In the evening, Yang Ming asked Xiaoxiao, "Are you going to the court proceeding tomorrow?"
"I just... won’t go, I’d have to kneel! That was the first time I’ve ever knelt in my life!" In fact, it was the same in her previous life, who wants to kneel unnecessarily!
"..." If she doesn’t want to go, then fine, he didn’t want his wife to kneel either, even though it is customary to kneel before an official!
However, the next day, as Yang Ming was leaving, "Wait for me! I’ve thought it over, I should still go, lest you be treated unfairly!"
"..." What could he possibly have to lose by going! But this showed that his wife cared about him!
So the two of them went to the government office, and before they even entered, they saw Arrest Officer Guan, who, upon seeing Yang Ming, patted him on the back and said, "Yang Ming, don’t worry, the new County Magistrate is a good one!"
"..." Xiaoxiao was surprised. Since when were these two on such friendly terms?
The court session was convened shortly after, and Magistrate Li summoned Yang Ming and Xiaoxiao to the court; Xiaoxiao only then learned that the new magistrate’s surname was Li!
All they heard was the gavel bang, "Bring the accused to the court!"
"..." Xiaoxiao was startled, shivering. Could they please stop banging that wooden block? It was frightening her.
Wang Ergou and his three sons were pushed into the court.
"Who stands before the bench?"
"Your humble servant Wang Ergou greets the esteemed Magistrate!"
"Your humble servant... greets the esteemed Magistrate!"
"On the night of the second day of the New Year, where were you and what did you do?"
"Your honor, we were all at home that day! We didn’t go out!"
"Yes, yes, we were all at home."
Upon hearing this, Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming knew they were unwilling to confess, and they wondered how the new Magistrate would handle the case!
"Bring the witness to the court!"
Oh? There is a witness; it seems the County Magistrate had prepared well.
A man in his twenties stepped into the court, "Attendant Cao Liang greets the County Magistrate."
"Cao Liang, identify the people standing there!"
The attendant turned to look at the group of four, eventually pointing at Wang Ergou and said, "It’s him. He’s the one who bought rat poison from our pharmacy. I can’t be mistaken."
Wang Ergou, realizing he had been recognized, immediately became agitated, "You’re talking nonsense!"
"Bang!" The gavel sounded again, "Take the witness down! Bring the family of the accused to the court!"
The woman from the previous day who had been beaten walked slowly to the front; she was Wang Ergou’s sister-in-law.
"Tell us everything you know."
"Yes, your honor, I am a woman from Wang Family Village, the wife of Wang Huzi and Wang Ergou’s sister-in-law. They were plotting to poison Yang Qiu’s family’s pickled cabbage at home, and I overheard them! I wanted to go warn the family, but was discovered, and have been beaten at home ever since. Please, Magistrate, I beg for your justice."
Another pitiable person, just like Yang Qiu. One could tell by looking at her face and the way she walked that her injuries were severe.
"Wang Ergou, do you have anything to say?"
"I deny it, it’s a setup!"
"How dare you, Wang Ergou, with both witness and physical evidence present, you still dare to deny?"
"What physical evidence?"
"The physical evidence is the rat poison left at the scene."
"That wasn’t left by me, your honor, it’s a miscarriage of justice!"
This was all circumstantial evidence; in this place, there was no such thing as fingerprints or anything of the sort. What were they to do? Xiaoxiao was contemplating this when the gavel sounded again.
"Guards, administer twenty beatings!"
"..." Eh? Was this coercion to make a confession? Was this the so-called upright official? Doing well, are they?
After several beatings, they suddenly heard, "Your honor, your honor, I’ll confess, I’ll confess, please stop the beatings!"
"..." Eh? It actually worked? So they were going to confess just like that?