Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Many students gathered outside the hall, most of them out of respect and admiration for Zhang Jingwei, Yunzhou's most honorable and honest official, and had come specifically to witness him solve cases and mysteries. However, at this moment, the man named Tian Cao, without any regard for the occasion or the feelings of others, spoke wildly and arrogantly in front of everyone.

This action instantly angered everyone present, causing an uproar and public outrage surging like a tide!

"This inhuman beast!" someone cursed angrily.

"With such moral character, he can actually become a scholar? It's simply ridiculous!" another person roared indignantly.

"How can this be considered a human being? He is simply a heartless lunatic!" someone else shouted indignantly.

What's worse, some people were so excited that they lost their minds: "I don't want to be a scholar anymore today. My classmates, please go back and tell my mother that I don't want to study anymore. Now, I must rush in and teach that guy a lesson!" Before he finished speaking, he got the response from others.

"Count me in!"

"And I!"

For a moment, the crowd erupted in fury, uncontrollable. A group of students in long gowns rolled up their books and hurled them at Tian Cao. Mu Tou, standing beside Zhang Jingwei, was utterly nervous. He shielded Zhang Jingwei with his body, dodging left and right, fearing he would be accidentally injured by this so-called "power of knowledge."

"Silence! Silence!" Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Lu Hui shouted loudly, but he shouted "Silence" twice in a row and it had no effect at all.

Gradually, the books that had been thrown at them transformed into a variety of more ferocious weapons—eggs, rotten vegetable leaves, and even fresh feces that were disgusting and stinking. The whole scene was in chaos, like a farce being staged.

Liu Yanzhi raised his wide sleeves to cover his face to avoid being splashed with egg liquid and feces.

Zhang Jingwei dodged left and right like a frightened rabbit, shouting: "Stop it! Bah... Who threw this shit! It almost fell into my mouth!" He was seen waving his arms in panic, trying to block the unidentified objects that were raining down on him.

At the same time, Tian Cao's face was filled with fear, and tears could not stop flowing. Like a frightened little lamb, he quickly hid behind Tian Fu and Chen Shi, trembling and calling out, "Dad! Mom!"

Tian Fu was heartbroken and quickly held his son tightly in his arms, comforting him: "Don't be afraid, son, daddy is here."

The entire courtroom was in chaos, with all sorts of garbage flying everywhere, threatening to completely engulf it. At this critical moment, hundreds of soldiers from the garrison rushed in like a force descending from the sky. Each armed with sharp weapons, they quickly brought the chaotic scene under control.

Wang Caiwu of the garrison camp looked at the mess on the ground, especially the piles of garbage that smelled foul and contained feces, and his stomach churned.

He resisted the urge to vomit and asked with difficulty, "My lords... ugh... are you okay?" As soon as the words came out of his mouth, a pungent smell rushed into his head, making him almost vomit on the spot.

Liu Yanzhi fumbled as he wiped the stains off his body, forcing a smile as he said, "Thank you...thank you Captain Wang for your help! If you hadn't arrived in time, the consequences would have been truly disastrous."

Wang Caiwu turned around and looked at Zhang Jingwei with concern, asking, "Sir, are you okay? Are you injured?"

Zhang Jingwei waved his hands repeatedly and replied, "No...it's okay! Thank you, Captain Wang!"

Meanwhile, Lu Hui's face had already turned livid, his entire body trembling with rage. His eyes widened as he pointed at Tian Cao and hurled curses, "Although I haven't even been governing Yunzhou for a full year, this place has never seen such an outrageous incident! Tian Cao, you unscrupulous beast! You must give the people an explanation for what happened today!"

Liu Yanzhi also gritted his teeth and said, "Lu Taishou, I think it's time to close the case!"

Lu Hui slammed the gavel and pronounced the verdict on Tian Cao: "Tian Cao, you, a student from Yunzhou, abused your wife to the point of her stillbirth. In court, you fabricated facts to tarnish her reputation. I, therefore, strip you of all your honors and accolades, punish you with twenty strokes of the cane (on the waist, buttocks, and legs), a third-degree prison sentence (six months of prison food for each level), and parade you through the streets in the shackles!"

Lu Hui then pronounced his sentence on Tian Cao's parents: "Tian Fu and Chen, you have failed to raise your children properly. It is because of your foolishness that we have come to this situation. I fine you twenty taels of silk! Return home and reflect on your mistakes. You are not allowed to leave Hunyuan County for three years. If you disobey, you will be caned!"

(In ancient times, there were five punishments: mole, caning, imprisonment, exile, and death. Except for the death penalty, which only had two levels, hanging or beheading, the other punishments had levels from five to ten!)

Tian Cao stared at Lu Hui, the judge, with a face filled with horror. His body trembled, and he kept muttering, "No, no, sir, no, I was wrong, sir, I won't do it again. I can't be beaten, I can't go to jail, please show some mercy, please..." However, no matter how hard he begged, the judge remained unmoved. Finally, the sheer terror of the situation darkened Tian Cao's vision, and he fainted.

Seeing this, Tian's mother, Chen, was shaking with anger. Her eyes widened as she pointed at Yang Xier and cursed, "It's all because of you, you shameless bitch! If it weren't for you, how could my son have ended up like this?"

Tian Fuze said with a look of regret, "Madam, that's enough! Your Excellency is right. It's all because of you and I spoiling and indulging him too much over the years that led to this disastrous outcome today!"

At this moment, Yang Xier suddenly said, "I have something to ask of you." Everyone's eyes were instantly focused on her.

Lu Hui, who was sitting at the top, nodded slightly in agreement and said, "Go ahead!"

Yang Xier took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and continued, "After Tian Cao and I divorce, I hope the Tian family will return my dowry. After all, it was my parents' dowry, and it's only right that it be returned to me."

After hearing this, Lu Hui nodded, turned to look at Liu Yanzhi beside him and instructed: "I will leave this matter to you. Arrange for the head clerk of the household department to handle it as soon as possible."

Liu Yanzhi quickly responded: "Yes!"

This result was truly gratifying. The people of Yunzhou praised Lu Hui and Liu Yanzhi for their fairness and justice, and also praised Yang Xier for her courage in suing her husband.

The people didn't say much about Zhang Jingwei, but their admiration and worship for him deepened.