In the northwest frontier, the army of the Great Yue had just returned with victory.
“Marshal, will you go back to the capital to report on your work?” said Jiang Xi, the right deputy of northwest army of the Great Yue, who was following closely behind a tall man.
“No.” The answer of the front person to him was a short and powerful rejection.
“Marshal, you haven’t returned to the capital for three years. If you don’t go back again, those in the capital will definitely be dissatisfied. By that time, they will vent their anger on me, your humble subordinate. As your humble subordinate has defended you for three times, please go back this time. “Jiang Xi almost cried as he pleaded.
But unfortunately, the person in front of him still remained unmoved and answered Jiang Xi with a cold back.
“Lao Jiang, quickly help me to persuade the marshal.” The right deputy was hurt by the marshal’s coldness, turning to look at the northwest army’s left deputy — Jiang Ke, who walked beside Jiang Xi.
Wearing a calm face, Jiang Ke said to the tall man who was walking in front of them, “Marshal, I heard that your aunt is making arrangement for your marriage. And she frequently visited the noble families of the capital in the past few days, which made your marriage become a hot topic in the capital. There is a possibility that our emperor will take action. Together with this victory, if our emperor grants a marriage with an imperial edict, you will have to go back to the capital whether you want it or not.”
The person in front stopped. And the right deputy saw a glimmer of hope, looking at his back with expectation.
“Inform others to have a meeting in marshal’s tent two hours later, and I will set off for the capital in three days.” The person in front said.
“What a mighty marshal!” The right deputy jumped excitedly, “I’ll go get them here as soon as possible!”
Jiang Ke calmly followed in the footsteps of the person in front, and didn’t feel strange about Jiang Xi’s failure to hide his moods.
……
Prefecture Yamen, Tanyang.
After the sounding of the gavel, the court was immediately in a solemn atmosphere.
“Jia Yuanling, why did you frame Ling Zhang?” Tao Feng asked.
“I didn’t frame Ling Zhang. That was what he did!” Jia Yuanling said, clenching his teeth.
Tao Feng hit the gravel on the desk, “So insolent! I witnessed what you did today with my own eyes. How dare you quibble! If you don’t confess, this magistrate can only put you to torture!”
Jia Yuanling was with a pale face, and the four young Childes behind him had gradually woken up. At this moment, scared by the sound of the gravel, they all started to tremble and their faces became pale.
“We didn’t mean to. It was the dancing girl who seduced us. And it has nothing to do with us. Lord, please forgive us!”
Jia Yuanling turned back and glared at them, “Shut up!”
“It is not your turn to interrupt in the court.” Tao Feng yelled at Jia Yuanling, and then said to those four people, “It seems that you are not willing to confess. Well, yamen runners, punish those five people under the court by flogging, ten times for each!”
“Yes, lord!” The yamen runners answered.
“No, no, no, please don’t flog us. Lord, we will confess, we will confess right now.”
“This is Jia Yuanling’s idea, and it has nothing to do with us.”
“Exactly, he told us to put the blame on Ling Zhang, and it has nothing to do with us!”
Those four, who were pleasant to the eye but of little use, had long been scared out of wits by the tension in court. Hearing that they would be flogged, they immediately confessed.
It was easier to deal with them than Ling Zhang had expected.
This made Jia Yuanling so angry that he almost fainted. “You, you are talking nonsense! Shut up! And if you keep talking nonsense, our Jia family will never…”
“Bang!” Another loud sound of the gavel.
“Jia Yuanling, this is the court, not your Jia family. Yamen runners, slap him in the face for this magistrate!” With his stateliness repeatedly provoked by Jia Yuanling, Tao Feng was infuriated.