County Magistrate Zhang was startled by him. He looked at the runner and scolded, "Don't be so flustered. Why are you so flustered?"
After the scolding, he felt much better.
It seemed that Lin Erhu was reasonable. He didn't forget the one who dug the well when he was in trouble. Even though he was a bandit, he couldn't forget the one who took him on this road.
He looked at the runner and raised his eyebrows. "How many things did he bring this time?"
The runner shook his head and said, "I didn't bring them."
"I didn't!" County Magistrate Zhang suddenly pounded the table and said angrily, "Why didn't you bring him here?"
"He was brought here by someone else …" The runner said, then immediately shook his head and said, "He was caught by someone else!"
"What?"
Hearing that, County Magistrate Zhang suddenly stood up from the chair.
…
In the front hall of the county government.
Wang Chang looked at Li Yi and asked, "Didn't Li Brothers say that they still have friends in Shuzhou? Why don't I see them?"
Li Yi looked outside and said, "They will be here in a moment."
Although they had written a letter a long time ago, they didn't tell them when they would come to Shuzhou. However, Ruyi and the others had already gone there, so they would come soon.
Outside the county government, dozens of bandits were tied together and kneeling on the ground.
More than a dozen runners looked at these bandits and then looked inside the hall with a strange expression.
Lin Erhu and his gang were already considered to be a large group of bandits in Shuzhou. It had to be said that these people were quite capable to be able to catch all the bandits in one fell swoop.
But the problem was that Lin Erhu was the county magistrate's brother-in-law …
Not to mention the chaotic land outside Shuzhou, where the government couldn't control, all the bandits who ran amuck in Shuzhou had some background.
It wasn't that the government didn't want to arrest them. If they were determined to suppress the bandits, none of the bandits would be able to escape. It was just that Shuzhou was too poor. The local officials could only rely on the meager salary of the imperial court to support their families. If they wanted to live a carefree life, they had to go through other irregular channels.
The county magistrate didn't care about Scarface Lin because he was not only his brother-in-law, but also often gave him the stolen goods. If these people caught them, it was equivalent to cutting off the county magistrate's source of wealth …
Blocking one's way to wealth was like killing one's parents. Would the county magistrate let go of the enemy who killed one's father?
As Li Yi and Wang Chang chatted casually, a middle-aged man with a big belly walked out from the back hall.
Wang Chang immediately walked over and bowed, "This commoner greets the county magistrate!"
County Magistrate Zhang looked at the bandits outside, then squinted at him and asked, "Did you catch these bandits?"
Wang Chang nodded and said, "Milord, we did."
"To maintain the security of Yong County, we not only rely on the county government, but also on every citizen of Yong County. You did a good job." County Magistrate Zhang nodded and said, "You go first. I'll deal with these bandits."
"Milord, then we'll leave first." Wang Chang bowed and turned back, saying, "Li Brothers, let's go."
"You're leaving?" Li Yi looked at the county magistrate in confusion and asked, "Isn't there any reward?"
It was not easy to catch dozens of bandits. Even if they didn't have any credit, they had worked hard. The local government had to show some sincerity, but they only gave a verbal reward … This was unreasonable.
County Magistrate Zhang looked at the young man who didn't salute to him just now and frowned.
After chopping down his money tree, he still wanted a reward. It was already a great blessing that he wasn't thrown into prison.
After this incident, Lin Er would have to change his appearance again and use a new bandit name, which was a little more troublesome. County Magistrate Zhang glared at the two nosy guys and ordered the yamen runners, "Take these thieves away and deal with them later."
"Wait." Li Yi looked at him and asked, "May I ask how you're going to deal with these bandits?"
County Magistrate Zhang was already angry. Hearing this, his face immediately darkened and he said, "Do I need you to tell me what to do?"
He suddenly waved his hand and said, "Hurry up and take them away!"
After saying that, he walked to the back of the hall on his own.
Wang Chang looked at Li Yi with a wry smile and said, "Li Brothers, let's go."
Li Yi looked at the back of the county magistrate and shook his head without saying anything.
The last person who talked to him like this should have grass growing on his grave. But he really didn't have any interest in getting angry with a seventh-level official for such a trivial matter.
He would let his subordinates keep an eye on this matter when he went back.
"Let's go." He shook his head and walked out of the county government with Wang Chang.
At this time, in the back hall of the county government, County Magistrate Zhang looked at the man in front of him with a sullen face and said angrily, "You useless thing. There were so many people, but you were still killed!"
The bandit leader said with a bitter face, "Brother-in-law, you really can't blame me. It's just that they are too powerful …"
County Magistrate Zhang asked with a sullen face, "Do you know who they are?"
"They came to Shuzhou for business." The bandit leader immediately said, "Brother-in-law, I think they are a big fat sheep, and there are several beautiful women among them. How about …"
"Businessmen?" County Magistrate Zhang raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you sure they are a big fat sheep?"
"They can't get any fatter …" The bandit leader nodded his head vigorously and said, "Brother-in-law, you have to believe my eyes. I've seen those women before. Any one of the hairpins on their heads is worth at least a thousand taels of silver. Last time, I snatched one, but it was snatched away by those damned baldies …"
The bandit leader gritted his teeth and said, "Brother-in-law, we can't let them go!"
"A big fat sheep …" County Magistrate Zhang's eyes flashed a few times and he nodded, "We can't let them go for colluding with bandits …"
He looked out of the door and shouted, "Guards!"
Immediately, a runner rushed in and bowed, "What's the matter, Your Honor?"
County Magistrate Zhang said in a deep voice, "Take people to catch those guys who colluded with bandits just now!"
…
At the gate of the county government, Wang Chang looked at Li Yi and said, "Li Brothers, we have to go on this trip for another two days. Let's talk when I get back to Yong County!"
Li Yi cupped his hands in return and said, "Be careful on the way."
"Let's go." Wang Chang turned around and said to his brothers. Suddenly, a shout came from behind.
"Stop!"
He turned around and saw a dozen or so yamen runners rushing out of the county office and surrounding them.
Wang Chang was stunned and said in surprise, "Brother, this is …"
The leading runner waved his hand and said, "Arrest all these guys who colluded with bandits!"
"Colluding with bandits?" Wang Chang's face changed and he said in shock, "It's a misunderstanding. Brother, this is definitely a misunderstanding. We caught the bandits. How could we collude with bandits?"
"You still want to quibble!" The runner said sternly, "Arrest them!"
Fang cracked his knuckles. The imperial court had granted Shuzhou to his son-in-law, so Shuzhou was their territory. How could he let others bully him in his own territory?
Li Yi patted him on the shoulder and walked straight into the county government.
Seeing that he was so sensible, the runners didn't stop him. They looked at Wang Chang and the others behind and said, "Arrest them!"
Two runners wanted to go forward and arrest Li Yi, but Fang glared at them. They immediately shivered and retreated.
Just now they heard that this man could fight against ten people alone. They didn't want to suffer such a loss. As long as they didn't run away, they would have time to deal with them later.
In the hall of the county government, the county magistrate just now sat in the main seat. He hit the gavel and said loudly, "Lin Er, you said that you have accomplices?"
The leader of the bandits knelt in the hall and turned around to point at Li Yi and Wang Chang, saying, "Your honor, they are my accomplices!"
Hearing this, Wang Chang's face changed and he immediately said, "Your honor, he is clearly framing us. If we are his accomplices, why did he arrest them?"
The county magistrate also looked at the leader of the bandits angrily and asked, "He is right. If they are your accomplices, why did they arrest you?"
"Your honor, what I said is true!" The leader of the bandits said with a serious face, "We were originally accomplices, but we fought because we couldn't divide the booty evenly. He wanted to exchange us for the reward …"
"Nonsense!" Wang Chang pointed at him and said loudly, "This thief clearly wants to make a false countercharge. Your honor, please understand!"
"Silence!"
"It's hard for me to make a conclusion based on your side of the story." Holding the gavel in his hand, County Magistrate Zhang fiercely pounded the table and said, "I won't wrongly accuse any good person, nor will I let any bad person go. Guards, take them all away. I'll interrogate them carefully after I've investigated them thoroughly!"
Wang Chang hurriedly said, "Your honor, I can prove my identity …"
"Shut up!" The county magistrate looked at him, waved his hand and said, "Don't talk flowery words. Take them away first!"
Wang Chang stood where he was in a daze and looked at the county magistrate in disbelief.
They were escorts, and he had a lot of evidence to prove his identity.
It was such a simple matter, but the county magistrate wanted to lock them up first without asking the right and wrong …
If they were really locked up, wouldn't it be up to them to decide whether they were right or wrong?
He looked at the bandits kneeling on the ground and looking at him with a sarcastic smile, and finally understood something.
This was not a county government, it was clearly another den of bandits!
This was collusion between officials and bandits!
Bandits were officials, and officials were bandits!
…
Li Yi knew that there was a problem of collusion between officials and bandits in Shuzhou, which was also the first problem he planned to solve after coming here.
However, he didn't expect that he would encounter such a thing as soon as he entered Yong County and had no time to settle down.
He was tired after a long journey. What he wanted to do most now was to find a big and soft bed and have a good sleep …
These bastards, couldn't they make trouble later? They didn't let him rest at all. They were rushing to reincarnate!
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