Whoosh!
The people were talking about it.
Chen Qingwan, who was mixed in with the crowd, also had no idea why Magistrate Lu had done this.
One second they were given half the pork each, and the next they ordered someone to take Li Si down?
"Sir, are you mistaken? I just agreed to your judgment. If you're going to arrest someone, you should arrest Zhang San!" Li Si said anxiously, his body still trembling.
Lu Yan narrowed his eyes and stood up from his seat.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he walked down from the high platform and stepped up to Li Si.
"Li Si, do you think that I cannot determine your guilt without any evidence?" Lu Yan kicked him hard in the sole of his foot and made him kneel down in front of him.
The long sword in Qingque's hand changed direction and fell into his hand.
"yes!"
"My lord, you can't use your personal grudge against Young Master Liu to settle a score!" Li Si retorted, about to get up, when Qing Que forcefully pressed him down.
Upon hearing his words, the people stared wide-eyed.
Just a few days ago, Lu Qingtian had hung that young master Liu at the entrance of the county government office. He didn't even take Liu the scholar seriously. How dare Li Si do that now?
Has he gone mad?
"We just proposed that you two share the disputed pig equally, but your reaction is completely opposite to Zhang San's. Zhang San's reaction is the attitude that a normal person should have."
"Besides, according to what you said, you insisted that the pig was your Li family's pig just because the pig's tail had your Li family's mark. Does that mean that pigs without marks all came from other people's pigsties and ended up in your Li family's pigsty?"
Lu Yan used the long sword in his hand to lift his chin and reprimanded him in a cold voice.
Every word was powerful and resonant, making the listener believe it.
"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful."
Looking at the person standing a few steps away from her, Chen Qingwan was deeply shocked.
She realized in an instant that Lu Yan's method was extremely ingenious; his move had almost blocked Li Si's escape route!
If Li Si insists that the pigs belong to him, then the other pigs in the pigsty do not belong to his Li family, simply because the other pigs do not bear his Li family's mark!
If Li Si doesn't want to lose so many pigs, he has no choice but to admit his guilt!
According to the laws of Da Ning, Li Si's actions would only result in him being detained for five or six days at most before he could be released, and he would only need to give Li San some compensation.
Conversely, Li Si will lose all the pigs in the pigsty!
Judging by the relative importance of each factor, even someone with a brain like Li Si would know which decision to make.
"That's right, I also feel like one or two of my pigs are missing. Maybe they ran off to Li's pigsty!"
"My family is missing one or two animals too..."
"And what about us, sir? Our pigs are all gone too..."
The first to react started grumbling, all craning their necks to try and get a share.
Zhang San's eyes lit up as he looked at Li Si, whose face was completely bewildered and ashen. If he could exchange one of his pigs for two or three, being locked up for a few days wouldn't be a problem!
In this way, he was able to pay off all the debts he owed from selling pigs!
"I...I..."
Li Si was sweating profusely, his mind blank and completely at a loss.
This time, all his previous arrogance and pride vanished, and he slumped listlessly on the ground.
When he learned that Zhang San's pig had wandered into his pigsty, he immediately had someone stamp the pig's seal, hoping to seize it for himself.
Before this, he was even more proud of his foresight, but little did he know that his cleverness would backfire!
"I will only give you two choices."
"First, admit to taking Zhang San's pig and be imprisoned for ten days. Second, that pig is yours, but the rest of the pigs in the sty belong to everyone."
Looking down at the bewildered man before him, Lu Yan felt utterly exhausted.
Since becoming the local official of the Great Ning Dynasty, he has been dealing with such trivial matters every day, truly a case of a hero having no place to use his talents.
To this end, he also set up countless rules to regulate the behavior of the people and reduce such trivial matters.
However, the Liu family disregarded his rules and challenged them countless times.
The lesson learned a few days ago not only failed to serve as a warning to others, but today they even dared to act so brazenly in court. It seems he still needs to find a way to eradicate this Liu family as soon as possible.
"I...I confess!"
Li Si's lips trembled, and he lowered his head in defeat.
"Return the prisoner Li Si to custody, return the pig to Zhang San and pay him ten taels of silver in compensation. Court adjourned." Lu Yan announced the verdict, casually stuffing the long knife into the arms of a constable standing to the side.
With his hands behind his back, he strode out.
Seeing this, the people blocking the entrance to the courthouse instinctively turned aside.
Lu Yan walked out of the county government office without looking back, not even glancing at the two people standing there.
"Lu Qingtian truly lives up to his reputation as the upright and just magistrate of Shannan County. With just a little trick, he made Li Si confess his crimes. If it were any other official, they would probably have sided with Li Si."
"It's a pity that Your Excellency doesn't hold court very often, so we can't see Your Excellency's demeanor every day."
"Our Shannan County is fortunate to have Lu Qingtian!"
The people also left one after another, constantly praising Lu Yan.
The constables in the courtroom had all left.
In just a few breaths, the empty courtroom was left with only Chen Qingwan and Qiao'er standing facing each other.
"Now I understand why Lu Yan is being impeached by court officials every day." Chen Qingwan's smooth lips curled up slightly, and there was a hint of admiration in the depths of her eyes.
In a situation where officials protect each other, Lu Yan, who acts eccentrically, naturally becomes a thorn in everyone's side.
Qiao'er hesitated, struggling to continue, "Master, one person's impeachment may be ineffective, but a hundred people's impeachment may not be so."
Upon hearing this, Chen Qingwan smiled but remained silent and left the courtroom.
She didn't know the truth of the memorial impeaching Lu Yan, but Qiao'er's confidence in saying those words was extremely weak.
...
At this moment, Lu Yan had already shed his official attire and was walking on the street in plain clothes.
"Qingque, go and investigate the background of those two women who spoke in court just now." Lu Yan frowned slightly as he thought of the two women with extraordinary bearing.
In his impoverished rural town of Shannan, no high-ranking official of the sixth rank or above had ever visited him; the people he associated with were nothing more than merchants reeking of money.
There wasn't a trace of money on those two women.
However, their true identity remains unknown.
"Yes, sir."
Qingque responded and then left to investigate.
Alone, Lu Yan arrived at the wonton stall and ordered a wonton.
As the owner served him the wontons, a figure gracefully sat down in front of him.
"Miss, I don't sit at a table here." Lu Yan picked up the chopsticks from the table and started eating.
Seeing his appearance, Qiao'er, who was standing to the side, frowned: "How dare you! Do you know who my master is? How dare you speak to my master like that?"
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