Despite doing so many bad things for Zhu Zhi, Gao, the constable, was treated like a pawn, spending his days counting his toes in the Yunshui County jail.
Can he accept this?
The answer is, of course, no.
Xu Mo's heart was instantly stirred. He almost immediately grabbed his clothes and rushed to the county government office to report the matter.
Jiang Sheng and Zheng Ruqian were both happy for their elder brother.
Wen Zhiyun and Fang Heng straightened their backs, and the dark clouds that had been weighing on their hearts for nearly a year dissipated.
Only Chang Yan had a furrowed brow and slightly pursed lips.
"What's wrong, Xiao Wu?" Fang Heng asked curiously, having inadvertently noticed. "Isn't a mere constable Gao enough to convict Zhu Zhi?"
Before we knew it, the fifth brother had become the family's strategist.
As soon as Fang Heng finished speaking, the other children turned their attention to him.
Chang Yan relaxed his brow and hesitated, "It is possible to convict him, but... I have a feeling this matter is not that simple."
Actually, you'll know once you analyze it.
Zhu Zhi had previously refused to confess, hoping to be rescued by his powerful backer.
His sudden confession suggests that he received advice from someone behind the scenes.
The fact that the confession was three parts truth and seven parts lies, while downplaying the seriousness of the matter, proves that the person behind it is very clever.
How could someone like that tolerate such a huge flaw as that of the constable Gao?
As if to confirm Chang Yan's guess, the courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open.
The once spirited young scholar stood at the door, silent and dejected.
"Big brother?" Fang Heng asked in surprise, "What's wrong with you?"
Xu Mo raised his head, looked at the five tender little faces in the courtyard, and managed to squeeze out a voice, "Officer Gao is back."
However, it came back sideways.
The children in the courtyard all fell silent.
They weren't stupid. After a brief moment of shock and confusion, they all realized that the constable Gao had been silenced.
The person behind Zhu Zhi is ruthless and vicious.
"Let's go to the county government office," Fang Heng said, unwilling to give up.
The children in the courtyard all rushed over, and even Xu Mo was helped over.
At this moment, the county government office was bustling with activity.
The prefect of Anshui pointed at the corpse of the constable Gao, his face dark and speechless.
Magistrate Pang knelt on one knee, saying, "I have failed in my duty of supervision and am guilty."
The governor of Anshui County lowered his hand again, and with a sigh, he aged three years in an instant.
If we're talking about crimes, Magistrate Pang isn't the only one.
Just now, news of the death of the constable Gao leaked out, and the county magistrate's wife actually tied her clothes together and hung them from the roof beam, hanging herself to death.
In the vast Xieyang County, no one could convict Zhu Zhi anymore.
“Your Excellency, now that there is no other evidence, can we release Lord Zhu?” a young man sitting on the other side of the court asked with a smile.
The prefect of Anshui County remained silent with a sullen face.
“Your Excellency, please proceed according to the rules.” The young man was not afraid and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect. “My sister-in-law is hoping that her younger brother can continue to bring benefits to the people.”
Beneath the plaque that hangs high, some are angry, some are smug.
But what was more of a commotion was the uproar from the people at the entrance.
They may not have wanted Zhu Zhi to die, but they certainly didn't want him to continue serving as the magistrate of Xiyang County.
Fang Heng stood in the crowd, initially just following along with the anger, but gradually he began to tremble.
Jiang Sheng, who was closest to him, keenly sensed something was wrong and quickly took his hand. "Third Brother, what's wrong?"
Fang Heng couldn't speak; his palms were icy cold, yet sweaty.
Even Zheng Ruqian and the others noticed something was wrong and quickly helped him away from the crowd to rest under a tree.
"Third brother, what's wrong?" Zheng Ruqian asked in surprise.
Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan exchanged a glance and exclaimed in a low voice, "The last time Third Brother was like this was at the entrance of the government office."
Back then, I saw his aunt who had locked him in a dark room for a full six months. Now...
The whole family felt a chill run down their spines.
"Third Brother, don't be afraid, don't be afraid. All the brothers are here, and Jiang Sheng is here too. Jiang Sheng will hug Third Brother." The little girl snuggled up to him, trying her best to hold him close, like she was comforting a child. "Third Brother is the bravest. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. We're all here."
Fang Heng's trembling gradually subsided.
Changyan somehow got a bowl of hot water and fed him a couple of mouthfuls.
“I…” Fang Heng turned around, looking at the concerned eyes of his older brother, younger brother, and younger sister, and his nose tingled with emotion. “I know who is behind Zhu Zhi now.”
"It's not your aunt, is it?" Jiang Sheng asked, her face filled with horror.
Fang Heng shook his head and spat out three words through gritted teeth, "It's the Fang family."
The Fang family of Fengjing is a family of generals, commanding 200,000 elite troops. They are the most trusted right-hand men of the Emperor of Dayu. Although they declined somewhat after General Fang's death, they are still one of the top families in the entire dynasty.
The young man just now was one of Fang Heng's father's cousins, born out of wedlock.
His sister-in-law should be... Fang Heng's aunt, Zhu, who is also the current matriarch of the Fang family.
With such a powerful backer, it's no wonder Zhu Zhi acted so recklessly, and it's no wonder the prefect was helpless.
No wonder.
The thought that the deaths of Magistrate Xu and his wife, as well as Physician Wen and his wife, were all related to the Fang family made Fang Heng feel ashamed to face Xu Mo and Wen Zhiyun.
"I have failed my eldest and fourth brothers." He covered his face and blamed himself, "I watched helplessly as Zhu Zhi went unpunished."
With the Fang family's intervention, Zhu Zhi will surely be exonerated.
The six siblings, including the Prefect of Anshui County and Magistrate Pang, were no match for the Fang family.
Under the big tree, the children felt a chill in their hearts.
From the very beginning, from saving people to making money through business, to taking the imperial examination, to moving house, they were always fearless and did not flinch even when facing a corrupt magistrate like Zhu Zhi.
But at this moment, the Fang family's intervention made them realize...
This world is actually very difficult to navigate. It's a world of those in power, a world of authority. Those with power can dictate the course of events, while those without power can only swallow their grievances.
"But I'm not reconciled." Xu Mo closed his eyes.
His father's warm smile appeared before him, his mother gently asked him if he wanted chicken soup, his tutor taught him to read and write, and his tutor's wife sewed clothes and embroidered purses for him.
Simply because we weren't strong enough, all of this became a mirage, a dream, and a tearful memory.
Fang Heng was even more heartbroken. He had become an orphan at a young age, was persecuted by his relatives, and had to watch helplessly as his family committed evil deeds, unable to stop them.
"I am truly useless." He lowered his head in dejection.
As if infected by the atmosphere, Zheng Ruqian remembered being abandoned by his birth mother and the various hardships he encountered in doing business. He also sat down on the ground with a sigh.
Wen Zhiyun, needless to say, would get teary-eyed whenever he mentioned Doctor Wen, and would secretly wipe his tears away so that no one could see.
Even the usually calm and intelligent Chang Yan lowered his head.
If they hadn't encountered hardship, how could they have met in Xiyang County?
If it weren't for having no other choice, who wouldn't want their parents' love and a happy family?
At this moment, everyone who had experienced warmth and had beautiful memories was plunged into a state of grief.
Only Jiang Sheng looked around blankly.
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