Chapter 26

This confrontation made both sides look rather unfriendly.

Before Mr. Xie spoke, the third son of the Xie family rushed to the eldest uncle and shouted, "You damn, how dare you still come here?"

The eldest uncle angrily replied, "Why shouldn't I come?"

Mr. Xie held back the third son and said, "Don't cause trouble; this is the government office."

Lin Gaizhe stepped forward and bowed to Mr. Xie, saying, "Father-in-law, I also have my faults in the past. We are neighbors, so let's talk it over. If we end up in court, it won't look good for either of us."

Mr. Xie sneered, "Lin, it's too late to back down now. Fine, I don't want to bully you. There are still two options: one, you and your son kneel and apologize to my daughter in the village and invite her back home; two, return all the dowry and the money she has saved over the years, and my grandson will stay with the Xie family. We'll be even."

Lin Gaizhe said, "Your daughter stole from her husband's family and was unkind to her nephews. I won't tolerate her anymore, let alone apologize. As for her returning to her parents' home, I can return the dowry, but nothing else. What do you think?"

Mr. Xie laughed, "You old fool, do you think my Xie family's daughter would beg you? Am I here to reason with you today?"

The eldest uncle angrily said, "This is too much. Where have you seen such arrogance?"

Mr. Xie looked at the eldest uncle and said, "The Xie family has always been arrogant, and you know that well."

"Since that's the case, we'll have to go to court," Lin Gaizhe said solemnly, showing his readiness to fight.

Mr. Xie sneered, "Go to court? Do you even know where the courthouse is? Look, this is the complaint written by Mr. Ge, a top lawyer in the provincial capital. He's one of the best. You'll be crying when you lose!"

The courthouse was noisy for a while, and finally, the officials reacted. Those who were too rowdy received a beating.

At this moment, a clerk shouted, "Those who want to file complaints, wait over there. The criminal division will collect them later. Both sides are here, so let's start the hearing."

With these words, the crowd became restless. Lin Yanchao and the others joined the queue in front of the county courthouse and entered one by one.

The county courthouse looked somewhat dilapidated, no wonder the last renovation was during the Xuande period, which was 180 years ago. This wasn't due to excessive frugality but because officials believed that officials shouldn't repair their offices.

The county magistrates over the next 180 years followed the principle of "new for three years, old for three years, and patched for another three years." Only during the Zhengtong and Zhengde periods were the central hall and the rear hall added. The rest remained unchanged. Lin Yanchao followed Lin Gaizhe and the eldest uncle through the main gate and the central gate, which was the heart of the county courthouse. To the west of the central gate was the county jail, and to the east were the guest house and the land temple.

The gatekeepers let all the people led by the bailiffs pass, and even the relatives and idle people who came to the courthouse were allowed in. This was the county magistrate's intention. Every time County Magistrate Zhou held court, he allowed the public to observe to show fairness and transparency.

After passing through the central gate, they reached the main hall. To the east was the hall of the assistant magistrate, and to the west were the treasury and the archive. Behind the main hall were the residences of the county magistrate, the assistant magistrate, the assistant magistrate, and the registrar, which were not open to the public.

The people gathered on the platform in front of the main hall, and there were about three to four hundred people.

"Rise to court!"

With a powerful voice, the court session began. The bailiffs took their positions, shouting for order, and the water and fire sticks clattered on the ground.

The hundreds of people outside immediately became quiet, filled with awe. County Magistrate Zhou, dressed in his official robes, walked out with a measured gait, followed by his clerk and registrar.

Lin Yanchao had felt that County Magistrate Zhou had a strong official presence when they met at the community school. Today, with this grand ceremony, his presence was even stronger. Zhou sat under the plaque "High Suspended Mirror" and picked up the complaint. After a few words with the clerk, the clerk called out the names and began the trial.

The plaintiff and defendant knelt on the hall and presented their cases. Zhou read the complaint and listened to their statements.

Several cases were heard, and after reading the complaints and asking a few questions, judgments were made. Only in major cases did he ask a few more questions.

It wasn't that he didn't want to ask more, but the language barrier made it difficult. Most of the people filing complaints didn't speak the official language, and the county magistrates were from other regions. The complaints were the most straightforward and clear. Lin Yanchao suddenly understood why the profession of lawyers was so developed in ancient times. The quality of the complaint was crucial to the outcome of the case.

After a while, there was a beating on the hall. In one case, a father favored his new wife and was unkind to his son from a previous marriage. The son filed a complaint against his father. Without asking for details, Zhou ordered the bailiffs to beat the son with thirty strokes.

The reason was that a son suing his father was a violation of filial piety.

Lin Yanchao gradually understood the ancient mindset.

The Confucian legal thought, inherited from the Han dynasty, emphasized filial piety over law. The famous official Hai Rui once said, "It is better to wrong a brother than a sister, and better to wrong an uncle than a nephew." Not understanding this would be a mistake. In the Ming dynasty, officials often mentioned in their memorials, "The holy dynasty governs the world with filial piety." It was about governing with filial piety, not law.

Thus, the purpose of the trial was to educate the people and guide public opinion, not just to resolve cases.

After being beaten until he was bloody and unconscious, the son was splashed with cold water and the trial continued. The people outside were visibly shaken. Even Lin Yanchao was intimidated. Suing in court was not a game. Zhou heard a dozen cases, and five or six people were beaten.

"Xie family vs. Lin family for unjustly beating the wife. Xie family, Lin family, each send one person forward." The clerk called out.

Mr. Xie scanned the Lin family and said, "Lin Pusi, please come forward!"

Lin Gaizhe glanced at Mr. Xie but didn't move.

"Aren't you afraid?" Mr. Xie sneered.

"Mr. Xie, to deal with you, even a child from my family can do it. Why should my grandfather come?" Lin Yanchao stepped forward.

"You... don't ruin yourselves," Mr. Xie cursed, not expecting Lin Yanchao to face him in court.

"Don't worry, I won't hold back."

"Hmph, you'll be the one crying." Mr. Xie swept into the hall and knelt on the brick.

Lin Yanchao also stepped over the threshold, entered the hall, and knelt beside Mr. Xie.

This was Lin Yanchao's first time kneeling in ancient times. His face pressed to the ground, he could only see the soles of the bailiffs' shoes.

"Look up!"

Lin Yanchao looked up, and the hall was in full view. County Magistrate Zhou sat behind the desk, sipped his tea, and a bailiff shouted, "Who is kneeling below, state your name!"

"I am Xie Zhi, from Miaofeng Village, Yong'an Li, Hongtang Township, appointed as the head of Yong'an Li since the second year of Qinglong."

Zhou listened and said, "Xie Head, you serve the court by educating the people. Rise and speak!"

"Thank you, sir!" Mr. Xie stood up, looking somewhat proud. In the court, commoners without titles had to kneel throughout, but Mr. Xie could stand, which was a privilege of the head.

"I am Lin Yanchao, from Hongshan Village, Yong'an Li, Hongtang Township. I have studied at the community school for two years. My late father was a scholar in the Qinglong period, named Ding."

Zhou, hearing that he was a scholar's son, nodded and said, "Aren't you the young man from the Hongtang community school? Why are you suing the head of your village?"

Lin Yanchao felt relieved. He had been worried that Zhou wouldn't recognize him, so he wore the same old clothes from the day he met Hu Tixue at the community school. Mr. Xie's face changed, and he looked at Lin Yanchao with a sense of foreboding.

"Thank you for remembering me, sir. The Xie family is my father-in-law. My grandfather heard that the father-in-law had his eldest daughter-in-law file a false complaint, which made him furious. I am here to represent my grandfather, who is concerned about his health."

Mr. Xie cursed inwardly, a despicable child, trying to tarnish his reputation before the trial even began. The onlookers also began to discuss, praising Lin Yanchao's filial piety and worrying about how a child could face an adult in court, which seemed unfair.

Lin Yanchao smiled, emphasizing that representing his grandfather was a filial act and subtly criticizing the daughter-in-law for suing her husband and father-in-law, which violated the principles of filial piety and marital duty. Referring to the previous case of a son suing his father, he had already gained a moral advantage.

The people and clerks began to discuss, and public opinion was already in Lin Yanchao's favor.

Zhou did not show any favoritism and said, "Whether the Xie family's complaint is false or not, I will decide. Your father is a scholar, rise and speak!"

Lin Yanchao stood up.

"Read the Xie family's complaint to them."

A clerk unfolded the complaint and read it aloud.

"... After I married, I suffered constant abuse. My appearance was mocked, and I was often scolded. Even before noon, I was blamed for missing lunch. When I got up early, I was criticized for staying up late. Such incidents are too numerous to list..."

"... My face is scarred, and my arms are bruised. Every beating leaves me screaming. Neighbors are heartbroken, and passersby shed tears..."

"... Who doesn't have children? Who doesn't feel heartache..."

The outcome of the case was 70% determined by the complaint. This was why ancient lawyers could win cases without appearing in court. Lin Yanchao listened, and the complaint was extremely accusatory and well-written, worthy of a top lawyer in the provincial capital.

Some of the onlookers, who didn't know the full story, began to feel indignant, while others, who were less educated, simply didn't understand.

"Whoever marries into that family is truly unfortunate."

"County Magistrate, please uphold justice for the people!"

If not for the moral advantage Lin Yanchao had created, the people would have already supported the Xie family.

The eldest uncle couldn't help but say, "This is all lies, not a word of truth! Father, why doesn't Chao not defend himself?"

Lin Gaizhe said, "You're supposed to be a court assistant, and you don't know this. Defending now would be considered disrupting the court, and he would be beaten. Look at how calm Chao is."