Chapter 18 The basis for a successful case of love must be based on solid evidence.

His brother was in court at the government office, and as a brother, You Heng naturally should not be absent. He had just been hiding in the crowd and watching. Therefore, when Zhang Qian asked the bailiff to summon him, You Heng immediately followed the bailiff into the court.

Zhang Qian said succinctly, "Second Master You, did you hear clearly what General Fang said?"

You Heng bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "Your Excellency, I have heard everything."

Zhang Qian: "Is there anything that needs to be corrected or argued about?"

You Heng saw his brother staring at him closely. Besides that, there was another burning gaze cast at him from the side. You Heng did not look back, but he knew that this person must be Fang Xuyin.

You Heng knew that his brother You Yan was stupid, but he did not expect that he was so brave. You Yan actually blocked a group of Beijing officials in the street. Although no one died, it was heard that the wife of the Dali Temple Shaoqing and his subordinates were injured, and passers-by were also harmed.

Although this journey is dangerous, it will make it difficult for the Beijing officials to come to the government office to try the case.

You Heng smirked in his heart. He didn't know whether You Yan had left any clues, nor did he know whether the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple could trace the matter back to You Yan. Since it was Zhang Qian who tried the case, he had no way of determining who the winner would be.

You Heng only knew that he must not take the risk of arousing his brother's suspicion.

Even though he had sworn to the moon that no matter what happened to Miss Xu, he would not put his life and future in danger.

Sanniang is gentle and sensible, and she must be able to understand his difficulties.

Thinking about this, You Heng replied, "It's true that Fang occasionally saved me when I was young, but... my feelings for Fang weren't romantic. She was infatuated with me and pestered me daily. Coincidentally, her mother suddenly fell ill, and out of gratitude for Fang's childhood rescue, I gave her a hundred silver coins to pay for her mother's medical treatment. I never imagined that Fang would interpret this as 'mutual affection'? It's truly baffling."

Suddenly, they heard the sound of clapping and laughter. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that it was You Yan.

His panic had faded, and he was now winking at Fang Xuyin, mocking her, "Did you hear that? Madam Fang, Ah Heng is heartless to you. From the beginning to the end, it was just you who was obsessed with Ah Heng!"

Ah Heng must be fed up with this girl, but he is known as a "gentleman" in Huaicheng, so he can't reject her too coldly. That's why he resorted to this last resort, using her to find a burial girl for his father, and pushing this girl to death, so that he can have some peace and quiet.

You Yan was puzzled. His younger brother usually appeared to be a gentleman, but he never expected that he was as dirty and filthy as him under the mask.

Ah Heng was really something. Why did he have to be so roundabout? If he had told him about this woman's obsession earlier, he, as her brother, would have personally killed her off.

Fang Xuyin rested her forehead on the ground, and the coldness of the brick penetrated her limbs and bones, waking her from her dream.

Fang Xuyin still remembered that before she stepped into the You family's wedding sedan, she entrusted her mother to You Heng and asked him to send people to inquire about her mother's recent situation from time to time. However, her mother was starving to death and no one came to save her. Was it his momentary negligence or intentional?

She wanted to take a gamble, but now that she was in the inner hall, she just regarded his sincerity as feeding pigs after hearing what he said.

He was afraid of his brother's suspicion and did not hesitate to hurt her with words.

She had lived in darkness since she was a child until she saw her light in a dry well. Now, this light can no longer be seen.

She knew clearly that she and the second son of the You family were on different paths, and should have abandoned such false feelings long ago.

Fang Xuyin raised her head and said calmly, "Yes, I've been clinging to you, young master, and I deserve to be laughed at by everyone in the room."

Only You Heng in the hall responded, "Love, hate, anger, and foolishness are common to everyone. Why would you make a fool of yourself over them? Fang, no one is laughing at you."

Even at this point, he still did not forget to maintain the mask and was unwilling to take off the name of a "virtuous gentleman".

Fang Xu had already filed a complaint in prison a few days ago, stating the details of the murder. His brother's body had also been examined. If Zhang Qian had no doubts, the case would be finalized.

No matter if they were in the inner hall or watching outside the yamen, everyone had guessed about 70% of the facts. Zhang Qian was biased towards the You family. Although this case had little to do with the You family, if Madam Fang was convicted, it would be like cutting off Madam Zhu's left and right arms. If this case was convicted, the case of You Yan using living people as sacrifices would probably be settled as well.

In this game, the two young ladies lost the game and made the first move.

Zhu Hao was worried and frightened, frowning. She glanced at Fang Xuyin on the side in panic. When everyone thought that Madam Fang was going to be imprisoned, Zhang Qian's words made everyone stunned.

"This case has nothing to do with whether Fang is obsessed with you. Since the hundred silver coins were given by Second Master You, their origin is clear and honest, so there's nothing to worry about." Zhang Qian's gaze fell on where Fang Xuyin knelt. He slowly turned a jade ring on his thumb. "Fang, there's no need to go to jail."

Everyone screamed in shock, and You Heng had not expected this result.

You Yan was known for his outspokenness. He shouted, "Master Zhang! This woman killed my brother! Why did she say, 'No need to go to jail?' This is against official rules! How can her brother's soul rest in peace?"

"Ms. Fang's back of the head and chest bore scars from being struck by a hard object. In her complaint, Fang stated that these injuries were caused by her brother beating her with a rock. Investigation has confirmed that Fang did not lie. The head and chest are considered vital parts of the body, so it is judged that the assailant had intended to kill Fang. Fang, acting in self-defense, accidentally injured her brother. Afterward, Fang did not retaliate, but instead dragged her brother toward the infirmary. This clearly indicates that Fang did not intend to kill her brother."

"And his brother squandered the hundred silver coins he had meant for his mother's medical treatment at a gambling den. On his way home, he encountered his younger sister, who had spoken rudely to him. An argument ensued over their mother's death, and his brother picked up rocks and engaged Fang, attempting to kill his sister." Zhang Qian looked directly at You Yan and asked, "His brother was the first to strike, and Fang was acting in self-defense. How has this violated official conduct?"

You Yan was unwilling to accept this. "Why is it that Fang's killing of her brother is considered self-defense? And Fang Dalang's mere beating of Fang with a rock is considered murderous intent? She's not dead! Isn't it unfair for Lord Zhang to make such a judgment? I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public of your arbitrary murder conviction."

"This is easy to explain." Zhang Qian tapped the table with his fingertips. "His brother assaulted Fang in more than one place, hitting her vital points. His palms bear marks from the friction he exerted on the stone. If Fang fabricated these marks after killing his brother, given the seemingly natural movements of his palms, that's impossible."

"And Fang only wounded her brother once, and the wound wasn't vital, so he couldn't have died on the spot. If Fang hated her brother so much as to intentionally kill him, why didn't she just finish the wound? She even tried to drag her brother to the infirmary? Unexpectedly, her brother bled to death while walking. The Fang family lives in the suburbs, so there were no witnesses to the crime. If she had done it on purpose, why did she turn herself in? Wouldn't that be a waste of time?"

"This..." You Yan stuttered for a moment, then suddenly said, "This woman must have done it on purpose! Although her brother died from excessive blood loss, this case was all a conspiracy by Fang! Fang acted this way just to clear herself of suspicion! Killing someone means paying with one's life, it's only right and proper, Master Zhang!"

Zhu Hao could no longer tolerate You Yan's aggressive temper. Fang Xu, branded a "murderer," couldn't retort, so she said, "So what if it was intentional?"

These words were filled with arrogance, no less than You Yan's haughty demeanor in the courtroom. Everyone turned their gazes to Zhu Hao, but she seemed oblivious and continued her argument loudly, "At the time of the murder, only Fang and her brother were present; no one else was present. Therefore, this case can only be determined based on the body, the murder weapon, the complaint, and the valid evidence found at the scene. The verdict of this case was inferred from these evidences. May I ask, Master You, do you have any doubts about the government's judgment?"

Before You Yan could catch his breath and argue, Zhu Hao continued, "If it was really Madam Fang who did it on purpose, what proof do you have? A solid case must be based on solid evidence. Her brother attacked Madam Fang with a rock, so the injuries she sustained could not be faked! It's also true that her eldest brother starved his mother to death out of selfish desire!"

"If you're right, then his brother knew his mother was ill, her legs cramped and unable to walk, yet he still disregarded her life and used the money she saved to gamble away. Does that mean his actions weren't intentional? His mother died of starvation because of him... What kind of suffering must he have endured before that? Isn't the eldest son of the Fang family the villain responsible for this murder?"

Zhu Hao took a deep breath. "No matter how impeccable the law, there are always loopholes. That's why, since the founding of the Dacheng Kingdom, we have continuously addressed shortcomings and rectified malpractices in the national laws. If his brother were still alive, he wouldn't have been imprisoned for this. It's ridiculous that Master You keeps talking about 'justice'. In front of so many people, shouldn't you know that 'justice' is useless? If there was absolute justice in this world, Master You would have confessed his guilt long ago during the initial trial."

"If it is true as you say, 'killing someone means paying with one's life, which is only natural,' then may I ask how many times Young Master You has died?"

You Yan's face turned pale, and he gritted his teeth and said angrily, "Stop spouting lies, you bastard!"

Zhu Hao was too lazy to pay attention to him.

"Only you know clearly whether your actions in life are worthy of heaven and earth, and worthy of your conscience." Zhu Hao looked at the people outside the yamen. "Shouldn't the eldest son of the Fang family die? In my opinion, he deserved it. If he were still alive, his mother's death would be covered up by his one word 'negligence'!"

The crowd of onlookers had all fallen silent due to the words of good wishes. At this moment, someone shouted, "Damn it! Fang Dalang has violated filial piety! He deserves death!"

One person started to agree, and then hundreds, thousands, and even tens of thousands of people followed suit, insulting Fang Jia Dalang like a tide.

This boy not only caused his mother to starve to death and become sick, but also killed his own sister afterwards. The eldest son of the Fang family is not a good person!

When You Yan saw this, he choked on his words.

Zhang Qian sat high up in the hall, waiting for the noise to fade before he spoke, "But his brother did die because of you. Your brother already has a wife. If his wife is unhappy with the outcome of this trial, she might demand gold and silver from you, or...reexamine this case."

As soon as these words fell, the officer walked slowly into the hall with a woman. The woman looked haggard and had dark circles under her eyes. She must have been doing housework at home before leaving, so she rolled up her sleeves to her arms, but her skin was red, swollen, and black and blue. No one knew why.

People who are familiar with the Fang family have already seen the origin of this girl. She is the young lady Jiang who was married to the eldest son of the Fang family last year.

Before Zhang Qian could ask any questions, Jiang had already knelt down. Everyone was surprised at how badly this woman cursed Fang, and even more surprised at whether she would review the case or force Fang to pay a large sum of money as compensation.

You Yan was most looking forward to this great show.

Jiang bowed and stood up, saying, "I am willing to negotiate peace with Fang. I do not need any money or gold, and I do not need a retrial."

The author has something to say:

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I estimate there will be at least two more chapters of plot (trial). I wonder if you will find this kind of plot boring...

The heroine and the second female lead will both have their own careers in the later stages, and the second female lead will completely abandon the scumbag. What she wants to write about is not only love, but also friendship between girls. There is a high probability that there will be no female competition in this book, but there will be male competition (secretly). After all, the second male lead Xiaochun also likes Pianpian. Of course, Xiaochun is not just a seasoning to promote the relationship between the male and female protagonists, he will also find his own life.

The female lead and the second female lead are both good people and are not just background characters.

The reason for writing a case trial is very simple. I want the hero to discover the unique heroine in every little detail, rather than falling in love suddenly. Every girl has her shining points, and the heroine's stubborn and unyielding character who is dedicated to seeking justice will also redeem the hero in the future plot.