Chapter 8: Involved in a Lawsuit

However, the old man greedily glanced at the pearls again, secretly calculating: although the Chicken Ming Post is bustling with merchants coming and going from the south and north, it is not a good place for the musical instrument business. After running the shop here for two years, he has incurred more losses than profits and is considering selling the shop to do business in Datong.

Upon seeing the officials arrive, Ma Ang lacked the courage to kill the officials and rebel, and immediately dared not act recklessly any longer. The son of the musical instrument shop owner pointed at him and said: "It is him, it is this thief who killed my father"

The boss immediately raised his voice and shouted: "Robbers! They are beating people! Neighbors, come and take a look! I, Old Wang, have always conducted business fairly, without deceiving anyone, young or old. Outsiders are bullying us!"

The boss, with a mouth that had nearly lost all its teeth, said: "Miss, this guqin is made from the finest ancient paulownia wood. Just finding this wood in the deep mountains and forests is a matter of life and death, and it takes an unknown amount of time. Look at these strings; each one is made from 36 strands of black gold wire twisted together. You get what you pay for; for such a high-quality guqin, asking you for twenty taels is hardly excessive."

The Chicken Crying Post was originally established due to the construction of the post city, and cannot be considered a county town. However, its military significance is important, and it serves as a crucial transit point for merchants. With abundant taxes, a county administration was also established here to manage the surrounding area of several dozen miles. Nevertheless, this county is relatively small, and the county magistrate is an official of the seventh rank.

At that time, although gold and silver, as well as the Great Ming banknotes, were in circulation, barter was still quite popular among the people, so the young girl's actions were not surprising. The old man took the pearl, squinted his eyes against the sunlight, and indeed found it to be a fine pearl. The fact that this girl used such a good pearl to exchange for his qin was indeed a profitable deal.

Upon closer inspection, it turns out that this pair of siblings are not mere passersby, but rather the son and daughter of the newly appointed postmaster, Master Ma, who just took office yesterday at hetushu.com. The postmaster is considered an official under the jurisdiction of the county magistrate; however, due to the significance of Jiming Post, the local postmaster oversees around one hundred personnel and is part of the military post system, effectively placing him on equal footing with Magistrate Min.

The old man was slapped twice on the face by him while being grabbed by the collar. After being thrown aside, he pointed at Ma Ang and shouted even more vigorously. However, after calling out twice, his face suddenly turned red, he gasped for breath a few times, and then collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

He saw that Yang Ling was dressed like a local, and at that time, the local mindset was very strong, typical of helping relatives rather than principles. He thought that with this shout, all the neighbors would come running, and with this local person as a witness, the outsiders could only leave in silence, feeling resentful. After all, he still had two sons; how could he possibly be afraid of these outsiders?

Ma Ang was gripping the strong man's wrist, still trying to assert his dominance. Meanwhile, neighbors from the surrounding shops had already gathered at the sound of the commotion. Someone helped the old man up and suddenly shouted, "Wang San, come quickly to see your father; the old gentleman is in bad shape"

This magistrate of Min County is different from most civil officials who come from the ranks of scholars and candidates; he was originally a guerrilla general in the border army. Due to the unique geographical location of Jiming Post, he was assigned here to oversee both civil and military affairs

Ma Ang, feeling somewhat weak, said: "I did not. This boss is old, and after I exposed him for stealing my family's pearls, he fainted in shame and anger, his blood pressure rising, and died. What does that have to do with me?"

He quietly tugged at his sister's sleeve, gave her a knowing glance, and, holding her wrist, attempted to lead her outside. The Wang family members were unwilling to let them go, and a crowd quickly surrounded them, shouting and pushing. In the chaos, someone went outside to call for two patrolling officers. Upon hearing that it was a serious case involving a murder, the two officers did not dare to delay. They hurriedly followed the neighbors into the shop and shouted, "Where is the murderer?"

"What?" The girl's face suddenly flushed bright red, and she angrily slapped the counter, exclaiming, "How can you be so unreasonable? Do you want to cheat me out of my beads?"

Seeing the beautiful young girl crying with tears like pear blossoms, her face full of pleading, Yang Ling's heart softened, and he nodded. A group of people arrived at the county office, where the eldest grandson of the Wang family went up to beat the drum to seek justice. The county magistrate, Min Wenjian, hurriedly donned his official robe and ascended the hall to inquire into the case

The young girl pouted her lips after listening, as it seemed that the silver coins on her were insufficient for such an amount. She paused for a moment, stamped her foot, and said: "You, as the shopkeeper, clearly have a good deal offered to you, yet you still hesitate and make excuses. Fine, just return the beads; I will not buy them."

Do not be misled by the fact that the seventh-rank county magistrate on the stage is usually the lowest-ranking official, seemingly someone who could be easily dismissed with a mere finger. In reality, the county magistrate wields far greater power compared to the current county party secretary. He concurrently holds numerous positions, including the head of the County Bureau of Industry and Commerce, the Director of the Finance Bureau, the Director of the Taxation Bureau, the President of the Court, and the Chief of the Public Security Bureau.

The old man slyly blinked and feigned a look of astonishment, saying: "Beads? What beads? You came to my shop to buy something, not to sell anything. When have I ever seen any beads from you?"

The strong man appeared to possess considerable strength; his punch was delivered with great force. Ma Ang, upon witnessing this, smiled disdainfully, raised his arm, and effortlessly tossed aside the old man, who resembled a large monkey. He stood there motionless, extending one hand to swiftly grasp the strong man's fist. With a sharp 'crack,' he closed his fingers around it, gradually tightening his grip. The strong man cried out in pain, and with a twist of his wrist, he was brought to his knees in agony.

At this moment, a man of similar age jumped out from the back door, followed by a group of women and children, all seemingly from the Wang family, who had rushed out upon hearing the commotion. Ma Ang had initially thought that this family would feign death again with their cunning, so he merely sneered in silence. However, seeing them surround him, crying out for their father and grandfather, his expression changed involuntarily, and he began to feel a sense of fear in his heart

The old man with white hair smacked his lips again and nodded, saying: "Alright, a discerning buyer knows the goods. Since you, Miss, have said so, this old man will sell you the guqin."

Last night, Magistrate Min had just attended the banquet of the horse courier, where he had also seen his sons and daughters. He intended to exonerate them, but killing a person is no trivial matter. Although pearls were found on the corpse, which substantiated the claim of misappropriating others' property, the fact remains that he died on the spot. Magistrate Min wielding a large knife to kill is still considered acceptable, but allowing him to interrogate the case... The laws of the Ming Dynasty have not yet been memorized by others. The fact that he misappropriated others' property is substantiated, yet the reality of his death on the spot cannot be ignored. Magistrate Min wielding a large knife to kill is still considered acceptable, but allowing him to interrogate the case... The laws of the Ming Dynasty have not yet been memorized by others.

Ma Ang coldly laughed and said: "Do you want to play the role of a highway robber? Is this all the strength you possess?"

The young girl smiled silently, revealing a faint dimple on her cheek, which made her look exceptionally charming. When her red lips parted slightly, her pearly teeth appeared like a crescent, a beauty that even Yang Ling, standing to the side, could not help but feel his heart race. The girl turned her head to glance at him, clearly aware that he was stealing a look at her, yet there was no displeasure in her expression.

Having tied up Ma Ang, the constable pulled on a chain and said: "If you have something to say, go speak to the magistrate, move! I said, from the old Wang family, stop crying, take your father to the yamen and speak there, and all you neighbors, please come along to be witnesses."

Yang Ling had been watching closely from the side. Although Ma Ang was young and impetuous, that old fellow was indeed a greedy old thief. Judging by his earlier condition, it seemed he had some sort of cerebral hemorrhage or heart disease. After being scolded and beaten by Ma Ang, he became both angry and anxious, and in a fit of agitation, he ended up losing a pearl, which ultimately cost him his life

The burly man named Wang San'er hurriedly rushed over to embrace me and checked my breath, only to find that there was none. He couldn't help but let out a wail, tears and snot streaming down his face, saying: "Father, oh, how pitiful it is that at your advanced age, you have been killed by thieves, Father..."

At this point, the old man was filled with greed. He beckoned with his fingers and slid the bead into his sleeve. Chuckling, he said, "Miss, I only accept cash for this instrument. If you truly wish to buy it, then bring the money."

Her brother, upon hearing this, became furious. He reached out and grabbed the frail old man, forcefully pulling him out from behind the counter, and shouted angrily: "Damn it, how dare you take my sister's belongings? Do you think I, Ma Ang, can be easily bullied? Old dog, return the beads at once."

As the end of the year approaches, this bead has come into my possession, and I must find a way to sell it. The brother and sister do not seem to be familiar faces; they are certainly not locals. From their accents during the conversation, they sound like people from outside the border, perhaps just passing through. If I were to take this bead from her without justification, I might still recover some of the losses from my business.

The girl, her eyes brimming with tears, anxiously pointed at Yang Ling, who had been silently observing the situation with a cold gaze, and exclaimed, "My brother did not kill anyone; this person has been present the whole time and can testify to that."

Where is the logic that a murderer can simply say "I didn't kill anyone" and be released? The two constables completely ignored his shouts. One of them pulled a thin iron chain from his waist, and with a clatter, it was thrown over his head, around his shoulders, and across his arms, binding him tightly. The other held a waist knife, ready to strike him down if he dared to resist

Yang Ling was quite surprised to see that the county magistrate was actually a black-faced man with a full beard. This magistrate, who came from a military background, had been in a civil position for two years and understood some of the protocols. Upon hearing that Yang Ling was a scholar, he quickly instructed someone to offer him a seat and exempt him from formalities, then proceeded to sit at the bench to inquire about the case.

The young man, who called himself Ma Ang, was even more furious. He raised his hand to strike and shouted, "Cunning old dog, you are truly going too far!"

Ma Ang turned his head and saw the shopkeeper, who had been tempted by greed, with a pale face, being held motionless in someone's arms. He couldn't help but feel startled, and instinctively loosened his grip.

The young girl smiled faintly, reached into her bosom, and took out a pouch. From it, she poured out a pearl and placed it in the palm of her delicate white hand, presenting it to the shopkeeper, saying: "Alright, here is a fine He Pu pearl, which is worth eighteen taels of silver even in a small place. I will exchange this pearl for your zither, and you need not give me any change; just prepare a zither case for me as well."

At that moment, a robust man in his forties with a beard burst out from behind the curtain. Upon seeing the situation, he let out a loud roar and swung a powerful punch, fiercely declaring: "Let go of my father, who are you little brat, daring to come to the Wang family's doorstep"

The young girl turned her head with a smile and glanced at her brother, suddenly chattering in a string of words that Yang Ling could not understand. The athletic young man responded with a similar pronunciation. The girl shook her head and said to the shopkeeper: "Shopkeeper, I genuinely want to buy this琴. Apart from me, it seems no one else in this Chicken Crow Post has the heart to spend so much money on this琴. How about this: fifteen taels. If you are willing, I will make this deal with you."

Upon hearing this, the constable, who had already taken half a step out of the shop, forcefully turned back, wearing a smile that did not reach his eyes, and said: "In that case, this gentleman is also requested to accompany us back to provide personal testimony"