He imdiately said, "Dong Family, report to the authorities, we can’t let the Old Gu Family extort us like this."
Old Master Fu stopped, nodded, and agreed, "Alright, quickly go to the governnt office and report. Just say that the Old Gu Family falsely claid they were robbed to extort a thousand taels of silver from our inn. Ask the magistrate to uphold justice for us."
Although Ms. Zhang was afraid of the authorities, she believed that she had indeed been poisoned by Gu Jinli and her family’s silver had been stolen, so she boldly declared, "Fine, report we shall! Arrest Gu Jinli and see how she still gets married!"
But Ms. Zhang did not expect that the Lord Magistrate was already disgusted with the Old Gu Family. No matter what trouble they caused outside, if they dared to bother the governnt office, the magistrate would not be lenient.
So when the Governnt Official ca to report that the Fu Inn accused the Old Gu Family of falsely claiming to be robbed to extort a thousand taels of silver from the inn, the Lord Magistrate sneered, "I spared you a path to survive, yet you chose to seek death in this office."
Annoying indeed. If I don’t deal with you all this ti, I am not human!
Magistrate Gu was decisive and imdiately questioned the owner, shopkeeper, staff, two doctors, and guests of the Fu Inn. He discovered that Ms. Zhang was not poisoned, and their injuries were likely self-inflicted. Because the position and direction of the wounds suggested that they were at spots one could reach oneself, and none were fatal.
Would robbers even stab you avoiding fatal points while robbing?
After receiving these testimonies, the Lord Magistrate wanted to sentence them imdiately, but Deputy Magistrate Tang reminded him, "Sir, these people are worthless. Two paralyzed, one madman, and one disabled; they can’t work. Sentencing them to prison would only waste food."
The prison doesn’t support idle people; they are sent to mines or other places for work. What can these four disabled Old Gu Family mbers do? They need food and dicine daily; they’d deplete the governnt office!
Magistrate Gu ca to his senses, indeed, all four were sick and couldn’t work, so they couldn’t be sentenced to prison.
After thinking for a while, he gave Ms. Zhang two choices: one, expel them from He’an Prefecture, letting them go anywhere as long as they never set foot in He’an Prefecture again.
Two, direct death sentence, to be executed in three days.
Ms. Zhang was terrified, crying and pleading, "Sir, we are the victims, how can you treat us like this? You should arrest Gu Jinli and sentence her to death instead!"
Gu Chengli nodded fiercely, yes, yes, they should kill everyone in Gu Jinli’s house, then they could seize her family’s business, and he could beco the great young master.
But Gu Chengli was venomous inside, only daring to think about it, not speaking it out loud.
Magistrate Gu sneered, "Ms. Zhang, your heart is truly venomous. Do you know the impact of bringing an unmarried girl to court on her entire life?"
At worst, she’d never marry; at best, the clan might drown her directly!
Ms. Zhang knew, and that’s why she pressed to accuse Gu Jinli.
But Squad Leader Zhang had already returned from Gu Jinli’s house, bringing Gu Jin’an and Xiao Ji with him.
Xiao Ji said, "The Dong Family vomited blood. Our young lady stayed ho preparing dicine for them. Everyone in the residence saw it. At night, I stayed with the young lady; she never stepped out of the house."
Gu Jin’an added, "My second sister was at ho all day yesterday. Although she heard about the Old Gu Family, she, as a girl, usually doesn’t go out, just got angry at ho, never causing trouble for the Old Gu Family."
This statent nearly made Ms. Zhang spit blood, "Pah, that tramp Gu Jinli didn’t go out? Then who poisoned last night? You are all covering for her, hand her over, torture her, make her confess!"
With a bang, Magistrate Gu slamd the gavel and scolded, "Guilty woman, shut up! The case is clear, it’s all your false accusation. Now you have two options: either compensate Fu Inn or face beheading!"
Saying this, not wanting to be troubled by the Old Gu Family anymore, he instructed the officials, "First use force, thirty paddles each, if they don’t die, then we’ll talk."
Better if they die from the beating.
The officials imdiately rushed forward, frightening Ms. Zhang and Gu Chengli.
Ms. Zhang tried to hold on, but when the paddles hit, she couldn’t withstand it, crying out, "Sir, Sir, we were wrong... It’s fake, all fake, please forgive us, we’ll leave and never return."
Sobbing, the officials were hitting hard, seemingly trying to beat her to death; only three paddles, and she felt her bones were about to crack.
Gu Chengli, already injured and now beaten, felt near death, choosing life over silver, he cried, "Sir, we were wrong, please spare us."
Magistrate Gu sneered, "Refuse a toast to drink a forfeit! Co, make them sign, expel them from He’an Prefecture, never to return."
He also discreetly instructed Squad Leader Zhang, "Personally lead them away, far away, don’t drive them towards Linhe Prefecture, the scholars from various prefectures go there for exams, they must not be offended."
Squad Leader Zhang understood instantly, "Rest assured, sir, I understand."
After finishing, once Ms. Zhang and others signed and confessed, they were escorted with ten officials, two teams in pairs carrying away the four from Old Gu Family.
The townsfolk followed from Fu Inn to the governnt office, seeing the verdict and the expulsion of the troubleso Old Gu Family from He’an Prefecture, they were elated, shouting, "They were judged, judged! The governnt office decided to expel this extorting evil family from He’an Prefecture!"
Other citizens joined the chorus, "The Old Gu Family is expelled from He’an Prefecture, co see!"
The prefecture citizens spread the news rapidly, all flocking to witness, the main street by the governnt office beca impassable; Squad Leader Zhang and the officials struggled to escort the four towards the city gates.
Xiao Ji wanted to join the spectacle, but Gu Jin’an disagreed, waiting for Ms. Zhang and others to be taken away, then led Xiao Ji and Zezi away.
After sentencing the case of Ms. Zhang and the four, Magistrate Gu returned to the back office, never speaking to Gu Jin’an, constantly avoiding suspicion... With the prefecture exam looming, he had to be cautious.
Although Gu Jin’an and Xiao Ji returned, Mrs. Chen dragged Da Gui to watch, pushing Da Gui ahead to clear a path for herself.
Da Gui, jostled by those ahead, held his nose saying, "Stop pushing, push again and I’ll die."
Mrs. Chen cursed hearing that, "Pah, is that all you’re capable of? Weren’t you very fierce last night? Now you’re complaining about clearing a path, dare mutter again, don’t think about getting on my bed tonight."
Da Gui felt like dying, face flushed, cursed back, "You foul woman, have you no sha, blurting out anything."
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