Li Ling's expression suddenly changed, which was more serious than when interrogating any case about the Xu family before, and his body leaned forward unconsciously: "Be serious? How can the Xu family really control the major events of the imperial examination, so that Huating County scholars cannot achieve fame through the imperial examination?"

Even though he had known that the Xu family had done all the bad things, no one could be more serious than the report at the moment. Because the imperial examination was the basis for establishing a country and the rule that every official from a school background valued the most. Even if Li Ling had the status of a time traveler, he still saw terrible consequences from this matter.

Qin Siwen raised his head slightly and looked back at Li Ling: "Return to the county master, how dare the students speak nonsense in such a big deal!"

"Tell me carefully." Li Ling urged, obviously wanting to know more about the inside story.

Qin Siwen nodded: "This has actually happened in the past ten years. That year, several students went to the county yard to sue the Xu family for many illegal acts, but were framed. After being beaten, they decided to go to the superior yard to report it.

"Also, they knew early in the morning that the government office had been bribed by the Xu family, so they wanted to go to Jinling. As a result, the matter was leaked before they set off, so they were taken back by the Xu family just not far from the county town.

"It was also this time that the Xu family members discovered that these students were the most threatening people to them, because they could pass through the state and the prefecture without having to pass through the site, or even go directly to the capital, and would bring down the evil things they had done to a greater yamen.

"So, in the next period of time, the Xu family made a ruthless move, expelling almost all the students in the county's fame. Then, in the subsequent imperial examinations, they only allowed their own children to obtain the qualifications for their children, and completely eliminated the progress of other scholars in the county.

"Because the county government was under their control, the county magistrate Xu could only obey their mercy, so when he arrived at the county examination, even if he had talented people, he would not pass. So after a few years, the study seeds in the county were completely cut off, and there had not been a scholar or a juren for many years.

"What's ridiculous is that the Xu family is actually qualified to get a fame and fortune. However, they are too unsatisfied. Although the qualifications of children are within reach, none of them can pass the exam even further..."

After Li Ling finished his words with a blue face, he finally understood why the Xu family had to do something so utterly. After all, it was to prevent someone from exposing Huating's situation and suing his own guilt to the superiors!

Because the Dayue Dynasty has always had laws, ordinary people would open roads and guide the city ten miles away from the county. This thing is naturally not difficult to get in other prefectures and counties, but in Huating, it is impossible to leak out because the Xu family interferes. The only exception is those scholars with fame and fortune, who can go out with their own waist cards and are not subject to regulations.

So, the Xu family came to take the opportunity to remove the firewood from the cauldron, which directly destroyed the imperial examination path of scholars in the county. This move was bold enough and ruthless enough, and the effect was even more obvious. If it weren't for his own appointment, I'm afraid that everything that happened in Huating County would have to be changed. After all, it's really difficult to pass on the news in different future generations. I want to call for a grievance, but I can't even get out of the county town. Who should I tell you?

After pondering for a while, Li Ling slowly let out a sigh: "I understand. I will find out this matter and seek justice for all scholars!" At this point, he looked at the other party with some confusion, "Qin Siwen, are you still a student?" The student is a scholar. He said just now, but this is unreasonable. Didn't it mean that the Xu family has already revoked all the students?

"I... sir..." Qin Siwen suddenly knelt down again, kowtowed continuously, which made Li Ling stunned. Xu Sen, who was also surprised, quickly helped the person up again, and then stared at him and said, "Speak, what else is there in this?"

"I... the sinner dare not hide it from the Lord. In fact, it was the classmates I reported to you at the beginning... I really didn't expect such a tragic disaster. Over the years, I have been uneasy. Every night, they are trying to take my life with me. I was wrong, and I was very wrong..."

Li Ling looked at the other party with emotion and stood there with tears in his face, feeling extremely guilty. Although he was not very clear, he still figured out the whole story.

As the county magistrate, Qin Siwen was obviously bribed by the Xu family as early as that time. But others did not know that because he was a classmate and friend, the students who wanted to go elsewhere wanted to bring him on the road together. After all, multiple people have more power.

Then, either because of fear or because of some kind of interests, Qin Siwen chose to betray his classmates at the last moment and informed the Xu family of their decision and the route to leave the city. This is also the reason why they were caught as soon as they left the city, and it is even more so that he is the only student in Huating County now.

But over the years, Qin Siwen could not bear the torture of his conscience, or he saw that the Xu family was about to end, so he came to expose the matter in order to save himself!

No matter what, Qin Siwen is indeed not a good person. However, he helped Li Ling a lot, because County Magistrate Li was worried that there was no appropriate reason to search the Xu family, but now this matter is no longer suitable!

Let me ask, what other crimes can be compared to blocking the road to the imperial examination? Not to mention a small Xu family, even a senior official in the court who dares to cheat in the imperial examination, is it a death sentence! And isn’t this crime of blocking the road to the imperial examination in a county more serious than fraud in the imperial examination?

Although he disliked what he did, this person was useful. Li Ling said softly again: "I know. If you can tell such a big deal at this time, it proves that you are still righteous. I am very pleased. You will also appear in the relevant interrogation. Are you willing to prove it?"

"Students are willing to redeem their sins on that day, no matter what they do, they will not refuse!" Qin Siwen answered happily.

Li Ling nodded with satisfaction and looked at Xu Sen who had just stopped writing: "Then let's sign the confession first, and I will open the court to hear the case tomorrow!"

"Students obey orders!"

...

When things have come to this point, I am the slaughter and the Xu family is the slaughter. It is naturally very easy for Li Ling to thoroughly investigate and review some cases.

After several interrogations, Xu Ziyang, including those who confessed to the crimes they committed by their families. If they did not admit it, they could only admit it after being beaten in the court. Li Ling was not an official with mental cleanliness. In addition to giving justice to the people of the county, his purpose was to completely eradicate the Xu family and not give them any chance to turn things around.

So they admitted the charge of taking over the property and the charge of killing people. In the end, facing Li Ling's repeated questions, they could only admit it obediently about their crimes of blocking the road to the imperial examination and not being able to pass the scholar's fame in Huating County for ten years.

When the crime was completely implemented, Li Ling was no longer polite. With an order, the county government officials surrounded the Xu family's mansion. Not only did they drive away all the women, children and elderly people inside, but they also seized all the property. This is the real family search and the family will be destroyed.

After copying this, the harvest was quite good. The amount of gold, silver and copper coins alone reached 500,000 taels. Coupled with various industries, fields and other real estate under the name of the Xu family, this number can double again.

These properties were all taken by the Xu family for decades, and two or three generations of people used various means to rob them. At this time, Li Ling was cheaper. After putting them in the warehouse, some of them were naturally returned to the victims who were killed by the Xu family, but more of them enriched the county government's bank treasury...

The only thing that surprised people was that many warehouses in the Xu family were searched, but the food they received was not much, only more than 2,000 kilograms, which was only enough for their huge family to use for a month or two, and it was really incompatible with the wealthy Xu family.

When the relevant accounts were handed to Li Ling, he was a little surprised after looking through them: "What's going on? The Xu family also has a lot of land. Every year, just collecting rent and tax, it shouldn't be just like this. Why is the granary empty in the end?"

Facing the questioning of the county magistrate, everyone in front of him was confused. Even Xu Sen looked surprised: "The food matter has always been under Xu Mao's control, and I have never asked about it. I really don't know the reason."

"What about Xu Maoren? Summon him, and I will ask him in person!"

At the command, someone rushed to the cell to pick up the prisoners. Xu Mao was one of the first prisoners to be imprisoned, so everyone remembered them deeply.

But after a while, the people who went there did not bring Xu Mao, but instead heard bad news in a look of horror: "Sir, many people in the prison...the Xu family... all of them hanged themselves..."

"What?" Li Ling couldn't help but stand up again and looked disbelief, "How could this be so? They really committed suicide, not killed?"

This problem stumped the subordinate who came to report the news, so he went there and found something wrong. As for the exact cause of death of the Xu family, it is hard to say.

At this time, Wan Shenji hurriedly stepped forward: "Sir, why not check it out with Beizhi." As a member of the Imperial City Department, investigating the crime scene was exactly what he was best at.

"If you have any work, you must check carefully." Li Ling said again, and then asked Wan Shenji to take a few brothers to the prison to check the situation.

Li Ling was in deep thought at this time. This fact was too strange. The people of the Xu family died sooner or later, but they were searching for his property. Then they found that their granary was empty and they all died. It really made people suspect that they were killed and silenced.

But no matter how Li Ling thought, he couldn't figure out who else in Huating County had such skills now. Even the Fang family, their people had long been driven out of the yamen.
Chapter completed!