Chapter 297: Chapter 297: Lord County Magistrate Trembles with Cold
In the past, Liu Qinghe had heard that a heavy reward would produce brave men, but it was always just a saying; he had never witnessed it personally.
But today, he saw another type of bravery.
It wasn’t a result of heavy rewards, but rather came after he said something.
Liu Qinghe just informed the villagers that their village chief would not be returning.
And this time, he came to ask them about the village chief’s family, only to seek justice for them.
Of course, if they spoke about more of the village chief family’s evil deeds, it would somehow influence the timing of the family’s execution.
Upon learning of this outcome, all the villagers inside and outside the courtyard burst into tears.
Amidst this chaotic and deafening wailing, Liu Qinghe and his subordinates heard a lot of information.
Concord City was remote, and Weston Village was even more notoriously impoverished within Concord City.
Usually, let alone facing external threats, the village struggled with hunger even without them.
The village chief’s family wanted to live a good life, but they had no legitimate means to secure an official position in the city, so they set their greedy sights on the impoverished villagers.
For at least ten years, the village chief’s family used various means to take away the children from each household.
Whether boys or girls, once the village chief’s family knew about them, they would try to take them away by any means.
The fate of those children, whether they were eaten as food or became slaves or playthings for rich families, was unknown.
The villagers only knew that those children taken by the village chief never appeared again.
They had no silver or children left.
Some villagers went to the village chief to argue, only to be severely beaten and have their legs broken.
Life was too harsh.
It wasn’t that no one wanted to escape from Weston Village, but the village chief warned that if anyone dared to escape or speak nonsense outside, he would dig up their ancestral graves.
This made everyone in the village truly afraid to act recklessly.
The living could not live well, and even after death, they would not have peace should their ancestors’ graves be disturbed!
Even Liu Qinghe, along with the government officials accompanying him, listened until their veins throbbed with anger.
Had the village chief’s family not been imprisoned already, they would have wanted to execute them directly.
Lord County Magistrate provided some silver, but Liu Qinghe still tried his best to distribute a little to each household.
As for the mansion smeared with filth, Liu Qinghe and his men did not go back to check on it.
The stench was unbearable.
Returning to Concord City, Liu Qinghe immediately took people to see Hu Kaicheng, reporting the happenings in Weston Village one by one.
Crack!
A teacup was slammed to the ground, shattering into pieces.
Hu Kaicheng trembled with rage, cursing: "Truly lacking in conscience! Lacking in conscience! Liu Qinghe, immediately order a public hearing tomorrow at noon..."
Seeing that Lord County Magistrate was about to say "execute," Liu Qinghe hurriedly interjected: "Sir, I have other issues to report!"
Interrupted, Hu Kaicheng felt even more displeased but managed to restrain his irritation, considering it was Liu Qinghe, asking: "What is it?"
Liu Qinghe noticed Hu Kaicheng’s displeasure and dared not beat around the bush, quickly recounting the situation.
Actually, this wasn’t Liu Qinghe’s own idea but something he considered upon returning when he happened to see Yi Meng strolling with Manbao in the streets.
Without seeing Qi Quanjin, Liu Qinghe naturally inquired and learned that Qi Quanjin had gone to hunt down the person selling candied haws for the pair.
Yi Meng noticed Liu Qinghe’s unsightly expression and speculated whether there was a turning point in the case against the Weston Village chief family, so she asked further questions.
Upon inquiry, she realized the village chief’s family was exceptionally inhumane.
Yi Meng suggested that capturing only the village chief’s family was not enough; a complete purge of their entire network would truly solve the problem.
Otherwise, today it was Concord City’s Weston Village, and tomorrow, who knows which city’s Weston Village it might be.
Liu Qinghe found the reasoning increasingly sound and thought to report it to Lord County Magistrate.
If Lord County Magistrate listened, it would be wonderful.
If not, he, a minor government official, had no other options.
Hu Kaicheng felt some resistance to the proposal.
How could apprehending the entire network ever be so simple?
Especially since the public trial noise only occurred in the morning; who knew how far those involved had fled since?
But hearing that the idea came from the Yongping Village chief’s wife made Hu Kaicheng cautious.
The Qi Family of Yongping Village was quite fortunate, even receiving rewards from the Emperor.
If he followed this suggestion and captured the entire network tied to the Weston Village chief family, could it perhaps lead to a higher position?
With this thought, Hu Kaicheng became excited, though he didn’t show it, instead ordering an immediate interrogation of the Weston Village chief family.
The chief’s family had run rampant in the village for years without experiencing such hardships, and after only a short while of interrogation, they spilled everything they knew like pouring beans.
Liu Qinghe promptly reported to Lord County Magistrate, immediately receiving orders to apprehend the entire network.
One had to admit, Hu Kaicheng indeed had some luck.
Although several small fry managed to escape, the head responsible for these dirty deeds in the city missed both the public trial at noon and any escape, being caught directly on a courtesan’s bed.
Upon learning of this outcome, Hu Kaicheng nearly fainted from joy.
Though his position might not get an immediate promotion, he almost certainly passed this assessment.
He believed that after so many years as County Magistrate, there was a significant chance for advancement.
Unable to share such words with subordinates, Hu Kaicheng thought of discussing it with his wife.
He intended to share his happiness, yet after he spoke, the County Magistrate’s Wife instead wore a cold face.
"Sir, have you forgotten how many years you’ve been County Magistrate in Concord City?"
With one sentence, she left Hu Kaicheng speechless: "What does my wife mean by this?"
The County Magistrate’s Wife said, "Sir, you’re blinded by joy. Consider this, the Weston Village chief’s family misbehaved for at least a decade, and you’ve been County Magistrate here for about as long, haven’t you? By that measure, doesn’t it imply that the Weston Village chief family misbehaved right under your nose all these years?"
"Also, if the higher-ups consider this, forget whether your position can be advanced—you might even struggle to keep it."
Hearing this, Hu Kaicheng felt a chill throughout his body.
What if, having caught the villains, he ends up being implicated? Was it over for him?
