Chapter 65: 66. A Thief Has Appeared Among Us! (Part 2)

66. A Thief Has Appeared Among Us! (Part 2)

Behind the crowd.

Liu Ziwen exchanged a look with Liu Zilin on the scene without changing his expression, and signaled to him the grain merchants and local gentry at the entrance of the county government office.

The latter seemed to understand and nodded slightly.

From the beginning of the trial until now, Liu Ziwen's attention had always been focused on the grain merchants and local gentry walking out of the county government office, his brows constantly furrowed, as if worried about something.

Even at the Xie clan young lady who was shouting with her head held high, Liu Ziwen only glanced sideways before refocusing on the young Magistrate and the grain merchants and local gentry.

Her temperament was more unyielding than he had imagined, but the more unyielding she was, the easier it was to attack her heart.

Sure enough.

On the scene, Liu Zilin, who had regained his senses, sneered and shook his head:

"Don't be so quick to show off. This isn't your home, please put away your young lady temper. Everyone has seen it; both human and physical evidence are present, and it is written in black and white that Yingniang is my slave. Still quibbling? Even the Magistrate can't protect you today!"

"I don't need the Magistrate to protect me. I'm not short of money, it's impossible for me to steal. I paid the money but you swallowed it, and now you are deliberately turning things around!"

"If you're not short of money and still do such theft, that means you're addicted to stealing! As a secretary under the Magistrate, you're reaching out everywhere. The Magistrate doesn't say anything and lets it be. If the county government office loses justice, why do business with it or deal with it? Isn't that just waiting to be slaughtered? Anyway, I'm afraid. Today, I was ignorant. I won't dare to beat the drum to ask for justice again in the future. This time, I'll just take it as a dumb loss. It's already very good that the Magistrate can help me get the person back. I only have gratitude in my heart..."

These words with hidden meanings spread throughout the whole scene.

Wang Caozhi, Boss Ma, Boss Li, Uncle Wu, and the head of the Cheng family all had different expressions—some hesitant, some strange, some playful. However, the faces of some small local gentry and small grain merchants had already begun to waver, and they frequently looked at the silent young Magistrate.

Liu Ziwen behind the crowd nodded slightly, quite satisfied.

On the steps of the county government office gate, Yan Liulang couldn't help but worry.

What Liu Zilin and his gang of rogues cared about was not the ownership of a slave, nor was it justice.

Even smearing Miss Xie was not the primary goal of this trap.

They were targeting the Magistrate!

They were clearly playing a game of diverting the disaster.

Xie's passive efforts to prove her innocence were useless.

Liu Zilin and the others didn't care at all whether she had stolen or not; they just wanted to splash dirty water on the Magistrate.

Yan Liulang had seen this kind of method a few years ago from an old jailer who was interrogating prisoners in prison.

On the side of the blue-clothed constables, he was anxious, while on the other side, Liu Zilin and Luo Er were being sarcastic together, making things darker and darker.

Xie Lingjiang finally couldn't hold it in anymore. She reached out and drew the curved knife from the waist of a small constable beside her. The scabbard was empty for a few seconds, and the latter didn't even react.

"I said let's discuss the facts, you are not allowed to smear Ru Shixiong!"

Xie Lingjiang grabbed the knife with her backhand and rushed out like a rabbit.

*Holy crap! * Liu Zilin's eyelids jumped wildly, and he fled with his head in his hands: "Help! The county government secretary is killing people..."

"Nonsense, put down the knife!"

Ouyang Rong scolded coldly with a straight face.

The sound of her Ru Shixiong made Xie Lingjiang stop immediately, and the knife fell to the ground beside her feet with a clatter.

Liu Zilin, who had fallen in his panic, was helped up from the ground by Luo Er. He looked at Xie Lingjiang, whose pretty face was cold, with lingering fear, and felt a little regret in his heart.

Why is this little girl so fierce, daring to draw a knife and kill in court!

Liu Zilin felt his back was very cold, and cold sweat soaked through his shirt.

But before he could think more, Ouyang Rong said:

"This is a court, not a vegetable market where you argue and throw tantrums!"

Liu Zilin returned to his original position and stood still, asking with a smile that didn't reach his eyes: "Then has the Magistrate decided how to 'appropriately' uphold justice?"

"Does this need thinking?"

The young Magistrate looked at the contract evidence on the official desk, then looked at Luo Er and Yingniang below, and asked with a curious face:

"Isn't this justice self-evident?"

Liu Zilin was slightly stunned, nodded, and suddenly felt bored:

"Then judge quickly. I remember that our Great Zhou law stipulates that theft exceeding one guan is punished by seventy lashes, and theft exceeding ten guan is not only tattooed on the face but also exiled to Lingnan for three years of hard labor. This Hu slave must be more expensive than ten guan at the horse market. Magistrate, don't have a bad memory."

Ouyang Rong nodded and glanced at him: "You certainly remember it clearly for me."

Liu Zilin snorted coldly, sneering in his heart.

He didn't believe that Ouyang Rong would really let his junior sister be tattooed and exiled to hard labor; he would definitely try every means to reduce the sentence.

And once such "ugly behavior of favoritism" fell into the eyes of all the commoners, local gentry, and grain merchants on the scene, wouldn't it mean that what Liu Zilin said before was not groundless? Justice and the junior sister, one of them would always suffer, especially the former, which could directly declare the bankruptcy of all the efforts the Magistrate had made since he took office, because this was a promise he made on his first day in office...

Come on, let's see what kind of ugly face you have.

Liu Zilin and Liu Ziwen behind the crowd exchanged a tacit look again, their eyes full of smiles.

However, Ouyang Rong's performance was slightly beyond their expectations.

*Bang! *

He stood up from the table, and in front of everyone on the scene, he pointed his index finger at the people below and announced seriously:

"It is very obvious that a thief has appeared among you! A shameless thief!"

Xie Lingjiang's body stiffened. Even when she was being smeared and couldn't defend herself, she hadn't been this uncomposed. At this moment, her Ru Shixiong's words, without asking or hesitating, made the slender figure of this young lady in men's clothing somewhat shaky.

Liu Zilin's face was a little surprised; he didn't expect it to be so straightforward.

"Constable Yan, take the person down first!" Ouyang Rong's face was grave.

Yan Liulang hesitated, "This... this..."

"I order you to take the person down!" He glared.

Yan Liulang bore the gaze of the whole scene, dragged his feet, walked to Xie Lingjiang, who was pale, and bowed awkwardly: "Offended, Miss Xie..."

"No, why are you taking her down? Go and take Liu Zilin down!" Ouyang Rong frowned, speechless.

"Ah..." The blue-clothed constable opened his mouth wide. In the next second, his eyes were sharp, and he moved like a rabbit, crossing the distance to Liu Zilin in one step, capturing this thief on the spot, pressing him to the ground, and tying him up with ropes, his face very focused and dedicated.

"..." The whole audience.

Xie Lingjiang was stunned.

Liu Zilin was still in a state of complete confusion until the ropes were tied on his body. The reaction of Liu Ziwen behind the crowd was no better; he was somewhat dumbfounded.

Not only them, but most people on the scene were stunned.

"What are you doing? Why are you tying me instead of her? I am a good citizen, I am a good citizen! I've been wronged..."

"Stop shouting, you thief, let's tie you up first, I'm afraid you'll run away."

"Thief? What did I steal? I don't accept this!" Liu Zilin stiffened his thick red neck.

Ouyang Rong picked up the crystal-clear night pearl on the table and asked:

"You used this to have Luo Er buy Yingniang back from the Yuanming Tower?"

Liu Zilin nodded stiffly.

Ouyang Rong stared at him for a while, then struck the official desk heavily:

"Fart! This is clearly my thing, how did it end up in your hands?"

Liu Zilin and Luo Er were both shocked. Caught off guard, they exchanged a look. Then, the former, bearing Ouyang Rong's burning gaze, stammered:

"How is that possible... This is mine. Night pearls in this world are all about the same. It's normal to encounter similar ones."

"It's okay, I also have human and physical evidence."

Ouyang Rong said leisurely. He waved his hand to summon Yan Liulang and gave a few instructions. The latter left with a somewhat intriguing expression.

Before long, under the surprised gaze of Liu Ziwen, who was frowning, and everyone on the scene, Yan Liulang brought four old shopkeepers from the West Market pawnshop from outside. Ouyang Rong handed the crystal-clear round pearl in his hand to them.

"Do you all still remember me? I traveled in plain clothes that day and once brought a night pearl to your shop to ask for a price."

The four old shopkeepers only took one look and nodded one after another. Someone guessed that they must have a deep impression of his handsome face... The shopkeepers apologized bitterly for not recognizing the Magistrate that day, but the young Magistrate just shook his head and said:

"It's fine. You have all been in business for many years and have sharp eyes. Take a careful look to see if this pearl is the one I brought over a month ago. By the way, remember that two of you issued a paper appraisal at that time, recording the size and weight..."

In front of everyone, the four pawnshop shopkeepers lowered their heads and carefully checked the night pearl one by one. Finally, it was the oldest shopkeeper with a white beard who handed the pearl back, stroked his beard, and nodded:

"Reporting to the Magistrate, this pearl is like a pearl but not a pearl, like a stone but not a stone, yet it has the ability to glow at night. This old man had a deep impression of it that day. The size and weight are not off by a bit. It can't be wrong. This one is indeed the one you brought that day. It's just a pity that the transaction wasn't completed that day."

As soon as these words came out, the evidence was ironclad, and the street was in an uproar again. No one expected that the situation would develop in such a strange way. The young Magistrate hadn't expected before that his junior sister would use the thing he gave her to redeem someone. Was it because she had no spare money, or was it given out during the cold war between the two?

Liu Zilin and Luo Er, who were tied up, seemed to be struck by lightning, frozen in place.

Ouyang Rong tossed the night pearl in his hand and turned his head to ask them with a curious face:

"Strange, how did the night pearl I gave Miss Xie appear in your hands? Or is it that what Miss Xie said just now is the truth? You are all lying!"

Liu Zilin panicked and argued stammeringly: "It's... it's yours, but... but how can you prove that you... gave it to her?"

"Fine, I accidentally made a small presumption of guilt. I apologize. Then let me ask it another way..."

Ouyang Rong smiled and nodded, then suddenly changed his face:

"Why did you steal my night pearl!? Don't you know that theft exceeding ten guan is not only tattooed on the face but also exiled to Lingnan for three years of hard labor! And stealing official property is an even more serious crime!"

Liu Zilin and Luo Er were directly dumbfounded.

Especially the former, under the noon sun, his body shivered twice in succession.

It's over.

It's here, he said he would do it! Also, thanks to the good brother who pointed out the typos!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 66 =====

"Strange, the night-luminescent pearl I gave to Miss Xie, how could it appear in your hands? Or could it be that Miss Xie's words just now were the truth? You are all lying!"

Liu Zilin panicked instantly, stuttering as he argued: "It... it could be yours, but how can you prove you... you gave it to her?"

"Fine, I accidentally made a small presumption of guilt, I apologize. Let's change the question..."

Ouyang Rong smiled and nodded, then suddenly changed his expression:

"Why did you steal my night-luminescent pearl!? Do you not know that stealing over ten strings of cash not only results in facial tattooing but also three years of hard labor in Lingnan! And stealing government property is an even greater crime!"

Liu Zilin and Luo Er were completely dumbfounded.

Especially the former; under the midday sun, his body shivered twice in succession.

It's over.

It's here, he does what he says! Also, thanks to the good brother who pointed out the typos!

(End of chapter)