What One Should and Shouldn't Do

Liu Yuanqing's words had barely fallen when many people responded with a roar.

"Right, that's exactly what we should do! Give him a brutal interrogation, and he'll definitely confess."

"Hao Jiyong is driving us toward a dead end. Why should we be polite with him?"

"Everyone, listen to Steward Liu. Let's seize that bastard Hao Jiyong right now."

After words proved useless, everyone, incited by Liu Yuanqing, prepared to resort to force.

Seeing this, Hao Jiyong's wife and daughter stepped in front of him together, refusing to let the villagers take him away. With tears streaming down their faces, they pleaded Hao Jiyong's case.

"Uncles, elders, sisters, don't you know what kind of man my Husband is? All these years, when has he ever taken so much as a needle or thread from anyone? He's helped all of you so many times. He absolutely didn't do this—nor could he do something so utterly heartless."

"Daddy didn't steal anything! Don't take Daddy away, sob sob."

"My daddy has worked in the storeroom for so long. He never even took petty advantages, so how could he steal those precious Medicinal Herbs? Please let my daddy go."

Looking at the miserable family, Song Ankang frowned. "Are they trying to beat a confession out of him? If Hao Jiyong can't endure it and confesses, what will happen?"

"This..." Qiushi hesitated before answering seriously, "According to the clan rules, stealing so many precious Medicinal Herbs and affecting this year's tax payment means certain execution. It would be the same even if the matter were reported to the authorities."

"He'll be killed for that..." Song Ankang was stunned. He had not expected someone to be beaten to death merely for stealing a few things. The rules here were far too cruel.

But when he considered the consequences this might cause—how many people might starve to death this year—Song Ankang could understand it somewhat.

Yet without conclusive proof that Hao Jiyong had done it, they intended to torture him into a confession and then take his life. This was something Song Ankang could not accept no matter what.

Even if killing thieves was the rule in this place, they should at least let a person die with the truth laid bare.

Therefore, even if what he was about to do might further worsen his reputation in Chaoyun Manor, or even lead someone to report him to the Tang Mansion in the Capital—

If he could not prove Hao Jiyong's innocence, he might even lose his position as lord of Chaoyun Manor because of it. Still, Song Ankang decided to do it.

After all, he was the lord of Chaoyun Manor. In theory, he could decide anything in Chaoyun Manor, and he had the authority to decide its affairs—especially something as serious as taking a life.

Song Ankang could not simply watch Hao Jiyong die and his family fall apart. Without Hao Jiyong, their pillar of support, it would be difficult for his family to survive this brutal year of drought.

Looking at the two children, only a few years old and crying until their faces were unrecognizable, as well as the delicate-looking woman, Song Ankang truly could not bear it.

So Song Ankang strode forward resolutely, walking toward Hao Jiyong's family, who were being pulled and dragged about.

Even if he had judged wrongly this time, with his special constitution, Song Ankang would one day soar like a dragon into the nine heavens. If this matter were to cast dust upon his heart, it would be far too great a loss.

"Stop!"

His clear voice was the only current flowing against the tide at that moment, immediately drawing everyone's attention. When they saw that the one who had shouted was Chaoyun Manor's new lord, many people frowned, especially Liu Yuanqing.

Although everyone disdained Song Ankang's ability to manage the manor, the title of Capital's Foremost Filial Son was famous enough that they all stopped pulling at Hao Jiyong and looked at him impassively.

Jiang Yunhe, following closely behind him, was also surprised by Song Ankang's sudden action. A faint trace of approval flickered through his gaze.

"Manor Lord, what are you doing?" Liu Yuanqing asked stiffly. Clearly, the events of the past few days still cast a shadow over his heart.

Song Ankang swept his gaze over the surrounding villagers and looked at Liu Yuanqing. "Based merely on personal speculation and imagination, you have decided that Hao Jiyong was responsible for the storeroom theft. Do you have no other conclusive evidence?"

"Conclusive evidence?" Liu Yuanqing froze. "What conclusive evidence? Isn't this conclusive evidence?"

Song Ankang was speechless. "By conclusive evidence, I mean: did anyone personally witness Hao Jiyong stealing the precious Medicinal Herbs from the storeroom, or did anyone find the duplicate key he made?"

"Th-this, no." Liu Yuanqing shook his head. "But he had the motive to steal the precious Medicinal Herbs from the storeroom. Also, he has often stayed out overnight these past half month or so. On top of that, someone saw him sell a ten-year ginseng plant. Aren't those all pieces of evidence? They're enough to establish that he did it."

Song Ankang frowned. "As I recall, the storeroom was guarded day and night, especially at the main entrance. Since you claim Hao Jiyong used a secretly copied key to open the door and enter to steal the precious Medicinal Herbs, wouldn't the guards have seen him?"

"Uh..." Liu Yuanqing looked embarrassed and hesitated, unable to speak. Soon, however, someone in the crowd answered for him.

"For the past few months, no one has been assigned to guard the storeroom at night anymore. It required an extra monthly wage, and Steward Liu thought it was wasteful, so he canceled it."

Song Ankang looked at Liu Yuanqing. "Is that so?"

"I have managed the storeroom for many years, and there has never been a theft in the past decade. So... so I felt nighttime guards were unnecessary, and that was why I canceled them." Sweat appeared on Liu Yuanqing's forehead.

Song Ankang sneered. "If that is the case, then you bear no small responsibility for the storeroom theft as well. And why was this matter not reported? Or did you think guarding the storeroom was such a trivial matter that there was no need to report it, and you could make the decision yourself?"

"Please forgive me, Manor Lord. This was all my fault. I beg Manor Lord to punish me." Liu Yuanqing's face turned ashen. He knew that he bore considerable responsibility for this matter, which was why he had wanted to solve the case as quickly as possible and, preferably, recover the stolen precious Medicinal Herbs. Otherwise, the clan's punishment would certainly not be light.

Though the stolen Medicinal Herbs were few in number, they were all among the most precious batch. Even the worst was ten-year ginseng, amounting to roughly one-tenth of Chaoyun Manor's harvest in an ordinary year.

Seeing Liu Yuanqing admit his mistake, Song Ankang let out a cold laugh. "We can discuss punishment later. Let me ask you this: after discovering that Hao Jiyong had sold ten-year ginseng, did you ask the shop where he sold it whether Hao Jiyong had sold them any other precious Medicinal Herbs?"

"We did not." Liu Yuanqing shook his head. "We asked all the medicine shops in Tongxin Town. Hao Jiyong only sold one ten-year ginseng plant to a single shop. The other Medicinal Herbs were not sold in Tongxin Town. He must have sold them elsewhere, somewhere we do not know about, to avoid being discovered by us."

Song Ankang smiled. "Since Hao Jiyong supposedly had such a secret channel for selling them, why would he openly run to a medicine shop in Tongxin Town and sell a ten-year ginseng plant? Did water get into his brain, or did water get into yours?"