The politer and decorous Jia Yuanling usually was, the more surprised other people would feel at this moment when they saw him flush as if he wanted to have sex with the woman.

His father's concubine was lying on the ground, improperly dressed. Jia Yuanling, as the son, dared to look at the woman all the time. His behavior was so ridiculous. It also proved what Ling Zhang had said before.

At this time, Jia Yuanling took a deep breath and tried hard to calm down. He did not understand why he felt so hot and had the sexual desire when he looked at the woman's body, as if the devil controlled him and he could not move his eyes away. But he must hurry to deny it to others!

"I didn't. Zhang, you'd better honestly admit it. Don't deny it and fabricate a charge against others." Jia Yuanling said.

Jia Yuanling thought that he had concealed his reaction very well, but he did not know that his ridiculous appearance had long been revealed. If he did not speak with that lecherous look, he might still be able to convince others, but now...

Ling Zhang looked around and clearly saw other people's suspicion and dislike of Jia Yuanling in their eyes. He knew that no matter what Jia Yuanling said at this time, it was impossible to let others believe him.

Ling Zhang sneered in his heart. Now, he would let Jia Yuanling and his partners suffer thousands of times more painfully than what he had suffered!

"Did I wrong you? Jia Yuanling, you should see what the people behind you look like, and take a good look at the mirror to see what you look like now."

Jia Yuanling's face suddenly changed. He looked around and finally saw how people looked at him. He also saw his father's sullen face. His father pointed at him and wanted to blame him, but was too angry to speak a word. Jia Yuanling quickly turned to look back and then he was stunned at once.

Jia Yuanling saw that the four men, who followed him, all flushed with blurred eyes Saliva drooled from the corner of their mouths as they looked at the dancer on the ground with desire. And they dared to murmur, "...This woman looks so erotic. I can't forget her after having sex with her. Hah, it's so cold to lie on the ground. Come to my arms."

Jia Yuanling widened his eyes as he looked at them with disbelief. "How dare you!" he cried.

"Eh? What is this?" One of them touched the hand of the dancer and found the jade. He took it out and looked at it carefully before he turned to Jia Yuanling, "Yuanling, why is your jade here? Have you just forgotten it? Take it back, and don't let people see it."

Jia Yuanling's face changed dramatically and he retreated quickly. "Jade? It is not mine!" he shouted.

However, all present saw clearly the word 'Ling' carved on the jade. It looked like the 'Ling' of Ling Zhang at first glance, but the Jia Family's pattern on its opposite showed the jade was Jia Yuanling's. And Jia Yuanling often had this jade by his waist so everyone who knew him could recognize this jade.

"It's extremely ridiculous. Mr. Jia, your family is so unfortunate to have such a son."

"That is true. He just pretended that he really didn't know anything. His words were full of lies."

"It's a shame."

"Shameless!"

Jia Yuanling looked sullen, his managed calmness gone under the curses from people around. Jia Yin fainted because of anger. The servants of Jia Family were suddenly in a great bustle.

"No, I didn't. I didn't do it. It must be Ling Zhang. He did that!" Jia Yuanling shouted in a loud voice with his finger pointing at Ling Zhang. But no one believed him.

"You still want to frame Ling Zhang now. Do you think we are all blind?"

Ling Zhang just watched the drama. Seeing Jia Yuanling and the four people behind him were hated by others when they showed their cloven hoof somehow worked off his anger. But at the same time, he also felt sad for the past him.

In the past, these people could be easily guided by others to curse him himself. Now, even though they all cursed the real culprits, it also led Ling Zhang to believe that it was impossible to rely on these ignorant guys to reach a fair judgment. He must be strong enough to influence others. That was the only way to fight for fair justice for himself.

Jia Yuanling's sophistry was useless. The guests present thought they were not fools to be easily deceived and they angrily scolded Jia Yuanling when they saw that he was still framing Ling Zhang at this point.

Jia Yuanling staggered a few steps backwards unsteadily. Looking at Ling Zhang's cold and sarcastic eyes, he trembled all over. His dull and muddled mind sobered up a bit under the stimulation as something flashed in his mind.

"It's you!" Jia Yuanling gnashed the teeth in anger as he shouted, "You did all this!"

Ling Zhang queried with a sneer, "Were you not the ones who committed adultery with your father's concubine? Aren't you guys in heat now? Isn't the jade pendant yours? Were you not the ones who were caught on the spot? What does all this have anything to do with me?"

Jia Yuanling was forced to step back by a series of questions from Ling Zhang. He had a guilty conscience and now understood that Ling Zhang had already discovered their conspiracy; so although he was clear that Ling Zhang did not answer his questions directly, he didn't dare to confront Ling Zhang in front of others.

"If you don't want people to know it, never do it. Jia Yuanling, you know clearly about what you have done today so you shouldn't blame me for being ruthless."

Jia Yuanling looked at Ling Zhang in disbelief and panic, "You, you......"

Jia Yuanling's awkward appearance afforded general satisfaction. Ling Zhang clenched his fist tight behind the back to hold back all the excitement in his heart. He finally found a tiny outlet for his resentment that he had accumulated after he crawled back from the evil ghost heap. But it wasn't enough, and he wanted more than that.

"Lord Tao, what is the law for a son who has committed adultery with his father's concubine?"

This sentence suppressed all the voices. The whole backyard was silent and everyone was staring at Ling Zhang.

Just now Ling Zhang's vigorous and resolute manner impressed all, and now they looked at Ling Zhang with a subtle exploration.

This Ling family's young master had become different. The man who used to be gentle and courteous to almost weak suddenly became cruel and fierce, making people wonder if he was pretending to be fragile before, but now he was the real Ling Zhang.

Tao Feng, the prefect of Tanyang, thought the same way. People who were used to schemes of official circles all were crafty. The best way to deal with this matter was to let them solve it privately by themselves. Whoever intervened in the matter would incur trouble for himself. So he tried not to be noticed just now, but unexpectedly he still became the focus because of a word from Ling Zhang. If it had been in the past, Tao Feng might have thought Ling Zhang as a big fool, but now Tao Feng couldn't help wondering if Ling Zhang did this for any other purpose.

"If Jia family notifies the local government, then according to the law, both Jia Yuanling and the concubine committed adultery. Jia Yuanling should be sentenced to exile for ten years and the concubine executed. If Jia family chooses to solve it privately, then according to the law, adultery can be dealt in private. Jia family can do whatever they want to do with Jia Yuanling and the concubine."

Tao Feng's answer was very cautious and it sounded objective without any mistakes.

But Jia family would certainly choose to deal with this matter privately as long as Jia Yin was not completely out of mind.

"And if the crime of framing is added? Although I am not talented, I also have a degree as a scholar. Jia Yuanling just slandered me and everyone here heard it. If I insisted on notifying the government, what should Jia Yuanling be sentenced to?" Ling Zhang asked again.

Suddenly, Tao Feng finally understood what Ling Zhang really wanted to do: He was going to declare war with Jia family completely.

Tao Feng looked into Ling Zhang's eyes, saying slowly, "Falsely framing a person with fame and reputation, Jia Yuanling is unpardonable; and according to the law, he should bear the crime he himself falsely accused, that is being banished for three thousand miles away and forced to do labor for twenty years."

With a bang, Jia Yuanling fell to the ground feebly and the servants of Jia family were frightened. However, Jia Yin was in a coma, and no other member of Jia family was there to preside over the situation, resulting in chaos.

Twenty years' banishment for three thousand miles, once implemented, would mean that Jia Yuanling's life was doomed with no prospect.

But if Jia Yuanling had framed Ling Zhang successfully, Ling Zhang would be the one doomed.

Therefore, everyone present didn't think that Ling Zhang was cruel. Instead, they were surprised by the sudden change of Ling Zhang.

"Childe Ling!" Suddenly there was a woman's voice. A noble woman followed by a group of servants walked out from the corner. "Since Yuanling has made a mistake, he should take the consequences, even the banishment. As his mother, I will never screen him. However..."

"Please allow me to stop the farce for the present. Domestic shame shouldn't be made public. All guests please move to the living room for a while. As our Jia family have troubled you so much today, our Master will definitely make apologies in person after dealing with today's farce."

This woman was Jia Yin's wife and Jia Yuanling's mother, Fang shi. When Fang arrived, the servants of Jia family seemed to have finally found someone they could fall back on. The fainted Jia Yin was quickly taken away to the doctor. An old maid took a cloth to cover the body of the dancing girl casually, and four or five strong men tied the four unconscious young Childes toughly, including Jia Yuanling.

Fang was quick in action, but Ling Zhang must make sure that Jia Yuanling was convicted today!

"Mrs. Jia is really awesome, and that makes me, a junior, involuntarily admire. But since I am the victim, I should have the right to ask the government to arrest Jia Yuanling for the case immediately. Am I right, Lord Tao?" Ling Zhang looked at Tao Feng.

Fang's face froze for a moment as the calmness on her face was gradually replaced by a trace of hatred with a pair of cold eyes looking coldly at Ling Zhang.

Ling Zhang wasn't a bit intimidated. Fang shi was nothing compared to the demons he had seen. Caught in between the two, Tao Feng felt quite awkward, "This..."

"Lord Tao, you are the biggest magistrate of Tanyang. Although our Ling family is not a noble family, it is not worse than their Jia. Is it true that Lord Tao is biased towards Jia family?"

With his heart missing a beat, Tao Feng looked at Ling Zhang's sharp eyes.

At this time, Tao Yi behind Tao Feng suddenly said, "Childe Ling has misunderstood it. My father came as a guest today, we need send people to the Prefecture Yamen (public office) to call the yamen runners to arrest Jia Yuanling."

Ling Zhang turned to look at Tao Yi who looked back leisurely with even appreciation in eyes.

'Appreciation?' Ling Zhang felt so puzzled. In his previous life, he and Tao Yi had nothing to do with each other as Tao Yi had been studying in the capital, not in Tanyang all the year round. As far as he had known, Tao Yi didn't stay long in Tanyang. Tao Yi left Tanyang shortly after what had happened in Jia family, and Ling Zhang hadn't heard Tao Yi's return even by the time catastrophe befell Ling family.

In his previous life, Ling Zhang did not have any impression on Tao Yi. And he did not understand why Tao Yi changed his attitude in this life.

Temporarily suppressing this doubt, Ling Zhang said, "I see. It's okay. This junior is willing to wait. Mrs. Jia has no objection, right? After all, you just said that even if Jia Yuanling was banished you would not try to intervene."

Ling Zhang's sharp and indifferent eyes met Fang's cold and ferocious stare. The two sides confronted each other for a moment, and finally Fang looked away. She lowered her gaze, showing a little weakness, "Childle Ling, of course, I will not eat my words. But Yuanling always treats you as his younger brother. Today, he was drunk and confused, so he did stupid things. I apologize to you on behalf of him. Why must you put him to death?"

"Mrs. Jia is wrong. First, although Jia Yuanling drank some wine today, he could still set a trap calmly with a clear head. And no one here is blind, so we can see that. Second, even if he was drunk, the fact that he committed adultery with his father's concubine cannot be denied. And he slandered me. Now that these are all facts, it is him who ignored our years of friendship at first. It is undoubtedly logical for me to kick back. Therefore, everything happened today was because of Jia Yuanling's being shameless and heartless at first and it was not my hope to put him to death. If Mrs. Jia still intercedes for him, you will be the one who throws weight around."

"You!" Fang was infuriated and raised her head to glare angrily at Ling Zhang.

"Lord Tao, please inform the yamen runners as soon as possible." Ling Zhang said to Tao Feng.

Tao Feng was helpless that Ling Zhang was reasonable and he was the victim. With so many people looking, it was unreasonable that Tao Feng didn't accept the case immediately.

陶義悄悄扯了一下陶灃的衣袖，低聲對他說:"父親，您何必苦惱，今日事乃是賈家的錯，又是眾目睽睽之下，您只管秉公處理，別人斷不會嚼舌根說什麼，賈家也埋怨不到您頭上。您要是再猶豫，反倒是落人口實了。" Tao Yi quietly pulled the sleeves of Tao Feng, and whispered, "Father, why do you bother yourself? What happened today is Jia family's fault, and it is under the public gaze. You only need to handle it according to law. Others will not blame you and the Jia family shouldn't complain about you. If you hesitate again, you will be blamed."

Tao Feng's eyes lit up as he whispered, "Father is confused, and you are right."

Tao Feng immediately sent someone to inform yamen runners to come here. And instead of feeling being thrown in a dilemma, he took a hard-line stance.

Fang's face suddenly became pale. With her hands squeezing the handkerchief tightly, she looked at Ling Zhang as if she would like to cut a piece of meat from Ling Zheng.

"No, Lord Tao, I was just being silly. And I didn't really want to slander Ling Zhang." Knowing that Tao Feng really wanted to arrest him to the Prefecture Yamen, Jia Yuanling suddenly panicked, "Please forgive me, you junior, this time, for Jia family's sake!"

"Lord Tao," Fang chimed in, "What about inviting the governor here to help you with this case?"

Ling Zhang's face turned cold. But before he said anything, he saw Tao Feng pulling a long and chilling face, "Mrs. Jia, it is this officer's own business to deal with the convict and others have no right to intervene."