However, Lu Huaiyuan's methods were rather disgusting. He actually instigated his subordinates to have a conflict with Sanglin Village, and then falsely accused them of killing his own villagers, demanding that they cede land and pay compensation!

After Yuchi Jingde understood the whole story, he was about to take charge of Li Jue's case on the spot, but Li Jing stopped him.

"Haven't you always been praising this kid for being smart?"

"yes!"

"Then let's not get involved for now, let's see how the child handles it himself!"

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Jingde immediately became displeased.

"What kind of talk is that? He's still a child. How can he handle something like this?"

Li Jing snorted coldly upon hearing this.

"You don't know anything!"

"If this child is truly as good as you and His Majesty say, then such a matter of life and death will be an even greater test of this child's talent!"

"Besides, with His Majesty backing up this child, why would you be afraid he'll suffer any injustice?"

Yuchi Jingde lowered his head and thought about it, and realized that it made perfect sense. He immediately stopped rushing out to stand up for Li Jue.

County Magistrate Wang Hui looked at the steward of Princess Changsha's residence kneeling below, and then at the arrogant newly promoted Baron of Xianyang County, Li Zhong, and felt utterly overwhelmed.

Forget about holding a court hearing, he'd rather lie on the ground and be dead!

"Butler Liu, are you finished speaking?"

"I have finished speaking. I beg the magistrate to grant me his judgment!"

"Li Zhong, what do you have to say now?"

"Your Excellency, did you have someone write down everything Steward Liu said just now?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Hui glanced at the clerk who was writing furiously, and only spoke after the clerk nodded at him.

"I've got it!"

"Then please have Steward Liu sign and affix his seal, Magistrate!"

"ah?"

Upon hearing Li Jue's words, not only was Magistrate Wang Hui stunned, but even Steward Liu, who was kneeling on the ground weeping, was taken aback.

"Li Zhong, what do you mean by this?"

“Your Excellency, since he keeps saying that I beat the peasant Wang Bo to death, then naturally we need to ask him to sign to confirm it.”

"Otherwise, what if the coroner comes to perform the autopsy and the results are different from what he said, and he recants his testimony in court?"

"Autopsy?"

Wang Hui was taken aback again upon hearing this, thinking to himself that he hadn't said he wanted a coroner to examine the body.

Furthermore, there are no coroners in Xianyang; the nearest ones have to be called up from Chang'an and Wannian counties.

Steward Liu was also a little confused when he heard this, and looked at the county magistrate sitting in the main hall with a puzzled expression.

"Your Excellency, shall we still conduct an autopsy?"

Upon seeing Steward Liu's guilty expression, the magistrate knew there must be something fishy going on, and immediately struck the gavel.

"certainly!"

"I have already ordered someone to fetch the coroner; we will be performing an autopsy shortly!"

"ah?"