Chapter 2: The Wind Rises from Zhongshan Mountain Chapter 24: Li Guancha, who handles cases impartially
Mr. Qian was right. This is the city of Nanjing where powerful people are everywhere. How can they allow such ?
"Beep..."
During the meal time, officials from Shangyuan County rushed into Qian's mansion blowing bamboo whistles.
"Stop, everyone stop!"
At this time, the men from Caijia Lane had finished smashing the main hall. They put away their sticks and stood behind Zhao Hao as if .
Seeing the official wearing a flat square hat with bird feathers on his head finally arrived, Mr. Qian, who had been frightened for a long time, rushed out and cried to the official: "Mr. Li, please help me. These thugs dared to break into our house in Nanjing and destroy it. Look what they have done to our house..."
The official who came was none other than Li Jiutian. He was sent back to the county by the deputy censor that day. Although he was not dismissed by the county magistrate, he lost his job in Caijia Lane and was sent to the express team, becoming a constable with little benefits.
Not only criminal cases like murder and arson, but also fights and brawls within the county are also handled and quelled by the constables. Therefore, as soon as Li Jiutian received the report, he immediately brought people here.
He first looked at the Qian family members lying on the ground groaning, then looked at the Qian family's front yard that was smashed to pieces, and finally his eyes fell on Zhao Hao.
"Oh, isn't this Young Master Zhao?" Li Jiutian's eyes immediately flashed with ferocity, and his hands were clenched so tightly that they made a loud clacking sound.
"Li Jiutian, how did you get here?" Zhao Hao crossed his legs and said in a bad tone.
“Isn’t it all thanks to you?” Li Jiutian gritted his teeth and said, “If I don’t repay you today, I will write the word Li backwards!”
Seeing that Li Jiutian and Zhao Hao had a grudge, Master Qian felt relieved. He pointed at Zhao Hao and said loudly, "This kid is the one who ordered this. Master Li, lock him up first!"
"Why are you so anxious? If you arrest people without getting the truth, how can I report to my superiors when I return?" Li Jiutian glared at Master Qian and said, "These people are all from Caijia Lane. If the monk can escape, can the temple also escape?"
"Yes, yes." Mr. Qian felt embarrassed and shrank his neck, not daring to interrupt.
"What's going on?" Li Jiutian asked coldly.
"How should I know?" Mr. Qian knew everything clearly, but he pretended to be innocent and said, "As soon as they came in, they smashed everything. They were more brutal than bandits."
"How could you not know?" Zhao Hao sneered, pointing at Master Qian and said, "Your good daughter beat up her husband, and as a father, you not only did not try to reconcile, but instead got the whole family to beat her up, severely injuring my uncle. He's dying!"
"Ah?" Mr. Qian was shocked at first, then he jumped up and said, "You're talking nonsense, he walked out by himself!"
"He has internal injuries, and he won't make it to my house!" Zhao Hao slammed the armrest of the chair, stood up and said angrily: "Qian is a member of my Zhao family. She has violated the Zhao family rules. I wanted to take her back to hand her over to the old man for disposal, but you stopped me and ordered people to attack us with sharp knives! My brothers were forced to defend themselves, but who knew that you, the Qian family, were so vulnerable..."
"Don't confuse right and wrong!" Master Qian was so angry that he trembled and said, "You said your uncle couldn't survive, why don't you bring him here for me to see!"
"We were just about to bring him here to claim your Qian family's life!" Zhao Hao said as he waved his hand. Two sturdy men came in carrying a door panel. On the door panel lay a middle-aged man with a pale face, a dull look in his eyes, and blood gushing out of his mouth and nose.
Zhao Xian, dressed in plain clothes, followed beside him with red and swollen eyes, crying hoarsely, "Father, please don't abandon me..."
When Mr. Qian took a closer look, he was immediately scared to death. The dying man lying on the door panel was not his son-in-law Zhao Shouye, so who else could it be?
"My uncle was a sixth-rank official in the imperial court, but he was beaten to death by a bitch and the Qian family!" Zhao Hao kicked over a chair and said murderously, "I want all of you in the Qian family to be buried with my uncle!"
"Hey, Old Qian, this is a big deal. According to the Great Ming Law, if a wife beats her husband, she will be caned 100 times. If the husband is seriously ill, she will be strangled. If the husband dies, he will be beheaded." Li Jiutian was also shocked. He didn't bother to trouble Zhao Hao. While talking, he went to check on Zhao Shouye's condition. "As for civilians beating officials, the crime is even greater..."
"This, this..." Mr. Qian no longer had the arrogance he had just now, and trembled as he said, "Isn't the person still alive?"
"Alas, there's no hope." Li Jiutian withdrew his hand from Zhao Shouye's neck, took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood, and sighed, "The pulse is too weak to detect, there's only inhalation but no exhalation. Based on my experience of handling cases for more than ten years, he could die at any time."
"Ah..." Mr. Qian's legs went limp and he sat down on the ground.
"A sixth-rank official has died a violent death. This is a serious matter! Keep an eye on everyone here. I will go back and report to the master!" Li Jiutian instructed his men and turned to leave.
But Master Qian hugged his thigh and pleaded, "Sir, please don't worry, let's talk about it."
"Let go!" Li Jiutian glared and said, "We, the master, can't handle this matter. It will be reported to the Nanjing Criminal Department. I won't discuss it with you!"
"Sir, I have a complaint to report to you. Please talk to me in private ..." Mr. Qian was frightened and whispered to Li Jiutian.
"Oh..." Li Jiutian finally stopped after hearing this.
…
In the side room, Master Qian knelt on the ground, holding up a plate of silver ingots, and begged Li Jiutian who was sitting there: "Sir, please help me..."
"Alas, old Qian, your silver is too hot to handle." Li Jiutian crossed his arms and had no intention of taking the money. Instead, he sighed and said, "I just said that a murder case involving a sixth-rank official cannot be tried in the county. It must be brought to the Southern Ministry of Justice. Think about it, Mr. Zhao has just left office for a few months, and his son died a violent death. The officials in the Southern Ministry of Justice will definitely be furious. At that time, they might even sentence your entire family to death..."
"Ah?" Master Qian opened his mouth wide and said, "No, no, it can't be that serious, right? He's just a sixth-rank official."
"I'm just comparing myself." Li Jiutian snorted, "Your daughter's wife beat her husband to death, she can't escape execution. Anyone in your family who fought last night will be sentenced to immediate execution. Even you, as a parent, even if you didn't do it yourself, but you condoned the murder, you can't escape. If the officials in the Ministry of Justice flick their pens and designate you as the mastermind, you will have to be executed along with your daughter."
"Oh, my mother..." Mr. Qian was so frightened by Li Jiutian's threats that his crotch wet his pants.
Li Jiutian covered his nose, stood up with disgust and said, "May the best of luck to you."
“No, Master Li…” Master Qian held onto Li Jiutian’s thigh tightly as if he was grasping at a life-saving straw, wailing, “Please help Master Li, I’m willing to sell everything I have to buy a way out…”
"Oh, you're really making it difficult for me." Li Jiutian seemed to be at his wits' end. He put the silver in his pocket and said, "Then I'll go ask the Zhao family to see if there's any way to settle it privately."
