Zhao An did not know exactly how badly Boss Qian had been beaten. He and Teacher Lou had not gone over to look, and there was no need to.
If Zheng Sanwan still dared to shield Boss Qian, he would truly be setting himself against the entire education sector of Jiangsu. While education officials held little real power, they were considered "pure and noble" and possessed significant influence over public opinion. In particular, they held sway over the scholarly class, and scholars had always been the backbone of public sentiment. If this group suddenly started producing a barrage of negative reviews regarding Jiangdu County, it would certainly put the Magistrate in a difficult position. If Zheng Sanwan couldn't weigh the pros and cons of this, he might as well have not been serving as Magistrate at all.
The final outcome was excellent. Wang Wanquan, Zhao An's cousin, was not only released in court but also received one hundred taels of silver in medical expenses from the Qian brothers. Since they didn't have that much cash on hand, Boss Qian had to lie prone in the County Yamen, enduring the excruciating pain in his backside to write out an IOU for his brother-in-law. With the County Magistrate serving as a witness, the debt had to be paid. Once the IOU was signed, Boss Qian was beyond tears. Paying the money was a minor issue, and being beaten was another, but losing his scholarly status was the real blow—that was far more painful than "losing both his wife and his army." He …
Chapter 91