Chapter 29: The guilty magistrate
Xi Xingchen's logic is actually very simple.
If Dai Andong did not release Yao Wenbin, Yao Wenbin would not send bandits to kill Dong Liangce, and Dong Liangce's family of six would not die.
If Dai Andong didn't tell Dong Liangce where he lived, the bandits would at least not be able to find Dong Liangce's home that night, and Dong Liangce's family of six would not die.
If Dai Andong didn't hand Yang Xuelian over to Yao Wenbin, Yang Xuelian would not die either.
Therefore, although Di Andong did not kill Boren, Boren died because of him.
Therefore, Dia Andong must be responsible for what he has done.
Again, Mohist disciples will not wrongly accuse a good person, nor let a bad person go.
When Xi Xingchen arrived at the county seat, the news of the murder of Dong Liangce's family was already known to everyone. The government also posted a notice to calm the people, saying that bandits had sneaked into the city to commit crimes. Come out and walk around freely.
That night, Xi Xingchen sneaked into the county government office.
When Dai Andong first saw Xi Xingchen, a look of surprise flashed across his face, but he quickly covered it up.
"Who are you, who dares to break into the county government office at night?" Dai Andong pretended to be angry.
Dai Andong is in his mid-forties, with a medium build, neither fat nor thin, with a Chinese-character face, a high forehead, and an upright face. He has three thick black beards. If he were to wear official uniform and sit in the yamen and sound the gavel, he would definitely He is majestic and majestic, like a Qingtian parent official.
Xi Xingchen knew the dirty deeds behind Dai Andong and the Yao family, so naturally he would not be fooled by his good-looking appearance.
Xi Xingchen folded his arms with a smile on his face, watching Dai Andong's performance as if he were a mentally retarded person. When he had enough of pretentiousness, he said: "Your Excellency, the county magistrate, Xi Xingchen and Yao Wenbin were escorted back by Dong Liangce and I. , you forgot so quickly?”
Dai Andong looked at Xi Xingchen attentively, and immediately smiled and said: "It turns out to be Xi Zhuangshi, so I said why he looks familiar. Xi Zhuangshi, why are you coming to see me so late?"
"Lord County Magistrate, you really don't know why the grassroots are here?" Xi Xingchen asked.
Dai Andong immediately pretended to be suddenly enlightened and said sadly: "I am also deeply saddened by what happened to Dong Liangce's family. The bandits in Huangfeng Village are so rampant that they even dare to kill the Yamen police officers. But you can do it Don’t worry, I have reported this matter to Mr. Fu Yin, and Mr. Fu Yin will send troops to encircle and suppress him in the near future. At that time, he will definitely give justice to Dong Liangce’s family and give Wan County a bright future.”
Xi Xingchen edited: "Then I would like to thank the magistrate on behalf of the people of Wan County."
"As the parents of the people of Wan County, this county should make decisions for the people of Wan County." Dai Andong looked filled with emotion.
"The common people would like to ask the county magistrate a question, is it okay?"
"Excuse me."
"Did you let Yao Wenbin go?"
"yes!"
"Did you give Yang Xuelian to Yao Wenbin?"
"yes!"
Both of these things were watched by the prison guards. Dai Andong couldn't deny it and simply admitted it.
"Do you know that Yao Wenbin's mother is the fifth head of Huangfeng Village? After Yao Wenbin got out of prison, he sent bandits to Dong Ce's house to kill him?"
"Is this happening?" Dai Andong looked shocked.
"Since the county magistrate likes to pretend to be deaf and mute, it's offending." Xi Xingchen jumped up, pressed Dai Andong on the chair, and tied him up.
Dai Andong said angrily: "I am an official of the imperial court. If you dare to attack me, aren't you afraid of losing your head?"
Xi Xingchen said with a smile: "Mr. Magistrate, you are serious. The common man Xi Xingchen just wants to ask you a few questions. If you answer them honestly, I guarantee that you will not lose a hair."
"I don't know anything, and I can't say anything." Dai Andong said harshly.
Xi Xingchen stared at Dai Andong's eyes, as if he wanted to see through Dai Andong, which made Dai Andong's heart tremble and his eyes flickered.
"What do you want to do?" Dai Andong finally showed some panic in his eyes.
Xi Xingchen smiled slightly, slowly took out a leather case tied with hemp rope from the treasure bag he carried with him, and slowly opened it in front of Dai Andong.
The inside of the leather case is filled with all kinds of strange small objects, such as sharp and sinister knives, long needles as thin as cow hair, weird little hooks, etc. There are twenty or thirty of them, large and small, and each one is shining with cold light. It's chilling.
Xi Xingchen picked out a narrow sharp knife with a ghost head and a wooden handle, and gestured in front of Dai Andong's face: "Master Magistrate, do you recognize this knife?"
"You want to lynch me?" When Dai Andong saw the knife, he felt as if he had seen a ghost, and his face instantly turned pale.
Xi Xingchen was very satisfied with Dai Andong's reaction and said to himself: "This knife is called Lingchi knife. There was a man in the previous dynasty who committed a heinous crime and was sentenced to Lingchi by the court, which is what the people call 'death with a thousand cuts'. Oh. , I forgot that you are the county magistrate, so you naturally know Lingchi."
Of course Dai Andong knew, and he also knew that Ling Chi's punishment was very particular.
According to Dayan regulations, during Lingchi's execution, 3,600 pieces of flesh had to be cut off from the prisoner's body, with no more or less cuts, and the last cut must be inserted into the heart to stop breathing.
Early yesterday morning, Dai Andong received a report that Dong Liangce was murdered all over the house. Dai Andong immediately rushed to the scene of the crime. When he saw only the bodies of the four bandits but not Xi Xingchen's body, he vaguely felt something was wrong.
Xi Xingchen did not choose to report to the police after killing four bandits, which means that Xi Xingchen either knew the truth of the matter, or he did not want to take the formal route.
As an insider of Dong Liangce's massacre, Dai Andong did not want anything to happen.
At first, Dai Andong was lucky that Xi Xingchen might have left Wan County. Until this morning, the news that Yao Guoping's family had been wiped out spread throughout Wan County, and Dai Andong became uneasy.
Confucianism used literature to bring chaos to the country, while chivalrous people used force to break the ban.
Dai Andong knew very well that a reckless person like Xi Xingchen had his own set of standards for conduct.
Seeing an injustice on the road, Xi Xingchen drew his sword to help. Xi Xingchen assisted Dong Liangce in escorting Yao Wenbin back to the county government office. This was a standard chivalrous operation.
Dai Andong knew about his family affairs, but he didn't think Xi Xingchen would let him go just because he was the magistrate of Wan County. On the contrary, corrupt officials like him are definitely the favorites of chivalrous people.
Therefore, when Dai Andong saw Xi Xingchen appearing in front of him, he appeared very calm on the surface, but in fact he felt guilty inside.
"Let me tell you a little secret, this is the knife used for execution."
Xi Xingchen's eyes suddenly became as sharp as a knife, penetrating into the deepest part of Dai Andong's soul.
Dai Andong had a guilty conscience, but under Xi Xingchen's high pressure, his psychological defense suddenly collapsed.
"Even though this is an execution knife, not everyone is worthy of using it."
At this time, Xi Xingchen was like the most skilled surgeon, cutting Dai Andong's soul into pieces piece by piece.
For Dai Andong, who was captured, this was a very uncomfortable ordeal, as if he felt that the darkest and unknown parts of his soul had been dug out and thoroughly seen by Xi Xingchen.
