Madam Gu didn't care whether others wanted to talk to her or not; she just kept showing off that she was sitting in the carriage.
Annoyed by his nagging, the yamen runner picked up his sword and pulled the curtain down.
Grandma Gu seemed to realize that something was wrong. If it were a good thing, she should have been polite and courteous.
But if it's not a good thing, why would they send a carriage to pick them up?
He dared not speak again.
Because the carriage traveled quickly, and they found Gu Jingsheng and his group as soon as they arrived at Gu Village, they returned to the county government office in less than an hour.
Upon arriving at the county government office, the three members of the Gu family, who had initially held onto a sliver of hope, felt a pang of unease when they saw Niu Cuihua and Gu Lili kneeling below the court.
Could it be that Gu Lili, that little slut, is up to something again? They've already given them ten taels of silver, what more do they want!
"You little slut, what the hell are you up to? Why did you bring us to the yamen!" Before the magistrate could even speak, Old Madam Gu pointed at Gu Lili's nose and cursed.
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Yang slammed his gavel on the table with a loud 'bang' and roared, "You old woman, how dare you make a scene in court! Guards, take her out and give her five heavy lashes!"
There's no need for an investigation; just by looking at Old Madam Gu's attitude, you can tell how much Gu Lili suffered under their care.
"Your Honor, have mercy! I dare not do it again! I dare not do it again!" Upon hearing that the magistrate was going to beat her, Old Madam Gu immediately knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.
Gu Jingsheng and Gu Chuan were so frightened that they knelt down on the ground, but dared not say a word, for fear that if they opened their mouths, the magistrate would also give them a few lashes.
The magistrate ignored Old Madam Gu's pleas for mercy, waved his hand, and ordered the bailiffs to take the person away.
Soon, Grandma Gu's pig-like screams came from outside.
The onlookers were delighted, while Gu Jingsheng's rest of his family were terrified, fearing they would be next.
Five strokes of the cane were delivered quickly, and soon Old Madam Gu was dragged in like a dead dog.
Five slaps may not seem like much, but it's enough to give Old Lady Gu a good beating.
The old lady Gu, who had been pulled in, had lost her previous arrogance and knelt on the ground, not even daring to cry out in pain.
Seeing that the courtroom had quieted down, Magistrate Yang began to interrogate the four members of the Gu family.
Magistrate Yang slammed his gavel and asked in a cold voice, "Did you seize Yang Xihua's husband's pension and land, causing Li Xihua to starve to death? Did you sell Gu Lili to arrange a ghost marriage? Did you also instigate others to steal money from Gu Lili and her siblings? Answer truthfully. If there is even one lie, I will not let you off lightly!"
Only then did Gu Jingsheng and the other two realize why they had been arrested today.
"Your Excellency, we have already given them all the compensation!" Gu Jingsheng said, feeling aggrieved.
Wasn't this all resolved? Why is it dragging on and on?
Clearly, they were unaware of Niu Cuihua's crimes today.
Gu Lili snorted coldly, "You did give it to us, but would you have given it to us if the village head hadn't taken charge? And what do you mean by giving it all? If Niu Cuihua hadn't sent Niu Dali to steal our money and been caught red-handed, would you have given it to us if you were worried about affecting Gu Shuwen's studies? Even if you had given it all to us, would my mother have been able to come back?"
By the end, Gu Lili was practically screaming hysterically.
As Gu Lili accuses him, the onlookers point and whisper among themselves. Gu Jingsheng's family keeps their heads down and dares not speak, fearing that Magistrate Yang might take them away and beat them if he is displeased.
However, they were completely unaware of their mistake and instead thought Gu Lili was an ingrate.
As Magistrate Yang listened to Gu Lili's words, his emotions surged, and he noticed that none of the others were refuting him.
After calming himself down, Magistrate Yang said, "Since the matter I just inquired about is true, then I will now pronounce judgment..."
Upon hearing that Magistrate Yang was about to pronounce the sentence, Gu Jingsheng became anxious. "Your Honor, Gu Shan is my son. Don't I have the right to dispose of his pension?"
Magistrate Yang put down the gavel he was about to strike and asked in a cold voice, "You have the right to dispose of Gu Shan's pension, but it's wrong of you to take it all away. Furthermore, you took away the land that originally belonged to Gu Shan and Li Xihua, causing Li Xihua to starve to death. It wouldn't be an exaggeration for me to sentence you to murder!"
"My God, how can this person be so shameless!"
Is this his biological son?
"Taking someone's compensation money and then driving their widow to her death, they don't deserve to be called human!"
"......"
Upon hearing Gu Jingsheng's remarks, everyone couldn't help but curse out loud.
"Li Xihua agreed to it herself! How can you blame us?" Gu Jingsheng said shamelessly.
Magistrate Yang could no longer tolerate it. He slammed his gavel and roared, "I have never seen such a shameless person! Guards, take him away and give him twenty lashes!"
If Li Xihua hadn't agreed to this distribution, this whole family would have been exiled to the border to serve in the army!
What a bunch of clueless people!
Seeing Gu Jingsheng being taken away, none of the other members of the Gu family dared to raise any objections.
"Niu Cuihua, for instigating others to steal money, shall be given fifty strokes of the cane. Gu Chuan, for failing to properly manage his family, shall be given twenty strokes of the cane. Zhang Gouzi and Li Liang, for failing to steal money, shall be given fifty strokes of the cane." After the magistrate finished speaking, the bailiffs stepped forward and took the men away to carry out the punishment.
Before long, the sounds of boards being struck and screams of agony could be heard from outside.
According to the criminal law of Nanyue Kingdom, stealing property is illegal and punishable by fifty strokes of the cane. Niu Cuihua, who instigated others to steal, is also guilty of the same crime.
After the execution was completed, apart from Old Madam Gu, who only received five strokes of the cane, everyone else was in so much pain that their faces turned pale.
Especially Niu Cuihua, despite her big shoulders and thick waist, the yamen runners really hit her hard.
At this moment, bloodstains had seeped through the back of her clothes, a sight that was frightening.
After torturing the men, Magistrate Yang adjourned the court.
Gu Lili greatly approved of Magistrate Yang's actions, deeming him a truly deserving and exemplary official.
It also taught her that if she encountered something like this again, she should just report it to the authorities. If she kept tolerating it, others would think she was really that easy to bully.
After leaving the county government office, Gu Lili felt refreshed and invigorated.
Before she had gone far, she heard someone calling her. Gu Lili turned around and saw that it was Zhang Gouzi and Li Liang.
"What are you doing! I haven't even left the county office a few steps yet!" Gu Lili tightly gripped the chili water she hadn't finished using.
I thought those two lads were coming to settle scores later.
To Gu Lili's surprise, the two of them endured the pain and knelt down directly in front of her.
"Little girl, it's all our fault today."
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