Shangjun is not big, only less than half the size of Jiange County.
Looking at the map, its shape is narrow, like a trapped bone.
The county seat, Fushi City, is located in the middle, slightly closer to Beidi County.
Dule Town is located at the intersection of Beidi County and Shang County.
Since it wasn’t far, they quickly arrived at Dule Town at the speed of the wooden ox cart.
Kong Hanan got out of the car, stretched in the sun, and said to Meng Yu with a hint of apology.
"Brother, thank you for driving me. Even a saint would never travel so far in an oxcart."
Meng Yu laughed and said, "What are you thinking about? The great Qi kingdom was once traveled all over by the sage."
"But you, Brother Kong, have clearly never left Jiange County, but you possess extraordinary knowledge and courage. Just by looking at the files, you've discovered many problems. I, brother, am ashamed of myself."
The two exchanged pleasantries and were even more polite than when they first met.
During the conversation, the magistrate of Dule County came out.
"The Saint has arrived. I, Wei Yuan, am sorry for not coming to greet you. I hope you will forgive me."
Meng Yu took Kong Hanan up and briefly explained the situation.
When Wei Yuan heard this, he broke out in a cold sweat.
A murder case with such a big mistake, and the key point is that it was discovered by the police, which scared him to death.
He frowned and shouted, "Wei Wu, take some messengers and go find Wang Liu."
The name Wei Wu sounds domineering, but he is not a good person.
Kong Hanan looked up and saw a greasy fat man in a constable's uniform scratching his head as he stepped out of the line.
The fat man seemed not to be full yet, and was still chewing something in his mouth, causing his speech to be a little unclear.
"I know the bird, uncle."
Wei Yuan scolded him, "How did I teach you? When you are on duty, don't call me uncle. Call me sir."
Fatty Wei Wu nodded and said, "Okay, uncle."
Kong Hanan frowned.
Why do the constables here seem not so smart?
It was said that the fat man Wei Wu led the way, but in fact, it was a small yamen runner under Wei Wu who led everyone to the Wang residence.
The fat man spun around and disappeared from the team after turning a corner.
Kong Hanan felt more and more that Dule County was unreliable, so he asked the yamen runner.
"Brother, is Constable Wei valued by County Magistrate Wei because of his uncle-nephew relationship?"
The yamen runner, thin and withered, gave a wry smile.
"Sir, please don't call me brother. I'm not worthy of that. Just call me Liu Er."
"Constable Wei is indeed a relative of County Magistrate Wei. Furthermore, in the entire Shangjun, there are only a handful of officials who don't have the surname Wei. They are all relatives of that person."
Liu Er stretched out his hand and pointed in the direction of Fushi City, which was a reference to the county magistrate.
Liu Er continued, "In fact, many people in our county government have discovered something wrong with Mr. Wang's family, but the county magistrate and the constables were too lazy to handle the case and wanted to close it quickly, so they attributed it to ghosts and gods."
Kong Hanan's brows furrowed tighter.
"You didn't report it?"
Liu Er smiled bitterly: "Who should we report this to? The Wei family has been a prominent clan in Shangjun since the Qin Dynasty. They have a complex network of connections. Shangjun is named after the Wei family."
Kong Hanan was a little surprised.
He originally thought it was just a small rat dropping, but he didn't expect that the whole Shangjun of Da Qi would be spoiled.
Even the minor clerks and runners in the county government could not stand the Wei family's style and were unwilling to say a good word for them.
Being surrounded by the disciples of the Confucian saints of the Great Qi State and walking beside the Prime Minister, Kong Hanan naturally had to make a complaint.
"Brother Meng, why don't you persuade the Prime Minister to take action? Doesn't our Great Qi official system stipulate that those who take office must avoid their original place of origin?"
The so-called "avoiding one's place of origin when taking office" means that officials are not allowed to serve in the county where their hometown is located or in the surrounding counties.
This system was established in the feudal era to prevent local clans from becoming too powerful.
In this feudal and ignorant era, knowledge is wealth and a channel for advancement. It is in the hands of local powerful families, and most officials come from their families.
If an official returns to his hometown to take up a post, he is very likely to collude with his family, causing the local area to break away from the control of the central dynasty.
Similarly, large families are deeply intertwined, and families in nearby counties and prefectures also collude with each other, so officials must avoid them when taking office.
When Kong Hanan asked this, Meng Yu could only respond with a wry smile.
"Brother Kong, Shangjun and Beidi County are special because they are close to the northern border. The court considered this at the time, but ultimately made exceptions for them."
Kong Hanan was stunned.
Unexpectedly, I reached the northern border from the southwestern border of Da Qi so quickly.
Since it is a border, it makes sense.
Jiange County is not so bad, the Sindhu people are weak, and the terrain of Jiange County is complex.
However, Shangjun and Beidijun do not have many mountains, but mostly plains. Foreign tribes are mostly nomadic peoples who often invade. The local clans have experience and often organize counterattacks. In Kong Hanan's previous life, there were many examples of clans on the northern border taking office in the same place in various dynasties.
But aren’t these Wei family officials a little too incompetent?
When the enemy from the north invades, can we stop them?
Just as they were thinking about it, the group walked into a fairly spacious alley and arrived at their destination, Wang Hao's residence.
Otherwise, how can we say they are a family of scholars?
Just looking at the main gate, this house is much better than Kong Hanan’s old house in Helue Town.
Two majestic stone lions guard the mahogany gate, and high walls made of green bricks and tiles surround the palace.
But in Kong Hanan's eyes, this palace is even more extraordinary.
Under the dark eyes, the courtyard was filled with evil energy, and it was probably filled with resentment.
Perhaps it was because Kong Hanan had just touched on a sore spot, Meng Yu was at a loss for words and tried to change the subject.
"Brother Liu Er, we were looking for Wang Hao's wife's family, how did we find ourselves here?"
Liu Er pointed to the main gate.
"Madam Wang and her family moved into the palace."
Meng Yu was surprised, "If it was just his wife, it would be fine, but why did her family move in as well?"
Liu Er sneered.
"Madam Wang's real name is Liu Chan'er. She is the daughter of a hunter named Liu from the outskirts of this county. Hunter Liu is also fertile. Madam Wang has seven brothers. To make a living, she was once the top prostitute in Yicui Pavilion for a while."
"Mr. Wang was obsessed with her back then. He redeemed her despite great pressure and married her as his legal wife, treating her with love day and night."
"But Wang Liushi may have stayed in Yicui Pavilion for too long. In all these years since she married into the Wang Mansion, she has not been able to give birth to a son or daughter for the Wang family. The old lady and Mr. Wang are naturally not happy about this, and this is how the conflict arose."
"On the day the Wang family was in trouble, Mrs. Wang Liu dismissed the servants. We visited the neighbors and they said they saw the Hunter Liu family enter the Wang Mansion that night. The next day, the incident happened. The constable and the county magistrate hastily closed the case, and the family moved in."
Meng Yu's expression changed several times.
"So, it was the Liu family who murdered Wang Hao's family for their wealth? This... this is too outrageous."
Liu Er was heartbroken. "Yes, we felt it was wrong at the time, but Wang Liu said frankly that even if it was her family who did it, she could forgive her father and brothers on behalf of her late husband's family. The evidence is not conclusive, and the adults are unwilling to pursue the matter. What can we do?"
Kong Hanan sighed, "Reality is often more outrageous than gossip novels."
While they were talking, the door of the palace suddenly opened.
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