Although the couple had quarreled, when First Master Cheng returned home, First Madam Cheng hurried out to greet him anxiously.
“How did it go?” she asked.
First Master Cheng looked relaxed—completely different from when he had left that morning. First Madam Cheng already knew the answer in her heart, but she still felt more at ease hearing it with her own ears.
“No need to worry,” First Master Cheng said, lifting his robe as he sat down. “The hearing will be held tomorrow.”
The breath First Madam Cheng had just released caught in her throat, nearly making her faint.
“A hearing?!” she cried.
Had that fool really managed to press charges? Heaven help us! First Madam Cheng clutched her chest, on the verge of tears.
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” First Master Cheng said with a laugh. “So what if she filed a complaint? In doing so, she’s managed to anger every official in Jiang-zhou—except for Judicial Officer Li. She thinks that by bringing the case to court, we’ll be scared, that we’ll yield and let her control us, that we’ll fear the gossip of the world. Well, she’s gravely mistaken. She’s only bringing misery upon herself!”
First Madam Cheng still looked uneasy as she gazed at him.
“Really?” she asked.
She had already been caught off guard several times—each time, just when she felt confident and assured, that foolish girl would throw a bucket of cold water over her expectations.
“Even Daoist Patriarch and Abbess Sun couldn’t keep her in check. Can the officials in the magistrate really manage it?”
“What nonsense!” First Master Cheng glared. “What official would willingly let themselves be threatened? This time, they’ve stirred up collective outrage. Just wait and see—they’ll be beaten out of the main hall with a flurry of sticks! Isn’t that what they wanted—judgment? Well, this beating will be the judgment, and it’ll show the world clearly who’s in the wrong!”
First Madam Cheng gave a faint “oh,” but her expression was still doubtful, which left First Master Cheng feeling somewhat displeased.
“And another thing—don’t bring up your so-called Daoist Patriarch or Abbess Sun. How could they possibly subdue that fool? She’s someone whom Abbess Sun herself paid deep respects to,” he said with a snort.
First Madam Cheng stared at him in astonishment.
“Abbess Sun paid her deep respects?” she asked.
First Master Cheng nodded, recalling the sight he had glimpsed that day.
“Yes—back when she came to our house that time,” he said.
That time…
“Why?” First Madam Cheng asked.
Why would Abbess Sun pay deep respects to a fool?
First Master Cheng was momentarily stunned.
Yes—why?
Why would Abbess Sun, who always appeared as a lofty, enlightened figure untouched by worldly dust, show such great courtesy to that fool?
Why had Abbess Sun never once stepped into their household for over a year, yet came immediately after that fool returned?
First Master Cheng’s expression darkened.
“You—when you went to Xuan-miao Temple the other day, did you see Abbess Sun?” he asked.
First Madam Cheng slowly shook her head.
“I donated a hundred strings of cash for incense…” she muttered. “I asked to see the temple master, but they said she was in seclusion and not receiving visitors…”
She had spent a hundred strings and still couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Abbess Sun. She couldn’t even find a way to kneel and pay homage—yet that fool could make the Abbess Sun kneel to her…
Why?
She lifted her head, her eyes wide as she stared at First Master Cheng. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
“Could it be that the evil spirit clinging to that fool is that powerful?” she exclaimed hastily. “So powerful that Abbess Sun couldn’t subdue it and was instead subdued by her?”
“Can you use your brain like a normal person?!” First Master Cheng roared.
“Then why don’t you, with your so-called normal brain, explain why!” First Madam Cheng shot back, refusing to yield.
The room fell silent as the couple glared at each other.
“Oh, right—did the second branch really go over there last night?” First Master Cheng asked, as something occurred to him.
“Yes, yes,” First Madam Cheng quickly replied.
Both husband and wife let out a sigh of relief—finally, something normal to talk about.
“What did they say?” First Master Cheng asked.
“They snuck around and spoke in the room like thieves—who knows what shameful things they were discussing,” First Madam Cheng said with a sneer. “One thing’s for sure—it wasn’t anything good about us.”
First Master Cheng stroked his beard and pondered for a moment.
“Let them say whatever they want. This time, we’ll teach them a lesson together,” he said.
Normally, a brawl case like this wouldn’t be heard in such a hurry—it could easily be dragged out for ten days or half a month. But at First Master Cheng’s suggestion, Jiang-zhou Prefecture held the hearing the very next day.
The sharp clack of the water-and-fire rods echoed crisply across the blue stone floor of the main hall, accompanied by the synchronized shouts of two rows of magistrate runners as plaintiff and defendant were brought before the court.
But this time, there was something peculiar: in short, the ones bringing the complaint were the assailants, while those summoned were the victims.
Steward Cao and his three men stood in front of the hall, glancing at Lin Jiu and the other three stewards and estate managers opposite them—faces filled with hatred—and even offered a faint smile.
Either idiots or lunatics, Lin Jiu and the others thought to themselves, spitting to the side before turning away.
For a brawl case like this, there was no need for the Prefect himself to preside, so only the Vice Prefect and the Judicial Officer sat in judgment.
Out of concern for appearances, First Master Cheng naturally would not appear in the hall. To avoid suspicion, he also refrained from sitting beside Prefect Song in the side chamber of the main hall. Instead, he waited in the antechamber outside the door. Though the distance was greater, it didn’t prevent him from hearing the proceedings inside.
After the formal salutations and verification of identities, the Vice Prefect, his face dark, slammed the wooden block on the desk before the Judicial Officer could speak.
“Cao Gui! You are a servant of the Zhou family, whose master holds the rank of General Guide in the capital—yet here you are, running rampant in Jiang-zhou, assaulting honest citizens. Do you admit your guilt?”
He deliberately emphasized the title General Guide, making it clear that he was accusing the Zhou family of abusing their power. The clerks and magistrate runners in the hall all showed signs of displeasure at this. Sitting to the side, Judicial Officer Li remained expressionless, as if entirely oblivious to the Vice Prefect’s insinuation.
In the rear hall, Prefect Song lifted his tea bowl and blew gently across the surface.
“Rare that I come to listen to a petty case like this. I hope it turns out to be worth hearing,” he said.
“It should be quite entertaining,” murmured a guest seated nearby with a soft laugh. “My lord, there are plenty of witnesses—seven or eight people waiting in the next room. Both the South Cheng and North Cheng branches are well represented.”
Of course, this wasn’t just about the brawl case—it was because the fight had dragged a dowry dispute into the open.
“Perhaps we should wrap this up quickly, and then we’ll still have time to make it back for lunch,” Prefect Song said with a faint smile, taking a sip of tea.
A dowry dispute? Ha! Wishful thinking. In just a few words, the Vice Prefect will throw every last one of them out of the hall!
They wanted to go to jail? Let them stay there as long as they please!
Someone hurried in from outside.
“My lord, someone wishes to observe the hearing,” he said in a low voice.
Because of the Cheng family’s status, this case had not been opened for public viewing—but word must have leaked out. After all, an unmarried woman suing her elders for her dowry was an unheard-of spectacle in Jiang-zhou, and there was no shortage of people eager to watch the drama unfold.
“Drive them away!” Prefect Song said without even lifting his head.
The attendant stood there motionless.
“My lord, it’s from the Qin family—Imperial Academy Lecturer at Tianzhang Pavilion, co-author of the Veritable Records, and Counselor of the Court…” He glanced down at the post in his hand and began to read.
Before he could finish, Prefect Song spat out a mouthful of tea.
“Who?” he cried in shock.
The commotion inside spread to the outside, and everyone in the main hall was momentarily startled. Conversations halted as they turned to look at the side.
An attendant lifted the curtain and gestured to the Vice Prefect and Judicial Officer.
“…Lin Jiu, you said just now that Cao Gui barged into your shop and recklessly attacked people?” the Vice Prefect asked, looking down at the defendant.
“Yes, my lord! He forced my shop to close and even injured me—look at my wounds!” Lin Jiu said indignantly, lifting his clothing to show the injuries.
Before the Vice Prefect could continue, Judicial Officer Li took over the questioning.
“Lin Jiu, what caused the dispute between you and Cao Gui?” he asked.
The Vice Prefect sneered and glanced at Li. Such impatience—clearly, he had no idea how much bribe money had already changed hands. The man was already eager to move on to other matters after only a few words.
Clearing his throat, the Vice Prefect said in a low voice,
“Bring in the coroner to examine the injuries.” He glanced at Li again, smiling faintly with a hint of mockery. “Officer Li, you handle the examination first—no need to rush.”
“You’re right,” Li said with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the ridicule on the Vice Prefect’s face.
Outside, the chatter continued, but Prefect Song no longer paid it any mind. He lowered his head and examined the post in his hand three times, his expression still one of disbelief.
“How… how did Lecturer Qin… come to Jiang-zhou? And to hear this case?” he asked.
“It’s not Lecturer Qin—it’s a few ladies,” the attendant said. When he first saw the post, he had thought it was a forgery. Seeing the Prefect’s reaction now, he was certain it was genuine.
A servant carrying a formal summons from such a prestigious family was no ordinary servant.
Prefect Song stood up, slightly flustered.
“Th-this…” he said, glancing at the guests. “Tell me—why would the Qin family come for this?”
The guests looked equally puzzled.
“Lecturer Qin has never had any dealings with Jiang-zhou. Could it be for the Zhou family?” he speculated.
Prefect Song’s expression grew heavy—could it be that he had underestimated this case?
“My lord, shall we allow them to observe?” the attendant asked.
Prefect Song paused for a moment, then nodded.
“Let them listen,” he said. “Sometimes it’s better not to act. Once they’ve heard everything, they’ll naturally come forward themselves. Then we’ll know who they’re here for.”
“So we’re still handling the case as previously agreed?” one of the guests asked quietly.
The prior agreement had been to resolve the case strictly as a brawl, without letting them drag in the dowry dispute—but now, circumstances had unexpectedly changed.
Prefect Song considered for a moment, then nodded.
“Proceed as planned. As for anything else, we’ll see how the other side acts,” he said.
The guest nodded and handed the post back to the attendant.
A summons of this sort from a high-ranking lord was not something just anyone could receive; it had to be returned after being read.
In a side room of the main hall, First Master Cheng set down his tea bowl and suddenly noticed three or four women entering from outside, escorted by magistrate attendants. He frowned involuntarily.
Female visitors are for women—Prefect Song’s female relatives were in the rear magistrate. Why were they here?
Before he could make sense of it, he saw the women being led into another side chamber, also to observe the hearing!
First Master Cheng couldn’t help but stand, taking a few steps to lean against the doorway and watch.
Who would dare come to observe his family’s case? And Prefect Song had actually allowed them in?
A sudden unease rose in his chest, a vague sense of apprehension.
Before his eyes, the scene of Abbess Sun kneeling before Cheng Jiao-niang at Xuan-miao Temple inexplicably appeared.
“Could it be that the evil spirit clinging to that fool is so powerful that Abbess Sun could not subdue it and was instead subdued?”
He also heard First Madam Cheng’s words echoing in his ears.
First Master Cheng shook his head sharply to dispel the hallucinations, and at that moment, the crisp clang of the wooden court block rang out clearly from the main hall.
“…Cao Gui, cease your evasions! Your mistress of the Zhou family married into the Cheng household and is thus part of the Cheng family. That shop has nothing to do with you! Your actions are nothing less than robbery in broad daylight! Someone! Beat him—”
“…My lord, hold on. Cao Gui assaulted Lin Jiu and the others to defend his master’s honor. That is loyalty and filial piety. Afterwards, he voluntarily confessed and accepted punishment in accordance with the law. That is righteous conduct and reasoned judgment. How can it be called robbery?”
At last, the Vice Prefect and Judicial Officer began to debate openly in the court.
First Master Cheng quickly put aside his own thoughts, leaning forward to listen intently.
