I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 73 Deciding the Case
"quiet!"

Xue Xiang gathered his strength in his dantian, and shouted loudly, suppressing the entire audience, "Now that I am here, I will certainly handle matters impartially."

You may all observe quietly here. If there is any injustice, you may confront me in court.

Anyone who dares to make noise or cause trouble will be dealt with by water, fire, and sticks.

Instantly, the entire hall fell silent.

"Tong Sheng, you tell us the details of the case."

Xue Xiang strode to the table in the main hall of the government office and sat down upright.

Chen Jun quickly sat back down behind his desk.

Tong Sheng frowned. "Director Xue, this is a trivial matter. You don't need to concern yourself with it."

If you get involved in even this small case, how are we supposed to get things done in the future?

"Be bold!"

Xue Xiang slammed his gavel, "I am the head of the Eleventh Chamber. I have the authority to make decisions on all matters of the Eleventh Chamber, regardless of their size."

"Tong Sheng, do you want to teach me how to do things?"

Tong Sheng took a deep breath, stiffened his neck, and said in a muffled voice, "I wouldn't dare!"

"I dare not recount the details of the case exactly as it is."

Xue Xiang snorted coldly, "Since you don't want to talk, I don't need you. Bring me the statement."

The round-faced clerk at the next table looked tremblingly at Tong Sheng, who stared at him without saying a word.

Xue Xiang's expression changed drastically. Chen Jun quickly snatched the transcript from the round-faced clerk and ran to deliver it to Xue Xiang's desk.

Xue pointed at the round-faced clerk and said, "You don't need to come starting tomorrow."

The round-faced secretary was struck dumb, looking at Tong Sheng in despair.

Before Tong Shengcai could speak, Xue Xiang stared coldly at him, "Do you really want to tell me how to do things?"

Tong Sheng snorted angrily, but ultimately remained silent.

"Are you all dead? If you don't expel this scoundrel from the government office, you're all out of here."

Xue Xiang glared angrily at the group of police officers.

The constables, as if waking from a dream, used their fire and water batons to drag the round-faced clerk away.

Xue Xiang quickly flipped through the transcript and soon made a basic judgment on the case.

According to Zhao Fengju, his ancestors owned a piece of land that was originally a barren hillside covered with soil and rocks, and no one wanted to sell it.

Thirty years ago, the Zhao family moved away and never paid attention to this wasteland again.

By chance, Zhao's old servant passed by Suiyang Town and discovered that due to the Xiang River changing its course, the original barren slopes had become fertile land thanks to the river's nourishment. Upon closer inspection, he found that the barren slopes had been cultivated into fields.

After the old servant of the Zhao family reported back, Zhao Fengju came over and found the current landowner, Su Shunqin.

Zhao Fengju meant that he would not pursue the matter of Su Shunqin having taken the land for nothing all these years, but the land must be returned.
At worst, he could set a price and sell it to Su Shunqin at a lower cost.

Unexpectedly, Su Shunqin not only refused, but also claimed that the land deed he was returning was a fake.

Su Shunqin's testimony stated that the current farmland was inherited from his ancestors, and he even presented witnesses and land deeds.

"Tong Sheng, why did you rule that Zhao Fengju made a false accusation and that Su Shunqin won the case?"

Xue Xiang stared coldly at Tong Sheng.

He had only been in Room 11 for a short time when he heard of the renowned reputation of Tong Sheng, the squad leader of the First Squadron.

This person has always been domineering and unreasonable.

Tong Sheng said loudly, "That place is wasteland, no one takes care of it, and because of its age, the old land deeds have been lost, so it is impossible to determine whose land deed is genuine and whose land deed is fake."

The Su family is the current landowner, and there are witnesses from their neighbors to corroborate this. Why was he ruled in favor of the family? Where is the problem?

Xue Xiang said coldly, "Since there's no problem, why did you refuse when Zhao Fengju asked you to sign the contract and put your name on it?"

Tong Sheng said, "This scoundrel is not convinced. Once he gets the contract, he will definitely report it to his superiors, causing trouble for no reason."

Besides, I never said I wouldn't sign the orders for him; it's just that we've run out of documents and can't issue any more for the time being.

"Nonsense, when did you ever say you ran out of documents? You're clearly helping Su's side to mess with me..."

Zhao Fengju said angrily.

"Shut up!" Xue Xiang slammed his gavel and glared at Zhao Fengju, saying, "I did not give you permission to speak. If you dare to speak again, you will be punished with ten strokes of the cane."

"promise."

Zhao Fengju bowed reluctantly.

Xue Xiang scanned the entire room. "Su Shunqin, Zhao Fengju, since you two are each other's defendants, there must be one who is telling the truth and the other who is lying."

"I have stated beforehand that if the person who committed fraud withdraws now, I will let bygones be bygones. However, if I wait until my investigation is complete, they will not be spared."

Zhao Fengju knelt down and said, "If the wasteland is not mine, may Heaven condemn it."

“Every word I have said is true; I dare not deceive you.”

Su Shunqin also knelt down on the ground.

Xue Xiang sneered, slammed his gavel, pointed at the middle-aged man in white next to Su Shunqin, and shouted, "Are you Xing Hu?"

"They are students."

The middle-aged man in white bowed.

Xue Xiangdao said, "Xing Hu, since you are a witness, if your testimony is untrue, you will be implicated and punished. Have you thought it through?"

Xing Hu cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, saying, "This student would not dare to lie."

"it is good!"

Xue Xiang called out loudly, "Bring up the table and present the land deeds for the two men."

Soon, a large table was placed in the center of the hall, and two yellowed land deeds were placed side by side on it.

Xue Xiang walked down from the main hall and came to the table to carefully examine the two land deeds.

The land deed specifies the location of the land, transaction details, the owner, the middleman, and the signatures and official seals of all parties.

These contents are present on both land deeds. Apart from the differences in the property owner, middleman, transaction details, and signatures of the parties, the official seals are exactly the same.

However, because the date listed on the land deed is so old, it is impossible to verify the contents. The authenticity of the land deed can only be determined by visual inspection.

Xue observed for more than ten breaths but found no fault.

Tong Sheng sneered, "Chief Xue, have you found anything?"
Apart from the geographical location, the information listed on the two land deeds is difficult to verify.

As for the signature and seal, I have already had them checked, and no one could tell they were forged.

Now, do you have any better ideas?

Xue Xiang glanced coldly at Tong Sheng and said loudly, "Chen Jun, take my seal and go to the prison to bring Tang Tiezui here."

Chen Jun agreed, took Xue Xiang's seal, and left.

Tong Sheng was taken aback. Tang Tiezui was a professional grave digger and excavator, and he was also skilled at forgery and faking. He had only recently been caught.

But how did this Xue fellow, a newcomer, even get hold of such information?

No wonder the people in Room 11 say that this guy is a walking encyclopedia; once he arrives, he doesn't do anything else but read all sorts of documents.

Half an hour later, a disheveled middle-aged man was brought in, his body bound in heavy shackles.

After Xue Xiang explained the reason, Tang Tiezui snorted coldly and refused to say anything.

Xue Xiang said, "If you help me sort out this case, these instruments of torture can be waived, and I will give you two ounces of wine and one meal of meat every day."

Tang Tiezui's eyes lit up. "Is this really true?"

Imprisonment is a terrible ordeal; the thought of being freed from shackles and offered wine and meat is a privilege one can only dream of.

"What I say goes."

Xue Xiang waved his hand, and Chen Jun ordered the jailer who had come to escort Tang Tiezui to immediately remove the heavy shackles from Tang Tiezui's body.

Tang Tiezui stretched his body and bowed to Xue Xiang, "Your Excellency's kindness is beyond words. Are you here to identify the two land deeds on the table?"

"Sir, this man is a criminal; how can his words be taken as a judgment?"

Su Shunqin became anxious.

Tang Tiezui sneered, "These two tattered documents, do you think I can't recognize them? Are you feeling guilty?"

"How audacious! You dare to judge a case involving only one criminal."

Tong Sheng said angrily.

(End of this chapter)