They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 328 Quickly Closed the Case

Young Master Qi was getting anxious. Wait for the trial results? That wouldn't do.

If this verdict is finalized, it will be difficult to change it!
Although my uncle is a sub-prefect, he can't openly break the law. There are many competitors in the officialdom. What if someone uses this against him?
Some things can be done in secret, but they absolutely cannot be brought into the light.

If the case is closed, my uncle will definitely not get involved anymore.

He must see Lord Lu.

But he couldn't just shout in public, "My uncle is Magistrate Fan!" Wouldn't that be even worse?

The second young master of Qi was so anxious that he repeatedly bowed to the constables: "Gentlemen, please have mercy and let me see Lord Lu. I have important evidence to give to Lord Lu. I must give it to Lord Lu personally. My elder brother is innocent!"

Constable Yu strode out of the yamen and kicked him so hard that he screamed and fell heavily to the ground, clutching his stomach and curling up like a shrimp, too weak to shout anymore.

"This isn't your Qi family's place. Who gave you permission to make a scene here? Do you really think your Qi family can do whatever you want just because you have some money? If you really had evidence, why didn't you say so in the first place? You're clearly using this as an excuse to try and bribe our officials!"

"We adults are honest and upright, and busy with official duties. How could we have time to play these petty tricks with you? Get out of here! Or else we'll give you a beating! Get out!"

Young Master Qi was in so much pain that his vision was still blurring. He was so angry and anxious from being scolded that he had no strength to speak.

The Qi family's lackeys were terrified and hurriedly helped him up, one of them carrying him on his back and running away.

Those yamen runners in Qingshan County are despicable! If this were in their Qingyang County, they would have been dealt with long ago.
The thugs and hooligans bribed by the Qi family's steward also began to take action.

Unfortunately, some of these hooligans were under the control of Constable Yu, and the leaders had already received instructions from Constable Yu, so they dared not say anything.
They readily agreed, accepted the money, did nothing, and even tipped off Officer Yu, completely betraying them in the process.

Another group of people were paid to do things, but they were immediately refuted by the people as soon as they opened their mouths.

"Nonsense, that's not true at all, it's clearly..."

"Where did you hear this rumor? How shameless! Lady Shanci was bestowed with a title by the Emperor. Would she look down on such filthy and vile people? Didn't you know that Lady Shanci once jumped off a cliff to die for her husband? We all know that! She also swore that she would never remarry in this life, and you didn't know that either? What do you know then!"

"I bet you've taken money from the Qi family to deliberately slander Madam Shanci, haven't you? How vicious!"

"My God, it's really possible! I heard the Qi family is here."

The thugs were questioning the meaning of life.
One mouth can't possibly distinguish between several mouths, and in the end, exasperated and frustrated, he had no choice but to slink away in defeat.

Some of them encountered bold and righteous people who were quite powerful in the city. They suspected that the Qi family had bribed them, which was really despicable. So they called on the neighbors to escort the people to the government.

Officer Yu was overjoyed. He was waiting to arrest the person soon, using the excuse that he had received a report from the people that someone was slandering Madam Shanci.

Unexpectedly, it came to me without any effort!

Of course, people still need to be arrested.

After arresting a few ringleaders and announcing the news to the others, the lower-ranking henchmen naturally dared not utter a sound.

Perfect! Following the clues, we arrested the Second Young Master Qi and the Qi family steward, and reported the case to Magistrate Lu.

Magistrate Lu was furious.

"This is utterly lawless! Utterly arrogant!" It was clear from the start that they had no good intentions in visiting him.

He ignored them and resorted to underhanded tactics to smear Madam Shanci.

Even if she was personally appointed Lady Shanci by the Emperor, once such mudslinging was done on her, it was impossible to completely clear her name.

Magistrate Lu admired both Xu Zhichun and Liang Mingxuan. He would never allow Xu Zhichun to be stigmatized and Liang Mingxuan to be used as a pretext for attack. He immediately ordered his advisor, Shao, to handle the matter and for the government to officially step in and clear Madam Shanci's name.

The matter was reported, and all the thugs who spread the rumors were taken to the downtown area for public humiliation. The Qi family steward and several Qi family servants, who had no choice but to step forward and confess everything, were also taken to the public humiliation.

Butler Qi had no choice but to admit it. The thugs identified him and the Qi family members. The matter was urgent, and they didn't try to cover it up at all. They thought that with the rumors spreading, who would think of them? They weren't locals, and they would leave in a day or two at most, and they wouldn't run into the thugs again.

Who would have thought it would turn out like this?

The money they had used to bribe the thugs was also found. There was no way those unemployed vagrants could have that much cash on them. Caught red-handed, if they didn't confess, Magistrate Lu could use torture.

Once torture is used, very few people can withstand it.

They were disgraced, and the second young master Qi wasn't much better off; he was detained in the county government office and couldn't do anything.

He didn't even have the chance to speak to Lord Lu alone, or to say, "My uncle is Magistrate Fan!"
When Fan Tongzhi's trusted advisor, dressed in plain clothes and accompanied by an attendant, entered the city discreetly and hastily the next day, heading straight to the county government office to seek an audience with Magistrate Lu—

Yes, you've come at the perfect time.

The case is now closed.

Qi Tong and Qi Gui confessed after being beaten with a stick, and the eldest son of Qi also reluctantly admitted it.

What else can he do? If he doesn't go back soon, he'll be tormented to death by his injuries.

And the wound on his leg, no one changed his dressing or applied medicine.

At first, he arrogantly brought up Magistrate Fan, but Magistrate Lu simply said he would ignore him.

Magistrate Lu hated this kind of bullying behavior the most.

They've all started bullying him, how dare they?
If he compromises immediately, what kind of person will he be? So many people in the government office are watching. Doesn't this county magistrate have any shame or dignity?
He had originally planned to hold a public trial tomorrow. Since the person was a relative of Magistrate Fan, Magistrate Fan's men might come tomorrow. So he decided to hold the trial that day. As long as he got the results sooner, what did it matter if Magistrate Fan did it?
Would Magistrate Fan risk his wife's cousin's son to gain official favor and plant a time bomb for himself?
It seems that his Qi family doesn't have that kind of value.

Young Master Qi must have realized this later and secretly regretted it.

Unfortunately, there is no regret medicine in the world.

It would be too easy for Magistrate Lu to cripple his leg. After all, his leg was already injured. Magistrate Lu could have easily claimed that the injury had flared up or that he was simply in poor physical condition. What did it have to do with him?

As for why he was arrested?

Oh, he's a suspect, is there anything wrong with arresting him?

In front of Fan Tongzhi's staff, the evidence was conclusive and clear.

Magistrate Lu righteously and sternly denounced the eldest son of the Qi family and the Qi clan, leaving Fan Tongzhi's trusted advisor looking embarrassed.