Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

Ximen Qing has arrived.

He came with the county magistrate.

There wasn't a trace of panic on his face; he seemed to be saying, "I'm here, what can you do to me?"

Seeing this, Wu Song is really strong; give him a punch!

Meanwhile, a large crowd of onlookers had gathered at the yamen gate. They were there to watch the spectacle, since one side was the local tyrant, Master Ximen, and the other was the out-of-town dragon, Commander Wu.

The clash between these two, regardless of who wins or loses, will be interesting for ordinary people.

So when Ximen Qing appeared, everyone was a bit agitated.

It's been so many years since we've seen Ximen Qing come to the yamen!

"quiet!"

The county magistrate naturally had to maintain order, otherwise the entire yamen would be in chaos.

"Who is below, and why are you beating the drum?"

Wu Song stepped forward and answered on behalf of Old Man Zhou:

"Wu Song, the head constable of this county, accuses Ximen Qing, the medicine merchant of this county, of harming people, causing the separation of flesh and blood! This is the complaint, please take a look, Your Honor!"

A yamen runner came up with a tray, and Wu Song placed the complaint on the tray. Then the yamen runner handed the complaint over.

The magistrate glanced at it and agreed. Indeed, the complaint was very detailed, clearly explaining the ins and outs of the matter. He then had his clerk read the entire complaint aloud so that everyone could hear it.

"Ximen Qing, this complaint clearly states that this old man's granddaughter went to work as an embroiderer at your house, but she hasn't returned home for several months and there's been no news of her. You've even prevented the grandfather and granddaughter from seeing each other. Is that true?"

"I'm innocent, Your Honor."

Ximen Qing looked at Wu Song and Old Man Zhou and sneered:

"Sir, as you know, my Ximen family runs a pharmacy business. What embroidery workshop would we have?"

"How can this old man's granddaughter prove that she entered my house? Maybe his family is too poor and his granddaughter ran away on her own, or maybe she sold herself into prostitution and went to another county to make a living. You can't blame me just because someone goes missing, can you?"

"Besides, these days, it's perfectly normal for one or two people to die in the middle of nowhere. Who knows if he's trying to extort money from me because his granddaughter died?"

Ximen Qing looked aggrieved and didn't take the contents of the complaint seriously at all.

"You're talking nonsense! My granddaughter did go to your Ximen family's house! I saw her get into the Ximen family's motorcade!"

Old Zhou was extremely excited.

"Old man, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Can you even read? How do you know that's my family's motorcade?"

"I, I, although I don't know many characters, I do recognize the name Ximen! My granddaughter is in your household, why won't you let me go see her!"

"What a joke! Let's not even talk about whether such a person exists. Even if he does, do you think a country bumpkin like you can just walk into my mansion? You say your granddaughter was in my house? Do you have any evidence? Besides what you claim to have seen with your own eyes, did anyone else see her? You have no witnesses or physical evidence, yet you dare to sue me?"

"My lord, this scoundrel is clearly trying to slander my innocence. I, Ximen Qing, donate a lot of silver to the county government every year. I am a truly philanthropist. To be slandered like this will hurt my sincere heart!"

Ximen Qing looked at Wu Song with an expression of "he was wronged" and was particularly angry.

"Old Zhou, do you have any other evidence?"

After listening, the magistrate said to Old Man Zhou.

"My lord, I truly wouldn't dare to deceive you! Evidence? What more evidence do you need? I saw her board the Ximen family's convoy with my own eyes. I absolutely cannot mistake that emblem. I just want to see my granddaughter, is that not allowed?"

Old Zhou knelt down immediately, banging his head on the ground, filled with grief and indignation: "Why does Grandpa need proof to see his granddaughter now? My poor granddaughter, what happened to her!"

"My lord, judging from the old man's appearance, he doesn't seem to be faking it. Please allow me to take men to Ximen Qing's residence to investigate. If it really isn't there..."

Wu Song couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward to speak, but before he could finish, the county magistrate interrupted him.

"Captain Wu, we need evidence to handle cases. You have no evidence, just like searching Ximen Qing's mansion. Is that in accordance with the law? As a captain, don't break the law!"

"Furthermore, I just came out of Master Ximen's mansion with him, and I didn't see an embroidery workshop there. You, Commander Wu, can vouch for this old man, so can I, a mere county constable, vouch for Master Ximen?"

"That's right, Chief Wu, it's good to have a chivalrous heart, but what if you're being used by someone? Then you're slandering me!"

Ximen Qing also said to Wu Song with a mocking expression.

“That makes sense, Wu Song, Old Man Zhou. Since you two claim that Ximen Qing kidnapped Zhou Xiaohuan, you need to provide more compelling evidence. Otherwise, according to the laws of the Song Dynasty, this county cannot grant your request to search Ximen’s residence.”

The magistrate nodded and looked at Wu Song and Old Man Zhou again.

"This……"

Wu Song was extremely anxious, but he was also helpless at the moment, because the magistrate's words made sense.

He could only look at Old Man Zhou, hoping that Old Man Zhou could produce more evidence.

However, what he saw was Old Man Zhou with a blank expression.

"Evidence, evidence, what more evidence do I need? I saw it with my own eyes! I saw it with my own eyes!"

Old Zhou felt a chill in his heart. After seeing the mocking expressions of Ximen Qing and the county magistrate, he suddenly felt even more desperate.

He did get into the government office, but it was no use.

"Captain Wu, you are a good man."

Looking at Wu Song, who was still concerned about him, Old Man Zhou suddenly gave a bitter smile.

"I'm not going to sue anymore, I'm not going to sue anymore."

"Sir! What's wrong with you? You just need evidence, right? I'll help you find it!"

Wu Song was shocked. How could they just give up like that?

"Captain, where am I supposed to find evidence? Everything this old man sees is being called fake. So what is real?"

"Old man, you think you can just leave like that? Do you think you can come and go as you please in this government office?"

Ximen Qing then spoke coldly again, "Don't leave, sir. I want to sue this old farmer for slandering my innocence, and I want to sue Captain Wu for acting as an accomplice without conducting a thorough investigation. Please punish them, sir!"

"When they have no money, they resort to slandering others. I've seen plenty of these kinds of despicable people. Sir, it would be too good for them to die."

"Ximen Qing, shut your dog mouth!"

Wu Song turned his head, his eyes wide with anger, and roared at Ximen Qing.

"Sir, add another charge against Chief Wu: roaring in court! Arrest him too!"

Although Ximen Qing was afraid of Wu Song's martial prowess, he was not afraid at all now. Where was this? A government office. What could Wu Song dare to do?

"My lord! I'm not going to sue anymore! I'm not going to sue anymore!"

Old Man Zhou was filled with grief and indignation, and said to Ximen Qing:

"Ximen Qing, you harmed my granddaughter! I curse you to a terrible death!"

"My lord! Since you cannot stand up for us commoners, then don't make things difficult for Commander Wu. Commander Wu is a good man! A good official!"

"As for this humble citizen, since no one in the mortal world can stand up for me, I will go to the underworld to seek justice!"

"Ximen Qing! I'm waiting for you down there!"

After Old Man Zhou finished speaking, he suddenly unleashed an astonishing power and, before anyone could react, slammed his head hard into a pillar in the courtroom!

"Oh!"

"No!"

Blood splattered as Old Man Zhou slowly collapsed to the ground. His swift movement, coupled with Ximen Qing's provocative words that distracted Wu Song, gave him no chance to rescue him!

By the time he rushed over and helped Old Man Zhou up, Old Man Zhou was already on his last breath.

“Wu…Wu…Du…Tou; find, find, me, granddaughter…”

He only had time to finish speaking before he breathed his last, powerless breath.

The people outside gasped in shock. This was the first time in so many years that someone had shed blood in the main hall of the yamen in Yanggu County.

Upon seeing this, Ximen Qing was overjoyed and immediately said to the magistrate:

"Sir, you see? The old man knew he was in the wrong, so he committed suicide. Now, we've arrested Captain Wu..."

"Ximen Qing! Shut up!"

Enraged, Wu Song roared, put down Old Man Zhou's corpse, and turned to charge at Ximen Qing!

"Wu Song! What do you think you're doing! This is a courtroom! Silence!"

The magistrate was also furious. With a roar, he slammed the gavel down!

What a bastard! During his term, someone actually shed blood in court. This will be a stain on his record from now on!

This might cost me my chance to get promoted!

Upon hearing the magistrate's voice, Wu Song snapped out of his daze. He abruptly stopped in his tracks, but still glared angrily at Ximen Qing!

"Guards! Collect Old Man Zhou's body first! Ximen Qing is innocent due to insufficient evidence! Wu Song roared in court and even attempted to commit violence in the courtroom. He shall receive ten strokes of the cane and be fined two months' salary! Wu Song is suspended from his post as head constable and sent home to reflect for a month! We will observe his future conduct!"

In order to resolve the matter quickly, the magistrate immediately rendered a judgment in the case.

Upon hearing this, Wu Song was greatly shocked and looked up at the magistrate in disbelief!

Everything else is fine, but if I'm suspended from my position as head constable for a month, how am I supposed to overturn Old Man Zhou's case?

This month is more than enough time for Ximen Qing to make this case airtight!

"grown ups……"

Wu Song wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by the county magistrate.

"Guards, drag Wu Song away immediately! Give him ten strokes of the cane! Court adjourned!"

Wu Song fell silent. He had realized that in this situation, nothing he said would make a difference.

Ximen Qing won this round.

"Chief Wu, go quickly." The magistrate left the court, and Ximen Qing and the county constable looked at Wu Song with excitement.

"Chief, don't make things difficult for us."

Several constables came up, looking troubled.

"I'll collect his body first, then I'll go with you."

Wu Song clenched his fists tightly, but finally let them open.

He could kill Ximen Qing and the county magistrate here, but the old man's granddaughter is still missing. If he were to attack these two people now, wouldn't he be unable to fulfill the old man's last wish?

Wu Song carried Old Man Zhou's body and slowly walked out of the courtroom, followed closely by several yamen runners.

Before leaving, he glanced at the plaque above the courtroom.

The four characters "明镜高悬" (a clear mirror hangs high).

It's chilling no matter how you look at it.

Even the mirror is gone, so what's the point of hanging it high?