Chapter 114: Official Law is Like a Furnace, Not as Good as the Human Heart and Ghostly Schemes (Seeking Subscription)

Xianghe occupies more than one mu of land, from the pawnshop gate facing the street to the two-opening red lacquer wooden door in the backyard, it is over a hundred meters.

More than one mu of land certainly isn't all pawnshop.

In fact, it was cut in half, divided into two.

Facing the prosperous Lianghe street area is the pawnshop, while the back door connects to "Yimin Small Street," which is the Hu family residence.

Previously, the government office runners came to capture Shopkeeper Hu and demand the Xu family's Gold Carp Jade Pendant. Aunt Hu guarded the front gate of Xianghe with a dozen capable martial arts hall apprentices, but abandoned the back door connecting to Yimin Small Street (in fact, looking from Yimin Small Street, it is also the front door).

Shopkeeper Hu was judged by Grandpa Guan Chenghuang to wear a cangue for three months; he was now lying on the bed as if he had a stroke, howling in pain day and night.

Aunt Hu certainly wouldn't put Shopkeeper Hu in the front shop, so Shopkeeper Hu was carried away by the government office runners from Yimin Small Street.

At this moment, Aunt Hu closed the Xianghe gate and was still staying in the pawnshop hall with ten or so capable-looking martial arts hall apprentices.

A thin, thirty-year-old man jumped down from the roof, ran into the hall panting from the back door, and shouted urgently before he could even stand still.

"Big Senior Sister, it's not good, Zhu Yitao is crazy, he wants to send the City Defense Camp to encircle and suppress Xianghe!"

"Encircle and suppress? We aren't thieves, why encircle and suppress, and why mobilize the City Defense Camp?" Aunt Hu asked in surprise.

She was of medium and well-proportioned build, neither fat nor thin, with a slightly wide square face, but not ugly, rather soft, moist, and full, with neat features, and black hair tied into a bun at the back of her head, then wrapped in a small pearl net.

Decent and generous, even at over forty, she still retained five or six points of charm.

Only when she spoke, the corners of her eyes lifted, showing a bit of viciousness and sarcasm.

The thin junior brother quickly told the story of what happened in the government office, and sighed: "Zhu Yitao is serious this time, even Aunt Liu of the Red Sleeve Workshop is going to be beaten, can your Xianghe be more imposing than the Red Sleeve Workshop?

Yue Tanxi, before when Zhu Yitao sent people to demand the Xu family's jade pendant, you could have just handed it to him; why did you have to beat the official runners out the door."

"The jade pendant isn't at my house," Aunt Hu said.

"It's already this time, and you are still using such words to fool us?" the junior brother said unhappily: "We don't care at all who you stole the treasure from.

But the problem is, now the entire Yingxiang Mansion knows that Aunt Xu's jade pendant is at your house."

A bearded senior brother who was drinking at the table stood up and said: "Senior Sister, the official soldiers are about to encircle and suppress Xianghe, we certainly won't risk our lives for you, you should understand this point."

The other fellow apprentices also advised: "Senior Sister already has such a big family business, why stare at a jade pendant and not let go."

Aunt Hu's expression was gloomy as she pondered for a moment, and said: "Junior Brother Chai, come out with me."

After arriving at the backyard, Aunt Hu took a yellow cloth pouch from her sleeve and handed it to the thin man, saying: "Junior Brother, among all the fellow apprentices, your light arts are the best; now you take it and leave Profound Heaven Town.

Unless the counterfeit silver case is completely over, don't show your face, and don't come to see me again."

Junior Brother Chai touched the small yellow cloth bag, which contained a hard object, "Is it that jade pendant? Is it necessary?"

Aunt Hu stared at him with sharp eyes, "I don't want to hear another word of nonsense!"

"Yue Tanxi, I understand."

The thin man stuffed the cloth bag into the small pocket of his waistband, jumped up, and landed on the eaves.

"Clang clang clang~~~" Listening to the slight tile sound that was almost non-existent under his feet, and feeling the coolness of the night wind, Junior Brother Chai felt a sense of freedom to soar.

"Master, oh Master, you are truly old and confused. With my talent and skill, I am qualified to be an instructor in the Prince's mansion, yet you arranged for me to escort stolen goods for a merchant woman; you don't feel ashamed for the sect, I feel too wronged—uh!"

A willow leaf, silent and swift, like a sword stabbed out, "stuck" onto his Fengchi acupoint on the back of his head from the side.

His neck tilted, his body fell softly to the side, and before he could land, he was already sleeping peacefully.

Xiao Yu came to his side like a ghost, hooked her instep, and he rolled off the eaves lightly, landing in the courtyard without a sound.

"What happened to him?" Aunt Zhang asked nervously.

"Nothing, he's asleep."

Xiao Yu bent down to touch the small cloth bag from his waistband and took out the jade pendant to examine it carefully.

"Is it that Aunt Hu is too greedy, or does this jade pendant have some divine mystery?"

Even as a layman, she could see that the Gold Carp Pendant was extraordinary.

It was dark and pitch-black right now, with only blurred candlelight from afar, but the candlelight falling on the jade pendant had a kind of glowing, moist luster.

It was as if it was actively emitting light.

Aunt Zhang hesitated: "This jade pendant..."

Before she could finish, something was already in her hand.

Xiao Yu handed the jade pendant to her and said: "Wait for a while, you as a righteous person, take the initiative to hand over the jade pendant to Zhu Yitao, and tell him about Aunt Hu's misconduct.

I feel that although Zhu Yitao is vulgar and cruel, he is a good official who speaks for the people, and he should return the jade pendant to the Xu family."

Aunt Zhang said with a bitter face: "How can I be a righteous person? You'd better do it—"

"I can't." Xiao Yu waved her hand, "My identity is awkward, not suitable for being in the limelight."

"Return the jade pendant directly to Old Xu, how about that?"

After saying this, Aunt Zhang shook her head vigorously herself, "No, gamblers are not to be trusted! If I give it to Old Xu, he will eventually send it to Bu Si Gui.

It must be given to Hui'er... but that won't work either, she is still too young and can't keep it. Yue Tanxi, it's really troublesome!"

"You are an elder, Aunt, you decide how to deal with the jade pendant," Xiao Yu said with a smile.

The jade pendant weighed less than two liang, but the psychological pressure it brought to Aunt Zhang was visibly heavy.

Before, watching Zhu Yitao beat people, she was beaming with joy and laughing non-stop.

She even had the interest to transfer to the Hu family pawnshop to watch the show.

Now that they were back at the government office entrance, with Aunt Hu, Shopkeeper Hu, and the Great Master of Bu Si Gui all present, Aunt Zhang still had a worried look, and her eyes were a bit dazed.

"Press down this dog-shoving thief woman, beat her with thirty big boards first, to kill her arrogant bandit spirit."

Upon seeing Aunt Hu, without any verbal communication, Zhu Yitao threw out a sign order and ordered the government office runners to beat her with boards.

"Magistrate, why beat me with boards, I don't accept it, I am innocent!" Aunt Hu shouted as loudly as a pig being slaughtered.

"Still dare to say you are innocent, Head Runner Qian, you come over."

Head Runner Qian, who looked like a weak scholar, first bowed to Zhu Yitao, and then told the story of how he took the government office runners to the Hu family to demand the jade pendant but was blocked outside the door by Aunt Hu's fellow apprentices.

"You are also a coward! As a head runner of the county government office, you were carrying my warrant, and with a group of brothers behind you, you were actually subdued by a mere fierce woman; shameful."

Zhu Yitao first spat at Head Runner Qian, then cursed at Aunt Hu: "Dog thief, how do you intend to argue now? I tell you, if you argue one sentence, I will beat you one more board."

"I won't argue, I'm telling the truth, my family doesn't owe anyone a jade pendant," Aunt Hu said with her neck stiff.

"Hey, you are really wanting money and not face." Zhu Yitao sneered several times, pointed at Shopkeeper Hu on the stretcher, and said: "I am a student of Confucius, respecting ghosts and gods but keeping them at a distance.

Today I won't talk about Grandpa Guan Chenghuang.

But your husband is lying below!

And the counterfeit silver maker Jia Yintong.

No matter how you argue, two witnesses, can you eat them?"

Aunt Hu said: "They are also my witnesses! I only hope they are well."

Zhu Yitao asked curiously: "Interesting, interesting, you argue and let me listen; if you argue well, I won't add boards to you; if you argue clumsily, the crime will be increased, one sentence, two boards."

Aunt Hu said: "The magistrate is a student of Confucius, and I am a student of Tao Zhu Gong of the Upper State.

Tao Zhu Gong taught us merchants two great principles, one is called 'one capital ten thousand profits,' and the other is called 'goods and silver cleared.'

May I ask Magistrate Master, did my family's Old Hu pay five taels of silver to Jia Yintong?

Was it goods and silver cleared at the time?

Jia Yintong used counterfeit silver, he deserves to die, but my family's Old Hu just did business with a bad person, what crime is there?

Jia Yintong stayed in Profound Heaven Town for a few days, what did he eat, where did he sleep?

The merchants who sold him food and gave him a place to stay, can't they all be guilty?

Yes, the Gold Carp Jade Pendant is worth five hundred taels.

But five taels of capital sold for five hundred taels is only 'one capital one hundred profits,' far less than Tao Zhu Gong's one capital ten thousand profits.

Tao Zhu Gong's one capital ten thousand profits is not only innocent but also respected by others.

My family's Old Hu's one capital one hundred profits, I don't ask for others' praise, at least the master should judge an innocent release."

Zhu Yitao stroked his whiskers lightly, nodding in appreciation: "Good stubborn woman, fortunately I am the official master, and you are just a merchant woman!"

Aunt Hu asked: "The magistrate is naturally the master, and I am a merchant woman, so what?"

Zhu Yitao threw out four sign sticks and shouted: "I am the master, I can't talk you down, but I can still beat you with boards; beat her, beat her with forty big boards!"

Aunt Hu was furious and roared: "Zhu Yitao, don't forget, this is the public hall, the fellow villagers have eyes and ears, and they have mouths!

Talking about national law and reasoning, you are speechless, so you arbitrarily use torture.

When the news spreads, let's see how you explain it to the prefect and the monarch!"

Zhu Yitao shouted: "Mean woman, you still know this is the public hall; you are roaring in the public hall, the crime is increased, add ten more boards!"

After speaking, he threw another sign order down.

"I don't accept it, I don't accept it, I don't accept it~~~"

Aunt Hu screamed crazily, waving her hands wildly, beating the government office runners who came to pull her away.

"You head runners, what are you doing? Hurry up and take down this fierce woman!"

At Zhu Yitao's command, seven or eight True Qi Realm experts jumped out from behind the hall, attacking together, and subdued Aunt Hu on the ground in two or three moves.

When the government office runners started beating Aunt Hu with boards, Zhu Yitao smiled: "This stubborn woman, I clearly told her to argue just now.

What is arguing?

Talking nonsense and reversing black and white is arguing, and she still talks about national law and reasoning.

I'll talk to you about national law.

Your family's Old Hu clearly knew that Jia Yintong used counterfeit silver, and he deliberately let Jia Yintong use counterfeit silver to harm Aunt Xu.

Hehe, Sa the Criminal Room, you come and tell this stubborn woman how many articles of the Great Shu Law she and Old Hu violated."

The Criminal Room behind the document desk stood up, bowed to the magistrate, and then said loudly and sternly: "Article 107 of the 'Shu Law Commentary,' if A and B conspire to commit a crime, A is the mastermind, does not directly commit the crime, but participates in the sharing of benefits after the fact, still punished according to the mastermind.

Shopkeeper Hu deliberately used Jia Yintong to harm Aunt Xu, which fits this crime.

In addition, Shopkeeper Hu knew early on that Jia Yintong used counterfeit silver but knew and didn't report it, which is also a big crime."

Zhu Yitao waved his hand to let him sit down, and said to Aunt Hu, who was lying on the ground being beaten: "Did you hear clearly? Sa the Criminal Room accepted your family's sheep, wine, melons, and fruits; he certainly won't be biased against me."

Sa the Criminal Room stood up in a panic, "Magistrate, I—"

Zhu Yitao waved his hand again, "You sit down! Accepting gifts is nothing; I both accept festival gifts and send festival gifts. As long as you handle affairs seriously and don't deliberately shield evil, it's fine."

"And reasoning..." Zhu Yitao sneered several times and started cursing again, "'Reasoning'—the word coming out of your stinking mouth carries a bit of the smell of dung.

You say Tao Zhu Gong had one capital ten thousand profits, and your family's Old Hu only had one capital one hundred profits.

Tao Zhu Gong earned money based on wisdom; every copper coin he earned was clean.

Your family's Old Hu clearly knew that the Xu family was waiting for money to save their lives, but he wasn't satisfied with 'one capital ten profits,' insisting on one capital one hundred profits, watching Aunt Xu jump into the river in despair without repentance.

Do you believe it, if you continue to compare Tao Zhu Gong to your family's Old Hu who should have no descendants, God will send a few dry thunderbolts early to send you to the underworld to be reincarnated into the animal path."

"Master, don't beat me, I accept it, I plead guilty." Aunt Hu wailed.

She had hammered the government office runners with iron fists before, without mercy, and hammered very happily.

Now that the government office runners were beating her, they didn't show mercy either; not even half of the forty boards had been beaten, and her butt was already rotten.

"Listen, listen, this mean woman pleaded guilty! Since she is a criminal, she deserves to continue being beaten!"

Zhu Yitao was refreshed and turned to look at the next target.

The Great Master of Bu Si Gui stepped forward and bowed: "Reporting to the Magistrate, I am guilty!"

Zhu Yitao narrowed his eyes and asked: "What is your crime?"

"A few days ago, the Magistrate scolded Shopkeeper Liao for the matter of Wang Xiaohu, the manager of Bu Si Gui, forcing a good woman into prostitution.

Shopkeeper Liao agreed on the surface, but hid the resentment in the bottom of his heart."

The Great Master of Bu Si Gui bowed his head and sighed: "Yue Tanxi, blame me for lax discipline.

These past few days, several of us masters have been visiting old friends in Yingxiang Mansion.

I never expected Shopkeeper Liao to take the contract again and go to Old Xu, insisting on taking Old Xu's daughter away according to the contract signed by both parties.

This afternoon, Shopkeeper Liao was even more insane, publicly resisting the official runners.

I received a bee-bird message in Yingxiang Mansion, terrified and restless, and rushed back in a hurry.

But when I returned to Bu Si Gui..."

He raised his head abruptly and stared at Zhu Yitao with vicious eyes like a poisonous snake, but his mouth sighed lightly and said softly: "Shopkeeper Liao has committed suicide out of fear of crime!"

"What, Shopkeeper Liao is dead?" Zhu Yitao's tiger body shook violently.

Aunt Liu's pupils contracted; the look in her eyes at the Great Master of Bu Si Gui was shocked and wary.

The Great Master of Bu Si Gui looked sad, but the corners of his mouth hooked into a curve, and he took a letter from his bosom, murmuring: "Master, please look, this is the suicide note he left before hanging himself."

The government office runners were also shocked and didn't know what to do for a while.

Finally, the registrar with a complex expression stepped forward to take the letter and turned to hand it to the county magistrate.

Zhu Yitao waved his hand, signaling him to take away the "provocation letter," leaned on the back of the chair, stared at the Great Master of Bu Si Gui's eyes that were like mockery and provocation, and sighed: "Is my request very difficult to handle?

Getting the jade pendant back from Xianghe is enough for Old Xu to pay off the debt of your gambling house.

It's not asking you to tear up the gambling debt contract for nothing..."

The Great Master of Bu Si Gui sighed: "Who says it isn't! Originally it was just a small matter, he insisted on tossing, and he was particularly unable to think it through."

Zhu Yitao closed his eyes and remained silent until Aunt Hu's fifty boards were finished.

"Aunt Hu, you heard it, another life! Xu Huier the Great Master of Bu Si Gui is still here, hurry up and hand over the jade pendant, and cancel Old Xu's IOU in public, so that this case can end early."

He seemed a bit tired, not as spirited as before.

"The jade pendant has been sold, I am willing to take five hundred taels of silver to redeem it." Aunt Hu groaned.

Zhu Yitao sneered coldly: "Where is the receipt, who bought the jade pendant?"

"A shady deal, the identity of the other party is unknown, and I didn't open a receipt," Aunt Hu said.

Zhu Yitao said: "Without a receipt, even if you didn't sell it, or sold it for fifty thousand taels, you could say you only sold it for five hundred taels."

"It was really sold, only five hundred taels. I dare to bet, if I lie, let me be a living widow for the rest of my life!" Aunt Hu wailed.

"Humph, you want to be a living widow, that's quite beautiful!"

Zhu Yitao sneered, sighed again, and said: "I don't want to argue with you, take out two thousand taels of silver, and I will personally write a contract for you and Xu Hui'er.

Two thousand taels of silver, excluding Bu Si Gui's gambling debt, Old Xu can take away one hundred taels to bury Aunt Xu and support his family.

The remaining one thousand eight hundred taels of silver will be sealed in the county government office silver treasury.

If Old Xu never gambles again, three years later, I, or the next magistrate, will return the remaining silver in full.

But if he gambles once... sigh, if he gambles once, he will definitely gamble countless times, and sooner or later he will lose the one hundred taels he took away earlier, and start selling his daughter again.

But these two thousand taels of silver were exchanged with Aunt Xu's life.

If Old Xu continues to be useless, give Xu Hui'er 30 taels of silver every year to support the family, and when she reaches sixteen and finds a husband, take the remaining silver as a dowry to her husband's house.

But before Xu Hui'er marries, if you, Aunt Hu, can buy back the sold jade pendant, you can come to the government office to return one thousand taels of cash.

If you dare to hide the jade pendant, or sell the jade pendant at a higher price, once discovered, not only will the jade pendant be returned to Xu Hui'er, but you won't get a single copper coin of the two thousand taels.

Those who secretly buy the jade pendant will be guilty of the same crime as you.

All of the above will be written into the document, stamped with the magistrate's seal, and guaranteed by the six departments of the county government office, with neighbors as witnesses.

After this case is closed, a notice will be posted at the city gate and the government office entrance to inform everyone."

Aunt Hu said: "I handed over a total of two thousand silver, why only return one thousand taels?"

Zhu Yitao widened his small eyes and shouted: "You committed a crime, and you still don't want to honestly accept the punishment?

I tell you, Aunt Xu's case is closed today, but your family's 'counterfeit silver case' has just begun.

From today on, anyone who has been directly defrauded by Xianghe in the past, or deceived by counterfeit silver near Xianghe, can bring witnesses or physical evidence to the county government office to register.

When I have time, I will judge them together.

Aunt Hu, in the next five years, you are not allowed to leave Profound Heaven Town; government office runners will go to the Lianghe street area at the beginning and middle of every month to check your situation.

If you dare to suddenly disappear... humph, after a while, go to the back government office and let the painter leave a portrait of you.

If you dare to run away, I will put you on the wanted list of river and lake big thieves, on par with the likes of 'Sea-Covering Stick,' 'Sha Tongtian,' and 'One-Legged Old He,' and ask the ten great catchers of Shu to serve you well." ===== CHAPTER 115 =====