Chapter 297: Breaking the Deadlock (IV)

No one had expected Zhong Piaoping to pull a move like that.

The courtroom fell into dead silence, while the chatter of the commoners outside slowly swelled into a heated buzz.

The magistrate was a good man, and his reputation among the folks was solid. But the commoners weren't blind—Zhong Piaoping hardly came off as some troublemaker. He answered every question straight and meek as could be. How had it gotten to the point where they were threatening him with the rack?

Just as the crowd started whispering, "Is A Shun the magistrate's sweetheart, and he's getting back at folks for her?" the clerk was the first to get antsy.

He'd always thought the world of Zhou Wenchang—cared more about his reputation than Zhou Wenchang did himself.

Seeing the tide of public opinion turning against them, he lowered his voice and quickly pitched an idea: "Magistrate, this... this guy's got way too hot a temper. But calling it quits this fast would just invite talk—not a smart move. How about we move on to a different case?"

In his book, that guy from yesterday—the one who tried to shake down the shop and got his skull cracked by the shopkeeper's wife—would do just fine.

From the moment he was arrested to when he was thrown in jail, he'd been listless and quiet, not a peep of protest—sure sign he knew he was guilty.

Besides, what small shopkeeper hadn't run into a few shakedown artists in their day?

Dragging him out to make an example of him in front of the crowd would do the trick.

Zhou Wenchang really didn't want to try this case out in the open.

Wang Cheng going to the silk shop to poke around You the Second's situation sure smelled like a censor's doing.

This was best handled behind closed doors, for the sake of keeping things stable and proper.

But now, five mysterious visitors from the capital had conveniently all wound up in his Dansui County jail together.

Of the two hauled up earlier, one had plenty of nerve, while the other was flat-out defiant, bold enough to slam his own head on the magistrate's desk.

The other three had only pulled minor stunts.

If they were just a few unlucky travelers passing through, fine. But if they really were censors, keeping them locked up without a trial would make him look like a magistrate who dragged his feet. If he did bring them in for questioning and they flashed their credentials in open court, Zhou Wenchang would have to answer for it: "Why did imperial censors land in jail in all sorts of ways the minute they set foot in Dansui?"

...Either way, he was screwed—it was just a matter of sooner or later.

With everyone watching, Zhou Wenchang didn't have time to think it over.

He frowned for a second, then said flatly, "Bring him in."

No point in stalling any longer.

The miners from Xiaolian Mountain were all dead, and Niu Sanqi's body had been hauled back and stashed in the ice room for now.

Like the others, he was caked in mud, his head bashed in by something blunt—bloody, skull caved in. Compared to the ones killed by flying rocks, there was no telling them apart.

Better to settle this fast than keep these suspicious hot potatoes sitting in jail.

Even if they really were censors and flashed their credentials in court, he'd just lose a little face.

After all, when it happened, he'd been at the foot of Xiaolian Mountain running disaster relief. He hadn't personally arrested them—he could just say it was a coincidence and apologize all polite.

With that thought, Zhou Wenchang calmed down a bit.

As he was looking over the complaint from You the Second's wife, the bailiff hauled Wang Cheng up to the hall.

Wang Cheng sure looked like he was at death's door. He dropped to his knees, shaking as he bowed, looking too weak to even raise his head.

In the state he was in, it wouldn't be a shock if he just confessed on the spot.

Zhou Wenchang rattled off the charges, then asked, "Wang Cheng, anything to say for yourself?"

Wang Cheng bowed low and said, "Your Honor, this humble one does have something to say."

With that, he fought to lift his head and spoke in a shaky, weak voice: "Your Honor, haven't the folks from Youji Silk Shop shown up? If they're not here, the process ain't right, and I can't put my mark on anything."

Zhou Wenchang had already sent word to the silk shop to fetch the witnesses.

You the Second's wife, having pointed the finger at the wrong guy, was feeling guilty and jumpy, so of course she didn't want to show up for a face-off. She claimed she wasn't feeling well and sent just two of the shop's sharper workers instead.

The two, clueless about what was going on, walked into the hall. One, the younger of the two, put on a righteous act and spat at Wang Cheng the second he saw him.

Wang Cheng turned his head and gave him a cool look.

Zhou Wenchang barked, "How dare you! You think you can pull that kind of stunt in this court?"

Before the young worker could kneel and apologize, Wang Cheng dropped his head and said, "Your Honor, can this man be taken out first? I don't dare face him."

He then pointed at the guy who'd spat on him.

Zhou Wenchang's face changed a little.

He was starting to get the feeling Wang Cheng wasn't going to be a pushover.

Plus, his voice didn't sound as weak as when he'd first come in—he seemed to have gotten some of his strength back.

He was about to shoot it down: "Just say your piece. I'll rule fair and square."

Wang Cheng blinked, intending to keep appealing to reason.

But as the words reached his lips, he suddenly thought of Lord Wenren.

In a flash of inspiration, he naturally adopted Le Wuya's tone: "This humble one has long heard of Your Honor's reputation as 'Judge Zhou,' and I place my utmost trust in your wise judgment. I only ask that you examine every detail and clear my name... It's just... just that I have been timid since childhood. Being spat on in open court by this stalwart just now has left me utterly shaken and terrified..."

Having delivered this lengthy speech, he weakly raised a hand to his injured forehead, his voice growing even shakier and more pitiful:

"If I am to face him now, with his harsh words, I fear I'd be too scared to think straight, and my words would come out all jumbled—only holding up Your Honor's proceedings... I humbly beg for your mercy. Might... might you grant me this: have this man taken away first, and question us separately? First, to spare me from trembling in fear and making an unseemly spectacle; second, I've heard that 'hearing both sides brings clarity'—questioning us apart may help Your Honor better sort out right from wrong... I have no other aim, only hoping Your Honor can rule without trouble..."

The clerk stood by, utterly dumbfounded.

Was it his imagination?

Why did this man's tone sound a lot like the one who'd just slammed his head on the desk?

With words having reached this point, if Zhou Wenchang refused, he feared Wang Cheng might, in his grief and anger, follow suit and ram his head into a pillar.

Suppressing the turmoil churning inside him, Zhou Wenchang nodded and said, "Granted."

The worker who'd spat was escorted out. Wang Cheng trembled as he offered his thanks, then propped himself up with his arms, raising his upper body to look at the slightly more composed silk shop worker, his eyes burning with the fire of grievance: "May I ask, what time did I enter the silk shop the day before yesterday?"

The worker didn't answer, glancing instead at Zhou Wenchang.

Zhou Wenchang: "Answer him truthfully."

The worker steadied himself.

The whole affair had taken place inside the silk shop. Apart from Wang Cheng, the only outsider, everyone involved was one of their own.

He didn't believe that with everyone speaking in unison, Wang Cheng could overturn the case, so he answered firmly, "At the hour of Shen!"

"At what ke within the hour of Shen?"

"At the first quarter of the initial Shen hour."

"No." Wang Cheng said softly, "When I entered the silk shop, I happened to hear the sound of a bell ringing. At the first quarter of the initial Shen hour, it wasn't a full hour or an important county-wide announcement, so why would the bell ring?"

...Bell? What bell?

But the clerk had long forgotten what had happened in the past two days. He panicked for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and hastily reported, "The Dansui Academy rings the bell to dismiss classes at the second quarter of the initial Shen hour!"

Wang Cheng nodded slightly. "Oh. Then it was the second quarter of the initial Shen hour."

Upon hearing this, the legal advisor's brow furrowed slightly, vaguely sensing something amiss, but he couldn't quite grasp it at the moment.

The clerk secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the difference between the second quarter and the first quarter of the initial Shen hour was merely a quarter of an hour, so he quickly said, "Your Honor, please allow me to explain. Our shop doesn't have those Western self-striking clocks, so it's only natural to get the time a bit wrong."

Magistrate Zhou said nothing.

Wang Cheng continued his questioning: "I entered the pawnshop at the second quarter of the initial Shen hour, first looked over the various silks, said I wanted to buy some silk for my wife, and asked if any women were in the shop, to ask which silk was most fashionable and popular with women. Only then did they bring out the proprietress—right?"

That was indeed the truth.

The clerk naturally couldn't deny it: "Yes, that is correct. Such a small matter shouldn't have bothered the proprietress, but the shop hadn't had any business in a long time, so she came out personally to hold onto a valued customer. Who would have thought he—"

Wang Cheng abruptly interrupted him, his voice rising significantly, with the outrage of someone falsely accused: "I extorted her when her husband wasn't by her side, is that what you're saying?"

The clerk said triumphantly, "Your Honor, you heard it—he admitted it, he admitted it!"

"I admitted no such thing!" Wang Cheng seemed furious, his voice trembling: "You speak clearly! Swear on your conscience! Did I extort her when her husband wasn't by her side?"

"Yes!"

"Extorted what?"

To make it more convincing, the clerk feigned thought for a moment, then said, "I wasn't close by at the time, so I didn't hear clearly. Later, the proprietress told me it was thirty taels of silver."

Wang Cheng was so distraught he could barely hold himself up: "The proprietress's earlier statement said that I claimed to have connections with the officials, and that if she would just fork over thirty taels of silver to grease the wheels, I could get You Er released?"

They had gone over this part before, and there was no discrepancy, so the clerk responded, "Yes!"

"The proprietress struck me with the metal yardstick used for measuring silk?"

"Yes!"

Wang Cheng grew even more sorrowful, clutching his chest and letting out two gasps: "Your Honor, I've been wronged! She's out to destroy me with lies! She even claimed... claimed I was working for Magistrate Zhou, that nine-tenths of the silver went to you, and I only took a small cut! Isn't that accusing me of using an official's name to swindle people?! Wouldn't that make my crime even worse?! I... I refuse to accept this! This is a huge injustice!"

The clerk was taken aback for a moment.

This detail hadn't come up before.

But he couldn't be sure if it was in the statement.

The statement was written by someone the proprietress hired and submitted to the government office—since they were illiterate...

Had the proprietress forgotten to mention this when they went over their stories?

At that moment, the clerk's cunning surged up, impossible to hold back.

They were about to nail this guy down!

Besides, the boss was still waiting to be saved! Pleasing the officials was the only way to get the boss out, right?!

To cement Wang Cheng's guilt and to flatter Magistrate Zhou, he blurted out: "Magistrate Zhou is as clean as they come—who in all of Dansui County doesn't know that?! It was precisely because the proprietress heard you daring to slander our righteous magistrate that she realized you were a villain talking nonsense! That's why she hit you, you shameless scoundrel!"

The whole courtroom went dead silent.

When Wang Cheng spoke again, the grief, panic, and unease in his voice vanished as if wiped away by an unseen hand.

He slowly and deliberately straightened up, performed a proper bow with clasped hands toward the livid Magistrate Zhou, and his voice was perfectly steady:

"Alright, Your Honor, I'm done with my questions."

"Please call in the other witness."