There were several people kneeling before the court. One of them was a middle-aged woman, who appeared to be Yang Wei’s wife from her fairly well-to-do attire. The others appeared to be farmers, which likely made them family members of Plum Blossom Twelve and Plum Blossom Thirteen.
Mei Chaofeng was standing at one side, looking at Zu An with utterly cold eyes.
Seeing this set-up, Zu An smiled quietly in anticipation. Very well, show me what you’ve got then.
“Since the plaintiffs and the defendant are already present, I hereby declare the commencement…” Xie Yi was just about to declare the commencement of the trials when a commotion sounded outside.
“Governor Sang has arrived!”
Astonished, Xie Yi quickly got up with Pang Chun and the other subordinate officials to greet Sang Hong. Casual laughter could be heard from the entrance as Sang Hong’s voice sounded, “Lord Xie, there’s no need for you to rise. You’re the one in charge of the court proceedings. I’m here just to spectate.”
Chu Zhongtian, on the other hand, was much less polite. “Lord Sang, I really see you everywhere I go.”
It was just a day ago when Sang Hong openly sided with the Yuan clan, and now, he was here to deal with his son-in-law. Even the most patient man in the world would lose his temper after being picked on time and time again.
Toward that, Sang Hong calmly replied, “I should have returned to my office, but I heard that something major has happened in the city. After quickly looking into it, I realized that it involves the Chu clan. Out of concern, I came here to take a look lest the civilians claim that the law of our Great Zhou Dynasty sides with those in power. Brightmoon Duke, surely you wouldn’t mind, right?”
Seeing that Sang Hong was pressuring him with the law, Chu Zhongtian replied calmly, “No one is blind here. I won’t stand idly if someone tries to distort the facts.”
Sang Hong laughed at those words. “Of course, of course. Everything will be dealt with according to the law. I believe that Lord Xie will handle the case promptly.”
That wily old fox!, Xie Yi cursed under his breath. This put him in a quandary. That being said, as long as he judged the matter fairly, neither sides would be able to fault him.
It was then that Zu An spoke up, “I understand that Governor Sang is here to ensure the fairness of the procedure, but may I know in what capacity is young master Shi here to spectate the proceedings? Is he an official?”
He had sharply noticed that Shi Kun had come together with Sang Hong.
“My father is the Minister of War…” replied Shi Kun calmly.
But before he could finish his words, Zu An had already interjected sharply, “I’m asking you if you’re an official. Why are you mentioning your father instead? Do you have nothing else to speak of other than your father?”
“You!!” Shi Kun’s face immediately reddened in anger. With his background and his reputation, he was treated like a VIP no matter where he went. No one had ever tried to put him down in public in such a manner before.
You have successfully trolled Shi Kun for +500 Rage!
“What do you mean by ‘you’? You should watch the way you address your teacher. Is that how you were brought up in the Shi clan?” Zu An’s mouth was like a relentless machine gun, shooting out bullets endlessly.
Shi Kun felt a little light-headed. Why am I being interrogated here instead?
You have successfully trolled Shi Kun for +653 Rage!
“Scoundrel, how dare a mere child like you dare to sully the name of the Shi clan!” Shi Lezhi stood forth from Shi Kun’s side to bellow at Zu An. He released his powerful aura to intimidate the latter.
However, Chu Zhongtian immediately waved his hand to dispel Shi Lezhi’s aura, saying, “You should think twice before attempting to strongarm others in the court. Besides, Ah Zu isn’t wrong either. He’s a teacher at the academy. It’s only right for young master Shi to pay respects to him as a student.”
Shi Kun’s face turned completely red. He felt incredibly stifled. There was no way he could bring himself to bow down politely to Zu An in the capacity of a student before so many people. That would be a stain on his reputation!
Snow felt an urge to step forward to speak on her young master’s behalf, but somehow, she felt guilt-ridden facing her old masters once more, leaving her at a loss.
Fortunately for Shi Kun, Sang Hong stepped in at this moment, “Zu An is in the position of a plaintiff now. Until he’s finally cleared of his charges, it’d be inappropriate to view him as a teacher of the academy. I believe that we should skip the formality for now. As for young master Shi, it’s indeed inappropriate for him to view the proceedings without an official position. He shall stand by the doorway for now.”
Sang Hong had taken on an impartial position, putting down both sides together. So, no one could raise any doubts against him.
It was just that Shi Kun had expected to be able to comfortably rest on a seat while watching the drama in the front rows, only to be shoved in together with the rest of the populace. It made him feel both humiliated and indignant.
To be fair, Shi Lezhi had secretly released his aura to prevent anyone from coming close to Shi Kun, giving him some privacy. But even so, Shi Kun’s face remained incredibly livid.
Zu An!!! Celebrate your little victory while you can. I’ll make sure that you’ll cry your eyes out later on!
You have successfully trolled Shi Kun for +444 Rage!
“Silence!” Seeing that Chu Zhongtian and Sang Hong had settled down in their positions, Xie Yi started off by silencing the crowd before slamming a wooden brick onto the table, saying, “Zu An, do you plead guilty?” [2]
Zu An shrugged leisurely as he replied, “What am I guilty of?”
An opulently-dressed middle-aged woman pointed her finger at Zu An and bellowed, “Zu An, how vicious you are! Despite having defeated my husband in a competition in the academy, you still weren’t satisfied and viciously assassinated him! Milords, you have to redress my grievances!”
The middle-aged woman proceeded on to bawl pitifully, but her reactions did nothing to faze Zu An. Instead, he asked calmly, “What does Yang Wei’s death have to do with me?”
Xie Yi coughed softly and said, “Lord Yang left a dying message that points you out as the murderer.”
1. In the past, there would be a drum placed outside the yamen, where civilians could knock on it and request for a trial so as to have their grievances redressed.
2. Just like how modern-day judges use gavels, the hammer to gather everyone’s attention, in ancient China, the magistrate used a wooden brick called Jing Tang Mu, literally translated to ‘wood that disrupts the court’.