If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Both families had their own version of events, each with their own reasons.

The Chen family was in the wrong, but in a big forest, there are all kinds of birds. They were clearly the ones with bad intentions, but they insisted that the woman had deliberately seduced them.

Madam Chen's language was vulgar, constantly calling the Yan family girl a "little slut," which made it easy to see what kind of family she was.

Everything was clearly written in the complaint delivered by the guards.

Xi Song called over the other neighbors from both families.

At first, those people were afraid of the benefits offered by the Chen family and refused to speak up. Xi Song had seen these kinds of tricks many times and was adept at dealing with them.

A person who can be swayed by a small gain is destined to be afraid of death.

With such power in his hands, why would he be afraid of not being intimidated?

Sure enough, before the constables could even touch the clamps, the man trembled and blurted out the truth.

Xi Song despised this kind of scoundrel and immediately gave him fifty strokes of the cane.

The Chen family was dissatisfied and wanted to cause more trouble.

Xi Song had heard of the Chen family when he accompanied Wang Jue in dealing with those Jiangzhou officials, and knew what gave them the confidence to act so recklessly. "Lord Zhou, who was on good terms with you before, has already gone to the underworld. So, are you going there to find him and ask him to settle things for you?"

The head of the Chen family turned pale with fright. "No, I wouldn't dare. What are you saying, sir? I am completely convinced and have no intention of disrespecting you whatsoever."

"That would be best."

"Drag him away and execute him."

Fifty strokes of the cane can result in death if severe, or disability if mild.

The agonizing screams of the young master Chen echoed through the government office, and many passersby who came to watch the spectacle clapped and cheered.

The Yan couple were moved to tears, kowtowing and bowing repeatedly in gratitude.

Xi Song felt unworthy to receive such a gift, saying, "I am merely making a judgment according to the law; you two need not be so polite."

The young woman wearing a veiled hat, standing behind the two elders of the Yan family, stepped forward gracefully. "Thank you, sir, for upholding justice for my daughter."

Her voice was sweet and soft, like honey; it wasn't hard to guess that a beautiful woman was hiding behind the veil.

Xi Song's voice was gentle: "Miss Yan, you're too kind. But according to what the neighbors are saying, Chen Gan has been harassing you for quite some time?"

The Yan family girl nodded.

The Yan couple had a lot of grievances. "To be honest, sir, that boy has been putting a lot of pressure on our family, both openly and secretly, because he thinks his family has some money. He wants us to marry our daughter to him. In the last two years, he's gone too far. He doesn't want to marry her properly and just wants to take her as a concubine."

"This is the only daughter we've had in our lives, how could we possibly let her become someone else's concubine?"

Every family has its own troubles; royalty and commoners alike have their own hardships.

Xi Song was able to handle matters impartially, but he was unable to empathize with others' feelings.

The Yan family didn't dare to talk too much about family matters with the officials; getting justice was already a pleasant surprise.

Xi Song asked his advisor and his family to leave.

As the Yan family members took their leave and descended the steps of the courtroom, a gust of wind blew by, lifting one side of the veil of the Yan family girl's hat to reveal a pair of bright red lips and a delicate, petite chin.

Having already grasped seven or eight tenths of the ways of officialdom, Young Master Xi suddenly felt a strange itch in his heart.

No wonder Chen Gan was willing to do anything to get it.

Pei Xiu is a guest who has come to visit his sister, and Xi Song, as the host, should treat him with hospitality.

Having resolved what was essentially a case, the two rode out of town together, where a local clerk introduced them to a restaurant.

The two ordered several Jiangzhou specialties and a pot of wine.

"Ah Song, I really have to look at you with new eyes now. The you I saw before and the you I saw today judging a case in court are completely different people."

Xi Song chuckled: "It's because of the second brother of the Wang family's excellent teaching. I'm not flattering you, this is the truth."

Pei Xiu felt both envious and disappointed. "Young Master Wang is such an unattainable figure, yet he is so patient in teaching you. It's clear that he loves you so much that he extends his affection to you as well."

Xi Song patted him on the shoulder, "It's good that you can understand. The atmosphere between the two of them is so intense that no one else can get in."

"It's good for you to understand this sooner rather than later."

Pei Xiu tilted her head back and drank a glass of wine, then said with relief, "I understand. Don't worry, I won't force what isn't mine."

……

After five or six days of bed rest, Xi Lingxian's body had fully recovered.

When Madam Lu came to examine her pulse, she said that the Gu poison had been eradicated and she was now completely healthy.

After lying in bed for so long, my bones and muscles feel weak.

She can't wait to go out and stretch her muscles.

"Oh, right..."

Madam Lu smiled and said, "Young Master Wang is a man, so his body is much stronger and he recovered even faster than you."

"Who said I asked him?"

As someone with experience, Mrs. Lu thought this young couple was really interesting.

When the two of them were together, neither of them paid attention to anyone else, and they even thought that no one else could notice them.

"Sister!"

It was Xi Song's voice.

"Young Master Xi... no, I'll call you Lord Xi now. You were quite impressive today, judging a scandalous case at the yamen."

A scandalous affair?

Xi Lingxian wondered, "How exactly does he act like a flirt?"

Before Lu Niangzi could speak, Xi Song strode in. "Sister, Pei Xiu and I ate at a restaurant today. The food was quite good. I brought back a few dishes for you and Brother Wang to try."

"I heard you solved a romantic case today? What happened?"

"Oh, this?" Xi Song casually recounted the whole story.

Xi Lingxian was filled with righteous indignation, "Who is he? He only deserved fifty strokes of the cane, he should be executed by slow slicing!"

Just because they have some money, they forget their own limitations.

Did they force the issue? Did they even take a concubine?

Why doesn't he just die of a stroke right now!

Xi Song had always known that her older sister was good at cursing, but now, listening to her again, he realized that her older sister was not only good at cursing, but also that every word she uttered was piercing to the heart.

"Don't worry, sister. Fifty strokes of the cane will cripple you even if you don't die. You won't be able to cause any trouble in the future."

"From what you've said, the young lady from the Yan family must be a gentle and mild-mannered person. Poor girl, she must have been quite frightened."

For some reason, Xi Song's mind flashed back to those bright red lips.

"I was quite frightened." He stared straight ahead, muttering unconsciously.

Xi Lingxian looked him up and down, then smiled leisurely.

Xi Song looked away, coughed twice, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Little brother, something's not right with you."

"Um?"

"Tell your sister, what are you thinking?"

"Think about today's case."

"Are you thinking about the case or the person?"

"Where would a case come from if there were no people?"

"..."

Is it that this silly younger brother is too serious, or is he so profound that she can't understand him?

The dishes that Xi Song brought back were all quite large, and neither Wang Jue nor Xi Lingxian ate more than half of them.

"Second brother, now that you're feeling better, shouldn't you go back to your post at the government office? I really can't manage on my own."

"The newly appointed official of Jiangzhou, selected by the imperial court, is about to take office. Hold on for two more days."

"When those people arrive, will they listen to me? Or...?"

Wang Jue stared intently at him: "What do you think?"

"They'll definitely listen to me!"

"Yes."

"That's good!"

Having been the leader, it would be a huge loss of face to ask him to step down.

"By the way," Wang Jue said, taking a booklet from a guard and handing it to Xi Lingxian. "This is a list of all eligible daughters of officials within Jiangzhou. Take a look."

Xi Lingxian asked in surprise, "You actually took it seriously?"

He actually wanted to arrange a marriage for Asong.

Wang Jue: "Otherwise, how could you bear to leave him all alone here?"

Xi Lingxian touched her nose.

"Of course I can't bear to."

Xi Song: "..."

He almost believed it.