"You..." Jiang Yaojie was about to lash out when he suddenly remembered Jiang Ling's instructions. He shrank back and said nothing, but his gaze lingered on the constables for a long time.
"Yaojie, Uncle Lu, wait for me a moment!" Jiang Ling turned around and said before following the yamen runner toward the yamen gate.
"I'm sorry you suffered because of what happened before!" When Magistrate Duan saw Jiang Ling come out, he quickly dismissed everyone around him and said to Jiang Ling.
"You jest, sir!" Jiang Ling replied perfunctorily.
"Look at you, you're distancing yourself from me again, aren't you?" Magistrate Duan thought Jiang Ling was angry with him because of what had just happened, so he quickly explained.
"Um... Brother Kang An, what do you need me for?" For some reason, Jiang Ling always felt a chill run down her spine whenever she called out "Brother Kang An"!
"I've come to talk to you about the losses! And... and I also hope you can give me some advice!" When he said the last sentence, Magistrate Duan became noticeably hesitant.
Jiang Ling felt a headache coming on. Why were all these people asking her for advice lately? She rubbed her aching temples but still managed a smile as she asked, "Brother Kang An, what's the matter? Please tell me!"
Who knows how much Jiang Ling's toes practically dug out of a three-bedroom apartment when she said those words? She suppressed the goosebumps all over her body and prayed that the conversation would end soon. Although Magistrate Duan was very outstanding, Jiang Ling knew that she was definitely not good enough for him, but since Magistrate Duan hadn't made it clear, Jiang Ling didn't feel comfortable taking the initiative to say it either.
Don't look back and realize that she really only sees her as a younger sister. If things really come to that, Jiang Ling will probably want to crawl into a hole and hide.
"About Wang Er and Zhao San!" Magistrate Duan paused for a moment as he spoke.
“I’ve heard a little about the evil deeds of these two guys, but they are cunning. We have been struggling because we have no witnesses who dare to testify against them and no solid evidence to arrest them. Although I can detain them today, I cannot convict them! After all, you also took action, didn’t you?” Magistrate Duan said tentatively to Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling chuckled. He understood what Magistrate Duan was worried about. If Wang Er and Zhao San were to cause trouble for him in the street and be caught by the yamen runners, that would be fine. But by then, Jiang Ling himself had already started fighting with them. Moreover, the yamen runners happened to see Jiang Ling beating those two guys up.
What started as being bullied escalated into a fight, and the overall situation has changed.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling nodded and said, "So, Brother Kang An, do you mean I can't be a key witness?"
“Yes…yes, we’ve been investigating lately, but those small vendors are all worried about being retaliated against by Wang Er and Zhao San, so no one has come to confront them. I’d like to ask you, sister, if you have any good ideas!” Magistrate Duan said.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling began to ponder, trying hard to recall the scenes in previous police dramas where witnesses identified criminal suspects.
Police stations have a special type of one-way mirror. You can't see out from the inside, but you can see clearly from the outside.
This way, the suspect inside cannot see what's happening outside, which also protects the privacy of witnesses.
But this isn't modern times, so where would we find one-way mirrors?
Jiang Ling pondered for a long time with a serious expression, and finally an idea came to her mind.
“Brother Kang’an, I think we can do this! The reason those small vendors don’t dare to come forward to testify is because they are afraid of being retaliated against by Wang Er and Zhao San! We can first take these small vendors to the inner hall, then have them change into your, the clerk’s, or the yamen runners’ plain clothes, and then put a cloth over the heads of these small vendors, just like a woman’s wedding veil!”
"We only need to make two holes in the cloth to expose the eyes. To ensure everything goes smoothly, we'll also blindfold Wang Er and Zhao San. When we stop them, they don't need to speak; they just need to move their hands! That way, they won't have to worry about Wang Er and Zhao San retaliating against them afterwards!"
Jiang Ling's words enlightened Magistrate Duan. He grabbed Jiang Ling's hand excitedly and said, "Sister, you're so smart! How come I didn't think of that!"
Jiang Ling's face immediately turned red. Whether it was the Jiang Ling before or now, or the Jiang Shi who transmigrated to Lujia Village, Jiang Ling had almost never been held hands by any man in her life. Magistrate Duan's action startled Jiang Ling.
Just as Jiang Ling was about to pull her hand away, Magistrate Duan released her hand with great joy and ran outside.
Jiang Ling lowered her head and looked down at her hand, which had just been grabbed by Magistrate Duan. A wave of emotion washed over her.
Before long, the county magistrate ran back overjoyed. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, grabbed a teacup and gulped down several mouthfuls of tea. After catching his breath, he said to Jiang Ling, "Sister, I must say, your idea is really good."
"I just sent my men to talk to several small vendors who have been bullied by Wang Er and Zhao San for a long time. They initially refused to be witnesses, but as soon as they heard about the method you told me before, they all nodded in agreement!"
At this point, Magistrate Duan looked up at the window, then turned to Jiang Ling and said, "Sister, don't go back yet. I'm going to hold court this afternoon to hear this case!"
“But my son and Uncle Lu are still waiting for me at the oxcart!” Jiang Ling said with some difficulty.
"That's alright, I'll just send someone to inform you. Once the case is over, I'll send someone to take you back!" Magistrate Duan said.
Hearing Magistrate Duan's words, Jiang Ling knew she couldn't refuse, so she simply nodded in agreement.
Just as the hour of Wei (1-3 PM) arrived, Magistrate Duan was already dressed in his official robes and seated in the imperial court.
After a morning of detention without any treatment for Wang Er and Zhao San's burns, the two looked much weaker than before. Their faces were pale, and their lips were frighteningly chapped; they had lost the arrogance they had shown earlier.
"Do you two know your crimes?" Magistrate Duan slammed his gavel and rebuked.
"Sir, I know I was wrong, but Jiang also beat me and my brother before. You can see that my brother and I still have blisters all over our faces!" Wang Er said, pointing to the burns on his face.
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Duan gave a cold laugh and continued to berate them: "You two won't shed a tear until you see the coffin! Wang Er, I ask you, was it you two who took the bribes in Yanhuo Lane?"
"Your Honor! We are innocent! Please investigate carefully and do not frame innocent people!" Wang Er kowtowed repeatedly upon hearing this.
"Yes, sir, my brother and I are honest and law-abiding people. We were completely blinded by greed this morning! Please investigate, sir!" Zhao San, who was standing next to Wang Er, also began to kowtow.
The onlookers were even more astonished. Magistrate Duan sneered inwardly and continued, "Wang Er, Zhao San, I'll give you one more chance! Will you talk or not?"
Wang Er and Zhao San were certain that the group of small vendors wouldn't dare to identify them, so they immediately shouted at Magistrate Duan that they were innocent.
Upon seeing this, Magistrate Duan said to the bailiffs beside him, "Guards! Blindfold both of them!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com