Samuel Young and Emily Young looked up, and their expressions immediately changed, turning very unpleasant.

On the ridge above the gully stood a short, chubby man shaped like a winter melon, grinning with ill intent. It was none other than the county’s judicial assistant, Henry Clark. Flanking him were two bailiffs, each with a saber at their waist—both were armed officers.

With all the county officials swept away in a single purge, these clerks were now the real power in the county.

This judicial assistant, Henry Clark, held a position similar to that of a modern-day chief of police in the eyes of the common folk, but to the county’s big shots, he was nothing of the sort. After all, he was just a clerk; officially, he was nowhere near the status of a modern police chief.

In the past, this Arthur Clark had closely followed in Samuel Clark’s footsteps, frequently coming and going from the The Clark Estate and its villas, and was very familiar with the The Young Siblings. He had even flattered Samuel Young on more than one occasion.

But now, running into this Arthur Clark was a very bad sign.

Both Samuel Young and Emily Young knew this well, and their faces changed dramatically.

Henry Clark looked at the people in the gully, secretly delighted. He had been worrying about what gift to present to the new magistrate, but now he had caught female slaves and tenant farmers trying to escape with private property for the new magistrate—a major accomplishment.

Henry Clark didn’t actually know the details of the imperial edict; he’d only heard that a new county magistrate had been appointed, a former farmer named Nathaniel Brooks, who had earned merit resisting the Zhou.

Naturally, Henry Clark was eager to please the incoming magistrate. Without waiting for the official meeting at the yamen the next day, he had already started snooping around.

From the lips of the provincial officers who had raided the The Clark Estate, he heard that the new magistrate was coming to inspect the The Clark Manor fields. He secretly laughed, thinking this new magistrate really was a farmer—so impatient to see his land, afraid it might slip from his grasp?

Still, Henry Clark dared not slack off. He hurriedly took two armed officers and came to the fertile fields by Ming Lake to look for the new Robert Brooks. But with a thousand acres of good land, hills, gullies, winding streams, and ponds, he hadn’t found the new magistrate yet. Unexpectedly, he stumbled upon several tenant farmers conspiring to escape with The Clark Family's Mistress. Henry Clark was overjoyed—wasn’t this like a pie falling from the sky?

“Come, come, all of you, come up here!” Henry Clark called out to them with a smile.

The Young Siblings had no choice but to use both hands and feet, grabbing at wild grass to climb up the gully, with Nathaniel Brooks and Billy following behind.

“Sir Judicial Assistant, the magistrate has always treated you well. Could you let this concubine go?” Though flustered, Emily Young knelt gracefully, hoping to move him with emotion.

It was the first time this beauty had pleaded so softly with him. Henry Clark felt his heart melt, but he suddenly glared, “How dare you! Samuel Clark is deeply guilty, yet you show no remorse and still address that criminal as magistrate?!”

“And you, attempting to defy the imperial edict and flee—do you realize your crime?!” As he shouted, Henry Clark saw the beautiful woman’s face drain of color and tremble under his authority, feeling an indescribable satisfaction.

Emily Young bit her red lip and remained silent.

Henry Clark stared up and down at her alluring figure, brazenly sizing her up for the first time. The beauty could only endure it, and Henry Clark felt his wicked desire burning ever hotter. He coughed, “However, considering your youth and ignorance, perhaps this matter can be resolved!”

Being stared at by this short, fat man made Emily Young feel sick, but under the circumstances, she could only say sweetly, “Then… how can it be resolved?”

A greedy smile appeared on Henry Clark’s chubby face as he licked his lips and suddenly looked in a certain direction. “Oh? Isn’t that the new Robert Brooks? Come, let’s go meet Robert Brooks—everything will be decided by him!” He pointed toward a small grove not far away.

Samuel Young and Billy stared blankly in that direction, thinking so the new magistrate was in the woods.

The two armed officers exchanged glances, also looking hesitantly toward the grove, thinking after all this searching, the new magistrate was resting in the woods?

But Emily Young bit her lip and gently shook her head. “A man and a woman alone, in such a place—it wouldn’t be proper. If possible, please ask the magistrate to come here to speak.”

Nathaniel Brooks had been observing these people, since among them were both his friends and his subordinates. He took this opportunity to learn more about them. The memories of this life, his observations and understanding of this world, and his knowledge of human nature—he feared they weren’t very reliable.

Hearing Henry Clark’s words, Nathaniel Brooks was a bit puzzled—had Henry Clark mistaken someone else for him? He looked over with his sharp senses but saw no one in the grove.

After hearing Emily Young’s words, Nathaniel Brooks understood Henry Clark’s intentions and couldn’t help but glance at Emily Young, thinking this girl was truly clever.

Nathaniel Brooks was not dull; he’d seen plenty of human wickedness in his previous life. But he wasn’t sensitive to matters between men and women, so he hadn’t thought of that at first.

Now, though, he felt a bit angry. This Henry Clark fellow was really bold. In the chaos of a house raid, he’d come to seek out his superior, supposedly to curry favor, but how could he have such absurd thoughts? It was utterly ridiculous—completely ruled by lust.

In truth, Henry Clark wasn’t actually that bold. He had only intended to lure Emily Young into the grove, take a few liberties to satisfy himself, and then frighten the beauty a bit.