novelraw Chapter 194
Chapter 194
Song Jingning looked at Ye Chutang's worried face, and a warm current flowed through his heart.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and he said nonchalantly, "They are just minor injuries, nothing serious."
Looking at Song Jingning's complexion, Ye Chutang knew he wasn't badly hurt.
But since he was her biological brother after all, she still felt a bit uneasy.
"If Young Master Song doesn't mind, I would like to check your pulse."
Seeing Ye Chutang's excessive concern for Song Jingning, Qi Yanzhou became even more suspicious that the two were twin siblings.
Because twins often share a special connection.
When Ye Chutang had crouched down in discomfort earlier, Song Jingning had nearly been in danger.
The timing was too coincidental, making him overthink.
Song Jingning generously extended his hand to Ye Chutang and pulled up his wide sleeve.
Ye Chutang checked Song Jingning's pulse and confirmed that his injuries were not serious.
She withdrew her hand and said, "Although Young Master Song only has superficial wounds, the weather is hot, so you still need to pay extra attention to prevent the wounds from becoming inflamed and festering."
"Thank you for the reminder, Madam Qi. I will be careful."
"Before the exile, I prepared some high-quality external medicines at Xinglin Hall. I will bring some for Young Master Song in a moment."
Looking at Ye Chutang, who made him feel a desire to be close, Song Jingning did not refuse.
"Since Madam Qi is so gracious, it would be disrespectful of me to decline."
After speaking, he looked at Han Chong.
"Officer, how do you plan to deal with these bandits?"
"Naturally, we will hand them over to the authorities. We will also have to trouble Young Master Song to accompany us to the government office."
"It's only right."
At this time, the exile procession arrived.
Ye Chutang went to the handcart to find her bundle and get the external medicine.
Han Chong asked Song Jingning about the specific details of the bandit robbery.
After telling the truth, Song Jingning also shared his own speculations.
"Officer, I suspect these bandits are in cahoots with the local government. Even if we go to the government office, it might be a wasted trip."
Seeing that Song Jingning's thoughts aligned with his own, Qi Yanzhou cast a glance at him.
Noticing this, Song Jingning asked, "Does Young Master Qi think I am wrong?"
"No, my guess is the same as Young Master Song's. However, I believe that with Young Master Song's reputation, the government will certainly not dare to brush this off casually."
Han Chong said, "Bandits running rampant in broad daylight, this matter must be investigated thoroughly."
Hearing this, Wu Chenggang felt a headache coming on.
He reminded, "Captain Han, our mission is to escort the prisoners. It is not appropriate to get involved in local government affairs."
Not only would it be a thankless task, but it would also waste time.
Han Chong shot Wu Chenggang a cold look, his eyes filled with warning.
Wu Chenggang's legs went weak from fright, and he quickly changed his tune, "Of course, if the government and the bandits are truly colluding, we absolutely must intervene!"
"Captain Wu is right. Shall we take the official road now and set off for Xun County?"
"Alright, let's go."
Ye Chutang handed the external medicine to Song Jingning.
"Young Master Song, please apply the medicine first. You are riding in a carriage, which is faster than us walking. You can catch up in a bit."
Song Jingning took the medicine bottle. "Thank you, Madam Qi."
The exile procession set off toward Xun County, with Han Chong bringing along a dozen or so bandits.
Watching the exile procession leave, Song Jingning tightened his grip on the medicine bottle in his hand.
Whether he was truly Ye Chutang's twin brother or not, he would have the answer once they reached Liangzhou!
Zigui stepped forward and said, "Fifth Young Master, please apply the medicine first."
He was Song Zhiyan's page boy; not only were his martial arts good, but he also understood academy management.
He had been assigned to Song Jingning's side to protect him and help him open a branch academy in Tianshan Prefecture.
Song Jingning nodded and got into the carriage.
The carriage was filled with large chests made of mahogany.
The city guards had lifted the carriage curtains and, seeing that the chests were quite valuable, assumed the contents were even more precious. Thus, they had tipped off the bandits to intercept the goods.
Little did they know that the chests were entirely filled with books.
Song Jingning sat on a chest, took off his clothes, and let Zigui help him treat his wounds.
There were quite a few wounds, but fortunately, none were deep.
After applying the medicine, he changed into dark-colored clothes so that if the wounds split open and bled, it wouldn't be easily noticed.
Zigui and the other two also had varying degrees of injuries.
By the time they hit the road, a quarter of an hour had already passed.
The carriage moved fast and caught up with the exile procession in no time.
Seeing Ye Chutang wearing a straw hat and walking under the blazing sun, Song Jingning felt a pang of distress in his heart.
But she was in exile, and he could not offer her help.
The carriage moved forward and came alongside Han Chong.
"Officer, I will go on ahead. See you later in Xun County."
"Alright, see you later."
As the carriage gradually moved farther away, Han Chong interrogated the bandits while walking.
The bandits only knew that their boss had connections to get information on fat sheep and would ambush them at designated locations. For two years, they had never failed.
If they hadn't coincidentally run into the exile procession coming from a small path this time, the robbery would absolutely not have failed.
"Where is your mountain stronghold?"
Ye Chutang was very interested in this question and listened quietly.
A bandit pointed toward the deep mountains in the southwest. "Over two mountain peaks and across a swamp, and you're there."
After speaking, he added another sentence.
"Behind the stronghold is a steep cliff, and in front is a swamp. People unfamiliar with the route simply cannot get into the stronghold."
Han Chong snorted coldly. "You picked quite a good spot."
Around noon, the exile procession arrived at Xun County.
Wu Chenggang handed the exile documents to the guards at the city gate.
"We need to go to the county magistrate's office."
Officers responsible for escorting exiled prisoners could use these documents to claim free supplies at the county office.
The city guards didn't ask much or think twice, simply leading the massive group of people toward the county office.
All along the way, commoners gathered to watch and discuss.
"Running into such an incompetent and jealous king, the Qi family is truly tragic."
"Who says otherwise? The Qi family conquered the lands of the Beichen Kingdom, yet they ended up with their home confiscated and being exiled."
"Good and evil get their due in the end. I heard the emperor was stung by hornets raised by the Northern Barbarians and is lying unconscious."
"If a new emperor ascends the throne, there will be a general amnesty, and the Qi family won't have to be exiled."
"You're overthinking it. Anyone might be pardoned, but the Qi family definitely won't be!"
The commoners spoke in very low voices, but they could not escape the ears of those highly skilled in martial arts.
Han Chong swept a cold glance around and shouted using his internal energy, "If you want your entire families executed, speak a little louder!"
He was quite happy to hear the commoners cursing the royal family, but he still had to put on the necessary act.
The commoners on the street had their ears hurt by the force of Han Chong's words and immediately shut their mouths.
The noisy street instantly became entirely quiet.
The guiding guards realized that Han Chong's group was not simple, and their attitudes became respectful.
"Milords, we will arrive at the county office shortly."
After walking for less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the group arrived at the county office.
Song Jingning's carriage was parked at the corner of the county office.
Seeing the exile procession arrive, he immediately stepped forward.
Seeing that Song Jingning had changed into an ink-black brocade robe, Han Chong asked, "Young Master Song's injuries are nothing serious, right?"
Song Jingning cupped his hands in greeting. "Thank you for your concern, Officer. They are just minor injuries, and I have already applied medicine."
After speaking, he looked at Ye Chutang.
"Madam Qi's external medicine works very well. Thank you."
Ye Chutang smiled and said, "To be able to help Young Master Haoyue is my honor."
She mentioned the title outsiders used for Song Jingning to let the county magistrate know that if the bandit matter wasn't handled properly, he would be offending scholars all over the world!
Sure enough, right after she spoke, a scholar exclaimed.
"Young Master Haoyue! So this is the Young Master Haoyue who traveled to study and teach at the age of twelve!"
"I didn't expect Young Master Haoyue to come to our Xun County. I wonder which academy is fortunate enough to have invited him."
"No matter which academy it is, I will do everything I can to go and listen!"
"Young Master Haoyue probably didn't come to Xun County to teach, but to file a lawsuit against someone, right? Didn't you hear that he was injured?"
Hearing this, Song Jingning gave a gentlemanly bow to the onlookers.
"Thank you all for your kind regards. Once I finish my official business, I will hold a lecture at the largest teahouse. If you are interested, we can exchange thoughts together."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was overjoyed.
"Listening to Young Master Haoyue's words is better than studying for ten years. I'm going to the teahouse right now to save a seat."
"I have to hurry home and tell my son that his most admired Young Master Haoyue is here!"
"My younger brother happens to have an academic question he can't figure out. We can ask Young Master Haoyue to clarify it."
Many commoners and scholars left in excitement.
Meanwhile, the city guards had already explained the situation to the yamen runners.
"Quickly go notify the Magistrate, and prepare more food."
Although the official ranks of guards escorting exiles were generally not very high, they were capital officials and could not be slighted.
A yamen runner bowed to Wu Chenggang, who was at the front.
"Please wait a moment, My Lord. This humble servant will go report to Magistrate Zhang immediately."
Song Jingning took a step forward and looked at another yamen runner guarding the gate.
"I want to file a lawsuit against these bandits. They attempted to murder and rob in broad daylight. The officials from the capital are all witnesses."
Han Chong had his subordinates throw the dozen or so bandits in front of the county yamen.
"We killed over twenty bandits, and these remaining dozen or so are the ones who dropped their weapons and surrendered."
After saying that, he deliberately added a point.
"I conducted a brief interrogation, and they said there was collusion between the officials and the bandits!"
Upon hearing this, looks of joy appeared on the faces of the commoners.
This Magistrate Zhang was a greedy, lustful bastard who oppressed the people.
If he could be stripped of his official position, their lives would definitely be better.
The yamen runners' faces, however, turned very ugly.
"Bandits commit many evils and are full of lies. My Lord, you must not believe their one-sided story."
Han Chong nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. We'll hear what the Magistrate has to say in a moment."
As soon as he finished speaking, the yamen runner who had gone to report returned.
"My Lords, please come inside. Magistrate Zhang will be here shortly!"
After saying that, he noticed the atmosphere was off.
He looked at the leader, Wu Chenggang, and asked cautiously, "My Lord, is something wrong?"
Was he angry because Magistrate Zhang didn't come out to welcome them personally?
Thinking of this, the yamen runner hastily explained.
"Please forgive him, My Lord. Magistrate Zhang was taking a nap earlier and is currently tidying up his appearance."
Wu Chenggang glanced at the bandits and said, "Take these bandits inside and prepare to hold court."
Hearing the word bandits, the yamen runner's heart skipped a beat.
He didn't show it and respectfully replied, "Yes, My Lord, please!"
Xun County was not large, but the county yamen was quite grand.
After entering the yamen, Wu Chenggang was led to the public court by the runners.
"My Lords, please have some tea first. Magistrate Zhang is already on his way."
The yamen runners scrambled to serve tea.
It turned out there weren't enough teacups, so they had to make up the numbers with rice bowls.
After all, a small place like Xun County had never seen so many officials arrive at the same time.
As for the Qi, Zhao, and Ye families, they were arranged in the courtyard.
The scorching midday sun beat down from above, making people's heads smoke and their bodies sweat profusely.
Qi Yanzhou knew the runners were doing it on purpose, and his eyes grew slightly cold.
Just as he was about to speak, the exhausted Ye Siyin fainted.
Her face was deathly pale, yet the skin on her neck flushed with an unnatural red, and she was sweating profusely.
Ye Chutang could tell at a glance that Ye Siyin was suffering from heatstroke.
Everyone took heat-relief medicine every day, so generally speaking, they shouldn't get heatstroke.
But she had been wild for most of the night before, leaving her body extremely weak, so naturally, she couldn't withstand the dog days' heat.
Concubine Jiang panicked and shouted towards the court, "Officers, Yiner has fainted!"
Wu Chenggang said to a nearby runner, "If an exiled prisoner dies in the county yamen, Magistrate Zhang will have to take responsibility!"
Seeing that Ye Siyin didn't look like she was faking it, the runner was frightened.
He had deliberately left the three families to bake in the sun to assert dominance.
To remind Wu Chenggang that even if they were capital officials, they shouldn't interfere in Xun County's cases!
But now that someone's life was at risk, he became afraid.
"What are you doing standing foolishly in the courtyard? Hurry and take shelter under the corridor."
After saying that, the runner asked Wu Chenggang.
"My Lord, should we call for a doctor for the fainted prisoner?"
"The incident happened in the county yamen, what do you think?"
There was a doctor among the escorting officials, so there was absolutely no need to go to a clinic to hire another.
But Wu Chenggang detested the runner's attitude and deliberately gave him a hard time.
Qi Yanzhou knew from the runner's attitude that the bandits were colluding with the Xun County yamen!
He shot a glance at Han Chong, signaling him to handle it strictly.
Han Chong thought the same and gave a slight nod.
As a result, after waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it wasn't the Magistrate who came out, but the advisor.
"My Lords, I am truly sorry. The Magistrate has suddenly fallen seriously ill and cannot entertain you personally.
But please rest assured, the kitchen is already preparing food, and the grain supplies are ready."
After saying that, he glanced at the bandits kneeling on the ground.
"Men, escort these bandits away. We will interrogate them after the Magistrate recovers his health!"
The runners replied with loud voices, their eyes revealing smugness.
"Yes, Advisor Luo."
A distant official is not as good as the local authority; in Xun County, the Magistrate had the final say!
It wasn't Han Chong's first time leaving the capital, but it was his first time encountering such an arrogant seventh-rank official.
He drew his sword and threw it, piercing Advisor Luo's throat.
Advisor Luo lost his breath before he even hit the ground.
This scene terrified all the yamen runners.
Han Chong walked up to Advisor Luo, whose eyes were wide open in death, and pulled out his sword.
He casually rested the blood-stained sword against a yamen runner's neck.
"Tell Magistrate Zhang to come here, or he will be the next to die!"
The runner turned pale with fright. "This humble servant obeys."
When the runner went to call the Magistrate, Han Chong sent two of his subordinates to follow him.
A short while later, a disheveled Magistrate Zhang was thrown onto the public court.
He had lip marks on his face and reeked of cheap perfume.
"Captain Han, Magistrate Zhang does not have a serious illness. He was just being intimate with his nineteenth concubine."
As soon as this was said, the commoners gathered at the yamen gate immediately covered their mouths and laughed.
With his fig leaf torn away, Magistrate Zhang looked utterly embarrassed.
Suppressing his anger, he looked at Wu Chenggang.
"My Lord, being intimate with my concubine during my lunch break doesn't violate the laws of Beichen, does it?"
"It indeed doesn't violate the law, but you deliberately feigned illness, attempting to suppress the matter of the bandits trying to rob and kill Young Master Haoyue. What are your intentions?"
Of course, Magistrate Zhang would not admit to colluding with the bandits.
"My Lord misunderstands. This humble official doesn't have the ability to cover the sky with one hand. It's just..."
Han Chong didn't wait for him to finish and interrupted him.
"Magistrate Zhang, Young Master Haoyue is a role model for scholars all over the world. He was almost murdered and robbed within your jurisdiction. It's best if you investigate this clearly right away."
If the bandits had nothing to do with Magistrate Zhang, he would have investigated immediately without a second word.
But the current situation was that he had to first erase any connection between himself and the bandits to ensure he wouldn't be implicated before he could try the case.
"My Lord, regarding the investigation of the case, this humble official knows what to do."
After speaking, he leaned close to Han Chong and lowered his voice, "Your Excellency must know Minister Gu of the Ministry of Works, right? He is my distant relative, and the advisor you killed was also related to him."
The implication was clear: he had powerful backing. He was warning Han Chong to be smart and not push him too far, otherwise, he would suffer the consequences!
Han Chong directly took out the Emperor's handwritten edict.
"Magistrate Zhang, take a look. Let's see if your distant relative outranks the authority of this edict."
A bad premonition rose in Magistrate Zhang's heart as he opened the edict.
He did not recognize the Emperor's handwriting, but he recognized the imperial seal. He immediately knelt down to examine it closely.
When he saw that Han Chong could exercise imperial power through the edict, he felt as if he had been plunged into an icy cellar.
Han Chong took back the edict and said, "Magistrate Zhang, hold court."
The Emperor had written the edict to make it easier for him to mobilize all available personnel to deal with the Qi family.
Yet now, it had become his sharp weapon to root out the parasites of the Beichen Kingdom!
Magistrate Zhang gathered his wits, shot a warning glance at the bandit, straightened his official robes, and took his seat at the high desk.
Han Chong waved his hand at his subordinates.
"You all step outside first. Don't disturb Magistrate Zhang while he interrogates the prisoner."
The crowded courtroom instantly became spacious.
Song Jingning walked to the center of the courtroom and bowed to Magistrate Zhang.
"I am Song Jingning. While passing through the official road of Xun County, I was besieged by bandits. I implore Your Excellency to seek justice for me!"
Magistrate Zhang felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. Bracing himself, he said, "I will definitely give you justice!"
Having said that, he began interrogating the bandit.
Seeing that he was only asking trivial and superficial questions, Han Chong stepped in to interrogate the bandit himself.
In just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the bandit confessed everything he knew.
"However, they only knew that there was collusion between the officials and the bandits, but they didn't know exactly which official it was."
The heavy stone in Magistrate Zhang's heart finally dropped.
"Rest assured, Your Excellency, I will definitely find out which official colluded with the bandits and give Young Master Song an explanation."
As soon as his voice fell, the clattering of horse hooves could be heard.
Han Chong smiled and said, "Right on time."
Before Magistrate Zhang could understand what this meant, two men in official uniforms were thrown into the courtroom.
When he saw their faces clearly, he was so frightened that he slid right off his armchair.
They were the city guards who had cooperated with him to leak information to the bandits!
After guessing the collusion between the officials and bandits, Han Chong had his men ride the bandits' horses to capture the city guards.
These two guards had already been subjected to severe interrogation.
Without anyone needing to ask, they spilled everything like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, completely selling out Magistrate Zhang.
"Magistrate Zhang, do you have anything to say?"
Magistrate Zhang crawled up from under the desk and stubbornly insisted, "You only have witness testimonies, there is no..."
"The physical evidence is right here."
As Ye Chutang's voice rang out, a chest of gold, silver, and jewels was tossed into the courtroom.
While everyone's attention had been focused on the courtroom, she and Qi Yanzhou had taken a tour of the county office.
Magistrate Zhang's face turned deathly pale, but he continued to be stubborn.
"Who can prove that these things were stolen by bandits?"
Compared to colluding with bandits, the crime of being a corrupt official was much lighter.
Ye Chutang walked to the entrance of the courtroom and pointed at the chest.
"Please tell me, Your Excellency, what is the meaning of those out-of-town house deeds, land deeds, and field contracts at the bottom of the chest?"
Magistrate Zhang still wanted to argue, but Han Chong slit his throat with a single strike of his sword.
He announced to the runners and the commoners, "I am under imperial orders to escort the Qi family to Tianshan Commandery in the northwest. If I encounter corrupt officials along the way, I have the authority to execute them first and report later!"
The runners and the commoners immediately knelt and shouted loudly.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live, long live!"
In this way, the Emperor would gain a reputation for wisdom and would not hold Han Chong accountable for abusing his power.
Han Chong could also use the edict to do some good deeds for the people.
He ordered the runners to lock the bandits in the prison and hung the corpses of Magistrate Zhang and Advisor Luo at the city gates.
"Whoever participated in the collusion between officials and bandits and shared the stolen silver will receive a lighter punishment if they confess voluntarily."
The runners who had received dirty money were terrified by Han Chong's methods and confessed one after another.
The remaining runners were all those who had refused to associate with the corrupt elements and had been marginalized.
Han Chong wrote a memorial detailing what had happened in Xun County.
He mainly mentioned the massive embezzlement by the magistrate and that the bandit stronghold also held a lot of gold and silver that could replenish the national treasury.
He pleaded guilty for failing to wipe out the Qi family and promised to continue taking action.
He then had a reliable runner take the memorial to the post station to be sent to the capital via an eight-hundred-mile expedited delivery.
After finishing his work, it was time to eat.
The kitchen of the county office had prepared plenty of food, enough for the Qi, Zhao, and Ye families.
Song Jingning was also invited to join them.
Han Chong handed him a pair of chopsticks. "The food is ordinary, please don't mind it, Young Master Song."
"Not at all. During my previous study tours, I've even eaten wild herbs."
"Then don't be polite, eat well and eat your fill."
Song Jingning was an amiable person, and the meal was eaten in high spirits.
After eating, he walked over to Ye Chutang.
"Madam Qi, I have a difficult arithmetic problem that I would like to ask for your guidance on."
Ye Chutang could tell that Song Jingning had something to say to her and nodded.
"Alright, please come this way, Young Master Song."
The two walked to a secluded corner in the backyard.
"Young Master Song, please speak."
Song Jingning looked at Ye Chutang's features and spoke words that startled her.
"Sister."
Ye Chutang never expected to hear this word from Song Jingning's mouth, and was stunned for a moment.
Song Jingning looked at her wide-open eyes and her bewildered expression.
His probe had yielded an answer.
He was Ye Chutang's twin brother who had supposedly died young!
He raised his hand and waved it in front of her eyes, the corners of his mouth lifting into a gentle smile.
"When did you find out?"
Ye Chutang snapped back to reality and answered truthfully, "The day before my wedding, I went to the Song residence and met Master and Madam Song."
Song Jingning looked at the somewhat flustered Ye Chutang and subconsciously moved his hand over her head.
He wanted to pat her head, but afraid of offending her, he held back.
"No wonder Father asked me to go to the Ye family for the wedding banquet, to see you off at the Ten-Mile Pavilion, and even told me to open a branch academy in Tianshan Commandery."
"At Mount Mei, when you were feeling unwell, I also felt uncomfortable. Whenever I see you, I want to be close to you, and watching you leave makes me reluctant to part."
"I didn't understand why it was like this before, until just now, when I learned that we are twin siblings."
His mind was in turmoil right now, with all sorts of emotions welling up in his heart, but his joy was clearly visible.
"Sister, I am so glad to be your brother."
Ye Chutang was not a sentimental person.
But as she looked at Song Jingning, whose eyes were red as he fought back tears, her own tears welled up uncontrollably.
She thought that this was probably the telepathic connection between twins.
Then, she threw herself into Song Jingning's embrace.