The carriage stopped in front of the Shannan County government office.
The master and servant stepped out of the carriage, where a large crowd had already gathered in front of the county government office.
Upon raising one's eyes, one sees the towering vermilion gate, beneath which are a dozen or so white jade steps, exquisitely crafted, comparable to the jade steps of an imperial palace.
Then look at the vermilion walls, the green bricks and gray tiles, the flying eaves and beasts, it is incomparably majestic.
It's not hard to imagine how much money was spent on this county government office.
However, the people of Shannan County did not seem angry; on the contrary, they supported Lu Yan even more.
Could it be that, as Qiao'er said, Lu Yan knows some kind of bewitching art?
Chen Qingwan frowned, puzzled.
At this moment, the gate of the yamen (government office) opened wide, and a constable in blue robes walked out.
The constable had a fair complexion and a tall, upright posture, but when she spoke, she was a woman.
"Lord Lu is in court! The common people may enter to observe, but they must not make noise, cross the line, fight, or interfere with the trial!"
After the female constable finished speaking, she turned and went into the yamen.
The onlookers immediately followed and surged inside.
Chen Qingwan also took Qiao'er and followed.
Inside the courtroom, a bright mirror hangs high.
"Smack!"
The gavel slammed down.
All eyes turned to the hall.
But then they saw a local official in a black hat and green robe sitting upright behind his desk.
Upon closer inspection, beneath the black gauze hat was a handsome young face.
Lu Yan, the magistrate of Shannan County!
"Bring the plaintiff to court!"
Lu Yan scanned the entire scene; he was already experienced in this kind of situation countless times.
With just one glance, he exuded an imposing aura, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Before long, a middle-aged man dressed in a short shirt and looking like a farmer walked into the hall somewhat timidly.
Upon seeing Lu Yan, he immediately bent his knees and knelt on the ground.
"Your Honor, please do justice for this humble citizen, Zhang San!"
"My family is poor, and we only have one sow to raise, waiting for her to give birth."
"But unexpectedly, that day, the sow broke through the fence and went to Li Si's house. Li Si insisted that the pig was his. When I went to his house to reason with him, he took advantage of the fact that he had many brothers and was also the nephew of Liu Juren, and beat me up. I still have a handprint on my face!"
Zhang San immediately showed Lu Yan the scars on his face.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yan immediately understood.
It was someone from Liu Juren's family again. Last time, it was Liu Juren's eldest nephew who bumped into someone in the street and shouted wildly about his uncle's background. As a result, Lu Yan ordered him to be hung up and beaten, and then displayed on the city wall for three days and three nights.
This Liu scholar harbors deep hatred for me, and now, before the old grudge is resolved, a new one is about to be added!
However, Lu Yan, being a time traveler, doesn't buy into this ancient system. What nonsense about preferential treatment for gentry!
Even a prince who breaks the law is subject to the same punishment as a commoner!
If he hadn't been without any leverage, he would have taken down that local tyrant surnamed Liu sooner or later.
"Come here! Bring the defendant, Li Si, to the court!"
Lu Yan shouted.
The female constable waved her hand, and a man with a round belly, dressed in a brocade robe, swayed in.
"Lord Lu is here, kneel down!"
"The female constable shouted."
Li Si, however, looked disdainful.
"The Great Ning Dynasty has a rule that those with official titles are not required to kneel before officials! I passed the imperial examination two years ago and am exempt from kneeling according to the law!"
Amidst the crowd, Chen Qingwan looked at the courtroom. Although she didn't particularly like Li Si's image, his constant use of "I" was simply an insult to civility, but the court regulations were in place, and even she couldn't arbitrarily change them.
Upon hearing Li Si's words, Lu Yan's lips curled into a smile.
Shannan County is a poor, remote, and unruly place, and he's seen plenty of these kinds of scoundrels.
"Alright! You like standing, huh! Qingque, draw a circle for Master Li so he can stand as long as he wants!"
Lu Yan looked at the female constable.
Upon receiving the order, the female constable immediately took out a piece of chalk and drew a circle around Li Si's feet.
"The Great Ning Dynasty stipulates that you are not required to kneel, but it also stipulates that this county is the parent official of Shannan. In this court, this official robe represents the Emperor's court, and I have the right to choose where you stand!"
"Master Li, from this moment on, this area within the circle is yours! No one else, including myself, is allowed to enter! I understand the preferential treatment for gentry! But the area outside this circle is my territory. If you overstep your bounds, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Lu Yan sneered.
"you……"
Upon hearing this, Li Si's face darkened, and he unconsciously moved his feet.
But when he saw the female constable beside him, her face frosty and her hand on her sword, he was immediately frightened and withdrew it.
As Chen Qingwan watched this scene from the crowd, a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.
This Lu Yan is quite clever.
"Since Mr. Li has no complaints, let's talk about the case!"
"Li Si, Zhang San is accusing you of stealing his pig! Do you plead guilty?"
Lu Yan changed the subject and said seriously.
"What? I don't understand what the adults are saying! This pig originally belonged to my family! I watched it grow up! There's even our family's Li brand next to its tail!"
Li Si said casually.
"Really? Blue Sparrow?"
Lu Yan asked.
"Yes, sir, that is indeed the case!"
The female constable replied.
Upon hearing this, Zhang San immediately became anxious: "Sir, Your Honor, don't listen to Li Si's nonsense. That brand was just put on by Li Si yesterday, just to get away with it. If you don't believe me, you can go to the Li family's pigsty and see. None of the other pigs in the Li family's pigsty have any brands on them."
Upon hearing this, a hint of panic flashed across Li Si's face.
"Is that so? Qingque will send someone to check it out."
Lu Yan immediately spoke up.
"Wait a moment!"
Li Si suddenly raised his hand to stop him.
"Zhang San, all pigs in the world look pretty much the same. If your pig is lost, how can you be sure it's mine?"
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