Chapter 194 Ye Chutang and Song Jingning recognize each other
Song Jingning looked at Ye Chutang who was worried, and a warm feeling flowed through his heart.
He raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said nonchalantly: "They are just minor injuries, no problem."
Ye Chutang knew Song Jingning's injury was not serious when he saw his complexion.
But he is my brother after all, so I still feel a little worried.
"If Mr. Song doesn't mind, I'd like to take your pulse."
Seeing Ye Chutang's excessive concern for Song Jingning, Qi Yanzhou became more and more suspicious that they were twin siblings.
Because there is a connection between twin brothers and sisters.
When Ye Chutang squatted down in pain, Song Jingning was almost in danger.
The timing was too coincidental, which made him think more.
Song Jingning generously stretched out his hand in front of Ye Chutang and pulled up his wide sleeves.
Ye Chutang took Song Jingning's pulse and confirmed that his injury was not serious.
She took her hand back and said, "Mr. Song, although these are only superficial injuries, the weather is hot and you need to be more careful to prevent the wound from becoming inflamed and festering."
"Thank you for the reminder, Madam Qi. I will pay attention to it."
"Before exile, I prepared some excellent external injury medicines in Xinglin Hall. I will bring some to Mr. Song later."
Song Jingning looked at Ye Chutang, who made him want to get closer to her, and did not refuse.
"Mrs. Qi's kindness is hard to refuse, and I would be disrespectful to refuse it."
After saying that, he looked at Han Chong.
"Sir, how are you going to deal with these bandits?"
"Of course we are sending the officials off. We will have to trouble Mr. Song to accompany us to the government office."
“It should be.”
At this time, the exile team arrived.
Ye Chutang went to the cart to find the bag and get the medicine for external injuries.
Han Chong asked about the details of how Song Jingning was robbed by bandits.
After Song Jingning told the truth, he also expressed his own guess.
"Sir, I suspect these bandits are colluding with the government. Even if we go to the government office, it will be a wasted trip."
Qi Yanzhou saw that Song Jingning had the same idea as him and glanced at him.
After Song Jingning noticed it, he asked, "Master Qi, do you think I'm wrong?"
"No, my guess is the same as Young Master Song's, but I believe that with Young Master Song's reputation, the government will definitely not dare to fool him."
Han Chong said: "Bandits are rampant in broad daylight. This matter must be investigated thoroughly."
When Wu Chenggang heard this, he was overwhelmed.
He reminded: "Hantou, our mission is to escort them, and we should not interfere in the affairs of the local government."
Not only is it a thankless task, it's also a waste of time.
Han Chong gave Wu Chenggang a cold look with a warning in his eyes.
Wu Chenggang was so frightened that his legs went limp. He quickly changed his words, "Of course, if the government and the bandits are really colluding, we must intervene!"
"Tou Wu is right. Shall we take the official road now and head to Xun County?"
"Okay, let's go."
Ye Chutang handed the external injury medicine to Song Jingning.
"Mr. Song, please apply the medicine first. You can ride in a carriage, which is faster than us. You can catch up with us in a while."
Song Jingning took the medicine bottle and said, "Thank you, Madam Qi."
The exile team set out for Xun County, and Han Chong brought a dozen bandits with him.
Song Jingning watched the group leaving the exile group and clenched the medicine bottle in his hand.
Whether he is Ye Chutang’s twin brother or not, we will know the answer when we arrive in Liangzhou!
Zigui stepped forward and said, "Fifth Master, please apply the medicine first."
He is Song Zhiyan's servant. He is not only good at martial arts, but also understands academy management.
He was assigned to Song Jingning to protect him and help him open a branch in Tianshan County.
Song Jingning nodded and got on the carriage.
The carriage was filled with large boxes made of mahogany.
The officers and soldiers entering the city lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked inside. Seeing that the box was of great value, they thought the things inside were even more valuable, so they notified the bandits to intercept the goods.
But I didn't know that the box was full of books.
Song Jingning sat on the box, took off his clothes, and asked Zigui to help him treat his wounds.
There are quite a lot of wounds, but fortunately none of them are deep.
After applying the medicine, he changed into dark clothes to prevent the wound from bursting and bleeding and being seen through.
Zigui and the other two also had injuries of varying degrees.
It was a quarter of an hour later when we set off.
The carriage ran fast and soon caught up with the exile team.
Song Jingning felt a little uncomfortable when he saw Ye Chutang wearing a straw hat and walking under the scorching sun.
But she was in exile and he could not give her any help.
The carriage moved forward and came to Han Chong's side.
"Sir, I'll go ahead and see you in Xun County later."
"Okay, see you later."
The carriage went farther and farther away, and Han Chong interrogated the bandits as he walked.
The bandits only knew that the creditor had a way to get the "fat sheep", so they ambushed and robbed at the designated location. In the past two years, they have never failed.
The robbery would never have failed if they had not encountered a group of exiles coming from a small path.
"Where is your village?"
Ye Chutang was very interested in this question and listened attentively.
The bandit pointed to the deep mountains in the southwest, "Over two hills and through a swamp, and you'll be there."
After saying that, he added another sentence.
"There are cliffs behind the village and swamps in front. People who are not familiar with the route cannot enter the village at all."
Han Chong snorted coldly: "The place you picked is quite good."
Around noon, the exile team arrived in Xun County.
Wu Chenggang handed the exile document to the official at the city gate.
"We are going to the county government office."
The officials responsible for escorting exiled prisoners could go to the county government office to receive free supplies with written documents.
The officer guarding the city did not ask any questions or think much, and led a large group of people to the county government office.
Along the way, people were watching and talking about it.
"It's really miserable for the Qi family to have encountered such a foolish and jealous king."
"Who says it's not true? The Qi family conquered Beichen Kingdom, but ended up with their property confiscated and exiled."
"Good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished. I heard that the emperor was stung by a wasp raised by the northern barbarians and is now in a coma."
"If the new emperor ascends the throne, he will grant amnesty to the whole nation, and the Qi family will not have to be exiled."
"You think too much. Everyone will be pardoned, except the Qi family!"
The common people spoke in a low voice, but they could not escape the eyes and ears of those with great martial arts skills.
Han Chong glanced around coldly and shouted with his inner strength: "If you want your entire clan to be exterminated, speak louder!"
He was happy to hear the people scolding the royal family, but he still had to do the show.
The people on the street were so shocked by Han Chong's words that their ears hurt and they immediately shut up.
The noisy streets suddenly became as quiet as a chicken.
The guides noticed that Han Chong and his group were not simple people, and their attitudes became respectful.
"Sir, we will be at the county government office soon."
In less than an incense stick of time, the group arrived at the county government office.
Song Jingning's carriage stopped at the corner of the county government office.
When he saw the exile team arriving, he immediately stepped forward.
Han Chong saw Song Jingning changed into a dark blue brocade robe and asked, "Is Mr. Song's injury not serious?"
Song Jingning bowed and saluted, "Thank you for your concern, sir. They are just minor injuries. I have already applied medicine."
After saying that, he looked at Ye Chutang.
"Mrs. Qi's medicine for external injuries is very effective, thank you."
Ye Chutang smiled and said, "It is my honor to be able to help Master Haoyue."
She mentioned the taboo of Song Jingning's name in order to tell the county magistrate that if the matter of the mountain bandits was not handled properly, it would offend students all over the world!
As soon as she finished speaking, a student spoke up.
"Master Haoyue! So this is the Master Haoyue who has been traveling and teaching since he was twelve years old!"
"I didn't expect that Master Haoyue would come to our Xun County. I wonder which academy is lucky enough to have him."
"No matter which academy it is, I will try my best to go and listen to it!"
"Master Haoyue probably didn't come to Xun County to teach. He must be here to sue someone, right? Didn't you hear that he was injured?"
When Song Jingning heard this, he bowed like a gentleman to the onlookers.
"Thank you all for your kindness. After I finish my business, I will give a class in the largest teahouse. If you are interested, we can discuss it together."
When these words were spoken, everyone was delighted.
"Listening to Master Haoyue's speech is better than reading for ten years. I will go to the teahouse now to reserve a seat."
"I have to go home quickly and tell my son that the Master Haoyue, whom he admires the most, is here!"
"My younger brother just happens to have a question that he can't figure out. He can ask Master Haoyue to help him solve it."
Many people and students left excitedly.
At this time, the officials guarding the city had already explained the situation to the yamen runners.
"Quickly inform the county magistrate and prepare more food."
Although the officials who escorted the exiles generally did not hold high positions, they were officials from the capital and could not be neglected.
The bailiff bowed to Wu Chenggang, who was standing in front.
"Please wait a moment, sir. I will report this to Magistrate Zhang immediately."
Song Jingning took a step forward and looked at the other yamen runner guarding the gate.
"I want to sue these bandits for trying to kill people and rob in broad daylight. The officials from the capital are all witnesses."
Han Chong ordered his men to throw a dozen bandits in front of the county government office.
"We killed more than 20 bandits, and the remaining ten or so surrendered by laying down their weapons."
After saying that, he deliberately mentioned it.
"I interrogated them briefly, and they said that the officials were colluding with the bandits!"
As soon as these words were spoken, joy appeared on the people's faces.
The county magistrate is a greedy and lustful bastard who exploits the people.
If they could take off his official hat, their lives would definitely be better.
The bailiff's face turned ugly.
"The bandits have committed many evil deeds and are full of lies. Your Excellency cannot believe their one-sided words."
Han Chong nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. I'll wait and see what the county magistrate has to say."
As soon as he finished speaking, the bailiff who had gone to report came back.
"My Lords, please come in. Magistrate Zhang will be here soon!"
After he finished speaking, he sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere.
He looked at the leader Wu Chenggang and asked cautiously, "Sir, is there anything wrong?"
Was he angry because Magistrate Zhang did not come out to greet him in person?
Thinking of this, the bailiff quickly explained.
"Please forgive me, sir. County Magistrate Zhang went for a nap earlier and is now tidying up his appearance."
Wu Chenggang glanced at the bandits and said, "Bring these bandits in and prepare for the trial."
When the bailiff heard the word "bandit", his heart skipped a beat.
He didn't show it, and responded respectfully: "Yes, sir, please!"
Xun County is not big, but the county government is very grand.
After Wu Chenggang entered the county government office, he was taken to the court by the bailiffs.
"Everyone, please have some tea first. County Magistrate Zhang is on his way."
The yamen runners rushed to serve tea.
It turned out that there were not enough tea cups, so they had to use rice bowls.
After all, Xun County is a small place and has never had so many officials coming at the same time.
As for the three families of Qi, Zhao and Ye, they were arranged in the yard.
The scorching sun at noon shines down from above, making people's heads smoke and their bodies sweat.
Qi Yanzhou knew that the bailiff did it on purpose, and his eyes turned slightly cold.
Just as he was about to speak, Ye Siyin, exhausted, fainted.
Her face was pale, but the skin on her neck was abnormally flushed, and she was sweating all over.
Ye Chutang knew at a glance that Ye Siyin had suffered from heatstroke.
We all take medicine to relieve heat every day, generally speaking, it is not heatstroke.
But she had been out for most of the night and was extremely weak, so she naturally couldn't withstand the heat of the dog days of summer.
Aunt Jiang shouted to the court in panic: "Sir, Yin'er fainted!"
Wu Chenggang said to the yamen runners beside him: "If the exiled prisoners die in the county yamen, County Magistrate Zhang will be held responsible!"
The bailiff was frightened when he saw that Ye Siyin did not seem to be pretending.
He deliberately exposed the three families to the sun in order to assert his sovereignty.
Remind Wu Chenggang that even if they are Beijing officials, they should not interfere in the case of Xun County!
But now that someone is going to die, he is afraid.
"What are you doing standing in the yard? Go to the porch and take shelter from the cold."
After the bailiff finished speaking, he asked Wu Chenggang.
"Sir, do you want to call a doctor for the fainted prisoner?"
"What do you think of what happened in the county government office?"
There was a doctor among the escorting officials, so there was no need to go to the clinic to ask for another one.
But Wu Chenggang couldn't stand the attitude of the yamen runners and deliberately made trouble.
Qi Yanzhou knew from the attitude of the yamen runners that the bandits were colluding with the Xun County Yamen!
He gave Han Chong a look, asking him to deal with it severely.
Han Chong thought so too and nodded slightly.
As a result, after waiting for about a cup of tea, the person who came out was not the county magistrate, but the legal advisor.
“My Lords, I am truly sorry, but the County Magistrate has fallen ill and is unable to personally entertain you.
But don't worry, adults, the kitchen is already cooking and the food supplies are ready. ”
After saying that, he glanced at the bandit kneeling on the ground.
"Come here, take these bandits away and interrogate them after the county magistrate recovers!"
The bailiffs spoke in loud voices, with pride in their eyes.
"Yes, Master Luo."
The current official is not as good as the current manager. The county magistrate has the final say in Xun County!
It was not the first time that Han Chong had left the capital, but it was the first time that he had encountered such a rampant seventh-rank official.
He drew his sword, threw it out, and pierced Master Luo's throat.
Master Luo died before he even fell to the ground.
This scene frightened all the yamen runners.
Han Chong walked up to Master Luo, who had his eyes wide open and pulled out his sword.
The blood-stained sword casually fell on the neck of a yamen runner.
"Let Magistrate Zhang come over, or he will be the next to die!"
The bailiff turned pale with fear, "I obey your command."
When the bailiff went to call the county magistrate, Han Chong sent two of his men to follow him.
After a while, the disheveled Magistrate Zhang was thrown into the court.
There were lipstick marks on his face and he smelled of powder.
"Han, Magistrate Zhang is not ill. He was just having sex with his nineteenth concubine."
As soon as these words were spoken, the people guarding the gate of the county government office immediately covered their mouths and laughed.
Magistrate Zhang's fig leaf was torn off and he looked embarrassed.
He suppressed his anger and looked at Wu Chenggang.
"Sir, I was being affectionate with my concubine during lunch break. Is that against the laws of Beichen?"
"It is indeed not against the law, but you pretended to be sick in order to suppress the incident of the mountain bandits robbing and killing Master Haoyue. What is your intention?"
Of course, County Magistrate Zhang would not admit to colluding with the bandits.
"Your Excellency has misunderstood. I am not capable of covering up everything. It is just..."
Han Chong interrupted him before he could finish.
"Zhang County Magistrate, Master Haoyue is a role model for students all over the world. He was almost murdered and robbed in the territory under your jurisdiction. It is better to investigate it immediately."
If the kidnappers had nothing to do with County Magistrate Zhang, he would investigate immediately without saying a word.
But the current situation is that he has to first erase his connection with the bandits and ensure that he will not be implicated before trying the case.
"Sir, I know what's going on with the investigation."
After saying that, he approached Han Chong and said in a low voice, "Your Excellency should know the Minister of Works, Mr. Gu, right? He is my distant relative, and the master who was killed by your Excellency is also related to Mr. Gu."
The implication is that he has a backer, so Han Chong should be more sensible and not press him too aggressively, otherwise he will be in big trouble!
Han Chong directly took out the emperor's handwritten edict.
"County Magistrate Zhang, take a look and decide whether your distant relative has a higher rank or this imperial edict has greater power."
Magistrate Zhang had a bad feeling and opened the imperial edict.
He did not recognize the emperor's handwriting, but he recognized the emperor's seal, so he immediately knelt down to take a closer look.
When he saw that Han Chong could exercise the power of the emperor with the help of a handwritten edict, he felt like he was falling into an ice cellar.
Han Chong took back the imperial edict and said, "Zhang, County Magistrate, please go to the court."
The emperor wrote the imperial edict so that he could mobilize all available people to deal with the Qi family.
But now it has become a powerful weapon for him to root out the parasites in Beichen Country!
Magistrate Zhang collected his thoughts, gave the bandits a warning look, straightened his official uniform, and sat on the high seat.
Han Chong waved his hand at his opponent.
"You guys go out first, don't disturb Magistrate Zhang from trying the prisoner."
The crowded courtroom suddenly became loose.
Song Jingning walked to the center of the court and bowed to Magistrate Zhang.
"I am Song Jingning. I was surrounded and killed by bandits while passing through the official road of Xun County. Please help me, sir!"
Magistrate Zhang was on pins and needles, and said with a stiff upper lip: "I will definitely give you justice!"
After saying this, he interrogated the bandits.
Seeing that he was asking only trivial questions, Han Chong personally interrogated him.
In just a cup of tea, the bandit confessed everything he knew.
"But they only know that there is collusion between officials and bandits, but they don't know which officials are involved."
Magistrate Zhang felt relieved.
"Don't worry, sir. I will definitely find out the officials who colluded with the bandits and give Master Song an explanation."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves was heard.
Han Chong smiled and said, "You came just in time."
Before Magistrate Zhang could understand what this meant, two men in official uniforms were thrown into the court.
When he saw the two men's appearance clearly, he was so scared that he slipped off the armchair.
It was the soldiers guarding the city who cooperated with him and leaked the information to the bandits!
After guessing that officials and bandits were colluding, Han Chong ordered his men to ride on the bandits' horses to capture the officers and soldiers guarding the city.
These two officers and soldiers have been severely tortured.
Without anyone asking, he sold out Magistrate Zhang like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube.
"Zhang County Magistrate, do you have anything to say?"
Magistrate Zhang got up from under the trial table and said stubbornly, "There are only witnesses, no..."
"Here is the evidence."
As Ye Chutang's words rang out, a box of gold, silver and jewelry was thrown into the court.
When everyone's attention was on the court, she and Qi Yanzhou toured the county government office.
Magistrate Zhang’s face turned pale, but he continued to be stubborn.
"Who can prove that these things were stolen by bandits?"
Compared with collusion with bandits, the crime of "corrupt officials" is much less serious.
Ye Chutang walked to the door of the court and pointed at the box.
"Please tell me, sir, what are the deeds to houses and lands in other places at the bottom of the box?"
When Magistrate Zhang tried to argue, Han Chong slashed his neck with a sword.
He said to the yamen runners and the people: "I am under the emperor's order to escort the Qi family to Tianshan County in the northwest. If you encounter corrupt officials along the way, you can kill them first and report later!"
The yamen runners and the common people immediately knelt down and shouted loudly.
"Long live the emperor!"
In this way, the emperor would gain a reputation for being virtuous and would not care about Han Chong's abuse of power.
Han Chong can also use handwritten orders to do things that benefit the people.
He ordered the yamen runners to put the bandits in jail, and also hung the bodies of Magistrate Zhang and Lawyer Luo at the city gate.
"Whoever participated in the 'official-bandit collusion' and shared the stolen money and confessed voluntarily will be given a lighter punishment."
The yamen runners who received the dirty silver were frightened by Han Chong's methods and confessed everything.
The remaining yamen runners were all excluded because they were unwilling to go along with the corrupt crowd.
Han Chong wrote a memorial about what happened in Xun County.
It mainly mentioned that the county magistrate had committed huge corruption and that there was a lot of gold and silver in the mountain stronghold, which could fill the national treasury.
He apologized for not being able to destroy the Qi family and promised to continue the action.
Then he asked a reliable yamen runner to deliver the memorial to the post station and send it to the capital city at an emergency speed of 800 miles.
After work, eat.
The kitchen of the county government prepared a lot of food, and the three families of Qi, Zhao and Ye all had a share.
Song Jingning was also invited to eat together.
Han Chong handed him a pair of chopsticks and said, "The food is ordinary, please don't despise it, Mr. Song."
"No, I even ate wild vegetables when I was studying abroad before."
"Then you're welcome, eat well and be full."
Song Jingning is a friendly person and we enjoyed the meal happily.
After eating, he walked up to Ye Chutang.
"Mrs. Qi, I have a difficult math problem and would like to ask you for advice."
Ye Chutang heard that Song Jingning had something to say to her and nodded.
"Okay, Mr. Song, please come this way."
The two walked to an empty corner of the backyard.
"Mr. Song, please speak."
Song Jingning looked at Ye Chutang's features and said something shocking.
"younger sister."
Ye Chutang never expected to hear these two words from Song Jingning's mouth and was stunned for a moment.
Song Jingning looked at her wide eyes and her bewildered look.
The temptation has an answer.
He is Ye Chutang’s twin brother who died young!
He raised his hand and waved it in front of her eyes, the corners of his mouth raised in a gentle smile.
"When did you know that?"
Ye Chutang came back to her senses and said truthfully, "The day before I got married, I went to the Song family and met Mr. Song and Mrs. Song."
Song Jingning looked at Ye Chutang who was a little embarrassed, and subconsciously moved his hand above her head.
I wanted to touch her head, but I resisted for fear of offending her.
"No wonder Dad asked me to go to the Ye family for the wedding, to Shili Pavilion to see you off, and to open a branch in Tianshan County."
"In Meishan, when you feel bad, I feel bad too. When I see you, I want to get close to you, and I feel sad to see you leave."
"I didn't understand why this happened until just now, when I found out that we are twin brothers and sisters."
His heart was in a state of confusion, with all kinds of emotions surging in his mind, but only joy was clearly visible.
"Sister, I'm glad to be your brother."
Ye Chutang is not an emotional person.
But when she looked at Song Jingning, whose eyes were red and who was trying hard to hold back tears, tears welled up involuntarily.
She thought this was probably the telepathy between twins.
Then she threw herself into Song Jingning's arms.
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