The county official Gao Yayi had done many bad things for Zhu Zhi but ended up being used as a pawn, counting his toes as the days went by in the Yunshui county jail.
Would he be content with this?
The answer was obviously no.
Xu Mo's heart surged and he immediately lifted his clothes and rushed to the county government to report the matter.
Jiang Sheng and Zheng Ruqian were happy for their big brother.
Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan also straightened their backs, the dark clouds that had been pressing on their hearts for nearly a year finally dissipated.
Only Chang Yan frowned, with pursed lips.
"What's wrong little five?" Fang Heng asked in surprise, "Could a county official not be enough to convict Zhu Zhi?"
Before they knew it, little fifth brother had become the think tank of the family.
No sooner had Fang Heng finished speaking than the gazes of the other children also turned to look.
Chang Yan relaxed his brows and said hesitantly, "He can be convicted, but... I always feel this matter won't be so simple."
In fact, just think about it and you'll know.
Zhu Zhi had stubbornly refused to plead guilty before, precisely because he was waiting for his backer to rescue him.
And now that he suddenly pleaded guilty, it showed that the people behind him had given him advice.
Go for the lesser charge, make up one-third of the truth and seven-tenths lies, which proved the people behind him were very smart.
How could such a person tolerate such a big loophole like Gao Yayi?
As if to verify Chang Yan’s guess, the courtyard door was suddenly pushed open.
The young scholar who had been full of vigor just now stood at the door, silent and dejected.
"Big brother?" Fang Heng said in surprise, "What happened to you?"
Xu Mo looked up and saw the five innocent little faces in the yard. He barely squeezed out a voice, "Gao Yayi is back."
Only he came back lying horizontally.
The children in the yard were all silent.
They were not stupid. After a brief shock and confusion, they all realized that Gao Yayi had been silenced.
The people behind Zhu Zhi had cruel and vicious hearts.
"Let's go to the county government," Fang Heng said stubbornly.
The children in the yard followed him in a rustle, even Xu Mo was helped over.
At this moment, the county government was unusually lively.
The Anshui magistrate pointed at Gao Yayi's corpse, his face black as he was rendered speechless.
Pang magistrate knelt on one knee, "It was this official's oversight, this official is guilty."
The Anshui magistrate's hand fell again, and with a sigh, he suddenly aged three years.
If we talk about who is guilty, not only Pang magistrate.
Just now, the news of Gao Yayi's death had leaked out, and the magistrate's wife actually hanged herself with her clothes tied in knots from the beam, committing suicide.
In the whole Xieyang county, there was no one left who could convict Zhu Zhi.
"Magistrate, since there is no other evidence, can Master Zhu be released?" a young man sitting on the other side of the hall said with a smile.
The Anshui magistrate remained silent with a dark face.
"Magistrate, please handle this according to the rules," the young man was not afraid either. He cupped his hands together, "My sister-in-law is looking forward to her younger brother continuing to serve the people."
Under the plaque with the bright mirror hanging high, some were angry and some were delighted.
But most of all were the crowds at the door who were astonished.
They might not have hoped for Zhu Zhi to die, but they definitely did not expect Zhu Zhi to continue as the magistrate of Xieyang county.
Fang Heng stood among the crowd, initially just angry, but gradually began to tremble.
Jiang Sheng was closest to him and keenly noticed something wrong. She immediately grabbed his hand and said, "Third brother, what's wrong with you?"
Fang Heng couldn't speak. His palms were icy cold but also seeping with sweat.
Now even Zheng Ruqian and the others noticed something was wrong and hurriedly pulled him away from the crowd to rest under a tree.
"Old three, what's wrong with you?" Zheng Ruqian wondered.
Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan glanced at each other and exclaimed in a low voice, "The last time third brother was like this was at the mansion gate."
At that time it was because he saw the aunt who had locked him in a little dark room for a full half a year. So now...
Everyone's hearts thumped.
"Third brother, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, brothers are here, Jiang Sheng is here too. Jiang Sheng will hug third brother. Third brother is the bravest, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, we are all here," said the little girl, snuggling up to him as much as possible and holding him like coaxing a child.
Only then did Fang Heng's tremors gradually subside.
Chang Yan fetched a bowl of hot water from somewhere and fed him two sips.
"I..." Fang Heng looked back at his brothers' and sister's concerned eyes, and his nose soured. "I know who is behind Zhu Zhi."
"It can't be your aunt, can it?" Jiang Sheng's face was full of horror.
Fang Heng shook his head and uttered three words from between gritted teeth, "It's the Fangs."
The powerful Fang family of Fengjing, a general's family, holding 200,000 elite soldiers, was the most trusted left and right hand of Great Yu Emperor. Although it had declined somewhat after the death of General Fang, it was still one of the top families in the entire dynasty.
The young man just now was a cousin of Fang Heng’s father.
His sister-in-law should be... Fang Heng’s aunt, Zhu Shi, who was also the current Fang family matriarch.
With such a backer, no wonder Zhu Zhi was unscrupulous, no wonder the magistrate was helpless.
No wonder.
Thinking that the deaths of Xu magistrate couple and Wen doctor couple were all related to the Fang family, Fang Heng felt he had no face to see Xu Mo and Wen Zhiyun.
"It's because of me that big brother and fourth brother suffer." He blamed himself covering his face, "Just standing by and watching Zhu Zhi escape justice."
With the Fang family intervening, Zhu Zhi was bound to go free.
The six of them, even if the Anshui magistrate and Pang magistrate joined forces, were still no match for the Fang family.
Under the big tree, the hearts of the children were all icy cold.
From the very beginning of saving people, doing business to earn money, taking the imperial exam to become a scholar, moving house, they had always moved forward without fear, not even afraid of an evil county magistrate like Zhu Zhi.
But at this moment, the Fang family's intervention made them realize.
This world was really difficult to navigate, this was the world of the powerful, the world of influence. People with power could dictate everything, people without power could only swallow their grievances.
"But I'm not resigned to it," Xu Mo closed his eyes.
His father's gentle smile appeared before his eyes, his mother gently asking him if he wanted chicken soup, his teacher teaching him to read and write, his teacher's wife sewing clothes and embroidering pouches for him.
Just because they were not strong enough, all this had become a pipe dream, a dream, tears of remembrance.
Fang Heng felt even worse. He had become an orphan at a young age, was persecuted by his relatives, and now had to watch his clan do evil, powerless to stop it.
"I'm so useless," he said dejectedly bowing his head.
As if influenced by the atmosphere, Zheng Ruqian thought of being abandoned by his birth mother, and the various hardships he had encountered in business. He also sat down on the ground with a thud and sighed.
Wen Zhiyun was even more so. At the mention of Doctor Wen he was in tears, and turned his head away to wipe them secretly so as not to let everyone see.
Even the always calm and wise Chang Yan lowered his head.
If they had not encountered misfortune, how could they have met in Xieyang county.
If not for helplessness, who would not want parental love and care, a home and good fortune.
At this moment, all who had ever experienced warmth and had fond memories sank into sadness.
Only Jiang Sheng looked around blankly, confused.
