Chapter 192: New Official Takes Office with Three Fires
Cui Lizheng thought that the county magistrate would leave soon, so he ordered his clansmen to continue kneeling. However, they waited until dark but still did not see the county magistrate.
If he continued to kneel like this, his old bones might not be able to bear it, so he could only muster up the courage to let his clansmen go back to their homes.
At this moment, the county magistrate ordered people to beat the gong and call everyone to gather, and Cui Lizheng couldn't help but worry.
Could it be that the county magistrate intends to punish them in public for their disrespect?
Cui Lizheng was supported by his two sons and stood at the front of the tribe, praying in his heart that the county magistrate had not asked them to gather because of this matter.
He even cursed his disappointing nephew in his heart. He knew the county magistrate was coming to Xiling Village, but he didn't send anyone to inform him in advance so that he could prepare earlier...
Meng Huaining didn't even glance at Cui Lizheng. He just scanned the crowd and only spoke when he saw that most people had arrived.
“I just arrived in Yuncheng today and took up my post, and I received a case that is very infuriating.
Our County Magistrate Cui, for his own selfish desires, not only oppressed the people, but also allowed his own people to do things worse than pigs and dogs.
Today, the Japanese officials have dismissed County Magistrate Cui from his post and are investigating him..."
As he spoke, his gaze finally fell on Cui Lizheng.
Cui Li was so frightened when he heard that his nephew had been dismissed from his post and was under investigation that he almost fainted on the spot.
Not to mention other members of the tribe, even he himself didn't know how many evil things he had done to help Cui Wen.
It is not difficult to hear from the county magistrate's words that he attaches great importance to this matter.
As the saying goes, a new official starts with three things. It is not difficult to see that the first thing he will do is to burn the Cui family.
It’s over, it’s over, it’s all over now.
Just when Cui Li was wondering in his heart, Meng Huaining spoke again.
"Come here, arrest Cui Lizheng for me and temporarily detain him in the prison awaiting trial."
The officer responded and tied Cui Lizheng up in public without mercy.
Upon seeing this, the Cui family members all knelt down, crying out in pain that they were wronged...
Meng Huaining winked at the officer behind him, who immediately stepped forward and kicked several members of the Cui family who had cheered the loudest.
"How dare you make such a loud noise in front of the county magistrate? You're courting death..."
After being kicked a few times, the Cui family members suddenly fell silent. They all knelt on the spot, not daring to breathe, for fear that they would be implicated.
Seeing this scene, the Zhao and Zhou families felt very happy.
They could see that the county magistrate was determined to punish the Cui family. From now on, they would no longer have to live under the oppression of the Cui family.
The first person to figure this out was Zhao Zechuan, and he shouted it out loud.
"My Lord County Magistrate is wise. Please make a decision for the people of Xiling Village."
Immediately afterwards, several members of the Zhao family also joined in, all condemning the Cui family.
Seeing this, the braver members of the Zhou family also asked the county magistrate to make the decision for them.
It was already late today, and Meng Huaining had originally planned to use Cui Lizheng as an example to scare the monkeys. His main purpose was to tell the Cui family that the Mohist School was not someone they could squeeze out.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he ordered people to arrest Cui Lizheng, he received so many calls for him to take charge.
As the local official, he must make decisions for these villagers.
At the same time, Meng Huaining also wanted to know what shameful things the Cui family members, except Cui Wen, had done.
"Meng An, I will immediately try the Cui family's case. Tell the villagers that if they have grievances, they can speak up."
Meng An took the order and loudly conveyed Meng Huaining's intention to the Zhao and Zhou families.
Upon hearing this news, the Zhao and Zhou families were a little confused at first.
The reason they dared to shout loudly just now was largely because they hated the Cui family too much.
Unexpectedly, the county magistrate decided to make the decision for them so quickly.
The good news came so suddenly that the villagers from both families were a little confused.
Zhao Zechuan reacted the fastest. He pulled his father out of the crowd first and knelt in front of Meng Huaining.
"Please ask the county magistrate to make the decision for my Zhao family."
Zhao Zechuan's father is now the patriarch of the Zhao family. When he heard that the county magistrate was going to make a decision for them, he originally planned to wait and see whether the county magistrate was really an upright official.
Unexpectedly, before he knew it, he was pulled out by his own treacherous little son.
Now that he was already kneeling before the county magistrate, he had nothing to worry about.
Patriarch Zhao kowtowed to Meng Huaining.
"Your Excellency, County Magistrate, I am the head of the Zhao family, Zhao Hua, and we have lived in Xiling Village for generations.
At first, our three families got along quite well, until Cui Wen became the county magistrate, and then the nightmare of my Zhao family and Zhou family began.
The Cui family relied on Cui Wen's power to force the beautiful girls from our two families to marry someone from their Cui family. If their ages were similar, we would have accepted it. But in the end, most of them were men who could not find a wife in their entire lives because their families were poor.
Even if the daughters of the Cui family are ugly or disabled, they will be forced to marry the good men from our two families.
It would be fine if these women could live a peaceful life after getting married, but unexpectedly, each of them is troublesome. Not only do they blatantly send gifts to their parents' home, they also do not allow their in-laws to refute.
If our two families object to such a marriage, Cui Wen will send officials to put pressure on us.
In addition, the Cui family also forcibly exchanged our wasteland for our fertile farmland. Similarly, if we refuse, the officials will step in to suppress us.
When the autumn harvest came, Cui Wen said one word and the entire grain rent from the Cui family would be borne by our two families.
Over the past decade or so, our Zhao and Zhou families have lived in extreme hardship. When times were bad, many people starved to death.
Everything I said is true, please make the decision for us, sir..."
After saying that, Zhao Hua kowtowed three times to Meng Huaining again.
Before Zhao Hua could stand up, the patriarch of the Zhou family knelt in front of Meng Huaining.
"I am the patriarch of the Zhou family. Everyone in my clan can attest that everything Patriarch Zhao said is true. Please, sir, make the decision for us."
Similarly, the three kowtows hit the ground.
At the same time, the Zhao and Zhou clansmen knelt down and shouted in unison, "Please, County Magistrate, make the decision for us..."
After listening to the stories of the two clan leaders and looking at the villagers kneeling there, Meng Huaining was so angry that his veins popped out.
This was the first time he had done something unmannerly.
Meng Huaining strode towards the Cui family and kicked the men kneeling in the front hard.
Meng Huaining has also been practicing martial arts since he was young, and every kick he makes is full of power.
The kick made several people wail...
In recent years, the Cui family has relied on Cui Wen's power and can be said to be walking around Xiling Village with impunity. How could they have ever been treated like this?
They didn't dare to do anything to the county magistrate, but they didn't intend to let the Zhao and Zhou families go.
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