"Hey." The county magistrate sighed, knowing that Ah Zhong refused to agree, but he still wanted to persuade again, "Although it is bold to privately move the palace punishment, but the crime does not lead to death, it is absolutely impossible for you to let her pay for her life, it is better to accept the silver she paid and live in another place." ”

"My lord, they all say that you are honest and honest and act impartially, but why did you talk about love for a person who committed a heinous crime today?" Ah Zhong sneered, "Didn't you take any benefits from her?" ”

"Bold!" There was a startled sound, and the county magistrate frowned, "How can you talk nonsense above the public court!" ”

"Then please deal with it impartially, and punish this vicious person, so as to prove your innocence." Seeing that the county magistrate was angry, Ah Zhong didn't even feel a trace of fear, but just arched his hand.

Yesterday, someone told him very clearly, although this crime of private palace punishment will not be directly sentenced to beheading, at least fifty boards will not be able to escape.

If he is an adult, he is afraid that he will have a little hesitation, after all, although the fifty boards can beat people to death, it is difficult to say whether he can die when he meets a good body.

But the other party is just a little girl, and the board used for execution is heavier than her, and it is strange that she will not die if she is beaten down with fifty big boards.

At this time, the two officials sent by the county magistrate to investigate also rushed back, and the two came to the county magistrate's ear and muttered for a long time, and put a few pieces of paper on the case, the county magistrate glanced at it, nodded and motioned for the two to retreat, and said, "Okay, the official will promise you." ”

After glaring at Ah Zhong, the county magistrate turned his head to look at Xia Yan, "Xia Yan, are you guilty?" ”

"My lord, the people are guilty." Xia Yan hurriedly knelt down, "The people's women shouldn't be confused for a while, and use palace punishment for people's private purposes, please punish the adults, and the people's daughters will never complain." ”

"That's good, according to the laws of this dynasty, the private use of palace punishment should be punished with thirty boards." The county magistrate paused for a moment, seeing that Xia Yan did not have a look of fear on his face, he praised her in his heart, and continued, "But I think that you are still young, and this official has decided to take you lightly." ”

As he spoke, the county magistrate took out a token from the lottery holder and threw it in front of Xia Yan: "Come on, hit Xia Yan with thirty boards!" ”

"My lord, my lord, private palace punishment is a felony, thirty boards are too little, and the villain is not convinced." As soon as the county magistrate's voice fell, Ah Zhong, who was lying on his stomach next to him, saw that the punishment was different from what he imagined, and hurriedly spoke up, "She still has the crime of bullying the market and bullying others, can you spare her." ”

"Do you think the officials sent out are fools?" The county magistrate glanced at Ah Zhong, "I thought I would sentence you later, but since you spoke, the official will calculate your guilt again." ”

"Adult, the little one is just a victim, and he was injured in a daze, what is the charge?"

"Hmph, the evidence is here, you can't quibble." The county magistrate took out the three pieces of paper that the officials put on the table, "This is the confession signed and drawn by the witnesses yesterday, do you need to read it to you by this official?" ”

Damn, didn't that person promise himself, these officials are all wine-brewed rice bags, messing around all day long, and there is no means to investigate the case at all, even if so many people saw the truth yesterday, but under the interference of that person, they will definitely not be able to find out the reason, just let him rest assured to sue.

But what's going on? Why did you go out for a while, and even get the confession ready, can this be the efficiency that the wine bag and rice bag should have?

Forget it, anyway, she can't survive the fifty boards, and she can't even survive the thirty boards, and the lack of these twenty boards won't affect anything, why should he make the county master angry and lead the trouble to himself?

Thinking of this, Ah Zhong hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Don't bother the adults, the small one is served, the one is served, you can beat her thirty boards." ”

"It is really an unforgivable sin for a person to commit a crime, to despise a woman from a good family in public, but not to repent, and to reverse right and wrong and falsely accuse others!" The county magistrate threw out another token, "Come on, beat him to the twenty boards." ”

"Adult, adult, small wrong!" Ah Zhong's frightened hands trembled, "Small...... The little one admitted that she had touched her maid, but she didn't falsely accuse her. She did make the entire restaurant in Qin County lose business, didn't you send someone to find out? Besides, she really relied on the support of Fu Duo to beat the shopkeeper of the drunken Xiaolou and the brothers in the restaurant. ”

"The official sees that you don't cry when you don't see the coffin, and you still think about quibbling at this time." The county magistrate snorted coldly, stretched out his hand and threw it, and the three confessions swayed and fell in front of Ah Zhong, "It is clearly written on it that Stanley, the shopkeeper of the Drunken Tower, and his fellows beat Xia Yan and his party first because of jealousy, but later after Fu Duozhi's teaching, he felt guilty, so he voluntarily accepted the punishment, and he did not have any dissatisfaction and grudge against Xia Yan." ”

"My lord, this must be this kind of false testimony that Fu Duozhi threatened them."

"Keep your eyes open." The county magistrate sneered, "It says that the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce has stopped supplying Zuixiao Tower, and Stanley is ready to leave Qin County and find a place to make a comeback, so how can he be afraid of the threat of Fu Duozhi?" ”

"This ...... This ...... "Ah Zhong's anxious palms are sweating," but she has affected the business of other shops, which is a fact that cannot be quibbled. ”

"But she did compensate for the loss of those shops." The county magistrate suddenly remembered something and said with a smile, "Besides, this situation is not caused by her intentionally, just because her family's flour is too good." To borrow a sentence from Gao Yuxing, this is a legitimate means of competition, you don't have the ability to keep the guests, how can you blame her? In fact, she doesn't have to compensate them, even if she sues me, she will be reasonable. ”

"Your Excellency...... Adult...... Seeing that his lie had been revealed, there was no possibility of quibbling, Ah Zhong's tears flowed, "No matter what, it's always true that she hurt me, I've been made into this look like a ghost and a ghost, if I am beaten with another twenty boards, I'm afraid I won't even lose my life, my lord, you just let the small one go." ”

"Ah Zhong, you only know that private palace punishment is a felony, but do you know what kind of crime a woman from a light and good family is?"

Ah Zhong was speechless for a while, cold sweat flowed from his head, and he didn't know what to do when he lay there.

How did he forget about it?

Although the status of women in Huaguo is not as good as that of men, but because of weakness, they are also protected by the law, if no one knows about this or the maid agrees to marry him, then he really won't have anything to do, but now, ......

Hey, he really regretted listening to that person's demagogy, and in a moment of eagerness for revenge, he rushed to the county yamen to complain without thinking too much.

But anyway, he is also a seriously injured person, twenty boards are indeed too much, after his own reminder, the county master will definitely beat himself a few boards.

Just when Ah Zhong was full of anticipation, he heard the county master say: "A woman from a light and thin family, according to the law, you should hit 30 boards, not to mention that you are not a thin girl, and you are less than 30 boards." But this official thought that you were injured and only sentenced you to 20 boards, what else do you want to say? ”

"I ...... I ...... "Ah Zhong still wanted to say something, but he was hesitant and didn't know what to say."

At this moment, the four officials stepped forward and saluted the county magistrate: "My lord, you are ready to start at any time." ”

"Do it!"

The yamen received the order and divided it into two groups, one pulled up Ah Zhong, who was lying on the ground and was inconvenient to walk, and dragged it down quickly, while the other group stood in front of Xia Yan, waiting for her to get up by herself.

"Don't! Don't ......" Ah Zhong kept begging for mercy, but the officials turned a deaf ear and just carried out the order.

"Miss!"

"Yan'er!"

"Miss Yan'er!"

Seeing that Xia Yan was about to be tortured, Xia Huai and the four of them hurriedly squeezed in.

"Yan'er, you can't go over, this will kill you!" Xia Huai grabbed Xia Yan tightly and said urgently.

"Brother, it doesn't matter, isn't it just thirty boards, you can't die." Xia Yan chuckled, it was really not that she underestimated the power of the thirty big boards, but after the nourishment of the spiritual spring water, her body was already much stronger than ordinary children, even comparable to many strong adults, and she could resist only thirty big boards, which was why she could not change her face when she heard the verdict.

"No, you've never seen what that board looks like, thirty boards can't even hold up to adults, let alone you?"

"It's okay, I've practiced, how can I endure a few boards?" Xia Yan gave him a reassuring look, "The county master's order has been given, but it can't be taken back." ”

As soon as Xia Yan's words fell, she saw Xia Huai pulling her to the county master, knelt down with a "plop", and said, "My lord, my little sister is young and ignorant, and she has made such a big mistake, and she really deserves to be punished." But she is just a child, and she doesn't know right from wrong, and she can only blame me, as a brother, for not taking care of her. The grass people don't have the luxury of asking you to take back your life, but only ask you to let me take this board for her. ”

Xia Huai's words were sincere, he wasn't there when these things happened yesterday, and he just learned that his sister had really done such a foolish thing.

Although he was very angry, most of it was because he didn't take a good look at her, not only let her do this irreparable thing, but also let her be beaten by others for no reason, at this time he wanted to slap himself a few times, his brother was really incompetent, and he didn't even know that his sister was beaten.

But now is not the time for him to get angry, seeing that she is about to be beaten, he naturally can't watch it.

"Your Excellency." At this moment, An Zhi and Ting Lan also knelt down, "My young lady did this kind of thing, and we didn't persuade it in time, so we are also guilty, beg the adults to let us take this board for our young lady." ”

"Master Lee." Fu Duozhi also hurriedly knelt down, "These are all children, but they can't stand the board, if you want to beat you, hit me." ”

"My lord! I'm strong, hit me. ”

"My lord! We're just subordinates, and our lives aren't expensive, so beat us! ”

"Master Li! What kind of ability is it to hit a few children, hit me! ”

The four people kneeling in the hall looked at the county master with anticipation, and the scrambling appearance made those who didn't know think that they were competing for some good thing.