Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

The next day at Chenshi (7-9 AM), at the entrance of the county government office.

The crowd of onlookers was so dense that they completely blocked the entrance to the county government office.

"Have you heard? Someone's going to sue Commander Wen!"

"Really? Who's so bold?"

"It seems to be Commander Pei's wife. She said Commander Wen arrested her father and even cut off his finger!"

"Hiss... This is a big deal!"

murmurs rose and fell among the crowd.

Inside the county government office, Magistrate Zhang sat in the courtroom, yawning incessantly.

He never expected that someone would come to beat the drum and appeal for justice so early in the morning, and that the person accusing him was Wen Xiujie!

"Court is in session!" the bailiff's voice rang out.

Shen Qiongju knelt below the hall, holding a wooden box in her hands.

Her face was pale, but she forced herself to kneel upright.

"Woman Shen Qiongju has filed a lawsuit against Commander Wen Xiujie for abusing his power, setting up a private court, and subjecting my father to vigilante justice!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire courtroom.

Magistrate Zhang frowned even more deeply. "Do you have any evidence?"

Shen Qiongju opened the wooden box with trembling hands and presented the severed finger.

"These are my father's fingers. Wen Xiujie's men cut them off and gave them to me to threaten me into submission!"

"And this too!"

She pulled a letter from her bosom; it was the threatening letter written by Wen Xiujie.

"This was written by Wen Xiujie himself!"

Below the hall, the onlookers gasped in surprise.

Magistrate Zhang took the evidence, his face growing increasingly grim.

The letter was indeed in Wen Xiujie's handwriting.

"absurd!"

Suddenly, an angry shout came from outside the door.

Wen Xiujie strode into the courtroom, his face contorted with anger. "Lord Zhang, this woman is twisting the truth and slandering me!"

"Her father, Shen Huaifeng, is suspected of smuggling government-owned salt. I have detained him in accordance with the law. How can this be considered an abuse of power?"

As he spoke, his gaze swept coldly over Shen Qiongju.

"As for the severed finger, who knows if she did it herself, trying to frame me!"

Shen Qiongju trembled with rage, but gritted her teeth. "Commander Wen, do you dare say my father wasn't imprisoned by you?"

"Do you dare say you didn't write this letter?"

Wen Xiujie sneered, his gaze on her like that of someone toying with a struggling lamb. "I did indeed imprison your father, but that was in accordance with the law!"

"As for this letter..."

He changed the subject, his gaze becoming playful.

"Lord Zhang, I would like to ask why Shen Qiongju received this letter?"

"Shouldn't she be keeping vigil at the Pei family's house?"

"How did you end up in Liangzhou Prefecture?"

Shen Qiongju's heart skipped a beat. She glared at him and cursed him inwardly for being despicable.

Wen Xiujie continued, "This humble official suspects that Shen Qiongju is involved in the case of her late husband, Pei Zhichao, committing treason!"

"Her complaint is just a ploy to divert attention and cover up the truth!"

"I happen to have her personally signed testimony here!"

He took the document out of his pocket and presented it to Magistrate Zhang.

"It's clearly written above that Pei Zhichao did indeed commit treason and collusion with the enemy, and Shen Qiongju is the witness!"

The courtroom erupted in uproar.

Just then, a clear voice came from outside the door.

"Lord Zhang, I have something to say." Pei Zhihui entered the courtroom.

He was dressed in a plain-colored long robe, his face was pale, but his steps were steady.

"Scholar Pei?"

Magistrate Zhang's eyelids twitched.

Pei Zhihui bowed to the court and said, "I have come here today to seek justice for my elder brother, Pei Zhichao. He was innocent and had never committed any treason or collusion with the enemy."

"The testimony given by Commander Wen was nothing more than something he forced upon me by threatening my sister-in-law's father with his life!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Wen Xiujie. "Commander Wen, do you dare say you didn't arrest Manager Shen?"

"You dare say you didn't cut off his fingers?"

"Dare you say you didn't use these methods to force my sister-in-law to sign?"

Three questions in a row left Wen Xiujie's face ashen. "You...you're talking nonsense!"

Pei Zhihui sneered, "Whether I'm lying or not, Lord Zhang knows perfectly well."

He turned to Magistrate Zhang, his voice not loud, but carrying a sense of pressure, "Magistrate Zhang, if I may be so bold as to ask, did Commander Wen's arrest of Manager Shen receive your approval?"

"Did he have an order from the magistrate to torture Manager Shen?"

"His unauthorized detention of civilians and use of vigilante justice—doesn't that constitute an abuse of power?"

Cold sweat beaded on Magistrate Zhang's forehead.

He knew, of course, that Wen Xiujie had arrested people without his approval, but he dared not offend Wen Xiujie.

But now, as his gaze swept over the crowd watching below, the whispering glances made his heart sink.

If this is not handled properly today, and word gets out that he is protecting other officials and colluding with the military and government, he will lose his job!

Moreover, he will be assessed and promoted after the New Year, and there must be no trouble at this critical juncture!

"Someone come here!"

Magistrate Zhang slammed his gavel.

"Detain Commander Wen for now, and I will make a decision after I have investigated the truth!"

Wen Xiujie's expression changed drastically, "Lord Zhang!"

"Take him away!" Magistrate Zhang said in a deep voice.

Two constables stepped forward and took Wen Xiujie away.

Shen Qiongju watched Wen Xiujie leave, and initially breathed a sigh of relief, but suddenly her gaze darkened because she saw that the direction he was being escorted was not the county jail.

.

The back hall of the county government office, the tea room.

Magistrate Zhang sat in his chair, his face grim.

Wen Xiujie stood before him, a flash of anger in his eyes. "Lord Zhang, what do you mean by this?"

Magistrate Zhang rubbed his temples. "Commander Wen, you were too impulsive."

"Why didn't you inform me before arresting and torturing people? Now look what's happened, you've given me a handle to use against you, and I'm in a difficult position to handle this."

Wen Xiujie sneered, "Is Lord Zhang afraid?"

Magistrate Zhang's face darkened. "It's not that I'm afraid, it's that I don't want to cause any unnecessary trouble!"

Wen Xiujie's eyes turned cold. "So what? Lord Zhang, we're in the same boat now."

"Pei Zhichao is dead, so this case must be classified as treason, otherwise it can't be closed. I heard you've gotten on good terms with Prefect Liu and will be promoted next year. Don't let this small case cause any problems."

"Since Madam Pei has already signed that statement, what difference does it make if you close the case?"

Magistrate Zhang said, "The woman in court has already denied her testimony. If she continues to deny it, there must be corroborating testimony to close the case."

Wen Xiujie's eyes were filled with disdain. "Those blueprints were personally given to you by Pei Zhichao's wife. Isn't that proof enough?"

"In that case, I'll help you solve the problem of this sickly scholar, Pei Zhihui."

Magistrate Zhang remained silent for a long while before saying, "Alright, then we'll have to rely on Commander Wen."

.

As the carriage rolled over the cobblestone road, the streetlights outside the carriage curtain lit up one by one.

Shen Qiongju leaned against the car wall, her fingertips digging into her palms, barely managing to maintain a calm expression, though the back of her shirt was already soaked with cold sweat.

"Have something to eat."

Pei Zhihui handed over an oil paper package, his voice unusually clear in the cramped carriage.

She took it and opened it; inside were two pieces of osmanthus cake, still warm.

The pastry melted in her mouth, its sweetness blooming on her tongue, soothing the chill on her body.

"Wen Xiujie won't be contacting you for the time being," Pei Zhihui suddenly said.

Shen Qiongju raised her eyes.

The boy's profile was clearly defined in the dim light, with a small shadow falling from his eyelashes.

"According to the law, a witness's testimony is questionable if it is not signed in court. Moreover, you denied it in court. If he wants to convict his brother, he will have to find corroborating evidence."

He paused, turned his head, and secretly observed the woman who was eating osmanthus cake in small bites.

The streetlights flickered in his eyes.

"As long as he can't produce a second piece of evidence, the case will remain unresolved."

Shen Qiongju gripped the oil paper package tightly in her hand: "What if he forged it?"

"That would be best." Pei Zhihui chuckled very softly. "Forging evidence is an even greater crime. I'll wait for him to dig his own grave."

These words were spoken calmly, but they made her feel that things were not so calm.

The carriage stopped in front of the Shen family's old residence.

Pei Zhihui got out of the car first, then turned around and reached out his hand.

Shen Qiongju hesitated for a moment, but still placed her hand on it.

His palms were slightly cool, his knuckles distinct. He used some force when helping her out of the car, his steady touch giving her a strange sense of security.

The moment my feet touched the ground, a hoarse voice called from inside the house:

"Qiongju?"

Her heart skipped a beat, and she released Pei Zhihui's hand and rushed inside.