dressed as a scholar

When Qiao Hezhi woke up, it was already daylight.I slept lightly last night, and woke up in the middle of the night from time to time. I only slept for a while in the fourth watch, but I didn't expect to oversleep.

He stretched out his hand and touched the place where Fang Yu lay on his side. The place where the quilt was covered had no body temperature. He didn't know when someone got up. He quickly called Si Yu to bring the washing utensils into the room to pack up and get up. .

When I left the house, I realized that it was already time: "Why didn't you wake me up earlier, where are the master and mother?"

"It was the lord who told you not to bother the young master to rest, and told you to eat breakfast after you got up. The lord and madam have gone out early in the morning, and they will be back soon."

Qiao Hezhi looked at the cooked millet porridge, stir-fried green vegetables and cold salad on the table, and cried for a while yesterday. In fact, he was tired and hungry, but his mouth was dull, but he didn't have much appetite.

Si Yu saw her young master's thoughts, and said: "Master made the porridge specially for him when he got up this morning, so young master should taste a few mouthfuls anyway, otherwise it will spoil the master's intentions."

Qiao Hezhi was slightly taken aback when he heard the words: "He did it?"

"The lord said that it was difficult for him to cook, but he could still cook a porridge. After the porridge was cooked, the lord ate a bowl and sent some to his wife, and then he went out."

Hearing this, Qiao Hezhi felt warm in his heart. He did not sleep well last night. When he woke up, he could hear the warm voices of the people surrounding him every time he opened his eyes. He did not sleep well. Never slept.

His heart was moved and sour, Fang Yu always said that no matter how big the matter is, he must eat, now he understood the meaning, he picked up the bowl and chopsticks to fill the porridge and ate it.

Up to now, it is useless to panic and fear. Fang Yu has been supporting him for the past two days. If he doesn't support him anymore, Fang Yu will have to be distracted to take care of him, which will only increase the burden.

After eating enough, he asked Fang Yu and his mother to find witnesses, and he was going to help out, but Fang Yu came back first.

When Fang Yu went back to the house, he saw that Qiao Hezhi had had breakfast, and his energy was better, so he felt a lot of comfort.

"feel better now?"

Qiao Hezhi nodded, and couldn't help but ask, "How is the matter going?"

"The county government is going to interrogate today, but I already have some ideas." Fang Yu told the news: "I went out early in the morning and hired a lawyer to write a complaint, and my mother-in-law went to look for witnesses who were donated by the Qiao family. Guess what?" What's the matter?"

"But no one wants to go to court?"

Fang Yu shook his head: "The common people received alms from Qiao's family, and the mother-in-law begged for it in person. They were very considerate, and they were willing to go to court even when they were sick. At that time, there were many people receiving alms, and there were many witnesses. Some of the things my mother-in-law found The witness also received alms from the Qiao family, but there was no sign of poisoning."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Hezhi hurriedly said: "Since they all received donations, if they have something to do with our family, then no one will be fine!"

"This is a big doubt, and it is very likely that the source of the disease is not from Qiao's family." Fang Yu said: "The county government is in a hurry. I heard that the trial will be held today. I have to take my lawyer to the government office to defend, otherwise I will be afraid. The county government hastily finalized the case, I brought some of the witnesses and material evidence, and you have to find the rest and send it to the county government."

Fang Yu beckoned Qiao Hezhi to listen to him, and whispered to him for a while.

Qiao Hezhi had many puzzles, Fang Yu said: "It is easy to argue when the evidence is complete."

"Okay, I will collect it as soon as possible."

Fang Yu handed the written letter to Qiao Hezhi: "If you are afraid to deliver it, I will deliver it first and then go to the Yamen. This must be delivered by the master."

Qiao Hezhi nodded and said, "I can. Don't worry, go to the county government. I'll come right away after I get the evidence."

Fang Yu rubbed his hair, without further delay, the two soldiers set off in two separate ways.

The poisoning incident caused quite a stir in the city, and people everywhere panicked, fearing that they would also be tricked by accident. The incident happened suddenly, but the yamen issued a notice quickly.

Qiao Xinnian is a well-known wealthy family in Yuncheng, with a large number of industries. Most of the people who were born and raised in Yuncheng know each other. When he learned that he was the one who indulged in drugs, there were different opinions for a while.Some said that the Qiao family was a good businessman who would do such a thing, and some said that the treacherous and cunning businessman finally showed his feet, and the Qiao family's shop was completely empty overnight.

When something like this happened, everyone in the merchants felt in danger, all the alms-places were suddenly closed overnight, and the merchants in the city who reduced their prices to benefit the people also returned to their original prices, for fear that this matter would affect them again.

Whether it was talking about Qiao Xinnian or the merchants shrunk for self-preservation, Fang Yu was most annoyed that so many people thanked the yamen for its speedy handling of affairs, and being able to catch the culprit so quickly was a blessing to the people of Yuncheng.Seeing that more and more people were praising the Lord Qingtian in the county government office, Fang Yu couldn't help suspecting that someone was deliberately leading the way.

But whether it is to thank the county government or to spit on Qiao Xinnian, today's trial will be held, and there are more people going to watch the excitement than ordinary cases. I am afraid they all want to know why a good businessman who does good deeds wants to murder the people.

"Master, this case needs to be resolved quickly~"

"There are witnesses and evidence, even if he is a businessman who has been in Yuncheng for many years, he is just a lowly businessman. If the official wants him to die, he will die."

"Yuncheng is naturally still up to the adults, so it's easy to deal with a merchant, not to mention that the man surnamed Qiao committed such a heinous crime." The master still said cautiously: "But the man surnamed Qiao has a son-in-law who is in the township examination this year. Mr. Xie Yuan. If he comes to the trial, I'm afraid things will not be so easy~"

County magistrate Qian withdrew his hand to straighten his collar, and when he heard the words, he glanced sideways at the master: "He actually has such a son-in-law? Originally, he wanted to send a sticker to invite Xie Yuan to have a drink, but I heard that he didn't go to his family for a new funeral. I didn't expect to rush here."

County magistrate Qian also felt that the matter was difficult, if it was just a case, it would be fine, Jie Yuan is more difficult than ordinary cases, if an official is selected to do it in the future, it is inevitable that they will meet again if they are all officials. Political enemies are also worthless.

But after thinking about it, a person who is willing to marry a merchant must come from a humble family background and have few connections.At that time, he was showing his favor to win over, but anyone with a bright mind would not fight against the Yamen, he said: "As a son-in-law, he has a good career, so he probably doesn't want to get into this muddy water, there is no time to hide, how can I will also lose face.”

"My lord is right."

"Come on, let's go out, it's time to open the hall."

County magistrate Qian shook his sleeves and walked out from the back room, sitting under the plaque hanging high in the mirror, with the master and the master sitting on the left and right.

In the hall, two lines of government servants fought and shouted mighty force. After the sound was over, the prisoner was brought up to kneel in the hall, and the plaintiff was kneeling on the other side. With the sound of a gavel, the case officially began.

After confirming that the information of the plaintiff and the defendant is correct, the plaintiff will then state the complaint.

Fang Yu didn't wait until the lawyer was summoned to enter the court. Seeing that the county magistrate skipped the column of lawyer information and the plaintiff was about to submit a pleading, he directly raised his hand to apply.

"Who are you! Is there any error in the information of the plaintiff and the defendant?"

The county magistrate glanced at the people holding their hands high in the auditorium blocking the door, and it was difficult to pretend not to see them.

"My lord, I am the defendant's lawyer, and I request to enter the court."

Qiao Xinnian, who was kneeling in the hall, heard Fang Yu's voice, tilted his head slightly, only glanced at him, and heaved a sigh of relief.

When County Magistrate Qian heard this, he lowered his eyes and glanced at the master next to him: "The one surnamed Qiao hired a lawyer so soon?"

The master replied in a low voice: "My lord, that is his son-in-law Fang Yu."

County Magistrate Qian felt dissatisfied immediately. He didn't expect that not only came, but also acted as Qiao Xinnian's lawyer.It happened that this person came according to the rules, even if he wanted to interrupt the trial and reprimand and suppress him, he couldn't do it.

According to the law, both the plaintiff and the defendant can ask a lawyer to defend him on his behalf. With so many people watching, he has to act in accordance with the law.

The master saw that although the county magistrate had a dark face, he still had nothing to say, so he announced: "Allow—the defendant Fang's lawyer enters the court!"

Seeing that there are two people in court in a row, one is Fang Yu, and the other is Qin Keqi, the most famous lawyer in Yuncheng. Originally, the trial was so fast because they didn't want to give the Qiao family a chance to breathe, which is already out of order. But it's so important that there are still excuses, but hiring such a good lawyer will inevitably take a lot of effort.

He exchanged looks with the county master, and immediately said with a straight face: "The statements of the two lawyers of the defendant will affect the records of the master book, so let one of them speak at that time."

Qin Keqi glanced at Fang Yu, then nodded slightly: "Yes."

The master twitched his mustache, and said in his heart: "Since Fang Yu is the son-in-law of the defendant, and has a close relationship, let you speak."

Qin Keqi paused when he heard the words, and didn't ask the specialized lawyers to speak. He has been a lawyer in Yuncheng for many years, so he naturally knew the county government's attitude from this one word.

He has been able to work as a lawyer in Yuncheng without incident for so many years. He also has his own skills, but the fees for lawyers offered by the Qiao family are really high. If he directly agrees to the Yamen's arrangement now, it will also make people who spend money resentful , so he was still going to fight for a chance to speak. As for whether he would be pushed back by the master, he had tried his best.

But before he could speak, Fang Yu who was beside him said first: "It's all up to the master's arrangement."

He was a little surprised when he heard the words, whether Fang Yu really wanted to defend his father-in-law or was just going through the motions, he came here hastily, the evidence was not enough, and Fang Yu asked impromptu questions about the opening of the court.

He was also very unsure, thinking that after reading the defendant's speech, he would try to delay the time as much as possible. When the time came, the case would have to go back to court before the case was accepted, so that he could have enough time to collect Evidence, I didn't expect Fang Yu to answer it straight away. Can scholars really deal with such a situation?

The master was secretly happy when he heard the words: "Since that's the case, it's settled. Now the plaintiff will present your appeal."

Several people who sued Qiao Xinnian were also worried when they saw that the other party had a lawyer, but under the majestic gaze of the county magistrate, they cheered up again: "My lord, the younger ones heard about Qiao Xinnian five days ago. The family wants to give alms. This time the alms is rich. Everyone is originally a poor family. This year they suffered from some rain disasters. They were very happy to hear the news of Qiao’s alms. They went to the alms site to line up early in the morning. There are a lot of them, not only meat, cloth and rice grains, but also ready-made porridge and soup."

"Because we went to the front of the queue early that day, and the younger ones received a lot of things. At that time, we were very happy, and we had a big meal when we went back. Unexpectedly, we started to feel dizzy and diarrhea the next day. The big guys were terrified. I went to see the doctor, and the diagnosis turned out to be poisoning!"

"How can a good person be poisoned? I thought it was only a small family, but I didn't expect many people to suffer from this disaster. The big guys found that all the poisoned people had received alms from Qiao's family! But Qiao Calling charity to do good, it is reasonable to not murder big guys, but everyone can't find a reason."

"Fortunately, the old man has been making food all his life. He has a clear eye and a clear heart. He found something strange in the food that has not been eaten yet!"

The plaintiff dumped a bag of rice grains into the hall, picked up a handful and took a sniff: "There is nothing wrong with this rice at first glance, but when you look closely at the finely ground rice, there is a faint musty smell! This year, Yuncheng has been hit by rain, and the food of many common people has been damaged, and moldy rice is everywhere."

The county magistrate Qian frowned: "Moldy rice is poisonous and cannot be eaten, but the light moldy ones can be treated and fed to livestock. The common people work hard to grow food, and they are often reluctant to throw away moldy food. Those who are interested know this year's disaster. So I moved my thieves to buy moldy rice at a low price as alms, in exchange for fame and the business of the store is booming! Human face and animal heart!"

"My lord is a lesson! My lord must make the decision for the little ones. Although we were lucky enough not to be poisoned to death this time, we are all poor people. Where can we have money to take medicine? The money for medical treatment is all on credit! The little family who died It's not a pity, but this matter involves a lot, and such vicious people must not be tolerated!"

After listening to the report, County Magistrate Qian on the stage showed a look of compassion: "Because He died so disregarding the safety of innocent people, Yuncheng has not seen such a shocking thing happen in so many years!"

"Qiao Xinnian, there are witnesses and evidence, what else can you say!"

Fang Yu looked at the people on the stage trying to suppress their anger, accepting the case with personal emotions, the balance was almost on the plaintiff's side, what's the point of being fair and just!But many people are suffering today. Even so, everyone will not say no to the county magistrate. On the contrary, they think that the county magistrate is sympathetic to the people.

"You're wronged! My lord! It's not the first time Caomin has been doing charity in Yuncheng for dozens of years. There has never been such a thing before. How could Caomin murder the common people for a small profit!"

"It's not the first time for you to give alms, and it's not the first time for others to give alms, but it happened here. Businessmen are the most cunning, they will do anything for their own benefit, and you still quibble!"

"My lord! Grassmen..."

A gavel directly stopped Qiao Xinnian's appeal for grievances.

"Don't make these useless arguments, use evidence to speak! If there is no evidence, we will leave the court!"

Fang Yu sneered in his heart, and wanted to end it hastily: "My lord, I have some doubts and would like to ask the plaintiff a few questions."

County magistrate Qian already wanted to leave the hall, but when he heard that there were still speeches, he was still dissatisfied and said, "What do you want to ask?"

Fang Yu said unhurriedly: "Plaintiff, please guarantee that the answers to the questions I will ask next are true. If there are half a false statement, you will bear the legal consequences yourself."

"Yes, what Xiao Xiao said must be true."

"Very good." Fang Yu immediately asked: "There are countless donations in the city these days. Apart from receiving donations from Qiao's family, have you also received donations from other families?"

The man paused for a moment when he heard the sound, and subconsciously turned his head to look at the other people kneeling beside him.

Fang Yu scolded in a deep voice: "I'm asking you, what are you doing elsewhere!"

The man quickly retracted his gaze: "No, no!"

"You just stated that your family is poor, and the Qiao family is so active in going there, why is the other family not willing to go!"

"The little one lived far away, and it was too late to get the news. There were many people who went to get the gifts, but the young one didn't go."

"Oh? You stated that you felt weak, had diarrhea and got poisoned the next day, but now you say that you didn't go to receive the alms because you lived far away. Is it because you are sick and unable to go, or is it because you live too far away?"

The man was stunned: "It's because I live far away and got poisoned that I can't go! My lord, it's clear!"

"That's right. Your situation is also reasonable." Fang Yu glanced at the rest of the people: "What about you? Are you in the same situation as him?"

"I, we..."

"The law is strict, I advise you all to tell the truth."

"We, we..."

"Since the plaintiff doesn't want to answer, let me answer for you." Fang Yu said: "There were not only a few people who received donations from Qiao's family that day. I just happened to find a few witnesses. My lord is wise and sure. You won’t just listen to one side’s words, right?”

County magistrate Qian took a long breath impatiently: "It's natural."

The time was too short, and the evidence Fang Yu collected was only a few witnesses. When he turned his head and saw a familiar figure in the audience, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and closed his lips slightly.