After entering the book, the young cannon fodder brought his short-lived mother to fly happily

The lawyer shouted coldly: "Although you are in the county, the Meng family and the Zhao family mother and daughter do not know where you are. You have never sent a single word, let alone a letter. This is because you deliberately concealed your whereabouts! There is nothing wrong in judging you missing or dead!"

Meng Cheng wanted to say more, but when he looked up, he saw Yang Zhiya's stern and majestic eyes, and was so scared that he dared not say a word.

"As a husband, you sold your land and property, took away all your property and eloped with someone else. This is unrighteousness. As a father, you left your child when he was less than half a year old. This is unkindness. As a son of the clan, you ignored the honor of the family and enjoyed yourself, but because of your misconduct, you made the clan members fall into the gossip of others. This is unfilial. You have a wife at home but you abandoned her for sex. This is unwise! How can a person like you be worthy of being a human being?"

Suddenly someone who was watching the excitement outside the hall spoke loudly.

It turned out that a few students were passing by, and after hearing the whole story, they immediately expressed their indignation.

These words attracted many people's agreement!

Yang Zhiya tapped the gavel lightly to silence the noise and discussion.

When it came time for the final verdict, the lawyer read out the final sentence:

"After checking the relevant procedures and documents, this official has ruled that the divorce is valid! Meng Cheng had no relationship with Zhao's mother and daughter half a year ago. Now that she has sold herself as a prostitute, she has violated the law. Considering that she did not know that the clan leader had written the divorce letter on her behalf, I will give her a lighter sentence and order her to return the ill-gotten gains and compensate Zhao's mother and daughter with ten taels of silver to appease her fright! In addition, she will be given thirty lashes of the cane as a warning to others, and will be executed in court!"

"Zhao's mother and daughter are from a good family. Unless they sell themselves, the sale will not be established. They are ordered to return their indentures!"

"Yuan Cuihua of Qihonglou made a deal without any investigation and almost forced a good woman into prostitution. Although she was not the mastermind, she was also responsible for negligence. She is sentenced to pay 50 taels of silver. If the same incident happens again, she will be fined tenfold and Qihonglou will be closed down, and she will be imprisoned and punished!"

Yuan Cuihua was stunned. She forced a smile and said, "Sir, this, this sentence is too heavy. Meng Cheng said that they were his wife and daughter. He was short of money, so he took the initiative to sign the indenture with the little woman!"

"He said it was his wife and daughter. Have you checked the marriage certificate? Have you asked for the reason? Can you send someone to verify the facts?"

Yang Zhiya's voice was full of official dignity: "Do you know that if Zhao Shi hadn't escaped and reported to the authorities, your Qihonglou would have had two more decent women forced into prostitution? You are the kidnapper's accomplice! Could it be that your Qihonglou wants to help the kidnapper sell his goods? Or is there another Sister Hua in your Qihonglou with a similarly unclear background?"

Yuan Cuihua couldn't bear this crime. She shook her head hurriedly, still feeling distressed: "No, no! But, but fifty taels..."

"If you don't want to pay fifty taels, you can use a beating instead. Thirty big beatings, or fifty taels of silver. It's your choice whether you want to be beaten or punished!"

Yuan Cuihua's face suddenly turned pale: "Accept the punishment, accept the punishment!"

"Meng Cheng, you sold your property more than three years ago and got a total of 217 taels of silver, but you ran away with the money, ignored the lives of your wife and daughter, had an affair with someone else without a matchmaker, and made private transactions with her. You have a low character and corrupt morals. Meng Cheng, do you accept the beating or the punishment?"

Meng Cheng said in a trembling voice: "Admit it, accept the punishment!"

He has already been beaten thirty times. If he continues to be beaten, he will be beaten to death.

"Zhao is your first wife. You should have half of the 217 taels. You abandoned her first and then secretly gave her away. You accepted the punishment and should have been fined 100 taels. However, considering that Zhao and you divorced half a year ago, the fine will be reduced by half. The total is 168 and a half taels. You have three days to hand it over to the government!"

Meng Cheng's face turned pale, and his voice trembled: "Sir, sir, I have already been fined so much, can the previous thirty strokes of the cane be reduced?"

Yang Zhiya said in a cold voice: "You sold decent girls into prostitution. If it weren't for the fact that you didn't know about the divorce, I would have given you a light sentence. For this crime alone, you should be beheaded in the autumn! Thirty strokes of the cane, no pardon!"

Meng Cheng seemed unwilling and wanted to speak, but no sound came out.

"Yu, please listen to the verdict!"

Yu Zhier said hurriedly, "Sir, we, we did not have an affair without a matchmaker. Meng Cheng, he wrote a letter of divorce! I have read the letter of divorce, and he has divorced me. I am innocent!"

"The divorce letter has never been in Zhao's hands, and it has not been recorded by the authorities, so it is invalid!"

"Then, that woman was also kept in the dark..."

"You mean, you were deceived by Meng Cheng? If that's the case, Meng Cheng's crime is even more serious..."

"My Lord, I am innocent. I did not deceive Mrs. Yu. From the beginning to the end, she seduced me. If she had not seduced me, how could I have sold my property and abandoned my wife and daughter under her instigation? It's all her fault, it's all her!"

"Meng Cheng, are you still a human being?"

"Isn't it? At that time, Zhao and I were clearly living a good life, but what about you? You were hanging around me every day, saying things that seduced me, and even hinting that I should visit your house. After a while, I couldn't resist the temptation. Otherwise, why would I get involved with a widow like you?"

"Meng Cheng, you bastard, I gave birth to a son for you, and now you want to put the blame on me?"

"Son, who knows if he is my child? Who doesn't know that I am not the only man you have hooked up with in the village!"

The two men were fighting each other in front of the hall, which was simply amazing.

Seeing them biting each other and almost fighting, Yang Zhiya shouted, "Stop! What do you think this place is?"

Meng Cheng knelt down and said, "My Lord, I was seduced by this woman. I was confused for a moment and lost control. But I still cared about my wife and daughter, so I never wrote a letter of reconciliation or divorce. That's because I still wanted to live a good life with Zhao. Now everything I have has been ruined by this bitch, and she even bit me back. My Lord, you have to make the decision for me!"

Yu Zhier also knelt down, crying: "Sir, although I am a widow, I am also a chaste woman. It was this Meng Cheng who took a fancy to my beauty and hung around my house every day. One time, he even took advantage of my carelessness, blocked me in the house, and took my body. I had no choice but to obey him. If he hadn't deceived me with a fake divorce letter, making me think he really divorced me, I would not be able to go to the county town with him!"

Both of them said that they were wronged, but never mentioned their own mistakes.

Yang Zhiya was so angry that he laughed. He slammed the gavel and said, "One seduced? One lost control? One forced? One was helpless? Do you think I can fool you? When you eloped, Meng Cheng had a wife. You two were having an affair. You should each be punished with 20 strokes of the cane.

Meng Cheng hurriedly asked, "Sir, can I accept the punishment?"

"Okay, a fine of fifty taels of silver!"

Meng Cheng had a bitter face, but decided to accept the punishment. He still had thirty lashes left.

Yu Zhier also wanted to accept the punishment. She shouted: "I accept the punishment too!"

Meng Cheng sneered: "Do you have money? I won't pay for your money!"