Chapter 79

County Magistrate Hu’s face turned pale, and he muttered, “Nonsense… nonsense… This is a trap… a trap…!”

Lan Tingyu gave County Magistrate Hu a cold look and said coolly, “I was puzzled earlier, wondering why you would run to the prison in the middle of the night. It turns out there was such a matter!”

He glanced at Zhang Dahuzi and asked calmly, “Zhang Xuan, I will ask you again, why did you attack County Vice-Magistrate Zhao in the prison?”

“This was the County Magistrate’s order,” Zhang Dahuzi said. “County Vice-Magistrate Zhao was inspecting the prison at night, and the County Magistrate was worried that he would see the corpse, which would cause the matter to become public and lead to endless trouble. So… so the County Magistrate ordered me to kill County Vice-Magistrate Zhao and then frame it on Chu Huan and others for breaking out of prison…!”

County Vice-Magistrate Zhao glanced at County Magistrate Hu and snorted coldly.

Lan Tingyu slammed the gavel and said sternly, “Hu Wei, do you have anything to say?”

County Magistrate Hu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, “Your Excellency, this is all Zhang Xuan’s slander. I… I am being wronged!”

“Wronged?” Lan Tingyu sneered. “With both witnesses and evidence, you still dare to say you are wronged? Otherwise, why would Zhang Xuan, a mere prison warden, who has no grudge against County Vice-Magistrate Zhao, attack him? And why would you, the respected County Magistrate, run to the prison in the middle of the night? Explain yourself!” He shouted, “Kneel down!”

County Magistrate Hu knelt down with a thud but still stubbornly said, “I am being wronged, I dare not admit guilt!” He added, “I will go to the Governor’s Office and ask the Governor to make a decision!”

He didn’t really want the Governor to make a decision; he just wanted to delay the time. If the case wasn’t settled tonight, his backers would likely take action.

Lan Tingyu wouldn’t give him such a chance and said coolly, “I am the Chief of the Criminal Department, and all criminal cases in Yunshan Prefecture fall under my jurisdiction. Moreover, I am here to investigate this case by the Governor’s order… Are you saying I am not qualified to handle this case, County Magistrate Hu?”

County Magistrate Hu, whose status was far below Lan Tingyu’s, didn’t know how to respond.

“Where is the Clerk?”

A man immediately stepped forward and said cautiously, “I am here, Your Excellency!”

“The details of the case have been clearly stated by Zhang Xuan. Write them down immediately!” Lan Tingyu ordered.

The Clerk hurriedly found some ink and paper and nervously wrote down the case as Zhang Dahuzi had stated it, then presented it to Lan Tingyu. After reading it, Lan Tingyu said to County Magistrate Hu, “Hu Wei, I don’t want to lose face. You are a government official appointed by the Emperor. Now that you have committed such an illegal act, I hope you will admit your guilt. If you do, I might still plead for leniency on your behalf!”

County Magistrate Hu sneered inwardly, “You suddenly came here tonight, intending to put me to death. Asking for leniency for me… do you really think I am a three-year-old child?” He said coolly, “Your Excellency Lan, I am being wronged and will not admit guilt!”

Wei Tianqing suddenly stood up and sneered, “Hu Wei, at this point, are you still thinking of resisting? Everyone is here tonight, and with both witnesses and evidence, you cannot deny it!”

County Magistrate Hu looked at Wei Tianqing and still resisted, saying, “Your Excellency Lan, Your Excellency Wei, Zhang Dahuzi keeps saying I wanted to kill Chu Huan and even poison him. I really don’t understand the motive. I ordered Chu Huan’s arrest because he was accused of murder. I don’t know where this fear of Chu Huan comes from. As for saying Chu Huan is a stumbling block and I want to get rid of him, I don’t know where this comes from…!”

Lan Tingyu smiled and nodded. “I understand your point, County Magistrate Hu.” He said solemnly, “Bring Chu Huan to the hall!”

Wei Tianqing stood up and said, “No need to summon him, Chu Huan is outside the hall!” He called, “Chu Huan, come to the hall!”

As the words fell, Chu Huan slowly walked in from outside the hall. Everyone looked at each other, but Chu Huan remained calm, looked at Lan Tingyu, and finally knelt down, saying, “This humble citizen, Chu Huan, greets Your Excellency!”

Lan Tingyu raised his hand and said, “Chu Huan, look up!”

Chu Huan looked up at Lan Tingyu.

Lan Tingyu asked coolly, “Chu Huan, do you know your crime?”

“I don’t know what crime I have committed!”

Lan Tingyu picked up a file from the table and said, “You don’t know what crime you have committed? I will tell you. You were violent and caused a fatal injury. Is this true?”

Chu Huan, upon hearing this, knew that Lan Tingyu’s words had a deeper meaning. The word “误” (mistakenly) in “误伤人命” (caused a fatal injury by mistake) was significant.

County Magistrate Hu said straightforwardly, “Your Excellency Lan, Chu Huan’s act of injuring someone is a fact, but whether it was a mistake cannot be determined. This person is violent and may have had malicious intentions during the fight!”

Lan Tingyu glanced at County Magistrate Hu but didn’t react.

Chu Huan said, “Your Excellency, on that day, when Shengquan opened the cellar, a group of hooligans came to cause trouble. I acted out of righteous indignation and drove them away. I might have injured someone, but I had control and did not cause a fatal injury!”

County Magistrate Hu snorted coldly, “Control? Do you think you have that kind of skill? After Zhao Bao was beaten, he was carried out of Shengquan and died on the way. Don’t deny it!”

Chu Huan glanced at County Magistrate Hu, smiled faintly, and said nothing.

Wei Tianqing, however, said coolly, “Hu Wei, you are a scholar, and you don’t understand the control of martial artists. Martial artists have excellent control and know the extent of their force.”

“Your Excellency Wei, I am not a martial artist, but the injuries on Zhao Bao’s body cannot be faked,” County Magistrate Hu responded.

“Fine!” Wei Tianqing sneered. “In that case, an autopsy is necessary!”

County Magistrate Hu said, “Your Excellency Lan, Your Excellency Wei, Zhao Bao’s body was already examined by the coroner on the day of the incident, and the autopsy report is on record.”

Lan Tingyu asked solemnly, “Is the coroner here?”

A man stepped forward from the crowd and knelt down, saying, “I am Ye Quan, the coroner of this county!”

Lan Tingyu stroked his beard and asked, “Ye Quan, did you examine the body, and can you confirm that Zhao Bao was beaten to death?”

Ye Quan glanced at County Vice-Magistrate Zhao, who was calm and expressionless, and quickly replied, “Your Excellency, I did examine the body, but… but Zhao Bao had multiple injuries, and I… I don’t know if he had any hidden illnesses…!”

County Magistrate Hu, seeing Ye Quan’s glance at County Vice-Magistrate Zhao, felt a chill in his heart, sensing something even more bizarre and ominous.

“So, you are not certain that Zhao Bao was beaten to death?” Lan Tingyu asked.

Ye Quan hurriedly said, “I… I was negligent…!”

“Ye Quan, as a coroner, how could you be negligent?” County Magistrate Hu said urgently. “You did examine the body, and the fatal injury was on the head…!”

“There’s no need to argue,” Lan Tingyu said. “Since everyone is here, we will conduct the autopsy in the hall.” He asked solemnly, “Where is the county head of the constabulary?”

The constable, who had been trembling in the crowd, finally stood up and said, “I am here, Your Excellency!”

“Go and bring Zhao Bao’s body here for the autopsy!”

Wei Tianqing said sternly, “Someone, go with him to fetch the body!” Two warriors from the prefecture immediately stepped forward, and the constable led them away. The hall fell into a dead silence.

The night was quiet, and the atmosphere in the hall was deathly still.

It didn’t take long for Zhao Bao’s body to be brought in and placed in the hall. Lan Tingyu said solemnly, “Ye Quan, conduct the autopsy now. Be extremely careful and meticulous, and do not make any mistakes!”

Ye Quan hurriedly agreed, glanced at County Vice-Magistrate Zhao, and then began the examination. He removed the clothes and gasped, his face changing color. Everyone in the hall, seeing his shocked expression, was puzzled.

Wei Tianqing walked to the body, looked at it for a moment, and his face showed a strange expression. He looked at County Magistrate Hu and asked, “Hu Wei, you said the fatal injury was on Zhao Bao’s head?”

“Yes!” County Magistrate Hu said firmly. “He was killed by Chu Huan’s heavy blow to the head!”

Wei Tianqing’s expression became even stranger, and he continued, “Did Chu Huan use his hands or a weapon when he injured the person?”

County Magistrate Hu immediately said, “He used his hands.” But he quickly shook his head, “According to my knowledge, Chu Huan also used a chair…!” He sensed that Wei Tianqing’s questions were strange.

“Are you sure Chu Huan didn’t have a knife at the time?” Wei Tianqing pressed.

County Magistrate Hu frowned, thought for a moment, and said, “According to my knowledge… Chu Huan did not have a knife when he committed the act… Our Great Qin prohibits the use of knives by civilians, so even if Chu Huan had a knife, he wouldn’t dare use it in public!”

Wei Tianqing burst into laughter, which was quite sudden. Everyone in the hall looked at each other, and County Magistrate Hu found the laughter grating and sensed a trap.

Wei Tianqing’s laughter abruptly stopped, and he stared at the coroner, saying, “Ye Quan, examine the body now and tell me how Zhao Bao died!”

Ye Quan slowly stood up and said clearly, “Your Excellencies, Zhao Bao… was stabbed to death with a dagger!”

County Magistrate Hu exclaimed, “Nonsense!” He rushed over to the body and saw two knife wounds on the heart and abdomen, clearly new injuries.

County Magistrate Hu felt a chill run through his body.

Lan Tingyu finally stood up, walked to the body, and looked at it. He glanced at County Magistrate Hu and said coolly, “Hu Wei, if we hadn’t come to investigate this case in time, would you have hastily concluded it? If I hadn’t ordered a re-examination, would you still have claimed in the autopsy report that he died from a blow to the head?”

County Magistrate Hu felt weak all over, his mind blank, and his body swayed. He finally collapsed to the ground.

“Clearly, he was stabbed to death, but you claimed he was beaten to death by Chu Huan.” Lan Tingyu sneered. “There is no doubt that you were covering up the truth and maliciously framing Chu Huan. Chu Huan did not kill anyone, but you had him imprisoned… What are your ulterior motives?”

County Magistrate Hu, sitting on the ground, couldn’t understand how the body could have new knife wounds.

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