Chapter 128
When Concubine Liu saw Li Zhiwei, her whole demeanor changed for the worse.
How could she be here?
Li Zhiwei—she knew her. She knew she was the young lady of the Li family.
The only daughter of the wealthy Li family from Li'an County.
Concubine Liu also knew that her own master, the magistrate, had long wanted to marry this Li family young lady.
After all, the Li family had only this one daughter. Marrying her would mean inheriting the entire Li family fortune.
Wealth stirs men's hearts, and the magistrate had long coveted it.
However, he was restrained by the influence of his official wife's maternal family, and the Li family would never be willing to offer up their wealth just to have their daughter become the magistrate's concubine.
But wasn't it said that the Li family young lady had married some noble in the capital?
Why had she suddenly returned?
And appeared before the magistrate?
Li Zhiwei frowned at the stunned Concubine Liu. Wasn't this the arrogant, favored concubine of County Magistrate Cao?
Usually, this concubine looked down on everyone and had even given her mother, Lady Yao, a hard time.
And now, she was swaggering about the county office. Truly a favored concubine.
Li Zhiwei soon turned her head away, no longer looking at Concubine Liu. After all, she was just an insignificant woman.
Right now, she only wanted the magistrate to promptly deal with that foolhardy Liu Mazi.
As for Yao Shuheng, she would leave him for her mother to handle.
However, if this Concubine Liu were to act recklessly and cross her, she would definitely not let her off lightly.
At that moment, Concubine Liu's maid, Zhi'er, hurried over and whispered in her ear, "Madam, I've found out. That young lady claims Third Master kidnapped her. Now she's demanding the magistrate put Third Master on trial."
"How could my third brother possibly kidnap her?" Concubine Liu said discontentedly.
Yet, looking at Li Zhiwei, she felt it wasn't entirely impossible either. Wealth can blind people, and the Li family's fortune was exceptionally vast.
"Send someone to relay a message to the magistrate. Say this man is my maternal cousin. Ask him to show leniency." As Concubine Liu said this, her eyes remained fixed on the scene, afraid she might miss something.
Just thinking of her useless cousin causing trouble with Li Zhiwei made her feel some disdain.
In the courtroom.
"Who stands below?" County Magistrate Cao lightly tapped the judge's block, frowning at Li Zhiwei standing to the side.
This Li family young lady showed him no face at all.
"Your Honor, this humble one is Zhang Mazi. Your Honor, I've been wronged!" Liu Mazi, however, looked at County Magistrate Cao and begged tearfully.
"Where is the plaintiff?" County Magistrate Cao ignored Liu Mazi and continued asking.
"Your Honor, today I was traveling with my child and my cousin. On our return, this man kidnapped us. He even threatened me, demanding I marry him. I beg Your Honor to investigate clearly." Li Zhiwei stepped forward, pointing at Zhang Mazi as she spoke.
"Zhang Mazi, is what Miss Li says true?" Only then did County Magistrate Cao look at Liu Mazi and ask.
"Your Honor, this Miss Li must be suffering from delusions. This humble one did no such thing! Besides, I was alone. She had a crowd of servants. How could I possibly kidnap her? She took a fancy to me, wanted to seize me and take me back to the Li family to be a live-in son-in-law. I wasn't willing, so she dragged me to the yamen." Liu Mazi, being a street ruffian, had long honed the skill of lying through his teeth.
Now, these words spilled from his mouth without a second thought, as if rehearsed a thousand times.
"Nonsense! My mother already has a betrothal. Would she fancy an ugly thing like you?" Xu Qingshi was practically nauseated by the disgusting creature before him.
"You say I kidnapped you, so I kidnapped you? Do you have proof?" Liu Mazi said brazenly, emboldened.
He had just seen his cousin. She would surely save him.
"Your Honor, I am the family member of a court-appointed official." Li Zhiwei ignored Liu Mazi's triumphant bluster and instead applied direct pressure.
"Master."
At that moment, a bailiff walked over and whispered something into County Magistrate Cao's ear. The magistrate glanced at Liu Mazi on the floor.
He frowned.
This man was actually his beloved concubine's cousin?
He had provoked someone he shouldn't have. The magistrate didn't have the nerve to protect him.
After all, if Li Zhiwei took this matter higher up, the official hat on his head might not stay put.
Li Zhiwei watched County Magistrate Cao, sometimes frowning, sometimes looking at Liu Mazi, and knew things probably weren't that simple.
"Qingshi, where is your waist token?" Li Zhiwei asked, looking at Xu Qingshi.
"Mother, he stole my waist token." Xu Qingshi reached for his waist before remembering. That scoundrel had snatched his token earlier—the very token that symbolized his status as the heir of a prince.
"Miss Li, although you are an official's family member, you have no evidence to prove that this Liu Mazi kidnapped you, do you? Moreover, you had so many maids and attendants. This Liu Mazi was alone. Could he really have kidnapped you?" As soon as County Magistrate Cao's words fell, people outside began pointing and murmuring.
"My, this Liu Mazi probably isn't capable of that, is he?"
"Exactly. Usually, he just steals chickens and dogs. Kidnap someone? The people around Miss Li look quite formidable."
Hearing the discussions about him, Liu Mazi felt smug inside.
He knew his cousin would find a way to save him.
"Your Honor, I'm truly wronged! This Miss Li can't just use her family's wealth to falsely accuse upstanding commoners like us!" Liu Mazi cried with a pained expression.
"Your Honor, the reason Liu Mazi could kidnap us is naturally because he had accomplices. Also, I have evidence." Li Zhiwei said, neither humble nor arrogant.
"What evidence do you have?" County Magistrate Cao looked at Li Zhiwei and asked.
"This man has a waist token on him, made of pure gold, engraved with the character 'An' and the two characters 'He Ming'." As soon as Li Zhiwei finished speaking, Liu Mazi's face turned pale.
The waist token was indeed on him.
"Your Honor, she's framing me! I found this waist token." Liu Mazi reluctantly produced the token and said.
"Liu Mazi, do you know what characters are written on this waist token?" County Magistrate Cao looked at the token in his hand, then at Liu Mazi, and asked.
"Replying to Your Honor, this humble one is illiterate. I just found this token pretty and picked it up." Liu Mazi quickly said ingratiatingly.
"Then what evidence do you have that you found it? Do you know what kind of token this is? It's not something you should touch." Li Zhiwei said without mincing words.
County Magistrate Cao examined the token in his hand, feeling it looked somewhat familiar.
But for a moment, he couldn't place it.
"Master, this token doesn't look like something Liu Mazi could possess." The clerk beside him, looking at the token, was inwardly startled. If he remembered correctly, this seemed to be the waist token of the Prince of An's estate.
However, the characters on the token were not 'He Ming'. Which of these two was lying?
