. My father-in-law died because of Wang Yongan, and my mother-in-law abhors him deeply. Moreover, for his personal gain, he plotted to offer my wife as a concubine to Gao Jin. Such a despicable character is truly a disgrace to the Wang Family and a shame to scholars!"

Zhu Haoran’s smile grew warmer, and he nodded in satisfaction, "I was considering the fact that Wang Yongan is your second uncle, and even though he was involved in the illegal mining, since he had just started and knew very little, I thought of showing leniency—"