Chapter 309 Arresting People at Their Doorstep
Half a month later, the people who went to Qingzhou to investigate the cause of death of Liu Huazhi and Ma Dahua returned, along with several witnesses.
Having obtained the witness testimonies and the coroner's autopsy report, the Prefect of the Capital City determined that Xu Laosi was a prime suspect and immediately dispatched men to Xu's residence to arrest Xu Laosi and Feng Lianhua.
As her husband, Feng Lianhua was unlikely to be unaware that the Prefect of the Capital had ample reason to suspect her of being an accomplice.
When the constables came to arrest them, Xu Laosi and Feng Lianhua were counting their silver behind closed doors.
After arriving in the capital for several months, they obtained a considerable amount of money from Xu Huaining under various pretexts.
Apart from the portion that has been spent, I now have over a hundred taels of silver in my possession.
Holding the heavy money box in your hands gives you a sense of security that light banknotes can never provide.
Old Xu was still not satisfied, feeling that this amount of money was not enough for them to live a life of luxury back in their hometown:
"When Huaining comes back tonight, we'll have him give us five hundred taels of silver and arrange a boat to take us back to Qingzhou. We'll buy a few servants to take care of us, and we can live comfortably in the village."
Feng Lianhua hesitated and said, "Huaining's monthly salary is only a few taels of silver. It would be difficult for him to come up with five hundred taels all at once."
Xu Laosi snorted, "He doesn't have any, but that princess has plenty. Otherwise, did this house worth several hundred taels just fall from the sky?"
Feng Lianhua looked up, her feelings mixed: "He's not young anymore, and there's no one by his side who cares about him. I wonder if it's because the Princess doesn't allow it."
After all, he was her son, whom she had carried for ten months and who had been pampered and cherished since childhood. Even though Xu Huaining's behavior chilled Feng Lianhua's heart, she couldn't bring herself to blame her only son.
"Hmph, if he were truly capable, he would have married the princess himself. You don't need to worry about him here."
Xu Laosi didn't care whether Xu Huaining could get married or not. After all, he was only in his early twenties, and he could afford to wait a few years to get married and have children.
Feng Lianhua sighed, and was just about to put all the silver away when an angry shout came from outside:
"What are you doing! What are you doing! My master is a newly appointed Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and now works in the Ministry of Revenue. This is not a place for you to run wild!"
The constables who came to arrest him ignored them, casually pushed the servants who rushed up to stop them to the ground, and stormed into the house.
The couple inside thought that a thief had broken into their home to rob them. They turned pale with fright and hurriedly hid the silver box.
Before they could hide properly, the door was kicked open, and seven or eight constables rushed in.
Startled, Feng Lianhua's hand trembled, and with a loud crash, the money box in her arms fell to the ground, scattering gleaming silver everywhere.
The head constable glanced at the panicked couple and then at the silver scattered on the ground, and immediately roared, "They're trying to escape punishment! Go and arrest them!"
Xu Laosi: "..."
Feng Lianhua: "..."
Who would flee to avoid punishment?
What exactly happened?
The two bewildered individuals were easily apprehended by the surrounding constables.
Only when his hands were bound by cold iron chains did Xu Laosi finally react, jumping up and down and shouting:
"My son is a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), my son is a high-ranking official, and we even know the Princess. Why are you arresting me? What right do you have to arrest me!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the constables were filled with surprise and uncertainty.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of such minor official families in the capital. Could they really know someone like the Princess Consort?
After exchanging a glance, the leading constable sneered, "We are ordered to arrest criminals, we don't care who your sons or grandsons are! Come on, gag them and take them away!"
"yes!"
A constable found two tattered rags and used them to tightly gag Xu Laosi and Feng Lianhua.
Under the shocked, disdainful, or gloating gazes of their neighbors, the couple were taken away like two dogs struggling in vain.
Xu Huaining worked in the Ministry of Revenue, where he had endless miscellaneous tasks to handle every day.
He had just finished sorting through an old ledger and was about to have a cup of tea and rest when he learned from the panicked servants that Xu Laosi and Feng Lianhua had been arrested.
Xu Huaining's hand trembled, spilling tea all over himself, and a very bad premonition welled up in his heart.
He didn't bother to straighten his official robes and hurriedly asked his superior for leave. After receiving permission, he went straight to the Jingzhao Prefecture.
The Prefect of Jingzhao did not immediately try the case, but ordered Xu Laosi and Feng Lianhua to be imprisoned, and prepared to write a letter to the Marquis of Annan's residence.
Ning Sihan had previously shown interest in the case, and the Prefect of the Capital thought he might take some time to attend the hearing. Naturally, the timing of the trial would depend on Ning Sihan's opinion.
Before the letter was finished, a bailiff came in and reported: "Your Honor, a Lord Xu from the Ministry of Revenue requests an audience."
Upon hearing the surname Xu, the Prefect of the Capital instinctively assumed it was Xu Xiuzhuan, the newly appointed third-ranked scholar.
He was about to order the bailiffs to bring the people in when he suddenly remembered that the couple who had just been arrested also had the surname Xu. So he straightened his expression and said coldly, "Just say that I am busy with official duties and it is inconvenient for me to receive guests today."
If Xu Xiuzhuan were to visit, he would naturally have to personally entertain him.
Forget about the others with the surname Xu; he doesn't have the time for that.
Outside the yamen, Xu Huaining heard the constable's words, and his hand under his sleeve tightened suddenly, his face turning ugly for a moment.
Looking up at the imposing gate with the three golden characters "Jingzhao Prefecture" engraved on it, Xu Huaining felt a chill creep over him, making him feel cold even in the sunlight.
He took a deep breath, glanced at the gate, and then turned and left.
In the evening, Xu Jinnian returned from the Hanlin Academy and told Sheng An the good news that Xu Laosi and Feng Lianhua had been detained by the Jingzhao Prefecture.
Sheng An was surprised by the efficiency of the Jingzhao Prefecture. After a brief moment of excitement, he asked:
"Xu Huaining is an official, no less. The Prefect of the Capital didn't give him any face and directly sent the constables to arrest him. Isn't there sufficient evidence to prove that Xu Laosi and his wife are the murderers of Liu Huazhi and Ma Dahua?"
Xu Jinnian smiled and nodded: "Yes, there are witnesses and physical evidence. With your sworn brother watching over you, even if Xu Huaining has connections everywhere, Xu Laosi will not be able to get out of prison alive."
Sheng An clapped his hands in delight: "He killed two people, he should have paid with his life long ago!"
Liu Huazhi and Ma Dahua are not good people. Even if they deserve to die, it is not Xu Laosi's place to lay a hand on them. Besides, they are the least deserving of death.
"With parents who are murderers, I wonder if Xu Huaining can still hold down his post as an official."
Sheng An said gloatingly, "I really want to see Xu Huaining's face right now."
"Speaking of which, he was really lucky in the exam. Brother Fang and Brother Ye are no less talented than him, but both of them failed the imperial examination this year. He just happened to be lucky enough to pass and ranked so high."
If Zhenlin hadn't performed poorly in the palace examination and only become a junior scholar, he would have been pushed down by him, as Zhenlin was the last among the junior scholars.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jinnian's lips curled into a mocking smile.
It's time to bring the issue of favoritism and malpractice in scientific expeditions to the forefront.
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