TSBFL Chapter 123.2
Chapter 123.2 : 塵埃落定
‘The dust has settled.’
[Idiom : things come to their proper settlement (or due course)]
As soon as he heard this, the few shaky looks that had originally arisen due to his guilt were all dispersed, and he turned his head to look at Gu Lang in front of him, and his face resumed its usual expression of strategic planning, “You can’t rely on a verbal agreement; just because sb says sth, doesn’t mean it’s true although I was taken care by Master Gu in the beginning, I can’t allow you to slander me in such a willful manner.”
Gu Lang glanced at the recovered Master Zhao, then at Mrs Zhao who was holding Master Zhao’s arm beside him, snorted lightly. He took a few steps back to the center of the courtroom and said aloud, “You are right, words are not proof. Since you said you did it, you naturally need to produce evidence.”
Upon hearing this, Master Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. He and the previous County Magistrate had dealt with those who had done those things, and now that the previous County Magistrate had passed away, there was no one left in the world who could accuse him. Even if Gu Lang knew the truth at the beginning, what’s the difference? His verbal statement, no one will believe what he said.
Thinking about this, Zhao Lao Ye gradually relaxed his tense mood, and his eyes were no longer as wary as they were just now, but filled with an indescribable look of mockery.
However, when Zhao’s eyes fell on Gu Lang’s face, he found that he didn’t show remorse as he expected, but on the contrary, there was a bit of mockery in his eyes, and the irony in his eyes stared at him as if it was a ridiculous joke.
Zhao Lao Ye felt that something was not quite right, but before he realized that something was wrong, he heard another commotion coming from the entrance of the court.
Crowds of people who came to watch the fun as if they had seen something terrible, all of a sudden split into two sides, followed by a hobbling person who walked in from the clearly defined aisle. The man with a pair of crutches, tattered clothes, face full of scars, walking shakily, looks like a gust of wind can blow him down.
That man greeted the crowd’s sight and came above the hall, firstly he bowed towards the County Magistrate above him, and immediately introduced himself, “Sir, my name is Chang Geng, more than ten years ago, I used to be a servant beside the Gu Family’s Master.”
“You!” When Master Zhao heard this name, he pointed at him with a look of horror on his face, obviously not expecting this person to appear here.
When Chang Geng heard his words, he turned his head towards him and laughed, his disfigured face smiled like a ghost crawling out of hell, and his hoarse voice added a little bit of weirdness, “Zhao Yuan, you did not expect that I am still alive, right? I have been living all these years as if I am neither a human nor a ghost. Just for this moment, today, I want to see you lose your reputation and your family. I want to see you pay the price for everything you did at that time!”
That strange voice is filled with thick malice, as if the hatred that has accumulated for a long time can finally be released at this time.
After Chang Geng said this sentence, turned his head to look at the standing Gu Lang with an indifferent expression beside him. Those pairs of eyes were showing a few points of guilt, he hesitated for a long time, yet still finally said, “Young master, long time no see.”
Gu Lang, however, gave him a fixed look, and did not seem to be afraid of his appearance, but only nodded his head faintly as a response.
However, this perfunctory response made Chang Geng grin, and he sighed with relief as if he was relieved, “Young master, you have really grown up.”
After saying that, Chang Geng no longer looked at him, but placed his eyes on the County Magistrate sitting above him, and then threw away his walking stick and slowly knelt down in front of the County Magistrate, ”
“County Magistrate, I was born as an orphan, am grateful for the favor of the Gu Family’s Master, and I was able to serve him and also have a place (job) in the Gu Family. However, I was too young and impetuous to recognise the evils of money and wolves, and was taken advantage of by Zhao Yuan, by following his fine (flowery) words, the one who opened the door to the house in the middle of the night to robbers, causing Gu family’s entire household to be destroyed.
After I realized that I had been cheated, I went to Zhao Yuan and tried to die with him (perosh together with him) . But he already had the intention to kill (the witness to cover his crimes), and stabbed me several times when I went to him, then he threw me into the still burning Gu family mansion. I was born poor and humble, but I didn’t die even after all of this; after I woke up in excruciating pain and escaped by instinct so for many years I have been hiding, just so that one day I can personally be witness to his crimes.”
Chang Geng said these words, raised his eyes fixedly looked at the county magistrate above, and then pulled out a few pieces of old paper from his pocket, and passed them forward:
“Your Honour, this is the evidence I’ve gathered about the collusion between Zhao Yuan and the former County Magistrate, I hope you will do justice to my Master and his wife, as well as the many souls from the Gu family who unjustly died!”
The County Magistrate was dumbfounded to hear his words, and then he signaled to the Private Adviser beside him to bring up the things in his hand.
After looking at a few sheets of paper, the county magistrate’s face instantly turned cold, turning his head to look down at the ashen-faced Zhao Yuan and his wife, and sternly said: “Zhao Yuan, now that the human testimony and material evidence are here, what else do you have to say?”
Master Zhao opened his mouth, and with the different gazes of the people in the hall, he finally turned ashen, mumbled and begged, “I’m responsible for what I have done, I hope that Your Excellency will be lenient and let the other people in my family go free.” The county magistrate stared at him with a glaring gaze, his eyes condensed, and then he slapped the wooden block on his hand and said in a cold voice, “Zhao Yuan, together with the former county magistrate, you guys murdered the lives of the Gu family decades ago, and decades later, you still wants to continue to murder Gu Lang, the only son and heir of the Gu family. Today, this official sentences Zhao Yuan to death, to be executed in the autumn, and all of Zhao Yuan’s family assets will be confiscated as a warning to others!”
As soon as the county magistrate’s words came out, Master Zhao suddenly felt as if his vitality had been drained away, and he rapidly aged ten years, while Madam Zhao even screamed and collapsed on the ground.
The County Magistrate frowned at the scene below and waved his hand for the officials to escort Master Zhao down and for the servants of the Zhao family to carry Madam Zhao down. Then he looked at the following gangsters, one by one, according to the size of the crime they committed to give them a sentence.
In the meantime, Chen Xing has been standing by Gu Lang’s side, quietly holding his hand.
![After entering a book, he just wants to be a flower vase [Entertainment Circle]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/image_2022-10-19_141804903.png "After entering a book, he just wants to be a flower vase [Entertainment Circle]")
