Demon Suppression Division, seventh floor.
"They're a bunch of animals!"
After reading a thick stack of testimonies, Zhao Qing'er slammed the table in anger, grabbed the sword beside her, and said, "Senior Brother Chen, I'm going to take people to wipe out the Great Whale Gang right now."
Perhaps because Zhao Qing'er herself was a woman, she felt more deeply and was more angered by the humiliation of other people's wives and young girls.
Chen Tie shouted, "Come back."
Zhao Qing'er's eyes were red with anger, "Senior Brother Chen, are you going to stop me?"
"The Chief is here, what's the rush!?" Chen Tie sternly stopped her, "Sit down!"
Perhaps only Chen Tie could order this princess around. She resentfully sat back in her seat, suppressing her anger as she looked at Xie An.
Xie An already had a plan in mind, but he didn't say it immediately, instead looking at Chen Tie.
Chen Tie first expressed his apology, "I have been here for several years, but I have never heard of the Great Whale Gang having any improper behavior. I didn't expect it to grow into such a big tumor."
Xie An stated his judgment, "The testimonies say it very clearly, many family members of the wives and young girls who were violated by Li Huwei went to report to the authorities, but all of them disappeared without a trace, and were even maliciously attacked and killed."
Having received Chen Tie's statement, Xie An felt confident.
In fact, Xie An had already planned to deal with it seriously, but after all, he was new here and had not fully controlled the Demon Suppression Division. Before taking action, he still needed to get the support of Chen Tie and the others.
Now that Chen Tie and the others had revealed their attitudes, Xie An was relieved.
Xie An sat in the chief seat, looked at the people present, and said with a solemn expression, "Since the county government is involved, then it is not appropriate for the county government to continue handling this case. I propose that we take over this case from the county government and have our Demon Suppression Division handle it. What do you think?"
Chen Tie readily agreed, "That's how it should be. Not only must we take it over, but we must also handle it beautifully. After all, this is the first case handled after the establishment of the Qingwu Demon Suppression Division.
Zhao Qing'er, you go to the county government now and take over the case…"
Speaking of this, Chen Tie paused slightly, then raised his voice, "You must bring He Chunli, a key figure in this case, to the Demon Suppression Division."
Zhao Qing'er readily agreed, "I know."
Chen Tie was afraid that Zhao Qing'er would mess things up, and also instructed, "In order to avoid alarming the enemy, if Zhou Li asks, you can say that someone came to our Demon Suppression Division to report the case. This is just a formality. And don't look angry."
"Got it."
Zhao Qing'er said she understood, but she left in a hurry.
Xie An looked at Zhao Qing'er's departing figure, and breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that as long as He Chunli was brought to the Demon Suppression Division, his life would be temporarily safe.
But the tumor that is the Great Whale Gang must still be removed.
So, Xie An said, "Deputy Chief Chen, according to the usual practice of the Demon Suppression Division, how should the nature of the Great Whale Gang be defined?"
Chen Tie stared at Xie An for a while.
The question was very serious.
The definition at the Demon Suppression Division level directly determined the survival of the Great Whale Gang.
If it was defined as a heinous gang, it could be directly wiped out.
Chen Tie sensed Xie An's intention, but the Demon Suppression Division did have its own rules and procedures. Although Chen Tie also felt that the Great Whale Gang deserved to die, he couldn't just decide based on personal preferences.
"Forcibly seizing women, staging robberies, and engaging in disguised extortion can be defined as a heinous gang. However, the testimonies brought by the Chief only involve forcibly seizing women, which is not enough. How about this, I will send people down tonight to investigate and make relevant records. Tomorrow morning, I will give the Chief a definite answer. How does that sound?"
"Then I'll have to trouble you."
…
County Government.
Inner residence.
The hall was filled with candles, and a slender woman in a thin, cicada-wing dress danced gracefully. Her skirt ribbons fluttered, her skin was faintly visible, and her eyes sent secret glances. The beauty was like a bud about to bloom.
A refined middle-aged man in a white undershirt sat on a grand master's chair, drinking wine and singing a ditty in the style of opera. When he reached an emotional point, the middle-aged man walked down to the ground, took the beauty's soft, boneless hand, and danced with her.
The entire hall was filled with singing and dancing, soft melodies, and boundless spring.
The opera tune was soft, and the beauty's hand was also soft, and her body was even softer. As soon as the middle-aged man pulled her, the beauty's body fell into the middle-aged man's arms, her beautiful eyes conveying affection, and her charming eyes were like silk.
"Your Honor's opera singing is the best in Qingwu County."
"Coupled with the beauty's dance, it is a harmonious union, a pair of lovebirds united."
The middle-aged man, filled with anticipation, picked up the beauty and entered the inner room.
Then, only the candlelight flickered, and clothes rustled.
Dong dong dong.
A harsh knock on the door interrupted this wonderful scene.
The middle-aged man wanted to yell at the person knocking on the door, but after thinking about it, he reluctantly climbed up from the beauty's body, put on a loose robe, and went to open the door.
Zhou Li had been serving as the county magistrate here for three years. Because he had the backing of Nanzhou, his behavior was somewhat rough. But he was still cautious where he needed to be.
The person knocking on the door late at night was definitely the registrar he had brought with him from Nanzhou.
He knew the registrar's character. If it wasn't for something important, he would never disturb him.
After opening the door, Zhou Li glanced at him and said coldly, "What is it?"
"Your Honor, Zhao Qing'er from the Demon Suppression Division is here to see you, seemingly with something very important."
"Demon Suppression Division?" Zhou Li couldn't help but frown, "Why didn't Masters Zhu and Liu come?"
Zhu Kun and Liu Qian, two sixth-rank deputy chiefs, had set off from Nanzhou with Zhou Li to take office here, all to work for the Prince of Huainan. It was because of these two people in the Demon Suppression Division echoing Zhou Li that Zhou Li, as the county magistrate, was able to do his job with peace of mind.
In the past, whenever there was something, Zhu Kun and Liu Qian would come to him.
Why was Zhao Qing'er here today?
This made Zhou Li instinctively feel that something was wrong.
The registrar shook his head, "Registrar Zhao didn't say. I saw that Registrar Zhao was very angry, Your Honor should go see her."
"You go to the front hall and entertain her well, I'll change my clothes and come."
Zhou Li dismissed the registrar, returned to the bedroom, and put on his clothes. The beauty on the bed had a pitiful expression, "Your Honor ~"
Hiss.
Zhou Li's bones went numb when the beauty called out to him.
He shuddered, "Beauty, keep the bed warm, I'll be right back."
When he arrived at the front hall, Zhou Li saw Zhao Qing'er in uniform and immediately bowed, "Registrar Zhao, it's an honor to have you here, this official has failed to greet you properly."
Zhao Qing'er didn't give Zhou Li a good look, and directly took out a document, "Someone came to the Demon Suppression Division to complain. The case of He Chunli stabbing Li Huwei to death has other hidden secrets. Our Demon Suppression Division is going to take over this case. We also need to take He Chunli away."
Zhou Li took the document and looked at it, his face immediately turned pale.
Instantly, he felt a bit guilty, "The ins and outs of this case are already very clear. This official personally interrogated He Chunli, and He Chunli confessed without reservation. The case file has already been reported to Nanzhou."
*Bang!*
Zhao Qing'er suddenly stood up, stepping one foot on the desk, "Do you not understand human language, or do you not recognize the official seal of my Demon Suppression Division?"
Zhou Li, who originally wanted to argue, never expected Zhao Qing'er to be so impulsive. Knowing that he couldn't fool her, he said, "Are Lord Zhu and Lord Liu aware of this?"
Zhao Qing'er coldly said, "The writ was personally issued by the Grand Commander. Why should we ask Liu Qian and Zhu Kun?"
Zhou Li was shocked.
The Grand Commander has taken office!?
This is a big deal.
Before, with only Deputy Grand Commander Chen Tie, many things couldn't be decided. The entire Demon Suppression Division was in a state of semi-operation and semi-paralysis. After all, the Demon Suppression Division's office had only just been built.
Now that the Grand Commander has taken office, everything can be decided.
This means that the Qingwu Demon Suppression Division, like a ferocious beast, has begun to operate.
The nature is completely different.
The newest novels are first published on 6_9_shu_ba.
Although Zhou Li was terrified, he didn't dare to obstruct, "I will personally take Bureau Chief Zhao to apprehend the person."
…
Late at night.
Xie An saw He Chunli in the Demon Suppression Division's prison.
His hands and feet were shackled, wearing a thin white prison uniform, his whole body was covered in blood, with whip marks that were deep enough to see bone, and several scars were burned onto his face with iron.
Although Xie An knew that severe torture of prisoners was common in the Great Qian Dynasty, he still felt an unspeakable sense of anger when he saw He Chunli in such a state.
He had just learned from Zhao Qing'er that the county yamen had already subjected He Chunli to severe torture. If Wen Zaiqing hadn't asked someone to take care of him, it was feared that whether he could survive was a question.
"Master, Master, this disciple is unfilial and has caused you trouble!"
Wearing shackles, He Chunli struggled to kneel on the ground, his forehead heavily hitting the floor, "I'm sorry, I just felt sorry for Chunlan…"
Xie An squatted down, helped He Chunli up, and sighed, "You should have come to me before making a decision."
He wanted to criticize him sternly, but seeing his disciple covered in blood, he couldn't bear to speak.
This disciple was always introverted and honest, with a straightforward and stubborn personality. Whenever something happened, he didn't want to implicate his master and wanted to bear it alone.
This temperament is good, but the problem is that He Chunli is still young…
Xie An took out a golden pill, "Open your mouth."
He Chunli raised his head, gritting his teeth as he looked at Xie An.
Xie An forced the pill into He Chunli's mouth: "This is a Golden Strengthening Pill that I just got from the Demon Suppression Division's pharmacy. It can help you heal. Take it first, and tomorrow I'll ask someone to find a doctor to treat your external injuries."
He Chunli swallowed the pill with tears in his eyes, and prostrated himself again, choking with sobs: "Thank you, Master! This disciple will be your ox and horse in the next life to repay your great kindness!"
Xie An felt heartbroken and didn't care about his image. He sat down on the ground next to him, which was covered with straw, "You don't have to be so pessimistic…"
Xie An slowly recounted the course of events, also talking about how he became the Grand Commander of the Demon Suppression Division, and finally said: "I've looked through the past case files of the Demon Suppression Division. In your situation, you only need to define the Giant Whale Gang as a heinous gang, and the death penalty can be avoided, but exile is unavoidable. The laws of the Great Qian Dynasty are like this, and I can't change this world."
What Xie An said was the truth.
Not to mention in the Great Qian Dynasty, even in his previous life… He Chunli's situation of stabbing someone to death wouldn't be considered self-defense. Because the bandit's attack had already ended.
Of course, there was another way in his previous life. That was to define He Chunli as mentally ill…
But in the Great Qian Dynasty, there was no such thing as mental illness… There wasn't even a psychiatry department.
"Thank you, Master!! This disciple has troubled you again." He Chunli was very guilty, and then he remembered something, "Congratulations, Master, on becoming a fifth-rank Grand Commander. Master has worked hard for half his life and lived a difficult life. Now you've finally made it."
Xie An twitched his lips, stroking He Chunli's head: "It's a good thing that you have a surge of passion, but you must consider the consequences in everything. You must also consider whether you can bear it. But you don't need to give up on yourself. I will find a way."
Xie An left.
He Chunli, who was prostrate on the ground, slowly raised his head, watching his master's departing figure, tears bursting from his eyes.
…
Xie An didn't go home, but settled down in the southeast courtyard of the Demon Suppression Division.
He had been thinking about how to help He Chunli escape punishment.
Finally, Yu He provided a clue, "I've looked through a large number of past cases in the Demon Suppression Division. In this situation, most people are exiled. But there's a way… to atone for one's crime with meritorious service."
"Atonement for one's crime with meritorious service?" Xie An's mind suddenly opened up.
Although there was no saying of atoning for one's crime with meritorious service in his previous life, there was a practice of reducing sentences for meritorious service.
This world is even more brutal in this regard, and one can offset crimes with merit.
Yu He said, "However, atoning for one's crime with meritorious service… requires a special decree from His Majesty. Only His Majesty has the power to allow his subjects to atone for their crimes with meritorious service. Other officials cannot overstep their authority and make decisions. At most, they can only request it from His Majesty, and it still needs to be approved by His Majesty in the end."
Xie An understood in his heart.
The entire Great Qian Dynasty's laws are based on the supremacy and autocracy of imperial power. The emperor possesses supreme and absolute power.
All instructions issued in the name of the emperor are given a sacred and inviolable status, "I am the law", and no disobedience is allowed!
But, Xie An doesn't know Emperor Jingtai…
Yu He then said, "Actually… Master can ask the Eldest Princess for help. As long as the Eldest Princess speaks to His Majesty, His Majesty will definitely agree!"
Xie An immediately sat up straight, pondering.
All along, Xie An didn't want to get too close to the Eldest Princess, just because he didn't want to get involved in the court's struggles.
But now, Xie An also felt that this was He Chunli's only way out.
Exile?
A bitter and cold journey, is there really a way out?
Not necessarily.
Although Xie An had also thought about just helping to this point. But the image of He Chunli serving him wholeheartedly when he was bedridden with a stroke kept appearing in his mind.
Even a biological son might not be able to completely do what he did, serving an old man who was about to die with his eating, drinking, and bowel movements.
In the end, Xie An still couldn't just ignore it.
If Yu He hadn't said this, if Xie An hadn't thought of this way… Xie An would have just let it go.
But now that he knew.
Xie An couldn't not do it.
His conscience wouldn't allow it!
"Yu He, grind the ink."
…
The next morning.
At the break of dawn.
Chen Tie came to the southeast courtyard early, carrying a stack of thick confessions and booklets.
"Grand Commander Xie, after last night's secret investigation, the evidence is conclusive. The Giant Whale Gang is indeed heinous, undermining the foundation of our Great Qian Dynasty and bullying our Great Qian citizens. It's a major case. It can be defined as an extremely evil gang and can be exterminated."
Xie An breathed a sigh of relief, flipping through the booklets and countless people's confessions, "Thank you, Deputy Commander Chen."
Chen Tie felt guilty, "I suspect that the Giant Whale Gang is colluding with the two Bureau Chiefs Zhu and Liu, as well as the county magistrate Zhou Li. But we still lack key evidence. In fact, I feel that behind their collusion, there is an even bigger plot. If it's dug out and related to the Longevity Sect, it can be classified as a minor merit."
Xie An was stunned.
This can even lead to a minor merit?
