Lianniang at first still refused to admit it. When she saw the officers bring in the shop clerk who sold the medicine, her face turned deathly pale, and she couldn't help but feel panicked inside.
Fang Zichen had not reported the incident to the authorities for several days. Her maidservant had advised her, reasoning that Fang Zichen was a man who valued his reputation. Even though he was the victim in this matter, if word spread, it would still reflect poorly on him. For scholars, saving face was more important than anything. Furthermore, he lacked powerful connections or influence, so he likely would not dare to make the matter public.
But Lianniang just couldn't feel at ease. She had her maidservant take twenty taels to the shop clerk who sold the medicine, telling him to keep his mouth shut.
Magistrate Jiang asked the shop clerk if he recognized Lianniang and the other woman. The clerk glanced extremely quickly at Lianniang, then lowered his head: "This humble person... this humble person does not recognize them."
Lianniang breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're lying." Fang Zichen suddenly spoke up: "That day, I and So-and-so were strolling on the street. We clearly saw that Lianniang enter your shop with her maidservant, and we also saw with our own eyes you sell the medicine to the two of them. I witnessed it personally, and you still dare to lie? It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin. County Magistrate, this person, right here in the public court, still dares to spout lies. This shows he has no regard for you, Sir!"
[不见棺材不落泪 (bù jiàn guān cái bù luò lèi): lit. Not to shed a tear until one sees the coffin; fig. To refuse to admit defeat or acknowledge the truth until faced with undeniable, dire consequences.]
The clerk hurriedly kowtowed: "Your Excellency, please see clearly! This humble person wouldn't dare, I truly wouldn't dare."
Before Magistrate Jiang could speak, Fang Zichen spoke again: "Your Excellency, how about you try giving him twenty strokes of the heavy bamboo? If he still doesn't confess after being beaten, I will go and summon So-and-so."
Landlord Jia, standing in the crowd, said: "Fang Tongsheng, by this action, are you seeking to extract a confession under torture?"
"Not at all," Fang Zichen coughed twice again: "I am simply offering him a choice. Conspiring to harm a scholar who is eligible for an official post, and then refusing to confess when confronted in court—the punishment for this crime is no different from that of the mastermind."
When Fang Zichen first read this clause in the Da Xia legal code, he was shocked.
The shop clerk didn't understand this law fully, but he knew that plotting against such a scholar was a capital offense.
The Yang family incident from a few days ago had become the talk of the town. He had heard that the steward and Madam Yang were the masterminds behind it. He did not know how Madam Yang was sentenced, but the steward had already been sentenced to exile.
Although exile was not the same as an immediate death sentence, since ancient times, most people did not survive the journey into exile. Even if they managed to reach their destination, they were forced into hard labor, and most died within a few years anyway.
When Lianniang came to buy it before, he was just a shop clerk selling medicine, he didn't know who it was for. As long as it wasn't for his own use, if a customer came to his door, he would sell it.
The other day, the maidservant found him, gave him twenty taels, and told him to keep his mouth shut, to deny everything if anyone asked.
Since this kind of affair was ultimately a disgrace for an unmarried young lady, the shop clerk did not find the request particularly suspicious. Furthermore, such a potent medicine was not something to be discussed openly; the fewer people who knew about it, the better. Twenty taels was not a small sum, so he agreed to the request.
When the constables arrived to arrest him, the clerk was utterly stunned. He had never imagined the situation would escalate to such a serious degree. Upon learning that Lianniang's intended target for the drugging was none other than Fang Zichen, his mind went completely blank, filled only with a deafening ring.
Most commoners become so nervous upon entering the magistrate's court that their thoughts grow hazy. The constables standing on both sides, gripping meter-long clubs, stared at him as if ready to strike at any moment. The clerk could not stop his entire body from trembling.
"I'll talk, I'll talk."
There was no other way but to confess.
He was terrified that if Fang Zichen really summoned So-and-so as a witness, the matter would spiral completely out of control.
Lianniang's eyes were wide with fury, her body swaying as if about to fall.
The maidservant rushed forward, wanting to cover his mouth, but was restrained by a constable.
The clerk pointed at the maidservant beside Lianniang and said: "Your Excellency, it was this young woman who bought the medicine from me back then."
Magistrate Jiang said: "Is this statement true? If you dare utter another half-falsehood, this official will reward you with twenty strokes of the heavy bamboo."
The clerk lay prostrate on the ground: "This humble person wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare~"
Magistrate Jiang pointed at that maidservant: "But this contradicts what you said earlier. Jiang Xiaoliu, this official gives you one more chance. Do you recognize her or not?"
"I do," the clerk said: "Six days ago, she came to my shop with Miss Jia to buy medicine."
When buying this kind of unspeakable, underhanded medicine, masters often send their servants. But Lianniang came in person with her maidservant, and the inquiries were about this very type of medicine, so the clerk had formed an impression of the two of them.
"Then why did you say you didn't recognize them when this official asked you before?"
"They gave me twenty taels, Your Excellency. This lowly one knows he was wrong."
The maidservant stared fixedly at him: "Shut up, you shut up!"
Fang Zichen watched, feeling like laughing.
This shop clerk and Lianniang were real idiots.
If he had really seen it, would he have drunk the tea when Lianniang served it to him??
A young lady pretending to be a maidservant, personally serving him tea—just thinking about it suggested something fishy.
Having been drupped once before, how could he not be vigilant?
Besides, if he really had a witness, he would have called them ages ago.
Physician Xu hadn't gone into detail about Fang Zichen's condition, only saying that his foundation was damaged this time, and he couldn't go without medicine for the next four years.
But regarding that potent aphrodisiac produced in Huzhou back then, women might not recognize it or have heard of it, but the men had all heard a thing or two about it.
The side effects of that drug were extremely severe.
The fact that Fang Zichen couldn't stop taking medicine for four years showed that his body was truly severely damaged.
All eyes turned to Fang Zichen, who looked as though he were on death's doorstep. He leaned weakly against Zhao Ger's shoulder, wracked by a series of violent coughs.
This Miss Jia had truly caused grievous harm!
At this point, the case could be declared concluded.
"Husband," Zhao Ger suddenly said: "You're coughing up blood? Can you still hold on?"
"It's... cough... nothing..." Fang Zichen opened his hand, revealing a handkerchief with a conspicuous patch of red in the center.
He was already coughing up blood.
Zhao Ger's eyes reddened: "I told you to drink your medicine, but you refused. You drank it the last couple of days and finally improved a bit, enough to come to town with me to sell the chili paste. But why didn't you drink it yesterday? Now you're coughing up blood. If something serious were to happen to you, how would our son and I go on living?"
Fang Zichen sighed: "...There isn't much silver left at home."
"Wahh... Guaizai won't eat food anymore, Guaizai can work now! Guaizai will go gather firewood to sell! Guaizai doesn't want father to die! Guaizai wants father! Wahh..." Guaizai hugged his leg, weeping uncontrollably.
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