The next morning, Wu County Magistrate Yang Chenglin was enjoying his daily office time.

Only at this time did he feel that his job as the magistrate of a county was somewhat enjoyable.

At this time, the second gong was struck and the hall drum was beaten. After the worship was over, the assistant officials stood there in different heights to listen to the master's lecture.

There is just so much stuff to talk about over and over again, it's hard for the master to talk about it for an hour every day.

The officials pretended to listen attentively and nodded from time to time, seeming to agree.

But if you look closely, many people standing at the back are actually dozing off... There's nothing you can do about it, you go to bed too late and get up too early every day, and you don't manage your time well.

Suddenly, loud drum sounds were heard at the gate of the yamen, which hurt the eardrums of the officials in the hall.

The officials who were dozing off were also awakened by the shock. They wiped their saliva and asked their attendants, "Is the court adjourned?"

But the master had a dark face and looked like he was going to eat someone, so the officials quickly shut up and lowered their heads.

"Who is making noise outside?!" The master slammed the gavel heavily.

The gatekeeper who came in to report hurried forward and whispered to Magistrate Yang. "It's the steward of the Xu family who came to report the case."

"Just report it, why are you making such a fuss? You've scared me." Yang Chenglin had a dark face. Didn't he know that what I hate most is being interrupted when I'm doing my work?

"I said the master was in court and asked him to wait for a while, but Manager Xu got impatient and banged the drum..." The doorman said with a bitter face, "He is a member of the Xu family, and I dare not stop him."

"Mother." Magistrate Yang spat, waved his hand in frustration and said, "Let's go."

The assistant officials felt as if they had been pardoned. They bowed and took their leave, leaving the hall in a noisy manner.

Then he saw the doorman leading Xu Xu, the manager of the Xu Mansion, towards the back hall.

Seeing Xu Xu's dark face, he ignored him even when he greeted him. The chief clerk couldn't help but wonder, "What happened to the Xu family? It looks like they've suffered a loss."

"It's more than a loss, it's a huge loss." The county magistrate said quietly, "Haven't you heard? Yesterday, the Xu family's eldest and second masters led five hundred slaves out of the city in a threatening manner, but only the eldest master came back with twenty people. I don't know what happened to the second Xu and those nearly five hundred people."

"What happened?" The chief clerk opened his mouth in shock. "Is there anyone in Susong who dares to attack the Xu family?"

"Who knows?" The county magistrate shrugged and yawned, "I dare not say, I dare not ask, the right thing to do is to go back and catch up on some sleep."

"That's true." The chief clerk agreed with him. When gods are fighting, little devils should not get involved.

~~

Sign the deposit room.

Magistrate Yang was a completely different person from before, and was talking in a friendly manner to Xu Xu, the steward of the Xu family.

"If there is something going on in your house, just let someone know. Why bother Brother Xu to come and beat the drum in person?"

"Don't blame me, my parents. This is a serious matter and we can't delay it for even a moment!" Xu Xu took out a petition and handed it to him. "My second master and five hundred family members were attacked for no reason. Their lives and deaths are unknown. This is truly a shocking case that has never been heard of in the past two hundred years!"

"Ah?!" County Magistrate Yang was frightened when he heard this. He quickly stood up from his chair, took the petition with both hands and read it carefully.

When he saw that the crime scene was Xishan Island and the mastermind was Zhao Hao, the magistrate of Kunshan, his heart finally relaxed.

After reading it patiently, Magistrate Yang handed the petition back to Xu Xu, saying apologetically, "This matter involves a neighboring county, and our county is powerless. How can I, the magistrate of Wu County, manage the people of Kunshan County? Brother Xu, you should go to the government office to take a look."

"You are wrong, old parents. My master was attacked in Xishan. Xishan is your jurisdiction. Who else should we in the Xu family look for if not you?" Seeing that he was trying to pass the blame, Xu Xu's face turned unhappy.

"Brother Xu only knows one side of the story. Xishan was already under military control before I took office. After the withdrawal of Taihu Lieutenant General, Nanjing has never said whether Xishan Island was returned to the county or there were other arrangements." Yang Chenglin sighed and said, "So when the Kunshan Gunner Battalion went to the island to suppress the bandits, they did not inform this county at all. This county could only watch."

"Besides, Kunshan County's suppression of bandits in Xishan was approved by the prefect. Even if I take the case, I still have to go to the government office to fight the lawsuit." He stood up to see the guest off and said:

"You also know how slow the government is in getting information up and down. Wouldn't that delay the rescue of the Second Master? It would be better to go directly to the governor. As long as the governor speaks, how dare Kunshan County disobey?"

"Uh..." Xu Xu thought this made some sense and was sent out of the signing room in a daze.

When he came to his senses, he found himself outside the county government office.

"Damn it, that's a good push." ​​Xu Xu spat at the county government office and got on the carriage back to the Humble Administrator's Garden.

Things like visiting the prefect were not something he could decide; it depended on what the master meant.

~~

At the same time, the work in the government office was also finished, and the assistant clerks returned to their respective places.

Judge Zhang yawned repeatedly and went into his own judge's office, ready to take a nap first.

When he returned to the Tongpan Hall, the chief attendant reported that Mr. Liu had arrived.

"Why are you here again?" Judge Zhang couldn't help but frown, not wanting to see this unlucky god.

Unfortunately, the other party gave too much on weekdays, so Zhang Tongpan had to deal with it.

He was delighted as soon as he entered the flower hall.

"Oh, President Liu, are you going to work in the fields?" Judge Zhang joked with a smile and walked into the flower hall.

I saw that the Vice President Liu of the Dongting Chamber of Commerce was wearing a patched coarse cloth shirt, straw sandals on his feet, and holding a bamboo hat in his hand. At first glance, he really looked like an old farmer.

It's just a little white.

"Safety first, safety first." Liu Zhengqi said with a smile: "I didn't even dare to go through the front door, I came in through the back door."

"Who did you offend?" Zhang Tongpan asked curiously.

"Hey, knowing too much is no good." Liu Zhengqi smiled bitterly and said, "Help me see the Lord of the Palace, and don't worry about it."

"Okay, I won't ask." Zhang Tongpan lost his curiosity immediately after hearing this. In a place like Suzhou where the rich and powerful are everywhere, it is always better to have less trouble than more.

He brought Mr. Liu to the prefect's signing room and reported it to the prefect. It happened that Prefect Cai was free, so he let him in directly.

Judge Zhang told the governor that Mr. Liu had something to report to him in private, and then he took his leave.

In the prefect's signing room, Cai Guoxi looked at Liu Zhengqi, who was in disguise, with a serious expression.

"How did you get into this state?"

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency. I had no choice but to do this." Liu Zhengqi said with a sad face, "Our Xishan elders have completely offended the Xu family. They threatened to kill me to establish their authority."

"Nonsense, stop spreading rumors. The Xu family is a family of morals and literature, how could they threaten to kill someone?" Prefect Cai frowned unhappily.

"How dare I spread rumors about the Xu family?" Liu Yuanwai shouted, "If I hadn't been desperate, how dare I come to disturb my husband's ancestors?"

"What's going on? Tell me the truth first." Magistrate Cai said with a stern face.

"Yes, sir." Liu Zhengqi nodded quickly, then changed the story of the Xishan Island incident and told it to Governor Cai.

ps. The first of three consecutive updates, please give me a monthly vote~~~