Chapter 318

318. Chapter 318: Brought to Court

After Jiang Xiaoxiao's account, Duan Yu seemed to finally recall what had happened last night.

He immediately raised his hand and looked at it.

Jiang Xiaoxiao quickly comforted him: "It's fine, your hands are unharmed—you can still hold a brush, read, write…"

But upon hearing "read" and "write," Duan Yu's eyes slowly reddened.

"No… no chance left… I'll never be able to go to the Shuyuan to read or write again…" His voice cracked with sobs.

Jiang Xiaoxiao was startled and opened her mouth to ask what had happened, when the door was knocked.

Jiang Xuelian's voice came from outside: "Xiaoxiao, the person Zhou Shopkeeper sent has news."

Jiang Xiaoxiao's face lit up instantly; she rushed to open the door: "What did they say? Did they find any trace of my mother?"

Jiang Xuelian shook her head: "The person Zhou Shopkeeper sent reported that Qingping County Yamen hasn't arrested anyone—you mother isn't there…"

Jiang Xiaoxiao immediately furrowed her eyebrows—then where had her mother gone?

While she was puzzling over this, a clamor suddenly erupted from the front hall.

"Where is she! Where's that Jiang girl? Tell me now!"

"Hand her over, or I'll smash your restaurant to pieces!"

…

At that moment, the Shop Assistant hurried over, frantic: "It's bad, it's bad—the Sun Family has surrounded Yuelai Restaurant with a group of Army!"

Army?

Jiang Xiaoxiao frowned tightly—it had come, just as she feared.

She stepped forward to head to the front hall, but the Shop Assistant grabbed her: "No, you can't go! The Sun Family is looking for you—going out would play right into their hands. The Shopkeeper told me to take you out the back door and flee…"

Jiang Xiaoxiao shook her head: "But what about you? What will happen to you?"

And Duan Yu—they've brought Army; they'll search the backyard. If they find him still alive, it'll be disastrous…

"But…" the Shop Assistant hesitated, but Jiang Xiaoxiao had already stepped past him and strode toward the front hall.

Jiang Xuelian silently followed behind her.

…

In the Datang of Yuelai Restaurant's first floor.

"Old bastard, hand her over right now! Don't think the Fu'an Trading House protects you—I won't hesitate to act. Commoners don't fight officials. Lu County Magistrate himself has ordered her brought to the County Yamen for interrogation. If you defy this order, don't blame me for not showing the Fu'an Trading House any mercy!"

"She's just a five-year-old child—what crime has she committed that you're dragging her to the County Yamen?!" Zhou Shopkeeper snapped. "She's already gone. She's not in this restaurant."

"Fine! So you'd rather take punishment than wine? Men! Smash this restaurant to rubble—I'll see how he dares to run his business after this!"

Zheng Yaocai and several servants were lifting tables and chairs to smash them when Jiang Xiaoxiao appeared.

"Stop!"

She stepped forward, her gaze icy as she locked eyes with Zheng Yaocai: "Let them go. I'll go with you to the County Yamen."

Seeing her appear, Zheng Yaocai finally smiled and waved his hand; two men in Army uniforms stepped forward and seized her by either arm.

Zhou Shopkeeper rushed forward: "Don't touch her—she's just a child!"

Zheng Yaocai grinned triumphantly: "I've been looking for her."

He turned to Jiang Xiaoxiao, studying her with interest: "You're a bold little girl. With you here, I'm certain that Jiang Shi will show herself."

Jiang Xiaoxiao glared at him: "You went to my home?!"

Zheng Yaocai sneered twice: "The people at the Soap Workshop refused to say where you went. So I had to use a little tactic—I made an example of a Little Yatou. Only then did they finally talk."

Jiang Xiaoxiao's heart lurched—she immediately thought of Chunya: "What did you do to her?!"

"Hmph. Worry about yourself first." Zheng Yaocai glanced at her coldly. "If you come quietly with me to the County Yamen, I promise to release that little girl."

Jiang Xiaoxiao was furious—these Sun Family people were truly shameless!

But right now, she had no other choice.

Jiang Xiaoxiao let them take her away.

Seeing this, Jiang Xuelian moved to follow, but Zhou Shopkeeper grabbed her arm and gave her a sharp look.

Only when they were far away did Zhou Shopkeeper speak: "Following them won't help. They're taking Xiaoxiao to Qingping County Yamen—we're commoners, we can't fight officials. Only the County Magistrate of Yong'an County can save her."

Saying this, Zhou Shopkeeper pulled Jiang Xuelian toward the exit: "Go! Hurry and get the Horse Carriage—we must reach Du County Magistrate before it's too late!"

Jiang Xuelian finally understood. She didn't even ask why Yong'an County's Old Master would help them—she leapt onto the Horse Carriage without a word.

…

Jiang Xiaoxiao was brought by Zheng Yaocai and the Army to Qingping County Yamen.

After several drumbeats, she was dragged onto the courtroom.

She looked up—on both sides stood bailiffs; above sat a man in official robes, his face brimming with arrogance.

This man was Lu County Magistrate.

To his lower right, Sun the Merchant sat with a fawning expression.

Jiang Xiaoxiao's eyes darkened—clearly, these two had conspired together!

"Do you know your crime?!"

The Jingtang Wood cracked—Lu County Magistrate looked down at the five-year-old girl below.

Jiang Xiaoxiao sat upright, neither humble nor defiant: "This commoner knows no crime. I beg the County Old Master to clarify."

Outside the courtroom, a crowd of commoners had gathered to watch. Seeing a five-year-old child kneeling on the courtroom floor under interrogation, they were stunned.

What crime could such a small child have committed to be treated like this?

"Insolent!" Du County Magistrate slammed the Jingtang Wood. "I am here—how dare you refuse to speak the truth? Bring forth the plaintiff!"

No sooner had he spoken than Li Old Man and Li Old Matriarch were led into the courtroom by two soldiers.

Old Matriarch Li burst into the courthouse and immediately fell to her knees, weeping with tears and snot streaming down her face:

"Heavenly Judge, you must uphold justice for us! My life is bitter—I've been cursed with this ungrateful granddaughter and daughter-in-law. They eat at Lao Li Family's table, live in Lao Li Family's home, and I've toiled day and night serving them both. Now that they've grown rich selling Soap, they've abandoned the Li Family, thrown Old Man and me out of the Village, and forced us to live in the Temple to die alone…"

"Yes, County Old Master, you must uphold justice for us," Old Man Li added, wiping his tears. "We've never done a single unjust thing in our lives—why are we treated like this? They, mother and daughter, live in a grand mansion, feasting on rare delicacies every meal, while Old Man and I wander the Blocks, unable to even afford a mouthful of food… Heaven is unjust! You must restore justice for us…"

The Elders' desperate lamenting stirred immediate sympathy from the crowd outside the courthouse. (End of Chapter)