Chapter 121 Fair and strict?
At this moment, a burst of hurried and heavy footsteps broke the clamor of the street. Runners from the Shuntian Prefecture and the Dali Temple rushed in like a tide, their faces dignified and their mouths shouting: "Get out of the way, get out of the way!"
The people in the crowd were like frightened birds, retreating to both sides and making way for a wide path.
"Master Prime Minister!"
Bai Xianzhe's eyes were as sharp as torches as he scanned the surroundings, with a sneer of disapproval hanging on the corner of his mouth.
"Hmm." He replied softly, "It's good that the people from Shuntian Prefecture and Dali Temple have arrived. Quickly arrest all these troublemakers."
Lan Xiyue sneered when she heard this, "What are these people making trouble? These are all victims. They are suing the second young master of the Prime Minister's Mansion for oppressing the people and robbing good girls." Her eyes were firm as she looked directly at Bai Xianzhe without any fear.
Bai Xianzhe swung his sleeves and snorted coldly, "Nonsense! My son is now bedridden after being beaten by you. How could he have the energy to go out and oppress the people and rob decent girls? Lan Xiyue, if you continue to talk nonsense here, this Prime Minister will sue you for false accusation!"
The yamen runners from the Shuntian Prefecture and Dali Temple looked at each other in bewilderment. They knew the Prime Minister's power was immense and they couldn't afford to offend him. So, they all lowered their heads and remained silent.
In the crowd, some fearful people began to slip away quietly. They did not dare to get involved in the dispute between the powerful and the common people.
However, at this moment, the old man tremblingly tugged at the sleeve of a yamen runner, his voice hoarse: "Sir, you have to do something for this old man! The second young master of the Prime Minister's Mansion, he... he kidnapped my granddaughter!"
Upon hearing this, the yamen runner suddenly pulled out his sleeves and said in a cold tone, "Old man, we officials are determined by evidence. You have framed the Second Young Master of the Prime Minister's Mansion without any evidence, and you will be punished with a beating."
After saying that, he kicked the old man to the ground. The old man's thin body fell powerlessly into the dust like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind.
A sigh was heard from the crowd watching from afar, but no one dared to step forward to help.
The old man's face was filled with pain, his eyes filled with helplessness and despair. With trembling hands, he knelt on the ground, kowtowed repeatedly, and cried in his voice, "I won't sue the Second Young Master of the Prime Minister's Mansion anymore. I only beg him to release my granddaughter..."
Lan Xiyue narrowed her eyes slightly, a surge of intense anger rising in her heart. She squatted down and supported the old man, "Old man, you get up first."
Tears welled up in the old man's eyes: "Don't worry about me, old man... I am old and weak. If I could trade my life for my granddaughter, it would be worth it."
On the side, the Prime Minister's wife, Su Ning, said, "Old man, what is your granddaughter's name?"
The old man replied tremblingly: "My granddaughter Xiaozhen, please let my granddaughter go..."
Upon hearing this, Su Ning raised his eyebrows slightly and gave a look to the housekeeper behind him.
The housekeeper stepped forward and said respectfully, "Madam, a little girl named Xiaozhen did come to the mansion some time ago. She worked as a maid, but she was so clumsy that she was kicked out."
The old man murmured: "It's impossible. If Xiaozhen comes out, she will definitely go home..."
The Third Aunt sneered at the side: "How can it be impossible? Maybe that bitch is having an affair with a man. Who is my son? How could he fall for that bitch from your family?"
The old man was hunched over, his eyes full of anxiety and helplessness.
He murmured to himself: "No... no... my little Zhen is very good and obedient." There was a hint of trembling and despair in his voice.
Lan Xiyue whispered in the old man's ear to comfort him: "Old man, go back first. I will help you look for her. Maybe you can see your granddaughter Xiaozhen tonight."
The old man looked up, a glimmer of hope flashed in his cloudy eyes. He stood up tremblingly and murmured, "Okay, Xiaozhen has always wanted to eat osmanthus cake, but she can't bear to buy it. I'll go back and sell the old hen at home, buy osmanthus cake for Xiaozhen and wait for her." After that, the old man turned around, staggered away slowly.
The crowd gradually dispersed, and the yamen runners from Shuntian Prefecture and Dali Temple saw this and clasped their fists to each other, preparing to leave.
At this moment, Bai Xianzhe's voice suddenly rang out: "Master Yan, the Minister of Justice, has not yet found out who assaulted the Crown Prince?"
The yamen runner looked embarrassed and shook his head: "Not yet."
Bai Xianzhe's tone was a little more stern: "What about my son? Why don't you Dali Temple arrest Lan Xiyue?"
The bailiff looked embarrassed. "Your Excellency, our Dali Temple has conducted an investigation but has not found any evidence or witnesses, so we cannot be sure that it was Miss Lan who beat your son."
As soon as the words fell, the Third Aunt's sharp voice came to mind: "What do you mean by no evidence! My son said it himself, it was Lan Xiyue! And the servants in the mansion saw it too! Did you, the Dali Temple, accept bribes to not arrest this bitch!"
Lan Xiyue heard this without changing her expression, and said in a deep voice, "Who are you calling a bitch?"
The third aunt's eyes widened, and she replied without hesitation: "Bitch scolded you!"
Lan Xiyue raised her eyebrows slightly and stretched out the ending tone: "Oh...so you are a bitch!"
This casual remark instantly made Third Aunt's face turn pale. She pointed at Lan Xiyue angrily: "You..."
"Shut up!" A cold shout interrupted the Third Aunt's accusations. Su Ning stood aside, secretly criticizing in his heart: This idiot, is not ashamed. If the Third Aunt hadn't been simple-minded, she wouldn't have allowed her to give birth to a son.
The bailiffs of the Dali Temple clasped their fists towards Bai Xianzhe again and said, "Your Excellency Prime Minister, we at the Dali Temple have always been fair and strict in our actions. We will never jump to conclusions without solid evidence." After that, the bailiffs turned around and left.
Lan Xiyue secretly complained in her heart, "Fair and strict?" The old man's miserable state was still before her eyes, but these yamen runners just turned a blind eye, simply because they were afraid of Bai Xianzhe's power. No matter where they were, they really treated people differently.
She clapped her hands, turned and left, with a hint of disdain and pride in her steps.
Bai Xianzhe stood aside with a gloomy face, his eyes piercing Lan Xiyue's back like knives, until she got on the carriage and drove away.
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