Magistrate Shi nodded and said, "What Lord Xue Zheng says is true. It’s my dereliction of duty for letting such an old stubborn man trouble you. I ask for your pardon, Lord Xue Zheng."
Academic Administrator Kong, being a third-rank official, outranked him, a fourth-rank magistrate, by two levels. Originally, after the examination results were released, it was his responsibility as the magistrate to host a banquet for the scholars to thank Academic Administrator Kong. However, because of the Tong family’s matter, Magistrate Shi hadn’t even had ti to sleep, so he couldn’t arrange the planned banquet, thus neglecting Academic Administrator Kong. Now, having to deal with such trivial matters really made him... Magistrate Shi secretly cursed Scholar Cao again.
Suppressing his anger, Magistrate Shi instructed his criminal steward, "Steward Lin, go find Assistant Judge Shen and bring the backup files of the Yuan Family’s case, the Fei Family Case, and the Lai Family Case to the court. Let’s conclude this matter quickly."
Linhe Prefecture is the capital of the Jianghuai region. All major case files from the Jianghuai prefectures are copied and sent to Linhe Prefecture. Thus, the Linhe Prefecture Governnt Office has the file on the Old Gu Family’s case. This file is the evidence. Producing it could shut Scholar Cao’s mouth, avoiding further argunt.
"Yes." Steward Lin, also exhausted to the point of his eyelids drooping these past few days, pinched his thigh to sober up a bit, then bowed to the officials before heading off to Assistant Judge Shen to fetch the files.
Magistrate Shi and Academic Administrator Kong, accompanied by a few governnt officials and clerks, proceeded to the court.
Upon seeing Magistrate Shi, Scholar Cao got excited and imdiately stood up, saying, "Lord Magistrate..."
But barely had he addressed the Magistrate when he was interrupted by Magistrate Shi, "The clerk has already recorded your statents; the court will review them. You need not speak further."
Scholar Cao, prepared to deliver an impassioned speech, was so stifled by the interruption that his face turned green with embarrassnt. Bolstered by his seniority, he continued, "Lord Magistrate, it’s not that I want to use my age to assert authority, but how can the top student and Small Three-Yuan Scholar of Jianghuai be a grandson who would harm his own grandfather?"
With a smack of the gavel, Magistrate Shi, with a stern gaze, warned Scholar Cao, "Scholar Cao, though you are a scholar and an elderly man, you cannot recklessly accuse without evidence. You claim that Gu Jin’an hard Elder Gu. Do you have proof? Without proof, it’s slander, and it could cost you your scholarly title if it’s serious."
Scholar Cao highly valued his scholarly title. Hearing this, he was sowhat afraid, yet having co this far, he couldn’t afford to lose everything and had to keep going.
However, Scholar Cao indeed had no evidence proving that Gu Jin’an’s family hard Elder Gu. He made these claims based on what Tong San told him.
Tong San ntioned that with Elder Gu currently missing—neither dead nor alive—they could turn this disappearance into a supposed murder without a body, thereby ruining Gu Jin’an’s reputation and stripping him of his title.
Their true aim was not to convict Gu Jin’an of harming Elder Gu but to destroy his reputation and future.
Moreover, the charge of harming Elder Gu and concealing the body was a far worse accusation than that of an unfilial family.
"Lord Magistrate, while I may not have evidence, there’s no smoke without fire. Since these rumors have spread, Gu Jin’an’s family must have done sothing. I urge you, Lord Magistrate, to investigate this case thoroughly and deliver justice for Elder Gu," Scholar Cao said.
Magistrate Shi chuckled angrily, "Scholar Cao, you want the court to investigate based on re rumors without a shred of evidence? Do you know how busy the governnt office is right now? If everyone were like you, casually demanding investigations, even ten thousand officials wouldn’t suffice!"
Agitated to the point of near violence, he wondered why these troubleso elders had to cause chaos when he was already overwheld, asking if they could spare him. He was already exhausted with the Tong family’s iron mine issue, hardly having ti for such baseless rumors.
However, Scholar Cao believed Magistrate Shi was biased towards Gu Jin’an, becoming even angrier, and stubbornly retorted, "How is this re rumor? If it wasn’t true, why would Gu Jin’an be too afraid to appear?"
He pointed to Scholar Shang on the court and said, "Only his master shows up, which must an he’s guilty and afraid to co!"
"Lord, Gu Jin’an of He’an Prefecture seeks an audience!" Gu Jin’an’s resonant voice echoed from the governnt office entrance as he strode confidently to the court, bowing, "This student greets Lord Magistrate and Academic Administrator. I apologize for my late arrival, and beg your pardon."
He then addressed Scholar Shang, "My tardiness has caused my master to suffer. This student apologizes for his unfilial conduct."
Magistrate Shi and Academic Administrator Kong were relieved to see him and said, "Stand up. You are a scholar; there’s no need for such formal bowing."
"Thank you for your grace, my lords." Gu Jin’an rose but did not sit down; instead, he stood next to Scholar Shang, never giving Scholar Cao even a glance.
Enraged, Scholar Cao felt humiliated, realizing this insolent youth paid him no respect at all.
He pointed at Gu Jin’an, "You, the wicked grandson who hard his own grandfather, kneel and apologize to heaven and earth!"
Gu Jin’an looked at Scholar Cao, shaking his head in disappointnt, further embarrassing Scholar Cao, who, enraged, was about to scold Gu Jin’an when he said, "Scholar Cao, although you are a senior, there must be evidence for everything. Let’s settle this with evidence; additional words are unnecessary since you wouldn’t believe them anyway."
The implication being he couldn’t be bothered to argue with such an obstinate elder.
Scholar Cao was infuriated to tears, feeling disrespected.
Seeing this, two of Scholar Cao’s students, who held official positions, looked towards Magistrate Shi, about to speak, but were interrupted by the sound of the gavel.
With two slaps of the gavel, Magistrate Shi declared, "Enough with the unnecessary words; let’s assess the evidence."
This statent startled Scholar Cao’s students, causing them to shrink back.
Shortly after, Assistant Judge Shen and Steward Lin arrived with the files. Magistrate Shi pointed at the files and said, "Scholar Cao, see for yourself. The Old Gu Family case files are here, with evidence clearly outlined, stating Elder Gu and Gu Youfu’s last known whereabouts with no indication of harm from Gu Jin’an’s family, nor that they’re missing."
Unconvinced, Scholar Cao and his group of students ticulously reviewed the files, spending a full two hours, pushing Magistrate Shi to the brink of losing his patience.
Finally unable to bear it any longer, he ordered, "Squad Leader Song, Scholar Cao’s group has reviewed the files twice. They’ve seen enough; pack them up."
He then glared at the astonished Scholar Cao, "These are governnt docunts that you’ve already inspected. Scholar Cao, do not overstep."
Having been told not to overstep, Scholar Cao dared not request further inspection.
Yet he was still unwilling to give up, embarrassingly pleading, "Magistrate Shi, Elder Gu is presently neither here nor there. The governnt cannot ignore this; soone must be dispatched to search to prevent any further harm from malicious persons!"
Magistrate Shi felt like hitting soone. Even Old Master Yan San, upon hearing this before even entering the governnt office, was infuriated enough to shout, "Cao Fangshan, how can a scholar like you conduct oneself so shalessly? Where is your sense of decency?!"
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