The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 800 - 778: Exposed

Chapter 800: Chapter 778: Exposed

County Magistrate Yang left the governmental affairs to Captain Liu and Principal Clerk Zhang to handle temporarily while he, along with a group of people and a pile of stuff, went back to the capital to get married.

The followers of County Magistrate Tang took the letter and the confession back to Yizhou City.

County Magistrate Tang flipped through the papers and said, "The problem is indeed serious, but I don’t recall any major cases happening in Luojiang County recently. Is this an old case? Why did you only bring the confession? What about the household registration copies of Zhou Jin and Zhou Yin, and the other documents related to the case?"

"Lord, Young Master Yang seems to want to investigate it himself."

County Magistrate Tang clicked his tongue and said, "Still so arrogant. I would have been much faster than him, yet he insists on wasting effort. Look at me, I’m not good at civil affairs, so I listen to him. He says we should settle the refugees, and I settle them. He suggests setting up a free clinic, and I do it. Work should be about suitability, and he’s just not suited for investigating cases."

The follower didn’t say anything but thought to himself: Last year, I don’t know who kept sending letters to Luojiang County every few days to pick fights, infuriating the madam to the point of smashing two sets of cups and saucers.

Although County Magistrate Tang despised County Magistrate Yang’s judicial capabilities, he didn’t interfere much with this matter and started contemplating over Lai Tou’s confession.

Getting this man to confess wouldn’t be difficult; one could torture him with great care or simply exile him and then bring him back. He would confess to everything for sure.

County Magistrate Tang would do this because he was confident there was an issue with the man. Perhaps Yang Heshu was also certain, but without evidence, he wouldn’t proceed like that.

This is why County Magistrate Tang believed Yang Heshu would not achieve much in judicial matters. He was too much of a stickler for the rules.

If one were to interrogate while abiding by the rules...

County Magistrate Tang fell into thought and couldn’t help but tap the table. Yang Heshu was indeed stingy, not giving him either the case files or even the details about Lai Tou’s family situation.

The man was a gambler, unsure if he had any family members he cared about. If he did, it might be possible to scare him...

County Magistrate Tang mulled it over, finished his duties at hand, and couldn’t resist looking at Lai Tou’s confession again. As he read, a strong sense of curiosity seemed to well up inside him.

County Magistrate Tang abruptly stood up, grabbed the fan on his desk, and went out the door.

It was late afternoon, and the schools had just let out not long ago. After boarding his carriage, County Magistrate Tang thought for a moment and said, "Go to the county school."

Taking advantage of his status, County Magistrate Tang entered, wandered into the Book Collection Tower, and sure enough, Bai Shan and Zhou Man, Bai Erlang, were hiding inside reading books.

County Magistrate Tang sauntered up behind Bai Erlang, who was sneaking around, and peeked at the book in his hand. It was a collection of chivalrous tales; he couldn’t help but curl his lip, then turned to look at Manbao.

Manbao was engrossed in a volume of unofficial histories, while Bai Shan was busy doing homework.

County Magistrate Tang tapped Manbao’s head with his fan. Manbao startled, looked up to see it was County Magistrate Tang, and breathed a sigh of relief. She stealthily glanced outside, saw that the library guard hadn’t come in, quietly nudged Bai Shan, then slipped out the window after putting the book back.

County Magistrate Tang grinned and went to find her through the doorway.

Bai Shan was about to continue with his homework, but after writing just one word, he put away his schoolwork, left it on the desk, and also climbed out through the window.

Bai Erlang remained unaware on the side, continuing with his storybook.

The trio successfully met up beneath the apricot trees, and Manbao asked, "Lord Tang, what do you need me for?"

Lord Tang laughed, "Can’t I look for you if there’s nothing important?"

"If it’s nothing, why would you come here to find me?" said Manbao. "You could have waited until I returned home, or until tomorrow to find me."

Bai Shan added, "Lord Tang is not as sincere as Lord Yang."

Lord Tang tapped his head with the fan, "Compliment him if you will, but why put me down?"

He said to Manbao with a smile, "I do have something to ask you. I heard you grew up in Luojiang County from a young age. Is there anything about Luojiang County you don’t know?"

"Who says so?" Manbao said. "I’m not that capable. I just know most things, that’s all."

County Magistrate Tang was speechless for a moment, then he held back a smile and said, "All right, then I would like to ask Lady Zhuge, who knows everything, do you happen to know of someone in Luojiang County named Lai Tou?"

Manbao was shocked, "I know him. That’s my nephew! What, has he caused trouble that reached Huayang County?"

County Magistrate Tang blinked and asked calmly, "Then you must also know a person named Zhou Jin?"

"That’s my dad!"

County Magistrate Tang, "... and Zhou Yin?"

"That’s my uncle!" Manbao looked at County Magistrate Tang and asked, "County Magistrate Tang, what do you want with my dad?"

County Magistrate Tang asked with a smile, "Why couldn’t it be about your uncle?"

"Because my uncle died a long time ago."

County Magistrate Tang looked at Manbao, his gaze swept over her neck, but he couldn’t see anything. Let alone now during the first month of the lunar year, even in the peak of summer, one could not tell if someone was wearing something around their neck, especially a young girl.

County Magistrate Tang rubbed his forehead, cursed the unreliable Yang Heshu in his mind, and said to Manbao with a smile, "It’s nothing much. It’s just a case that involves Lai Tou. Does he like to gamble?"

Manbao nodded vigorously, "He loves gambling. He even sold his daughter for gambling money. It’s terrible."

Bai Shan looked at County Magistrate Tang for a while and asked, "Lord Tang, what has Lai Tou done?"

"It’s confidential. I can’t tell you."

Bai Shan asked, "When did he ever come to Yizhou City?"

County Magistrate Tang countered, "Could you possibly know his whereabouts?"

"No, but I know he has no money and no courage to come to Yizhou City."

County Magistrate Tang then laughed and said, "Correct, the crime wasn’t committed in Yizhou City, but it’s a significant case. Yizhou City plans to work together with Luojiang County on this major case."

Manbao looked puzzled and asked, "What does that have to do with my dad?"

County Magistrate Tang looked at Manbao and lied, "Someone said that when Lai Tou was committing the crime, he mentioned these two names, so I came to ask you about it. Who knew it would be such a coincidence that they are your father and uncle? Looks like this might be a misunderstanding."

Manbao hesitated and nodded, not that she didn’t trust her dad, but rather, she didn’t trust County Magistrate Tang.

Bai Shan didn’t believe it either. After County Magistrate Tang had dug up everything he could about Lai Tou from Manbao, and also casually inquired about the Zhou family’s situation, he turned to Manbao and said, "He’s deceiving us."

Manbao didn’t speak.

Bai Shan said, "If it’s a joint case with Luojiang County, he could simply ask County Magistrate Yang or someone from Luojiang County. Why would he need to go out of his way to ask you?"

Manbao’s face was filled with trouble, "But why ask about my dad? My dad is kindhearted, timid, and he hardly ever goes out. He wouldn’t cause trouble, right?"

Bai Shan thought for a while and said, "Let’s go back and ask Fourth Brother Zhou to return home and check on things."

Manbao could only nod.

As soon as County Magistrate Tang stepped out of the academy’s gate, he said to the attendant who came to meet him, "Let’s go back. Have the messenger ready; I need to send a letter to Yang Heshu immediately."

The attendant hurried to catch up with the swiftly walking County Magistrate Tang. Once County Magistrate Tang got in the carriage, he said with distress, "I’ve made a blunder."