FID – Chapter 539

Chapter 539: Discuss in Front of His Majesty

  ”Your Excellency, we are not convinced!” Liu Zhixia also stepped forward. He was an official of the court, and although his official rank was lower than the capital’s magistrate, he also had the right to speak. “Dare I ask a question? Whenever the authorities investigate and handle a case, they must let both sides of the incident be informed, but why this time did Your Excellency only leave out our family? Are we only qualified to listen to the results, but not to participate in the investigation? This is clearly being biased. The ignorant would think that Your Excellency is deliberately favoring the Liu family of the capital and treating my family as nothing! We are not convinced of this result. If Your Excellency can not give a reasonable explanation, then this official will submit a petition to the court and ask His Majesty to preside over the case for us!”

  ”Presumptuous! Are you accusing this official of bending the law for my own gains?” The magistrate slapped the desk in the hall. After receiving a sixth-ranking official’s accusation, his face turned sullen and cold.

  As the magistrate of the capital, who was in charge of disputes in the entire capital, big and small, when had someone ever been duty-bound to do so? Yet Liu Zhixia dared!

  ”Your Excellency, this humble official dares not accuse you of anything about bending the law to suit your selfish desires, but whether the matter is biased or not, and whether there is intentional favoritism, it is up to the court to decide! As a party, my family genealogy is placed behind the altar at home. This humble official has perused it whenever I was free, and the contents are still fresh in my memory. My family can’t do such unfilial things as misidentifying our ancestors!”

  The atmosphere turned momentarily stiff.

  Liu Huai stood up and cupped his hands toward the magistrate. “Your Excellency, filial piety precedes everything else in Nanling. My clan absolutely can’t misidentify our ancestors. It may be that this matter came up too suddenly, so the Little Liu family could not accept at the moment. and the grass people could understand it. Since the Xiaoliu family had objections to this, they could provide evidence. I totally understand. Since the Little Liu family has objections to this, they can provide evidence. The yamen files are clearly written in black and white, and those files have been dated to a hundred years ago. Could it be that someone prepared in advance and schemed against the Little Liu family a century ago? Facts are facts. The main branch of the clan is not afraid of debating. However, a branch of the clan must not be left wandering outside! This is the Liu clan’s rule!”

  ”If that’s the case, let’s argue before His Majesty! Let’s see who is right and who is wrong!”

  ”The Big Liu family is at your disposal!”

  Both sides threw the gauntlet. After hearing the result of the investigation this time, there was no need to stay any further. The yamen and the Big Liu family are clearly in cahoots. Staying and then plunging into a verbal argument was not at all helpful.

  In the next few days, almost everyone in the city was anxiously waiting.

  They were waiting to see the Little Liu family report the matter to His Majesty, and let him judge the case in person.

  The dispute between the two Lius has ups and downs in the plot, and it was more exciting than the dramatic plays on the stage.

  There was just no telling who would rise the victor in the end.

  The Big Liu family had lost twice in front of the Little Liu family before.

  Could the Little Liu family be so easy to deal with?

  However, the Little Liu family’s chances of winning seemed to be relatively slim this time. There were historical records in the Yamen’s dossier that dated a hundred years ago. This was the most powerful evidence, proving that the twos’ ancestors were the same person.

  How would the Little Liu family fight back?

  It was totally nerve-wracking.

  Feng Mohan immediately ran to his uncle after receiving the petition from Liu Zhixia.

  ”Imperial Uncle, the magistrate of the capital, is a member of Prime Minister Zuo’s camp. This time, he assisted the Liu family to bully grandpa and grandma. Knowing this, Uncle Xia forward the lawsuit to me and let me personally judge it. The sharp weapon in your hand should be let out now, right?”

  Feng Qingbai smirked but the brush in his hand did not stop moving. He replied calmly, “Choose a day to summon them to the court and confront them on the spot. As for me, when it is time to play, I will naturally play.”

  ”Then shall I let them all come to the Throne Room tomorrow?”

  ”Tomorrow is just right. End early and be at ease.”

  ”I think so too. Otherwise, how could great grandma and grandpa sleep soundly? Despite the presence of a group of villains casting covetous eyes to them, grandma can’t even use her feather duster. She must be suffocating.” Feng Mohan shook his head and sneered. He took his decree and personally reviewed it before immediately sending it to the Xinliu Manor. At the same time, he sent another decree to the Liu Manor and the magistrate, summoning everyone to go to court together the next day.

  The capital’s magistrate, the person promoted by Prime Minister Zuo, shared the power of the prime minister. Therefore, he always favored the Liu family in any case involving them. However, this person was cunning. He knew how to protect himself. Once things heralded dangers to himself, he could immediately change his directions and steer the rudder to protect himself first. He hardly even use Prime Minister Zuo’s name.

  This was also the reason why his Imperial Uncle postponed replacing him.

  Who knew whose person the next one would be again?

  They’d better use the one they were familiar with, and then replace him when someone suitable was available.

  That night, several elders in the Xinliu Manor failed to sleep peacefully.

  They would go to the Throne Room the following day.

  The Hall of Supreme Harmony, ah, commoners mostly would never know what the place looked like all their lives, but now they would go to the Throne Room and meet the civil and military officials of the dynasty, and also see Xiao Feng’er in his imperial robe.

  After which, they would fight the Liu family to death in that place.

  The mere thought of it made them so nervous that they couldn’t close their eyes.

  In a secret courtyard somewhere in the capital, it was almost late at night but there were still people making noises.

  ”Xiao Lan, you’ve said before that you’ll let me drink good wine as long as I come to the capital. Where’s my wine? You are clearly swindling this old man!”

  Wei Lan felt like his head was about to explode. He pointed fiercely at the wine jars piled up in the corner of the house and replied, “Old Man, you speak with conscience! Didn’t you drink those wines? You’ve almost wiped out my savings, yet you still have the nerve to complain? At your advanced age, you’re so unreliable. Hell’s your ending after death!” 

  ”What’s wrong about ending in hell? Do you think this old fogey is afraid of hell?” Elder Jiu widened his eyes, waving his hands and screeching, “Who is unreliable? You carried this kind of thing and showed them off in front of me. You really treat me as an old man. Do you think I can’t taste it? This is not the same wine you gave me at first!”

  He possessed the gold tongue!

  If the taste was a little off, don’t even think of hiding it from him!

  He was swindling him, yet he had the guts to call him unreliable?

  Elder Jiu ran to the corner of the room, picked up an empty wine jar and threw it at Wei Lan. “You deceived me! You deprive me of wine! Little bastard, how could you deceive this old man out of the mountain?! I’m telling you, if there is no good wine, I will stay here and not move a muscle! Let’s see who is going to be anxious, you or me!”

  Wei Lan was agitated. He took the wine jar and threw it back, while scolding him, “Let me tell you too, you’d better behave yourself! The person who wants your help tomorrow is the master who brews nourishing wine. If you can’t understand a thing, don’t even dream of tasting a drop of the special wine in the future. I will kill you myself!”

  The Old Man ran over immediately, eagerly saying, “Is it really the brewing master of the nourishing wine? Don’t you lie to me! Can I have a drink every day after helping him?”

  ”When did Wei Lan ever lie, you have my word!” With a pat on the chest and throwing away the wine jar, Wei Lan stretched his arm around the old man’s shoulder, and the two were on good terms again. “Old Man, everything is up to you tomorrow. If you want to drink, just work, understand?”

  The next day, Wei Lan successfully took the old man to the palace to await orders.

  Meanwhile, the horses of the two Liu families gathered at the front palace gates.