Chapter 591 Going Down a Path to Darkness
"Fang...Master Fang."
Xiao Fan knelt down and kowtowed several times to Fang Ziming. "Lord Fang, please don't dismiss our leader. He has always been diligent in his work and loyal to you and the county government. Please have mercy on him!"
Faced with Fang Ziming's pressure, Xiao Fan spoke much more fluently than before.
Chen Yongnian was his benefactor, who saved him from danger and even got him a job in the county government. No matter what, he would follow Chen Yongnian.
He would do anything for Chen Yongnian.
Unwavering loyalty?
Fang Ziming found these words somewhat laughable.
If she were truly loyal, why didn't Wan Qiqi come to Yunhe County to settle down, but instead met with Xie Xing several times?
Who knows, Wan Qiqi might have already accepted Xie Xing's bribes and is preparing to deal with me!
As for Chen Yongnian, although he served the county government and served him, who can say what he did behind the scenes?
For a moment, Fang Ziming felt isolated and helpless.
Standing atop the highest peak in Yunhe County, battered by wind and rain, he couldn't even protect his own children.
It seemed that everyone was on the opposite side of him, thinking that Xie Xing was a good official who served the people, and that his good reputation was nothing but an illusion.
Fang Ziming knew he had done some bad things in the past, but once his power was stabilized, he never did anything to wrong the people or the court again!
What he valued about Wan Qiqi was Wan Ziyan and his influence behind her.
But he was also afraid, knowing that the higher you stand, the harder you fall.
He couldn't be sure what would happen to Wan Ziyan in the future, nor did he know if Wan Qiqi could hold on until Wan Ziyan returned. He could only wait and see, and strive to secure a better future for himself and his family.
Xiao Fan kept kowtowing, Li You was trembling, only Chen Yongnian knelt on the ground, calmly waiting for Fang Ziming's judgment.
After a long while, Fang Ziming tapped the table and said in a deep voice, "Are you the county magistrate, or am I the county magistrate? I haven't even given the order yet, and you're already making decisions for me?"
"Your subordinates dare not, we leave it all to Your Excellency!" The three men kowtowed in unison, pressing their bodies down and not daring to rise.
After a long silence, Fang Ziming finally spoke: "Both of you must be punished for what happened today!"
He glanced at Li You and said, "As the head of the rites department, you are in charge of education, etiquette, and other matters. You make arbitrary judgments about rumors and insult your colleagues, which is unbecoming of your position. If you are not severely punished, others will follow suit, and the county government will be in chaos..."
Upon hearing Fang Ziming's words, Li You was startled, fearing that the other party would dismiss him from his post, which he had held for many years, but he dared not interrupt Fang Ziming.
"From today onwards, you are suspended from your position as the head of the Ritual Department and will work with the Ritual Department's yamen runners to handle festival matters. If you behave well within three months, you will be reinstated as the head of the Ritual Department. However, if you continue to behave poorly after three months, then you will be assigned to the work of a yamen runner!"
Fang Ziming's words were rather cold, and he continued, "For today's matter, you and Chen Yongnian will each go to the torture chamber and receive twenty strokes of the cane."
“Yes…” Li You replied, kowtowed, and wiped his sweat.
Three months... He must perform well and not lose this position.
But how are we going to get through these three months?
How do people around you perceive you?
Before it even started, Li You was already worrying about how he would get through the days to come!
At the same time, he also wanted to see how Fang Ziming would punish Chen Yongnian.
Fang Ziming looked at Chen Yongnian, his eyes becoming complicated.
If no punishment is imposed, it will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among others.
He wanted to punish him, but he didn't know how.
After hesitating for a long time, Fang Ziming said, "Chen Yongnian, although you did not provoke this incident, you struck first. I hereby punish you by making you patrol with the other officers of the military for the next month and accepting various orders from the military and the criminal justice departments. Do you agree to this punishment?"
"Thank you, Lord Fang."
Chen Yongnian kowtowed and replied.
Although Chen Yongnian's punishment period was short, there was a lot of work to be done in the military and criminal departments. If he was transferred, it meant that he would have to do all the hard and tiring work in both departments.
In Li You's view, this punishment was no less severe than his own.
However, there is one point that is completely different.
Chen Yongnian was not suspended from his post, but he was suspended!
Li You looked up, about to ask Fang Ziming a question, but when he met the other's eyes, he dared not say anything more and got up to slink away to receive his punishment.
Chen Yongnian was about to leave when Fang Ziming called him back.
"Wait, Chen Yongnian, stay behind!"
Li You turned his head and glared at Chen Yongnian, feeling resentful.
Why is it that, despite both being farmers from mountain villages, Chen Yongnian is treated differently by Lord Fang, while he can only move forward step by step under oppression?
Chen Yongnian ignored Li You, stopped walking, turned around and stood still in place.
After everyone left, he bowed to Fang Ziming and said, "Lord Fang, may I ask what brings you here?"
Fang Ziming carefully examined Chen Yongnian.
The person's appearance was not much different from when he first arrived, except that he was a bit fairer. However, his eyes were no longer as pure as when he first arrived; they had become more profound and wary.
The Chen Yongnian of today no longer bears the mark of a country bumpkin.
"Yongnian, there are some things I've wanted to tell you for a long time."
Fang Ziming did not refer to himself as an official. He walked around the desk to Chen Yongnian's side and said in a deep voice, "It is a serious matter for restaurants to steal recipes from each other. It is also a taboo for merchants. If this matter is not handled properly, Xinglong Restaurant will not only be unable to gain a foothold in Yunhe County, but your wife will also suffer imprisonment."
"Yes, I understand." Chen Yongnian raised his eyes and stared at Fang Ziming, saying firmly, "I believe there is more to this matter than meets the eye, and my wife would never do such a thing."
“Some things are not about whether they have been done or not, but about whether everyone agrees on them.” Fang Ziming put his hands behind his back, walked to the window, looked at the scenery outside the window, and said, “As an official appointed by the imperial court, I must think about the people and the security of Yunhe County.”
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