Zhao Liu glanced at Qian Xin, nodded with a tight mouth, and didn't say anything.
Although Jiang Ling did not know what Zhao Liu and Magistrate Duan had said, judging from Magistrate Duan's expression, it did not seem to be a good thing.
"Qianxin, I'm giving you three days. You must bring your daughter and apologize in person by then! Otherwise, you will be severely punished!" Magistrate Duan said sternly.
Having been a businessman for many years, Qianxin immediately understood the meaning of Magistrate Duan's words.
He kowtowed in gratitude with trepidation, but Magistrate Duan impatiently sent Qianxin away.
Standing to the side, Jiang Ling watched this scene with a puzzled expression. But based on her understanding of Magistrate Duan, she knew that Zhao Liu's words just now were definitely not a good thing.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling intended to leave as well, but unexpectedly, Magistrate Duan blocked her way and tentatively asked, "You don't mind, do you?"
Jiang Ling was puzzled. She frowned and looked at Magistrate Duan. He coughed lightly and whispered, "There is a flood in the south. Many people are homeless and have become refugees. These refugees are now wandering around, robbing and committing all kinds of crimes."
“A serious murder case happened in a nearby village a while ago. I was worried that the refugees would run to Pingxi County, so I asked Zhao Liu to keep an eye out. Just now, Zhao Liu reported to me that some figures were suddenly spotted in a dilapidated temple about 500 meters outside Pingxi County.”
“These people look ragged and emaciated, and they seem to resemble those refugees. I’m worried they might try to take advantage of Pingxi County, so I thought we could postpone Qianxin and your business for three days. You won’t mind, will you?”
After listening to Magistrate Duan's words, Jiang Ling nodded and said, "It's alright. My matter is insignificant compared to the plight of the refugees. Brother, you go ahead with your work. I'll head back now. If you need me, just come find me!"
Although these were polite words, they still pleased Magistrate Duan. Despite it being daytime, Magistrate Duan was still worried about Jiang Ling's safety and sent the reliable Zhao Liu to escort Jiang Ling to the entrance of Linghui Academy.
"Qianyu, do you know about the refugees?" Jiang Ling asked from the carriage.
Zhao Qianyu nodded and said to Jiang Ling, "I've heard about it. My father is already extremely worried about this matter. Those refugees are inhuman, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities. The prefect doesn't know what to do! Opening granaries and distributing porridge are just temporary solutions!"
When Jiang Ling heard Zhao Qianyu say this, her heart skipped a beat. It seemed that the problem was far more serious than Jiang Ling had thought.
"Qianyu, you need to be careful in Guangping County these days. You've made these people sound so inhumane. As the son of the magistrate of Guangping County, I'm afraid they might have ulterior motives towards you!" Jiang Ling said, glancing at Zhao Qianyu.
"Don't worry, godmother, I will definitely protect myself, but I'll probably be with my father for a while to help him solve some problems, so I might not be able to come see you!" Zhao Qianyu nodded in reply.
The carriage quickly stopped at the gate of Jiang Ling's house. After Jiang Ling, along with Jiang Yaojie and Jiang Suihe, dismounted, Jiang Ling once again instructed Zhao Qianyu, "Qianyu, you must protect yourself! Don't let anything happen to you!"
Zhao Qianyu felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing Jiang Ling's words. He nodded vigorously and then turned his gaze to Jiang Suihe.
He somewhat sheepishly took out two hairpins and placed them in Jiang Suihe's hands, saying, "Don't misunderstand, I just thought they were pretty, so I bought one for you and one for your godmother! I'm going back now! Take care!"
With that, he instructed the servant to turn the horse around and gallop towards the entrance of Lu Family Village.
Jiang Ling originally wanted to invite him to stay for dinner, but then she thought that with so many refugees around, it would be better to go back as soon as possible!
As night fell, Wang Tieshuan, the leader of the refugees, was eyeing several trembling women nearby with ill intent. They were already emaciated and on the verge of collapse due to long-term hunger and severe malnutrition.
The man, who was also cowering in the corner, looked with despair at the women not far away opposite them.
"You're the one!" Wang Tieshuan said, pointing lewdly at the woman on the far right.
The woman froze upon hearing this, fear instantly filling her eyes. Two streams of tears flowed from her eyes, and she slowly rose from the ground, trembling all over.
"You bitch! What are you crying for! You'll have food to eat if you come with me, and countless people would beg for that!" The woman's trembling and tearful appearance immediately aroused Wang Tieshuan's dissatisfaction. He stood up and kicked the woman hard.
The woman collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain. Wang Tieshuan, however, seemed oblivious, stomping his foot hard on her face and spitting out, "Cry, cry, cry! What are you crying for! You're still crying next to me! I'll beat you to death today!"
He then kicked the woman in the stomach again, and her screams echoed throughout the dilapidated temple. Finally, a man hiding in the corner couldn't take it anymore.
His physique looked terrifying; he was so thin, as if his skeleton was merely covered by a layer of human skin.
"Brother Erzhu, please, please spare my Yue'er! My Yue'er is four months pregnant!"
The man's pleas for mercy did not elicit any pity from Wang Tieshuan; instead, they provided him with another outlet for his frustration.
Wang Tieshuan walked towards the thin man and punched him hard in the face. The man felt everything go black before his eyes and he stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Husband! Husband!" Yue'er saw her beloved being knocked to the ground and immediately crawled over to him.
But after climbing only a few steps, Wang Tieshuan grabbed her clothes and dragged her back. He then ruthlessly stripped Yue'er naked and did that lewd and disgusting thing in front of all the men and women.
The eyes of the others were filled with despair and numbness, as if everything happening before their eyes had nothing to do with them.
The emaciated man, suffering from severe malnutrition, watched helplessly as his beloved woman was humiliated. He felt a sweet taste in his throat, spat out a mouthful of blood, and died.
This scene was witnessed by Yue'er, who was between Wang Tieshuan's legs. Yue'er let out a heart-wrenching scream and fainted.
Wang Tieshuan did not stop his lower body movements until he showed a satisfied smile before calmly pulling up his pants.
"You, and you, and you! All three of you, deal with him properly!" Wang Tieshuan ordered the three men hiding in the corner without expression.
The three men glanced at the emaciated man lying lifeless on the ground, got up, took a knife from Wang Tieshuan's hand, and together dragged the man out the door.
Soon the smell of blood wafted into the room, and three men came in carrying bloody pieces of meat.
"Alright, you did a good job. I'll give you an extra spoonful of broth tonight!" Wang Tieshuan said nonchalantly as he put the meat into the basin of water next to him.
"Brother, this isn't a solution. The city gates are closed, and getting into the city is as difficult as climbing to heaven. But we don't have much food left. If this continues, I'm afraid we won't survive the winter!" After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Wang Tieshuan's younger brother approached him and said.
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