Chapter 80: Not Telling You

When Wang Fugui answered with such ‘candor and bluntness,’ He Chishan, kneeling beside him, turned crimson with rage, his face dark as storm clouds. He could hardly restrain his impulse, wishing nothing more than to leap up and kill Wang Fugui on the spot!

“Wang Fugui, you worthless wretch, utterly useless!” He Chishan cursed Wang Fugui bitterly in his heart.

He had never imagined that this fool would be so easily duped by Li Yi’s mere few words. Moreover, Wang Fugui had revealed the truth in front of so many people. Now, even with a hundred mouths, they had no way to defend themselves.

Just then, as Wang Fugui felt a secret sigh of relief, he lowered his head and turned to He Chishan with a smug smile, as if to say, “Well, brother-in-law, see? I didn’t let anything slip, did I?”

However, when he met He Chishan’s furious, murderous gaze, Wang Fugui’s heart sank. “Did I say something wrong?” he wondered anxiously.

He quickly closed his eyes and replayed his conversation with Li Yi, mulling over every detail. When he finally realized what had transpired, he stood there in a daze, eyes blank.

Only then did he awaken to the fact that he had, unwittingly, confessed to the crime of rape!

“I actually admitted to the case myself?” he thought. “No... This can’t be true...”

Wang Fugui broke out in a cold sweat, his breath coming fast, his whole body trembling as if in a fit, eyes empty as he looked up at Li Yi.

He never dreamed that, despite his every caution, he would still fall into Li Yi’s trap!

“Sir... sir,” he stammered desperately, “what I said before... it was all nonsense, just nonsense, it doesn’t count, it doesn’t count at all...”

But aside from this feeble, dying struggle, Wang Fugui could find nothing to defend himself. He had confessed, in front of everyone!

Now, no matter what he said, it was hopelessly weak.

Li Yi ignored him, letting out a cold laugh. He spread his hands wide, turned to the crowd outside the yamen, pointed at Wang Fugui, and asked loudly, “Did he confess with his own mouth?”

For a moment, the townsfolk gathered outside stared in stunned silence, then slowly returned to themselves.

“Did he... did he really confess?”
“Yes... he confessed!”
“This man is despicable, beneath even beasts. He colluded with the magistrate to harm an innocent woman, and beat her so cruelly.”

“Such a vile, shameless, and filthy scoundrel is truly beyond pardon! We must not let such vermin live in this world!”
“And the magistrate, he deserves to die as well...”
“Yes, kill them... kill them both...”

Outside the yamen, angry and indignant cries rose one after another. Every face in the crowd was filled with contempt and fury.

Witnessing this, Li Yi finally turned and bowed slightly to Li Lizhi, saying, “Your Highness, what do you think should be done with them?”

“Eh...” Li Lizhi was taken aback, her eyes fixed on Li Yi, still not fully recovered from her surprise.

She truly hadn’t expected that Li Yi, with just a few casual questions, would cause Wang Fugui to confess to the case, and do so willingly, in public.

Though the way Li Yi questioned him was unlike anything she’d seen before and seemed entirely unrelated to the case, the result was undeniable!

And it was achieved so perfectly!

Li Lizhi was dumbstruck with amazement.

After a long pause, she finally came back to herself, her gaze lingering curiously on Li Yi, before she shook her head with a gentle smile and said, “Li Bo’an, you are truly a strange man!”

Li Yi could only roll his eyes—what did this have to do with his question at all?

“Ahem, Your Highness,” Li Yi coughed, bowing respectfully, “since the case is now clear, I ask Your Highness to pass judgment.”

Li Lizhi simply smiled and shook her head.

Lifting her teacup and taking a delicate sip, she looked at Li Yi with a playful glint in her eye and said, “Young Master Li, since I have put the matter in your hands, it is most fitting for you to judge it.”

Li Yi: “...”

“Very well...” Seeing that Li Lizhi had nothing more to say, and her eyes held an air of finality, Li Yi sighed in resignation. He would have to play the villain himself.

Li Yi turned to the scribe and said, “According to Tang law, how should Wang Fugui, Magistrate He, and the others be judged?”

The scribe dared not hide anything at this point. He hurriedly bowed to Li Yi and replied, “Sir, according to Tang law, Wang Fugui should be sentenced to hanging. As for Magistrate He, he should be dismissed from office and exiled a thousand li away. The other yamen runners should be imprisoned for five years.”

Li Yi shook his head, clearly dissatisfied. To simply exile and imprison men like Magistrate He and his underlings, and call it done?

From the scribe’s tone, it was clear he intended to leave room for leniency for Magistrate He and the rest—something Li Yi would never tolerate!

Not to mention, just now Li Lizhi had signaled him subtly with her eyes.

“No!” Li Yi rejected the scribe’s proposal outright.

His expression grave, Li Yi fixed the scribe with a stern gaze and said, “I have no objection to Wang Fugui being hanged. But He Chishan and these yamen runners are involved in the same crime as Wang Fugui. They are all accomplices and must be caned to death!”

“This...” The scribe’s face turned ashen. “Sir, this does not accord with the law of Tang...”

Li Yi didn’t bother to argue further.

Instead, he immediately turned and looked at the burly yamen runner who had earlier beaten his own colleagues, tossing him a peachwood warrant and ordering, “You carry out the sentence!”

“Yes, sir!” the sturdy runner replied with a heavy bow.

Ignoring the desperate wails of Wang Fugui, He Chishan, and the others, the burly runner dragged the entire group out.

Under the watchful eyes of the townsfolk, he directly executed these scourges of Wang Family Town.

Only then did Wang Zhongfu, who had been kneeling all this time, knock his head gratefully to the ground again and again, tears streaming down his face as he thanked them, “Many thanks to Your Highness and to the young master for redressing my wrongs!”

Li Yi said nothing, but stepped aside, leaving Li Lizhi to respond.

“Rise, there is no need for such ceremony,” Li Lizhi said with a gentle smile. “It was but a small matter. In the future, live your life well.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Wang Zhongfu bowed once more before standing.

With He Chishan and Wang Fugui removed, the people of Wang Family Town rejoiced, praising Li Lizhi with heartfelt gratitude.

At last, when they finally left the yamen, Li Lizhi’s features glowed with happiness, her cheeks flushed, dimples deepening as she smiled.

Li Yi could only shake his head in amusement.

At that moment, Linlang, who had long disapproved of Li Yi’s closeness with Li Lizhi, couldn’t help but steal a glance at him.

“Who would have thought that this so-called playboy would actually be so capable...” she mused, her opinion of Li Yi warming ever so slightly.

“Your Highness, it’s getting late. Shall we return?” Li Yi suggested, just as he caught sight of Li Lizhi’s smiling face.

“Certainly!” Li Lizhi agreed cheerfully, but then she grinned mischievously, showing two rows of pearly teeth. “But first, you must come with me somewhere.”

“Where to?” Li Yi asked, curiosity piqued.

“I won’t tell you!” Li Lizhi teased, her laughter ringing out. “You’ll find out when we get there!”

...

(End of chapter)