645 Hand over the Jade Pendant
After Zhang Yuanbin finished beating the drum, the court began.
When the Ji brothers became the defendant and were brought to court, they didn’t kneel when they saw Zhou Changsheng.
Zhou Changsheng was wearing an official’s uniform and hat. He walked out with a serious expression.
Sitting in the hall, he held the gavel and smacked it, saying, ” who is this? ”
Zhang Yuanbin knelt down and said, ” I, Zhang Yuanbin, pay my respects to you, Sir!”
Zhou Changsheng asked again, ” Zhang Yuan bin, were you the one who beat the drum just now? ”
Zhang Yuanbin replied, ” yes, my Lord!”
Zhou Changsheng asked, ” who are you suing? ”
Zhang Yuanbin said, ” my Lord, the people I want to sue are Ji Changjin and Ji Changxuan. They owed me 78000 taels of silver, but they reneged on their debt and refused to pay the fee. I have no choice but to ask you to make the decision!”
When they heard Zhang Yuanbin say that the two of them owed 78000 taels, the crowd was shocked.
What on earth did they eat and live in that they spent so much?
After hearing Zhang yuanbin’s words, Ji Changjin immediately stomped his feet. He pointed at Zhang Yuanbin’s nose and scolded, ” you’re talking nonsense. We just accidentally broke some cheap things, and you’re asking for compensation at such an exorbitant price. You’re extorting!” Of course, he wouldn’t say that they had intentionally broken and damaged these things.
However, Zhang Yuanbin and Zhou Changsheng didn’t care about Ji changxuan’s anger.
Zhou Changsheng smacked the gavel and shouted, ” Who are you? How dare you make such a loud noise in court? ”
Ji Changxuan turned to Zhou Changsheng and said in disdain, ” Hmph, Zhou Changsheng, what are you pretending for? Do you not know me? ”
Zhou Changsheng’s brows furrowed. His eyes were sharp, and his expression was serious as he shouted angrily, ” How dare you! I’m a rank 7 County Magistrate. How can you be so presumptuous? Men, take this person away and give him ten heavy beatings!”
Ji changxuan’s face immediately turned red with anger. “How dare you!” he said angrily.
“Men, take him away!” Zhou Changsheng immediately shouted.
When he saw that the bailiffs were really going to drag Ji Changxuan down, Ji Changjin frowned and said to Zhou Changseng with a gloomy face, ” Lord Zhou, my brother is still young and doesn’t know the severity of his actions. Please forgive him this once, Lord Zhou.”
Although they had used their father’s light in Zhou Shan city to gain power and influence, when they arrived in anding County, they were alone and weak. If Zhou Changsheng really wanted to do something to them, they could only suffer in silence.
Hearing Ji Changjin’s words, Zhou Changseng turned his head and asked, ” Who are you? ”
Ji Changjin choked. Then, he said with a dark expression, ” I am Ji Changjin, the eldest son of the prefect of Zhou Shan, Lord Ji. I am also his elder brother!”
However, he was furious in his heart.
He cursed in his heart, ‘Zhou Changsheng, you actually dared to secretly intimidate us.’
When Zhou Changsheng heard him voluntarily report his name, he immediately shouted, ” Ji Changjin, so what if you’re the son of Zhou Shan magistrate, Lord Ji? You two don’t have any achievements or an official position. You have to kneel down in court! ”
Then, he turned around and asked, ” Zhang Yuanbin, are these two the people you’re suing today? ”
Zhang Yuanbin replied, ” yes, my Lord!”
Immediately, Zhou Changsheng picked up the gavel and slammed it heavily. He shouted, ” How dare you! Ji Changjin, Ji Changxuan, this is the court! How can you be so presumptuous? Kneel down!”
However, Ji Changxuan stubbornly raised his head and said arrogantly, ” I’m the son of Lord Ji, the Excellency prefect of Zhou Shan. If I don’t kneel, I’d like to see if you dare to hit me!” He still relied on his status to bully others, so what?
This was to tell everyone in the court that they were the sons of the magistrate. Therefore, they would not kneel to someone who was lower in rank than their father.
Zhou Changsheng held the gavel and shouted sternly, ” How dare you! This is the court. All those without achievements or official positions must kneel before me! The two of you have no achievements or official positions. You’re just the sons of officials. How can you not kneel? Men, make them kneel!”
