CHAPTER 368: CHAPTER 368: ZHONG JUNWANG CAUSES A SCENE

After Zhong Cuilan became the concubine of County Magistrate Zou, she sent some silver coins to the Zhong family several times in order to build a good reputation for being grateful. With these silver coins, the Zhong family built a new house and bought more than ten acres of good land; their life was rather pleasant.

At this moment, knowing that Zhong Cuilan had died, the Zhong Family People were in profound pain; the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhong family even sighed in her heart, thinking that their money tree had fallen.

Scholar Zhong was a too kind-hearted person, he was deeply saddened upon hearing that his adopted daughter died from a miscarriage.

The most devastated was Zhong Junwang, he truly loved Zhong Cuilan, and Zhong Cuilan could put on an act, making him believe that she was forced to become a concubine in the Zou family.

"Wuuu wuuu..." As a big man, Zhong Junwang sobbed with his face covered in his hands.

When Zhong Junwang’s wife saw him, she immediately jumped up and spat at him, "Why are you crying? A woman like that deserved such an end, and you still cry for her... You, you heartless man, are you still thinking about her?"

Zhong Junwang, feeling lifeless from pain, heard his wife cursing Zhong Cuilan and immediately rushed over and slapped her twice, "Wretch, Cuilan has died, yet you still speak ill of her, if it wasn’t for you, this jealous woman, she wouldn’t have had to secretly become an old man’s concubine without telling our family?!"

Zhong Junwang’s wife got slapped and, infuriated, she spat a mouthful of saliva on Zhong Junwang’s face, "Pah! Did you know that the wretch sold herself behind our family’s back? Do you know why she sold herself? It’s because she despised your poverty and didn’t want to live a tough life with you, that’s why she went off with an old man."

"Look at that, she’d rather serve an old man than be with you, and you still blindly long for her, do you think I’m dead? I am your legally married wife."

By the end of her words, Zhong Junwang’s wife burst into heartbreaking tears, "Wuuu... Why is my life so miserable, I manage our household with such hard work, bore and raised your children, yet you fancy such a wretch, even hit me for her, Zhong Junwang, you’re heartless!"

Eldest Son Zhong’s wife, looking at Zhong Junwang, scornfully said, "Yes, younger brother, your wife has been with you for so many years and endured hardship with you, you must not wrong her for someone else."

Eldest Zhong also said, "Younger brother, she is dead now, stop making a fuss. You’ve made enough trouble in the family for her. She was just someone picked up halfway through, not really our family member."

"Someone picked up halfway through?" Zhong Junwang looked at them incredulously, shaking with anger he raised his hand and pointed at them, yelling, "You are using the silver Cuilan sent back, living in houses built with her silver, now that she’s dead, you feel nothing and even call her an outsider. You are all beasts, heartless beasts!"

Lan’er was right, in this world, she only had him, and for him to have a better life, she was willing to serve an old man, obtaining silver for him to continue his studies. All she hoped was that when he achieved an official position someday, he would still remember that there was someone like her, and she would be content.

Thinking of the words Zhong Cuilan had said, Zhong Junwang burst into heavy crying, "Lan’er, Lan’er, your death was so wrongful."

Seeing this, Zhong Junwang’s wife couldn’t hold back anymore, she rushed over and started to beat Zhong Junwang fiercely, "Heartless villain, shameless man, today I will fight you to the end!"

Zhong Junwang didn’t fight back against his wife, instead he pushed her away and rushed out of the house, running towards the county, screaming, "Lan’er, rest assured, I will not let you and our child die in vain!"

Lan’er had come back a while ago, during which she brought silver to the family and cried to him that County Magistrate Zou had started to suspect that the child in her belly wasn’t his, fearing that the child might not survive. She told him not to be sad.

At that time, he was so saddened that he and Lan’er cried together, and after crying, he thought about eloping with Lan’er, but she said she could not ruin his future, as they could always have more children later, but if he eloped with her, he could never aim for an official position.

But he never expected County Magistrate Zou to be so cruel, not only killing his child but also killing Lan’er.

Lan’er had done so much for him, he must seek revenge for Lan’er and the child, to accuse County Magistrate Zou of murder!

After Zhong Junwang reached the town, he hired a mule cart and headed straight to the county government, where he beat the drum to raise the alarm for injustice.

Boom Boom Boom!

Zhong Junwang was beating the drum while shouting loudly: "County Magistrate Zou plotted to take lives, please, Old Master in the heavens, grant justice to me! County Magistrate Zou plotted to take lives, please, Old Master in the heavens, grant justice to me!"

With such a shout, the whole street instantly erupted in chaos. Passersby crowded around him and asked, "Young man, you, you want to accuse the County Governor?"

"Yes, I want to accuse County Magistrate Zou of plotting against the lives of my son and his mother!" Zhong Junwang was determined and no longer wanted to hide his affairs with Zhong Cuilan, directly using the words about plotting against the lives of my son and his mother.

The spectators, upon hearing this, were even more abuzz with discussions, asking him, "How did County Magistrate Zou harm your wife and son?"

Before Zhong Junwang could answer, a few Government Officials rushed out and took him away.

The Government Officials were County Captain Jiang’s men; knowing that County Captain Jiang was at odds with County Magistrate Zou, they did not drive the excited spectators away but allowed them to gather around the entrance of the government office to listen.

County Magistrate Xu was about to be promoted, now too lazy to mediate conflicts, hurried to convene a court session upon hearing someone was accusing County Magistrate Zou of plotting to take lives.

Initially assuming it was merely a case of a servant of Zou Residence killing a farmer, little did he know it was actually a scandal of County Magistrate Zou being cuckolded, and, in a fit of rage, led to Mrs. Zhong and her unborn child dying a tragic death.

So thrilling!

County Magistrate Xu almost couldn’t contain himself and almost jumped up.

When the people gathered outside the government office heard this, each and every one was so shocked they stayed dumbfounded for a good while, then, they spread the word around, and in less than two hours, everyone in the county knew about County Magistrate Zou being cuckolded.

The secret that Zou Residence desperately tried to keep eventually became well known to everyone.

Upon learning about this, County Magistrate Zou was so furious he spit out a mouthful of blood and fainted, falling seriously ill.

County Magistrate Xu did not accept Zhong Junwang’s case. After reviewing Zhong Junwang’s statements, he said, "Zhong Cuilan was sold into the Zou family under a life-binding contract; her life and death are decided by the Zou family, and the county government has no jurisdiction over it."

The county government only handles cases where common folks are victimized.

After saying this, he had the Government Officials forcefully remove Zhong Junwang.

Zhong Junwang failed to avenge Zhong Cuilan. He went home dispirited, neither eating nor drinking for days, thinking of simply starving himself to death to join Lan’er in hell.

But before he could starve himself to death, the Zhong Family was struck by disaster.

County Magistrate Zou, having been made a laughingstock by Zhong Junwang’s actions, naturally wouldn’t let the Zhong family off, and even though he was still ill, he had Steward Shao think of a plan, implicating Eldest Zhong in a crime which led to the Zhong family’s collective punishment and exile thousands of miles away.

And that still wasn’t enough; County Magistrate Zou, harboring deep hatred for the Zhong family, would not let the Zhong family live. He bribed the escort, leading to the deaths of the entire Zhong family on the way.

Zhong Junwang’s desire to die with Zhong Cuilan was thus fulfilled.

And Zhong Cuilan’s wish to destroy the Zhong family was also achieved.