New and dark light years

Chapter 282 The True Lord is Eating People

Red clouds descended from the second floor.

Li Lin was sitting in a room, opposite a rather pretty woman.

Although the other person was a young lady, she was dressed very formally, her body completely covered up, with not a single bit of skin showing except for her face and hands.

She poured Li Lin some tea and said solemnly, "Thank you for your honor, Magistrate Li. I am deeply pleased."

Li Lin waved his hand: "Just say what you want to say. What conditions do you need to help me draw the appearance of that scholar?"

Caihe nodded and said, "I hope that the county magistrate can be my witness?"

"What testimony?"

“I want to leave the brothel, and I’ve saved enough for the ransom.” Caihe looked at Li Lin with expectant eyes: “But I’m afraid that if I take out this money, not only will I not be able to buy my freedom, but I will also be trapped in a cage even more.”

Li Lin laughed and said, "This brothel has already been investigated by our county government once. Who else would dare to be so arrogant?"

Caihe didn't speak, she just quietly looked at Li Lin.

But some things don't need to be said.

Li Lin immediately realized that the person who had taken over the brothel must be someone from the county government.

Li Lin himself wouldn't take it on, and County Magistrate Jiang Jili, being of noble birth, didn't think much of the money earned from prostitution in brothels.

Then there is only one possibility.

The magistrate, Wen Bi, has now taken over this brothel.

Because apart from him, Li Lin didn't believe anyone else would dare to take over the brothel under these circumstances.

“I understand.” Li Lin nodded. “I can be a witness.”

Caihe breathed a sigh of relief and bowed, saying, "Thank you, County Magistrate."

After saying that, she got up and went outside, but returned a short while later with a madam behind her.

But it wasn't the same madam as before; it was someone else.

Upon seeing Li Lin, the man immediately smiled obsequiously and said, "Lord County Commandant, I pay my respects to you."

"No need for formalities." Li Lin waved his hand. "Get to work."

"Yes Yes!"

Caihe took a box from under the bed containing some silver notes and handed it to the madam.

The madam counted for a while, then took out a piece of paper from her bosom and handed it over: "Caihe, from now on you are no longer one of us at Hongyunluo."

Caihe held the contract in her hands, her voice trembling with tears: "My real name is Mo Rongrong."

Then she bowed to Li Lin and said, "County Commandant, please wait a moment. I will draw the man for you right away."

Li Lin nodded.

About half an hour later, Li Lin left with a painting scroll in his hand.

Caihe, also carrying a bundle, dressed in a simple cloth robe and wearing a wooden hairpin, also left the Hongyunluo brothel.

Li Lin arrived at the county government office, handed the scroll to Jiang Jili, and said, "Use the case of the murder in the brothel to issue a warrant for the arrest of this person throughout the county, and then send him to the Jin County government office. Please ask the prefect to help issue a warrant for his arrest throughout the county."

"This is simple." Jiang Jili accepted the scroll.

Li Lin was about to leave when Jiang Jili called him back.

"You should know about the brothels, right?"

Li Lin nodded.

Jiang Jili said, “We officials can’t touch these things, they’re too dirty. But the county magistrate did. Although he hired someone to help him manage them, this matter is not easy to investigate. If something really happens, we will also be implicated.”

Li Lin nodded: "That's true."

“We can accept a portion of the embezzled funds; it’s been the usual practice. As long as the profit sharing is reasonable and we’ve greased the palms, no one will say anything,” Jiang Jili said in a low voice. “But we can transfer the seized properties to our own names, especially brothels. The magistrate has gone too far.”

Li Lin thought for a moment and then said, "What do you plan to do?"

"I'd like to invite you both to my home for a chat tomorrow. You must come."

"it is good."

Li Lin left the county government office and returned home.

Hongluan immediately came forward to help him clean the dust off his body, and then wiped his face and washed his hands.

Li Lin asked, "Where's Qing'er?"

"She's cooking mung bean soup. It's hot now, and she's thinking of helping you cool down."

Li Lin shook his head helplessly: "Why don't we just let the cook do these things?"

"Husband..." Hongluan suddenly hesitated. "What is it?"

Hongluan hesitated for a moment, but she still said, "I want to go home for two days to check on things at home."

“Of course,” Li Lin said matter-of-factly. “Whenever you set off, I’ll send a squad of local militia to escort you back.”

"Is tomorrow okay?"

"of course can."

Hongluan looked at Li Lin gratefully.

Li Lin asked, "How many years has it been since you went back?"

"It's been eight years."

"That was indeed a long time."

Li Lin knew that Hongluan's home was in Pingzheng Village nearby, not far, but she could only go back once every eight years. It seemed that selling herself into servitude to another family meant she really didn't have many human rights.

"It's a pity I promised the county magistrate's assistant that I would go to the county magistrate's house with him tomorrow. I have important business to attend to. Otherwise, I would have gone back with you."

“Husband, there’s no need.” Hongluan waved her hands repeatedly: “I’m just going back to see my parents.”

"Okay. Just be careful."

Hongluan breathed a sigh of relief; she was genuinely afraid that Li Lin wouldn't agree.

After all, she was only a concubine, not a wife.

In the Great Qi Dynasty, the status of a concubine was not high, only slightly better than that of a servant.

Not long after, Huang Qing brought out a tray.

There are four bowls of mung bean soup on top.

She put down the tray and smiled at the altar, saying, "Yanjing, come out and have some soup."

A while later, Li Yanjing also came out.

The four of them drank mung bean soup.

This mung bean soup, simmered over a low flame, tastes really good with the addition of honey.

Huang Qing took a sip of soup and said, "I heard there are quite a few more refugees in the city."

Li Lin was taken aback: "Refugees? I've never heard of that."

He's a county constable, yet he didn't even know about this.

Huang Qing said, "You don't know?"

Li Lin paused for a moment, then finished his mung bean water in two gulps and said, "I'll go to the county government office to take a look."

After that, he left.

No wonder he was anxious.

Historically, a sudden increase in the number of displaced people can only be attributed to one possibility.

A major disaster.

He arrived at the county government office but did not see the county magistrate or the county assistant magistrate.

Both of them have already left work.

Li Lin went to the barracks and found a constable surnamed Fang. He said, "I heard that there have been more refugees in the city recently. Is that true?"

"That's right," the constable said, bowing slightly. "We are investigating the source and will report back tomorrow."

Li Lin asked, "So what did you find out?"

"These refugees came from Yue County."

Yuejun borders Jinjun, so it's not difficult for the people from that region to come over.

After all, it was Qin Tuo who plotted the rebellion, not an ordinary person.

Their willingness to come is a good thing, as it indirectly weakens Qin Tuo's strength.

No one... there's absolutely no way they could rebel.

Li Lin pondered for a moment and then asked, "Have you questioned these refugees?"

"I've asked around," Officer Fang said in a low voice. "The refugees who came here all say that something big has happened in Yuecheng."

"What's the big deal?"

"The True Lord of Yuecheng is eating people," Officer Fang said in a low voice. "But that's what the refugees said, so we can't be sure."

(End of this chapter)