"My lord, I'll talk... I'll tell you everything..."
"Actually, I am Master Jin's nephew, and my mother is his older sister. I lost both my parents at a young age, and my uncle raised me and supported my education..."
In order to save his life, Zhang Qi confessed to all his crimes in one go.
It turns out that he had been doing petty theft with his gang of cronies since he was a teenager.
Initially, Jin, Zhang Qi's uncle, severely scolded and reprimanded him for this.
But Zhang Qi not only didn't change, he became even more outrageous.
As he committed more and more serious crimes, yet never slipped up and was caught by the authorities, he became increasingly reckless.
Moreover, Zhang Qi would always give a portion of the stolen goods to Master Jin as a token of respect.
Master Jin was poor when he was young and never married or had children. Even after he became a clerk in the government office, his salary was still meager.
They won't starve, but they won't get enough to eat either.
Ultimately, he was just an ordinary man. When Master Jin saw the large sum of money his nephew had sent, his thoughts and morals gradually began to waver and crumble...
In the end, he completely became one of Zhang Qi's allies and used his position in the government office to act as their protector.
He had bribed the old steward of the Song family mansion beforehand so that Zhang Qi and the others could hide there.
In return, Zhang Qi would give him 20% of the profits he obtained each time...
Zhang Qi finished speaking in one breath, and Master Jin couldn't stop him in time.
His face turned ashen in an instant!
Shen Shangxu was also shocked after hearing Zhang Qi's confession!
"Master Jin, now that we have both witnesses and physical evidence, do you have anything else to say in your defense?"
"This humble subject is guilty, I beg Your Excellency to have mercy!" Master Jin collapsed to the ground, his expression a mixture of fear and regret.
Shen Shangxu immediately ordered that the man be imprisoned.
Thus, the major gang theft case that had plagued Furong County for months was finally brought to a close.
Shen Shangxu breathed a slight sigh of relief.
After all, if a case like this remains unsolved for too long, even the imperial court will take notice.
He had already been demoted to the position of magistrate of Furong County; if this matter were to reach the imperial court...
Shen Shangxu thought about it carefully, but he really couldn't think of any other limits he could have left.
Liu Yingying never expected that this Master Jin would be so audacious as to hide the thief right under Lord Shen's nose.
This probably proves the saying: the most dangerous place is often the safest!
It was getting late, and she should head back.
"Liu Niang...Liu Niang!" Zhao Di and Lin Cuicui finally squeezed out from the crowd watching below the hall.
Just now, Liu Yingying remained calm and composed despite facing Jin Shiye's various difficulties.
His composure was something the two little girls admired immensely!
Liu Yingying finally felt relieved after seeing the two of them.
She had originally told them to go to the yamen to report the crime, but they hadn't shown up yet. She was also tied up with the theft case, and she was really worried something had happened to the two children...
Liu Yingying gave them a look, telling them to wait a moment, and then got up to take her leave of Lord Shen.
"Lord Shen, now that this unsolved case has been solved, I will take my leave!"
"Hey...wait a minute!"
Lord Shen had just ordered all the criminals to be escorted to prison when he saw Liu Yingying about to leave, so he quickly chased after her.
"Does Lord Shen have any further instructions?" Liu Yingying stopped and turned to look at Shen Shangxu, who had caught up with her.
She's not some kind of Liu Sanhao. If she hadn't been so skilled and daring today, barging into the Song residence to search it, that man surnamed Shen would definitely have listened to Master Jin's instigation and turned around to frame her!
It would be a lie to say she wasn't angry at all!
Shen Shangxu hesitated for a moment before bowing to her with clasped hands; "Lord Lihe, I apologize for almost being misled by slander and wronging you today!"
Liu Yingying smiled slightly; "As the magistrate of Furong County, Lord Shen is usually very busy with many affairs of state. It is normal for him to occasionally overlook the actions of his subordinates. There is no need for you to blame yourself!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Shangxu was slightly surprised.
I thought that Liu would be like an ordinary woman and wouldn't let the matter go, but I never expected her to be so righteous.
Instead, it made him look exactly like a corrupt and unethical official...
"Ahem..." Shen Shangxu coughed awkwardly twice; "In any case, we owe today's events to Lord Lihe. You are the great hero who solved this case. Why don't you tell me what kind of reward you would like?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yingying raised her eyebrows slightly; "As the lord has said, I am the Lady of Lihe Township in Furong County, and I now receive a salary from the imperial court. So naturally, it is only right that I do some things for the court. I really dare not take credit for it!"
She had experience in officialdom, so she understood these basic social skills.
Sure enough, Shen Shangxu's gaze towards her changed slightly at that moment.
This woman really does... always manage to bring him unexpected discoveries!
Since Liu Yingying had said so, Shen Shangxu didn't force her to give him any reward. In the end, he specially sent Cheng Zhuo to drive the three of them back in a carriage.
As soon as Liu Yingying stepped out of the yamen, the system's voice rang in her mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have gained 5000 points!]
Liu Yingying's lips curled slightly...
Throughout the journey, Cheng Zhuo was a chatterbox, constantly asking her questions.
"Sister Liu, are you a local from Ma'ao Township?"
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