"What's the matter with Wang Zhaodi? Why did the yamen servant take her away?"
"Isn't her son a scholar? How could the government arrest her?"
"That's right. You see, she has put on the shackles. It seems that she has committed a crime. Otherwise, she wouldn't have put on the shackles."
"Hey, the people in our village are simple and honest, and nothing like this has happened in the past few decades, but it was all corrupted by Wang Zhaodi's rat shit."
The surrounding villagers talked a lot, but they didn't know what was going on.
At this time, Qi Qingfeng also chased him out of the house, and hurriedly stopped in front of several yamen servants.
He didn't want to stand out, but if his mother committed something, his road to scientific research would come to an end. He was afraid that he would lose his reputation as a scholar, so he bit the bullet and ran out, trying to find out what was going on. .
"Several servants, please tell me clearly, what crime did my mother commit? Is there any misunderstanding?"
It was about his own future, Qi Qingfeng was naturally extremely anxious, he stopped in front of the yamen servants, blocking their way, trying to figure out if all this was a misunderstanding.
And Wang Zhaodi was scared out of her wits, she was just an ordinary woman, where had she seen such a big battle? If it weren't for the two yamen servants next to her supporting her, Wang Zhaodi would have collapsed to the ground at this time.
Seeing her most promising son coming, Wang Zhaodi burst into tears immediately, and wailed for Qi Qingfeng to save her.
"Third son, you want to save mother, mother didn't do anything, you want to save mother..."
Wang Zhaodi really doesn't know what she has done. She has always been honest and responsible, and because her son is a scholar, she pays attention to her words and deeds on weekdays, for fear of dragging her son down. She has never done anything. Can you catch her
Twenty years have passed since the child was exchanged, and no one has ever doubted Qi Erzhu's identity. Wang Zhaodi herself gradually forgot about it, and naturally she never thought that the yamen servants came to arrest her because of this.
Seeing Wang Zhaodi crying with snot and tears, and looking extremely miserable, a look of disgust flashed in Qi Qingfeng's eyes, and the comments from the people around him also made his face feverish-he has grown up to such a big age. Never been so humiliated.
As for Qi Baotian and the others, they were scared out of their wits at this moment, a whole family crowded at the gate of the courtyard, but none of them dared to come forward.
They are all honest farmers. Where have they seen such a battle? Although it was only government servants who came, it was enough to deter people like them who had never seen the world.
The leading yamen servant didn't give Qi Qingfeng any good looks because of his status as a scholar, not to mention anything else, once Wang Zhaodi's crime is convicted, his reputation as a scholar will be dismissed, and if there are direct relatives in the family, Future generations are not allowed to take the imperial examination.
However, although his face was not good, he still gave Qi Qingfeng two thin noodles: "Someone went to the county government to appeal for injustice, and the county magistrate accepted the case and ordered me to come and arrest the prisoner. You still don't want it, Mr. Xiucai!" Stop us from handling the case, ask the county government if you have any questions, now we don't have time to waste here with you."
After saying these words, without waiting for Qi Qingfeng's reaction, he directly called his subordinates to leave with Wang Zhaodi.
Seeing the other party's appearance, Qi Qingfeng's heart kept sinking.
Although the reputation of a scholar is not as good as that of Juren, if there is nothing else, ordinary people will give him a little face as a scholar.
But the yamen servant's attitude towards him was not quite right.
Qi Qingfeng could feel that he seemed a little indifferent to himself, and didn't take him seriously.
This is very abnormal.
For some reason, Qi Qingfeng suddenly felt a strong sense of uneasiness in his heart. He shook his head, trying to get rid of that uneasiness.
But Qi Baotian and the others saw that the yamen servants had finally gone away, so they rushed up to meet them and asked what happened to Qi Qingfeng.
"Third, what happened to your mother? She is the most honest person, how could she commit a crime?"
The person who asked the question was Qi Baotian. Although he sometimes felt that his daughter-in-law was too controlling, he also knew in his heart that his daughter-in-law was at best at home, and would never dare to cause trouble outside. Son, how could such a person commit a crime
The other people thought the same way. How could their mother commit a crime and be taken away as a criminal
Those surrounding villagers have not left yet. It is rare for such a big event to happen in the village. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is rare to see it in a hundred years. How can they be willing to leave
Those who were close to the Qi family couldn't help asking a few questions, wondering if they needed help or something.
Qi Qingfeng is upset at this moment, how can he care about these things? This family has never seen the world, and it is usually fine, but no one can count on it at critical times, and everything can only be done by himself.
"Okay, stop talking nonsense here, let's go to the county government to have a look."
With Qi Qingfeng's words, the Qi family got busy in a hurry.
Going to the county government is a man's business, so the people who passed were Qi Baotian, Qi Dazhu and Qi Qingfeng, while Zhang Shuniang stayed at home to take care of her three sons.
While packing up, Qi Qingfeng pulled Qi Baotian's arm and asked him to take out all the money at home.
"Father, the gate of the yamen opens to the south. If there is no reason, you will have to lose your skin. You have all the money. Don't be reluctant. No matter what it is, we have to prepare for it."
The family's silver deposits are actually not much, and there are less than three taels of silver on the surface, but Qi Baotian has saved some in private, and there are six taels of silver together, and he is not willing to use all the money. But looking at Qi Qingfeng's ugly face, even if he was reluctant, he could only bite the bullet and take it out.
When they were about to drive the borrowed ox cart to the county seat, Qi Siniang and Qi Wuniang also came with their husbands.
Both of them were married in Peach Blossom Village, and they knew everything about each other. When they learned that something happened to their natal family, they would naturally want to come back, so they could see what they could do to help.
Qi Siniang and Qi Wuniang came back for a trip, and then there were two more people on the bullock cart to the county seat, one was Qi Siniang's raise Liu Jiaming, and the other was Qi Wuniang's husband Xu Changping.
Both of them were not very old, one year younger than Qi Qingfeng, they hadn't experienced anything, they kept chattering and asking questions along the way, wanting to know what happened.
"Father-in-law, elder brother, third brother, mother-in-law, what happened to her? Why was she taken away suddenly?"
The person who asked the question was Liu Jiaming, Qi Siniang's man. He had studied for several years, but after he was admitted as a child student, he realized that he probably would not be able to pass the examination as a scholar in this life, so he decisively gave up the imperial examination and found a student in the county. The accountant is doing his job.
Compared with Xu Changping, Liu Jiaming's mind is more active and he has more things to think about.
Liu Jiaming, who also took the imperial examination, knew very well that if the parents were convicted, the child's fame would definitely be lost.
Both Qi Baotian and Qi Dazhu didn't speak, but they all set their eyes on Qi Qingfeng.
The anxiety in Qi Qingfeng's heart became more and more intense, and his face became uglier than before. He was still thinking about what crime his mother had committed and whether he would go to jail—if it was only a minor crime, at most he would get a few punishments, and then Although it is embarrassing to pay a fine, it will not have any impact on one's career in the imperial examination.
But if the crime is serious, even if he is only sentenced to one or two years in the end, his reputation will not be preserved.
Damn, what the hell is going on! !
At this time, Qi Qingfeng had already developed resentment toward Wang Zhaodi, feeling that his mother could do nothing to help him, and now she came to harm him. What kind of misfortune did he have in his life to suffer such a situation? A mother
"I don't know, everything will be discussed at the county government."
After sternly dropping this sentence, Qi Qingfeng kept silent, and Liu Jiaming and Xu Changping looked at each other, but they didn't ask any more questions.
It seems that the situation is indeed very serious, otherwise Qi Qingfeng would not be what he is now.
-------------------
The distance from Taohua Village to the county seat is not too far, but they are riding in an ox cart, which is naturally much slower than the government servants who make carriages. The Qi family is still on the way, and the government servant Jin brought Wang Zhaodi into the county. Ya.
This is the first time in Wang Zhaodi's life that she has entered the county government office. Looking at the majestic hall of the county government office, Wang Zhaodi's legs were as soft as noodles, and she couldn't stand up at all. Her face turned pale in bursts. , my mind was in a mess, I didn't know what to think.
The yamen servants who brought her in stood aside with their killing sticks. Although they didn't do anything, it was enough to scare Wang Zhaodi out of courage.
Until now, Wang Zhaodi didn't know what crime she had committed. Her body was shaking violently, and her face was as pale as paper.
The yamen servants standing on the side looked at her nose, nose, nose, and heart, and none of them paid any attention to her, the prisoner.
The waiting process is long, and this long waiting time makes Wang Zhaodi's heart accumulate more and more invisible fears. The unknown is the most terrifying thing. Wang Zhaodi doesn't believe that these yamen servants handcuffed her to the county yamen. Let her be here in a daze.
After an unknown amount of time, the county magistrate in official uniform walked up to the lobby, and after sitting on the desk, he picked up the gavel and slapped it hard, and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty is the criminal Wang Zhaodi? You know you're wrong!"
These days, the common people have a natural sense of fear towards the government, and the biggest official Wang Zhaodi has ever seen is Li Zheng. Now that she suddenly sees such a high-ranking official and is frightened by him again, Wang Zhaodi howls. stand up.
However, as soon as she opened her mouth to cry, the county magistrate slapped the gavel again and reprimanded loudly: "If you dare to roar in the court, you will be punished with a higher crime. Come and execute..."
However, before she finished speaking, Wang Zhaodi didn't dare to continue crying. She collapsed on the ground without any image, and kept begging the county magistrate for mercy.
"My lord, please forgive me. I, the prisoner, don't know what I did wrong. Please tell me clearly..."
In the end, she became incoherent, and she was so frightened that she almost lost her soul. Because she was too frightened, tears were streaming down her face, and she looked indescribably terrible.
The county magistrate sitting at the top saw the messed-up woman below, and couldn't imagine that this person would do such a shocking thing.
Swapping my own children, the ones I exchanged were the children of myself and the prime minister, turning a farm boy into an official's son, and hiding it for 20 years without revealing anything. The person who has such a scheming method will be the following one who has been shocked Is there someone who is too scared to howl
The county magistrate was skeptical, but the complainant swears by it, and since it involves the current prime minister, he dared not take any chances, so he immediately ordered Wang Zhaodi to be brought to court.
After observing Wang Zhaodi for a while, the county magistrate patted the gavel again. Wang Zhaodi was so frightened that she stopped talking immediately and dared not continue. Seeing this, the county magistrate said, "Wife Wang, are you guilty? I sue you for deliberately confusing the blood of officials, and exchanging your own blood for the blood of officials, is there such a thing?"
As soon as this remark came out, Wang Zhaodi felt as if struck by lightning. She suddenly looked up at the county magistrate sitting in the lobby, as if she couldn't believe what she heard.
how is this possible? I kept this matter a secret, except for her and Wang Dabao, no one knew about it, and Wang Dabao and himself were both grasshoppers tied to the same rope, so he would never betray himself. How could he possibly say something
Although Wang Zhaodi is just a village woman, she also knows that the matter of exchanging children is absolutely unacceptable. Twenty years have passed since the incident, and the original evidence has been annihilated. She does not believe that anyone can find out the evidence. .
Thinking of this, Wang Zhaodi said sonorously: "Your Excellency, even if you borrow a dozen or so courageous women from the common people, you will not dare to do such a thing. This must be because someone has slandered the common women, and the common women have been wronged. Please give me your honor." The wife is in charge..."
Wang Zhaodi cried with sincerity and grief, if she didn't know, she might be fooled by her like this.
But the county magistrate can't be fooled at will. He glanced at Wang Zhaodi who was lying on the ground mourning and crying, and said slowly: "It seems that you don't give up when you don't see the Yellow River. Come here and bring witnesses."
After receiving the order, the yamen servant quickly withdrew, and within a short time, he brought up the witnesses.
For some reason, Wang Zhaodi's heart was in a mess, and she always felt as if something had escaped her control, but as soon as this thought arose, she was suppressed by herself.
No, she did that matter secretly, no one would find out, as long as she refused to admit it to death, no one would be able to convict her.
However, all these thoughts disappeared when she saw the so-called witness brought in by the yamen servant. Wang Zhaodi widened her eyes and looked at the man kneeling not far from her in disbelief.
"why you!"
Now Wang Zhaodi was completely panicked, she stared at Wang Dabao fiercely, her fiery gaze seemed to penetrate his whole body.
Wang Dabao didn't look at Wang Zhaodi, he bowed his head to the county magistrate politely, and then waited there quietly.
The county magistrate looked at Wang Dabao and motioned him to repeat what he said before.
Wang Dabao didn't repeat anything, he just said everything he had said in the previous complaint.
"Twenty years ago, the villain's mother rescued a woman who was about to give birth, and took her home to take care of her. At that time, the villain's eldest sister, Wang Zhaodi, came home to visit. She and the woman gave birth to a child one after the other... What the villain saw with his own eyes was that the villain's elder sister exchanged two children, she exchanged her own child for the woman, and took the other's child as hers."
Wang Zhaodi never thought that the person who filed the complaint would be Wang Dabao. Seeing that he had recruited everything, Wang Zhaodi was frightened out of her wits, and she didn't care that she was in the courtroom at this time, screaming to tell Wang Dabao to shut up.
"Wang Dabao, I've taken you well. I've been doing my best to take care of you and help you all these years. Why did you want to kill me!!"
She absolutely cannot admit this matter, the other party is an official family, if this matter is really exposed, then their family will be ruined.
Wang Dabao ignored Wang Zhaodi and continued talking.