Tang Shirong said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Mr. Meng, did you make an appointment to meet my sister yesterday?"
Meng Ziyang glared at him: "So what if I saw him?"
"Have you asked for the recipes for Fushou Wine and Tang Family Wine?"
"So what if I want it!"
"My sister refused, so you sent someone to force her to come to your house. Is that true?"
Meng Ziyang said, "So what if I invited you!"
He asked questions one by one and answered them promptly and confidently to the extreme.
There was a loud bang from below.
Butler Feng knew something was wrong. Seeing that he still wanted to say something, he rushed forward and tried his best to hold him back. It took several people to pull him down. Butler Feng apologized repeatedly to his superiors and retreated.
But everyone in the hall was already shocked.
...
...
Meng Ziyang's reckless behavior completely angered everyone. He even dared to roar in court. What else would he not dare to do? What's more, he admitted it himself!
Suddenly, the crowd was outraged.
So, having bad teammates is really annoying.
Tang Shiyue watched the film with great interest and wanted to share her thoughts with her friends.
Qi Jing's face turned very dark. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she quietly reached out and hooked his sleeve: "A Jing?"
He glanced at her.
That look was so sharp, like a leopard whose territory had been invaded, revealing its sharp fangs.
If someone is not familiar with him, he would probably be scared.
But soon, he restrained his expression and said softly: "He doesn't deserve it."
She asked with a smile: "What's wrong with that?"
"I don't deserve to miss you."
"You think too much," Tang Shiyue said with a smile, "What he wants is my prescription and money."
"That won't do either," he said in a deep voice, suppressing his anger, "You covet my things, do you think I'm dead?"
Tang Shiyue: “…”
His young and handsome face, coupled with his cold and angry expression, had a strange charm that made her even forget to explain what "his things" meant.
He was still young at that time, and no matter how dignified and self-controlled he was, no matter how calm and composed he was, he would still be provoked by certain things.
A young and energetic Qi Xiaolang, with his sharp energy hidden in his sheath, ready to be sharp once it is drawn out.
It's so fucking fascinating! So fucking fascinating!
Everyone was talking, and the two of them huddled together to talk, not conspicuous.
In the court, County Magistrate Lin shouted again: "Silence! Silence!"
After talking several times, they gradually calmed down.
County Magistrate Lin turned to Tang Shuizhi and asked, "Do you admit what Tang Shirong told you?"
Tang Shuizhi could no longer stand, so she sat on the ground and said in a trembling voice, "But at that time, I had already bought her. She, she was my servant, so why couldn't I beat her..."
Meng Ziyang wanted to speak again, but Butler Feng hurriedly pulled him back, covered his mouth, and begged him in a low voice. He barely swallowed his words, still staring at County Magistrate Lin, thinking that he would definitely avoid this move and favor Tang Shiyue.
He would never allow this dog official to be so biased!
Unexpectedly, County Magistrate Lin said directly: "Flogging a fellow countryman of good origin is naturally different from whipping a servant. You said you have bought her, but have you agreed to make her a slave?"
Tang Shuizhi said anxiously: "Yes, yes, I agreed to be a maid."
"Who can prove it?"
Tang Shuizhi said: "My family, the villagers, all... can prove it!"
Steward Feng stepped forward and said, "I am the steward of the Meng Mansion. This person is the concubine of the Meng Mansion. She is ignorant and confused and does not know the law. I want to represent her in the lawsuit."
County Magistrate Lin agreed immediately: "Yes."
Steward Feng said, "Just now he," he pointed at Tang Shirong, "was really avoiding the important point."
"The truth of the matter is that the master of the family wanted to take Tang Shuizhi as a concubine, and before Tang Shuizhi got married, her family wanted to buy her a maid to take care of her daily life, so they spent ten taels of silver to buy Tang Shiyue from the same village, who is this person's sister."
"But after she was bought, Tang Shiyue didn't know how to discipline her and bumped into her master. Tang Shuizhi was in a hurry and whipped her a few times, but it wasn't that serious. Otherwise, she wouldn't have recovered so quickly."
Lin County Magistrate asked: "Do you have any evidence that she was bought as a slave?"
Butler Feng said, "Yes. The documents and guarantors can serve as evidence."
He presented the document, which Magistrate Lin read and summoned the guarantor to the court.
The guarantor was actually a neighbor who lived next to the Tang family mansion. The two old men went to court to testify with trepidation, and Mrs. Sun and Tang Ancheng, who were called in, also admitted it.
No one in the hall expected such a reversal.
If they have really sold themselves into slavery, there is a difference between the good and the bad, and "slaves and lowly servants are treated the same as animals" so whipping is not considered a serious offense.
But I didn't expect that the owner of the Tang Family Wine Shop was actually a slave? And the county magistrate's wife was doing business with her?
Everyone was whispering to each other, but Meng Ziyang felt refreshed.
As long as the title of "fugitive slave" is confirmed, there is no need to worry about Tang Shiyue making a fuss!
At most they would sue Tang Shuizhi for beating the maid without reason. Since she didn't kill her anyway, a beating of twenty or thirty boards would be the most they could give her.
Meng Ziyang had already thought it through. If County Magistrate Lin really made such a judgment, then there would be no need for him to argue anymore. He would just let Tang Shuizhi beat him up, and Tang Shiyue's anger would be appeased. He had already come this far, and he didn't believe that Tang Shiyue, a runaway slave, would dare to argue with him!
How could Tang Shuizhi have expected that he had such thoughts in his mind? When she saw that after Butler Feng finished speaking, County Magistrate Lin seemed to have nothing to say, she suddenly felt that she had someone to rely on and relaxed.
Tang Shirong said, "The document was made by ordinary people. How can it be used as evidence in court? My sister is a good girl from a decent family. If she becomes a prostitute because of a document, I will not accept it!"
Steward Feng said: "If Tang Xiaolang is dissatisfied, he can go to the government office to check the files!"
When this matter was mentioned, not only Meng Ziyang, but even Butler Feng felt a little proud.
They went to the government office urgently yesterday to change their nationality. They thought that Magistrate Lin would obstruct them, but it was done smoothly. It showed that they acted too quickly and even Magistrate Lin didn't react.
Now, they are very confident!
County Magistrate Lin had someone deliver the household registration booklet. Looking at the freshly written records, he asked, "It was just entered yesterday? Why did it take so long?"
Don’t even mention yesterday, even today, as long as I get in, it’ll be fine.
Butler Feng said proudly: "I was busy at home and forgot for a moment."
County Magistrate Lin nodded, put down the household registration booklet, and said, "Since Tang Shiyue is a servant of the Meng family..."
But someone in the hall said, "Wait a minute, Your Excellency!"
County Magistrate Lin paused, and then saw Tang Shiyue come forward, kneeling and bowing, saying: "I am Tang Shiyue, the 'escape slave' of the Meng family that they are talking about."
County Magistrate Lin asked, "What do you have to say?"
Tang Shiyue said: "I think the matter of escaped slaves needs to be discussed!"
Butler Feng said, "It's written in black and white, it's a done deal, what do you mean by 'it's up for discussion'? You're clearly just trying to flatter me!"
"Don't worry," Tang Shiyue said loudly, "Excuse me, County Master, should we refer to the written document or the official records for the indenture?"
County Magistrate Lin said solemnly: "The country has its own laws, so naturally the official records are the standard! This is especially true when changing the status of a good person to a lowly person!"
Tang Shiyue turned to Meng Ziyang and asked, "Mr. Meng, should we refer to the written document or the official records for the indenture?"
Meng Ziyang was confident and said loudly, "Of course, the official records shall prevail!" He also said, "Everyone knows that documents are the steps and cases are the means of reaching the target!"
"Very good," Tang Shiyue's voice was clear and crisp. "The date on the document is April, but the official record was made yesterday. Since the county magistrate and Young Master Meng both said that the official records should be taken as the standard, then that means yesterday's records should be taken as the standard?"
Meng Ziyang felt something was wrong, but thinking back, there was nothing wrong: "So what? It's already been registered! You are my family's servant! Why bother with the date?"
Tang Shiyue said loudly, "Let Master Meng know that our family has already split up in June. Now the head of my family is Tang Shirong, and the 'Third Branch of the Tang Family' written in your document has nothing to do with me."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
