Chapter 132: The Landlord’s Son Breaks Off the Engagement

Chapter 132: The Landlord's Son Breaks Off the Engagement

Counting the recent events, the Sun family has not had a moment of peace.

The signs of decline are already evident, and it is best to cut ties with them as soon as possible.

The reverence of the common folk for the county office is deeply ingrained in their bones and hearts.

Even though the barriers at the county office were removed, the common folk still dared not crowd and push as they did outside the Sun's warehouse.

Instead, under the arrangement of the officers, they entered the county office quietly and in an orderly manner, but they didn’t forget to bring along those who had picked out grains from the warehouse.

As the sun shifted, the winter chill gradually returned to the air.

Magistrate Xu observed the bustling crowd of common folk in the open space outside the hall and already understood that Sun Zhiye would find it hard to escape the punishment he deserved.

In the same grain case, Lu Mingchao handled it with ease, while Sun Zhiye was full of loopholes.

It had little to do with strategy and planning; the most crucial point was that Lu Mingchao understood the concept of sacrifice, her actions were steadfast, and no storm could shake her.

After this incident, the foundation of the Sun family had already been shaken.

The reputation of Sun Zhiye, the Jade String Gentleman, will also dissipate like a thin mist.

It was truly a waste of effort to have introduced Sun Zhiye to others.

Had he known that Sun Zhiye was so incompetent, he might as well have worked directly with Lu Mingchao.

As soon as Sun Zhiye arrived, Magistrate Xu slammed the gavel and declared, "Court is in session."

The officers responded in unison, "All rise."

With both witnesses and evidence present, even if Sun Zhiye was eloquent, it would be difficult to change the overall situation.

Thus, Lu Mingchao wasn’t concerned about the court proceedings.

Now, she was also facing an impending storm.

Sun Zhiye, determined that if he was to suffer, he wouldn’t let Lu Mingchao off easy, had instructed his subordinates to find the landlord’s son, who was engaged to Cheng Zhi, and told him to make a grand spectacle when going to the Cheng family to break off the engagement.

So, the landlord’s son hired a group of musicians who performed at weddings and funerals and went to the Cheng family with much fanfare, banging gongs and drums, laughing and cursing, making a very showy display.

As soon as the landlord’s son arrived at the Cheng family, the news that Lu Dalang of Changxi Village had seduced Master Cheng’s daughter from Lianhua Town and caused her to lose her chastity had already spread far and wide.

"I, Zhang Cheng, am here to break off the engagement."

"The daughter of the Cheng family is ambitious, courageous, and free-spirited, while the Zhang family is small and I am of limited talent and shallow learning, truly unworthy of the Cheng family’s daughter. Therefore, I humbly request Master Cheng to take back the marriage contract, and from now on, the two families will have no further connection."

Zhang Cheng was the son of the landlord engaged to Cheng Zhi.

The words "ambitious, courageous, and free-spirited" were a sarcastic jab at Cheng Zhi’s promiscuity and lack of chastity.

The villagers of Lianhua Town did not believe Zhang Cheng’s one-sided story.

In Lianhua Town, Master Cheng was highly respected and open-minded, even waiving tuition for children who were eager to learn but came from poor families.

And Cheng Zhi was also seen as a good girl by everyone.

She had inherited Master Cheng’s scholarly nature and was also shy, kind, and modest.

Even the neighbors and passersby couldn’t bring themselves to speak loudly when they saw this.

"You scoundrel, you look presentable enough, but how dare you tarnish Miss Cheng’s reputation with your lies?"

"Don’t think that just because your father’s a wealthy official, you can push Miss Cheng around."

Zhang Cheng kept a straight face, turned to the crowd, and bowed, his voice firm and resonant, "I’ve brought a midwife to settle this. Right or wrong, true or false, one examination will clear it all up."

"If I’ve wronged Miss Cheng, I’ll kneel and apologize, and even bring her into my home with an eight-man sedan chair."

"On the other hand, the Cheng family owes me an explanation for this fraudulent marriage."

"I’ve offered hundreds of taels as a dowry to marry the Cheng family’s daughter, and even promised not to take a concubine in this lifetime, unless I am childless, and only then after reaching the age of forty."

"I’ve shown my sincerity, but what about the Cheng family?"

"The Cheng family hid the fact that Miss Cheng was seduced and had an affair, leaving the Zhang family completely in the dark."

"The Zhang family may not be prominent, but we’d never marry a woman who’s lost her virtue before marriage, someone who’s neither self-respecting nor chaste."

Seeing Zhang Cheng speak so confidently and righteously, the neighbors and passersby started to have second thoughts.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Cheng shouted, "Does Miss Cheng have the courage to be examined?"

Master Cheng, who’d rushed back from the private school upon hearing the news, slapped Zhang Cheng hard across the face, shouting, "You insolent brat, how dare you!"

The slap rang out, and Master Cheng’s angry shout was even louder.

It seemed like Master Cheng had put all his strength into that slap.

After the slap landed, Zhang Cheng’s face quickly swelled and turned red.

Zhang Cheng, wincing in pain, covered his face and said darkly, "Master Cheng, those who respect themselves earn respect; those who uphold propriety are treated with propriety."

"What I did today might’ve been out of line, but I just don’t want to be lied to anymore. What’s wrong with that?"

At this point, Zhang Cheng paused, his tone mocking, "Rudeness beats shamelessness any day."

"Master Cheng, as a teacher, you should get this, right?"

Master Cheng felt a surge of anger, his face red with fury.

"What girl who’s been examined can keep her reputation? You’re pushing A'Zhi to her death!"

Zhang Cheng pressed his tongue against his cheek, wincing in pain, "The innocent stay innocent. If she’s pure, my promises still hold."

"I’m even willing to give up half the Zhang family’s wealth as compensation."

"Is Master Cheng brave enough to have his daughter examined?"

"I’ve said my piece, and if Master Cheng and Miss Cheng still refuse, I’ve got nothing left to say."

"But understand this, Master Cheng: it’s not me driving Miss Cheng to her death—it’s the one who seduced her."

"I won’t take the fall for a crime I didn’t commit."

"Give back the betrothal letter!"

Zhang Cheng flicked his sleeve, staring Master Cheng down. Master Cheng’s face went pale, and the neighbors’ stares made him feel like he was on pins and needles, completely humiliated.

"Verify!"

"If Cheng Zhi remains chaste, I hope you will keep your promise."

"If Cheng Zhi has indeed been with someone..." Master Cheng gritted his teeth, still finding it hard to speak, "then I will personally have her drowned in a pig cage in the pond. The teachings of the sages on propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame must not be desecrated!"

"The Cheng family will never harbor someone without shame."

The words of Zhang Cheng and Master Cheng cast a dark cloud over Cheng Zhi.

One was a deceived fiancé forced to break off the engagement.

The other was a father, ignorant of the truth, who still upheld integrity and righteousness, even to the point of disowning his own child.

Only Cheng Zhi, seen as fickle and promiscuous!

Changxi Village.

Lu Mingchao rushed back to the Lu household.

"Eldest brother, second brother, Zhang Cheng has gone to the Cheng family to break off the engagement!"

This implied that Cheng Zhi's premarital loss of chastity was now widely known.

"Eldest brother, you should prepare for a court summons for questioning," Lu Mingchao warned gravely.

Lu Lei looked panicked, "Could this impact Santu's imperial examination?"

Lu Mingchao said firmly, "Everything will be fine."

Fortunately, Lu Lei was not foolish enough to first concern himself with Cheng Zhi's situation.

"It's challenging to prove that eldest brother didn't deceive Cheng Zhi, especially since eldest brother and Cheng Zhi had discussed marriage and met privately several times."

"However, proving Cheng Zhi had an affair with someone else isn't hard."

"Secrets always come out. Even if Cheng Zhi, Sun Zhiye, and Zhang Cheng claim she lost her chastity to eldest brother, don't panic or lose your cool."

"Eldest brother, there's been an incident."