County Magistrate Zhou knew his death was imminent; Xie Jue would not spare him. No matter how strong his connections were, they couldn't compare to Prince Yan of Beining. He wanted to purge the officialdom of Pingnan County, and no one could stop him. Even the gentry who lived off County Magistrate Zhou dared not speak out, fearing Xie Jue's knife would fall on their heads. After resting for a night, Fang Chuning was still asleep, but he was regaining consciousness and slowly recovering his health, so Xie Jue ignored him and went to handle the affairs of the Pingnan County Government.
County Magistrate Zhou confessed everything he had done, detailing how he preyed upon the people, including who covered for him, who shared the spoils with him, and so on.
