The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 1 Cao Gong has the style of his ancestors!
September, the sixth year of Jiaping

Yangping County, Yuancheng County.

"I'm going to sue Shuqu! How dare this fellow let his wife seduce me!"

"Sacrificing your wife is appalling!"

"It truly destroys human ethics and ruins the chastity between men and women!"

"He's defying the will of the world! He's trying to ruin my reputation!"

"Please ask the county magistrate to send someone to arrest him immediately!"

Inside the county government office, a young man stood upright in front of the county magistrate, scolding him loudly.

Many officials in the county government were already stunned at this moment.

The young man was tall and slender, and although he was not very old, he was already as tall as an adult.

He wore a three-legged robe, a military cap on his head, and a long sword hanging from his waist. He looked as fair as jade, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and was extremely heroic and handsome.

Behind the young man stood a dozen ferocious-looking men in rough clothes. These people placed their hands on the hilts of the swords at their waists, squinting their eyes and staring at the county magistrate in front of them with ill intentions.

Beside the young man, there lay a beautiful woman, motionless.

The woman buried her head, so her beauty could not be seen, but her figure was very charming and attractive.

After the county magistrate finished his speech, he looked at the beautiful woman and then at the young man in front of him.

At that moment, his face turned ashen and the veins on his forehead could almost be seen.

"Lord Cao, why is this happening?"

"No reason, I just came to complain! Why, the Great Wei doesn't allow royal family members to interfere in government affairs, but it doesn't say royal family members are not allowed to complain, right?!"

The county magistrate, Shu Wan, had a goatee, a thin build, a handsome appearance, and an aloof look.

But when he heard the boy's words, his defense broke down instantly.

As long as the Wei Dynasty existed, he had never seen any member of the royal family act so boldly!
"My Lord, please don't make a mistake."

Shu Wan narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "As a duke, you really shouldn't come to the county government office to cause trouble again and again."

"Your Highness may not know that the laws of the Wei Dynasty forbid royal family members from visiting guests."

"You used money to support guests, befriended gang leaders, sheltered prisoners, recruited knights-errant, instructed bandits, and colluded with merchants. Just one of these offenses is enough to get you executed."

"I think you should go back."

The young man had his hands on his hips, his face flushed, and he reeked of alcohol.

After hearing what Shu Wan said, he couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh.

"Who said I have retainers? These are just my family's servants. Why, does Wei law prohibit members of the royal family from keeping slaves?"

"As for the allegations of sheltering, soliciting, instigating, and colluding, these are simply fabricated charges."

"I have always been generous and willing to help. If anyone passes by and asks me for help, I will definitely help them. This is charity and a good deed."

"As for the identity of the person who asked me for help, I don't know."

"I've done many good deeds, and this is all thanks to your teaching as a county magistrate. Of course, you can also write a letter to sue me. Hahaha, maybe we can even ride in the same prison car!"

Shu Wan looked at the unscrupulous royal family member in front of him, clenched his fists, and his eyes almost spitted fire.

How audacious! ! Thief! !
The Wei Dynasty has always been very strict with the royal family, and the royal family has always been grateful for the great kindness of Emperor Wen Cao Pi.

He opened up a new clan system for the Wei Dynasty.

The royal family of the Wei Dynasty had no real power at all. They could not be recruited or taxed, let alone have an army.

Even though he was a dignified prince, he was only surrounded by a dozen old, weak and sick people.

They were always granted the poorest land, received no salary, and were not allowed to engage in business.

Other dynasties sent household stewards to take care of the princes, but the Wei Dynasty was the only one that set up defense assistants and state supervisors to monitor the princes.

They were not allowed to go beyond thirty miles of the mansion, they were not allowed to meet relatives and friends, they were not allowed to use luxury goods, they were not allowed to write letters, local officials could control them, and they were frequently moved and relocated, which did not allow them to live in peace.

To sum it up in one sentence, the princes of Wei lived a life worse than dogs!!!

But among such a group of princes whose lives were miserable, such a weirdo emerged.

He was so bold and presumptuous that he did not take the Defense Auxiliary Commander, the Regent, or even the local officials seriously at all.

He has committed almost all the evil deeds that the princes are not allowed to commit, and now he comes to the county government to make a fuss.

"Cao Mao!! What exactly do you want?!"

Shu Wan questioned.

The young man, Cao Mao, the noble Duke of Wei, laughed, walked around Shu Wan in front of him, walked a few steps to the front, and sat down in the seat of the county magistrate.

And those playboys also followed and stood beside him.

They talked loudly as if no one was around, completely unscrupulous.

Only then did Cao Mao look at Shu Wan who was standing below.

"I want you to try the case!"

"Go and capture Shuqu!"

"You know where he's hiding!"

Cao Mao frowned and his tone became increasingly irritable.

Shu Wan just raised his head slightly, stared at him intently, and didn't say a word.

He knew the reason why Cao Mao behaved like this. He was just dissatisfied with the judgment he made on a case a few days ago.

But he couldn't understand why this guy would take such a huge risk to stand up for that commoner and come to him to ask for punishment?
Do you really want to fight to the death with my Yuancheng Shu family?

Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere gradually became solemn.

Just as the two were confronting each other, suddenly a man staggered into the county government office.

When Cao Mao saw that man, he couldn't help but stand up, and the strong men around him also put their hands on the hilts of their swords.

The person who came was Shuqu.

He was startled by the scene and quickly hid behind the county magistrate. Then he saw the beautiful woman lying unconscious beside him. He burst into tears and knelt in front of the county magistrate, holding the county magistrate's legs tightly with his hands.

"Please, County Magistrate, make a decision for me!"

"Gonggui County Lord Cao Mao, you are going too far!"

"My wife and her servant were walking down the street when this guy ran into her. Seeing how beautiful she was, he became malicious and openly flirted with her. When she refused and had someone drive her away, he then beat up my servant and rode his horse to take my wife away!"

"How could you behave like this in broad daylight?!"

"Please, County Magistrate, make the decision for me!!"

The man cried and beat his chest hard, tears streaming down his face, and even his voice was so miserable.

The officials around couldn't help but shake their heads and sneer: You, a fellow, actually have come to this day.

"Shut up!"

Shu Wan said seriously, "Mr. Cao has always been known for his virtue and has inherited the legacy of his ancestors. How could he do such a thing as snatching someone else's woman?"

Shuqu felt extremely aggrieved at this moment.

Everyone said that Cao Xianggong inherited the legacy of his ancestors, and they thought it was the legacy of Emperor Wen. Who would have thought that it was the legacy of Emperor Wu!
If you want a woman, just tell me. There are so many beauties waiting to be married in this city. We can share them together. Why are you trying to steal my wife?
Besides, we have no grudges against each other. Why would we go to such lengths for a mere untouchable?
At this moment, Cao Mao slowly stood up and glanced at the county magistrate.

"Shu County Magistrate, you wouldn't be partial to your cousin, would you?"

"Lord Cao, please don't be stubborn any longer. If you leave now, I will just pretend nothing happened."

"Okay, no problem."

Cao Mao laughed and continued, "If I leave here now, by tomorrow, everyone in Yuancheng will know how noble and reputable your Shu family is. A virtuous member of the family actually offered his wife to entertain an honored guest!"

"The day after tomorrow, the entire Yangping County will know about your Shu family's hospitality!"

"For at least the next hundred years, don't even think about having any of your family's children being recommended by the Zhongzheng officials!!"

Shu Wan's entire body began to tremble. "Why is it so?! If I had been determined to report you, you wouldn't have ended up well!"

"You are absolutely crazy. Why would you do this for a common people?! Why would you do this?!"

Cao Mao said, "I have tried to persuade you with kind words. It was you who said that royal family members should not interfere in government affairs. So I have no choice but to do this. Even if it costs me my title and my life, I will not turn a blind eye to it."

The county magistrate stared at Cao Mao's eyes, and the atmosphere was extremely solemn.

"Okay, I'll review the case of Zhang Sheng suing Shuqu."

Shu Qu's face was full of astonishment at this moment, and he hurriedly hugged the county magistrate's feet again.

"Brother!! Brother!! You have to save me! You have to save me!!"

The county magistrate kicked him over and said angrily, "Come here, put Shuqu and this evil woman in jail!!!"

Immediately, soldiers came forward and, ignoring Qu Shu's cries and pleas for mercy, dragged him and his wife out.

Cao Mao narrowed his eyes, ignored the county magistrate's sullen face, and walked past him with a swagger.

A lot of people had already gathered outside the door.

Seeing Cao Mao and the warriors coming out, everyone couldn't help but rush forward and surround him.

The leader was a white-haired old man wearing a tattered short coat. The wrinkles on his forehead formed hills and valleys. He was skinny and his eyes were filled with deep sadness.

"Lord Cao."

"Father-in-law, don't worry. The county magistrate has promised to reexamine the case of your son and daughter-in-law. He will definitely give you justice."

"If he doesn't give it to me."

Cao Mao patted the hilt of his sword and said, "Then I'll give it to you."

The old man's tears immediately flowed down. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't say anything. He just wiped the tears from his face.

Seeing this, Cao Mao sighed again.

Ten days ago, the county magistrate Shu Wan's cousin Shu Qu had his wife trick his tenant's wife into the backyard and then raped her. The poor woman chose to commit suicide after resisting in vain.

Her beloved, the old man's son, came to the county government to file a complaint, but was accused of having asked his wife to seduce Shu Qu in order to gain benefits. As a result, his wife could not bear the humiliation and committed suicide.

The woman's suicide was directly blamed on her husband.

Not only did the husband fail to avenge his wife, but he was also burdened with such a bad reputation that he committed suicide by jumping into the river a few days later.

When the old man knelt in front of him, crying about the grievances suffered by his son and daughter-in-law, slapping himself and asking for help, Cao Mao felt something explode in his heart.

He suppressed his anger and went to the county magistrate to reason with him, but the county magistrate was unwilling to reason with him.

Shuqu knew that he was looking for him, so he also hid himself.

So on this day, Cao Mao drank some wine, and then led his followers on horseback. They rushed all the way to Shu's house, snatched Shu Qu's wife from the street, put her on the horse, rushed all the way to the county government office, and then left her in front of Shu Wan.

"Lord Cao."

The old man could not stop crying. He held Cao Mao's hand tightly and fumbled repeatedly, "I don't know how to thank you. How can I thank you?"

He was still muttering those words until the villagers helped him leave, and his trembling back made people feel sad.

Even though the task was accomplished, Cao Mao did not feel happy at all.

"I really want to chop off that county magistrate's head!"

Cao Mao gritted his teeth, jumped on his horse, raised his whip, and galloped away.

The villains hurriedly followed him.

The crowd stood at the gate of the county government office, looking at their receding figures, and were reluctant to leave.

"Mr. Cao is so righteous!"

"We are fortunate to have Cao Gong in Yuancheng!"

"What are you standing here for? Get out of here!!"

The yamen runners rushed out, waving clubs, but the clubs did not fall on the common people in front of them as they had done in the past.

The onlookers fled in all directions.

The area in front of the county government office soon became quiet, as usual.

ps: This is the first time I’ve opened a book as a newbie. Please collect it, vote for it, and support it~~~
(End of this chapter)