The Dramatic Crown Princess Wants to Poison Me!

Chapter 243: Chapter 243: Retribution

Kong Tixin had been a County Magistrate for quite some time, yet it was his first encounter with someone he had ordered to be beaten with a rod who not only overturned the Government Official but also swaggered off. This not only challenged his authority but also left him seething with anger; in his heart, he hated Huangfu Jingchen to the bone. Seeing Huangfu Jingchen actually with Shang Jingwang, he of course rushed to file a complaint.

Especially when he saw Shang Jingwang seem to joke, he became even more pleased and said, ”Lord Shang, don’t laugh. As for the unruly commoners who spread rumors and create trouble, they should certainly be disciplined as a warning to others!”

Shang Jingwang’s face suddenly darkened, and he slapped the back of his chair, shouting, ”What a fine ’warning to others’! You hold your position but do nothing worthy. Someone reports an outbreak, yet you don’t even investigate and instead blame and beat the informant. But when I arrive, you hurriedly come to flatter me. With conduct like this, you dare to call yourself a parent official? Guards!”

Though the entourage from Huainan Prefecture wasn’t large, Shang Jingwang had several Guards accompanying him on his travels. They were outside the hall, and upon hearing Shang Jingwang’s voice, they immediately entered.

Shang Jingwang pointed at Kong Tixin and said, ”This County Magistrate Kong loves ordering beatings; our Prefecture does not respect this. Apprehend him and start with twenty beatings.”

Kong Tixin was taken aback, and then his face changed drastically as he hurriedly knelt down, tears and mucus streaming, pleading, ”Mercy, my lord, mercy!”

His cowardly, fearful appearance amused Shang Jingwang, who shouted, ”Why are you yelling? Our Prefecture is just letting you taste the rod’s feeling; it’s not like you who disregard human life!”

Kong Tixin still wanted to beg for forgiveness, but the Guards of Huainan Prefecture had already hauled him up and placed him on the ground, with no rod available. Wang Bolao, always quick to adapt, dragged a long door bolt over and handed it over, saying, ”Don’t break it. This will have to do.”

The long door bolt was solid wood and a thick bar, although not as wide as the Government’s rod, it was heavier.

By this time, no one was in a hurry to eat anymore.

The rod hit flesh, and Kong Tixin screamed miserably. Although he enjoyed wielding his power and having people beaten, his pampered rear end had never been struck before.

The Guards from Huainan Prefecture were not going to show mercy.

Wang Bolao laughed heartily, thinking of how Kong Tixin had beaten him before; now, justice was served!

Huangfu Jingchen watched coldly; someone so ready to flatter those above and trample those below was beneath his attention. Moreover, an outbreak was a matter of people’s livelihood, and to ignore it as a parent official, labeling the reporter as spreading rumors, was unconscionable. Now being beaten after he himself loved to order beatings, was very fair.

Shang Jingwang glanced over and saw that Huangfu Jingchen’s demeanor was calm, understanding that Young Master Jing had no objection to how he handled Kong Tixin.

After all, Kong Tixin was asking for trouble.

Young Master Jing reported out of goodwill, yet was ignored, accused of spreading rumors, and threatened with a beating. If it weren’t for his skills, such an affront to a member of the Imperial Family—had such a County Magistrate dared to beat a noble—would he not have been executed?

As Kong Tixin received his beating, the two Guards he brought with him were silent as cicadas in winter, recognizing the voice inside as that of the Prefecture and not daring to utter a word, let alone attempt to rescue their master.

What’s more, Kong Tixin was usually harsh and overbearing; his subordinates might not necessarily be loyal.

After twenty strikes, Kong Tixin had already passed out.

Shang Jingwang reached out, took a cup of water from the table, and personally went over to splash it on Kong Tixin’s face.

Kong Tixin was roused by the cold water, opening his eyes only to almost faint again from the pain. He lay there, unable to move, wracked with pain at any attempt, tears and snot smeared all over his face, looking pathetically at Shang Jingwang.

Shang Jingwang squatted down and said coolly, ”Lord Kong, how does the rod feel?”

”No... not good... worse than death... painful!”

Kong Tixin articulated his feelings quite clearly.

”Do you know why you were beaten?”

Kong Tixin cried, ”I know, my lord. It’s my mistake, that’s why my lord punished me. My lord, I realize my mistake!”

”Wherein did your error lie?”

”I should not have casually ordered beatings!”

”It seems you still don’t understand your mistake!” Shang Jingwang’s face darkened, and he stood up, pointing at him and scolding, ”You, as a parent official, had someone report an outbreak—a serious matter—but instead of investigating, you ordered a beating and chased the informant away, obstructing the flow of information, thus delaying the containment of the outbreak. This is gross negligence! This is the first reason for your punishment.”

Kong Tixin’s eyes widened; he had come to curry favor only to have it backfire and end up severely punished.

”The second reason is your quick arrival upon hearing of our Prefecture’s presence. We are here for the outbreak, and you knew there was an outbreak yet brought no aid or supplies, only your sycophantic presence. Such behavior deserves a wake-up call! For these two reasons, do you accept your punishment?”

Of course, there was also the reason he dared to have Young Master Jing beaten, but that was not appropriate to say openly.

”Yes... yes...” Kong Tixin sobbed, tears and snot intermingling, sniffling and sniveling, ”I know my mistakes, I dare not repeat them!”

”Since you know your mistakes, now immediately return to your County Government, summon the county’s doctors to come and assist, and gather as much medicinal supplies as needed.”

Kong Tixin wanted to express that his rear was in pain, but opened his mouth only to say, ”Yes, I’ll handle it right away.”

The food on the table was hot; he had rushed from the county to curry favor with the Prefecture and had not worried about missing a meal, but now that he’d been beaten, and with the Prefecture’s order, he had to leave at once.

As for hungry? Who cared now.

Night had fallen?

He still had to go. What did ’immediately’ mean? He dared not defy those words.

With his two attendants’ assistance, he finally left the Government’s gates, but he could not mount the horse and eventually had to be lifted onto it by the attendants.

But he couldn’t sit upright and had to lie on the horse’s back, groaning whenever it picked up pace.

The Town Mayor’s Mansion’s butler personally escorted them out, seeing their haughty arrival and disheveled departure, spat on the ground: ”Serves you right for abusing power, now you’re repaid!”

The quarantine point was established three days later, with severely ill patients in the east and those with milder symptoms in the west. The number of doctors had increased to ten, plus Xia Wenjin, making eleven.

On the surface, it seemed sufficient, but manpower was actually still inadequate.

Zhang Jiantang bribed Song Heizi, and after Daleng Village’s village chief apprehended the lot, they were sent to the town for the Town Mayor’s decision, and fortunately, Shang Jingwang was there, with Wang Bolao naturally reporting the matter to him.

Shang Jingwang was furious, even though Song Heizi and his group had been beaten by villagers, Shang Jingwang ordered fifty more beatings and threw them into jail. These unruly commoners plagued the village regularly, and at such a critical time in the epidemic, their disruptions were even less permissible.

After the outbreak ended, their punishments would be decided.