Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 540 Zeng Jing was arrested
Ba Fang watched for a long time from a corner outside the prison. Seeing that the men had completely given up struggling, he quickly ran back to the county government to report the news.

At this hour, Meng Changqing had already gone to sleep. Bafang was meowing like a cat outside the door, but Meng Changqing didn't wake up. However, the Imperial Guards on the roof of the neighboring courtyard got impatient and threw a stone at him.

When everyone looked at him, the person on the roof yawned and said, "Are you a thief? Can't you just knock on the door if you need something?"

Ba Fang leaped up the courtyard wall and said to Zhao Qing, "Keep your voice down, don't wake the old lady."

"Why bother?" Zhao Qing shook her head. "Fine, I won't say anything. You can keep calling out."

The commotion of the birds flying up and down from all directions woke Meng Changqing up.

She got up and went to the window to check, and only felt relieved when she saw that it was Bafang.

Meng Changqing finished dressing and let Bafang in. "What happened?"

"The people from Liangzhou Prefecture have all been subdued by our men," Bafang asked. "The prefecture will definitely send more people. Should Zhou Xing send another group?"

"What time is it now?" Meng Changqing asked.

It's almost four in the morning.

Meng Changqing calculated the time in his mind and knew that Liu Dexiang wanted to take advantage of the time difference at night to arrest the person. Little did he know that he was not the only one who liked to use underhanded methods.

"No need. Unless those three are completely useless, he won't have time to bother with me." Meng Changqing said to Bafang, "It's getting late, go back to sleep."

"Young Master, are you sure we don't need to make any preparations?" Ba Fang was still a little worried.

Meng Changqing laughed and said, "I can predict someone like Liu Dexiang accurately, so you can rest assured."

As expected, her prediction came true. The next day, news came that Zeng had been imprisoned, and no one from Liangzhou Prefecture came again.

After dealing with Zeng Jing's men, Cheng Guang came in and reported to Meng Changqing, "Zeng's attendant said that someone from the prefectural government came to demand the account books in the first half of last night. This morning, Zeng was summoned to the prefectural government and has now been imprisoned."

Lord Zeng summoned him here so that you could plead for him.

I told him you weren't here and asked him to go back first. "Prepare the horses," Meng Changqing said.

"Sir, are you really going?" Cheng Guang advised, "This isn't something that can be done by pleading. Why get involved in this mess?"

“Wouldn’t it be a disgrace to the people of Quping to plead for him?” Meng Changqing said. “I’ll go see him.”

"Yes." Cheng Guang stepped back to the door, then remembered something else. "By the way, sir, should we give those people in the jail some food?"

"Give them water, but not food," Meng Changqing ordered. "Give them water and then leave. Don't stand in front of those people."

"Yes."

That evening, Meng Changqing met Zeng Jing in the state prison.

His official robes were stripped off, his hair was disheveled, and he sat with his legs bent on a straw mat. It was unknown what he was thinking at that moment.

"Lord Zeng," Meng Changqing called softly.

Zeng Jing slowly turned around, and after seeing who was outside the prison door, he rushed to Meng Changqing in two steps. "Lord Meng!" he said excitedly. "You are the first person to come and see me."

I know I am guilty. I do not beg the court for a lenient sentence, nor do I ask you to plead for me. I only beg you to protect my family and prevent them from being framed by villains. I beg you, I beg you!

There was a thought stuck in my throat: "If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place," but I ultimately didn't say it.

"Does Lord Zeng have a residence in the capital?" Meng Changqing asked.

Zeng Jing shook his head. "No, why ask that?"

“If they have a place to stay, I plan to have a reliable person send them to the capital first, and then we’ll make further plans after you’ve made your decision,” Meng Changqing said. “Since they don’t have one, bringing them to Liangzhou City is the safest way. They can then go to the capital with you.”

"Lord Meng!" Zeng Jing grabbed the railing in front of him. "I have offended many people in Quping. I did it for myself, but also for the court and the people. Now that I am in prison, those people will not let my family go. Please take care of them."

"Our family can die under the court's accountability, but we cannot die at the hands of those people."