Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Li Weimin's entire...

Li Weimin slumped in his chair, his eyes puffy and dark circles obvious. The confiscation of all his embezzled wealth must have kept him awake all night, leaving him feeling less energetic than before.

Jiang Wan curled her lips and said, "I didn't expect to meet Master Li again in such a situation."

Li Weimin said bitterly, "Don't be so complacent. Don't think I don't know. You were the one who tripped me up, weren't you? Ten days ago, in court, you predicted that the imperial envoy would come to my small county. So, the investigation I'm facing this time must have been your tip-off. I redeemed you, and you actually betrayed me?"

Jiang Wan's eyes were grim. "As for friendship, when you used my family to force me, when you protected Huang Shiren from injuring my disciple, why didn't you think of my contributions and advice? As for duty, when you exploited the people and exploited them, when you violated the laws of the Great Zhou and treated slaves as if they were human, why didn't you think of the consequences you're facing now?"

Under the new magistrate's stern gaze, Li Weimin couldn't hold back his anger and could only snort and lower his head. But the other party's cold gaze just now was like a venomous snake spitting out its tongue, clinging to Jiang Wan with a sticky and disgusting feeling.

She felt cold in her heart, as if she was missing something.

Jiang Wan shook her head gently, dismissing this strange sixth sense. She went to get her indenture. With the new magistrate present, the process went exceptionally smoothly. And for some reason, the new magistrate enthusiastically offered to accompany her to take Jiang An home.

After Jiang's mother fell ill, Jiang Wan had smoothed things over, and after the New Year, Jiang's mother was no longer serving hard labor. But Jiang An was still working at the carpentry shop, moving wood, so the new magistrate, along with several runners, went to the carpentry shop with Jiang Wan.

It was just after the Lunar New Year, and the carpentry workshop was bustling with activity. Most of the strong criminals were there. Jiang Wan looked around but couldn't find his brother, so he asked the overseer, "Excuse me, Master, there's a man named Jiang An here. Where is he?"

"Jiang An?" The supervisor looked at her warily. "Who are you? We need official documents to bring someone here."

The new magistrate frowned, took off the official seal from his waist, and said solemnly, "Look carefully, I am the newly appointed county magistrate! This girl has redeemed Jiang An, bring him here quickly!"

The overseer knelt down in fear, a look of confusion on his face: "Sir, didn't you just take him away?"

"How dare you! When did I take him away?" The magistrate glared at him and shouted, "Don't try to deceive me with your nonsense!"

The supervisor was so shocked by the shouting that he kowtowed and said, "Sir, you are the one who

"I wouldn't dare lie to you even if I had a hundred guts. Just an hour ago, Jiang An arrived at his post and was taken away. The man who took him away was wearing official uniform and holding the official seal in your hand. He said he was taking him in for questioning on your orders, and he hasn't returned yet."

"I have never issued such an order!" the magistrate hurriedly explained to Jiang Wan.

Jiang Wan calculated the time. This morning, she and her brother had left together. An hour earlier, he had gone to the carpentry shop, while she waited at the county government office—the new magistrate was handing over the files.

"Sir, do you remember when you got this official seal?"

The magistrate stroked his beard and said, "About three quarters of an hour ago, Li Weimin asked the accountant to fetch the official seal and gave it to me."

He suddenly looked at Jiang Wan: "Could it be that he dared to mention someone without permission?"

Jiang Wan's face was terribly gloomy. He gritted his teeth and asked the supervisor, "Did you say where it was taken and when it will be returned?"

"He, he took the token and was about to take us away. If I asked one more question, he would warn me not to ask anything I shouldn't." The supervisor shrank back, wishing he could hide in the dirt. "So I didn't dare ask any more questions..."

Jiang Wan stamped her foot fiercely. The new magistrate whispered comfortingly, "Don't worry, Miss Jiang. It's only been an hour. Young Master Jiang shouldn't have gone far. I'll have Li Weimin arrested and interrogated right away."

Perhaps because he had just taken office, the yamen runners in the county government were not yet accustomed to the new magistrate. In addition, the person to be arrested was their former superior, so the yamen runners were stunned and did not move for a while.

After a few seconds of strange silence, the magistrate glared and shouted, "Don't you understand? Hurry up and go! And that old advisor who used to be Li Weimin's best friend, arrest him too."

"Yes, yes, sir." The bailiffs finally reacted and rushed out to arrest the man.

After making these arrangements, the magistrate glanced back at Jiang Wan and asked, "Miss Jiang, you're frightened. Would you like to rest for a while? Don't worry, Li Weimin is used to a life of luxury and won't be able to withstand the punishment. He will definitely confess. I will find your brother soon."

Jiang Wan pinched her palms a few times with her fingertips, the pain sobering her up. When she first heard her brother was missing, she'd been so worried she'd been at a loss. Now that she'd calmed down and thought about it, she knew Li Weimin was just a desperate struggle.

Having lost his job, he wanted to find someone to take the blame for it, but he was no longer the local tyrant he once was. Without power and official position, what else could he rely on to escape? His fat body?

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. "Thank you for your concern, sir. I'm not tired yet, so why don't you go with me? You're busy all over for me, how can I just sit there and do nothing?"

Seeing that Jiang Wan was determined to follow him, the new magistrate had no choice but to take her to the county jail.

The cell was built underground, dark and damp, emitting an unpleasant musty smell. The new magistrate frowned and waited for a long time outside before adjusting to the situation. Two officers led the way to the room where Li Weimin was imprisoned.

Jiang Wan jogged over and asked anxiously, "What's the situation? Can Li Weimin be recruited?"

The officer leading the way glanced at the magistrate and hesitated.

"Miss Jiang is the person involved. There is no need to avoid her. Just tell her directly." The magistrate thought that they didn't want Jiang Wan to know.

The officer hesitated, "Sir, please try it yourself. We really are..." His voice became smaller and smaller, and in the end it was almost inaudible.

The magistrate was surprised, "Could it be that Li Weimin, though he looks timid and cowardly, is actually a tough guy?"

He quickened his pace and walked to the front of the cell, only to see five or six officers surrounding the cell. One of them said:

"Sir Li, we've been colleagues for so many years, and we don't have the heart to torture you. Please don't make things difficult for us. Confess quickly."

"Yes, if you confess your guilt earlier, we can all plead for you and let you suffer less. But if you refuse to confess your guilt, then we have no way to protect you." Others also talked at once to persuade him, but no one took action.

There was a rustling sound that lasted about four or five seconds. Then, Li Weimin began to cry, "Brothers, you've been brothers for years! Why would I lie to you? I really don't know the whereabouts of Jiang An, and I've never even met him. This money is my last bit of savings. Now that I've lost my official position, I just want to spend my old age in peace. Brothers, please be kind and let me go for the sake of my colleagues!"

Several officers hurriedly pushed Li Weimin's hand holding the silver back and said in a low voice, "Even if you give it to me, I wouldn't dare take it. The new magistrate seems to value Jiang Wan very much. Her brother is missing, and the magistrate is furious and wants to arrest you. We dare not let you go."

Another person also said, "Hide the silver quickly. The higher-ups originally wanted to confiscate all your property, but I left some for you out of friendship. This is illegal, so don't let anyone see it."

The magistrate watched from the side and clenched his fists.

Jiang Wan coughed lightly and said, "Sir, your authority hasn't been established yet. Your subordinates are just thinking about the past."

Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the more remote the area, the more serious the phenomenon of officials protecting each other. To put it nicely, it is a strong sense of human feelings; to put it bluntly, it is a weak sense of law.

Jiang Wan had read the original owner's memories when he was in Lin'an. Although there were court struggles, party disputes, and conflicts of interest, at least on the surface they had to act in accordance with the law.

Unlike Li Weimin, he does bad things openly.

It was precisely for this reason that Jiang Wan had to wait until the new official took office before he dared to redeem his family. Li Weimin had already resigned, yet he dared to secretly abduct his brother. If he had remained in office, who knew what kind of trouble he would have caused.

The new magistrate's face flushed with anger, and he pushed aside the officer leading the way. "Everyone, get out of the way. I'll conduct the trial myself!"

Suddenly hearing the voice of their new superior, several officers were frightened and quickly knelt down to salute. At the same time, they secretly looked up at the officer who was leading the way with a questioning look, probably because they were afraid that the county magistrate would hear their previous conversation.

The officer who led the way shook his head slightly, with an expression that said "I'm useless".

The kneeling officers immediately looked as pale as death.

The new magistrate pushed open the prison door and said through gritted teeth, "Everyone, step back! I'll deal with you later."

The officers left the cell feeling that their jobs were over, and the cold dungeon soon became quiet.

Li Weimin huddled in the corner, glaring at Jiang Wan fiercely: "It wasn't me. You don't have evidence, so you can't torture me."

"Hmph, how can you confess without torture? This is Xiaofangpan City, and I am the county magistrate. Why can't I beat you?" The magistrate raised the whip and was about to hit Li Weimin, but Jiang Wan held his wrist.

The locals in this small town lacked a sense of law. Even the magistrate, personally selected by Shen Jianqing, had problems with the procedures for handling cases. Jiang Wan disliked this atmosphere. Even if she, a small vendor, couldn't change anything, at least she didn't want to break the rules in this case involving her.

"Your master has already confessed. What do you have to argue about?" Jiang Wan looked at Li Weimin coldly.

The magistrate was stunned and stared at Jiang Wan speechlessly.

No, how can you trick that out? We haven't even figured out where your brother was kidnapped, okay?

Li Weimin also laughed at him: "Jiang Wan, I thought you were so powerful, but you have the nerve to use such a three-year-old's trick."

Jiang Wan raised an eyebrow: "Do you think I'm lying to you?"

"What else? Otherwise, tell me, where is Jiang An?"

Jiang Wan crossed his arms and said, "Nanfeng Pavilion."

"Ah?" The magistrate was shocked, and then immediately lowered his head to see Li Weimin's reaction.

Li Weimin's forehead veins bulged, and he said angrily, "Damn it! You're such a spineless person! You ruined my plans!"

The magistrate was shocked again and gave Jiang Wan a thumbs up in amazement.