CHAPTER 478: CHAPTER 478: BAO FAMILY

Zou Chengzu peered through the slightly ajar window at Zou Chengji and a few others, howling and swearing in the courtyard, feeling utterly disgusted. This group of people were actually his blood relatives.

After a while, he withdrew his gaze and looked beside him at Zou Lanhua. Her face was deathly pale, and her thin, hollowed-out face was filled with terror, leaving him with a heavy heart.

Lanhua used to be a gentle and generous lady, but now in just over two months, she had been frightened into this state.

"Lanhua, hang in there for just a few more days, and we’ll be able to leave this place," Zou Chengzu whispered to Zou Lanhua.

Upon hearing this, the deadness in Zou Lanhua’s eyes immediately dispersed, a glimmer of light sparked in her eyes as she shakily asked, "Brother, are you really telling the truth? Can we, can we really leave this place?"

How could that be possible, the Lord County Magistrate would never let them go. They were Zou family members and their grandfather had committed the great crime of capital punishment that required execution for nine generations; not only did they have to die, but the relatives of the Zou family’s ancestral home would also be executed.

Zou Chengzu nodded and said, "Yes, it’s true. Just wait peacefully, grandfather and Uncle Bao won’t let us perish in the Zou family’s mire."

After their mother died, someone from the Bao Family had come, though they were chased away by the grandfather, Elder Bao and Uncle Bao would not stop there, they would definitely take this opportunity to stir a scene in the Prefecture.

However, Zou Lanhua was not so optimistic, she worriedly said, "Even the Lord County Magistrate does not allow our grandmother and grandfather to divorce, even if grandfather and Uncle Bao want to save us, what can they possibly do?"

Zou Chengzu did not say much, only firmly told Zou Lanhua, "You will not die here, you will definitely be able to leave, just wait peacefully."

He had reached adulthood and might not be able to leave, but Lanhua, being a young woman, had a seventy percent chance of being rescued by Elder Bao’s family.

Zou Chengzu guessed correctly; the Bao Family had already kicked up a storm in the Prefecture.

Elder Bao had been paralyzed in bed for two years following a stroke, yet he had his servants carry him to the Prefecture Government Office, personally crying for justice. He accused the Zou family of plotting against his daughter’s life, mistreating his grandson and granddaughter, and declared he would sever ties with the Zou family, vowing to have nothing to do with them until death.

Elder Bao was a scholar, and his family was truly one of those that passed on the tradition of agriculture and education. Not only did Elder Bao’s family come, but every male of the Bao clan, as well as the scholars in the Bao Family’s kin, all came, kneeling outside the government office; making it impossible for Deputy Magistrate Hu not to handle the case.

After Elder Bao was carried into the tribunal of the Prefecture Government Office, he submitted his petition, tearfully said, "Lord Deputy Magistrate, the Zous are worse than beasts... My daughter Xian Niang, on the Qiqiao Festival, was driven by the Zous to crash into a pillar to her death... My grandson and granddaughter, knowing about the Zous’ filthy acts... Zou Youlian, fearing that the children would speak out, directly locked them up and even sent servants to abuse them... You must stand up for this old man."

Elder Bao’s speech was not coherent, his words fragmented, but because of this, it appeared even more pitiful.

Deputy Magistrate Hu, solemn and resolute in appearance, flipped through the petition paper Elder Bao had submitted and questioned, "Is there any evidence?"

Although Deputy Magistrate Hu had not gone to suppress the river bandits, he was aware of the major uproar caused by the case, and now with the Bao Family submitting a petition to accuse the Zou family, he knew without thought, they wished to rescue the Bao children before anyone from the Capital arrived.

The reason the entire Bao clan came was simple; it was to protect the whole Bao Family. The crime committed by County Magistrate Zou was capital punishment for nine generations. Once the sentence was decided, the Bao clan would also be implicated.

Deputy Magistrate Hu felt that the Bao Family’s actions might be setting him up, but having served as Deputy Magistrate in He’an Prefecture for three years, he knew Elder Bao was an upright person and thus did not harbor any resentment.

"Yes." Uncle Bao immediately had a servant brought over.

This person was Maid of Ms. Bao, now the lady housekeeper, and as soon as she entered the courtroom, she presented two blood letters.

One was written by Zou Chengzu about how he and his sister were unlawfully detained by the Zou family, and how County Magistrate Zou hinted at having the servants beat them daily. The blood letter also stated, begging the Bao family to save his sister, that as long as his sister were rescued from the dreadful situation in the Zou family, he wouldn’t mind suffering there himself.

The other blood letter, incredibly, was written by Ms. Bao.

It was written before she ran into a pillar by biting her hand and writing inside her sleeve, merely a hasty ten words: save the child, the Zou family forced me to death by pillar!

On the blood letter, there was also a bloody handprint of Ms. Bao, unmistakable as false.

Zou Chengzu’s blood letter was one thing, but Ms. Bao’s was written on the day she died by running into a pillar, on the Qiqiao Festival on the seventh day of July, when County Magistrate Zou had not yet been captured.

Ms. Huang cried, "This servant was dressing the lady for her burial, saw the blood letter inside the sleeve, immediately cut the sleeve off and hid it, carrying it for two months before finding a chance to run back to the Prefecture and deliver the message to the Bao family."

Deputy Magistrate Hu had both blood letters verified, and after comparing the handprint on Ms. Bao’s blood letter with the marriage certificate stored in the Prefecture Government Office, he accepted Ms. Bao’s blood letter as evidence.

As for Zou Chengzu’s blood letter, since there was no handprint in the Prefecture Government Office for comparison, it was only collected but could not be used as evidence.

Deputy Magistrate Hu stared at Ms. Huang and asked, "You found Ms. Bao’s blood letter on the day of the Qiqiao Festival. Why didn’t you immediately send it to the Bao family? After Ms. Bao died, the Bao family came to the Zou family seeking justice, why didn’t you hand over the blood letter then?"

At this, he slapped the gavel, startling Ms. Huang, who hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Your Excellency is wise, at the time County Magistrate Zou was deeply afraid his affair would be exposed; he was strictly monitoring us. It was not until after the Bao family members left, and a couple of months had passed, that we concubines of the Bao family could occasionally leave the mansion, but the young master and the young mistress were continuously confined, not allowed to step outside at all."

She cried while speaking about how Zou Chengzu and his sister were only fed spoiled porridge at the Zou family and were also beaten by the servants.

Deputy Magistrate Hu, not wanting to listen to her crying, slammed the gavel to silence her, asked a few questions to Elder Bao and Uncle Bao, then said, "You are also aware of County Magistrate Zou’s case. It’s difficult to handle your family’s matter; I must first submit it for Lord Magistrate’s review before a decision can be made."

Deputy Magistrate Hu took the case files and went behind the government office to find Magistrate Liang, and informed him of the Bao family’s situation.

Magistrate Liang, recently overwhelmed with work, frowned and said, "This Bao family really knows how to cause trouble."

Yet, Elder Bao is a scholar, has taught many students in his life, holds some fame in the Prefecture, and, being over sixty and plagued by many diseases, had personally come; it was difficult for him to disregard it.

Magistrate Liang could only take over the case files and meticulously review them, then asked, "Does the Bao family have such dissatisfaction with the Zou family? Did they submit a divorce paper to the Prefecture Government Office after Mrs. Bao’s death?"

Deputy Magistrate Hu said, "It was submitted, around mid-July, right after Mrs. Bao’s burial from the Zou family. But it is stuck on the Zou side, as the Zou family is unwilling, saying that since Mrs. Bao is already buried in the Zou family ancestral grave, there’s no precedent for a divorce after burial."

He then handed over the Bao family’s divorce paper to Magistrate Liang.