The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 22: Litigation
"Sir, my Dalang died so tragically—"

The witness was one of the servants Shi Guangchao had brought into Fuqiu Temple yesterday. He was in a state of disarray, tears streaming down his face. He knelt beside Shang Zishu and cried loudly, "Sir, my son Dalang fell off a cliff, and there is no trace of his body left. Wuwuwu..."

"Silence!" the county magistrate slammed the gavel and shouted in a deep voice, "Witness Luo Jin, tell us exactly what you saw the Shang sisters do to murder Shi Dalang."

Luo Jin nodded tremblingly, "Sir, my Dalang was pushed off the cliff by these two sisters!"

"You are slandering me!" Shang Zishu's pretty face turned red with anger and she glared at Luo Jin.

"My lord, I'm not lying!" Luo Jin seemed to be afraid of Shang Zishu, his body shaking like a sieve. "Everyone in the mansion knows that my husband admires Second Lady Shang. I once asked a matchmaker to propose marriage, but Master Shang didn't agree. My husband misses her all day long. Whenever he hears Second Lady leaving the house, he will follow her eagerly and catch a glimpse of her from afar.

This time, the Second Lady went into the temple to perform a ritual, and the Young Master came along. Yesterday, the Young Master heard that the Second Lady was going to take the Third Lady up the mountain to watch the sunrise. He was worried that the mountain path would be slippery for the two ladies, and there were many snakes, insects, rats and ants in the forest. He stayed up all night, just to quietly escort them... "

At this point, Luo Jin burst into tears and continued with a choked voice, "Who would have thought that they were deliberately plotting to murder the young master? We clearly heard that they were leaving at 12:00 a.m., but they left at 12:00 a.m., and the young master hurriedly chased after them. I was too weak to keep up with the young master, and the young master felt that I was a burden, so he took my younger brother with him to chase after me, letting me catch up slowly.

When I was about to catch up, I saw with my own eyes that my husband and his brother rolled down the cliff together. Woohoo... My husband, your death was so unjust——"

"You said that you saw Shi Dalang and his servant fall off the cliff with your own eyes, but did you see with your own eyes that it was the Shang sisters who caused them?" the county magistrate asked after hearing this.

Luo Jin lowered his head and said, "I dare not lie to you, sir. I only heard you shout 'Don't kill me'. The rock face and dense pine trees blocked our view, so I didn't see who committed the crime. But we were following the path you two ladies took, and there was no one else on the mountain, let alone anyone who had any grudge against you.

"My brother knows a little bit of fighting, how could an ordinary person easily pull it off?" He said this, giving Shang Mingshu a cautious and suggestive look. He pulled out a piece of cloth the size of a copper coin from his pocket and handed it to her with both hands. "My lord, I found this at the place where my husband fell off the cliff."

A yamen runner came forward and handed the rag to the county magistrate. The magistrate's eyes fell on the hem of Shang Mingshu's skirt, and the color was the same: "Shang's Third Lady, please stand up."

Shang Mingshu stood up. The yamen runner squatted beside her and saw a clear tear. He took the scraps of cloth brought by other yamen runners and compared them roughly. He stood up and bowed to the county magistrate and said, "Sir, this scrap of cloth is exactly what was left over from Madam Shang San's dress."

"Shang Sanniang, do you have anything to say?" The county magistrate questioned Shang Mingshu sternly.

"Sir, the forest is dense, and I was wearing a cloth skirt climbing up the mountain, so it was inevitable that I would get it snagged. I refuse to accept the conclusion that Shi Dalang murdered me based on just this little scrap of cloth." Shang Mingshu said slowly, "Since they followed my sister and me here, it's reasonable for them to have found the scrap of cloth. My sister and I have never been separated, as my sister and our servants can testify..."

Shang Mingshu paused, her gaze descending upon Luo Jin. "How do you know this man isn't intent on murdering his master and framing me?"

"It's unfair, sir. I'm a house-born child, and my parents and brothers are servants of the master. How dare I have such a rebellious heart!" Luo Jin shouted at the top of his voice.

The county magistrate examined Shang Mingshu and Luo Jin, and after a moment, he said to Shang Mingshu, "Shang Sanniang, you're right. It's a stretch to convict you based solely on a piece of cloth, but you're more suspicious than Luo Jin right now. We'll send people to search the mountain. If there are no other suspicious individuals, we'll detain both of you for retrial!"

"grown ups……"

"Sir, please wait a minute." Cheng Mian and Shang Mingshu spoke at the same time. His voice was suppressed by Shang Mingshu. Shang Mingshu did not look at him, but said to the county magistrate calmly, "Sir, may I ask where the deceased is?" "Our county has sent people to look for him." The county magistrate's face was cold and hard.

"So, there are no dead now. It's just that Shi Dalang's servants saw their master fall off a cliff, his life or death uncertain, and they keep accusing my sisters of murder." Shang Mingshu raised her eyebrows. "Let's not talk about whether Shi Dalang was murdered by my sisters, but who can conclude that Shi Dalang died after falling off the cliff?"

"You are quibbling. How could you survive if you fell off a cliff like that?" Luo Jin angrily accused Shang Mingshu.

Shang Mingshu ignored him: "Sir, if you are alive, you should see the person; if you are dead, you should see the body. Shi Dalang fell off the cliff, and now only Luo Jin is left with nothing to say. If this little slave spreads rumors, and you arrest me today, and Shi Dalang suddenly appears tomorrow, what will you do?"

"impossible!"

"Why not?" Shang Mingshu retorted in a deep voice, her eyes sharp. "You seem certain that your master has been murdered? Why are you so certain? Just assume that Shi Dalang fell off the cliff. There are many people with great fortunes in this world. Why don't you hope for the best for your master?"

"I..." Luo Jin was panicked and speechless when asked.

"Sir, if there is no dead person, how can there be a murder?" Shang Mingshu lowered her head and looked amiable.

"Don't try to quibble. Even if my son hasn't been found yet, you're still guilty of murder by pushing him off the cliff!" Shi Houqiong wouldn't let Shang Mingshu off easily. He didn't doubt Luo Jin's words. "Luo Jin and his family are all servants of the Shi family. We wouldn't dare to deceive our master, and Luo Jin certainly wouldn't dare to murder his master!"

"Mrs. Shang San, the Shi family's beating of the drums to protest their grievances is not inappropriate for this county to go to court," the county magistrate said. "It is precisely because the deceased has not yet been found that we sent the chief constable to bring you two sisters here. A person fell from a cliff, and the search is time-consuming. Yesterday, you and Mrs. Shi had a confrontation, as the Cheng brothers can attest. Today, Shi Dalang has not been heard from since he followed you two sisters up the mountain, and there are also witnesses."

It sounded very reasonable, but if the person who came to file a lawsuit today was not Shi Houqiong, Shang Mingshu did not believe that the county magistrate would open the court before finding the body.

"What?" Shang Zishu, receiving her sister's gaze, screamed and jumped up, her eyes quickly filling with blood. "My Lord, you haven't even found the deceased yet, and you've already ordered the chief constable to summon my sister and me to court in public! A girl's reputation is so precious! How can my sister and I avoid being pointed at when we leave this world today?"

Rather than suffer injustice and humiliation, I would rather die to prove my innocence!"

After Shang Zishu finished her accusation, she rushed towards the pillar of the court.

She couldn't seek death, so she picked up the pillar next to the yamen runners, and was indeed blocked by two yamen runners.

"Zishu, don't do anything stupid. The county magistrate will definitely give you justice!" Xiao Yu hurried over and hugged Shang Zishu.

"Mother, please let go of your daughter. She is innocent. I have been through this court and cannot defend myself. Let me die!"

(End of this chapter)