A Long River Myth

The next morning.

Just as the rooster crowed, Li Hong, along with Yao Shi, arrived at the main hall of the Inspection Department.

Two majestic stone lions stand guard at the entrance.

The hall is spacious, with a depth of seven to eight rooms.

The hall was paved with smooth blue bricks, and the open space on both sides was separated by wooden fences, which served as the hearing area.

The case of Hao Laoliu's illegal salt trade has recently come to light, and last night many well-informed neighbors came to Li Hong's house to spread the word.

Therefore, Li Hong also knew a little about it.

Many shops and restaurants in the outer city were implicated because of this smuggler, making it one of the major cases in the outer city in recent days.

The time had not yet come, and the main gate was not open, but a large crowd had already gathered outside the fence.

Yao hadn't slept all night, and her eyes were swollen. Li Hong had tried to comfort her all night, but it hadn't put her at ease.

She was still a little uneasy because Li Hong had told her last night that he had already asked for help, but he didn't go into details.

"Sigh... that Hao Laoliu has gone mad. He's been caught himself, but he doesn't care about anyone else's safety. I heard he even brought up a few things that happened six years ago!"

"Hey, anyone who's been in contact with him is really unlucky. The owner of Wangyaju also got caught by him yesterday."

Inside the hearing area, many family members of those involved in the case were discussing the matter.

Although many people were not directly involved in the smuggling and resale of salt in the case.

But even if it was just a secret dealing with private merchants, if Hao Laoliu implicated them, they would still be arrested and brought in for questioning.

Last night, Li Hong learned from Wang Hu that his grandfather was in this situation and would be unable to clear his name during today's court hearing.

At the very least, they would receive twenty strokes of the cane on the spot and be locked up for ten days as a warning.

Unlike other cases, there is still room for maneuver in cases involving smuggled salt.

However, the penalties for each type of case involving salt and iron were clearly and quantitatively stipulated in the laws of the Great Qi Dynasty.

I wonder just how strong Liu Ming's connections really are, given how composed he seemed yesterday.

Even Li Hong felt a little uneasy.

Soon, as the sun began to rise, the constables of the Inspection Bureau opened the side gate.

On both sides of the hall, the guards holding water and fire sticks also came out.

It looked like the opening ceremony was about to begin.

"Hong'er..." Madam Yao had never seen such a scene before, and her lips began to tremble.

"Mother...Grandpa will be alright." Li Hong comforted her while helping her up. They had already arrived at the hearing area and were standing at the front of the crowd.

As the bailiffs standing below the hall relayed the order, the water and fire sticks struck the ground three times.

After leaving the investigation office, an official with impeccable attire and an iron-like face emerged and sat behind a tall, red and black lacquered wooden table.

Snapped!

A gavel fell.

At the side gate, the bailiffs who had been waiting for a long time escorted the salt smuggler Hao Laoliu to the hall.

"Kneel down!"

At the bailiffs' command, Hao Laoliu, a man with a dark complexion, was pushed to the kneeling stone below the hall and knelt down with a thud, making a hissing sound.

The kneeling stone below the hall is unusual; it is four or five inches deeper than a flat stone slab, and its oval shape is just right to accommodate a knee.

When an ordinary person kneels on a stone, their knees cannot be brought together, and a case usually takes at least half an hour.

Sometimes it can take several hours, and after kneeling for a while, the legs may need to rest for several days.

These are all tools used to torture prisoners and those suspected of being guilty.

There's a saying that goes, "Those who die unjustly should not be brought to justice," and that's exactly what it means.

The trial began soon after.

Several people involved in the case arrived one after another, and the trial was conducted in a very simple manner.

Then, the details of Hao Laoliu's confession about the routes to the smuggled salt were verified one by one, leading to a confrontation in court.

There were those who denied it, but those whose stories were passed on mostly had clear and corresponding statements from Hao Laoliu.

Once the details, dates, and quantities are compared, no matter how they try to argue, as long as they match, the verdict is handed down.

clap clap clap!

The one who received the lightest punishment was given twenty strokes of the cane on the spot, screaming in agony.

Some families clearly spent money, so it's not so bad; a fake beating will at most leave them bedridden for a few days.

Those who didn't pay with silver had their buttocks beaten until they bled profusely, and it would probably take them at least half a year to recover.

Three poles in the sun.

More and more people gathered outside the gate to watch, and many in the hearing area were so shocked by the scene that they broke out in a cold sweat.

I can't imagine what will happen to my family members who have been implicated.

Yao was so frightened that she turned pale, and even Li Hong couldn't help but worry and feel sorry for Li Fulin.

If he really gets those twenty lashes, how could Grandpa possibly survive another ten days of imprisonment?

"Send word: Suspect, Li Fulin!"

Suddenly, the clerk on duty shouted.

Li Hong narrowed his eyes, his hands already clenched.

At the side door, the old man was being led into the main hall by two bailiffs, looking terrified.

The bailiff standing next to the official was squinting.

Behind the red and black lacquered wooden table, the clerk, whose sharp eyes were only occasionally flipping through the case files, glanced up at a slip of paper pressed under the order container.

Then, he exchanged a subtle glance with the clerk on duty.

"Kneel down!"

Two bailiffs escorted Li Fulin to the kneeling stone, and while proceeding in an orderly manner, they gave a short and stern command!

The old man trembled in shock, his eyes filled with panic.

"Wait a minute!"

The official suddenly spoke, his expression cold, the corners of his mouth downturned, and he made a gesture as if glancing at the case file, saying:

"Suspect Li Fulin, considering that you are sixty years old and have a serious illness, this court will grant you the exemption from kneeling."

Beside him, the clerk on duty announced, "The old man is old and ill; bring him a stool to sit on while he speaks!"

Two constables helped the bewildered Li Fulin to a stool, removed his handcuffs, and allowed him to sit down in the hall.

"Is that old man sick? I can't tell!"

Nearby, people in the hearing area were already expressing their doubts. More than a dozen people had been heard that morning, including some who were elderly.

None of them received such preferential treatment, including being offered a seat.

Yao's eyes widened in surprise, and even Li Hong was a little confused. When did his grandfather fall ill?

Is this the power that Inspector Liu wields?

He finally felt relieved.

Snapped!

In the hall, the gavel struck again.

The official straightened his back, his eyes fixed on Hao Laoliu, and said:

"According to your confession the night before last, an old man named Li Fulin purchased 31 catties of salted fish from you in Sanligou, Dayong Township on the evening of the 6th of the 10th month of the lunar calendar."

"The suspect you have implicated is now being brought in. You must carefully verify whether he is the person in question! Know that the law is merciless. If you deliberately frame someone and implicate an innocent person, this official will not let you off lightly!"

After he finished speaking, another gavel struck the court.

Hao Laoliu was so shocked that he trembled three times.

Two constables grabbed him and dragged him to Li Fulin's side.

Li Fulin clenched his fists, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he was already trembling.

Hao Laoliu's eyes were down to his toes, and he was also covered in sweat. He didn't dare to look Li Fulin closely and said:

"My lord, it's not him. The old man who bought thirty-one catties of salted fish from me does resemble him by six or seven points, but that man has missing teeth and a tumor on his right eye!"

"presumptuous!"

The official suddenly roared, "Why are these two details missing from the case file and the confessions?"

Hao Laoliu was forced back to kneeling on the stone, his head bowed, not daring to look the official in the eye, his voice trembling:

"Your Honor... I, a sinner, was momentarily... negligent and careless. I beg Your Honor to forgive me!"

"Hmph! I suppose you wouldn't dare to mock me. Very well, considering the many connections in your case and the inevitable mental turmoil caused by days of interrogation, I'll pardon you for this negligence."

The judge blew on his beard, then raised the gavel high and brought it down gently, saying:

"In that case, the seventeenth suspect, Li Fulin, has been identified in court by the perpetrator Hao Hong, and there is no longer any doubt about his guilt."

"It must be someone else impersonating him to commit illegal acts; therefore, Li Fulin here is innocent!"

"This court hereby announces: Released in court!"

..........