Prefectural Office.
In the front hall.
Wang Shiquan frowned and his expression became increasingly ugly.
He stood up and paced back and forth in the front hall, with his hands behind his back, taking a deep breath, as if he was anxiously waiting for something.
At this time, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door, and Wang Shiquan suddenly looked up at the door.
Soon, Zheng Chang hurried to the front hall.
"How is it?"
"My Lord, there is still no news about the young master..."
Upon hearing this news, Wang Shiquan's face suddenly changed and his body swayed, looking extremely ugly.
No news yet?!
It has been five or six days since Wang Qin disappeared.
Over the past five or six days, he mobilized almost the entire Xunyang City defense and county government forces to search for Wang Qin's whereabouts, turning the entire city upside down. Not only that, he also searched almost every possible place outside of Xunyang City, but still found nothing.
Wang Shiquan's face turned extremely grim, and he finally couldn't sit still any longer. Missing for five or six days meant that the possibility of Wang Qin being in danger was increasing!
If Wang Qin was kidnapped, or someone was controlling him to target Wang Shiquan, why is there still no movement after so many days?
The worst possible scenario inevitably emerged in Wang Shiquan's mind.
Thinking of this, Wang Shiquan's body swayed and his steps staggered.
"My lord? My lord!"
Zheng Chang anxiously stepped forward and quickly supported Wang Shiquan: "Don't worry too much, sir, the young master will be fine!"
Zheng Chang tried to comfort him, but the words were speechless. No one could guarantee whether the young master had been murdered, but at this moment, he needed to remain calm.
"Sir, you have to cheer up!"
Zheng Chang said in a deep voice, "Those behind this kidnapping of the young master must have some ulterior motive. If you lose your composure at this moment, wouldn't you be playing into their hands?"
Wang Shiquan's expression eased slightly, as he naturally thought of this possibility.
only……
"No matter who kidnapped you, they certainly won't harm you unless they want to offend you, my Lord... You should remain calm and wait for them to show up!"
Zheng Chang said in a deep voice, "I will also do my best to find the whereabouts of the young master and rescue him safely."
Wang Shiquan took a few deep breaths. As the governor of Xunyang County, he wasn't so fragile. It was just that this matter concerned his only son, and the constant worry and travel these past few days had caused him to feel emotionally disturbed.
His eyes were gloomy, and he said in a cold voice: "Whoever dares to hurt my son will pay a heavy price!"
Having said this, Wang Shiquan suddenly realized something and turned to look at Wang Qin: "How is the matter I asked you to investigate before?"
"Any news?"
"Sir, this..."
Zheng Chang hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
Wang Shiquan's eyes suddenly focused: "Why, is there something you can't say?"
Zheng Chang hesitated for a long time before slowly speaking, "Sir, I have indeed found out something about the young master. However...you must be mentally prepared."
Wang Shiquan said in a deep voice: "Speak?"
"Young Master has indeed done some things and has colluded with some forces..."
Zheng Chang carefully told everyone what he had investigated over the past few days.
You won’t know unless you check, and you’ll be shocked when you do.
Zheng Chang never expected that his young master had done so many evil things in secret over the years!
Trafficking women? Oppressing the people, seizing private land, and even secretly having affairs with salt peddlers, even at the risk of being beheaded...
Every incident is shocking!
In the past, these things might have been concealed, but with Wang Qin's disappearance, the entire Xunyang City was in panic. Zheng Chang found those who had contact with Wang Qin before his disappearance, followed the clues, and soon discovered this huge profit industry chain.
After learning all this, Zheng Chang felt cold all over.
He had long known that the young master was secretly doing some shameful things, but he had never expected that the young master would be so bold...
"Asshole!"
"Treason!"
After hearing this, Wang Shiquan's face turned red with anger. He was so furious that he slapped the table next to him hard, making a dull thud.
His eyes were filled with anger. He had never imagined that his unfilial son would do such a heinous thing!
"I thought he was just ignorant, but I didn't expect him to do such a beastly thing!!"
Wang Shiquan was extremely angry, and his old face was full of rage.
"Don't be angry, sir. Don't get angry..."
Zheng Chang quickly comforted him: "Young Master is indeed ignorant. Perhaps he has gone astray and been led astray..."
"Do you still want to deceive me?"
Wang Shiquan's face was gloomy, and he looked at him coldly: "This rebellious son has done so many wicked things under my nose, and I didn't even notice it. What do you think is the reason?"
Zheng Chang's eyelids twitched suddenly. The young master could do all these things under their noses, and they knew nothing about it. What did this mean?
There is a traitor in the prefect's mansion!
“Who on earth is it?!”
Wang Shiquan's face was extremely gloomy.
Zheng Chang thought of a possibility in his mind, his face changed slightly, and he seemed to be hesitant to speak.
"Sir, what should we do now?"
"My lord's disappearance might be related to this matter. Those people have kidnapped my lord. If they start from this aspect, I'm afraid it will be a disaster for you and the Wang family!"
Wang Shiquan's face was extremely gloomy. Every one of the things that the rebellious bastard had done was enough to put their Wang family in trouble. Once exposed, the consequences would be disastrous.
Thinking of this, Wang Shiquan calmed down and said in a deep voice: "Find a way to deal with it cleanly!"
"Before those people make a move, clean up the mess this rebellious son has done. Don't leave any evidence behind. Do you understand?"
"yes!"
Zheng Chang spoke in a deep voice and left in a hurry.
This matter is of great importance and cannot be ambiguous. These problems must be dealt with before they become public knowledge.
However, just as Zheng Chang was busy dealing with the mess left by the young master, a woman came to the government office in Xunyang City, holding a petition against Wang Qin, the son of the Xunyang prefect.
When this news came out, the officials in charge of handling this case were shocked!
Who to sue?
Son of the prefect of Xunyang?
Is this person crazy?
The official who received the report was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and immediately reported the matter to the Xunyang prefect. The woman who filed the complaint was quickly taken away by the officials and thrown into jail.
But it’s far from over!
The very next day after this woman was arrested, two more women appeared at the government office and again accused the son of the Xunyang prefect of illegally occupying their ancestral land.
This time, the matter was extremely serious. Even though the government officials reacted quickly, the news inevitably spread quickly in Xunyang City.
"Have you heard? Yesterday and today, someone went to the government office to sue our prefect's son!"
"I heard about Wang Qin, right? I've known for a long time that he's a jerk, but I never thought he'd do something so utterly insane. As the son of a prefect, he actually illegally occupied someone else's ancestral land... I heard that the husband of the woman who filed the lawsuit yesterday went to seek justice, but was beaten half to death by his lackeys and died a few days later..."
"If there is such a thing, why didn't you report it to the police earlier?"
"Oh, report to the police? Don't you know who Wang Qin's father is? Who is suing me?"
When these words were spoken, everyone was filled with indignation.
"This is too much! Is there any law or order left?"
"Killing someone means paying with one's life. If Wang Qin killed someone, even if he's the son of the prefect, can he stay out of it?"
"Where are the laws of our Daning Dynasty? Is there any justice left?!"
“…”
The speed at which this news spread was far beyond everyone's expectations. The news that Wang Qin, the son of the Xunyang prefect, had bullied men and women, seized fertile land, and forced women into prostitution spread throughout the city in just one day.
Even though the government's response was swift, it still couldn't stem the public's resentment. Xunyang City's citizens were already deeply resentful, with significant tensions existing between the powerful and the common people. Furthermore, Wang Qin's past as an accomplice to the evil within Xunyang City fueled the public's anger, igniting a fierce flame.
Immediately, many people blocked the government office, demanding the release of the women they had detained and justice for them.
The government initially suppressed the incident forcefully and expelled the people, but as public anger grew, even the government could no longer withstand the pressure. It was not until the government dispatched the army that the people who had been causing the disturbance were finally driven away.
But even so, public resentment grew, and they denounced the government's cover-up and the darkness. Soon after, some news related to Wang Qin began to be exposed. The shady things Wang Qin had done in Xunyang City over the years were also exposed.
Oppressing the people, robbing and plundering, maliciously suppressing opponents, hiring killers to kill...
Regardless of whether it is related to Wang Qin or not, public opinion has already pinned everything on Wang Qin.
When the wall falls, everyone pushes it!
As things escalated, they gradually got out of control.
“…”
Prefectural Office.
"Bang!"
A crisp cracking sound was heard.
Wang Shiquan angrily smashed the cup in his hand to the ground.
"The traitor, the traitor!!"
Wang Shiquan's eyes were filled with anger, his face was gloomy and ferocious, and the blood vessels on his temples were bulging, making him look extremely terrifying.
"Sir, calm down!"
Zheng Chang standing by also had an ugly expression on his face.
No one expected that the situation would develop to this point.
In just a few days, the entire Xunyang City turned its attention to the young master and the prefect!
"Sir, there must be someone behind this."
Zheng Chang said in a deep voice, "They are deliberately misleading the people and diverting their anger onto you. Their intentions are sinister."
Wang Shiquan gave him a cold look and said, "If that rebellious son hadn't done such a thing, how could I guide him?"
Zheng Chang was silent.
He hadn't expected things to get this far. Things had been going wrong since the woman sued him two days ago.
After interrogation and investigation, it was confirmed that the woman was being guided by someone. However, this person was very clever and never showed up, only providing some key evidence.
From beginning to end, they never found out the identity of anyone behind the scenes!
More importantly, there was nothing false in what the woman accused her of.
Wang Qin occupied the land passed down from generation to generation by the woman's ancestors, and the woman's husband was indeed beaten half to death by Wang Qin's men. This incident had caused a commotion before, but it was quickly suppressed.
This would make the situation extremely serious. The person behind the scenes only needed to manipulate public opinion a little bit, and the situation would get out of control.
"My lord, now is not the time to settle accounts."
Zheng Chang warned, "The people outside are filled with righteous indignation. If this matter is not quelled quickly, the consequences will be disastrous..."
Wang Shiquan's face was ashen and gloomy, how could he not know?
If the situation is allowed to continue to develop, he, as the prefect of Xunyang, will be held responsible.
"Settling the matter as quickly as possible, without making any mistakes!"
The expression on Wang Shiquan's face gradually became restrained and his eyes became cold.
"yes."
Zheng Chang bowed his head respectfully and was about to leave when Wang Shiquan stopped him.
"etc……"
Wang Shiquan suddenly stared at him: "That rebellious son can't do this alone. There must be someone secretly helping him. Have you found out who is secretly helping him?!"
After hearing this, Zheng Chang's expression changed slightly and he began to hesitate.
Wang Shiquan narrowed his eyes suddenly: "What? Are you hiding something from me?"
"I dare not!"
Zheng Chang gritted his teeth and finally said in a deep voice, "I'm afraid this matter requires your Excellency to verify it personally."
“…”
Prefectural Office.
Small courtyard.
Lin Jiangnian lay leisurely on the lounge chair under the eaves, looking at the scenery in the yard with his eyes half closed.
Xiao Zhu was sitting aside, holding a bunch of grapes in her hand, peeling them one by one and stuffing them into His Highness's mouth.
Lin Jiangnian ate the grapes fed by the maid with a look of enjoyment on his face, and glanced at Lin Qingqing who was standing under the eaves.
"How's it going out there?"
Lin Qingqing lowered her head and told what happened in the city.
After listening to this, Lin Jiangnian opened his eyes slightly and murmured, "It's begun!"
Lin Qingqing was puzzled: "Your Highness, what do you mean by this?"
Lin Jiangnian didn't explain, but glanced at her: "What do you think?"
Lin Qingqing was silent for a moment: "That Wang Qin is really a piece of shit!"
"That's not what I'm asking."
Lin Jiangnian shook his head slightly: "Do you think the Xunyang governor can survive this crisis?"
Lin Qingqing hesitated for a moment and nodded: "Yes."
"Although public opinion is currently one-sided, the matter is not serious. Given the abilities of the Wang family and the prefect, they will naturally find a way to dispel this matter and reverse the truth..."
"After a while, when the people's emotions subside, naturally, not many people will remember this matter anymore... To the Wang family, the people's opinions are not important! It won't be difficult to remove Wang Qin from the matter of illegally occupying the people's land..."
Lin Jiangnian raised his eyebrows: "So, in the end, Wang Qin and the Wang family won't be affected much?"
Lin Qingqing nodded slightly.
Lin Jiangnian smiled faintly: "Why do you know so much? Do you have any experience?"
Lin Qingqing just glanced at His Highness and said nothing.
Lin Jiangnian immediately realized something and the smile on his face froze.
"It seems that this fire is not burning brightly enough!"
Lin Jiangnian seemed to be lost in thought.
"What does your Highness mean?"
"How can this prince stay out of such a lively event?"
Lin Jiangnian swallowed the grapes that Xiao Zhu, who was standing beside him, handed to him. The little maid's face turned slightly red, and she withdrew her hand in panic, hiding her crystal clear fingers behind her back.
Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes and smiled: "Doesn't the Wang family want to suppress this matter?"
"I won't!"
"Let the storm get even more violent!"
“…”