Boss Dong gritted his teeth, his eyes suddenly darted around, and he immediately shouted loudly.
"My lord, my family wanted to break off the engagement with the Li family because we heard that Li Yahe had been involved with other men. However, the Li family refused to agree, so we asked someone to pretend to be her and try to force her to agree to break off the engagement. But when she came to our door, she acted like a shrew and started scratching my mother. My mother and younger sister couldn't let her hit them, but when they fought back, they could only subdue her. But then Li Shurong came and grabbed a hoe, trying to kill her."
Upon hearing this, the Li family members were filled with renewed anger.
This bastard even went so far as to smear her daughter/granddaughter.
At this moment, the man named Zhang Quan spoke up.
"My lord, we can all testify that when Miss Li came to our door, she clearly stated that if the Dong family really sought another marriage, she would agree to annul the engagement and would have her family come to discuss the matter with her. It was Dong Chongyuan who first pestered her and wouldn't allow her to leave, fearing that if the engagement were annulled now, they would have no profit to gain after Xu's son passed the imperial examination. So he tried to persuade her to stay, and a fight broke out during the argument. When Brother Li arrived, he tried to save his sister, but the Dong family surrounded and beat the two siblings. Brother Li fought back, which is why he accidentally injured Dong Chongyuan. Afterwards, the two were tied up and kept under guard. Dong Baozhu drove away the other villagers and privately subjected the two to inhumane torture."
"You're lying, I didn't!" Dong Xiaomei screamed immediately.
"Silence!" Prefect Qin slammed his gavel.
The villagers who came with them echoed their agreement, saying they could testify.
After one of the men finished giving his testimony, he continued.
“My lord, Dong Delu, as the village head, has always been a scoundrel in the village. Every year during the autumn harvest, he would embezzle tax grain. Dong Baofu is a thief by nature and has a violent temper. He often beats villagers at the drop of a hat. Dong Baozhu is vicious by nature. Whenever she is jealous of a woman, she will spread rumors to ruin her reputation. She once caused my niece to jump into the river and commit suicide because she could not bear the humiliation. Dong Delu, however, used his power to suppress us and forbade us to make a fuss. I beg you, my lord, to do justice for us.”
As he spoke, he took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over.
"This is a joint statement from 35 villagers of Dongjia Village, including the fingerprints of three clan elders, as well as the ledger of Dong Delu's misappropriation of tax grain. Please, Your Excellency, take note."
Dong Delu's face turned pale instantly, and he looked at the group in disbelief.
Prefect Qin looked at the dense fingerprints on the petition, his sharp gaze fixed on Dong Delu, and slammed his gavel down heavily.
"Dong Delu, how dare you demand taxes in the name of the imperial court! What is your punishment?"
Dong Delu's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, his face covered in cold sweat. He didn't even dare to utter another cry of injustice.
With witnesses and physical evidence, no matter how much he shouts, it's useless.
At that moment, only two words came to mind: It's over.
Prefect Qin shouted angrily again, "Dong Delu, Dong Baofu, Dong Baozhu, do you confess your crimes!"
Dong Delu's mind went blank, and he was unable to utter a word.
Dong Baofu was also aware of the consequences if this matter were discovered, and at this moment he also looked desperate and was covered in sweat.
Collecting taxes privately under the guise of the imperial court is many times more serious than injuring someone.
He never imagined things would develop to this point.
These things were clearly hidden very well, so how were they all found?
Dong Baozhu, unaware of the seriousness of the matter, immediately cried out that she was innocent.
With evidence and witnesses all available, Prefect Qin will not be lenient with them this time.
Since they refuse to confess, they should be caned until they do.
Unless they can produce new evidence to prove their innocence.
At a command, the bailiffs stepped forward, separated the three men, pressed them to the ground, and began to beat them with sticks.
Dong's mother and her two daughters-in-law were so frightened that their faces turned pale. They wanted to step forward to protect her, but they didn't dare to.
Dong Delu's spirit was finally broken; he couldn't take more than a few blows and trembled as he confessed his guilt.
Since the guilty plea has been made, a verdict can be delivered.
Dong Delu illegally collected tax grain, and his entire family was sentenced to three thousand li of penal servitude and twenty years of labor service at a quarry.
Dong Baozhu maliciously injured the Li siblings and was sentenced to an additional three years in prison.
The Dong family must compensate the Li family for all medical expenses and 100 taels of disability compensation. All previous taxes and levies on villager grain must be returned, and all remaining family property must be confiscated.
Prefect Qin's ruling was clearly a gesture of respect towards Yun Zhiyi.
After all, given Dong Delu's crimes, his home should have been confiscated.
However, once their property is confiscated, the Li family will not receive any compensation.
That's why they chose to compensate first and then confiscate the property.
As for whether the other party has that much wealth, there's no way to know.
The government cannot possibly provide compensation on behalf of the government.
But when he looked at Yun Zhiyi, who had already left outside the railing, he couldn't help but shake his head.
This girl is as ruthless as ever.
They don't act unless they're absolutely sure of it, but when they do, they're ruthless enough to uproot everything completely.
Most importantly, this girl seems to be extremely protective of her own.
He looked at the Dong family members, who were like dead dogs, and could only shake his head.
Why mess with her of all people?
Soon, the entire Dong family was dragged into prison.
The yamen runners were dispatched to the Dong family to settle their assets.
The Li siblings were transferred to Yuchuntang for treatment.
Grandpa Li and Xiaolian went to the clinic first, while Li's father stayed behind to collect the compensation.
But at this moment, they felt no relief whatsoever.
Although justice was served and the Dong family members were brought to justice.
However, the injuries to the two children were irreversible.
This is devastating news that would be difficult for any family to accept.
The grandfather and grandson waited listlessly in the clinic, their hearts filled with despair, unsure how to explain things to their daughter-in-law/mother when they got home.
She definitely wouldn't be able to withstand such stimulation; what if something happens to her too?
Xiaolian bit her lip hard and raised her hand to wipe away her tears.
Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure entering out of the corner of his eye, paused for a moment, and quickly stood up.
"Master."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Li quickly stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "Master, thank you so much for your help today, which has enabled me to seek justice for my grandson and granddaughter."
After Qingkong appeared, they knew that everything that followed would definitely be related to their employer.
If she hadn't rescued them, the two of them would probably be dead by now.
If the other party hadn't gathered evidence to destroy the Dong family in one fell swoop, they might not only have failed to get justice, but also have been bitten in return.
Yun Zhiyi said gently, "I have said that you are people of my manor. My people should not be bullied without cause."
Upon hearing this, the grandfather and grandson's eyes welled up with tears again.
I am grateful to have such a good employer, but when I think of the two seriously injured people, I am overcome with grief.
Yun Zhiyi looked into the medical room, which was hidden by a curtain, and took out two items to hand to Old Master Li.
"The white bottle contains the Rejuvenation Pill. Take one pill daily for three consecutive days, along with a gentle and nourishing medicine, and it will repair your internal organs. The bone-healing ointment in the porcelain box can also be used for broken bones. You can have a doctor examine it first and ask him to combine it with other medications for conditioning."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Grandpa Li held the porcelain bottle and box in his hands, stunned.
At this moment, a teenager hurriedly walked out of the medical room and went up to the two of them when he saw them standing there blankly.
"Are you the family members of the two injured people inside?"
The two suddenly snapped out of their daze, disregarding everything else, and quickly turned around and nodded.
"Yes, yes, we are Li Shurong and Li Yahe's family. We wonder how they are doing now?"
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