Inside the county government office, you could hear a pin drop.
Lu Qiqi and Wu were eating pancakes on the side. Zhu Datou saw the pancakes in their hands and couldn't help but swallow.
He had been resting in Aunt Lu's courtyard and hadn't eaten much at noon, so his stomach was now empty.
He couldn't just leave the mess behind, go to the backyard to eat something, and then come back.
For a moment, he wished he could give Steward Zhang twenty lashes to vent his anger.
"They're here, they're here, they're here."
Hearing the commotion outside, Zhu Datou sat up straight and pretended to straighten his clothes.
Lu Qiqi also put the last bite of the pancake into her mouth and ate it, so that holding the pancake would not affect her fighting ability.
"Go in!"
Steward Zhang was carried into the yamen by the yamen runners, who were holding him by the back of his hand.
When Wu saw Steward Zhang's face, she thought of how her husband had been killed by him, and her hands unconsciously clenched, crushing and mashing the pancake.
His eyes were also fixed on Manager Zhang, as if he wanted to strangle him with his gaze!
Manager Zhang glanced at the two women in the front hall of the government office, wondering why he had been arrested by the yamen runners.
The man who had previously framed him for stealing another man's wife disappeared as soon as he left the inn, and Zhang Jie'er was not sent to the yamen with him.
What on earth is going on here?!
When he saw Zhu Datou wearing an official robe and sitting in the high seat, he instantly sobered up.
The scene at the inn where someone forcibly took another man's wife was just a farce; the real show is now, and they want to use Zhu Datou to kill him.
If Zhu Datou finds out that Zhang Jie'er and he have a secret affair, neither of them will have a good life, let alone Zhang Jie'er being able to save him.
Thinking of this, Steward Zhang broke out in a cold sweat.
What should he do? How can he get out of this predicament?
Zhu Datou saw that the people had been brought in and continued holding court.
"Zhang Shuqiang, the head of Kang Le Township is suing you for seizing land from Tian Shui Village and hiring thugs to beat Miao Tongzi, a villager from Tian Miao Village, to death. Do you plead guilty?"
The one speaking was not Zhu Datou, but the advisor behind him.
After being called out, Manager Zhang glanced in Lu Qiqi's direction.
Despite his meticulous planning, he made a crucial oversight. He never imagined that Tian Shui Village would have a local leader backing him up.
However, he did not go to Tianshui Village that day. As long as he denied it, no one could smear him.
Zhang Shuqiang said, "Sir, I am constantly busy with miscellaneous matters every day and simply cannot spare the time to go to Tianshui Village."
Moreover, seizing someone else's land violates the laws of the Great Jin Dynasty. As a member of the Zhu family, I would never violate the law!
It seems someone is trying to frame a villain; I urge you, sir, to see the truth!
Zhang Shuqiang spoke with great emotion and eloquence, portraying the Zhu family as having provided excellent guidance, which both elevated the Zhu family's reputation and cleared himself of any suspicion.
That's a really well said.
Ms. Wu never expected that even with the evidence right in front of her, Zhang Shuqiang could still distort the truth with his empty words!
Enraged, Wu almost collapsed to the ground, her legs giving way beneath her.
Fortunately, Lu Qiqi reacted quickly and caught her, then fed Wu a nitroglycerin pill.
After doing all this, Lu Qiqi raised her voice and said, "Manager Zhang keeps saying that he did not hire thugs to rob the land. I ask you, do you dare to let me bring the people here for a confrontation!"
Zhang Shuqiang knelt on the ground, looked up at Lu Qiqi, guessed that she was the Princess of Kangle Township, and said in a show of force, "Princess, please come and find me. I will wait here."
Upon hearing this, the people standing outside the door were filled with doubt, unsure of whom to believe.
If Zhang Shuqiang did this, he must have something to hide. Now that he dares to call for a confrontation, if it really was him, people would be hiding as fast as they can.
Lu Qiqi thought Zhang Shuqiang was clever; he used the empty city stratagem so skillfully.
If she hadn't already found out the truth, she would have been fooled by Zhang Shuqiang's excellent acting skills!
Not to mention the unsuspecting common people at the entrance of the government office!
Lu Qiqi said, "Are you insisting that I can't find the person?"
Zhang Shuqiang remained unmoved, his neck stiff, and said, "Please go ahead and search, Lord. I hope to clear my name as soon as possible."
After Miao Dajiang escaped, he told his thugs to hide, because he didn't believe that Lu Qiqi had the ability to find him.
After listening to Zhang Shuqiang's words, Zhu Datou even felt that there was some truth to them, and even suspected that Lu Qiqi's intentions were not simple.
Lu Qiqi sneered and shouted towards the entrance of the yamen, "Bring everyone in!"
Zhang Shuqiang looked at her in disbelief, but he quickly calmed down and repeatedly told himself that it was impossible.
There was still no movement at the government office gate. Lu Qiqi turned around and said, "You thought everything was foolproof, but you don't know that I sent people to arrest them long ago. I'm so grateful to you for leading the way!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuqiang's expression changed drastically. He collapsed to the ground, his eyes darting frantically towards the entrance of the yamen, his hands clenched tightly, hoping that those people wouldn't be caught.
Otherwise, he would have no chance to turn things around.
Zhang Shuqiang's hopes were ultimately dashed. He saw a dozen tall, burly men tied together with a rope and brought into the yamen.
Lu Qiqi said, "These people all worked under Manager Zhang. Does Manager Zhang still remember them?"
Before Zhang Shuqiang could refute, more than a dozen people, with mournful faces, begged him for help.
"Manager Zhang, help me!"
"We brothers all work for the manager, so the manager can't just leave us without helping!"
"Yes! I have elderly parents to support and young children to raise. I'm the only able-bodied person in the family. You can't just stand by and watch me die!"
A dozen people were crying and begging for help, creating a spectacular scene that even overshadowed the bustling city center.
Looking at his teammates who only had brute force and no brains, Zhang Shuqiang wished he could spit out blood and drown them all right now!
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
