The next day, all the members of the Cheng family who had committed offenses were tied up and forced to kneel in the county government office.
Even the county magistrate was kneeling below. Since Master Cheng was able to act arrogantly in Jinan, he was more astute than his wife. Seeing the county magistrate being tied up, he knew that they were probably in real trouble.
Although the Cheng family wielded considerable power in the area and had connections in higher places, which is why he, a mere merchant, dared to act arrogantly in Jinan, he also knew that the Cheng family could not control everything.
Judging from this situation, putting everything else aside, Jinan is probably doomed.
The Cheng family members were unaware that Master Cheng was smuggling salt, and since the evidence was still being investigated and some letters were not yet complete, the first to be interrogated were Madam Cheng and Miss Cheng.
Yinzhen originally intended to conceal his identity, but now that things had come to this point, there was no point in hiding it anymore. After all, some local officials knew that he had come to Jinan. It could be said that everyone involved in today's trial knew his identity except for the prisoner.
So I decided not to hide it anymore.
"Your Majesty, all the prisoners have been brought to you."
The Cheng family members were not deaf; upon hearing the word "Emperor," their faces turned deathly pale, as if struck by lightning.
The patriarch of the Cheng family knew that not only was Jinan doomed, but the entire Cheng family was likely doomed.
The more Cheng Jia thought about it, the more frightened he became, and his face grew paler.
Yinzhen: "Bring the witnesses to the court."
“Bring witnesses to court.”
Then a large group of people joined the hall, all of whom had some connection with the Cheng family.
Most of them had a history of conflict.
So this hearing looks a bit like a denunciation meeting for the Cheng family.
Yinzhen spoke up: "Tell me all your grievances."
Witness 1: The former husband of the second young lady of the Cheng family, with whom she had divorced, is named Wang Yu.
"This humble citizen, Wang Yu, was once favored by the second young lady of the Cheng family. At the time, I was unwilling, but the second young lady of the Cheng family said that if I was unwilling, she would make it impossible for my whole family to make a living."
My family is barely making ends meet, and my parents have to support my education. I was furious and thought that Miss Cheng couldn't possibly be so lawless. As a result, my younger sister was almost assaulted. I reported it to the authorities, but they didn't accept my case because they said I had no evidence.
Because of Miss Cheng, my family has encountered one problem after another. As a respectable man, I have not yet repaid my parents' kindness, but they are already living in fear because of me. Later, I thought, I should just agree to her request, so as to avoid the real destruction of my family.
I originally thought that my family would be free from her threats after marrying Miss Cheng. However, one day I discovered that Miss Cheng was abusing my younger sister and even sent people to verbally insult my parents. I was furious and argued with Miss Cheng, but ended up getting my leg injured by her guards.
Miss Cheng, naturally unwilling to remain with a cripple with a broken leg, divorced him. However, his leg was beyond saving, making it impossible for him to continue his studies. Furthermore, his mobility issues prevented him from handling household chores, causing his parents and younger sister to toil tirelessly every day.
Yinzhen knew about this matter, but not in great detail. Now that he heard it, he felt that Miss Cheng's behavior was even worse than that of a spoiled brat, and his expression grew increasingly grim.
"Does Miss Cheng have anything to say?"
Miss Cheng naturally refused to admit it: "Your Majesty, she is slandering me, slandering me!"
Wang Yu's face turned red with anger, and she stared intently at Miss Cheng, making Miss Cheng feel uneasy and less confident in her speech.
"I have evidence."
Yinzhen naturally knew that he had evidence, and he even had someone help him out.
Miss Cheng is usually arrogant and domineering, and many people dislike her. She doesn't hide her actions and does her bad deeds openly, so she has a lot of certified items.
Wang Yu then dug up a bunch of people, all saying how vicious and domineering Miss Cheng was.
These people were so detailed that Miss Cheng couldn't deny it. She wanted to speak, but many people were staring at her intently. She said "slander" but didn't dare to say it out loud. In the end, she was just a bully who preyed on the weak.
In the past, no one in Jinan could control her. Now that she had met the Emperor, she was already feeling uneasy. Yesterday, with her face covered on the street, she knew in her heart that she had offended the Emperor terribly.
Then came the second witness.
"I, a humble citizen named Wanda, passed the imperial examination last year. I was overjoyed on the day of my success and was invited to a restaurant with my classmates. There, I ran into Miss Cheng, who detained me and then took me to the Cheng residence in a daze. I have a wife and children, and my wife's family has helped me a lot. Naturally, I am unwilling to abandon my wife and children, so I disagreed with Miss Cheng's actions. Then, Miss Cheng took the tokens of my wife and children and threatened me, saying that if I wanted my wife and children to be safe, I should obey her. I thought about reporting it to the authorities, but Miss Cheng sent people to guard me, and I couldn't even leave the Cheng residence."
At this time, Wanda was unaware that his wife and children had been murdered. He only wanted to expose Miss Cheng's crimes so that she would get what she deserved, and he could go home and reunite with his wife and children.
At this moment, a guard beside Yinzhen said, "Your Majesty, I have investigated the wife and children of Young Master Wan, and they have already perished. I have brought the perpetrator here."
These words were said in front of Wanda, and he had initially held onto hope, but what he heard next filled him with despair!
Even Wanda couldn't withstand the disaster. He was just clinging to life, hoping to reunite with his wife and children, and that he would never take the imperial examinations again. With his degree as a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), he could find a decent job and support his family without any problem. But then his wife and children perished in the disaster.
Wanda stared at Miss Cheng, who was tied to the ground, with a venomous look in his eyes. Then, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he rushed up and kicked Miss Cheng.
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