The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 696 - 685: All Under Control (Extra - as a reward for the book friend "Zaizai!!")

Chapter 696: Chapter 685: All Under Control (Extra Chapter as a reward for the book friend "Zaizai!!")

Ji Hao struggled for his life under the hands of four physicians, and County Magistrate Tang wasn’t just standing by, watching without taking action. He didn’t know where he found a girl from the Spring Breeze Pavilion, who had already bought her way out of servitude, and had her locked up in the prison as well.

Moreover, with the testimony of those who were present at the time, such as Wei Ting and Jiao Yong, combined with the statements of Manbao and others, a complete chain of evidence could be pieced together.

It proved that the initial dispute was indeed instigated by Ying Wenhai.

Manbao, Bai Shan, and Bai Erlang stood in a corner of the main hall; because the court session was so long, the three of them got tired of standing and even secretly sat down on the floor, right underneath a window near the main hall, and went unnoticed.

Although uncovering the truth was the duty of County Magistrate Tang, Manbao felt something was amiss as she listened to him conduct the trial.

Bai Shan did not feel anything amiss and said, "County Magistrate Tang is truly remarkable; he covers all bases and has discovered everything. But looking at it this way, the fault still lies with Ying Wenhai. I don’t see where he is innocent. Why did he talk like that at our house the other day?"

Manbao shook her head, whispering, "But I always feel he has ill intentions... Uh, no, not towards us, but rather towards them."

Just as she finished speaking, County Magistrate Tang asked, "Ying Wenhai said that the reason he thought to apply something on the silver hairpin was because a Little Girl in his household accidentally hurt her hand with a hairpin, and it was a wound that wouldn’t heal. But upon my investigation, that girl had been sold a while ago because she accidentally broke something."

Ying Wei’s eyes widened in shock.

County Magistrate Tang continued, "Ying Wenhai and Ji Hao squandered years of savings on their first visit to the Spring Breeze Pavilion, and both bribing and redeeming someone require a lot of money. Mrs. Ying, didn’t you ask at all when Ying Wenhai suddenly withdrew so much money from the account?"

Mrs. Ying clutched the handkerchief in her hand tightly and hurriedly explained, "I did ask. Wenhai said he took a fancy to an ancient painting, and I thought buying a painting was a proper matter, so I agreed."

County Magistrate Tang asked Ying Wenhai, "Ying Wenhai, do you usually have an interest in collecting ancient paintings?"

"I do not, but that is indeed what I told my mother," he replied.

County Magistrate Tang smiled slightly, in a meaningful way, "You said that, and Mrs. Ying believed you just like that. The bond between mother and son indeed runs deep."

Ying Wenhai was not that foolish. If he hadn’t realized it before, now he vaguely sensed something.

Ying Wei’s expression turned dark. He took a discreet glance at Mrs. Ying and, somewhat displeased, said to County Magistrate Tang, "What do you mean by this, Lord Tang?"

County Magistrate Tang smiled faintly, took a sip of tea from the steward to moisten his throat, and then said, "The Little Girl who was sold is not hard to find..."

Seeing Mrs. Ying’s complexion turn pale, County Magistrate Tang changed tack, "However, it will take some time for her to return. But I have here another witness. Bring in Miss Hong Zhi."

A bailiff immediately dragged a woman in chains to kneel beside Ying Wenhai.

County Magistrate Tang smiled and said, "This lady is the Spring Breeze Pavilion girl that Ying Wenhai bribed to injure Ji Hao. What piques my curiosity is that Ying Wenhai only mentioned giving Ji Hao a lesson, to prick him slightly, just enough to make the wound heal slowly. Yet Miss Hong Zhi, you violently targeted Ji Hao’s chest."

County Magistrate Tang picked up Manbao’s statement and said, "I have here the testimony of a young physician who treated Ji Hao’s wounds at the time. The wound, though small, was deep and in such a dangerous place as the chest. Ying Wenhai also mentioned that they were stunned by this wound and made a noise in the side room, which is how Ji Hao discovered them."

"Hong Zhi, why did you so viciously strike Ji Hao instead of just giving him a prick as instructed by Ying Wenhai?"

Hong Zhi hung her head, biting her lip, remaining silent.

County Magistrate Tang smiled and said, "You won’t speak, but do you know what punishment awaits someone of low status who attempts to murder a noble son?"

Hong Zhi raised her head, "My lord, I have already left my servitude; I am not of low status anymore."

"Is that so? Yet I see you have not recorded your emancipation at the County Governmental Office. The office only recognizes red seals, not white papers."

Hong Zhi’s face turned pale in an instant.

In her panic, fearing that the Ji Family would come after her, she took her indenture and hid, intending to wait until the uproar subsided before coming out to officially annul her servitude. But then...

County Magistrate Tang waited for her to make a decision. He did not like to use violence; to him, it was the crudest method of questioning.

Hong Zhi couldn’t help but glance in the direction of Mrs. Ying.

Mrs. Ying was stubbornly looking down, but Ying Wei kept his eyes wide open, and upon catching his glance, what could be unclear?

So, before Hong Zhi could speak, Ying Wei suddenly slapped the table and stood up, "Lord Tang, the matter of this woman framing my son is a domestic issue of mine. I would not wish to trouble Lord Tang with it."

Lord Tang smiled slightly, looking towards Ji Xiang.

Ji Xiang also slammed the table, angrily saying, "Ying Wei, your Ying Family household is in turmoil, yet you use my son to make trouble. Is this a domestic issue of your family? I must have clear answers today."

Old Madam Ji also said, "A crooked beam makes a crooked rafter. It seems your Ying Family is indeed in need of Lord Tang’s help to straighten things out. Your mother is also advanced in age; shouldn’t you spare her from worrying about these matters now?"

Only then did County Magistrate Tang speak, "Lord Ying, this is no longer a matter concerning only your family."

He looked at the secretary who was making records. The secretary stood and said, "Your Honor, all aspects of the case have been recorded. Afterward, this subordinate will review everything once more to ensure no mistakes."

Mrs. Ying’s complexion was ashen, and Lord Ying grasped the back of his chair tightly, veins bulging on his arms.

The teachers and students from the prefectural school and Dacheng Academy, who had come to testify about the Qixia Mountain conflict, were stunned. They only came to testify about the conflict, so why did they suddenly learn about such explosive information?

County Magistrate Tang struck the gavel, saying, "I am hungry. Let us adjourn the hearing for today, and we will continue tomorrow."

This statement seemed abrupt, but everyone quickly regained their senses and nodded in agreement. It would be best to disperse early; they preferred not to hear more about this matter.

Manbao and Bai Shan Bai Erlang exchanged glances, feeling the discussion was unfinished. But seeing Wei Ting and others already retreating and even making throat-slitting gestures at them, they reluctantly followed them out.

Manbao looked back at County Magistrate Tang and caught his gaze. They locked eyes, and he smiled slightly at her, nodding his head.

Manbao quickly left with Bai Shan. Once outside the County Governmental Office, she whispered, "See, I wasn’t wrong; he does have ill intentions."

Bai Shan also sensed something was off but still said, "But he didn’t do anything wrong, as the county magistrate, isn’t he supposed to uncover the truth?"

Bai Erlang asked, "With County Magistrate Tang suddenly being so sharp, won’t the Ying Family retaliate against him? Isn’t it said that officials all like to engage in power struggles?"

Bai Shan responded, "Given how forceful County Magistrate Tang was before, he probably already angered the Ying Family and the Prince of Yizhou’s residence."

Manbao looked around and then said, "Let’s not worry about it; we’re still young and it’s none of our concern. Since we’re free today, how about we go shopping?"

However, Wei Ting came over to them, "We’re going to visit Ji Hao at the Ji Family. Would you like to join us?"