vstars Chapter 654: Entering Cangwu County Government Office at Night
Chapter 654: Entering Cangwu County Government Office at Night
"Cangwu just got a new county magistrate last month. I heard he was also a Jinshi in the 23rd year of Daqing." Jing Changjiang said, then slapped his head angrily, "I forgot to ask my third brother."
Jing Chunxi was staring at him strangely, as if he didn't understand what was going on.
He went on to explain, "The Prince of Yan can maintain a certain number of private soldiers in his fiefdom, but he is not allowed to appoint or command local officials."
Jing Chunxi thought for a moment, "The officials of Jiujiang and Jian'an counties can be moved by the Prince of Yan."
But as soon as she said this, she immediately realized that her thoughts were a bit superficial. She was always on guard against the King of Yan's people, so how could they allow chaos in Lingnan? Naturally, she kept a close eye on them and was extremely cautious in appointing and dismissing officials.
"Uncle, are you saying that there's something wrong with this county magistrate?" Jing Chunxi suddenly realized that the person appointed by the court might be a lackey of someone above him.
"It's hard to say. Everything was fine for so long, but as soon as he came, so many problems occurred. It's hard to say." Jing Changjiang said with a frown.
"Then I'll go meet him tonight!"
Jing Chunxi's words were spoken with great force, as if he had made a great decision.
The mountain city became even quieter after nightfall. After midnight, there was no light on the three streets of the entire county except for the two red lanterns in front of the county government office.
Moonlight shimmered across the bluestone path like water, casting a faint silver glow. An occasional breeze rustled the leaves, adding to the tranquility. The only sounds were the whimpering of the mountain wind and the murmuring of the West River, a melody that accompanied the stillness of the night.
"Quick feet, take your men in from the east gate and control the front gate and the main hall," Jing Changjiang turned around and ordered one of his followers, "You go directly into the third hall and find its secret." His voice was very low, but his tone revealed unquestionable firmness.
They both nodded, a look of determination flashing in their eyes. They turned and led a few people quietly towards the wall. Their figures gradually disappeared in the night, leaving only Jing Changjiang, Jing Chunxi and others behind.
Jing Chunxi looked at his men with a serious expression, "We will all enter through the corner gate. Once inside, we will control the passages on both sides of the second hall."
Everyone nodded in unison, their eyes revealing trust and obedience.
According to Jing Chunxi and his uncle, they would knock people out as soon as they saw them to prevent future troubles.
When the previous county magistrate was in office, Jing Changjiang dressed up as a subordinate of Prince Yan and followed him in and out of the county government office twice. He was very familiar with the internal layout and was able to arrange it with ease.
He clearly remembered every corner of the county government office and the location of every door, which gave them a great advantage in their actions.
He arranged for everyone to enter by climbing over the wall and then entering through the ceremonial gate. The second gate, the middle gate, was only used by high-ranking officials and during important ceremonies; it was usually closed. The east and west gates were for civil and military officials on duty. Ordinary people could only enter through the corner gates on either side. This layout allowed them to avoid the guards at the main gate and enter the county government quietly.
The main hall was where the magistrate held public hearings and ceremonies. The third hall, or inner quarters, housed the family's quarters. On one side, there was a flower hall and study, used for receiving superiors and distinguished guests. Confidential cases were often heard there. This was the magistrate's private quarters, and ordinary people rarely approached.
The second hall that Jing Chunxi and Jing Changjiang are going to enter first is also called Qinzhi Hall. The name is taken from the allusion of "governing by playing the qin", which symbolizes governing the people with virtue.
Such a large area is actually the county magistrate's private office, and the environment is relatively private.
Xiaoman, along with Zhengyue and Chuyi, controlled the front passage, while Qiyue and Jiuyue controlled the back passage. They moved silently. As soon as they entered, they knocked down four people on each side. Their movements were clean and efficient, without making a single sound. It seemed as if those people had been awakened from their sleep and then fell back into a deep sleep.
Following them in, Jing Chunxi and Jing Changjiang both sensed something unusual. Normally, county yamen would have guards at several gates, with rotating patrols and heavily guarded prisons. But for a mere second hall, used for daily business hours, to be so heavily guarded at night, with so many guards both front and back, was definitely unusual. Puzzlement flickered in their eyes as they exchanged glances, but they quickly regained their composure.
Xiao Man quickly moved towards them and whispered, "These people are not ordinary yamen runners."
Neither of them asked him how he figured it out, and they trusted his observation skills. Then July's voice drifted into their ears, "Miss, be careful, the people we've taken down aren't from Lingnan." July's voice made Jing Chunxi and Jing Changjiang even more alert.
"Be on guard. If there is any unusual movement, use poison immediately." This was the death order Jing Chunxi gave after looking at his uncle.
Eight men were needed just to guard the Second Hall, and if they were to rotate through the night, sixteen would be needed. This meant that there were far more people like him in the yamen. Not poisoning them outright would only cause them more trouble. A hint of grimness appeared on their faces, but their eyes held a firmness.
"Sister Xi, I will go left and you go right. If you find that the danger cannot be resolved, remember to hide in the space first." Jing Changjiang's expression was serious when he gave the order. He almost looked at Jing Chunxi with a stern face. His eyes were extremely stern under the moonlight, as if he was afraid that she would not listen to his advice and something would happen.
Jing Chunxi nodded, a trace of warmth passing through his heart. A rare stubbornness appeared on his face. "Uncle, don't worry. I will be careful."
The Second Hall was built on the west side of the central axis of the county government office. It was actually a courtyard with a veranda, taller and more solemn than ordinary houses. It was quite large and had many rooms. In addition to the five-room main hall, there were seven rooms in each of the east and west wings, and another row of houses along the veranda.
The entire second hall looked particularly mysterious in the night, as if it hid countless secrets.
Jing Chunxi turned right and headed straight for the row of shorter houses. She walked cautiously along the veranda, taking every step with extreme caution. As soon as she finished walking along the veranda, she realized something was wrong.
In a corner at the innermost part of the house, near the wall, she saw many people floating. She was startled and quickly hid in the interdimensional space. She took a few gulps of interdimensional well water to calm her frightened heart. Her heart was filled with fear, but it was quickly replaced by curiosity and a sense of responsibility.