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Since waking up that morning, Liu Ming\'an\'s gaze hadn\'t left Jiang Ning, constantly filled with passionate intensity. Jiang Ning had grown accustomed to it and simply replied, "Let\'s go see how the county magistrate will rule on the case."

As soon as they arrived at the magistrate\'s office, they saw two women, one old and one young, anxiously wiping away tears outside the main gate.

Liu Ming\'an only glanced at them briefly before looking away, but Jiang Ning stared at them carefully for a while.

As it happened, Jiang Ning had seen both of these women before.

The older woman was someone Jiang Ning had encountered on her first trip up the mountain. At that time, this woman had been discussing with Third Aunt whether Liu Ming\'an was worthy of He Yiyi. Jiang Ning recalled that Third Aunt had called her "Aunt Li Er."

As for the younger woman, Jiang Ning had an even stronger impression of her. She was the one who had tried to use menstrual blood for a curse late at night, whom Jiang Ning had knocked unconscious and dumped by the pond.

What were these two doing here?

Jiang Ning couldn\'t guess, so she turned to Liu Ming\'an and casually said, "Those two seem to be from Lotus Flower Village. Aren\'t you going to greet them?"

Liu Ming\'an frowned, remembering his argument with Li Xiangyun, and leaned close to Jiang Ning\'s ear to whisper, "Those two are quite unpleasant. There\'s no need to bother with them."

Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow in surprise. It seemed there was truly bad blood between them. Given Liu Ming\'an\'s typically good nature, for him to say such things, these women must surely be at fault.

As the two entered the courtroom, several people were already standing below. Jiang Ning recognized one as Old Yu, the manager of Gold Jade Hall, and another as the shop assistant from the Chen Family Rice Shop. Another person looked familiar to Jiang Ning, and after some thought, she realized it was the waiter from Fusheng Restaurant who had served them when they bought rabbit.

There was also another person, a young man who looked like a wealthy young master. He stood arrogantly off to the side, far from the others, with obvious disdain in his eyes.

"Do you know that person?" Jiang Ning asked Liu Ming\'an quietly.

Liu Ming\'an nodded and replied, "I saw him during the lower degree candidate exam. We\'ve never spoken, so I don\'t know why he\'s here."

"To testify!" Jiang Ning said softly.

Soon after, Song Ming and clerk Tang arrived, and Zhao Qiang, Houzi, Old Six Hu, and He Zhenhu were brought into the courtroom.

"Bang!" The judge\'s gavel sounded, and the court session began.

Jiang Ning guessed that these witnesses had likely already given their statements, and that the county magistrate was already fully clear on the case details. This court session was merely a necessary procedural step.

Sure enough, each of them was called forward to be questioned publicly once more.

Old Yu testified that Old Six Hu and Houzi were uncle and nephew, as close as father and son. Old Six Hu, harboring resentment after being publicly humiliated by Jiang Ning, had instructed Houzi and He Zhenhu to follow Jiang Ning, but they were unsuccessful. Later, he devised a gambling scheme to make Zhao Qiang accumulate huge debts.

Old Yu also pointed out that Gold Jade Hall would stop at nothing for profit, sending thugs to suppress competitors and using tricks to cheat with loaded dice. He described Old Six Hu as narrow-minded and cruel, holding grudges against anyone who won against him at the gambling table and seeking revenge. Previously, one person had their hand broken and subsequently fled Lingshan Town.

The shop assistants from Chen Family Rice Shop and Fusheng Restaurant testified that people from Gold Jade Hall had asked them if they had seen a girl wearing a veil. The Chen Family Rice Shop assistant admitted to telling Gold Jade Hall\'s people where Liu Ming\'an lived.

As for the young master-like figure, he also testified that Houzi had asked him if he had seen Liu Ming\'an during the lower degree candidate exam and whether Liu Ming\'an\'s scholarship was good enough to pass the provincial examination.

Finally, He Zhenhu testified that on the day Liu Ming\'an\'s house was burned down, Houzi had already arrived at the bamboo grove in Lotus Flower Village, instructing him to call for Houzi after Zhao Qiang left. He then saw Houzi walking towards Liu Ming\'an\'s house with his own eyes.

The testimonies corroborated each other, making Old Six Hu and Houzi\'s plot to harm others through indirect means evident.

Jiang Ning looked at the two men kneeling on the ground. Both Houzi and Old Six Hu had their heads bowed, their faces showing a lifeless expression.

"Old Six Hu, Hou Zehua, do you plead guilty?" Song Ming asked the two below.

Old Six Hu raised his head, his face showing a defeated resignation.

"This criminal pleads guilty, but all the crimes were committed by me alone. Hou Zehua merely acted on my orders. I hope Your Honor will see clearly and justly."

"Uncle!" Houzi turned to look at Old Six Hu in disbelief, not expecting him to take all the blame upon himself.

Old Six Hu ignored Houzi and continued to look at Song Ming, saying, "Hou Zehua lost both his parents, and I raised him. A child is like a blank piece of paper; what they become depends on what others write on it. Hou Zehua committed these crimes because of my teachings. Tracing it to its source, all responsibility lies with me. I beg Your Honor to show him leniency."

Jiang Ning could no longer see any trace of the haughty demeanor Old Six Hu had displayed when she first met him. Now, he was just a humble, subservient prisoner, an uncle solely focused on protecting his nephew.

Jiang Ning slowly curled her lips. She hadn\'t realized Old Six Hu was someone who valued family ties so much. However, even if Hou Zehua were spared, she wouldn\'t let him off the hook!

As Jiang Ning was lost in thought, Old Yu suddenly stepped forward righteously and knelt at the front of the courtroom: "Magistrate Song, don\'t listen to his nonsense. Those two are cut from the same cloth, both equally vicious. It definitely wasn\'t just Old Six Hu\'s idea!"

Jiang Ning carefully observed Old Yu and noticed a panicked look in his eyes, instantly understanding his intentions.

Old Yu and Old Six Hu had likely been partners in crime for many years. Now that trouble had come, Old Yu was trying to save himself by coming forward to denounce Old Six Hu and Houzi\'s crimes. His goal was to ensure their downfall, for if Houzi were to escape punishment by some chance, he, as a traitor, would certainly not be spared. Therefore, Old Yu had to make sure they had no possibility of redemption.

"Oh? Tell us more," Song Ming said, likely also guessing this man\'s motives.

"Your Honor may not know, but Old Six Hu was born with an extra finger, causing his parents to view him as a freak and bad luck. From a young age, they would beat and scold him, often leaving him to starve. If it weren\'t for his sister, Hou Zehua\'s mother, he wouldn\'t have survived to this day."

"Hou Zehua\'s mother secretly fed him, barely keeping Old Six Hu alive until he was in his teens and able to fend for himself. Later, he made a name for himself in gambling houses with his skills. But one night, his family home caught fire, and both his parents perished. I used to think it was an accident, but now I wonder if it might have been deliberate..."

"What happened next? How did he become involved with Hou Zehua?" Song Ming asked gravely, his voice tinged with anger.

"When his parents died, his sister had just given birth and was in confinement. She and her husband rushed over from Spirit Wind Town in the middle of the night. The roads were slippery from heavy rain, and the carriage they hired plunged off a cliff. Their bodies were never found. The infant Hou Zehua was left with his grandparents, but later Old Six Hu came to take him and raise him himself. He never married or had children of his own..."

"But how do you know they are equally vicious? Has Hou Zehua done something?" Song Ming inquired further.

"Yes, Hou Zehua sees Old Six Hu as his own father and would seek revenge on anyone who disrespected him. The scar on his face is from when someone won against Old Six Hu at the gambling table and said, \'Is that all the skill Old Six has?\' Later that night, Hou Zehua took a knife intending to chop off the man\'s hand. He was discovered, and the scar was left during the ensuing fight. He was only fourteen years old at the time..."

"Your Honor, think about it. A fourteen-year-old child daring to carry a knife to harm someone—how could he possibly be innocent? I implore Your Honor to see clearly!" Old Yu finished, kowtowing heavily to Song Ming.

"Old Yu, I\'ve treated you well all these years!" Old Six Hu stared at the back of Old Yu\'s head, his voice low and his eyes full of hatred.

Old Yu felt as if there were thorns in his back and didn\'t dare to turn around. He only looked at Song Ming, who said with righteous indignation: "I\'ve long been disgusted by your behavior. Heaven\'s justice is clear, and you deserve your punishment."

"Hahaha... deserve punishment, deserve punishment... Hahaha..." Old Six Hu, no longer caring that this was a courtroom, laughed out loud, his eyes filled with desolation.

Yesterday, he was the legendary Old Six of the gambling table, respected and admired. Today, he was a prisoner condemned by all. The mockery and sarcasm from others were bearable, but the knife in the back from those close to him was truly heartbreaking.

Enough, enough. It\'s just one wretched life anyway. He had lived for nearly sixty years, and that was more than enough.

But still...

"Zehua, uncle has failed you. I shouldn\'t have taken you from your grandparents. Those two old folks were right; I\'m a born monster, bringing bad luck to others... If there\'s a next life, uncle will be your beast of burden to repay you for this life!"

Old Six Hu looked at Houzi beside him, tears glistening in his cloudy eyes.

Clerk Tang brought the court evidence, and they all pressed their fingerprints and signed in turn.

Song Ming pronounced the sentence according to the Great Liang Laws: Houzi and Old Six Hu, with their notorious reputation and attempt at murder, were to be beheaded as the law demanded, with execution set for the year\'s end. Zhao Qiang, who abused his position to drug others and trespassed into private homes with intent to steal, was sentenced to forty lashes and one year in prison, with his descendants barred from official positions for three generations. He Zhenhu, for tipping them off, was considered an accomplice and sentenced to twenty lashes. Old Yu, who knew of Houzi and Old Six Hu\'s crimes but failed to report them, and participated in several key stages, was spared the death penalty but couldn\'t escape punishment. He was sentenced to forty lashes and ten years in prison.

Except for Old Yu, who loudly proclaimed his innocence, no one else objected.

Clerk Tang, seeing the relieved smile on Zhao Qiang\'s face, didn\'t know whether to laugh or cry, and could only let out a long sigh.

Jiang Ning, observing this outcome, felt deeply moved.

This time, her justice wasn\'t something she had to fight for herself. It was given to her by the law. She stood in this courtroom, pure and unblemished!