Chapter 38: The Judgment

The inner hall.

Shen Changqing sat there for about fifteen minutes before Hong Cheng walked in with a hurried expression.

"Greetings, My Lord!"

The moment he saw Shen Changqing, Hong Cheng bowed in salutation.

Clearly, he already knew about the other party's temporary appointment as the County Magistrate.

If the people of the Demon Suppression Division did not hold direct power over life and death regarding the officials of the yamen, then a County Magistrate certainly did.

Thinking of Shen Changqing's ruthless nature—a man who killed without blinking—Hong Cheng did not dare to commit even the slightest breach of etiquette.

"This is the imperial court's verdict regarding the Zhao family. Take a look!"

Shen Changqing placed the verdict on the table.

Hong Cheng stepped forward, picked up the document, and read it intently.

Gradually, his expression grew solemn.

Only after finishing the entire document did Hong Cheng respectfully put it back. "My Lord, the verdict has been issued. I wonder how we should proceed?"

"How else could we proceed? Colluding with evil spirits is a death sentence; this outcome is only natural."

Shen Changqing shook his head slightly, a cold sneer appearing on his face.

"Zhao Fang was able to serve as Magistrate because the power behind the Zhao family was not insignificant. Currently, Lin'an City is merely one of the Zhao family's ancestral lands; they have many branches in other places.

But no matter how many branches there are, it is useless. Now that the verdict has been issued, I believe the imperial court has already made its move. The Zhao family's branches elsewhere will not be spared.

Pass my command: arrest everyone in the Zhao family, including servants, and throw them all into prison!"

"Yes!"

Hong Cheng nodded, then hesitated slightly. "The Zhao family is large; they may not be willing to go to prison quietly. Although the yamen runners possess some martial arts, they are ultimately far inferior. If the Zhao family decides to resist, I fear we may not be able to suppress them!"

Finally, Hong Cheng's expression turned awkward.

For such a large yamen to be unable to suppress even a single family like the Zhaos was embarrassing.

But despite the embarrassment, he was stating a fact.

Counting all the runners, the yamen had perhaps only ten or twenty men, while the Zhao family, including servants, numbered as many as one or two hundred.

The reason the runners could currently keep watch over the Zhao family was that things had not yet reached a point of total desperation; the Zhao family still held a shred of hope and did not dare to enter a direct conflict with the imperial court.

Now that the verdict had been handed down, it was undoubtedly a death sentence for the Zhao family.

At this stage, the members of the Zhao family would certainly not sit idly by waiting for death.

If a true conflict erupted, with the current manpower of the yamen, they would likely be overwhelmed instantly.

Shen Changqing smiled faintly. "What are you suggesting?"

"This subordinate hopes My Lord can come to provide support. If the Zhao family does not resist, then fine; but if they do, they lack the standing to stir up any waves in your presence!"

As Hong Cheng spoke, he offered another bit of flattery.

"After all, My Lord's strength is undoubtedly the greatest in Lin'an City."

"Very well. I might as well go to the Zhao residence and take a look myself."

Shen Changqing stood up.

Seeing this, Hong Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.

He also feared the Zhao family's resistance; if even one or two people escaped, he would certainly be held accountable.

***

The Zhao Residence.

Ever since Zhao Fang's suicide, the atmosphere in the Zhao residence had been incredibly heavy.

Everyone understood.

The crime of colluding with evil spirits could, with one misstep, lead to the extermination of the entire clan.

The problem was that the Zhao residence was guarded by yamen runners, making it impossible for anyone to flee. Unless they truly tore through the lines and charged out—in which case the runners would naturally attempt to intercept them.

But if they did that, it would no longer be just about colluding with evil spirits; they might be slapped with even heavier charges of defying the laws of Great Qin and attempting rebellion.

At that point, the Zhao family would truly have no way to survive.

At this moment, in the main hall, all the direct descendants of the Zhao family were gathered. Their expressions varied; some were solemn, while others were panicked.

"The imperial court has not made a move yet, but you all know very well what the consequences of colluding with evil spirits are. Currently, a blade is hanging over our heads, waiting to fall."

At the head of the hall, a middle-aged man who appeared to have the scholarly air of a Confucian spoke calmly.

His name was Zhao Li, a direct descendant of the Zhao family and of the same generation as Zhao Fang.

With Zhao Fang's suicide, Zhao Li held the highest seniority in the family.

As his words fell, someone in the hall began to sob quietly—a female relative who had been frightened to tears.

A youth with delicate, effeminate features let out a cold sneer. "The Zhao family has fallen to this state because of my eldest uncle's collusion with evil spirits. In my view, as long as someone takes the blame, the imperial court might not necessarily wipe us all out!"

"Zhao Mingye, what do you mean by that!" a young man shouted angrily.

"Zhao Mingtang, my meaning is very clear. A son pays his father's debts. Your father committed a crime, so naturally, someone must pay for it. You can't expect the entire Zhao family to bear the weight of one man's mistake!"

Zhao Mingye sneered and stood up to speak loudly.

"There are currently about two hundred people in the Zhao residence. Are you suggesting they should all be buried alongside my eldest uncle? As for you—my uncle committed the crime, and as his son, you cannot escape responsibility. It would be better if your branch went to the yamen to confess; perhaps the imperial court would show leniency. Even if you are sentenced to death, it would be deserved. We are the innocent ones. Am I right, everyone?"

As soon as he finished, several people responded.

"Mingye is right! Zhao Mingtang, why should we bear the consequences of your father's actions!"

"Exactly! If you want to die, die by yourself! Dragging hundreds of people from the Zhao family down with you is nothing short of insane."

"In my opinion, it would be better to just tie them all up and send them to the yamen to redeem themselves through service—"

One by one, they spoke, their eyes filled with coldness and malice as they looked at Zhao Mingtang and his kin.

In their eyes, the Zhao family's downfall was entirely due to Zhao Fang.

Zhao Mingtang was incensed. "When my father was the Magistrate, the Zhao family received much from his grace. What, now that we are in trouble, everyone wants to wash their hands of it—"

"Enough!"

Just as the crowd was arguing, Zhao Li suddenly let out a cold shout, cutting them off.

The scene instantly fell silent.

However, many people still wore expressions of resentment.

Zhao Li scanned the room and said calmly, "What Mingye said is not without reason."

"Second Uncle—"

Zhao Mingtang's expression changed.

Zhao Li waved his hand, interrupting him. "But reason is one thing; the imperial court does not always act with reason. Historically, those who collude with evil spirits are, at best, exiled to the military, and at worst, their entire families are executed. The longer this drags on, the more disadvantageous it becomes for us. We cannot stay in Lin'an City; we can only think of a way to leave."

"Does Second Uncle mean we should directly flee Lin'an City?" Zhao Mingye asked, uncertain and suspicious.

Fleeing Lin'an City was no small matter.

If they truly did this, there would be no turning back for the Zhao family; they would undoubtedly be placed on the imperial wanted list.

Zhao Li looked at him, a flash of coldness passing through his eyes.

"If the imperial court will not give us a way to live, then my Zhao family shall naturally find another way!"