When presiding over a case, Mr. Cheng consistently insisted on having both witness testimony and material evidence, ensuring the proceedings were open and transparent while strictly prohibiting any private dealings.

Thanks to his fairness and integrity, the people trusted his character, and thus Mr. Cheng held great prestige in Qingshui County.

Today, as he held court, Mr. Cheng sat high beneath a black-lacquered plaque that read, "The World Belongs to the People." To his left and right, rows of bailiffs stood at attention.

In front of the two rows of bailiffs, the plaintiff, Madam Li, and two servants from the Zheng Family knelt on the left. On the right knelt the three men from the Chen household: the father, his son, and his son-in-law.

If one held the title of Scholar, they did not need to kneel before an official. However, Zhao Jing and De’an were merely student candidates, still two steps away from achieving that rank.

Without such a rank, they were required to kneel in the courtroom. To do otherwise would be to incur the charge of "contempt of court."

Chen Song, on the other hand, had performed a great service in the "treasure chest" affair and had been exceptionally promoted to County Aide. Although a County Aide was only a minor eighth-rank official, it was a government official’s post, not a clerk’s, which exempted him from kneeling.

That Chen Song chose to kneel anyway was a mark of his shrewdness.

He was, after all, the Lord County Magistrate’s trusted confidant. If the plaintiffs knelt while he stood, he would naturally come across as arrogant.

It is instinctual for the people to sympathize with the weak. By standing, he would not just be opposing the plaintiffs, but all the common people.

So, to avoid attracting this silent resentment, and to make things easier for the County Magistrate, what was the harm in kneeling?

Sure enough, when Chen Song knelt, the look Mr. Cheng gave him held a subtle hint of approval.

Chen Song was astute and capable, possessed both wisdom and courage, was meticulous, and handled matters with fairness. He even seemed to have a bit of good luck on his side. All these qualities had prompted Mr. Cheng to groom him as a trusted confidant.

And Chen Song had not disappointed. Over the past four years, his performance had been outstanding, and he had repeatedly distinguished himself. Not only had he surpassed all the other constables in the county government, rising to the top despite being a latecomer, but he had also assisted in cracking numerous cases, becoming a man Mr. Cheng relied upon like a right hand.

Chen Song had not grown arrogant from the favor shown to him. On the contrary, he had become even more cautious, careful to protect his reputation and maintain a low profile. Mr. Cheng was truly pleased with his character.

Regarding today’s matter, Mr. Cheng wouldn’t have believed the accusation even if it had come from someone else, let alone from the Zheng and Li families, who were known to hold a grudge against Chen Song.

’Accusing Chen Song of stealing the examination papers is tantamount to accusing me, the County Magistrate, of colluding with him.’

’The county examination is my sole domain. I’m the one who writes the questions, and I’m the one who grades the papers and ranks the candidates.’

’But these chosen candidates aren’t just meant to be mascots for Qingshui County.’

’They carry another, heavier responsibility: to go to the Prefecture for the prefectural and academy examinations. They are there to show the Lord Prefect what progress the scholars of Qingshui County have made under my guidance.’

’This is a reflection of my political achievements, a part of my legacy. How could I let someone ruin my career over this!’ 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

’This whole affair today is a complete farce. But even a farce must be dealt with properly.’

’Because this stunt by the Zheng and Li families is vicious and malicious. One misstep, and the reputations of Zhao Jing and Chen De’an will be ruined.’

’The ancients had sayings for this: "Good news never leaves the gate, while bad news travels a thousand leagues." And, "A lie can be told with one mouth, but you’ll run your legs off trying to disprove it."’

’A scholar’s reputation is paramount. If it’s ruined, his future is, too.’

These thoughts flashed through Mr. Cheng’s mind in an instant. Then, he slammed his gavel down, his voice booming, "Those who are kneeling, state your names."

Madam Li, the two servants from the Zheng Family, along with Chen Song and the two men with him, all stated their names.

But they had only gotten this far when Madam Li’s legs began to tremble, and cold sweat streamed down her face.

Before Mr. Cheng could say anything else, she summoned her courage and said, "Your Honor, we’re not pressing charges anymore. We want to withdraw the case. We’ll just go home now... may we?"

Mr. Cheng let out an exasperated laugh.

’Ignorant woman. What does she take this court for?’

’A vegetable market?’

’A place where she can come and go as she pleases?!’

And Mr. Cheng’s furious shout reflected his thoughts.

His cold voice boomed with official authority. Never mind Madam Li, whose face was deathly pale, her clothes soaked with cold sweat. The two servants from the Zheng Family had only been ordered to come and cause a scene. They never expected to be dragged into a formal court hearing.

The two men’s composure shattered. Before Mr. Cheng could even question them, they began confessing one after the other. "Your Honor, we are guilty. We should never have fabricated facts to slander the three men of the Chen family. But we were only acting on orders! The one who ordered us was the mistress of our household. Your Honor, we know we were wrong. We beg you, seeing as we were just following orders and are admitting our guilt, please spare us this one time."

Mr. Cheng felt that even a cold sneer would be a waste of effort. He looked at Qi Lan and ordered on the spot, "Go to the Zheng Family residence. Bring the suspect here."