Hidden in the court

Chapter 114: Speedy Case Handling

Hearing this, the official slammed the wooden board of the hall, stared at the man kneeling below with wide eyes, and shouted: "So you are going to fight to the death? You are guilty of an 80,000-yuan crime."

"Sir, I dare not! This is just my own momentary confusion. It has nothing to do with other people!" The man answered with a pale face and a trembling voice.

"Hmph! Okay, okay, you really think I can't do anything to you, right? My name is Zhang Wu, I'm thirty-six, from Lujiang, Liangwu, I have a mother in her fifties and a son in his teens. I have worked as a helper in Zhouji for more than ten years, and since the opening of trade, I have been sent to our dynasty by the Zhou family. My son still works for the Zhou family in Liangwu. Am I right?" The official said with sharp eyes and a cold tone.

The man called Zhang Wu trembled all over, sweated coldly, and his lips quivered. He didn't expect that he had been discovered so thoroughly in such a short time. He was unable to utter a word for a long time.

"What, you have nothing to say? I also told you that I know you are afraid that the Zhou family will retaliate against your family. But are you so sure that I won't? Let me tell you about the laws of our dynasty. If this matter is ever investigated, the person behind the scenes will first have to restore the land completely, second, compensate for all the losses of the other party, third, pay a large fine, and fourth, go to jail. Do you think your master will protect you?" The official sneered and continued.

"This involves more than a thousand acres of land. Do you want to take on the responsibility? Not only can you not afford the compensation, but you will also have to stay in jail until you are old. As long as you are willing to identify Zhouji Cloth Shop, I can guarantee that no one from Zhouji Cloth Shop can return to the south, and the Zhou family will not get any news. Think about it carefully. Come on, take him away."

Having said that, he still mobilized people immediately and arrested everyone in Zhouji Cloth Shop.

Talking about evidence, what a joke, what evidence? Aren't the more than 1,000 acres of land that were poisoned the evidence? The people were arrested here, and you say it has nothing to do with you? Even if they are Liang Wu's men, it doesn't matter, they were the ones who broke the law first, so they should be punished.

"Sir, I am just a shopkeeper, I have no real power, how can I afford all this compensation?"

Hearing this, the official suddenly smiled and said lightly:

"Can't afford to pay? I'll give you a suggestion. All of you go to the land, turn the soil, water it, and apply fertilizer to restore the land to its original state. Then sell what you should sell, pay the fine, and compensate the cloth shop. In this way, I can release you after imprisoning you for a year or so."

Hearing this, the shopkeeper almost cried in anxiety, "Sir, this cloth shop is not mine. If the boss blames me, I will suffer the consequences!"

"What have you lost? According to the laws of our dynasty, if you fail to complete these tasks, I can kill you without your boss coming to my door. Besides, as far as I know, you feed your whole family. Not only can you be well protected in our prison, but you will also be provided with food and lodging. You won't lose anything."

These words made the shopkeeper's face turn pale instantly. His body trembled as if struck by lightning, and he became limp all over and fell to the ground.

His eyes were wide open, his face full of despair and fear, his lips trembled slightly, and he couldn't utter a word.

At this moment, he finally realized that he was in a desperate situation. Neither the Zhou family nor the Northern Territory were anyone he could afford to offend.

He regretted it deeply. If he had known this would happen, he would not have taken such a risk just for the sake of temporary benefits. But now, not only did he not get any benefits, but he also got into big trouble.

He finally realized that he couldn't afford to offend either side.

"Okay, I'll compensate. I'm willing to give the cloth shop to the Suo family." The shopkeeper struggled to get up from the ground, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and said tremblingly.

He had no other choice but to accept the punishment and hope to calm the storm.

However, the official sneered, looked at him with disdain, and said in a cold tone: "Humph, do you really think that a cloth shop can afford the loss of a thousand acres of land?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured on the shopkeeper, making him feel cold all over and his heart filled with fear.

He stared at the other person with wide eyes in disbelief, and stammered, "Sir, then...what should we do?"

"Compensate them for the entire line." The official said coldly, with a fierce look in his eyes.

Upon hearing this request, the shopkeeper was stunned and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

He widened his eyes and asked in a trembling voice: "Sir, how can this be possible? I am just the shopkeeper of a cloth shop. Other matters are not my responsibility!"

He felt that this request was simply unreasonable. How could a small shopkeeper like him have the power to decide such an important matter? Moreover, he simply could not bear such a huge responsibility.

The official looked at the shopkeeper coldly, with a mocking smile on his face. He answered bluntly: "But this matter is under my jurisdiction. You broke the law, so of course you have to pay the full amount!"

There was obvious dissatisfaction and anger in his tone, as if he was extremely disgusted by the shopkeeper's evasion.

The shopkeeper's face turned pale as paper in an instant. He stared at the official with wide eyes in horror, his body shaking uncontrollably.

He knew very well that he had made a serious mistake this time and would not escape punishment no matter what.

Faced with the official's harsh accusations, the shopkeeper felt an invisible pressure enveloping his whole body, making it hard for him to breathe.

He knew that he had to find a way to solve this problem, but he didn't know how to start. At this moment, he felt extremely helpless and desperate.

The officials of the Agricultural Division didn't care about his thoughts, but went to the Suo family first.

"Sir, I have already found out that the man behind this is the owner of Zhouji Cloth Shop. I will supervise them to restore the fertility of the 1,000 acres of land, and the money on the books will be turned in as a fine. In addition, the Zhouji Cloth Shop store and the entire network behind it will be used as compensation for you. You don't have to worry about retaliation, and they will go to jail. All of the above are in compliance with the law. After these contracts are signed, this cloth shop will be yours."

The official handed over a stack of contracts with a smile. Xie An and Suo Wei were both surprised at the speed of handling the matter.

In just less than three days, they had only begun to suspect the Zhou family. Now that the contract was in their hands, it still seemed a little unreal.

Seeing that Xie An handed the contract to Suo Wei obediently, the official from the Agriculture Department showed an "I understand" expression, which made Xie An feel embarrassed.

Soon, the people from the Agriculture Department got the signed contract.

"Okay, then I won't bother you."

In the afternoon, Xie An and Suo Wei arrived at their own shops and told the shopkeepers to go to Zhou's shop to get some goods to last them for a while.