"Assassins?" Huang Zhen looked at the group of people with a puzzled expression.
Zhao Cheng gave Zhao Wu a wink.
Zhao Wu quickly walked to the desk, clasped his hands and said, "Lord Huang, my master sent me to assist the people of the Prefect's Office in finding Xu Fu, but we encountered this group of people who were about to kill Xu Fu and his family. After I rescued Xu Fu, I brought them here as well."
"This is outrageous! How dare you commit murder in broad daylight? Do you have any respect for the law?"
Huang Zhen slammed his gavel and shouted, "Who ordered you to do this? Speak!"
The assassins didn't hesitate for even a second before pointing their weapons at Xiao Ming.
"It was Boss Xiao who sent us!"
"Boss Xiao offered a lot of money, and my mother is waiting for the money to treat her illness. I really have no other choice, sir!"
"Yes, Your Excellency, we're just doing our jobs for money..."
Xu Fu suddenly said, "My lord, these people are no good. When they killed me, they even threatened to defile my wife and daughters!"
The leader was stunned, and pointed at Xu Fu, cursing, "You bastard, you're spouting nonsense!"
Zhao Wu kicked him to the ground and shouted, "You cowardly coward who dares to do something but not admit it! I heard you saying that!"
"A bunch of scum!"
Huang Zhen roared and stared at Xiao Ming, saying, "Xiao Ming, do you plead guilty?!"
"I didn't do it, so what crime have I committed?" Forced into this situation, Xiao Ming calmed down and pointed at Xu Fu and the assassins, saying, "Just based on their words, do you really think I did it?"
Xiao Luomu tilted her head back, trying not to let her tears fall.
He understood everything about the world.
“Uncle, my father and I trusted you so much, yet you took my father’s life. You shouldn’t have done that!” Xiao Luomu said, his voice trembling.
Xiao Ming's face darkened, and he said sternly, "Xiao Luomu, stop pretending! After my elder brother died, you were afraid I would take the position of family head, so you bribed these people to frame me, didn't you?!"
Xiao Luomu then looked at Xiao Ming, and said with a puzzled expression, "Uncle, why is it like this?"
"Father!" Xiao Luoyan shouted, "My second brother would never do anything to frame you!"
"You good-for-nothing son!" Enraged, Xiao Ming stood up and kicked Xiao Luoyan, shouting, "You're my son!!"
Snap!
Huang Zhen slammed his gavel and said, "How dare you be so presumptuous in the courtroom?!"
The lower-ranking officials on both sides immediately surrounded him and used stern rods to restrain Xiao Ming.
With tears in his eyes, Xiao Luoyan said, "It's precisely because I'm your son that I can't let you make the same mistake again! Father, you can deny that you did it, but you can't frame my second brother. I've been learning business from him for over a year, and I know him. Everything he does is for the development of the Xiao family; he has never had any selfish motives!"
"You little bastard, you little bastard!!" Xiao Ming continued to curse even as he was pinned to the ground.
At this moment, a woman walked in, glanced at Xiao Ming and Xiao Luoyan respectively, then knelt down in front of the official desk and said, "This humble woman, Qi, greets Your Excellency the Prefect!"
Huang Zhen asked, "And who are you?"
"This woman is Xiao Ming's wife."
"Madam, you?" Xiao Ming was a little confused, not understanding why his wife had come at this time.
Huang Zhen said, "Madam Xiao, you have trespassed into the courtroom. What do you have to say?"
Qi kowtowed to Huang Zhen and said, "I have come to report my husband, Xiao Ming."
Upon hearing this, Huang Zhen's eyes lit up.
Xiao Ming shouted, "Madam, have you gone mad?!"
"Shut him up." Huang Zhen gave Xiao Ming a disgusted look, then asked, "What do you want to report?"
Qi looked up and said, "Before and after the death of Xiao Tian, the head of the Xiao family, my husband Xiao Ming secretly conspired with some members of the Xiao family and some merchants in Qingdong City to find a way to depose Xiao Luomu after Xiao Tian's death and seize the position of family head."
"Therefore, I believe that Xiao Ming knew Xiao Tian's death was imminent before he died."
"The person who killed Xiao Tian was Xiao Ming."
Xiao Ming bit the hand that the clerk had used to cover his mouth and shouted, "You wretched woman, you've ruined my life!!!"
"Xiao Ming, wake up! Don't harm Yan'er!!" Madam Qi glared at Xiao Ming and continued, "Prefect, you can send people to search Xiao Ming's study right now. They should be able to find some important letters and accounts. He has been preparing for this for many years, and he will surely leave behind evidence."
As she spoke, Madam Qi kowtowed to Huang Zhen again and said, "Xiao Ming's crime is unforgivable, but my son Xiao Luoyan was completely unaware of it. I beg the Prefect to investigate thoroughly!"
Xiao Luoyan grabbed Qi Shi and exclaimed in surprise, "Mother..."
Madam Qi embraced Xiao Luoyan tightly, tears finally streaming down her face, and said, "Son, don't be afraid. You won't be implicated in anything you didn't do."
Seeing this, Xu Fu quickly said, "Prefect, when I left the Xiao family, it was Young Master Luo Yan who sent people to escort me. If he were in cahoots with Xiao Ming, I'm afraid I would be dead already!"
Xiao Luomu also said, "I can vouch for Xiao Luoyan; he's a good kid!"
While everyone pleaded for Xiao Luoyan, Zhao Cheng stared intently at him and noticed that his eyes were filled with surprise, sadness, and shock, which did not seem to be fake.
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Cheng walked up to Xiao Ming, looked down at him, and said, "Xiao Ming, you are a well-known big boss in Jingdong County. You should take responsibility for your own actions. Do you want to drag your only son down with you before you are executed?"
"Hahaha, hahahahaha..." Xiao Ming suddenly laughed, then started crying again, saying between sobs, "Zhao Cheng, Zhao Cheng... why did you have to come to Qingdong City at this time of year? I hate it, I hate it so much... Zhao Cheng, the one who defeated me!"
Xiao Ming confessed.
With the approval of most members of the Xiao family and the external support of Zhao Cheng, Xu An, and Huang Zhen, Xiao Luomu became the youngest head of the Xiao family in history.
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