Chapter 370: One after another, defenses break

A common woman actually dared to directly name and sue Grand Secretary Fan; the situation developing this far exceeded expectations.

Not to mention the assessing officials, who for a moment couldn't even voice their position.

Even the Prefect was startled for a moment, adjusted his sitting posture, then solemnly said, "Plaintiff Lv Jing, do you know that suing an imperial official is no trivial matter?"

"If this person deserves punishment, then fine; but if your accusation cannot be substantiated, then it is slander."

"According to the Great Enterprise Law, falsely accusing an imperial official earns fifty blows of the rod; you had better think it through."

Lv Jing knelt there, spine straight as a pine, expression resolute as steel.

"Thank you for the reminder, Prefect, but the common woman, having decided to go to the capital to seek justice, already knows what kind of road lies ahead."

She knocked her forehead heavily to the ground, "Every word the common woman speaks today, every piece of evidence she presents, is guaranteed with her life!"

Fifty blows of the rod—even a man in his prime might not be able to endure them.

Lv Jing daring to persist despite the risk of slander is indeed tantamount to gambling with her life.

The Prefect looked at the woman's thin figure and finally couldn't bear it, "If your path ahead is a thorny road, what about an abyss ten thousand feet deep?"

Lv Jing lifted her head, her eyes showing not a hint of hesitation, "I will not spare my flesh and blood, even if my body is shattered!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall above and below fell silent, everyone moved.

The Prefect sighed, nodded, and said, "To have such a filial and righteous daughter, if your parents knew in the afterlife, they would surely feel comforted."

Since the plaintiff has made up her mind, there's no need to delay any further.

The Prefect shifted his tone, turned serious, and said, "Plaintiff, what evidence do you have? Explain each piece first, then submit them."

Lv Jing orderly unpacked the bundle, separating it into portions.

"This is the account book kept in Fan Dongping's home, recording his seizure of good people's fields, houses, shops, etc., as well as the trafficking of good women, and the corresponding illicit gains."

From the moment Lv Jing entered the hall, Fan Dongping gritted his teeth and glared at her like a ferocious beast.

Yet Lv Jing now fears Fan Dongping not at all; even if her gaze occasionally falls on him, she remains as calm as looking at a dying person.

Seeing Lv Jing produce the account book, Fan Dongping panicked completely, "You've been to my house?!"

"Who gave you permission to take my things privately? This is breaking into a civilian residence! This is robbery!"

"Sir! Sir, this woman's crime is as clear as day; why not hurry and arrest her?!"

The Prefect slammed his face down on the sounding board, "Silence!"

"Since the plaintiff volunteers to bear fifty blows of the rod, it is my duty to hear her out!"

Fan Dongping, accustomed to domineering, struggled and still wanted to object.

But then the Prefect let out a stern shout: "Shouting in the hall, fifteen blows of the rod!"

The command arrow fell to the ground; before Fan Dongping could even grasp the situation, two Government Office runners came, one on each side, and swiftly dragged him out.

Outside the hall, a long bench had long been prepared; immediately came a sound of crackling as a good beating was administered.

Hearing Fan Dongping wail like a slaughtered pig, each cry more shrill than the last, the onlooking crowds outside all clapped and cheered.

The Government Office runner in charge of the punishment seemed encouraged, striking with even greater vigor.

The rod struck flesh and blood, the sound not crisp and loud but dull.

An Qinghe, however, was well versed in this.

He watched the Government Office runner carry out the punishment, grinning wickedly, "That Fan fellow really invites hatred."

"This time it fell into the hands of an expert; he'll have it rough."

He Jinglan curiously remarked, "Just from the sound, the beating doesn't seem harsh."

Although Fan Dongping's wailing is indeed miserable.

But for such a wicked person, there's no worst, only worse.

An Qinghe curled the corner of his mouth, "Striking with the rod is the same principle as the long whip we use."

"The louder the sound, the more the energy floats over the flesh and merely grazes it—at most it causes only external injury."

"Looking at the spurting blood, it looks scary, but a little medicine and a few days of rest will fix it."

"But if the sound is dull, it shows the force is solidly landing; perhaps no blood will be seen, but lightly it damages muscles, heavily it can injure to the bone."

While he was explaining, Fan Dongping had already finished receiving the blows.

It's unknown whether he fainted, but he was dragged like a dead pig and thrown back onto the hall.

An Qinghe shook his head and sighed, "What a pity, only fifteen blows."

"If we could have given him thirty or forty blows, he wouldn't need those two legs for the rest of his life."

Gu Xixi gazed into the hall, her eyes calm, "Who doesn't have a wife, children, parents? Who wouldn't empathize by putting themselves in another's shoes?"

"Fan Dongping relies on his backer, bullies men and women, and is still so arrogant."

"Government Office runners are ordinary folk eating the government's rice; finding him displeasing, using a few covert tricks is what he deserves."

During this process, Lv Jing continued to sort out the evidence piece by piece.

"This is the register of Fan Dongping's bribes to the personnel of Nan Yi Xian County Office, from the county magistrate down to the jailers and Government Office runners; dates and amounts of money are all recorded in detail."

Beside him, County Magistrate Chen trembled with shock and anger, pointing at Fan Dongping.

Suddenly struck, County Magistrate Chen could no longer keep his lips tight.

"You! You said you wouldn't record anything at all, yet you dare to deceive me?!"

"Damn it! Are you trying to kill me, you damned lunatic?!"

Originally, Fan Dongping's bribery register was not made because he was clever, wanting to keep evidence for future self-protection.

He merely felt his greed insufficient, scheming to use this as leverage, so that one day the entire county office would be completely under his control.

Just like the gang of evil lackeys he keeps at home.

But now, Fan Dongping lies there, in so much pain he has no strength to respond to County Magistrate Chen's duties.

The evidence Lv Jing produced continues.

"These are the correspondences between Fan Dongping and the capital, in which he once called himself a member of the family, addressing the eldest master of the Fan manor as elder brother, and he mentioned the word 'father' more than once..."

After the clerk finished the plaintiff's statement, he personally presented the evidence and objects before Lv Jing to the prefect's desk.

The prefect looked up first at the Regent Prince.

"I've said it—I'm only here to observe today, not to take part in the interrogation."

"Just pass the objects around; there's no need to bring them over."

The prefect nodded, then began to examine them carefully.

After he finished looking at each document, he passed it to the other assistant judges to be read in turn.

The more the officials looked, the more shocked they became, unable to help exchanging glances.

They were all veterans who had spent years in the bureaucracy, seasoned to perfection.

"Who could fail to see that Fan Dongping's relationship with the Fan family is strange in every way!"

"Not to mention, given Fan Grand Councilor's status, having an illegitimate son is nothing major."

"Just look at the Fan family's influence over the years—hiding an illegitimate son in the capital would be easy."

"Why send him all the way to Nan Yi Xian?"

"Furthermore, if they're so afraid of people finding out, why let him keep the Fan surname?"

"It was already noon at the Fan manor."

"The servant boy who had gone to Jingzhao Prefecture to inquire came running back, drenched in sweat as if he'd just been fished out of water."

"Reporting to the Grand Councilor, the Jingzhao Prefecture is still in session—that woman, she, she isn't dead…"

The servant boy panted, not daring to lift his head to look at the masters' faces. "She also said, said…"

"Nonsense! What did she say? Speak up clearly at once!"

The servant boy fell back in fright, sitting on the ground.

The Fan family members also froze; the Grand Councilor never showed his pleasure or anger.

No matter how great the matter, as long as it came before the Grand Councilor, everything was ultimately under his control.

But at this moment, Fan Grand Councilor actually flew into a rage.