Regular Servant

Xue Shan asked Ma Yingshi for his opinion.

Ma Yingshi immediately straightened his expression and said slowly, "This official believes..."

"Whether Zhou Meng bullied a widow must be determined by Magistrate Xue after examining the case in court."

"What people see with their own eyes is not necessarily the truth!"

"Throughout history, there have been countless unjust and mistaken cases."

As he spoke, his sharp gaze landed on Su Mo. "If everyone were like Su Mo, believing that others had committed crimes and then attacking or even killing them, treating the Great Wu Law as nothing, wouldn't everything fall into chaos?"

After a pause, he added indifferently, "This man is merely a yamen hireling. Strictly speaking, he is just an ordinary commoner and has no authority to enforce the law!"

The moment these words were spoken, everyone's hearts tightened!

Chen Gan's face instantly darkened!

As expected of the Keeper of Records, the chief official in charge of the prison—he was thoroughly familiar with the Great Wu Law!

With a single remark, he had struck straight at the heart of the matter!

Assistant Servants and White Servants occupied positions just as awkward as that of a Keeper of Records among the officials!

When ordinary commoners became Assistant Servants or White Servants, they became Subordinate Clerks. The imperial court tacitly acknowledged this, and they were barred from taking the civil examinations for three generations.

But an unspoken rule was an unspoken rule.

Once it was brought into the open, it could no longer be treated as an unspoken rule. Everything had to be handled according to the law!

The Great Wu Law never stated that miscellaneous servants hired by the yamen were Subordinate Clerks!

If one was not part of the three squads of runners, one had no authority to enforce the law!

If a commoner claimed that someone had committed an offense and then directly beat him to death, what would happen if he were judged innocent? If everyone imitated him afterward, wouldn't the world be turned upside down?

The Keeper of Records' single sentence had completely changed the nature of the case!

The issue was no longer whether Zhou Meng had bullied a respectable woman, but whether Su Mo had been qualified to intervene and stop him!

The facts were obvious.

Su Mo had possessed no such qualification!

Everyone felt that Su Mo would be unable to escape disaster this time.

No matter how much the magistrate favored Su Mo, it was impossible for him to challenge the Great Wu Law for the sake of a mere White Servant!

Suddenly, an on-duty runner entered the courtroom. "Reporting to the magistrate, Geng Mingde, Clerk of the Personnel Office, requests an audience!"

Everyone looked at the runner in surprise.

What was Geng Mingde up to now? Couldn't he wait until court was adjourned?

This was a joint trial by four officials!

To everyone's surprise, Xue Shan slowly uttered a single word: "Admit him."

Geng Mingde, Clerk of the Personnel Office, entered the courtroom at a quick trot with a register in his hands.

"Geng Mingde, Clerk of the Personnel Office, greets the magistrate!"

Xue Shan nodded. "What matter do you have that requires you to see me while court is in session?"

Geng Mingde hurriedly replied, "In response to the magistrate, the matter I wish to report is directly related to this case!"

He paused, then continued, "Yesterday, Su Mo went with the Fast Squad to the Locust God Temple and rendered great service."

"The yamen has long had regulations concerning meritorious service. In this case, a miscellaneous servant who rendered meritorious service may be promoted to a Regular Servant."

"Yesterday, the Personnel Office promoted Su Mo to a Regular Servant of the yamen and entered it into the registers. We simply did not have time to announce it publicly, so I have come especially to report it to the magistrate."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Sanyuan's expression instantly changed!

In yesterday's case at the Locust God Temple, even if Su Mo had truly rendered meritorious service, he should have been promoted from White Servant to Assistant Servant! How could he have been promoted directly to Regular Servant?

Su Mo had beaten Zhou Meng after returning from the Locust God Temple.

Even if he had stayed behind to handle the aftermath at the Locust God Temple, it could not have taken much time, could it?

Could it be that the runners had just returned to the yamen, and the merits had already been assessed and rewards issued, with Su Mo immediately promoted?

How was that possible!

Did they take all of them for fools?

Just what kind of background did Su Mo have, that the yamen would favor him to such an extent?

Zhong Sanyuan's heart was already churning with stormy waves!

Xue Shan glanced at Geng Mingde, his face expressionless. "Bring me the yamen personnel register!"

A runner standing in attendance immediately stepped forward, took the register, and delivered it to the magistrate.

Xue Shan flipped through it briefly, then gestured for the runner to send it to Ma Yingshi.

Ma Yingshi looked at the register, his expression dark and uncertain.

In the end, he merely darkened his face and said no more.

Only then did Xue Shan say slowly, "Since Su Mo was promoted to a Regular Servant of the yamen yesterday afternoon and possesses the authority to enforce the law, he naturally could intervene when he saw Zhou Meng humiliating a respectable woman!"

He swept his gaze over the County Lieutenant and Chief Clerk. "This county believes that we can first remand the two men into custody. Once we find the aggrieved party, Madam Qin, we can reopen the court and conduct the examination."

Though Xu Feng was nearly sixty and old, he was not confused in the slightest.

The words "aggrieved party" alone were enough to reveal Xue Shan's attitude!

He finally spoke. "Magistrate Xue, this official believes there is no need for another examination!"

"This Zhou Meng has committed crime upon crime. Unless he is severely punished, the people's anger will not be appeased."

Chief Clerk Zhuang Shouchi also nodded. "There have been no shortage of incidents in Changping County lately. This official also believes there is no need to waste our efforts on this matter."

"Regardless of whether Zhou Meng bullied a respectable woman, Su Mo, as a Regular Servant, naturally had the duty to intervene and apprehend him, leaving the matter for the magistrate to decide. That his intervention went too far was unavoidable."

Only then did Xue Shan nod. "Very well!"

"Since County Lieutenant Xu and Chief Clerk Zhuang both hold this view, this official hereby announces..."

"In the case of Zhou Meng's accusation against Su Mo, no evidence of wrongdoing has been found. The case is hereby closed!"

After a pause, he said coldly, "Zhou Meng committed fornication with a woman, forcibly seized civilian farmland, and seriously injured the aggrieved party."

"Under the Great Wu Law, he shall be sentenced according to the more serious offenses!"

"I sentence Zhou Meng to one hundred strokes of the cane and exile for three thousand li. Zhou Meng, do you accept this?"

Zhou Meng had already collapsed completely on the ground. He looked toward Ma Yingshi in terror.

Unfortunately, Ma Yingshi merely wore a dark expression and did not spare him a glance.

Xue Shan seized a command tablet and flung it down directly.

"Strike him!"

The two cane-wielding servants immediately stepped forward.

They hooked Zhou Meng with their water-and-fire staves and flipped his limp body face-down.

The two of them then glanced at the Black Squad's squad leader. Seeing the squad leader point his right thumb toward the ground, they no longer hesitated.

One water-and-fire staff swung around and seemed to land lightly on Zhou Meng's lower back!

Yet Zhou Meng kicked both legs and let out a sudden, shrill howl, his entire body convulsing!

The onlooking commoners, unaware of the truth, began whispering among themselves.

"Can't take a hit at all!"

"That was such a light strike, yet he's screaming like that. Could he be putting on an act?"

"No wonder Su Mo broke his shoulder with a single punch!"

As the cane-wielding servants continued swinging their water-and-fire staves, each of Zhou Meng's cries grew shriller than the last. Then, as he kept screaming, his voice gradually weakened.

Before the hundred strokes had been completed, he had fallen utterly silent.

One of the cane-wielding servants stepped forward and tested his breathing, then reported to the magistrate, "Reporting to the magistrate..."

"The convict could not withstand the caning. He has stopped breathing."

Xue Shan said slowly, "Drag him away!"

His gaze then fell on Su Mo, and an unexpected trace of a smile appeared on his face. "Someone, put Su Mo in shackles!"

"Su Mo, you are now a Regular Servant of the yamen. Do your work properly from now on, and do not disappoint me!"

Even Su Mo had not expected the yamen to work so efficiently!

How long had it been since Yao Shitou had sent word?

As expected of a magistrate!

He had anticipated that Ma Yingshi would make an issue of Su Mo's status, and had already instructed the Personnel Office to arrange the identity of Regular Servant for him!

The system's reward had actually been delivered in this manner. It had truly been beyond Su Mo's expectations!

It seemed that this mission system followed the rules of reality in everything it did. It would not simply send the reward to him out of thin air!

Su Mo hurriedly said, "Many thanks to Your Excellency for enforcing the law impartially!"

"This humble one will certainly work diligently from now on and will never disappoint the magistrate!"

Xue Shan nodded and struck the courtroom desk with his wooden block. "Court dismissed!"

After the four chief officials of Changping withdrew,

the yamen's Subordinate Clerks finally turned their astonished gazes toward Su Mo one after another!

It was enough to shatter all common sense!

Runners held their posts for life. After retiring, they could even have their positions passed on to their descendants, and many senior runners had served for decades.

Yet no one had ever seen a defendant not only escape unscathed but also receive a promotion on the spot!

Could this Su Mo be the magistrate's illegitimate son?

Reading the wind and changing one's tack was the foremost survival skill of Subordinate Clerks!

Zhong Sanyuan, who had always disliked Su Mo, now approached with a beaming smile, patted Su Mo on the shoulder warmly and amiably, then turned and left!

Everything was conveyed without a word!

After Zhong Sanyuan left,

the entire yamen courtroom immediately grew lively.

The other Assistant Servants and White Servants looked at Su Mo with faces full of envy!

Chen Ping said with a beaming smile, "You brat! No wonder you dared to turn yourself in!"

"With connections like these, why didn't you tell Uncle Chen earlier? You made Uncle Chen worry half to death. Tonight, you must treat me to drinks!"

Su Mo nodded with a smile. "Naturally!"

"This youngster was ignorant before. From now on, I hope Uncle Chen will look after me a little more!"

Chen Ping rolled his eyes. "Tch!"

"We're both Regular Servants. What do you mean, who should look after whom?"

"Before long, you might be the one looking after Uncle Chen!"

He turned to Chen Gan and said with a smile, "Brother Chen, you have a fine nephew!"

The magistrate's favoritism toward Su Mo had practically been laid bare.

Everyone knew that Su Mo's position as a Regular Servant was absolutely temporary.

After some time passed, he would surely be headed for the position of Deputy Constable!