The first time in history

"Who are you? How dare you beat the drum here!" the bailiff shouted.

"Sir, we are all people who have been wronged. We beg the prefect to make a decision for us!" The old man stepped forward and said in a trembling voice. The people behind him knelt on the ground and shouted "Sir, make a decision for us".

The yamen runners looked at this group of pale, thin but determined people and were at a loss for a moment. They looked at each other, and one of them turned around and walked quickly to the inner hall of the government office to report the situation to the prefect.

The people were waiting quietly in front of the yamen. Their fate depended entirely on the prefect's decision. Everyone's heart was in their throat, not knowing whether a fair judgment or deeper despair would be waiting for them.

After hearing the report from the yamen runners, Qian Mingduo ordered the bully to be locked up and tried the case together with Wang Yuan.

Qian Mingduo sat on the armchair, frowning slightly. When he saw the judge coming in, he waved his hand. "Sit down. Did you find anything during the trial today?"

The judge bowed and sat down slowly. "Sir, the plaintiff spoke sincerely, but the defendant also cried out for injustice. There may be something hidden."

Qian Mingduo snorted, "Humph, how could I not know the ins and outs of this? The defendant may seem innocent, but that flickering look shows that he is definitely not a good person."

The judge nodded and said, "Your Excellency is wise, but the evidence is still lacking. If we make a hasty decision, it may cause trouble."

Qian Mingduo said slowly, "This government also has this concern. You need to send someone to investigate carefully and don't miss any clues. Especially the defendant's interpersonal relationships, there must be a breakthrough."

The judge replied, "Don't worry, sir. I will send someone to do it immediately and will definitely fulfill my mission. There is one more thing, sir. The witness's words are unclear. Do you want to bring him back for another trial?"

Qian Mingduo pondered for a moment and said, "The witness is extremely important. We should not alert the enemy first, but observe secretly. When the time is right, it will not be too late to bring him to trial.

The judge bowed and said, "I understand. I will act with caution."

The atmosphere in the court was solemn. The prefect Qian Minduo sat high up in the court, looking at the people below with dignity. The bully was tied up and knelt in the court, but he was still crying out for justice, and his arrogance had not diminished at all.

On both sides of the hall, the yamen runners held water and fire sticks and shouted "mighty" in unison, the sound shaking the hall slightly. The onlookers crowded the hall, everyone stared at the hall, hoping to give justice to the victim.

"You still dare to cry out for injustice?" Qian Minduo slammed the gavel and shouted angrily, "Now that the evidence is irrefutable, you still want to quibble?" The bully stiffened his neck and shouted, "Sir, I am truly innocent! Someone must have framed me."

"Humph!" Qian Minduo sneered, "This government has sent people to investigate secretly, and the judge Wang Yuan has already found out everything. You have been oppressing the people for a long time, bullying the people in the village, and your evil deeds are too numerous to list. Not long ago, you caused the death of a person because of your own selfish desires. Do you know your crime?"

The bully's face changed slightly when he heard this, but he still pretended to be calm: "Sir, how can you convince others with nothing but words?"

"Call witnesses!" Qian Minduo ordered, and the victim's family and several neighbors were brought to the court. They testified one by one about the bully's daily evil deeds, from seizing land and extorting money to injuring people in the street, and each of the charges had evidence.

The victim's old mother burst into tears. She pointed at the bully and cursed: "You evil villain, you have destroyed my son's family. You must die a miserable death!"