Chapter 117 Temporary Management of the County Government
Chu Anlan was not angered, but raised his eyebrows and smiled: "I'm sorry to make you laugh, I not only have a good family background, but also have a good-looking face."

Qu Jie had never seen such a shameless person!
He sat on the ground and said bluntly: "I'm thirsty."

The censor called out, "Pour him a cup of tea."

Qu Jie said: "I only drink the newly produced Mingqian tea this year. The tea leaves are in the cabinet. I want to drink the brewed tea instead of the brewed one."

The censor's face darkened: "Qu Jie, you are now a prisoner. Do you think you are still qualified to be picky?"

"Before the death row inmates are beheaded, they can have a meal before execution." Qu Jie said in a nonchalant tone: "Make me a cup of Mingqian tea, and I will tell you everything I know."

The censor had no choice but to ask his men to make tea.

Soon, a pot of hot tea was served.

Qu Jie held the teacup with his chained hands and took a sip: "Good tea, soothing..."

The censor urged: "Stop talking nonsense and tell us everything you know!"

Qu Jie smiled, and only looked away after drinking the whole pot of tea, and then he spoke slowly: "Ling Zenghuang is indeed the father I chose for Han'er after discussing with Guan. Lin'an is a treasure land, and the Lin family has money in Lin'an. In addition, Ling Zenghuang is my brother-in-law, so it is not unfair to Han'er and Guan, and I can often meet them mother and son...

After I came to Lin'an to take up my post, I often met with Guan secretly. After being caught by Han'er one time, Guan decided not to hide the fact that he and I were father and son from Han'er anymore. Han'er was spoiled and had a lot of bad habits. He was irritable and jealous, and he was extremely repulsive to Xuan'er. Xuan'er was good at studying and passed the imperial examination this year. Someone spread rumors privately that Xuan'er had made a good career and Ling Zenghuang intended to give all the property of the Ling Mansion to Xuan'er...

So, as you all know, that night, Han'er took advantage of the fact that there were few people around after drinking, and he got mad and attacked Xuan'er from behind with a paddle, and pushed Xuan'er into the lake."

Ye Chenting asked him: "You knew the truth, why did you arrest Chen Xi and Chu Shaozhen?"

Qu Jie laughed dejectedly: "I have arrested a group of princes, dukes and sons of the capital's noble families with great fanfare. Won't the people's attention be diverted by them? Then, I will investigate them openly and in secret to clean up the traces of that night for Han'er.

I made many preparations, but I didn't prepare for you guys. I even wrote a letter of apology for arresting the prince and the young masters, and it was written very beautifully. If things go well and the letter of apology is made public, the people will only praise me for being impartial, fearless, fair and honest..."

"This is really ridiculous!" The censor slapped the table with his hand. "Do you think the laws of the Western Zhou Dynasty are just for show? You broke the law knowingly, abused your power for personal gain, raised private soldiers... If I pick any one of them, you will be punished! I have sent people to investigate. If raising private soldiers is true, do you think you can still live?"

Hearing this, Qu Jie slowly took a handful of brewed tea leaves from the teacup and put them into his mouth to chew: "If you can't live, then don't live."

The censor pointed his finger at him: "You really are..."

I wanted to yell, but found that I didn't know where to start.

Lin'an City is close to the capital, surrounded by mountains and rivers, and rich in resources. It has been a beautiful and prosperous place in all dynasties.

Being an official in a place like this doesn't require you to worry about your political achievements at all. It is the easiest thing possible.

Qu Jie has been at ease for too long.

Qu Jie turned to Ling Zenghuang who was standing beside him and said, "We are both going to die. Let's die together. Let's go to the underworld and apologize to our sister."

Ling Zenghuang looked at him coldly: "Don't dream. People like you and me will only go to hell after we die. How can we be worthy of meeting your sister?"

Qu Jie was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "It's good that I can't meet her anymore. I don't want to meet her in my next life..."

Ling Zenghuang looked at him for a long time: "Before I came here, I wanted to kill you myself. But, that would be too easy for you. People like you should live in endless torment for a long time, suffering both physical and mental torture before dying!"

"How are you better than me?" Qu Jie sneered, "You raised my son for twenty years. Now that you know the truth, it must be hard for you to bear it, right? You don't know how happily Guan smiled under me every time before she refused to be touched by you."

"You! I will kill you! Pu..." A mouthful of blood spurted out from Ling Zenghuang's mouth.

Upon seeing this, the censor immediately ordered: "Arrest the prisoner Ling Zenghuang and send a doctor to treat him. Before the execution, make sure his life is saved!" Qu Jie was also taken out.

Qu Jie and Ling Han, father and son, were put into prison vans and taken to the capital, while Ling Zenghuang was kept in the prison in Lin'an, awaiting execution in the autumn.

When the notice was posted, the people were shocked.

"So, Master Ling Xuan passed the imperial examination and was expected to inherit the Ling family's property and become an official in the capital. Out of jealousy, Ling Han killed him?"

"I never thought that Ling Han is actually Qu Jie's biological son!"

"Ling Zenghuang is so miserable. He raised someone else's son for more than 20 years, but his own biological son was killed by the adopted son. In the end, his family was destroyed."

"Why is he so miserable? He was the one who married Guan. If he wasn't lustful and eager to marry Guan when his wife's body was still warm, how could this happen today?"

"Master Ling Xuan is so miserable! His wife and children are so miserable too!"

"..."

That night, Qu Jie and Ling Han were escorted to the capital by the censor himself for trial.

As a tribute student who ranked among the top in this year's spring examination and will be able to officially serve as an official after the palace examination next month, Ye Chenting was ordered to stay in Lin'an and temporarily take charge of the county government before the court sent a new county magistrate.

Ye Chenting, who was already preparing for the palace examination in April, became increasingly busy.

In the county government office, the tables were filled with cases of all sizes.

After the county magistrate screened the cases, the cases handed to him were still piling up.

Ye Chenting flipped through it briefly and asked, "If the common people's chickens were stolen, you can just send the yamen runners to investigate. There's no need to ask me."

The county magistrate stood aside and said: "Your Excellency is temporarily taking over the post of county magistrate. This is a matter concerning the people. You should do it yourself. How can you ignore it?"

Ye Chenting stopped flipping through the book and looked up, "Did Qu Jie also take care of this in the past?"

The county magistrate paused and said, "I thought that since you have just taken over the affairs of the county government, your subordinates should report everything to you in detail. If they conceal it, wouldn't it be just perfunctory to you?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chenting looked straight at the county magistrate.

Is it because they are afraid of just treating him perfunctorily, or because they see that he is young and are deliberately trying to make trouble for him?

He stood up and said, "Mr. County Magistrate, I am temporarily doing the official duties of the Lin'an County Magistrate, not the official duties of the yamen runners. As the county magistrate, don't you know what the county magistrate should do? Do you want to accompany Qu Jie?"

The county magistrate was stunned for a moment, and then he said quickly: "Misunderstanding! What a huge misunderstanding! That's not what I meant. Please don't be angry."

Ye Chenting said calmly: "I will not stay in Lin'an for too long. I will only do what I should do. Please do what you should do, County Magistrate."

"I understand!"

For several days in a row, Ye Chenting went out early and came back late, and was very busy.

In order to wait for him, Ye Wanqing also stayed in Lin'an temporarily. If she stayed, Chu Anlan and Ye Chenxi would naturally have to stay as well. Upon hearing this, Chu Shaozhen and other young men simply decided not to leave either.

(End of this chapter)