105 Evidence
Yang Gongbing slammed the table and said with a dark expression, “Begin the case.”
“Mighty—Rise for court!”
The rag in Feng Qun and the others’ mouths were removed. Yang Gongbing asked, “Youjia villager accused you of abusing your power and forcing all their men to serve in labor?”
“No!” Feng Qun and the others quickly denied.
“Then why did you take the labor registration book and circle all their names?”
Feng Qun broke out in cold sweat and said, “Sir, I’m innocent. I just wanted to label a name. I didn’t want to do anything.”
Yang Gongbing’s face turned cold. “As a bailiff who oversees labor management, you should know that before I confirm the name list, you are not allowed to casually circle names, right?”
Feng Qun said with trembling hands, “I was just careless.”
“You accidentally circled so many people’s names. I wonder if you do have eyes!”
Feng Qun clenched his fists and argued, “Sir, I really just accidentally circled their names and didn’t really…”
Yang Gongbing interrupted him. “If you have already written the end date for them to serve in the labor, Feng Qun and the rest of you will already be imprisoned.”
“Now, I can give you a chance. If you confess, I’ll forgive you. If you resist, I’ll punish you severely.”
Feng Qun said anxiously, “Sir! I really didn’t want so many of them to serve. I really just wanted to tease them.”
Yang Gongbing asked, “Why are you teasing them? Is it like the second thing they are suing for, that you colluded with Xiong Chishi and the Wang brothers to force them to cut wood for personal gain?”
Yang Gongbing had actually found out about Landlord Xiong!
Feng Qun’s face turned pale as he denied, “No, sir, I wouldn’t dare!”
The other officials and the Wang brothers also said in unison, “Sir, I wouldn’t dare!”
“Did you bring Xiong Chishi?”
“Sir, the person has been summoned.”
“Bring him up.”
This was the first time in many years that Landlord Xiong had been sued in court.
The most unbelievable thing was that he was actually sued by a group of refugees.
He knelt in the hall and glanced at Feng Qun, then at the Wang brothers. He knelt on the ground and bowed. “Greetings, Lord.”
“Xiong Chishi, Youjia villager accused you of colluding with the official Feng Qun and the Wang brothers to force them to hand over the wood to build a courtyard for you. Is that true?”
Xiong Chishi was shocked. He did not expect things to turn out this way.
He immediately shook his head and said, “I’m innocent. I don’t know Feng Qun and the Wang brothers at all, nor have I met them before!”
None of them admitted their crimes. Yang Gongbing looked at Cui Shize and asked, “Do you have any evidence to prove that what you said is true?”
Cui Shize bowed respectfully. Thinking that this was the former Prime Minister of the two dynasties and Teacher Yang’s personal disciple, Yang Gongbing’s heart thumped. He suppressed his excitement and said, “Then hand over the evidence and summon the witnesses!”
One of Xiong Chishi’s servants was thrown into the court.
When Landlord Xiong, the Wang brothers, and Feng Qun, saw this person, their expressions changed drastically.
Yang Gongbing asked, “Who are you? What do you want to testify about?”
Laifu glanced at the dark guard who had thrown him out and recalled that he had been tortured inhumanely just now. In order to save his life, he could only tell the truth bitterly, “I’m Laifu, a servant of Landlord Xiong. I can prove that what the villagers of Youjia village said is true. Landlord Xiong colluded with the official, Feng Qun, and the Wang brothers to force the villagers of Youjia village to hand over the wood for the land exploration.”
Landlord Xiong was furious. “Nonsense!” Then he shouted at Yang Gongbing, “Sir, he must have been coerced by those refugees and framed me. I’ve been so good to him in vain. Don’t believe what such an ungrateful person says!”
At this point, Laifu hurriedly moved a few steps forward with his knee to avoid Landlord Xiong and the others’ murderous gazes. “Sir, everything I said is true. I still have evidence!”
The word “evidence” was like a thunderclap that struck Feng Qun and the others’ brains, making them angry, afraid, and want to kill someone!
If they were really convicted of selling government’s wood in private, they would lose their heads!
Yang Gongbing did not seem like someone who could be bribed with money. Landlord Xiong was so afraid that his mouth was trembling.
Laifu took out a wooden booklet and presented it respectfully. “Landlord Xiong has already decided on the fields for the courtyard, but he hasn’t bought a single piece of wood for the house.”
“Instead, he asked me and the carpenters to calculate how many good wood we needed. Then, he asked me to personally hand the log book to the Wang brothers and let them keep an eye on those refugees, while choosing the best 100-year-old wood on the mountain to cut. This was the first time the Wang brothers brought their villagers to look for the refugees from Youjia village. They were unwilling, so Landlord Xiong asked me to bring Wang Chang to look for the official, Feng Qun to settle the villagers from Youjia village. He even asked me to inform that he would reward them heavily after the matter was done.”
Xiong Chishi shouted agitatedly, “He’s spouting nonsense! I don’t know them at all. He was the one who took the initiative to please me. When something happened, he’s even framing me.”
Laifu didn’t want this trouble to fall on his shoulders. He bit his lip again and said, “Landlord Xiong doesn’t just want to build the courtyard. He also secretly negotiated with several big families in town and promised to get them cheap wood. He also wants to smuggle wood in secret.”
As soon as these words were spoken, a commotion broke out in the hall.
Landlord Xiong was actually so bold as to collude with the other big families in the town to do a wood smuggling business. The commoners watching from outside the hall were dumbfounded.
This was a serious crime that would cost him his head!
Among the crowd, there were the owners of these families who were watching the show. They were so frightened that their faces turned pale. They hurriedly knelt down and said, “Sir, Landlord Xiong did look for us, but we didn’t have the intention to do so. Sir, you’re wise, you have to prove our innocence!”
By shouting like this, they had already admitted that Landlord Xiong had indeed colluded with Feng Qun and the others to coerce the refugees from Youjia village to cut wood for their own benefit.
Yang Gongbing looked at Xiong Chishi and the others who became limp in the hall. “The witnesses and evidence are all here. Do you plead guilty?”
If they confessed, they would only die. How could they confess!
Xiong Chishi shouted, “I’m innocent! Sir, I really don’t know anything. It was all done by the damn servants!”
Afraid that he would be beheaded, Laifu hurriedly swore, “Everything I said is true. If I’m lying, I’ll be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!”
Feng Qun did not expect things to turn out like this. He pointed at Cui Shize and said angrily, “Sir, they are rioters and spies of the Yan Kingdom. How can you believe their words!”
Yang Gongbing’s face darkened. “I’m not blind or deaf. Whether they’re spies or not, I have my own judgment. Xiong Chishi, Wang brothers, Feng Chang, and the others colluded and forced the villagers from Youjia village to hand over their wood for personal gains. The crime has been proven with the evidence and witness. According to the Ling Kingdom’s laws, the mastermind will be executed after autumn and his assets will be confiscated. The rest of the people involved can be punished lightly if they confess now!”
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