Chapter 217 Provocation
As soon as Magistrate Zhang finished speaking, four burly yamen runners rushed out from behind him again.
They moved swiftly and quickly pinned the Wang Liu family to the ground.
There was a crisp "snap" sound, and the board fell heavily. The father and son of the Wang family were instantly heartbroken with pain. The shrill screams sounded like the howling of a pig, which made the crowd who were watching the excitement tremble all over and their hearts tremble.
But what frightened them even more was the words shouted by the Liu family father and son, "Stop fighting, stop fighting. Dad, let's be honest, Dad—"
He shouted at the top of his lungs, but his eyes were full of expectation and eagerness as he looked at his wife who was not far away. In his heart, as long as his wife nodded in agreement with him, they and their son might be able to escape from this dangerous situation.
Unfortunately, he is extremely selfish.
His wife was no less sympathetic. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Husband, you've already let down your parents. Do you still want Chun'er to lose her mother at such a young age? How could you be so cruel?"
If these words were shouted at Wang Liushi, she might choose to endure it for the sake of her son and grandson.
But the behavior of Wang's father and son was exactly the opposite. Seeing that their wife (daughter-in-law) not only did not help but also tried to use their lives in exchange for wealth and glory, they immediately became furious.
Wang Liushi's husband shouted at the top of his lungs, "I say, it's all Bai Lian. It was Bai Lian's cousin who promised us fifty taels of silver if we performed a play in front of the carriages of several nobles today according to their pre-arranged parts."
Seeing his father speak, Wang Ren shouted without hesitation: "Yes, yes, Bai Lian's cousin said that as long as we do what he says, we may even be able to marry a noble man. The descendants of our Wang family will also be able to turn things around."
His voice was trembling and unwilling, as if he was regretting his foolish behavior.
But Chu Ci knew in his heart that this was simply because their plan had failed.
If the plan succeeds, they will not feel any regret at all. Instead, they will be complacent, regard it as a crucial turning point in their lives, and brag about it everywhere.
As soon as she heard that her children and grandchildren could turn things around, Wang Liu ignored her sadness and opened her mouth immediately to plead for her husband and son.
But will Chu Ci let her get what she wants?
"What a silver tongue!" Chu Ci shouted angrily, and simply stood up. "Why didn't you say your mother might die?"
"Even if she doesn't die, what kind of miserable life will this woman, burdened with the reputation of a wicked mother-in-law and ruthlessly abandoned by her husband and son, have in the future? How could you not say a word about this?"
Chu Ci spoke sternly and filled in the truth that the Wang father and son had deliberately concealed.
But, even so, Wang Liushi's husband shamelessly said: "For the sake of the Wang family, I think the old woman is willing."
There was no trace of guilt on his face, as if this was a matter of course.
When Wang Liu heard this, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly, as if she wanted to refute, or as if she wanted to cry out her grievances, but in the end, it was as if all her strength had been drained away, and she couldn't utter a word, but her eyes were filled with despair and helplessness.
Seeing this, Chu Ci could only sigh deeply.
Then, with a fierce look in her eyes, she delivered a murderous blow: "It's a pity that your wife is willing to be a stepping stone for your Wang family to climb up the ladder, but this princess is unwilling to help such heartless and ungrateful people like you."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, this princess is the noble person your cousin Bai Lian mentioned."
Sure enough, the four members of the Wang family all had their eyes wide open, filled with anger and disbelief.
Even the people in the crowd who were watching the fun looked at Chu Ci with a hint of disapproval.
Although Zhang Jia's ability to judge cases is not very good, his ability to observe people's words and expressions is definitely not bad.
He immediately stood up and said righteously, "How dare you, a rude and unruly person, deliberately bump into the princess' carriage."
"According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he should be punished with fifty strokes of the cane and exiled eight hundred miles."
His voice was loud and majestic, and no one dared to underestimate him.
It also made those who were dissatisfied with Chu Ci suddenly realize at this moment how big a taboo the Wang family had committed.
The dissatisfaction they originally had in their hearts was like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, disappearing without a trace in an instant, leaving only panic and fear in their hearts.
The Wang Liu family also felt fear and regret.
Wang Liu's husband was the first to burst into tears and cried out, "Princess, please spare me, my lord, please spare me. It was all because of our momentary ignorance that we made this terrible mistake. We already know we were wrong."
Wang Ren also pleaded bitterly: "Please, Princess and Master, have mercy. We will never dare to do this again."
"He's Bai Lian's cousin. He ordered us to do all this. We're just accomplices. My wife Bai Lian can testify to this." As he spoke, he pushed his wife, who was not far away, hoping that she would tell him everything. "Bai Lian, come on!"
Even Wang Liu hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, yes, we are willing to tell you everything. We truly know we were wrong. Please forgive us this time."
When Chu Ci saw this, he felt sorry for Wang Liu's misfortune, but was not angry at her for not fighting back.
After all, it is so difficult for women to survive in this world.
After thinking it over again and again, he said, "This princess can let you go..."
Before Chu Ci could finish his words, the Wang family members kowtowed and apologized frantically. "Thank you, Princess, thank you, Princess—"
Their foreheads hit the ground heavily, making a dull "bang bang" sound.
He kept repeating the words of thanks, his voice trembling and rapid.
They were afraid that if they were a step slower, Chu Ci would regret it and their family would be ruthlessly exiled, with their life and death uncertain and their fate miserable.
But what you fear often comes true. Just when they were halfway through their kowtow, Chu Ci stopped them. "Don't be so quick to thank me. I will let you go, but I have conditions."
Her voice was as cold as snow, with unquestionable majesty, like a thunderclap exploding in everyone's ears, and it made everyone in the Wang family's hearts instantly rise to their throats.
Especially Bai Lian, who knew the whole story, was even more uneasy.
She always felt that Chu Ci's request seemed to be directed at her cousin's master, which made her clench her fists and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
But how could she not understand what Chu Ci said!
"After you return, you must tell all your relatives and friends exactly what happened today. This way, it can be considered that this princess is kind enough to save your lives."
Chu Ci's blatant provocation finally broke the Wang family's defenses. "Your Excellency, are you saying that Bai Lian's cousin will silence us to hide the truth?"
The Wang family father and son opened their eyes wide, their faces filled with horror and disbelief, their voices trembling violently, as if they had already foreseen the terrible consequences.
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