"The coroner's examination revealed that your daughter was not a virgin when she was raped, but you and your daughter lied and said she was still a virgin, which clearly shows that you had ill intentions..."
Li Fan's casual words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving everyone stunned and unable to move for a long time. So the girl wasn't a virgin after all? If she really wasn't, then her words were questionable. After all, a fourteen-year-old girl, not yet of marriageable age, wouldn't have lost her virginity if she adhered to proper etiquette…
Seeing the doubt in everyone's eyes and the growing suspicion in their gazes towards the middle-aged woman, Li Fan grew more confident and said arrogantly, "I heard from Wang Qiang and his gang that your daughter seduced them, demanding a large sum of money from them. When they refused, you and your daughter accused them of rape and tried to send them to jail. What a shameless mother and daughter..."
"That coroner took a bribe and framed my daughter... My daughter is an innocent girl..." the middle-aged woman roared, her eyes red-rimmed, using her frail body to defend her daughter's dignity. It was heartbreaking to see, and the people didn't know who to believe.
Lord Ma's gaze turned somber as he looked at the middle-aged woman: "Where are your daughter's remains now?"
"Your Honor, my daughter's grievance remains unresolved. She has not been buried, and her body is still in my family's woodshed." The middle-aged woman's attitude softened considerably when facing Lord Ma.
"Very well, once those perpetrators arrive, I will interrogate them and then send someone to your house to examine your daughter's body. If she is truly innocent, I will certainly give her justice. If you and your daughter conspired to deceive others, then don't blame me for showing no mercy." Lord Ma spoke each word with deliberate emphasis, displaying the arrogance and nobility befitting the Chief Justice of the Ministry of Justice.
"I understand. I swear to heaven that my daughter is innocent and would never do anything outrageous!" The middle-aged woman's words were firm and resolute, her gaze unwavering, without the slightest hint of evasion or fear. Shen Lixue knew that what the middle-aged woman said was absolutely true; those five government officials had harmed her innocent daughter.
Shen Lixue frowned and muttered softly, "Can you tell if a dead person was a virgin before marriage?"
Qiuhe pondered for a moment: "I once heard the Ghost Doctor of the Southern Frontier say that the world's medical skills, martial arts, and literary talents are all profound and extensive. What everyone learns is only the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps those coroners have some special secret techniques..."
Shen Lixue blinked. Ancient people always came up with some strange tricks, like the "virginity mark," which modern women don't have on their arms.
"Your Excellency, Huang Liang is not at home."
"Wang Qiang is not home."
"Li Yan is not home."
"Dewey isn't home either."
The officials sent out returned one after another, but each one came back alone, without bringing back any suspects.
Lord Ma frowned deeply: "Are they all not home? What a coincidence!" It was as if they had planned it all together; they had all disappeared without a trace.
After a moment's thought, one of the officers bowed and said, "Sir, the five men are soldiers of different ranks. Some are in the military camp, some are city guards, and some are palace guards. They are probably all on night duty and busy in their respective positions, so they are not at home."
Lord Ma raised an eyebrow: "What a coincidence."
The capital city of Qingyan was always peaceful, but the nights were dark and mysterious. The night watch was much more arduous than the daytime guard duty, and the guards had to be more careful and cautious to avoid making any mistakes. Guards were kept in place as much as possible.
Moreover, the furthest military camp is more than 20 miles away, and it would take a lot of time to go back and forth. By the time the five of them are gathered together, it will probably be dawn. Besides, nighttime is not the best time to file a complaint.
"You five go and wait at their doorsteps. As soon as they return home, bring them to the Ministry of Justice." Lord Ma, who was used to giving orders, had a deep and authoritative voice. The five guards quickly obeyed and left.
Lord Ma looked at the middle-aged woman and his attitude softened: "You have been working hard for a long time. Rest for the night. I will hear this case first thing tomorrow morning. If your daughter is innocent, I will definitely clear her name."
"Thank you so much, sir." The middle-aged woman was extremely grateful. She stood up tremblingly and quickly wiped away the tears in her eyes.
As darkness fell completely, the shops on both sides of the street lit up their bright lanterns, making the middle-aged woman's disheveled hair and dirty clothes even more noticeable. Her disheveled appearance evoked sympathy, and Lord Ma's voice softened even more: "Is your home far from here?"
The woman bowed to Lord Ma and said, "My lord, my home is about fifteen li outside the city."
So far!
Lord Ma frowned. She was walking back now, and after sleeping for a little over an hour, she would have to set off for the capital. If she overslept, the interrogation tomorrow would not be able to start on time: "I will have someone take you to an inn for the night, so it will be convenient for you to go to the Ministry of Justice early tomorrow morning."
"Thank you so much, sir." The middle-aged woman was overjoyed, tears streaming down her face. She was just a country woman with a meager income from her few acres of land. She couldn't afford to stay in an inn, but Lord Ma was kind enough to help her arrange accommodation for free, saving her the trouble of traveling back and forth. He was truly a good person.
Everyone praised Lord Ma repeatedly. Amidst the admiring gazes of the people, Lord Ma bid farewell to Shen Lixue kindly and returned to his residence in a sedan chair.
Li Fan remained silent, his face extremely grim, his chest brimming with rage he had nowhere to vent. He coldly shouted at the servants and sedan bearers, "It's getting late, what are you all standing around for? Quickly carry this young master back to the manor for treatment." His face was swollen high, numb with pain, he was definitely badly injured. That wretched woman, he would definitely make her pay tomorrow.
Seeing the middle-aged woman leave with the officials, Shen Lixue ignored the cursing Li Fan and got into the carriage of the Holy King's Mansion. Coincidentally, she was traveling the same way as Lord Ma.
The sedan chair was carried by people, so the speed was not very fast. Shen Lixue had been out for most of the day and had been walking for a long time, so her back was a little sore. In addition, the delay earlier had made it dark and late. She was in a hurry to get back to the mansion to rest, so she told Zimo to hurry up and catch the carriage.
Zi Mo raised the reins, but before he could pull them down, a faint cry for help came: "Help...help..."
Listen carefully; the voice is very faint and soft—it's a woman calling for help.
Just as Shen Lixue was about to order Zimo to go and check, Lord Ma spoke up first: "Go and check what happened."
"Yes." The guard responded and left.
The carriage from the Holy King's Mansion continued on its way. Gradually, the cries for help grew louder and louder, accompanied by bursts of lewd laughter from a man. Judging from the sounds, there was more than one person.
Lord Ma frowned, stepped out of the sedan chair, and just then the guard returned. Lord Ma asked, "What happened?"
The guard whispered a few words in Lord Ma's ear, and his expression changed instantly. He flicked his sleeve and strode into a small alley. In the dim light, a carriage could be vaguely seen parked in the alley, and the sounds of crying and laughter were coming from inside the carriage.
Lord Ma stepped forward and lifted the carriage curtain. Inside, brightly lit as day, sat five strong young men with lewd smiles. They surrounded a girl of about fourteen or fifteen years old, ignoring the anger and fear in her eyes, and were tearing off her clothes with great relish…
Chapter 217 The emperor was furious and beheaded him.
Huang Liang, Li Yan, Wang Qiang? Aren't they the ones who killed that woman and her daughter? This time they've been caught red-handed?
As Shen Lixue had expected, the fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl pushed past the young men, stumbled off the carriage, and knelt down in front of Lord Ma, crying pitifully, "My lord, these five men tried to rape me, please do justice for me."
"You brat, stop talking nonsense!" Li Yan jumped down from the carriage angrily and slapped the young woman who was complaining.
Lord Ma frowned slightly. The guard beside him reached out and grabbed Li Yan's wrist. His large hand stopped three centimeters from the woman's cheek. A strong internal force brought up a gust of wind, which made the woman's black hair fly and her body tremble. Her delicate face was full of fear.
"What are you doing? Trying to kill me in front of me to silence me?" Lord Ma's cold eyes reflected two sharp glints, exuding an imposing aura without anger.
"You flatter me, sir. This brat seduced us and even accused us of raping her. I was angry and that's why I hit her so hard. Please don't take offense, sir." Li Yan smiled apologetically and was very respectful. He slowly withdrew his hand, his gaze calm and unwavering, as if he were fearless.
"If I hadn't stopped you, that slap would have killed someone." Lord Ma could see clearly that he had used all his inner strength in that slap, intending to kill the woman. To kill someone so blatantly in front of him was truly lawless.
Li Yan didn't take it seriously and apologized with a grin: "I was reckless. I'll be more careful next time!"