Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1209: The County Government Strikes It Rich

Steward Zheng felt quite out of place, if it weren’t for San Lang’s reminder, he would have almost cried with them: "Alright, stop crying. Mrs. Gao Huang, follow the Government Officials back to your courtyard, and for this period you and your daughters-in-law will live together with your granddaughter."

This way, Mrs. Gao Huang could more easily send messages to people outside, transferring and hiding the silver.

"Much thanks to you, steward!" Mrs. Gao Huang bowed in gratitude to Steward Zheng along with her daughters-in-law and granddaughter.

Steward Zheng waved his hand, hurry up and go, enough with the thanks, remember to quickly send a message to the people outside, we’re still waiting to confiscate the silver you hid outside.

Squad Leader Jiang didn’t care much for Mrs. Gao Huang, always suspecting the old woman had some trick up her sleeve. He had the Government Officials herd them towards Mrs. Gao Huang’s yard, warned them a little, shut the courtyard gate, and left a group of Government Officials behind.

But in the end, this group of Government Officials was called away, their reason being: "It’s just a group of women and children, nothing to watch. The county government office is surrounded by villagers, it’s better for the brothers to follow Company Commander Qin back to guard the county government."

This message, passed along by a woman delivering food, reached Mrs. Gao Huang’s ears.

Mrs. Gao Huang was overjoyed, King Qin would leave, and most of the Government Officials would also be gone, leaving few people to watch them, giving her the opportunity to act.

Qin San Lang indeed didn’t stay long, he led the search of the Gao family, inventorying all belongings, and then took Gao Sanxiong, the family’s sons and grandsons, along with the Protector and gambling house thugs back to the county government.

Even Steward Zheng left.

But Steward Zheng was worried, asking Qin San Lang, "San Lang, if we leave like this, will Mrs. Gao Huang succeed in escaping with the silver?"

He had heard about Zou Hai of County Magistrate Zou’s Family using fake household registration to escape, and feared Mrs. Gao Huang might try the same trick.

Qin San Lang replied, "Don’t worry, Uncle Zheng, I’ve already arranged manpower, even if Mrs. Gao Huang has her own people, the ones I’ve arranged can capture them."

The Gao family is just a wealthy family in a small town, with limited manpower, definitely not more than the Zou family, so don’t worry.

Steward Zheng looked at the gambling house thugs captured, feeling very anxious, the thugs combined with the Protector numbered over eighty people.

This number almost matched the soldiers of the Military Office.

They were able to capture these people because San Lang was fierce, and those thugs were concerned about their families, otherwise there would surely have been a fierce battle.

Steward Zheng worried all the way back to the county.

County Magistrate Zheng had been waiting for them, upon hearing their return, he personally came out to greet them even though it was midnight, his first question was, "Where is the wealth confiscated from the Gao family?"

Steward Zheng handed the list to County Magistrate Zheng, pointing to the two mule carts behind him: "It’s all here."

"Two mule carts? All silver?" County Magistrate Zheng frowned, yet asked eagerly, if it was two carts of silver, it would be considerable.

Well, Steward Zheng awkwardly said, "My lord, please have a look at the list first."

County Magistrate Zheng was obedient as he looked, and upon finishing, he directly kicked Gao Sanxiong: "Where did you hide the money?!"

A shady business, with only thirty-six hundred taels of silver in the home treasury, do you take me for a fool?

He then ordered, "Remove the cloth from his mouth, let him speak."

The Government Officials complied.

Once Gao Sanxiong could speak, he immediately cried out, "My lord, I truly have only this much wealth at home... Two residences, one hundred acres of irrigated fields, over one hundred acres of dry land, a gambling house, a cloth shop, plus over three thousand taels of silver, that’s already a lot in the countryside."

He chuckled: "I know my lord needs money, wants silver, but my family has only so much, there’s no more silver to conjure out for my lord."

His words insinuated that County Magistrate Zheng was framing him for money.

"Audacious, your crimes are proven, yet you dare say such entangling words to me, drag him into the government office, and use punishment!" County Magistrate Zheng was furious, fortunate it was midnight, and they came through the back door of the county government office, if it were daytime, and the villagers heard this, what chaos would ensue?

Considering Tianfu County's notorious penchant for gossip, his reputation for framing others for financial gain would undoubtedly reach the Prefecture's ears within a mere three days.

"My lord, Liu, the Chief Commander of the garrison, is my sworn brother! Please send him a message. If I die like this, he will not let this matter rest!" Gao Sanxiong spat blood as he uttered these words, his face, starkly illuminated by the torchlight, conveying a mixture of ferocity and outrage.

With a resounding thud, Qin San Lang delivered another unceremonious kick. "Do you think repeating the same words will achieve anything?" he questioned.

Turning to County Magistrate Zheng, Qin San Lang suggested, "My lord, we could pen a letter to General Guo, informing the garrison General of Hushan Prefecture to thoroughly investigate Chief Commander Liu. Associating with unsavory characters as sworn brothers is hardly commendable."

What? Gao Sanxiong's shock was palpable; he had never anticipated such a maneuver from Qin San Lang.

Truth be told, Liu Chief Commander, who had risen from humble beginnings as a street thug to his current position, was far from clean. An investigation could very well spell his ruin.

County Magistrate Zheng listened, a shrewd smile playing on his lips as he observed the terrified and anxious Gao Sanxiong. "Very well," he declared, "your suggestion is excellent, San Lang. I shall immediately draft a letter to General Guo, and he will, in turn, contact the General in Hushan Prefecture to investigate Chief Commander Liu!"

Chief Commander Liu had been Gao Sanxiong's last hope for salvation. Upon hearing this news, despair washed over him, leaving him breathless and ultimately causing him to faint.

County Magistrate Zheng, unimpressed by the display, ordered the unconscious man to be dragged into the government office and revived with a bucket of cold water.

Following this, a night of relentless interrogation ensued. Although Gao Sanxiong remained tight-lipped, Boss Gao, in his terror, confessed numerous crimes committed by Gao Sanxiong out of fear of being beaten to death in the Punishment Room.

County Magistrate Zheng was elated. With Boss Gao's confession and the evidence provided by San Lang, all that remained was to locate the victims to swiftly bring charges against Gao Sanxiong for his misdeeds.

However...

"Where is the silver? The wealth confiscated thus far does not align with the amounts recorded in the government accounts."

Among the Gao family's seized assets, aside from over three thousand taels of silver, only one hundred acres of irrigated farmland held significant value. Their houses and shops in town were comparatively worthless.

Qin San Lang reassured him, "My lord, do not fret. Within three days, we shall recover the substantial sum of silver the Gao family has concealed."

And Qin San Lang's prediction proved accurate. Within three days of Gao Sanxiong's conviction, as County Magistrate Zheng dispatched his letter to General Guo to contact the Hushan Prefecture garrison for the investigation into Chief Commander Liu, Mrs. Gao Huang could no longer bear the strain. She promptly instructed her second daughter-in-law to contact her family to expedite the transfer of their hidden gold.

Meanwhile, Section Leader Hong, Section Leader Jiang, and You Ping had been keeping a close watch. The moment the second daughter-in-law's family made their move, they were apprehended red-handed!

Indeed, the Gao family proved to be a nest of vipers. Every daughter-in-law's family, with the exception of Boss Gao's wife's own family, had actively assisted in hiding the gold for the Gao family.

"Hahaha, three jars of gold! The government has struck quite a fortune this time," remarked Section Leader Jiang, his eyes wide with disbelief at the sight of the gold. He then turned his gaze to the second daughter-in-law's family, his voice laced with anger. "Mrs. Gao Huang claimed the second daughter-in-law was taken against her will, yet you aided the Gao family in concealing their wealth. Holding them in such high regard, was your daughter truly abducted by them?"