Hearing Zhenniang’s reasoned speech, Hai Rui couldn’t help but give her an extra glance. Miss Li’s words were well-reasoned and supported, but he truly disliked a young woman showing her face in public like this. They said Huizhou valued propriety, but it seemed not entirely so.
When Hai Rui handled cases in Nanjing, he knew that some troublemakers would file lawsuits over trivial matters. However, firstly, his character was too rigid, and the yamen clerks were typically slippery—the two couldn’t mesh. Thus, it was impossible to investigate some cases thoroughly, and subjective judgments were inevitable.
However, he had one principle: whenever poor commoners sued wealthy merchants, he consistently ruled in favor of the poor commoners. Even if there were some troublemakers among them, they were the minority.
When weighing two evils, he chose the lesser. The wealthy had a greater capacity to bear losses—even if truly wronged, they would only lose some silver. But poor commoners, without someone to champion their cause, would suffer unredressed grievances and struggle to survive, or worse, face complete ruin.
Therefore, he would rather wrong the wealthy than deny poor commoners a path to justice.
“Your Honor, this Miss Li is silver-tongued, but she cannot escape the fact that the Li oil workshop belongs to us Du family. We beg Your Honor to grant us justice!” The Du brothers, hearing Zhenniang’s speech, naturally had to resist, wailing their grievances to heaven.
Hai Rui frowned. Miss Li’s words were just speculation—after all, many years had passed, and besides the yamen’s case files, no other evidence remained. As for the Yamen’s files, given the Li family’s relationship with former Magistrate Wei and Registrar Yun, he really couldn’t trust them completely. Thus, he had to stick to his principles.
Even if he was wrong, he, Hai Rui, would bear any karmic debt alone.
Thinking this, Hai Rui’s gaunt face showed determination. He struck his judge’s tablet and began, “Hear the verdict: As the Du brothers have said, the Li oil workshop was indeed originally purchased by the Du brothers from the previous owner…”
Hearing this, Zhenniang’s head went blank. The Old Madam Li and Old Shopkeeper Li’s faces changed color beside her. Clearly, from his tone, Magistrate Hai was still determined to side with the Du brothers.
At this moment, the Du brothers were secretly delighted.
“Your Honor…” Old Madam Li stood up emotionally, interrupting Hai Rui.
“We implore Your Honor to grant justice!” The Du brothers naturally pressed their advantage.
Just then, the sound of drums suddenly came from outside the yamen.
“Your Honor, it’s terrible—many commoners have gathered outside to file complaints!” The gate guard hurriedly reported.
“Just accept their petitions,” Hai Rui said.
“There are too many—several hundred people! They’re all gathered at the yamen gate. This could cause trouble!” The guard’s face was pale. Such a scene had only been witnessed once before, during the Tung oil poisoning incident.
Hearing that several hundred people had gathered at the yamen gate, how could Hai Rui remain seated? He abandoned his verdict and hurriedly went to the yamen gate with his men.
By now, the yamen gate was a sea of people, heads as far as the eye could see. The entire Yamen Street was blocked solid.
Leading them were Luo Twelve from Luo Village, Wang Dong from Wang Village, Li Shugen from Li Village, and an old man. Seeing Hai Rui emerge, they all knelt.
Behind each of them, groups of people also knelt.
“What brings you here? If you have grievances, submit them properly. Don’t gather in crowds and cause trouble,” Hai Rui said sternly.
“Your Honor, we are villagers from Luo Village, Li Village, and Wang Village. We heard Your Honor is investigating the old Du oil workshop tung oil poisoning case. We are all victims who survived only thanks to the Li family’s treatment. Yet the true culprits still roam free. We humble people beg Your Honor to bring us justice and severely punish the Du brothers who committed this crime,” said Luo Twelve from Luo Village.
“Your Honor, we forty-some people are city residents, also victims of the tung oil poisoning back then. We beg Your Honor to bring us justice and severely punish the Du brothers,” the old man at the front also said.
At this point, Fang Huai, who had followed the crowd out to watch, saw the old man and quickly tried to shrink back into the yamen.
But though the old man was aged, his legs were remarkably spry. He had already spotted Fang Huai and, his beard trembling with anger, disregarded yamen protocol to rush forward and grab him: “You worthless boy, do you have any conscience? If not for the Li family’s treatment that day, how would you be alive today? I’ll beat you to death, you ungrateful wretch!” The old man raised his fist as he spoke.
“Uncle Fang, Uncle Fang, wait—let me explain! Uncle Chen told me the tung oil poisoning incident was the Li family’s scheme behind the scenes,” Fang Huai pleaded, ducking and cowering.
“Pah! Nonsense! When everyone got poisoned by the tung oil, we were the first to reach the Du oil workshop. At that time, those two Du scoundrels were directing people to press oil. There was still a strong tung oil smell on the press, but they wouldn’t let anyone clean it—they just went right ahead pressing rapeseed oil. The oil they pressed was all mixed with tung oil. We caught them red-handed! Otherwise, who knows how many more people would have been poisoned? You worthless boy, don’t sell your conscience for a few coins of silver. I’ll beat you to death!” The old man swung another slap. Back when the Tung oil incident broke out, as city residents, they had rushed straight to the Du oil workshop and caught the Du brothers in the act.
Fang Huai didn’t dare make a sound as he crouched there, covering his head.
At this point, several men who appeared to be doctors and clerks also stepped forward and bowed to Hai Rui: “Magistrate Hai, we all know about the tung oil case from back then. Even the Du brothers admitted to it at the time. Now, hearing that the Du brothers are accusing the Li family of seizing private property, we willingly come forward to testify for the Li family.”
One of the clerks even presented the investigation files from the tung oil case: “Your Honor, when the tung oil case broke, I led the investigation at the Du oil workshop. These are the on-scene records, including the Du brothers’ fingerprints. Please investigate carefully. I stake my life and family on every word being true, without a single false character. This is my duty and professional integrity.”
Hai Rui took the files and began reading them carefully.
“Your Honor, that Chen Shu was just the Du brothers’ lackey. Back then, relying on the Du brothers’ influence, he routinely skimmed money from us. After Master Li took over the workshop, Chen Shu tried the same old tricks and was driven out by Master Li. What he claims is complete fiction. ‘Eyewitness,’ indeed! Back then, as manager, he never came to the workshop except on payday. We are all old hands at the workshop, working there since the previous owner’s time. We know everything about the workshop clearly and cannot allow this villain to twist black into white!”
At this point, several men pushed through the crowd, their clothes still oily. They too addressed Hai Rui.
These were workers from the Li oil workshop.
The Li family was stunned by all this. But their hearts were extremely moved—who wouldn’t be stirred by such a scene?
“Elder Brother, how did you manage to gather so many people?” Zhenniang tugged at her brother’s sleeve and asked quietly, amazed at the scale of the gathering.
“I didn’t—I just mentioned it to a few doctors at the medicine halls and those two clerks, and said something at Sixth Uncle’s place. After all, since these things hadn’t happened yet, how could I be certain?” Li Dalang was equally moved. He never imagined so many people would come forward to speak for him.
Just then, Zhenniang felt someone squeeze her hand. She turned to look and saw it was Luo Wenqian.
She had been somewhat resentful earlier, thinking that with the Li family facing such a crisis, this fellow who usually appeared and disappeared like a ghost was nowhere to be seen during this major event. She had been quite unhappy. But now he appeared, and thinking of how the people from Luo Village had just spoken, she understood that Luo Village’s appearance must have had something to do with Luo Wenqian.
She quietly squeezed Luo Wenqian’s hand back and softly said, “Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for? What am I to you? Your family’s matters are my matters,” Luo Wenqian glared at Zhenniang.
Zhenniang couldn’t help but smile, her eyes crinkling: “Mm, no thanks needed then.”
“Besides, I don’t have that much influence. For Luo Village, I just made a suggestion. As for Wang Village and Uncle Fang and the others, that had nothing to do with me. I think the real reason is that back then, your Li family took the initiative to help the poisoning victims through their crisis. Today’s fruits come from yesterday’s seeds of kindness,” Luo Wenqian said, quite moved.
Hearing this, Zhenniang felt indescribable emotions. Actually, if her sister-in-law hadn’t been involved back then, how would the Li family have possibly taken on these matters? Even after truly taking charge, to be honest, they had done so with many complaints.
Looking back now, it seemed the Li family owed these people a debt of gratitude.
“Dalang, remember—you must remember all this. You’ll need to repay it in the future,” Old Shopkeeper Li said heavily to Li Dalang from the side.
“Yes, Grandfather, I will remember,” Li Dalang nodded firmly. Today’s events truly exceeded his expectations. Everyone knew common people feared officials and especially feared getting involved in lawsuits. Yet now, these people had gathered at the Yamen gate, not for anything else but to speak up for the Li family. How could Li Dalang not be moved? How could he not be touched?
“Your Honor, these people were all bribed by the Li family. Your Honor, don’t be deceived by the Li family!” By this point, Du Da knew there was no way out and rushed forward to kneel before Hai Rui.
“Is that so? They were all bribed by the Li family? Then what about me? Today I’m here to accuse you of unfilial sons!” Just then, Madam Shen emerged from the crowd, her face streaked with tears.
Turning to face Hai Rui, she knelt and said: “This commoner woman Shen, née Du, is these unfilial sons’ mother. I knew everything about the tung oil case back then, and it was I who decided to transfer the workshop to the Li family. At that time it was just a small oil workshop—its development into today’s large Li oil workshop has nothing to do with our Du family. Please investigate clearly, Your Honor.”
“Mother, why are you getting involved?” When Du Da saw Madam Shen, his soul nearly fled in fright. He jumped up and thoughtlessly pushed Madam Shen back into the crowd, hoping to pretend she had never appeared.
At this point, everyone at the scene was stunned. No one had expected Madam Shen to appear at this moment.
A mother accusing her sons—this was a major matter.
By now, everyone knew there was no need to continue the trial.
Of course, if there was to be a trial, it would be of the Du brothers instead.