WBSGVS Chapter 58 V1

This matter had nothing to do with Cheng Zhaohua from beginning to end. He was a scholar, equivalent to a government official, receiving a regular stipend and tax exemptions. He didn’t need to kneel before officials, and his status was much higher than that of an ordinary person. Without solid evidence, no one could act against him casually.

This outcome was within Qingli’s expectations. Even if Cheng Zhaohua knew about what his brother and parents had done, he wouldn’t be implicated. The case hadn’t reached the point of collective punishment.

After the marriage was declared invalid, the next step was the judgment for Cheng Zhaoyang and Madam Xiong. Based on the severity of their crimes, Cheng Zhaoyang was sentenced to fifty lashes and thirty years of imprisonment, while Madam Xiong received thirty lashes and ten years.

Besides these punishments, the Cheng family also had to return the money they had extorted from the Luo family, as all the ill-gotten gains had been spent on themselves. The magistrate ordered them not only to return the money but also to pay an additional two hundred taels in compensation.

Just the lashes alone were enough to make the two suffer terribly, not to mention the prison time and the fine.

When Madam Xiong heard about the fine, she cried out even more miserably than when she heard she was going to be flogged, sobbing uncontrollably. Cheng Zhaoyang, on the other hand, was devastated. He fainted and had to be revived with cold water. Completely disheartened, he showed no reaction when he heard the sentence, only managing a bitter smile, resigned to his fate.

Upon hearing the judgment, Luo Yuzhi burst into tears and ran outside to share the good news with her mother. “The Cheng family has finally faced justice!”

“Yes, they’ve finally been punished!” Luo’s mother felt relieved, though not entirely overjoyed—there was a hint of sadness. The wrongdoers had received their comeuppance, but the innocent people hurt by their actions were left to heal on their own.

She felt even more heartache for her daughter.

Qingli was also pleased. She could feel the original owner’s joy when the divorce was granted. Of course, both Qingli and the original owner had been looking forward to the flogging even more.

As for the prison sentences, well, if the governor’s daughter still favored Cheng Zhaohua, it wouldn’t be too hard for her to pull some strings to get the two released. It would be better if they were freed.

The flogging was carried out immediately. After the sentence was pronounced, the two were dragged outside to be beaten in full view of the crowd as a warning of what happens to lawbreakers.

The onlookers, who had been gossiping just moments before, began to clap and cheer when they saw Cheng Zhaoyang and Madam Xiong being led out by the bailiffs. “Justice has been served! People like them deserve a harsh sentence!”

“These two ruined Miss Luo’s life. A good girl, and now she’s considered ‘used.’ It will be hard for her to remarry.”

“Clear the way, clear the way!” a bailiff shouted as he drove the crowd back.

The people retreated, making a circular space. The bailiffs quickly set up two benches, and the criminals were pressed down onto them. Four men, two for each criminal, stood on either side of Cheng Zhaoyang and Madam Xiong, holding wooden paddles.

The magistrate supervised the punishment himself. “Proceed!”

With a loud crack, the flogging began.

The sound of the paddles striking flesh came in quick succession, accompanied by Cheng Zhaoyang’s and Madam Xiong’s pained screams, echoing in the air.

Qingli, blending into the crowd with Luo Yuzhi, watched them scream in agony. With each cry, the original owner’s resentment diminished a little.

The original owner’s hatred had been mostly directed at these two, and now that they were suffering, she felt a sense of satisfaction.

Before long, both of them were bleeding, and Qingli, not wanting to watch any further, turned and supported Luo’s parents. “Let’s go home.”

“Yes!” They nodded vigorously. Clutching a document in hand—legal proof that the original owner and Cheng Zhaoyang were no longer connected—the three left the scene.

As they emerged from the crowd, Wang Shanxue waved them over, “Over here, over here!”

Qingli smiled and nodded, guiding Luo’s parents toward him.

Meanwhile, the bailiff in charge of Cheng Zhaohua approached him and opened a side door. “Apologies, Master Scholar. The matter has been resolved, and you are free to leave.”

Cheng Zhaohua’s heart sank as he was about to ask what was going on when he heard two familiar, blood-curdling screams. His face paled, and without a word, he rushed outside. There, he saw his mother and brother being flogged.

Each strike landed solidly, and after just a few blows, both Madam Xiong and Cheng Zhaoyang were red-faced and screaming at the top of their lungs, as if yelling could somehow ease the pain.

Clenching his jaw and taking a deep breath, Cheng Zhaohua glanced around at the crowd, who were watching with righteous anger, before asking bitterly, “What’s going on here?”

A man who had been cheering replied eagerly, “That man colluded with bandits, hoping to play the hero and rescue a damsel in distress. But in the end, the bandits crippled his leg, and he used that as leverage to force Mr. Luo to marry off his daughter and pay him a large sum of money. That woman is his mother and accomplice! The evidence is conclusive, and they’ve confessed. They’re getting what they deserve!”

Cheng Zhaohua’s face twitched, his hands and feet growing cold. He didn’t dare say another word.

The truth had come out!

This was something he never expected. He had thought that even if the Luo family reported it, without the bandits, nothing would come of it. Little did he know, that fate had favored the Luo family.

The two cried out in agony, and after watching for a while, Cheng Zhaohua couldn’t bear to look any longer. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a familiar figure.

He glanced over, but as soon as he did, the figure turned away, seemingly unaware of him.

But that back… Cheng Zhaohua recognized it—it was Luo Qingli.

Conclusive evidence?

Cheng Zhaohua wasn’t surprised that the Luo family had filed the complaint. What shocked him was how a powerless family like the Luo’s had managed to win the case. Had the bandits been caught?

Otherwise, given his connections with the magistrate’s assistant, they would’ve surely sided with his brother and mother.

Cheng Zhaohua’s gaze darkened as he stared at the retreating figure. He then saw a young man help her onto a carriage, and his eyes reddened, a murderous intent rising within him.

“Ah! Have mercy!” Madam Xiong’s pitiful screams echoed louder than before as the beatings intensified.

Cheng Zhaohua shuddered, unable to bear watching any longer. Stumbling, he turned and ran. Earlier, when Cheng Zhaoyang had pleaded for help, Cheng Zhaohua had thought of seeking out the provincial governor’s daughter, hoping for a way out.

Unfortunately, the bailiffs, suspecting he might also be involved, had detained him in the side courtyard of the yamen until the case was decided. Though he wasn’t harmed, the delay cost him precious time.

He ran as fast as he could, paying no mind to his earlier exam failure. If he wanted to see Miss Wang again, he needed to present himself in a good state, even if he was disheveled—he would endure it, as long as it could save his brother.

But when he reached the place Miss Wang had mentioned, where the governor had arranged for her to stay, he knocked and pleaded for an audience, only to be told, “Miss Wang is not at home and will not see you.”

Panicking, Cheng Zhaohua asked, “Then could you tell me where Miss Wang has gone? Please, I beg of you.”

The doorman gave him a cold glance, lifting his chin arrogantly. “Where Miss Wang goes is none of your business.”

A chill ran through Cheng Zhaohua. Despite his status as a scholar, it was clear he still held little sway. How could he expect to request an audience so easily when the provincial governor was a third-rank official?

Wiping his face, he left in despair.

It didn’t matter. She wasn’t home today, but he could return tomorrow. Eventually, he’d be able to find her.

This was Cheng Zhaohua’s only hope, and he clung to it desperately. He didn’t leave the county but instead found an even cheaper, shabbier inn to stay in. The next morning, he went to seek her again.

This time, the servants went to announce his arrival, only to return with the same response—she wasn’t home.

So early in the morning… where could she be?

Cheng Zhaohua knew full well what was happening, but he feigned ignorance, returning in the afternoon to inquire again and coming back the next day.

For three days in a row, until finally, Miss Wang could no longer stand it.

“I said no!” Wang Yongming shouted sternly.

The young woman in pink, who had been about to step outside, trembled at his voice. She stopped in her tracks but didn’t turn back. Her stubborn face was flushed with emotion, her eyes red as she spoke through tears, “Father, please help him! It’s not such a big deal!”