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Home/ There’s A Beauty / Chapter 84 (Part 2)

Seeing that the bustling tea house was completely empty, the shopkeeper and the waiter began to tidy up the tables and chairs and lock the counters, preparing to go with those people.

The two people sitting in the corner raised their heads, looking at the scene as if they didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Even though he had disguised himself, You Shu’s cheeks still showed a blush, and he said in surprise, “Thanks to the kindness of the Suichang villagers.”

“It’s because you are worthy of their kindness. Let’s go and have a look at the county government office. I heard that this term’s magistrate is quite capable. The Prefect of Lishui has recommended him several times in memorials, saying that his style of solving cases is similar to Lord Zhao’s methods.” Emperor Xuanguang didn’t disguise himself, and his face won’t be recognized in a remote place like Suichang.

You Shu had already heard fellow Suichang villagers mention this person several times, saying that in the last two years since he had been in office, there hadn’t been a single case of injustice, falsehood, or error. It was inevitable that he would have a good impression of this person in his heart, so he nodded.  

When the two of them arrived at the county government office, the county magistrate, who was only in his early twenties this year, had already sent everyone away with a few words. 

His face, which was still smiling a few moments ago, showed a disgusted expression, and he whispered in a low voice, “It’s County Magistrate Xiao Zhao again! Could it be that I, Fang Desheng, will always be overwhelmed by him? How many years has it been since he left Suichang? Do these people think that Magistrate Xiao Zhao still remembers them or cares whether they live or die? What does he have to do with little people like them?”

“Your Excellency, please lower your voice, it won’t be good if someone hears you!” The master hurriedly pulled his sleeves, and looked around from time to time, for fear of being overheard.  

One must know that the petty officials in Suichang County are all supporters of Magistrate Xiao Zhao. Although ten years have passed and there have been several changes, as long as someone is from Suichang County, they cannot change their innate fanaticism towards Magistrate Xiao Zhao.

“I know.” The expression of the County Magistrate became even more disgusted.

You Shu’s mental power can’t be released outside, so he didn’t hear their conversation, and only saw the two figures from behind. However, Emperor Xuanguang clearly heard the conversation and saw the facial expressions of the two people. He shook his head and said, “It’s hard to be a big person with a narrow mind. Compared to you, it’s still a thousand miles away.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“It’s nothing, he is just a bit disdainful of you.”

“I am not a treasure trove of gold and silver. I cannot guarantee that everyone will like me.”

“That’s why I said that he is narrow-minded and cannot be compared with you.” Emperor Xuanguang pulled the person into his arms and gently kissed the top of his hair.

Just as You Shu was about to speak, he saw many villagers dragging over a tied up man and a woman, while vigorously beating the drum of injustice. 

Listening to their intermittent scoldings, they could already guess that this was a case of a wife teaming up with an adulterer to poison her husband and son. Both father and son have died, and their bodies were being carried by their relatives and placed outside the county government office to attract sympathy from passers-by.

Due to the bad impact on his reputation, the county magistrate immediately went to the court to hear the case. In order to demonstrate his outstanding abilities and divine judgement in solving cases, he no longer drove away the villagers who came to file the lawsuit.  

You Shu and his master squeezed to the front. They saw that the coroner had already lifted the white cloth to examine the corpses, and kept recording suspicious things on the paper.

The corpses were indeed poisoned, with varying degrees of bleeding from the eyes, ears, mouth and nose. The two murderers caught by the relatives of the deceased knelt in the hall, trembling. 

Upon closer inspection, You Shu found that the two of them looked sad despite their fear, which was obviously contrary to common sense.

Kill the husband and children and stay together, isn’t this what they wanted to do? So why are they grieving now? You Shu took half a step forward to investigate again, but he saw that the county magistrate was looking straight at the soul of the deceased standing beside him.

The deceased was once a hunter whose one leg was bitten off by a tiger and he became a cripple. After death, he couldn’t take his crutches with him, so he could only let the ghost of his six-year-old son support him. He was still cursing his wife and the adulterer, but when he saw the county magistrate looking at him, he couldn’t help but be stunned.

“What kind of grievances do you have? Speak up!” The county magistrate stared at him and raised his voice.

But this sentence obviously caused a misunderstanding. The wife and the adulterer also desperately cried out for injustice, saying that they would never be so cruel as to kill the father and son together. But a shop owner remembered her and quickly came forward to testify against her. Some neighbours also accused her of abusing her husband. 

At the same time, the soul of the deceased also realised that the county magistrate could see ghosts, and immediately explained how he and his son were poisoned to death.

“It turns out that he also has yin and yang eyes. No wonder he can judge the case accurately at first glance.” Emperor Xuanguang understood.

However, You Shu looked at the corpse and then at the suspect. He shook his head and said, “The soul of the deceased was once a human, so he can also lie. Look at the appearance of his son beside him? Who does he resemble? This man puts his whole weight on his son’s shoulders, not caring whether his small body could bear it or not. His son was poisoned to death for no reason without a word of comfort, and this father didn’t even look at him once. Is this how a father should act? Furthermore, his face showed the relief and happiness of death, but he had no regrets or nostalgia. This is not the reaction a victim should have.”

“If you didn’t say it, I probably won’t pay attention to it. His son indeed doesn’t look like him, but he is five or six percent similar to the adulterer.” Emperor Xuanguang frowned, feeling thoughtful.

“That’s right. It would make sense to murder your own husband, but why would you also kill the son you gave birth to? This is clearly illogical.”

“But why are they afraid to reveal the truth?”

“Don’t you know? According to laws and regulations of Dayong: Those who commit adultery will be punished with fifty sticks and paraded through the streets for ten days; those who commit adultery and give birth to children will be sentenced for three years. Most women who are sentenced don’t stay imprisoned like men, but are taken care of by the state government. In order to make profits, the officials often treat them like prostitutes. Some of them commit suicide before the end of their sentences, while the vast majority fall into prostitution and their life becomes worse than death. Therefore, even if she is afraid and heartbroken, she won’t take the initiative to admit it.” You Shu has memorised the laws and regulations of Dayong, so he naturally understood the hardships of the woman in this era.

In this case, it is very likely that the husband poisoned the son and then committed suicide to frame his wife and adulterer. Anyway, he was a useless person, and his son is not his own, which means there is no hope for the rest of his life, so he must’ve thought that it is better to bring down these people along with himself.

However, County Magistrate Fang believed his words without any doubts and ordered the woman and the adulterer to be dragged out and beaten until they confessed. His method of solving cases has always been the same: After collecting evidence from the ghosts, he would catch the suspects and beat them severely until they write a confession and then close the case. The murderer will use all kinds of excuses, but the victim won’t lie and protect their enemy, right?

Seeing that the outcome of the case was unjust and wrong, You Shu quickly stepped forward to stop it. Just as Magistrate Fang was about to scold him for disrupting the court, he saw him take out a token and shake it.

Who doesn’t know about the inspection order of the imperial envoy? The county magistrate immediately announced his withdrawal and took the people to the backyard to entertain them. You Shu explained his doubts to him one by one and asked him to follow these clues to investigate further. 

As he spoke, there was another commotion outside, but it was about a thief who snatched an old man’s purse in a secluded place and was chased by a brave young man who fought for justice. He chased the thief all the way to the county government office. But the two of them were similar in body shape and height, and even the clothes they wore were of the same colour and style. 

On the other hand, the old man’s eyes were already damaged, and he couldn’t recognize the culprit at all. When he was asked to testify, he couldn’t say what was good or bad. At that time, there were no other passersby present and there was no way to verify it.

Both of them argued that they were the good guys and the other was the thief, which gave the yamen guards a headache and they had to come to the county magistrate for instructions.

Without a dead person, there would be no innocent souls to distinguish between the true culprit. Magistrate Fang was completely bewildered, and when he saw the two imperial envoys sitting aside and waiting, he became even more anxious. He wanted to show off his ability to “solve cases like a god”, but his mind was in a mess, so he could only look at the master secretly.

The master waved his hand, indicating that he was powerless. There is always a good person between the two, and we can’t just pull them all out and beat them up, right? Besides, even if beaten to death, who is willing to admit to being a thief?

You Shu said without thinking, “The thief was in a hurry to escape, so he should have tried his best to run, but he was still caught up by the righteous man. It can be seen that the thief’s speed is far inferior to the other party. Take them out to race. Whoever reaches the city gate first is the good guy.”

The imperial envoy solved an impending case with just a few words, which greatly surprised Magistrate Fang and also made him feel ashamed. Therefore, he believed in the doubts that the other party had raised before and hurriedly sent people to investigate.  

You Shu didn’t stay for long, and left after the woman admitted that her son was born from the adulterer.

They walked for a long time before a doorman who was over fifty years old slowly spoke up, “Magistrate Fang, did you see it? This is the blue sky above our heads and the sun and moon in the hearts of us Suichang people!” So don’t always use your petty tricks to compare yourself with County Magistrate Xiao Zhao, it’s really disgusting.

“You, how do you know? Magistrate Zhao doesn’t look like that at all!” There is a portrait of Magistrate Zhao hanging in the county government office, so Magistrate Fang naturally knows what he looks like.

“If I can’t recognize the mask, can I still not recognize the voice of County Magistrate Xiao Zhao? When I was about to die from the epidemic, it was County Magistrate Xiao Zhao who sat next to me and talked to me all night long, calling me back from the gate of hell. The person next to him was also walking like a tiger, and his vision seemed extraordinary, and he may not be inferior to others.” The doorman said as he shook his head and walked out, secretly holding the teacup used by County Magistrate Xiao Zhao in his arms.

Walking like a tiger? Extraordinary vision? Not inferior to others? Magistrate Fang was stunned for a long time before kowtowing in fear and saying ‘long live’. He finally remembered that he had seen the emperor from afar at the Qionglin banquet when he passed the exam. No wonder he just felt familiar. If it weren’t for the advice of Magistrate Xiao Zhao, he would have wrongly killed two people today, and even lost his life. One must know that officials who misjudge human life also have to pay for it with their lives.

It turns out that the real Magistrate Xiao Zhao is like this. No wonder the emperor often praises him as the backbone of Dayong.

County Magistrate Fang sighed, thinking that he would never dare to compare himself with Magistrate Xiao Zhao again.

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