Chapter 63: 64. Solving a Case on Luming Street

64. Solving a Case on Luming Street

Luming Street.

On the main street outside the Longcheng County government office.

Another public trial on the street.

Because the main hall of the county government was occupied by a huge sand table and could not be used for a trial, Ouyang Rong had to let the government office runners move the official desk and other items out and place them on the steps at the entrance.

Just like the first day he arrested Liu Zilin and rushed to take office at the Longcheng County government office.

And afterwards, everyone found that what was even more coincidental was that this time, even the people involved seemed to be the same as that day.

It was just that this time, there were even more people watching the trial.

Not only Wang Caozhi, Uncle Wu, and other grain merchants and local gentry who had gathered in the main hall of the county government to discuss matters, but also those who discovered that the case involved Xie Lingjiang, whom they were familiar with, were all attracted to watch.

The young Magistrate even caught a glimpse of Liu Ziwen and others behind the crowd gathering on the street...

This was a prepared move.

Subsequently, the news that the female secretary had been sued by the third young master of the Liu family and that the new Magistrate was holding a public trial on the street spread throughout half of Longcheng in an instant. Many commoners and wealthy households gathered on Luming Street to watch, and Yan Liulang frowned as he led the constables to maintain order.

Ouyang Rong sat down in his official uniform.

*Bang! *

"Silence! Court is in session!"

With a strike of the gavel, accompanied by the young Magistrate's shout, the bustling street instantly fell silent.

On the platform, Ouyang Rong sat upright.

Below the steps, Liu Zilin and Xie Lingjiang stood apart; the former stood with his hands behind his back and sneered, while the latter pursed her lips and held her head high.

"Who is below, and why are you reporting a case?"

Liu Zilin said loudly: "There is a thief in the county government office, stealing the commoner's property!"

"Where is the thief, and what is the property?"

"The thief is her, the popular secretary by the Magistrate's side!"

Liu Zilin pointed at Xie Lingjiang, who was glaring at him beside him. "The property... she stole my slave, the Hu girl Yingniang from the Yuanming Tower!"

Xie Lingjiang faced the upper seat and said: "Senior... Magistrate, Yingniang was redeemed by someone I entrusted to pay for her. She is already a free person, I did not steal her!"

Slaves were considered lowly, and the law equated them to property.

Therefore, the Great Zhou law would not treat the abduction or luring of slaves as the crime of kidnapping or human trafficking, but as the crime of robbery or theft of property.

Ouyang Rong didn't look at his junior sister, but stared at Liu Zilin:

"He who asserts must prove. Where is the evidence?"

Liu Zilin sneered and took out a document from his bosom, handing it to the clerk, who then presented it to the official desk.

Ouyang Rong lowered his head and flipped through it. This was a market voucher, stamped with the seal of the market official.

He had just traded at the horse market at the West Market entrance a few days ago and was no stranger to this item. Every slave trade required a market voucher issued by the market official, which was the only proof.

After flipping through it twice and seeing no flaws, Ouyang Rong turned his head and gave two instructions to the clerk. Soon, the market official of the Longcheng slave market was brought back; he was an elderly market official.

He handed the market voucher to the elderly market official, who checked it once and bowed respectfully:

"Reporting to the Magistrate, this market voucher is authentic. The Hu girl Yingniang was transferred to Liu Zilin without compensation by her previous owner, Luo Er, and this was issued yesterday. The procedures are complete, all three parties were present, and the Market Official's Office can testify."

Xie Lingjiang couldn't believe it and blurted out: "Didn't Luo Er take Yingniang to the Market Official's Office to redeem her yesterday? I went to pick her up myself in the evening!"

"What redemption? You are confusing black and white. Obviously, I bought her, and there is both human and physical evidence!"

Liu Zilin shouted loudly, then sneered immediately:

"Good! Now you finally admit it, you stole my slave yesterday!"

Ouyang Rong vaguely understood something in his heart, but he still said calmly to the market official:

"Go and bring all the colleagues who issued this market voucher yesterday for verification."

"As you command." The elderly market official retreated temporarily.

"Everyone, see for yourselves! This is my slave!"

Liu Zilin bowed to the crowded street behind him, then turned back fiercely, pressing on relentlessly, aggressive and burning:

"Magistrate, my Hu slave was stolen and hasn't returned for a night. I heard that it was this thief under your seat who stole her and brought her back to the Su mansion on Luming Street. I hope the Magistrate can be impartial, uphold justice for me, help me find her, and don't let her people take the stolen slave away again!"

"You certainly inquired about it very clearly."

Ouyang Rong nodded and signaled to Yan Liulang: "Go to the Su mansion and check for the person."

Yan Liulang's face was serious as he accepted the order and left.

Xie Lingjiang raised her eyebrows at Liu Zilin and scolded angrily:

"You thief, stop spouting blood! First, this is a forged document. I didn't steal your slave. Yingniang has already redeemed her freedom. I went to pick her up myself yesterday. Second, my personal affairs have nothing to do with the Magistrate. You thief, stop pointing at the mulberry tree to curse the locust tree and diverting the disaster!"

Liu Zilin looked straight ahead, not looking at her, and curled his lips:

"That's not for sure. You'd better hope you didn't."

"You..."

At this time, the elderly market official arrived with several colleagues from the Market Official's Office. They took the market voucher handed over by Ouyang Rong, looked at it, and then, under Ouyang Rong's instruction, looked at Liu Zilin. Then, they all nodded without hesitation, testifying that the market voucher was authentic.

This slave trading contract was established.

The corners of Liu Zilin's mouth curled up.

Xie Lingjiang's pretty face turned livid, and she had a bad premonition in her heart.

Looking down at the market voucher contract on the table, the young Magistrate suddenly asked:

"Liu Zilin, who is this Luo Er who transferred the slave to you without compensation? Shouldn't the Hu girl Yingniang's deed of sale be at the Yuanming Tower? What is the relationship between this Luo Er and the Yuanming Tower?"

Liu Zilin shrugged as if nothing had happened:

"No relationship, just an errand-running intermediary. It wasn't that he did something wrong last time and accidentally offended the Magistrate? After being educated, I really felt guilty about this Yingniang."

"Eh, I just wanted to buy her home and take good care of her, but I was afraid that the Magistrate would have a prejudice against me and give instructions to the Yuanming Tower in advance not to let her go."

"So, helplessly, I found this Brother Luo Er, gave him a night pearl, and asked him to go to the Yuanming Tower first to exchange for Yingniang's deed of sale, and then transfer it over."

This third young master of the Liu family smiled slightly and bowed to the official desk on the upper seat:

"Magistrate, the commoner also has a sincere heart, and the procedures are complete. Doing so shouldn't have violated any Longcheng decree, right?"

Ouyang Rong glanced at him and said nothing.

A certain young lady in men's clothing suddenly calmed down. She slowly turned her head, stared straight at Liu Zilin, who was "reasonable and well-founded," and said word by word:

"Full. Of. Lies."

"I gave the night pearl to Luo Er. I also gave him an intermediary fee, asking him to go to the Yuanming Tower to redeem Yingniang first, and then go to the Market Official's Office to cancel the deed of sale and return Yingniang to freedom. I didn't go myself to prevent your Liu family from causing trouble."

She shook her head slowly: "But I never expected that your Liu family would be even more despicable and shameless than I imagined, forcing Yingniang and Luo Er to sign such a shameless contract! It's disgusting, truly disgusting."

Liu Zilin looked at Xie Lingjiang with a puzzled face:

"Why are you still quibbling? Can't you be honest and leave some face for the Magistrate? Otherwise, the face that will be swollen later won't just be yours alone. Or is it..."

He paused, as if thinking of something, leaned back, and looked enlightened: "Or is it that you think you can be shielded and be safe and sound in the face of ironclad evidence? Tsk tsk tsk..."

"Alright, stop arguing."

Ouyang Rong spoke calmly, interrupting the dispute between the two. Yan Liulang had not returned yet, so he first instructed the clerk behind him without turning his head:

"Go and summon Luo Er and the owner of the Yuanming Tower, Boss Zhu."

After giving the instructions, the young Magistrate said softly to Liu Zilin, whose smile was brighter than the sun:

"You don't have to keep beating around the bush, saying that I will shield one side."

He tilted his head slightly and ordered loudly:

"Someone, go and invite the County Assistant, the Registrar, and the County Lieutenant to come and observe the trial."

"In addition, besides the testimony and supervision of all the commoners present today, the scribe is also requested to record every word spoken in this court, without missing a single one, organize and file it, and send it to Jiangzhou for the superior officials to read after the case."

After making the arrangements, the young Magistrate faced the silent audience and said calmly: "This Liu young master said one thing quite right..."

"Today, there must be justice."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 64 =====