Chapter 18: Testimony
Yan Quan didn't understand what he meant, so he replied, "Three years ago, I heard that when you came back, you were completely devastated. Now that you've mastered the art, you've finally gotten some success."
Zhao Yan no longer asked about it. It turned out that she really returned to her hometown after the divorce three years ago, and now she has become Lady Qiaodeng.
Thinking of the case this morning.
Zhao Yan spoke up, "I'll pass it on to Madam Qiaodeng later."
Yan Quan immediately asked Wang Dianshi to do it.
In the main hall in the afternoon, Yu Huatang was waiting outside. Zhao Yan had already figured out the whole story. Wang Lin was indeed murdered, but he lacked crucial evidence.
The bailiff called out, "Yu Huatang, the person of interest in the case, come in."
Zhao Yan was stunned when he saw the figure walking in.
At this time, everyone heard that there was a murder case, and they surrounded the government office, all with their heads stretched out.
The woman walked in, wearing a long blue-white dress, her face unpainted. She knelt respectfully on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "I, Yu Huatang, greet the governor."
She never raised her eyes or looked at the table, but Zhao Yan was sure at a glance that this was the woman he had been married to for three years.
His former wife...
The truth was out, and it was obvious that they were not fit to meet again, but there was nothing else to do now.
Zhao Yan only felt an indescribable emotion in his internal organs, blank and bewildered...
She seemed not to recognize him and continued to kneel down in the manner of a commoner meeting an official.
After a brief pause, he finally spoke, "Today's summons is for this lamp."
"When the plaintiff died, his father said he was looking at this lamp. Go forward and see if it came from your hand and why it ended up in his hands."
Yu Huatang stepped forward to take the evidence and carefully examined the wick mechanism. He understood clearly, "Your Excellency, this lamp was indeed made by me. When I make lamps, I carve a willow leaf on the base. It's difficult for others to imitate."
Seeing that her tone was normal, well-reasoned, and neither humble nor arrogant, Zhao Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
He asked again, "Is there anything unusual?"
"Sir, please see, this wick mechanism has been modified. If someone hides a blade under the candle beforehand, when the candle burns out, the blade will be ejected by the spring with great force, which can kill someone."
Zhao Yan followed her slender fingers and carefully checked the wick mechanism. As she said, the mechanism had been tampered with.
"Although this lamp was made by you, how can we be sure it belongs to Wang Zhong?"
Yu Huatang said calmly, "On the day of the Lantern Festival, Wang Zhong's nephew Wang Quanyin was crying in front of a shop because he broke a lantern. I felt sorry for him and gave him all the lanterns I had practiced with, including this tiger lantern."
Zhao Yan thought of that furry kid.
Soon all the hairy kids Wang Quan were brought over. The child was so scared that he cried and sobbed as he told the story. It turned out that when he returned home, the tiger lantern was snatched away by Wang Zhong. Afterwards, he was so angry that he ran out and hit someone. That person was Anfu.
The case was clear, and the defendant Wang Zhong was frightened by the gavel.
Zhao Yan asked, "Wang Zhong, do you admit your guilt?"
Wang Zhong saw that the truth had been revealed, but he refused to give up and said, "Even if I took the lamp, how can you falsely accuse me of murder?"
Zhao Yan frowned coldly. It was not like he had never encountered a stubborn person who refused to plead guilty. He also had a way to make the most annoying scoundrel plead guilty.
At this time, Yu Huatang spoke up, "Sir, in order to glue the wick together, they put Lingguang powder and peach gum on it. Ordinary people can't wash it off. Just use vinegar and it will turn black."
Zhao Yan was grateful for her help, but his face remained expressionless and he ordered someone to bring the washbasin.
Yu Huatang stepped forward and soaked his hands, and sure enough, his hands turned black.
The bailiff held down Wang Zhong's hands and soaked them. Sure enough, his right hand turned completely black.
Wang Lin's father couldn't help himself at this point and rushed forward, "You crazy bastard Seto, give my son back his life."
He then kicked out, Wang Zhong's back against the shackles, and he received a solid kick. He spat out blood and chuckled crazily, "What's so good about your son? He's just lucky. No one buys the lamps he makes with his own hands, but how can such a person squeeze out the merchant ship quota that originally belonged to me?"
"He can't carry anything on his shoulders or lift anything with his hands, so what good will it do if he joins a merchant ship? My family has been making a living in the business world for generations, and I'm no better than him. Yet you gave him some money and squeezed me out. How can this be justified in the world?"
"He likes making lanterns, right? He couldn't take his eyes off that tiger lantern the moment he saw it. I put a flying knife in it. As long as he dies, the spot will be mine. I'm not wrong, but he's wrong because he took someone else's spot..."
After saying this, he ignored everyone else and laughed crazily, "I only blame myself for not taking action earlier. If the governor hadn't come, he would have died. Who would have known?"
Seeing his frantic look, Zhao Yan said coldly, "The case is clear. Wang Zhong committed premeditated murder. According to the laws of this dynasty, he will be detained for three years and then beheaded in the autumn!"
"Come here, take him away."
Although Wang Zhong was taken away, the father who lost his son cried breathlessly.
Yan Quan reminded, "This old father had a son in his old age and was already spoiled. Now that his son is gone, I'm afraid he won't have a good time."
Zhao Yan asked a yamen runner to come forward. "According to the laws of this dynasty, the elderly and childless are entitled to a monthly pension of two taels of silver. This will be paid starting this month."
The case had been tried, but the government office was in chaos, with a group of people gathered around to comfort Mr. Wang, the old man who had lost his son.
The bailiff shouted, "Silence, silence!"
Everyone returns to their own place.
Zhao Yan finished the paperwork and said to the crowd, "This case is closed. Please sign and seal the case first, relevant witnesses and the plaintiff."
"Miss Yu, please."
Yu Huatang stepped forward and signed his name despite the blackness on his hands.
Zhao Yan saw her hands and said, "There is clean water behind the government office."
She shook her head and said, "Thank you, sir. I'll just wash it with pollen when I get back later." Then she left the government office.
After a while, the people left and he got up and went out to look for that person, but he only found a few old people.
Did she leave early in the morning?
Zhao Yan stared at the road in front of him for a long time, then turned around and went back to the government office.
At this time, Yu Huatang, who was preparing to go home, happened to meet Xu Fu who came to pick her up at the intersection.
Xu Fu said to her, "Sister, you're well so soon. My brother was afraid that the defendant would bully you, so he asked me to come."
Yu Huatang smiled and said, "It's not that scary."
After saying that, the two of them walked forward calmly. Xu Fu stood beside her, squinting his eyes to secretly watch her expression.
Senior Sister has always been quiet, and she is even quieter today.
Hearing that the new master was from the capital, he and his senior brother Zou Ran thought about their senior sister's ex-husband...
Xu Fu thought about it and finally spoke, "Senior Sister, is the newcomer good-looking?"
Yu Huatang didn't expect his junior brother to ask this. That person was naturally good-looking. "Good-looking."
"Then why is Senior Sister unhappy?"
Yu Huatang paused and looked ahead, "It just reminded me of the past..."
Xu Fu couldn't help but blame the newcomer for coming from the capital.
There are no good people in Beijing...
Seeing him frown, Yu Huatang finally chuckled and said, "What are you thinking about again?"
Xu Fu was thinking about how beautiful his senior sister was, gentle, and skilled, yet she had a past with that blind man. He had hurt her so much that she would be heartbroken whenever she saw someone from the capital...
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