Zu An was stunned. He never expected that a day would come where a law-abiding citizen like him would be arrested by the police.

Tried for my crimes? What crimes?

While he was still overwhelmed by the situation, the constables tried to fasten his hands behind his back with a pair of metal shackles. Fortunately for him, the Chu clan guards who were protecting him refused to allow the constables to take him away so easily, especially since he’d shared some of his winnings with them the previous evening.

“Zu An, are you trying to resist arrest?” asked the head constable coldly.

Zu An finally snapped out of his daze.

Having been in this world for some time, he knew just how powerful the royal court was. He couldn’t allow things to proceed down this path. Ordering the Chu clan guards to stand down, he said to the constable, “At least give me a reason for my arrest. I won’t let myself be taken away without any justification.”

“You shouldn’t have committed the crime in the first place, if you didn’t want others to know of it.” The head constable pointed off to the side. “Can’t you hear them?”

Zu An turned his gaze in the indicated direction, and was shocked by what he saw. A huge crowd was marching in his direction with indignant looks on their faces, chanting furiously.

“Murderers have to pay for their crimes!”

“The Chu clan oppresses the people and condones the vile deeds of their son-in-law!”

…

Zu An frowned at the crowd. They were carrying banners and signs which said ‘Bring Justice Back to the Great Zhou Dynasty’ and ‘Commoners’ Lives Matter’. He seemed to have been mired in some huge scheme.

Chu Zhongtian, Qin Wanru, Chu Chuyan, and some others came rushing over. Chu Huanzhao was left in the estate. She was still recuperating from her injuries, and Chu Zhongtian had forbidden her from coming over.

“What happened?” Chu Zhongtian ordered his men to stop the rioting crowd before turning his cold gaze onto the head constable.

The head constable immediately adopted a much more amicable attitude. “Brightmoon Duke, Zu An is under suspicion for murdering Official Yang Wei and Commoners Plum Blossom Twelve and Plum Blossom Thirteen. The city lord has ordered us to arrest him and present him for trial.”

Everyone from the Chu clan was shocked. The deaths of Plum Blossom Twelve and Plum Blossom Thirteen were no big deal, but Yang Wei’s death was quite a huge issue. He may have been a low-ranking official, but he was still a subordinate of the royal court.

Zu An’s mind was quickly whirred into action. He’d had conflicts with all three of the victims before, and being implicated in their deaths hinted strongly at a ploy directed toward him.

“Nonsense! Ah Zu has been in our Chu Estate all this while! How could he have possibly killed anyone?” Chu Zhongtian could also tell that it was an attempt to frame Zu An.

“We’re just acting on the city lord’s orders. Brightmoon Duke, I humbly ask you not to make things difficult for us.”

Seeing the constables bowing before the Chu clan, the crowd grew more inflamed.

“Is the Chu clan trying to cover for a murderer?”

“Do the laws not apply to the Chu clan?”

“What has happened to justice in our Great Zhou Dynasty?”

…

It was always easy to rile up the populace, especially when it concerned acts of injustice committed by the rich and the powerful. Everyone was always quick to hop onto the bandwagon, speaking up indignantly as if they had suffered grievances themselves. This was simply human nature.

Chu Zhongtian quickly recognized the severity of the situation. If the populace turned against the Chu clan because of this matter, it could spell disaster. “Very well, I’ll follow you all to the yamen. I would like to observe this trial!”

He patted Zu An’s shoulder and said, “Ah Zu, don’t worry. I won’t let any injustice befall you as long as I’m around!”

He was a duke of the country, after all. With him keeping an eye on the proceedings, no one would dare to make a careless ruling on this case.

Zu An felt a surge of warmth in his heart. My father-in-law is truly a decent person.

Chu Zhongtian instructed Qin Wanru to take care of matters in the Chu Estate, and to be prepared to send reinforcements if required. With that, he led a group of guards over to the yamen.

Chu Chuyan made to follow as well, but was stopped by Zu An. “I need you to find a person for me. Relay these words to her…”

Chu Chuyan was taken aback by the abrupt request, but she nodded in response before swiftly disappearing into the crowd.

Cheng Shouping also rushed to Zu An’s side and asked with a fawning smile, “Young master, young master! Is there anything I can help you with? I’m ready to brave through a sea of flame for you as long as you give the word!”

“Yes, I do have something I need you to do,” replied Zu An.

Cheng Shouping’s eyes lit up right away. “What is it?”

“Zip up your mouth.”

Cheng Shouping’s excited expression froze, then went slack. “Orh.”

Unless Zu An was tired of living, there was no way he would entrust anything important to the troublemaking Cheng Shouping anymore. With Chu Chuyan dealing with the matter personally, his mind felt more at ease. As for Cheng Shouping… all he needed to do was to disgust his opponents when the time came.

With Chu Zhongtian tagging along, the guards did not insist on shackling Zu An. They made their way toward the yamen swiftly, and without further incident.

City Lord Xie Yi and Vice Magistrate Pang Chun personally stepped forward to welcome them, saying, “What brings Brightmoon Duke here today?”

“You’ve already sent your men to arrest my son-in-law. How could I not accompany him?” Chu Zhongtian said gruffly.

Xie Yi shook his head bitterly and said, “Someone banged the drums of the yamen, crying out their grievances. Not only that, a court official is also implicated in the matter. Given the circumstances, I have no other choice than to hold a trial.”[1]

“Who was the one who banged on the drums?” asked Chu Zhongtian.

The least he could do was to find out who the enemy was.

As they headed into the yamen, Xie Yi replied with a lowered voice, “It’s Yang Wei’s widow and the relatives of Plum Blossom Twelve and Plum Blossom Thirteen. Mei Chaofeng is here too.”

Chu Zhongtian’s eyes narrowed. “It looks like the Plum Blossom Sect is determined to pit themselves against our Chu clan. I wonder where their courage is coming from.”

“Don’t get careless. They seem very confident this time,” Xie Yi warned him.

Once they entered the court, Xie Yi’s face became solemn once more, and he stopped talking altogether.

The courtroom had a severe and imposing air, further enhanced by two long, horizontal banners, on which were written: ‘Laws created from our virtues, enforced through discipline’.

Xie Yi and Pang Chun headed to their seats, located at the front of the courtroom. The central area of the courtroom was flanked by two rows of guards, standing on attention with long metal poles in their hands. This was strikingly similar to what Zu An had seen in historical dramas before.

Several people were kneeling before the court. One of them was a well-dressed, middle-aged woman, who was most likely Yang Wei’s wife. The others appeared to be farmers, which likely made them family members of Plum Blossom Twelve and Plum Blossom Thirteen.

Mei Chaofeng stood off to one side, looking at Zu An with utterly cold eyes.

Seeing this set-up, Zu An smiled slightly in anticipation. Very well, show me what you’ve got then.

“Since the plaintiffs and the defendant are already present, I hereby declare the commencement…” Xie Yi was just about to declare the commencement of the trial when there was a commotion outside.

“Governor Sang has arrived!”

Astonished, Xie Yi, joined by Pang Chun and the other subordinate officials, rose to their feet to greet Sang Hong. Casual laughter could be heard from the entrance as Sang Hong’s voice rang out, “Lord Xie, there’s no need for you to rise. You’re the one in charge of the court proceedings. I’m here just to observe.”

Chu Zhongtian, on the other hand, was much less polite. “Lord Sang, it seems I see you everywhere I go.”

Just a day ago, Sang Hong had sided with the Yuan clan openly, and now, he was here to deal with his son-in-law. Even the most patient man in the world would lose his temper after being picked on time and time again.

Sang Hong’s voice was calm. “I was returning to my office when I received word that something major had happened in the city. After quickly looking into it, I realized that it involved the Chu clan. Out of concern, I came here to observe, lest the civilians claim that the law of our Great Zhou Dynasty sides with those in power. Surely you do not mind, Brightmoon Duke?”

Seeing that Sang Hong was using the law to pressure him, Chu Zhongtian replied equally calmly, “No one here is blind. I won’t stand idly by if someone tries to distort the facts.”

Sang Hong laughed at those words. “Of course, of course. Everything will be dealt with according to the law. I believe that Lord Xie will handle the case promptly.”

That wily old fox! Xie Yi cursed under his breath. He was the one in a tight spot now. That being said, as long as he judged the matter fairly, neither sides would be able to fault him.

Just then, Zu An spoke up. “I understand that Governor Sang is here to ensure the trial proceeds fairly, but may I know in what capacity is young master Shi here to observe the proceedings? Is he an official?”

His sharp eyes had noticed Shi Kun accompanying Sang Hong.

“My father is the Minister of War…” Shi Kun began calmly.

Before he could finish, Zu An interrupted, “I’m asking you if you’re an official. Why are you mentioning your father instead? Is your father the only thing you know how to speak of?”

“You!!” Shi Kun’s face immediately reddened in anger. With his background and his reputation, he was always treated like a VIP no matter where he went. No one had ever tried to put him down in public in such a manner before.

You have successfully trolled Shi Kun for 500 Rage points!

“What do you mean by ‘you’? You should watch the way you address your teacher. Is that how you were brought up in the Shi clan?” Zu An’s mouth was like a relentless machine gun, endlessly rattling off bullets.

Shi Kun felt a little light-headed. Why am I the one being interrogated instead?

You have successfully trolled Shi Kun for 653 Rage points!

“Scoundrel, how dare a mere child like you sully the name of the Shi clan!” Shi Lezhi yelled, stepping forward from Shi Kun’s side. He released his powerful aura to intimidate Zu An.

However, Chu Zhongtian immediately waved his hand and dispelled Shi Lezhi’s aura, saying, “You should think twice before attempting to strongarm others in court. Besides, Ah Zu isn’t wrong. He’s a teacher at the academy. It’s only right for young master Shi to pay respects to him as a student.”

Shi Kun’s face turned completely red. He felt trapped. There was no way he could bring himself to bow down politely before Zu An like a student should, especially before so many people. That would be a stain on his reputation!

Snow felt an urge to step forward to speak on her young master’s behalf but hesitated, somehow feeling guilt-ridden when facing her old masters once more.

Fortunately for Shi Kun, Sang Hong stepped in. “Zu An is considered a plaintiff before the court. Until he’s finally cleared of his charges, it would be inappropriate to view him as a teacher of the academy. I believe that we should skip this formality for now. As for young master Shi, it’s indeed inappropriate for him to observe the proceedings without an official position. He shall stand by the doorway for now.”

Sang Hong had taken on an impartial position, putting down both sides together. With that, no one could suspect him of any bias.

Shi Kun had expected to be given a comfortable, front-row seat to watch the drama unfold, but he had been unceremoniously shoved in together with the rest of the populace. It made him feel both humiliated and indignant.

Shi Lezhi had secretly released his aura to prevent anyone from coming close to Shi Kun, which gave him some privacy. Even so, Shi Kun’s face remained incredibly livid.

Zu An!!! Celebrate your little victory while you can. I’ll make sure that you’ll cry your eyes out later on!

You have successfully trolled Shi Kun for 444 Rage points!

“Silence!” Seeing that Chu Zhongtian and Sang Hong had settled down in their positions, Xie Yi started off by silencing the crowd before slamming a wooden brick onto the table, saying, “Zu An, do you plead guilty?” [2]

Zu An shrugged leisurely as he replied, “What am I guilty of?”

The well-dressed, middle-aged woman pointed her finger at Zu An and bellowed, “Zu An, how vicious you are! Despite having defeated my husband in a competition in the academy, you still weren’t satisfied and cruelly assassinated him! Milords, you have to redress my grievances!”

The middle-aged woman proceeded on to bawl pitifully, but her reactions did nothing to faze Zu An. Instead, he asked calmly, “What does Yang Wei’s death have to do with me?”

Xie Yi coughed softly and said, “Lord Yang left a dying message that points you out as the murderer.”

1. In the past, a drum would be placed outside the yamen. Civilians could bang on it and request for a trial so as to have their grievances redressed.

2. Just like how modern-day judges use gavels (small wooden hammers) in court to settle the observers and begin proceedings, in ancient China, the magistrate used a wooden brick called Jing Tang Mu, literally translated to ‘wood that disrupts the court’.