"By the way, I remember Zhou Chunrong did have an ex-wife surnamed Zhao. It is said that she jumped into the river after giving birth to a stillborn child because she couldn't bear the shock."
The group looked at each other, pondering the evidence of their crimes.
If Zhou Chunrong was truly responsible for all of this, then he is a truly terrifying person.
They were like demons from hell.
Not to mention the crowd, several elderly people also frowned deeply, looking at the two with solemn expressions.
Zhou Chunrong was stunned, her face turning deathly pale.
Although I tried my best to calm myself down, my calves still couldn't stop trembling slightly.
There was no other reason than that he knew everything the other party said was true.
When she thought about how she had also mentioned witnesses and physical evidence, her face turned even paler.
With the support of the Marquis of Zhonghou's mansion over the years, he has indeed acted without restraint, since even the prefect has to give way to the Marquis of Zhonghou's mansion.
As long as no one really makes a fuss, they'll turn a blind eye.
Therefore, he acted even more recklessly and never really tried to cover it up.
If someone really sets their mind to investigating, they might actually find something.
Therefore, he was extremely flustered and his mind went blank.
Instinctively, he turned his head, wanting to cry out his innocence to Prefect Qin.
But when he met Prefect Qin's gaze, which was as if he were looking at a dead man, he felt a chill run through his body, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Prefect Qin had also finished reading the petition.
The written statement was a hundred times more detailed than what she said.
It was as if they were there watching at the time.
They even clearly stated who the witnesses were and where the evidence was.
He couldn't help but look at Yun Zhiyi.
This time, they finally took the other party seriously.
He originally thought she was just an orphan girl who had been banished from the capital and had no one to rely on.
Looking back now, it's hard to say.
The fact that such detailed information could be collected in such a short time suggests that there must be a large information network behind it.
Moreover, depending on the situation, it's best to prepare in advance.
It seems that from the moment she arrived in Lufeng City, she investigated all the people here who might pose a threat to her.
If anyone gets tired of living and tries to dig a pit for her, she can easily bury them, even causing harm to several generations.
Recalling Lu Jingyi's previous hint, Prefect Qin's expression changed slightly.
He looked at her intently, seemingly assuming that Lu Jingyi knew about his situation because of her.
He didn't even know how much the other party knew, and his heart sank.
Yet they dared not entertain any thoughts.
From this woman's current actions, and her decision to sue the Earl's family in court and sever ties with them, we can see the truth.
This shows that she was ruthless and vindictive.
And yet, they also possess the ability to retaliate.
If we cannot completely prevent her from turning her life around and from speaking, we must not act rashly.
Clearly, those who have ever considered Weimanzhai or Yunzhiyi Industry would probably have thought of this as well.
Therefore, the men sent by these people quickly squeezed out of the crowd to inform their managers or owners.
Prefect Qin's thoughts raced through his mind, and in the end, he could only take a deep breath to hide the gloom in his eyes.
He even wondered if today's events were something she had anticipated.
Or rather, it was her doing.
After all, from today onwards, Wei Man Zhai's reputation will surely be even greater, and diners will no longer be suspicious. Those who secretly want to make a move against her will also have to think twice.
That's killing multiple birds with one stone.
As expected of someone from a prestigious family, he possesses such deep shrewdness and cunning at such a young age.
He slammed his gavel down and ordered the constables and yamen runners to immediately search for evidence and bring in witnesses, as stated in the indictment.
Zhou Chunrong finally came to her senses, her legs went weak, and she immediately shouted loudly.
"My lord, I have been wronged!"
"Whether it is a wrongful conviction or not, we will know after this prefectural court has conducted an investigation."
Prefect Qin said calmly.
But I couldn't help but shake my head inwardly.
As the saying goes, "If you walk by the river, you're bound to get your shoes wet." Those who don't know when to stop will eventually get into trouble.
Now they've really messed up.
He knew in his heart that Zhou Chunrong was finished.
If the evidence is conclusive, the Marquis of Zhong's mansion would never tarnish its reputation for the sake of such a servant.
Besides, Old Master Sun is still here in the hall.
The Marquis of Zhong's mansion would never dare to protect even one or two such individuals.
Tomorrow I'm afraid I'll be drowned in the spittle of the Censorate in the Golden Hall.
Thinking of this, Prefect Qin couldn't help but glance at Yun Zhiyi again.
This guy is really ruthless; every move he makes is deadly, leaving no room for error.
The constable left a few moments before bringing in another person.
Father Li was still somewhat dazed at this moment.
He was unaware of what was happening; he was in the accounting office doing the books when he was suddenly summoned.
He said his employer wanted him to accompany him to the city.
When he saw that it was the yamen runners who came to bring him in, he was very worried, wondering if there was a problem with some accounts.
When they arrived at the government office, he couldn't go in with the crowd and could only listen from outside.
At first, all they knew was that the restaurant had been framed by Fukang Restaurant. They knew it must have been Zhou Chunrong's doing, and they felt both angry and helpless.
He knew Zhou Chunrong's methods and background, and knew that he probably couldn't do anything to him this time either.
As expected, Xu Tai took the blame directly, and Zhou Chunrong was exonerated once again.
Just as he was filled with resentment and disappointment, he heard his employer suddenly point the finger at Zhou Chunrong and sue him.
The numerous charges against him left him feeling both heavy-hearted and agitated.
But when they heard the last point, they were stunned.
Because the last point clearly points to him.
"Who is in the hall?"
Li's father was pulled back to his senses by the prefect's low shout, and couldn't help but turn his head to look at Yun Zhiyi.
Without realizing it, her eyes had already turned crimson.
Yun Zhiyi smiled at him and nodded gently.
Li's throat tightened, he took a deep breath, and respectfully knelt down, bowing his head. "This humble subject, Li Chengzhi, greets Your Excellency."
Prefect Qin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You're the scholar Li who was once employed by Fukang Restaurant and had his leg broken because of the falsified accounts scandal?"
To the crowd's surprise, one of the victims mentioned in the charges appeared so quickly.
Thinking back, he did indeed walk with a limp. Could he really be a scholar? That's a real pity.
The Great Dynasty was quite strict about the imperial examinations. No matter how talented you were, you could not take the exams if you had a physical disability.
The scope includes disability, disfigurement, and baldness.
Now that this scholar Li is lame, he will surely never be able to take the imperial examinations again.
He recalled the charges Yun Dongjia had made against him.
If Zhou Chunrong really framed someone and harmed them to this extent, it's utterly immoral.
It is extremely difficult for an ordinary family to raise a scholar.
It may have taken generations of effort, and now it's been ruined so easily.
It's hard to imagine how desperate he and his family must have been at that time.
Li's father had calmed down a bit by now and said in a deep voice, "Five years ago, I was indeed hired by Fukang Restaurant as an accountant, but I have never made any false accounts. This was all because Zhou Chunrong was privately taking kickbacks and engaging in corruption, which led another accountant, Qian Youliang, to forge false accounts. When the owner sent people to investigate, I was discovered and forced to take the blame. I refused, so they pinned the crime on me, broke my leg in public, and ruined my reputation."
"Nonsense!" Zhou Chunrong retorted angrily.
Prefect Qin slammed his hand on the table. “Shut up! I didn’t ask you anything. If you continue to disrupt the court proceedings, you will be slapped thirty times.”
Zhou Chunrong's expression changed, and he could only grit his teeth and shut up, but he glared fiercely at Li's father.
He never expected that the dog he had thrown away years ago would come back and bite him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
