It's not uncommon for spoiled brats to bully men and women, but it's truly chilling that a proper yamen runner would openly issue a false order, with the aim of luring an innocent woman to a stranger's home to be used for his amusement.
The onlookers couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines after hearing this.
Which family doesn't have a female member?
Everyone had wives and daughters, and some even had granddaughters. They couldn't help but wonder: if their own female relatives encountered such a thing, would they be able to escape?
Inside the hall, Lao Wu and the others, who were kneeling at the bottom of the hall, were already uneasy. When they heard the onlookers pointing and whispering about them, with endless scornful remarks, they knew that their mission was completely over.
No matter where they go in the future, they will likely face cold stares and contempt from others. The group trembled and collapsed to the ground.
But the matter was not over yet. Min Yueqing spoke up again: "As for the complaint that the innocent woman was forced to become a concubine, there is a victim in the courtroom. Please let her give a detailed account."
Hearing this, Yan Hong knew that the time had come to seek justice, so she stepped forward and recounted her ordeal in detail.
When the onlookers heard Yan Hong's words and saw her burst into tears as she spoke, their emotions surged even higher, and they all felt that their worries were indeed justified.
If an ordinary person encountered a scoundrel like Feng Ruichuan, they would likely be in grave danger. Isn't this poor girl a perfect example?
After Yan Hong finished recounting her ordeal, she was already sobbing uncontrollably. However, she thought that she had met a benefactor today, and that she had the opportunity to seek justice in court. She must not waste this opportunity by feeling sorry for herself.
Yan Hong wiped away her tears, not daring to pause for too long, and continued, "In the Feng family's backyard, there is more than one woman like me. I have seen three others in the past few years alone. I implore you, Your Honor, to uphold justice for us!"
"Make way, please make way!"
Outside the county government gate, some people struggled to push aside the crowd of onlookers, trying to make way. Those who had finally managed to get a good spot at the front were listening intently and were not about to give way.
An argument immediately broke out from the crowd, growing louder and louder until even the constables in the main hall could no longer stand idly by. Two constables stepped forward and said, "What's all the noise about? Can't you see the magistrate is sitting inside hearing the case? Quiet down now!"
The crowd quieted down somewhat upon seeing the constables, but a woman's voice rang out clearly from behind: "We are Feng Ruichuan's parents, please let us in!"
The two constables exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat troubled. From the tone of her voice, they knew that the person being blocked behind the crowd was the county magistrate's younger sister, but given the current situation, neither of them could make up their minds.
The constables were about to return to the main hall to consult the magistrate when, unexpectedly, the crowd spontaneously parted to make way for Feng's parents, who squeezed and jostled their way forward from behind.
Madam Feng curled her lip in disdain, thinking to herself that these unruly people were at least sensible; they knew to give way as soon as she announced her identity.
What she didn't notice was that the people who made way for her all had disdainful expressions on their faces, and their gazes towards them were even more unfriendly.
Seeing that they had entered smoothly, the two constables said nothing more. At this moment, Madam Feng was extremely anxious and had no time to stop. She and her husband quickly entered the main hall.
As soon as she entered the hall, Feng's mother didn't bother to see who was standing there. The first thing she noticed was the familiar bedding on the floor. When she saw Feng Ruichuan's barely breathing appearance, she immediately rushed over to him, crying.
"My poor son, who was this heartless person who hurt you like this? Is there no justice left?!"
After crying and wailing, Madam Feng looked up at Magistrate Sun in the hall with a furious rage, "Brother, you must stand up for your nephew! He was sleeping peacefully at home when some heartless scoundrel snatched him out and injured him like this. Find this person and make sure he's torn to pieces!"
The hall was completely silent. Even Magistrate Sun wished he could close his eyes so he wouldn't have to watch his sister embarrass herself in public.
Mr. Feng, however, was much more astute. As soon as he entered the hall, he carefully observed who was inside and the expressions on their faces. When he saw that Min Yueqing was not kneeling in court, he realized something was amiss, but he didn't have time to remind his wife, who was used to being domineering.
Seeing Magistrate Sun's expression, Mr. Feng had an ominous premonition. He quickly stepped forward, pulled his wife back from speaking, and shook his head at her.
At this moment, Madam Feng suddenly noticed Yan Hong kneeling on the ground. She couldn't help but say to Yan Hong, "What are you doing here? How can you leave Chuan'er lying on the ground like this? You have such a cruel heart!"
Madam Feng had always been harsh towards Feng Ruichuan's concubines. Whenever her son did something wrong, these concubines would be the first to suffer. Yan Hong had long hated her to the core.
Seeing that she was still twisting the truth even in the main hall of the yamen, Yan Hong finally lost her temper and retorted loudly, "I was forcibly taken into your family. Do you expect me to be grateful to you? You took advantage of your superior number of servants to not only snatch me away but also beat my parents and brothers until they were covered in bruises. And now you have the nerve to say such things to me? Is there really no law in this world?"
The onlookers had long been fed up with the woman's arrogant attitude, and now that Yan Hong had retorted, they all loudly echoed her, shouting, "Please, Your Honor, do her justice!"
Seeing the commotion outside, Magistrate Sun struck the gavel three times. The constables shouted "Silence!" and the onlookers, intimidated by the government's power, gradually quieted down.
Magistrate Sun recounted what Yan Hong had just said and asked his sister, "Is what she said true?"
Mrs. Feng was both shocked and furious. She immediately scolded Yan Hong, "It was clearly you who seduced my son first. How dare you frame him like this?"
Yan Hong had always known that Feng's mother was arrogant and domineering, but this was the first time she discovered that she was also good at talking nonsense. She quickly defended herself to Magistrate Sun, saying, "Every word I have said is true. If there is even a half-truth, I am willing to be struck by lightning!"
Seeing that Feng's mother was spouting nonsense and showing no respect for the county government hall, Min Yueqing calmly addressed Magistrate Sun, saying, "Who is this woman? A suspect's relative, she entered the hall and didn't even kneel before the magistrate. Her words and actions are completely unruly. Who gave her this privilege?"
Magistrate Sun closed his eyes. He couldn't very well say that she was his sister and therefore exempt from kneeling, especially since she was a relative of a suspect and there was no reason for her to be exempt from kneeling. So he could only say to Mr. and Mrs. Feng, "Kneel down now!"
Feng's mother was still stubborn, but Feng's father knew the principle that when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head, so he immediately pulled her down to kneel down with him.
Seeing that they had knelt down, Min Yueqing continued, "Whether it was robbery or not is easy to tell. We can't just believe one person's side of the story. Since Yan Hong said that there are other victims like her in the Feng family's backyard, we can ask them all together. Wouldn't that make the truth clear?"
Then, she turned to Mr. and Mrs. Feng and asked, "Or are you feeling guilty and afraid to speak up?"
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