Chapter 76

County Magistrate Hu was inwardly shocked, but his face remained calm. He coughed twice and said, "I am already tired. Whatever matters can be discussed tomorrow."

County Deputy Zhao nodded in agreement but then asked with a puzzled look, "Your Excellency, it is so late at night, and you personally came to the prison. Is there something here?"

For a county magistrate to come to the dark and foul-smelling dungeon in the middle of the night was indeed highly unusual.

County Magistrate Hu and Zhang Dahu seemed to exchange a glance, then frowned and said, "Deputy Zhao, do you need me to explain my actions in detail to you?"

He and Zhang Dahu had already planned to secretly shoot the prisoner in Cell A to eliminate evidence, but Deputy Zhao's sudden appearance disrupted their plans, which greatly annoyed County Magistrate Hu.

Deputy Zhao was neither anxious nor agitated, just shaking his head and smiling, "Your Excellency, I did not mean to imply anything." He paused and then said, "By the way, Head Warden Zhang, how many prisoners are currently in the dungeon? Show me the register. Since I have nothing to do tonight, I might as well check the number of prisoners!"

Zhang Dahu was taken aback, and County Magistrate Hu's expression changed slightly. He said in a stern voice, "Deputy Zhao, it's pitch dark. Why check the prisoners now... It's very dark here, you should go first!"

But Deputy Zhao, who was usually humble and obedient, now acted differently. He smiled and said, "Your Excellency, as the county deputy, I can check the number of prisoners at any time... even in the middle of the night, no one can stop me!" His expression was resolute, and it was clear he was determined to inspect the prison tonight.

County Magistrate Hu narrowed his eyes and finally understood that this Deputy Zhao, who usually seemed as gentle as a lamb, had suddenly shown his fangs tonight.

He had not chosen to inspect the prison earlier or later, but precisely at this moment, which made the situation very strange.

Deputy Zhao extended his hand and said to Zhang Dahu, "Give me the register!"

Zhang Dahu looked at County Magistrate Hu, who had a strange expression. After a moment's thought, County Magistrate Hu nodded slightly, and Zhang Dahu then fetched the prisoner register and handed it to Deputy Zhao with both hands.

Deputy Zhao, with a half-smile, took the register and turned to leave.

Seeing Deputy Zhao leave, Zhang Dahu hurried to County Magistrate Hu's side and said in a panic, "Sir, this is trouble... There's still a corpse in Cell A, and Mr. Zhao will definitely find it...!" Sweat was already beading on his forehead.

Although County Magistrate Hu had ordered the poisoning of the pork, Zhang Dahu had personally carried it out. If the truth came to light, Zhang Dahu would also be held responsible.

County Magistrate Hu's face no longer showed panic but was instead dark and sinister. He lowered his voice and said, "Zhang Dahu, you are my most trusted person. We both know what happened today. If we are exposed, neither of us will have a good end...!" His eyes flashed with a murderous intent: "Qingliu County is a major thoroughfare, with merchants coming and going. It's a big piece of meat, and there are always people who have their eyes on it...!"

Zhang Dahu's eyes darted around and he whispered, "Sir, do you mean that Deputy Zhao has been trying to take your position?"

"I was negligent," County Magistrate Hu said with a cold laugh. "Mr. Zhao has indeed been hiding his true intentions... But if he doesn't have someone backing him, he wouldn't dare to challenge me!"

"Sir, you mean... from the provincial capital?"

County Magistrate Hu nodded slightly and said, "I was recommended by Old Master Wu. To put it bluntly, the one behind me is the Second Prince... Over the years, we have secretly withheld a lot of taxes and sent them to the Second Prince...!" His expression was dark: "I have been cautious in my actions, always worried that someone in the provincial capital might use this against me... But this time, I fear I will be brought down by that country boy!"

Zhang Dahu was in a panic and said, "Sir, you... you mustn't let anything happen to you!" He was a trusted subordinate promoted by County Magistrate Hu and had lived a comfortable life under his protection. If County Magistrate Hu fell, Zhang Dahu would also suffer.

Moreover, if the Fan Fat case were to be exposed, County Magistrate Hu's career would be ruined, and Zhang Dahu would also be implicated.

County Magistrate Hu said in a stern voice, "Zhang Dahu, do you want to continue enjoying prosperity with me in the future?"

"Sir, just say the word!" Zhang Dahu, not a fool, knew that County Magistrate Hu had a plan. His eyes glinted with a fierce light: "Whatever you command, I will do it, even if it means climbing a mountain of knives or diving into a sea of fire!"

County Magistrate Hu raised his hand, making a cutting motion, and then slashed down.

Zhang Dahu's eyes widened in surprise, and he whispered, "Sir, your intention is...!"

"Once started, no turning back. Since Mr. Zhao has come to the knife's edge, we will cut him down and then frame Chu Huan and the others," County Magistrate Hu said coldly. "Zhang Dahu, do you dare to act?"

Zhang Dahu hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Sir, I know what to do!" Without another word, he turned and walked out of the warden's room, quickly heading after Deputy Zhao.

In the dimly lit prison corridor, Deputy Zhao was slowly walking towards the cells. Zhang Dahu moved quickly and soon caught up. Deputy Zhao turned his head and saw Zhang Dahu, narrowing his eyes.

"Sir, I will accompany you to check the numbers," Zhang Dahu said, suppressing his nervousness and smiling. "Rest assured, every prisoner who comes in is registered, and every one who leaves has their name crossed off!"

Deputy Zhao nodded and said, "I'm just passing the time, taking a look around!" He did not say more and continued walking.

Zhang Dahu followed behind. In the dim light, his smiling face suddenly turned dark, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He slowly drew his knife and raised it, aiming at Deputy Zhao's head. He gritted his teeth and was about to strike.

Deputy Zhao seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around. Seeing Zhang Dahu about to strike, he shouted, "You... what are you doing?"

"I'm going to cut you down!" Zhang Dahu snarled, using all his strength to bring the knife down.

At the same moment, a shadow shot out of the darkness and struck Zhang Dahu's shoulder. There was a loud "crack" as his shoulder blade shattered. The pain was excruciating, and the knife fell from his hand.

From the dim corridor, several men rushed forward, led by a tall, broad-shouldered man wearing a felt hat. Before Zhang Dahu could react, the man kicked him in the back, and Zhang Dahu fell to the ground with a cry.

Deputy Zhao, now relieved, bowed to the tall man and said, "Thank you, Sir Wei, for your timely rescue... It seems they really had ulterior motives!"

This Sir Wei was a tall, imposing figure in black, with thick eyebrows and a stern expression. He nodded slightly to Deputy Zhao, then waved his hand and said, "Tie him up!"

Two strong men immediately came forward and bound Zhang Dahu with a rope.

Zhang Dahu, furious, shouted, "Who are you? To dare to break into the county prison, are you rebelling?"

Sir Wei picked up a sheath from the ground. When Zhang Dahu had tried to strike Deputy Zhao, Sir Wei had thrown the sheath, hitting Zhang Dahu's shoulder blade and saving Deputy Zhao.

Sir Wei sheathed his knife and walked up to Zhang Dahu, looking at him coldly. "A mere warden, daring to assassinate the county deputy, you are truly rebelling." He waved his hand and said, "Take him to the main hall, Magistrate Lan is waiting there!"

The two men pushed Zhang Dahu out of the prison.

County Magistrate Hu was extremely nervous in the warden's room, waiting for news from Zhang Dahu. He was now deeply anxious. If he had known things would come to this, he would never have provoked Chu Huan.

From the beginning, the murder and framing had put him in a chess game. To win, County Magistrate Hu had pushed relentlessly, using every means at his disposal. However, the poisoning had gone awry, and this miscalculation had put him at a disadvantage, plunging him into a dangerous situation.

Strange noises from outside made County Magistrate Hu even more tense. He stood up from his chair, narrowed his eyes, and heard a knock on the door of the warden's room.

County Magistrate Hu rushed forward, pulled open the door, and asked anxiously, "How did it go?"

"Not well!" the man outside said calmly. "One move wrong, and the whole game is lost... County Magistrate Hu, you have a lot of nerve!" As he spoke, a tall figure slowly entered the warden's room, and it was Sir Wei.

County Magistrate Hu was shocked to see him, took several steps back, and opened his mouth, unable to speak.

Sir Wei ignored him, walked to the chair, and sat down, saying coldly, "County Magistrate Hu, do you recognize me?"

County Magistrate Hu finally regained his composure, "kneeling" on the ground and said in a panic, "This humble official, County Magistrate Hu of Qingliu County, greets Sir Wei. I did not know of your arrival, and I failed to welcome you properly. Please forgive me!"

Sir Wei placed his sword on the table and said bluntly, "Hu Wei, someone has filed a complaint with the governor's office, accusing you of injustice and wrongful accusations. The governor was very angry and sent Magistrate Lan and me to investigate...!"

"Sir, it's a misunderstanding!" County Magistrate Hu said hurriedly. "I have served Qingliu County for many years, always worrying and working hard, fearing to辜负皇恩, being cautious in all my actions, and serving as a clean official. I would never wrong an innocent person!"

Sir Wei sneered, "Well said. Just now, your warden tried to kill the county deputy. How do you explain that? I am here to investigate the case of Chu Huan's murder. Magistrate Lan is in the main hall. What do you say, County Magistrate Hu, shall we go see him together?"