Chapter 15

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Chen Zhiyuan’s gaze turned serious as he looked at Bailiff Wang. “Old Wang, before you came to ask me, did you ask that woman?”

“Ask that woman? No, I just asked her about her family background.”

Bailiff Wang was stunned. Then, he poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip before continuing, “That woman is lonely and homeless. It’s her fortune to be able to warm your bed.”

Chen Zhiyuan slowly opened his mouth after hearing that. “Old Wang, do you know why I want to kill Xu Qingfeng?”

“No… I don’t know. The county magistrate didn’t say…”

Bailiff Wang replied with some hesitation. His heart inexplicably palpitated for a moment. Chief Chen’s face was so gloomy that it was a little scary.

“Because Xu Qingfeng wants to snatch my wife!”

Chen Zhiyuan stood up and said sternly, “Today, you want to give her to me without her consent. You must see me as the second Xu Qingfeng!”

“No, no, no, Chief Chen, I didn’t mean that. I just saw that the woman was homeless and lonely. I just wanted to find a good place for her. I didn’t know that Chief Chen already has a wife.”

Bailiff Wang took two steps back and hurriedly explained. He could feel that Chen Zhiyuan’s anger was rising.

“You still have to ask the woman before making a decision!”

Chen Zhiyuan stood there with a solemn gaze. Then he let out a deep sigh and continued, “Old Wang, today, I will make an unwritten rule. I don’t care what the other two squads do, but squad three, whether bailiffs or helpers, will not do anything to bully men and women, nor will they do anything to extort good people. As for things like today, whether they are extorting the rebels or the property of the rich and heartless, I can turn a blind eye to it even if you take more.”

He also knew that the status of women in this era was low. Men did not even need consent to buy and sell their wives and daughters. Let alone Bailiff Wang, who had some status. He did not even need the woman’s consent, and he could give him a traitor’s concubine.

However, this was something that he, who came from later generations, could not accept.

Bailiff Wang was silent for a long time after hearing this. Then, he stood up respectfully and said, “Chief Chen, I can tell that you are a good person. You also want to be a good official. However, this world is a son of a b*tch that does not give a good person any leeway to survive.

“When I first entered the government office, I also thought that I could do things impartially. However, it did not work. My superiors suppressed me, my colleagues excluded me, and there were people like this all around. I don’t even know how I changed. For example, Chief Chen, didn’t you give the county magistrate five thousand coins before he bestowed you the title of a constable?”

As Bailiff Wang spoke, he grabbed the soap towel hat on his head and threw it on the table, sighing.

“Old Wang, calm down. You and I have said a lot. I don’t even know your name.”

Chen Zhiyuan picked up the teapot and took the initiative to pour a cup of tea for Bailiff Wang before asking.

“My name is Wang Shan. I’m from Qingshui County.”

Wang Shan stood up and put on the soap hat again. He then said, “Chief Chen, I’ve only said this to you before. I advise you not to be such a good person. As the saying goes: good people don’t live long, but disasters last for a thousand years.”

“Old Wang, what you said is wrong. Xu Qingfeng is a real disaster. But today, didn’t he die because of me? Food has to be eaten one bite at a time, and the road needs to be walked step by step. It’s hard to predict who will get the last laugh.”

Chen Zhiyuan retorted, then walked out of the door. “Let’s go and see how many taels of silver we got.”

Wang Shan looked at Chen Zhiyuan’s back, his heart palpitating slightly.

Chief Chen’s words were even more unfathomable than that of the county office’s Adviser Tang.

Could it be that Chief Chen had some special background?

…

The two of them came to the front yard and saw that the ground was already piled with several large boxes of gold, silver, jewelry, and countless copper coins.

“Chief Chen, according to our calculations, these are all the land deeds and estates under the name of the Xu family, worth a total amount of 37,000. A total of 12,000 strings of silver ingots, 800 taels of gold, a total of 8,000 copper coins, 3,600 coins from loans of the Xu family, and a total of 5,239 strings of coins. A total of 65,839.

“There are also pearls and corals, goods sold by the shops, horses, and livestock in the residence that cannot be appraised. We can only wait for the county clerk to investigate before calculating.”

Someone held a stack of books and handed them to Chen Zhiyuan, then reported to him.

“Okay.”

Chen Zhiyuan held the house deed and other things in his hand and cleared his throat. “Where are the women of the Xu Residence?”

Immediately, a bailiff ran to the backyard and brought Xu Qingfeng’s wife and concubines over. The originally quiet courtyard suddenly had sounds of crying.

“You are the family members of the rebel Xu Qingfeng. You should have been sent to the academy. Fortunately, the Emperor is wise and the county is benevolent. Considering that you are not evil people, you will be sent back to your original homes. Today, the sky is already dark. You can continue to stay in the Xu Residence. Tomorrow, you can contact your family members and go home!”

Chen Zhiyuan shouted loudly.

When the women heard that they would be sent back to their original homes, their faces were immediately filled with joy. One after another, they knelt down. “Thank you, Lord, for your kindness.”

To most of them, this was already the best ending. Even if they had not seen what kind of place the academy was, they had long heard of it.

After the women were taken to the backyard to be imprisoned, only Chen Zhiyuan and the forty-five bailiffs and helpers were left in the front yard.

Chen Zhiyuan walked forward and took out fifty pieces of gold from the eight hundred taels of gold. Each gold ingot was worth ten taels of gold. It was very easy to count them. He deserved it, then he asked the crowd, “This is what the county magistrate promised me. Are you all getting what you deserve?”

The crowd remained silent. A few bailiffs nodded slightly, indicating that they had already taken it.

“Okay. Everyone can step forward. Each bailiff will take 100 taels of silver ingot, and the helpers will take 50 taels. I will be watching. All of you can step forward to take it one by one.”

Chen Zhiyuan gave another order.

Everyone was stunned.

Even Wang Shan was shocked by Chen Zhiyuan’s generosity. He originally thought that the profit this time was just the measly coins they had. He didn’t expect Chen Zhiyuan to start with 50 taels of silver.

“The Xu family colluded with the bandits of Black Wind Mountain. Could it be that every single person on Black Wind Mountain is a good person and is working for him for no reason?”

Chen Zhiyuan asked the bailiffs.

Only then did everyone react.

“That’s right. The Xu family must have bribed the bandits. That’s why someone would work for them.”

“Constable Chen’s plan is brilliant. You’re absolutely right!”

Only then did the bailiffs line up one by one, taking their own share.

None of the bailiffs and helpers said another word.

Everyone knew that the bailiffs’ helpers were all familiar people. Today, with this lucrative task, the bailiffs could only bring the people closest to them.

Seeing that everyone had taken the silver, only then did Chen Zhiyuan take out ten gold ingots from his pocket and put them back into the pile of gold, and he said, “This is the reward I promised my brothers. However, everyone knows how inconvenient it is to use gold, so we will exchange it for copper coins. The bailiffs will come forward, and each of you will take seventy strings and distribute it at home.”

Everyone was almost stunned by this pleasant surprise.

They thought that the silver just now was the silver reward that the constable mentioned, but they didn’t expect that it was the extra money.

The bailiffs came forward one after another and took the copper coins.

“Everyone, you have already taken what you should have. I shall warn you first. This time, when we raided the Xu residence, the other two squads of brothers probably know that we have earned quite a lot. However, you have to be extra careful when using those silver ingots. If anyone sees us and leaves behind any evidence…”

Chen Zhiyuan had not finished speaking.

Someone had already taken over the conversation.

“Chief Chen, don’t worry. We naturally know. Whoever leaks the news about today’s matter, we will send him to hell first!”

“It’s good that you understand!”

Seeing that everyone was very tactful, Chen Zhiyuan immediately ordered his men to take out a few portions of the remaining gold and silver treasures and send them to the county magistrate, the adviser, and the assistant of the county magistrate’s residences. He personally took five high-quality pearls, two house deeds, and 300 taels of gold and rushed to the county magistrate’s office overnight.