Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside

"Alright, alright, you can stop now. It's been over twenty years, and you still remember." County Magistrate Xu was at his wit's end with Steward Tian, as he dragged him up and said, "Let's proceed to the courtroom, I am going to hold the court session now."

If he didn't go to the court, Steward Tian might break off their sworn brotherhood.

And also...

"What oath? That was just some drunken talk when we were drunk." County Magistrate Xu corrected discontentedly.

Steward Tian: "That's called the truth spoken while drunk."

County Magistrate Xu: "..."

County Captain Jiang knocked on the door and said, "Lord County Magistrate, your subordinate has an important matter to report."

"Come in." County Magistrate Xu tidied up his attire.

County Captain Jiang entered through the door and reported the situation in the courtroom to County Magistrate Xu: "The Zou Family's Protector has been arrested and put in prison. Zou Jiang and Steward Shao are still in the courtroom; each clings to their statement, one denies being a slave, and the other insists that Zou Jiang is a slave of the Zou family. Please, Lord County Magistrate, attend the court session."

What else could County Magistrate Xu say? He had no choice but to take Steward Tian and call upon Steward Yu and several attendants to head to the courtroom.

Bang!

With a bang of the gavel, County Magistrate Xu asked, "Who is below the hall? What is the matter to report?"

Steward Shao stepped forward and said, "Reporting to your lordship, Steward Shao is here on behalf of the Zou family to capture the family slave, Zou Jiang." Pointing at Zou Jiang, he continued, "Zou Jiang has suffered from a stubborn illness for many years, and due to a family tragedy in his youth, he often speaks madness recently. Today, he even ran to the county government office by himself, disturbing the peace of your lordship. This is indeed an oversight by the Zou family. Steward Shao is here to take this mad slave away."

Steward Shao craftily declared Zou Jiang mad right away, turning Zou Jiang's accusation against County Magistrate Zou into an act of insanity.

Zou Jiang laughed, knelt in the courtroom, and after bowing to the Lord County Magistrate, addressed Steward Shao: "Mr. Shao, before you slander me, you better have proof. Me, hysteria? Just yesterday, I was managing the affairs of Zou Mansion, and you also reside in Zou Mansion. Are you all being managed by a madman? That's truly ridiculous."

Steward Shao was overjoyed and hastily pointed at Zou Jiang, "Lord, Zou Jiang admitted himself that he worked for Zou Mansion, he is indeed a slave of the Zou family. Please allow Steward Shao to take Zou Jiang back to the Zou family!"

Would Zou Jiang be that foolish?

He and Qin San Lang had been scheming for nearly two months, carefully crafting each step.

Zou Jiang took off a cloth bag from his waist and held it high over his head, "My lord, although I work at Zou Mansion, I am not a slave of the Zou family. I am from the good register, and in this bag are my household registration, housing deed, land deed and other documents proving that I am of the good register. Please examine it, my lord."

Squad Leader Yang promptly took the bag and placed it on Steward Yu's desk for inspection.

After checking the household registration and other items in the bag, verifying they were authentic, Steward Yu put them into a long wooden box and stood up to present it to County Magistrate Xu: "My lord, all are genuine. Please have a look."

Steward Tian passed it to County Magistrate Xu.

County Magistrate Xu looked at the contents of the wooden box and nodded in satisfaction, saying, "Jiang Sheng is indeed of the good register; the householder name on the registration is his name."

Steward Shao was shocked, "Impossible, Zou Jiang has always been a slave of the Zou family; he cannot be of the good register."

He hesitated, then pointed at the wooden box, "They're fake, these documents must be fake."

"How dare you!" County Magistrate Xu slammed the gavel and pointed at Steward Shao, "Mr. Shao, these household registration, housing deed, and land deed all bear the official seal of the Prefecture Government Office. Are you questioning the authenticity of the Prefecture Government Office? What a bold claim!"

County Magistrate Xu picked up a yellowed piece of paper, shaking it as he said, "This is a manumission document written by Zou Youlian himself for Jiang Cheng. It bears Zou Youlian's personal seal and fingerprint. Zou Youlian released Jiang Sheng from servitude himself, and yet now you come here to capture Jiang Sheng – how utterly unreasonable!"

What?

Steward Shao was dumbfounded. Was Zou Jiang registered in the Prefecture? There's also a manumission document from County Magistrate Zou, this, this…

Steward Shao was caught off guard, not expecting Zou Jiang to have so many pieces of evidence.

The crowd gathered at the government gate, watching eagerly, became excited: "Zou Jiang truly is of the good register, oh my, the spectacle today is even more thrilling than a theater play."

"Indeed, the plays on the stage are fabricated, this is real, today we really got our eyes opened."

The eager onlookers began to speak up, some of the more sensationalist ones started shouting into the government building: "Housekeeper Zou, didn't you previously say that you were going to accuse County Magistrate Zou of corruption and malfeasance, among other charges? Are you still going to accuse him? We are all waiting, hurry it up."

Zou Jiang said, "This time, I have come to expose the evil deeds Zou Youlian has committed over the decades. Naturally, I will make the accusation."

"Hold on," Steward Shao, pointing at Zou Jiang with a sneer at the corner of his mouth, addressed County Magistrate Xu, "Even though Zou Jiang is of the good register, he has no official position, so if he wants to accuse a court official, he must first undergo the Torture of Intimidation."

Only after enduring the Torture of Intimidation can one accuse a court official. As Zou Jiang had sustained serious injuries in the past and was older now, if he were to be tortured, it was likely he would die right there in the public hall.

Since Zou Jiang dared to come and accuse County Magistrate Zou, he had already disregarded his own life. He bowed deeply to County Magistrate Xu, "This humble commoner is willing to undergo the Torture of Intimidation."

As soon as these words were uttered, not just Steward Shao, but everyone present was shocked.

County Magistrate Xu looked at Zou Jiang with new respect, asking, "Jiang Sheng, the Torture of Intimidation could be lethal, think this through. Once the execution is carried out, there is no turning back."

Zou Jiang, bowing deeply again to County Magistrate Xu, assertively responded, "As long as Zou Youlian can be brought to justice, Jiang Sheng will have no regrets even in death."

"What a resolute declaration of facing death without regret! Jiang Sheng, you are truly a learned man, Master Tian respects you."

Respect my foot, calm down.

County Magistrate Xu had a headache; his staff and old school friend seemed to be regressing over time, not acting like a mature adult, making such impulsive statements at a public trial – how could he, as a steward to the county magistrate, say such things?

With a slap, County Magistrate Xu ordered: "Carry out the punishment!"

Squad Leader Yang immediately stepped forward with the Government Officials, held Zou Jiang down on the bench, and using a rod covered in iron, administered twenty heavy blows. Although they were somewhat merciful, Zou Jiang was still beaten until his flesh was ripped and blood flowed.

The punishment did not end there. After the twenty blows, he was also slapped twenty times in the face. Every two slaps they would ask Zou Jiang, "Jiang Sheng, do you still wish to accuse Zou Youlian?"

Each time, Zou Jiang replied, "This humble commoner Jiang Sheng, wishes to accuse Zou Youlian of corruption and abuse of power…"

Initially, the crowd was there to watch the excitement, but seeing how Zou Jiang was almost beaten to death yet still insisted on accusing County Magistrate Zou, everyone fell silent.

Steward Shao, watching Zou Jiang willing to die rather than withdraw his accusation against County Magistrate Zou, felt a chill run through him and was already considering how he could avoid being implicated by County Magistrate Zou.

Zou Jiang, driven by sheer determination, endured through the Torture of Intimidation and then presented all the well-prepared petition papers and various proofs.

Zou Jiang had several pouches hanging around his waist, which contained various documents, letters, registers, account books—all evidence of County Magistrate Zou's corruption, financial manipulation, and murderous deeds.

This evidence was sufficient for County Magistrate Xu to order the arrest of County Magistrate Zou.