allonlinenovel Chapter 407 Bound and Delivered to the Government
Chapter 407 Bound and Delivered to the Government
After discussing it privately for several days, they finally came up with a list, and that night they tied the people up and left them in front of the government office.
I heard that before dawn, the patrolling officers arrested all of them and threw them into prison.
Since those people committed the crime, the authorities have been unable to catch them and the case has remained unsolved.
Now, no one knows which deity has appeared, as if divine soldiers have descended from the heavens, and in an instant, all these wanted fugitives have been brought to the gates of the government office.
The magistrate interrogated the prisoners overnight and learned that he had not only captured prisoners from his own county, but also two prisoners from the neighboring county. He was overjoyed and excited, and repeatedly thanked the Bodhisattva for giving him the opportunity to make meritorious contributions and enhance his political achievements.
The clerk fanned himself vigorously with his fan a few times and said with a smile, "Sir, we caught several criminals in old cases without lifting a finger this time. It's as if divine intervention has helped us. If the imperial court knows that our yamen, under your leadership, has captured several fugitive criminals, and even criminals from the neighboring county, the court will definitely reward you. You could even be promoted two ranks."
Magistrate Zhao Zhihang grinned from ear to ear, “There are no divine soldiers in this world. I wonder which brave man did such a good deed without leaving his name. If I find out, I will definitely reward him handsomely.”
The clerk closed his fan and said, "What you say reminds me of a recent rumor that a group of bandits came to Lingyun Mountain, but we haven't heard of any trouble happening nearby. Do you think it's possible that the bandits kidnapped these prisoners and sent them here?"
Lord Zhao shook his head and denied it, saying, "Bandits are all people who burn, kill, rob, and commit all kinds of evil deeds. If these prisoners who have been tied up and sent here are really in cahoots with them, they would only strengthen their own power because they are birds of a feather. Why would they tie up people and send them here to solve government problems and do such a good thing?"
The advisor sighed, agreeing with what the master said.
After repeated interrogations, they discovered that the group of people were indeed bandits from Lingyun Mountain, and that they had been tied up and brought here by their own people.
Upon learning the truth, Lord Zhao swayed and nearly fainted. "I never imagined the rumors were true. There really are bandits who have set up camp in my territory. I thought I would gain merit by capturing a fugitive from the neighboring county, but in the end, it is I who should be the one with a headache."
If the imperial court knew there were bandits on Lingyun Mountain and specifically ordered me to lead men to suppress them, those villains are all ruthless and heartless, how could I possibly gain anything with such a small force?"
Just thinking about it was enough to give him a headache, and Lord Zhao could no longer smile.
He thought good things had come his way, but unexpectedly, all those plagues came to his territory. What should he do?
He had worked diligently for many years, though he hadn't achieved anything significant. During his tenure, the county was peaceful and the people lived in peace and contentment. He was eagerly awaiting a promotion, but now, if these troublemakers caused any trouble, it was hard to say whether he could even keep his official position, let alone get promoted!
Seeing his master looking as if he had lost his parents, with his gloomy face covered in fine sweat, the advisor suggested, "Sir, don't worry. Judging from the fact that those bandits brought over these fugitives who committed serious crimes, it's beneficial to us. They must be trying to curry favor with us."
They haven't done anything outrageous yet, so why don't we wait and see what they do next? If they don't quiet down, we can request reinforcements from the imperial court to go up the mountain and suppress the bandits, what do you say?
Lord Zhao looked anxious. "I am very worried. Those bandits are on the mountain. I will not be able to eat or sleep in peace until I wipe them out. How can I wait and see?"
“Sir, they brought the prisoners to us, which is a gesture of goodwill. If we go up the mountain to suppress the bandits without any sense of morality, and fail to capture them in one fell swoop, we might anger them and they might do something desperate. We don’t need to risk that. Look at the magistrate of the neighboring county. He hasn’t caught any fugitives for years, but he’s not worried at all. Do you think he doesn’t want to make a contribution and get promoted?”
Yes, yes, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. No matter how smart others are, we can't be so stupid as to offer ourselves as a sacrifice to bandits. It would only hurt our loved ones and please our enemies.
Besides, he had no grudge against these bandits. He would not attack them unless they attacked him, and if they did, he would request the imperial court to send troops to wipe them out in one fell swoop!
Lord Zhao narrowed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and said, "Then I'll listen to you and wait and see!"
……
Lin Qingchuan and his wife, Liu, along with their youngest daughter and son, rode their carriage at breakneck speed to the capital. They immediately found an inn to stay at. Then, Lin Qingchuan found a messenger, quickly wrote a letter, and spent three taels of silver to have the messenger deliver it by waterway to Manager Su in Dushui County overnight.
He feared that if the messenger, traveling at full speed by land, encountered bandits again, everything would be over.
The messenger, seeing that he could earn three taels of silver just by taking a boat trip to deliver a letter, readily agreed.
Liu cried with tears streaming down her face, "We can't report it to the authorities, and we can't go up the mountain. Xiao Tang has been taken to the mountain by them, and we don't know if she's alive or dead. What are we going to do?"
Lin Qingchuan looked grave, but he had to comfort his wife, "Xiao Tang is clever and resourceful, and she always manages to turn danger into safety. Let's wait for news first. We just hope that Manager Su can send the medicinal herb seeds up the mountain as soon as possible. Maybe then Xiao Tang will be safe."
Liu felt uneasy, her eyelids twitching incessantly. She said dejectedly, "That mountain is full of vicious bandits. Little Tang is just a little girl, I'm scared... Waaah..."
As she spoke, Liu started crying again.
Before leaving, the bandits made a threatening statement: if they reported it to the authorities, Xiao Tang would likely become their victim before the soldiers even reached the mountain. But if they didn't report it, would Xiao Tang survive?
Years ago, I heard from the village elders that some women were abducted by bandits and taken to the mountains. The lucky ones could become the bandit chief's wives, while the unlucky ones were raped and killed by the bandits.
Regardless of the circumstances, those women who went up the mountain never came down again, and no one knows whether they are alive or dead.
She was filled with worry and sorrow, regretting that she hadn't stopped her husband and daughter. She wished she hadn't come to the capital to do business. What was the use of making so much money if her daughter was about to die?
"Could we ask Manager Su to help us think of a way to rescue Xiao Tang? Those bandits want money, and as long as we have it, we'll give it to them without any conditions. As long as we can do it, we'll satisfy them."
Lin Qingchuan also wanted to use such a simple and brutal method, but back then, he and Xiao Tang ruined Scarface and Big Beard's plans and helped the second young master of the Xue family escape from their noses. Now, those bandits are no longer just robbing people on the road. They want to settle personal scores. I'm afraid they won't release people easily even if you offer them some silver and valuables.