Chapter 350

Watching this scene, Qin Xin’s heart gradually sank, feeling as if she was soaking in the cold swamp, she wanted to speak, but couldn’t make a sound.

The magistrate personally compared the household registration, geng tie, and the bride price letter, and confirmed that they were the same person.

Master Xu was afraid that his family would be blackmailed by the government so he said anxiously, “Lord, this poor commoner is a good citizen, ah, back then when we propose the marriage with the Li family, we followed the rules. This poor commoner had a…” he wanted to say that there was a matchmaker, however, it suddenly occurred to him that the matchmaker was dead, so he changed his words and continued, “The relatives and friends in my hometown are the witnesses.”

Madam Zhang on the side frequently nodded, after being scolded by the government official, she knew how to shut her mouth.

The magistrate asked Li Jinzhu again, “Is Li Erya written on the household registration, geng tie, and bride price letter your only daughter?”

Li Jinzhu: “Yes, my lord.”

Other than “yes”, he could not say any other answer.

The magistrate continued, “Li Jinzhu, then who is this Li Erya, your only daughter?”

“……” Li Jinzhu shrank his neck and subconsciously turned his head to look at Qin Xin.

Meanwhile, Qin Xin’s face was three times paler, as pale as the white wall.

While Qin Zhun’s back was covered in a cold sweat as he hurriedly wanted to smooth things out, “Lord Hu…”

“Tak!”

The magistrate heavily knocked the gravel, interrupting Qin Zhun, “Order in the court, no noise allowed in the public hall!”

Li Jinzhu was sent to Jingzhao by the Five Cities Army and Horse Division. Since he committed the crime of murder and escape, according to the law, he should be sent back to Jiangyu County for trial but Pei Qi stopped the magistrate and told him not to send him away in a hurry, and said this in a very meaningful way.

The magistrate wanted to ask why but Pei Qi kept silent and only gave him a household registration from Jiangyu County.

Not long after, someone came to report that someone was causing trouble in the second prince’s mansion, saying that the second prince forcibly robbed the other man’s wife so he instructed his bantou to go over there but not even a while later Eunuch Zhou from the emperor’s palace came and delivered the emperor’s oral order…

This case must be tried today and get a result, only then he could explain to the emperor.

The magistrate didn’t even look at Qin Zhun and asked Li Jinzhu once again, “Li Jinzhu, who is your only daughter Li Erya? Is she in the hall?”

Li Jinzhu: “……”

Li Jinzhu was both flustered and confused, he was completely disoriented.

He and Zhao Aman were fugitives, fearing that they would be too conspicuous if they acted together, they often left separately. So today, they went on separate ways entering the capital, but who would have thought that he would be arrested by a soldier as soon as he entered the city gate.

Going back, Lin Jinzhu naturally couldn’t bring out his biological daughter, and besides, this marriage was originally arranged for Erya, if Erya didn’t run away, this series of events wouldn’t happen at all!

The more Lin Jinzhu thought about this the more hatred he felt, with gritted teeth he said, “Lord, my daughter is not in the public hall, my daughter was picked up by the Qin family, and is now living in the Qin mansion…”

“Pak!”

The magistrate once again slammed the gravel.

“Li Jinzhu, it seems that you have no plan to confess.” The magistrate directly ordered, “Come on, men, beat him.”

The yamen rudely kicked Li Jinzhu, the latter screamed and fell to the ground. Then another two yamen holding fenghuo sticks* appeared near him.

(*with a length of one foot and two feet, and it is as thick as a handle)

Qin Xin almost blurted out calling her father again.

Even if she didn’t grow up with her biological parents, Qin Xin still has familial love for them, also in her previous life, the family of four was exiled to Lingnan together and there they survived supporting each other.

Seeing that Li Jinzhu was about to suffer, her heart was anxious and afraid but she couldn’t admit that she was Li Erya, so naturally she couldn’t speak for Li Jinzhu.

Both Qin Zhun and Gu Jing knew that Qin Xin was Li Jinzhu’s biological daughter, so once Li Jinzhu recognized her, the matter about the second prince robbing someone else’s betrothed, and a woman promised to two marriages, they would become the laughing stock of everyone in the capital.

So, Gu Jing faintly said. “Lord Hu, you are the dignified magistrate of the capital, why aren’t you solving cases of thieves and robbers, killing and stealing goods from the common people, and doing these trivial matters instead!”

As if his que, Qin Zhun once again tried to smooth things out, “Lord Hu, may I dare ask who suing my daughter? This marquis sees that there is probably some kind of misunderstanding, right?” At the same time, he gave a wink to Master Xu, telling him to hurry up and deny their claim quickly, the matter has become a big deal, and it was no longer beneficial to anyone.

However, Master Xu and Madam Zhang have long been stupefied and didn’t notice Qin Zhun’s wink at all as their gaze was only plastered on Li Jinzhu who was lying on the ground, afraid that the next person to be punished would be them.

“Beat him!” The magistrate said again.

The yamen no longer hesitate after hearing the magistrate’s determined voice and hit Li Jinzhu’s buttocks directly with the fenghuo stick in their hands.

“Pak! Pak! Pak!”

The sticks came down like raindrops, one stick after another, and it was all a direct hit.

“Ouch! Aigoo!” Li Jinzhu cried out with a ghostly cry of misery.

After more than a dozen strokes, Li Jinzhu finally couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, “Your Excellency, I confess, confess!”

Li Jinzhu shivered in pain, looked up at Qin Xin, and called out in a dumb voice, “Yes, it’s her…”

Qin Xin’s body trembled violently.

Gu Jing’s face was somber as if it was stained with ink, looking really gloomy.

The magistrate made a gesture to stop the beating, and the yamen then roughly pulled Li Jinzhu up from the ground and made him kneel down.

Li Jinzhu breathed heavily and shivered.

Magistrate: “Speak.”

Li Jinzhu slowly raised his hand and pointed at Qin Xin, saying, “She is the daughter of this poor commoner, Li Erya.”

***