Section Leader Jiang was annoyed by their cries and cursed, "What’s the point of crying? Your Wu Family is not the main culprit, just an accomplice. As long as you work hard to identify the Chang Family and the Gao Family in court, you’ll naturally receive a lighter sentence."

"Re... really?" The Wu Family Brothers’ eyes lit up as they asked expectantly.

Section Leader Jiang: "Believe it or not."

He then said to Section Leader Hong and the two Government Officials, "Daozi, you three keep an eye on this gold—the rest I’ll handle."

Company Commander Qin had instructed them that since they were soldiers and this was a government office case, they must have Government Officials watch over the gold once the Gao Family’s hidden wealth was found, to maintain the relationship between the government office and the Military Office and avoid conflicts with the Government Official brothers.

"Brother Jiang, rest assured, we will definitely keep the gold safe," Section Leader Hong responded, with the two Government Officials nodding in agreement, seemingly still startled by the three jars of gold and yet to recover.

Section Leader Jiang, nearing thirty, had been a small Section Leader for many years, and conducted affairs efficiently, wrapping up everything within forty-five minutes.

He also dispatched two soldiers to Hukang County to inform the Hukang County Government to keep an eye on the Miao Family and prevent them from leaving Hukang County.

Afterward, he called out to Section Leader Hong and others: "Daozi, let’s go, we should hurry back to the county government; carrying such hot property, we can’t stay long."

"Yes," Section Leader Hong responded, as they, along with their respective soldiers and the two Government Officials, rushed to the county overnight without even glancing back at the Gao Family in Xianggui Town.

...

Mrs. Gao Huang had been waiting for news at home and fell asleep from the wait, only to wake up at dawn, anxious to continue waiting.

When the time was past the second hour, she couldn’t hold back anymore and asked the woman delivering food, "Have the Hong Family People come?"

According to her earlier plan, after the gold was transferred, the Hong Family would inform her whether things were successful under the pretense of visiting her daughter.

The woman said, "No, no one came this morning."

"No one came?" Mrs. Gao Huang frowned, thinking that perhaps she was asking too early and that the Hong Family People would come in another hour.

Suppressing her anxiety, Mrs. Gao Huang continued to wait and finally, after an hour, she asked the woman again, "Did they come?"

The woman shook her head, "No, no one has come to the Gao Family today... even two of the Government Officials watching over the Gao Family are gone."

"Two Government Officials are gone?" Mrs. Gao Huang asked, "Were they called back to the county government? When were they called back? Why were they called away? Did the government office get stormed by the villagers?"

The woman said, "This old servant doesn’t know, but when I came in the morning, I found that two patrolling Government Officials were missing."

Mrs. Gao Huang, a very sharp person, felt that something was about to go wrong upon hearing these words.

She paced back and forth in the room, anxious and sweating coldly, saying, "Go fetch Mrs. Gao Hong for me."

"Yes." The woman obediently went to find someone.

Mrs. Gao Hong, twenty-two years old, still young and beautiful, greeted Mrs. Gao Huang with a formal bow, "Mother."

Mrs. Gao Huang glared at her, "You restless wench, did you tell your father something?"

Mrs. Gao Hong, frightened by Mrs. Gao Huang’s anger, recoiled in fear and quickly knelt down, "Daughter-in-law did not, daughter-in-law dare not."

She dared not do anything to wrong the Gao Family because Mrs. Gao Huang had threatened her that if she or her family dared to disobey, she’d pretend she was deceased and sell her to Jiangnan as a prostitute!

Mrs. Gao Hong knew that Mrs. Gao Huang was not just talking; this poisonous woman would indeed do such things, so she was very obedient.

Seeing that timid look on Mrs. Gao Hong’s face, Mrs. Gao Huang also knew that this useless girl wouldn’t dare do anything against her. But why hadn’t the Hong father and son come?

"Kneel in the courtyard until your family comes!" Mrs. Gao Huang thought that the delay of the Hong Family was because the Gao Family had encountered trouble, so they wanted to show her they were distancing themselves from her control.

Ha, then she’ll let the Hong Family see that even if the Gao Family has troubles, she can still torment Mrs. Gao Hong. If they want her not to suffer, they have to continue obeying obediently!

Mrs. Gao Hong dared not say more and knelt in the courtyard.

Mrs. Gao Huang continued her anxious waiting, and Chang Taohua and Mrs. Gao Wu were anxious, worried that their family might screw things up and ruin their escape.

Their mother-in-law had said that as long as the gold could be transferred, even if the Gao Family fell, they’d have enough for a lifetime, continuing as young madams without worry.

However, Mrs. Gao Huang and others waited until noon and still didn’t see the Hong Family People, but instead, Captain Jiang from the county government returned with Government Officials, storming in, "Mrs. Gao Huang, Ms. Gao Chang, Mrs. Gao Wu, the case of you instructing Old Chang Family, Old Wu Family, and Old Hong Family to conceal and transfer the gold is solid, now follow us back to the government office for trial!"

After speaking, not waiting for them to reply, he turned to the Government Officials, "Come, shackle their hands and feet." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

He then addressed them, "You’d better behave and not resist, or don’t blame the brothers for being rough."

Chang Taohua and Mrs. Gao Wu, frightened by his words, collapsed to the ground, "Unjust, we are wronged, Captain!"

Captain Jiang sneered, "What’s unjust? Your fathers and brothers have confessed and are waiting for you at the government office; hurry and reunite with them."

Never would have guessed how ruthless these women could be, particularly Mrs. Gao Huang, about whom County Magistrate Zheng, after hearing about her actions, lamented, "To think a woman could be so clever, but such wit is wasted."

Mrs. Gao Huang, upon hearing this, stood with an icy expression, upright without crying or pleading; she’d be proud even if caught!

Momentarily, her gaze fell upon Mrs. Gao Hong: "Why aren’t you shackling this woman? Is it because her Hong Family pointed out the other two families?"

Ah, this woman was indeed smart, hitting the nail on the head.

Captain Jiang didn’t admit it, only instructed the Government Officials, "Take Mrs. Gao Hong along too."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Gao Huang felt a bit more at ease.

When they were about to leave, the side room door opened, and Boss Gao’s wife, Mrs. Gao Wei, came out and asked, "Captain, I wish to know how I and my children will be dealt with?"

"There are many cases at the government office recently, and the Lord has ordered that since your family wasn’t involved in this case, you are instructed to continue residing here with your children until your maternal family returns," Captain Jiang replied.

"My maternal family will come back?" Mrs. Gao Wei’s eyes watered at these words, her voice trembling.

When she married into the Gao Family back then, her father was furious, feeling ashamed, and moved the family to Linhe Prefecture shortly after her marriage, to rely on a friend and teach at a private school, staying away for over a decade.

Captain Jiang said, "With the Gao Family in trouble and you as a daughter of the Wei Family, your family naturally has to return. Be patient; the County Magistrate will not trouble you."

He finished by calling out to the Government Officials, "Quickly set off back to the county government; the Lord is waiting!"

"Yes!" The Government Officials responded, quickly rushing out of the Gao Family.

While County Magistrate Zheng was eager to close the case, he felt quite pleased at the moment.