A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Elder Tong Er’s eyes, but he didn’t say anything further and stood there obediently.
Squad Leader Song, seeing his compliance, snorted coldly and quickly instructed the other Governnt Officials, "Quickly untie Liu Wenqing and check if his head is injured?"
"Yes." The Governnt Officials imdiately untied the ropes on Liu Wenqing and checked his head, finding only a bruise and no bleeding. Finally, they were relieved: "Brother Song, it’s nothing serious."
However, Liu Wenqing sensed sothing was wrong. He ran over to stare at Liu Wenqing and saw his dull face and pupils filled with fear and dread. He frowned and said, "Squad Leader Song, Liu Wenqing seems off. He might have been drugged. We need to quickly get a doctor to check on him."
Squad Leader Song looked at Liu Wenqing too, noticing his odd behavior, and imdiately sent a Governnt Official away: "Go and fetch Doctor Lian."
"Yes." The Governnt Official responded and left imdiately.
Grand Old Master Liu said to Squad Leader Song, "Kid Song, also send soone to the governnt office for help. Sothing’s not right with the Tong Family. Their Punishnt Room looks terrifying. What kind of affluent family would have such things? Just looking at the punishnt tools, they don’t seem like honest folk. Housekeeper Tong even dared to stop you guys, and if we provoke the Tong Family, we might all end up stuck here."
Grand Old Master Liu had always been displeased with the Tong Family. First, like his own family, the Tong Family had been wealthy for three generations, only to start declining. But thirty years ago, the Tong Family suddenly prospered again, and it’s unclear where their silver ca from. In any case, the Tong Family had substantial capital for trade, showing no fear of losses.
Second, the Tong Family was too excessive. After making a second fortune, they used their ans to squeeze out other rchants in the city. The Liu Family, with no one in governnt positions and no backing, was squeezed until only two Carriage Inns and two small Manors were left.
Wenqing, that child, had enough of the Tong Family’s pressure, and that’s why he tried to curry favor with Tong San, acting as his lackey, just to keep the family’s remaining business.
Grand Old Master Liu hadn’t spoken to Liu Wenqing for years because of his servitude to the Tong Family as a dog slave.
But tonight, what Liu Wenqing did changed Grand Old Master Liu’s opinion of him considerably.
Wenqing knelt before him, revealing Tong San’s hobbies and the potential trouble Liu Wenqing might face.
At the ti, he struck him in anger, berating him for not speaking sooner, and eventually rushed to the governnt office to report the case, leading to the current situation.
"Xiao Qian, quickly head back to the governnt office and call for reinforcents." Squad Leader Song, heeding Grand Old Master Liu’s words, imdiately dispatched a Governnt Official to summon help from the Prefecture Governnt Office.
"Yes." Xiao Qian ran off quickly, but he hadn’t even made it out of the firewood courtyard when the Governnt Official who went to fetch the doctor returned, saying to Squad Leader Song: "Brother Song, there’s a problem with the Tong Family. They’ve locked the firewood courtyard door, preventing us from leaving. Housekeeper Tong, along with the guards who blocked us earlier, is standing outside the courtyard, claiming there are thieves in the house and telling us to stay in the courtyard, lest we be hard by the blaze or thieves."
Squad Leader Song was taken aback: "What is the Tong Family trying to do? We’re Governnt Officials; how dare they do this?!"
Housekeeper Tong shouted from outside the firewood courtyard: "Squad Leader Song, there’s a fire in the house. Please wait in the courtyard for a while. Once the fire is extinguished, it’ll be safer for you to co out."
Squad Leader Song was furious, rushing to the firewood courtyard gate, shaking the locked door from the outside: "Is the Tong Family crazy? How dare you confine Governnt Officials? Aren’t you afraid of being prosecuted by the Prefecture Governnt Office?!"
Afraid, the Tong Family indeed was.
But the Tong Family feared more that the Governnt Officials would discover their secrets. If those secrets were exposed, it wouldn’t just be prosecution—it would an the downfall and extermination of the entire family.
Weighing the pros and cons, Elder Tong chose to detain the Governnt Officials for an hour, waiting until the fire was completely extinguished and the sublevel storerooms were concealed, then to release Squad Leader Song and his n.
As for the detainnt, Elder Tong would explain to the Lord Magistrate, at most sacrificing a few servants to take the bla and paying a fine of a few thousand taels of silver—nothing too serious.
Though Elder Tong’s calculations were precise, tonight, his plans were thwarted.
Constable Liu and his n, stationed at the back gate of the Tong Family, saw the towering flas and knew sothing was amiss. Constable Liu imdiately sent soone back to the Prefecture Governnt Office to report to Magistrate Shi.
But Magistrate Shi didn’t even need the report. Upon seeing the flas, he imdiately gathered all the Governnt Officials and galloped towards the scene.
Young Master Shi was also pulled along by Magistrate Shi, who said, "Grand Old Master Liu has already reported, and Tong San is done for. Since you’ve witnessed Tong San’s antics, you can’t feign ignorance, lest you’re accused of harboring him. Join at the Tong Family to testify and silence their claims."
Magistrate Shi arrived at the Tong Family with Young Master Shi, a large group of Governnt Officials, and Assistant Judge Shen.
The gatekeeper of the Tong Family had orders not to open the doors for anyone before the fire was extinguished, so when Magistrate Shi and his n arrived shouting at the gate, they pretended not to hear.
Outraged, Magistrate Shi ordered the Governnt Officials to toss grappling hooks over the wall, climb in, and seize the two trembling gatekeepers for a sound beating: "Damn it, the Lord Magistrate himself is calling, and you dare not open the door. Are you tired of living? Do you think your family is the Emperor?"
Indeed, ever since Elder Tong hit the jackpot and the Tong Family prospered again, after decades of flattery in the Prefecture, he truly believed his family was the local tyrant of Linhe.
"Stop, stop, ah!" The two gatekeepers, beaten harshly, wailed, while the Governnt Officials quickly opened the gate for Magistrate Shi. After a dozen strikes, they ceased, unlocking the Tong Family gate.
Magistrate Shi didn’t even dismount, charged in on horseback, knocking down several guards rushing at him, demanding to know his identity.
Magistrate Shi, looking down from above at the guards he had struck down, declared coldly: "I’m here on official business. Anyone who dares obstruct will be killed without rcy!"
Incensed beyond belief, Magistrate Shi couldn’t believe the audacity of the Tong Family to bar his entry. But now was not the ti to pursue this. Magistrate Shi pointed towards the blaze, snapping, "Head for the burning courtyard. The Tong Family n should be there fighting the fire."
"Yes." The Governnt Officials imdiately ran, following Magistrate Shi towards the burning courtyard.
Assistant Judge Shen instructed his n to close the gate, leaving five guards behind to prevent anyone from the Tong Family from escaping. There simply weren’t enough Governnt Officials from the Prefecture Governnt Office, so he brought his household guards along.
After arranging matters, Assistant Judge Shen also headed towards the burning courtyard.
But just as he reached the burning courtyard, a series of loud crashes echoed—the Tong Family’s storeroom had collapsed in the fire.
The collapse wouldn’t be an issue if not for the fact that the entire courtyard was shrouded in an unpleasant odor.
Magistrate Shi frowned: "What is that sll?"
Assistant Judge Shen’s face shifted as he replied to Magistrate Shi: "Sir, it’s the stench of iron lting in the fire."
When iron gets lted by intense heat, it emits a distinctive odor, sowhat unpleasant. Assistant Judge Shen, who specialized in handling cases, often visited the Punishnt Room to observe prisoners’ punishnts. The glowing irons used in punishnts emitted this very iron stench.
User Comments
0 comments from readers