Chapter 198: Destroy the Trace
"Hurry, go to the government office!"
When the shopkeeper heard this, he didn't even bother to ask Jiang Yuzhu and his group for money, and went straight to the yamen with a dozen strong men.
Many regular customers of the restaurant said they would keep accounts and also go to the government office to watch the fun.
In an instant, the number of guests coming to dine dropped by half.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Xie Zhao took Jiang Yuzhu out through the back door and had a free meal without spending a penny.
Liang An said proudly, "Didn't the shopkeeper say that without one hundred taels of silver, you can't leave the gate of Fuguilou?"
Liang An was skeptical when he heard about the various deeds of County Magistrate Cao in Zhaijia Village. It was not until he came to Fuguilou for dinner that he realized that what the villagers knew was not complete.
"This kind of dog official who takes human life lightly should be sent to hell!"
Liang An was full of righteousness and suggested, "Master, Madam, let's follow the crowd to the government office, shall we? I want to see what Magistrate Cao can do. Is there really no law in this world?"
In Ruyang, the emperor is far away and the sky is high, and County Magistrate Cao is all-powerful.
Jiang Yuzhu agreed and said, "Extorting the people's money is a serious crime, but if you shield your brother-in-law and take human lives, then the nature of the crime is different."
My father Jiang Fulu works in the Ministry of Personnel. Although he is in charge of the performance appraisal of all officials, they are not in all places and cannot take care of the remote small counties.
If County Magistrate Cao had someone powerful behind him, and his subordinates followed his example, he would be able to get away with it.
"Without promotion for many years, County Magistrate Cao is both a powerful figure and a local tyrant in Ruyang, and has embezzled countless amounts of money."
Xie Zhao made a rough calculation and found that Fuguilou alone earned at least several thousand taels of silver in one night.
As they followed the crowd, they heard a ragged woman crying and begging passers-by for help: "There is strength in numbers. Thousands of us are seeking justice for the Xu family. Can Magistrate Cao still lie with his eyes open?"
Although the others were willing to help, it was not as simple as the old lady thought. They all sighed and said, "The arm is no match for the thigh. The lives of ordinary people are cheap!"
When the old lady heard this, she burst into tears again: "Miss Xu was such a good girl, how could she have ended up like this?"
The old lady kept muttering, and Jiang Yuzhu roughly understood the whole story.
The Xu family lived in Ruyang and made a living by selling tofu.
Old man Xu had a daughter in his old age. Not long after his daughter was born, his wife died. From then on, the father and daughter depended on each other.
"This father and daughter are both kind-hearted..."
Among them, some of Xu’s neighbors also started crying.
Although the Xu family is not wealthy, both the father and daughter are honest and decent people.
He sold tofu from street to street before dawn. If he met a poor person who was craving for tofu, he would give him a piece for free.
The ragged old lady was a widow who made a living by selling insoles. Her eyesight was not very good, and Miss Xu often went to see her and helped her sew insoles with her hands and feet.
"That girl is kind-hearted, beautiful, and hardworking, but how could she be favored by a thug? God is blind!"
The old lady cried and wailed, and finally fainted from excessive grief.
The people hurriedly pinched her Ren Zhong, and when she woke up she said only one sentence: "I only have this one life, and I have lived enough. If Magistrate Cao still protects his brother-in-law, I will go to the capital to file a complaint even if I have to beg for food!"
The people around were silent for a long time before they said, "Old lady, Ruyang is under the jurisdiction of Pingcheng. How could the prefect not know what the situation in Ruyang is like?"
This bunch of crooked officials protect each other.
Of course, County Magistrate Cao could not keep all the money he embezzled for himself. He had to give a large portion of it as bribes to ensure the stability of his official position.
"If we really want to file a complaint, I'm afraid we'll have to go to the capital to file a complaint with the emperor."
When it comes to filing a complaint with the emperor, the people are so upset that they are speechless. They have never left Ruyang, let alone go to the capital. They can't even afford the travel expenses.
Life in Ruyang is very difficult.
He worked honestly on weekdays, not offending the powerful, and lived in fear, just to have a full meal.
If you offend Magistrate Cao's lackeys, your life will be over.
"Now it's the Xu family that's in trouble. What if one day it's our turn?"
One person asked, and everyone looked solemn.
Yes, what should I do when it’s my turn?
In a sense, they are all survivors, but they should not be happy.
"It is said that one cannot blame the masses. If we help the Xu family, we will be beaten at most. But if we turn a deaf and blind eye, we will be betraying our conscience!"
They are all simple people, and they finally come together.
Jiang Yuzhu couldn't help but be moved after hearing this.
These days, it is harder than climbing to heaven for the common people to fight against the officials.
In the autumn evening, the afterglow of the setting sun lengthened the shadows of the people, and they walked towards the government office with big strides, and even their backs looked particularly tragic.
The treetops on the roadside turned quietly yellow.
"Yuanhe, now I finally understand you."
Jiang Yuzhu turned her head to look at Xie Zhao and said seriously, "From now on, I will support everything you do. Just keep moving forward."
Xie Zhao is busy with all kinds of affairs every day, and his mind is always on how to benefit the people.
Jiang Yuzhu doesn't have such lofty ambitions, but she will make sure not to fall behind.
Leave the trivial matters to her.
"In that case, thank you for your understanding, ma'am."
Xie Zhao's face was calm and his heart felt slightly warm.
Under the wide sleeves, Xie Zhao held Jiang Yuzhu's hand, and the couple smiled at each other, understanding each other and reaching a tacit understanding.
Liang An was about to follow, but Hong Jin grabbed his clothes and pointed to the front and said, "It's a bit strange, why are you joining in the fun?"
Thousands of people had gathered in front of the government office and were engaging in fierce conflict with the government officials.
A yamen runner holding a saber said, "Whoever dares to cause trouble will have a taste of prison food!"
When it comes to jail time, the people at the front obviously flinched, but only for a short while. They all said in unison: "Please ask Magistrate Cao to come out and give Miss Xu an explanation!"
"Miss Xu was carried out of the Shi residence, wrapped in a straw mat and thrown into a mass grave. Someone witnessed this and notified Old Man Xu to collect her body!"
"A good and innocent girl died in the Shi family for unknown reasons, but Magistrate Cao turned a blind eye to it, just because Shi You was his brother-in-law?"
The people cried out for justice for the Xu family. Old man Xu had just suffered the pain of losing his daughter, and now he was beaten with a stick. If he died, who would seek justice for Miss Xu?
After hearing this, the yamen runner spat and said, "Innocent girl? How do you know she didn't do it voluntarily?"
"It's not right for the Shi family to throw the person into a mass grave now that he's dead, but Mr. Shi also promised to pay for the funeral, and Old Man Xu has no objection, so what are you guys making a fuss about?"
There were too many people causing trouble, and the yamen runners could not suppress them, so they had to use some patience to persuade them.
"Old Xu was hit on the head and unconscious, of course there is no objection! Miss Xu is dead, and you are still smearing her reputation. Aren't you afraid that she will turn into a ghost and come after you?"
Many neighbors grew up watching Miss Xu. When they heard the yamen runners smearing her reputation and implying that it was Miss Xu who took the initiative to visit the Shi family, they were so angry at the yamen runners' distorting right and wrong that they started cursing.
This was the first time that these honest people had the courage to confront the bailiffs.
"Anyway, Miss Xu died of an accident due to poor health. What does it have to do with you? Did Old Man Xu ask you to make trouble and give you money? You are just a bunch of dogs trying to catch rats!"
Just as the bailiff finished speaking, Magistrate Cao, who had arrived late, ordered his men to go and get Miss Xu's body.
Hearing that the imperial envoy passed through Ruyang, Magistrate Cao was afraid of being caught, so he could only destroy the body and leave no clues, only then could he sleep peacefully!
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