Chapter 319: Courtroom Confrontation

"So this soap that's so popular now is sold by her family? Tsk tsk, had I known it was their product, I never would've bought it—these Jiangs are truly heartless, mistreating their in-laws!"

"Exactly! In our Dayin Country, filial piety is paramount—how could the Jiang woman drive her in-laws out of the village and even deny them food?"

"Hmph, this mother and daughter have cruel hearts—they earn so much money yet refuse to support their in-laws, instead committing such an unforgivable act! I'll never buy their soap again!"

…

Outside the courtroom, many uninformed people pointed at Jiang Xiaoxiao and spat in contempt.

Jiang Xiaoxiao's face turned ashen, yet she remained composed.

She turned her head and looked at Li Old Man and Li Old Matriarch, who pretended to wipe away tears, and said coldly: "You two are twisting the truth and slandering my mother and me—do you truly believe no one in Qingping County knows what you've done? Don't forget, every villager in Yuhe Village can testify to our innocence—don't blame us if we sue your Li family for defamation!"

Upon hearing this, the Li elders paused their tear-wiping, their eyes flickering with fear and hesitation.

"Audacious!"

County Magistrate Lu suddenly slammed his jingtang wood, pointing at Jiang Xiaoxiao below and barking: "How dare a little girl speak such insolent words in court—do you dare defy me?! Seize her! Drag her out and give her twenty heavy strokes of the staff—until she confesses the truth!"

At these words, Jiang Xiaoxiao froze, and even the onlookers outside the courtroom were stunned.

"Twenty heavy strokes?! She's only five years old—how could she survive such brutal punishment?!"

"That little girl looks so pale and delicate—those twenty strokes will kill her! Isn't this outright torture to force a confession?!"

"Little girl, just confess! Admit to being unfilial—it's better than being beaten to death…"

…

Instantly, the crowd outside the courtroom began urging Jiang Xiaoxiao to confess.

Jiang Xiaoxiao's eyebrows were tightly knotted.

She had clearly realized—Magistrate Lu had almost certainly colluded with Sun Wealthy Philanthropist; no matter what tactics he used, he wanted her to admit guilt.

As two bailiffs stepped forward to drag her away for the punishment, Jiang Xiaoxiao's small hand secretly slipped into her waist pouch…

But just then, a loud, commanding voice rang out from outside the courtroom:

"Stop! I dare anyone to lay a hand on someone from Yong'an County!"

At these words, everyone turned to look.

There entered County Magistrate Du of Yong'an County, flanked by two squads of bailiffs, standing beside Jiang Xiaoxiao like a towering wall.

The two bailiffs preparing to carry out the punishment froze in place, unable to advance.

Magistrate Lu glanced silently at Sun Wealthy Philanthropist, as if questioning how he had provoked the Yong'an County magistrate.

Sun Wealthy Philanthropist wiped sweat from his brow.

He didn't know either…

He had specifically ordered Zheng Yaocai to capture the girl without alerting anyone from Yong'an County—just bring her secretly to Qingping County. How could this fool have messed up so badly?!

"Magistrate Du, this is a Qingping County case—how can you, a magistrate from Yong'an County, interfere?" Magistrate Lu looked down coldly at Jiang Xiaoxiao.

"Hmph, you're wrong! This little girl is from Yong'an County—if she's guilty, only I have the authority to judge her!" Magistrate Du declared firmly. "But you—ignoring the law, arbitrarily arresting and interrogating my Yong'an citizen, even attempting to torture her into a false confession—I'll report you to the Inspector, and see what punishment he imposes!"

With this high-pressure accusation, Magistrate Lu's face turned instantly ashen.

Sun Wealthy Philanthropist, seated below, broke into a cold sweat.

He knew well—the Inspector sent by the Imperial Court had recently visited Yong'an County and seemed to have personal ties with Magistrate Du. If Du truly reported this, they were finished…

Seeing Magistrate Lu and Wealthy Man Sun's faces darken, Jiang Xiaoxiao finally exhaled in relief.

She quietly lifted her gaze toward Magistrate Du, who stood beside her.

He seemed to sense her look and gave her a reassuring glance, then turned to the Li elders, who were trembling in terror.

"You two came all the way to Qingping County Yamen to accuse the Jiang family—do you look down on me? Or are you trying to slander the Jiangs behind my back?! You claim the Jiang woman drove you out of Yuhe Village—wasn't it because you committed so many wicked deeds that even I couldn't tolerate it, and ordered you expelled?!"

At these words, the crowd outside the courtroom suddenly understood.

The Li family had been expelled because they themselves had done wrong and offended the magistrate—yet they blamed the Jiangs! How shameless!

Magistrate Lu's face turned dark and grim; his cold gaze swept toward Wealthy Man Sun.

He had never known the true reason the Li family was expelled from Yuhe Village—how dare Wealthy Man Sun deceive him?!

Wealthy Man Sun kept wiping sweat from his forehead.

He never imagined things would turn out like this—who could have guessed the Yong'an County magistrate would come all the way to Qingping County Yamen to defend a little girl?!

But now that things had gone this far, even if it was wrong, he had to press on.

Magistrate Lu turned his gaze back to Magistrate Du and said: "Even if the Li family has a motive to frame the Jiangs, the fact remains—the Jiang family neglected their in-laws and failed to support the elderly. This is great unfiliality, violating the laws of Dayin Country."

At this point, Magistrate Lu had calmed down; he no longer focused on the Li family's expulsion from Yuhe Village, but struck precisely at the Jiang family's failure to support their in-laws.

"Hmph, the Jiang woman already divorced her kinship with the Li family—these two elderly Li men have other sons to support them; why should a widow, whose husband is dead, bear the burden?!" Magistrate Du immediately countered.

Magistrate Lu sneered: "Magistrate Du, the Jiang woman was the wife of the Li family's third son—that fact cannot be changed. Even if they divided the family, she still shouldn't have been unfilial to her in-laws—unless—she has formally broken off kinship!"

At this, Magistrate Lu and Wealthy Man Sun exchanged a glance.

Both their eyes held certainty.

The Jiang family certainly couldn't produce the document for breaking off kinship.

But just then, a clear female voice rang out from outside:

"The document for breaking off kinship—I have it!"

Jiang Xiaoxiao's eyes instantly brightened.

It was her mother's voice!

Jiang Xiaoxiao quickly turned—there stood Jiang Wei, leading the villagers of Yuhe Village, arriving en masse before the courtroom.

The village head limped beside Jiang Wei; as soon as he entered the courtroom, he fell to his knees before Magistrate Du, weeping bitterly: "Your Honor, please deliver justice for us! The Sun family sent men to our Yuhe Village to demand we hand over the Jiangs—if we refused, they threatened to break our legs…"