This remark scared away half of the crowd.
Luo Wu, watching their retreating figures, spoke in a cold voice: "According to Great Chu Criminal Law, the common people must cooperate with the governnt office in handling cases. Those who do not cooperate are considered accomplices, guilty of the sa cris as the principal offender."
With this statent, he frightened back those who had taken a few steps away.
So who recognized Luo Wu said, "Squad Leader Luo, we do not know that widow. We were just watching the excitent, please don’t make it difficult for us."
Luo Wu replied, "Uncle Dali, it’s not making it difficult for you, it’s you who wanted to spectate and got yourselves involved. Stop the chatter and hurry up, speak clearly about what you’ve seen, and then you can go ho."
The people present did not want to oppose the governnt office and could only follow Luo Wu to the governnt office with displeased expressions.
All along the way, they cursed Liu Eniang and Wu Changfu: "It’s all your fault, couldn’t you just live your lives peacefully? Why did you have to sche against others and get us involved as well?"
However, it was too late for regrets now, everyone could only march solemnly towards the governnt office.
Upon hearing that it was the people of the Gu Family who reported to the officials, County Magistrate Zheng gave face and imdiately ascended the hall.
Before the session, Luo Wu had already taken statents from Liu Eniang, Wu Changfu, Gu Dashan, and so passersby. As soon as County Magistrate Zheng ascended the hall, the steward handed over the statents for him to see.
After reading, County Magistrate Zheng pointed at Liu Eniang and said, "Ms. Wang Liu, since you claid it was an unintentional mistake, why then did you allow Wu Changfu and others to demand silver from Gu Dashan?"
Liu Eniang, crying, said, "My lord, this civilian woman was forced by them. They dragged this civilian woman to the Gu’s warehouse to demand silver. No matter how this civilian woman struggled, it was useless."
Sobbing, she continued, "My lord, this civilian woman knows her wrongdoing, I beg for your leniency to let this civilian woman return ho. My little Lian is still ill. If I return ho late, my parents-in-law will surely abandon little Lian."
County Magistrate Zheng frowned. Was she using her sick daughter to gain everyone’s sympathy?
Unfortunately for Liu Eniang, the village she was married into was not far from here, just on the outskirts of the county in Wang Family Temple Village. So locals from Wang Family Temple who ca to the county for business, upon seeing the crowd at the governnt gate, also ca to watch the excitent. Hearing Liu Eniang’s words, they spat out in anger, demanding, "Liu Eniang, have you no sha? To absolve yourself of cris, you even curse your own daughter."
A woman in her forties, who had co to the Silver Building with her son to buy a betrothal gift for her future daughter-in-law, quickly spoke up: "Everyone, don’t believe her. Liu Eniang doesn’t want to remain a widow, ever since Xiao Wu died she went back to her parental ho to find another match, she hasn’t returned to Wang Family Temple for New Year’s. Little Lian has nearly forgotten she has such a mother, yet she still uses little Lian as a shield, truly shaless."
After finishing speaking, the woman carefully asked the onlookers what had happened.
She then beca furiously angry, pointing at Liu Eniang and said, "Liu Eniang you lowly woman, can’t wait to find another man? You’ve tainted our village’s reputation. Just wait, our Wang Family no longer need you to remain a widow. I’ll go back and tell Xiao Wu’s parents to directly draft a divorce paper to divorce you."
It was disgraceful for this woman to carry the na of Xiao Wu’s wife. It was best to divorce her directly.
Xiao Wu’s parents are agreeable people, although hearing so rumors about Liu Eniang, they expressed that since Xiao Wu had died and little Lian only had such a mother left, if the Wang Family were to divorce Liu Eniang, little Lian would be left motherless.
But now that Liu Eniang had taken to seducing n publicly and still not succeeding, being reported to the governnt office for tarnishing the Wang Family’s na, such a disgraceful woman should not be tolerated by the entire Wang Family.
"Elder Brother, let’s go, we’re heading back to the village to find the Clan Leader!" The woman imdiately signaled her son, preparing to return to the village to see the Clan Leader.
Liu Eniang, when exposed for using her daughter to gain sympathy, showed no sha, only anger at the interfering woman.
Seeing everyone scolding her, she cried and said, "It’s not that I don’t want to live with my in-laws, but after my husband died, my in-laws beat and scolded constantly. I couldn’t endure the abuse and that’s why I left... I didn’t lie, my Xiao Lian really is sick, but my in-laws won’t let see her. I was so afraid sothing bad would happen to her that I gathered eggs and ca to the county to exchange them for dicine. Who knew I would encounter..."
With a smack, County Magistrate Zheng struck the gavel and interrupted Liu Eniang, "I do not wish to hear about the grudges with your in-law’s family. Today, I am only ruling on the matter of you deliberately crashing into Gu’s mule cart and then counterclaiming Gu Dashan and demanding compensation."
County Magistrate Zheng looked at the statent on the table and said, "Both the passerby and Gu Dashan ntioned that you told Gu Dashan, as long as he drove away Wu Changfu and the other two, the incident with his mule cart hitting you would be forgiven. Why is this not in your statent? Rember, concealing the truth aggravates your cri!"
County Magistrate Zheng clearly understood that Liu Eniang didn’t reveal this statent because she knew it suggested extortion.
Hearing this, Liu Eniang said nothing more and just cried incessantly, frustrating County Magistrate Zheng so much he wanted to hit soone, "What’s wrong with you, woman? I ask you a question, why don’t you answer?"
Liu Eniang dared not reply, for admitting it would an confessing to extortion. Hence, she could only cry without stopping.
While she was crying, Qian Dabiao from Donggui Gambling House was escorted by a Governnt Official.
Accompanying him was the owner of Donggui Gambling House, Qian Donggui.
Qian Donggui was scared half to death, not expecting Qian Dabiao to run afoul of Gu Dashan.
It’s not Gu Dashan who is fearso; it’s Company Commander Qin!
Company Commander Qin had declared two years ago that he wouldn’t care if local ruffians sched against anyone in the county, but if anyone plotted against Gu, Luo, or Luotian families, then they shouldn’t find it odd when he shows no courtesy.
What frightened Qian Donggui more was that Gu Dashan was the father of Company Commander Qin’s beloved!
Who is his beloved?
That naturally refers to the girl Company Commander Qin fancies. Although nobody knows her na or what she looks like, rumors abound. They say every ti Company Commander Qin returns ho, the girl always prepares lots of food to take to the Military Office.
Every ti Company Commander Qin ntions this girl, his face lights up with a smile.
Sweating profusely, Qian Donggui kicked Qian Dabiao and scolded, "Quickly spill everything Liu Eniang told you to fra. If you hide anything, I’ll skin you alive!"
Qian Dabiao hated Liu Eniang to death. He had already warned this woman not to target Gu Dashan, but she wouldn’t listen, and now a huge ss had ensued!
And Wu Changfu, damn him for always causing trouble. If not for the fact that they shared distant cousin ties, he would have had soone chop him up.
Qian Dabiao fiercely glared at Wu Changfu and spilled everything about Liu Eniang using her body as a reward to extract information about Gu Dashan from him.
"At the ti, I warned her not to ss around, telling her Brother Gu is an upright and honest man who would not take a concubine. Who knew this vile woman, Liu Eniang, would not heed advice and actually sched against Brother Gu." Qian Dabiao kowtowed towards Gu Dashan, "Brother Gu, please calm your anger, little brother had no intention to harm you."
Please, please don’t complain to Company Commander Qin, I’ll be beaten to a cripple.
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