Originally, Li Ling should not have ignored the existence of the Fang family. After all, it was a wealthy family who was in Huating and Xu family and also had many powers. Even in the county government, both families had their own confidants in charge of power, checking and balancing officials such as Xu Gong.

However, during this period, the Fang family was too low-key, so low-key that they completely lost their presence. Whether Li Ling replaced all the people in the yamen in the past two months or used a series of methods to target the Xu family, the Fang family was completely out of the matter, as if everything had nothing to do with them, which made Li Ling, who was wholeheartedly dealing with the Xu family, completely ignored their threats.

After all, Li Ling is not a local and has not experienced the strength of the Fang family, so when they have not made any abnormal actions and actively show weakness, it is naturally impossible to distract themselves from dealing with them or beware of them.

Now, the sudden change forced him to pay attention to the Fang family again. Their low-key and forbearance made people feel strong uneasy, and even gave birth to the great plan of the Fang family, which made him fall into the other party's plot.

However, Li Ling also knew that these uneasy emotions were more of a guess, at least he did not have any relevant evidence in his hands. Not to mention finding out that the Fang family had any conspiracy, even the death of the Xu family seemed to have nothing to do with the Fang family, because there were no members of the Fang family in the county yamen now.

This thought took Li Ling more than half an hour, but there was still no substantial progress. At this time, Wan Shenji rushed back, and the doubt on his face became heavier. Seeing this, Li Ling asked, "How about it, have you gained anything?"

Wan Shenji shook his head: "No, Xu Chen has no children. Although he had married two years ago, he had nothing to do. I heard that because Xu Ziyang forced him to marry, he has always been cold to him and has different houses on weekdays. Also, Xu Chen is a concubine's son, and his relationship with Xu Mo and his brothers has always been dissatisfied, and he has many conflicts with his father, so..."

"So it's also a good idea to follow when he suddenly started killing his brother and father?" Li Ling frowned deeply, "What about outside? Xu Chen has an outdoor room, maybe there is an unknown illegitimate child."

"The people of the Xu family have never mentioned it. Someone once said that Xu Chen was interested in another woman at the beginning, but because Xu Ziyang obstructed it, the marriage was broken up. This is also the reason why he was dissatisfied with his father."

"Who is that woman? Are you still in the county town now?"

Li Ling's questioning was exchanged for Wan Shenji's shaking his head: "Xu Chen, Xu Ziyang and others are very secretive about this matter. Those who know the details are probably dead, so this clue has also been cut off. Sir, this matter seems strange, but I really can't continue to investigate it for a while."

Feeling the discouragement and annoyance of this subordinate, Li Ling sighed. As he said, all clues have been cut off in the prison. If it were the actions of other murderers, there might be clues to be found, but Xu Chen, who also committed suicide, did not know what he had done in the past without knowing all his past experiences.

However, Li Ling was not discouraged and said, "Actually, I also thought of one thing. Maybe following this idea and looking down can solve these questions." As he said that, he explained his thoughts just now, and Wan Shenji nodded repeatedly: "This is indeed a way of thinking, but sir, where should we start? It is always inappropriate to bring the Fang family to interrogate for no reason, right?"

"This is easy to deal with, so start with the issue of Changping the grain warehouse!" Li Ling had a decision in his mind and immediately expressed his thoughts.

All prefectures and counties in the world of Dayue have official regular liquidation warehouses. In general or harvest years, this regular liquidation warehouse can only be used to store grain or replace grain, until the famine year, and its purpose will be revealed.

Whenever a natural disaster comes and affects the grain harvest, it will naturally make the local grain prices high. At that time, even if the government orders to calm prices, this policy may not be truly implemented under the nature of merchants seeking profit. After all, it is impossible for the government to force merchants to sell goods at a low price. They may even close the door and not do business. At that time, the people and the government will suffer losses.

So at this time, the role of the stock market is reflected. There are grains that can be called at will by the government, and the price is naturally determined by the government. As long as it is put into the market, it can impact the local grain prices and prevent the vast majority of people from being unable to afford food.

The setting of the Changping Warehouse was of course a painstaking effort by the court, but it was really implemented in all parts of the world and the situation changed again. The grain in the warehouse was replaced every year, and it was likely that it would not be used. So some corrupt officials would take the mentality of taking chances and put their ideas on the grain.

Those who are more courageous will directly take the grain inside to sell it. Anyway, when the new grain is put into storage next year, the old grain will be discarded. Who will check the specific quantity? Those who are more skillful will use a trick to replace the pillars, exchange the old for new, and replace the new grain in the warehouse with moldy and spoiled grain. Then, this is the case every year, and there will be a lot of money.

This is the case with Changping Warehouse in Huating County. Now the warehouses that should have been filled with grain are so empty that even mice are missing. Obviously, in the past few years, Xu Fang and his family have taken advantage of their positions to greed for the food they used to prepare for disasters.

Li Ling originally wanted to use the Xu family's stored grain to fill the shortage of Changping's position, but he had to have less than 10%. In this way, the Fang family naturally became his next target, and he had the previous suspicions, so how about you be polite?

After Wan Shenji figured out this, he nodded deeply: "What the sir is saying is, then let Fang Jinbo and others come to the county government tomorrow and ask if you understand?"

"No!" Li Ling shook his head and looked at the sun that was already west outside. "Smash while the iron is hot, and now I will summon people to ask clearly. If Xu Chen's affairs are really related to them, maybe I can still gain something."

"Then I'll let someone pass the message."

...

When the sky gradually darkened, a carriage stopped in front of the county government office. Fang Jinbo and his two sons got out of the car. After the news, they came to the second hall and saw the serious County Magistrate Li.

"The Caomin Fang has met the county master..." The father and son respectfully bowed to Li Ling. If they hadn't known their identities, they would have been likely to be regarded as ordinary people in the county.

"Mr. Fang doesn't have to be too polite, just get up and talk." Li Ling said, and quickly looked at the father and son.

Fang Jinbo seemed quite calm, but his two sons Fang Changsheng and Fang Changgeng had a little unhappy look on their faces, obviously they were dissatisfied with him being so humble to a county magistrate.

Li Ling said nothing about this and continued to say calmly: "To be honest, I should have asked Mr. Fang to come to the county government to see him earlier. However, all the things in the yamen have been busy these days, so I have been delaying it again and again. I hope you don't take it a word."

"How dare you? The adults are busy with all their affairs every day, so how can we and the common people dare to blame them at will?"

Fang Jinbo is indeed much more low-key and humble than the people of the Xu family. Even if he stands in the room with his hands so restrained, he doesn't feel any discomfort. It seems that he should have talked to the county magistrate like this, without any arrogance of the local tyrants.

"Haha, I think you should have known what I am busy with recently, right?" Li Ling looked at him with a smile and asked suddenly.

Fang Jinbo sighed: "Caomin naturally knows it, and he feels so much emotion on weekdays. I didn't expect that the Xu family would do so many wrong things. Now that the county emperor is responsible for the matter, it is a reason to blame."

"You really think so? Don't you realize that what I did is a little too much?"

Faced with Li Ling's questioning, Fang Jinbo hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and said, "I'd like to forgive my crime. To be honest, Cao Min had indeed blamed the adults when he learned about this. He felt that he was targeting the Xu family in order to establish his own prestige to fight against innocent people. But later, as things continued to happen and after learning about the Xu family's various actions, Cao Min realized that what the adults did was right, and it was because the Xu family did so many evil things that they are today."

His response was really clear, which made Li Ling unable to find any problem, so he could only nod his head: "It seems that Fang Yuanwai is really a sensible person. Since that's the case, then I want to ask you, since you don't agree with what the Xu family does, what about your Fang family? Have you never done anything to oppress the people and use power to make profits? As far as I know, your Fang family is in this county and the Xu family are worth the same. Even in the county yamen, your Fang family also has many children working."

This question made Fang Jinbo's face look even more frightened, and he immediately knelt down again: "Sir, the people are aware of the crime..." As he knelt down, his two sons could only kneel down.

Li Ling did not let him get up this time, but looked down at the three of them with a bright look: "Mr. Fang, then, do you admit that you have committed a crime?"

"It's... it's right." Fang Jinbo knelt there with some difficulty, his tone full of regret, "I dare not lie in front of the adults. Our Fang family has indeed done a lot of wrong things over the years with the power in hand, and has joined forces with the Xu family to gain more benefits.

"But... that was the strategy set by my father at that time. When I came to Caomin, I had long wanted to change all this. So over the years, Caomin has been making adjustments to sell the land and fields under our family's name at market prices, and then let the entire Fang family do business and no longer have conflicts with ordinary people. If you don't believe it, you can inquire everywhere in the county town. At least in the past four or five years, we have not taken advantage of even acre of land.

"Also, it is the personnel arranged by the county yamen. These people have agreed with the Xu family before, and it is related to the interests of many children of our family, so even the head of my family dare not change it at will. Fortunately, when you come this time, you immediately rectified the county yamen with the autumn wind swept away the fallen leaves, and our children were expelled from the county yamen.

"Caomin is only happy and has no dissatisfaction with this. When someone in the family proposed to join forces with the Xu family to check and balance, he was also suppressed by Caomin.
Chapter completed!