In the yamen, a large crowd from the Tian family arrived, wailing and carrying on. However, the magistrate of Donglin County was no pushover. Despite being a scholar, he possessed a rugged spirit.
With a slam of the gavel, the constables drew their swords and cleared the hall of all irrelevant individuals.
Only the village chief of Tianjia Village, the village chief of Bozi Village, the elderly couple from the Tian family, and the parties involved in the case remained.
Yuan Bufeng, the magistrate of Donglin County, wore a furious expression. Looking at the upright individuals below, he had already sentenced the Tian family to death in his heart.
Whom could they have provoked, but his elder brother.
Was this not like a fat pig running into a butcher's house, seeking death?
"This official is aware of the entire sequence of events in this case. According to the Great Jing's criminal law, when a victim of trespassing or home invasion is harmed, they are fully justified in resisting and defending themselves. The perpetrator's life and death are by fate! The Tian family brought this upon themselves!"
The entire hall erupted in an uproar!
What the magistrate, with his golden mouth and jade teeth, declared must be true. Such a criminal law existed?
For a moment, the Tian family members standing outside were dumbfounded.
The village chief of Bozi Village looked at Xiao Shan, who stood tall and composed, in astonishment. Was it true? The Tian family died in vain?
"I am not satisfied! My son is innocent, Your Honor, please investigate! It was Xiao Shan who disregarded human life and harmed my daughter first. My son was merely seeking justice for his sister. Who knew this person was so vicious! He is from a bandit background. Your Honor, please investigate!"
A bandit background?
Bandit your mother!
Yuan Bufeng was furious, "Old Madam Tian! Are you saying this official's judgment is muddled? It seems you will not shed tears until you see the coffin! Du Ling, bring out the evidence of the crimes committed by those three Tian family culprits in the past few years to show everyone who the real bandits are!"
"Yes, Your Honor!"
Du Ling threw a stack of papers to the village chief of Tianjia Village.
"Over the past three years, the three brothers Tian Dahu have harmed fifty-six villagers in the surrounding areas of Donglin County. Fifteen of them suffered lifelong disabilities, three lost their reproductive capacity, and five virtuous women were insulted. Three of them, unable to bear the humiliation, took their own lives."
The village chief of Tianjia Village turned pale. He knew what the Tian family had done without even looking. He had originally intended to help them frame Xiao Shan, but unexpectedly, the magistrate did not even bother to conduct a trial.
He immediately prostrated himself on the ground, "Your Honor, the Tian family are scoundrels. Your judgment is correct."
With the magistrate so well-prepared, there was no room for maneuver. Even the manager of the gambling house dared not step forward; how could he?
"Village Chief! How can you say that? They are your nephews!" Madam Tian cried, "My four children, three dead and one injured, why should they die in vain! I want Xiao Shan to pay with his life!"
"Pay with his life? You shrew! What are you? The foundation is rotten, and the upper beams are crooked. If the elders are not good, how can they raise good offspring? Those four little beasts went to someone else's house to commit evil, and they deserve to die! This official respects the laws of the Great Jing. The laws are set by the Emperor. To question the laws is to question the Emperor. Disrespecting the Emperor is punishable by extermination of the nine kindred!"
The village chief of Tianjia Village kowtowed frantically.
"Your Honor, spare us! This has nothing to do with our Tian clan!"
"Hmph! Nothing to do with you? Did you bring so many villagers here to pressure this official?"
"Your Honor, your humble subject would never dare!"
The village chief of Tianjia Village directly prostrated himself on the ground, trembling. The Tian family members outside also knelt down in a rush.
Beside them, the scribe quietly reminded, "Your Honor, according to the law, trespassing and committing violence in a private residence is punished based on the severity of the circumstances. There is no provision for the homeowner's self-defense."
Yuan Bufeng sneered, "Scribe, you should read the new criminal law more diligently!"
The scribe's face stiffened, and he panicked internally.
Could the criminal law have been revised?
His Honor came from the capital and had a high background, so he was well-informed. The law must have been revised, but they were still using the old criminal law here. Would His Honor think he was incompetent?
Yuan Bufeng smiled maliciously, "Old Madam Tian, you misspoke just now. It wasn't three dead and one injured, but three dead and one injured. Besides your troublesome daughter, all three of your sons are gone!"
His elder brother's martial arts were not something these commoners could withstand. Dying at his brother's hands was their honor.
"Ugh—" The old couple from the Tian family let out a strange cry, their eyes rolled back, and they fainted.
Tian Luhua was stunned.
"This official declares Xiao Shan innocent. Tian Luhua will be severely beaten with thirty planks and expelled. All of the Tian family's property that is identified as ill-gotten gains will be confiscated! If there is any attempt at revenge, the entire Tianjia Village will be held jointly responsible! Court dismissed!"
"Xiao Shan! As per custom, before the case is officially recorded, this official must conduct a final investigation to prevent any wrongful convictions. Du Ling, accompany me."
Xiao Shan frowned and glanced at Yuan Bufeng secretly.
"Yes, Your Honor."
In Bozi Village, a group of villagers were discussing. Liu Donghuai, returning from studying by the river, was stopped by a villager.
"Scholar, something happened at Hunter Xiao's house at the foot of the mountain. Do you know?"
Although it was a question, the villagers knew he wouldn't know and continued, "You study in the city. Have you learned any law? I heard that if a villain who trespasses into a private residence is killed by the homeowner, the homeowner is innocent, right?"
Liu Donghuai's expression changed, "What happened?"
A circle of villagers started explaining, each speaking over the other.
The more Liu Donghuai listened, the angrier he became, his face almost contorted into a mask of rage. "They deserved to die! Outsiders dare to come to our village and harm people! Do they think our village is easily bullied?"
Liu Donghuai was a refined scholar. Although he didn't often appear in the village, he always greeted them kindly when they met. The villagers had never seen him like this before.
It was as if his own family had been wronged.
But what he said was similar to Xiao Shan's words. The villagers, remembering Xiao Shan calling them cowards, felt a pang of shame.
"Then, Scholar, is Xiao Shan really innocent?"
Liu Donghuai was taken aback.
As far as he knew, he should be guilty.
However, he was not proficient in the law and might have misremembered.
"I don't know about that."
He looked worriedly towards the foot of the mountain, made some perfunctory remarks to the villagers, and hurried away.
...
On the way back, Du Ling and the village chief Liu Cheng walked behind, instructed by their superior to inquire about the case again.
Meanwhile, Xiao Shan and Yuan Bufeng walked ahead. From a distance, both were tall figures, and it seemed as if his superior was subtly overshadowed by the hunter.
Du Ling was secretly startled.
"Big Brother, the Second Prince has gone to the frontier, and the capital is in chaos," Yuan Bufeng said casually.
"It has nothing to do with me."
"I never thought the Emperor would abandon even his most beloved prince. Truly, the Emperor's heart is unfathomable. I heard the Second Prince offended the Emperor for the sake of his sister, Princess Lingyao, and went to the frontier to try and rescue Princess Lingyao from the Tujue."
"Speaking of Princess Lingyao, she is truly peculiar. Born to the Empress, pampered and precious, yet she has always been kept hidden due to poor health. And what happened? Heh heh, she was sent for a political marriage. I suspect if such a person truly exists, or if the Emperor found a substitute to pose as the princess, and perhaps that person is the Second Prince's beloved?"
Yuan Bufeng couldn't help but snap his fingers at his own cleverness, increasingly convinced it was highly probable!
"However, it doesn't quite add up. It is said that Princess Lingyao has always lived in the highest and most luxurious building in the imperial palace, for more than ten years. The Emperor couldn't have found a fake princess more than ten years ago, right?"
Yuan Bufeng shook his head again, negating his own speculation.
Xiao Shan's gaze paused, and he stopped walking.
He remembered.
He remembered where the sense of familiarity came from when he first saw Xue Niang!