Chapter 68: The Matter of Whipping the Junior Sister
"I...I didn't steal it, it's a misunderstanding, it's a misunderstanding..."
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Liu Zilin felt as if he had swallowed a cold lump, his heart sinking. He hurriedly denied it, looking around anxiously as if he was desperately seeking help.
Unfortunately, the young master of the Liu family at the back of the crowd, with a gloomy expression, was also at a loss.
"Misunderstanding? You used my luminous pearl to buy a Hu woman from Yuanming Tower. It's all written in black and white, the market contract is right here. The size and condition of the luminous pearl are all correct. Boss Zhu, the pawnshop manager, and the market officials are all here and can testify that this pearl is genuine. And you're telling me it's a misunderstanding?"
The young magistrate murmured his doubts, pondered for a moment, then looked up as if suddenly realizing something and said:
"So you mean that I stole your luminous pearl a month ago, took it to a pawnshop, and when I couldn't sell it, I kindly returned it to you without your knowledge, and you used it to buy Hu Ji a few days ago? Is that what you mean?"
"..."
Liu Zilin really wanted to say "yes," but...
"Hahaha……"
Laughter broke out on Shengtang Street, which had been in a serious atmosphere, but was quickly suppressed.
Even the Xie family lady, whose eyes were slightly red and who was lost in thought, couldn't help but chuckle. She then pressed down her lips and gazed at her senior brother, who was witty, composed, and calm.
Obviously, no one would actually believe this ridiculous claim.
Liu Zilin was speechless for a moment.
Ouyang Rong continued to sigh and asked:
"So what exactly do you mean by misunderstanding? Did my luminous pearl's long legs run into your pocket?"
"I...I..."
Liu Zilin, his back soaked in cold sweat, was still somewhat dazed. The sudden turn of events with the luminous pearl had completely stunned him.
It's not really his fault for being careless.
His original plan was simple and effective:
He secretly threatened Yingniang to cooperate with Luo Er, and the former tricked Xie Lingjiang into taking out the corresponding money and handing it over to the intermediary Luo Er to buy Yingniang from Yuanming Tower.
Xie Lingjiang should have personally reviewed the market securities contracts at this stage, so they cannot be faked.
In the second phase, Luo Er took Yingniang to the Market Magistrate's Office to cancel the indenture. They could choose a busy day for Xie Lingjiang and go alone.
There's a lot of room for maneuver here. They could directly change the "cancellation of the indenture" into a deceptive substitution, handing Yingniang over to Liu Zilin, and then having the unsuspecting Xie Lingjiang take her back.
This should be the moment when Xie Lingjiang is most relaxed, otherwise if she didn't trust Yingniang, she wouldn't have handed over the luminous pearl to redeem her.
But Liu Zilin never expected that the problem would lie with this damned luminous pearl, which was also the most irreplaceable item in the contract.
Xie Lingjiang isn't stupid; she just trusts the bullied weak too much. However, she will definitely care about and review the process and contract for Luo Er to redeem Yingniang in the first phase.
But who would have thought that the legitimate daughter of the Xie family had no extra wealth, only a luminous pearl!
And it just so happens to be a gift from the county magistrate's senior brother... No, why would you give away something so casually when it's a gift from someone else?
Liu Zilin was so angry he felt like vomiting blood.
However, the unlucky third young master of the Liu family could never have guessed that Xie Lingjiang and her senior brother had just finished arguing at that time.
Because of the deregulation of grain prices, which was in a semi-cold war state, she mistakenly believed that her senior brother did not care about the people, which is why she disobeyed her senior brother and went to Yuanming Tower to find Yingniang in a fit of pique. Then, without much hesitation, she took out the luminous pearl to redeem Yingniang...
Behind the magistrate's desk, Ouyang Rong didn't look at Liu Zilin, who was speechless with anger, and directly asked the astonished Magistrate Diao, who was watching the drama unfold:
"Lord Diao, if someone steals another's property to buy slaves, does the market contract count as valid?"
“Reporting to the Prefect, it certainly doesn’t count. This servant should be returned to her original owner.” Magistrate Diao pondered for a moment and said, “This Hu woman, Yingniang, should still belong to Yuanming Tower.”
Ouyang Rong nodded, then asked the elderly market magistrate, "On the market contract, what is the price for exchanging the luminous pearl for the Hu woman?"
The latter replied respectfully, "Twenty-one strings of cash."
Ouyang Rong nodded and thoughtfully did some calculations:
“He has stolen far more than ten strings of cash and also embezzled government funds. He should be tattooed on the face with the character ‘thief’ and exiled three thousand miles away. Lingnan is too close; let’s send him north to Liaodong.”
Liu Zilin was terrified. He knelt down with a thud, sweating profusely, and said, "Your Honor, I've been wronged! I didn't steal anything. My family has plenty of wealth; how could I have stolen anything!"
He hurriedly pulled out a small bag of gold and silver treasures from his sleeve and poured them onto the bluestone floor with trembling hands.
Ouyang Rong looked around and sighed to the crowd:
"With so much money, you still steal from me. It seems you have a thieving addiction. I wonder how much of this treasure on the ground was stolen."
The crowd burst into laughter.
"!!!" Liu Zilin.
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyelids, glanced at him, and pointed at the people on the field, saying:
"I and everyone else have seen it. It was Young Master Liu who found the witnesses and evidence himself. They all prove that you asked Luo Er to take the Night-Shining Pearl to Yuanming Tower to redeem the person. Since you say that you did not steal the Night-Shining Pearl, then who was it that took out the Night-Shining Pearl and gave it to Luo Er?"
Without even lifting his eyelids, he slowly and deliberately said:
"Then may I assume that what Miss Xie said is true? She gave us the luminous pearl, and she redeemed the man. You and Luo Er have been in contempt of court and falsely accusing an innocent person throughout the entire ordeal!"
Liu Zilin's bloodshot eyes darted from side to side, his expression hesitant.
The young magistrate immediately raised his gavel, ready to make the final decision, giving him no time to think and no third option:
"Speak quickly, is it theft of official property or false accusation against an innocent person!"
Just as a decision was about to be made, Liu Zilin panicked and gritted his teeth, saying, "Stealing...stealing official property!"
Stealing official property at most results in tattooing, exile, or imprisonment. One can find an opportunity to take the blame, especially imprisonment... which means going to jail, but one can buy one's way out of the crime.
However, deceiving the government and falsely accusing innocent people is punishable by death!
We can only choose the lesser of two evils.
Ouyang Rong nodded and quickly concluded: "Fine. That means you admit to stealing official property."
Liu Zilin was stunned. He vaguely felt that the confession was too quick and he didn't even have time to make excuses, such as whether he picked up the luminous pearl. This reason was obviously fake but seemed to be able to fool him... Damn it, why did he have a feeling of being tricked?
But he couldn't care less about going back to his ex at that moment, and immediately offered a clumsy excuse:
"No...but it wasn't me who stole it, it was him! He stole it and forced it on me."
In a moment of desperation, Liu Zilin pointed.
A chubby, timid young man stood there dumbfounded.
"I didn't, I didn't..."
Luo Er waved his hands wildly, shaking his head and slapping his face, but Liu Zilin's fierce gaze, with his back to Ouyang Rong, made him shudder and shut up.
Under the young magistrate's amused gaze, Liu Zilin pulled Luo Er to his side, pointed at him, and loudly "exposed" him.
The latter gasped, unable to speak, seemingly intimidated by some kind of tyranny; his chubby face flushed red.
But in the end, under Liu Zilin's watchful eye, he could only bow his head and confess. Luo Er could only cling to a last glimmer of hope, hoping that the Liu family could use money to redeem him after the verdict, or that they could bribe someone during his exile...
Witnessing this ugly scene of humanity.
County officials such as Magistrate Diao and Constable Yan, as well as grain merchants and gentry such as Wang Caozhi, Manager Ma, and Uncle Wu, mostly had complex expressions in their eyes, revealing either smiles or disdain.
The other onlookers weren't fools either; having witnessed this much of the case, they were well aware of the general truth behind it.
The young magistrate gave a soft chuckle, and finally, he turned to look at the owner of the house east of Yuanming Tower:
"Boss Zhu, Hu Ji belongs to Yuanming Tower. She was taken back to stay overnight without permission. How to deal with her is entirely up to you."
Boss Zhu glanced at the silent woman and said with a憨态可掬 (simple and honest) smile, "I'm a businessman, just give me double the overnight fee, it's no big deal."
The young magistrate, who had been asked to do a favor, nodded, then shook his head.
Immediately, he drew lots, threw them out, stood up, and announced:
"The court decrees that...the criminal Luo Er stole a precious pearl, which is also government property. He is to be tattooed on the face with the word 'thief' and exiled three thousand li to the north of Liaodong, where he will be forced to perform three years of hard labor. After the term is completed, he shall not be allowed to return to his hometown."
“Accomplice Liu Zilin concealed his crime and embezzled the stolen money. He also dared to shout in court. He is to be punished with both punishments: seventy strokes of the cane and two years of imprisonment.”
"A woman surnamed Xie from a commoner family secretly kept a Hu woman overnight and then brandished a knife in court, showing contempt for the law. She is ordered to return the Hu woman and fined ten strings of cash. If she is fined again, she will be flogged seventy times!"
"All cases are now closed; this is the verdict!"
BOOM!
Ouyang Rong slammed his fist on the table, delivering his verdict and closing the case.
The entire room fell silent.
The grain merchants and local gentry looked slightly surprised.
Anyone with eyes can see the true nature of this case. Luo Er and Liu Zilin, who almost turned the tables on their victims, deserved their punishment.
It's quite surprising that the young magistrate is so harsh on his junior sister, but upon closer inspection... it's actually quite fair.
Many people sighed softly, their gazes fixed on the official desk bathed in the afternoon sunlight with considerable admiration.
It's unclear who started it, but a tacit applause began to rise from the crowd on Luming Street.
The three people currently being punished have reacted differently.
Luo Er cried out for his parents, grabbed Liu Zilin's legs, and begged for help, pleading for a reduced sentence.
Liu Zilin kicked the chubby young man away with a look of disgust, too lazy to bother with him.
The third young master of the Liu family couldn't help but tremble, not because he could spend money to seek a reduced sentence, but because he knew he was about to receive seventy strokes of the cane. It seemed he couldn't escape this bitter fate.
Caning involves striking the buttocks, back, and legs with a cane. As for flogging, it is a lighter punishment, involving whipping the back with bamboo sticks or thorny branches.
Seventy strokes of the cane! Liu Zilin felt a tightness in his anus, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked at his elder brother at the back of the crowd, but the latter had already turned around and was about to leave with a grim expression.
Yan Liulang frowned and waved his hand, ordering his men to take away the bloated young man who was lying on the ground, filled with remorse and despair.
Being exiled three thousand li was no joke. It was only slightly better than the death penalty. Three thousand li did not mean three thousand li in reality, but rather that the exile was extremely far. However, unless you were very lucky, the mortality rate on the way was extremely high... and you almost never came back.
After the young magistrate delivered his verdict, the caning and flogging punishments had to be carried out immediately in court by Yan Liulang and other constables and yamen runners.
It was fine to have his men beat Liu Zilin with sticks, but Yan Liulang and the others looked a little embarrassed when facing Xie Lingjiang.
"Miss Xie, please forgive me..."
Xie Lingjiang silently shook her head, indicating that she was alright.
The constables, however, turned to look at Ouyang Rong, but Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and didn't look at them or Xie Lingjiang.
"Execute it quickly!"
Seeing that the blue-clad constable was still hesitant, the young magistrate, standing with his hands behind his back, continued to urge him with a stern face:
"If you are physically unable to do so, or if you do not have enough manpower, then I will draw the lots myself."
Unexpectedly, Yan Liulang and the other constables immediately nodded in agreement and humbly declined to serve their superior.
“…” Ouyang Rong.
"I'll do it."
The next second, the young magistrate snorted coldly, walked down the steps, took a thorn branch, and came to his junior sister, who was standing with her hands down and her head bowed.
"Please, senior brother... there's no need to hold back."
"Good to know. Turn your back." He said, staring down at the floor tiles.
The noble lady Xie turned around obediently, facing the crowd and with her back to her senior brother.
Ouyang Rong's hand trembled slightly, but he still slapped down hard...
Xie Lingjiang bowed her head and endured the pain. Even though her snow-white back, hidden beneath the silk robe, was covered with red welts, she kept her lips pursed the entire time, her flowing hair obscuring the expression on her pretty face, and remained silent.
My senior brother is really into smoking.
She felt a little happy.
In stark contrast to the strange silence that followed, where only the sound of whipping echoed as the young magistrate personally carried out the execution, Liu Zilin, who was being flogged on the buttocks, was weeping and wailing... the two sides formed a striking contrast.
Ouyang Rong realized something was wrong.
Why did I hear the sound of a wooden fish before I even cracked the whip?
Was it the merit points given by the surrounding audience, or the merit points given by Liu Zilin being beaten with a board, or perhaps... Ouyang Rong couldn't help but look at his junior sister in front of him.
Probably not...
In addition to the sound of the wooden fish, Ouyang Rong discovered that whipping seventy times in a row with a thin thorn stick was also a skill, especially since he had to be careful to avoid certain parts of the back. Although he accidentally hit some parts of the back a few times... Junior Sister's ears turned bright red, and her slender shoulders trembled.
Seventy lashes, not one less, finally came to an end, and the sound of the wooden fish in my ears also disappeared at just the right moment...
The man was speechless. He put down the whip, wiped his sweat, and asked sternly:
"Will you still dare to recklessly draw your sword in the future?"
"No... I won't do it again." She buried her face and whispered, "I'll never dare to do it again."
Thanks to my good brother "A Little Firefly" for the helpful post! Let's have some fencing fun!
(End of this chapter)
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