Chapter 67 We Have a Thief Among Us! (Part 2)
Behind the crowd on Luming Street.
Liu Ziwen exchanged a glance with Liu Zilin on the field without making a sound, and then gestured to the grain merchants and gentry in front of the county government office.
The latter seemed to understand and nodded slightly.
Liu Ziwen's attention has been focused on the grain merchants and gentry who came out of the county government office since the court session began. His brows have been slightly furrowed, as if he is worried about something.
Even Xie, who was speaking with her head held high, was only glanced at by Liu Ziwen before he turned his attention back to the young county magistrate, grain merchants, and gentry.
His temperament was more fierce than he had imagined, but the fiercer he was, the easier it was to destroy his heart.
As it turned out.
On the field, Liu Zilin, having regained his senses, chuckled and shook his head:
"Stop being so impulsive. This isn't your home. Please tone down your spoiled attitude. Everyone has seen it. There's plenty of evidence, and it's written in black and white that Yingniang is my servant. Still trying to deny it? Even the magistrate can't protect you today!"
“I don’t need the magistrate’s guarantee. I’m not short of money. I would never steal. I paid the money, but you kept it. You’re deliberately trying to frame me!”
"If you're not short of money, why would you steal like this? You're addicted to stealing! As the magistrate's advisor, you're always reaching out your hands. Today you stole a commoner's slave girl, what will you steal next time..."
Liu Zilin's face suddenly realized:
"Oh, I forgot, there's really no need to steal anymore. The clerk just needs to reach out, and the other wealthy merchants and gentry will obediently hand over their money. This isn't stealing, it's paying tribute, right? You deal with so many wealthy merchants every day in the county government, just how much tribute have you received!"
Xie Lingjiang's nostrils trembled:
"I've never received any gifts! While serving my senior brother, I've never received a single penny as a gift; I always paid for everything myself!"
Luo Er, who was standing nearby, seized the opportunity to interject: "They even steal from a barbarian slave, and they act arrogantly and domineeringly. They still claim that they have never accepted any 'tribute'. Who would believe that!"
"I'll say it again, I didn't steal it. It's the three of you who are in cahoots, conspiring to frame me..."
Liu Zilin completely ignored her, and didn't even look at Ouyang Rong. He turned around directly, his eyes like a wolf's, surveyed the entire room, and shouted:
"The magistrate said he came to Longcheng only to uphold justice, but his men are dishonest and steal things from everywhere. The magistrate doesn't say anything and just lets it go."
"If the county government has lost its justice, what business is there to do with it? What business is there to have with it? Isn't it just waiting to be ripped off? Anyway, I'm afraid. Today I was ignorant, and I won't dare to bang the drum to demand justice again. I'll just consider this a loss I have to swallow. Forget it, the county magistrate has already done a great service by helping me get my person back. I am only grateful..."
These words, full of hidden meaning, spread throughout the room.
Wang Caozhi, Manager Ma, Manager Li, Uncle Wu, and the head of the Cheng family all had different expressions, some hesitant, some strange, and some amused. However, the expressions of some minor gentry and grain merchants had begun to waver, and they frequently looked at a certain silent young county magistrate.
Liu Ziwen, standing at the back of the crowd, nodded slightly, quite satisfied.
On the steps of the county government gate, Yan Liulang's face couldn't help but show worry.
What Liu Zilin and his gang of scoundrels cared about was not the ownership of slaves, nor did they want any justice.
Even smearing Miss Xie was not the primary goal of this trap.
They're targeting Prefect Ming!
This is clearly a ploy to shift blame elsewhere.
Miss Xie's passive efforts to prove her innocence are futile.
Liu Zilin and his group didn't care whether she had stolen anything or not; they just wanted to pin the blame on the Ming family.
Yan Liulang had seen this method used by an old prison guard who interrogated prisoners a few years ago.
The blue-clad constable was anxious, while on the other side, Liu Zilin and Luo Er were being sarcastic and their words only made things worse.
Xie Lingjiang couldn't hold back any longer. He reached out and drew the curved knife from the waist of the constable next to him. The scabbard was empty for a few breaths, and the latter didn't even come to his senses.
"I already said we should stick to the facts, you're not allowed to slander our senior brother!"
Xie Lingjiang grabbed the knife with her backhand and rushed out like a rabbit.
Holy crap! Liu Zilin's eyelids twitched violently, and he covered his head and ran away, yelling, "Help! The county clerk is killing someone..."
"Nonsense! Put down the knife!"
Ouyang Rong sternly rebuked him.
The senior brother's voice made Xie Lingjiang stop immediately, and the knife clattered to the ground at her feet.
Liu Zilin, who had fallen in a panic, was helped up by Luo Er. Looking at Xie Lingjiang, whose pretty face was cold and aloof, he felt a little regretful.
How could this little vixen be so audacious, daring to draw her knife and kill someone in court!
Liu Zilin felt a chill on his back, and cold sweat soaked through his shirt.
Before he could think further, Ouyang Rong said:
"This is a courtroom, not a marketplace where you argue and throw tantrums!"
Liu Zilin returned to his original position and asked with a forced smile, "Has the magistrate figured out how to 'properly' uphold justice?"
"Is that even a question?"
The young magistrate looked at the contract and other evidence on the case, then glanced at Luo Er and Yingniang below, and asked with curiosity:
Isn't this justice crystal clear?
Liu Zilin paused for a moment, then nodded, suddenly feeling utterly bored.
"Then hurry up and make the judgment. I remember that according to the laws of our Great Zhou Dynasty, theft of more than one string of cash shall be punished with seventy strokes of the cane, and theft of more than ten strings of cash shall not only result in tattooing on the face, but also exile to Lingnan for three years of hard labor. This Hu woman slave must be worth more than ten strings of cash at the horse market. Magistrate, please don't forget."
Ouyang Rong nodded and glanced at him: "You remember everything perfectly for me."
Liu Zilin snorted coldly, inwardly sneering.
He didn't believe that Ouyang Rong would really allow his junior sister to have her face tattooed and be exiled for hard labor; he would definitely try every means to reduce her sentence and grant her leniency.
Once this "shameful act of favoritism" was seen by all the common people, gentry, and grain merchants, wouldn't it be a violation of justice? Then what Liu Zilin said earlier would not be unfounded in everyone's ears!
Justice or the junior sister—one of them will inevitably suffer, especially the former. It could directly declare all the magistrate's efforts these past few days futile, because this was a promise he made on his very first day in office…
Come on, let's see what a disgraceful state you are in.
Liu Zilin and Liu Ziwen at the back of the crowd exchanged a knowing glance, their eyes filled with smiles.
However, Ouyang Rong's performance was slightly unexpected.
Bang!
He slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and, in front of everyone, pointed his index finger at the audience, solemnly announcing:
"Clearly, there's a thief among you! A shameless thief!"
Xie Lingjiang stiffened. Even when she was slandered and unable to defend herself, she had never lost her composure like this. At this moment, her senior brother's decisive words, without asking any questions, made the slender figure of this woman dressed as a man sway slightly.
Liu Zilin looked slightly surprised; he hadn't expected such a straightforward response.
"Officer Yan, take him down first!" Ouyang Rong's expression was grave.
Yan Liulang hesitated, "This...this..."
"I order you to arrest him!" he glared.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yan Liulang steeled himself and dragged his feet to Xie Lingjiang, whose face was pale. He awkwardly cupped his hands and said, "I'm sorry, Miss Xie..."
"No, why are you going to take her down? Go and take down Liu Zilin instead!" Ouyang Rong frowned, speechless.
"Ah..." The blue-clad constable opened his mouth wide. The next second, his eyes sharpened, and he moved like a rabbit, taking a step to close the distance between himself and Liu Zilin, capturing the thief on the spot, pinning him to the ground, tying him up with ropes, and looking very focused on his duty.
"..." The entire audience.
Xie Lingjiang was stunned.
Liu Zilin was still in a daze even after the ropes were tied around his body. Liu Ziwen, who was standing not far behind the crowd, was also dumbfounded.
Unaware of their presence, most people on the field were stunned.
"What are you doing? Why are you tying me up if you're not going to tie her up? I'm a law-abiding citizen! I'm a law-abiding citizen! I'm innocent!"
"Stop shouting, you thief. Tie me up first, or you'll run away."
“Thief? What did I steal? I’m not convinced!” Liu Zilin retorted, his thick red neck stiff.
Ouyang Rong picked up the crystal-clear luminous pearl on the table and asked:
"So you had Luo Er use this to buy Yingniang from Yuanming Tower?"
Liu Zilin nodded reluctantly.
Ouyang Rong stared at him for a moment, then slammed his hand on the desk:
"Nonsense! This is clearly my property, how did it end up in your hands?"
Liu Zilin and Luo Er were both startled, caught off guard. After exchanging a glance, the former, under Ouyang Rong's intense gaze, stammered:
"How could this be... This is mine. Almost all luminous pearls in the world are the same, so it's normal to encounter something similar."
"It's alright, I have both witnesses and physical evidence."
Ouyang Rong said leisurely, then waved to Yan Liulang, gave him a few instructions, and the latter left with a somewhat intriguing expression.
Before long, amidst the furrowed brows of Liu Ziwen and the astonished gazes of everyone present, Yan Liulang brought in four old managers from the West Market pawnshop. Ouyang Rong handed them the crystal-clear round bead in his hand.
"Do you all remember that I, in plain clothes, once inquired about the price of a pearl at your esteemed institution?"
The four old shopkeepers nodded after just one glance; someone guessed they must have been impressed by his handsome face… The shopkeepers then apologized with wry smiles for not recognizing the county magistrate at the time, while the young magistrate simply shook his head and said:
"It's nothing. You gentlemen have been in business for many years and have keen eyesight. Take a close look at this pearl. Is it the same one I brought over a month ago? Oh, right, I remember two of you even provided a paper appraisal document back then, which included the dimensions and weight..."
In front of everyone, the four pawnshop owners took turns carefully examining the luminous pearl. Finally, the most senior owner, an old man with a white beard, handed the pearl back, stroking his beard and nodding.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, this pearl is neither a pearl nor a stone. It has the ability to glow in the dark. I was deeply impressed by it on the day it was made. Its size and weight are exactly the same. There is no mistake. The one you have here is indeed the one you brought back that day. It's just a pity that we didn't complete the transaction back then."
This statement, with its irrefutable evidence, caused another uproar in the streets. No one had expected the situation to develop in such a bizarre way. Even the young magistrate hadn't anticipated that his junior sister would use the gifts he had given her to ransom someone. Was she short of money, or had she given it to him during a quarrel?
Liu Zilin and Luo Er, who were tied up, seemed to have been struck by lightning and froze on the spot.
Ouyang Rong tossed the luminous pearl in his hand, then turned to them with an eager look of curiosity:
"Strange, how did the luminous pearl that I gave to Miss Xie end up in your hands? Or is it that what Miss Xie said just now was true, and you were both lying!"
Liu Zilin panicked immediately and stammered, "It's yours...it's okay, but how can you prove...you gave it to her?"
"Alright, I apologize for the slight presumption of guilt I made unintentionally. Let me rephrase the question..."
Ouyang Rong chuckled and nodded, then his expression suddenly changed:
"Why did you steal my luminous pearl?! Don't you know that stealing more than ten strings of cash not only results in facial tattooing but also three years of exile and forced labor in Lingnan! Stealing official property is an even more serious crime!"
Liu Zilin and Luo Er were completely dumbfounded.
The former, in particular, shivered twice under the midday sun.
It's over.
Here I am, and I keep my word! Also, thanks to my good brother who pointed out the typos!
(End of this chapter)
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