Chapter 156

“Mother Xun, please don’t do this. How can ordinary people like us fight against officials? You’ve acted like this time and time again. Aren’t you just making a fool of yourself? It’s all pointless.”

"That prefect is new; you don't even know what his temperament and character are like?"

"Most of these officials are corrupt and protect each other."

“Listen to what I have to say, let it go. You’re still alive, that’s already a blessing.”

"Grandma, my husband is dead, and I'm crippled. I must sue. I can't leave this city, but as long as I'm alive, I will go to the government office to sue Wan Liangsheng. I can't swallow this insult."

"His father was a prefectural judge, but not the emperor."

As the woman spoke, her expression hardened, and her grandmother, trying to comfort her, sighed deeply.

"The authorities have already closed the case, saying it was an accident. What can you do about it?"

"I will never let Wan Liangsheng go unless I die."

This Wan Liangsheng was none other than the eldest son of the magistrate's family. Last winter, he and his wife Rongxu set up a stall on the street to sell rabbits.

That day, Wan Liangsheng happened to come out of the restaurant. He was drunk and rode his horse wildly in the street. For some reason, the horse went mad and started running around in the street.

The couple had sold all the rabbits and were planning to buy some meat to take home for the New Year.

Rongxu, the husband who was searching for his mother, was already very weak. He was so frightened that he was not in any danger. However, the horse then charged straight at him. He was unable to dodge in time and was kicked several times, dying on the spot.

There weren't many people on the streets that day. After the incident, many people were mainly trying to avoid it, and there were hardly any witnesses.

Wan Liangsheng was the son of an official, and she did not agree with the outcome at all. He was drunk and rode his horse recklessly in the street, accidentally causing death, which was a serious crime and a case of homicide.

However, the final case file stated that the horse went mad and injured a pedestrian for no reason, and the Wan family was ordered to pay compensation to her family, without mentioning his drunkenness at all.

Her husband clearly died on the spot, but in the end, the truth was distorted, and it was said that her husband was in poor health and died after returning home. The eldest son of the Wan family was not involved in any murder case because of this.

Xunniang could never accept this outcome, but she had no choice.

Her family was powerless and insignificant. Both her husband's family and her own family advised her to give up and live a good life after receiving the compensation. She insisted, which almost caused a falling out with her family. The government also drove her away and ignored her.

She wanted to go to the capital to appeal to the emperor, and even sold her house for this purpose, but it was no use. She couldn't leave Jiangzhou City. The guards at the gate wouldn't let her pass as soon as they saw her.

Many days have passed since the incident, and Xunniang is filled with grief and anger. Right now, she is holding on to her last breath, also in order to seek justice for her deceased husband.

That day, she was by her husband's side. In the end, her husband was only able to protect her by enduring the pain, which is why he was kicked by the horse. She still remembers the fleeting smile in Wan Liang Sheng's eyes at that time. In the middle of the night, she feels like killing him.

The couple were deeply in love during their lifetime. Although they had no children, they stayed together for many years. Now, she is all alone.

She couldn't submit her complaint, and the government office wouldn't accept it, so she had to go there in person. Every time, she was driven away. Those soldiers were also despicable; they only treated people differently based on who they were dealing with.

In the dead of night, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, heartbroken. Everyone said the law was strict, but why couldn't she get justice? Thinking of her tragically deceased husband, she couldn't help but burst into tears.

The Wan family was naturally very thorough in their dealings. Afterwards, not only did they have a bribed doctor and an impeccable testimony, but there was also the horse, which died immediately. Whether it went mad or not, who knows?

Others might not know, but she could see it clearly at the time: that young master Wan had deliberately provoked the two of them.

Because of her status, the government did not believe her testimony. The few passersby they found, none of whom could afford to offend the Wan family, were all very evasive about the matter, saying they did not see it or did not see it clearly.

In the end, the matter was downplayed and forgotten. Wan Liangsheng is still alive and well, living a life of pleasure and happiness. The only difference from before is that he now only travels by carriage, and he is accompanied by several more people.

Her leg later became lame, and others just thought she had fallen accidentally. But she remembered clearly that on the night she went to the government office to file a complaint, two young men broke into her house and beat her without asking any questions.

If it weren't for her strong will, she probably would have ended her own life with a white silk ribbon long ago; life was just too bitter.

The following morning, the government office library

Wen Shi took out several more books and, just as he came out, he ran into Judge Wan.

"This humble official greets Your Excellency."

"A higher rank can crush you"—this saying is not just a figure of speech. Wen Shi could tell from his expression that he had come with a purpose.

"No need for such formalities."

"My lord, may I speak with you in private?"

The two then went to the duty room.

Once inside, Judge Wan immediately apologized sincerely to Wen Shi: "I truly did not know what my wife did before. Your Excellency is fair, diligent, and responsible, as everyone in the government knows. This woman is short-sighted and her behavior is disgraceful."

The implication was clear: he was unaware that his wife had given him money privately, and it had nothing to do with him.

Of course, if the money had been taken, he wouldn't have used those words today. Judge Wan was indeed flexible and adaptable. You see, husband and wife are one, and he had also lost face without realizing it.

But he couldn't care less about that.

"The lady has already spoken to me about this matter. We are colleagues and His Majesty's subjects. We should be dutiful, serve the people, and not disappoint His Majesty's expectations."

Wen finished speaking slowly and deliberately, then sat down in a chair and gestured for him to sit as well.

Judge Wan didn't come here just because of this incident. Thinking of his good-for-nothing son, he cursed him inwardly, but for safety's sake, he had to talk to his superior in advance and give him a heads-up. You see, he had handled things very quickly afterward.

However, that woman was indeed ungrateful. Several times, he wanted to end her life and get rid of her, but he couldn't do it directly, as that would be too conspicuous.

Not all the officials in the government office got along with him. If he died, things would only get worse, and the rumors among the people would be impossible to stop.

Even without evidence, his family cannot be shameless, nor can they bear the stigma of murdering civilians, as this would be extremely detrimental to his future.

The woman's husband is dead, and the case is closed. Judge Wan can no longer control everything in Jiangzhou; he can't do anything that's too risky.

He couldn't possibly be unaware that the woman had come and gone from the government office many times. Now, a new prefect had arrived, and he was not the same person he had imagined.

To be on the safe side, he should take the initiative to tell his superior about this, so as to avoid trouble in the future.

"Most of the women are not very knowledgeable. After returning home, I gave him a severe scolding. I didn't mean anything by it. Please don't take it to heart, sir."

"Is there anything else?"

"There's another matter. My son is mischievous and loves riding horses. Once, on the way home, the horse suddenly went mad, and he lost control, injuring a pedestrian. The government made a judgment, and my family paid compensation accordingly. There are witness testimonies, and the case is closed. However, the man's family wants to extort money and often comes to the government office to cause trouble, claiming they have been wronged."

After Wan Tongpan finished speaking, he made a worried and distressed face.

“I know that life is hard for ordinary people. It would be inappropriate to arrest someone for making false accusations because of this. In the end, it is still my son’s fault.”

After hearing this, Wen Shi remained calm, and no one could discern what he was thinking.

"This happened last year. I shouldn't bother you, sir, but I'm afraid that family might contact you privately and cause you trouble. So I'm letting you know that the case files are all here, and you can look them up at any time."

At this point, Judge Wan straightened his chest, looking as if he had a clear conscience.

Wen Shi nodded, indicating that he could leave if there was nothing else.

After Wan Tong was sentenced, a cold wind blew, which sobered him up considerably, and he was no longer afraid of being investigated retroactively.

When the prefect was transferred, he thought he would most likely take over, so he made many connections. But he was wrong. A young prefect came, who had only been a sub-prefect for a few years and had some money at home.

Wen Shi sat upright, composed and calm, his expression unchanging, showing no emotion. He couldn't fathom what Wen Shi meant.

In the evening, after Wan Tongpan returned home, he immediately had someone call his eldest son over and scolded him severely again.

“Father, the matter is over, why do you keep nagging? Your son will not ride a horse anymore.”

Wan Liangsheng hung his head, looking somewhat irritable.

“You fool, this prefect is not someone to be easily fooled. He has no connection with me and doesn’t want to associate with me. He is fair and upright, and that woman is also a troublemaker in private. If she makes a scene in front of him, you’ll be in for a world of trouble.”

"I should have listened to my mother and killed him, then it would have been over."

“Shut up! This is the stupid thing you did. Now your whole family will be dragged down with you. His Majesty hates officials’ sons who disregard human life the most. There have been similar cases in the capital before. The official’s position was much higher than your father’s, but in the end, he was killed and his family was demoted.”

"If you don't want to live anymore, or if you're tired of living a good life, find a rope and hang yourself. Don't bring trouble to your whole family."

Wan Tongpan wasn't a good person, but he wasn't stupid either; he knew exactly what was going on in his mind.

If the person before him hadn't been the eldest son and grandson, for the sake of the family's reputation and his own career, he would have truly hardened his heart and allowed the judgment to be made according to the law.

Fortunately, it was the dead of winter, and there weren't many people around, so the incident didn't escalate too much. He still had some dignity left and cleaned up the mess for the kid.

Wan Liangsheng curled his lip upon hearing this.

"Behave yourself for the next few years. If you cause trouble again, I won't be able to protect you. Let me make this clear in advance: if you're courting disaster, don't expect to drag your family down with you."

Judge Wan stood up, and Wan Liangsheng quickly nodded in submission.

"Just in case, don't leave the house. Stay home and focus on your studies. You're neither good at academics nor martial arts. How could I have given birth to such a good-for-nothing?"

"That won't do, I already have plans with someone..."

Faced with his father's somewhat fierce gaze, Wan Liangsheng had no choice but to lower his head and indicate that he would obey.

backyard

Madam Wan looked at her beloved eldest son and listened to his story before letting out a sigh.

"Many people in the government office know about that. Your father was afraid that his future competitors would find out and it would be detrimental to him. It's better if this matter doesn't escalate. If it does, it will reach His Majesty's ears, and the whole family will be in trouble."

“Killing that woman wasn’t difficult, but this one is different from the previous one. He has no relationship with your father and will be ruthless in dealing with him. Even if he can’t find any evidence against you, the matter you did before will definitely be widely publicized because of that woman’s death. Son, we can’t do foolish things.”

"She's already lame, so you might as well just stay home."

Madam Wan was also troubled; after all, he was her own child, and she couldn't just ignore him.

"Don't worry, I'll arrange for someone to deliver some money to their house privately. If that doesn't work, I'll have their family members say that the woman has gone mad and lock her up."

"I'll listen to my mother."

"Good boy."