On the way home by carriage, Tong Xiang heard a burst of shouting outside, and she didn't pay attention to what she said.

When she returned home, her younger brother Tong Hua saw her get off the carriage, and ran over curiously and asked, "Sister, where have you been?" Why did you still come back in a carriage? ”

Tong Xiang touched his shoulder dotingly, and said, "My sister went to the landlord's house to see the landlord's wife, so I came back in a carriage." ”

When Tong Hua heard that it was the landlord's house, his little face immediately wrinkled, and he took Tong Xiang's hand and looked at it worriedly.

"Sister, then you shouldn't have been bullied, right? Isn't the landlord's wife very fierce, is she waving a small leather whip and saying, if you don't give me medical treatment, I will whip your skin! ”

He learned to speak to the wife of the brutal landlord, which was so vivid that Tong Xiang hugged his stomach and laughed.

Hearty laughter came from the room, and Li saw the happy appearance of the sister and brother, and also walked out with a smile.

"Hua'er, how could the landlord's wife be like this? Xiang'er, I heard that there is a landlord surnamed Liu in the vicinity, and his wife is known for her good temper, did you go to their house to see a doctor? ”

Tong Xiang nodded and said, "Yes, the landlord's wife didn't make it difficult for me, and sent me back in a carriage." ”

Thinking about it carefully, the landlord's wife looked really like a gentle lady, and she spoke kindly.

However, Tong Xiang looks at people more deeply. She knew that the landlord's wife was indeed a good person, but her personality was a little old-fashioned, and she couldn't accept these new things, and she didn't know if she would take medicine according to her advice.

The next day, a commotion woke her from her dream.

The sound was different from the previous ones, as if someone was beating gongs and drums, and it sounded very disturbing.

She was just about to open the door when she saw someone knocking on the door from the outside, but fortunately she reacted quickly enough to finally escape.

A few officers and soldiers came in, dressed in the clothes of the yamen, as if they had come to arrest people.

Seeing this, Tong Xiang instinctively had a bad premonition.

Among the officers and soldiers, the leader was a man with a tiger's back and a bear's waist, and a large red spot on the side of his left eye.

When the man saw Tong Xiang, he immediately shouted: "Come on, arrest the sinner Tong Xiang and bring it to the yamen!" ”

As soon as the words fell, several people came over, holding ropes in their hands, and made a gesture to tie Tong Xiang up.

Li Shi walked out, saw this situation, hurriedly ran over, choked and persuaded: "Uncle, have you arrested the wrong person, our family Xiang'er is honest and has never done anything illegal?" ”

The red-spotted man snorted coldly, kicked Li away, and said sharply: "We are here to handle the case, and you are a woman who comes up and meddles with something!" ”

Li was kicked away, flew a meter away, and landed on the ground, coughing violently.

Tong Xiang looked at Li, then at the red-spotted man, his voice suddenly became cold, and he said word by word: "Who told you to kick my mother?" ”

The red-spotted man turned his head and saw that her face was gloomy, and he was startled at first. But after thinking about it, she is just a little girl, and she is still a sinner, and she will have to look at his face in the future, what is there to be afraid of her?

So, he swaggered up to her, and his expression was even more arrogant: "Little girl, what's wrong with me kicking your mother?" You ......"

Before the words fell, the red-spotted man felt that he had been punched in the face, which made his gums hurt, and his mouth was vague for a while, and he actually spit out two broken teeth on the ground.

Seeing the teeth falling on the ground, the red-spotted man was also frightened. While covering the left side of his face, he shivered and stepped back.

Tong Xiang's eyes were sharp, swept towards the shocked people present, and said loudly: "I, Tong Xiang, do things alone." If anything, I will go to the government with you. However, you dare to bully my family, and you have seen the end! ”

The officers and soldiers who captured the people all trembled, looking at her like looking at a man-eating rakshasa.

She turned around, picked up Lee on the ground, and checked on her condition.

Li Shi looked at her, his eyes full of melancholy and worry.

"Xiang'er, what did you do? Why did the government come to arrest you? ”

Tong Xiang calmly comforted her: "Mother, don't worry, I'll go back as soon as I go." ”

After speaking, she did not say a word and left with the officers and soldiers.

By the time I arrived at the yamen, it was already three poles in the sun.

At the door, there were a lot of people around, and a familiar face appeared among them.

Seeing the maid who took her over to see a doctor yesterday, Tong Xiang was puzzled, and couldn't think of why she appeared here for a while.

When the maid saw her, a trace of anger appeared on her originally sad face, and she pointed at her from a distance and scolded: "It's you, the murderer, who killed our wife!" ”

Listening to what she said, Tong Xiang was even more puzzled.

The medicine she prescribed to the landlord's wife yesterday was just an ordinary pill for heart disease, and it would not kill anyone.

Could it be that they colluded to frame themselves?

She quickly dismissed the claim. If you want to frame her, just pretend to be seriously ill, where do you need to take human life?

She couldn't figure it out for a while, so she followed the officers and soldiers into the yamen and came to the public court where the case was heard.

The county grandfather sat majestically on the high hall, looked down at the people below, raised his hand, and patted the shocking wood.

Seeing this, the onlookers also stopped discussing, and the surroundings suddenly fell silent.

At the same time as her, another strange young man knelt beside her.

This man is the landlord surnamed Liu. Seeing him kneeling, although Tong Xiang was not used to it, he did not rub it off, and knelt down honestly.

The county grandfather looked at the kneeling crowd and was very satisfied. He straightened his expression and said in a loud voice: "Landlord Liu De, why did you sue the village woman Tong Xiang to the yamen?" ”

The man suppressed the anger in his heart, stood up, saluted the county grandfather, and said, "This village woman lied that she was a doctor who treated diseases, and she was favored by my wife and prescribed a medicine. After my wife finished eating, she died in Huangquan that night, and I asked my lord to investigate and give my wife justice! ”

The county grandfather looked at him, touched his long beard, and showed sympathy.

This kind of quack healing of the dead is not uncommon. He had already made a preliminary decision in his heart.

However, the superficial process still has to be completed.

The county grandfather looked at Tong Xiang, who was kneeling straight on the ground, cleared his throat, and continued to ask: "Sinner Tong Xiang, do you have anything to defend?" ”

Tong Xiang learned from the landlord and also stood up.

The county grandfather was taken aback, his eyes widened, and he slapped the startled wood hard, and reprimanded: "Bold sinner! Dare to stand up, don't kneel down quickly! ”

The defendant must be on his knees all the time, and she is unaware.

In modern courts, the accused is presumed innocent until there is conclusive evidence and a final verdict, so there is no unfair treatment.

Although he wanted to follow the customs, Tong Xiang refused to kneel.

Instead, she straightened her back and looked calm.

"County magistrate, I didn't kill the landlord's wife."

Seeing that she not only did not kneel, but also retorted loudly, the county grandfather was so angry that his beard turned up.

"Bold sinner! You're ......"

"I brought the medicine I prescribed yesterday, whether it is poisonous or not, I will know if I try it." Tong Xiang took out a pill, held it up, and showed it clearly to everyone.

The maid came out, got closer, looked at it, and nodded to her master, "This is indeed the medicine she prescribed to her wife yesterday." ”

When the county grandfather saw her holding the medicine, he didn't know what she was going to do.

"Now that you have the evidence, how are you going to test it?"

The landlord on the side looked at her and said indignantly: "Although this medicine can be tested on animals, it is different from humans. Even if it is non-toxic on cats and dogs, it cannot be guaranteed that it will be safe and sound when used on people. ”

Tong Xiang glanced at him and said coldly: "That's true." ”

"So how are you going to test it? We don't have any prisoners to be beheaded. ”

The county grandfather thought that she wanted to test the prisoner, so he reminded him loudly.

The crowd of onlookers also began to discuss. In order to ensure the accuracy of the test, the drug must be administered to people. But who would want to stand up and swallow something that could be poison?

Under the gaze of everyone, Tong Xiang hooked his lips and smiled, put the pill into his mouth, and swallowed it raw.

Everyone was surprised when they saw her actions.

At the scene, every pair of eyes were carefully watching her movements.

One minute, two minutes......

Half an hour passed, and she didn't show anything out of the ordinary.

Could it be that this medicine really doesn't kill people?

The balance of people's hearts began to shift towards Tong Xiang's side little by little.

Outside the field, Chu Xiao, who rushed over, saw her resolute and resolute appearance, and a trace of unbearability rose in his heart.

The county grandfather was also taken aback when he saw her trying the medicine. However, after all, he is the county magistrate, and there is still a bit of the county magistrate's style.

He quickly calmed down, regained his calm and fair appearance, and announced in a loud voice: "Since the medicine is not poisonous, there must be other reasons behind this. Tong Xiang was temporarily detained and awaited summons. ”

He didn't let Tong Xiang go immediately, but also for the sake of the landlord's face.

The landlord had just lost his beloved wife and would certainly not accept the news of her acquittal. You might as well let him lock Tong Xiang up for a few days first, and then comfort and comfort the landlord more, and this matter will pass smoothly.

He consciously announced the verdict very satisfactorily, which not only upheld fairness and justice, but also took care of the plaintiff's feelings, which is really wonderful.

Unexpectedly, when Tong Xiang heard the verdict, he frowned dissatisfiedly, and looked at him with a torch: "County official, the matter is so clear, I really have nothing to do with this matter, why can't I be acquitted?" ”

When the landlord on the side heard her words, he was even more angry. His wife died violently because of the drugs she prescribed, and she still has the reason to claim her innocence?

The landlord said indignantly to the county grandfather: "County official, you must not listen to her words. Just that medicine, who knows if it was the pill for my wife yesterday? Maybe it's just that they look alike and blindfold everyone. ”

After listening to the words of the landlord, everyone began to discuss.