TGCFNM -Chapter 2 The Horse Theft Case

The following day, around noon.

Chu Ling frowned tightly and slowly opened her eyes.

She was still here. She hadn’t returned to her original world. Her neck throbbed as if pricked by needles, and the swelling pain at the back of her head left her dizzy and muddled. The slightest movement made tears spill from her eyes.

“My Lady, you’re awake!”

Cui Xi cried out in delight, her hands and feet moving quickly as she helped Chu Ling sit up and handed her a bowl of medicine.

“I already applied medicine for you yesterday. The gauze on your neck won’t come off for a while—please bear with it. Once court is in session later, just make a casual ruling. We’ll be done and can come back down.”

“Court… in session?”

Chu Ling knitted her brows in pain. Her mind was in chaos, unable to react for the moment.

“Yes. A horse from Master Zhang’s household was stolen. You only need to rule that the horse be returned to Master Zhang and let that thief suffer a bit. The case will be closed.” Cui Xi had heard a word or two from the yamen constables yesterday and remembered it clearly—this was an extremely easy case to judge.

Chu Ling recalled the warning from that “ghost scholar” yesterday. Her brows tightened as she was about to speak—when she lifted her head, she saw that very Ghost Scholar standing behind Cui Xi, smiling pleasantly.

In an instant, all the color drained from Chu Ling’s small face again.

“W-when will court be in session?” Chu Ling snatched the medicine bowl, lowered her head, and gulped it down in one go, her face scrunching up from the bitterness.

“Whenever my lord wishes to hold court, then that’s when,” Cui Xi replied as if it were only natural, taking the empty bowl back.

Chu Ling remembered now. In the book, she was a muddle-headed official, and her position had been bought with money—she knew nothing at all. Later, after discovering that she wouldn’t be implicated by the Chu family, she became even more reckless. Only after she’d jumped around causing trouble for quite some time was she found by Prince Rui, who threatened her into working for him, thus dragging her into the main plot.

Thinking of this, Chu Ling no longer dared to delay even a second. After changing into her official robes and setting her hat straight, she was personally escorted by Cui Xi to the front yamen.

Inside the main hall of the yamen, eight constables stood divided on either side, their expressions lazy and listless.

The gates of the prefectural office were tightly shut. Not a single onlooker was present.

Below the hall were two people—one sitting, one kneeling.

The kneeling man wore a cangue around his neck, dressed in coarse, short hemp clothing patched all over. Kneeling there, he showed no will to live, as if merely waiting for death.

The one sitting was pot-bellied, dressed in fine brocade, with an impatient expression.

Beside him stood a young gentleman. When the young man saw Chu Ling enter, he lifted his brows and smiled, giving her a slight nod as if in greeting.

Chu Ling took her seat and glanced around, realizing she seemed to have no magistrate’s clerk—yet that Ghost Scholar had followed her in.

“Ahem.”

Chu Ling cleared her throat. Her voice came out hoarse and unpleasant, drawing quite a few looks. “The person seated below—who are you? Daring to show such disrespect in court, ignoring decorum and the law while I preside?”

“Magistrate Chu, it’s me. Just the day before yesterday, I even invited you for tea,” Master Zhang replied, his tone slightly emphasized, his eyes carrying a deeper meaning.

Chu Ling awkwardly turned her head—just in time to meet Ghost Scholar’s gaze once again.

“I was struck by lightning yesterday and don’t remember,” Chu Ling said with a frown and a wave of her hand, answering with remarkable decisiveness.

After speaking, she ignored the strange expressions on the faces below and instead looked at the young man. “Why are you standing here? Are you Master Zhang’s legal advocate?”

“What is a ‘legal advocate’?” Sun Yang asked in surprise. “This commoner is Sun the Examinee.” What was wrong with Magistrate Chu today?

“What is a legal advocate? I have never heard of such a thing,” Ghost Scholar also said, curiosity written all over his face.

Chu Ling covered her mouth with her sleeve and explained in a low voice, “A legal advocate is someone who writes petitions on behalf of others. Some help illiterate commoners present their cases in court and speak for them. Others, like the one below, collude with powerful officials—writing pleadings for them, offering schemes, and helping smooth connections.”

“So that’s how it is.” Ghost Scholar’s expression turned cold, clearly disgusted by such scheming opportunists.

Sun Yang glanced at Master Zhang’s expression and stepped forward. “Magistrate Chu, today’s case—”

Bang—!

Chu Ling suddenly slammed the gavel. The thunderous sound echoed through the hall, startling everyone. Even Master Zhang reflexively stood up.

“State the entire sequence of events of this case again for this official,” Chu Ling barked. She then casually pointed at a constable, ordering him to remove the chair—otherwise, she would sentence him for contempt of court.

At this, Master Zhang’s face turned iron-blue. His gaze darkened as it swept toward Sun Yang.

Sun Yang panicked and hurried to speak again. “My lord—”

Chu Ling raised her hand to cut him off. “You are not a party to this case. You are not permitted to speak. Drag him out.”

None of the constables moved. They looked at one another, frozen in place.

Chu Ling felt her chest seize. She directly pointed at two constables. “Drag him out! Since when are irrelevant people allowed to openly disrespect this official in the court hall? Or do you want me to sentence you to the Dog-Head Guillotine?”

“What is the Dog-Head Guillotine?” Ghost Scholar asked again, curious as ever.

“It’s an execution blade for beheading. The blade head is shaped like a dog’s head, specially used to behead petty villains and treacherous scoundrels. The blade is extremely sharp—one stroke, and the head rolls off, eyes wide open, blood spraying three feet high,” Chu Ling explained casually. That was Lord Bao’s masterpiece—terrifying countless corrupt insects.

She meant the explanation for Ghost Scholar, but forgot to lower her voice. Everyone below heard every word clearly.

They were instantly chilled to the bone, knees going weak. The way they looked at Chu Ling was as if they were staring at a living Yama King.

How could such a cruel punishment exist in this world? It was utterly inhumane!

Sun Yang was dragged out like a sack of mud, so frightened he seemed to have lost his soul.

Master Zhang was also badly shaken. In his panic, words spilled out without thought. “My lord said the new tea was good. I was thinking of sending you two more canisters.”

“No need. This official is not interested in anything right now.” Chu Ling subconsciously touched the back of her head and looked toward the young man kneeling below. “You speak. What exactly happened?”

Today’s behavior from Chu Ling left Zhang Dong utterly confused—but it seemed he might still have a way to live.

“In reply to my lord, this commoner is Zhang Dong. Three months ago, while grazing cattle in the mountains, I heard the neighing of a horse. I went over and found a fine horse trapped in a thorn thicket. I freed the horse and took it home, thinking I’d raise it for a while and sell it for a good price.”

Master Zhang snorted coldly and shot Zhang Dong a look of pure disgust. “That was my horse! You stole my horse and even planned to sell it for money! A lowly commoner is still a lowly commoner—hands never clean!”

Zhang Dong’s eyes turned red. His gaunt face twitched as he slammed his head hard against the ground, grief-stricken and helpless.

“My lord, I truly didn’t know it was Master Zhang’s horse. I thought—I thought it was an ownerless horse. I even gathered medicinal herbs to treat it and fed it the best fodder. I—I was wrong…”

Master Zhang clasped his hands behind his back, thrusting his belly forward. “Hmph. This thief came to sell the horse and happened to be caught by me.”

Chu Ling raised a brow. Such a coincidence?

Master Zhang continued, “After stealing my horse, he even dared to demand an exorbitant price. My lord, I believe this lowly wretch deliberately stole the horse first, then injured it, treated it afterward, and planned to extort me for money.”

Chu Ling pressed her temple. “Where is the horse now?”

“In reply to my lord, it’s in your stable,” the head constable, Qi Daxian, looked at Chu Ling and cautiously reminded her.

Chu Ling wore an expression of shock, as if hearing this for the first time, but quickly composed herself and instructed Qi Daxian to lead the way to the rear of the yamen to see the recovered horse.

By the time they reached the stable, before Chu Ling could speak, Ghost Scholar let out a cold snort. “This is clearly a wild horse. How could it be a domesticated one?”

Chu Ling turned to Qi Daxian. “If it’s a wild horse, how did it become a household horse?”

“My lord,” Qi Daxian said in a low, tense voice, “if Master Zhang says it is, then it is. His sworn brother is Zhang Yuan, the Prefect Zhang.”

Oh. So that’s how it is—he has family backing him. No wonder he’s so fearless.