Judge of the Song Dynasty

A man’s plans can’t compare to those of heaven! In Zhang Fei’s entire plan, the first step was supposed to be the easiest, something he could accomplish with his eyes closed. He did not expect that so many unexpected events would occur, almost ruining his grand scheme.

Returning to the Xu residence, as soon as he stepped inside, he saw Xu Zhiqian standing gracefully in the front courtyard, looking at him like he was a drenched chicken, her delicate shoulders trembling slightly.

Zhang Fei pushed aside a strand of wet hair from his forehead and said, “Go ahead and laugh if you want, but don’t hurt yourself.”

“Pfft!”

Hearing him say this, Xu Zhiqian couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter, her laughter growing uncontrollable until she was clutching her stomach.

She had known of the plan, and she had been present. Her gaze had been fixed on Zhang Fei the entire time, and she had seen everything he went through. She had been nervous at the time, but now!

There was nothing but joy.

Seeing Xu Zhiqian laughing so heartily, Zhang Fei, reminiscing about everything that had just happened, found it humorous as well and joined her in laughter.

The two of them exchanged glances and burst into laughter again.

After a while, they finally managed to stop laughing. Xu Zhiqian gloated, “You deserve it for being so sneaky.” Zhang Fei, with a touch of annoyance, said, “You heartless person, I did all this for your own good, and you’re here mocking me.”

Xu Zhiqian didn’t buy it and rolled her eyes, saying, “For my good?”

“Of course.”

Zhang Fei continued, “By creating this situation, it becomes something I did of my own accord in the spur of the moment. That way, we can avoid suspicion that the Xu family is scheming behind the scenes.”

Xu Zhiqian looked thoughtful and realized that Zhang Fei had a point.

Since it was an unexpected turn of events, no one would associate it with the Xu family.

She glanced at Zhang Fei for a moment, seeing that he had a mischievous smile on his face, and immediately snorted, “I don’t believe it. You clearly want to use the power of public opinion to pressure the government of Kaifeng Prefecture and promote yourself by claiming to seek redress for injustices in the world without charging a penny. What a scam!”

Zhang Fei didn’t deny it either and chuckled, “It’s a win-win situation, no contradiction there.”

Xu Zhiqian asked again, “Now that the first step has been completed, what about the second step, confessing a crime?”

Zhang Fei pretended to be profound and said, “You’ll find out tomorrow.”

Kaifeng Prefectural Office.

“Jumping into the river to commit suicide in the middle of the bustling city?”

Lu Gongzhu snorted, “That kid must be playing tricks, trying to gain everyone’s sympathy.”

Chief Clerk Huang Gui said, “I agree. Last time, Zhang San used filial piety to defend Ayun, and this time he’s probably planning to use the same tactic again. He stirs up public opinion among the common people to gain sympathy and put pressure on the government.”

Lu Gongzhu nodded slightly and said, “It’s very likely, but in this courtroom, we need evidence and adherence to the law. If he can’t produce concrete evidence and relies solely on sympathy, it won’t work. Send someone on a fast horse to Xiangfu County immediately to retrieve the court records related to this case.”

Xiangfu County was nearby, and there was enough time for a fast horse to go back and forth.

Huang Gui was a bit surprised and said, “Prefect, this is just a minor case. If you attach so much importance to it, you might be playing right into Zhang San’s hands.”

Zhang San’s acts were to force the prefect to hold an open trial.

Lu Gongzhu sighed, “Although it’s a minor case, it’s a major issue for our dynasty. The common people will definitely pay close attention, and the imperial government may also be concerned. We must handle it with caution to ensure that it doesn’t provoke public anger or unnecessary disputes.”

Huang Gui understood, recalling how Zhang Fei had won the previous lawsuit. Perhaps Xu Zun and Wang Anshi were standing behind him. He immediately said, “I’ll arrange it right away.”

In fact, aside from that, there was another important reason why Lu Gongzhu was willing to accept Zhang Fei’s challenge—he was dissatisfied with the decision in the Ayun case and wanted to personally cross swords with Zhang Fei.

The next day.

“Do you really have to dress so flamboyantly?”

Xu Zun looked at Zhang Fei, who was once again in a brand-new azure robe and a very bright-colored small hat. He didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.

Beside him, Xu Zhiqian saw Zhang Fei’s work attire for the first time and couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

If she were looking for someone to represent her in a lawsuit, she definitely wouldn’t choose someone like this.

He just didn’t seem reliable at all!

Zhang Fei explained in all seriousness, “I have no choice. Since I can’t wear official robes, I have to dress brightly to boost my confidence and make people remember me more easily.”

Xu Zun nodded slightly and said, “I heard that yesterday afternoon, the Kaifeng Prefectural Office sent a fast horse to Xiangfu County. I’m sure they’re on high alert now. You can’t afford to be careless!”

Zhang Fei smiled and said, “That’s exactly what I expected.”

Xu Zun asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Zhang Fei replied, “Because what the Kaifeng Prefecture is getting is the ironclad evidence that I need. Yesterday’s performance was all for this purpose.”

Xu Zhiqian was confused, “I’ve reviewed the judgment issued by Xiangfu County countless times, and there doesn’t seem to be any problem with it. You can’t possibly overturn the judgment of Xiangfu County.”

Zhang Fei chuckled, “I never said I wanted to overturn the Xiangfu County judgment.”

Xu Zun sensed that Zhang Fei didn’t want to say more, and knowing his style in lawsuits, he smiled and said, “If I didn’t have official business to attend to, I’d like to learn by watching you in action.”

Xu Zhiqian quickly added, “Dad, don’t worry, I’ll go on your behalf.”

Xu Zun gave her an annoyed look.

Kaifeng Prefectural Office.

In front of the main gate of the prefectural office, a large crowd had gathered, creating a bustling scene.

After the commotion of the previous day, the matter had become the talk of the town.

Indeed, high-interest loans were a matter of public interest.

Lawsuits related to this matter were the most challenging.

In general, most cases concerning high-interest loans ended with the creditors winning. Unless it was blatant extortion or equivalent to robbery, it was difficult to win such cases.

Most wealthy landlords were not naive; they were prepared and ready to defend themselves.

Yesterday, Zhang Fei had spoken with such righteousness and confidence, leaving the people very curious.

Leaving aside the question of whether he could win the case, people were more concerned about whether Zhang Fei would actually show up.

Many suspected he was just all talk.

“He’s here! He’s here! Look, it’s Zhang San!”

Suddenly, someone shouted.

“Where? Where?” ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel⟡fire.net

A young man with a fair complexion pushed through the crowd and immediately spotted Zhang Fei in his bright green attire and hat. He waved both hands and ran towards him, calling out, “Brother Zhang San, Brother Zhang San!”

In a moment, he had reached Zhang Fei and looked him up and down with admiration, saying sincerely, “Brother Zhang San, you look really handsome today!”

This simple and heartfelt compliment immediately made Zhang Fei consider him a kindred spirit. He wanted nothing more than to become sworn brothers with him, completely forgetting everything that happened yesterday. He clasped his hands and said, “I am Zhang Fei, may I ask for your name?”

“I’m called Ma Xiaoyi.”

Ma Xiaoyi patted his chest and added, “You can just call me Little Ma.”

“Little Ma, is it?”

“Sure! Sure!”

Ma Xiaoyi grinned.

Zhang Fei nodded with a smile, then suddenly pointed to a bruise near Ma Xiaoyi’s left eye and asked, “Did your dad do that to you?”

Ma Xiaoyi just chuckled in response and said, “Brother San, many people over there were saying you wouldn’t dare to come. But I believed you would.”

Zhang Fei asked, “Why’s that?”

Ma Xiaoyi replied, “I’ve heard about you. You’re the pen-in-cap who helped that Ayun from Dengzhou win her lawsuit. If you could win such a difficult case, surely you’d be able to handle this minor one. But my dad said you’d definitely lose.”

“Oh? Why did your dad say that?” Zhang Fei, remembering the middle-aged man from yesterday, was curious.

Ma Xiaoyi exclaimed, “Because my dad runs a pawnshop.”

“Hmm?”

Zhang Fei and a few others immediately looked at Ma Xiaoyi with caution.

Pawnshops primarily engaged in lending money at high interest rates, taking personal items as security.

This guy…

Was he on the other side?!

Ma Xiaoyi blinked, as if realizing he had said the wrong thing, and quickly added, “But I’m here to support you guys! I even made a bet with my dad that you’ll win.”

“Uh… really?” Who would believe that?

“Are you Zhang San from Dengzhou?”

Suddenly, a man ahead spoke.

Zhang Fei looked up and saw a scholar blocking his path. He nodded and said, “Indeed, it’s me. How can I assist you, sir?”

The scholar ignored Zhang Fei and suddenly turned to Li Si, saying, “Brother, don’t trust this man. He once used filial piety to defend a murderer who killed her husband. It’s said that he had an affair with that criminal woman. He’s truly a shameless character.”

Li Si looked at him with a puzzled expression, thinking this was a good thing. It proved that his brother Zhang San was capable.

In the crowd, some people were faintly discussing the Ayun case.

It turned out that the case was already well-known throughout the city, but people had only heard of Zhang San’s name and didn’t know much about him. It was only yesterday, when Zhang Fei advertised his identity, that everyone realized this person was most likely the Zhang San from Dengzhou.

Now, they were finally seeing the man in person.

Zhang Fei just smiled indifferently, ignoring the scholar, and continued to walk toward the main gate with Li Si.

The scholar snorted, “You don’t dare to argue. Are you feeling guilty?”

Zhang Fei stopped in his tracks, turned around, and said, “I won’t argue with you because everything you say here is like a fart—just foul and utterly meaningless. You do not need to take responsibility for what you say, and no argument would be fruitful. If you have the guts, come to the courtroom and argue with me.”

With that, he pointed his thumb toward the prefectural office’s main gate and added, “I’m going in now. Are you coming?”

The scholar’s fair face turned as red as the morning sun rising in the east.

Ma Xiaoyi, standing beside Zhang Fei, chimed in, “That’s right! Don’t just talk here, go inside and discuss it with Brother San.”

From the crowd, voices of support emerged.

“I support you, Zhang San.”

“So do I.”

“As for the Ayun case, it’s clearly her uncle’s fault. She was just defending herself.”

“That’s right!”

The Ayun case had divided opinions both in the court and among the people. There were those who opposed Zhang San and those who supported him. Various rumors circulated freely.

But all of this was perfectly normal.

Throughout history, it had always been the case. If you couldn’t express an opinion contrary tp others, how could you showcase your intelligence?

“Thank you all! Thank you all!”

Zhang Fei expressed his gratitude while being supported by the crowd. He then led Li Si to the entrance of the prefectural office.

There, a uniformed court clerk stood at the entrance and, without waiting for Zhang Fei to bow, said, “You must be Zhang San?”

Zhang Fei nodded and replied, “Indeed, I am.”

“Follow me inside.”

The clerk led Zhang Fei and Li Si into the government office.

Ma Xiaoyi had wanted to follow them, but unfortunately, he was stopped at the door by a bailiff. He could only stand there anxiously, eagerly awaiting their return.

After a while, the government office’s main gates swung open.

“Court is in session.”

” Awe and strength,” the bailiffs chanted.

Compared to the solemn atmosphere of the Kaifeng prefectural court, the court in Dengzhou was hardly worth mentioning.

The hall was grand, the court officials were in well-kept uniforms, and the air of authority were evident.

In the courtroom, Lu Gongzhu was seated in his official attire.

In truth, events of the day before had indeed put some pressure on Lu Gongzhu. Normally, civil litigation cases like this would not be publicly heard, and the intervention of the Prefect of Kaifeng would not be required. However, Lu Gongzhu believed that Zhang Fei’s performance was an attempt to play the sympathy card. Thus, he decided to make the trial public to prevent Zhang Fei from spreading rumors and causing trouble outside.

Moreover, he sympathized with Li Si’s plight to some extent, but at the same time, he wanted to teach Zhang Fei a lesson. So, he was more than willing to give Zhang Fei an opportunity to perform.

“Summon Zhang Fei and Li Si.”

“Summon Zhang Fei and Li Si,” the bailiffs echoed.

After a moment, Zhang Fei and Li Si entered the courtroom.

As soon as they arrived in court, Li Si wasted no time and loudly proclaimed that he had been aggrieved.

Lu Gongzhu pounded his gavel and stopped Li Si. He then asked, “What grievances do you have?”

But his eyes were fixed on Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei stepped forward and passionately recounted everything that had happened to Li Si. After mastering the language of the Northern Song Dynasty, his emotional expression came across as entirely natural.

The onlookers at the door, having heard the entire story, couldn’t help but shake their heads and sigh.

After finishing his account, Zhang Fei continued with excitement, “This completely defies logic. In the circumstances, Li Si could have settled the entire debt by selling his ancestral land or using it as collateral. He couldn’t repay the principal or the interest. So why would he use his wife as collateral for the principal only when he also couldn’t repay the interest? In the end, he would have to use the ancestral land as collateral anyway to settle the debt! It makes no sense! Besides, everyone in the neighborhood knows how much Li Si loves his wife. This is clearly a case of fraud!”

Someone outside immediately shouted, “Well said! That’s absolutely right!”

It was none other than Ma Xiaoyi.

Meanwhile, there was also a buzz of discussion at the entrance.

Indeed!

This was extremely unreasonable.

What was the point?

However, Xu Zhiqian, who stood by the courtroom’s side door due to her connections, was secretly anxious. She thought, although this argument is logical, it lacked evidence to prove that Li Si was deceived and not responsible for his own mistakes. If Zhang Fei hoped to win this case with just this argument, it was nothing more than wishful thinking.

Lu Gongzhu, tapping his gavel three times to quiet the courtroom, turned his attention to Li Si and asked, “Li Si, how did you discuss this matter at the time?”

Li Si replied, “I discussed with Mogul Chen that I would use my wife as collateral to settle all my debts.”

Lu Gongzhu then inquired, “But from what I understand, there was a person who read the contract aloud. Did this person make any mistakes?”

Li Si shook his head.

Lu Gongzhu continued, “Since you heard him say that your wife would be used to repay the principal, why didn’t you object at that time?”

Zhang Fei promptly intervened, saying, “Your Honor, Li Si has never been educated, and he doesn’t understand the distinction between the principal and the entire debt. Moreover, the person reading the contract didn’t provide further clarification, so I believe that person should also be held responsible.”

Lu Gongzhu banged his gavel again and exclaimed, “How can I believe that he didn’t understand the concept of principal when the first contract clearly states the relationship between the principal and interest? That’s not a valid reason.”

Zhang Fei argued, “Li Si signing the first contract doesn’t necessarily mean he understood its implications.”

Lu Gongzhu retorted, “Then he should have sought clarification. That’s not a valid excuse.” He then turned to Li Si and urged, “Li Si, you should come clean!”

Terrified, Li Si stammered, “I understand, but I was thinking about my wife at the time, which is why I didn’t pay attention.”

Zhang Fei became agitated and protested, “I object! Your Honor, your words are intimidating, and it’s unfair. I demand that Li Si’s statement not be counted.”

He gestured wildly and, combined with his flamboyant attire, looked like a street performer, causing some people to stifle their laughter.

This tactic again! Lu Gongzhu frowned and said, “I sympathize with Li Si’s predicament, but all the consequences are a result of his carelessness. You don’t have solid evidence to prove that there was a problem with this contract.”

Zhang Fei immediately questioned, “Your Honor, are you stating as a matter of certainty that there are no issues with this contract and the judgment of Xiangfu County?”

Lu Gongzhu, with unwavering confidence, replied, “I have thoroughly investigated this matter. The contract is perfectly clear and the process followed all government regulations. There are no problems with the contract. There is also no problem with the judgment of Xiangfu County. I must caution all of you here to make sure you understand contracts before signing; otherwise, you will suffer the consequences.”

Although ancient China emphasized substantive justice, you still had to present evidence. The fact was that the problem arose from Li Si’s carelessness, not from improper procedures.

The contract was clearly written in black and white.

Zhang Fei sighed deeply and said slowly, “Since the contract has no issues, Li Si has committed the crime of wrongfully selling his wife. I, on behalf of Li Si, hereby confess his guilt and request leniency from the prefect.”

Li Si immediately knelt down and cried out, “I am guilty! I am guilty!”