Jackie Chan's Son-in-Law

Chapter 19 "Hot-Blooded" County Magistrate

After Chen Qing gave his name, the constable immediately went inside to report. Not long after, the previously fierce-looking constable jogged back to Chen Qing with a forced smile on his face.

"Young Master Chen, the master requests that you come in to speak with him."

Chen Qing nodded slightly, said thank you for your trouble, and then strode into the county government office.

He was not at all surprised that he was able to meet the county magistrate of Deqing so easily.

All the previous magistrates of Deqing County had a good relationship with Master Gu. The current magistrate had even dined with Master Gu a while ago, so he was naturally aware of the Gu family's situation.

They might even know Chen Qing's family background.

Whether it's his status as the new son-in-law of the Gu family or the eldest son of the Chen family, it's enough for this county magistrate to give Chen Qing face and grant him a meeting.

Moreover, in Deqing, the status of being a son-in-law of the Gu family might be even more advantageous.

Because Chen Qing's father, although he was the prefect, did not serve in the local area and had no jurisdiction over Deqing County. Moreover, Chen Qing was just an unpopular son.

Regardless of his identity, Chen Qing eventually entered the county government office. He was led to the back office and arrived at the door of the county magistrate's study. The bailiff knocked on the door and bowed, saying, "Your Excellency, Young Master Chen has arrived."

There was a moment of silence in the room, then a voice said, "Let him in."

The constable turned around and looked at Chen Qing, who cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Thank you for your trouble, brother."

After saying that, he knocked on the door himself, then pushed it open and went inside.

Upon entering the study, Chen Qing was greeted by the strong smell of ink and books. Looking up, he saw a scholar dressed in ordinary clothes sitting behind a desk, holding a brush and writing something.

To Chen Qing's surprise, this county magistrate was not the old man he had imagined. On the contrary, he was quite young and had a very dignified appearance. Judging from his looks, he was probably not even thirty years old.

Chen Qing was slightly taken aback, then immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Chen Qing greets the County Magistrate."

The current county magistrate of Deqing County is named Hong Jing. He has been in office for more than two years and his term is about to expire.

Having spent over two years in Deqing, he was naturally familiar with the Gu family and had a fairly good relationship with Master Gu. Upon hearing Chen Qing's words, Magistrate Hong put down his brush, pointed to the chair in the study, and said with a smile.

"I have heard about Young Master Chen's plight, and I feel quite sorry for him. Please sit down and speak, Young Master Chen."

After saying this, Magistrate Hong shook his head and sighed: "Your father is probably getting old and not quite sober anymore. If the censors and officials in the imperial court find out about this kind of thing in your family, they will definitely write a memorial to impeach your father."

As he spoke, he looked at Chen Qing and said seriously, "Young Master Chen, there is no need to be so timid. If you are dissatisfied, you can go to the Imperial Inspector to file a complaint and get justice for yourself."

Some time ago, because of the Gu Shouyi case, Master Gu came to the county government office and had a detailed discussion with Magistrate Hong. Because of that discussion, Gu Shouyi was arrested and imprisoned and has not been released yet.

Therefore, this county magistrate knew Chen Qing quite well.

Moreover, the tone of his voice when he spoke to Chen Qing at this moment carried a strong bias, with a hint of sympathy for those who were like him.

The saying "like attracts like" refers to the fact that Chen Qing, like him, originally belonged to the gentry class and was the eldest son of his family. Even if he failed the imperial examinations, he could still pass on his family's education.

We are all the same kind of people after all.

Once a man marries into a merchant family, he is truly doomed. Even an official like Magistrate Hong couldn't bear to see Chen Qing go astray and wanted to speak up to save this younger generation.

Seeing that Chen Qing remained silent, Magistrate Hong thought for a moment and continued, "If you have nowhere to turn for help, I can show you a way."

Chen Qing understood the implication in his words. His eyes flickered for a moment before he lowered his head slightly and said something he didn't mean: "Your Excellency, a son should not sue his father."

"I have other important matters to discuss with you this time."

Magistrate Hong sighed, "It's rare to find someone as filial as Young Master Chen. Speak."

Chen Qing then said in a deep voice, "Last night, Gu Shouyi's son went missing and was found dead in an abandoned house early this morning. The entire Gu family came to me this morning, trying to pin the blame for the murder on me."

"Your Excellency, please see the truth!"

Chen Qing stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Although I came to the Gu family to seek a son-in-law due to various reasons, I am still a disciple of the sages who has studied the classics!"

"My previous discord with Gu Shouyi stemmed from his order to have me beaten first! Now, thanks to the magistrate's clear and thorough investigation, Gu Shouyi has been imprisoned and has reaped the consequences of his crime. My matter with him is now settled!"

How could someone do something so heinous?

At this point, Chen Qing looked up at Magistrate Hong and said in a deep voice, "Now, a death has inexplicably occurred, and the Gu family members have conspired to frame me, but despite such a serious murder case, they haven't come to the county office to report it!"

“Your Honor, that child was clearly murdered. Not only did the Gu family frame me, but they also refused to report the crime. They must be hiding something. I have come here specifically to report this major murder case to Your Honor. Please send men immediately to bring all those involved to the county office for questioning!”

“If it had been any later, who knows what heinous crimes those people might have committed? Perhaps they would have burned the child’s body to the ground to destroy the evidence!” Upon hearing this, Magistrate Hong suddenly stood up. He looked at Chen Qing and frowned deeply: “Is what you say true, Young Master Chen?”

"This involves human lives, how could I dare to speak recklessly?"

Magistrate Hong left his seat, paced back and forth a few steps, then looked at Chen Qing and frowned, saying, "If the Gu family had committed such heinous acts, how could they have killed their own young son?"

"The county magistrate."

Chen Qing's face darkened, his expression turning angry: "They are merchants, after all, different from us scholars!"

His words were brief, but they struck a chord with Magistrate Hong.

Every monkey has its own way of being tethered. Before Chen Qing came to see the county magistrate, he was not sure how he could win over this county magistrate of Deqing and gain his help.

However, after seeing Magistrate Hong's age and hearing his words, he roughly grasped Magistrate Hong's temperament.

Or rather, it's the temperament of young officials who achieve early success in this era.

To become a county magistrate at such a young age, it goes without saying that Magistrate Hong must have been a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

At this age, he not only passed the imperial examination but also filled an official vacancy. He was riding high, and Deqing might even be his first official post.

Such people usually have a passionate heart, that is, a desire to uphold justice.

Meanwhile, intellectuals of this era generally looked down on merchants.

Chen Qing had a very precise grasp of Magistrate Hong's mindset. Every word he said was designed to lead Magistrate Hong in this direction. In fact, he deliberately left his last sentence unsaid, letting Magistrate Hong "guess" it himself.

These young people who are proud of themselves may not believe what others say, but they often firmly believe what they guess themselves.

Of course, this method only works for young county officials. If Chen Qing had encountered a county official over forty years old, he wouldn't have said any of this. Instead, he would have been trying to find ways to promise the county official some benefits.

Sure enough, Magistrate Hong's eyes darted around, and after a moment's thought, his brows furrowed: "Brother Gu told me that if a man marries into the family, he must inherit the family business. Could it be that those Gu family members are dissatisfied with Young Master Chen and want to seize the Gu family business, thus coming up with this vicious scheme?"

Chen Qing was taken aback, then suddenly realized what was going on and bowed, saying, "I only thought that they wanted to use this matter to frame me and drive me out of Deqing. I didn't think about the Gu family's assets."

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Excellency!"

Chen Qingxin was convinced: "Now, I finally see the whole picture."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Hong turned around and looked at him, then stroked his mustache and said, "A murder has occurred, which is no small matter. Since you have come to report the case, I will naturally take care of it. You lead the way, and the officials will be here shortly."

Chen Qing bowed his head in thanks and said, "Your Excellency, this matter is of great importance. I would like to request that Your Excellency release Gu Shouyi temporarily, so that he can at least clarify this matter before the county government takes further action."

Magistrate Hong shook his head: "Now that the county government has arrested someone, there is no reason for them to be released arbitrarily, otherwise chaos will ensue."

Chen Qing lowered his head and said, "Your Excellency, I am the aggrieved party in Gu Shouyi's case, so I will not sue him."

Magistrate Hong stepped forward and said solemnly, "Young Master Chen, you may go ahead. I will take Gu Shouyi with me to the scene later."

Hearing Magistrate Hong say this, Chen Qing felt much more at ease. He bowed his head and thanked him. Just as he was about to speak, Magistrate Hong changed the subject and said, "Since a murder has occurred, the county government must thoroughly investigate all those involved and get to the bottom of things. At that time, Young Master Chen will probably also have to come to the county government for questioning."

Chen Qing remained calm.

"I will stay in Deqing for the time being and will not go anywhere else."

"I am ready to answer the county magistrate's call at any time!"

At this point, he seemed to have thought of something, and lowered his head again, saying, "If this matter can be investigated thoroughly, not only will the real culprit be brought to justice, but Deqing will be restored to peace, and the child will receive justice."

"It's even possible that my innocence will be proven in the next round!"

Chen Qing bowed his head and said, "I will certainly repay the county magistrate handsomely afterward!"

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Hong stepped forward and patted Chen Qing on the shoulder.

"Mr. Chen."

Magistrate Hong strode out.

"Too polite."

(End of this chapter)