73 Chapter 73
◎Sue◎
It’s not wrong to say that there is something wrong.
It was a remote and poor place with all kinds of businesses waiting to be developed, and Jiang Jingyun had to make decisions on all matters, so he was really busy.
Just as he was about to sit on the bench in the county government office, someone else came in to ask for instructions. Jiang Jingyun looked helpless and said, "Tell me, what's the matter?"
"Sir," the yamen runner bowed, "someone is beating drums outside the yamen to complain about his grievances."
"What?!" Jiang Jingyun stood up in astonishment. He had been in Fu County for several months, but this was the first time he had seen someone report to the police. "Let's go and take a look."
Following the three drum beats, the guards standing on both sides shouted "mighty" in unison. Jiang Jingyun, wearing an official uniform and a black gauze hat, walked in from the east gate and sat upright in the hall with a serious expression: "Bring the person up."
The bailiff took the order, escorted the three men up, and made them kneel down in front of the hall.
In the front was a skinny old woman with messy white hair like weeds, a wrinkled face covered with spots, high cheekbones, and sunken eyes. She was kneeling on the ground in tattered clothes, howling loudly.
Next to him was a wealthy businessman dressed in gorgeous clothes. He was fat and kneeling like a mountain of flesh, with his back slightly bent and his head tilted forward slightly. His small eyes, like slits, were rolling around, and no one knew what he was thinking.
The last one was a young woman, huddled quietly in the shadow of the corner, her face pale, her eyes empty, and no trace of life on her face.
"Bang", the gavel made a loud noise and the whole room fell silent.
Jiang Jingyun glanced at the three people in the hall one by one, and said in a clear and melodious voice: "Who is here, and what do you want to report?"
The old woman on the plaintiff's stone kowtowed and replied, "I am Ma, a common woman, suing my daughter-in-law Sun for having an affair with a man outside her family, defrauding my son Ma Dan of his money, and then killing him."
"My poor son, he was beaten to death at such a young age," Ma said with a look of grief and tears on her face, crying out the pain of losing her son.
Suddenly, she stood up, her gaze like a cold needle shot towards the young woman in the corner, and said ferociously, "It's all because of this shameless bitch who hooked up with men outside and killed my son! □□, you will not die well!"
"I hope you can see clearly, drag this adulterer out and beat him to death with sticks to give my son justice." Huang kowtowed again and pleaded.
"If what you said is true, I will make the final decision." Jiang Jingyun looked at the wealthy businessman kneeling on the defendant's stone and asked, "Do you have any defense for what Ma said?"
"Sir, I am innocent!" the rich businessman howled, "It is clearly a trap set by the Li family to frame me."
"After I took this girl home, the two of them worked together to steal my property!" said the rich businessman. "Fortunately, the servants at home found them in time and beat them to death on the spot. Before I could report the matter to the county government, I was taken here by the official."
"You're talking nonsense!" Ma pointed at him tremblingly, her eyes filled with resentment, "It was clearly you who was having an affair with Sun, and my son caught you in bed with her. He was afraid that the truth would be exposed, so he killed her to silence her!"
"Don't lie in front of the county magistrate!" the rich businessman scolded, saying sternly, "This girl was clearly offered to me by Ma Dan voluntarily, so that he could take advantage of my unpreparedness and steal her."
The two sides kept arguing with each other, and for a while, it was difficult to tell the truth from the falsehood.
"Bang!" Another gavel rang out, "Silence! No noise is allowed in the court!"
Jiang Jingyun looked at the last person involved: "Sun, do you have anything to say?"
The young woman said nothing.
Jiang Jingyun wanted to ask more, but Ma interrupted him: "My Lord, why are you asking her? She is just a saw-mouthed gourd. What can she say?"
Jiang Jingyun frowned at the vulgar words, and a trace of displeasure flashed across his eyes, but Ma was unaware of it and advised her kindly, "She is a natural born foxy girl who is always able to confuse people. Sir, please don't be fooled!"
After saying that, as if she was not satisfied enough, she rushed over and punched and kicked the man, "You don't know how to behave yourself. You have embarrassed yourself in front of the county government. I will beat you to death today!"
"Stop it!" Jiang Jingyun shouted, looking at her with an especially cold gaze, "Ma, if you disrupt the order of the court again, you will be dragged out and beaten with thirty sticks!"
"You too, Sun." Jiang Jingyun lowered his eyes, his frowning brows revealing a fierce look. He said in a serious tone, "Why didn't you answer my question? You are contemptuous of the court and will also be punished with thirty strokes of the cane!"
Faced with his stern warning, the person curled up on the ground trembled slightly, and raised her eyes full of sadness and despair. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something.
But after a long silence, she finally lowered her head and did not utter a word from beginning to end.
It seems like admitting guilt, but more like accepting fate.
Jiang Jingyun frowned and was about to throw the caning order to the ground when he heard someone among the onlookers shout, "Sir, she is a mute and cannot speak!"
Mute?
No wonder he would rather be beaten than speak, it turns out he can’t speak.
Jiang Jingyun suddenly realized what was going on and angrily looked at the culprit who almost caused him to misjudge: "Ma, you knew about this but didn't report it, what crime should you be punished for!"
Ma was so frightened that she fell to her knees and begged for mercy, crying, "Sir, I don't know."
"Besides, she is a chicken that doesn't lay eggs. She killed my son and caused the Ma family to be extinct. Isn't it what she deserves to be beaten with a stick?"
"I am judging a case, and I do not allow you to have any say in it," Jiang Jingyun said coldly, his expression unchanged, "Come here, drag her away and give her ten strokes of the cane as a warning to others."
There was another commotion of ghosts howling and wolves howling, which gave him a headache.
But the case was still at a stalemate. Jiang Jingyun had no choice but to slam the gavel and say, "Take all three of them to jail. I will make a judgment after I have investigated the case."
"Adjourn."
After instructing the bailiff to go out and search for evidence, Jiang Jingyun returned to the back hall to rest. Unexpectedly, a servant came to report that someone was visiting.
The man was called Huang Desheng. He claimed to be the father of the defendant, a wealthy businessman. He came with a valuable gift and said he had important matters to discuss with the magistrate in person.
When Jiang Jingyun heard this, he thought, isn't this blatant bribery? He waved his hand impatiently: "If you don't see me, just say I'm busy."
After sending the people away, Jiang Jingyun went to the backyard to change into casual clothes, then turned around and went out with Xiao Muyan.
Avoiding the yamen runners, they visited the Huang family and the Ma family one after another, and carefully questioned the relevant neighbors. Only from the words of the people did they figure out the whole story.
The wealthy businessman was named Huang Yaozu. His family had been in business for generations and had accumulated countless gold and silver wealth. He himself made a fortune in the county by opening casinos and lending money at high interest rates.
The deceased, Ma Dan, was a frequent visitor to casinos. He was lazy by nature and addicted to gambling. He often hung out in various casinos for years. He was poor and heavily in debt, but he still did not repent and finally borrowed high-interest loan from the casino.
On the surface, the gambling house lends out one or two taels of silver at an interest rate of 5% per month. In reality, the interest is compounded, and the amount soon snowballs into a number that is impossible to repay.
At this time, facing the ferocious gangsters who came to collect debts, Ma Dan had to choose between cutting off their hands or paying the money. He chose to push his wife out to pay off the debt.
Although Sun was a mute girl, she was very beautiful. She was an orphan bought from another village by Ma Dan, who was still wealthy before Ma Dan became addicted to gambling.
Huang Yaozu was not only greedy for money, but also very lustful. When someone offered a beautiful bride to him, he would naturally accept her with pleasure.
However, Ma Dan must pay back every penny of the money he owes.
In the end, the gambler, who had no money left, was beaten to death by the debt collectors.
Then, Jiang Jingyun already knew what happened. Ma, who came to collect his body, was filled with grief and anger, and filed a lawsuit, bringing both of them to court.
After understanding the whole story, Jiang Jingyun was speechless: "How can this have anything to do with the Sun family? It's clear that he is just a poor person who was implicated innocently."
The world is full of cannibalism, let alone women who grew up under the constraints of feudal ethics. If they submit to oppression, they will be eaten alive.
Jiang Jingyun sighed and complained bitterly about the injustice of the world.
"Don't we still have you?" Xiao Muyan stretched out his hand and straightened his frizzy hair. "Our honest and fair Lord Jiang will give her justice."
"Of course," Jiang Jingyun nodded without hesitation, "Let's go home."
The next day, the situation reported by the yamen runners was basically the same as what Jiang Jingyun had learned, but the wording was slightly different.
Sniffing the scent of rouge and alcohol in the air, he squinted at the yamen runner who came to report and confirmed again, "You mean, after Ma Dan used his wife to pay off his debts, his gambling addiction came back and he lost all his money again, so he was tempted by the money and secretly contacted Sun with the intention of stealing?"
"Yes." The bailiff replied with his head down.
"Okay, got it," Jiang Jingyun nodded, without commenting, "Go ahead."
When the yamen runner bowed and walked out, his clothes on his back were soaked with cold sweat. Although the adults are very approachable and never criticize the people working under them, once they frown and stare at you, it feels like everything you do will be exposed in front of them.
Fortunately, he managed to get away with it this time. Touching his bulging pockets, the bailiff left with satisfaction.
The next day, the county court opened the case again.
After being locked up in jail for two days, the three men were in much weaker spirits, especially Ma, who was beaten with ten sticks. She no longer had the arrogant and domineering look she had in the court. She knelt timidly on the spot, not daring to say much.
"This matter," Jiang Jingyunduan said slowly, sitting at the head of the table, "I have already found out the truth."
After these words were spoken, the three people in the hall had different expressions.
Sun still had a nonchalant expression, not caring about the outcome at all; Ma had a look of surprise as if revenge was about to be served; and Huang Yaozu, perhaps someone had already informed him privately, was kneeling there at this moment, looking calm and natural, not afraid of the upcoming trial at all.
Jiang Jingyun snorted coldly, picked up the gavel and slammed it heavily, "Suspect Huang Yaozu, do you admit your guilt?"
"I don't know." Huang Yaozu said calmly.
"Oh? Didn't you order the servants to beat Ma Dan to death?" Jiang Jingyun asked.
"The thief broke into the house at night, and the servant chased him away with a stick. In his haste, he didn't use any caution and accidentally beat him to death." Ma Dan's body was carried out from the Huang family. Everyone saw it with their own eyes. This cannot be refuted, but "our dynasty has a rule that anyone who breaks into a house and steals can be beaten to death on the spot. What the servant did did not violate the law."
"So," Huang Yaozu said calmly, "I don't know what crime I have committed."
After Jiang Jingyun heard what he said, he said coldly, "Then what? Wasn't the casino in Fu County owned by the Huang family? Wasn't it you who borrowed the money?"
"Yes, but it is only natural to pay back debts."
"Indeed," Jiang Jingyun nodded, and then changed the subject, "Then why did you order people to beat Ma Dan to death on the spot after he used Sun's to pay off his debts?"
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