Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1204: Old Master Gao

Seeing Qin San Lang's icy smirk, Elder Shi and Bai Changfu recalled his terrifying nickname as King Yan in the county, breaking out in chills of fear.

Zhang Zhong had already brought over soldiers from the Military Office. With two sharp thuds, they smashed their knees, forcing both men down. Ropes came out next, binding them tight in moments, while coarse sacks were jammed into their mouths to stop any talk.

Next, the pair was hauled toward the stone pillars and securely fastened there, one to each side.

"Mmm mmm mmm!" Elder Shi and Bai Changfu snapped back to awareness then, mumbling fiercely at the kneeling villagers to rouse them into chaos and set them free.

The villagers froze in shock... Company Commander Qin is arresting people, Company Commander Qin is arresting people!

Clang clang clang!

The piercing clang of a copper gong blared; it came from Military Office soldiers pounding the instrument.

The gong's racket snapped the villagers alert.

The gong-beater bellowed: "Company Commander Qin has something to say. Those who don’t want to be tied up should quiet down and listen!"

With Elder Shi and Bai Changfu captured before their eyes, the crowd grasped that Company Commander Qin tolerated no disorder and was truly making arrests. Despite swirling doubts, no one dared voice them first, and silence fell.

Only after the quiet settled did Qin San Lang advance, finger aimed at Elder Shi: "Look at this Elder Shi of Xianggui Town. Although he is dressed in rags, his body is full of fat, and his face is even glowing with health. Such a physique can only be maintained by wealth at home."

Then, pulling out a sheet of paper, he listed Elder Shi’s family wealth.

The villagers gasped in astonishment: "Yes, it is indeed a wealthy family!"

Qin San Lang nodded and questioned: "Do you still think his family can’t afford to pay taxes? His family can clearly afford to pay taxes, why stir you up to cause trouble? Just to borrow your hands to disrupt the county government and gain benefits from it."

Shifting his point to Bai Changfu: "This is a person from Bai Village outside the county, who used to work for Elder Shi in the past. He brought a group of vagrants to help Elder Shi cause trouble this time. If I don’t arrest them and let them cause trouble, you’ll be convinced and eventually storm the county government to smash things."

Qin San Lang eyed the baffled villagers and declared: "As long as you dare to rush in and smash things, even if you can afford to pay taxes, you’ve already violated Criminal Law, and the whole family will be implicated!"

This revelation stunned the villagers, who turned on those accompanying Elder Shi and Bai Changfu for the unrest, swarming to interrogate: "Tell us, is what Company Commander Qin says true? Do you really want to use us as tools, let us smash the county government so you can gain benefits?!"

These troublemakers, mostly from Bai Village, quaked at the charges. Some shoved aside their encircled villagers and fled, while the rest, trapped, were wrestled to the dirt by the mob.

With no getaway, the grounded ones dumped all fault on Elder Shi and Bai Changfu: "Dear villagers, dear elders, we’ve also been deceived by Elder Shi and Bai Changfu. They said as long as everyone caused trouble and stormed the government to teach Lord County Magistrate a lesson, the Lord wouldn’t dare collect so many taxes... Even if he doesn’t give us tax remission, he’ll ask the Zheng Family for money to pay the taxes for us. The Zheng Family is a noble family, and they’re wealthy!"

Yet Elder Shi's ruse was mere smoke—he served as a mere tool. The true power was Xianggui Town's affluent Old Master Gao.

Having built his fortune on gambling dens, Old Master Gao excels in underhanded schemes. Seeing the heavy taxes beyond folks' means, he plotted for Elder Shi to whip villagers into storming the offices. Arrested then, they'd scramble for bail silver, selling land dirt-cheap for his windfall.

With one villager dumping land or daughters for pennies, tax-strapped neighbors would follow, hawking kin and fields too. Endless cheap acquisitions, flipped high—enormous profits awaited.

Old Master Gao’s scheme appeared airtight, but Master Ouyang and Qin San Lang had seen through it from the start.

Qin San Lang kept a sharp vigil to stop anyone from exploiting the disorder and tricking villagers into offloading their land at bargain prices. Spotting Elder Shi and Bai Changfu in hushed whispers, he picked up on the odd vibe and dispatched You Ping to probe, which uncovered real dirt.

Once Elder Shi and Bai Changfu moved to execute their scheme, Qin San Lang showed no mercy in capturing them.

"You vile trash, scheming such a cruel plot against us—are you even human?!" The villagers erupted in rage after the truth came out, pinning down those they could catch and pummeling them fiercely.

Never underestimate the power packed in the punches from these elders and aunties. Without Qin San Lang's intervention, deaths could have resulted.

"Tie every one of them up and toss them in jail." Qin San Lang eyed the battered Bai Village folks on the brink of death, feeling zero pity.

"Yes, sir." Zhang Zhong and his crew moved swiftly, binding over a dozen Bai Village men in no time.

Nearby, Elder Shi’s son and Old Master Gao’s housekeeper witnessed the scene, their faces draining of color as they scrambled to hide.

Elder Shi’s son grabbed the housekeeper’s hand and urged: "Housekeeper Gao, that King Qin is no pushover. With my father nabbed by him, you need to figure out how to bail him out."

"Bail him out?" Housekeeper Gao flung off Elder Shi’s son’s grip and sneered: "Your clan botched the job; sort out compensating our master’s damages first. Saving your old man? Handle it solo—don’t drag the Gao family into this."

He added a stern warning: "Make sure your father seals his lips tight. No matter what officials grill him on, he denies everything. Spill on the Gao family, and your kin won’t survive another day in Xianggui Town!"

With that, he shot a venomous glare at Elder Shi’s son and stormed off.

Elder Shi’s son stood stunned. How had a surefire cash grab spiraled into this disaster?

Terror gripped Elder Shi’s son—he couldn’t rescue his father alone, dreaded crossing Old Master Gao, and worried his dad might drag him down too. After a brief pause, he bolted away.

"Father, forgive me. If it’s just you in the hot seat, that’ll do. I’ll act like I was never around and slip out now!"

Still, You Ping and the rest had clocked him ages ago, yet held back from chasing. Nabbing Elder Shi and Bai Changfu sealed it—the Gao family was next on the hook.

Dealing with the Gao clan hinged on the County Magistrate’s call. They just followed directives and stayed out of official business.

Outside the government office, villagers wailed and begged Qin San Lang, claiming they’d been duped and blind to Elder Shi and Bai Changfu’s wicked schemes.

Qin San Lang’s face stayed stone-cold as he responded: "Deceived or not, when scoundrels like these prowl, you must stay alert. I won’t be there every time to pull you out."

He pressed on: "The tax matter stems from the Emperor’s order—County Magistrate Zheng can’t ignore it. But fear not, the Lord Magistrate is already scheming ways to aid you. Keep stirring chaos and riling him up, though, and don’t cry foul if he goes strictly by the book and skips helping with your taxes!"