The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0753 Kill The Chicken To Warn The Monkey (3)

That day, Yuan Ying returned home looking ashen and furious.

Xiao Shi knew that something was wrong as soon as she saw her husbandʼs expression. ”Did something unpleasant happen in the military camp? In my opinion, you should also pay attention to your health. Donʼt push yourself so hard.” It was also thanks to the medicine Yun Qing had sent; otherwise, Yuan Ying could not have recovered so quickly.

Yuan Ying said coldly, ”I just received news that Wangye said he wants to reopen the Zhang family homicide case. All military officers of the fourth rank and above must attend the hearing.” In fact, when Xiao Yongchang was demoted, he was warned to stay in the barracks and stop causing trouble. At the time, Xiao Yongchang had readily agreed, but within two days, he had gone to a tavern and started making arrogant remarks again. When Yuan Ying heard about it, he knew things would turn out badly. Sure enough, today he heard that Wangye wanted to reopen the Zhang family case.

Xiao Shi asked, ”Why reopen the Zhang family case?” She was also aware of her younger brother slandering Yuxi. However, as Xiao Yongchang had already been demoted, she thought the matter was over. Now that the case was being retried, it was clear that something was not quite right.

Yuan Ying unfastened his belt and responded, ”Didnʼt your brother say that Han Jianming bent the law for personal reasons and treated human lives like weeds? Didnʼt he also say that Wangfei shielded Han Jianming? Wangye is preparing to clear Wangfeiʼs name and will hear this case personally. We have already received orders. We must be there the day after tomorrow.” Yuan Ying had originally tried to refuse on the grounds of being busy with official duties, but Yun Qing had been very firm, saying that no one was allowed to be absent.

Xiao Shi knew little about external affairs, but even she was aware that it was unusual for Yun Qing to hear this case in person. She felt a sense of unease rise in her heart. ”Even if Wangye is retrying this case, why does he insist that you all sit in?”

Yuan Ying shook his head. ”Iʼm not sure either, but retrying the case was definitely Wangfeiʼs idea. Back then, I warned him not to cause trouble again. If he did, no one would be able to protect him. But just look at him. After drinking two cups of horse piss at the tavern, he made wild remarks regarding Wangfei and her maternal family, stirring up a storm throughout the city.”

Xiao Shi asked anxiously, ”Father of my child, what should we do now?”

Having been married for years, Yuan Ying advised, ”Donʼt go to Wangfei to plead for mercy. As for the Zhang family case, your brother didnʼt know about it. At most, heʼll be demoted another rank or receive some sort of physical punishment.” Given Yun Qingʼs temperament, he would either demote or beat any subordinates who made mistakes.

On the day the case was retried, not only did several generals come for the hearing, but several locally respected elders were also invited. In addition, ordinary people watched from the outside. Xiao Yongchang was also forced to attend the case that day.

The first to come forward was Zhang Dalang, the son of the Zhang family head. He knelt on the ground and, with a grief-stricken face, recounted the matter. Then he said, ”My Dad had no other hobbies. He only liked playing dominoes with the old men at the street corner and would occasionally gamble a little money. That man surnamed Kong set up a trap based on this, using the game as bait to lure my Dad into a huge debt, and then forced him to press his seal on a contract to sell the house.”

Kong Yang argued from the side, ”It was clearly Old Zhang who had incurred the debt through gambling. Paying back money owed is heavenʼs constant principle and earthʼs righteousness. You had no money, so you used the house as collateral. He was the one who couldnʼt get over it and sought death. What does that have to do with me?”

Zhang Dalang wiped his tears and spoke up: ”At the time, my Dad had only lost three hundred pieces. Usually, when my father played, each piece was worth one large copper coin. But you insisted that each piece was worth ten taels of silver, and claimed that my father owed you three thousand taels of silver.”

Kong Yang still shouted stubbornly in reply, his neck stiffening, ”Who among those playing didnʼt know that each piece was worth ten taels of silver? Everyone knew it. He knew it and still wanted to play. What does the huge debt he incurred have to do with me?”

Zhang Dalang was overcome with grief and cried, ”If you hadnʼt bribed Dong Da and forced Uncle Geng, my Dad would never have fallen for it.” This game of dominoes required four people. Apart from one stranger, the other two had been Old Zhangʼs old gambling companions for over twenty years. It was precisely because they were old acquaintances that he fell into the trap.

Yun Qing struck the court block and ordered men to bring in Dong Da and Uncle Geng, whom Zhang Dalang had mentioned. When Han Jianming had tried this case previously, both men had already confessed. At this moment, they were merely repeating what they had said last time.

After concluding the Zhang family case, they proceeded to hear Kong Yangʼs other cases, such as the forcible acquisition of ancestral medicinal formulas. After hearing more than ten cases, not to mention Xiao Yongchang, even Yuan Ying was beginning to feel restless.

Yun Qing struck the court block and called out, ”Bring the victim, Dou Ying, in.”

Yuan Yingʼs heart tightened. According to the information he had gathered, Kong Yang had not been involved in any cases involving a victim surnamed Dou.

Soon, the guards brought in a young boy. He looked about eleven or twelve years old. He was dressed in coarse cloth and had a thin, frail figure. As soon as the boy entered the court and saw Kong Yang, he lunged at him, grabbed him by the throat, and yelled, ”Iʼm going to kill you! Iʼm going to kill you!”

The guards hurriedly separated the two of them. Judging by the boyʼs posture, he would have strangled Kong Yang to death if the guards hadnʼt intervened.

Kong Yang came back to his senses. When he saw Dou Ying, his face was full of terror.

Yun Qing struck the court block and declared, ”Whatever injustice you have suffered, you may tell this Wang. This Wang will naturally uphold justice for you.”

Dou Yingʼs father was the very man who had gone to the yamen to file a complaint after being framed and harmed by Kong Yang. Ultimately, however, the authorities did not deliver justice, and his family was ruined, with several members dying.

The Dou family case was actually not complicated. Dou Yingʼs paternal great-grandfather had once been a third-rank official and had accumulated quite a few fine things. Later, the family declined, and they had sold off most of those valuable items. Only a set of blue-and-white wine cups, each decorated with a different seasonal flower, remained. True to their name, there were twelve cups in total, each depicting a different seasonal flower: narcissus for the first month, magnolia for the second month, peach blossom for the third month, peony for the fourth month, pomegranate flowers for the fifth month, lotus flowers for the sixth month, orchids for the seventh month, osmanthus for the eighth month, chrysanthemums for the ninth month, hibiscus for the tenth month, Chinese roses for the eleventh month, and winter plum blossoms for the twelfth month.🖼️ Not only were the seasonal flowers of each period painted on these wine cups, but poems were also inscribed on them in small seal script.

It was no secret that the Dou family had such a treasure; many people knew about it. However, no matter how much silver was offered, Dou Yingʼs father refused to sell. At that time, Dou Yingʼs gufu was the prefect of Haocheng, so since Dou Yingʼs father refused to sell, no one dared to seize it by force. Later, Yun Qing captured Haocheng, and Dou Yingʼs gufu fled with his family. The Dou family, therefore, lost its protection. At that time, Kong Yang wanted to get his hands on this treasure and use it as a brick to knock on the door to find a mountain to lean on.

Kong Yang was also a very scheming man. Never mind that Dou Yingʼs father was unwilling to sell the wine cups, even if he had been willing, Kong Yang would not have had the money to buy them. Instead, he deliberately catered to Dou Yingʼs fatherʼs interests and befriended him. Then he set up a scheme and switched out the Dou familyʼs set of blue-and-white wine cups.

As soon as Dou Yingʼs father discovered the switch, he immediately went to find Kong Yang. Seeing that Kong Yang refused to admit anything, Dou Yingʼs father filed a complaint with the yamen. The lawsuit dragged on for more than a month, depleting most of the familyʼs wealth, yet Kong Yang was never convicted. As for the blue-and-white wine cups, there was no trace of them. Overcome with anger, Dou Yingʼs father fell seriously ill. A few days later, Dou Yingʼs mother was m0lested by a ruffian while out and about. Unable to bear the humiliation, she hit her head against a wall and died instantly. When Dou Yingʼs father heard this terrible news, he was so shocked that he died of a heart attack. During the funeral arrangements, in a moment of carelessness, Dou Yingʼs seven-year-old younger sister, Dou Xiaolei, and three-year-old younger brother, Dou Qiong, disappeared without a trace.

Following this series of disasters, only Dou Ying and his elderly grandfather remained of the six members of the Dou family. Old Master Dou knew that his family had been targeted for revenge. That very night, he arranged for an old servant to take Dou Ying away from Haocheng while he stayed behind to handle the funeral arrangements for his son and daughter-in-law. Tragically, Old Master Dou passed away before Dou Yingʼs parents had even been buried. In the end, it was Old Master Douʼs nephew who helped to arrange the funeral. As for where Dou Ying went, no one knew at the time. However, after Kong Yang used such vicious methods against the Dou family, no one dared to oppose him anymore. Even if they suffered a great loss, they just endured it.

Following the Dou Ying case, Kong Yang became arrogant. At the time, ordinary people would try to avoid him whenever they saw him. It was only later, after Han Jianming took over the Provincial Surveillance Commission, that Kong Yang was forced to restrain himself somewhat due to Han Jianmingʼs impartial and incorruptible approach. Kong Yang no longer dared to cause any deaths. The Zhang family matter was purely an accident.

Kong Yang cried out in protest, saying there was absolutely no such thing and that Dou Ying was framing him. These words made Dou Ying wish he could tear Kong Yang apart alive.

With an ashen face, Yun Qing immediately ordered the guards to bring in the ruffian who had m0lested Dou Yingʼs mother that day. That evildoer immediately admitted that Kong Yangʼs personal attendant had given him twenty taels of silver to do it. In fact, when Dou Yingʼs mother was attacked, there had been no one else around. However, in Haocheng, as long as Yuxi wanted to know something, nothing could be hidden from her.

After Kong Yangʼs personal attendant was brought in, he readily confessed. By confessing voluntarily, he could still avoid physical punishment.

Yun Qing asked, ”Where is that set of wine cups now?”

Kong Yangʼs attendant shook his head. ”This lowly one does not know that.” At this point, he no longer dared to lie to Yun Qing.

Yun Qingʼs eyes fell on Kong Yang, and he asked again, ”Where are those wine cups now?” Seeing Kong Yang clench his teeth and refuse to speak, Yun Qing directly ordered the guards to torture him.

Kong Yang could not hold out any longer and was forced to confess. ”After my seventh younger sister found out about this matter, she demanded this set of blue-and-white wine cups from me. I couldnʼt refuse her, so I had given them to her.” The sister he was referring to was Kong Shi, Xiao Yongchangʼs concubine.

Yun Qing looked at Xiao Yongchang and asked, ”Have you ever seen these blue-and-white wine cups before?”

When Xiao Yongchang heard Dou Ying mention the blue-and-white wine cups, he had already begun to feel guilty and uneasy. By the time he discovered that the Dou family had been destroyed because of these wine cups, he broke out in a cold sweat. He had used this very set of wine cups to drink wine at Kong Shiʼs place. At the time, he had even said that they were truly beautifully made, like paintings.

By this time, Yuan Yingʼs face had long since darkened. Seeing that Xiao Yongchang had not reacted for a long while, Yuan Ying shouted coldly, ”Wangye is asking you a question! Why are you standing there in a daze?” Seeing Xiao Yongchang come back to his senses, Yuan Ying added, ”If youʼve seen them, just say so directly.” If Xiao Yongchang still dared to hide things at this point, not even the immortals would be able to save him.

How could Xiao Yongchang still dare to hide anything at this point? He immediately nodded. ”I have seen them. But Kong Shi said they were part of her dowry, so I didnʼt think too much about it.”

Dou Ying looked at Xiao Yongchang and spat out, ”Our familyʼs set of wine cups was worth seven or eight thousand taels of silver. Even if you added together all of the Kong familyʼs possessions, they still wouldnʼt be able to afford a single cup. On the day my father went to the yamen to file a complaint, Kong Yang was already in custody. It was you. It was you who used your connections to have Kong Yang released. It was all because of you. If you had not helped King Zhou commit tyranny, our Dou family would not have been destroyed.”

As soon as Dou Ying spoke these words, not only did Xiao Yongchangʼs expression change, but Yuan Yingʼs did too.