But how smart was Wu Shilai? How could he be fooled by Ni Tuiguan's few words?

He hesitated for a moment and asked suspiciously, "This is an imperial case, and the Ministry of Justice and the Eastern Depot are investigating it. How did it become our Shuntian Prefecture's business?"

"This..." Ni Tuiguan was asked about his sore spot, and laughed awkwardly, "I am just following orders. If the Shaofu has any questions, you should go directly to the Mingfu."

"Is this the order from Lord Ming?" Wu Shilai frowned even more tightly, as things were becoming more and more complicated.

"Otherwise, this humble official is just bored." Ni Tuiguan said with a fake smile, "After the Shaofu asks the governor, as long as the governor says to release him, this humble official will immediately escort Zhao Xiaolian out of the yamen."

"I will ask." Since his immediate superior was mentioned, Wu Shilai could only make the next best choice and said, "But before that, can I take him to the prefectural chancellor's office to wait for a while? My brother Zhao is a man of honor, how can he stay in a place like a classroom?"

"Okay, okay." Ni Tuiguan couldn't give the chancellor any face, so he had to give up the idea of ​​sending Zhao Shouzheng to the prison. "Just take him away, as long as he doesn't leave the government office."

"I understand this rule." Wu Shilai nodded, thinking that this was the only way for now.

~~

After the two men had reached an agreement, Ni sent Wu Shilai out of the hall and told the officer, "Hand him over to the Shaofu."

"Can I leave now?" Zhao Shouzheng was delighted when he heard that.

"Not yet." Wu Shilai shook his head slightly embarrassedly.

"Why?" This was asked by Zhao Hao. He glared at Judge Ni, as if he wanted an explanation.

"The adults are talking, so don't interrupt like a kid." Tuiguan Ni glanced at him unhappily, but did not take the fourteen or fifteen-year-old Zhao Hao seriously.

"My dear nephew, Mr. Ni has a case and we need your cooperation in the investigation." Wu Shilai had to give a vague explanation.

"Then let's go home first and come back when we need you." Zhao Hao paused and said, "The Magistrate is very busy, so he won't just ask about this case all day long."

"No!" Seeing that this boy was still trying to cause trouble, Magistrate Ni said firmly, "He cannot leave the government office until the case is fully investigated."

"Uncle, you see clearly, I am not deliberately not giving you face. This beast is really going too far!"

Zhao Hao first accused Wu Shilai of his crime, then pointed at the magistrate angrily and said, "You provoked someone you shouldn't have provoked, do you know that?!"

Seeing his arrogant and frivolous behavior, the magistrate became even more displeased and said, "Aren't you just relying on the respect of Zhao Zhongcheng? But he is not in the capital now, so you'd better not humiliate yourself and bring shame to Zhongcheng!"

"When my elder brother is not here, is there nothing we can do?" Zhao Hao sneered and said, "I'm putting this down here. If you don't let him go within an hour, you will bear the consequences yourself!"

"Haha..." Ni Tuiguan laughed in anger, "You are used to being domineering in small places, right? Is Shuntian Prefecture a place where you can act wild?"

As he said this, he crossed his arms over his chest and sneered, "I want to see what serious consequences there are."

"The candidates in our Nanzhili were robbed one after another. You, as the magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture, did not think about catching the thieves and solving the case, but instead kept arresting the victims. I think you are most likely in cahoots with those thieves!"

Zhao Hao confronted him head on.

Ni Tuiguan's pupils shrank suddenly because of what he said, and he shouted fiercely: "What nonsense!"

"And that day, you set up a checkpoint outside the city with the Shuntian Prefecture's ticket, but the people who checked the car were some strong-dressed slaves of unknown origin!" Zhao Hao kept shouting, "Shuntian Prefecture is for the emperor to look after the house, when did it become a running dog for the powerful and wealthy?"

"Is there such a thing?" Wu Shilai also looked at Judge Ni. He had heard from his nephew that he was stopped on the way into the city, but he didn't know that the person who checked the car was someone else.

"We were short of manpower and had to borrow it temporarily." Tuiguan Ni felt increasingly guilty and stammered as he explained to Wu Shilai.

"If you don't let me go today!" Zhao Hao immediately stepped forward, looked down at Ni Tuiguan coldly and said, "Today I can strip you of your official uniform, do you believe it?"

"What a big tone you have." Ni Tuiguan also stepped forward and stared at Zhao Hao like fighting cocks. "I want to see how you plan to strip me of my official uniform?"

Zhao Hao sneered disdainfully and said, "I might as well tell you that my three disciples are all candidates for this year's imperial examination. My father is known as 'timely rain' among the candidates. This time he was wrongly imprisoned because of the candidates' cases. Do you think those candidates who have received his help can still sit still after hearing this news?"

"Now my students have spread the news, and candidates from Nanzhili are coming from all directions."

Zhao Hao opened his hands and threatened Ni Tuiguan: "When one or two hundred candidates gather outside the gate of Shuntian Mansion and shout together to release the prisoners, I want to ask you, are you afraid?!"

"This, this..." Ni Tuiguan broke out in a cold sweat when he heard this. How could he not be afraid? This was the emperor's feet. Let alone one or two hundred candidates, even if one or two hundred common people gathered outside the Shuntian government office, the news would reach the emperor's ears the next day.

And what they fear most is that the emperor will know about this matter...

~~

Ni Tuiguan never expected that he failed to suppress the Grand Master, but was frightened by a kid of fourteen or fifteen years old. He had no choice but to look to Wu Shilai for help.

"Alas..." Wu Shilai sighed inwardly. After all, he was an official of Shuntian Prefecture, a fourth-rank official appointed by the imperial court. After hearing what Ni Tuiguan had said, he could no longer side with Zhao Hao.

"It was originally a small matter. If it gets out of hand, it won't be good for anyone." So he held Zhao Hao and whispered, "Leave it to me. You go there with your father and wait. I'll give you news before dark. Are you still worried that your father will be bullied in your uncle's territory?"

Zhao Shouzheng also advised Zhao Hao: "Yes, son, don't make things difficult for Mr. Wu. Your father is innocent, so let them investigate."

"Humph..." Zhao Hao angrily stopped insisting, but still emphasized: "You must let my father and I go within an hour, otherwise you will bear the consequences!"

"Hmph..." Judge Ni also snorted, but did not dare to argue with the young man anymore.

In fact, the reason why Zhao Hao got so angry, besides being really angry, was largely a strategy - as the saying goes, 'a thief is always guilty', the mentality of the person who actually took something and the person who was wrongly accused is completely different.

The former is mainly based on fear, while the latter is mainly based on grievance.

If you are wronged, you should shout it out! Otherwise, others will think that you are not wronged...

Now I am hoping that Sanyang can provide more support.

~~

Wu Shilai finally managed to calm Zhao Hao down and asked him and Zhao Shizhen to go to the prefectural government office and wait first.

Then he ordered Ni Tuiguan to take people out to guard the place immediately.

If there really are groups of candidates coming, persuade them to leave with kind words, and never let them gather on Shuntianfu Street, let alone conflict with them, which will make the situation even more difficult to handle.

Ni Tuiguan also knew that if he was not careful, he would be in big trouble, so he quickly responded and left.

Wu Shilai hurried to the main government office and went to the signing room to ask to see the prefect.

ps. The guaranteed first update is here, please give me your monthly votes and recommendation tickets!