Chapter 839: Chapter 802: Just an Accident

Because of an unexpected incident where someone attempted to deceive, Lin Wanwan realized the temple wasn’t as safe as it seemed. So as soon as she entered the guest room, she immediately instructed Liu Rushi to go fetch Qingyu.

While waiting for Qingyu, in the Discipline Room of the temple, Xiao Chong was interrogating prisoners.

The old woman’s jaw had been shattered by Kun Lun, making her unable to speak due to the pain, so the main targets of the interrogation were the robust men involved in the incident.

These people dared to attack a Village Lady of Secondary Fifth Rank in public, which was already a violation of Tang law, and it was undoubtedly a crime. In the hierarchy of the Great Tang, offenses by commoners against nobles were serious, and offenses by those of low status against nobles were even more severe.

This was a crime that could be judged directly without interrogation, but they were being interrogated to uncover the people behind them.

This type of organized crime was clearly not their first time. The unresolved disappearance cases at the County Government might very well find their breakthrough with these individuals.

Hence, Xiao Chong was giving them no time to react and began handling the case right in the temple.

Interrogation, in modern times, relies primarily on skill, but in the Great Tang, it could be based on skill as well as corporal punishment.

In a society with a stratified class system, the gentry had no psychological burden when dealing with ordinary criminals, interrogating as they pleased. Unlike in modern times, where there is a concern about complaints.

As an efficient County Magistrate, Xiao Chong had ample courtroom experience, easily dealing with these already mentally broken hoodlums.

Soon, enticed by the promise of leniency for confession, the group completely betrayed their master.

It turned out to be an undercover human trafficking gang within a caravan, targeting solitary maids from wealthy families and fair civilian women.

In their eyes, Lin Wanwan was just a sympathetic young lady from a wealthy merchant family, an ideal target for abduction.

One reason for this misunderstanding was because Lin Wanwan had not followed noble customs to wear a head veil while going out today.

Another reason was because she didn’t behave as typical high-ranking women by being discreet and went to the temple to pray, but instead, went straight to the guest room after visiting the market. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The third reason was that she bought mung bean cake from a street vendor and shared it with others, which was not typical behavior for noblewomen.

The polo field in the Yelingdu Temple was basically a men’s arena, rarely visited by noblewomen.

The main venue for noble ladies playing polo was in high-end routes, smaller Daoist temples for pilgrims, or private polo fields in estates and villas.

Lin Wanwan’s presence at the temple polo field without clearing the area indicated she was not educated as a traditional noble lady.

Her beauty, coupled with her silk attire, made her look more like a wife from a wealthy merchant family.

Rules for merchant families were much less strict compared to nobles, and their status lower. Encountering someone like Lin Wanwan, they could sell her to a bandit king in the mountains of another county as a wife, easily exchanging for hundreds of bolts of silk, if not more.

Her value was even higher than the beautiful Hu Ji transported from the Western Regions, no wonder they targeted her.

If Lin Wanwan had been just an ordinary woman today, accompanied only by maids like Hong Yan and Ji Yue who had no martial arts skills, escaping from such a coordinated and deceptive crime would have been difficult.

Having finished the interrogation, Xiao Chong straightened up and instructed, "Inform Minor Mansion Zhang to arrest the culprits and rescue the women who haven’t been trafficked out of the county yet."

"Yes!"

The Government Official received the order and departed.

After everyone had left, Dugu Di came out from the inner room, and said to Xiao Chong, "Le’an came to the temple without sending a card to the abbot first. Your cousin indeed matches you well as your fiancée, being just as free-spirited as you."

Xiao Chong looked at Dugu Di and said, "Brother Xiwen, there’s no need to laugh at each other over small differences."

"Hahahaha!" Dugu Di laughed heartily, placing his hand on Xiao Chong’s shoulder, "Come on, the case is resolved, let’s leave the rest to Minor Mansion Zhang. It’s rare for us to have some free time today, let’s go play polo!"

Xiao Chong jovially replied, "Alright."

The New Year was approaching, and the County Government was experiencing a restless atmosphere, with work efficiency low, everyone eagerly counting down the days and planning for the New Year.

Seeing this situation, Xiao Chong knew working would only be half as effective, so he chose to set aside official duties and relax.

Officials of the Great Tang were not the type to devote themselves entirely to work until death; just look at Li Shimin, sitting at the top, either playing polo or engaging in cockfighting, falconry, hunting, and soaking in hot springs. One could easily infer the work attitude of officials under such leadership.

When it comes to diligence, perhaps only Zhu Yuanzhang and some early Qing Dynasty emperors were the strongest; as recorded in history, they "got up earlier than the chickens, slept later than the dogs, and did more than the oxen."

Emperors of the Great Tang were adept at finding leisure amidst busyness.

As the leaders set examples, so did the officials in the Great Tang carry on the tradition.

In terms of workload and performance evaluation, County Magistrates were probably the busiest batch of officials.

When Xiao Chong and others headed to the polo field, Qin Shi, Qian Shi, and others, after listening to a casual lecture by a monk, came over as well.

Meanwhile, Xiao Chong’s servant, following his command, came to inform Lin Wanwan of the interrogation results.

"So, this group is indeed a human trafficking gang? Their apparent trade is running an escort agency?" Lin Wanwan felt relieved upon hearing this result, as unexpected hazards were preferable to premeditated plots.

At first, she had suspected that her whereabouts had been leaked and that someone had set a trap specifically waiting for her.

If that had been the case, it would have been disastrous, implying the presence of a traitor by her side.

Realizing it was just overthinking, she felt much more at ease and stood up, saying, "It seems we need to maintain the proper appearances in the future. These are not just for face, but to deter treachery too."

If Lin Wanwan hadn’t blended in with the crowd so much today, this incident wouldn’t have occurred.

"I understand the situation now. Please convey my thanks to the one responsible," Lin Wanwan glanced at Hong Yan, who took some reward money and handed it to the visitor.

"Thank you for the reward, my lady. I shall take my leave," the visitor stepped out of the guest room cautiously.

Since entering, Qin Shi and others had been standing confusedly on one side. Seeing the person leave, they couldn’t help but curiously ask, "Wanwan, did something happen?"

"It’s a minor issue, resolved," Lin Wanwan was unwilling to elaborate. "Sisters, have you finished shopping for New Year’s goods?"

"Yes, there were many vendors at today’s temple festival, and I even sold a few fishing nets I brought,"

Qin Shi and others eagerly shared their half-day gains with Lin Wanwan, with the most eager topic being the casual lecture they listened to earlier.

It was a rare entertainment experience.

Living in a remote seaside area, Qin Shi and others rarely attended temple festivals more than a few times a year, mostly being self-sufficient, let alone taking half a day off work to relax and listen to a casual lecture.