Xu Jiang arrived at the county government office and was taken straight to the prison. The prison was hot and humid, causing a thin layer of sweat to form on her forehead.
"It's inside." The bailiff led her inside.
Before I got close, I heard the voices of Xu Wu and Xu Twelve crying out for justice.
Many prisoners were shouting, "If you keep making noise, I'll cut off your tongues when I get out!"
The two paused and continued shouting.
The jailer had been harassed for two days, beating them, scolding them, and even depriving them of food, but it still couldn't stop the two from talking. Eventually, he simply plugged their ears with cotton and finally found some peace and quiet.
Seeing the yamen runners leading people in, he knocked on the table and shouted, "Stop shouting, someone is here to see you."
Xu Wu and Xu Twelve, who were lying on the ground and shouting, hurriedly got up and climbed over to the wooden fence to see who it was. When they saw that it was Xu Jiang, they looked at each other in surprise.
What is she here for?
The yamen runner stopped and whispered to Xu Jiang, "The chief clerk said the case has been decided and the files have been filed. It's a done deal, so it's best not to publicize it, as it might damage the government's reputation. So, please ask the shopkeeper to mediate with them first. If mediation is truly unsuccessful, we can then proceed to court."
“How to mediate?”
"The chief clerk's meaning is... to get rid of wealth and avoid disaster."
The government office has a regulation that for those who have committed minor crimes, if someone is willing to pay money to buy a "stand-in" to serve the sentence on their behalf, they can be released on bail and will be pardoned after serving their sentence.
Serious crimes involving officials can have their punishments mitigated by their official ranks or achievements, but civilians will not be pardoned or given any reductions and will be punished according to the law.
This is 'atonement'.
Xu Twelve and Xu Five committed minor crimes, and Xu Jiang was the victim and a member of their clan. If this was considered a clan dispute, it could be mediated by them.
Give up money to avoid disaster? Xu Jiang sneered in her heart. The Xu family came to her for money. If she gave in, if she redeemed their sentence today, they would come to harass her again tomorrow.
Besides, she couldn't swallow her anger.
Seeing her resistance, the yamen runner tried to persuade her, "A while ago, the court was clearing out old cases, and our lord was implicated and nearly lost his job. This case isn't a big deal, but if word gets out about them protesting their innocence and someone with ulterior motives hears about it, they might just make a fuss about it. Manager Xu has always been understanding and reasonable. If you can resolve this matter and avoid a major disturbance, it would be a meritorious deed."
Xu Jiang was silent for a moment, then asked, "Sir, may I ask if anyone has come to visit me in the past two days?"
"I don't know about that. You have to ask the jailer." Then he called the jailer over to ask.
The jailer said, "Indeed, someone was here." Then he realized what was happening and said in surprise, "It was after that person came that the commotion started. He must have been the one who instigated it."
He said that everything was fine before, why did things suddenly start to get out of hand in the past two days? If that person comes again, he will definitely beat him out!
The bailiff asked, "Who?"
The jailer replied, "A man named Wu Cheng."
Wu Cheng? Xu Jiang asked, "Is he about forty years old, thin and short, and always looks arrogant?"
"How did you know, my lady?"
"It's him, the head of Wanjuan Tower."
Xu Si and Feng Miao were hanging out together, and Feng Miao was supported by the Zhou family. The Zhou family had a grudge against him and Lou Yunchun, and now with Xu Si as a weapon, they would push him to go against him.
Xu Jiang warned herself to stay calm and not act on impulse.
Since the Zhou family has gotten involved in this case, it is no longer a dispute between her and the Xu family. Now that Lou Yunchun has gone to Liangzhou and the emperor is ill and not attending court, she must have other purposes for choosing this time to change her confession.
She couldn't involve the Lou family and Master Lin because of herself.
The chief clerk asked her to mediate instead of going to court directly. Although this was to save the government office unnecessary trouble, it was also a warning that she must not be fooled.
Before Lou Yunchun left, he also reminded her that if the situation changed, she should not engage in direct conflict with others, but should avoid the sharp edge and wait for him to come back to settle the matter.
Just bear with it.
Xu Jiang slowly exhaled and said to the yamen runner, "I'll talk to them first."
Seeing that she had listened to him, the bailiff breathed a sigh of relief and led her further inside.
Several people came to the cell where Xu Wu and Xu Twelve were imprisoned. When they saw Xu Jiang, Xu Wu and Xu Twelve shut up. The two sides confronted each other and were speechless for a while.
The bailiff cleared his throat and shouted at the two men in the cell, "You were howling so loudly just now, but now you're completely silent! Speak!"
The two men trembled at the shouting, and Xu Wu stammered, "She wronged me. I didn't blackmail her. I ask the county magistrate to review this case and redress my injustice."
Xu Jiang looked at Xu Twelve and said calmly, "With Xu Twelve's confession, where is your injustice?"
The twelve officials bowed their heads.
Xu Wu seemed to have regained the confidence of the Fifth Master of the Xu Family and said, "He is a lowly slave who has never seen the world. He was frightened, so he signed and sealed the document. His words cannot be trusted."
"But you confessed in court. With so many people present, if you change your words now, you'll be fooling your superiors. Even if there's a retrial, you'll first receive a hundred lashes. If you're still found guilty after the retrial, your crime will be even more severe. You won't be as easy as a prisoner then. Can you bear it?"
Xu Wu thought about the words that Wu Zhangshi had brought him that day on behalf of Xu Si. They thought that if they could just goad Xu Jiang into confronting him in court, they could find a way to exonerate them. So he gritted his teeth and said, "I would rather be whipped a hundred times than not prove my innocence."
Xu Jiang looked at Xu Twelve, "What about you?"
Xu Twelve hesitated.
Xu Wu slapped Xu Twelve in the face. He quickly covered his face and said, "I listen to Master Wu."
Seeing this, Xu Jiang had an idea in mind.
She turned to the jailer and the bailiff and said, "My dear officers, I would like to talk to them alone. Is that possible?"
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