Jiang Ling glanced at Zhao Liu, then tactfully stood up and said to Magistrate Duan, "You two discuss official business; I'll take Yaojie back first!"
Magistrate Duan shook his head and said to Jiang Ling, "There's no need to avoid us; this is a matter concerning your village!"
Jiang Ling was speechless, looking at Magistrate Duan with a surprised expression.
“I felt something was amiss with the last plague incident, so I sent people to secretly observe outside your village. Today, we’ve finally made some progress!” After explaining to Jiang Ling, Magistrate Duan turned his gaze to Zhao Liu and said, “Liu Zi, what do you have to say?”
Zhao Liu nodded: "Just now, Ma Wu caught a suspicious person at the entrance of Lujia Village. After searching the person's body, they found several packets of powder on him. The doctor determined that it was the highly poisonous arsenic!"
"What?" Upon hearing Zhao Liu's words, Jiang Ling, who was usually calm, gasped.
Jiang Yaojie was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground, his face pale and muttering to himself. After a short while, he suddenly stood up, grabbed Zhao Liu, and asked anxiously, "Uncle Liu, that guy didn't pour the medicine into the water, did he?"
"Don't worry, they were caught by Ma Wu before they could even make a move!"
Zhao Liu's words brought Jiang Yaojie a huge sigh of relief. With red eyes, he looked at Magistrate Duan and said in a choked voice, "Your Honor! Your Honor! I beg you to find out the whole story. This is practically going to kill our entire village!"
After hearing Zhao Liu's words, Magistrate Duan's face turned even more ashen. He recalled the incident and even began to feel a lingering fear. If he hadn't been cautious enough to send people to secretly patrol Lu Family Village, the person who poisoned them might have succeeded...
Magistrate Duan dared not think about what would happen next. A surge of anger rushed into his chest, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Bring that guy here immediately!"
"Understood!" Zhao Liu moved with incredible speed, disappearing in just a few seconds.
Magistrate Duan turned to Jiang Ling and said softly, "I'm really sorry we won't be able to eat right now!"
Jiang Ling shook her head and expressed her thoughts, "Brother Duan, can I wait here for the result? This concerns the safety of our Lu Family Village!"
“That’s fine. I’ll have the kitchen make you some pastries first. Have a few bites, don’t starve yourself. Once Ma Wu and Zhao Liu bring the people over, I’ll hold court here to hear the case!” Magistrate Duan replied.
Jiang Ling was very grateful after hearing this and wanted to thank Magistrate Duan, but Magistrate Duan waved his hand and refused.
The waiting time was somewhat unbearable, and even the usually calm and composed Jiang Ling felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.
Although the pastries on the table were delicious, Jiang Ling found them tasteless, like chewing wax.
"Sir! The person has been brought here!" Zhao Liu's voice was very loud; the person could be heard even before they were seen.
Magistrate Duan suddenly stood up from his seat, followed closely by Jiang Ling.
"I'll have Zhao Liu take you there in a bit. I'm going to change my clothes first!" Magistrate Duan said before leaving alone.
Zhao Liu was quick on his end too. Less than two minutes after Magistrate Duan finished speaking, Zhao Liu came running in, panting, and led Jiang Ling through a maze of paths to the side of the court.
A large crowd of onlookers gathered, whispering and pointing amongst themselves.
Jiang Ling stood in the crowd with anger in her eyes, her gaze fixed on the court.
"You're such a nuisance!" Magistrate Duan, dressed in official robes and sitting upright, slammed his gavel on the table and said sternly.
Two rows of yamen runners stood on either side, striking the ground with their water and fire sticks in unison, shouting "Majesty!" which intimidated everyone present.
Ma Wu and Zhao Liu brought the prisoner in and threw him on the ground.
"Your Honor, I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"
The trafficker had his back to Jiang Ling, so Jiang Ling couldn't see his face clearly, but his slightly chubby back and clothes seemed vaguely familiar to her.
"How dare you! Do you think you can deny the witnesses and evidence now?" The gavel struck twice, the loud noise testing the traffickers' mental fortitude.
"My lord, I am truly innocent! Please see the truth!" The trafficker knelt on the ground and kowtowed frantically. Judging from the sound of his kowtowing, he was not faking it!
"Alright, since you say you are innocent, then why were you carrying arsenic and acting suspiciously around Lujia Village?" Magistrate Duan asked, pointing to the arsenic presented as evidence.
"I..." The prisoner was speechless, but soon began to kowtow and bow.
"My lord, I heard that there is a plague in Lu Family Village, so I brought arsenic to fight poison with poison!" The trafficker's reason was lame and full of loopholes. Not to mention Magistrate Duan, even the onlookers noticed the clues and began to whisper among themselves.
Magistrate Duan glanced disdainfully at the human trafficker and said coldly, "What? You won't admit your mistake until you see the coffin? In that case, don't blame me for using severe torture!"
The trafficker was not frightened by Magistrate Duan's words. Instead, he straightened his back and said, "I am innocent!"
Magistrate Duan gave a cold laugh and impatiently ordered, "Zhao Liu, drag the traffickers away and subject them to severe torture!"
It was probably a special instruction from Magistrate Duan that the water and fire sticks were used with extra force this time. Even Jiang Ling, who was standing outside, could vaguely hear the muffled thuds of the sticks hitting people.
The man's screams were incessant, but the sound of the stick hitting him never stopped.
Finally, the man could no longer endure it. Sweating profusely, his face contorted in pain, he pleaded, "Magistrate Duan! Magistrate Duan, I was wrong! I was wrong! I'll tell you everything!"
Upon hearing the man's words, Magistrate Duan immediately waved his hand to signal a halt to the execution. By this time, the man's buttocks were already a bloody mess, and he could only lie on the execution chair, panting heavily, and say to Magistrate Duan, "Yes! It was Luo Cheng! The plague was also maliciously released by Luo Cheng!"
The man held on to his last breath, then his eyes rolled back and he fainted.
Magistrate Duan's face was solemn, his eyes blazing with anger. He glanced around, and seeing that everyone around him was on his side, he kicked the unconscious man's bloody buttocks.
Not satisfied with that kick, Magistrate Duan kicked him again.
The man groaned as he was kicked. Seeing that it was about time, Zhao Liu quickly stopped Magistrate Duan and whispered, "Sir, the case is more important!"
Magistrate Duan spat at the man and muttered under his breath, "Wait until everything is settled, then I'll see how I deal with you!" With that, he flicked his sleeve and walked outside.
The surrounding people, seeing that the excitement was over, dispersed in twos and threes, but Jiang Ling remained standing at the door.
Zhao Liu found Jiang Ling and brought her back to the inner hall. Magistrate Duan said to Jiang Ling with a solemn expression, "We've found out, it's Luo Cheng! Luo Cheng was also responsible for the plague in your village last time!"
"It's him? Mother! Tell Magistrate Duan quickly! Arrest him and punish him!" Jiang Yaojie shouted excitedly upon hearing the news.
Jiang Ling looked at Jiang Yaojie, who was covered in sweat from anxiety, and comforted him, "Yaojie, Magistrate Duan has his own plans, you don't need to say anything more!"
Jiang Yaojie immediately shut his mouth, but his eyes remained anxious as he looked at Magistrate Duan.
When Magistrate Duan heard the trafficker mention Luo Cheng, he was furious. Luo Cheng was far too vicious. Even if he had a grudge against Jiang Ling, he didn't deserve to do something so heinous.
Thinking of this, Magistrate Duan slammed his hand on the table and said to Zhao Liu, "Take all the brothers to Luo Cheng's house!"
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