flstandardbreds Chapter 105 Boredom
Chapter 105 Boredom
Liu Shan sneered and waved his hand, signaling the yamen runners to administer severe torture.
Liu Xinian remained expressionless, coldly watching the constables prepare the instruments of torture.
Just as the constables were about to put Liu Xinian on the rack, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.
Before he arrived, his voice preceded his arrival: "Lord Liu, wait! Hold on!"
Liu Shan was slightly taken aback. He recognized the voice all too well. He quickly ordered the yamen runners to stop the torture.
A barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in Liu Xinian's eyes.
Soon, a round figure appeared at the entrance of the hall; it was He Qiong, the chief clerk of the Cangzhou government office.
He Qiong was panting heavily. It took him fifty or sixty steps to run from the main gate of the county government office to the main hall. This run almost killed him.
He Qiong wiped his sweat and said urgently, "Lord Liu, you must not use torture!"
A long-lost smile appeared on Liu Shan's face; He Qiong's arrival temporarily dispelled the gloom in his heart.
"Lord He, how have you been? No, you've become even more prosperous."
He Qiong smiled wryly and waved his hand, saying, "Lord Liu, stop joking. I'm here to save you."
"Save me?" Liu Shan pointed to his own nose, his face full of doubt. "What do you mean by that, Lord He? I'm law-abiding, why would I need to be saved?"
He Qiong lowered his voice, his expression grave: "Lord Liu, Liu Xinian's identity is special; we absolutely cannot torture him. Otherwise..."
"Lord He," Liu Shan said in a deep voice, his smile fading, "I think you've come to rescue Liu Xinian, haven't you?"
He Qiong gasped for breath and said urgently, "No, Lord Liu..."
However, Liu Shan interrupted him again: "Lord He, I must remind you, it was you and I who orchestrated Liu Xinian's dismissal. Now, I have irrefutable evidence; Liu Xinian's crimes are clear. If we don't put him on trial, how can we face those innocent people? Lord He, you..."
"Oh!" He Qiong slapped his thigh suddenly. "Lord Liu, the Prefect asked me to remind you that Liu Xinian was only recently pardoned by the Empress Dowager. If you torture him, what will become of the Empress Dowager's reputation? Lord Liu, this is a serious matter and you must not act rashly!"
He Qiong urgently advised, "If Liu Shan insists on going his own way and offends the Empress Dowager, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
At that time, not only will Liu Shan himself be in danger, but he will also likely implicate the Li family and even the entire Cangzhou officialdom.
After all, it was Yin Nantian who presented the poem to wish the Empress Dowager a happy birthday.
Upon hearing this, Liu Shan suddenly awoke with a start, his expression changing drastically.
How could he forget this relationship?
The Empress Dowager had just pardoned Liu Xinian, but then she herself convicted him...
That's fine, but if they were to be tortured in order to convict someone, wouldn't that be a blatant challenge to the Empress Dowager's authority?
Thinking of this, Liu Shan broke out in a cold sweat, took a deep breath, and slowly said, "Lord He, thank you for the reminder."
He turned and waved to the constables, "Take Liu Xinian away first and keep a close watch on him."
The constables looked at each other, but dared not disobey, and had no choice but to take Liu Xinian away.
Seeing this, He Qiong breathed a sigh of relief and said in a low voice, "Lord Liu, this matter needs to be discussed further."
Liu Shan sighed and shook his head, saying, "Lord He, you don't know this, Liu Xinian's crimes are simply too numerous to count. If he is not executed as soon as possible, it will be difficult to appease public anger."
He Qiong looked terrified and hurriedly said, "Lord Liu, please don't act rashly! The Empress Dowager's will cannot be disobeyed, otherwise we will all be held accountable."
“Lord Liu, the Emperor’s grace is boundless, how can we treat it lightly? It would be better to postpone the trial, report to the court, and seek His Majesty’s decision. Only in this way can we achieve the best of both worlds,” He Qiong earnestly advised.
Liu Shan remained silent for a moment, his eyes filled with complex emotions, before finally nodding: "Alright, as you say, let's report this to the court for now and wait for the imperial edict to be issued before making a decision."
After saying this, the two looked at each other, both knowing that this matter was of utmost importance and that the slightest mistake could lead to total defeat.
Liu Shan's face was slightly unpleasant. He couldn't understand why the Empress Dowager would pardon Liu Xinian, who clearly knew that Liu Xinian had committed serious crimes.
Is the effect of jade carvings depicting pine trees and cranes symbolizing longevity really that significant?
Liu Shan had never seen the jade carving. Perhaps it looked extremely exquisite and could bring joy to people, but he still felt that no matter how much he liked it, the Empress Dowager should not ignore the law.
However, he forgot that the royal family was the creators of the Xia Dynasty's laws and also the biggest beneficiaries of them. To be honest, the laws were originally created to protect the imperial power, not simply for justice, let alone for the so-called well-being of the people.
At this moment, although Liu Shan felt unwilling, he could only helplessly accept reality.
Seeing that Liu Shan listened to the advice, He Qiong felt somewhat relieved, but still did not forget to remind him: "Lord Liu, the wording of the document must be carefully considered, lest it offend the Empress Dowager's will. Every word and sentence must be carefully considered to avoid any complications. The Empress Dowager's majesty is no small matter, and we must be extremely cautious."
Liu Shan nodded in deep agreement: "What Lord He said is absolutely right. I will carefully consider every word and strive to be thorough."
He paused, then said, "Once the document is drafted, please review it with me, Lord He, to ensure there are no errors before submitting it, is that alright?"
He Qiong nodded in agreement, secretly relieved.
Having drafted the documents but unable to interrogate Liu Xinian, Liu Shan, having nothing else to do, invited He Qiong to have tea together to relieve his frustration.
The two sat facing each other, the aroma of tea wafting through the air. Liu Shan remained silent, only sighing softly.
He Qiong naturally knew what he was thinking, so she gently comforted him, "Lord Liu, things are unpredictable. Only by observing the situation calmly can we deal with it with ease."
Liu Shan nodded slightly, picked up his teacup, but his gaze remained serious.
Knowing Liu Shanfei's purpose in coming here to serve as the county magistrate, He Qiong asked, "Lord Liu, is there any progress in the blacksmith shop case?"
Liu Shan put down his teacup and said in a deep voice, "No, not a single clue."
He Qiong was slightly taken aback and asked, "The remnants of the Liu family have nothing to do with the blacksmith shop?"
Liu Shan replied with a wry smile, "Not only is it unrelated, but you could even say I knew absolutely nothing about it."
He Qiong was slightly taken aback and asked, "Is this really true?"
Liu Shan sighed, "Lord He, how could I joke about such a matter?!"
He Qiong's expression was solemn. He hadn't expected Jinhua County to be so complicated, with so many cases seemingly unrelated.
Liu Shan was feeling down and didn't want He Qiong to get caught up in it, so he changed the subject: "Alright, let's not talk about this. The weather is so nice today, why don't we go for a walk and clear our heads?"
Seeing this, He Qiong knew it was not advisable to delve any further, so she nodded in agreement: "Alright, changing our mood might offer some inspiration."
The two got up and stepped outside. Sunlight streamed in, and although there was still gloom in their hearts, they found a moment of peace.
Sunlight filtered through the treetops, dappling the dirt road.
As Liu Shan walked, he introduced the local customs and traditions of Jinhua County.
"Lord He, this ancient tree is over a hundred years old and has witnessed the rise and fall of Jinhua County."
"Lord He, this is the only ancient bridge in Jinhua County, spanning a stream and weathering many storms... It's a pity that the stream under the bridge has been dry for many years and no longer has the babbling sound of the past."
"Master He..."
Before they knew it, the two had arrived at Li Jichang's house.