The next day.
Hearing that the lord magistrate was going to open the bangyan’s ‘redressing his mother’s injustice’ case, the area around the Yamen became lively early in the morning.
Li Wenxin slapped the wooden door in the hall and said loudly: “Take them in!”
Two rows of Yamen officer shouted ‘formidable’, all the stick hit the ground making all noises stop immediately. The hall was so solemn, one could hear a needle drop.
Li Wenxin said: “Defendants Jing Haonan and Jing Xiuran enter.”
Jing Haonan and Jing Xiuran were escorted in by the yamen official. They looked haggard.
“The witness, Jing Pingdong, the head of the Jing clan, and many people from the Jing clan enter!”
Jing Pingdong, who was brought in, turned pale; while the Jing clan members all had their heads lowered, preferring to huddle together rather than getting close to Jing Heguang.
On the plaintiff’s side, only Jing Heguang stood there.
Zhang Xingyu stood aside and looked at him with worry in his eyes, his hands clenched into fists.
Jing Heguang looked over and gave Zhang Xingyu a comforting smile, telling him to relax.
After a glance, Jing Heguang withdrew his gaze and looked at the hall.
In the hall, Li Wenxin had already quickly reviewed the testimonies of the Jing clan members, and then said: “Jing clan members, you first gave false testimony and then recanted your confession. This time, you must ensure that what you said is the truth, do you understand?”
“The little one knows!”
“The little one knows.”
…several different voices rang out.
After Li Wenxin emphasized this point, he said: “After verification by my official and the confession of the Jing clan, it can be proved that Jing bangyan’s mother is indeed innocent.”
“Therefore, the pond drowning incident is actually an unjust case!”
“Jing Haonan and Jing Pingdong, you two killed people for money, are you going to plead guilty?”
Jing Haonan has been in prison these days and is not very aware of what is going on outside. When he heard that the clan members had all come clean, he looked at his brother in panic.
Jing Pingdong knelt on the ground and said unwillingly after hearing this: “Sir! This little one doesn’t dare to admit it. This little one is also deceived by that scoundrel. We didn’t intentionally wrongfully accuse the bangyan Jing’s mother!”
There’s a big difference between intentional and unintentional.
Jing Pingdong knew that it was impossible to clear everything, but he also wanted to mitigate his mistakes.
Seeing that this guy still had the nerve to mention him, Jing Heguang snorted coldly and said: “replying to your lordship, if he was just deceived, why didn’t he check it out? They adopted a child for my father, whose bones weren’t even cold yet, before my mother was killed! Isn’t these two brothers’ wolfish ambitions obvious?!”
The original mother thought that they were just bullying a new widow, and she could only hide.
However, when he saw the clan forcefully adopt a child, she realized that money is the true intention, so she cruelly sent the three-year-old child away.
Jing Pingdong was flustered and frightened.
It was an impromptu idea back then, so he couldn’t guarantee that his actions would be flawless.
He only remembered that the Jing family had too much money. He only helped organize a funeral and actually got more money than the whole family had worked hard for several years. Who could bear it?
Therefore, first there was a false accusation, and then the adoption was because of impatience. After the adoption, he still felt unsafe, that’s when the final murderous intention came.
Now it seems that since he is seeking wealth first, of course he has no explanation for killing people. No one would believe him if he said he had no selfish motives!
Jing Xiuran saw that Jing Heguang only said a few words and he already left his uncle speechless and despaired for a moment.
Jing Xiuran glanced at Jing Heguang and suddenly shouted: “I confess! Can I be punished leniently if I confess?!”
Jing Heguang is so powerful, his uncle must be finished! He didn’t want to die with his uncle…
After Jing Xiuran figured it out, he hurriedly said: “My uncle’s family gets more money than mine!”
“When I was young, uncle said that Jing Bangyan’s family is very rich, so he advised my mother to send me out for adoption! My uncle’s family only has one son, so he thought of my family because he couldn’t adopt him!”
Jing Haonan heard his son shouting in fear from the side, and felt a little uncomfortable at the moment.
Looking at Jing Pingdong’s expression of being unable to refute, Jing Haonan said cruelly: “The little one also admits his guilt. It was my brother Jing Pingdong’s idea back then. Jing Pingdong also hired that scoundrel. Most of that wealth is in Jing Pingdong’s house. Your excellency can go check the evidence!”
When Jing Pingdong heard his younger brother and nephew testifying in unison that he was the mastermind, a look of hurt flashed across his face.
He has usually always thought about his younger brother and nephew, but now they stabbed him hard at this critical moment!
Jing Pingdong trembled with anger, pointed his finger at Jing Haonan, and roared angrily: “Fart! Didn’t you, Jing Haonan, say first that the orphan and widowed mother are easy to bully?!”
Of course Jing Haonan won’t admit it: “Brother, if that’s true, I am the one who makes the decision. How could I agree to let you share so much money? Everyone has been scolding me behind my back all these years, but your life is so good. Have you ever thought about me?”
At the moment of life and death, the two quarreled without any sense of relationship.
When the others saw the two of them betraying each other within a few words, they immediately laughed at them.
“Aren’t they ashamed to kill people for wealth, how courageous they are?”
“How ugly! It’s so hateful!”
“Poor Jing Bangyan who has suffered for so many years…”
Li Wenxin slapped the gavel and stopped the Jing Pingdong brothers from quarreling, and said with solemn expressions: “It’s true that brothers Jing Pingdong and Jing Haonan kill people for their wealth. We will check their property and return everything that should be returned to Jing Heguang.”
“From now on, under the rule of this prefecture, the clan is deprived of the right to kill according to clan rules. If there are serious crimes and serious circumstances, they will be reported to the yamen for handling.”
“The two Jing brothers used the power of the clan for personal gain, sought wealth and killed people, being a bad influence. The decreased wealth was also enjoyed and wasted for many years, both of them will be sentenced to be executed after autumn!”
When Jing Heguang heard the result, he let out a sigh of relief.
This matter is finally over. The days to come are his own.
***
It is autumn now, so there are still seven or eight days before the day of execution.
Jing Heguang planned to go back after watching the execution, so took Zhang Xingyu around the prefecture in the past few days.
It’s a pity…the fireworks display happens only once every three years, so they can’t see it this time, but they can also have fun elsewhere.
After playing for two days, the Yatou informed Jing Heguang to collect the Jing family’s belongings.
Jing Heguang and Zhang Xingyu got into the carriage, then the team yamen officials arrived at the place where the Jing clan was located.
The Yatou brought people into the house, the rest of Jing Haonan’s family had already moved out.
With the Yamen and others here, it doesn’t matter whether his things are right or not, anyway, all the good things are left behind! Even Jing Pingdong’s house was searched, so now only a few dilapidated and empty houses were left.
Who is Jing Heguang?
Ranked second in the imperial exam, his future is bright. He is also an old friend of their lord magistrate. The husband and wife both live in the Li Mansion. Such a person is certainly worthy of attention.
Silvers, banknotes, land deeds, shop receipts and other items were gathered together and handed over to Jing Heguang by the yamen themselves.
Jing Heguang casually handed over a dozen large silver ingots to the yamen as labor expenses, and quietly stuffed a hundred taels of silver notes into the yamen before taking Zhang Xingyu around the courtyard.
After a while, Zhang Xingyu was still immersed in the impact of the big white silver ingot that he just received.
He used to only know that Jing Heguang’s family was rich, but he didn’t know that Jing Heguang’s family was so rich!
There is so much money that it seems like it is no longer money. With so much money, he’s afraid that they will not be able to spend it all on eating meat in their life!
Zhang Xingyu said blankly: “Heguang, your family is so rich!”
Jing Heguang saw how cute he was, so he stretched out his hand to pinch his face, and asked with a smile: “whose family it is? Think about it before answering.”
“It’s…” Zhang Xingyu felt that something was wrong, so he immediately changed his words, “It’s our family now!”
“Mm! It’s good that you know.” Jing Heguang put the box into Zhang Xingyu’s hand, “The punishment for saying the wrong thing — these are all your responsibilities!”
Jing Heguang originally thought that this box was not light, so he took it back and gave it to Zhang Xingyu. Who made this guy so dumbfounded that he would say the wrong thing without being reminded? Let him remember it for a long time.
However, Zhang Xingyu felt heavy in his heart as he held the heavy box.
These were left by Jing Heguang’s parents, so they all belonged to Jing Heguang. He was just stunned to see so much money, but Jing Heguang gave him these things casually!
Zhang Xingyu smiled and said: “Heguang, you are so kind! What I just said is that your family was so rich before, not now, now it’s our family, of course our family.”
“Really? Since you’re so good…”
Jing Heguang curved the corners of his lips, loosen his brows, and tilted his head, hinting in a low-key manner.
Zhang Xingyu glanced around, and then quickly kissed Jing Heguang on the face!
After being kissed, Jing Heguang said enthusiastically: “You have kissed me, I want to kiss you too!”
Zhang Xingyu: ???
Didn’t you ask me to ask you!
However, there was no one there anyway, so Zhang Xingyu, who was becoming more and more bold, kissed Jing Heguang several times.
He is the only one in Jing Heguang’s ‘family’, so he must be very nice to Jing Heguang and pamper him even more!
***
The sudden wealth actually did not have much impact on the couple.
Neither of them were extravagant. After thinking for a long time, they thought of Qin Lu, who could spend money on the old and young people at hand, thus they spent the largest sum of money since their sudden wealth.
Looking back again, it is the day that the people are both looking forward to and fearing.
At two quarters of noon, the executioner held a bright sword in his hand, and his cold eyes swept over each of the condemned prisoners.
Jing Heguang and Zhang Xingyu were sitting on the second floor of a teahouse at the corner of the street, facing the execution platform.
Zhang Xingyu saw that the executioner was full of murderous intent. There were also children below who couldn’t help crying, so he asked hesitantly: “Why don’t we stop watching?”
Zhang Xingyu has killed many pigs and has seen many bloody scenes. At the moment, killing pigs is no different from eating, but he knew ordinary people were afraid.
Killing people and killing pigs, naturally killing people is more terrifying. Zhang Xingyu is a little afraid that Jing Heguang would be scared.
Jing Heguang was actually a little…scared.
He thought he wouldn’t be afraid, but as the three poles got closer and closer, thinking about a living person’s head being chopped off with a sword and streams of blood spurting out, he couldn’t help but feel sick.
But Jing Heguang is both scared and curious!
He thought for a moment, he still didn’t want to leave.
After all, when he becomes an official in the future, he may have to deal with human lives like Li Wenxin. It would be good to watch such scenes to alert himself.
However, Zhang Xingyu must be scared since he asks this. It’s also his fault for not thinking enough and bring Zhang Xingyu here with him.
Jing Heguang looked at Zhang Xingyu and said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll cover your eyes later so you won’t see.”
Zhang Xingyu thought to himself: He is not afraid, he is afraid that Jing Heguang will be scared.
However, he had killed so many pigs, and Jing Heguang was actually worried that he would be as scared as an ordinary ger! This made Zhang Xingyu very happy.
This means that in Jing Heguang’s heart, he also needs to be cared for and treated with care and treasure.
Zhang Xingyu nodded, suddenly thinking of Jing Heguang acting like a rogue, his eyes lit up and he said: “Since you helped me cover my eyes, I will help you too!”
Looking at Zhang Xingyu who was unconsciously acting cute, Jing Heguang found it difficult to hold back.
He wanted to look more, but he also wanted to have his eyes covered!
