Chapter 79 Lu Zhaoruo, a commoner, sues her husband's family, the Shen family!
Although Zhang's mouth was gagged, she still stood up straight and made a muffled "woo-woo" sound from her throat.
Once they arrive at the state government office and their status as "loyal merchants" is verified, how dare the mere Lu family sue a family granted imperial favor? Let's see how she handles that!
Shen Qingshu, on the other hand, was ashen-faced and staggered, as if he had aged ten years overnight, moving about numbly.
He was far more clear-headed than Zhang, knowing full well that the reputation of "loyal merchant" at this moment was probably not a shield, but rather a death warrant.
As for Lin Yingyu, logically speaking, she should be feeling ashamed and humiliated to the point of death at this moment.
But instead of panicking, she seemed completely unconcerned about the whispers and pointing fingers. She even slightly raised her chin, her eyes revealing calmness, showing no fear or shame that a modern woman should have.
On the way to the prefectural government office, the pace was neither too fast nor too slow, just the kind of swaggering gait one might expect when passing through town.
It took two quarters of an hour to travel from the Shen residence to the prefectural government office.
More and more people gathered along the way, their pointing and whispering never ceasing, and some even followed the procession all the way to the gate of the prefectural government office.
Xiao Yeming's personal guard, Wang Wu, was the first to dismount and stride towards the gate of the prefectural government office.
The gatekeeper initially intended to put on airs and ask questions slowly.
But when he glanced up and saw Xiao Yeming sitting upright on his horse behind him, as well as the string of Shen family men and women bound behind him, his expression immediately changed. His slight negligence vanished in an instant, and he turned around and rushed into the yamen to report.
In a short while, the usually unopened inner gate of the prefectural government office creaked open, and an official in a blue robe hurriedly came out to greet him. He bowed to Xiao Yeming and said respectfully, "I was unaware of Commander Xiao's arrival. I apologize for not welcoming you properly. The Prefect is already waiting in the hall. Please come in with everyone."
The group was then led through the Precept Stone Archway and into the solemn main hall.
Facing them was a plaque that read "A Clear Mirror Hangs High," and two rows of yamen runners stood silently on either side, holding fire and water sticks, creating a solemn atmosphere.
The prefect, wearing a turban with his legs spread wide, sat behind his desk with piercing eyes. His dark green official robe made his face appear even more solemn.
The prefect and several subordinate officials, including the registrar, had already taken their seats at the lower level, each holding their breath and concentrating intently.
"mighty--"
The deep, authoritative voices of the yamen runners echoed in the empty hall.
Xiao Yeming stepped in first, and gave a slight bow: "Your Excellency, Prefect."
The prefect had already received the news, and immediately rose to return the greeting, speaking solemnly: "Commander Xiao."
His gaze then fell on the group of people behind him. "These are the people involved in the case?"
"Exactly."
Xiao Yeming turned to the side to gesture.
Lu Zhaoruo and Lu Bohong followed her inside. She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and looked calmly at the hall.
The Shen family members were escorted by soldiers and staggered into the hall.
The tape over Zhang's mouth had been torn off, but faced with this somber scene, she momentarily forgot to cry out.
Shen Rongzhi's face was pale, but he still tried to remain calm.
Lin Yingyu was not afraid and faced everything calmly.
Shen Qingshu was practically carried in, his body limp.
The prefect's gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Lu Zhaoruo: "Who is kneeling before you? What grievance do you have, and what are you accusing us of?"
Lu Zhaoruo stepped forward, knelt down calmly, and said in a clear but steady voice: "I am Lu Zhaoruo, the wife of the Shen family in Yong'an County, Jizhou. Today I accuse my husband's family, the Shen family, of many crimes."
"Firstly, I accuse my husband, Shen Rongzhi, of 'abandoning his family and fleeing overseas'; 'separating property from his parents' while they were still alive' and arbitrarily dividing the family property; furthermore, 'marrying another wife after having one, and remarrying after divorcing another' and establishing a new family overseas; and 'taking a concubine as a wife, causing disorder among wives and concubines' and disrupting the family order. I humbly request Your Excellency to investigate these multiple crimes."
"Secondly, she accused her mistress, Lin Yingyu, of 'overstepping her bounds in the main hall and disrupting the order of wives and concubines'; 'the concubines verbally abused the mistress' and openly insulted a commoner; and even 'beat a relative of at least the rank of Si Ma' (a high-ranking official). The commoner's brother was a ninth-rank patrol inspector in Yong'an County. As an official of the imperial court, he had been beaten and insulted by her. This was 'beating an official and committing insubordination,' 'violating righteousness and morality,' and corrupting human relations!"
"Thirdly, he sued his uncle Shen Qingshu: as the head of the family, he actually 'separately registered property while his parents were alive,' allowing his son to divide the family property without permission; moreover, he 'allowed his descendants to violate the teachings,' failing to investigate and prosecute Shen Rongzhi's crime of bigamy, and even secretly covering it up, which is immoral and irresponsible!"
"Fourth, accusing his great-aunt Zhang Cuie of being guilty of 'owning separate property while parents are alive' and 'condoning the crimes of his children and grandchildren,' and..."
She paused slightly, raised her voice, and spoke clearly, each word as sharp as ice and jade: "Moreover, he has committed the grave crime of 'presumption of murder by an elder against a junior'! This is the most heinous crime under the Criminal Code! I narrowly escaped his clutches, and all physical and witness evidence has been brought outside the courtroom for your inspection, Your Honor!"
After Lu Zhaoruo finished speaking, she took out a prepared petition from her bosom, raised it high above her head, and said in a clear and firm voice: "This is a petition written by a woman. The charges, witnesses and evidence involved in the case are all listed in detail. I humbly request Your Excellency to review it!"
A clerk immediately stepped forward, respectfully took the petition, turned and hurried to the desk, presenting it to the prefect.
The prefect unfolded the petition, his gaze fixed intently as he carefully read through it.
The room fell silent for a moment, with only the soft rustling of papers turning.
In this solemn courtroom, Lu Zhaoruo, a woman, knelt alone in the center, her figure slender yet her back straight.
Her expression was calm and composed, without a trace of timidity between her brows. Every word she uttered was clear, firm, and resounding, which made the entire room fall into a solemn silence.
Never before had such a scene been seen in the state government office! A frail woman was suing her husband's entire family, meticulously detailing their crimes, and showing no fear whatsoever from beginning to end!
The crowd outside was already in an uproar, their whispers filled with disbelief: "What audacity this woman has! She actually dares to sue her entire family!"
Xiao Yeming sat upright to one side, his gaze never leaving Lu Zhaoruo from beginning to end.
He watched her speak calmly and humbly, his eyes filled with indescribable admiration and respect.
Even Shen Rongzhi, who was kneeling to the side, couldn't help but secretly raise his eyes to look at the figure that he once knew so well.
At this moment, Lu Zhaoruo's expression was stern, her words as firm as nails, as if she had been reborn...
He had never realized that she possessed such a resolute spirit.
The prefect carefully read through the petition, his expression growing increasingly solemn with each reading.
He slowly placed the petition on the desk, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over each member of the Shen family before finally settling on Lu Zhaoruo.
“The Lu family…”
His voice was deep and stern, carrying an air of authority: "The matters you have accused are of great importance, each one of which could lead to criminal charges. Where are the witnesses and evidence you mentioned?"
Lu Zhaoruo calmly replied, "Your Excellency, there are four pieces of physical evidence..."
"Firstly, there is the medicinal soup bowl that Zhang used yesterday to poison the woman. The soup bowl and the medicinal soup are already outside the hall, which can be used to verify the poison."
"Secondly, there are several letters between Zhang and Shen Qingshu and Shen Rongzhi and Lin. The letters not only mention that Shen Rongzhi married overseas and had given birth to a child and sent it back to her family, intending for a commoner to raise it, but also mention that Lin was pregnant with a second child. This proves that the maternal uncle and aunt 'indulged their children and grandchildren in violating the teachings,' and not only did they not condemn Shen Rongzhi's crime of bigamy, but they also covered it up in many ways."
"Thirdly, there is a copy of the marriage certificate that Shen Rongzhi and Lin Shi established overseas, which proves that he 'married someone else after having a wife'."
"Fourth, there are copies of the secret ledgers of Zhang's family, which have been secretly transferring money overseas through He Qiang, the temple priest of the City God Temple, for the past three years. Each entry and record can prove the crime of the Shen family 'keeping separate accounts and acquiring different wealth while their parents are alive'."
"All physical evidence has now been brought outside the hall for your inspection, sir."
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