Chapter 163 Exposed to Death

"There are a lot of bad rumors in town, saying that your family bribed the county magistrate to get you released..."

Goudan hurriedly recounted the rumors in the town. He was afraid that Cheng Weiyao would misunderstand that they were the ones who spread them. After all, it was indeed most convenient for beggars to spread a lot of news.

However, there are more beggars in Qingshi Town than just Goudan and his grandfather. There is also a one-eyed beggar who will do anything for money.

"Have a drink of water, don't be in a hurry." Cheng Weiyao seemed to be thinking about something. She originally thought that this was just caused by vicious business competition, but since the other party had such ability.

Could it be that the big fish Wen Chengyun caught got mixed up in the water? Otherwise, it's hard to explain why an ordinary peddler could have such great abilities...

"Bang!"

The wooden door of the courtyard was kicked open, and a group of soldiers in armor stood in several rows, led by Adjutant Li.

"Is Wen Chengyun's home here? Your husband is suspected of bribery, disrupting local order, and causing public unrest. It has been verified and he is being brought to justice!"

Adjutant Li took out an arrest warrant from his arms, flashed it at Cheng Weiyao, and waved his hand. The soldiers behind him rushed into the courtyard.

Military personnel? Cheng Weiyao's expression changed slightly. Before she could react, the door of the wing room behind her opened. Wen Chengyun, dressed in white, stood by the door with a calm expression.

"I'll go with you. Don't make things difficult for my family."

Adjutant Li raised his eyebrows slightly at Wen Chengyun's attitude. The general had said that Wen Chengyun was not an easy person to talk to. When the general returned victorious and wanted to ask for rewards, this man was quite talkative.

They said the treasury was tight, but in the end they only gave him an honorary title that had no practical value...

"Wait, you say it's a bribe, but what's the evidence? We haven't even been to court, so how can we verify it?"

Cheng Weiyao put her hands up and stood in front of Wen Chengyun. She wanted to obey Wen Chengyun's wishes, but just then she caught a glimpse of murderous intent in Lieutenant Li's eyes.

This is Qingshi Town, not the emperor's territory, and is under the jurisdiction of this group of soldiers. Even if Wen Chengyun was exiled here because of a mission, if there is an emergency, the emperor may be unable to reach him.

"Madam, please don't panic. The general is wise and brave, and he judges cases fairly. I believe he will definitely clear my husband's name. During this time, please take good care of the family."

Wen Chengyun gently patted Cheng Weiyao's shoulder to offer his comfort. He had been lurking in Qingshi Town for so long, yet he hadn't waited for the other party to take the initiative. Now that they had come to him eagerly, he had to give them a chance...

Cheng Weiyao saw the stubbornness in Wen Chengyun's eyes, and helplessly put down her arm, watching Wen Chengyun being taken away.

However, what Wen Chengyun had not expected was that Adjutant Li was a ruthless person. As soon as he went out, he had his mouth blocked and was forced to go towards the bustling Caishikou.

"Don't miss it if you pass by. The murder case in Qingshi Town has been solved and the real murderer has been brought to justice!" The one-eyed beggars shouted at the top of their lungs, obviously having built up momentum early on.

The locals were eagerly waiting, and unexpectedly, a familiar face appeared. Wen Chengyun, Cheng Weiyao's husband, sometimes helped carry tables and chairs to the stall in the mornings, so many of the regular diners knew him.

Now they say they've caught someone, and it's the stall owner's wife's husband? This is pure nonsense, because that person didn't even show up that day.

Wen Chengyun looked at the prison van that had been prepared long ago, and glanced at Adjutant Li who was looking very proud. The words "villain's success" were almost engraved on his face.

"Isn't that Cheng Ming? This is a huge injustice. The government didn't even hold a public trial. How could he be the real murderer..."

The other female members of the Qingping Palace were setting up stalls on the street. When they saw Wen Chengyun suddenly arrested, they panicked and no longer cared about their stalls. They hurried over to take a look.

"What's going on? Shouldn't this case be handled by the county government? How did the military become the ones trying to punish evil and promote good here..."

"I don't know. Wasn't there a rumor this morning that the county magistrate accepted bribes? Perhaps he was deprived of the right to hear cases... But why is this case so bad? It doesn't feel right..."

The people in the crowd were whispering to each other, and most of them had a hint of doubt in their eyes. Only the wonton vendor curled his lips slightly.

As long as there was someone to act as a scapegoat, he would have no worries. However, he did not expect that the crime would fall on this family by mistake.

It doesn’t matter whether it was the stall owner himself or his husband. How can someone who poisons and kills people be a good person?

After comforting Wen Chengming, Cheng Weiyao asked Wen Chengming to stay at home to look after the house, and she followed Goudan out to investigate the follow-up of the matter.

To Adjutant Li's disappointment, Wen Chengyun didn't seem to arouse public outrage after he got on the prison van. Even the family members of the old diner who was poisoned just watched with frowns.

But it didn't matter that no one stood up for him. He didn't hire people like the one-eyed beggar for nothing. They grabbed rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs and threw them at Wen Chengyun.

"Murderers should pay with their lives! I suggest they be executed in the street!"

"I think this man must be jealous that his wife is more capable than him, so he did something stupid out of jealousy. It's true that you shouldn't marry an incompetent man!"

Under the atmosphere created by the one-eyed beggars, some confused people followed suit and started smashing things. Wen Chengyun's white robe soon became unsightly.

Wooden stakes had already been prepared in the center of the vegetable market. This was the exposure punishment specially prepared by Adjutant Li for Wen Chengyun.

"The nature of this murder is extremely serious. To teach everyone a lesson, the higher authorities have decided to publicly execute the person. During this period, please stay away from the area and take this as a warning."

Adjutant Li waved his hand, signaling his soldiers to release Wen Chengyun from the prison van and transfer him to a wooden stake.

The punishment of exposure to the sun does not seem cruel, and there is no blood or tears. It just puts people under the scorching sun, without a drop of water or a drop of rice to eat, until they finally die of heatstroke, thirst or starvation.

Cheng Weiyao stood in the crowd, clenching her fists under her sleeves. This kind of torture that burns people dry, combined with such scorching sun, would quickly cause the human body to become severely dehydrated.

Even if they were untied promptly after the investigation, their entire body would be swollen and painful, making it impossible to stand. Whether they could survive for several hours depended entirely on their physical fitness...

Adjutant Li has racked his brains and is determined to harm Wen Chengyun!

"Madam, where are you going?"

Goudan watched Cheng Weiyao turn around and leave, and hurriedly followed her. He didn't understand the criminal law, so he thought that such a punishment was not severe.