RWNEFE -Chapter 140 The County Magistrate Makes Things Difficult!

Liu Laohu happily entered the county office carrying the travel permit and handover documents—but no sooner had he spoken than he was stopped by the county officials!

“Why is there no county seal after leaving the capital?”

“Why did you arrive so much earlier than expected?”

“What did you do during that long period in between?”

Liu Laohu hurriedly explained, “There was a drought and rebel uprisings in the north. We had to take a detour with the prisoners, which is why we arrived safely!”

The county magistrate immediately interrupted, shouting, “Nonsense! What drought? What rebellion? In the grand Zhou Dynasty, there is no drought and no rebellion. I see that you are spreading lies and deliberately covering up the truth!”

Liu Laohu felt utterly wronged. Just as he tried to refute, the constables on either side grabbed him.

“Search him!”

“He’s all fat, wearing furs and boots. He must have taken bribes from the prisoners, blatantly breaking the law!”

The constables rummaged through everything Liu Laohu had.

“Sir, we found a lot of silver, silver notes, and gold and jewels!”

Some were taken from his bag, some from his person.

Liu Laohu couldn’t explain any of it!

“So much?” The combined value of gold and silver was no less than three to four thousand taels, and the gold and jewels were even harder to estimate.

Seeing such wealth, the magistrate’s eyes glimmered with greed!

“Tell me! Where did all this come from?” The magistrate’s face darkened, his tone fierce.

It was an unspoken rule that exiling constables could be given silver by prisoners on the road; local officials never questioned it during handovers.

Liu Laohu thought of the Shen family and his heart sank.

“Sir, these things… I picked them up along the road!”

The magistrate sneered and immediately ordered, “Bind and search the other constables outside!”

Liu Laohu’s face changed—this was going to confirm their guilt!

“Sir, I am not lying. I really picked these up on the road.” He cursed himself—he should have hidden the goods in the carriage.

The magistrate slammed the judge’s gavel and glared, “Still not honest? Beat him!”

The constables surged forward, pressing Liu Laohu down and beating him!

Shen Lanxi hadn’t expected to face the Baihe County constables instead of Liu Laohu.

“Bind the escorting constables. Lock all the prisoners in the jail!”

“Yes, sir!”

Dozens of constables swarmed forward, ignoring any explanations. Anyone who resisted was immediately dealt with.

“Lanxi, what do we do?”

“Miss, save us!”

“Lanxi…”

Shen Lanxi glared coldly at the constables, then made a gesture with her hand!

Everyone’s eyes turned to her. The leading constable immediately shouted arrogantly, “Grab that person too!”

The women from Liu-Zhao Village and the students from Qinglan Academy stepped in front of Shen Lanxi without a word.

“We are not prisoners! You have no right to touch us!”

The constable leader sneered, “In Baihe County, I am authority! They are causing trouble, so grab them all!”

Just as the constables were about to act, a few loud screams came from inside.

“The magistrate… he’s dead!”

The leading constable and his men immediately turned pale and ran inside the county office.

Seeing Shen Lanxi raise her hand had made their hearts pound!

The sudden death of the magistrate was no small matter. Doctors and coroners were summoned in panic; some constables guarded the body, while others watched the prisoners.

Shen Lanxi said coldly, “Find a restaurant. We’ll eat.”

“Yes!” Chunxue replied.

The constables tried to block their path.

“You can’t leave!”

Chunxue put her hands on her hips and shouted back, “We’re not prisoners. Why can’t we leave?”

Qiushuang added, “Don’t think you’re authority just because this is Baihe County!”

Seeing their confidence, the constables hesitated. One said, “The magistrate is dead. Stay near the county office.”

Chunxue glared. “Don’t claim we killed the magistrate! There were too many witnesses inside and outside. If you dare accuse us, we’ll report to the prefectural office!”

Bullies fear the strong. Seeing Chunxue’s boldness, the constables assumed she had backing and dared not offend her.

“Wait, I’ll check with our squad leader!” The constable rushed off to ask.

He was gone for half an hour.

When he returned, he announced loudly, “The magistrate died of a sudden illness. Those who need to leave, disperse immediately!”

Shen Lanxi sneered and led everyone away.

The Shen family members panicked—Lanxi, the Young Mistress, ignored them!

The magistrate was dead, the constables were bound—how could they possibly survive otherwise?

At the Hongxiang Inn: “Master, all the prisoners and constables are locked up. They say they’ll wait for the new magistrate to make decisions.”

Shen Lanxi’s gaze was deep, like two bottomless whirlpools.

“Tonight, speak properly with the squad leader, county deputy, advisor, and clerk!”

Find out who tried to make things difficult for the magistrate!

Unexpectedly, even before night, the county office had more trouble!

The squad leader and county deputy were dead!

“The squad leader slipped and hit his head on the way out. The county deputy was so grief-stricken that he wandered, fell into a well, and drowned!”

Shen Lanxi’s expression was cold as frost—these two were definitely silenced!

“Keep watch over the jail. Send messages inside. Don’t touch the food or drink of those inside!”

Yes, the three most powerful officials in the county office were dead. Baihe County had no leader. Within three days, the prefect appointed someone to temporarily serve as magistrate.

“The acting magistrate is the prefect’s brother-in-law!” Wei Dongzhu said. Others looked at the empty seat beside him.

On the road, “brother-in-law” had become Liu Yanhui’s nickname. People who knew him teased him with it.

During meetings, with him absent, everyone felt something was missing.

Shen Lanxi said thoughtfully, “Spread the news of the Shen family being imprisoned to the prefecture!”

Wei Dongzhu’s eyes flickered. “Could that be dangerous?”

Shen Lanxi: “If he’s smart, he’ll understand how the three magistrates died.”

Wei Dongzhu went to carry it out immediately.

The next day, before dawn, Liu Laohu and the exiles were released. Their household registration was processed rapidly, they were settled in Baihe County’s Hongliu Village, given advance silver, seeds, and farming tools—and then the officials left at lightning speed!

The winter sun rises late. By the time this was done, day was just breaking.

Sixty-some prisoners were given three dilapidated houses. Each household received ten taels of silver as a settlement allowance. It seemed generous, but they still needed to buy food, repair homes, and purchase necessities. Families with many members couldn’t even make it through the year!

“What about our Shen family belongings?” a prisoner shouted.

When they were imprisoned, valuables had been put in the cart.

Other prisoners realized this and immediately surrounded the Shen family.

“Yeah, where’s our stuff? I still have silver hidden in my bundle!”

“I also have quilts, winter clothes, and lots of jerky.”

“My family too…”