CHAPTER 460: CHAPTER 460: CHAOS

Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Xu found his backbone and agreed, "Yes, yes, that’s right."

He returned to his seat on the dais, slammed down the gavel, and declared, "The crime Zou Youlian is accused of is proven by solid evidence. He is to be immediately taken to the prison. This office will transfer the case to the Prefecture Government Office within five days for them to adjudicate and sentence."

Steward Shao was in a panic, grunting in protest, wanting to claim innocence, but to no avail. His handwriting appeared in the letters sent to several town clerks, village chiefs, and local authorities.

County Magistrate Zou had grown to despise County Magistrate Xu to death. He had always thought that someone as cowardly as County Magistrate Xu, even when his term was coming to an end, wouldn’t dare to lay a finger on him. Unexpectedly, County Magistrate Xu had mustered the courage, daring to throw him into prison. Didn’t County Magistrate Xu fear his own death?

"Lord County Magistrate," County Magistrate Zou warned, "Zou Jiang had served as a house slave in the Zou family for decades and is a confidant of mine. He attended to my writing materials every day. It would be far too easy for him to forge my handwriting and that of Steward Shao. I must caution Lord County Magistrate, do not be used by others to commit the crime of plotting against an assistant officer; a crime your entire family cannot bear."

When a main official plots against an Assistant Officer, the whole family would be executed.

Upon hearing this veiled threat and curse from County Magistrate Zou, County Magistrate Xu became furious, raising his voice, "Drag Zou Youlian and Shao Qizhuang away and lock them in the prison!"

"Yes," a group of Government Officials promptly stepped forward, grabbed County Magistrate Zou and Steward Shao, and took them to the county prison.

Witnessing County Magistrate Zou finally being taken to prison, Zou Jiang’s tense body completely collapsed to the ground, spitting out the blood in his mouth.

County Captain Jiang rushed over to support him, saying, "Jiang Sheng, you must hold on." This was just the beginning; after tonight, the real deadly struggle would begin.

Despite the severe pain from the torture, Zou Jiang managed to nod and say, "Before Zou Youlian dies, this old man will not fall."

County Magistrate Xu sympathized as he listened but said, "Jiang Sheng, as a commoner filing a complaint against an official, you too must be locked up in prison until the Prefecture Government Office passes judgment on Zou Youlian."

Since the former dynasty, to prevent deliberate false accusations against officials, anyone who accused an official not only faced intimidation and punishment, before the case was completely resolved, the accuser had to be placed in prison. If found guilty of false accusation, the accuser would be immediately executed; if the accusation proved true, the accuser would be released.

Zou Jiang replied, "This humble citizen knows the rules, Sir. Rest assured, I am willing to enter the prison cell until the Prefecture Government Office concludes the case."

Two Government Officials escorted Zou Jiang to his cell. County Captain Jiang followed and sent for a doctor to treat his wounds, brought bedding, easily digestible food, and warm water to make his stay more bearable.

The doctor was Doctor Zhou from the Zhou Family’s Clinic, known for his medical skills. He was quite startled by the day’s events but admired Zou Jiang in his heart... As for County Magistrate Zou, almost everyone who had lived long enough in the county knew he was nothing but an old beast. However, the old beast was the big shot locally, and no one dared to meddle with him.

Now that Zou Jiang had filed a complaint against County Magistrate Zou, regardless of the final outcome, the courage he displayed was admirable.

"It’s only superficial skin wounds, no damage to the muscles or bones. Take good care of them, and as long as the wounds don’t fester and there’s no fever, they should heal in a few days after scabbing over." Although Doctor Zhou said this, he prescribed Zou Jiang three different treatments: one for external application, one internal medicine for healing, and another for treating a chronic condition Zou Jiang had. "Take them separately, with each medicine half an hour apart."

County Captain Jiang instructed the Government Officials to accompany Doctor Zhou to collect the prescribed herbs. Before he had a chance to speak with Zou Jiang, a rushed Government Official arrived, "Lord County Captain, the Lord County Magistrate wants you in the front office right away. Village chiefs from ten miles and eight villages are here with their villagers, and the government office is completely surrounded. You need to manage the situation immediately, lest things get out of control."

There were simply too many villagers, all in a state of high agitation, some of whom had family members that went missing while performing labor service, even dressed in mourning attire, causing quite a commotion outside.

County Captain Jiang, after hearing this, spoke to the prison guards: "Keep a close watch on Zou Jiang. If anything happens to him, you can forget about keeping your own heads!"

"Yes, My Lord. Rest assured, we will certainly protect Zou Jiang well!" The prison guards knew the importance of Zou Jiang, and realizing the danger of the situation, they did not dare to be negligent.

After giving his orders, County Captain Jiang immediately went to the front of the government office and, with the government officials, stopped the incoming village chiefs and villagers.

"Quiet, quiet! All village chiefs, manage your villagers and register those who have died without bodies while performing labor service. Once done, the village chiefs will bring the lists to the county government to see Lord County Magistrate!"

County Captain Jiang and County Magistrate Xu were extremely busy, bustling around until the sky turned pitch dark, yet there were still village chiefs and villagers rushing over to the government office.

...

At the Zou family, Zou Yuzhen had been on tenterhooks all day, and until nightfall, had not seen County Magistrate Zou return, knowing that he must have been detained.

"Third Brother, Third Brother, is Father really thrown into prison? The servants are all saying that this time Father is doomed, what are we going to do?" After Zou Yuwan’s engagement to the foolish son of Landlord Lv, County Magistrate Zou, fearing she would run away, confined her. Now that County Magistrate Zou has been captured and the Zou Mansion besieged, the servants guarding her had all gone to gossip about the matter, allowing her to escape and seek out Zou Yuzhen.

"Wuwuwu, Third Brother, could we be implicated by Father?" Zou Yuwan clung to Zou Yuzhen’s arm, crying bitterly: "They say that Father has committed a serious crime, and if he is charged, we, as his children, might also face execution... wuwuwu, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die."

Rather than being executed alongside, she would prefer to marry the foolish son of Landlord Lv.

With this thought, Zou Yuwan’s eyes lit up, and she asked Zou Yuzhen: "Third Brother, I’m already engaged, so I’m no longer considered part of the Zou family, right? I shouldn’t be implicated by Father, right?"

Zou Yuzhen, seeing Zou Yuwan run in with a mournful face, was already displeased, and upon hearing her words, he outright slapped her to the ground: "Stop dreaming. If the Zou family is in trouble, don’t think you can get away unscathed!"

Why should he, Zou Yuzhen, suffer the consequences of the old bastard’s actions, while Zou Yuwan could escape disaster by getting married?

Zou Yuwan, after being slapped, lay on the ground crying bitterly.

Zou Yuzhen had no time to pay her any more attention, pacing back and forth in the room, waiting for his personal servant to return.

Before long, his personal servant hurried in and said to Zou Yuzhen: "Third Master, someone from Willow Leaf Lane has sent a letter, saying the evidence presented by Zou Jiang is true, and the Old Master, as well as Steward Shao, have already been thrown into prison. Now the whole Tianfu County is in chaos, countless villagers are pouring into the county to seek justice at the county government."

Zou Yuzhen’s face turned pale upon hearing this: "What do you mean? The villagers from the villages of Tianfu County are coming to seek justice? What does this have to do with them?"

The servant handed the letter that had come from Willow Leaf Lane to Zou Yuzhen: "Please take a look for yourself."

Zou Yuzhen looked at the letter and immediately collapsed to the ground: "It’s over, it’s all over... Damn that old bastard, to actually dare to sell citizens performing labor service, he is courting death!"

Is he so desperate for money that he resorted to selling citizens in exchange for money?