Chapter 1387: Is He Really a Refugee Farmer’s Son?
Chapter 1387: Chapter 1387: Is He Really a Refugee Farmer’s Son?
"Yes." The clerk took the recorded confession to Assistant Judge Jia for the stamp.
Assistant Judge Jia refused to stamp it, struggling and shouting, "Injustice, I am innocent, Magistrate Xi, you are deliberately framing me!"
Magistrate Xi’s face darkened, damn, indeed shameless, still crying injustice at this point?
Squad Leader Shi was very alert, immediately dislocated Assistant Judge Jia’s jaw so he couldn’t shout randomly anymore.
The court clerk smartly took advantage of the situation, grabbing Assistant Judge Jia’s hand and pressing his fingerprint onto the confession, then handed it to Magistrate Xi.
Magistrate Xi was very satisfied after reading it, "Take Jia Mingfeng away, arrest the adult male members of his family and imprison them. Keep the rest of the family and servants in the Deputy Magistrate Manor, and decide their fate once the Imperial Court of Judicial Review’s decision comes through."
"Well done, sir! There’s not a good person in the Jia family, they should all be thrown into prison!" The citizens at the government gate cheered.
The Jia family had committed many evil acts using Assistant Judge Jia’s official authority, which everyone knew but feared to speak out against. Inside, they all hoped for the Jia family’s comeuppance.
With a loud crack, Magistrate Xi struck the gavel, pointing at Manager Feng, Mrs. Lin, Hu Xueyao, and others, "Take them away, imprison them well."
Mrs. Lin couldn’t bear hearing this, fainted, and was carried to the prison by officials.
Hu Xueyao took advantage of everyone being distracted, suddenly charged towards Manager Feng.
With a thud, she fiercely knocked Manager Feng to the ground, stomping on his stomach, cursing, "You fool, you’ve killed us all! You will die a terrible death!"
Hu Xueyao exerted herself with deadly force, making Manager Feng scream in pain, blood gushing from his mouth.
Everyone present was stunned.
"God, Hu Xueyao is really ruthless, that’s her biological father, striking him so viciously, is she even human?"
"Ugh! Feng Shiwen dares to call himself my father?!" Hu Xueyao cursed, "He fears death yet craves prominence, keeping mistresses outside and having daughters without daring to give them his surname, using a servant to pretend to be the child’s father just to avoid being implicated by a bad son-in-law if his pursuit fails. Feng Shiwen is just a selfish man only wanting benefits without getting implicated, I have no such father!"
Manager Feng was a young man traveling far and wide for business, and thirty years ago, Great Chu’s criminal law was more stringent. Many innocent families were implicated by relatives, ending up all enslaved.
Manager Feng feared this deeply, and he understood well that the higher one climbed, the greater the risk. To prevent harm to his own family, he came up with this method.
Actually, this method wasn’t new; many noble families used such tactics to raise children to preserve their lineage.
"Stop the criminal woman!" Magistrate Xi saw Hu Xueyao about to stomp on Manager Feng again, hurriedly instructing the officials, "Quickly tie her up and take her to the prison!"
A ruthless person indeed. If she kept stomping, she would really stomp Manager Feng to death.
The officials hurriedly restrained Hu Xueyao and dragged her to the prison.
Chai Dafu took the opportunity to cry out, "Lord, Lord, I recognize my mistakes, I won’t dare again, please show mercy, spare me this once."
He didn’t want to die, nor did he want to work in the mines.
Magistrate Xi sneered, "Weren’t you the one who said as long as your son wasn’t implicated? Now you want to beg for mercy, afraid of death? If you’re afraid of death, then don’t commit crimes."
Magistrate Xi was too lazy to talk to Chai Dafu anymore, instructed the officials to gag him, then addressed Old Lady Chai, "You identified Manager Feng, helped uncover his biological relation with Hu Xueyao, our office will report it truthfully to the Imperial Court of Judicial Review in the capital. Whether you will be credited with your crimes depends on their decision."
Then pointed to Hu Dawen, "You too. Seize them!"
Hu Dawen was afraid when he learned he would also be imprisoned, but after the initial fear, he felt reassured... Brother Cheng from the Gu family had said that even if captured, he would give his reward to Widow Lu, ensuring his children’s future well-being.
Thus, Hu Dawen didn’t make a fuss, walking obediently to the prison.
Old Lady Chai wailed, but did not plead innocence or ask for mercy, seeming genuinely regretful, and did not cause a commotion when the officials came to take her away.
The officials approached the government gate, urging the crowd watching the commotion, "The case is closed, disperse, don’t mill around outside. If you do, we’ll throw you in prison with Jia and the others!"
The citizens feared the authorities, hearing this, they dared not linger.
But there’s no commotion here, there is at the Jia house.
"Hey, Squad Leader Shi and the others have come out, must be going to the Jia house to arrest Jia’s sons. Let’s go, stop blocking here, hurry to Jia house to watch the commotion!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, everyone listened, seeing Squad Leader Shi leading dozens of officials out, they quickly rushed ahead, running to the Jia house.
Magistrate Xi’s face darkened, when did the people of Tong’an Prefecture become so eager for drama? Perhaps influenced by the He’an Prefecture?
"Steward Su, go with them. If the Jia family makes a fuss, bind them up together and send them to the prison." Magistrate Xi instructed, adjusted his official uniform, and exited the courtroom.
"Understood." Steward Su responded, hurriedly took two servants, and followed Squad Leader Shi to the Jia house.
Gu Jin’an and the others didn’t go, thanked Magistrate Xi, "Student thanks Lord Magistrate for administering justice!"
Magistrate Xi chuckled, Ming Shaoqing isn’t someone to be trifled with, could I possibly not administer justice?
"Scholar Gu, please rise. You are destined to achieve great things, it’s cold, don’t ruin your legs from kneeling." Magistrate Xi scrutinized Gu Jin’an for a while before speaking these meaningful words.
Gu Jin’an’s expression remained unchanged, rose, smiled at Magistrate Xi, "Lord overpraises, I am merely a scholar, the path of this life is yet uncertain."
Then looked at Brother Cheng, said, "Come forward and thank the Lord Magistrate."
Brother Cheng took a few steps forward, bowed solemnly to Magistrate Xi, "Student Gu Jincheng thanks the Lord Magistrate for clearing my family’s name."
Magistrate Xi looked at Brother Cheng, praised, "Not bad, looks like a qilin’er, your future will certainly not be less than your brother’s."
Magistrate Xi’s words were sincere, if it weren’t for Gu Jincheng bringing Hu Dawen in today, this case might have been drawn out further.
Then asked, "How old are you?"
Brother Cheng replied, "In a few days, I will turn nine years old."
Finished speaking, he smiled, eyes curved, cheeks round, looking very adorable.
Magistrate Xi was shocked, just barely nine and already had the courage to escort Hu Dawen to testify, and he could suppress Hu Dawen, discovering Hu Dawen had a child, this Gu Jincheng is truly extraordinary.
Furthermore, observing his appearance and noble aura, it rivals that of noble sons.
Could this truly be a refugee’s peasant child?
Magistrate Xi couldn’t help but question inwardly.