Chapter 187 Arrangements
After Jinluo had taken care of her injuries, Pan He had already roughly explained to Ji Zhongqin the changes on the ground, with emphasis on Han Ju's betrayal.
Ji Zhongqin turned his gaze towards Han Ju, who was being guarded by Changquan. Although he was tired, his eyes were still sharp. "Han Ju, you said you have evidence of General Qiu's crime?"
Han Ju knelt on one knee and spoke clearly, "Your Excellency, I do have it. I secretly copied and preserved three letters between General Qiu and the bandit leader of the Black Wind Stronghold outside Jinzhou City. The letters mentioned that poisoned corpses were used to create a false plague, causing civil unrest. They then used this opportunity to impeach General Deng for his poor governance, which incited the uprising. Guangyi County removed General Deng and replaced him with General Qiu to take over everything here. The original letters should be in the secret compartment of General Qiu's study. I am willing to take people to retrieve them."
"Black Wind Village..." Ji Zhongqin pondered, this vaguely matched the scattered clues he had obtained before.
"Furthermore," Han Ju continued, "General Qiu's actions this time weren't entirely his own decision. About two weeks ago, a mysterious merchant claiming to be from Kyoto met with him in secret, and only then did General Qiu come up with this plan. I overheard some snippets of their conversation, and it seemed to mention...the impatience of his superiors."
"Superiors?" Ji Zhongqin's pupils shrank slightly. Guangyi County was under the jurisdiction of Jinzhou, and General Qiu had more than one superior: the provincial governor, the military governor's office... and perhaps even a court struggle. After all, the emperor's cousin had several grown-up sons.
"Sir," Pan He suddenly spoke in a very low voice, "It is not advisable to stay here for long, and this is not the place for a detailed investigation." He glanced at the soldiers around him who had retreated but were still listening with their ears perked up, and at Sima Guo who was limp as mud with a flickering look in his eyes.
Ji Zhongqin understood instantly.
Although General Qiu is dead, the forces behind him may not let it go. Now that he has just recovered from the poisoning, no matter how powerful Pan Hechenluo is, he is still an outsider. He must stabilize the situation as soon as possible and take the initiative.
He took a deep breath and stood up. Although his official robe was torn, his back was straight. He said in a loud voice, "Master Deng."
"I'm here." Deng Wenyan bowed.
"Sir Deng, you are the chief official of Guangyi County, so the affairs of Guangyi County will be handed over to you for review."
"Yes, sir." Deng Wenyan said, "Sir, the case is now clear. Can the Li family be allowed to return to the village? All the male members of the Li family are here, and only women, children, and the elderly are left at home..."
Before Deng Wenyan finished speaking, Ji Zhongqin nodded and said, "Let them go back first. The Li family is innocently implicated this time. You are the official in charge, and you have the final say on everything."
Deng Wenyan pulled Li Baisong, and Li Baisong bowed deeply, "Thank you, Master Ji, Master Deng."
"Sima Guo."
"I, your humble servant is here!" Sima Guo almost crawled over.
"I hereby order you to secure the body of Lieutenant Qiu until the autopsy is complete. Assist Lord Deng in separating and securing all the soldiers present and taking their statements. Do this immediately."
"Yes! Yes! Your humble servant obeys!" Sima Guo responded as if he had been pardoned. He agreed repeatedly and hurriedly drove the soldiers to work, trying to show that he could atone for his sins.
After making all these arrangements, Ji Zhongqin looked at Han Ju with a complicated look, "Han Ju, although you have made meritorious contributions, it is also true that you previously aided and abetted the tyrant. I will trust you for now and allow you to make meritorious contributions while serving your sentence. Lord Deng, send two trusted brothers to accompany Han Ju to collect evidence. If there are any unusual movements..."
Ji Zhongqin looked at Pan He, and he preferred Pan He to go.
But, he was not an official. He and Chenluo were able to help only because of Deng Wenyan.
Pan He stepped forward and said, "If your Excellency doesn't mind, I will make this trip for you."
Ji Zhongqin was overjoyed, he stood up and clasped his fists towards Pan He, "Sir, you are so righteous."
Ji Zhongqin got up too quickly and even staggered.
Deng Wenyan and Guo Sima hurriedly supported the man on the left and right.
Pan He looked at Qinluo and said, "Aluo, please stay here for a few days."
"Wenqing, Baisong, take good care of...A Luo." Pan He still couldn't say the words "your master's wife" on his lips.
The disappointment in her heart quickly subsided and she waved at Pan He, "Go quickly and come back soon. I don't need anyone to take care of me."
Han Ju kowtowed and said, "I have no second thoughts." He stood up and led Pan He away quickly.
Ji Zhongqin bowed solemnly and said, "If it weren't for Miss Luo's help today, I would have died. I am deeply grateful for this favor."
JIULUO smiled and said, "Master Ji, please stop being polite. The poisonous fog has a strong aftereffect, and my medicine can only suppress it temporarily. You need to rest for a few days to clear the remaining poison."
Deng Wenyan bowed, "Master Ji, I have ordered the guesthouse to be cleared. How about you rest and recuperate in the backyard of the yamen? I will inform you immediately of any developments. It is fortunate that you are here to help during this turmoil in Guangyi County. Otherwise, I would have been killed by now, and Guangyi County would have fallen into the hands of treacherous people."
"You and I serve the same court, both serving the people. Lord Deng is loyal to the people. If he were framed by such treacherous people, it would be a loss to the court. Lord Deng, you are too kind." Ji Zhongqin stood firm with the support of Deng Wenyan. Although his face was pale, his eyes were as calm as water. "Lord Deng, please make the arrangements. Just don't mobilize a large force. Keep everything simple. These are troubled times. We still need your full support inside and outside the government office."
"I understand," Deng Wenyan quickly agreed. "Your Excellency is all alone. If you don't mind, how about letting my junior brother take care of you for the next few days?"
Upon hearing this, Li Baisong supported Ji Zhongqin steadily on the other side.
"Bai Song, you personally take people to clean up the East Wing Guest House. Make sure it's clean and tidy. Also, have the kitchen prepare some light meals and hot water."
"Second brother, I know." Li Baisong gave Deng Wenyan a reassuring look, knowing that Deng Wenyan was giving him a chance.
Ji Zhongqin turned to Jinluo and bowed solemnly again. His voice, though hoarse, was sincere. "Miss Luo, I cannot thank you enough for your kindness. You not only saved my life, but also saved countless people in Guangyi County from disaster. If you need anything in the future, as long as it is within the law and morality, I will do my best to help you."
Jinluo waved her hand, still looking nonchalant. "Master Ji, you've said this for the third time. I'm helping you, firstly, out of respect for Wenqing, and secondly, because that Qiu and the people behind him are too dirty, and I can't stand it. Thirdly..." Her eyes flickered, a hint of cunning flashing in them. "I like the name 'Ji Qingtian', but it's a pity for you to die. So, focus on healing your wounds, and don't keep saying thank you. It's making my ears callused."
Deng Wenyan, listening from the side, felt both grateful and ashamed. He quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "Sir, Miss Luo is a chivalrous woman with a quick temper and a quick tongue. Your health is most important, so you should move to the backyard and rest. I will take care of the aftermath of this situation and report back to you in detail once I have retrieved the evidence."
Ji Zhongqin did indeed feel dizzy, so he stopped trying to be brave. Before leaving, he looked at Guo Sima again and said in a serious tone, "Guo Sima, opportunities to redeem oneself for meritorious service don't come around often."
Ji Zhongqin was worried that once he left, his subordinate Deng Wenyan would be suppressed by Sima Guo, so he warned Sima Guo again.
Sima Guo was sweating profusely. He wiped his sweat with his sleeve and said, "Don't worry, Master Ji. I will definitely assist Master Deng in the trial.
Only then did Ji Zhongqin and Li Baisong leave.
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