Chapter 84 has such a twist!
Chapter 84 has such a twist!
Xia Mo stood protectively beside her mother, while Xia Erge and Xia Sange closely guarded Xia Mo and her mother, blocking anyone who approached from behind.
"You're too tall. You should stand back. You're blocking my view," said one of the onlookers whose view was blocked by Xia Erge.
Brother Xia turned his head with a serious expression and glanced at the person who had spoken.
Brother Xia's face was so serious that anyone who was looked at immediately shut up, lowered their head, and dared not utter a sound.
Wei Zhishu was being watched by Jiang Feng, who was not allowed to make any underhanded moves, but he still came and sat in the audience area of the court, trying to use this method to deprive Magistrate Chu of his power.
Wei Zhishu glanced at Xia Mo, who was guarding outside the courtroom, and felt a faint pang in his heart.
Even after Wei Zhishu figured out some things, he still couldn't quite believe it.
Is it because he tried to take Xia Mo by force that he has chest pain and body aches?
Even so, he didn't want to give up.
In court—
Magistrate Chu slammed his gavel down with a loud "crack," and the constables standing in rows on both sides rhythmically struck their batons, creating an intimidating atmosphere that silenced everyone inside and outside the courtroom.
"Bring the criminals Xia Kaoshan and Xia Shenggen to the court!"
Upon hearing the word "criminal," Xia's mother, second brother, and third brother all turned pale.
The magistrate said that Xia's father and elder brother are criminals. Does this mean he believes they are the murderers? Then... can they leave the courtroom unpunished?
Xia's mother, Xia's second brother, and Xia's third brother felt a chill emanating from their bones and couldn't stop shivering.
Xia Mo reached out and took her mother's hand, whispering, "It's alright, nothing will happen..."
Magistrate Chu took out the document, read it aloud, and made it clear to everyone inside and outside the court what crimes Xia Kaoshan and Xia Shenggen had committed.
Those who were waiting outside the yamen to listen in pointed and whispered about Xia's father and elder brother.
"One cannot be deceived by appearances; it is truly impossible to tell what kind of person someone is."
"..."
As she listened to the words of those around her condemning Xia's father and eldest brother, Xia's mother's face turned ugly.
Xia Mo reached out and grasped Xia's mother's hand, lowered her eyes, and extended her spiritual power outwards.
Magistrate Chu followed the trial procedure meticulously.
After explaining the full details of the case, the questioning began.
"Who is kneeling before me?!"
"Summer relies on the mountain."
“Xia Shenggen”.
Xia's father and elder brother answered with grim expressions.
Their hearts, too, turned ice-cold.
They've already been convicted, so... is it possible for them to clear their names?
Xia's father and elder brother's eyes gradually became numb.
"Criminals, Xia Kaoshan and Xia Shenggen, do you plead guilty?!" Magistrate Chu demanded.
Father Xia and his elder brother shook their heads, shouting in unison, "We are innocent! We didn't do that! We are innocent! We are innocent..."
"boom--"
"quiet!"
Magistrate Chu slammed his gavel and shouted an order.
Xia's father and elder brother gritted their teeth and shut their mouths.
"Bring the witness, Sun Zheng, up here!"
It was Sun Zheng who testified that Xia's father and elder brother killed the thug, and it was also because of the witness Sun Zheng that Xia's father and elder brother were convicted of murder.
Witness Sun Zheng kept swallowing his saliva as he was led to the courtroom by the constables.
"Who is in the hall?"
“I am Sun Zheng, a humble citizen,” Sun Zheng knelt down on the ground with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly to Magistrate Chu.
Before the trial even began, Sun Zheng, who had been brought in earlier and was still able to remain calm, was now in a state of extreme panic.
"Forty days ago, on October 15th, you personally witnessed Xia Kaoshan and Xia Shenggen murdering Zhao Daniu. Is that true?! In court, there is no room for lying. If you are found to have given false testimony, you will be guilty of the same crime as a murderer!"
Magistrate Chu was merely going through the motions, reciting the usual trial script, but he never expected...
Upon hearing this, Sun Zheng was terrified that if he were found to have given false testimony, he would be guilty of the same crime as a murderer. He immediately prostrated himself on the ground.
“This humble subject dares not, this humble subject has no such thing, this humble subject…” Sun Zheng lay on the ground, trembling.
“If you step forward and confess now, you will only be punished with caning. If you continue to give false testimony, you will be sentenced to death if it is found out later,” Xia Mo shouted into the courtroom.
Magistrate Chu looked at the people standing at the front of the courtroom and immediately noticed Xia Mo, whose face was covered.
Magistrate Chu shouted, "No more shouting in court!"
Xia Mo immediately nodded in agreement and obediently replied, "Yes."
She's already shouted what she wanted to shout, and she's achieved her goal. So there's nothing wrong with acting cute now.
Upon hearing this, Sun Zheng was later found to have committed a crime equivalent to murder, and he trembled with fear like a leaf falling in the autumn wind.
That is, at this moment—
Then a new change occurred.
“Sir… Xia Shenggen was with me that day waiting for temporary workers… I can vouch for him, he… stayed in the alley where people were waiting for workers all day, he didn’t leave.”
Suddenly, shouts rang out outside the courtroom.
Xia's mother, Xia's second brother, and Xia's third brother all looked at Zhou Zhi, who had squeezed to the front of the crowd.
Zhou Zhi agreed at first, then went back on his word and said a bunch of nonsense, which angered Xia's mother, second brother, and third brother. Now... Zhou Zhi, for some reason, has stepped forward again.
Xia Mo's eyes darted around, scrutinizing Zhou's system.
"Who are you?"
Magistrate Chu was taken aback by this unexpected turn of events and immediately questioned him.
Zhou Zhi nervously swallowed, his steps trembling as he stepped over the high threshold of the courtroom, entered, and knelt before Magistrate Chu.
Zhou Zhi first introduced himself, and then said again: "I dare to swear on my life that Xia Shenggen stayed with me in the alley where people were waiting for jobs that day. Except for the short time I left to relieve myself, I was there the whole time."
The magistrate of Chu County looked at Zhou Zhi and demanded of Sun Zheng, "Witness, what do you have to say?"
Sun Zheng originally wanted to get away with it, but now that Zhou Zhi had stepped forward to testify for Xia Kaoshan and Xia Yougen, he was terrified and dared not try to fool them anymore.
“This humble citizen…this humble citizen…someone paid me to come forward and testify against them for murder,” Sun Zheng cried as he lay on the ground and told the truth.
Before long, a foul odor emanated from where Sun Zheng was, filling the entire courtroom.
Sun Zheng was so scared he wet himself!
Magistrate Chu was stunned, not expecting such a twist in the case, until the stench of urine brought him back to his senses.
"Sun Zheng, is your previous testimony against Xia Kaoshan and Xia Shenggen true?!" Wei Zhishu couldn't sit still any longer and shouted.
Sun Zheng was filled with fear that he had given false testimony, and he fainted from fright while lying on the ground!
After being woken up by the water, Sun Zheng began to beg for mercy.
"A Taoist priest gave me money and asked me to come out and testify. I was blinded by greed, I know I was wrong... I know I was wrong, sob sob sob..."
The magistrate of Chu County, along with those inside and outside the courtroom, could see everything clearly.
"A Taoist priest?"
Xia's mother, Xia's father, Xia's eldest brother, Xia's second brother, and Xia's third brother, not understanding the situation, showed confused and bewildered expressions.
They didn't understand, and couldn't comprehend, when they had offended the Taoist priest!
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