Chapter 28: The Building Will Fall, Urgent Dispatch (Part 3)

Han Gang had planned to return home early in the morning to report the news and then rush back. However, as soon as he left the city gate, he saw his father and Li Laizi.

Han Qianliu was both surprised and delighted, grabbing his son's arms and examining him up and down, as if a collector of antiques was nervously checking a cherished porcelain for damage: "Third Brother, are you alright?"

Han Gang smiled and asked in return, "Do I look like something is wrong?"

"You didn't kill anyone?"

"This matter..." Han Gang chuckled, glancing sideways at Li Laizi. In Han Qianliu's eyes, his son's expression was no different from Li Laizi's just now, "I did indeed kill someone..."

Han Gang paused, and Han Qianliu's face turned pale. Li Laizi looked as if he had been hit on the head with a gold ingot, both happy and puzzled. Han Gang immediately clarified, "Liu San, Zhang Keding, and Xiao Shi. The village head should know them, right?"

Now it was Li Laizi's turn to turn pale, his legs feeling weak and powerless. How could he not recognize the young followers of his in-law? "They... they..."

"Last night, I took on the duty of guarding the military arsenal. Unexpectedly, these three bandits sneaked in and tried to set it on fire, so I killed them." Han Gang watched Li Laizi's face turn from white to green with satisfaction. The worry over his deadly feud with Chen Ju lessened when he saw Li Laizi's expression. If he could bring down Li Laizi and Huang Daliu, he could also bring down Chen Ju!

"Liu San and the others were all followers of the village head's in-law. If they set fire to the military arsenal, your in-law will not escape punishment. Before I left, I vaguely heard someone say, Huang Deyong..." Han Gang's voice was soft, but the words were like a thunderclap in Li Laizi's ears, "has already committed suicide out of fear of punishment!"

Time passed quickly, and the investigation of the military arsenal case in the state was also swift.

The alarm that rang ten days ago had already disappeared from the casual conversations of the people of Qin Prefecture. The impact of Liu San's death and the others gradually subsided. The culprit, Huang Daliu, committed suicide out of fear of punishment, taking all the blame. His property was confiscated by the government, and his wife and daughters were sent to the music bureau. His two sons mysteriously disappeared. The state issued two arrest warrants, offering a reward of five guan for each son, and then declared the case closed.

Chen Ju had once boasted that he would protect Huang Deyong's family, and he did. He helped Huang Deyong's sons change their names and flee far away, and his wives and daughters were quickly ransomed out of the music bureau at a high price. To obtain a document from the state allowing the courtesans to leave the music bureau, Chen Ju spent a considerable amount of money.

By settling Huang Deyong's affairs, Chen Ju slightly stabilized the hearts of those around him. Next, he had to deal with the external enemies who had caused him to lose more than a third of his wealth and owe many favors. As long as Han Gang lived, the hearts of the people would not be at ease.

In a stable bureaucratic society, the power distribution among various departments had long-established rules. Even with the authority of a circuit judge, he could not suppress the lower-level local officials.

In recent days, Han Gang had been diligently studying at Puxiu Temple, occasionally practicing archery to adjust his mood. The only relaxation he had was chatting with Wu Yan at his residence. Han Gang's hard work made Wu Yan value him even more. However, when he tried to help Han Gang obtain a single male household status, the Chengji County officials ignored it. When a document from the county magistrate arrived, Han Gang had no choice but to go to the county office.

Walking past the empty main hall and along the stone path leading to the second hall, Han Gang had a bad feeling. He had seen Huang Daliu's body, with his face black and purple, his tongue sticking out, and the tumor on his neck shriveled and wrinkled like an old apple. Unlike Han Qianliu, who had almost visited every day, Han Gang did not feel the joy of victory. This was just the tail that Chen Ju had cut off to save himself. The venomous snake was still behind him, and he still slept restlessly at night.

An old clerk with a kind face led Han Gang inside, and a young man in white mourning clothes passed by him. Han Gang had a good memory and recognized him as Zhou Feng, whose position he had taken. In recent days, whenever Han Gang thought of Zhou Feng, he could not help but marvel at his good luck. If it weren't for the trouble he had caused with Huang Daliu, Zhou Feng would have ended up burned to death.

The clerk saw Han Gang looking back at Zhou Feng and smiled, "This boy is also lucky. His father hanged himself the night before last, and his family became a single male household. Today, the county magistrate showed mercy and let him go home."

Han Gang's expression changed slightly, "What a coincidence..."

"Such a coincidence is not something anyone would like. There are only two months left this year. Why couldn't he wait a little longer?" The clerk shook his head and sighed, full of emotion.

Han Gang sneered, 'If it weren't for the corruption of you clerks, why would Zhou Feng's father have to take his own life just to save his son?'

They walked to the second hall, and the old clerk did not go in directly but turned to Han Gang, "Scholar Han, when a person dies, all is over. Huang Deyong is dead, and all grudges should be forgotten. Please let Li Laizi off. Let him return the fields he bought from you."

Han Gang was stunned. What was this about? According to what Han Qianliu had told him every day, although the case did not implicate his in-laws, Li Laizi had been interrogated in the state office for several days. When he came out three days later, he was as thin as a spring frog, and his property was almost halved. After this ordeal, he was terrified of Han Gang's methods and came to apologize every day, offering to return the fields he had forcibly bought. If Li Laizi had Chen Ju's support, why would he do this?

Despite his confusion, he still replied, "Since Huang Deyong is dead, I have no more enemies. Li Laizi is a minor matter. We will buy back the fields from him in the future and will not take any advantage."

"Good! Good! Good! Scholar, you are indeed magnanimous." The old clerk smiled, "Since that's the case, I will remind you. The county magistrate may assign you a new task today. When you go in, report your family situation and claim single male household status. You can go home today like Zhou Feng. Think about Li Laizi; he doesn't have the courage to refuse to help you now."

Han Gang bowed in gratitude, "Thank you, Clerk Chen!"

Chen Ju's expression changed, and he carefully examined Han Gang. He was dressed in ordinary scholar's attire, gentle and refined in appearance, with a demeanor that few scholars in Qin Prefecture could match. His eyes were sharp, adding a fierce edge to his refined appearance. Chen Ju remembered that when Huang Daliu's body was carried out, this scholar stood among the onlookers, standing out like a crane among chickens. At that moment, his fierce gaze was not on Huang Daliu but on himself. His eyebrows were like knives, and his eyes like swords, sending chills through his body. He truly was a worthy disciple of a great teacher. If it weren't for the unresolvable enmity, he would not want to provoke a disciple of Mr. Hengqu.

"Of course, of course!" Chen Ju laughed dryly and accompanied Han Gang into the hall.

A circle of bailiffs surrounded the second hall, and under the plaque "High Mirror," a young man in his thirties sat. He was the current magistrate of Chengji County. When Han Gang entered, he was busy signing documents and dealing with the people. It was not until half an hour later, when he had a moment to breathe, that he looked up and saw the outstanding Han Gang.

Han Gang was dressed in a blue robe, wearing a square cap, the attire of a scholar. He was tall, with a straight nose and clear eyes, exuding an extraordinary presence.

Facing a scholar, the magistrate of Chengji did not want to be impolite and asked gently, "Scholar, what is your name, and why are you here?"

Han Gang bowed respectfully, "I am Han Gang, summoned to the office to await orders."

"Han Gang?" The magistrate's face instantly turned cold, losing the gentleness from before.

The incident at the military arsenal in De Xian Fang had caused him a lot of trouble. His performance evaluation this year would likely be mediocre, and his promotion would be delayed by a year. He had heard many bad things about Han Gang from Chen Ju and almost hated him to the bone. Why couldn't the matter be handled by the county? Why did it have to be escalated to the state? What was so special about a disciple of Zhang Zai? Zhang Hengqu had many disciples; hearing a lecture twice did not make one a student! What kind of background did such a young scholar have?

"You are Han Gang?" The magistrate asked again.

"I am indeed Han Gang," Han Gang replied respectfully.

The magistrate's face was stern, and he said coldly, "Han Gang, you agreed to serve as a guard but only did it for one day. Our county has many tasks, and we cannot keep idle people. There is a batch of silver, silk, and wine to be sent to Gangu City. You will lead the convoy."

'Will I continue to serve as a clerk?' If he accepted the task, he would have to bear the losses during transportation, and his family had no extra money.

For the Han family, being relieved of the clerk's duties was the best choice. Chen Ju, who had entered with him, smiled warmly and gave him an encouraging look. Han Gang, however, sneered inwardly: 'If he really wanted to help, he would have spoken up now.'

This was definitely a trap!

Just looking at the situation, the bailiffs were all watching him like hawks, and he did not know what Chen Ju had said to the magistrate. The young magistrate, a recent graduate, looked at him with a rather unfriendly expression. If he refused, he might be thrown to the ground and beaten with a thick stick. In his current condition, or even before he was sick, he could not withstand such a beating.

Chen Ju was a good actor, but the extras were not. Han Gang saw the murderous intent in their eyes, not 'maybe' or 'probably,' but 'definitely'! Killing him to silence him and to win the hearts of the people, Chen Ju's plan was indeed well thought out.

'But if I agree, will you still act now? A wise man does not suffer a loss in front of him. Why not agree for now? By releasing Zhou Feng in front of me, you are trying to make me say 'no' as a single male household. I won't let you have your way!'

With this thought, Han Gang immediately agreed, "Since it is the order of the magistrate and for the sake of the country, I will comply!"

Forced to accept the task of escorting the supplies, Han Gang's face was like a frost. When he saw Chen Ju's face was also grim, his mood improved slightly.

Leaving the second hall, he looked up at the gray sky. His fate was not in his hands but controlled by others. If he had an official position, how could someone like Chen Ju touch him? He sighed inwardly, "Being an official is truly better!"

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