Chapter 1394: Saving Lives
Chapter 1394: Chapter 1394: Saving Lives
Gu Jin’an rolled his eyes at him. "You’re really childish."
Dou Meng, who was driving the carriage, burst out laughing, feeling very happy inside... Young Master had been harmed by his own kin since childhood and was very guarded against others. He usually only gave fake smiles and almost never opened his heart to outsiders.
But now Young Master was actually laughing heartily, and just listening to that laughter made one feel comfortable. What shocked Dou Meng even more was that Young Master had actually told Brother Cheng to call him older brother and had even given him a red envelope for speaking up, clearly genuinely wanting to accept Brother Cheng and be his elder brother.
Young Master actually wanted to be someone’s elder brother, and the kind who would shoulder responsibility. Forget saying Young Master had gone mad—Dou Meng himself felt he must have gone mad.
You had to know, Young Master hated "younger brothers" more than anything. Every time he saw someone else’s younger brother, he’d think of his own annoying little brothers and would practically want to butcher other people’s younger brothers too.
Maybe the Gu Family and Young Master were fated. Hopefully Young Master could get along better and better with the Gu Family People and make up for the lack of familial affection in his life.
Dou Meng was still feeling pleased when the County Governor Fang family’s carriage suddenly stopped.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Afraid of crashing into the County Governor Fang family’s carriage, Dou Meng hastily pulled on the reins to halt the horses.
But because he stopped too suddenly, he jolted the Young Master Dou badly. Furious, Young Master Dou lifted the curtain and cursed, "Dou Meng, are you looking to die? You don’t even know how to drive a carriage anymore?"
He then shouted forward, "Who’s up there? Stopping all of a sudden—trying to get the people behind you killed, is that it?"
Damn it, you think just because you’re some official bastard I don’t dare curse you out?
Dou Meng hurriedly tried to persuade him, "Young Master, please lower your voice, let’s figure out what’s going on first."
He was at least a County Magistrate; you couldn’t just curse him out like that.
"Something’s happened. The County Magistrate Fang has gotten out of the carriage with his servants, carrying knives." Brother Cheng, being small but sharp-eyed, saw County Magistrate Fang leading servants as they rushed into the small grove by the roadside.
Gu Jin’an saw it too and frowned. "Brother Dou, let’s get down and take a look."
Young Master Dou nodded. "Alright, let’s go see."
With that, he jumped down from the carriage, took the Dou Family people with him, and followed County Magistrate Fang into the grove.
The Gu Family Brothers followed right behind. As they passed Judge Tang’s carriage, Gu Jin’an said, "My Lord, it seems County Magistrate Fang is going to rescue someone. This student will go have a look; please don’t worry."
"Alright, be careful." Judge Tang nodded and also got out of the carriage, but he didn’t enter the grove; he waited by the carriage instead.
In the grove, two young women were being surrounded by a group of men who were stripping their clothes off. Their clothes were already half torn away, and the two women were crying and shouting, "No, no, spare us, please, we beg you!"
Several people who were tied up with ropes were crying out to those men, "Gentlemen, please spare them, they’re still maidens! If they lose their purity, how will they ever marry in the future!"
"Hahaha, it’s maidens we want. We men don’t bother touching wilted, ruined flowers." The leader spoke while untying his belt, then pounced on the prettier of the two girls and started kissing her wildly.
The other men lunged at the other girl, each of them like a starving tiger pouncing on prey, their mouths spewing filth. "Little lady, don’t cry. Come, come, let brother here show you the benefits of a man, hahaha!"
They were laughing lewdly when the Government Officials under County Magistrate Fang rushed in and started pounding them with heavy blows.
"Ah! Who the hell is that? Which bastard dares hit me!" The man being beaten immediately hoisted up his pants and looked back. When he saw County Magistrate Fang and the Government Officials in official uniform, he cried out in shock, "Shit, we’ve run into officials—run!"
With that, he hurriedly bolted.
The leader, who had been about to do the deed, also hastily pulled up his pants to flee, but a Government Official struck his ankle with a stick.
With a thud, the leader fell to the ground and was then pinned down by other Government Officials, who twisted his arms and seized him.
"Lord, Lord, spare my life! I’m innocent, I haven’t assaulted respectable girls!" the leader shouted, claiming injustice.
The Fang family housekeeper grabbed him and slapped him twice, snarling, "We caught you in the act and you still dare cry injustice? You really are a rotten seed. Let me tell you, our Old Master is the County Governor, and traveling with us is a Deputy Magistrate who oversees all criminal cases in the Prefecture. You’re done for this time!"
The leader nearly fainted at that and hurriedly looked toward County Magistrate Fang, calling out, "My Lord, I was wrong, but I’m truly being wronged... It was this family who offended their master’s household. Their young madam sold them off, but she still wasn’t satisfied and spent Silver to hire me to bring men here to ruin the two sisters’ purity!"
County Magistrate Fang frowned at that and turned to look at the family who were tied up. "You are Slaves?" he asked.
An old man from that family replied, "Reporting to My Lord, this old slave family is indeed Slaves, servants of the Bai Family in Tong’an Prefecture..."
Here the old man paused, looking very conflicted, unsure how he should go on.
The leader saw this and immediately cried out, "My Lord, you see? It’s all their family’s fault. His two granddaughters debased themselves, seducing the young Master, and were caught by the young madam. That young madam is with child and was furious, so she paid Silver for me to ruin those two sluts’ purity. I’m truly innocent!"
"Nonsense, you’re talking nonsense!" The eldest granddaughter, whose purity the leader had almost ruined, cried out, "My Lord, what he said isn’t true. This slave is being wronged... This slave served the young madam with all her heart. Who knew the young Master would develop designs on this slave and try to force himself on her... When this slave resisted, the young madam happened to walk in and misunderstood this slave. In a fit of anger she decided to sell this slave’s entire family..."
She sobbed so hard she could barely breathe, looking utterly aggrieved. After pausing for a moment, she continued, "Our whole family are Slaves. If the young madam dislikes us and wants to sell us, we have no complaints... But this slave doesn’t want to be so humiliated. I beg My Lord to save this slave’s family!"
After speaking, she cast a sidelong glance from the corner of her eye at Gu Jin’an, who had followed into the grove.
Young Master Dou and the Gu Jinli brothers had brought their respective servants in as well, but they didn’t speak. They simply stood to the side, watching this family, scrutinizing them.
County Magistrate Fang was in his early twenties, newly appointed to office, at the age when he was eager to make achievements and full of hot blood. Hearing the girl’s words, he couldn’t help feeling some sympathy. "Are you telling the truth?" he asked. "You must know that deceiving an official is a grave crime."
The girl hurriedly replied, "My Lord, every word this slave says is true. This Liu Tianbao knows the whole story; you can ask him."
She then swore, "If this slave has uttered even a single lie, there’s no need for My Lord to punish me—I’ll kill myself at once to atone!"
Bai Qiuge began to cry as soon as she heard this. "My Lord, everything my elder sister said is true. Please be merciful and save our family," she begged.
County Magistrate Fang then turned to the leader. "Liu Tianbao, this official will give you one chance. Tell the whole truth, honestly. If you dare utter even a single lie, this official will have you tortured on the spot and then throw you into the mines to work until you die there."
Liu Tianbao shuddered with fright at that, but still cried, "My Lord, I’m being wronged! It was this Bai Chunge who wanted to take advantage of the Bai Family young madam’s pregnancy to climb into the bed and become a concubine. She was caught and then sold off by the Bai Family young madam!"