Chapter 135: The Culinary Tycoon

Detention and Obstruction

“Uncle, you…” Jia Xiaoren turned his head in disbelief, looking at the round-faced owner. He couldn’t believe that his own uncle would not support him but instead help an outsider.

The round-faced boss looked at Jia Xiaoren and said, “Xiaoren, everyone is here. There’s no use trying to overpower each other.” Even if he denies it, the other bosses from the grain and oil shops and the seafood stalls will come out to identify him. Besides, his family still has to live in Tongshan.

Jia Xiaoren snorted coldly and said, “Hmph, who’s the arm and who’s the thigh is still uncertain.”

The round-faced boss sighed, giving up on persuading his nephew.

Above them, Luo Mingda asked, “Yuan Changhe, tell the whole story again.”

So the round-faced boss explained in detail how Jia Xiaoren talked to him and what he did.

Then, Luo Mingda asked the seafood stall owner and the owners of the grain and oil shops, confirming their testimonies one by one and having them sign and seal them. Afterward, he let them go.

However, they didn’t leave. They all stayed outside the door, paying attention to the development of the situation.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Luo Mingda asked, “Jia Xiaoren, do you have anything to say about this matter?”

Jia Xiaoren noticed that Luo Mingda’s attitude had changed. According to their previous understanding, Luo Mingda wouldn’t have brought so many people to inquire. He looked at Luo Mingda suspiciously, not understanding why he suddenly changed his mind. Wasn’t everything fine before?

However, even though he didn’t know why Luo Mingda had a change of heart, Jia Xiaoren knew that he couldn’t admit to anything at this moment. As long as he held on until his cousin and uncle arrived, they would find a solution for him.

He shook his head and said, “I didn’t do it. They intentionally slandered and framed me.”

Luo Mingda slammed the table in anger and said, “The evidence is solid. You can’t deny it! Jia Xiaoren, you have a narrow mind. You colluded with others to threaten vendors, deliberately suppressed your peers for personal gain, and your behavior is despicable and unrepentant! Take him away and give him twenty lashes!”

“Yes, sir!” Two constables stepped forward, ready to drag Jia Xiaoren away.

Jia Xiaoren shouted, “Why are you beating me? They falsely accused me! I’m not even from Tongshan! Why are you beating me?”

To his surprise, no one paid attention to his shouts. The crowd of onlookers quickly cleared a path for the constables to pass through.

Soon, Jia Xiaoren was pressed down onto the bench.

Thwack!

The constable’s paddle came down.

“Ah!” Jia Xiaoren cried out and turned his head, shouting, “Be more gentle, damn it!”

From inside, Luo Mingda shouted, “Hit him harder!”

The two constables exchanged a glance and increased the strength in their hands.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

“Ah! Aaaah!”

The onlookers cheered enthusiastically.

“Good job! This kind of person deserves to be whipped! Give him more lashes!”

“That’s right! He can’t run his business properly and only thinks of shady ways! He deserves this!”

“…”

Jia Xiaoren wailed, his ears filled with his own cries of pain and the discussions of the crowd. He was filled with anger and gritted his teeth.

You, Luo Mingda! You, Yu Qingze! Just wait and see how I’ll teach you a lesson in the future!

“Aaaah!”

Inside the courtroom, Niu San watched as his employer endured the lashes, feeling each one jolt of pain in his own buttocks.

Meanwhile, Yu Qingze and Da Song, along with a few others, looked on with great satisfaction.

He deserves it!

Finally venting our frustrations!

After the whipping, Jia Xiaoren’s arrogance weakened considerably.

Luo Mingda asked, “Jia Xiaoren, I’m asking you, truthfully. Do you know Niu San?”

Jia Xiaoren, in great pain, supported his waist with one hand and propped himself up with the other, and replied, “I don’t know him.”

Luo Mingda continued, “Cao Yuan, a villager from Wulipo outside Qingzhou City, identified Niu San as a servant in your family’s villa. How do you explain that?”

Jia Xiaoren gritted his teeth and said, “There has only been one trusted old servant in my family’s villa for many years, and no one else resides there.”

Cao Yuan immediately retorted, “Nonsense! Where did those dozen or so men come from? They have been living there for years! Villagers have seen your family’s steward and servants going to the villa. Don’t try to argue your way out of this!”

Jia Xiaoren glared at Cao Yuan and said, “Who bribed you to frame me? Was it Yu Qingze?!”

Cao Yuan was infuriated and said, “Nonsense! Do you think everyone is like you? The outrageous things you’ve done in Qingzhou City, the entire city’s residents know! Everyone wishes you would die already!”

Jia Xiaoren snorted and said, “Lord Luo, this person clearly holds a grudge against me. His words are utterly untrustworthy!”

Luo Mingda took the opportunity to ask, “Cao Yuan, do you hold a grudge against Jia Xiaoren?”

Cao Yuan shook his head and said, “No, but Jia Xiaoren has a long history of misdeeds. He relies on his cousin being the governor and his uncle being a high-ranking official in the capital. He has been acting recklessly in Qingzhou City, using despicable means to force many larger restaurants to shut down. He even caused the death of an innocent child and a business owner. The entire city’s residents can testify to this!”

Upon hearing this, the onlookers were stunned.

“So, he has such powerful connections as relatives who are high-ranking officials. No wonder he’s so arrogant!”

“He caused the death of two people, and yet he hasn’t been executed. Where is the rule of law?!”

“That’s right, officials protect each other. It’s because someone in his family holds a high position in the capital!”

“Disgusting scum!”

“Such a person should be punished severely!”

“…”

Jia Xiaoren’s face turned green upon hearing the discussions behind him. He angrily retorted, “Slandering!”

Cao Yuan responded, “Whether it’s slander or not, you know it deep down!”

Clap!

“Silence!” Luo Mingda shouted.

Luo Mingda asked Jia Xiaoren, “Jia Xiaoren, I’ll ask you once again, do you know Niu San? Is he a servant in your family’s villa?”

Jia Xiaoren replied, “I don’t know him, no.”

Luo Mingda then asked Niu San, “Niu San, do you know Jia Xiaoren?”

Niu San also shook his head and said, “I don’t know him.”

A deadlock was reached.

Based on the testimonies of the seafood stall and grocery store owners, as well as the round-faced boss from Hongyun, there was some evidence of Jia Xiaoren’s motive for framing Yu Qingze. However, this alone was not enough to prove that Jia Xiaoren had instructed Niu San to poison the food. Relying solely on the testimony of Cao Yuan was insufficient to convict Jia Xiaoren. Stronger evidence was needed to establish his guilt.

The crucial question now was how to prove that Niu San was sent by Jia Xiaoren.

Both Niu San and Jia Xiaoren adamantly denied knowing each other, making it difficult to proceed.

Given the current situation, it was clear that the trial could not continue. They would have to wait for the investigators to return from Qingzhou with the witnesses before proceeding.

Luo Mingda discussed the matter with the other officials and then addressed the crowd, saying, “The trial of this case is temporarily suspended. We will resume the trial after further investigation. Niu San will be held in the county prison, and Jia Xiaoren, as a major suspect, will be detained in the county yamen prison until the trial. Court adjourned!”

Upon hearing that he would be detained, Jia Xiaoren became frantic and shouted, “Why am I being detained? I didn’t do anything! Your Honor, Lord Luo! I’m not from Tongshan, you have no right to detain me!”

“According to the Dasheng Law, offenders from different jurisdictions are managed by the local county yamen. Those who commit crimes within the jurisdiction of Tongshan City are under my jurisdiction,” Luo Mingda waved his hand and said, “Take them away!”

“You can’t detain me, you can’t…” Jia Xiaoren roared while being escorted away by the yamen runners.

After leaving the courtroom, Jia Xiaoren and Niu San were taken away and detained by the yamen runners. Luo Mingda and the other officials left through a side door, while the yamen runners returned the instruments of punishment to their original positions.

The onlookers gradually dispersed outside, discussing the matter as they walked away.

Yu Qingze stood up, but he moved too quickly and stumbled for a moment.

Kneeling for so long, his legs had gone numb! He cursed the ancient system in his heart.

“Big brother, are you alright?” Jiabao immediately approached him to offer support.

Jiabao, Da Song, and Da Zhi were allowed to stand aside and listen after they finished answering the questions. Only Yu Qingze, as the plaintiff, remained kneeling.

“It’s fine, just my legs are numb. Ah, forget it. Help me outside, I’ll sit for a while and rest…” Yu Qingze endured the soreness in his legs and spoke to Jiabao.

Leaning on Jiabao’s shoulder, Yu Qingze slowly made his way to the entrance of the courtroom and sat on the steps. He gently massaged his legs, allowing the blood circulation to return.

Old Master Cai and his wife had been waiting outside the door. When they saw them coming out, Old Master Cai handed a letter to Yu Qingze.

“It’s a reply from Wendong.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze quickly took the letter, opened it, and saw only the word ‘Er’ written on it.

‘Er’? That means “We’re not on the same side.”

He neatly folded the letter, put it back into the envelope, and handed it to Old Master Cai, saying, “Old Master Cai, I understand.”

The Minister of Rites and the Deputy Minister of Rites are not on the same side. No wonder Luo Mingda sided with them.

“At this moment, it is highly confidential. Don’t let it leak out,” Old Master Cai received the letter and reminded Yu Qingze.

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “I understand, Old Master Cai. You can trust me.”

As he massaged his legs, Yu Qingze turned his head and saw Cao Yuan, who was also sitting on the steps and massaging his legs. He gestured his gratitude to Cao Yuan and said, “Brother Cao, thank you for identifying Niu San.”

While massaging his legs, Cao Yuan shook his head and replied, “Boss Yu, you’re too kind. Jia Xiaoren is despicable. We couldn’t bear to see it and hope he receives the punishment he deserves.”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “He will get what he deserves. By the way, Brother Cao, you are from Qingzhou. How did you end up in Tongshan?”

Cao Yuan smiled and said, “Boss Yu might not remember me. My brother and I run a small restaurant across the river. We bought cured meats from you last year. Today, we came to buy cured meats again but saw the sign of your business being closed. We heard from people nearby that you had captured someone attempting to poison others and brought them to the county yamen. So, we came over to have a look, and unexpectedly, we saw Niu San.”

Upon Cao Yuan’s reminder, Yu Qingze remembered and clasped his hands, saying, “No wonder I thought I recognized you two. I couldn’t recall it for a moment. My apologies.”

Cao Yuan waved his hand with a smile and replied, “No problem at all. We only met once, so it’s normal not to remember.”

Yu Qingze continued, “Brother Cao, it’s already past noon. If you don’t mind, please join me for a meal at House of Prosperity. How about that?”

Cao Yuan, who still needed to testify in the case, couldn’t leave for the next few days. He responded, “That would be no trouble, Boss Yu.”

With that, they stood up and headed towards House of Prosperity together.

In Qingzhou, Cao Ming led four yamen runners back to Wulipo, where they pointed out the courtyard.

Due to the wait for the boat, it was already afternoon.

The four yamen runners knocked on the door of the courtyard, but found that everyone inside had already dispersed, leaving only an old man in his fifties.

The four yamen runners explained their purpose and looked around, noticing signs of people living there. They carefully recorded the scene and asked the old man several questions, only to find out that he had been brought here today.

The four yamen runners brought the old man back to Cao Ming’s village and asked the villagers. Some said they saw people going to the courtyard at noon, and shortly after, the men living there left with their belongings. It was unknown where they had gone.

The yamen runners exchanged glances, knowing that they had arrived too late.

After completing their investigation, it was already late in the day, and the ferries at the pier had stopped running. They had to spend the night in the homes of villagers in Wulipo.

Early the next morning, the four yamen runners, along with Cao Ming, the old man, and three villagers serving as witnesses, hurried to the pier, intending to take a boat back to Tongshan. However, to their surprise, they were surrounded by a group of soldiers at the pier.

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Thandar: Is it really necessary for that cousin magistrate guy to try to do head on with the other magistrate (Luo Mingda) for such trash person like Jia Xiaodumb? It’s not just about him anymore at this point. It’s about two factions now.