WBSGVS Chapter 57 V1

Once Qing Li left, she was gone for nearly a month. By the time she returned, the examination for scholars had already concluded, and the results were about to be announced.

The trip had gone very smoothly, though it was a bit tiring.

Uncertain if the exam results would align with her plans, Qing Li decided to time her actions perfectly; the day of the results would also be the day she filed a lawsuit against the Cheng family.

The reason for this timing was that if she acted too early, her identity wouldn’t carry any weight. There were so many who had passed the scholar exam, and Qing Li’s status would only elevate in the magistrate’s eyes if Cheng Zhao Hua did not perform well.

If she waited too long and Cheng Zhao Hua had already called for help, it would be too late.

However, in the days right after the examination results were released, the provincial governor would likely not have time to deal with the Cheng family’s affairs, especially if Cheng Zhao Hua had performed poorly—there was no guarantee he would be favored.

So, the day before the results were announced, Qing Li first sent her younger brother to stay with relatives for a few days while she accompanied her parents to the county town.

All the inns in the county town were already full, so she stayed at a student’s house.

Early the next morning, once the results were released, Qing Li, accompanied by her lawyer and her parents, went to announce her lawsuit.

She was suing Cheng Zhao Yang for colluding with bandits and using this to coerce marriage!

“Who is in the hall?” the magistrate asked loudly as he took his seat.

A lawsuit cannot be filed by a woman, and generally, a woman would not fare well if suing her husband. Therefore, it was Luo Yu Zhi who beat the drum. Upon hearing the magistrate’s inquiry, Luo Yu Zhi responded, “I am Luo Yu Zhi, a common citizen from Chang Gan Town, Rong Chang County.”

The magistrate then asked, “What is the reason for the drumbeat?”

At this point, the lawyer replied, “Your Excellency, Mr. Luo is here to address the matter of his son-in-law, Cheng Zhao Yang, who colluded with bandits over two years ago to deceive Mr. Luo’s eldest daughter, Luo Qing Li. I have heard that three bandits recently turned themselves in, fearing your authority. Mr. Luo has previously struggled without evidence, but now he wishes to summon the three bandits as witnesses to bring Cheng Zhao Yang to justice!”

The clerk beside the magistrate furrowed his brow, closely observing the two.

“This is the first I’ve heard of this. How do you know your son-in-law is guilty of deceit?” the magistrate inquired, intrigued.

Indeed, three bandits had come to turn themselves in the day before, claiming they could no longer survive by robbery and wanted to serve time in jail.

The magistrate had never seen anyone like them, but upon investigation, it turned out they had committed multiple robberies, one of which had been witnessed two years prior. Naturally, there were more than just these three involved, but these were the ones who had come forward, claiming the others had all starved to death.

Now that the bandits had come forward, the magistrate could not let them leave; it would provide him with some political gain.

He immediately had them detained for questioning.

Before he could even begin the questioning, this lawsuit arrived.

With tears in his eyes, Luo Yu Zhi said, “Your Excellency, it was by chance that my daughter overheard a conversation between Cheng Zhao Yang and his mother, which revealed the truth. She rushed back to her home and conducted several tests to confirm it; I only refrained from taking action before due to the lack of evidence.”

“Where is your daughter?” the magistrate asked.

Qing Li stepped out from the crowd, bowed, and replied, “I am here, Your Excellency.”

At this moment, someone besides the magistrate whispered details about the identities of the people in the hall, including the six newly minted scholars, all of whom had been instructed by Qing Li.

The magistrate’s expression grew serious. The more scholars and candidates for the local examinations who emerged from his jurisdiction, the more rewards he received, which was tantamount to his political achievements.

A person capable of producing the top scholar and five others who also ranked as scholars demonstrated remarkable talent.

Regardless of gender, anyone who could help him earn political gain was valuable, and the magistrate’s demeanor softened. “How did you come to know of this?”

The clerk at this point maintained a neutral expression, looking down as if it didn’t concern him.

He had previous connections with the Cheng family, but those ties were not strong enough to let him offend the magistrate.

Qing Li was well aware of the changes in their demeanor and felt that her plan was proceeding smoothly. All that was left was for Cheng Zhao Yang to confess. She forced a bitter smile and said, “I learned of this matter when I was trying to save my sister-in-law from drowning. One night, I was unable to sleep due to a fever, and I happened to overhear their conversation. The next day, I found an excuse to return to my family and sought help. All the testimonies have been documented; please take a look, Your Excellency.”

The lawyer presented the lawsuit and then loudly recounted the events leading up to the current situation, including Luo Qing Li’s return to the Luo family, her various tests, the rumors she had heard, and numerous speculations and sighs surrounding the situation.

The magistrate picked up the lawsuit and listened closely to the lawyer’s account, occasionally reviewing the text. When he finished reading, he took a deep breath.

No wonder the Luo family was able to confirm their suspicions after several tests.

Only with such reasoning could one understand why Cheng Zhao Yang had been so different after the marriage; his treatment of his wife was nothing like that of a man who had married for the sake of ambition.

After finishing the document, he immediately ordered the three bandits to be brought forward for questioning.

Luo Yu Zhi’s heart began to race. Although he didn’t understand why his daughter was so sure, he still felt anxious. Could such people be trusted to keep their word?

He looked at his daughter, his lips pale from tension.

Qing Li patted his back to calm him down.

Soon, three tall bandits with visible bruises and injuries entered the hall, their eyes filled with fear. Upon seeing the magistrate, they immediately knelt obediently, their heads bowed.

The magistrate asked, “You are being accused of committing crimes three years ago in Chang Gan Town, Rong Chang County, in collusion with a man named Cheng Zhao Yang. Is this true?”

The three bandits raised their heads slightly, glanced at the magistrate, and replied in unison, “Yes, it is true.”

Luo Yu Zhi felt a weight lift off his chest, tears welling in his eyes. At last, Cheng Zhao Yang would face retribution!

The magistrate inhaled sharply, finding it hard to believe that the truth had come so easily. He pressed further, “Do you have any evidence?”

The three of them nodded firmly, and one said, “At that time, we were hesitant to agree, fearing it was a trap. So, Cheng Zhao Yang gave us a jade pendant as a deposit, saying we could take whatever we could from those young masters and ladies. However, when the constables passed by, we thought Cheng Zhao Yang had colluded with them. In a fit of anger, I attempted to attack him, but I only managed to cut his foot.”

As he spoke, he produced a jade pendant and presented it with both hands, while someone took it to show the magistrate.

The bandit added, “After this incident, we kept the pendant to avoid retribution from him in the future.”

The other two nodded frantically, confirming that he was telling the truth.

Word of this quickly spread outside the magistrate’s office, causing waves of panic. The incident in Chang Gan Town was not known to everyone, and those hearing about it for the first time were extremely shocked, never imagining that someone could use such underhanded means to deceive in marriage.

Those who had heard about it before remarked, “I knew something was off! Turns out he did collude with bandits; Cheng Zhao Yang is quite bold, and his limp is his just dessert!”

“It’s the Luo family that’s pitiful, deceived by such a person—truly tragic!”

“I’ve heard that the Luo family’s daughter suffered from wind chill because they gave all their money to the Cheng family; the chill turned into lung disease, and now she coughs constantly. Her health has deteriorated, and they have to keep taking care of her.”

“Have you all heard? The top scholar announced today was taught by this Luo family’s daughter. Her father is a teacher, and she has been influenced by him for nearly twenty years, teaching even better than him.”

“Oh my God, that’s impressive! The Cheng family has lost their conscience. Without them, this Luo family’s daughter could have produced many scholars by now. If that had happened, our county would have developed much better!”

“Exactly, exactly…”

The crowd was abuzz with discussion; such a shocking incident stirred them all into a frenzy, and one after another, they couldn’t wait to express their condemnation of Cheng Zhaoyang.

Meanwhile, the county magistrate had also clarified the situation and was just waiting for the criminals to come forward and confess. With a wave of his hand, he ordered someone to bring Cheng Zhaoyang in, while sending a fast horse with the jade pendant to Changgan Town to inquire among those who had known Cheng Zhaoyang since childhood, to determine if the pendant was indeed his. He also instructed that Cheng Zhaoyang’s mother, Xiong, be brought in.

Today was the day the results were announced, and since Cheng Zhaoyang was still in the county, several groups of people were sent to the more affordable inns to ask around; it wouldn’t take long to find him.

In just fifteen minutes, Cheng Zhaoyang was brought over by the constables.

He was already terrified, trembling with fear, his face drained of color, and his legs weak—he was being supported by the constables as they led him in.

Upon reaching the entrance of the courthouse, he was met with his first wave of attacks: a crowd of people pointing fingers and whispering about him.

Their disdainful expressions felt like needles pricking his face, igniting a painful fire.

In Changgan Town, he could manage to stay calm, thinking that if people pointed fingers at him, he could just stay indoors; after all, their accusations were more likely aimed at others.

Moreover, he was a bookkeeper and a scholar from that town. Although he hadn’t taken an examination in two years and his status was effectively non-existent, he still had a level of education that set him apart from the townspeople, giving him a somewhat higher social standing.

But in the county, it was entirely different.

Here, as he was being escorted in by the constables, he wished he could just sink into the ground and disappear, never to show his face again.

Yet he couldn’t; he had to be brought before the magistrate.

Once he entered the courtroom, Cheng Zhaoyang was still dazed when he suddenly saw three figures kneeling with their backs to him turn around. He was stunned, his eyes nearly bulging out in disbelief: “You—”

The bandits he had dreamt about repeatedly over the past few months were now actually standing before him!

Cheng Zhaoyang’s mental state was unraveling; at this point, he had completely abandoned any hope of getting away, not even noticing that Luo Qingli and Luo Yuzhi were present in the courtroom, facing away from him.

As the constable released his grip, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground without any strength, his mind consumed by just two words: it’s over.

The constable escorting him called out loudly, “Your Honor, Cheng Zhaoyang was very panicked when he was brought in, and his current behavior seems quite suspicious. He even let his brother, Cheng Zhaohua, try to save him. To avoid causing trouble, I took the liberty of bringing both of them along, but Cheng Zhaohua is not included in the questioning.”