Chapter 2023: The Incident Breaks

A person's premonitions are sometimes hard to explain, but they are accurate. While Wang Qinruo was lost in anxiety and worry, a group of uninvited guests came to visit in the deep night under the dim lamp light, barging rudely into his study without waiting for an announcement.

The leader was none other than Luo Mountain County Magistrate Ma Qing, dressed quite formally in a well-fitted light-green official robe, which was somewhat conspicuous even under the dim lamplight. Of course, what concerned Wang Qinruo more were the group of attendants following Ma Qing—judging by the patterns on their clothing, they were county yamen runners.

As the most powerful aid to local governance, the Great Han's grassroots runner system had become increasingly refined and perfected, which could basically be summarized into six categories of runners: yamen, arrest, patrol, tax, prison, and post—with yamen runners being the foremost of the six.

The runners who accompanied Ma Qing on his night visit to Wang Qinruo's residence were naturally the county magistrate's trusted direct subordinates. They now occupied the study inside and out, each wearing a stern expression, while the four men inside the room watched Wang Qinruo with vigilant eyes, showing none of the usual respect they had for the Registrar.

Seeing this, Wang Qinruo's brows furrowed slightly. Looking at Ma Qing, he still maintained basic respect, rising to bow and say: "Greetings, County Magistrate!"

"Mm!" Ma Qing responded coldly with an indifferent expression.

Seeing his reaction, a shadow of gloom flashed across Wang Qinruo's face, but he forced himself to stay calm, cupping his hands and asking: "What matter could warrant the County Magistrate personally bringing men to visit in the dead of night? Such a display—I fear this humble official cannot bear it!"

Ma Qing glanced at Wang Qinruo without speaking. Instead, he walked to the desk, casually picked up the report Wang Qinruo had been studying, looked at it, and then sighed softly: "This directive from the prefectural office seems to have come a bit late!"

Ma Qing was around forty-five years old, refined and scholarly in appearance, seeming very reserved. He had passed the imperial examination in the sixteenth year of Kaibao, ranking thirty-third in the second class. From studying, serving as a clerk, taking the provincial exam, passing the jinshi exam, observing governance, and receiving his appointment—it had taken over twenty years in total before he became a County Magistrate of Luo Mountain.

Ma Qing's official career path was highly representative. Although it took a very long time, it was the most common choice for poor scholars across the realm. It was a path full of competition with no retreat—for ordinary scholars, they had to fight for the limited resources that leaked down from the upper-class nobles.

Someone like County Magistrate Ma Qing, who could smoothly walk this official path, climb to the position of county magistrate, and grasp a county's administrative power, was already something the vast majority of scholars in the realm could only dream of.

Likewise, a resume like Ma Qing's was also a path Wang Qinruo was unwilling to take—he truly despised how slow and sluggish it was, and how "low" the ceiling was. Someone like Ma Qing, without extraordinary fortune, might spend his whole life in prefectures and counties. Perhaps in a few more years he could be transferred to a mid or upper-tier county, but whether he could become a prefectural chief by age fifty or sixty was still a question—that too required opportunity, not just grinding out seniority.

Wang Qinruo harbored great ambitions and held considerable aspirations for his official career. Having likewise endured years of grinding seniority, he had a clear understanding of his own position and future prospects. It was precisely for this reason that he had thought of taking an unorthodox path, doing something risky or even reckless.

Ma Qing had not served in Luo Mountain County for a short time either—nearly three years in total, almost exactly when Wang Qinruo was promoted to Registrar. The County Deputy and the Registrar were the county magistrate's left and right arms in governing the entire county, and in Ma Qing's view, this arm named Wang Qinruo, though capable, had too many schemes in his head—he did not particularly care for him.

However, beneath that mediocre exterior, Ma Qing also possessed a deep heart. His displeasure toward this unruly subordinate Wang Qinruo, though continuously accumulating, was always buried deep in his heart, never revealed.

Until now—or rather, today—

Wang Qinruo's current anxious state, even through a layer of clothing and chest, Ma Qing could feel it—the accelerated heartbeat seemed to leap right by his ears.

Looking at Wang Qinruo with a scrutinizing gaze, Ma Qing sneered: "Wang Qinruo, Registrar Wang! You truly have audacity, committing such a great deed. I have long known you were unruly, but I never knew you were arrogant to such a degree!"

This was probably the harshest and most emotionally exposed words Ma Qing had spoken to Wang Qinruo in three years. Hearing this, Wang Qinruo's face also darkened completely, but he still maintained his "composure," calmly responding: "What the County Magistrate says is profound and unfathomable. Please forgive this humble official's dullness—I do not quite understand!"

"Heh heh!" Ma Qing couldn't help but laugh, stroking his beard and saying: "If you, Registrar Wang, are dull, then there are no intelligent people in all of Luo Mountain County!"

After speaking, Ma Qing's expression turned serious again. He set down the report and said coldly to Wang Qinruo: "You have been restless these past days—a guilty conscience, no doubt!"

Wang Qinruo's brows furrowed even deeper. His head lowered slightly, and fine sweat seeped from his clenched palms, but he did not respond to this. With his intelligence, he naturally knew why Ma Qing, the county magistrate, had brought men barging into his home in this manner.

Seeing him remain silent, Ma Qing became furious, slapping the desk hard and shouting: "How dare you, Wang Qinruo! Do you know your crime!"

Meeting Ma Qing's blazing gaze, Wang Qinruo said solemnly: "In all my actions, I am above—without shame before Heaven; below—without guilt in my heart. What crime do I have?"

Observing Wang Qinruo's performance, Ma Qing had no intention of tangling with him. He simply leaned forward slightly and said softly: "Your audacity is too great—too great for Luo Mountain or Shen Prefecture to contain. Whatever schemes you harbor, you have already incurred the wrath of all!

If you wish to seek death yourself, so be it. But now the Heavenly Majesty's wrath has fallen, dragging down your colleagues and your clan. When disaster descends, I wonder if you will regret it!"

"Take him away—hand the man over to the superior envoy!" Having said this, Ma Qing spoke no more, directly instructing the leading yamen captain.

"Yes..."

As for Wang Qinruo, he was somewhat dazed by Ma Qing's words. His expression shifted several times but gradually calmed, seemingly recovering his usual composure. He merely gave Ma Qing a deep look—a gaze that seemed to say: Magistrate Ma, this Wang has underestimated you...

For Ma Qing, the county's highest authority, to personally come out to arrest someone, there was clearly immense pressure from above. The Wude Office's officers were also waiting outside the door, and upon receiving the person, without further ado, they took him away directly.

It was not particularly difficult for the Wude Office to trace Wang Qinruo—there were, after all, that many clues. Having flushed out Wang Qinruo, the investigation could be considered concluded for the Wude Office, barely enough to report.

But for Luo Mountain County, and even the entire Shen Prefecture, the matter was far from over, and the subsequent developments were completely beyond their control. From Prefect Liu Jiqian on down, the futures of all officials and clerks would face a judgment—this matter had already reached the heavens.

And all of this was because of a single insignificant Wang Qinruo. One could imagine what kind of mood the Luo Mountain County Magistrate was in at this moment—its complexity probably no less than Wang Qinruo's earlier state.

On the long dark street, watching the Wude Office men escort Wang Qinruo away until his figure gradually disappeared from sight, Ma Qing's face was as heavy as water.

This was simply a disaster out of nowhere. Ma Qing, as an official well-versed in the doctrine of the mean, had always been composed, but on this matter, he was somewhat broken. Originally, he had already maneuvered—riding the tailwind of the old Emperor's residence at Taikang Palace, as one of the meritorious officials of the great construction project, he would be smoothly promoted to the prefecture to serve as Commandant.

However, with the incident of the carriage intrusion, let alone promotion—even keeping his current position was uncertain. Death and clan extermination were not out of the question. As one of the three county officials of Shen Prefecture, Ma Qing knew all too well the inside story of the Taikang Palace construction. If it were thoroughly investigated and punished according to national law, half the officials of Shen Prefecture would lose their heads...

Wang Qinruo—why didn't I discover this scourge earlier! Ma Qing screamed in his heart.

"County Magistrate..."

Also arriving at the Wang residence was the Luo Mountain County Deputy, who had always firmly stood on the county magistrate's side. Though mediocre in ability, he had always been the number-two figure in Luo Mountain County.

Sensing the man's worry, Ma Qing pondered briefly before instructing: "I need to make a trip to Xinyang. You stay and guard the county office. Remember—keep a close eye on all the men below!"

"Yes!"

Ma Qing's first task upon going to Xinyang was to apologize to Liu Jiqian. After all, Wang Qinruo was an official under his command, and with such a matter of "biting the hand that feeds" occurring, he as county magistrate bore the brunt and could not shirk responsibility.

Of course, more importantly, he needed to find a way to pass through this smoothly. Wang Qinruo might have been just an accident, but people like them could not simply sit and wait for death...

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