Chapter 1889: Compensation for Zhou Tiedong

Chapter 1889: Compensation for Zhou Tiedong

Qi Lie sneered and slammed his hand on the table, his voice echoing in the courtroom. "Chen Bing, you're still spouting nonsense even at this point. When you confronted Zhou Tiedong earlier, you provided detailed descriptions of the appearance, material, and characteristics of the jade pot he allegedly embezzled. These descriptions match exactly with the evidence Guo Zheng presented. Are you suggesting that there are two identical jade pots in this world?"

"I... I..." Chen Bing was left speechless.

Qi Lie continued, "You claimed that you bought another jade pot later. Where is the receipt for that second pot? Where did you buy it from, and when? I can have witnesses brought in to confront you. Even if you don't have the receipt, a jade pot worth three hundred taels would surely have a receipt from the seller. Furthermore, you said that Zhou Tiedong embezzled your family's ancestral treasure. If it was a later purchase, how could it still be considered an ancestral treasure?"

Qi Lie's questions became sharper one after another, and Chen Bing finally realized that the dignitary before him was far from gentle. Instead, Qi Lie exuded an unsettling aura of severity.

Chen Bing's mind raced, but the more he thought, the more dizzy he became. His attempts at explanations were riddled with contradictions. Qi Lie's patience had run dry, and he slammed the table in anger, declaring, "You're clearly caught red-handed with irrefutable evidence, yet you still attempt to deceive and mislead the court. Such behavior is contemptuous. Guards, take him away and give him a hundred lashes."

"Yes." Two officials immediately approached and began dragging Chen Bing out.

Chen Bing's face turned pale. A hundred lashes? He had already felt half his life slip away after ten lashes. The pain had left him trembling, and he knew a hundred lashes could prove lethal.

"Please spare me, have mercy!"

Chen Bing's pleas for mercy grew fainter as he was dragged away. Soon, the sounds of the lashes and his agonizing cries resonated through the air.

After enduring just ten lashes, Chen Bing could no longer bear it and cried out, admitting guilt.

Qi Lie had him brought back, and Chen Bing looked utterly defeated, like someone who had been hauled up from the water and unceremoniously thrown to the ground.

He let out a pained scream and struggled to get up from the floor.

Qi Lie looked down at him and asked, "Have you admitted your guilt?"

"Yes, I admit my guilt!"

"Very well. Now explain in detail how you framed Zhou Tiedong."

Chen Bing couldn't find any excuses now. He was in too much pain to think clearly, and he was gasping for air. He struggled to articulate the sequence of events.

Qi Lie nodded, instructing someone to meticulously record every word Chen Bing uttered.

After it was transcribed, the document was presented before Chen Bing. He read it over, and once he confirmed its accuracy, he recounted his statement before everyone. Only when nobody objected did he press his handprint and signature onto the paper.

Qi Lie looked at the indictment with satisfaction, speaking loudly, "Chen Bing, you conspired with Constable Li of Chenggu County, falsely accused Zhou Tiedong, an employee of the general store, causing him to be wrongfully imprisoned and his family to suffer financial ruin. The evidence is conclusive, proving Zhou Tiedong's innocence. The Chen family is to fully compensate the Zhou family for the money they paid, and an additional fifty taels of silver shall be given to Zhou Tiedong as compensation for the physical and emotional trauma he endured over the past two months."

Zhou Tiedong's eyes widened in disbelief. He exchanged a glance of excitement with Wang Yue, and both of them wore wide smiles. They simultaneously bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Excellency, for your discernment."

The members of the Chen family, however, felt their legs go weak, nearly collapsing to the ground..