nashuaworldcup Chapter 11 You Don't Deserve the Surname Wang
Chapter 11 You Don't Deserve the Surname Wang
Chapter 11 You Don't Deserve the Surname Wang
"Smack!" Wang Wenzhou slammed his gavel, pointed at Wang Zhixin, and roared, "You audacious scoundrel, how dare you commit violence in court! Guards, seize him!"
At first, Ma Bantou didn't know who Wang Zhixin was, but the old man couldn't help but blurt out, and then he recognized him. This was the county magistrate's steward. Yesterday, he was the one who handled the handover procedures with the former magistrate. How could he suddenly become a murderer? This is clearly a battle of titans!
Two constables tried to seize Wang Zhixin, but Chief Ma quickly signaled to them, "Don't move! This old steward is not someone we can mess with." The two constables understood and quickly retreated.
Wang Zhixin was furious! You two little brats! Your grandson suing your grandfather? That's outrageous! But in court, he had to consider Wang Wenzhou's reputation; after all, he was now the county magistrate. If he were to punish Wang Wenzhou directly in court, how could Wang Wenzhou, the magistrate, ever face anyone again?
"My lord!" Wang Zhixin cupped his hands in greeting, glared fiercely at Wang Wenzhou, and said coldly, "I'm just disciplining my grandson; I'm not breaking the law!"
"Smack!" Wang Zhixin slapped Wang Qiang with the family rod in his hand and shouted, "You little brat, tell me, who am I?"
"Grandpa! This has nothing to do with me!" Wang Qiang lay down on the ground and refused to get up. He knew very well that with Wang Zhixin's temper, he would be kicked down again as soon as he got up.
"Ha ha……"
The constables couldn't hold back any longer. Lord Wang's appearance was already hilarious, and now this stunt was just too funny.
"Clap clap..." Wang Wenzhou slammed the gavel and roared, "Silence!"
Seeing that the adults were angry, the yamen runners quickly suppressed their laughter.
"Wang Zhixin, do you know your crime?" Wang Wenzhou asked, pointing at Old Wang.
Wang Zhixin was furious. "Wang Wenzhou, you've grown too big for your britches! I'm just following the family rules, and you dare to take this to court after only a few beatings! Using public office for personal revenge! This is outrageous!"
"Hmph! What crime have I committed?" Wang Zhixin asked coldly, panting heavily. He was truly furious.
"Heh..." Wang Wenzhou sneered, "You audacious scoundrel, refusing to bow to an official! How dare you assault the plaintiff in court? Do you know your crime?"
"Hoo!" Wang Zhixin took a deep breath and said with an air of authority, "Wang Zhixin, the Commandant of Zhaoxin, greets Magistrate Wang of Hanshan County."
Zhaoxin Xiaowei was a sixth-rank military official in the Ming Dynasty, which was one rank higher than Wang Wenzhou's seventh-rank county magistrate. The Ming Dynasty treated scholar-officials and nobles very generously, and high-ranking officials often had their descendants inherit their positions for several generations. Wang Wenzhou also inherited the civil official rank of Chengwulang.
The yamen runners were well aware of Wang Wenzhou's family background. The Earl of Xinjian's family was truly powerful; even their personal steward was a sixth-rank official. This was clearly a case of a young man committing a mistake and being punished by the elders, who then challenged the elders.
The constables all kept their eyes down, their noses down, their mouths down, their mouths down, silently watching their feet; they couldn't get involved in this matter.
Wang Wenzhou was now in a difficult position; he had no idea that Old Wang held an official post. It was all the fault of the foolish Wang Wenzhou of the past, who hadn't even known this. He had thought that by using his official position, he could send Old Wang to jail for a few days and escape this punishment. Who would have thought that Old Wang, with his official rank, wouldn't care about a mere county magistrate like him?
“Lord Wang, as an official of the imperial court, you should abide by the laws and regulations of the court. Clerk Li, how should an official of the imperial court be punished according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty for assaulting another person?” Wang Wenzhou asked.
The old Wang Wenzhou, despite having received vocational training, was nothing but a glutton and completely lacked any academic knowledge. He couldn't remember the specific legal provisions, and neither could the current Wang Wenzhou; he had to ask Li Yinshui.
Li Yinshui glanced at Wang Zhixin, then at Wang Wenzhou. This old man and this young man—one the old steward of the Xinjian Earl's family, a sixth-rank military officer; the other a descendant of the Xinjian Earl's family, his direct superior. If you two turn against each other and start fighting, whose side am I supposed to take? I dare not take either of you.
“Your Excellency, even princes are subject to the same laws as commoners.” Li Yinshui wiped his sweat and continued, “The old man’s education of his children and grandchildren does not involve beating others.”
Wang Zhixin nodded and smiled at Li Yinshui.
In ancient times, it was a patriarchal society where a father's command meant the son's death, and the son had no choice but to die. It was perfectly acceptable for elders to discipline younger generations. Although Li Yinshui wanted to remain neutral and not take sides, he couldn't find any valid point in Wang Wenzhou's viewpoint and could only speak the truth.
"You mean he did nothing wrong by hitting Xiaoqiang?" Wang Wenzhou frowned. It's really troublesome that a grandfather hitting his grandson isn't illegal.
Li Yinshui smiled awkwardly and nodded.
"Okay!" Wang Wenzhou thought about it and was no longer afraid of losing face. Between losing face and being beaten, he would rather choose the former.
"So, he hit me, was that wrong?" Wang Wenzhou lifted his shirt, revealing his back. Amidst the white, flabby flesh, a clear bloodstain was quite shocking.
"Hmph!" Wang Zhixin snorted coldly, raised the family law in his hand, and said coldly, "This is the family law of my Wang family! You wretched child, not only do you not know your mistakes, but you also want to slander others. Today, I must teach you a lesson on behalf of my master!"
After Wang Zhixin finished speaking, he picked up the family law and was about to beat Wang Wenzhou.
Seeing this, Ma Bantou and Li Yinshui quickly stepped forward to stop Old Wang and advised him, "Sir, please calm down. Don't get sick from anger."
Wang Wenzhou was their direct superior, and they didn't want to see him humiliated in front of them. "Your Earl's family is really making a scene. It's your own family matter; handle it at home. Fight however you want, nobody cares. Why take it to court?"
"Pah!" Wang Wenzhou was also angry. He was a transmigrator, and he didn't care about family rules. That old bastard was so ruthless. If he didn't send him to jail today, he would have gotten a real beating for making such a scene.
Wang Wenzhou pointed at Wang Zhixin, glaring angrily, and shouted, "Family law! You dare to use the surname Wang? Wang Zhixin, you were an orphan. My grandfather took pity on you and adopted you. Now that my grandfather has passed away, you wicked servant dare to bully your young master."
"You! You..." Wang Zhixin pointed at Wang Wenzhou's hand, trembling uncontrollably, and was so angry that he couldn't breathe.
Wang Wenzhou's father, Wang Xianda, was in poor health, and it was Wang Zhixin who raised Wang Wenzhou. Although they were not related by blood, their kinship was stronger than that between father and son. From a young age, he taught him, loved him, and doted on him. Now that he was grown up, his discipline had somehow turned into hatred.
"Slap!" Wang Wenzhou slammed his gavel and shouted, "Head of the Ma family, listen to my order! Lock this wicked servant who has committed violence and deceived his master in jail. I will retry him another day."
"Sir..." Ma Bantou and Li Yinshui stared at each other, wondering what to do.
"Slap!" Wang Wenzhou slapped his hand and roared, "How dare you disobey my orders? Clerk Li, tell me yourself, what is the punishment for disobeying orders?"
Ma Bantou tugged at Li Yinshui's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Li, what should we do?"
Li Yinshui thought about it. According to Lord Wang, the old Lord Wang hitting him wasn't considered "family discipline." Lord Wang was, after all, his superior, and although what he did was indeed a bit outrageous, it was still somewhat justifiable. If he didn't listen to him, he would definitely be resented in the future.
Thinking of this, Li Yinshui whispered, "Old Ma, take the order."
"But..." Ma Bantou hesitated, "Old Wang is not someone to be trifled with."
"Alas!" Li Yinshui said softly, "A local official is more powerful than a county magistrate. We will still have to take orders from Lord Wang in the future."
Li Yinshui gently patted Old Wang's back and advised, "Old Wang, please calm down. Go to the jail for a few days, and once you've calmed down, you'll definitely apologize to me."
Wang Zhixin was both angry and furious, and he sighed inwardly, "Master and Madam, it's all my fault! I didn't teach the young master well."
Wang Wenzhou doesn't even recognize him as family anymore, so what can Old Wang say? He thought to himself, "I'd better write to the master and mistress and ask the mistress to personally discipline the young master; I can't control him."
Wang Wenzhou's father, Wang Xianda, was frail and sickly. He was over fifty years old when he had Wang Wenzhou, his only child. In the second branch of the family, Wang Wenzhou's mother, Yang, had always been the head of the household. Knowing Yang as he did, Wang Zhixin was certain that she would rush to Hanshan County after seeing the letter.
Old Wang was imprisoned, while Wang Wenzhou escaped unscathed. However, what Wang Wenzhou didn't know was that as soon as Old Wang entered the prison, he asked the jailer to bring him writing materials and began writing a letter to Wang Wenzhou's father, Wang Xianda.
In the letter, Old Wang wept bitterly, lamenting that his young master had grown up, but his heart had turned to wickedness. He bullied others, forcibly taking innocent women as concubines, and refused to be disciplined…
If Wang Qiang were to see the contents of this letter, he would surely run in terror to report to Wang Wenzhou, "Young Master, you're in big trouble! Madam is coming to kill us!"