He acted impulsively and made a scene.
In the end, it's just a joke for the people in the manor. He only needs to issue a death order to keep them quiet, and he doubts they would dare to tell anyone.
But nowadays, reporting to the authorities is different.
What if Li Guizui doesn't keep his mouth shut and reveals everything? How will he ever be able to face anyone again?
As fate would have it, as soon as Li Gui saw Steward Li and the constables arrive, he immediately complained, "Father...please save your son! The master has gone mad! He's going to beat me to death..."
"What exactly is going on?"
"Someone framed my son for having an improper relationship with Aunt Zhou. My husband misunderstood and refused to listen to my explanation, so he wanted to beat me to death!"
"You're talking nonsense!"
Shen Cang originally wanted to settle things temporarily and wait until the officials left before making any further moves.
But that bastard Li Gui threw mud at him and even accused him of "treating human life like dirt," how could he not be furious!
Therefore, he didn't bother to cover it up and quickly clarified: "It's clear that you two are having an affair, and I caught you red-handed. How dare you try to distort the truth!"
Upon hearing this, Steward Li was so shocked that he suddenly convulsed and lost consciousness.
But at that moment, no one paid him any attention.
Qian Chuan bowed to Shen Cang and said, "Since Physician Shen says that the two of you are committing adultery, then please write a complaint and submit it to Your Excellency's desk tomorrow."
According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, female relatives of those who commit adultery are entitled to be subjected to private punishment by their family members.
Those born into servitude, like Li Gui, are also examples.
However, if the case is reported to the authorities and the defendant refuses to admit it, then Shen Cang can no longer intervene at will.
Qian Chuan frowned as he looked at Li Gui's androgynous appearance, wondering which kind-hearted person had framed him and dressed him up like this.
So he said, "If it is true that you committed adultery, and you confess today, you will only be sentenced to two years, at least you can save your life."
"But you say you were framed. If the judge holds a hearing and finds that what you said is false, then your crime will be punished even more severely!"
"Thirty strokes of the cane, plus five years in prison."
Have you thought this through?
Li Gui panicked immediately.
He was somewhat clever and audacious, coveting the woman in his master's household, but he wasn't one of those desperate outlaws who would tremble at the sight of government officials.
He had exhausted all his mental energy and courage to say that.
Upon hearing Qian Chuan's words, she immediately changed her tune: "Officer, spare me! Officer, spare me... She seduced me first..."
As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and pointed directly at Aunt Zhou, who was pretending to be dead beside him.
As the saying goes, "Husbands and wives are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately." Moreover, these two could hardly be considered husband and wife; at most, they were a pair of wild mandarin ducks. They didn't even need to be beaten; a ripple in the wind would be enough to scatter them.
Aunt Zhou was furious.
She thought to herself, "You bastard! I haven't even betrayed you yet, and you've already betrayed me!"
She immediately retorted, not to be outdone: "Officer, don't believe his nonsense. He's clearly up to no good and has ill intentions towards me. Otherwise, why would he disguise himself as an old woman to deceive people?"
Li Gui: "If you don't leave the door open for me, how am I supposed to get in?"
Aunt Zhou: "...You're clearly blinded by lust, you almost ruined even the master, what else do you have to argue with!"
Li Gui: "Wasn't it because it was dark and I couldn't see clearly that I mistook him for you?"
...
Shen Cang listened from the side, his face so dark it almost blended into the night.
Qian Chuan's eyes widened in astonishment.
You have to understand that when they go out on official business, they represent the image of their parents, so they are professionally trained and must remain calm no matter what case they encounter.
They had handled cases of adultery before, but this was the first time they had encountered a case where the adulterer had almost insulted the plaintiff, so they were inevitably captivated by the story.
Just then, Old Madam Shen came over from the other side, leaning on her cane.
Before the person even arrived, the curses came first: "You little whore! When that Taoist priest Jingming came to tell your fortune yesterday, he said you were a lover. I was still a little suspicious, but I didn't expect it to be true!"
"What have we, the Shen family, done to wrong you that you would treat us so disgustingly?"
"Guards! Strangle this filthy, rotten wife to death!"
Everyone remained silent upon hearing this, except for Li Gui, who chimed in, "The old lady is right. She was lonely in her secluded chambers and seduced me. I'll strangle her!"
Aunt Zhou: "You!"
Little did she know that the man who used to be her "sweet brother and loving sister" would now be so eager for her to die in order to save his own life!
In her shock and rage, Aunt Zhou completely lost her composure. Seeing Li Gui turn his back on her, she wanted nothing more than to trample her to death, and she was no longer able to calm down.
She caught a glimpse of the door latch in Shen Cang's hand, snatched it, and slapped it at Li Gui!
"You lecher! I'll beat you to death!"
Qian Chuan and the others rushed forward to stop them.
Hiding behind Qian Chuan, Li Gui couldn't help but curse: "They really are a perfect match, husband and wife. If he wants to kill me, you little bitch will kill me too. What do you mean by that?!"
Aunt Zhou: Say it again!
Li Gui: "What can you do to me even if I say it twice?"
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Qian Chuan quickly raised his hand to interrupt: "Alright, you two!"
"Since you both have your own reasons, then come with me to the yamen. The magistrate will decide who is right and who is wrong then."
As he spoke, he suddenly looked at Aunt Zhou's maid, Zhu'er: "This young lady, please come with us as well."
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