Facing the Duke of Qi’s anger, Xu Yan showed no fear as he pointed to the two guards holding Master Gu in a vice grip, “If they are not abusing lynching, what are they doing?”
The Duke of Qi choked.
Xu Yan added, “This public hall is where the Qingping Magistrate conducts his cases, although you are the Duke of State, you do not have the authority to decide cases on his behalf, I would like to ask the Duke of State, are you unaware of the law or are you using this as a cover for something?”
The Duke of Qi turned pale, “Xu Yan, watch your language! This is a public court, not a place where you can act with impunity! The notice posted at the door clearly states that the magistrate of Qingping is seriously ill and cannot even get up from his bed.
“The two of them went to the court without being summoned and attacked the executioner, I didn’t order them to be killed on the spot, that’s already extra-judicial!”
Xu Yan’s voice rose high, “Is the County Magistrate really too sick to get up, or is someone trying to make him too sick to get up?”
“How dare you!”
“No more than you, Your Highness.”
Xu Yan was not the least bit defeated in his aura.
A fire burned in his chest when he thought of the disfigured corpse of Master Wei.
“Take them all down!”
Duke Qi knew he could not delay any longer, he could not deal with just one Xu Yan, and if Old and Second Gentlemen came later, he would have no chance at all.
“I’m afraid it’s the State Duke who wants to keep the county princess from getting up.”
Master Gu raised his voice.
Without waiting for the Duke of Qi to react, he turned towards the people at the door, “You may not know that the Duke of Qi and the Third Prince, in order to seize my Gu family’s property, set fire to my Gu family’s tavern last night, and killed the head of the restaurant, Wei, who was being held in jail by them for some reason. Fearing that the matter would be exposed, they threw the corpse to the mountain outside the city overnight, wanting to destroy the corpse, but God has eyes, the corpse did not let the beasts all eat it clean, and I …… well well well ……”
His mouth was gagged by the guards.
Boom!
The people gathered at the door heard clearly and instantly exploded.
The Duke of Qi was flustered in his heart and wanted to cover it up, “Full of nonsense!”
“Your Highness ……”
Xu Yan’s voice was resounding, “Is it that I am full of nonsense, please also ask the Duke of Qi to have someone bring out Master Wei, as long as we see his person, all of us are at your disposal!”
The Duke of Qi panicked and tried, and blurted out, “He, he broke out of prison last night!”
“What a coincidence ……”
I’ve seen the boss Wei a few times, he’s just an ordinary person, he doesn’t know martial arts nor can he fly over walls, and you say he escaped from prison! Is the Duke of Qi saying this to coax a three-year-old child, or to coax the people of Qingping County?”
The people around him immediately echoed, “Yes, you’re coaxing a three-year-old child, Master Wei has been in the county for more than ten years, but we’ve never heard that he knows martial arts!”
“That’s right, that’s right, do you take us for fools?”
“I think he is a fool himself, he can even tell such lies!”
……
The Duke of Qi listened with a clear white face, and heavily slapped the alarm wood several times, “Silence! Anyone who dares to speak more will have his tongue cut out!”
Hundreds of people were gathered at the door, and when they heard his words, not only did they not stop, but they became even more aggressive in their arguments.
“Look at this, they’re getting angry, it looks like they’ve really done something to Boss Wei!
“Then what Master Gu said is true, they really did it to plot the Gu family’s property? But don’t I remember them coming here to investigate Old Master’s poisoning?”
“Maybe, the old man’s poisoning was also their doing, just an excuse to come to Qingping County.”
“It can’t be, can it?”
“Why not? The four people who died in the restaurant yesterday must have been instructed by them, in order to get Boss Wei into the prison.
“That seems to be the case.”
……
“Shut up, all of you. ……!”
Before the words were finished, the Duke of Qi suddenly clutched his head, “My head, my head!”
“Aigoo! This is annoyed and changed to pretending to be sick, I didn’t expect even the titled Duke of Qi to be such a scoundrel!”
“That’s right, he can’t give an explanation, he’s pretending to be sick to get by, don’t fall for his trick, Master Gu, tell him to hand over the man, if he doesn’t, you’ll go to the capital and sue the imperial court!”
Bang!
The Duke of Qi fell to the ground.
The chattering came to an abrupt halt.
“Your Majesty!”
The attendants and guards ran over and helped him up with their arms and legs, carrying him in a panic towards the backyard, “Imperial Doctor, Imperial Doctor!”
The people gathered around looked at each other in disbelief.
Doctor Yao stroked his beard and hooked the corners of his mouth.
The hall also fell silent as a group of magistrates looked at me and me at you, not knowing what to do.
Xu Yan was also a bit dumbfounded, seeing that Duke Qi’s reaction just now did not look like he was faking, but his headache was too coincidental.
Master Gu went to Sheriff Zhang’s side and tried to help him up, but Sheriff Zhang shook his head, “I’ve been punctured, it will take an hour before I can be released, so you’d better not move me.”
Master Gu took a step back and gave Sheriff Zhang a big salute, “Thank you for your kindness, I will never forget it.”
“I was just following my heart, Master Gu doesn’t need to do that, but I see that you won’t be able to sue today.”
“As long as I am still alive, I will definitely seek justice for Mr. Wei and make those who have harmed him apologise.”
“Master Gu has a good point, we support you!”
Some of the onlookers shouted.
The rest of the people followed suit as soon as they heard it.
Master Gu turned towards the salute at the door, “I will keep your kindness in my heart, and when the matter of Boss Wei is over, I will rebuild the restaurant, and as long as those present today can go and eat for three days for free.”
“Master Gu is benevolent!”
“Don’t worry, Master Gu, from today onwards, whenever you come over to sue, we will all come over to back you up!”
“We’ll all come!”
“We’re coming too!”
……
The Duke of Qi rolled on the bed in pain.
The third prince yelled straight at the two imperial physicians in anxiety, “What are you still standing there for, treat it quickly!”
The Imperial Doctor Zheng and the Imperial Doctor Liu looked at each other, but neither dared to do anything, as the pain was so severe that the blood in Qi’s brain must have spread, and if they were not careful, it would kill him, and they could not afford to do that.
“You, you’d better call for Doctor Yao to come over, he has been the one who has been treating the Duke of Qi.”
“Rubbish, rice bucket!”
The Third Prince growled, he knew exactly what had happened in the back of the front hall, how could Doctor Yao treat Grandfather again when Master Wei was dead?
The two imperial doctors didn’t dare to take a breath.
The Third Prince turned and walked outside, reached the door, drew the knife from one of the guards and walked angrily towards the courtyard of the County Magistrate.