Chapter 371: Knock the Mountain to Shock the Tiger

After Liao Xing and his men took Zhou Yang away, Ding Wangyuan turned around and looked at Zhu Lan again.

The woman's performance just now really impressed him, and her behavior and conversation were not like those of an ordinary woman. She must be of great background.

Most importantly…

"This girl looks familiar, have we met before?"

Zhu Lan chuckled when he heard this, thinking that Zhu Qingyan did not reveal the identities of the two people in detail when he went to the government office to report the case.

"Uncle Ding, I'm Zhu Lan." Zhu Lan said with a smile.

Ding Wangyuan was stunned for a moment, and soon an incredible yet joyful light appeared in his eyes.

"Oh, you, you are Miss Zhu Lan? Hahaha... I haven't seen you for a long time and I couldn't recognize you at once. Blame me, blame me!" Ding Wangyuan said with a smile.

All in all, Zhu Lan and her friends can be said to be the benefactors of his father and son. He has always kept this kindness in his heart.

Zhu Lan asked again whether Ding Xiaoqiu was in Yunzhou City now.

"Yes." Ding Wangyuan nodded slightly, and then said: "Not only is he here, but Young Master Liang is also in the city - he is also your friend, right?"

Zhu Lan was slightly surprised. The main city of Yunzhou was within the scope of Jiayu County, and Liang Zhou, the magistrate of Yingcang County, was also here.

No wonder she had sent a letter to Yingcang County Government but received no response.

Seeing that the inn was shabby, Ding Wangyuan invited Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan to stay at the government office.

Zhu Lan nodded in agreement, and they could discuss the next steps together.

The group walked out, Zhu Lan walked beside Ding Wangyuan and said:

"Uncle Ding, do you still remember the young man just now? His name is Gong Shao..."

She told Ding Wangyuan everything that Gong Shao had told her and Zhu Qingyan.

After hearing this, Ding Wangyuan was so shocked that even his beard trembled a few times.

"What!? Are you saying that... the Gong family father and son actually held the handle on the Ning An Marquis's Mansion, and thus brought about their own death?"

Ding Wangyuan suddenly thought of the booklet that was burned in Ciyu Tower, and his face changed immediately.

"Oh, how can such precious evidence be... Hey! Miss Zhu, why didn't you come to the government office to find me earlier..."

"You don't have to worry." Zhu Lan soothed him, taking out from his arms the books that Zhu Qingyan and Gong Shao had gone to get last night.

"The real evidence is here, intact."

Ding Wangyuan was stunned. "Then...what was burned just now?"

Zhu Lan smiled lightly, with a hint of cunning in his eyes.

"That's just a copy of the Three Character Classic I bought on the road."

Ding Wangyuan breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time couldn't help but look at Zhu Lan a few more times.

Despite his young age, he is so meticulous in doing things, and it can be said that nothing can go wrong.

Even a prefect like me was within her calculations.

Alas... But if he didn't have such a plan, how could he have protected Xiao Qiu in the academy all the time, and later helped to redress himself with his friends?

Ding Wangyuan smiled helplessly and shook his head. He was twice as old as her, and compared to her thoughts, he was really... far inferior.

Fortunately, she is not an enemy.

Otherwise, I really don’t know how to fight.

He suddenly remembered something and asked:

"By the way, Miss Zhu. Just now regarding the matter of Zhou Yang, County Magistrate Liao clearly did not tell the truth. Why did you ask me not to pursue the matter for the time being and let him go?"

Zhu Lan gave him a meaningful look but did not answer directly.

"Uncle Ding, haven't you been looking for evidence of the Ning'an Marquis's crime?"

Ding Wangyuan nodded slightly.

"You have figured it out by now. Liao Xing is here to do things for Earl Ning An under the guise of county magistrate.

The evidence provided by Gong Shao and his son is very important, but it can only bring down Liao Xing, who is in the open, and cannot hurt the real mastermind behind the scenes. "

Ding Wangyuan sighed and said, "Miss Zhu, you may not know that Liao Xing is quite famous in Yunzhou City."

"There were several times when the servants of the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion bullied people in Yunzhou City. Liao Xing handled the cases impartially and eliminated the harm for the people."

"Alas, I am ashamed to say that as the prefect of Yunzhou, I was deceived by his methods and once really thought he was a good and honest county magistrate."

Zhu Lan consoled him, "You don't have to blame yourself. The father and son of Ning Anbo had far-reaching intentions and colluded with the local county magistrate. They did it perfectly.

On the surface, they sang the same tune and did it for the people of Yunzhou to see, but who knows how many dirty things they did behind the scenes.

That's why I asked you to hold your ground and let Liao Xing go for now, so that he can relax his vigilance."

Ding Wangyuan was stunned for a moment, and then he understood Zhu Lan's intention. "Are you trying to...play the long game and catch the big fish?"

"That's right." Zhu Lan said.

"Now you are taking Gong Yuanliang out of prison in the name of the government office, and placing Gong's father and son in the government office.

These two people are extremely disadvantageous to Liao Xing and Ning Anbo. Liao Xing cannot move the people in the government office, so he will definitely go to Ning Anbo's mansion for help.

You and the Ning Anbo Mansion have long been at odds with each other, and now you have Gong Yuanliang as a witness. Even if Ning Anbo thinks that the evidence has been burned by Liao Xing, he will never feel at ease and will definitely take action. "

"Our move is to shock the enemy. Let them make the first move, so that we can observe their weaknesses and then -"

"Hit and die."

Zhu Lan raised his eyes, his eyes as calm as deep water seemed to be looking through the void at a chessboard.

That look made Ding Wangyuan feel a little chilly.

When experts play against each other, they plan three steps ahead for each move.

What about her?

From the moment she met Gong Shao in the dilapidated temple, how many steps had she calculated?

…

The group returned to the prefect's residence, and Gong Shao and his son also returned, but -

Gong Yuanliang was carried back by others.

Zhu Lan heard Gong Shao's suppressed crying and glanced from a distance. He saw that Gong Yuanliang's clothes were soaked with blood. Although he survived, he didn't know what kind of torture he had suffered in prison.

Ding Wangyuan immediately ordered someone to call a doctor, and after asking again, he found out that -

Not only was Gong Yuanliang whipped, but there was almost no intact skin left on his body.

Even his two leg bones were broken in prison.

When Zhu Lan heard this, his eyes, which had usually been calm, suddenly became turbulent and he was shocked.

Gong Yuanliang was a commoner with no power or influence. At best, he was just an ordinary businessman with some wealth.

Such an ordinary person, but he fought to protect the evidence and the tea farmers who had no relationship with him.

Dare to compete with a behemoth like the Ning'an Marquis' Mansion with the power of an ant.

Be public-spirited and forget about personal interests, and do not let harm go.

Only where righteousness lies.

"These bastards... deserve to die!" Zhu Qingyan was so angry that he pulled out the willow sword, but he didn't know where to chop. He stamped his feet and said, "Sir Ding, why don't you write a report about what these guys did in Yunzhou and report it to the court? The emperor is wise and I don't believe he will let it go!"

Ding Wangyuan smiled bitterly, "If there is no hard evidence, what good will impeachment do? The worst that can happen is that they will be like Liao Xing, putting all the blame on a jailer."

"What's more, the Ning'an Marquis' Mansion has the support of the King of Zhenbei. They have absolute power in Yunzhou City. They have people in all the official post stations and inns."

"Do you think you can get out of Yunzhou City with a memorial impeaching the Bo family?"

"No." Zhu Lan suddenly spoke, his voice filled with an overwhelming chill.

“They can’t cover the sky with just their hands.”

…

It was getting dark and it was almost dinner time.

Zhu Lan couldn't help but look outside. Ding Wangyuan said that Liang Zhou took Ding Xiaoqiu out today and no one knew what they did. They didn't come back the whole day.

At this moment, a servant rushed into the inner courtyard in a panic and shouted:

"Master, it's bad! Our Master and that Young Master Liang are fighting outside the gate!"

(ps. Five-star praise from the squat babies~)