Chapter 285: Chapter 252: Rounding Them All Up

Huang Baiyuan still refused to give up.

He invited Mr. Qian, the County Magistrate of Baihe, to discuss the situation.

"Mr. Qian, surely you are aware of how my master died, as a knowing party, aren’t you?" Since this Mr. Qian had come on his own accord.

Lin Miao wouldn’t let this opportunity slip, he demanded that this person overturn the injustice his master suffered.

"Well, Mr. Lin, there’s really no need to reopen old cases, is there?" Mr. Qian awkwardly remarked.

"My master was so distressed over Huang San’s death, mistakenly believing that he prescribed the wrong medicine and caused a death, that he fell into depression, suffered a stroke, and eventually died. The Huang Family pushed this matter to the county court, and you sentenced him, requiring my master to pay three hundred taels of silver for funeral expenses to the Huang Family, correct?" Lin Miao no longer held Mr. Qian in high regard.

"Yes, yes, that’s indeed what happened..." Mr. Qian was helpless, deeply entangled with the Huang Family, also seeking to leverage their connections to link himself with Marquis Lingyang’s Mansion for his career advancement!

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have waded into these troubled waters.

Now that he was here, he could only brace himself to speak for the Huang Family.

"Why was Huang San buried hastily without an autopsy? The cause of death wasn’t thoroughly examined before deciding it was due to my master’s prescription?"

"At that time, the weather was hot, and the corpse, after a night, was already rotten and smelly, even if we autopsied, it would be hard to determine results..." Mr. Qian stammered an explanation.

"If the cause of Huang San’s death couldn’t be determined as owing to my master’s prescription, according to Da Li Dynasty’s laws, how did you, County Magistrate, conclude Huang San died from my master’s prescription?" Lin Miao pressed step by step.

Back then, even if he fought in court, Mr. Qian likely wouldn’t give him a chance to speak, since he was an official, and in court, he could casually find a reason to dismiss him, however absurd it was, he had nowhere to seek redress.

Things were different now; he was an official appointment by imperial decree as a seventh-rank Service Officer, though without an official post, he held more prestige than Mr. Qian, the County Magistrate.

Rank-wise, they were equals, but in political status, he was superior, as he had a significant chance to meet the Emperor in Li Jing, whereas Mr. Qian might never have the opportunity to report in Li Jing.

At that point, Lin Miao’s single sentence could cost Mr. Qian the hat he earned through decades of hard work.

Sweat dripped from Mr. Qian’s forehead, his back soaked through; he truly regretted being swayed by Huang Baiyuan’s words and promised benefits.

This young Lin Miao, sharp and eloquent, was more difficult than the old foxes in the officialdom.

The problem was, right now, he couldn’t impose official authority.

"Huang San was in his prime, merely suffering from heatstroke, which shouldn’t lead to death; even if your master’s prescription was fine, it could still be misdiagnosis..."

"If it’s a misdiagnosis, there should be an explanation; what illness ultimately caused Huang San’s death, without clarity, it’s unreasonable to label it as a malpractice and sentence my master to compensate with three hundred taels of silver for depression-driven demise, right?" Lin Miao had no intention of letting Mr. Qian off, since he was back, he wouldn’t let grudges go unanswered.

"Mr. Lin, the deceased has passed, can we not entangle ourselves with past matters? This case indeed had flaws in sentencing, but factually Huang San did die from your master’s medicine, should your master not bear some responsibility?"

"Bear responsibility? If a patient dies after taking medicine prescribed by a physician, should all physicians be sentenced because he took the medicine they prescribed? According to Mr. Qian’s logic, without examining the cause of death, it directly blames the physicians; who among physicians would dare risk their lives to save others?" Lin Miao angrily retorted, "Da Li Dynasty’s law states, physicians treat to save lives, unless deliberate, they cannot be held responsible for a patient’s death; even if misdiagnosed, as long as the prescribed medicine isn’t toxic, physicians can be exempt from blame. Is there such a clause in the law, Mr. Qian?"

Mr. Qian was rendered speechless, drenched in sweat, front and back.

"Mr. Lin, what exactly do you want?" Mr. Qian asked.

"Mr. Qian, the whole situation, you and I know well, my master is gone, dead and still bearing a stigma, all these began because of the Huang Family; if name isn’t justified, further discussions are futile, Mao, show our guest out!" Lin Miao directly issued an order for guests to leave.

Mr. Qian stood up, speechless, he couldn’t lower himself to admit fault; overturning the case would still require him to bear responsibility.

That would affect the Ministry of Personnel’s evaluation of him.

"Junior Brother, was your attitude towards Mr. Qian just now excessively harsh?" Sun Youwei had been hiding behind, listening.

"Without firmness, how could they be compelled to yield?" Lin Miao responded, "For the Huang Family, the ancestral hall and the weapons in the hall’s storeroom are the most critical; once exposed, heads will roll."

"Junior Brother, is it really necessary?"

"If they break the law without provoking me, I wouldn’t actively seek trouble with them, Senior Sister, I know you’re kind-hearted, sympathizing with the Huang Family’s women and children, but if not stopped now, and the Huang Family allowed to continue, once they reach adulthood, the only path left would be death!" Lin Miao stated.

"Junior Brother, you’re right." Sun Youwei nodded, it takes thunderous measures to reveal a compassionate heart.

...

"This is outrageous, forcing me to have the Huang Family admit fault to him?" Huang Baiyuan exclaimed after hearing Mr. Qian’s words.

"Mr. Huang, what else can you do now? If you don’t agree to his demands, the ancestral hall is in his hands, your Huang Family’s people are detained, moreover, he now has the upper hand since he possesses the land and house contracts. Even if you take this case to the Dongshan Prefecture, you’ll still lose..."

The most critical point is, Lin Miao is not an ordinary citizen now; he has a rank. Attempts to use power to suppress or violence to expel him won’t work.

Moreover, even if it could be done, would the Huang Family wait until today? Even those secretly sent to infiltrate have ended up trapped, very clearly, the opponent was prepared and had been wary for a long time.

"What would happen if Mr. Qian changes the verdict?" Huang Baiyuan asked.

"This case has already been reported to Dongshan Prefecture for closure. If the verdict is changed, as the County Magistrate, I would have to bear the responsibility for the wrongful judgment. How should I explain this to the Senior Official?" Mr. Qian naturally did not want to contradict himself.

"Mr. Qian, is five thousand taels of silver enough?" Huang Baiyuan gritted his teeth and asked.

"This..."

"Mr. Qian, if it weren’t for most of our elite members being dispatched, this matter could not have been handled in such a way. You know who the Huang Family serves," Huang Baiyuan threatened, "We are all on the same boat. If something happens, neither you nor I can avoid it."

"Fine, I will return to the county office right now and bring out the files," Mr. Qian gritted his teeth and said, changing a verdict isn’t just about saying it; there’s a whole procedure that needs to be followed. If it were an ordinary citizen, maybe we could fool them and get by.

Lin Miao is now a ranked official, and from what he understands of Da Li law, trying to deceive him is utterly impossible.

"Thank you, Mr. Qian!" Huang Baiyuan cupped his hands in gratitude.

...

"Young Master, look, I picked this up inside the backyard wall; someone deliberately threw it in!" Lin Mao discovered a note tied to a stone while patrolling the ancestral hall.

Lin Miao unfolded the note and was somewhat surprised by the handwriting and content: "It’s him."

"Young Master, who is it?" Lin Mao asked curiously.

"It’s an old acquaintance of mine, you don’t need to ask more, go on." Lin Miao dismissed with a wave, Qiu Ze actually intercepted the Huang Family member trying to send a message out for him, saying it was to buy him a few days to leave Qingping Town promptly.

The Huang Family moved Mr. Qian out while dispatching people to Dongshan City to report the news, they were playing a double game.

It’s just uncertain if Mr. Xie has managed to summon Pei Jian to mobilize troops yet.

The communication means in this world are too scarce; it’s carrier pigeons for close distances and message eagles for long ones, and of course, the traditional fast horse message delivery.

Message eagles are the fastest, but those who can afford them are not ordinary forces, and they also have specialized eagle trainers.

Eagle stations and pigeon stations have to be built too, which is quite an investment; general forces can’t bear the cost.

Those capable of training message eagles are sought-after talents by major powers, Si Miaoxue cultivated message eagles in the manor outside the city, but all were for communication with the Moon Worship Sect. Now that she severed ties with them, message eagles are largely unused.

Message eagles and carrier pigeons function similarly, point-to-point communication, changing the communicator or location requires retraining, and success isn’t guaranteed; frustration often arises when new and old mix.

Carrier pigeons too, but pigeons are more obedient compared to eagles, though they risk getting lost; their loyalty isn’t as strong as eagles, each with its pros and cons.

Lin Miao actually brought two carrier pigeons, only, using them during the ancestral hall was risky of being discovered by the Huang Family, simply opting not to use them.

...

"Hurry, hurry, don’t fall behind..." From Tang Family Castle, Zhuo Qingfeng immediately ordered a forced march, bypassing Baihe County, heading straight towards Qingping Town.

He knows Lin Miao must be stalling for time or feigning cooperation with the Huang Family; should the Huang Family notice this.

The Huang Family would either forcibly break into the ancestral hall or flee altogether.

Neither option is what he wants.

So, it must be quick, acting before the Huang Family understands the situation, to completely control the situation; this represents a significant opportunity for Pei Jian to earn merits.

Dui Ziyu and Ye Jie, following closely behind, were also startled by this scene, Zhuo Qingfeng leading the troops decisively bypassed Baihe County, heading directly to Qingping Town.

This indicates, Lin Miao has returned to Qingping Town.

If Lin Miao is alive, then he’ll definitely come into conflict with the Huang Family; now the Huang Family works for Marquis Lingyang’s Mansion, if Lin Miao catches any evidence of their wrongdoing and reports to Zhuo Qingfeng, the situation will gravely evolve.

However, to bypass Zhuo Qingfeng and first arrive at Qingping Town, that’s already too late.

What Dui Ziyu and Ye Jie could never have expected was, Lin Miao’s steward Mr. Xie had already returned to Qingping Town in advance.