CHAPTER 462: CHAPTER 462: SILENCING WITNESSES

County Magistrate Zou shuddered, finally looking squarely at Zou Jiang... County Magistrate Zou was not as calm as he appeared; he was scared, scared of Zou Jiang.

Always had been.

Zou Jiang was smart; even in his youth, he was already famous in He’an Prefecture. Scholars from various counties in He’an Prefecture took pride in discussing literature with him. County Magistrate Zou had also visited Zou Jiang with his schoolmates in Luchang County and witnessed his talent.

He was jealous of Zou Jiang and, for the sake of official position, conspired with river bandits to harm Zou Jiang’s family.

"...Do you still remember how Concubine Lu died a tragic death?" County Magistrate Zou feigned composure and said, "I am not afraid of you. You have no evidence, and this matter is too far-reaching. Not to mention Xu Chongfeng, even Magistrate Liang doesn’t have the guts to intervene. You will not succeed."

"Ha!" Zou Jiang laughed, his laughter somewhat maniacal, intensifying County Magistrate Zou’s fear as he cursed, "Madman!"

Zou Jiang ignored him, still smiling. After a while, he stopped, caressing the old scar on his wrist, and said to County Magistrate Zou, "Zou Youlian, you just said that a servant remains a servant...That’s right, I indeed am a servant, a lowly one at that, so I am not afraid. Fearless is powerful. I, a servant who is not afraid of death, aiming to bite you to death—do you think I cannot accomplish that?"

"Zou Youlian, listen well. I am indeed seeking death, not just for myself, but I will also make you, the Zou family, and your accomplices hiding in He’an Prefecture, Linhe Prefecture, along the Huai River, and Jiangnan, all accompany me in death."

"Even though I did not make a glorious name for myself in the official ranks, to die a spectacular death would not be in vain for this life, hahaha!" Zou Jiang laughed loudly, his originally kind face twisting into a ferocious one, like a malicious spirit from hell staring at County Magistrate Zou, who backed away in terror, his face turning green.

After a moment, County Magistrate Zou composed himself and pointed at Zou Jiang, saying, "You cannot do it, you will never be able to, you have no evidence."

Zou Jiang looked at him, confidently saying, "I may not have any evidence, but there will be a bunch of fools who will deliver the evidence right to my hands."

A bunch of fools who will deliver the evidence right into his hands?

County Magistrate Zou pondered over this sentence deeply. By the time he figured it out, Zou Jiang had already called the prison guard and had himself carried out.

Before leaving, he looked back at County Magistrate Zou and said, "By the way, those clerks and miscellaneous soldiers who came to deliver messages to you are now detained in another cell."

So don’t even think about sending messages to the river bandits; your news won’t get out. Just wait for death.

Zou Youlian was very conceited, always thinking he could control the whole situation. Throughout the years, besides being slightly wary of County Captain Jiang, he didn’t even take County Magistrate Xu seriously.

Unfortunately, Zou Youlian didn’t realize that in this game, he was just a pawn, while Zou Jiang and Qin San Lang were the ones calling the shots.

When County Magistrate Zou heard this, he collapsed directly in his cell... He had been set up. He hadn’t controlled the whole government office; he had been targeted all along.

And Gao Tong and the others... Given Gao Tong’s ruthlessness, once he found out that he had been thrown into prison and that the matter with the river bandits was not exposed, he would surely send someone immediately to kill him, to hasten his death and prevent any association with the river bandits from coming to light.

Zou Jiang hadn’t accused him of colluding with the river bandits because of this.

It’s all over, all over!

Gao Tong, the river bandit who took money years ago to harm Zou Jiang’s family, grew up in the bandit village. County Magistrate Zou knew him because of their elder relatives.

Gao Tong’s mother, Ms. Dong, was a maternal cousin of County Magistrate Zou’s mother. Because of her beauty, when she went to the Prefecture city for leisure, she caught the eye of a river bandit and was taken to their village, where she spent her life.

Lady Gao Tong might not like Master Gao Tong, but she treated Gao Tong well, so Gao Tong, despite his ruthless and harsh nature, still helped fulfill his old mother’s last wish to have Ms. Dong’s ashes sent back home for burial.

The Dong family lived in a village on the outskirts of He’an Prefecture.

At that time, County Magistrate Zou was about to go to the Prefecture for an exam and happened to be staying at the Dong family’s place through a relative’s connection, just in time to be caught up in the affair, inexplicably seized to wear mourning attire for Lady Gao Tong’s funeral.

After burying his old mother, Gao Tong stayed in his maternal home for a while longer. At that time, County Magistrate Zou didn’t know who Gao Tong was, only that his maternal grandfather from the Dong family was terrified every single day and very wary of Gao Tong.

Gao Tong showed no respect for the Dong family, but because of his old mother’s connection, he did not engage in robbing the Dong family. However, before leaving, Gao Tong informed County Magistrate Zou of his identity as a river bandit’s son.

Upon learning this, County Magistrate Zou was scared to death and asked him, "Aren’t you afraid that I’ll report you?"

Gao Tong, raised in a river bandit’s lair, afraid of this? He laughed arrogantly and replied, "You go ahead and report to the officials, but the Zou family will surely be the first ones to die."

County Magistrate Zou got scared; he didn’t dare provoke someone who lived by the knife.

Later on, County Magistrate Zou’s exam didn’t go well, and he envied Zou Jiang’s widespread reputation for talent, harboring evil thoughts, he paid Gao Tong to help kill Zou Jiang.

Gao Tong, born of river bandits who upheld the rule against doing business on land, no longer satisfied with the old folks in the village and harboring thoughts of replacing them, took County Magistrate Zou’s offer to work on land.

County Magistrate Zou originally wanted Gao Tong to kill Zou Jiang, but Gao Tong and his men, upon seeing Zou Jiang’s beautiful new wife, harbored evil intentions and dealt with her on the spot.

Because of this delay, when County Magistrate Zou arrived, Zou Jiang was not yet dead but had been knocked unconscious.

County Magistrate Zou was also vicious, seeing that Zou Jiang’s wife had encountered misfortune, he immediately changed his mind, not killing Zou Jiang, letting him live with the disgrace forever.

Indeed, after Zou Jiang woke up, under multiple blows, his past ambition vanished completely, and he turned into a servant of the Zou family.

Afterwards, County Magistrate Zou achieved an official position and became an Assistant Officer, while Gao Tong also took out the old folks in the village and became the leader of the Water Bandit Village. Learning that County Magistrate Zou had become an official, he sought him out once more, and the two collaborated on unsavory deeds.

County Magistrate Zou sold citizens bound for corvée labor, all transported away through Lu Zi provided by Gao Tong, sold at high prices to the mines.

However, for Gao Tong, County Magistrate Zou was just one of many sources of wealth; Gao Tong had other collaborators in He’an Prefecture, Linhe Prefecture, Jiangnan, and other places.

That’s why County Magistrate Zou was afraid... A dispensable partner, a distant cousin, these two sorts of relations were not worth Gao Tong sparing his life. Gao Tong would definitely send someone to get rid of him.

In Tianfu County, County Magistrate Zou had Limp Six deliver messages to the river bandits, and Gao Tong had also arranged for men to keep watch on County Magistrate Zou. If anything went wrong with County Magistrate Zou, those watchers wouldn’t need to wait for Gao Tong’s order; they could directly act and kill County Magistrate Zou.

But this time, these watchers didn’t succeed and almost met their end at the county government.

These men were also formidable. Knowing that a tough nut to crack had arrived at the government office, they didn’t force their way in; instead, they withdrew in time, planning to first send a message to Gao Tong and have him dispatch some capable men to silence County Magistrate Zou.

The ones who stopped these men were Qin San Lang and Qin Er Lang, the two of them being the best fighters in the government office and the Military Office. When Zou Jiang pressed charges against County Magistrate Zou, they were hiding in the shadows with the Military Office personnel, waiting for these men to show up.

Upon seeing those men fleeing, Qin Er Lang immediately gave chase.