"Old sir, your nephew previously owed more than a thousand taels of gambling debts, but he suddenly paid them off before the New Year. Moreover, he has been indulging in a life of debauchery and spending lavishly these past few months. He even privately told his friends and prostitutes that he wanted to become the headmaster of the academy and inherit the Guo family's mantle."
"These are all evidences, including testimonies from casino employees and prostitutes. Take a look if you don't believe me."
Mr. Guo slowly shook his head, his face ashen.
He wanted to find out the truth behind the tragic deaths of his children and grandchildren, but little did he expect that he would end up finding out the truth about his nephew.
He is already old, and his grandson is still young. If it were his nephew... who would he rely on in the future?
He slowly stood up, looked around, bowed deeply, and greeted everyone with a deep bow.
"Our family has suffered a misfortune. We are truly grateful for everyone's concern for us today. I will take him back to deal with the situation for now, and I will definitely give you all an explanation another day!"
No one said anything, but no one stopped him either.
A hint of joy flashed in Guo Qing's eyes, but before he could speak, Young Master Ye coldly said, "Wait!"
He gently put down the teacup in his hand, his expression showing no anger, but rather a calm and dignified air.
"Mr. Guo, we, the villagers, kindly saved your Guo family's descendants, helped with the burial, and delivered messages. We have been kind and trustworthy. But your Guo family has repaid kindness with enmity, coming to our door to slander us as murderers and robbers, and even coveting the Hot Spring Valley."
"Now that the conspiracy has been exposed and your nephew has been revealed as the real culprit, you're already taking people back to deal with him? Isn't that a bit too presumptuous? Does the fact that the murderer is one of these villagers justify their killing, while your nephew is someone they're protecting? Old sir, isn't what you're doing inappropriate?"
Mr. Guo's face turned pale and then red, so ashamed he wanted to disappear into the ground. "I just thought it was a family matter, something for the family to handle..."
"Old sir, you're mistaken. Ever since you suspected these villagers of murder and robbery, this matter has ceased to be your own. With so many people here today, if even a whisper of it gets out, are these villagers destined to bear the stigma of murder and robbery for the rest of their lives just because they did a good deed?"
Young Master Ye was completely impolite, and his words were like ice shards, chilling Old Master Guo to the bone.
But all the villagers felt a warm glow in their hearts and couldn't help but straighten their backs.
They are not easily framed; they have powerful backers!
Left with no other option, Mr. Guo could only ask, "Then, in your opinion, how should this be handled, Lord Marquis?"
"Of course, we'll handle this officially!" Young Master Ye nodded to the guards at the door, and soon several constables from the government office walked in.
They bowed respectfully to Young Master Ye, who then said, "Thank you for your trouble today. Please tell your master that this is just a formality, and I will visit you another day to express my gratitude!"
"No, no, Your Excellency is extremely hardworking in your service to the country. This is no small matter for you to trouble yourself with. I will certainly convey Your Excellency's message!"
The constables and officers bowed again, their posture very humble, but when it came to Guo Qing, they would kick him and drag him away.
Mr. Guo was somewhat stunned. He hadn't expected that this matter would have to go through the government, and that the constables were actually waiting outside the door!
It was as if his feet were nailed to the ground; he couldn't move an inch.
He could already foresee that this matter would inevitably spread.
Ingratitude and poor judgment of character—these eight words will forever be etched on his forehead. Even years after his death, when people talk about him, they will inevitably mention this stain...
Mr. Guo's eyes rolled back and he completely lost consciousness.
This time, no one pinched his philtrum!
Since Old Master Liu couldn't completely ignore the situation, seeing that Mr. Guo and Guo Qing had been taken to the carriage, he said, "Since we've caught up with them, let's see it all from beginning to end and go to the government office to listen to the trial."
Young Master Ye nodded slightly, and Mr. Wen said, "Then I'll go too. I happen to have all the witnesses and physical evidence with me."
Li Laosi and Liu Biaotou also stepped forward, saying, "We'll go together too. Only we know the truth about killing the bandits back then."
As they were talking, they got into the carriage and left.
Doctor Zhang put down his teacup, a hint of schadenfreude on his face. "The Guo family is finished. This blind old man has fainted repeatedly, damaging his heart meridian. Even if he wakes up again this time, he won't be able to get up for the rest of his life. He'll need someone to take care of him for everything."
The villagers sighed upon hearing this, but showed no sympathy.
The Guo family is now down to just one old man and one young child. The old man is also paralyzed, which is truly pitiful. But even the pitiful can have their hateful aspects!
Just because the Guo family is pitiful, does that mean they should be falsely accused of murder and robbery, and have their hot spring valley robbed?
That doesn't make sense!
The village chief stood up and called out to the villagers, "Everyone, disperse. Don't neglect your work inside and outside the village. Patrol when you need to, guard the valley when you need to. The valley will be open to guests the day after tomorrow, and our good days are coming."
"Understood, village chief, don't worry."
The villagers responded and began discussing what had just happened, then left in groups.
Jiayin climbed into Young Master Ye's arms, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
When it comes to decisiveness and ruthlessness, you have to look to the military commander!
If Young Master Ye hadn't returned, they might have cleared their names today, or perhaps exposed Guo Qing's true colors, but Old Master Guo and Guo Qing would never have met such an end!
The Li family members were also deeply moved and expressed their gratitude.
"Thanks to Young Master Ye, this matter was too sudden today."
"Yes, if we had known the Guo family would turn out like this, we shouldn't have sent that message."
"Yes, keep all the books, don't give them a single one!"
Old Mrs. Li, worried that Young Master Ye was too tired, advised, "Young Master Ye, why don't you take a nap and sober up? Tonight, have Hongying cook some good dishes so we can have a family gathering. There were so many people earlier, and you were busy taking care of Jiayin, so you probably didn't eat well."
Young Master Ye laughed and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you, Auntie. I won't think about anything while I'm away, I'll just think about the food at our house. I'll be gone for a month, so I'm not going to sleep now. I'll go out for a stroll and see what the new house is like."
Jiayin immediately hugged his neck, giggling and shouting, "I'll take Uncle! I'll take Uncle!"
"Okay, I'll just take you out to digest your food; you ate too much earlier."
Despite saying this, Young Master Ye was reluctant to let Jiayin leave, so he kept her in his arms as they went out.
Jiayin excitedly waved her chubby little hand at her family, making them all laugh.
After enduring countless hardships and tribulations, the group finally found a place to stay and even discovered a hot spring, where they built a mountain resort.
It's fair to say that everyone here is so happy they could wake up laughing, and they cherish their peaceful lives all the more.
Because of limited funds, many conditions were restricted, but everyone was willing to put in their best effort.
For example, the roads in the village were made by men, women, and children carrying large stones and compacting them little by little, making them very flat to walk on.
Every day, villagers carry brooms and sweep again and again.
Wildflowers of all colors were planted outside each courtyard and along the roadside. Combined with the newly erected fences, the beauty of the mountain village was truly like a painting.
Young Master Ye walked slowly, chatting idly with Jiayin.
The two, one big and one small, slowly made their way to the riverbank. Looking around, they saw a lush green expanse that lifted their spirits.
Just then, the sun was about to set, and the orange-red sunset slowly spread, adding even more beauty to the fields.
The village elder, carrying his pipe behind his back, carefully walked through the melon field, carefully untangling the intertwined vines.
Seeing Young Master Ye approach, he stepped forward and said with a smile, "Young Master Ye, look how well these melon vines are growing! Where did you find such precious things? Did you spend a lot of money?"
Jiayin was startled and almost choked on her saliva. She turned around and hugged Young Master Ye's neck!
Hey everyone, here's the third update today! I was writing this while taking online classes, my brain is about to split open! Please give me a five-star review and urge me to update more, I promise I'll work even harder! Mwah!
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