After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

Chapter 73 Deciding the Case

"Alright, you can go to the government office and talk to the magistrate if you have anything to say."

The bailiff urged impatiently.

Before the constables came to arrest him, Gu Lin gave Lin Xiaoyao a look, and then walked towards the constables.

Seeing that Gu Lin, a young man, was powerless to fight back, and that a lot of silver had just been handed to him, the head constable ordered, "Don't really take him into custody, just keep a close eye on him."

The other officers did the same, not touching Gu Lin, but letting him walk in front while they followed behind, pretending to escort him.

On the way to the government office, Gu Lin appeared calm and collected, but in his heart he kept thinking about who he had offended, which led to the other party not only sending people to frame him, but also filing a lawsuit against him in the government office.

However, Gu Lin still couldn't come up with an idea after thinking it over and over.

Seeing Gu Lin being taken away by the constables, Lin Xiaoyao and Yu Ercheng quickly turned around to look for Sister Zhao.

Upon learning from Lin Xiaoyao and the other person that Haoyunlou had been sued and Gu Lin had been arrested by the yamen runners, Zhao's sister-in-law asked in disbelief, "What happened? Why was Haoyunlou suddenly sued and Lin-ge'er arrested?"

Lin Xiaoyao tried her best to remain calm and explained to Sister Zhao, "Our Good Fortune Restaurant is doing too well, which has attracted envy and made us a target. Whether it's people coming to cause trouble or suing us in court, it's probably the same group of people who did it."

“Now that the boss has been taken away, we must not panic and must keep things under control,” Lin Xiaoyao said.

"Yeah!"

Sister-in-law Zhao immediately snapped out of her daze and hurriedly said, "We have to help Brother Lin stabilize the situation."

After calming down, Sister Zhao began to think of a solution, and her three years of experience in handling things on her own were not in vain.

A moment later, Zhao's wife turned to Ercheng and said, "Ercheng, go to the prefectural school immediately and find Zheng Hao. Tell him that Lin Ge'er has been taken away by the government. Zheng Hao is steady and resourceful, and he will surely have a solution."

Upon hearing this, Yu Ercheng immediately turned around and left the restaurant, driving his oxcart towards the prefectural school.

Then, Sister Zhao looked at Lin Xiaoyao, who took the initiative to speak: "The farce just now will definitely make many diners in Good Luck Restaurant suspicious of us. Sister Zhao, we must first appease the guests and make them believe in us."

Sister-in-law Zhao nodded and said, "I'll go and appease the guests. You go and calculate how much money is left in the Good Fortune Restaurant's accounts. Lin-ge'er's trip to the government will inevitably cost money for bribes. Later, I'll have your brother Zhao go to see Young Master Fang. We need to prepare for the worst."

No one knew the darkness of the government better than Sister Zhao.

Previously, without the help of Lin Ge'er and Zheng Hao, Zhao Dagen would have been rendered speechless and crippled by the petty officials.

After discussing their plan, the two split up.

Provincial school.

Just after school ended, a man walked into the Earth Class and came up to Zheng Hao, saying, "Student Zheng, there is a man outside named Yu Ercheng looking for you. He says he is a servant in your household and has something urgent to discuss with you."

Zheng Hao, who was sitting in his seat and slowly packing his book box, immediately stood up after hearing what the other person said.

His expression remained calm and composed, but his act of forgetting Peng Zhizhi and the other two and walking straight out revealed that he was not at peace.

Zheng Hao's footsteps were as swift as a storm, and he disappeared from the school gate in no time.

Peng Zhizhi and the Zhen brothers exchanged a glance, then got up and caught up with Zheng Hao.

After leaving the school, Zheng Hao's calm and gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by a somber expression.

Zheng Hao had not yet met Yu Ercheng and was unaware of what had happened at home. However, given Uncle Zhao's personality, he would not send anyone to the prefectural school to find him casually. Even if there was something important, he would have called Uncle Zhao over.

The fact that Yu Ercheng was sent this time means that Uncle Gu must have encountered a very difficult situation.

Zheng Hao raised his eyes, a dark look appearing in them.

It's even quite possible that something happened to Uncle Gu himself.

Stepping out of the academy gate, Yu Ercheng craned his neck to look inside, but couldn't see anyone. After waiting for a long time, he finally saw his young master.

Yu Ercheng rushed forward and said anxiously to Zheng Hao, "Young Master, the master has been arrested by the yamen runners."

Zheng Hao's expression turned completely somber, and his already dark eyes became even darker.

Zheng Hao said, "Explain the whole story clearly."

Zheng Hao's voice was extremely cold. In the past, Yu Ercheng had never heard his young master's voice, which was as cold as ice, before his employer.

In particular, the other party's expression at this moment was extremely terrifying.

Zheng Hao lifted his leg and walked towards the oxcart, and Yu Ercheng followed, talking as they walked.

After Er Cheng explained the whole story to Zheng Hao, just as he was about to whip the oxcart, a loud shout came from behind: "Brother Zheng!"

Zheng Hao turned his head and looked at the three people walking towards him.

government.

As they approached the government office, the bailiff turned to the officers and ordered, "Take him away."

Without confronting them directly, Gu Lin was escorted into the government office by their force.

The journey was smooth and unimpeded. Gu Lin arrived at the main hall and saw a man in official robes sitting under a plaque that read "Upright and Honest."

Then, Gu Lin was forced to kneel down by the yamen runners.

The head constable stepped forward and respectfully replied to the man above him, "Reporting to your Excellency, I have brought the suspect here."

The prefect said, "Alright, you may leave."

The constables withdrew.

Suddenly, the gavel slammed down, and the magistrate shouted at Gu Lin, "Gu, the ingredients at Haoyunlou Restaurant were of inferior quality, causing customers to suffer from food poisoning? Do you plead guilty?"

Gu Lin's heart sank slightly upon hearing this.

Previously, he had been to court to help Zhao Dagen argue with the officials and knew that the interrogation process was not like that.

He had just entered the room. According to procedure, the judge should have questioned him and collected evidence first, rather than directly charging him with a crime and intending to convict him.

Gu Lin said to the magistrate, "Your Honor, I am innocent. The ingredients in my restaurant are always freshly purchased, and it is impossible for me to use inferior ingredients. Please investigate this matter thoroughly."

"You're still being stubborn! Do you know that the entire family of the person who filed the lawsuit against you suffered from food poisoning after eating at Haoyunlou Restaurant? They're still lying behind the government building receiving treatment from doctors. You've been harming your customers for the sake of the restaurant's profits, acting like a heartless businessman, and you still refuse to admit your guilt?"

The magistrate said, "If you confess your guilt, I can be lenient with you since you know your mistakes and are willing to correct them. But if you refuse to listen to reason and insist on punishment, I will punish you severely without mercy!"

The gavel struck again.

Gu Lin lowered his eyes slightly, his thoughts were clear, and he said calmly, "I beg you, sir, to do me justice! I have been wronged! In court, both the plaintiff and the defendant are always present. I beg you, sir, to summon the plaintiff so that I can testify against him in court and clear my name."

The magistrate lowered his voice and shouted, "Young man, how dare you question my actions? If you weren't so heartless as to poison the complainant and leave him bedridden, why wouldn't I summon the complainant to confront you?"

Throughout the entire text, the magistrate was clearly biased towards the plaintiff, giving Gu Lin absolutely no chance to defend himself.

The young man below was quick-witted and sharp-tongued. The magistrate's face darkened as he said, "Now that the evidence is conclusive, what else do you have to say, Gu?"

"Somebody come!"

The two constables stepped forward and said, "Here we are!"

The magistrate ordered, "With the evidence irrefutable, Gu still refuses to confess. Give him a good beating and see if he will tell the truth."

Confessions obtained through torture.

Four words appeared in Gu Lin's mind.

Gu Lin had already suspected that the magistrate was biased towards the plaintiff, and now he was completely certain.

The other party doesn't care whether he's innocent or not, because even if he is innocent, they will still accuse him of a crime.

Gu Lin said loudly, "Although there are witnesses, there is no physical evidence. According to the laws of our dynasty, a defendant can only be convicted if both witnesses and physical evidence are present."

"Now that physical evidence is lacking, I am still innocent. The accuser falsely accused Haoyunlou of using inferior ingredients. Fortunately, I take samples from Haoyunlou's ingredients every day. You can send your officers to Haoyunlou to retrieve the evidence before convicting me."

As soon as Gu Lin finished speaking, the magistrate's expression darkened slightly. However, with so many people watching outside, even he had to go through this process.

The magistrate ordered his subordinates, "Men, go to Good Fortune Tower and retrieve the evidence!"

After giving his instructions, the magistrate's gaze fell on Gu Lin, and he ordered the bailiffs, "Gu has no respect for hierarchy and shows contempt for the court. Men, drag him away and give him ten strokes of the cane as a warning to others."

Ten strokes of the cane may seem like a small number, but if a real beating were to occur, it would be a very severe punishment.

If the executioners used all their strength to deliver those ten strokes, they could tear even the toughest man's skin to shreds.

Correspondingly, if these ten strokes were to fall on a delicate and frail young man, it's uncertain whether he would be able to withstand them while still conscious.

The bailiffs stepped forward, lifted Gu Lin, and dragged him toward the long bench where he was to be tortured.

The long bench had been used by countless people, its surface shiny with oil. Gu Lin was forced to lie on it, his cheek pressed tightly against the bench.

Biting his lip, Gu Lin warned himself that he had to stay awake if he didn't want to be forced to confess after fainting.

Standing behind Gu Lin, the yamen runner looked cold and fierce as he raised the cane in his hand high and swung it down.

Gu Linyu's eyelashes trembled incessantly, yet she still insisted on keeping her eyes open.

Just as it was about to land, someone burst in and shouted, "Stop!"

The constable stopped and turned around.

The prefect glared at the aide who had barged in and angrily rebuked him, "You dare to barge into the courtroom like this? Do you want to be flogged too?"

The aide was not intimidated. As he walked toward the magistrate, he said, "My lord, you mustn't hit him!"

The prefect glared at him, and his aide quickly stepped forward and whispered a few words in his ear.

A moment later, the prefect's expression changed.

He turned to his aides and said, "I'm merely punishing a disrespectful young man; does the prefect have to interfere?"

The aide said, "The prefect said a few months ago that he wanted to reopen old cases from many years ago, cases of wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice. Why do you have to go against the grain and displease the prefect?"

The prefect's face darkened: "He is the prefect, and I am a prefect, only one rank apart. Do I have to defer to him to deal with an ordinary citizen?"

The advisor earnestly advised, "Sir, you have worked with the Prefect for many years, don't you know his character? If he were good at interpersonal relationships, how could he have been sent away by the main family for so many years and not been able to return to the capital? No matter how little the main family values ​​him, he is still a member of the Zhen family. If the Zhen family in the capital remembers him and gives him an important position, wouldn't it be better for you to do him a favor and befriend him? Why offend them openly!"

"Besides, the eldest son is getting older and needs you to help him build connections in officialdom. Why jeopardize his future for someone who is not worth it?"

The prefect's expression shifted; clearly, his advisor's words had struck a chord with him.

The one who wanted to deal with Gu Lin was his concubine's younger brother. Although he called him "brother-in-law," it was just a polite way of putting him. What he valued most was his legitimate son, the most outstanding heir whom he and his wife from a prestigious family had raised together. He was the hope of their entire family.

Let alone his brother-in-law, even he himself would have to step aside if he were blocking his son's future.

The prefect said to his staff, "You're right, but how are we going to clean this up now that things have come to this?"

He was only focused on quickly convicting Gu Lin, so his actions were hasty and many parts couldn't withstand scrutiny. He never intended to let Gu Lin live, and now that he wanted to let him go, he needed to find a plausible reason.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain to the prefect.

The advisor said, "My lord, the one who tied the knot must untie it. Whoever caused this problem should be the one to solve it."

Understanding the other party's meaning, the prefect thought of his son on whom he had placed high hopes, and said hard-heartedly, "You are right."

Seeing that the prefect had agreed, a hint of schadenfreude flashed in the eyes of the staff.

He had long disliked the younger brother of the magistrate's concubine. The magistrate's wife would address him as "Sir," yet the younger brother of a concubine dared to act arrogantly in front of him.

Normally, when the other party causes trouble outside, he has a good older sister who whispers sweet nothings in the ear of the prefect. Now that he has run into a brick wall, let's see who will protect him.

The magistrate said in a deep voice, "Bring up the plaintiff, Sun Yang!"

Then, the magistrate turned to Gu Lin and ordered the bailiffs, "There is new progress in the case. Put the defendant down."

Although Gu Lin did not understand what had happened, he guessed that it must have been because Zhao's wife and the others had been working hard for him that the judge, who originally wanted to convict him, changed his mind.

A moment later, two constables brought up a man.

The man, looking completely bewildered, entered the courtroom and called out to the prefect above him, "Brother-in-law..."

Before he could finish speaking, the magistrate interrupted, "Insolence! How dare you make such accusations in court?!"

Sun Yang was terrified to see his brother-in-law, who used to be so kind to him, suddenly change his attitude.

At this moment, the yamen runners who had been sent by the magistrate to collect evidence from Haoyunlou returned with the physical evidence.

The prefect ordered, "Summon the coroner."

Soon after, the coroner arrived at the courtroom, first bowed to the presiding judge, and then examined the physical evidence.

The magistrate asked, "Is there a problem with the physical evidence?"

The coroner turned around and replied, "Reporting to you, sir, the physical evidence is normal and there are no problems."

The magistrate narrowed his eyes and looked at Gu Lin, saying, "After my investigation, it has been found that Haoyunlou was framed and falsely accused. There is no problem with the ingredients, and the owner of Haoyunlou is also innocent. He is hereby released without charge."

"Thank you for your keen insight, Lord Xie," Gu Lin said.

"No, sister... sir, Gu Lin clearly bought cheap and inferior ingredients, why didn't you punish him severely, but instead let him go?" Sun Yang pressed Gu Lin, refusing to let him go.

He wanted to save the other person's life, but some people just like to seek their own death. As the prefectural magistrate, he was already being watched closely by everyone in the prefectural city. The other person usually acted lawlessly outside, and he had already done his best to smooth things over for him so many times.

The magistrate announced, “Sun Yang has disregarded the law and maliciously colluded with others to falsely accuse the owner of Haoyunlou. According to our dynasty’s laws, ‘false accusation is punished in kind,’ so Sun Yang, as the one who made the false accusation, must bear the same punishment as the one who was falsely accused. Twenty strokes of the cane and one year of penal servitude, to be carried out immediately!”

"No, brother-in-law!"

Upon hearing the address, the prefect's eyes flashed with ruthlessness as he said, "Sun Yang is spouting nonsense. To prevent him from arbitrarily implicating innocent people, guards, gag him and give him a good beating!"