Chapter 92: Signature and Seal

Seeing the magistrate ask, Xue Shanshu hurriedly said, "He is the steward of the Zhang family, Feng Neng."

"Zhang family— which Zhang family?"

The Town Magistrate frowned and asked, "There are several large Zhang households in our town."

Xue Shanshu replied, "It's the Zhang family that runs Kaizhang Restaurant and Zhang Ji Grocery. Their restaurant and grocery used to do well, but now they don't seem as prosperous."

As soon as he said that,

Qiao Sheng finally understood what was happening: it must be because her restaurant opened and stole Zhang Ji's customers, so they were displeased with her and hired people to trouble her.

The Town Magistrate immediately sent men to arrest Feng Neng and ordered them to bring all members of the Zhang family to the Yamen.

When Zhang Dezhu arrived, he shouted loudly, "Sir, it's false! This has nothing to do with us; Feng Neng acted on his own."

The Town Magistrate struck the court gavel and thundered, "Silence! In this courtroom, you may not shout. If you continue, don't blame this official for being unkind!"

Zhang Dezhu fell silent instantly.

The Town Magistrate glanced at them and asked, "Who is Feng Neng?"

"Sir, I am Feng Neng."

Feng Neng knelt forward and said,

He is thirty‑three this year, and quite tall.

The Town Magistrate examined him for a moment and said, "My Yamen clerk caught a sneaky young man, about twenty, at Qiao Niangzi's house tonight. He claimed you sent him to administer Medicine at her house. Is that true?"

"Sir, that's correct."

Feng Neng spoke at a measured pace, "A few days ago, I saw our eastern master was distressed because his restaurant was doing poorly, so I thought to help him and did this."

"Yes, yes, that's exactly it."

Zhang Dezhu said from the side,

He really is something; they did this and made their family's steward take the blame.

Qiao Sheng, furious, could not hold back and said, "Steward Feng, what benefits did your eastern master give you that makes you help them?"

Feng Neng looked straight at Qiao Sheng and said, "Qiao Niangzi, don't speak recklessly; I did all this, and it has nothing to do with the eastern master."

Is there really nothing we can do about them?

Qiao Sheng, unwilling to accept, immediately asked, "You say you did it—did you buy this poppy?"

"Yes."

Feng Neng replied.

Qiao Sheng asked again where he bought it.

Feng Neng's expression paused and he said, "Where else could one buy it? Such things aren't sold openly; I bought it on the black market. If you still want to know from whom I bought it, I could answer now, but I don't remember."

Black market, black market, again the black market.

How can such a place exist!

Qiao Sheng restrained the urge to beat Feng Neng, turned her gaze to the Town Magistrate and said, "Sir, I suspect the earlier poppy incident also involves Feng Neng; please summon those few people for a confrontation with him."

"Fine!"

The Town Magistrate agreed.

When the Yamen clerks brought those people over, the Town Magistrate asked whether they had ever seen Feng Neng.

The middle‑aged man, the woman, and the little girl previously mentioned all said they hadn't seen Feng Neng, but Zhang Jizhou had, as did his subordinate workers; they all claimed they didn't remember.

Just "I don't remember."

Qiao Sheng couldn't add any more charges against Feng Neng.

The Town Magistrate has been an official for several years; how could he not see the twists and turns here? Yet a case relies on evidence, and without evidence one cannot convict.

"Master, give the indictment paper to Feng Neng so he can sign and seal it."

(End of chapter)