USWHC -Chapter 398 Openly Copying (Part 8)

Who were they pointing at?

Constable Hao looked around in surprise, only to see that everyone’s fingers were unanimously pointing at him. What the—he was the one being bullied, and these people were actually laughing? Did they have no sympathy at all?!

But unexpectedly, even the bailiffs burst into laughter. Their laughter, though coming from officers of the yamen, sounded even harsher than that of the common crowd.

Constable Hao instantly flew into a rage. What was this? Were they all making fun of him?

At that moment, however, the county magistrate deliberately cleared his throat and gave a heavy cough. “Well… Xiao Hao, why don’t you step down first?”

What? Even the magistrate wasn’t taking his side?

Constable Hao turned back in shock, only to see that even the magistrate could no longer hold it in and let out a snort of laughter.

You’ve got to be kidding!

Hao was completely dumbfounded. What was going on? Meanwhile, the magistrate kept waving his hand. “Go… go on down!”

Then, as if kindly reminding him, he added, “Go take a look in the mirror.”

A mirror? What kind of advice was that?

Hao hesitated for a moment, but the laughter around him was simply too piercing. He couldn’t bear to stay any longer, so he stormed off angrily.

But as soon as he stepped down, someone “kindly” handed him a mirror, wearing a mischievous grin.

What exactly was he supposed to look at?

“Ahhh—!” A sharp cry rang out. Hao snatched the mirror, then smashed it to the ground with a loud smack. “Ji Yi, just you wait! This isn’t over!” he roared, before turning and running inside.

At this point, the crowd could no longer hold back.

A middle-aged woman in a red jacket burst out laughing. “Did you see clearly? His face—so many bloody scratches! It looks just like something!”

“Like an animal, right?” another woman in a green floral jacket chimed in immediately.

“You’re so wicked!” the woman in red laughed.

“What? You don’t think it looks like one?” the woman in green asked, covering her mouth as she giggled.

“It does!” The woman in red covered her mouth as well, laughing mischievously.

“Like what? Like what?” Old Madam Ji eagerly leaned in, excited to know.

“Like a turtle sticking its head out!” the woman in green said, barely suppressing her laughter.

Old Madam Ji immediately nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes! Now that you mention it, it really does!”

Indeed, Constable Hao’s face was now a patchwork of bruises—crisscrossed with streaks of blood. The rows of marks on his large, flat face looked exactly like the patterned shell of a turtle. Coupled with his obviously swollen nose, didn’t he look just like a turtle stretching out its head?

At once, laughter erupted throughout the entire yamen. Even the magistrate could no longer suppress the crowd’s excitement, and for a moment, the courtroom descended into chaos.

“Silence! Silence!” The magistrate slammed the wooden block and shouted coldly, “No loud noise in the court!”

At his shout, the laughter finally subsided—though only somewhat. People were still whispering among themselves, and before long, the joke about Hao turning into a “turtle” had spread throughout the entire yamen.

The magistrate’s face darkened as he turned to Ji Yi and said sternly, “Ji Yi, how dare you blatantly cheat in the county examination. Do you admit your guilt?”

From his words, it was clear he had no intention of pursuing the matter of whether Ji Yi and Zhu Jie had knelt or not. In truth, he had his own difficulties—he wanted to pursue it, but lacked the ability. This troublesome couple was simply impossible to control!

“Your Honor, this humble scholar truly does not know what crime he has committed. I ask that you clarify!” Ji Yi said, standing tall.

Seeing his upright and fearless demeanor, the magistrate sneered. “Clarify? Then don’t blame me for making your exam paper public!”

Hearing this, Ji Yi became even more righteous. “Then please, Your Honor, go ahead!”

The magistrate let out a cold laugh. “Bring forth the exam paper!”

He actually ordered the paper to be brought up?

With such confidence, could it be that he truly had something to rely on?

Hearing this, Zhu Jie couldn’t help but feel suspicious. She secretly glanced at Ji Yi, only to see him standing there calmly, without the slightest trace of panic.

What exactly was going on?

Why were both sides so certain of themselves?