Chapter 77 The Prodigal Brother (Seventeen): A Merchant's Son's Counterattack Against a King of a Different Surname...

"Great...Great-Grandpa!" Ah San crawled forward two steps on his knees, his forehead pounding loudly. "This man is Wang Laizi's younger brother! All these years, he's been secretly covering for Wang Laizi. A few nights ago, he came to our cell in jail and confessed to us personally! Although few people in the city know about their relationship, Wang Laizi is a big talker. He often boasts that he has connections in the government. As the saying goes, it's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings. Just that one sentence is enough to scare a lot of people. Who would bother to come to the yamen to ask for clarification? Besides, Wang Laizi really does have a brother who's a constable! So, relying on this connection, Wang Laizi bullies people and acts like a thief! Great-Grandpa! You must do us justice!"

Upon hearing Ah San's long speech, Wang Le sensed something was wrong. He quickly stepped forward, forcing himself to remain calm, and said, "Sir, as a constable in the yamen, I have always been diligent and law-abiding. How could I condone my family members committing such heinous acts? Besides, I don't know any Wang Laizi. This prisoner is clearly slandering me!"

Upon hearing this, Ah San immediately became anxious and shouted, "Although the constables and yamen runners in the public yamen don't have official ranks, they are still public servants! If I weren't absolutely certain, how could I be so reckless as to utter such nonsense? Your Honor, please understand! Everything I've said is true! If you don't believe me, you can ask my two older brothers! They can both testify for me!"

Rong Chuying frowned upon hearing this. He didn't immediately pay attention to Wang Le, but instead looked at Ah Da and Ah Er kneeling below him. "Squad Leader Lu, remove the cloth from their mouths!"

Upon hearing this, Lu, the squad leader, quickly stepped forward, removed the cloths from Ah Da and Ah Er's mouths, and warned, "You two better behave yourselves! Answer the master's questions carefully!"

Seeing the fearful and pleading look in Ah San's eyes, Ah Da and Ah Er, after all, were his younger brother whom he had grown up with since childhood, softened their hearts. After a moment, Ah Da spoke up: "Grandpa, I am willing to testify that everything my brother said is true!"

"What utter nonsense!" Wang Le's mind raced, and he feigned indignation, saying, "Sir, the three brothers are bound by blood, so naturally, whatever one says, the other two will agree! I've seen plenty of such scoundrels in the marketplace. How can you judge me guilty based on just one person's words? At the very least, they're thieves; at worst, they're bandits! They're definitely trying to muddy the waters to escape your punishment, sir!"

"Wang Le, don't be anxious," Rong Chuying said calmly. "I will investigate the matter thoroughly. If you are innocent, that's for the best, but if what they say is true..."

Seeing Rong Chuying pause deliberately, Wang Le became even more flustered and immediately knelt on the ground: "I beg Your Excellency to investigate!"

Just then, Song Ce bowed and said to Rong Chuying, "Sir, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."

Just now, because of Song Ce's skillful use of incantation to induce dreams, Rong Chuying had a higher opinion of him, so Rong Chuying smiled faintly and said, "Why not? Please speak freely."

Upon hearing this, Song Ce looked directly at Wang Le and said loudly, "I have been observing from the side just now and found that Constable Wang Le seemed nervous and fearful. Moreover, Constable Wang Le's current reaction is obviously quite eager to distance himself from me, which makes him seem a bit guilty."

"You brat! What nonsense are you spouting!" Wang Le sneered, glaring angrily, "If you were to be smeared by these villains in the hall, would you shut your mouth and admit it?"

At this moment, some of the people outside the hall nodded in agreement that Wang Le's words made sense, some looked thoughtful, and others gathered in twos and threes to discuss it, making it quite lively for a while.

"Sir, the constable is right. Someone has wronged him in court. How could he be so foolish as to remain silent? He must have something to say in his defense!"

"Don't talk nonsense! The young man is clearly right! That constable's eyes were shifty and evasive; he was obviously up to no good!"

"Brother, you are absolutely right. What a coincidence! Why did those three suspects not implicate you or me, but instead frame a dignified constable? There must be something fishy going on!"

Rong Chuying listened to the discussions of the people below the hall without changing her expression. She then slammed her gavel down and shouted, "Silence!"

Once the situation inside and outside the hall was under control, Rong Chuying turned her gaze to Ah San again, "Based solely on the words of you prisoners, this official cannot convict you. Do you have any other evidence?"

Ah San was stunned upon hearing this. He and his two brothers had only just learned that Wang Le was Wang Laizi's younger brother, so how could they possibly produce any proof? He trembled involuntarily and murmured, "I...I..."

Seeing this, Wang Le breathed a slight sigh of relief, feigning injustice, and said, "Please investigate thoroughly, sir! This fellow is clearly making baseless accusations against his subordinates; he has no solid evidence whatsoever!"

Just when everyone thought the evidence was insufficient and the case was at a standstill, Lu Bantou suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He calmed himself down and stepped forward: "Sir, you have seen the abilities of this young master Song just now. Why don't we let him use this incantation dream method on Constable Wang? Maybe he can overturn these false accusations against Constable Wang. What do you think, sir?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Le was terrified and cried out, "Sir! Sergeant! This is absolutely unacceptable! The magic this boy is using is sorcery! We must not believe him! If he uses this evil magic and I say something I shouldn't have and offend you, sir, I won't be able to explain myself even if I have a hundred mouths!"

After pondering for a long time, Rong Chuying finally said calmly, "Now that things have come to this, we might as well give it a try. If you have nothing to be ashamed of, what is there to fear?"

Wang Le wanted to argue further, but Lu Ban Tou immediately gave his subordinates a look, and Wang Le was firmly restrained.

"Thank you for your trouble, young master," Lu Bantou said, bowing to Song Ce.

Upon hearing this, Song Ce bowed slightly and then approached Wang Le. At this moment, the square-holed coin reappeared in his hand, slowly swaying before Wang Le's eyes. Wang Le initially resisted fiercely, but as the coin swayed, his gaze gradually became as unfocused as Song Ce's, and he ceased his struggles.

“Grandpa, you may ask your questions now.” Song Ce took a step back and said respectfully.

Seeing this, Rong Chuying nodded slightly and asked, "Wang Le, is what the prisoner A-San said true? What is your relationship with that Wang Laizi? Have you two done anything wrong?"

Wang Le's eyes were glazed over, and he mumbled, "Replying to your question, sir, what Ah San said is correct. Wang Laizi is indeed my own brother. You're talking about evil deeds? We've done plenty, but I don't know which one you're referring to. Back when I first joined the police force as a constable, my brother approached me and said that since I was in the police force, I must have some advantages. He wanted to use my position to do some quick money-making schemes. I thought it was a good idea at the time, so I agreed. Over the years, we've specialized in extorting wealthy, uneducated people, and we've made a total of 62,000 taels of silver. We've had a really good time!"

These words caused an uproar in the courtroom. The people whispered among themselves, and even the constables standing on both sides were shocked.

"I never expected that a dignified constable would actually be colluding with a rogue!"

"Yes! I just don't know how the sir will sentence him."

“This kind of villain is even more despicable than the prisoners in the courtroom. I hope Your Honor will punish him severely.”

Listening to the conversations of the people outside the hall, Rong Chuying's face grew increasingly gloomy. He angrily demanded, "How many innocent people have you two brothers harmed? Confess the truth!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Le smiled slightly and continued, "We didn't harm many people, only about a dozen in total. My brothers and I had a set pattern: we targeted wealthy families who cared about their reputation. We could easily scare them off each time, which was quite boring. After we got the money, we bought a large mansion and put many beautiful young women to serve us. We were living a very carefree life. I suppose even the emperor couldn't live like this?"

"How dare you speak ill of the Emperor!" Rong Chuying immediately stood up, cupped her hands in a gesture of respect towards the north, and then continued to press, "How do you brothers ensure that you don't get caught each time you commit a crime? Also, have any of the wealthy families you extorted reported you to the authorities?"

Wang Le mechanically replied, "Before each operation, my brother would find out the whereabouts and temperament of those wealthy people in advance. We chose those who were timid, cowardly, and arrogant. Most of them would choose to swallow their anger for the sake of their reputation. Even if someone couldn't stand it and dared to report it to the authorities, they didn't know that I worked in the yamen and could always find out in advance. With a bit of intimidation, I could suppress the matter."

Upon hearing these words, the people outside the courtroom immediately became indignant and clamored for the magistrate to severely punish Wang Le.

"This kind of villain is utterly corrupting the image of the government!"

"Absolutely! Absolutely! Your Excellency must severely punish this man to give those who were deceived an explanation!"

"If the wealthy dare to act like this, what about us ordinary people? Do we even have a way to survive?"

Rong Chuying slammed the gavel again in anger and shouted, "How dare you, Wang Le! As a member of the public service, you have committed such a heinous crime, knowingly breaking the law and showing disrespect to your superiors. Your crimes are unforgivable! This is an outrage against heaven! Guards!"

"exist!"

"Take Wang Le into custody. I will thoroughly investigate this case and make sure his crimes are verified one by one! I will hold a public trial in five days and show no leniency!" Upon hearing this, the bailiffs on both sides quickly stepped forward and took Wang Le away.

"Good!!" The people outside the hall cheered loudly for Rong Chuying.

After Wang Le, who looked dazed, was taken away, Rong Chuying immediately summoned his advisor and Lu Bantou to discuss the matter.

"My lord, this case has far-reaching implications and involves corruption and extortion within the government. We must proceed with caution. Please begin immediately to organize Wang Le's confession, clarify the details of this case, and compile it into a book as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, the clerk nodded respectfully and replied, "Your Excellency, please rest assured, I will investigate carefully. However, Wang Le and his brother Wang Laizi have committed numerous evils. It may take some time to verify all their crimes."

Rong Chuying nodded slightly with a solemn expression. "Time is of the essence, so I urge you all to act swiftly. Chief Lu, take some capable men and investigate all the properties under Wang Le and Wang Laizi's names, including the house he just mentioned, and try to find as much evidence as possible. At the same time, secretly investigate those who have close ties with them; there may be accomplices who haven't been caught yet. Chief Li, I'm entrusting the interrogation of Wang Laizi to you. Make sure to find all the victims they've cheated over the years and give them justice."

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, your subordinates will do their utmost to bring this major case to a close as soon as possible." The three men clasped their hands in unison and accepted the order.

"Go then."

At this moment, only Song Ce, who stood upright and tall to the side, and Master Song, who was kneeling on the spot with a blank expression, remained in the hall.

Rong Chuying immediately looked at Song Ce, her eyes full of praise: "Young Master Song, we owe you a lot this time. If it weren't for your method of invoking dreams, this case would have been stuck in a stalemate for who knows how long."

Upon hearing this, Song Ce humbly replied, "Sir, you flatter me. I have only done my humble best to help you find out the truth, and it is my honor."

As soon as he finished speaking, Master Song seemed to gradually recover from his daze, and said in a trembling voice, "Sir, I... I was instigated by others to do such a foolish thing. I beg you, sir, have mercy! I beg you, sir, have mercy! My son, please also plead for your father..."

Before he could finish speaking, Rong Chuying's face darkened, and she looked coldly at Master Song: "As a husband, you are addicted to gambling and have accumulated huge debts, and you have neglected your family; as a father, your mistakes have led to your daughter being kidnapped. Now, what face do you have to ask your son to plead for you?"

Upon hearing this, Master Song collapsed to the ground, repeatedly kowtowing and weeping uncontrollably.

Rong Chuying ignored Master Song and turned to Song Ce, saying, "Young Master Song, we are very grateful to you for handling today's case. Are you going home now? I will send a constable to escort you home."

Song Ce shook his head slightly, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. I may go home now. Today, I thank you for your fair judgment and for giving my sister justice."

Rong Chuying smiled and didn't insist any further. She simply ordered the yamen runners beside her to disperse the crowd outside the main hall.

...

When Guan Mao returned to Yongyang Taoist Temple, Gu Tingxuan was feeding birds under the eaves.

Seeing the curiosity and urging in his master's eyes, Guan Mao immediately bowed respectfully and then described the situation in court to him in detail, from Song Ce using the method of invoking dreams to make Master Song reveal the truth, to A San identifying Wang Le, and then to Wang Le finally confessing his crimes with Wang Laizi, explaining everything in great detail.

Gu Tingxuan listened attentively, and after Guan Mao finished speaking, he remained silent for a long time, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Master, this person is not only highly skilled in medicine, but his strange and unpredictable method of invoking dreams is also unheard of. He is so young yet so composed, which is truly admirable," Guan Mao couldn't help but exclaim.

Gu Tingxuan got up and went to his study. He picked up his pen and wrote: "This boy is no ordinary person. Not only does he have such extraordinary skills, but he is also fearless in court and handles things with ease. He is truly courageous. If such a talent can be put to my use, he may become my greatest asset in the future."

"Is Master intentionally trying to win this person over?" Guan Mao asked tentatively.

Gu Tingxuan nodded slightly and continued writing: "With his talent, he should not be buried in a small Wenyuan County. If we can take him in, it will be of great benefit to both me and everyone else. When I return to the capital this time, I must take him back with me and train him properly in the future."

“What you say is very true, but what if this person is unwilling?” Guan Mao asked with some concern.

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Author's Note: Little angels, if you like it, whip me hard, ba ba ba! Is this the sound of a dulcimer? ~Alexander's Bakery~ Is the bread ready yet?~ (obediently takes the microphone) (passionately starts singing)