Judge of the Song Dynasty

Li Si stood outside the door, his face covered in tears.

He never could have imagined that his beautiful, virtuous, and loyal wife would be on Chen Yuteng’s side now.

This was a greater blow to him than the harm inflicted by Chen Yuteng.

“Hey!” Zhang Fei lightly tapped Li Si’s arm.

Li Si slowly turned his head, staring blankly at Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei tried to console him, saying, “Leaving someone who schemed against you might not be a bad thing.”

But as soon as he said it, Li Si was abruptly startled, overwhelmed by pain. He crouched down, covering his head with both hands, silently weeping.

Zhang Fei initially wanted to say a few more words to comfort him, but he felt that anything he said would be futile. He shook his head with a sigh and turned to walk away.

Xu Zhiqian, who had been nearby, first looked at Li Si with concern and then followed Zhang Fei. After passing through a corridor, she whispered, “Zhang San, I’ve been thinking, Lady Zeng played a significant role in bringing Li Si to this point. It’s possible that she had an affair with Chen Yuteng, and all of this was their plan to force Li Si to sell her to the Chen family.”

Zhang Fei nodded in agreement, saying, “Your analysis is spot on, there’s a possibility of that.” Xu Zhiqian exclaimed, “This case shouldn’t end like this. They’ve gone too far. They had already achieved their goal, yet they still wanted to push Li Si to the brink by pursuing interest on the loan.”

Despite being a woman, she had a fierce and vengeful character.

Zhang Fei asked, “Should we accuse them of adultery?”

“We should accuse them of plotting adultery for financial gain and causing harm to life because in the end, they not only sought to take Li Si’s ancestral land but also nearly drove him to death,” Xu Zhiqian said.

Zhang Fei fell silent for a moment and then said, “First, this is only our speculation, without any evidence. Investigating cases is the responsibility of the authorities, not ours. Especially for me, I’m just a pen-in-cap. My job is to win this legal battle, not to take justice into my own hands.

Second, much time has passed, and it would be difficult to find evidence of their past adultery. Even if Lady Zeng supports Chen Yuteng now, it doesn’t prove anything because she’s now Chen Yuteng’s wife. Is there anything wrong with a wife supporting her husband? Not to mention the kinship concealment law.”

With that, he raised a finger and said, “Most importantly, the reason we can win this lawsuit is that we are merely commoners while they are the powerful elite. They don’t want to engage in a power struggle over a small matter like this. But if we accuse them of plotting for financial gain and harming lives, this legal battle could turn into a battle of power, which is not my strong suit.”

This statement was like a cold shower, extinguishing Xu Zhiqian’s enthusiasm and making her gradually realize the difficulty of the situation. She still looked at Zhang Fei with disdain and said, “Another thing is that you’re afraid of losing the settlement money you’ve already obtained.”

Zhang Fei nodded and said, “That’s one of the reasons.”

Xu Zhiqian replied, “You got five hundred strings from them, yet you are only giving Li Si one hundred. That’s not fair! He’s the victim!”.

Zhang Fei immediately handed a money pouch to Xu Zhiqian.

Xu Zhiqian was stunned, “What are you doing?”

“Take it.”

She hesitated for a moment, took it, and looked at Zhang Fei with suspicion.

Zhang Fei said seriously, “There are twenty coins inside as a bonus for you. I believe it’s a fair reward for your contributions to this case.”

How strange this sounded! Was this a reward? Xu Zhiqian was momentarily puzzled, but then she realized that it was an insult, implying that she had no real abilities and meddled in things she shouldn’t. She angrily said, “You dare…”

As she was about to throw the money pouch at Zhang Fei, there was a creaking sound of someone walking.

Both of them turned their heads to see a man in his thirties, with an imposing demeanor, stepping out from a nearby room. He looked at Zhang Fei and Xu Zhiqian, and Xu Zhiqian instinctively lowered her hand.

However, the man was looking at Zhang Fei. After a moment, he walked over, pointed at Zhang Fei, and asked with a stern expression, “You are the pen-in-cap known as Zhang San, right?”

Zhang Fei nodded and said with a courteous gesture, “Yes, Mogul Chen.”

This man was indeed Chen Yuteng.

It was a meeting of enemies, and there was a strong sense of animosity in the air. Chen Yuteng’s handsome face slowly contorted, and he gritted his teeth, saying, “You really have no idea of your own limitations. You dare to pluck fur from a tiger’s head. Remember this: this matter is far from over.”

In truth, five hundred strings was not much to him; it didn’t hurt him physically or financially. But he couldn’t bear the humiliation; it was a grievous insult. How could he continue to move in the upper-class circles after this?

Now that he had been released without charges, he had no worries. He wanted to settle the score with Zhang Fei, who was just a pen-in-cap, a lowly figure in the social hierarchy.

Zhang Fei quickly explained, “Mogul Chen, you’ve misunderstood. It was Li Si who hired me. I’m just a…”

“You’re just heading for your own demise,” Chen Yuteng rudely interrupted Zhang Fei, “If you kneel down and beg for my forgiveness now, maybe I’ll spare your wretched life.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhiqian’s anger flared up. Without waiting for Zhang Fei to respond, she reprimanded, “I’ve never seen such a shameless person as you. Your insatiable greed led you to use despicable means to take another man’s wife and land. Now that the authorities aren’t holding you accountable, you not only show no remorse but also behave worse. Do you think you can stand above the law?”

Both Zhang Fei and Chen Yuteng simultaneously looked at Xu Zhiqian.

They were both quite surprised.

Chen Yuteng didn’t recognize Xu Zhiqian, but her exceptional demeanor and assertiveness made him somewhat apprehensive. He asked, “Who are you?”

Zhang Fei, who had regained his senses, didn’t wait for Xu Zhiqian to speak and suddenly snatched the money pouch from her hand, smashing it forcefully on the ground. He challenged Chen Yuteng, “Pick it up for me.”

Chen Yuteng felt like he was hearing things, looking at Zhang Fei in sheer astonishment, as if asking, “Do you even know who you’re talking to?”

Xu Zhiqian was also surprised as she watched Zhang Fei.

One was fiercer than the other!

Zhang Fei pointed directly at Chen Yuteng’s nose and said, “Do you think you’re out today because of your uncle at the Bureau of Agricultural Affairs? You’re dreaming. Let me tell you, it’s this money that saved you. If not for this money, I could have had you locked up for good.”

He gestured toward the money pouch on the ground and continued, “If you don’t pick up this money today and hand it over to me, and if you don’t apologize to me, then you shouldn’t leave Kaifeng today. Because tomorrow, you’ll definitely come back here. You know how many wrongful deeds you’ve committed, and you should be well aware that even if I can’t make you die, I can make you spend your entire life entangled in lawsuits.”

This barrage of threats left Xu Zhiqian dumbfounded. She had never seen Zhang Fei lose his temper before. It was truly fitting for a pen-in-cap with remarkable abilities. She couldn’t help but cast a sidelong glance at Chen Yuteng.

Chen Yuteng’s face turned purple with anger, his skin was contorted, and he clenched his teeth. His eyes bulged, and his lips quivered in fury as he stammered, “What are you saying? You…”

Zhang Fei, with a stern expression, declared, “I’m dead serious. If you don’t pick up this money pouch today, then tomorrow, it’s life and death between us. No, maybe we won’t even have to wait until tomorrow. I’ll have Li Si report you and Lady Zeng for adultery, plotting for financial gain, and causing harm to life. If you enjoy playing this game, we can keep playing this game forever.”

A flicker of fear suddenly crossed Chen Yuteng’s eyes as he continued to glare at Zhang Fei, as if he could devour him alive.

The two of them locked eyes like this.

Finally, Chen Yuteng blinked first, bent down, picked up the money pouch, and handed it to Zhang Fei, saying, “I’m sorry!”

This was truly a case of ‘the brash being afraid of the suicidal’.

Chen Yuteng didn’t want to go through another round of this.

Seeing this, Xu Zhiqian felt quite pleased and glanced at Zhang Fei, thinking that evil people will always meet their match.

Zhang Fei took the money pouch and smiled, saying, “One must be flexible and adaptable. However, I also hope that you will learn from this experience. Next time you face a legal challenge, make sure to hire me before your opponents do.”

Chen Yuteng nodded and said, “Thank you for your advice. Farewell!”

With that, he turned and walked out of the courtyard.

Suddenly, Zhang Fei called out, “Mogul Chen!”

Chen Yuteng turned his head slightly and asked, “Do you have any further instructions?”

Zhang Fei pointed back and said, “You’ve forgotten your wife.”

A flash of anger crossed Chen Yuteng’s eyes as he left in large strides.

Seeing Chen Yuteng’s anger, Xu Zhiqian furrowed her brow and said, “It seems that Lady Zeng was the mastermind, after all.”

“Her future in the Chen household will not be good,” Zhang Fei sighed and then turned around, grabbing Xu Zhiqian’s delicate and smooth hand.

Xu Zhiqian was taken aback and asked, “What are you doing?”

She tried to pull her hand back.

Zhang Fei, however, held her hand firmly and placed the money pouch in it. He spoke with sincerity, “Now you should understand why I wanted the four hundred strings of cash. I’m literally risking my life in this legal battle.”

With that, he released Xu Zhiqian’s hand, turned, and walked away.

As he disappeared around the corner, Xu Zhiqian was about to throw the money pouch at him and call him a lecher. But halfway through her words, she suddenly stopped and looked at the money pouch in her hand, lost in thought.

Suddenly, she hurriedly chased after him, saying, “Zhang San, wait!”

She chased after him all the way to the gate of the prefectural office.

Facing Xu Zhiqian’s relentless pursuit, Zhang Fei was truly exasperated. “I have to say, Lady Xu, you should honor the contract we signed earlier. It was a voluntary agreement, and you were even the witness. You shouldn’t treat your words as farts.”

“Phew!” Xu Zhiqian nearly spat out blood, and she angrily retorted, “Your way of speaking is so vulgar.”

Zhang Fei replied, “You know I’m this kind of vulgar person, and you still chase after me. Aren’t you…”

The word “masochistic” was on the tip of his tongue, but he had to maintain some semblance of politeness.

Xu Zhiqian said, “I came after you because there is a problem with my payment. I was the one who helped you find Li Si in the first place, and I’ve been running around for you. Yet you only gave me twenty coins. So, who’s being unreasonable, you or me?”

Zhang Fei chuckled and said, “Well, that was a bonus, not a payment. I’ll calculate the actual payment separately. Why are you in such a hurry?”

Xu Zhiqian asked, “How much are you planning to give me then?”

Zhang Fei replied, “One hundred strings, no more.”

“One… one hundred strings?” Xu Zhiqian was taken aback, not expecting Zhang Fei to give her that much, and she felt somewhat embarrassed.

Little did she know that this money had been carefully planned by Zhang Fei. It was mainly to repay Xu Zun for his kindness in taking him in. Although he owed Xu Zun a great deal which he might never fully repay, he still wanted to express his gratitude.

Of course, he also hoped to continue his cooperation with Xu Zhiqian because he didn’t know many people in this new place.

“I don’t want this money. Just give it directly to Li Si,” Xu Zhiqian gently shook her head.

Zhang Fei rubbed his forehead and said, “I advise you not to do that.” Latest content publıshed on novel⚑fire.net

Curious, Xu Zhiqian asked, “Why not?”

“Because Li Si can’t handle it,” Zhang Fei explained. “In fact, for Li Si, a hundred strings of coins is already a huge sum of money that he can’t manage. Giving him another hundred strings would only bring more trouble for him.”

After contemplating for a moment, Xu Zhiqian said, “So you’re giving Li Si only a hundred strings because you’re concerned about this?”

Zhang Fei said, “Of course not. The rest is mine, as clearly stated in the contract.”

Xu Zhiqian gave Zhang Fei a disdainful look and said, “Let’s consider my hundred strings as part of Li Si’s share for now but leave it with you.”

Zhang Fei was afraid of this woman’s endless entanglement and quickly said, “Why leave it with me? Isn’t it more convenient for you to hold onto it?”

Xu Zhiqian glared at him and said, “I can’t accept this money. It would tarnish my father’s reputation.”

Zhang Fei understood Xu Zhiqian’s character. She was highly protective of her father’s reputation. Her father had spent decades building it, and she didn’t want to do anything to harm it. He nodded and said, “Alright.”

On the other hand, when Chen Yuteng returned to the Wang manor, he immediately went to complain to his uncle, Wang Wenshan, about everything that had happened, embellishing the story to make it sound worse.

Although he had backed down earlier, it didn’t mean he could swallow this humiliation. He was used to bullying others and had never been bullied like this before.

“You are truly useless. He told you to pick it up, and you did. You’ve ruined the reputation of our family. I…” Wang Wenshan was so angry that he raised his hand.

Chen Yuteng quickly clung to his uncle’s leg and tearfully explained, “It was that Zhang San who threatened me. He said that if I didn’t pick it up, he would sue me for having an affair with Lady Zeng, plotting for financial gain, and causing harm to life. I was afraid it would implicate you, so I… I picked it up.”

Wang Wenshan couldn’t help but recall the time he had been threatened by Zhang Fei as well. He had been intimidated and had backed down. In the end, he pounded the table so hard that he nearly broke his teeth and said, “Zhang San, oh, Zhang San, you truly overstep your boundaries. We’ll see.”

Even if the nephew could bear it, the uncle could not!

Chen Yuteng’s release meant the money had been delivered. Li Si’s money should have been given to him on the spot, but he was sobbing uncontrollably. Hence distribution of the spoils had to wait until the next day.

“Are you feeling better now?” Zhang Fei asked while looking at Li Si’s swollen, bloodshot eyes.

Li Si nodded and said, “I’ve thought things through last night.”

“Is that so?” Zhang Fei asked, his interest piqued. “You’ve thought things through so quickly. Tell me what you’ve learned so that I can learn from it too.”

Xu Zhiqian, who was standing nearby, whispered, “You’re saying the wrong things.”

This guy loved to rub salt into others’ wounds.

“It’s fine! It’s fine!” Li Si hurriedly said, “Zhang San, Lady Xu, both of you are good people. If it weren’t for your help, I’m afraid I would have starved to death on the roadside.”

After saying that, he paused for a moment and continued in a low voice, “In fact, I’ve always regretted it. I shouldn’t have sold her to that Chen fellow in exchange for keeping my ancestral land. So now… now I feel much better in my heart.”

Despite Zhang Fei’s hints, Li Si believed that Lady Zeng was only on Chen Yuteng’s side at the moment. He was unwilling to accept that there might have been an affair between them from before. This wasn’t surprising, given that Lady Zeng had taken care of him without fail when he was seriously ill. Therefore, he believed that if he hadn’t sold his wife for his ancestral land, he wouldn’t be in this situation now.

Zhang Fei and Xu Zhiqian had no evidence and didn’t want to say much. They could only advise him to be more cautious in the future.

“Very good!”

Zhang Fei nodded in approval and said, “Some things, once sold, no longer belong to you. In life, you should focus on making money and strive for someone better.”

With that, he pointed to a large wooden chest nearby and said, “That contains your hundred strings of coins. With this money, are you still afraid of not finding someone?”

Xu Zhiqian shook her head vigorously, as she disagreed with many of Zhang Fei’s views.

Li Si glanced at the large wooden chest and then at Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei’s face darkened and he asked, “Are you not satisfied?”

Li Si first shook his head, then nodded, and then shook his head again.

Zhang Fei was confused. “What do you mean?”

Li Si said, “I want to stay with you.”

Zhang Fei’s eyes widened in surprise and he quickly explained, “Wait, when I said ‘find someone’, I meant a wife, not a husband.”

Xu Zhiqian rolled her eyes at Li Si. What was he thinking?

Li Si nodded and said, “I know.”

Zhang Fei asked, “Then why do you want to stay with me?”

Li Si replied, “I’m afraid to go back to Xiangfu County now. I’m afraid that Chen Yuteng will seek revenge on me. So I want to stay with you and help you with odd jobs. What do you think?”

He looked at Zhang Fei nervously.

Zhang Fei thought for a moment and then chuckled. “Actually, I could use someone to run errands for me.”

Li Si excitedly asked, “Zhang San, does that mean you agree?”

Zhang Fei nodded and said, “Zhang San and Li Si, our partnership is destined to make history!”