The shout of “Wait!” made everyone else hold their breath, while Judicial Officer Li breathed a sigh of relief.
“Throw him out!”
The Vice Prefect, well aware of Cao Gui’s intentions, gave him no chance to speak. With a stern frown, he raised the gavel in his hand, ready to bring it down.
“Withdr—”
Judicial Officer Li quickly reached out and placed his hand beneath the gavel, muffling its sound. The pain made him grimace, but he paid it no mind, turning his attention instead to Cao Gui.
“What else do you dispute?” he asked.
The pain contorted his expression and sharpened his voice, drowning out the Vice Prefect’s words. To onlookers, it appeared as though he was boiling with rage, though everyone understood the true intent behind his actions.
“Your Honor, isn’t the case currently being discussed about the brawl?” Cao Gui asked with a look of surprise.
Had anyone even mentioned the brawl case?
Everyone present thought to themselves, Isn’t the case you’re about to argue the one regarding the dispute over the dowry?
The Vice Prefect and First Master Cheng both smirked coldly. Was he playing dumb to buy time?
“The matter at hand is the dowry,” the judicial officer said sternly. “Cao Gui, your claim is unreasonable and dismissed. Do you have anything else to say?”
Cao Gui’s expression shifted to one of sudden understanding.
“Oh, so we’re talking about this!” he said. “Then, Your Honor, you cannot make a judgment just yet.”
The Vice Prefect grabbed the gavel and slammed it down hard.
“Cao Gui, do you refuse to accept this?” he shouted.
“Your Honor, of course I do not accept it. The brawl case involves me directly, and whatever judgment you make, I will submit to it. However, the dowry case was not brought forward by me,” Cao Gui said. “The dowry case was filed by my mistress. Since the defendant has had his say, but the plaintiff has not yet spoken, how can a judgment already be made?”
As these words fell, the entire courtroom was stunned.
Huh? What did he mean?
“Your Honor, if the dowry case is to be tried, then please summon my mistress,” Cao Gui said, pointing toward the outside.
First Master Cheng also looked surprised and couldn’t help turning to glance outside.
That girl actually came too?
This case must not be tried any further! The Vice Prefect made up his mind.
“The dowry is part of the family assets and should be settled within the clan. Let this matter be dropped and not mentioned again!” he declared sternly, reaching for the gavel.
But someone was faster than him.
Crack! A sharp sound rang out.
“Guards, summon the plaintiff, Lady Cheng!” Judicial Officer Li also barked with a stern expression.
The moment has finally arrived!
In the side hall, Ban Qin took a deep breath and stood up. Truth be told, she had been tempted to rush out several times earlier, but she remembered her mistress’s instructions: Do not enter until you are called. So she had forced herself to wait.
“Ban Qin, don’t be afraid. Once you’re inside, just say what needs to be said and keep your head down,” two women from the South Cheng family who had accompanied her advised with an air of experience.
Unfortunately, their trembling bodies, pale faces, and stammering voices did little to offer reassurance.
Appearing before officials was, to them, a matter of utmost gravity—especially in a case where a child was suing a parent, an act of defiance punishable by death.
Ban Qin looked at them and smiled.
“Yes, I understand,” she nodded, straightened her clothes, and stepped forward.
“Ban Qin doesn’t seem afraid at all. And I thought she was too young…”
“…I heard she’s from the Zhou family. Everyone from the Zhou family is so formidable—why would she be afraid…”
Whispers from the two women drifted from behind her. Ban Qin straightened her back even more.
“I need you to do something. Do you dare?”
“Miss, even if you asked me to die, I would dare.”
But her mistress would never send her own people to their deaths. She only made sure her people achieved their wishes and walked their path with grace. It was those who wished her dead who would meet their end.
“This humble maid, Ban Qin, pays her respects to Your Honor.”
Watching the young girl kneel and kowtow, some in the hall breathed a sigh of relief, while others tensed up.
A mere girl of fourteen or fifteen—what could she possibly say? Not to mention the shrewd First Master Cheng; even he himself could easily silence her. The Vice Prefect straightened his posture.
Judicial Officer Li’s face paled slightly. Why wasn’t Lady Cheng accompanied by an older, experienced servant? Given how sharp Cao Gui was, the matrons serving by her side shouldn’t be lacking either. So why… why did they send a young, inexperienced girl?
First Master Cheng’s expression remained blank, and so did his thoughts.
What was there to react to? A young maid like this—no matter how well-trained by the Zhou family—was still just a maid.
He didn’t even need to speak. He could leave everything here to the Vice Prefect
“Your lady wishes to accuse her elders of seizing her dowry—is this true?” Judicial Officer Li asked, mustering his energy. Yet, despite his efforts, those with sharp eyes could see his presence was diminished compared to before, and his voice carried a hint of exhaustion.
“Yes,” Ban Qin replied.
“Then go back and tell your lady that matters within the clan should be resolved among family members. For a child to accuse her elders, especially over disputes of wealth, violates the principles of order and morality. She must cease this mischief at once, or she will face charges of grave disrespect!” the Vice Prefect declared sternly, grabbing the gavel. “Dismissed—”
“Your Honor, my lady is not doing this for wealth,” Ban Qin said, lifting her head. “My lady is accusing her elders to clear her mother’s name.”
She turned her gaze toward First Master Cheng.
“The Master claims he concealed the matter of the dowry to protect my lady from being wronged. But if that is so, my lady may be spared—but what about my madam?”
Madam?
Those present frowned slightly. What did this have to do with the deceased madam?
The same thought crossed the Vice Prefect’s mind, causing his hand, which held the gavel, to pause momentarily. His command to cut her off and expel her was delayed by a beat.
In that moment, the young maid’s voice continued to ring out—clear, soft, yet unwavering.
“…My lady’s mother passed away early and could not enjoy the joys of family life. All she left for my lady was this dowry…”
As she spoke, a deep ache welled up in Ban Qin’s heart.
When her mistress had first explained it to her, her tone had been so calm and detached that Ban Qin hadn’t fully felt the weight of it. At the time, she had been focused solely on memorizing every word perfectly, without room for other emotions.
But now, standing in this hall—facing rows of solemn guards, the gleaming plaque of justice hanging high above, officials in their robes, and those kneeling or standing nearby—she was suddenly overwhelmed by memories. She recalled the stifling life she and her mistress had endured at the Bing-zhou Taoist temple, the despair and panic when they learned that the master’s family had moved away without telling them, the thunder and fire of that fateful night, the arduous journey they had undertaken, and the chilling smirks of that adulterous couple who had driven them out…
Step by step, their path had been filled with hardships—the kind that most people would never encounter in a lifetime. Yet her mistress had faced them all, one after another, endlessly.
Why? Why did her mistress have to endure all of this?
If her mother were still alive, none of this would have happened.
“…Though she could not be there to nurture her, she left behind these belongings to accompany her through life…”
If her mother were still alive, how overjoyed she would be to see her daughter recovered, grown into a beauty, and so clever…
“…Yet now, because my lady is to be married, the truth is being concealed, severing the bond between mother and daughter and tarnishing the madam’s name and her love for her child. This is the true violation of morality and the unforgivable act of defiance…”
Tears fell from Ban Qin’s eyes one by one, and her voice grew choked with emotion, but she struggled to keep her words clear.
On the bench, Judicial Officer Li nodded slightly. Such a poignant performance was indeed more effective coming from a young maid than from older matrons.
But it was only slightly more effective.
People like him had seen countless tragic and unjust cases. If judgments were made based on who cried the most convincingly, the system would have descended into chaos long ago. Moreover, today’s case would not be decided by emotional appeals but by connections and influence.
Judicial Officer Li sighed softly, catching a glimpse of the cold smirk at the corner of the Vice Prefect’s mouth from the corner of his eye.
“So, my lady does not care about the amount of wealth, nor does she care about how much dowry her mother left behind. She is not fighting for those shops, estates, gold, silver, or jewels—she is fighting for her mother’s name. She is fighting to be like everyone else, to have a mother’s love, and to uphold her mother’s legacy of loving her daughter! These are things her mother rightfully gave her, and no one can take them away, no matter what pretext they use!”
Below the bench, Ban Qin raised her voice, tears streaming down her face as she looked up at the two officials. She knelt and moved forward two steps.
“My lady is determined to pursue this case and fight for justice. The clan has already been unjust and unfair. My lady refuses to accept this, which is why she insists on bringing it before the court for a fair judgment. Even if this lawsuit takes ten or twenty years, even if she remains unmarried for life, my lady will see it through. She demands that Your Honor deliver a clear and righteous verdict—she will not allow her mother’s name to be tarnished by such false accusations!”
With these words, she kowtowed, pressing her forehead to the ground.
As her voice faded, Judicial Officer Li abruptly straightened in his seat. At the same time, the Vice Prefect also sat upright, his face etched with disbelief.
First Master Cheng also heard these words clearly, but his expression showed no disbelief—instead, he let out a disdainful snort.
“How absurd! This is pure obstinacy and nonsense. How could this possibly be seen as tarnishing her mother’s reputation?…” he said, glancing toward the bench with a look that urged them to stop wasting time and quickly conclude the case.
But when he saw the expressions on the faces of the officials, he froze mid-sentence, his words cutting off abruptly.
Why does the Vice Prefect seem… different?
First Master Cheng’s gaze swept across the hall and realized it wasn’t just the officials—even the clerks and guards had undergone a shift in demeanor.
What happened?
First Master Cheng slowly focused his thoughts. Was there something wrong with what was just said?
No, there was nothing wrong with these words—they were absolutely right!
Every official, clerk, and guard in the hall was inwardly shouting in agreement.
Compared to First Master Cheng’s earlier words, which had struck them like rolling thunder, the soft voice of this young girl now left their ears ringing.
In truth, they hadn’t fully absorbed much of what the tearful maid had said earlier, but they had heard every word of this final part clearly.
She doesn’t care about wealth, she isn’t fighting over the dowry—she is fighting for honor…
She will pursue this lawsuit, even if it takes a lifetime! A lifetime!
To be honest, lawsuits over family property disputes were rare. One reason was the constraints of familial ethics, and another was the matter of money.
If two brothers were to fight over an inheritance and bring the case to court, the estate would likely shrink by more than half after legal fees and bribes. Lawsuits were not easy to pursue—the courtroom was easy to enter but hard to exit. Especially in cases involving money rather than human lives, officials and clerks were utterly unrestrained. Everyone, from top to bottom, would take a bite.
Only a fool would engage in such a self-destructive endeavor! That was why such cases rarely made it to court.
But now, a fool had truly appeared—one who openly declared she didn’t want the money, only justice and honor!
This was exactly the kind of case they loved most—one where the plaintiff valued reputation over profit!
What did this mean? Everyone understood in an instant. The looks they gave Judicial Officer Li were no longer filled with doubt or mockery.
No wonder this upstart officer shed all pretense of dignity and jumped into the fray himself to seize this case!
Just think—think back to the dowry inventory they had just seen!
With a mountain of gold and silver right before their eyes, who wouldn’t dive in headfirst? This was a fortune vast enough to support half a lifetime—who cared who the opposing party was?
So what if it was a prominent family from Jiang-zhou? So what if it was First Master Cheng? It wasn’t as though they had stirred up trouble—the case had been brought to them. They were simply handling it according to the law, upright and justified. Who was afraid of whom?
Cao Gui looked around at the suddenly gleaming eyes in the hall, his expression both dazed and horrified. The last trace of doubt and worry he had carried since turning himself in finally faded away, but what replaced it was beyond anything he had expected.
No wonder the lady insisted on pursuing this lawsuit—one that even Master Zhou had never dared to bring.
Because this lady had never intended to win the case.
When one has no desires, one remains unyielding. Only by not caring about winning can one fear no loss.
It was only now that he realized how mistaken he had been when he thought the lady was being generous by casually tossing out ten thousand strings of cash to build houses for others.
What truly defined generosity? Generosity was willingly surrendering assets worth not just one, two, or three times ten thousand strings of cash. How many people in this world would dare to do such a thing? Forget doing it—most wouldn’t even dream of it!
Because no one could bear to part with that much wealth. Only by not wanting it for oneself could one prevent others from obtaining it.
Who would dare to move against someone willing to sacrifice everything?
How ruthless!
Money is meant to be wasted.
The lady’s faint words echoed in Steward Cao’s ears.
In the back hall, Prefect Song, who had been about to step forward, slowly lowered his raised foot. His hand, poised to lift the door curtain, withdrew.
No wonder… no wonder…
This wasn’t about pursuing a lawsuit—it was about distributing wealth!
So that’s how it is… that’s how it is!
First Master Cheng’s face turned ashen as he watched the corner of a sleeve withdraw by the side door, saw the Vice Prefect slowly and gently set down the gavel, and took in the greedy, green-glinting eyes all around him. A chill ran deep into his heart.
He had personally called on the prefect, painstakingly arranged to appear in this hall, and carefully planned every word he had just spoken. Yet all his efforts had been shattered and reduced to dust by a single sentence from her.
From beginning to end, everything he had done had only served to pave the way for others.
This case should never have been heard so quickly. It was common for brawling cases to drag on for ten days or even half a month—so why had he been so foolishly eager to push the prefect into holding a swift trial?
No, no—it wasn’t foolishness! He had been forced! Forced by that fool!
She had forced him into this hall, forced him to produce the dowry inventory, forced him to lay his family’s wealth bare before everyone.
Wealth stirs men’s hearts! Wealth is a blade that kills!
If he hadn’t displayed those assets, her words might not have resonated so deeply. But now it was different!
Everyone now had a concrete, vivid estimate in mind—no longer just vague speculation.
He had placed himself on the chopping block, utterly exposed before these wolves. And that fool hadn’t needed to lift a finger—she hadn’t even needed to step into the courtroom.
All she had to do was wait for him to set everything up, then extend her hand in invitation.
Come, the feast is ready. Would you like to dine?
How ruthless! How vicious!
First Master Cheng pointed a trembling finger at the young maid still bowed to the ground, at Steward Cao standing nearby, at the shivering maid from the second branch, at the Vice Prefect whose attitude had shifted in an instant as he now prepared to continue the trial, at the Prefect hiding behind the side door without showing himself, and at that fool who hadn’t even appeared yet had orchestrated everything from behind the scenes—the Zhou family…
How ruthless! How vicious!
First Master Cheng opened his mouth to shout these words, but instead, a sweet taste filled his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
A woman’s scream echoed through the hall. Everyone turned to look at him, clamoring with questions, but First Master Cheng could no longer hear or see clearly. Clutching his chest, he collapsed.
Watching First Master Cheng surrounded by the crowd, unconscious on the ground, Cao Gui lifted his head, a faint smile touching his lips.
Another one…
He thought to himself.
Another one indeed!
Yup. First blow taken.