A Clash of Gods - Chapter 72

Chapter 72 The Lawsuit
Yang Ning just stared at Dou Lianzhong coldly, making the latter uncomfortable. Dou Lianzhong had to say, “Since I damaged it, I can pay you some money, but…” He tried hard to find proper words and asked cautiously, “But do you know how much silver this colored glaze horse is worth, Your Excellency?”

“Silver?” Yang Ning sneered. “Master Dou, do you think our family needs your silver?”

Dou Lianzhong’s face fell, and he responded impassively, “Your Excellency, since you said that, I have nothing to say. Just tell me what you want. Stop being so indecisive.” He sneered. “To be frank, you just brag and try to make a colored glaze horse your family heirloom. Who knows if it’s true?”

“Master Dou, do you want to repudiate a debt?” Yang Ning also sneered. “It’s a pity that your trick doesn’t work in my mansion.”

Dou Lianzhong replied, “In fact, we don’t need to argue. I am a reasonable man. Since you said that the colored glaze horse is magic and enigmatic, we just need to find some experts on appraising to observe carefully, so that we can tell if it is true.”

Yang Ning questioned coldly, “So do you mean that after a talented scholar who knows everything dies, you can tell what he knows from his body? The colored glaze horse is certainly magic when it’s complete, but it was damaged. What can they find?”

Dou Lianzhong put on a straight face, but Zhao Xin next to him moved closer and whispered in his ear. Then Dou Lianzhong expressed immediately, “If it is really a family heirloom, I will pay for it, but if you talk at random, I won’t let anybody cheat me.” He glimpsed the fragments of the colored glaze horse and continued, “It’s pointless to argue here. If we want to make it clear, we can go to the Capital Bureau.”

“The Capital Bureau?” Yang Ning laughed. “Do you want to report to the government?”

Dou Lianzhong answered, “Right, we have to.”

“Okay.” Yang Ning didn’t hesitate. “Even if we go to the throne room, you can’t deny that you have damaged my family heirloom. I will go to the Capital Bureau with you.”

Dou Lianzhong was clear that he couldn’t gain the upper hand if they bothered about this matter in the marquis’s mansion. They would have a chance to ease the tension after going to the Capital Bureau.

Zhao Xin couldn’t help but ask, “How about these pawn tickets…”

Yang Ning responded crossly, “Don’t be anxious. My family heirloom is over ten times more valuable than that. I won’t make you suffer any loss.”

Dou Lianzhong felt disheartened and thought this guy was so heartless as to claim for large compensation for a cheap horse. In this case, they would go to the Capital Bureau to argue this out.

The Capital Bureau was the government of the capital city. Most of the cases in the capital, especially this kind of civil disputes were handled in the Capital Bureau, which was also in charge of the public order in the capital.

The Capital Bureau belonged to the Ministry of Penalty, so the governor was chosen from the officials of the Ministry of Penalty.

When Dou Lianzhong and Yang Ning came to the Capital Bureau, it was before lunch time. The two had special family backgrounds. Hearing that two young men from noble families came to the bureau to file a suit, the guards hurriedly entered the mansion to report.

Although the Capital Bureau heard many cases every month, today’s case was really rare.

There were many royal members, noblemen and high officials in the capital, so there were countless young people from the noble families. It was inevitable that they sided with others or had conflicts in the city. But even if there was a fight, they would solve it in private, and they seldom made it public or even filed a suit.

If Qi Jing were alive, Dou Lianzhong would never dare to offend the family of the Marquis of Honor, let alone coming to the Capital Bureau with the heir.

But it was different now. Qi Jing had passed away, while Dou Lianzhong doubted that Yang Ning would try to frame him, so he could do nothing but come to file a suit. After leaving the marquis’s mansion, Dou Lianzhong whispered to Zhao Xin, who then went away alone and didn’t come to the Capital Bureau with them.

Soon they were invited into the Capital Bureau. Zhao Wushang and the other guards following Yang Ning shouldn’t enter, but Yang Ning said Zhao Wushang was a witness. Although the family of the Marquis of Honor was not as powerful as before, it was still not an ordinary family, and the guards in the Capital Bureau didn’t dare to offend them, so Zhao Wushang was let in.

The guards of the bureau took the three to the side hall of the Capital Bureau instead of the main hall. After having a seat, Dou Lianzhong sneered. “Qi Ning, anyway you are the heir of the Marquis of Honor. The two marquises of the last generations are upright, but you are so evil as to use dirty tricks. You will sooner or later ruin the fame of the Marquis of Honor.”

“First, you are far away from an upright man, so you don’t qualify to comment on others.” They had offended each other openly, so Yang Ning didn’t show mercy. “Second, after damaging the family heirloom of the Marquis of Honor, you didn’t feel guilty but slander me, saying that I set a trap to harm you. You want to evade responsibility. Only from this point, your moral quality can be imagined.”

“We don’t need to argue.” Dou Lianzhong laughed scornfully. “I am afraid that you don’t know what kind of person the governor is.”

Yang Ning turned to Zhao Wushang standing next to him. Zhao Wushang explained, “The governor Lord Mo is also the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Penalty. He is just and stern, always settling lawsuits correctly, so his nickname is Upright Mo.”

He always spoke briefly and told the heir about the governor’s background and character with only a few words.

Dou Lianzhong smiled. “It’s great that you know. Lord Mo is famous since he worked in the Ministry of Penalty. He started working in the ministry in his twenties, with unconventional behaviors. In the past years, all the cases in his hands were closed reasonably. Qi Ning, Lord Mo would clearly tell you whether your colored glaze horse is a low-quality thing or a family heirloom.”

As soon as he finished his words, they heard a voice from outside. “Court trial.”

Then they saw four guards with sticks in hands came out one after another and went to both sides after entering. Afterward, the four guards shouted in unison, “Lord, please come into the court.” Later, they knocked on the floor with the sticks clattering. Although there were few people, it looked solemn.

Soon they saw a man about forty years old come in, dressed in a black official uniform. The skin on his face was much fairer than ordinary people’s, yet it was not normally white but pale, as if the blood drained from his square face. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes but looked serious, with alarming momentum.

Yang Ning thought this man must be the governor, Lord Mo. Behind him, a clerk followed holding files.

After Governor Mo entered the room, he looked steadily forward without glancing at Yang Ning and Dou Lianzhong who sat on both sides. He walked to the host seat directly and turned around to sit down. The clerk walked to the table aside and skillfully put the brush pen, ink and paper in order. Then he grabbed the brush pen and dipped some ink, waiting silently.

Governor Mo coughed and then looked around. Yang Ning and Dou Lianzhong got up and saluted him. When Dou Lianzhong was about to speak, Governor Mo announced, “I should hear the case in the main hall, but considering the dignity of your families, I will hear it here. Before I hold court trial, I just want to ask. Are you really going to file a suit? If you change your mind, I can stop now. Otherwise, this case would be recorded.” He pointed to the clerk. “The clerk will write every word you said to me in the record.”

Dou Lianzhong glanced at Yang Ning and laughed sarcastically, but he was afraid of Governor Mo, so he saluted. “My Lord, the heir of the Marquis of Honor, Qi Ning set a trap to harm me. I…”

Governor Mo raised his hand. “No need to hesitate. Just tell me frankly. Before I make the judgment, don’t declare anybody guilty randomly. If you say that Qi Ning set a trap to harm you, you must show the solid evidence. Otherwise you just make irresponsible remarks, and I don’t allow you to.”

Dou Lianzhong was stunned and embarrassed. “I… I see.”

Governor Mo nodded slightly and then asked Yang Ning, “Qi Ning, you two came to file a suit. Who is the defendant?”

Both of them pointed to each other at the same time. “I want to sue him.”

Governor Mo frowned and asked in a deep voice, “What the hell are you doing?” He pointed to Dou Lianzhong. “Tell me what happened in detail. Qi Ning, don’t interrupt before he finishes.”

Dou Lianzhong vividly spoke out what had happened earlier and then stated, “My Lord, Qi Ning deliberately planned everything. He said that a worthless colored glaze horse was a family heirloom, and it could show the life and death. It was just bullshit.”

Governor Mo asked indifferently, “Are you done?”

Dou Lianzhong wanted to say more, but looking at Governor Mo’s cold expression, he had to nod. Then Governor Mo turned to Yang Ning and asked, “Is what Dou Lianzhong said the truth?”

Yang Ning replied, “My Lord, most of his words are almost true. Last night the pawnshop was burnt, and Dou Lianzhong immediately led some people to the spot and was anxious to redeem what they had pawned. This morning they came to my mansion and wanted to claim for compensation. I told them to wait in the main hall, but Dou Lianzhong came to find me and asked to check the heirloom of my family. And in order to see the magic part, he took the colored glaze horse out and damaged it by accident. That was a unique treasure passed down from generation to generation in my family, but it was damaged by him. He didn’t feel guilty but slandered me, saying that I framed him…” He smiled bitterly. “I don’t know what to do. So I can only beg you to hold justice, My Lord.”

Dou Lianzhong sneered. “You are still pretending? Lord Mo has sharp eyes and can see if it is true at a glance.”

Governor Mo stated, “I have heard of the fire last night. And your family has sent somebody to report. I specially sent people to investigate the case this morning.” He stroked his beard. “Qi Ning, did you bring the family heirloom?”

“Yes.” Yang Ning looked at Zhao Wushang, who then took the package and submitted it. Then it was opened, and they were fragments of the colored glaze horse in it.

Governor Mo picked up one piece and glanced at it, saying impassively, “This glaze is made roughly. It is not something valuable judging from the material.”

With joy shown in his eyes, Dou Lianzhong glanced at Yang Ning complacently.