Chen Zhancai looked up and saw Chu Jiuqing sitting in the center of the hall, and couldn't help but frown.
Who is this kid? He looks kind of familiar.
How dare he sit in the position of a county magistrate?
Was Qin Shousheng really beheaded?
Impossible, who would have such audacity?
Even if Qin Shousheng had committed a crime, he would have had to be taken to the capital for a joint trial before being convicted. How could he have been beheaded so hastily?
That pretty boy must be a low-level clerk in the county government, trying to act all high and mighty!
With this in mind, Chen Zhancai felt more confident, puffed out his chest, and loudly questioned,
"Who are you? How dare you sit in the county magistrate's seat? If you know what's good for you, quickly give that madam a good beating to vent my anger, or I'll make things difficult for you in front of the county magistrate in a little while."
Chu Jiuqing suppressed the urge to hit someone and shouted sternly, "You audacious Chen Zhancai, why don't you kneel down before me!"
Chen Zhancai completely disregarded Chu Jiuqing, paying no attention to his words and continuing to act nonchalantly.
"What are you kneeling for? Do you know who I am? You have absolutely no sense of propriety! Quickly find your county magistrate and let him tell you who I am..."
Chu Jiuqing's face immediately darkened, his eyes filled with rage.
A mere scholar, relying on Qin Shousheng's status, acted arrogantly and disregarded official authority.
He's so arrogant and domineering; if we don't teach him a lesson, he'll never know his place.
"Guards, slap him in the face and teach him a lesson about manners."
Chen Zhancai was immediately stunned. "You, don't pretend in front of me. If you dare to lay a finger on me, I'll make you regret it."
"Is that so? I'd like to see how you're going to make me regret this. Beat him up." Chu Jiuqing said, a ruthless glint in his eyes, and gave Zhui Feng a look.
Upon receiving the order, Zhui Feng approached Chen Zhancai and swung his arm, slapping him across the face several times.
The blow made Chen Zhancai see stars and feel dizzy. It took him a long time to come to his senses. He stared at Zhui Feng with an incredulous expression and cursed viciously.
"You bastard, how dare you hit me? I'm Qin Shousheng's father-in-law! You're tired of living! Quickly bring Qin Shousheng out here, I want him to chop off your head."
"Shut your filthy mouth, or I'll finish you off right now!" Zhui Feng stepped forward and kicked him to his knees, warning him fiercely.
Looking at Chen Zhancai's arrogant and smug demeanor, Chen Qingqing thought, "Like father, like daughter. The upper beam is crooked, so the lower beam is crooked too. No wonder Chen Ruolan was able to bring about her own downfall, while Chen Zhancai was completely unaware of it."
She couldn't help but sneer, "Chen Zhancai, Qin Shousheng and Chen Ruolan have already gone to the eighteenth level of hell. If you don't want to die, you'd better shut up. You have committed a serious crime of disrespect by insulting His Highness Prince Ning. You should know better than me what crime it is to insult a prince according to the laws of the Great Ning Dynasty."
Hearing the familiar voice, Chen Zhancai looked surprised and saw Chen Qingqing sitting on one side of the lobby, looking at him with a mocking expression.
His eyes widened in disbelief. "You, weren't you in prison? How, how can you be sitting in the main hall?"
Chen Qingqing gave a cold laugh, "Are you disappointed to see me alive and well? Are you still hoping your daughter can kill me so you can continue to bully others?"
Although Chen Zhancai was blinded by lust, he knew that Chen Qingqing had met a benefactor and knew what he should and shouldn't say. He hurriedly defended his daughter, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about? Your clinic poisoned people, and you should pay with your life. What does that have to do with my Ruolan?"
Chen Qingqing snorted disdainfully, "Chen Ruolan, relying on her status as the county magistrate's wife, colluded with Miao Hong to frame me. His Highness Prince Ning has already investigated and found out the truth. Your daughter and that corrupt Qin Shousheng have been executed on the spot. Don't try to bully others anymore, or His Highness Prince Ning will definitely not let you off easily."
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhancai looked at Chu Jiuqing and his heart skipped a beat. His Highness Prince Ning!
"No, impossible." Chen Zhancai panicked and shook his head repeatedly. "My son-in-law is the county magistrate. He is the god of Anyang. Even if he has broken the law, he should be handed over to the Dali Temple for trial. No one can touch him."
"Stubborn to the end, keep beating them!" Chu Jiuqing ordered indifferently.
Chen Zhancai's eyes widened in terror, and he shouted in a panic, "Don't do anything reckless! I'm telling you, I'm a scholar, you have no right to torture me! Be careful, or I'll sue you!"
Chu Jiuqing frowned. "Does being a scholar make you so great? You're incredibly arrogant. Give him a good beating!"
"Yes." The two constables obeyed without hesitation, stepped forward, pinned Chen Zhancai to the ground, and began to beat him mercilessly with a board.
Chen Zhancai screamed and howled as he was beaten, "Stop hitting me! Let's talk this out! Don't hit my butt! I'm about to be beaten to death!"
The madam, watching with satisfaction, gritted her teeth and said, "Serves you right! You dared to act like a bully, daring to patronize prostitutes without paying. I should beat you to death, you scum!"
After saying that, he kowtowed to Chu Jiuqing, "Thank you, Your Excellency of the Capital, for upholding justice for this humble subject. This bastard ate a sumptuous feast at my place last night and found three beautiful girls. The total cost was twenty taels of silver. If he can't come up with the money, he should be exiled to the harsh and desolate borderlands and made to spend his life cultivating the land there."
Chu Jiuqing's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table.
"How dare you! This prince is judging cases, and it is not your place to interfere. Anyang City should be a place where people can live and work in peace and contentment. How can you allow yourself to open brothels and make the city a mess? From this day forward, shut down all casinos and brothels and eradicate these unhealthy practices."
Upon hearing this, the madam turned pale with fright and immediately knelt down and kowtowed, "Your Excellency in the capital, you cannot cut off our livelihood! We are just trying to make a living. Besides, our brothel has official documents and we abide by the law. We have never done anything immoral!"
"What a fine way to say 'obey the law'! Running a brothel is morally corrupt. Guards, immediately shut down all the brothels in the city. Send all the women home to their homes. If they are unmarried, the government will arrange for them to go somewhere and teach them some proper skills so that they can support themselves in the future."
The constables received the order and immediately set to work, removing the signs from all the brothels in the city and sealing them off.
The madam was dumbfounded, collapsed to the ground, and burst into tears, wailing, "Oh my god! This is going to kill me! How am I supposed to live now?!"
Chu Jiuqing sternly rebuked, "If you don't want to be beaten, then get out of here right now and find a proper job to live a good life. If you dare to go back to your old ways, I will not let you off easily."
"I'm leaving, I'm leaving right now." The madam was completely intimidated by his unwavering righteousness and dared not cause any more trouble. She scrambled to her feet, tucked her tail between her legs, and slunk away...
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