Volume 1 Zhangqiao Iron Coffin Chapter 50: True and False (Part 2)
Liu Dong prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowed to the officials, and introduced:
"Hello, gentlemen. I am Liu Dong, a good citizen of Xinye County.
“A few days ago, I was ordered by County Lieutenant Lord Xu to go to Nangeng County, Shangzhou, which is also the hometown of County Magistrate Qiu, to investigate the situation.
"Through my investigation, I discovered something shocking!"
oh?
When the officials heard Liu Dong's purpose, they were all surprised, but Qiu Yongnian, who was sitting on the chair, felt very uneasy and awkward.
"Hurry up and tell me," Cai Kun urged, "What did you find out?"
"I found out that about a year ago, County Magistrate Qiu sent someone home to tell him that he had taken office as County Magistrate in Xinye County and had purchased a property there. He wanted to take his mother and his brother Qiu Yonglian's family to Xinye County to live there and enjoy a peaceful and comfortable life.
"Then, those people took them away, and there has been no response since then..."
"What!?" Qiu Yongnian was shocked after hearing this. He stood up from his chair and asked, "Where did you hear that? When did I send someone to pick up my mother and brother? I... I have never purchased any property either?"
"Master Qiu," Liu Dong quickly turned to Qiu Yongnian and replied, "Everything I said is true. I asked all the neighbors nearby, and they all said the same thing. There's Liu Er who sells soy sauce at the entrance of the alley, Guozi Po who fries dough sticks, and Aunt Qiu who sells needles and thread, etc.
"I went into your old house and saw that there was indeed no one inside. It has been abandoned for a long time! "
"Ah?" Qiu Yongnian was shocked and asked Liu Dong, "Where did they go?"
" Okay, stop pretending!" Xu Zun said coldly, "My Lord Qiu, you have been in office in Xinye County for such a long time, why have you never seen your family, and never seen you return home to visit your relatives?
"It would be fine if the journey was long. From Xinye to Nangeng, it would only take two or three days without much hassle. It's so close, but you never go home to visit. Isn't that a bit too inhumane?"
"Yes, yes," Liu Dong said, "I thief... I bought a horse and it only took me one day and one night to reach Nangeng City."
"Sir," Xu Zun turned to face Cai Kun and the others, "It is obvious that this group of villains are ruthless and cruel. Not only did they replace the county magistrate, imprison and kill Qiu Yongnian, they also killed the county magistrate Qiu's mother and eldest brother's family. This is simply outrageous and their crimes are extremely heinous!"
"This..." Cai Kun frowned. Although he was still hesitant, he still winked at his guards.
The guards quietly walked behind Qiu Yongnian, holding the hilt of the knife, ready to arrest him at any time.
At the same time, Censor Chen Taiji, Governor Li Yan and County Magistrate Tai Min were all silent. While they were carefully pondering the details of the case, they were also staring at Qiu Yongnian, whose authenticity was difficult to determine.
"Well, why don't you tell us who you are?" Xu Zun asked with glaring eyes.
"Huh! Is there any need to say this?" Unexpectedly, Qiu Yongnian was very quick-witted and said immediately, "My old mother and my eldest brother's family must have been kidnapped by you thieves!
"This was all planned in advance by you in order to escape punishment. You are the ruthless villains. My poor nephew is only five years old. You...you are too heartless. I...I will fight you!"
As he spoke, Qiu Yongnian clenched his fists in anger, ready to pounce on Xu Zun and fight him to the death.
However, the guards from the Inner Guard had already noticed this, and two of them rushed out immediately and tied Qiu Yongnian's arms, making him unable to move.
"Alas," Xu Zun sighed, "How ridiculous! I have worked with you for nearly a year, and I have always regarded you as my brother and idol, and I think you are a good official who is upright and close to the people. I am so blind!
"Qiu Yong...oh no," he changed his words, "Fake, I advise you to stop struggling. You are so smart, can't you see that I have you firmly in my hands?"
"Bah!" Qiu Yongnian still refused to accept the offer and continued to shout, "You've been talking for a long time, but you don't have any evidence at all!
"What you have said all this time is nothing but slander. Mr. Xu, you said I am not Qiu Yongnian. Can you provide convincing evidence?"
this……
The officials looked at each other, feeling that Qiu Yongnian was right. Although Xu Zun clearly had the upper hand, he had not produced any real evidence.
If there is no real evidence and it is impossible to prove whether Qiu Yongnian is real or not, then the case will still be a mess and cannot be sorted out.
"Fake," Xu Zun tilted his head towards Liu Dong, then said to Qiu Yongnian, "Do you think that I sent someone to Nan Geng with great difficulty, only to bring back insignificant news?"
While Xu Zun was speaking, Liu Dong had already stood up and ran to the entrance of the courtroom, lifted the curtain, and led in several people from outside.
These people included both men and women, all dressed like ordinary people, and some of them were dressed particularly simply.
"Fake," Xu Zun said with a raised corner of his mouth, "I have invited all your neighbors here. Now, let's see how you can act."
Wow!
Seeing that Xu Zun actually invited Qiu Yongnian’s neighbor, everyone stood on tiptoe curiously to see whether this Qiu Yongnian was real or fake.
"Go! Go and have a look," Liu Dong pointed at Qiu Yongnian and said, "See if you recognize him?"
Qiu Yongnian's neighbors were all ordinary citizens. They had never seen such a big scene. They were all frightened and trembling, and none of them dared to look up.
"Hey, isn't that what we agreed on? Don't be afraid," Liu Dong consoled them. "Just recognize the person and tell the truth. Say whatever you want to say."
With Liu Dong's comfort, these people finally raised their heads and looked at Qiu Yongnian opposite them.
Unexpectedly, this fake Qiu Yongnian not only did not retreat, but stood up straight with a fearless look.
"This..." One of the neighbors said hesitantly, "It looks a bit like this!"
"No, I don't look like..." said another, "He has a beard!"
"I think," one of the middle-aged men covered in grease suggested, "Can we let Yongnian say a few words?"
"Hahaha, Uncle Chen, you really don't recognize me?" Qiu Yongnian suddenly stepped forward and said, "When I was a kid, I got burned by the hot oil from your fried dough sticks, and you had to pay me for more than a dozen dough sticks!
"Later, I wrote the couplets for your family every year, right?"
As he spoke, he raised his right hand and pointed to the burn marks on the base of his palm.
ah?
Seeing this, Xu Zun's heart skipped a beat. He never expected that this "Qiu Yongnian" could actually recognize the person he brought with him! ?
this……
"Eh? Yes, yes, yes, yes..." After hearing what Qiu Yongnian said, the middle-aged man nodded and admitted, "It is indeed true. Moreover, judging from your voice, it should be Yongnian!"
"Aunt Zhang," Qiu Yongnian walked over to the group of neighbors again and said to a woman, "You have cats at home, and I gave all the cats their names."
"Yes, yes, that's right," Aunt Zhang nodded. "Later, when a cat died, you would cry very sadly..."
"Brother Niu," Qiu Yongnian said to the next person, "You have bullied me since childhood. You came all the way to Xinye County to join in the fun. Aren't you afraid that I will retaliate against you?"
“Ah? No… no no no… that’s not what I meant…” The man named Brother Niu was so scared that he almost knelt down.
Next, Qiu Yongnian recognized several people one after another, and even successfully pulled out the person who was inserted by Xu Zun to disrupt the situation.
"I don't know these people," Qiu Yongnian pointed at them and said, "Could it be that you are using them to test me?"
Gurgle...
Xu Zun swallowed his saliva. He thought he had already won the game. But he didn't expect Qiu Yongnian to win the game again and slap him in the face!
Under such circumstances, although the neighbors were not completely sure about Qiu Yongnian's appearance, they dared not raise any objections after seeing Qiu Yongnian's confident performance. They all lowered their heads and whispered without saying a word.
At this moment, officials headed by Cai Kun were also shrouded in confusion, and it was increasingly difficult for them to tell whether Qiu Yongnian was real or fake.
Bang!
At the critical moment, Cai Kun slammed the gavel and said suddenly:
"Oh, have we all become fools?
"Quick!" He pointed at the Taoist's body and ordered, "Quickly open the white cloth and let them identify it..."
