Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 348 An even greater crime

Feng Erniang was helped up by the constable beside her. The magistrate of Xiangfu County happened to see this scene and immediately frowned, looking at the constable beside him: "Quickly go and fetch a doctor."

When the magistrate of Xiangfu County barged in with his men, the wrestling match was still going on, and Feng Erniang's appearance was already a terrible sight.

The petite woman's clothes were disheveled and her face was covered in blood. The woman standing in front of her had only a slightly red nose; the rest of her body was unharmed.

If this match between such unequal forces is not deliberately torturing people, then what is it for?
The onlookers didn't care about any of this and continued to shout for Feng Erniang to get up. Some even threw silver at the poor woman.

The county magistrate of Xiangfu felt disgusted; human nature cannot withstand the test, especially at times like this.

Fortunately, they arrived in time, otherwise the woman would have been beaten to death on the stage.

The man who was supposed to assassinate Feng Erniang was tightly bound. He had a fierce look on his face and his eyes were fixed on Feng Erniang.

"Take him to prison for interrogation, but don't let him die on the way."

To attempt to kill someone in front of the constables—what audacity! The county magistrate looked solemn; if he didn't investigate thoroughly this time, he too could lose his official hat.

The clerk reported to the county magistrate: "This woman is Feng Erniang."

The county magistrate nodded: "I understand."

The county magistrate had just learned of Feng Erniang's identity from the steward, and one of the things he did when he brought his men here was to find Feng Erniang.

Those people drove Feng Erniang to the wrestling arena, clearly intending for her to die there. They never expected the authorities to come knocking. Fearing Feng Erniang might survive, they immediately sent assassins…

How could he let that happen?
The county magistrate, with a sullen face, thought that as long as Feng Erniang was alive, half of his purpose in coming here had been achieved.

As for the other half...

The county magistrate, thinking of the pile of silver, knew he couldn't escape it either.

"Your Excellency, the young master of the He family requests an audience."

The county magistrate turned around upon hearing the commotion: "Who owns this place?"

The clerk replied, "That's right."

The county magistrate sneered, "Where is he?"

The clerk looked towards the door and said, "Outside the door."

The county magistrate did not move, and asked again, "Where is he?"

The county magistrate asked the same question twice in a row, and naturally he could not give the same answer. The clerk thought about it carefully but could not figure it out. He bowed and said, "Please enlighten me, Your Excellency."

The county magistrate said, "The evidence of organized gambling is conclusive. Shouldn't the bookmakers here be sent to jail?"

The clerk immediately understood and looked at the constables: "Did you all hear what the magistrate said?"

The constables responded in unison.

He Fan, who was waiting outside, was extremely anxious as the clerk who was supposed to deliver the message did not come out for a long time. He wanted to send a message to the He family and the Xia family, but the gate was guarded and no one could go out.

The guests at this manor were no ordinary people. Faced with this situation, they each used their unique abilities to try and escape, but all of them returned empty-handed. This group of people came in a menacing manner, intending to take them all to prison.

Ge Ying, who was standing next to him, had long since put away his unruly smile. They tried to handle the day's affairs as usual, but when they found that it was completely ineffective, he considered leaving first, at least to avoid involving the Ge family.

Unfortunately, he was stopped by the constables. Even though he produced the invitation from the Xia family, it was of no use.

He Fan was the same, but he also ordered his men to kill Feng Erniang.

Now, besides gambling, Feng Erniang is the most dangerous. Even killing someone in front of the constables is much better than leaving a witness alive; without solid evidence, the case can be overturned. Xia Mengxian is the Minister of Justice. Since the founding of the Great Liang Dynasty, every Minister of Justice, without exception, has had their relatives or friends imprisoned while in office.
Especially serious crimes like gambling.

He Fan was confident that as long as he didn't leave any evidence, Minister Xia would always find a way.

However, the assassin who rushed in was captured.

He Fan remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was already panicking. He couldn't send out the message, couldn't bribe anyone, and with the evidence irrefutable, he had no choice but to be imprisoned.

He Fan looked at Ge Ying. The last resort was for them to personally approach the county magistrate and offer him a huge reward.

"What if...the county magistrate refuses to accept it?"

Upon hearing He Fan's question, Ge Ying's face also darkened: "In my opinion, there are only two ways."

"Either you humble yourself and surrender, and wait for the Minister to come up with a solution."

He Fan felt this was bad. Who knew how things would change? When would he be able to come out after going in? How many charges would fall on his head?
Even when he appeared in the village, he couldn't find a servant to take the blame.

“Then let’s use another method,” Ge Ying said. “Gather all the guards on your estate and escort you away alone.”

"Once you leave, as long as you deny ever being here, no one can do anything about it."

He Fan thought this was better. He had done similar things before, whether in Bianjing or his ancestral home, but he had only dealt with minor officials. The position of county magistrate was not very prestigious, but to be able to serve in Bianjing, one either needed the trust of the emperor or the support of someone behind the scenes.

But he couldn't care less about that now.

He Fan nodded, but still hesitated and asked, "Then what about you? Aren't you coming with me?"

Ge Ying shook his head: "The more people there are, the more danger there will be. Besides, if I stay, I can help you take charge. It's no big deal if I get arrested. I'm just a guest at most, and I don't have any betting slips in my hand. Who can convict me?"

Ge Ying also lost some money, but it was just for show; he didn't really intend to play along, because he and He Fan both knew that Feng Erniang would eventually die on the stage.

It is true that Ge Ying said she was innocent.

Ge Ying lowered her voice and continued, "Someone has to go out and deliver the message. It would be more troublesome if you stayed behind. It would be better if I took over."

He Fan pursed her lips, clearly agreeing with Ge Ying.

Under normal circumstances, the Xia family might have noticed something, but today is different. The Xia family sent people to Bianshui, arrested people, and immediately interrogated them. They focused all their energy on the Guo brothers' case, which inevitably led to them neglecting to investigate other matters.

Therefore, they stayed in their village, and it was difficult for outsiders to know everything about them.

Only when the onlookers fail to return home will someone come looking for them.

However, the wrestling match has only just begun and will take at least several hours to complete.

A few hours are enough to make today's matter an ironclad case.

Thinking of this, He Fan stepped back. Just then, a clerk came over with his constables. The clerk pointed at He Fan and Ge Ying and said, "Take them down immediately."

He Fan's mind went blank for a moment, and he turned around and led his men to flee.

As He Fan fled, his guards shouted, "Someone is trying to frame the young master! Quick, someone, escort the young master out!"

Standing there, Ge Ying watched as a group of constables chased after He Fan. He breathed a sigh of relief; he had sent He Fan away to avoid being implicated.

Without He Fan around, he would be released even if he went to jail.

As for He Fan... he'd better escape, otherwise his crime will be compounded.