Chapter 166 I've been a cuckold for over ten years without even realizing it
Su Jianrong's father died young, and he had been dependent on his widowed mother since childhood. Life had been hard, but since he entered Yandang Academy, his life had become increasingly comfortable. Over time, he had forgotten the hardships of living on a meager farm with his widowed mother, often going hungry and freezing.
This time, being imprisoned in the government jail, he felt as if he were back in the shabby thatched hut of his childhood. The damp, dark cell, the straw-covered couch, the straw stalks poking him if he wasn't careful, making him scream.
When he first entered the cell, he grabbed the door tightly and shouted at the top of his voice: "Do you know who I am? I am a man of honor and honor. You are saying that I am involved in a case with all your might. What case? Where is the evidence? You are framing me and confusing right and wrong!"
After yelling for a long time, not only did his throat get damaged, but he even had no water. Only then did he gradually calm down.
"Sir, sir," he stretched his neck as far as he could and called to the guard sitting not far from the cell, "could you please give me a drink of water?"
The bailiff rolled his eyes at him, but unexpectedly handed him a bowl of water. However, the porcelain bowl had a hole in it, and he drank it in a hurry and accidentally cut his mouth.
He was anxious and in pain, and really couldn't understand what had happened.
It was not until the next day that he was escorted out of the cell and interrogated, and only then did he know what had happened.
In the court, Lin and his brother-in-law Wei Liang were brought up together. He was shocked to find that this brother-in-law, whom he had called his brother for ten years, not only had a fake identity, but even his name was fake!
However, what made him open his mouth wide and speak incoherently in shock was that Lin and Wei Liang secretly forced women of good families into prostitution, and all the money they earned was mixed into the accounts of his tea business. Judging from the accounts, he, Su Jianrong, was the boss behind these dirty deeds!
"Sir, I, I am innocent! For more than ten years, I have been kept in the dark by that woman Lin. Yes, I like to play with girls, but, but I never force other girls. It has always been consensual, without any coercion, and I have never forced a good girl into prostitution!"
"I am only asking according to the law. You only need to answer yes or no, and I will investigate the rest!"
The Yueqing County Magistrate frowned and slammed the gavel to stop Su Jianrong from making any more noise.
Su Jianrong looked at the yamen runners holding killing sticks rushing towards him from the left and right, and was immediately frightened into silence, trembling and not daring to speak.
However, the most frightening thing is yet to come. This Wei Liang had actually killed Lin's biological brother in Yongjia over a decade ago. Lin and this murderer seemed, seemed, to be...
Su Jianrong, who had always been cuckolded by others, never thought that he had been a cuckold for more than ten years without knowing it. He suddenly felt a surge of blood, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted from anger.
When he woke up, he was already in a cell.
He slowly opened his eyes, hazily aware of several people standing before the cell. He rubbed his eyes, then saw that it was his daughter, Su Ying, and his wife's sister, Rong. Beside them stood a man with a stern expression and an air of authority between his brows. Su Jianrong felt vaguely familiar with him.
Seeing that he woke up, the man nodded to the yamen runner, who respectfully replied "yes" and opened the cell.
Su Jianrong thought that his daughter and Rong had asked someone to rescue him, so he excitedly shouted, "Ying'er!" and was about to get up.
However, due to the lack of water and food for several days, Master Su, who was usually pampered, felt a little dizzy. So he stretched out his hand and called out, "Ying'er, come and help your father."
However, it had been a long time since he finished speaking, but his daughter still hadn't come to his aid.
He looked up at his daughter inexplicably, only then he realized that she had an indifferent expression and was just looking at him coldly.
Then he looked at his sister-in-law Rong, who looked at him with an expression of disgust that he could not hide. Seeing this, Su Jianrong's heart sank. He said in disbelief, "Ruolan, you, you didn't come to rescue me?"
Rong Ruolan snorted coldly and said, "Haven't you heard everything in court today?"
"Then Lin and Wei Liang insist that you are the mastermind behind this. How can I save you?"
After hearing Rong Ruolan's words, Su Jianrong finally remembered why he felt the man beside her looked familiar. This man was also present in the court today, sitting to one side of the courtroom, clearly someone important.
Ruolan had just mentioned the court incident, so it must have been this gentleman who informed her. If so, it seemed there was still room for maneuver.
"I wonder what to call this gentleman?"
To confirm what he was thinking, he stood up and said respectfully.
Rong Ruolan was disgusted to see him being so slick, but she had no choice, she had to come today.
She turned away and said, "This is Lord Liu, the magistrate of Yongjia County, and also my father's student!"
"Lord Liu?" Su Jianrong suddenly realized that it was this Lord Liu who sent gifts to congratulate Su Ying on her coming-of-age ceremony.
This time Su Jianrong was relieved. Needless to say, this Lord Liu must have been invited by his father-in-law to help him out of trouble. He had connections in officialdom, and no matter how serious the crime was, he could use his connections to clear it up.
My dear father-in-law! Su Jianrong was filled with emotion.
He bowed to Liu Xianling again and again: "Thank you for your help, Master Liu. I am very grateful!"
Seeing Su Jianrong's fawning look and Ruolan's frown, Liu Xianling, who knew the purpose of this trip well, stepped forward and blocked Rong Ruolan behind him.
From now on, he would do for her things like these that she didn't want to do but had to do.
"After all, I am not from the Yueqing government office. Even if I can smooth things over, I must keep my words short."
Su Jianrong bent lower than ever before: "Yes, Master Liu is right. I am all ears."
Liu Xianling got straight to the point. "If this matter hadn't involved Mr. Rong, my teacher, I wouldn't have bothered to help you exonerate. You should also understand that the matter you are involved in is of great importance. Even if I tried my best to smooth things over and save you from conviction, you would never be the same Master Su again. Are you willing?"
"Yes, yes!"
He has now been falsely accused by Lin and Wei Liang of being the boss who forced women of good families into prostitution. They have been doing this for many years. If he is sentenced to a heavy punishment, he will be severely punished even if he does not die.
But this Lord Liu said that he just couldn't be Master Su, so what was there to be afraid of? At worst, he could rely on his father-in-law to make a comeback!
Seeing that he had taken the bait, Liu Xianling continued calmly, "Master Su, this isn't something that can be solved simply by saying you're willing. It's not too late to answer after I finish speaking!"
Su Jianrong nodded and smiled flatteringly: "You say, Master Liu, you say."
Liu Xianling said coldly, "A few months ago, you tricked my teacher into guaranteeing Wei Liang and freeing him from his slavery. Is that true?"
"Our Great Zhou Dynasty does allow people of good reputation to act as guarantors for those whose status as slaves is questionable, but this is ultimately dishonorable, especially since my teacher is a man of great prestige. And now Wei Liang is a vicious criminal. If I save you, I'll be putting my teacher in an unjust position. Therefore, I need you to write a letter of clarification, stating that you were the mastermind behind all this, and to trick my teacher into acting as a guarantor."
"This is the first one, the second one," Liu Xianling had just started talking when he suddenly felt someone gently pulling his sleeve. He turned his head and saw Ruolan nodded at him, as if to say, let me tell you.
The eyes that were as cold as ice just now became as soft as water after they met Rong Ruolan.
He moved slightly sideways to let her come forward.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
