pjbooks Chapter 15 Recommending Talented Individuals
Chapter 15 Recommending Talented Individuals
Liu Shan held a horse by the hand. He looked quite tall and strong, but his rapid breathing had already given him away.
"You get out of breath just from leading a horse, your physique... tsk tsk!"
Although Li Wanqing complained, she still softened.
After taking her own horse, she thought about taking Liu Shan's horse as well.
"I can do it, Wanqing."
Liu Shan wasn't trying to prove anything; he simply felt he could do it.
Li Wanqing didn't press the matter further.
That night, the two of them leaned against a tree on the earthen slope, without embracing or even showing any tenderness.
A chilly night wind blew, accompanied by the occasional howl of wild animals...
They were so scared they died. There was no time for romance or poetry. It was a miracle if they survived until dawn.
As dawn broke, the two hurriedly rode their horses to find their way.
When Liu Shan and Li Wanqing returned to the Li residence, it was just around mealtime.
The two didn't even change their clothes, just quickly washed their faces, and rushed into the hall.
"Where have you two been? Your father and I were worried sick all night."
"Don't rush, eat slowly."
"Aunt Zhou, another steamer of steamed buns, please."
……
Wang was busy preparing a meal for the family, constantly adding meat and vegetables to Liu Shan and Li Wanqing's bowls.
Seeing that the two looked very hungry, Li Polu didn't rush to ask them anything and sat down to eat as well.
"Master-in-law, where is Xiao Yue?"
Sure enough, when people are hungry, their brains work slower, and it was then that Liu Shancai remembered Xiao Yue.
"The little girl is new to the manor and doesn't know anyone. She stayed up quite late last night and hasn't gotten up yet."
Ms. Wang thoughtfully added, "The child is still growing, let her sleep a little longer."
"Yes, Mother is right."
Li Wanqing agreed, saying that Wang Shi had spoiled her just the same way when she was a child.
After the meal, Wang left with her servants, and Li Polu also came to the main hall with his daughter and son-in-law.
Li Polu asked softly, "Did you get the item?"
"I got it, Father."
Just as Li Wanqing was about to reach into her clothes, she remembered that Liu Shan had taken the "blood letter".
“Here you are, Father-in-law.” Liu Shan quickly handed it over.
Li Polu's expression grew increasingly grim as he looked at the contents of the tattered cloth.
"You've all had a long night, go back and wash up, get some rest." Li Polu put the "blood letter" into his sleeve and got up to leave.
"Father, at a time like this, how can we possibly rest? Now that the 'blood letter' has been retrieved, we must hurry to the government office to find Prefect Yin so we can rescue Miss Jiang."
Li Wanqing stood up as well.
"You were out all night, did you leave your brain out with you? The 'blood letter' can only prove that Chen An may have been wronged, how can it prove that Miss Jiang did not kill Yang Lian'er?"
If Jiang Ruolan hadn't saved Li Wanqing, given Li Polu's temperament, he would never have bothered with such a trivial matter, especially this case within a case, which was incredibly troublesome.
"There must be something fishy about this case. I beg my father-in-law for help."
Liu Shan bowed deeply to show his respect.
He knew that if he wanted Jiang Ruolan to clear her name as soon as possible, he had to rely on Li Polu to take action personally.
……
Cangzhou Prefectural Government Office.
Yin Nantian looked at the "blood letter" handed to him by the guard from Li Polu with a solemn expression.
After a moment, he asked, "In Lieutenant Li's opinion, how should this be handled?"
Li Polu pondered for a moment and said, “I am just a rough man and have no great insights. However, Chen An himself claims that he did not kill Wang Pinlian. If there are other hidden circumstances in this case, then we must investigate. Moreover, this case happens to be quite related to the death of Yang Lian’er, so I am also in a dilemma and would like to ask the Prefect for advice.”
Yin Nantian lowered his head and touched the pen on the table twice as if he was thinking. Then he said, "Then we will try the cases of Yang Lian'er and Wang Pinlian's deaths together. Today I will order He Qiong to go to Jinhua County to retrieve all the case files and escort Chen An and Ge Yuniang back to Cangzhou together."
Li Polu stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and said, “Your Excellency is wise. Considering the difficulties of this journey, you must know that Chief He needs someone to serve him faithfully. I, your humble son-in-law, am willing to share your burdens.”
"Hahaha~ Lieutenant Li is indeed a worthy person who recommends talented people without regard to kinship. I heard that Liu Shan has already been awarded the title of Xiucai. How about this, since Chief He is short of a clerk, let Liu Shan fill the position."
The clerks of the Xia Dynasty had no official rank and their status was not prominent. Using this position to give Li Polu face was a win-win situation.
Before Li Polu left, Yin Nantian specifically instructed his servants to treat Miss Jiang in prison well and not to neglect her.
It is truly not easy to be as considerate as Yin Nantian in terms of all aspects of life.
When Li Polu returned to his residence, it was already noon. After a simple meal, he had someone take Liu Shan to his study.
When Liu Shan learned that his father-in-law had gone to the government office and not only tried the two cases together, but also found him a job, he couldn't help but admire Li Polu's efficiency, which was simply outstanding!
However, the work of a clerk is too complicated. Not only do they have to draft documents, prepare memoranda, fill out legal documents and tax records, but they also have to collect and keep government archives and help illiterate people fill out documents and complete procedures...
This is really too difficult for someone like him who wants to just give up and enjoy a comfortable life.
However, Liu Shan himself was also clear-headed. In order to facilitate the investigation and to help Jiang Ruolan clear her name as soon as possible, it was necessary to have a formal identity to participate in the case.
"Thank you, Father-in-law. I will do my best and will not let you down."
Because the order received by the steward was to depart that day, Liu Shan didn't even have time to say goodbye to Li Wanqing and Xiao Yue before leaving the mansion with the bundle that Wang had temporarily prepared for him.
Liu Shan, along with He Qiong and ten personal guards, rushed to Jinhua County overnight.
After traveling through the night, Liu Shan and his party finally arrived at the Jinhua County Government Office the next morning.
Without even taking a break, they went straight to the county government office and confronted the county magistrate face-to-face.
Chief Clerk He appeared plump and kind, but when he read aloud the official document personally written by Prefect Yin in the courtroom, his voice was firm and resounding, and his demeanor was quite imposing.
"I, He Qiong, have been ordered by Prefect Yin to review all the case files of Yang Lian'er and Wang Pinlian, and to escort the suspects Chen An and Ge Yuniang back to Cangzhou for trial."
Liu Xinian's heart skipped a beat.
Liu Xinian had been serving as the magistrate of Jinhua County for some years. Now he was getting old and would turn seventy next month. He originally planned to work peacefully for another month before retiring and returning to his hometown. However, he unexpectedly encountered two murder cases in succession.
What he didn't expect was that while there were deaths every month, it was rare for the prefectural government to be alerted and for the prefect to directly handle the case.
After all, the deceased were just two ordinary people from Jinhua County, and now that the case has been transferred out... this is not a good sign.