Chapter 134: Tan Bawang Provokes Public Outrage
Cai Qing soon followed Jin Qiao out. Seeing County Magistrate Zhao, she quickly bowed.
“Greetings, Lord Zhao.”
Seeing that Cai Qing was truly safe and unharmed, Tan Bawang could not help glaring at her viciously. This wretch must have betrayed him at the final moment. Since she had failed to keep her word, that girl Li’er could forget about living!
When Cai Qing saw Tan Bawang, she could not help shrinking back. She hid closer to Mu Yunyao’s side.
County Magistrate Zhao saw this scene, and his heart stirred slightly. He asked, “Cai Qing, did you willingly become Tan Bawang’s concubine?”
Cai Qing quickly shook her head.
“Lord Zhao, please see clearly. Tan Bawang was moved by lust when he saw me. He injured my two younger brothers and intended to force me to submit. Fortunately, my younger brother Nan’er has some friendship with Miss Mu. Taking advantage of the moment when Tan Bawang was threatening me, he came out to ask for help. Miss Mu is kind-hearted and saved me. Only then was I not violated by him.”
This wretch!
Tan Bawang hated her so much that his teeth clenched. Yet he took out a contract.
“Lord Zhao, this contract bears Cai Qing’s handprint. You may send someone to inspect it. Whether it is true or false can be known with one examination.”
Once he dealt with Mu Yunyao, he would deal with Cai Qing. Anyone who dared scheme against him would not have an easy end.
A constable took the contract and delivered it to County Magistrate Zhao. The handwriting and handprint on it were both clear and unmistakable.
“Cai Qing, you clearly signed this contract. Why do you refuse to admit it?”
Cai Qing glanced at Tan Bawang, her eyes filled with indignation.
“Tan Bawang, I never thought you would be such a person who stops at nothing! Lord Zhao, please see clearly. My hands are injured. I could not press down a handprint at all. How could I have signed a contract?”
As she spoke, she stretched out both hands. Her fingers were covered in wounds that had already scabbed over. Her fingertips, in particular, were covered with blood scabs. It was impossible for her to press down a handprint.
Tan Bawang froze. Then he shouted harshly, “Well done, Mu Yunyao. You actually incited Cai Qing to falsify evidence and deceive County Magistrate Zhao. Your hands were clearly fine this morning. How did they become so injured that you cannot press a handprint now? Unfortunately for you, how could such tricks deceive Lord Zhao? I ask Lord Zhao to send a physician to examine her. Cai Qing’s wounds must be fresh. That will prove they are guilty of fabricating evidence.”
Tan Bawang felt pleased. He truly had not expected Mu Yunyao to leave behind such a huge handle. After the physicians examined her, he wanted to see how she would argue her way out of this. He originally wanted to look at Mu Yunyao’s panicked appearance, but he found that her expression was calm. Even Cai Qing was extremely composed.
County Magistrate Zhao appointed a coroner to examine the wounds on Cai Qing’s hands.
“Reporting to Your Honor, the wounds on Cai Qing’s hands are burn injuries. Judging from their appearance, they are already five or six days old.”
“What? That is impossible!”
Tan Bawang rushed forward abruptly, grabbed Cai Qing’s hand, and rubbed it hard. Yet the wounds did not show the slightest sign of being fake.
Cai Qing cried out in shock. She raised her hand and slapped him across the face.
“Shameless! Lord Zhao, please uphold justice for this common woman!”
When Mu Yunyao helped her fabricate the wounds on her hands, Cai Qing was still worried that they would be exposed. She had not expected that even the coroner would fail to identify them as fake.
“Impudent Tan Bawang. You dare act so recklessly before this official!”
Tan Bawang noticed Mu Yunyao’s gaze. For no reason, panic rose in his heart. Everything must have been calculated by this wretch. He had been completely led by the nose.
Wretch. This damned little wretch!
“Lord Zhao, please see clearly. That contract truly was signed by Cai Qing…”
Cai Qing immediately prostrated herself on the ground and wept bitterly.
“Lord Zhao, that day, my younger brother A'Mao accidentally blocked the road. Tan Bawang ordered his followers to beat him, then falsely claimed that A'Mao had dirtied his clothes and tried to extort one hundred taels of silver.
“I felt indignant and stepped forward to reason with him. Unexpectedly, after Tan Bawang failed to tease and insult me with words, he brought Matchmaker Liu to threaten and tempt me. He insisted on taking this common woman as his concubine. I would rather die than obey. So he ordered his followers to beat me and my two younger brothers.
“Now, Nan’er and A'Mao are both unconscious and lying inside Miss Mu’s home. You will know the truth once you examine their injuries. Also, many neighbors saw him bring people to the Ciyou Bureau. They can testify for me.”
“That is right. At the time, when Tan Bawang beat that A'Mao, I happened to pass by and even tried to advise him. Who would have thought that Tan Bawang would be so arrogant that he even wanted to beat me?”
“Miss Cai Qing speaks the truth. Early this morning, I saw Tan Bawang lead people to the Ciyou Bureau.”
Cai Qing bowed to thank the people who spoke up for justice.
“Many thanks to all of you for testifying for me. Cai Qing is deeply grateful! Lord Zhao, Tan Bawang also took away my younger sister Li’er and used her to threaten me into submission. I do not know how my poor little sister is now. I beg Lord Zhao to save her life!”
Mu Yunyao, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke.
“Lord Zhao, I imagine that by now, you have already distinguished right from wrong. Saving the person is urgent. If there is any delay…”
County Magistrate Zhao nodded. When he turned to look at Tan Bawang, his gaze had become especially sharp.
“Bold Tan Bawang. Are you still not going to confess honestly? Where did you take her?”
“I… I did not take anyone. Li’er, Ping’er, whatever her name is, I know nothing about her.”
Tan Bawang was already panicking. If County Magistrate Zhao found Li’er at this moment, would that not confirm everything Cai Qing had said?
Suddenly, a shout came from within the crowd.
“I saw Tan Bawang’s followers carrying a sack into the inn where they are staying!”
County Magistrate Zhao’s eyes turned cold.
“Men, immediately go search the inn where Tan Bawang is staying.”
The expressions of the surrounding onlookers had become unfriendly. Tan Bawang said he was the young owner of Caiyue Pavilion, which meant he was not from Jingling City. Earlier, the shopkeeper of Caiyue Pavilion had caused deaths by lending money at usurious rates, which had already greatly worsened the people of Jingling City’s impression of Caiyue Pavilion.
Now, Caiyue Pavilion’s young owner had come here to forcibly seize a common woman. This made their hearts even angrier. Fortunately, Caiyue Pavilion had already been closed. Otherwise, some people might have directly gone to smash its doors.
Very quickly, two constables hurried back. Behind them, a woman was holding a little girl. The girl was covered in wounds, and her face was deathly pale. From the look on her face, she was breathing out more than she was breathing in.
The people around them grew even more furious. Tan Bawang had failed to forcibly seize a common woman, yet he still dared to harm an innocent person’s life. Did he think the people of Jingling City were easy to bully?
“Lord Zhao, you must severely punish such an evil man!”
“Please, Lord Zhao, uphold justice for these poor children!”
Cai Qing quickly rushed to Li’er. Her whole person was so panicked that she nearly lost control.
“Miss Mu, I beg you. Please save my younger sister.”
A physician in the crowd had already stepped forward.
“I am Physician Zhang from Renshan Hall. Let me examine this little girl.”
Cai Qing looked anxiously toward Mu Yunyao. Seeing her nod slightly, she finally let go and allowed the physician to take Li’er’s pulse.
“This…”
After Physician Zhang of Renshan Hall finished taking the pulse, he glared at Tan Bawang with hatred.
“If he had struck just a little harder, this little girl would have died on the spot!”
County Magistrate Zhao’s expression turned cold and stern. With a wave of his hand, he ordered the constables to arrest Tan Bawang and the others.
“Forcibly seizing a common woman and maliciously beating commoners. This official will certainly question you clearly on every one of your crimes!”
The surrounding commoners were so furious they could hardly endure it. Some could not help picking up stones and similar objects from the ground and throwing them at Tan Bawang and his followers.
Once this began, more and more commoners around them started throwing things. No one knew who it was, but someone actually brought over a pot of hot tea and poured it over the two followers lying on the ground with blood all over their faces.
This pour was no small matter. The two followers were scalded so badly that they immediately jumped up. They raised their sleeves and kept wiping their faces. Once they wiped, the blood on their faces was cleaned away, revealing perfectly unharmed skin.
“They are pretending!”
wow these people should all pursue careers in theater, both as actors and doing stage makeup, haha
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