Chapter 63: Sixty-Four: The Case at Deer Cry Street

Sixty-Four: The Case at Deer Cry Street

Deer Cry Street.

Outside the Longcheng County Office, on the main street.

Another public court session in the open.

Since the county office’s main hall was already occupied by a massive sand table, making it impossible to hold court inside, Ouyang Rong ordered the government office runners to move the magistrate’s desk and other items out to the front steps.

Just like on that first day when he arrested Liu Zilin and hastily assumed office in Longcheng County.

And afterward, people noticed something even stranger: the people involved seemed identical to those from that day.

Only this time, the crowd gathered to watch the court session was far larger.

Not only had Wang Cao, Wu Bo, and other grain merchants and gentry who had previously gathered in the main hall to discuss matters been drawn out by the news that the case involved Xie Ling, whom they knew well.

The young county magistrate even caught sight, behind the throng of onlookers, of figures such as Liu Ziwen…

This was clearly premeditated.

Soon after, word spread across half of Longcheng that the female private secretary had been sued by the Liu family’s third young master, and that the new county magistrate was holding a public court session. Many commoners and wealthy households flocked to Deer Cry Street to watch, while Yan Liulang frowned and led the constables to maintain order.

Ouyang Rong sat down in his official robes.

Bang~

“Silence! Court is in session!”

With the bang of the gavel and the sharp cry of the young magistrate, the bustling street fell instantly silent.

On the platform, Ouyang Rong sat upright and composed.

Below the steps, Liu Zilin and Xie Ling stood apart; the former stood with arms crossed, smirking, while the latter clenched her lips and held her head high.

“Who are you, and why have you filed this complaint?”

Liu Zilin shouted: “There is a thief in the county office who has stolen my property!”

“Where is the thief? What was stolen?”

“The thief is her—the county magistrate’s favorite private secretary!”

Liu Zilin pointed at Xie Ling, who glared back, “The stolen property… she stole my servant, Hu Ji Yingniang from Yuanming Tavern!”

Xie Ling looked up and said: “Master… County Magistrate, I hired someone to pay for Yingniang’s freedom; she is now a free woman. I did not steal her!”

A servant is legally equivalent to property.

Therefore, under the Zhou laws, abducting or enticing a servant is not treated as kidnapping or human trafficking, but as theft or robbery of property.

Ouyang Rong did not look at his junior sister; he fixed his gaze on Liu Zilin:

“He who asserts must prove. Where is your evidence?”

Liu Zilin smirked and pulled a document from his sleeve, handing it to the scribe, who presented it to the magistrate’s desk.

Ouyang Rong glanced down, flipping through it—it was a market voucher, bearing the official seal of the market commissioner.

He had just conducted a slave transaction at the West Market entrance a few days prior and was familiar with such documents; every slave sale required an official market voucher issued by the market commissioner, and it was the sole legal proof.

He flipped through it twice, found no irregularities, then gave two brief orders to the scribe. Soon, the market commissioner from Longcheng’s slave market was brought back—a venerable old man.

Ouyang Rong handed the voucher to him; the old man examined it carefully, then bowed respectfully:

“Your Honor, this market voucher is genuine. Hu Ji Yingniang was transferred without payment from her former owner, Luo Er, to Liu Zilin. This document was issued yesterday, all procedures were properly completed, and all three parties were present—the Market Office can testify to this.”

Xie Ling stared in disbelief, blurting out: “Yesterday, Luo Er took Yingniang to the Market Office to redeem her freedom! I personally went to pick her up in the evening!”

“Redeem her freedom? You’re twisting the truth! I bought her—witnesses and evidence are all here!”

Liu Zilin shouted loudly, then immediately sneered:

“Ah, so now you’ve finally admitted it—you stole my servant yesterday!”

Ouyang Rong sensed something was amiss, but he calmly addressed the market commissioner:

“Bring all the clerks who issued this voucher yesterday for verification.”

“Yes, Your Honor.” The old commissioner withdrew temporarily.

“All good people of Longcheng, you have seen! This is my servant!”

Liu Zilin bowed to the crowd behind him, then spun back, pressing forward with relentless intensity:

“Your Honor, my servant Hu Ji has been stolen and has not returned all night. I’ve learned that it was your subordinate, this thief, who took her and brought her back to Deer Cry Street’s Su Fu. I beg Your Honor to remain impartial, deliver justice, and recover my servant—do not let her people spirit the stolen slave away again!”

“You’ve done your homework well.”

Ouyang Rong nodded and gestured to Yan Liulang: “Go to Su Fu and search for her.”

Yan Liulang’s face turned grim; he departed at once.

Xie Ling glared at Liu Zilin, her brows furrowed in fury:

“You vile wretch, stop slandering me! First, this document is forged—I did not steal your servant; Yingniang has been freed, and I personally went to collect her yesterday. Second, my personal affairs have nothing to do with the County Magistrate. Don’t you dare imply anything indirect or try to divert blame!”

Liu Zilin stared straight ahead, ignoring her, and sneered:

“We’ll see. Better hope you’re telling the truth.”

“You—”

At that moment, the old market commissioner returned with several colleagues. They examined the voucher Ouyang Rong handed them, then glanced at Liu Zilin, and without hesitation, all nodded in confirmation that the voucher was authentic.

The slave sale contract was valid.

Liu Zilin’s lips curled upward.

Xie Ling’s face turned ashen; a dark premonition settled in her chest.

Looking down at the voucher on the desk, the young magistrate suddenly asked:

“Liu Zilin, who is this Luo Er who transferred the servant to you without payment? Wasn’t Yingniang’s indenture supposed to be at Yuanming Tavern? What is Luo Er’s connection to Yuanming Tavern?”

Liu Zilin shrugged casually:

“No connection at all—he’s just a go-between. Didn’t I make a mistake last time by offending Your Honor? After being reprimanded, I felt genuine remorse toward Yingniang.

“I wanted to buy her and take her home to care for her properly, but I feared Your Honor might hold a grudge and warn Yuanming Tavern not to release her.

“So, reluctantly, I turned to Brother Luo Er, gave him a night pearl, and asked him to first retrieve Yingniang’s indenture from Yuanming Tavern, then transfer it to me.”

The Liu family’s third young master smiled slightly and bowed toward the magistrate’s desk:

“Your Honor, I acted with pure sincerity, and all procedures were properly completed. Surely this does not violate any law of Longcheng?”

Ouyang Rong studied him, saying nothing.

Suddenly, the woman dressed as a man grew utterly still. She slowly turned her head, fixing her gaze directly on “reasonable and well-argued” Liu Zilin, and spoke slowly, word by word:

“Full… of… lies.”

“The night pearl was given to Luo Er by me. I also paid him a brokerage fee to go to Yuanming Tavern first and redeem Yingniang’s freedom, then go to the Market Office to cancel her indenture and restore her liberty. I didn’t go myself to prevent your Liu family from interfering.”

She shook her head slowly: “But I never imagined your Liu family could be even more despicable and vile than I thought—forcing Yingniang and Luo Er to sign such a shameless contract! Disgusting. Utterly disgusting.”

Liu Zilin stared at Xie Ling in confusion:

“Why keep lying? Why not be honest and spare Your Honor a little face? Otherwise, the swelling on your face won’t be the only one when you’re beaten—unless…”

He paused, as if struck by a thought, leaned back, and his expression cleared with sudden realization: “Unless you believe you can still be protected despite the ironclad evidence? Tsk, tsk, tsk…”

“Enough. Stop arguing.”

Ouyang Rong spoke calmly, cutting off their quarrel. Yan Liulang had not yet returned. Without turning, he ordered his scribe:

“Summon Luo Er and the proprietor of Yuanming Tavern.”

After giving the order, the young magistrate softly addressed Liu Zilin, whose smile outshone the sun:

“You don’t need to keep hinting that I’ll favor one side.”

He tilted his head slightly and called out clearly:

“Send for the Assistant County Magistrate, the Registrar, and the County Captain to observe this case.”

“Also, in addition to the testimony and supervision of all present citizens, the recorder must document every single word spoken in this court, verbatim, and file it for post-trial review by the authorities in Jiangzhou.”

Having made these arrangements, the young magistrate faced the silent crowd and said calmly:

“This young Liu has said one thing correctly…”

“Today, justice must be served.”

[84] (End of Chapter)