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Chapter 349
Chapter 349
Chapter 349
Gu Jing also doesn’t want to cause trouble, regardless of whether this matter was justifiable or not, in the end, it would be him who would lose face. If it reaches his emperor father’s ears, he may be even more dissatisfied with him so why not spend a little money to eliminate this kind of disaster and settle the matter.
Gu Jing faintly said, “Perhaps there is some ‘misunderstanding’.”
Master Xu and Madam Zhang were relieved when they heard these words.
Sure enough, how could a nobleman like the second prince expose his dirty linen outside and be seen as a joke.
The bantou didn’t oppose with these either and in fact, was eager to settle this matter. To him, it doesn’t matter what really happened, and doesn’t really care whether Qin Xin was once betrothed to this fool, as long as this matter doesn’t get too big.
Seeing that the people who were watching the excitement had almost dispersed, the bantou was about to call his subordinates to leave when another yamen came running, panting, he called out. “Bantou, bantou!”
The yamen quickly ran to the bantou’s side and whispered a few words into his ears.
The bantou’s complexion immediately changed, and his expression toward Qin Xin became extremely subtle. He ordered his subordinates, “Bring the Xu family back to Jingzhao.”
“….”
“……”
Both Master Xu and Madam Zhang were dumbfounded, not understanding how the bantou change his mind that quickly and became hostile.
The bantou bowed to Gu Jing in embarrassment and said, “Your Highness, the second prince, I’m afraid your family’s Madam Qin will have to accompany me to Jingzhao. Lord Hu said that a case requires Madam Qin to attend the court.”
Hearing this, Qin Xin was both alarmed and ashamed. She was alarmed because the bantou proposed to take her to Jingzhao, and ashamed because she was just a concubine now, even a mere bantou dared to call her Madam Qin.
Gu Jing’s expression also slightly changed, and naturally he couldn’t just let the bantou take Qin Xin away like this. He hugged Qin Xin’s shoulders even tighter and said, “I’ll go with her.” Looking very affectionate.
Madam Zhang noisily argued, “Why are you taking us to Jingzhao? We didn’t break the law!”
“Let go of us!”
But no matter how Madam Zhang clamored, the three of them couldn’t resist a government official, so they were all brought to Jingzhao.
In comparison, Qin Xin’s treatment was much better than that of the Xu’s. She arrived in a carriage with Gu Jing, but the two never talked along the way.
Uneasiness invaded Qin Xin’s mind as the road toward Jingzhao was enveloped in silence and her mood became more and more intense as if she was running in the dark forest and there was some unknown beast chasing her from behind that she could even hear the sound of the beast roaring in her ears.
She arrived at Jingzhao restless.
The public hall was shrouded in a solemn and civil atmosphere.
The capital magistrate sat on the high hall, with his yamen holding sticks on both sides, and a familiar man kneeling on the ground below, wearing heavy shackles on his hands and feet.
Qin Xin instantly recognized the man, it was her biological father, Li Jinzhu.
What the heck was going on here?
Qin Xin subconsciously wanted to call her dad but held back.
“Da…” The terrified Li Jinzhu saw Qin Xin coming and wanted to call his daughter as if grabbing a piece of driftwood.
But Qin Xing secretly wink at him, so he had to stop and closed his mouth again, not daring to let out the word “ya”.
The three members of the Xu family were all commoners, so they all knelt on the ground, however the foolish, Xu Jinpeng, didn’t know what was going on and stupidly asked. “Father, Mother, when are we going to bring my wife home?”
Master Xu felt uneasy, wishing he could sew his son’s mouth, he scolded. “Shut up.”
“Marquis, this way please.”
Outside the public hall, another unfamiliar male voice could be heard, Qin Xin looked back and saw that Qin Zhun seem to have also been invited by the magistrate.
By this time, there were already many people surrounding the Jingzhao public hall, after knowing that the magistrate opened the public hall they all rushed to watch the excitement and in a short time, they surrounded the gate tightly making it difficult for people to move.
It was the yamen’s cold voice who reprimanded them that made these gossipers retreat to both sides and make way for Qin Zhun.
Qin Zhun’s complexion doesn’t look good either, he has never been in a public court for the past thirty years of his life, it seems that this year was simply unlucky. In just a few months, it was the second time he has been to the court of Jingzhao.
Enduring the displeasure he felt, Qin Zhun curtsied to Gu Jing first, while Qin Xin acknowledge Qin Zhun as she calls him in a loud voice, “Father.”
The magistrate didn’t dare to put on any official authority in front of the second prince, so after some courtesies, he politely said, “This official has received a case of a woman promising two marriages, so the relevant people were all called out here today.”
He first looked at Master Xu and asked, “Mister Xu, has your son been engaged to a girl from the Li family?”
Master Xu was just an ordinary commoner, and when faced with people who have an oppressing presence, he long trembled in panic. He honestly nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, Your Excellency, I… this poor commoner still have a bride price letter and geng tie as evidence.”
Master Xu glared at Madam Zhang as he urged, “Hurry up and take out the bride price letter and geng tie.”
For Madam Zhang, the bride price letter and geng tie were like keys to their Xu family’s wealth, so she has always kept them close to her and dare not let others keep them. Hearing her husband, she immediately presented it to the bantou.
The magistrate shifted his gaze to the left and asked Li Jinzhu with a dignified expression, “Li Jinzhu, have you ever promised your only daughter to the Xu family?”
Li Jinzhu replied in a trembling voice, “My lord, yes.”
The magistrate instructed his subordinates to bring out a household register and asked Li Jinzhu to confirm, “Are the name and birth date on this register your daughter’s?”
Li Jinzhu nodded, “Yes, my lord.”
***