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Chapter 261 - 182 Yin and Yang Eat All 2
Chapter 261 - 182 Yin and Yang Eat All 2
Chapter 261: Chapter 182 Yin and Yang Eat All 2
Translator: 549690339
“What about the County Magistrate of Pingwu? Is this how you perform your examinations?”
Feng Qing’an’s smile faded, the air of authority and oppression he presented all at once made the black-clad man, who was slightly bowing, hunched over further.
“We only have examination authority, we’ve long reported the matter of Pingwu’s County Magistrate!”
The man in black calmly responded. They had fulfilled their duties, thus, if this young master was reasonable, he shouldn’t blame him.
“You reported it, but no one has dealt with it. Hence, are officials like the one in Pingwu County rampant in Da Jin? Or is it that this County Magistrate has connections, so nobody dares to touch him, hmm?”
“In various regions of Da Jin, there are officials who, like the County Magistrate of Pingwu, impose taxes willfully, but very few of them are as excessive as him, though, there are even those who are more excessive!”
“Really? Where is such a person?”
Feng Qing’an squinted his eyes. He was already at odds with the deeds of the Pingwu County Magistrate. Now, he had arranged for that pig-faced man to hang on the county government office gate and subjected to flogging — of course, this included those other officials who abetted these actions.
“He’s been beheaded!”
“Hmm?”
“He incited public anger, triggering a revolt by the local people, they stormed the county government office…”
“Alright, what happened after the people of the entire county stormed the county government office?”
Feng Qing’an interrupted him, he was only interested in the fate of those who stormed the county government office.
…Exiled to the borderlands!”
The man in black fell silent for a moment and slowly spoke.
Feng Qing’an let out a laugh, not surprised in the slightest. He immediately asked,
“So, visiting me this late at night, what is your purpose?”
“I see the young master wishes to execute this County Magistrate?”
“Correct, tomorrow I will publicly execute Ningwu County’s Magistrate!”
With a nonchalant demeanour, the young man announced his intention, then quietly observed the eyes beneath the bronze mask. He had decided to execute the County Magistrate, there was no reason to spare him.
“Are you trying to plead for him?”
“If the young master wishes to execute this official, I beg the young master to accept this. “‘
As he spoke, the man in black took out a token crafted from gold and respectfully handed it to Feng Qing’an.
“What is this?”
Feng Qing’an looked down at the token. The word “Examination” was most clearly engraved on it.
“This is the Examination Token of the night patrol office. Whoever possesses this token can apply the rule of ‘execute first, report later’ on errant officials in various regions!”
The man in black respectfully explained.
“So, if I have this token, and happen to dislike some officials anywhere in Da Jin, I can kill them?”
Feng Qing’an received the token, his face revealed a playful expression. He casually cast an eye over the token with the deeply engraved image of a fierce beast resembling a lion or a tiger on the backside.
“Obviously not. ‘Execute first, report later’ still requires legitimate and suitable reasons. For instance, this County Magistrate of Pingwu. His imposition of unauthorized taxes is a capital offence. If you execute him, there will be no issue as long as the report is submitted later! ”
Hearing Feng Qing’an’s casual tone, the man in black couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat under his bronze mask.
The youth was high-spirited, hating evil with an intensity. This was common. But if he truly possessed a power that could crush whatever disturbed his peace, that would be quite terrifying.
“A report? I can’t write one. What should I do?”
Upon hearing that he would have to write a report, Feng Qing’an nonchalantly tossed the token in his hand, ready to throw it away.
“The young master can go ahead and execute him, I can pen the report.”
“You can write the report? Alright, make sure that I get to see it once it’s finished. ”
“Yes!”
“Right, no need to dawdle any further, start writing now. Someone, bring him pen and paper!”
Looking at Second Young Master Feng, who doesn’t give him any chance to refuse, the man in black remains silent. Seeing the pen and ink already set up in front of him, he could only let out a sigh of helplessness and begin drafting the report for Second Young Master Feng.
“Execute first, report later, haha!”
Seeing the man in black dutifully drafting the report for him, Feng Qing’an toys with the golden token in his hand, a smile in his heart. The development of events was going exactly as he had anticipated.
Perhaps it was because he had now proven his worth to Da Jin, or possibly because of the major influence his elder brother commanded.
Hence, when he wanted to execute a county official who had imposed extra taxes, no one pleaded for mercy on the official’s behalf. Even the presumed powerful backers of the county magistrate remained silent.
Somebody had gone out of their way to deliver to him an identity that would allow him to justify the execution of the county magistrate. The identity transformed him from a commoner challenging the royal laws, into an Examination officer upholding the legacy and order of the empire.
“You guys handed me the weapon yourselves, if I didn’t use it, it would be too inconsiderate to you.”
The following day
On the high platform of the hastily built execution ground in Linwu County, Feng Qing’an, dressed in white, sits upright, raises his voice, and announces the new identity he received last night:
“I am the Examination officer of the Night Patrol Office, empowered to investigate all officials. If I come across any corrupt or law-defying officials along my way, I may act on the spot, and report later!”
Upon hearing Feng Qing’an’s identity, the people are momentarily excited, but they quickly settle down. After all, it wasn’t surprising for the younger brother of a provincial governor to have the powers to execute first and report later.
“Today, the County Magistrate of Ningwu County is investigated for imposing private taxes, causing widespread grievances among the people, and making life unlivable…Effective from today, he is stripped of his position and reduced to a commoner status. Given the severity of his crimes, he should be dismembered to delay his execution in order to placate the public’s anger!”
Without wasting any time on the trial, Feng Qing’an, who had already conducted his own investigation, announced the crimes and the verdict. The moment this sentence was given, the common people surrounding the execution ground immediately erupted in joyous cheers, as though the New Year was being celebrated.
“Mercy, my lord! I have been wronged! Sir!”
The fat county magistrate, who had been whipped with a spiked iron whip all night until he was covered in blood, cried out this final plea as his spirit and willpower collapsed upon hearing his sentence.
What was left of his sense told him that such cries would do him no good, that no one cared. But he could not accept this cruel sentence. He knew the young master held strange methods: even lazy and ignorant people like him could be kept alive while being whipped for an entire night, barely kept conscious through all the pain.
He Imew his dismemberment would be similar. He would likely not die until every piece of flesh was painfully flayed from his body. Even thinking about it made him shiver all over.
But there was no escape for him now. The young master would not let him go, and the benefactors that he had served behind the scenes did not seem willing to save him either.
Considering this, there was nothing left to say. Accepting their gratuities without earning them was unjust – let them join him in hell!
“My lord, I wish to report that the Junior Prefect of South Shao Prefecture… since I have served as County Magistrate of Pingwu County, I have sent him over ten million taels of silver, and five thousand taels of gold…”
“Shut up! ”
As the dying Pingwu County Magistrate named a major figure in the prefecture city on the execution platform, the crowd of onlookers immediately burst into murmurs. Among the watching crowd below, someone panicked and rapidly threw a knife straight at his throat, clearly intending to silence him on the spot.
“Is it as if I don’t exist?”
The flying knife was just in the air when a hand, imbued with Gang Sha Qi, appeared, shattering the knife into pieces. The next instant, the Gang Sha warrior accompanying Feng Qing’an appeared before the knife-thrower, his face twisted in a malicious smile.
However, before he could seize the person by the neck, the warrior found the man lifeless, with black blood oozing from his every orifice. He was clearly already dead.
However, there was no anger on the warrior’s face, because a spirit exuding a light sandalwood scent had already appeared before him, pulling out a chain to retrieve the panicked soul from the body. “I will interrogate him for everything he knows!”
“Thanks for your effort!”