Forced to marry, I picked up a young powerful official

Chapter 185 I won't take the blame for this

"I can't stand these things in the first place. As long as the situation is true, I won't refuse. Whether it's a petty thief who steals chickens and dogs, or a rich man who oppresses the people, I have fought for justice. Most of the time, I can get justice for the oppressed. But I have suffered losses before, as you two have seen. Although I have martial arts skills, I am far from being able to fight a hundred people alone like Mr. Cai. When I encounter the guards of the gentry's house and blockade, I often suffer some losses. Fortunately, this situation is not common."

Gong Tao paused for a moment and continued, "As I did more things, my reputation became more famous. Naturally, people praised me, but those whose interests were affected by me wanted to kill me. However, I was very sensible in my actions. I would hand over the matter to the government if possible, and rarely took action myself. Even if I did, no one was killed, so it was not easy for them to deal with me."

Shen Nankui suddenly asked, "Master Gong, there has been chaos in Yongzhou recently. I heard that someone often arrested scoundrels and threw them to the government office, but never showed up. Did you do this?"

"It's me." Gong Tao nodded.

Then he sighed again, "The Yongzhou incident was caused by me. Even if I want to avoid the government office, I will feel guilty if I don't do something."

"So does that mean that you are also responsible for the death of Zhou Zun?" Cai Ling asked.

"That's right. Please be patient, I will explain the reasons one by one."

Gong Tao's gaze fell on the curtain at the foot of the bed, and a trace of reminiscence appeared in his eyes.

"…I still remember that day, an old man came to me and told me in tears that his granddaughter, who depended on him for everything, was favored by a wealthy businessman, who wanted to take his granddaughter as a concubine. The old man disagreed, so the businessman forcibly took her into his house and beat him until he vomited blood. He really didn't know what to do, so he asked me for help. I heard from the old man that the businessman was over 50 years old, and now he wanted to take a young girl who had just reached the age of 15 as a concubine. If he really succeeded, the rest of his granddaughter's life would be ruined."

"I became anxious when I heard this. After finding out where he was going, I rushed to rescue him with my sword. However, when I arrived at the wealthy merchant's villa, there was no one alive there."

"How could this be?" Shen Nankui asked in surprise.

Gong Tao smiled bitterly, shook his head and said, "I was also shocked at the time, but the dead bodies on the ground reminded me that this was all real. After I calmed down, I counted them. There were thirteen dead bodies in total. Among them, there was a man dressed in rich clothes, who looked to be in his fifties. He vaguely looked like the wealthy businessman that the old man mentioned. But there was no woman in the whole yard at all."

"I knew that so many people had died, and that the matter must be serious, so I wanted to go to the government office to report it. But the old man who led me here earlier had actually brought soldiers with him, and he insisted that I had killed all these people. I hated him for framing me for no reason, and wanted to explain that the matter of the other courtyard had nothing to do with me, but when I entered the other courtyard with a sword, many people saw it. The old man asked these people to testify, and I really had no way to defend myself. I was unwilling to bear the guilt of killing these thirteen people, so I injured two officials and took the opportunity to escape."

As he spoke, there was a hint of resentment in his voice.

"A few days later, I learned that the person who died in the courtyard that day was not a wealthy businessman, but the magistrate of Han County. I also became a wanted criminal for killing an official appointed by the imperial court. My portrait was posted everywhere. I could not enter the city, and I dared not interact with people, so I hid in the mountains for two months."

Gong Tao rubbed the scar on his jaw.

"This scar has been with me for decades. It is my most conspicuous mark. When I was in hiding, I never trimmed my beard. After the beard covered the scar, I didn't look much like the person in the portrait. One day, I bravely entered the county town, but no one stopped me. I finally breathed a sigh of relief."

"Since I was not recognized in Han County, if I go away from Jiangnan and go somewhere else, maybe I will be safer. But I am unwilling to do that. I, Gong Tao, have lived an upright life. Why should I bear such a false accusation and hide for the rest of my life?"

"I won't take the blame for this!"

Gong Tao clenched his palm into a fist, "After that, I kept thinking about how to get justice for myself."

"After the death of the magistrate of Han County, a new magistrate took office not long after. But I was set up in Han County. Under the uncertain situation, I would not be stupid enough to give myself to the enemy. So I left Han County. Along the way, I always heard people say that the governor of Yongzhou was an honest official and the most upright. When the people of Yongzhou mentioned him, they all showed respect. A person who could be loved by the people like this must be a good official. So, I sneaked into Yongzhou City a few months ago."

Shen Nankui understood, "So, you came to Yongzhou to ask the governor to do justice."

"Yes, that's exactly it."

Gong Tao nodded and continued, "Of course, I didn't show up immediately after I came to Yongzhou. I'm a wanted criminal. Once I fall into the hands of the government, it will be difficult to escape. If I can't convince the government of my story, it will be difficult to clear my name. My life is not a big deal, but I don't want to take the blame for others while letting those who really did evil go unpunished. So, after I entered the city, I asked around and heard similar stories from the people outside the city. Everyone respected the governor."

"But I was still worried, so I secretly followed the governor for a few days. Seeing that he acted upright and was indeed a good official who loved the people like his own children, I made up my mind to meet him. That day was a day off for the government office, and I took advantage of the fact that he went to the bookstore to choose books and no one was following him, and quietly appeared in front of him. After he knew my identity, he was not nervous or afraid, but went to the backyard of the bookstore to talk with me alone."

"He asked me how to prove that I had not killed anyone. I thought about it and said that there was not enough time. From the time I entered the courtyard to the time I came out, only a quarter of an hour had passed. Even if I had martial arts skills, it would be impossible for me to slaughter thirteen adults so easily in such a short quarter of an hour. Besides, there was no blood on my sword. Unfortunately, when I explained to the Han County officers and soldiers, they only believed the witnesses and did not listen to what I said at all."

"But the governor is different. After listening to what I said, he nodded and said, 'It is indeed full of loopholes.' Then he pointed out that not only did I not have the time to commit the crime, I also had no motive. Let me ask you, who would kill someone for no reason, especially when the other party is an official? Although the county magistrate of Han County is not as famous as the governor, he is also diligent in governing government affairs. I have no grudges against him, so how could I kill 13 people in his family?"