Chapter 158
It's impossible to overturn a case based solely on the case file. He's not afraid of witness testimonies. The law is strict. If someone later overturns the previous testimony, then the previous testimony would be considered perjury. At best, they'd be punished with caning; at worst, they'd be imprisoned. These people aren't stupid.
Judge Zhao was unsure what his superior meant, but he didn't dare to underestimate the words of Magistrate Duan, and he remained fairly impartial during the trial.
"My lord, I swear to heaven that Young Master Wan forcibly took my sister as his concubine. My younger sister was washing clothes by the river when Young Master Wan and his entourage passed by. He immediately dismounted and harassed my sister, and even used his status as a son of an official to bully my family."
"You're talking nonsense! Your little sister clearly came voluntarily. She's been in the household for so long now. Why didn't you report it to the authorities immediately when she left with me? Why did you have to wait until now? Your Honor, this is extortion! Extortion! A while ago, her family asked me for money, and I didn't give it to them."
"My lord, my brother is right. I was forced into this situation. I didn't report it to the authorities before because I was afraid. My family has been farmers for three generations. My brothers are all peasants. He, the third young master Wan, has taken a liking to me. He is the son of an official. What can I do? Even if I don't comply, I'm afraid I won't be able to get married in the future, and my whole family will suffer retaliation. My lord, please do justice for me."
The case had to be solved. Judge Zhao looked at the people kneeling on the ground, and apart from that young master Wan, he only felt a headache coming on.
If it were the former prefect, it would be easier to say, but this one is clearly being asked to enforce the law impartially, and that no case he handles should be overlooked, while keeping an eye on these people.
He only felt a headache, and one thing was undeniable: Judge Wan was truly a poor father.
Torture can be used, but it should not be used lightly unless absolutely necessary.
"Shut up, all of you! Talk is cheap. Produce me with proof! You say she's a concubine you bought? Have someone send her identity documents. You come from a wealthy family; you should know what buyers and sellers need."
"And you, you must also provide evidence as to whether you acted voluntarily or under duress. The law is strict, and I will judge the case based on the evidence."
Judge Zhao shouted loudly, looking very authoritative, and the crowd fell silent instantly.
"Sir, this is my younger sister San Niang's household registration document. Please take a look."
Upon hearing this, Young Master Wan's face turned pale. This thing should be at his house! He had already planned to send someone back to retrieve it. That bitch, when he got back, he would either beat her to death or cripple her, otherwise he would find it hard to vent his anger.
He had obviously bought the concubine for thirty taels of silver, and he had taken the document with him. He couldn't possibly be unaware of this. But when he saw the receipt in his brother's hand, he immediately collapsed to the ground, repeatedly saying, "Impossible, impossible."
He gave this to his mother.
"We beg you, sir, to uphold justice for us common people."
Inside the courtroom, besides the official in charge of recording, there was only Magistrate Zhao sitting in the hall. Magistrate Zhao picked up the household registration documents, carefully examined them, and confirmed that they were genuine.
At that moment, he looked at Young Master Wan.
"Do you have anything to argue?"
He adopted a businesslike demeanor.
"That can't be true. I gave it to my mother back then, sir. I didn't break any laws."
The official taking notes was writing furiously, as if afraid of making any mistakes.
“I have servants in my household, and she has been with us for quite some time. They have seen how I treat her and how she treats me. She must have stolen this document and given it to her family in an attempt to extort money. Your Honor, please see the truth. I am innocent.”
"Her brother has gambling debts. That's what she said when she asked me for money, but I didn't give it to her. Sir, please verify this."
“Your servants are all bound by contracts, so their words are law. They have no say in what you tell them to say. Sir, please do me justice.”
The two started arguing again.
"You and my father..."
Before Young Master Wan could finish speaking, Magistrate Zhao immediately stood up and shouted.
"Guards, take this Young Master Wan away first."
It's not hard to guess what happened. In a way, it's a case of the wicked getting their just desserts. Young Master Wan is no good; he's lustful and never expected that his momentary desire would bring such a family into this mess.
This third sister-in-law is ostensibly with him, but her coming here must have been pre-arranged with her family.
Regardless of how she got the household registration documents, they are now in her family's hands, and that's for sure. If Young Master Wan can't provide strong evidence, then we should follow the proper procedures; that's definitely the right thing to do.
After handing over the household registration documents, Magistrate Zhao sat down in his chair and looked at the people kneeling on the ground.
"This matter is of utmost importance. I need to investigate it carefully. You may all return now."
Judge Zhao had a sullen face and was somewhat angry.
The family remained grief-stricken after leaving the government office, but once home, they were all beaming with joy and seemed quite excited.
Her family had prepared themselves for possible torture and suffering, but the judge seemed quite kind, only questioning them and not letting the man bully them.
"I don't believe that after making such a big fuss, the Wan family won't obediently send the money over. You're really smart and resourceful, little sister."
Third Sister's pitiful appearance vanished, and upon hearing these words, her expression became extremely cheerful.
“I wasn’t really committed to him to begin with. His family looked down on me in every way, which gave me an opportunity. Once we got the money, we had to move away from here and live under assumed names. Better safe than sorry.”
"Won't those people change their minds, will they?"
"Don't worry, they still want me to pay back the money. If they change their minds, this debt will be ruined. They are greedy and won't talk nonsense. I've already agreed that once I get the money, I'll pay back double the gambling debt."
"That's good."
"Third Sister, the official who presided over the case said he would investigate. Will something bad happen?"
"No, I always avoid the servants when I'm with that third young master in private. After this incident, we had a complete falling out. We have to be more careful in the future. There's no other way, Father, Mother, you'll have to keep a closer eye on him in the future."
"Don't worry, Third Sister."
"I was a little scared at first, but now it seems that's all there is to it. As long as we get the money and the matter is resolved, our whole family will be rich and we can move to a new place and start a life of luxury."
"His father, the prefect, is quite capable and careful in his dealings with people. Being an official isn't easy these days. We'll be careful when we leave here in the future, and nothing will happen. This time, we've really gone all out, so hopefully it will have a good outcome."
Third Sister sat in the chair, originally thinking that becoming a concubine in a wealthy family would mean a lifetime of wealth and honor.
Unexpectedly, although the Wan family was wealthy, she didn't benefit from it. Her stepmother was kind on the surface but mean in private, and her own mother was also stingy. If she had given the money earlier, it would have been better than anything else, and there wouldn't have been this situation today.
He was extremely stingy and repeatedly scolded and bullied her, making her kneel outside.
After entering the manor, she didn't enjoy a good life. Instead, she was scolded and bullied every day. She was already full of resentment and often complained to him in private, but he told her to endure it, calling her a spineless coward.
As soon as she found out about the family incident, she immediately came up with a plan.
There's not much to be gained from this family. The Third Young Master Wan's mother is even more unreasonable and domineering. Given the current situation, they say they'll separate the family in the future, but by then she won't be young and beautiful anymore, and the man is useless. After the separation, things might not be as good as they are now.
Since that's the case, there's nothing she can hold on to, so she might as well make a decision sooner rather than later.
By orchestrating this scheme, she could both legitimately escape from this family and make a quick buck. Although she was in the backyard, she knew a fair bit about the Wan family. The magistrate was a man who cared a lot about his reputation. Last year, his eldest son had an accident, and this year it was his third son's turn.
The easiest way to keep quiet is to pay someone off. She's smart; she's already guessed that the official who handled the case today must have left room for maneuver.
They've thrown the Third Young Master Wan into jail, but haven't announced a verdict yet; they're giving the Wan family time.
"What if the magistrate ultimately rejects this son and lets him be sentenced?"
"No, forcibly taking a respectable woman is a serious crime. Sister-in-law, you just don't know the Wan family well. That magistrate cares about his reputation and career. He was able to settle the case with money when the eldest son committed murder before. Let alone this case, although it's not a murder case, it's still a serious crime. According to the law, if he really doesn't care, his third son will have to spend at least twenty or thirty years in prison."
“We have evidence and reasons.”
"Just wait and see. They won't dare to retaliate. That woman went to the government office quite a few times before, and she's still alive. Once things get out of hand, these officials will have to be careful. They can't act recklessly, or they'll give others something to hold against them."
Third Sister saw this very clearly.
"As long as the magistrate is willing to spend the money, we can stop while we're ahead. Then we can have Father withdraw the lawsuit. The government will definitely give the magistrate face, and this matter can be settled."
The sudden trouble that befell the Wan family was, to put it bluntly, a case of their backyard catching fire.
Wan Tong still went to work as usual during the day. After hearing that his son had been imprisoned, he did not rush to find the judge, because it would be too obvious. If he took any action, he could only do it privately.
To put it bluntly, in the end, all they could do was send money over and admit defeat, since they were careless and had no evidence.
After this incident, the Wan family's inner courtyard became tense. All the household registration documents of the concubines in Madam Wan's mansion were checked, including those of the magistrate and his son's concubines.
Previously, she didn't bother with them, but she didn't expect them to be so stupid that the woman managed to take this thing, which has now become evidence.
They were immediately grabbed.
"I thought she was just a country bumpkin, but I didn't expect her to be so capable. This matter needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Once she's released, I'll definitely teach her a lesson."
“Things have escalated to this point. That vile woman is unforgivable. Let her kneel in the ancestral hall. Before this matter is resolved, let her properly repent to her ancestors. She is truly shameful.”
The matter has already spread, with both sides sticking to their own versions of events, but there is still room for maneuver.
Most of the people who knew about it just treated it as gossip, and many guessed that nothing serious would happen in the end.
Right now, it's just a game between the two sides. Judge Wan didn't send someone to deliver the money immediately because he was afraid of giving others cause for gossip.
He pretended to be nonchalant, but in reality, he was seething with hatred.
On Wen Shi's side, after reviewing the previous case files, he had to admit that they were truly impeccable. On one hand, he had them sent back without any explanation, as if it were just a routine check.
He knew that the only way to overturn the case was to break through the Wan family from within, to see if the family was truly united. This case was very important at the moment.
"Go and fetch Magistrate Zhao."
The person arrived shortly afterward.
After reviewing the case files, Wen Shi began to ask questions.
"My lord, the reason why we haven't convicted him yet is because the evidence is insufficient. Both sides have their own version of events. What Young Master Wan said may not be entirely fabricated. I am also investigating the affairs of Third Sister's family. It will take some time to close the case. We don't want to wrong an innocent person."
"This case involves the Wan Tong court, so you need to be careful. When investigating the case, you must be thorough and adhere to the law strictly to avoid any mistakes or omissions."
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Zhao was taken aback, and then immediately bowed and clasped his hands in greeting.
"Yes, please rest assured, sir."
"Go and get back to work."
Watching Magistrate Zhao leave, Wen Shi looked at his back and thought, "There are no fools in this government office."
That same day, the Wan family received several soldiers, and the servants who had served Third Sister were taken to the government office to write testimonies.
The authorities were indeed investigating methodically, showing no mercy to the Wan family.
"Master, what should we do?"
Madam Wan was genuinely anxious.
"What can we do? Are we really going to let the government decide? Have we prepared the money?"
"It's all prepared, sir. We've added some more, just like before."
Ultimately, this whole affair was a case of his own backyard catching fire, but anger was useless at the moment, and no one expected that a concubine would have such a cunning and manipulative nature.
"Send someone to talk to them. We must resolve this matter as soon as possible and get them to drop the lawsuit."
"That bitch, I should have just killed her back then, she brought this trouble upon herself, how despicable."
Wan Tong's eyebrows shot up in anger. He had never imagined that such a person could emerge from his own backyard. Looking back, he realized that the prediction was incredibly accurate, and that the person had him firmly in control.
"Don't worry, sir, I'll have someone take care of it right away."
"You're the lady of the house, so you're partly to blame in this matter. Is this how you manage a household?"
"Why don't you talk about yourself, sir? If you hadn't been so promiscuous back then and hadn't given birth to that scourge, would this have happened?"
"Just before this, you were thinking of having that bitch help me manage the household. Now it seems fortunate that I didn't let her interfere, otherwise who knows what serious things might have happened."
Judge Wan remained silent.
With the Lunar New Year just around the corner, this incident is truly worrying. His family will be the subject of much discussion among the people of Jiangzhou for a long time to come.
In the middle of the night, he was still awake. When his trusted aide returned, he immediately stood up.
Madam Wan sat to the side, equally anxious.
"Master, the madam won't do. That family said they want fifty thousand taels of silver to resolve this matter."
Upon hearing this, Madam Wan immediately flew into a rage and began to curse.
“That lowly servant’s family really dares to think so much, actually asking for so much money. You should tell them that it’s impossible.”
Madam Wan was in charge of the household affairs, and she knew better than anyone how much money the family had.
This is going to drain their entire fortune.
At this moment, Judge Wan was already contemplating murder. What was the point of all that hard work he did in the government office?
“Their family said that if it’s less than 50,000 taels, there’s no need to go and talk to them. They also made the master swear that he would not pursue the matter in the future, otherwise they would sue, saying that at worst they would fight to the death.”
"They even said they had to sign and put their fingerprints on it, saying that since they had withdrawn the lawsuit, they would at least be punished, as compensation."
"They want silver notes for the 50,000 taels, 1,000 taels each. Once you give them to them, sir, their whole family will move away."
The servants spoke softly; those sent out were all trusted confidants of the Wan family. This was no small matter, and Wan Tongpan wouldn't trust just anyone.
I was thinking of giving them a few days' notice so we could talk things over, but I never expected this family to be so greedy.
"Master, what should we do? Our family doesn't have that much cash on hand."
"There are only a little over ten thousand taels of silver in the account right now. I can't possibly lose all my dowry because of this beast. Even if I did lose it, it wouldn't be enough. Do you think I can sell the whole house?"
While officials could live in government offices, few actually did so. Those who were particular preferred to buy large houses outside for convenience.
Officials typically serve five-year terms, and while there may be transfers, they are rare.
It was impossible to give up all the family property for such an illegitimate son. At this moment, Judge Wan was filled with regret and resentment.
He originally thought that what he sent was enough, but he didn't expect that he underestimated this family. They had such a big appetite and even wanted to draw up a private contract. Weren't they afraid that they would have the life to take the money but not the life to spend it?
"There's not much time there. Once the verdict is handed down, it will be too late. If necessary, I will go there in person to discuss the matter."
It wasn't easy for him to get to where he is today. In the end, this matter is still his family's business. His family is now being ridiculed, and there must be people talking behind their backs.
One mess after another, all caused by the children, made Judge Wan's face extremely ugly.
"Call Aunt Tian here."
Thinking of this lowly servant girl, Judge Wan felt that he needed to make two preparations. Talking to her alone would be useless; otherwise, he would have no choice but to admit defeat.
He couldn't possibly give away so much money.
Aunt Tian was none other than the mother of the Third Young Master Wan. After the incident, she was scolded and punished. She was no longer the radiant woman she used to be. She looked extremely haggard and seemed to have aged more than ten years in an instant.
The thought of her son not being born yet made her cry uncontrollably; he was her hope for the rest of her life.
"Master, please, Uncle, our son."
"You were in charge of that bitch's identity documents before, how did she manage to steal them?"
“This servant does not know. After Third Brother gave it to me, I kept it carefully and kept it under the dressing table. These past few days, I have been thinking about it and I can only conclude that it was on that day when she came to pay her respects that I felt sleepy and wanted to send her away. However, she said that she would help me wash my feet and massage them and asked all the servants to leave. I don’t know how I fell asleep. When I woke up, the room looked unchanged.”
"They were there before, but later, when I went to look for them, I couldn't find them anywhere."
"Foolish thing."
"Call your maidservant here."
"yes."
Third Sister was not as easy to deal with as he thought, but he was not made of cotton either, and could not be easily manipulated. If the little girl tried to play tricks on him, he would show her what real power was.
"Madam, come here."
Madam Wan walked up to Judge Wan, listened to him whisper a few words in her ear, and her expression suddenly relaxed. She then turned and left.
Aunt Tian was filled with worry and deep regret for her son.
Originally, no one took her seriously as a country girl, but they never expected her to be so cunning, pulling off this stunt without anyone noticing.
When asked, the people who served her all said they didn't know.
The fact that she could keep it from so many people shows her character. You should know that concubines are not allowed to go out and socialize freely, but they can buy things.
Wen Shi has been paying close attention to this matter.
When Yingxiang heard this, she was shocked. Putting aside everything else, this Third Sister was really daring and willing to go all out. Such a person must have a big appetite.
I don't know if this case can be closed before the end of the year.
Beijing
After Wen Shi was promoted, when Old Man Wen returned to Ping'an Village, he stood tall and spoke with a firm voice.
When Wen Chuanzong heard this, his feelings were even more complicated, but he didn't dare to say anything sarcastic. Xiuyu, on the other hand, had other thoughts.
Originally, she had planned to find a wealthy wife for her son, which would be good for the family. However, once Xu Shi entered the family, her plans were completely thwarted, and she had other ideas about her youngest son's marriage.
That means marrying the daughter of an official's family; of course, this requires an introduction.
She had already decided that once her children returned from their exams, she would have them write to Wen Shi to say hello and ask him to help introduce them to someone.
Wen Shi knew many people and had risen from county magistrate to prefect. He helped his nephew find a good marriage, and considering Wen Shi's influence, the chances of success were very high.
Wen Chuanzong is probably just like that. His two children are still young, but Xiuyu has already changed her mind.
As for Yuqin, seeing that her son was getting older, she was secretly looking for a wife for him.
Actually, there are plenty of women in this area who would be willing to marry into his family. Compared to ordinary peasant families, his family is different; some of them are officials.
Yuqin originally agreed that she should find a wealthy man from the city who could help her son.
But over the past two years, seeing Xiuyu helplessly driven to despair by her daughter-in-law while receiving no benefits whatsoever, she eventually changed her mind.
It doesn't have to be that way. City wives are not easy to handle; they are all knowledgeable.
Wen Shi didn't rely on women to get ahead, did he? In the end, it's all about finding someone with good character, like his third sister-in-law Yingxiang. She supported Wen Shi all the way and also benefited the family.
Their son's education costs money, but the two of them can afford it, and they also have the money for his wedding.
She was thinking about next year, after her son came back from his exams this year. Whether he had good results or not, she wanted to do things for him next year. She also wanted to have a child as soon as possible, since Jinyu was the only child the couple had.
As the children grow up, get married, and the parents grow old, sometimes they can't help but accept it.
Ma's son is still young and hasn't thought about it yet.
After receiving his father's letter, Wen Leqian began to consider his plans for this year's Spring Festival. He was certain he would go, even though the journey was longer than before.
But it's fine to leave a few days in advance. He never slacks off in his studies, and these are the only few days he can spend with his parents all year round. His husband has a very good impression of him, so it's okay for him to ask for leave a few days in advance.
Ultimately, filial piety is of paramount importance.
Wen Leqian thought this way and did this. Before going back, he made a round as usual, first going to his fifth uncle's place. His grandparents were there. The two elders didn't want to go, but they told him to pass on a few words to them.
The other uncles are also leaving, and even if they don't live together anymore, the kinship relationship will not change.
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