Chapter 174 My three concubines are all beautiful!
Now, several counties are jointly governing the area, with Liang Kuan, Chang Daoyan, and Wang Songbai each responsible for different matters.
The three of them were summoned while they were discussing matters together. On the way, they learned the reason from the guards and also knew her temperament. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they immediately began the trial.
The three had already discussed it on the way, and Liang Kuan would be the presiding judge, while the other two would be the assistant judges.
“Mrs. Lin, I ask you, do you know the person next to you?” Liang Kuan was referring to Shen Conglian.
Lin was a servant who was sold to the Shen family to work, and she was also the wife of the person who filed the lawsuit.
"My lord, I recognize him. This is the second master of the Shen family."
If Shen Conglian hadn't been afraid of his niece and suppressed his anger, he would have rushed up and hit Lin Shi when he saw her.
At this moment, his face darkened, and he glared at Lin with murderous eyes.
Liang Kuan: "Shen Conglian, do you know the woman beside you?"
Shen Conglian sneered: "Shameless bitch, I'd recognize her even if she were ashes!"
Leung Kwun then pointed to the person who filed the lawsuit and asked them to identify him.
Do you know him?
Lin: "He is my husband."
Shen Conglian continued to sneer: "They're all in cahoots!"
Liang Kuan glanced quickly at Shen Lanxi and slapped the table.
"Speak properly!"
Shen Conglian shuddered and reluctantly said, "I know them, they are husband and wife!"
Liang Kuan: "They are suing you for forcibly taking a man's wife. Do you have any objections?"
Before Shen Conglian could reply, Liu interrupted, "When we bought her, we registered her with the government."
Liang Kuan: "Unrelated personnel are not allowed to interrupt without being asked a question. If they do so again, they will be slapped or beaten with a cane!"
Liu was so frightened that she quickly hid behind her daughter.
The complainant cried out his innocence: "Your Honor, you can't just forcibly take my wife and beat her to death just because I sold her to them as a servant! My wife was only sold to work, not to give her life to them!"
The government officials who were in charge of the registration stepped forward and presented the document signed by Lin. It was a household servant who had signed a contract with the family for life, and according to the law, the master could sell or dispose of the servant at will.
However, the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty also state that even servants who have been pawned under a contract of life and death cannot be killed at will, and those who commit murder will be prosecuted by the authorities.
After Liang Kuan checked the document, he put it aside.
"Ms. Lin, describe the scene from that day in detail again!"
Madam Lin looked embarrassed: "My lord, I am ashamed to speak in public!"
Wang Songbai looked up and saw that it was getting dark. His lord hated people's hesitant and pretentious words.
"If you don't want to talk, that's fine. We'll listen to Shen Conglian. If he's wrong, don't interrupt. If you interrupt, you'll get a beating!"
Lin was stunned for a moment, then, disregarding everything else, she hurriedly said, "Sir, that day I was cleaning in Master Shen's room when Master Shen came in reeking of alcohol. He lay down for a while and then pulled me onto the bed."
At this point, the rest was self-evident, and Madam Lin covered her face and wept bitterly.
Wang Songbai: "That settles it. Next time an adult asks a question, be more direct and don't hesitate and waste everyone's time!"
Liang Kuan twitched his lips, glanced cautiously at Shen Lanxi, and seeing that she showed no displeasure, continued to ask, "Shen Conglian, is what Lin said true?"
Seeing that he had finally been given a chance to speak, Shen Conglian quickly retorted, "No, I didn't. How could I possibly find her attractive? I have three concubines in my household, each one as beautiful as a flower!"
With a dark expression, Madam Liu pushed the third concubine forward. She hadn't expected that these maids, instead of serving her son, would benefit her father.
Thinking about her makes my chest feel like a huge rock is pressing down on it, both tight and painful!
"My lord, everyone around, look! These are my three concubines. None of them can compare to her!"
Lin said with a wronged expression, "The old lady took pity on me before, and since we were from the same hometown, she specially arranged for me to stay in the master's room, hoping that the master would take me in."
When Madam Shen heard Lin say this, her vision blurred, her blood surged, and she almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
What terrible things has she done? She only took pity on this woman, but she never imagined it would harm her own son!
"Mother, quickly get a stool for her to sit down!" The Shen family was terrified when they saw that the old lady looked like she was about to faint at any moment. They quickly looked for stools and hot tea.
Shen Conglian was also anxious, but he couldn't go over until he had found out the truth.
"Sir, my mother was also deceived by her. This woman is good at playing the victim and taking advantage of my mother's shared hometown, which is why my mother took some care of her. As for her claim that my mother asked me to take her in, that's absolutely not true!"
Lin kept wiping away her tears: "Master, I will take good care of myself for a few months, and I will definitely be no less beautiful than those concubines. Please, Master, do not despise me."
Shen Conglian was about to launch into another tirade of curses when Chang Daoyan stopped him.
"You said that Shen Conglian came home reeking of alcohol that day, is that true?"
Madam Lin nodded: "That is indeed the case."
Chang Daoyan then asked the person who filed the complaint, "Are you sure?"
The plaintiff said, "It's confirmed. Lin said that Mr. Shen was extremely drunk that day."
Chang Daoyan then looked at Shen Conglian: "Did you drink alcohol that day?"
Shen Conglian vehemently denied it: "How could that be? I'm in charge of recruiting soldiers, how could I possibly drink alcohol? Alcohol is forbidden in the army!"
Lin's eyes flashed, and she said, "I asked the Shen family, and Mr. Shen used to enjoy drinking. Whenever he had free time, he would have a couple of drinks."
Shen Conglian stomped his feet angrily, saying, "I'd like to drink it, but I'd have to be able to get it!"
Lin was taken aback.
Chang Daoyan smiled mysteriously and said that it was understandable that Liang Kuan and Wang Songbai did not know, since he was the only one among the three who had been in charge of recruiting soldiers.
"The Lin family is prohibited from drinking alcohol in the garrison. Just as Shen Conglian said, even if he wanted to drink, he couldn't get any!"
A flicker of panic crossed Lin's eyes: "My lord, if we can't get any in the army, can't we at least get some in the city's taverns? People with an alcohol craving will go back to find wine whenever they have a spare moment." If they don't drink for a day, the craving for alcohol in their stomachs will kick in.
These were said by her scholar father.
Shen Conglian couldn't hold back any longer and kicked Lin Shi to the ground.
"You're talking nonsense! I was with people when I came home from the garrison, and they can all vouch for me. As for the wine you mentioned, it was definitely the medicated wine I used to treat a sprained ankle during training!"
And most importantly...
"Now all the strong liquor in the city has been bought by the medical staff to make medicinal wine. Where the hell am I supposed to drink? And the smell of alcohol is overwhelming! I'll curse you!" In the past few months, Shen Conglian has learned a lot from the military law he reads every day at the garrison, and what he has learned most is from the soldiers cursing in the streets.
I used to think it was vulgar, but after actually swearing it out, I realized how satisfying it was!
Lin was dumbfounded. How could this be? The smell of alcohol on him that day was so strong.
Shen Conglian saw a turning point, and the huge weight in his heart was lifted, leaving only anger.
"Sir, that day I was on leave with several soldiers from Hongliutun. We walked all the way from the garrison to Hongliutun, where we parted ways. After that, I went home. There were people in the village who saw me part ways, and they can testify for me."
Shen Conglian spoke more and more fluently, laughing as he said, "When we left the garrison, there were pedestrians on the road. And in the taverns of the city, they all asked me if I had gone for a drink!"
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