Volume 1, Chapter 286: The trial of the theft case.

Perhaps even Ye Tingmu didn't expect that he would be able to get away with nothing after killing the king's son.

Instead, he gained the recognition of his arch-enemy Chao Xiao.

As a time traveler, I wonder what he would feel if he knew.

But all this is a story for later.

At this moment, he was still acting as a judge in the lobby. No matter how difficult the case was, it would become extremely simple in his hands in an instant.

Those criminals just need a glare from him like this.

He confessed everything immediately.

I am afraid that even if the crime is not punishable by death, I will be sentenced to death.

Those slanderers even withdrew their lawsuit in court and never dared to rely on their power to distort the truth as usual.

Just as Ye Tingmu said, he wanted to give justice to the people of Nancheng.

Now he has taken the first step.

His reputation also spread throughout South City.

Seeing that another case was solved by him, the people once again shouted "Blue Heaven, Book and Sword Marquis".

The corners of his mouth rose a little higher.

His fingers kept tapping lightly on the table.

I thought to myself that solving this case is not difficult and it is quite interesting.

He narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "Next."

Upon hearing this, Captain Song waved his hand.

"Bring it up."

After a while, two figures walked into the lobby.

The two people who came were one tall and one short.

One middle-aged man and one child.

This made Ye Tingmu frown.

He looked at the two people in front of him carefully.

The middle-aged man was dressed quite elegantly and looked like a middle-class person.

He looks just so-so, with an average, common face.

As for the child, he looked about 7 or 8 years old.

Moreover, his hair and face were disheveled, and his skin was so yellow that I couldn't tell if it was originally dry or stained with mud and dust.

He was wearing a linen shirt that was so torn that it couldn't be any more torn.

The meat looks particularly lean and obviously malnourished.

But there was a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes.

Even when facing Ye Tingmu's scrutiny, he remained calm and composed.

But his waist was always bent, as if he was always inferior to others.

Ye Tingmu's eyes swept across the two of them, and then he asked, "Who is the plaintiff and who is the defendant?"

Hearing this, the middle-aged man knelt down immediately.

"Your Excellency, the people are the plaintiffs."

"Oh..." This piqued his interest. The child looked like a beggar, and the man was accusing the child of theft, so it was most likely that he was stealing.

"Please tell me in detail, who are you, what are you suing for, and what is the basis for your complaint?"

"Your Excellency, I am Zhou Yuan, a native of Zhulu. I live on North Street in the South City and run a jewelry store. This man sneaked into my store last night and stole something from me. I want to sue him for theft."

Ye Tingmu kept touching it, and it turned out to be just as he thought.

He turned his gaze to the little boy.

Asked: "What's your name?"

The little boy lowered his head and replied, "I don't have a name?"

"Why is it nameless?"

"Because I'm an orphan, I don't have a name, but everyone calls me Skinny Monkey."

He replied again, but he never knelt down and still stood there.

This scene can't help but make people feel funny.

The plaintiff knelt down, but the defendant did not.

Captain Song said, "Kneel down and answer, kid."

The kid named Skinny Monkey knelt down upon hearing this.

However, there was no trace of fear on his face.

This made Ye Tingmu feel a little strange.

After all, in this situation, who wouldn’t be afraid of being looked at by others?

This little brat looked to be only 7 or 8 years old, about the same age as Qingfeng, but he was not afraid of him at all.

So he couldn't help but ask, "Kid, you don't seem afraid of me?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, no worries!"

"Why aren't you afraid?"

The child raised his head upon hearing this, his face covered in mud but his eyes were full of seriousness.

"Because you are a good man, a great judge, I am not afraid."

Hiss...This answer made everyone gasp.

Even Ye Tingmu was dazed for a moment,

Aren't you afraid of me because I'm a good person?

Children never tell lies.

He took a deep breath.

"He said you stole something. Do you admit it?"

The child must have felt a little ashamed when he heard this, so he lowered his head again.

"Yes, I stole it."

He took the complaint from the table and took a look at it.

"Why did you steal jewellery? Don't you know it's against the law?"

Upon hearing this, the child suddenly looked up, with a fierce look in his eyes again.

"I didn't steal any jewelry. I only stole three steamed buns from his shop. I didn't steal anything else."

The man on the side heard this and said quickly, "You are talking nonsense. You stole it and you are still trying to deny it."

"I don't....."

Watching the two arguing, Ye Tingmu spoke.

"Quiet."

The two were scolded and immediately fell silent.

He crumpled the petition in his hand.

With a cold look in his eyes, he looked at the middle-aged man named Zhou Yuan.

The middle-aged man felt as if he was being stared at by a tiger, and couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

Perhaps because he felt guilty, he simply lowered his head and prostrated himself on the ground.

"Let me ask you, what did he steal?"

His voice was cold, with an authority that could not be questioned.

When Zhou Yuan heard the words, his mind went blank.

He hurriedly said in panic: "Sir, maybe I remembered it wrongly. He really didn't steal the jewelry, he just stole some food. Please spare my life, sir."

Ye Tingmu raised an eyebrow.

"Don't dare write this petition carelessly in the future!"

"Yes, yes, I will never dare to do it again." Zhou Yuan begged for mercy quickly, his fear and panic unspeakable.

Ye Tingmu did not intend to make things difficult for him with this matter.

He just said, "Get up."

"Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir."

Ye Tingmu stood up, put his hands behind his back, and then walked into the hall.

There was surprise and confusion in everyone's eyes.

Ye Tingmu came and stood in front of the boy.

Then he said, "Kid, he accused you of stealing food, do you admit it?"

The little boy bit his lip and nodded heavily.

"I admit it!"

"Then why did you steal?"

Why?

Why else but hungry?

No one knows why the little Tianhou in front of him, Lord Shaoqing, would ask such a question.

Or maybe his question must have some meaning that they didn't know about.

The little boy buried his head even lower now.

He did not answer, perhaps because such an answer was difficult to say, so he chose to remain silent.

There was also silence all around.

No one spoke, maintaining absolute silence.

It was out of curiosity and also out of respect for Ye Tingmu.

The little boy didn't answer for a long time.

Ye Tingmu asked again: "Then tell me, since you stole something, did you do anything wrong? Should you be punished?"

It was another seemingly simple question, and when it came out of Ye Tingmu's mouth again, the confusion in everyone's eyes became even stronger.

The little boy nodded again.

"I was wrong, and I am willing to be punished."

Upon hearing this, Ye Tingmu's lips curled up slightly. He looked at the tens of thousands of people outside the hall and asked, "What do you think? Is he wrong? Should he be punished?"