Chapter 539: County Magistrate, Fang Yiming
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Their County Magistrate was called Fang Yiming. He looked very ordinary and gentle. He had only been a County Magistrate for a few months and was newly appointed this year. He used to study in the Shengming Academy and was a top scholar. However, he was recommended by someone and became a County Magistrate before he could take the imperial examination. However, this scholar was strong and was an official of the Qing Dynasty. Anyway, he did not have any qualms being a County Magistrate.
“What is it?” Fang Yiming hurriedly put on a white robe and opened the door.
The officer lowered his voice. “The southern general’s men are here. They’ve sent five people to our prison cell. We’re not allowed to kill them.”
“Why does the southern general care about such trivial matters?” Fang Yiming had never seen the general before, so he found it strange. “Are those five people from our place?”
“Yes, they’re from Liu village.”
“What crimes have they committed?”
“They went to destroy other people’s crops and smashed their watermelons into pieces. That was all told. I didn��t really dare ask for more. That man is terrifying. When I saw the token in his hand, I trembled. We’re just mere officers, and he’s a high ranking official…”
“I’ll go and have a look.” Fang Yiming didn’t have time to wear his official robe. He walked quickly to the cell in his long robe.
In the cell, Liu Guisheng and the other four had not woken up, but they were all locked in the same cell, which was also the cell with the worst conditions.
Shiye was instructing the jailer on what to do.
The jailer was bowing at a 90-degree angle and kept nodding in agreement, for fear of neglecting Shiye, the general.
As soon as Fang Yiming entered, he politely cupped his hands to Shiye. “I am
Fang Yiming, the County Magistrate of this place.”
Shiye hugged his sword and shot him a glance. “Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t ask.”
Fang Yiming was speechless.
Shiye then turned to the jailer. “Did you hear what I said?”
“Yes, sir.” The jailer kept bowing again.
After that, Shiye left.
The jailer wiped the sweat off his forehead, bowed to Fang Yiming, and smiled.
“Sir…”
“What did he say to you?” Fang Yiming asked.
There were other jailers present just now and they all heard it. It was not a secret, so the jailer said, “He said that because I’m in charge, I should know how to deal with the people. He told me to deal with them properly, but I’m not allowed to kill them. Also, I have to lock them up for half a month before informing the officers in the villages to take them back.”
It was almost the same as what the officer on duty had said.
Fang Yiming looked at the five people in the cell in front of him who had not woken up and frowned. Among the five people, there was an old woman.
Looking at the other four people’s features, they seemed to be a family of five.
The jailer’s eyes turned, and he smiled and said, “Sir, it was just a small matter of smashing watermelons. They shouldn’t be locked up for that long, right? Shouldn’t they just be given a few flogging and be released so that they won’t cause trouble again in the future? Did these five people commit other crimes?” A jailer continued, “They must have done something to offend the general. It must have been so bad that they couldn’t take it anymore and sent them here.”
Fang Yiming thought for a long time before ordering the jailer, “When they wake up, interrogate them properly and see if they’re really a bad person.”
Although the southern army guarded the South and protected the peace of the South, he could not simply brush off this matter. He had always respected them from the bottom of his heart, it was obvious that this matter was not something that was simple, so he had to further investigate this matter..