Merit-based card draws, quickly become a Heavenly Emperor

As the sun rose, a row of officials stood outside the city gate of Yongqing County.

Magistrate Zhou Huai-ren, unusually, got up very early, changed into a brand-new official robe, and stood at the front with his gray hair neatly combed and a cane.

Behind him were Supervisor Lu Zhengfeng, County Magistrate Zhu Tianhua, County Commandant Ma Debiao, and several other assistants of the county government.

The person who could get the county magistrate out of bed in the early morning must be someone of extraordinary status.

Lu Qingyun, the judicial officer of the prefectural magistrate's office, was ordered to come and supervise the case of Chu Tiankuo's murder.

Many people were surprised to find that there were two constables behind County Magistrate Zhu Tianhua, with a young man being escorted in the middle.

The young man was bound hand and foot, the knots tied tightly, his hands pinned behind his back. He was Zhu Tianhua's son, Zhu Hongcai.

He looked unwilling, his brows furrowed, but he didn't dare to struggle and stood obediently behind his father.

Many officials were surprised when they saw this, and some even whispered among themselves.

Those with good connections have all heard about what happened at Zuixianlou last night.

Zhu Hongcai appeared at the city gate looking like this early this morning, and everyone knew that things weren't that simple.

Zhu Tianhua stood at the front of the line, his posture upright and his gaze straight ahead.

To onlookers, the county magistrate appeared upright and dignified.

Before long, the sound of carriages and horses could be heard from the distant official road.

A blue-curtained carriage, escorted by several guards, slowly approached. The curtain was lifted, and a young woman stepped out.

She wore a blue official robe with an official insignia hanging from her waist. She was tall and slender with a fair complexion, delicate features, and a cool and aloof air about her.

She glanced at the officials who were greeting her at the city gate, but her gaze didn't linger; she walked straight up to them.

Zhou Huai-ren stepped forward with a smile on his face, cupped his hands and said, "Military Advisor Lu has come from afar. I am sorry for not welcoming you properly. Please forgive my lack of respect."

I had heard of Military Advisor Lu's reputation in the prefecture years ago. When you were studying at Yunxi Academy, you were known for your skill in judging cases.

Now, with even greater vigor and talent, he truly is a force to be reckoned with.

Lu Qingyun nodded slightly, his face devoid of a smile, and said in a flat tone, "Lord Zhou, you are too kind."

She turned to Lü Zhengfeng and nodded.

Lu Zhengfeng bowed and said, "Lord Lu, you must be tired from your long journey."

The two had worked together in the prefectural government, but at this moment Lu Qingyun was a superior official who had come to supervise the case, and Lü Zhengfeng did not neglect any of the proper etiquette.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lu Qingyun's gaze fell on the young man who was tied up behind Zhu Tianhua, and he paused slightly: "Lord Zhu, what is this?"

Zhu Tianhua sighed, his stern expression fading slightly, replaced by one of deep sorrow: "What a misfortune for our family."

He shook his head, his tone heavy, "Since I took office as the county magistrate, I have devoted myself to official duties and neglected to discipline my children."

This unfilial son has been spoiled since childhood, and he acts arrogantly and doesn't know his own limitations.

Although I occasionally offered admonitions, he ignored them completely, ultimately reaping bitter consequences and committing several wrongdoings.

He turned to the side, glared at Zhu Hongcai, and suddenly raised his voice: "You unfilial son, still not admitting your guilt!"

"You colluded with Sun Xianrong to commit numerous illegal acts. I wouldn't have known if I didn't, but now that I do, I can't let you continue your reckless behavior!"

He turned to Lu Qingyun, cupped his hands in greeting, and said in a somber voice, "Today, Military Advisor Lu has graced this county with his presence. I will now hand this rebellious son over to the Prefectural Magistrate's Office for any disposal."

Those that need to be tried will be tried, and those that need to be sentenced will be sentenced; there will be no leniency.

Fang Zheng stood at the back of the crowd and saw everything.

He remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he sneered.

What a dramatic scene of "kidnapping someone to turn themselves in".

Zhu Tianhua, as expected of a seasoned official, reacted so quickly.

Regardless of whether he was the mastermind behind sending people to kidnap the criminal, just the fact that he kidnapped the man and surrendered himself to the police shows that he had gained the upper hand.

Now that Sun Xianrong is no longer a witness, how can Zhu Hongcai be convicted based on just one testimony?

At that time, Zhu Hongcai can just pick a few unimportant cases to confess to, at most he'll be locked up for a few months and fined some silver to get rid of it.

For Zhu Hongcai, this was Yongqing County, and being locked up anywhere was no different from being at home.

As for the fine, would someone as extravagant as Zhu Hongcai care about such a small amount of money?

Most importantly, they gained a good reputation.

It is a great virtue to admit one's mistakes and correct them; in that case, Zhu Hongcai would become a prodigal son who has turned over a new leaf.

As for Zhu Tianhua, he gained a reputation for upholding justice by even kidnapping his own son to plead guilty.

They're really calculating.

Lu Zhengfeng stood to the side, his expression unchanged, but Fang Zheng noticed that his hands hanging at his sides tightened slightly.

He could see that Zhu Tianhua was acting, but the witness was lost, and a single testimony was not enough to convict Zhu Hongcai. Exposing him in person would only make him seem impatient.

He remained silent, offering no reply, only a faint, cold smile playing on his lips.

As Lu Qingyun listened to Zhu Tianhua's words, his gaze swept back and forth between Zhu Tianhua and Zhu Hongcai.

She did not immediately express her opinion, but remained silent for a few moments before speaking: "Since Lord Zhu is so understanding, then I will not say any more."

"Guards, take Zhu Hongcai into custody for now, and we will deal with him further after the case is investigated."

The constables from the two prefectural governor's offices stepped forward and took Zhu Hongcai from the constables of Yongqing County.

The spoiled young man lowered his head, remained silent, and obediently followed.

After Zhu Hongcai was taken away, Zhou Huai-ren stepped forward with his cane and said with a smile, "Military Advisor Lu has come from afar and must be tired from the journey."

"I have prepared a simple banquet at the county government office to show my hospitality..."

"No need."

Lu Qingyun interrupted him before he could finish speaking, saying, "I have come here on the orders of the prefectural government to investigate the case. Official business is of utmost importance."

Let's skip the banquet and talk another day.

Zhou Huai-ren's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered and nodded repeatedly: "Of course, of course. Official business is important, so I won't keep Military Advisor Lu any longer."

Lu Qingyun said no more and led his entourage directly to the government post station to begin his work.

The first people she met were naturally Lü Zhengfeng and Fang Zheng.

At this moment, Lu Qingyun and Lü Zhengfeng were not as distant as they had been outside.

Both men held positions in the state government. Although they had no personal relationship, they had heard of each other's reputations and knew that the other was a man of action.

To Fang Zheng's surprise, Lu Qingyun's first words were an apology to Lü Zhengfeng.

"I did not think things through and allowed Fan Wensong to take the prisoner away from the magistrate with the imperial edict, which gave the thieves an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

This was my mistake.

She paused, her expression solemn: "I have already sent a letter to the state government informing them of this matter."

If the case of Chu Tiankuo cannot be solved because Sun Xianrong was abducted, I will bear all the responsibility and will not allow my colleagues in the supervisory department to suffer as a result.

Lu Zhengfeng was indeed angry, but since Lu Qingyun had said so much, he couldn't keep pressing the matter.

He waved his hand: "Lord Lu, you flatter me. The fact that thieves dared to kidnap prisoners means that we have indeed found their weakness."

Now is not the time to assign blame. The important thing is for the supervisory team and our supervisory commission to work together to get to the bottom of the case and bring those evildoers to justice.

Lu Qingyun's expression turned serious: "That's how it should be."

Although we are competitors, merit is secondary; solving the case is the fundamental goal.

I will discipline my subordinates to ensure they never interfere with the investigations conducted by the supervisors.

Those who need to cooperate should cooperate, and those who need to coordinate should coordinate.

Lü Zhengfeng also made a corresponding statement.

The two chief officials made their point clear in front of Fang Zheng and the other officials in the investigation team, so at least in terms of coordinating resources, there would be no situation where everyone is only concerned with their own interests and hinders each other.