Playing bad and eating melons: The whole court is laughing? No, no

Chapter 206: Bringing the Suspect Zhou Daqiang

When everyone heard this, they all knelt down and saluted.

County Magistrate Zhu's face was even paler. He walked down from the upper floor with trembling legs and knelt before Jiang Yueyang. His voice trembled, "Your subordinate...your subordinate pays homage to the princess. Your subordinate has...is blind. Please forgive me, princess!"

After he apologized, he banged his head to the ground with a bang.

Jiang Yueyang didn't immediately ask him to stand up. Instead, he humbly asked Governor Yan, "Governor Yan, I know that scholars don't need to kneel down to greet the county magistrate. I wonder if this is still the case when meeting the princess?"

Hearing this, Governor Yan immediately looked at Master Tao. Seeing that he was still standing straight, his face darkened.

He shouted coldly, "Mr. Tao, the princess is here, why don't you kneel down? Are you trying to commit treason?"

Young Master Tao immediately recovered from his shock and knelt hurriedly, "I pay my respects to the princess. I hope the princess will forgive my poor eyesight."

Jiang Yueyang snorted coldly, "Young Master Tao was so arrogant earlier, I almost thought the Luoyang County Government was run by your family!"

"I dare not!" Young Master Tao's forehead was covered with cold sweat.

"Don't dare?" Jiang Yueyang laughed, "You dare to set your sights on this princess? What else is there to be afraid of?"

"Princess...Princess, please spare my life!"

"This princess is not quite sure what crime the scholar has committed by coveting her. I'll leave it to Lord Yan to handle this matter."

Governor Yan bowed and responded, "I will give the princess a satisfactory explanation. Someone, come here..."

"Wait." Jiang Yueyang stopped him, "There's another case here that needs Mr. Tao's cooperation. The punishment will be dealt with later."

"promise."

Jiang Yueyang then turned to Magistrate Zhu and said, "Magistrate Zhu, as the head of Luoyang, you lack self-judgment and resort to punishment based solely on the instigation of others. Don't you want to keep this official hat?"

County Magistrate Zhu was so frightened that he kowtowed and begged for mercy, "Princess, please calm down. I acknowledge my crime and will never do it again."

"Alright, this princess is here to attend the trial today. I don't have time to listen to you admit your mistakes and beg for mercy."

Upon hearing this, Governor Yan immediately said, "Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and start hearing the case!"

"Yes... yes, yes." County Magistrate Zhu stood up hurriedly.

After a while, Jiang Yueyang and Inspector Yan sat below to listen, while County Magistrate Zhu sat upstairs, sweating profusely.

He swallowed, glanced at the two of them, and then asked according to procedure: "Who is here?"

"Mrs. Xue."

"What grievance have you suffered?"

"My husband is a farmhand at the Tao family. Three days ago, Mr. Tao asked my husband to come to the Tao family to move some things.

But after a while, someone from the Tao family came to tell me that my husband had stolen something and beaten the eldest son of the Tao family, and asked me to go over there.

When I went to the Tao family, I found that... my husband had been beaten beyond recognition by them.

Young Master Tao asked me to pay him three hundred taels of silver as compensation, otherwise he would hand my husband over to the authorities.

Even if my whole family doesn't eat or drink for a lifetime, they can't earn three hundred taels. Where can I get three hundred taels to compensate him?

Then, Master Tao said that if he had no money, he could give him his daughter as a concubine. The woman refused, so he sent her husband to the government.

My lord, my husband has been a farmhand in the Tao family for six years and has never taken a penny from them.

His neighbors all knew what kind of person he was. He would never steal, let alone hit anyone!

He is innocent, please investigate!"

After hearing what Xue said, County Magistrate Zhu looked at Master Tao and said, "Mr. Tao, is what Xue said true? Did you assault Zhou Daqiang?"

"Your Excellency, it was indeed me who called Zhou Daqiang home that day, and I did have him beaten, but that was because Zhou Daqiang wanted to escape after being caught red-handed, so I had no choice but to do so."

"My husband doesn't steal!"

"You said he wouldn't? What evidence do you have to prove that he didn't steal anything?"

Xue was questioned and could not answer. She had no evidence and all she did was out of trust in her husband.

Seeing that Xue remained silent, Master Tao smiled complacently, "If you want to use his usual behavior as an excuse, then I don't think that proves anything. People are not static!"

Jiang Yueyang looked at Master Tao thoughtfully, as if he was a real scholar with a good tongue.

Young Master Tao pressed the matter, "You have no evidence, but I have witnesses and physical evidence. On that day, several servants and I witnessed it with our own eyes. After we caught Zhou Daqiang stealing something, he tried to escape by climbing over the wall."

"Then let's call a witness." Jiang Yueyang suddenly spoke.

Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Zhu immediately said, "Send a witness!"

After a while, several servants of the Tao family were brought up.

Magistrate Zhu stared at the men and asked, "Did you see Zhou Daqiang steal something with your own eyes? I'm telling you, perjury will be severely punished!"

One of them answered without hesitation: "Your Excellency, I saw Zhou Daqiang stealing things with my own eyes.

In the eldest son's room, he was holding the eldest son's jade pendant and some gold."

"Princess, what do you think..." County Magistrate Zhu asked Jiang Yueyang what she meant.

Jiang Yueyang was almost amused by him. He was ready to make a decision before the person involved was even announced and asked questions?

Is this how the Luoyang County Magistrate handles cases?

She couldn't help but turn her head to look at Governor Yan, who was sitting below her, and asked with a smile, "Sir Yan, why don't you come and do the trial?"

As soon as Lord Yan heard this, he knew Jiang Yueyang was leaning towards the Xue family. "The princess holds His Majesty's imperial edict, as if His Majesty were here in person. If the princess feels that Magistrate Zhu is unable to supervise this case, she can handle it on his behalf."

"Is this... okay?" Jiang Yueyang asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course it's okay."

"Then I will conduct the trial. I hope Lord Yan can give me some pointers to avoid any mistakes."

"I will follow the princess's orders."

As Governor Yan's voice fell, Jiang Yueyang stood up and walked towards County Magistrate Zhu.

This time, County Magistrate Zhu was very considerate and stood up and gave up his seat without waiting for Inspector Yan to remind him.

Jiang Yueyang handed the white fox in her arms to Qingzhi, and then she picked up the gavel on the table and slammed it hard.

The sound was so loud that it frightened everyone present.

[So cool!] Jiang Yueyang subconsciously shouted in her heart.

[Host, you scared me.]

【Little melon, don’t force me to slap you when I’m happy! 】

Governor Yan had heard about Xin Sheng's story, and at this moment he was speechless and a little surprised.

County Magistrate Zhu didn't know what he was thinking. Now he looked at Jiang Yueyang as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes full of horror!

"county……"

"Shut up!" Governor Yan glared at him, warning, "The princess is in charge of the case, just listen quietly!"

The lawyer tugged at Magistrate Zhu's clothes and shook his head at him.

After warning Magistrate Zhu, Inspector Yan looked at the people in the hall and said, "Answer whatever the princess asks you. Don't waste your words!"

After these words were spoken, everyone had no idea what was wrong. Governor Yan was warning them not to talk nonsense.

Jiang Yueyang released the gavel in his hand, looked around, and said with a stern face: "Bring the suspect Zhou Daqiang!"