Chapter 1388: You Still Dare to Put on Airs
Chapter 1388: Chapter 1388: You Still Dare to Put on Airs
Yet it was just a suspicion; now he’s very busy and has no time to pay much attention to Brother Cheng.
Magistrate Xi withdrew his gaze and looked towards Judge Tang and County Magistrate Fang: "You two have worked hard, this case will take another two or three days to organize the dossiers to send to Da Li Temple. You’ll need to stay another two days."
Judge Tang and the others were here to handle this matter, naturally they had no objections and nodded in agreement.
Young Master Dou and the Gu Jin’an brothers also stayed, arranged by Magistrate Xi to rest in the government office’s rear courtyard.
They could rest, but the Deputy Magistrate Manor was in chaos.
"Injustice, injustice, the ones who violated the criminal law were my father and that wretch Hu Xueyao, we are innocent, you can’t arrest us!" The sons of the Jia family screamed for justice.
Squad Leader Shi was so annoyed by their noise that his head ached, he shouted: "Stop yelling! The Great Chu Criminal Law states that all male family members over seven years old must be imprisoned; shouting won’t help!"
The sons of the Jia family didn’t listen at all, still clamoring.
Boss Jia even warned Squad Leader Shi: "Shi, you’re just a worker, but we’re official young masters. Even if my father is caught, Da Li Temple hasn’t reviewed it, we haven’t committed any crime, you have no right to arrest us!"
Squad Leader Shi laughed, pointing at Boss Jia and said: "Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear what I just said? We have a collective punishment system in Great Chu. Do you understand what that means? If your father commits a crime, you sons will also be arrested."
Then, casting a glare at Boss Jia, he sneered: "Moreover, haven’t you Boss Jia committed any crimes under Great Chu Criminal Law? Who schemed for the Yang family’s shop? And how did Aunt Zhang come to your house? Just these things are enough to have you killed several times, yet you dare to protest? Do you think your father is still the Lord Deputy Magistrate?!"
The Jia family was rotten from top to bottom, none of the sons were decent.
Boss Jia schemed against other families’ shops and plotted against other people’s daughters.
Jia Laoer snatched a new bride from a hunter, the hunter, being a hot-tempered person, sneaked into the Deputy Magistrate Manor late at night intending to kill Jia Laoer, only to be caught by the Protector and hacked to death.
The Jia family remained unharmed since trespassing into an official residence was a capital crime, killing him wasn’t considered illegal.
The hunter’s wife, grieving deeply after learning of her husband’s death, found an opportunity to drown herself. The well in the Jia family’s backyard where she died has been sealed with stone slabs and hasn’t been used since.
As for Jia Laosan...
"Eh, where’s Jia Laosan? Why isn’t he here?!" Squad Leader Shi looked at the tied-up sons of the Jia family and found one missing, questioning the Government Officials.
A Government Official replied: "Leader, Jia Laosan isn’t in the manor, we’ve sent someone to find him but haven’t caught him yet."
Just as the words were spoken, cries and commotion echoed from the front of Deputy Magistrate Manor, causing Squad Leader Shi to frown and beckon two Government Officials: "Let’s go and see what’s happening."
At the manor’s gates, it was bustling indeed; a large crowd of townsfolk surrounded the Deputy Magistrate Manor to watch the spectacle, and Manager Luo along with his sons were dragging Jia Laosan towards the manor’s entrance.
Jia Laosan, with a filthy rag stuffed in his mouth and tied hands and feet, glared furiously at Manager Luo’s family like a pig about to be slaughtered.
Seeing Squad Leader Shi and Steward Su emerge, he hurriedly mumbled, hoping they would quickly come and rescue him.
Rescuing him was out of the question; Squad Leader Shi and Steward Su laughed upon seeing him tied up, and said to Manager Luo: "Well done, we were just looking for Jia Laosan, you’ve helped the government office quite a bit."
With a thud, Manager Luo and his sons knelt down, crying out: "Leader Shi, Steward Su, you must do justice for our Ju Niang this time!"
Their Ju Niang was a good girl, who was raped and then killed by Jia Laosan and the Jia family.
They had protested, but the officials protected each other; the government office sold favors to Assistant Judge Jia and didn’t capture Jia Laosan. Unable to fight back and for their family’s livelihood, they could only endure.
Now that Assistant Judge Jia has fallen, if the government office doesn’t act justly in handling this case, it would indeed be an outrage!
Steward Su, being a confidant of Magistrate Xi and managing criminal affairs, knew very well that Manager Luo’s daughter was killed by the Jia family and quickly said: "Manager Luo, please rise, Lord Magistrate is aware of your grievance and has ordered us to capture Jia Laosan to seek justice for your family!"
Steward Su spoke loudly to inform everyone that Magistrate Xi and Assistant Judge Jia were not on the same side, insinuating that Magistrate Xi was a good official acting impartially.
However, Manager Luo’s family internally sneered; a good official? If he were one, he wouldn’t have protected Assistant Judge Jia for years.
Yet outwardly, they appeared tearfully grateful: "Many thanks to the lord!"
They had no choice; being mere common folk, they couldn’t offend Lord Magistrate, their sole desire was to clear Ju Niang’s name, and seeing this achieved, they naturally wouldn’t protest further.
Jia Laosan was stunned, muffled cries: How could this happen? Why isn’t Steward Su helping him? Could his father really have fallen?
"Why are you mumbling? You reek of rouge; have you been looking for women in the brothel again?" Squad Leader Shi rushed over and kicked Jia Laosan a few times.
Jia Laosan, having been beaten by Manager Luo’s family when dragged out of the brothel, was kicked a few more times, failing to hold on, he fainted.
Squad Leader Shi spat and instructed two Government Officials: "Throw Jia Laosan into the mule cart and take him to the government office’s prison later."
"Yes." The two Government Officials quickly lifted Jia Laosan and threw him into the government office’s mule cart.
Manager Luo’s family, witnessing the scene, cried tears of joy.
Ju Niang, we have avenged you!
The townsfolk watching felt empathy listening to Manager Luo’s family’s cries, while comforting them they also loudly cursed the Jia family.
Steward Su, fearing their anger might turn towards him and Magistrate Xi, hurriedly lowered his head and led people into the Deputy Magistrate Manor with light steps.
Quietly instructing the accompanying servant: "Tell the lord about this immediately, let the lord release information stating that the matter with Manager Luo’s family was covered up by Assistant Judge Jia and Jia Laosan alone, unrelated to Magistrate Xi."
Without shifting the narrative, it could lead to rumors of Magistrate Xi protecting Jia Laosan, which would be troublesome.
"Eh." The servant promptly went to execute the order.
Inside Deputy Magistrate Manor, Mrs. Jia donned her Imperial Decree Robe, flanked by several daughters-in-law, sat imposingly in the main courtyard’s room, angrily scolding the Government Officials about to search the house: "Stop! I am still the court-appointed Madam Imperial Decree, whoever dares enter my room will be killed by me! I will then petition at the capital to have your entire family, even your entire clan or village arrested!"
This threat and the robe actually intimidated people, the Government Officials ready to enter the room were frightened, hesitating and drawing back, temporarily not daring to proceed.