novelaction Chapter 84 The Sufferer
Chapter 84 The Sufferer
"and many more!"
Yin Nantian slowly stood up and looked down at Song Zhongwen.
To everyone's surprise, Yin Nantian calmly said, "Lord Song, I didn't hear what Wei Xiuying said just now."
Liu Shan grinned broadly; this Yin Nantian was just his type!
Li Polu was initially startled, then shook his head and chuckled.
Li Wanqing was stunned, then her face lit up with hope, as if she had seen a glimmer of hope.
Song Bowen was also stunned. He looked anxiously at his second brother, as if he had something to say.
The most surprised person was definitely Song Zhongwen. He never expected that a dignified prefect would actually cheat, and his face immediately turned ashen.
However, when it comes to shamelessness, who can beat him?!
He still has this bit of confidence.
"Lord Yin, how could you be so naive? You don't really think I need to ask for your opinion, do you?"
Yin Nantian smiled slightly; he had long anticipated Song Zhongwen's smug and petty demeanor.
After all, in terms of official rank and real talent, Song Zhongwen was only fit to be his shoe-shiner.
Now, the only thing he fears is the secret order from the Dali Temple.
However, this secret order is not omnipotent; at least he has a way to break it for now.
"Lord Song, you don't need to care about my opinion, but you can't ignore the opinions of the people of Cangzhou, can you?"
As soon as Yin Nantian finished speaking, an uproar broke out in the crowd. The people discussed among themselves, clearly feeling sympathy for the Wei family's plight.
Song Zhongwen scoffed. In his view, when had the opinions of the people ever been important?
Just as he was about to ignore those words, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "The Wei family has brought prosperity to this region; how can they be wronged like this!"
Li Wanqing looked in the direction of the sound and found that it was Liu Shan hiding among the people, shouting and then moving to a different place.
A slight smile played on her lips; she hadn't expected him to be so clever.
Liu Shan's shout was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples.
Cangzhou was the fiefdom of the Prince of Kang. The people there were simple and honest, and they were known for their loyalty and strong sense of righteousness, as well as their xenophobia.
The actions of the people from the Dali Temple in the capital had already aroused dissatisfaction, and now the public was even more indignant.
Liu Shan's actions undoubtedly ignited their emotions, and the people responded enthusiastically, showing their support for the Wei family.
Song Zhongwen's face was gloomy. He looked around and saw that the people's voices were getting louder and louder, and the situation was becoming increasingly difficult to control.
At this moment, he regretted conducting the interrogation outside the government office. He had intended to use the opportunity to intimidate the people of Cangzhou, but unexpectedly, it backfired and aroused public resentment.
He originally wanted to forcefully send troops to suppress the resentment, but at this moment, public resentment was boiling over, and Yin Nantian was watching coldly. If he forced the suppression, he was afraid it would incite even greater public resentment.
In fact, Song Zhongwen didn't care about the extent of public resentment, but he was afraid that the people would lose their temper and rush up to beat him.
Song Zhongwen took a deep breath, barely suppressing his anger, and said in a deep voice, "Lord Yin, can't you see that the situation is about to get out of control? If you don't take measures soon, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Yin Nantian remained calm and composed, replying indifferently: "How can I, Yin, control the will of the people? Lord Song, why don't you listen to the voice of the people?"
At this moment, several people in the crowd shouted, "Clear the name of the Wei family!"
The calls for help rose and fell, and Song Zhongwen's expression grew increasingly grim. He silently weighed the options in his mind, wondering whether he should postpone the interrogation.
Taking the opportunity, Yin Nantian said, "Public opinion is like water, which can carry a boat but also capsize it. Lord Song should think it over carefully."
Song Zhongwen frowned, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his heart filled with hesitation.
Just as he was about to back down temporarily, Chiang Hsiao-yung suddenly stepped forward.
"Silence! Silence! Silence!"
He shouted three times, his voice booming like a bell, shaking the entire audience.
Nearly a hundred garrison soldiers acted swiftly upon receiving orders and quickly brought the situation under control. Although the civilians were unwilling, they could only suppress their anger for the time being when they saw the soldiers standing ready.
Jiang Xiaoyong's gaze turned cold as he turned to Song Zhongwen: "Lord Song, we have several aggrieved parties who have filed complaints. Could you bring them up to confront the Wei family in court?"
As soon as Jiang Xiaoyong finished speaking, a strange look flashed in Song Zhongwen's eyes, and he said repeatedly, "Good, good, since that's the case, let the aggrieved party and the Wei family confront each other in court and see if I have framed the Wei family!"
Jiang Xiaoyong nodded slightly, signaling his men to bring the victims forward.
"Wait!"
Yin Nantian suddenly spoke, his gaze sharp: "Lord Jiang, don't forget your place. As the commander of the garrison battalion, how can you arbitrarily interfere in judicial interrogations?"
Jiang Xiaoyong remained calm and said in a deep voice, "Lord Yin, I am the garrison commander of Cangzhou City, but I am also a citizen of the Xia Dynasty. It is my duty to maintain local peace. I cannot let the Wei family get away with this, nor can I let the innocent victims be wronged. I hope Lord Yin can understand."
Yin Nantian frowned slightly. He hadn't expected that the city's garrison would be the first to betray him. This was completely unexpected.
He remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded in agreement.
Liu Shan approached Li Polu again and asked in a low voice, "Father-in-law, who exactly is Jiang Xiaoyong close to?"
Li Polu glanced at him and said indifferently, "Jiang Xiaoyong is a very opportunistic person. He will side with whichever side is strong. He is only stepping forward now because he sees that the Song family is powerful and wants to take the opportunity to curry favor with them. After Song Zhongwen leaves, he will naturally repair his relationship with Yin Nantian."
Liu Shan's eyes widened. Wasn't Jiang Xiaoyong just a fence-sitter?
To put it nicely, it's called "judging the situation and assessing the circumstances"; to put it bluntly, it's being a two-faced scoundrel.
Liu Shan seemed to be deep in thought; it seemed that the waters of Cangzhou City were deeper than he had imagined.
Soon, several aggrieved victims dressed in plain clothes knelt before the court table with grief and indignation in their eyes and trembling voices: "The Wei family has harmed my relatives. We beg you, Your Honor, to do justice!"
The cries of these people were so heart-wrenching that they moved everyone present.
At this moment, a guard came to Yin Nantian's side and whispered a few words in his ear.
Yin Nantian's expression changed slightly as he stared at the aggrieved party, his heart filled with increasing complexity.
Seeing this, Liu Shan secretly thought to himself that these victims had probably really been robbed by Jia Qingyi.
If they insist that it was Wei who instigated it, Wei will probably find it difficult to escape punishment.
As Liu Shan had predicted, the victims tearfully recounted how Wei had instructed Jia Qingyi to rob them.
Wei Chu's face was pale. Although the Wei family had never instructed Jia Qingyi to commit the crime, the ambiguous relationship between his daughter and Jia Qingyi left him speechless.
Wei Chu tried to remain calm and argued, "My lord, there must be some misunderstanding. My Wei family has always been law-abiding. How could we do something so immoral?"
However, the victims' testimonies were irrefutable, and the delicate relationship between Jia Qingyi and Wei Xiuying made Wei Chu's defense seem weak and unconvincing.
Even the common people who were originally loyal to the Wei clan began to waver, whispering among themselves and revealing doubt and dissatisfaction in their eyes.
Song Zhongwen slammed his gavel and said coldly, "Wei Chu, the evidence is conclusive, yet you still dare to argue? If you do not plead guilty, do not blame me for being ruthless!"