CHAPTER 145: CHAPTER 145: NOT QUITE SATISFIED

Pei Yuanqing waved his folding fan dismissively. "Alright, alright, get up. The ignorant are innocent. Aren’t we supposed to be trying a case? Hurry up with it."

"Yes, yes, thank you, Prince Liang." The County Magistrate hastily wiped the sweat from his forehead, scrambled up from the ground, bowed, and said respectfully, "Prince Liang, please, take the seat of honor."

Pei Yuanqing snapped his fan shut and said with a smile, "Ah, you are the County Magistrate. You should preside. I’ll just listen."

With that, he walked over to a nearby chair designated for observers and sat down.

The County Magistrate, nearly scared out of his wits, paid his respects to Prince Liang and then tremblingly sat down in the high-backed armchair.

At this moment, Zhao Dong’s family was stunned to hear him addressed as Prince Liang. They never imagined he was actually a prince!

Only then did Zhao Dong belatedly recall that the current empress regent was surnamed Pei. Before her, the Xiao Clan had ruled. The current sovereign was the late emperor’s empress.

Because the late emperor had been frail, the empress had begun to rule from behind the curtain. Her political acumen was remarkable, and eventually, she ascended the throne herself, much like Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty.

This Prince Liang, Pei Yuanqing, was apparently the empress’s nephew, enfeoffed as a prince of an imperial collateral branch.

In Zhao Dong’s mind, he had always assumed the Xiao Clan was still in power. Therefore, hearing the surname Pei hadn’t made him think of royalty.

The Qin Clan’s housekeeper was just as astonished as Zhao Dong’s family. He never imagined he would provoke a prince this time! Things are looking dire!

At this point, the County Magistrate began to try the case.

"Zhao Dong, the housekeeper of the Qin Clan accuses you of stealing their architectural design plans. Do you plead guilty?"

Zhao Dong, kneeling on the ground, stated, neither servile nor overbearing, "Your Honor, this humble one does not plead guilty!"

The County Magistrate instinctively reached to slam his wooden gavel, but just as he lifted it, he remembered Prince Liang’s presence. After a subconscious glance in the prince’s direction, he set the gavel back down and coughed lightly. "Audacious Zhao Dong! With both witnesses and material evidence present, do you still intend to deny the charge?"

Zhao Dong remained perfectly composed and replied methodically, "Your Honor, this humble one is not lying. The design plans are indeed mine, and I also have witnesses and material evidence!"

The County Magistrate looked back at Prince Liang, only to see him resting his chin on his hand, watching leisurely with an amused smile. "You may continue," Prince Liang said lightly.

Only then did the County Magistrate strike his wooden gavel. "Where are these witnesses and material evidence?"

Zhao Dong replied, "Your Honor, my witness is the foreman I hired, Zhang Jinbao. He is currently waiting outside the courtroom."

Shopkeeper Wang hadn’t been arrested. So, after Zhao Dong’s family, Sir Feng, and even Prince Liang were taken into custody, he had gone to the new house construction site to find Zhang Jinbao.

The two of them were now waiting outside the courtroom.

Hearing they were to testify for Zhao Dong, Shi Tou and Zhang Qiang had also come along. Now, a large group of people was kneeling outside the courtroom.

The County Magistrate announced loudly, "Bring the witness Zhang Jinbao into the main hall!"

Soon, two bailiffs brought Zhang Jinbao in, accompanied by Zhao Shitou.

Both knelt behind Zhao Dong, bowed their heads, and said, "This humble one, Zhang Jinbao (Zhao Shitou), pays respects to the County Magistrate."

After kowtowing, Zhang Jinbao began to speak in detail. "County Magistrate, I am a witness. Zhao Dong gave me the design plans two months ago. Many of the revisions on them were made after I discussed them with Zhao Dong. Then, one night, my house was suddenly burglarized, and the design plans were stolen. Zhao Dong didn’t blame me; instead, he drew another copy for us. All the workers building the house can testify to this."

Shi Tou also quickly chimed in, "Yes, County Magistrate, we can all testify. These design plans truly belong to Zhao Dong’s family."

The County Magistrate banged his gavel, looked at Housekeeper Qin, and asked solemnly, "Housekeeper Qin, do you have anything to say?"

With Prince Liang present, Housekeeper Qin was somewhat unnerved. He bowed and said, "Your Honor, I also have a witness who can prove that these design plans were purchased by my master for a sum of money. Please allow my witness to be brought before the court."

Soon, Housekeeper Qin’s witness was brought in. He was a middle-aged man with a bulbous nose, and he had the look of a shifty character.

After kneeling and paying his respects to the County Magistrate, the man said, "Your Honor, I was the one who sold the design plans to Landlord Qin..."

Before he could finish, Pei Yuanqing suddenly coughed lightly. This startled the County Magistrate so much that he fumbled, nearly dropping his gavel on the table. He quickly stood up and looked at Prince Liang.

Pei Yuanqing then yawned and said, "Ah, trying cases is so dull. Let’s wrap this up quickly. Magistrate Li, does your yamen have any... effective means to make people tell the truth swiftly?"

Magistrate Li swallowed subconsciously and quickly replied, "Yes, yes, we do."

He was sweating bullets! Prince Liang means to have Qin’s witness tortured!

Pei Yuanqing leaned back in his chair. "Well, why haven’t you used them yet? This Prince’s time is limited!"

"Yes, yes."

Magistrate Li nodded repeatedly, then banged his gavel. "Men! First, take Wang Xiao’er away and give him twenty heavy strokes of the paddle!"

Wang Xiao’er was dragged away, wailing, followed by the sounds of paddling and screams from outside.

Prince Liang’s brazen maneuver completely baffled Housekeeper Qin. He stared at Magistrate Li in disbelief and demanded, "My Lord! Why torture my witness and not Zhao Dong’s witnesses?"

A ring of sweat beaded on Magistrate Li’s forehead. Why are you asking me? Ask Prince Liang! But he didn’t dare. He could only strike his gavel sternly and declare loudly, "Silence in the court! This official is conducting a trial! How dare you question me!"

Housekeeper Qin could only swallow his anger. "Yes, this servant knows his error."

Soon, before even twenty strokes were complete, Wang Xiao’er’s voice came from outside, begging for mercy and confessing, "I confess! I confess! Stop hitting me! I’ll tell you everything!"

Prince Liang’s expression remained unchanged, showing no guilt whatsoever for coercing a confession. He waved his hand. "Alright, since he’s ready to confess, bring him in."

Then, Wang Xiao’er was carried in and dumped onto the courtroom floor. The area below his waist was already a patch of red. Zhao Zhitong tried to look, but Sun Mei covered her eyes.

Prince Liang waved his hand. "Alright, confess."

Wang Xiao’er tearfully confessed everything in detail. He recounted how he had stolen the design plans and sold them at a high price to Landlord Qin.

Wang Xiao’er kowtowed repeatedly. "My Lord, spare my life! Spare my life! This servant was just momentarily possessed!"

Housekeeper Qin couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Fortunately, this young man still cares about his old mother’s life and took all the blame upon himself.

Immediately, Housekeeper Qin adopted an expression of profound distress, pointed at Wang Xiao’er, and exclaimed, "You, Wang Xiao’er! How could I have trusted you so? You nearly made our master out to be a villain!"

Then, turning to Magistrate Li with a look of anguish, he said, "County Magistrate, we were wrong to trust this Wang Xiao’er! He truly deserves death! Thanks to the keen discernment of Prince Liang and yourself, County Magistrate, I wasn’t duped by this scoundrel’s plot!"

At this, Zhao Zhitong was fuming, glaring at Housekeeper Qin. Even as a three-year-old—no, a five-year-old—I can see that Wang Xiao’er is just a scapegoat!

However, since Wang Xiao’er adamantly insisted it was all his own fault, and with no other evidence, the matter could only be left unresolved.

Ultimately, the case concluded with Wang Xiao’er being imprisoned and the Zhao family released without charge.

It was a thoroughly unsatisfactory conclusion.