Chapter 283: Confession

Chapter 283: Confession

Although this trip south was light and unassuming, Xin You always carried paper and brushes with her when she traveled.

Not long after, Qian Feng brought the paper and brushes and stood beside Xin You.

The discovery of the collusion between the bandits and the county magistrate was unexpected. Xin You and He Qingxiao had not yet had time to discuss how to proceed, but the Sixth Boss's spontaneous confession gave her an idea.

"I am the accompanying censor supervising the Jinlin Guard's case. I have doubts about the county magistrate's claim of collaborating with the bandits to eradicate them. Please explain in detail how you became involved," Xin You said, glancing at He Qingxiao.

He Qingxiao frowned: "Censor Jia, County Magistrate Zheng reported the bandit situation to us immediately and even showed us records of his dealings with the bandits. I think he is innocent."

Great Xia is powerful and prosperous, and rebellion is futile. County Magistrate Zheng Ming's collusion with the bandits was clearly not for self-rule but for greed. The Sixth Boss must have given Zheng Ming plenty of bribes, so this explanation holds no loopholes.

Sure enough, the Sixth Boss sneered upon hearing this: "You think he's a good official? He turned a blind eye to our killings and robberies as long as we lined his pockets. Now that the Jinlin Guard is here, he's afraid his corruption will be exposed and that he'll be implicated in colluding with a rebel general, so he's hastily playing the good guy."

"In that case, speak carefully. I, Censor Jia, am here by His Majesty's order to supervise. The Jinlin Guard may be formidable, but I have my own principles," Xin You straightened her back slightly, showing a hint of pride.

The Sixth Boss noticed that Censor Jia and the Jinlin Guard were not on good terms. Thinking of County Magistrate Zheng's plan to use his death for merit, he felt a surge of hatred and blurted out: "I was a squad leader under General Wu, named Li Qiang. When General Wu died, I was fortunate enough to escape with some men and came to Ling County."

As the Sixth Boss spoke angrily, everyone listened quietly, except for the Sixth Boss, who looked strange.

This doesn't add up. These two officials clearly have a very good relationship and only heard about the Sixth Boss after capturing them. After entering the county town, the two officials did not interact with the local government but only left two subordinates to escort Xiao Ba to the yamen this morning.

The Sixth Boss's eyes flickered, and a guess formed in his mind: Could the Sixth Boss have been tricked by these people?

Unfortunately, his mouth was gagged, and he couldn't talk. After this thought occurred to him, the Sixth Boss couldn't move his hands or speak, so he rolled his eyes.

Why should he warn them? The Sixth Boss and his men killed his brothers and seized his village. If they could have led the brothers of Wuyun Village to a life of comfort, that would have been fine, but instead, they attracted the Jinlin Guard.

They were going to wipe out Wuyun Village in one go, these curses!

After the Sixth Boss finished speaking, Xin You also finished writing. She handed the brush to Ping An and thanked Qian Feng, who had bent over to act as a desk.

"Can you read?"

To Xin You's question, the Sixth Boss coldly replied: "Of course."

"Then take a look and see if there are any omissions or inaccuracies."

The Sixth Boss looked over the still-wet ink and nodded: "It's correct."

"Then sign and fingerprint it."

Upon hearing about signing and fingerprinting, the Sixth Boss grew cautious and was about to refuse.

Xin You smiled: "You don't think you can escape after committing these crimes, do you? Whether you endure torture at the hands of the Jinlin Guard or have your case reported by me to the Three Judicial Offices for sentencing, I believe you can make your own decision."

For officials and nobles, being formally interrogated by the Three Judicial Offices after committing a crime is not so terrifying—at most, it means losing their head. But if they fall into the hands of the Jinlin Guard, it's like entering hell.

"This confession will also serve as evidence for my report on County Magistrate Zheng's crimes. Of course, as Lord He judged, County Magistrate Zheng might be using himself as bait, not only innocent but also meritorious—"

"I'll sign!"

Watching the Sixth Boss sign and fingerprint the confession with a stoic expression, Xin You felt relieved and said to He Qingxiao: "Lord He, let's talk privately."

He Qingxiao smiled: "Alright."

Leaving the others to guard the surviving bandits, Xin You and He Qingxiao walked to a nearby tree.

"Censor Jia is truly clever, I admire you, Lord He."

"It's all thanks to your seamless cooperation, Lord He."

The two exchanged a smile and then turned to the main topic.

"We didn't bring many people on this trip, initially planning to leave it to the local authorities while sending an urgent report to the capital. Now that we've discovered the bandits are escaped rebel generals colluding with the local county magistrate, we might need to adjust our plans."

"What are your plans, Lord He?"

"Not far from Ling County, the Ning Mountain Guard is stationed. His Majesty has granted me the authority to mobilize local guards for this trip. I plan to call the Ning Mountain Guard to arrest the county magistrate of Ling County and eradicate the bandits."

Lord He's plan was solid, but Xin You raised a concern: "The Ning Mountain Guard is dealing with flood disasters, and it might take them a while to come to our aid. I have an idea—we can manage with just our current group."

After hearing Xin You's plan, a spark of admiration flashed in Lord He's eyes.

Her plan was bold but highly feasible. If it weren't for his duty to protect her on her journey south, he would have opted for the same approach.

"Do you think it's feasible, Lord He?"

Facing her expectant gaze, Lord He nodded, but as she smiled, he hesitated: "The plan is feasible, but it's still a bit risky—"

Xin You stopped smiling and said seriously, "Lord He, I know your mission is to ensure my safety. But I'm not a fragile porcelain doll, nor will I act like one. In life, nothing is completely safe; even drinking water can choke someone. To back down because of a slight risk when there's a great chance of success, wouldn't that be too boring?"

Lord He looked at her serious demeanor and was silently convinced.

The lady he knew had always been this way. Protecting her was his duty, not an excuse to prevent her from being herself.

"On this journey south to bring my late mother's coffin to the capital, among so many roads and people, we happened to encounter that group of merchants and uncovered the collusion between officials and bandits. Perhaps this is fate. What I'm doing is not only for the ordinary people suffering from banditry but also to accumulate blessings for my late mother. Lord He, please agree." Xin You understood that this plan couldn't be accomplished by her and two guards alone, and her tone softened at the end.

Having already agreed in his heart, Lord He's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly nodded.

Xin You smiled: "Thank you, Lord He."

Upon returning, Lord He ordered: "Change back into the Jinlin Guard uniforms; we're returning to Ling County."

Each member of the Jinlin Guard carried their own guard uniforms in their packs, meant to be worn when meeting the convoy escorting the late empress's coffin. Following Lord He's orders, everyone quickly changed into their guard uniforms, looking majestic. Though few in number, their presence was entirely different.

Including the Sixth Boss, there were four captives from the bandit leader's side. They were tightly bound and gagged, with one Jinlin Guard assigned to each, ready to depart.

Xin You glanced at the bandit corpses dragged into the woods and suggested, "Let's take these bodies with us; let the officials and people of Ling County see for themselves."