Liu Ziwen looked at Liu Zilin calmly and motioned to him to the grain merchants and squires at the gate of the county government office.
The latter seemed to understand and nodded slightly.
Liu Ziwen's attention has been focused on the grain merchants and squires who came out of the county government since he was promoted to the court. His brows have also been slightly furrowed, as if he was worried about something.
Even Liu Ziwen, the daughter of the Xie family who was shouting with her head held high at this moment, only glanced sideways, and then returned to paying attention to the young county magistrate and grain merchants, and the squires left.
His temper is stronger than he thought, but the stronger he is, the easier it is to get hurt.
Sure enough.
On the field, Liu Zilin, who had recovered his senses, sneered and shook his head:
"Don't be so quick. This is not your home. Miss, please control your temper. Everyone has seen it. There are both witnesses and evidence. It says in black and white that Ying Niang is my slave. Why are you still making excuses? Today's County County
Even adults can’t protect you!”
"I don't need the county magistrate's protection. I'm not short of money, so I can't steal it. But after I paid the money, you ignored me and you took advantage of it all!"
"If you still do this kind of theft when you are not short of money, you are addicted to stealing! As a master under the county magistrate, you are reaching out everywhere. Today you stole the slaves of the common people. What will you steal next time..."
Liu Zilin's expression suddenly dawned:
"Oh, I forgot, there is really no need to steal. The master stretched out his hand, and other wealthy businessmen and gentry had to hand over the money obediently. This is not called stealing, but filial piety, right? In the county government, there are so many wealthy businessmen dealing with it every day, 豼
How much filial piety is this?"
Xie Lingjiang's nose trembled:
"I have never received any filial piety! I have never received a penny of courtesy from my senior brother. I have to pay for everything myself!"
Luo Er on the side took the opportunity to interject: "He even robbed a Hu slave and acted tyrannically. He also said that he had not confiscated 'filial piety'. Who would believe it?"
"I'll say it again, I didn't steal it, it was the three of you who colluded to falsely accuse someone of his innocence..."
Liu Zilin ignored her at all, and didn't even look at Ouyang Rong. He turned around directly, looked around the audience like a wolf, and said loudly:
"The county magistrate said that he came to Longcheng just to uphold justice, but the people under his command had unclean hands and feet and took things everywhere. The county magistrate did not say a word and just let it go.
"If the county government has no justice, why do you still do business or deal with it? Aren't you just waiting to be slaughtered? Anyway, the common people are afraid. Today, the common people are ignorant. In the future, they will not dare to beat drums to ask for justice. This
I just thought I was a dumb person this time, forget it, the county magistrate can help me return this person, it is already very good, I am only grateful in my heart..."
There was something in these words that spread throughout the audience.
Wang Caozhi, Shopkeeper Ma, Shopkeeper Li, Uncle Wu, and the head of the Cheng family all had different expressions on their faces, some were hesitant, some were weird, some were playful, but the faces of some small squires and small grain merchants had begun to waver, and they frequently looked at a certain person.
A silent young magistrate.
Liu Ziwen, who was behind the crowd, nodded slightly, quite satisfied.
On the steps of the county government gate, Yan Liulang couldn't help but look worried.
What these scoundrels like Liu Zilin care about is the ownership of their slaves, and what they want is justice.
Even discrediting Ms. Xie is not the primary goal of this trap.
They are going to target the Ming government!
It is obvious that he is trying to divert misfortune to the east.
It is useless for Ms. Xie to passively try to prove her innocence.
Liu Zilin and the others didn't care at all whether she stole or not, they just wanted to pour dirty water on Ming Fu.
Yan Liulang had seen this method a few years ago from an old jailer who was interrogating prisoners in the prison.
The detective in blue was anxious. On the other side, Liu Zilin and Luo Er were acting strangely, getting darker and darker.
Xie Lingjiang couldn't help it, and reached out to pull out the scimitar from the waist of the young policeman next to him. The scabbard was empty for a few breaths, and the latter didn't even come back to his senses.
"I've said that we should discuss matters as they arise, and you are not allowed to taint Senior Brother!"
Xie Lingjiang grabbed the knife with his backhand and rushed out like a rabbit.
Damn it! Liu Zilin's eyelids twitched and he ran away with his head in his arms: "Help, the county government master is killing people..."
"Nonsense, put down the knife!"
Ouyang Rong scolded him with a straight face.
The senior brother's voice made Xie Lingjiang immediately stop, and the knife fell to the ground beside his feet with a swaying sound.
Liu Zilin, who fell down in a panic, was helped up from the ground by Luo Er. He looked at Xie Lingjiang with a cold face with lingering fear, feeling a little regretful in his heart.
Why is this little bitch so fierce that she dares to kill someone with a knife in court!
Liu Zilin felt very cold on his back, and the shirt on his back was soaked with cold sweat.
But before he could think too much, Ouyang Rong said:
"This is a court, not a vegetable market where you argue and act!"
Liu Zilin returned to his original position and stood up, smiling and asked: "Then the county magistrate has thought about how to 'properly' administer justice?"
"Don't even think about it?"
The young county magistrate looked at the contract evidence on the public case, then looked at Luo Er and Ying Niang below, and asked with a curious look on his face:
"Isn't this justice obvious?"
Liu Zilin was stunned for a moment and nodded, suddenly feeling uninterested:
"Then let's sentence it quickly. The common people remember that our Dazhou law stipulates that if the theft exceeds one sentence, you will be whipped seventy times. If the theft exceeds ten punishments, you will not only be tattooed, but also be exiled to Lingnan for three years. What will happen to this Hu Ji slave in the Kou Ma Xing?
It’s more expensive than ten guan of money, so please don’t have a bad memory, magistrate.”
Ouyang Rong nodded and looked at him: "You remember everything clearly for me."
Liu Zilin snorted and sneered in his heart.
He didn't believe that Ouyang Rong would really let his junior sister get tattoos and be exiled to hard labor. He would definitely find ways to reduce her sentence and be lenient.
And once such "ugly behavior of favoritism" falls in the eyes of the common people, squires, and grain merchants, doesn't it violate justice? Then those words Liu Zilin said before are no longer groundless in everyone's ears!
There will always be disaster between Gongdao and Junior Sister, especially the former, who can directly declare bankruptcy all the efforts made by the county magistrate these days, because this is the promise he made on the first day he took office...
Come and see how ugly you are.
Liu Zilin and Liu Ziwen, who was behind the crowd, looked at each other in tacit understanding again, with smiles in their eyes.
However, Ouyang Rong's performance was slightly beyond their expectations.
Bang!
He slapped the table and stood up. In front of everyone in the audience, he poked the audience with his index finger and declared seriously:
"Obviously, you have a thief in your midst! A shameless thief!"
Xie Lingjiang's body froze. Even Baikou Mobian, who had just been slandered, she had never lost her composure before. At this moment, the senior brother did not ask any questions. His decisive words made the slender figure of the man-dressed girl a little shaky.
Liu Zilin's expression was a little surprised, he didn't expect to be so cheerful.
"Captain Yan, hurry up and capture this person first!" Ouyang Rong looked solemn.
Yan Liulang hesitated, "This... this..."
"I order you to take this person down!" He glared.
With all the attention of the audience, Yan Liulang dragged his feet and walked to the pale Xie Lingjiang. He awkwardly handed over his hand: "I'm sorry, Miss Xie..."
"No, why did you capture her? Go capture Liu Zilin!" Ouyang Rong frowned and was speechless.
"Ah..." The detective in blue opened his mouth wide. In the next second, his eyes were sharp, and he moved as fast as a rabbit. He crossed the distance with Liu Zilin in one step, captured the thief on the spot, pinned him to the ground, tied a rope, his expression changed.
Very focused on public service.
"..." The whole audience.
Xie Lingjiang was stunned.
Liu Zilin didn't react until the ropes were tied around his body, and his expression was in a state of confusion. Liu Ziwen, who was not far behind the crowd, didn't react much better, and was a little stunned.
Unbeknownst to them, most people on the field were stunned.
"What are you doing? If you don't tie her up, why do you tie me up? I am a good citizen, I am a good citizen! It's unjust..."
"Stop shouting, you thief, tie me up first, lest you run away."
"Thief? What did I steal? I don't accept it!" Liu Zilin pointed his thick red neck.
Ouyang Rong picked up the crystal clear night pearl on the table and asked:
"You just asked Luo Er to use this to buy Yingniang back from Yuanming Tower?"
Liu Zilin nodded bravely.
Ouyang Rong stared at him for a while, then took a photo of the public case:
"Fart! This is clearly my property, why is it in your hands?"
Liu Zilin and Luo Er were both startled and caught off guard. After looking at each other, the former looked at Ouyang Rong's burning eyes and said calmly:
"How is it possible... This is mine. There are almost the same luminous pearls in this world. It is normal to encounter similar ones."
"It's okay. I also have the witnesses and physical evidence."
Ouyang Rong said something leisurely, waved his hand to Yan Liulang, and after giving some instructions, the latter left with an intriguing expression.
Not long after, under the frowning Liu Ziwen and the surprised eyes of everyone in the audience, Yan Liulang brought four old shopkeepers from the West Market Pawn Shop from outside, and Ouyang Rong handed the crystal clear ball in his hand to them.
them.
"You may still remember that I went out in casual clothes that day and brought my pearl to your bank to inquire about the price."
The four old shopkeepers only glanced at each other and nodded one after another. Someone guessed that they were more impressed by the handsome face... The shopkeepers smiled bitterly and apologized for not recognizing the county magistrate at that time. The young county magistrate just shook his head and said:
"Nothing. You have been doing business for many years and have sharp eyes. Take a closer look to see if this pearl is the one I brought over a month ago. By the way, I remember that two of you also issued a paper
After the appraisal, the dimensions and weight are recorded..."
In front of everyone, the four pawnshop shopkeepers lowered their heads and took turns to carefully inspect the night pearl. Finally, the most senior old shopkeeper with a white beard handed the pearl back, stroking his beard and nodding:
"Reporting back to the Ming Mansion, this pearl looks like a pearl but not a pearl, looks like a stone but not a stone. It has the power of luminous light in the dark. I was deeply impressed by it that day. The size and weight are exactly the same. There is no mistake. This one is indeed
You brought it over that day, but it’s a pity that the transaction was not completed that day.”
As soon as this statement was made, the evidence was conclusive, and the streets were in an uproar. No one expected that the situation would turn out to be such a weird development. A certain young county magistrate had never thought before that how could the junior sister use the things he gave to redeem people?
Did he have no money left, or did the two of them give it away during the Cold War feud?
Liu Zilin and Luo Er, who were tied up, seemed to have been struck by lightning and froze in place.
Ouyang Rong tossed the luminous pearl in his hand, turned around and asked them with a studious expression:
"Strange, how did the Night Pearl that I gave to Miss Xie appear in the hands of both of you? Or is what Miss Xie just said true? You are all lying!"
Liu Zilin suddenly panicked and argued stammeringly: "It's yours... okay, but how to prove that you... you gave it to her?"
"Okay, I accidentally made a small presumption of guilt. I want to apologize. Let's ask another question..."
Ouyang Rong smiled and nodded, then suddenly changed his face:
"Why did you steal my official's Night Pearl!? Don't you know that if you steal more than ten pieces, you will not only get tattoos, but you will also be exiled to Lingnan for three years! And stealing official property is an even higher crime!"
Liu Zilin and Luo Er were dumbfounded.
Especially the former, under the noon sun, his body shivered twice in succession.
It's over.
Here you go, keep your word! In addition, thank you to the good brother who pointed out the typos!