Chapter 72 Prince Heng's Trial
Xie Shang followed Jiang Fenghua all the way, and saw her visit several shops and buy some things. Finally, she entered the Duke of Zhang's mansion. Zhang Yumo personally opened the door to welcome her into the mansion, so he did not follow her and turned to go to the Jingzhao Prefecture government office.
Upon returning to the yamen, he immediately retrieved the case file of the wife's murder of her mother-in-law, then ordered someone to bring the woman to the court, summoned the wife's family members to the court, and also summoned her husband.
The reopening of the case caused quite a stir. The prefect, who had taken three days off, returned to work the next day. The entire Jingzhao Prefecture was in a flurry of activity, and even the area in front of the yamen was packed with people.
Xie Shang, dressed in official robes, looked imposing and dignified. He sat behind his desk, flanked by four imposing bailiffs holding whips and sticks. His advisor and clerk were also present to assist him. The entire courtroom was solemn and dignified.
As soon as the perpetrator, Ms. Hu, was brought to the scene, her family members were already sobbing uncontrollably, crying, "Jiao Niang... Mother is here."
Hu Jiaoniang was imprisoned in a dark and sunless dungeon day and night. She thought she was going to die and had long lost the will to live. When she saw her loved ones again, she wept uncontrollably, "Father, Mother... your daughter is unfilial."
The onlookers outside the gate were also pointing and gossiping, saying things like, "I heard that woman is heartless; she killed her own mother-in-law."
"So heartless! This woman still dares to cry foul? What right does she have to cry foul? Murder should be punished with a life. She should have been sent to the deepest hell long ago..."
A neighbor who knew the truth spoke up to defend her, saying, "There was a reason for what happened. Hu Jiaoniang had been married into the Gao family for more than ten years and suffered all kinds of abuse from her mother-in-law. Her husband would beat her whenever he was unhappy. She was very pitiful. She also had three children at home. Since Hu Jiaoniang was imprisoned, no one has taken care of the children. She was forced to commit murder back then."
"Murder is murder, and murderers must pay with their lives... No matter what, you can't kill someone!"
For a moment, there was also a lot of noise outside the door. The prefect's gavel struck with a loud "crack," and the yamen runners banged their whips. Instantly, the imposing aura in the courtroom was awe-inspiring, and the noisy courtroom became completely silent.
"Who are you here? State your name."
"I am Hu Jiaoniang..." Before going to court, Hu Jiaoniang already knew that her family had helped to overturn the case, and the newly appointed Prefect of Jingzhao wanted to retry her case. So, Hu Jiaoniang recounted her story, "It was she who beat and scolded me and said she would kill me. That's why I accidentally grabbed a wood-chopping knife and chopped her. I did not mean to."
"Summon Gao Xiaohu to the court."
Soon, Gao Xiaohu was also dragged up by the constables. He reeked of alcohol, and upon seeing Hu Jiaoniang kneeling in the hall, he rambled on incoherently, "You poisonous woman, you're not dead yet! I'm going to strangle you! You dare to kill someone? I'll make you pay with your life, you slut..."
As he spoke, he tried to rush up and beat and scold Hu Jiaoniang, but was stopped by the yamen runners and forced to kneel in the center of the hall. Gao Xiaohu protested, "Who are you? What right do you have to arrest me? That bitch killed someone. Make her pay with her life. Kill her."
Seeing that he was not behaving himself, the bailiff struck him on the leg with a stick. "Kneel down! You dare to be so insolent in front of the Prefect? You don't want to live anymore!"
Gao Xiaohu felt a sharp pain in his leg and, hiccuping from the alcohol, knelt down.
"Gao Xiaohu, is the woman below your door your wife of thirteen years, Hu Jiaoniang?" Xie Shang asked him coldly.
Gao Xiaohu was intimidated by him and honestly said, "That's right, she killed her mother-in-law with her own hands and murdered my own mother. I beg you, sir, to do justice for me. The Hu family is ruthless. Arrest them all and kill them."
Hu Jiaoniang's mother cried, "My good daughter has been married to your family for thirteen years, working hard to manage the family business and bearing children for your Gao family, but how have you treated her?"
They either beat or scold me. My daughter hasn't even had a chance to express her grievances, and your family is already turning around and blaming me. Gao Xiaohu, we only married our daughter to you because you were a decent person. We never expected you to show your true colors after the wedding. You're not human!
Your mother doesn't treat my daughter like a human being at all. You make her work like a slave, and you won't stop until you've worked her to death.
The neighbors all see how your Gao family treats my beloved daughter…
You beat your beloved wife whenever you're unhappy. Has she ever had a single day of peace in your Gao family?
Gao Xiaohu pointed at Hu's mother and cursed, "You old hag, your daughter is just a bastard. She gets itchy if I don't beat her for three days. She doesn't respect her mother-in-law. What's the point of a woman like that if I don't beat her? She should have died long ago if she killed my mother. Now I'm going to make your daughter pay for my mother's life."
Xie Shang struck the gavel, and the hall quickly fell silent. He didn't ask about the woman's murder, but instead asked, "Gao Xiaohu, so you're admitting that you abused your wife, Hu Jiaoniang?"
Gao Xiaohu, still reeking of alcohol, said, "So what if I hit her? If you don't hit a woman, she won't behave."
Xie Shang then asked, "Did you hit your mother the night she died?"
“I beat her, you spendthrift woman! She broke a bowl and almost scalded me. She tried to murder her husband. I only gave her a little lesson, but she cried and made a scene. She even dared to smash my wine bottle. So I gave her a good beating and made her obedient.”
Gao Xiaohu was a complete fool. He thought that Hu Jiaoniang would definitely die because she killed someone. He thought that he had only hit his own woman and that it was no big deal. What man doesn't hit his woman? If a woman is disobedient, she should be hit.
"According to Hu's own testimony, on the night your mother died, you not only beat her, but also locked her in the woodshed."
“She tried to run away, so I locked her in the woodshed. Who knew she would kill my mother? Your Honor, you must do justice for me! Make the Hu family pay compensation and make Hu Jiaoniang pay with her life.”
Xie Shang frowned deeply. "Men, give Gao Xiaohu twenty lashes."
The first blow from the bailiff knocked Gao Xiaohu to the ground, and no bailiff held him down; the pain made him jump up.
Xie Shang watched coldly, not ordering the yamen runners to arrest him. The yamen runners chased after him and beat him until he finished the twenty strokes of the rod, making him howl in pain.
Now Gao Xiaohu was completely sober and instinctively tried to run away, but Xie Shang gave him a look, and then the constables stepped forward and pressed him down to kneel on the ground.
Gao Xiaohu pleaded for help repeatedly, "Sir, spare my life! Why are you beating me? I haven't broken the law!"
"You hit Hu Jiaoniang and she ran away, but I hit you and you still run away?" Xie Shang asked him.
Gao Xiaohu said directly, "Because it hurts! Only a fool wouldn't run!"
"After you locked her in the woodshed, did your mother go in there to verbally abuse and beat Hu Jiaoniang? Tell me the truth, or you'll be whipped." Xie Shang's voice was cold and icy, exuding an aura of domineering authority, which forced Gao Xiaohu to confess honestly.
“My mother went into the woodshed, which is why she was murdered there by that vicious woman, Hu Jiaoniang.”
"I'm asking you whether your mother beat or insulted her, and threatened to kill her," Xie Shang asked again. "The neighbors have testimonies, so you have no right to lie."
Gao Xiaohu nodded, "But my mother didn't kill her either; on the contrary, she viciously murdered my mother."
"Hu Jiaoniang, do you admit that you killed your mother-in-law?" Xie Shang suddenly changed the subject.
Hu Jiaoniang said, "I confess my guilt, but my mother-in-law beat and scolded me. She said she would kill me, so I killed her in a moment of panic."
"So you only acted when your life was threatened by her?" Xie Shang asked again.
“Yes, she hit me and I wasn’t satisfied. She even said she would kill me. It caused a huge uproar at my house. Many of the neighbors knew about my family’s situation,” Hu Jiaoniang said in detail.
“Gao Xiaohu, when the yamen runners were beating you just now, you not only tried to run away but also tried to rush up and fight back.” Xie Shang’s eyes were sharp. “Answer truthfully, and I can spare you the rest of the whipping.”
"I want to, but I dare not. Even if you gave me ten lives, I wouldn't dare to hit an official!" If Gao Xiaohu said he didn't want to, he would be lying. If he was hit, he would naturally hit back.
"But your mother dared to beat her daughter-in-law, even trying to kill her. You, Gao Xiaohu, dared to beat your wife and abuse her for over ten years, and you even told her not to resist. If she did resist, she would be beaten again. Would you live like that for even a day?" Xie Shang suddenly erupted in anger, his voice deafening.
Gao Xiaohu was terrified.
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