Chapter 369: with translation of chapter title

The common people grew more and more indignant the more they spoke.

"I think that county magistrate's ass isn't clean either!"

"Of course, officials protect each other; with such a powerful father, that sesame-seed-sized official county magistrate would naturally rush to curry favor!"

"Hmph! Let's just watch them dogs bite each other!"

……

On the hall, the Prefect and the assistant judges' expressions all turned subtle.

County Magistrate Chen lay prostrate on the ground, daring not to meet anyone's gaze.

"Fan Dongping! Don't just go biting people at random when you're anxious."

"Who's your father? Everyone knows your parents died early; you're just a fatherless, motherless orphan!"

Fan Dongping had already lost his composure: "What kind of person am I? Others don't know, do you not have a clue in your heart?"

"How you used to suck up to your old man—I see you've forgotten all about it!"

When he got worked up, he rose to lunge at County Magistrate Chen, but was promptly pressed down by the constable beside him.

County Magistrate Chen was startled, his face turned pale, yet he still kept a stiff mouth.

"Nonsense! How could the words of a murder suspect, a ruffian, be trusted?"

Fan Dongping struggled and howled like a madman, cursing nonstop, from the eighteen generations of County Magistrate Chen's ancestors to the other people in the County Office.

But after talking for a while he had no useful evidence, so it could only be regarded as venting.

The hall was in chaos.

Mu Nan Zhao looked at the two kneeling on the ground with a half-smile, as if watching a great joke.

"One who thinks of himself as a beloved son, filial and loving, still expects someone to come rescue him."

"Another who feels himself loyal and devoted, believing at least his master can keep him safe and sound."

"I, the Regent Prince, really find it hard to tell you this."

Among the crowd were two women in plain cloth, dressed simply, with ordinary looks that attracted no notice.

They were Gu Xixi and He Jinglan.

He Jinglan whispered, "You hear him say he's reluctant? Next he'll kill to strike at the heart."

Sure enough, we heard Mu Nan Zhao say, "Last night, in three successive waves, over twenty assassins stormed the prefecture's great prison."

"If they hadn't all died, your fate now would be..."

Like a cold wind wrapped in frost and snow, blowing and making people's hearts feel chilly.

Fan Dongping calmed down, while County Magistrate Chen stared blankly as he lifted his head.

Mu Nan Zhao, however, paid no heed to their reactions, not even bothering to glance at them.

"Regarding how to let prisoners die reasonably in jail."

"You two have years of cooperation and rich experience; why not think about how you'll kill yourselves to avoid punishment?"

"Slit wrists? Take poison? Hang? Oh, dying suddenly of illness also works."

The more Fan Dongping and County Magistrate Chen treat others like weeds, the more they themselves fear death.

County Magistrate Chen lay on the ground, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Compared to Fan Dongping, he still has a bit of sense.

With just a little thought, given his understanding of the Fan family's ruthless methods, he knows the Regent Prince's words are no empty threat.

Having been inside the prefecture's great prison once, the Fan Grand Secretary could no longer trust him.

Killing to silence—what cleaner method could there be?

County Magistrate Chen felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his mind clearer than ever before.

The Fan family can abandon even their own blood relatives—what is he, then?

Mu Nan Zhao lowered his eyes, as if looking at a puddle of disgusting mud.

"I, the Regent Prince, have changed my mind; I'll let you go now."

County Magistrate Chen was greatly startled, and, like a madman, crawled on his knees toward Mu Nan Zhao.

The constable held him down, yet he struggled and shouted, "No! I don't want to go out!"

"If I leave the Prefecture of Jingzhao, they'll surely kill me!"

Mu Nan Zhao gazed into County Magistrate Chen's eyes and said, "Speak—who wants to kill you?"

County Magistrate Chen stiffened, as if he had thought of something terrible.

He gave no answer, only weeping bitterly, "Prince, spare my life! Prince, save me!!"

Fan Dongping also finally came to his senses, shaking his head in a daze, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"My father treated me well; since childhood, whatever I wanted he gave me."

"And my brother said he'd help me find Lv Jing, so I could vent this anger!"

"They won't abandon me; they'll surely come to rescue me."

Mu Nan Zhao indifferently turned his gaze away.

The Prefect slammed the wooden clapper hard and shouted angrily, "Impudent!"

You hiring thugs to kidnap others is solid evidence! You're also charged with murder, robbery, corpse destruction, forcible seizure of civilian women, bribery of officials—multiple crimes—and yet you still think someone will come to rescue you!

I, the official, would like to know who he is! Does he have such ability!

Yet Fan Dongping had only this one lifeline left; before the final moment of despair, he still refused to speak.

The Prefect again ordered the plaintiff, the Lady Lü, to be summoned.

Only then did they learn that Lady Lü had not appeared today, and up to now her whereabouts remain unknown.

The trial immediately fell into a deadlock.

Among the onlooking civilians, an old litigator sighed:

"He refuses to confess, and there's no other evidence; I'm afraid we won't be able to reach a verdict today."

The crowd clenched their fists in anger, resenting that the wicked could not be punished swiftly.

At this moment, He Jinglan said, "I don't think so."

"Look at the Regent Prince's expression—calm and unhurried; perhaps the evidence will arrive soon."

"Seeing her plain appearance, someone asked, 'How do you know? You don't look like an official's family member either. Are you just making this up?'"

He Jinglan smiled indifferently and said, "Whether or not, we'll find out if we wait a bit longer."

Gu Xixi gazed at the sun's position, calculating that the time should have arrived by now.

Fan Manor.

Grand Secretary Fan sat upright in the flower hall.

All the Fan clan descendants present were anxious and restless.

They couldn't conveniently go to Jingzhao Prefecture, so they kept sending servants to gather news.

Grand Secretary Fan closed his eyes, seeming like an old monk entering meditation.

At times like this, all he could do was stay steady.

The assassins sent out last night hadn't returned a single one this morning, and he already sensed something amiss.

He had thought there was still time to make other plans.

But he hadn't expected Jingzhao Prefecture to open court so quickly.

However……

There's still a chance.

Until a servant ran in and said, "Neither of them has confessed yet."

"The Lu woman who went to Jingzhao Prefecture to file a complaint still hasn't shown up!"

Everyone showed expressions of relief.

Someone even wore a look of joy, saying, "Although we couldn't kill the others, at least the plaintiff is dead."

"As long as we drag this out past today, we'll have a chance to scheme again."

Lv Jing had still not been able to appear in court to accuse them, and now there was no concrete evidence either.

As long as Fan Dongping and the others stubbornly refuse to admit it.

According to Jingzhao Prefecture's rules, at this hour they should also announce a recess for today and reschedule the trial.

Grand Secretary Fan opened his eyes and asked the servant, "When you returned, had Mu Nan Zhao left, and had the Prefect already announced a recess and retrial?"

The servant shook his head. "No."

Grand Secretary Fan's face darkened slightly, and he barked, "Go investigate again!"

Is the plaintiff really dead?

No assassin returned with a report—no sign of the person alive or dead……

At Jingzhao Prefecture, a constable hurried forward and whispered a few words beside the Prefect.

The Prefect's furrowed brows relaxed, and the gavel sounded.

"Bring the plaintiff!"

Seeing a woman in white enter the court, aside from the suspect, everyone upstairs and downstairs felt energized.

Fan Dongping exclaimed in disbelief, "You're not dead? How could you possibly not be dead?!"

Lv Jing walked past him with a cold expression, knelt down with a thud, and lifted a heavy bundle high above her head with both hands.

"Commoner Lv Jing! I accuse Fan Dongping, County Magistrate Chen, and others of harming the people—their crimes are numerous!"

"I accuse the Minister of Personnel, Grand Secretary Fan, of indulging his illegitimate son's wickedness! I accuse Grand Secretary Fan and the Fan clan of directing County Magistrate Chen and others to repeatedly shield Fan Dongping, to destroy evidence and silence witnesses!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials in the court were startled.

Only the Regent Prince's gaze remained light, as if he hadn't been surprised at all.