jdhmnovel Chapter 532 You've really lost all your virtue!
Chapter 532 You've really lost all your virtue!
Faced with Yang Shaofeng's question, Steward Hu knelt down without hesitation and said, "Reporting to Your Highness, I did not see Chen Da on the seventh day of the tenth month and do not know where Chen Da went."
After glancing cautiously at Yang Shaofeng, Butler Hu continued, "Later, Madam Wang did come to my master's mansion several times, but Chen Da didn't come, and I couldn't conjure up a son for her out of thin air. Later, annoyed by the disturbance, I ordered people to beat her out with sticks."
With Steward Hu taking the lead in denying it, Hu Dechang immediately perked up and exclaimed, "Steward is right. This humble citizen has indeed never seen any Chen Da or Chen Er. Perhaps Chen Da came to my house for a stroll and then ran off to somewhere else?"
At this point, Hu Dechang turned to the butler and said, "Butler, take a thorough inventory of the house later and see if anything is missing. Could it be that Chen Da stole something and fled to avoid punishment?"
In just a few words, Butler Hu and Hu Dechang completely absolved themselves of the blame, even framing Chen Da with the crime of fleeing from justice.
Such a talent for distorting the truth truly broadened Yang Shaofeng's horizons.
Yang Shaofeng sneered and pointed at Hu Dechang's neighbor: "Hu Dechang, all your neighbors saw Chen Da go to your house on the seventh day of the tenth month. Are you trying to say they saw it wrong? Or are you trying to say I heard it wrong?"
Hu Dechang glanced at Huo Lingyue, the prefect of Laizhou, and tentatively said, "Your Highness, these unruly people may be jealous of my family's wealth and are deliberately framing me."
As soon as Hu Dechang finished speaking, the expressions of several neighbors who were standing near him changed drastically.
False accusations will result in punishment.
These four words mean that if someone intentionally falsely accuses another person, then the person who makes the false accusation will be charged with the corresponding crime.
For example, if Zhang San falsely accuses Li Si of treason, but Li Si did not actually commit treason, then Zhang San will bear the crime of treason. Whether Zhang San originally intended to commit treason is irrelevant.
The same applies to other crimes such as murder, robbery, and theft.
Even for perjury, the punishment is usually one hundred strokes of the cane and three years of penal servitude. If the perjury results in death, the perpetrator may also be sentenced to hanging.
Hu Dechang's statement about "false accusation" is tantamount to saying that his neighbor not only committed perjury but also made false accusations.
The combined result is an increased punishment for false accusation.
If this charge is actually brought to light, every one of these neighbors will face at least 100 strokes of the cane or three years of penal servitude, and they might even lose their heads.
The neighbors became increasingly frightened and angry as they thought about it, and immediately started pointing at Hu Dechang and cursing him.
"Hu Dechang! This autumn, more than just Chen Da will be missing!"
"Every year, Yexian County loses a few beggars. And which of those missing beggars can be absolved of your responsibility?"
"No one could deal with you before, but now the Emperor and the Prince Consort are personally here to question you. Let's see what you can do!"
"Hu Dechang, you should just keep calling yourself Hu Chang from now on, you're really lacking in virtue!"
"..."
The neighbors' cacophony of criticism against Hu Dechang actually piqued Yang Shaofeng's interest.
So it turns out there's more than just Chen Da's case?
Why are you bringing up Old Deng's former colleagues?
Thinking of this, Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but glance at Emperor Zhu again.
Emperor Zhu was furious.
What are you looking at, you bastard?
We used to be beggars, but that was begging, which is different from being a beggar!
wrong.
Damn it, I almost lost my mind from anger.
This bastard even made fun of us before, calling us beggar's chicken!
While beggar's chicken is indeed delicious, that's no reason for you to make fun of us!
Seeing Old Deng's face turn pale and then red, Yang Shaofeng immediately shrank back, grabbed the gavel and slammed it down, shouting, "Shut up! Speak one by one!"
Once the hall had quieted down, Yang Shaofeng pointed to the man who had first spoken up and berated Hu Dechang, and ordered, "Tell me your name and tell me everything you know."
The person pointed out by Yang Shaofeng bowed respectfully to Yang Shaofeng and replied, "In response to Your Highness, my name is Hu Er. I am a cousin of Hu Dechang, who is only a few degrees removed from the main branch. However, Hu Dechang's side is the main branch, while my family is a branch. We have never been very close. Apart from New Year's Day, we just exchange greetings and have no other contact at all."
First, he distanced himself completely from the relationship, then Hu Er continued, "Because of my ancestors, I lived very close to Hu Dechang's family. On the seventh day of the tenth month, I did see Chen Da go to Hu Dechang's house."
After a slight pause, Hu Er added, "Actually, it wasn't just Chen Da who mysteriously disappeared on the seventh day of the tenth month."
"That morning, a dozen or so day laborers went to Hu Dechang's house, but by the time they finished work in the evening, three of them were gone."
Yang Shaofeng hummed in agreement, then pointed to the person who had mentioned Lao Deng traveling with him earlier and instructed, "You should also give your name and tell me everything you know."
The man also bowed respectfully to Yang Shaofeng and replied, "Your Highness, my name is Liu San, and I am a peddler who travels from street to street."
"Because I often walk around the streets and alleys of the county town, most of the common people have some impression of where there are more or fewer beggars in the county town."
"Originally, I didn't pay much attention to it. After all, these beggars go around begging for food everywhere. Maybe one day they'll go begging for food somewhere else, or they might starve to death somewhere."
"But one day, I happened to come home a little late and saw that Hu Dechang's guards had knocked out several beggars from the west of the city and then taken them away on a cart."
Liu San curled up and said cautiously, "I'm too timid to follow them and don't know where they took those beggars."
"..."
As one neighbor after another came forward to identify the suspect, Yang Shaofeng became completely numb.
Good guy.
They secretly knocked out the beggar and transported him away, then made him disappear under the guise of hiring temporary workers.
Hu Dechang's neighbor was right. This guy should be called Hu Chang, not Hu Dechang. After all, it's rare to see someone as despicable as him.
Unfortunately, Hu Dechang was also a bit cunning and had no conscience. His targets were always orphans without parents, or unfortunate souls who couldn't be relied on by their clan and only had an old mother left at home.
Yang Shaofeng sneered and looked at Hu Dechang, asking, "Hu Chang, what else do you have to say?"
Hu Dechang collapsed to the ground, glancing cautiously at Huo Lingyue, only to find that Huo Lingyue had no reaction at all.
Instead, Butler Hu kowtowed to Yang Shaofeng with a bang and shouted, "Chen Da has been arrested and sent to the coal mine for hard labor! It was Hu Dechang who ordered his arrest. I was just following orders!"
“I have been working as the steward for the Hu family. The lives of the whole family are in Hu Dechang’s hands. I dare not disobey his orders. I hope Your Highness will understand!”
"Oh, and those beggars who were arrested were also sent to hard labor camps!"
At this point, Butler Hu steeled his resolve and turned his gaze to Huo Lingyue.
Following Butler Hu's gaze, Yang Shaofeng immediately perked up.
Judging from this, it seems that Huo Lingyue is also involved in this?
Holy crap, the disappearance of Chen Da has implicated a prefect of the fourth rank?
Could it be that the officials of the Ming Dynasty are cursed by me?
Tsk tsk, I've heard a lot about people being afflicted by the Grand Duke Jupiter, but this is the first time I've heard of someone being afflicted by their own official position!