Rebirth Grand Marshal's Wilful Fiancée-Chapter 18: The Judgment
Zheng Wei kicked with thunderous force, sending Ling Yuanling flying through the air. Her body crashed against the courtroom pillar with a sickening thud that echoed throughout the chamber. Blood sprayed from her mouth, splattering across the polished stone floor in crimson droplets.
Ling Yuanling stared at Zheng Wei in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock and betrayal. How could her godfather treat her this way? The man who had always shown her such favor and kindness now looked at her with cold indifference. Her trembling lips parted as she managed to whisper, "My godfather..."
"Ling'er! Oh, heavens! My daughter!" Wang shi wailed, her face contorted with anguish as she crumpled to the ground, nearly unconscious from her violent sobbing.
Zheng Wei's brutal display silenced the courtroom instantly. The murmurs of hatred and suspicion that had filled the air moments before were replaced by a heavy, suffocating fear. Not a single person dared to make a sound as the commander withdrew his foot, a satisfied smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. He had demonstrated his power, reminded everyone of his authority. His eyes swept across the room with predatory sharpness, lingering momentarily on Jiang Feng jia and Jiang Cheng, his gaze filled with unmistakable disdain.
"Lord Tao," Zheng Wei announced, his voice cutting through the silence, "this unfilial miss deserves punishment for her transgressions. I cannot tolerate such objectionable behavior, but I recognize that my action has exceeded my authority and interfered with your proceedings. For this, I humbly request your forgiveness." Despite his words of apology, his face remained fierce and unapologetic.
Tao Feng cleared his throat nervously. "Commander Zheng, you needn't concern yourself! Since there are no objections..." his eyes darted around the silent courtroom, "...I shall now render judgment in the case of Ling Yuanling's false accusations against Jiang Feng jia, a distinguished Xiucai who has passed the imperial examination at the county level."
"My godfather... please... save me..." Ling Yuanling's voice was barely audible as she attempted to crawl toward Zheng Wei, leaving a thin trail of blood behind her.
Wang shi spun around and prostrated herself before the commander, her forehead repeatedly striking the floor in desperate kowtows. "Commander Zheng, I beg you to save my Ling! She merely spoke incorrectly, and I apologize profusely for her behavior. Please, I implore you, save her from this ruin!"
"Commander Zheng," Jiang Feng jia spoke up, now standing confidently beside Jiang Cheng, "surely you won't allow yourself to be swayed by sentiment, will you?"
Zheng Wei's expression hardened to ice. "Are you questioning my integrity?" His voice was dangerously low, his features even more menacing than before.
But Jiang Cheng remained un-intimidated, his face a mask of calm expectation, as though waiting to see how this power play would unfold.
Zheng Wei turned toward the spectators who had gathered outside the courtroom. "I am aware that the people of Tan Yang harbor certain misunderstandings about me," he announced loudly. "Let me assure you all that I, Zheng Wei, am not a man who practices favoritism or engages in corruption. Do not allow idle gossip to shake your faith in the Prefecture Guards."
He pivoted back to face Tao Feng. "Lord Tao, I defer to your judgment in this matter. Make your decision as you see fit, I shall not interfere."
"Your integrity is commendable," replied Tao Feng with a subtle nod. Then, straightening his posture and adopting his most authoritative voice, he declared Ling Yuanling and her accomplices guilty without hesitation.
"Ling Yuanling is hereby sentenced to twenty years of exile, three thousand Li from Tan Yang," he proclaimed. "The other four misses shall receive punishments according to their level of involvement in this disgraceful scheme."
Ling Yuanling gasped for air, her chest heaving violently as rage and despair coursed through her body. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed unconscious onto the cold floor.
Witnessing her daughter's fall, Wang shi let out a strangled cry before she too lost consciousness, her body slumping beside her daughter's.
The servants of the Ling household stood frozen in panic, utterly bewildered by the sudden turn of events, unsure of how to attend to their fallen mistresses.
The judgment had been rendered. There would be no reversing it now.
"You are most wise, my lord," Jiang Feng jia said to Tao Feng, her voice carrying just the right note of deference and gratitude. "Your justice, wisdom, and uprightness are a blessing to the people of Tan Yang."
"Thank you, my lord, for ensuring justice prevails," added Jiang Cheng with a respectful bow.
"A wise judgment, my lord!" someone shouted from outside, and soon the courtyard echoed with voices of approval.
Tao Feng's reputation soared in that moment. The witnesses who had accompanied him to the proceedings exchanged knowing glances before joining the chorus of praise for the magistrate's decision.
Zheng Wei's expression grew increasingly stern as he locked eyes with Tao Feng across the courtroom. An unspoken message passed between them, a reminder of alliances, of power dynamics that extended far beyond this single case.
As the court was dismissed and people began to disperse, Zheng Wei suddenly turned his gaze toward Jiang Feng jia. His eyes, normally carefully controlled, betrayed his true feelings for a fleeting instant. The cold malevolence that burned there was unmistakable, like a predatory wolf sizing up its prey, eager to tear her apart limb from limb.
Though the look lasted only a moment and went unnoticed by those around him, Jiang Feng jia caught it clearly. She met his gaze steadily, unflinchingly. This confrontation had been inevitable, and she had prepared herself psychologically for the coming conflict.
A mere murderous glance meant little to her now. What she truly desired was not to evade Zheng Wei's wrath, but to claim his life. The memories of her previous life remained seared into her consciousness, the dozens of Jiang family members who had perished because of this man's machinations. Their blood cried out for retribution.
In her second chance at life, Jiang Feng jia would not be the hunted, but the hunter. The path ahead would be dangerous, filled with political intrigue and deadly confrontations, but she would walk it unflinchingly. Today's victory in court was merely the opening move in a much larger game.
As she left the courtroom, flanked by Jiang Cheng and their supporters, Jiang Feng jia felt the weight of her responsibility and the fire of her determination burning with equal measure. The wheel of fate had begun to turn in a new direction. Those who had once held all the power would soon discover that the tables had turned.
And Zheng Wei, for all his current influence and brutal authority, would eventually learn what it meant to face an enemy who had already seen his worst and returned from death itself to exact justice.