Chapter 54 Court Hearing

He Xing was annoyed. Aren't all young girls so easily swayed? How could someone who hesitates over twenty coins for a silk flower be so greedy!

These five taels of silver were almost his entire month's expenses, and he was heartbroken to have spent them all.

He Xing only twitched for a moment before quickly regaining his composure.

He met the steward of the nobleman's mansion by chance and learned some secret information.

The nobleman had long since grown tired of ordinary women and now preferred young girls in their early teens, shy and youthful, especially those who were good-looking.

The moment He Xing saw Lin Yuesha, he had this idea: to figure out how to trick her. As long as the important person was happy, he would have no worries about his future success!

With the Jiang family's wealth and the help of influential people, he could rise straight to the top in the future, a shortcut to success!

At noon, He Xing found a teahouse and took a few people there to rest. When the yamen opened in the afternoon, the group had already gathered there.

There were several times more people than usual at the government office, so crowded that it was impossible to move. People gathered in twos and threes, talking quietly.

When Lin Yuesha learned that it was a case involving the Chen family, she really wanted to go ahead and see if she could reach her uncle and the others.

"Officer, what's the situation inside?"

He Xing had dealt with the yamen officials before and they were acquaintances. He gave them a handful of copper coins, and the officials were very satisfied with He Xing's sensibility.

"Several men from the Ma family were sentenced to be executed in the autumn. Ma Youde's wife couldn't bear the shock and hanged herself in prison last night. Only Jin and Liniang are left."

The Chen family has returned to the village to hold the funeral; no one has stayed behind.

Lin Yuesha shook her head when she heard that none of the Chen family members were in town. She decided to try to attend the trial on behalf of her family and see how the county magistrate would deal with Jin and Liniang.

He Xing was indeed a shrewd and resourceful person. He not only led the group to a good, sheltered spot, but also positioned them at the very front, giving them a clear view of everything inside the hall.

When the appointed time arrived, the county magistrate opened the court to hear the case.

Contrary to expectations of an old man, Magistrate Zhang was only in his thirties. He had a dignified expression, and a deep mark between his brows was left from his frequent frowning. He stared intently at Jin Shi and Liniang kneeling below.

"My lord, the Ma family's attack on Chen Dahua has nothing to do with me!"

Li Niang's hair was disheveled, and she was crying and wailing, looking like she was about to faint at any moment. She was no longer the arrogant person she was in the Ma family.

"Pah! If you hadn't seduced the third brother, would he have made a mistake? Not only did you implicate my whole family, but you still have the nerve to say you're innocent?"

Jin knelt on the ground and spat at Li Niang. Anyway, she couldn't escape because of her cover-up; if she could get Li Niang skinned alive, she might be able to atone for her crime.

Her father-in-law and the three Ma brothers were all wiped out, but she herself had to live well. Otherwise, if her clansmen robbed her of all her wealth, how would her children survive?

Jin had already inquired and found out that she had not participated in the Ma family's crime. At most, she had embezzled Chen Dahua's money afterward. As long as she spent some money to bribe them, she might be able to avoid going to jail.

However, after learning of the Ma family's wrongdoings, her family severed ties with her and forbade her from returning to her parents' home.

"quiet!"

Lord Zhang struck the wooden clapper, already knowing how to deal with Jin Shi. The reason for holding court again was that Li Niang insisted that she did not know about the Ma family's attack on Chen Da Hua.

"My lord, I am truly innocent!"

Liniang wiped away her tears. She was shocked to hear that the Ma family had killed Chen Dahua, and she regretted entering the Ma family's den of wolves.

Indeed, she was very confident when she entered the house, simply because she was pregnant, while Chen Dahua was childless.

Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is having no offspring. According to Ma Laosan, Chen Dahua is physically weak and cold, making it difficult for her to conceive. He has long wanted to find a pretext to divorce her and send her home.

Li Niang, heavily pregnant, entered the Ma family home and saw Chen Da Hua washing clothes in the freezing cold water, which only made her body feel colder.

"This woman is a widow, and life isn't easy for her in town."

There are plenty of gossipy people around, and there's always trouble at the widow's door. Drunkards often knock on the door in the middle of the night, and some even try to climb over the wall and jump into the yard.

Li Niang is a flirtatious woman, but she doesn't want to be at the mercy of others; she urgently needs to find a home for herself.

Hearing that Ma Laosan's father was the clan chief and had no sons, Li Niang began to have some ideas.

"You're a widow, and you're not even keeping your wife's virtues. You're seducing the third brother, and you still think you're right?"

Jin seized on the key point and insisted on pinning the blame on Liniang, saying that it was all Liniang's idea to conspire with Ma Laosan to kill Chen Dahua.

"Bah! I was merely unfaithful, but you coveted the money of the dead. When you saw Chen Dahua die a miserable death, you lied when the officials came to question you. You are utterly depraved!"

Li Niang, who had been holding her breath, angrily rebuked Jin Shi.

Lord Zhang remained a bystander, neither interfering with the two's squabble, and simply sipped his tea while watching the spectacle.

Lin Yuesha watched the whole thing from outside the door. Li Niang was the trigger, and she was certainly hateful, but the problem didn't lie solely with her.

Ma Laosan was of questionable character; even without Li Niang, he might have had other women.

The Ma family was even more unscrupulous, and it was a combination of factors that led to this tragedy.

If Li Niang is hateful, then all the people in the Ma family who know the truth are unforgivable!

Jiang Baozhu and Xiao Xi watched the excitement, initially not understanding much, but the surrounding crowd chimed in with their own words, giving them a general idea.

"How can there be such a heartless family? They're worse than animals!"

Xiao Xi was still a young girl, pale-faced, with a shadow in her heart, while Jiang Baozhu had no expression.

Lin Yuesha glanced at Jiang Baozhu out of the corner of her eye and saw her tiptoeing towards the courtroom. She guessed that this Miss Jiang was still eager to hear gossip.

"Young Master He, the Ma family is too ruthless!"

Xiao Xi watched and commented, occasionally saying something to He Xing, seeking his approval.

"indeed."

He Xing nodded in agreement, but his point of agreement wasn't about Ma Laosan messing with the widow, but rather that the Ma family had no reason to kill Chen Dahua.

In his view, the Ma family were all idiots.

Especially for Boss Ma, if he's feeling restless without a wife, he can find a widow to be his lover. Otherwise, there are plenty of people in town who secretly entertain customers, and there are brothels. As long as you have some money, you can find any kind of girl you want!

Wanting the whole family, father and son, to participate would be a bit too exciting, but if the prostitute were given more money, those who run the sex trade would probably be willing.

Besides, a real man should have three wives and four concubines. Those men in the village who are afraid of their wives are all incompetent peasants.

With a beautiful woman in your arms, under the flowers and the moon, who wouldn't dream of such a scene!

He Xing thought this, but didn't say it out loud. He fantasized about getting all the Jiang family's money, then having women on both sides, holding high positions of power, and living a very happy life.