FID – Chapter 211

By saying that, he was telling him that he didn’t need extra help.

In short, he could do without his intervention.

Feng Qingbai smiled, “My dynasty’s imperial examination system is fair and impartial, selecting talents based on individual academic ability and never allowing favoritism. I will never do so.”

The court was treacherous, and the hearts of men were that of demons and monsters. If Lu Zhixia lacked the ability, he definitely would not exercise his power to bring him up. That would be equivalent to pushing him to death.

He would be better off staying in the countryside and living peacefully until old age.

Liu Zhixia also smiled, “Then see you in the capital.”

As the King of Nanling, Feng Qingbai could not always nest in Xinghua Village and ignore government affairs.

Soon, he would go back to the capital.

For the next time they would meet again, they really must wait until after he was admitted to the imperial examinations and rushed to the capital.

Thinking of this, Liu Zhixia peered at his silly sister again and sighed softly without a sound.

Had he known that Nannan would fall in love with Feng Qingbai, he would have extinguished the seeds at the first opportunity.

But now, it was too late to stop it. It would only make her upset.

Since he couldn’t stop it, he must work harder and climb towards his goal. Only when he climbed to the top would Nannan have a backer in the future.

The school only had two days off, so Liu Zhixia could not stay at home much longer and returned to the school in the afternoon of the second day.

The day after Liu Zhixia left, something big happened in Xiangshan County.

County Deputy Magistrate, Wang Chengbin, has been an official for eight years, during which he engaged in factional activities in pursuit of personal gains. He used his position to plunder the flesh and blood of the people, extort, and embezzle money,  amounting to tens of thousands of taels, while engaging in corrupt practices!

In addition, more than ten properties under his name, all of which were obtained by bribery.

The County Magistrate, Kang Shiming, personally arraigned the case, and the evidence placed on the public platform was half a palm high.

Wang Chengbin had no way to deny it and finally pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death.

The Wang residence was ransacked, and all the Wang family members were exiled.

On the day their residence was ransacked, throngs of people surrounded the Wang family mansion door. They watched with their own eyes that the gold, silver, jade, calligraphy, painting and antiques of Wang’s residence were packed in boxes after boxes, sealed and carried away by officers and soldiers.

In the end, the door of the Wang Mansion was also sealed.

It symbolized the complete downfall of Wang Chengbin, the emperor of Xiangshan County.

The people cheered and rushed to inform each other.

In the county office.

The County Magistrate, Kang Shiming, bowed towards the man in front of him. “If it were not for Your Excellency’s help this time, I would not have been able to bring down this malignant tumor with just my own efforts. On behalf of the Xiangshan citizens, I give you our thanks!”

As a County Magistrate, Kang Shiming suffered from the lack of strong power behind him, but he was not willing to go with the tide and choose forces to take refuge. For many years, Wang Chengbin suppressed him. His love to serve the people but lack of power to do anything, gave him unspeakable suffering.

Today, punishing Wang Chengbin has indeed been pleasurable!

“Lord Kang is upright and honest. As a local official, you should have been a blessing to the people. How could villains restrain you? Even though Wang Chengbin was downright abominable, you were also lacking in courage to break the caldrons and sink the boats. I hope you’ll change in the future and not let His Majesty down.” Wei Zi relayed the words of his master, and picked up a stack of deeds from the table. “The gold, silver and jade wares seized by the Wang family will be used to fill the national treasury. I will take away these land deeds and later ask someone to send the equivalent amount in silver bills. How to return them to the people is up to you.”

“This humble servant will carry out your orders!” Seeing that Wei Zi was about to leave, Kang Shiming hesitated. “Your Excellency, since His Majesty is here, I wonder if I can go and pay my respects?”

If this person did not suddenly appear together with His Majesty’s decree with a large seal, he really would have been in the dark that the Emperor came to Xiangshan County.

“No need. His Majesty is on a secret travel and does not like to be disturbed.”

After speaking, the man disappeared, leaving Kang Shiming sighing in the back.

Master specially instructed him to come and help Kang Shiming to settle the case. Otherwise, Kang Shiming alone would not be able to touch Wang Chengbin.

Over the years, Wang Chengbin colluded with the rich officials of the countryside with someone backing him. His power in Xiangshan County was seriously unshakable. If it wasn’t for the fourth-ranking official waist plate in his hands, he simply couldn’t have suppressed those people.

After Wei Zi presented the land deeds, Feng Qingbai sat in the room for a long time.

He didn’t budge for nearly half an hour.

“Imperial Uncle, Grandma and Grandpa asked you to go to the front yard.” Feng Mohan poked his head in from the door and saw the stack of papers on the desk at a glance. His eyes darkened, but said nothing. He turned around and ran out, “Imperial Uncle, hurry up!”

In the front yard, the large family was sitting in the hall. They were lively and discussing the exact major events that transpired today in Xiangshan County.

This matter spread extremely fast. In a little half a day’s work, the entire Xinghua Village caught wind of it.

When Feng Qingbai arrived, Grandma Liu was still slapping her thighs, scolding someone in anger, “I knew that man was not a good thing, extorting the hard-won possessions of the people and oppressing people! I heard that it took ten big boxes to contain the gold, silver and jade from his house! How much blood, sweat and money he must have stolen from people!”

“I should have beaten him with a broom at that time! Now that I think about it, he really got away cheaply!” Liu Erlin also pounded his thighs with regret.

His kind of corrupt official should be beaten!

“There’s nothing cheap about it. You didn’t hit him then, and he’s now sentenced to decapitation. That’s what’s really great!” Du Juan chimed in.

“Those were both official decrees. Fortunately, the County Magistrate judged the case impartially, and lived up to the people’s expectations!” Chen Xiulan sighed. “Wang Chengbin was beheaded, and the entire Wang family was exiled. When an official takes the wrong step, it will be the end of his world.”

Zhixia would soon walk on this career path. She must always remind him not to forget his original intention, and must not do things that were disgraceful to the people and to his conscience.

“Grandpa, grandma, are you looking for me?” Feng Qingbai stepped in.

“Oh! Axiu, come here!”  As soon as the old lady saw Feng Qingbai, the wrinkles on her face from her smile deepened densely. “Tell me, did you do something about Wang Chengbin’s matter? Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental that he fell this time when he has been running amok around Xiangshan County for so many years without any problems?”

It was only a few days ago that Wang Chengbin came to the door.

If Axiu said he had nothing to do with it, she definitely wouldn’t believe it!

“Axiu, tell us, how did you do it? Can you bring a county magistrate down from the stage in just a few days?” Liu Zhiqiu was totally convinced that it was Axiu’s work.

He has always been ruthless in doing things, and once he moved, he certainly would leave no room for error.

He has seen it since he was a child!

“I just asked people to collect some evidence. Judging the case is the task of the County Magistrate,” Feng Qingbai did not deny it.

“Good job!” Grandma Liu was ecstatic. She smoothly patted the back of the man’s head. “This kind of corrupt official should be rectified! If you hadn’t found so much evidence, how could the people know that he had actually embezzled so much and done so many evil things!”

Feng Mohan’s eyes hurt as he watched from the side. Grandma was too happy, and the blow she gave just now was not light.

However, his Imperial Uncle wouldn’t get angry. His tolerance for Grandma and Grandpa Liu was bottomless.