Yao Chunlan stabbed Zhu Kuo very hard, and Zhu Kuo was hurriedly carried back to the yamen by a group of people. He died before the doctor could be summoned.

Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan were suspects and were detained in the government office's firewood room, surrounded by soldiers and detectives like an iron barrel... and Yao Chunlan was detained in the county jail, awaiting trial tomorrow.

Although Zhu Kuo was only a small county magistrate, it was a serious matter that someone dared to be so rampant as to assassinate an official. The legal advisor acted promptly and sent someone to the state at full speed overnight to report the matter to the governor.

Qianmo County was under the jurisdiction of Huzhou, and the governor was a new official whose surname was Pei.

Upon hearing that the magistrate of Qianmo County was stabbed to death by a woman, Pei Fujun was unable to react for a moment, and then he was shocked. It was only a short time since he took office, and such a horrific thing happened in the county under his jurisdiction. It would be really bad to spread it out.

Therefore, Lord Pei was very concerned about this matter. Before dawn, he comforted his newly married husband and rushed to the Qianmo County government office overnight, arriving in the early morning.

Lord Pei was dressed in a green official uniform and a black veil on his head. He entered the court of Qianmo County, and his only attendant was a Mo Shutong.

Seeing that Zhu Kuo was dead, the master wanted to find another way out, and Pei Fujun in front of him was the most suitable candidate. He smiled flatteringly and bowed respectfully to Pei Fujun, "Pei Fujun must have traveled a long way, and we are sorry for not coming to greet you. The back hall has prepared tea and snacks to welcome you."

Tea and snacks are naturally just polite words, the main point is the banquet with beauties in the back hall…The legal advisor has been with Zhu Kuo for so many years, and he has mastered the skills of opportunism and flattery to perfection. As an official, don’t you just want those little things?

After a few glasses of wine, his position was secured.

Lord Pei is the third place scholar personally selected by the Emperor in the Purple Palace. He has been demoted to the countryside for a few years. He will return to the capital in the future to assist the Emperor in the three provinces... If I can follow him, why should I worry about not being able to make a name for myself in the second half of my life?

The lawyer immediately invited the person to the back hall.

Unexpectedly, although Pei Fujun was only a young man, his mind was as clear as a mirror. He looked at the master for a while, took the tea from the waiter and drank a cup, "It's just a welcome... Has the body of Lord Zhu been examined? Bring Yao and others up as well."

The master was stunned for a moment, and was about to speak when he heard the ink book boy beside Pei Fujun answer: "My Lord, I have sent people to check on Lord Zhu's body, and there is nothing unusual. Yao and the other two suspects are being held in the backyard. I have brought them here and are holding them behind the hall."

"Ah, this..." The servant arranged everything in an orderly manner, leaving almost no room for the master to use his skills. He couldn't help but express his dissatisfaction.

Pei Fujun nodded to the servant and said, "Pass it on."

Then he gave the master a thin smile, "Master Qin, please forgive me for laughing. I am used to using him in the mansion. Just let him do these trivial matters. You can take a rest."

The words were spoken politely, but the master dared not say anything, just like a dumb person who had eaten bitter herbs, he was full of anger and was sidelined just like that.

The book boy received the order and immediately took a few people to the back of the hall to pick up the person...

Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan were locked up in the woodshed last night and did not sleep well. They were woken up by a bag of cold water early in the morning. They were soaking wet and waiting for questioning in the back hall.

Zhu Kuo was dead, so the person who came to interrogate him would not be just a minor official. Just by looking at the group of detectives and soldiers busying around in the hall, Gu Fengyan had a general idea in his mind.

This person is most likely a state-level official.

"Mr. Huo, do you know who the Lord of Huzhou is?" Gu Fengyan asked Huo Duan while covering his face while raising his sleeve to wipe the cold water off his face.

Huo Duan subconsciously dodged when the cold water came over him. The water did not reach his outer shirt, so he took it off and put it on Gu Fengyan. "Master? Do you think it will be him?"

The two of them were kneeling on the ground at first, but now they sat on two chairs and packed their clothes slowly.

The constable who was guarding nearby immediately drew his sharp knife and said, "Who allowed you to stand up?! Why don't you kneel down!"

Huo Duanning looked at him, pressed Gu Fengyan's collar, and smiled coldly, "It's heavy dew in the morning, you take a basin of cold water to wake us up... My wife has always been weak, if something bad happens, and the Lord of the Mansion hasn't brought her to trial yet, can you bear the blame?"

The constable had only been in office for a few days and was not responsible for any work on weekdays. He was just a follower doing odd jobs. Just now, he wanted to show off his official power and did not show much consideration for them. Now that Huo Duan had threatened him like this, Gu Fengyan's face turned pale.

I suddenly felt guilty.

These two people are suspects. The Lord of the Mansion is coming today and everyone in the yamen is very busy. If it is true as this man said, and something happens to his husband, the Lord of the Mansion will be furious. Will he still be alive?

Thinking of this, the constable's expression froze and he began to feel scared.

Huo Duan struck while the iron was hot, "My wife is now soaked to the skin...if this continues, her old illness will probably flare up. Please bring a brazier so we can dry the clothes."

The constable was frightened by Huo Duan. He immediately went to light a brazier and asked the two men to dry the clothes... He didn't care about anything else.

Gu Fengyan was soaked all over, and he was shivering with cold when a draught blew through the hall. Since there were outsiders around, he couldn't take off his clothes, so he just took off his coat and asked Huo Duan to dry it for him, and then he wrapped himself in Huo Duan's coat.

"You've frightened people with just a few words. I'm afraid the little detective will make trouble for you when he realizes what's going on." He wiped his face with a clean handkerchief, paused, and frowned, "I don't know how Yao is doing. This time we miscalculated and ended up dragging her down. If we had known earlier, we should not have asked her to see Zhu Kuo."

Huo Duan smiled and said, "It's Lord Pei who's here. He won't make things difficult for Yao."

"Why? How do you know it must be Lord Pei who came?" Gu Fengyan sat up straight and asked puzzledly.

"Just now when I asked if it was the Lord of the Prefecture who came, the constable did not refute it. There are many officials in the state, but there is only one Lord of the Prefecture," Huo Duan turned the clothes over and continued to dry them, "It must be him. Lord Pei took office not long ago, and was appointed by the emperor himself. As the saying goes, 'A new official starts with three fires.' Let's not talk about his character for now. Just looking at the things that Zhu Kuo did privately, any one of them is enough to get the new official promoted by several levels.

If he wants to make achievements, he needs a breakthrough so that he can carry out reforms and get rid of the old problems...Ayan thought he would give up this opportunity?"

He glanced at Gu Fengyan with a smile and poked the brazier. "We and the Yao family have handed him the sharpest knife, allowing him to carve a smooth path in the officialdom... We are his benefactors."

Gu Fengyan lowered his eyes and thought, "But Yao killed someone, and he was an official of the imperial court. Lord Pei is willing to let him off the hook, but if the imperial court pursues the responsibility..."

Huo Duan shook the clothes and handed them to Gu Fengyan. "Zhu Kuo formed a clique and engaged in corruption over the years. Yao killed him to get rid of harm to the people. As for the people above Zhu Kuo... they have nothing to do with us."

Zhu Kuo is just a county magistrate, yet he dares to be so rampant. I'm afraid his superiors are of great importance... There have been endless party struggles in all dynasties. The sky is high and the Yellow Emperor is far away. It is already difficult for ordinary people to save their lives, so how can they care about more?

"I hope so." Gu Fengyan took the clothes, pulled down Huo Duan's coat and gave it back to him.

"Trust my analysis." Huo Duan grabbed the clothes and wrapped them around him again, "Don't take them off. I'll give you both clothes. Be careful not to catch a cold."

Gu Fengyan let him wrap up both coats, then he remembered that if they were caught like this, the Huo family would be worried to death.

"If we were taken away like this, my father would be so worried that he would die, and so would my aunt and the others..." he said worriedly.

Huo Duan originally wanted to kiss him to comfort him, but there were a few constables guarding them not far away. They were afraid that Gu Fengyan would hit him, so they took the opportunity to put on his clothes to hug Gu Fengyan. His tall figure completely blocked his view. "We will be able to go home soon, don't worry." He lowered his head and kissed the top of Gu Fengyan's head.

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a sharp metallic sound of armor colliding.

Huo Duan smiled but didn't look back. "Someone is here. We can go home now."

Gu Fengyan turned his head and saw a thin man leading a few burly men towards them. The constables and soldiers along the way bowed and saluted, looking very attentive.

The man was dressed in fine fabrics and had a solemn expression on his face. He walked up to them and looked them over. Then he waved his hand and said, "Take them to the front hall. Bring the criminal Yao along as well!"

Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan were forced to separate and escorted before Lord Pei.

I saw the lawyer busying around Mr. Pei with a fawning look on his face, serving tea and writing utensils.

Seeing Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan, the master showed disgust on his face and said to Pei Fujun: "Sir, it is these two people who have evil intentions and conspired with Yao to murder Master Zhu! Your Excellency is wise and powerful, you must give Master Zhu justice!"

Zhu Kuo is a man who does not tolerate talent, and the people who serve him are dumber than the next. Even Huo Duan could think of this, but the lawyer did not expect that his flattering words would hit the horse's leg.

Lord Pei glanced at him. Coincidentally, Yao Chunlan was also escorted to the courtroom. Her face was covered with tears and her expression was dull.

"Do the two of you have anything to explain?" Lord Pei ignored the lawyer and said to Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan.

Huo Duan calmly told the story, including the relationship between Zhu Kuo and Yao Chunlan, and even revealed one or two incidents of Zhu Kuo's corruption and abuse of power for personal gain...

The more the master listened, the more frightened he became. He interrupted him and said, "You are slandering me! Master Zhu has been an official for decades and has always been upright and honest. How many heads do you have to chop off for slandering the officials of the court?!"

The legal advisor still has this sense... Now that Zhu Kuo is dead and no longer cares about his past affairs, he is still alive. If those things in the past were to be exposed, as the legal advisor, it would be self-evident who would be blamed.

The lawyer's forehead was cold, and he knelt down hurriedly, "Sir! These two people have ulterior motives, and nothing they say can be trusted. Sir, please investigate!"

Huo Duan smiled coldly, "We'll know if it's true once we check it out, why panic, Master?"

Pei Fujun took a sip of tea slowly, raised his eyes and looked at the master coldly, "Investigate!"

The scribe received the order, and the large group of soldiers divided into two groups and headed for the back hall of the yamen and Zhu Kuo's private residence.

The master was trembling with fear, his face was pale.

When Lord Pei saw them, he knew that what the couple said was mostly true, and he couldn't help but pay more attention to them.

Huzhou was a mess, with bad practices rife in the officialdom. When he left, his teacher told him to do his best, but when he arrived here, he wanted to give these parasites a good beating and eradicate the corrupt atmosphere in the officialdom.

Everything must be justified, with cause and effect. He was just worried about not being able to find a reason, but now someone has torn a hole in the sky for him...

"Please take a seat." Lord Pei waved his hand and asked someone to bring chairs and invite them to sit down.

The servant boy was very cautious in his work, and in just a quarter of an hour, he came back with his men... His subordinates were carrying several large boxes, and the servant boy was holding a large pile of account books.

When the master's eyes fell upon those things, he was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

"Sir." The book boy placed the account book in his arms on the table and said with a folded hand, "It's all here."

Pei Fujun nodded, glanced at his advisor, and then began to look through the account book.

"Pah!" Every time he flipped through a book, he would smash it in front of his master, and said angrily: "How dare you! If I hadn't been here today, I'm afraid I wouldn't have discovered it. Under the emperor, there are actually people who dare to be so rampant!"

The master trembled and said, "My lord, please check carefully. This matter has nothing to do with me!"

Lord Pei then signaled the servant to bring up the boxes and opened them one by one. They were actually full of treasures and valuables... There were a total of ten boxes, and some of them even contained offerings.

"It's written in black and white, and the evidence is complete. You still want to deny it now?!" Pei Fujun pointed at the boxes and questioned, "Zhu Kuo is so rampant. He really lost your majesty's trust... Come! Take Master Qin away and interrogate him strictly. He must confess everything!"

The servant boy immediately took people to drag Master Qin away... Master Qin begged for mercy in vain, and the echo of his voice lingered in the wind for a long time.

Everyone in the hall who used to work with Zhu Kuo was terrified, fearing that they would be implicated and punished if they were not careful.

Not long after, the servant came back and reported, "Sir, everything is done."

Lord Pei flipped through the account book, pressed his brows and waved his hand. Seeing this, the servant immediately poured him a cup of tea and served him.

"Sir, what should we do with them..." While Lord Pei was drinking tea, the servant boy looked at Gu Fengyan and the others and asked.

Pei Fujun had actually forgotten about these people, and only after hearing the question did he perk up.

"Do you two have any personal grudges against Zhu Kuo?" He stared at Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan for a while and asked.

Huo Duan knew what was going on. Lord Pei asked this question only because he was afraid that they might be involved with officials in the court and would use him as a tool.

"Your Excellency, my husband and I are both farmers. We run a small business on weekdays. We came to see Master Zhu because we needed a document signed by the government... We had no connection before." He bowed.

Pei Fujun finished his cup, lowered his eyes and looked at him for a long time before saying, "That's great. Since you two are doing business, run it well and don't have any crooked thoughts..."

After some more knocking, he asked the servant to write a document allowing them to privately grow medicinal herbs.

Before leaving, Gu Fengyan felt relieved, but he found that Lord Pei never mentioned how to deal with Yao from beginning to end, and he couldn't help but worry.

"Sir, I have something else to say... Yao was not in her right mind and accidentally killed Zhu Kuo. It was not her fault. I hope you can show some leniency." He turned around and bowed to Lord Pei again.

Pei Fujun was not impatient. "Don't worry about this. The laws of the country say that it is a serious crime for a man to seduce a woman. In addition, Yao is mentally ill, Zhu Kuo is in a clique, corrupt and embezzling... Although Yao is at fault, her life is not in danger. I will write a letter to the court, and justice will be done for this matter."

Gu Fengyan felt relieved after hearing this.

They bid farewell to Lord Pei and were escorted to the gate of the government office by waiters. It was still early and they could hear the cries of peddlers several streets away from the government office. There was a red sun hanging above the eaves... everything seemed familiar yet unfamiliar.

Gu Fengyan was filled with emotion as he clutched the document with a large vermilion seal in his hand... This trip was not in vain after all.

"Let's go home, Ayan." Huo Duan had already walked down the stairs and stretched out a hand towards him with a smile.

Gu Fengyan smiled and held it. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, a crisp and joyful voice came, "Mother, it's Brother Erdan and Little Brother!"

Huo Duan and Gu Fengyan looked over and saw Ye Shan, Ye Bixian, Huo Xiuling... including the youngest Ye Bao, the whole family was standing not far away waiting for them.

When Father Huo saw them, his hand on the crutch trembled and his eyes were red. "Duan'er, Yan'er... it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

The author has something to say:

The recent updates have been very unstable, I would like to apologize to all the little angels here. (Bow)

This article is the first time I have really started to "write". At first I didn't expect it to pass the visa, so I didn't prepare any drafts. After applying for the visa for 10,000 words, I embarked on the road of running naked (covering my face).

At the beginning, I had more time and could update daily, but recently the author started working as an intern, from 9 to 6. There are so many things to learn. I feel very tired every day and don’t get enough sleep. As a result, I started to have problems writing. I’m really sorry about this.

But every article is the result of my hard work. Once I start writing, I will definitely give them an ending, so I will definitely not give up!!

At the same time, I will adjust as quickly as possible and try to update daily. Thank you everyone for reading their stories.