When Deputy Magistrate Peng heard Jiang Nuan's words, his heart plunged straight to rock bottom.
He now felt he might be sharing the sentiments of that Tao... no, Wei fellow who had just been taken away. He had known the outcome might not be good, yet he had clung to a sliver of hope, only to sink into even deeper despair.
"Deputy Magistrate Peng, your name is Peng Penghua, and you've held your post for over nine years.
During your tenure, you could be considered diligent and dedicated, rising early and working late every day. Judged on that alone, you would indeed be a good official.
Unfortunately, you have a father who can't see sense. He goes around boasting about his wonderful son, bringing all sorts of relatives to your doorstep asking for favors. For the sake of his own pride, your father keeps forcing you to oblige.
With filial duty weighing down on you, you don't dare resist, so you've done plenty of things behind the scenes. Surely I don't need to list them one by one?"
Jiang Nuan looked at him and asked.
"No need. I'll tell you. A distant younger cousin of mine hacked someone to death, and I covered it up. One of my younger paternal aunts seized land from the common people, and I shielded her too. I also embezzled some of the grain collected as tax to subsidize my relatives. And..."
Peng Penghua promptly confessed to everything he had done.
Once he had said it all, he actually felt as though his entire body had been freed of a burden.
His heart had been tormented by those deeds too. All he could do was throw himself into work to ease his guilt.
That was precisely why Magistrate Pan had singled him out at first