The Little Lucky Girl.

As dawn broke, a chill tinged the bluestone pavement at the entrance to the Hongzhou government office. An old man, ragged and weathered, stood before him, his face deeply furrowed by the years. His hands trembled as he held the petition, which wrinkled slightly from the strain. Slowly, the man knelt heavily on the ground, his eyes filled with sorrow and determination. His body seemed exceptionally frail in the morning breeze, yet he remained motionless, like a statue, as if conveying his grievances and demands to the justice within the government office through this kneeling gesture. Passersby glanced at him, offering curious and sympathetic glances, but the old man seemed oblivious to all this, staring intently at the closed gates, mumbling a prayer for justice.

The doorman hurried in to report to Master Su Zhiyuan, "Master, there is an old man kneeling at the door, seeking justice!"

"Oh?" Su Zhiyuan hurriedly followed the doorman to the gate of the government office!

Su Zhiyuan walked up to the old man and said softly, "Old man, please stand up and tell me your grievances in detail." His voice was calm but majestic. The old man raised his head, tears in his eyes, and began to speak in a trembling voice!

The old man knelt on the ground, his hands clenched into fists, his body trembling slightly with anger and grief. He raised his wrinkled face, his cloudy eyes burning with anger, and said, "Sir, I have a daughter, only 28 years old, well-behaved and kind-hearted. That bully, Li Heng, is running rampant in Hongzhou City, preying on the people and committing all kinds of evil."

The old man's voice was tinged with tears, but he still managed to speak clearly, "A few days ago, my daughter went to the market to buy some cloth to mend clothes for the common people. Unexpectedly, in a corner of the market, Li Heng and a group of evil slaves saw my daughter and became evil-minded. They surrounded my daughter like wolves on sheep, and assaulted her. My daughter was terrified and struggled desperately to call for help, but the people around were afraid of Li Heng's tyranny and no one dared to come forward to rescue her."

At this point, the old man was already in tears, with tears sliding down the grooves of his cheeks: "That Li Heng forcibly abducted my daughter. When I heard the news, I was extremely anxious and went to argue with him, but was beaten all over by his evil slaves. My lord, my daughter is now trapped in the devil's cave and I am afraid of an accident. I really have no other choice. I can only ask you to do something for me, clear my daughter's name, and severely punish the bully!" The old man kept kowtowing while crying, and the sound of his forehead hitting the stone slab was heartbreaking.

Su Zhiyuan quickly helped the old man up. After listening to his sobbing, his face turned ashen and his eyes widened with anger. He immediately turned around and said to Zhao Meng, the head of the yamen runners beside him: "Zhao Putou, you must quickly take the yamen runners to arrest the bully Li Heng. Make sure he is brought to justice. No mistakes!"

Zhao Meng clasped his fists and accepted the order. "Don't worry, sir. I will do my best. However, Li Heng has many vicious slaves at home, and his influence is deeply entrenched in the city. I'm afraid there will be some resistance."

Su Zhiyuan snorted coldly: "I don't care what he relies on. In Hongzhou Prefecture, I will never allow such a bully to act recklessly. Just go ahead. If you encounter resistance, you can take necessary measures. All consequences will be borne by this prefecture."

"As you command, sir!" Zhao Meng turned around, waved his hand, and summoned the yamen runners. "Brothers, follow me to capture the bully Li Heng!"

The yamen runners responded in unison and rushed towards Li Heng's residence in a mighty procession.

Li Heng's mansion, its red gates tightly shut, exuded an air of ostentatious luxury. Zhao Meng, with his yamen runners, quickly surrounded the house. He stepped forward and rapped hard on the doorknocker, his voice thundering: "Hongzhou government office, open the door!"

At first, there was no movement from inside the door. After a while, a vicious slave poked his head out from the crack of the door. Seeing that it was the yamen runner, he shouted in a timid voice, "What do you want to do? Do you know whose house this is?"

Zhao Meng pushed the evil slave aside and led the others in. Inside the courtyard, Li Heng was lying on a recliner, surrounded by several heavily made-up women. When he saw the yamen runners rushing in, he was startled at first, then jumped up and cursed, "You bunch of lackeys, how dare you come here and act so presumptuously!"

Zhao Meng glared at Li Heng and shouted, "Li Heng, you've committed countless evil deeds, forcibly seizing a woman. Today is your death. Come, arrest them!" The yamen runners rushed forward. Li Heng's slaves tried to resist, but were quickly subdued by the runners. Li Heng tried to flee, but Zhao Meng swiftly stepped forward, grabbed him by the collar, and tied him up with a rope!

"Why are you arresting me? My father will not let you go!" Li Heng was still struggling and shouting.

Zhao Meng smiled coldly: "In Hongzhou, under the rule of Lord Su, even the emperor can't escape if he breaks the law. Take him away!" The bailiffs took Li Heng and headed towards the Hongzhou government office in front of the crowd.

The atmosphere in the court was solemn and dignified. The bailiffs below held water and fire sticks and shouted in unison: "Powerful - powerful -" However, Li Heng, who was escorted here, showed no fear at all. He strode into the court with his head held high, and there was a hint of contempt in his eyes.

After he stood still, he did not kneel like an ordinary person. Instead, he tilted his body, with a mocking smile on his lips, and said to the arrogant Su Zhiyuan: "Sir Su, you arrested me for no reason today, but do you know who my father is? In this Hongzhou city, my Li family is not someone you can easily mess with." After that, he deliberately shook his gorgeous brocade robe, and the gold and jade pendants collided with each other, making a crisp sound, as if to show his confidence.

Su Zhiyuan glared at him and scolded him, "How can you be so presumptuous in this court? You have committed many evil deeds, such as robbing women, and yet you dare to speak such outrageous words here."

Li Heng, however, laughed out loud: "Sir, you say that I raped a woman. Do you have any evidence? Are you trying to convict me based on that old man's one-sided story?" He glanced around the court with a cunning look, as if he was sure that he could escape punishment. His arrogant and domineering appearance made the people watching the trial in the court filled with righteous indignation, but they dared not speak out.

Seeing Li Heng's arrogant demeanor, Su Qing's fury surged. With a light, lotus-like step, she instantly advanced, her delicate foot unleashing a powerful, precise kick into the crook of Li Heng's leg. Li Heng was caught off guard, his knees buckling as he fell to the ground with a thud. He was stunned for a moment, then succumbed to anger. His eyes widened as he roared, "Who are you to kick me?" His voice echoed through the courtroom, tinged with panic and resentment.

Su Qing's eyebrows were raised, her almond-shaped eyes were wide open, her face flushed red, and she shouted angrily: "I am your aunt! How dare you, this arrogant boy, despise the court!" She stood tall and straight, like a proud winter plum, exuding a cold breath.

How could Li Heng bear to lose face in front of so many people, especially being scolded by a woman? He felt even more humiliated. A sinister smile curled up at the corner of his mouth, and he continued to shout, "How dare you, a little woman, point fingers in the court?" His eyes were full of provocation and disdain.

Su Qing sneered, reached into the sachet at her waist, and slowly pulled out her princess token. The token gleamed with dazzling golden light in the candlelight, its dragon carvings vividly depicting the supreme authority it represented. Su Qing held the token aloft and shouted, "Does this princess have the qualifications?" As the token emerged, the entire courtroom fell silent, and everyone looked at Su Qing in astonishment. The bailiffs hurriedly knelt in greeting, shouting, "Greetings to Her Royal Highness Princess Ding'an!" Su Zhiyuan also stood up and bowed slightly.

Li Heng's face instantly turned pale as paper upon seeing this, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. His body began to tremble uncontrollably, his eyes filled with fear and despair. His arrogance vanished without a trace, as if he had plummeted from the clouds to the depths of the valley. His lips trembled slightly, and he tried to say something, but fear choked his throat. He could only tremble and fall to the ground, not daring to make another move.

In the courtroom, Su Zhiyuan's face was stern, his gaze piercing. As the evidence was presented one by one, Li Heng's face gradually turned pale, but he still forced himself to remain calm. Su Zhiyuan slammed the gavel, and his voice echoed throughout the courtroom: "Li Heng, you have committed countless evil deeds, forcibly abducting women and exploiting the people. The evidence is irrefutable. Today, I sentence you to exile to the frontier and confiscate all your property as a warning to others!"

The bailiffs stepped forward to escort Li Heng, but Li Heng suddenly broke free and roared madly: "You can't do this to me! My father will not let you go!" But the bailiffs quickly subdued him and forced heavy shackles on him.

Su Zhiyuan pronounced a just verdict, and Li Heng's blatant evil deeds were finally punished. When the yamen runners escorted Li Heng out of the court, the news spread like wildfire through the streets and alleys, and the people swarmed in, blocking the road.

Men, women, young and old, a sea of ​​people filled the crowd. They stood on tiptoe, their necks craned, their gazes fixed on the approaching prison van. An elderly man, leaning on a cane, trembling slightly, muttered, "Finally, this day has come! This devil has finally met his end." A young man nearby clenched his fists, his face filled with anger: "This bully should have been punished long ago! Let's see how he can still act so arrogantly!" Children hid behind adults, their heads peeked out in curiosity and fear, their eyes wide open.

The people were instantly enraged, cursing and hurling insults. "You scoundrel, where's the ferocity you used to steal my food?" A peasant woman rushed forward, but was stopped by a yamen runner. She could only angrily throw the vegetable stalks at Li Heng. "You deserve this! You've ruined my family!" A middle-aged man, tears welling up in his eyes.

Under the glares and spitting of the crowd, Li Heng shrank like a rat, his body huddled and his steps unsteady. He tried desperately to avoid those dagger-like gazes, but there was no escape. The yamen runners escorted him forward, while the people's cries of condemnation surged like a surging tide, wave after wave, echoing over Hongzhou Prefecture, bearing witness to the advent of justice and the defeat of evil.