Chapter 121: Unlucky

“I’ve lived for so many years, yet I’ve never witnessed such audacity from a county yamen!”

“After all these years, to be insulted by the yamen’s officials, it’s intolerable!”

“No, this can’t be overlooked. Those ignorant fools need to see who they’re dealing with. I am a genuine Tian Shi; it’s their own blindness!”

With these words, Xun Yuanbai stormed out in a huff.

“Where are you going, Master Xun?” Jiang Mixia hurried after him.

“It’s fine, no need to worry about me. I just need to cool off a bit,” Xun Yuanbai replied without looking back as he exited. Then, he added, “Actually, I might as well take a trip far away.”

“Where are you heading, Master Xun? Do you need an escort?” Jiang Youcheng picked up a whip nearby.

There was a ready ox cart at home.

“All right, take me to the town,” Xun Yuanbai replied without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Youcheng readied the ox cart and took Xun Yuanbai to town.

By midday, Jiang Youcheng returned home with the ox cart.

“What was Master Xun doing in town?” Liu Shi casually inquired.

“I’m not sure. Once we arrived in town, he asked me to drop him off and hurry back home,” Jiang Youcheng scratched his ear, “I figured Master Xun probably had other matters to attend to that he didn’t want me to know about, so I promptly returned.”

“Of course,” Liu Shi nodded in agreement.

Considering he was a Tian Shi, Xun Yuanbai likely had many responsibilities to tend to. After enduring significant distress today, seeking some time away for other matters or to relax seemed reasonable.

The family ceased discussing Xun Yuanbai’s whereabouts and later, after lunch, focused on discussing their visit to the county yamen the next day.

Regardless of the motives behind this decision and how Jiang Zhengxin and the villagers perceived it, they believed it was necessary to represent their interests regarding the kiln. Therefore, Jiang Mixia, Jiang Youcheng, Song Jingyun, and Zhu Yongwu, along with several strong young villagers, decided to take an ox cart to the county town, escorting individuals like Chai Fa to the county yamen.

Following the plan, before dawn had fully broken, Jiang Mixia and his group departed from the village and hit the road.

Chai Fa and the others remained bound like rice dumplings, secured on a flatbed cart, gagged with cloth strips, limbs immobilized, only able to blink their eyes.

Their heads rested firmly on the cart’s surface. When the road was smooth, it was tolerable, but if they encountered rough terrain or the cart hit rocks and bumps, causing the cart to jump, their heads would slam against the board, leaving them seeing stars, on the brink of passing out.

Since being captured yesterday, they had been continuously bound, deprived of food and water, spending nights in dark, damp spaces, unable to rest properly.

At this moment, they were thirsty, hungry, exhausted, and enduring painful head bumps…

Despite their years of arrogance and successful ventures, this time in Jiang’s Village, they had stumbled hard and were now suffering immensely.

Now, being paraded with drums and gongs, heading to the county yamen, pointed at, ridiculed, and even pelted with vegetable leaves along the way, it was a humiliating experience!

Oh, Jiang’s Village, when the time comes, they will pay dearly!

When the tables turn, they vowed to bind these troublemakers to the cart, making them endure the same head-jolting, near-death experience they were presently facing!

Chai Fa seethed with an itching rage.

As they continued on the bumpy road, the closer they got to the county town.

The proximity to the county town heightened everyone’s uncertainty.

Playing tricks at the yamen, they were the people, facing officials, making the situation quite delicate.

Even Song Jingyun sat silently at the front of the cart, legs crossed, head bowed, seemingly lost in thought.

“No need to be too afraid,” Jiang Mixia reassured her husband, patting his shoulder.

After discussing late into the night with Jiang Zhengxin the previous day and analyzing the situation, the odds seemed in their favor.

At the very least, they couldn’t afford to mistreat Jiang’s Village openly.

“I’m not afraid,” Song Jingyun shook his head.

“Then, what’s on your mind?”

“I’m thinking,” Song Jingyun replied earnestly. “They are bound in such a way that they can’t move their hands and feet, not even wriggle their backs. If a bug were to crawl on them and bite, they wouldn’t even be able to swat it away, right?”

Chai Fa, “…”

Why did that actually make sense?

What if some creepy-crawly things did get on them? What then? However, Chai Fa quickly chuckled.

That’s unlikely; it’s not summer, so where would all these bugs come from?

Wait a minute, why did his ankle suddenly feel itchy? Like something was moving?

The itching sensation quickly crawled up from his ankle to his calf, knee, and thigh…

Then, an unmentionable area was hit with a sharp pain, making Chai Fa’s eyes widen, legs kicking straight!

Damn, this is just too unlucky…

Chai Fa almost rolled his eyes back.

The cart arrived at the county town but was halted by guards at the city gate.

“What’s being transported on these ox carts and where are you headed?” The guards, seeing a line of carts waiting to enter the county town, stopped them for routine questioning and inspection.

“We are from Jiang’s Village,” Jiang Zhengxin replied with a smile, gesturing respectfully. “We caught a few troublemakers posing as officers, attempting to loot our village. We are on our way to the county yamen to deliver them.”

“From Jiang’s Village?” The guards perked up at these words, crowding around Jiang Zhengxin, Jiang Mixia, and the others.

After huddling together, they began whispering and seemingly deliberating.

“Uncle Li, could there be trouble brewing here?” a younger guard expressed concern.

“No worries, let’s see how this unfolds first,” Jiang Zhengxin reassured in a low voice.

After a brief discussion, the guards gestured respectfully to Jiang Zhengxin. “Since you are from Jiang’s Village, come with us to the county yamen.”

Adding, “The county yamen might be in disarray at the moment, and finding someone in charge might be difficult. However, since we’ve been instructed by higher-ups, they will likely attend to matters concerning Jiang’s Village.”

“In disarray?” Jiang Zhengxin and Jiang Mixia exchanged puzzled looks.

“May we ask why the county yamen is in disarray?” Jiang Zhengxin gathered the courage to inquire.

Chapter 122: Recognition

“The Prefect has arrived. He came early in the morning, even before dawn, stating that someone accused County Magistrate Zou of corruption, allowing his relatives to act tyrannically, seizing people’s property and assets. The Prefect is currently interrogating County Magistrate Zou at the county yamen!”

“After the Prefect arrived at the county yamen, he instructed us, the gate guards, that if anyone claiming to be from Jiang’s Village and accompanying those who impersonated officers arrived, to bring them to the county yamen.”

“Please follow me.”

The guard led the way.

Jiang Mixia, Jiang Zhengxin, and the others followed suit.

Compared to the earlier unease on the road, hearing that the Prefect had come to question the County Magistrate and investigate his family’s abuse of power, the villagers of Jiang’s Village became excited.

“It’s a stroke of luck! At this critical moment, the Prefect has arrived. He will surely stand up for our village.”

“Evil will never triumph over good. After committing so many wrongs, they’re bound to face consequences, and here it is!”

“Do you think it’s too coincidental for the Prefect to arrive just after our recent incident? The Prefect arrived in the county town late at night after the incident in our village yesterday?”

“If you put it that way, didn’t that guard mention they were waiting for us at the city gate, indicating that the Prefect was already aware of our situation in Jiang’s Village?”

“It seems that way…”

The villagers of Jiang’s Village discussed while Jiang Mixia and Jiang Zhengxin were equally puzzled.

Why did the Prefect come, and how did he swiftly become aware of Jiang’s Village’s situation? These questions lingered until they arrived at the county yamen and saw Xun Yuanbai’s smiling face, leading them to roughly understand the situation.

Before Jiang Mixia and the group could speak, Xun Yuanbai stroked his beard, “No need to thank me. I didn’t intervene to help you specifically, but I couldn’t stand the injustice!”

After living for so many years, when had he ever faced such mistreatment? If they didn’t show these troublemakers a lesson, they would continue to see him as just a flashy charlatan!

Having spent years depleting his energy, if he couldn’t handle even this small matter, his title as a Tian Shi would be utterly useless!

Without hesitation, he hired a carriage upon arriving in town and made his way to the prefectural city to find Prefect Zhao.