Chapter 147: The Magistrate Has Arrived, Justice is Served!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“Han Xian, as the plaintiff in this case, you may state your case,” Lu Xuan directed.

Although the complaint was already detailed in the petition, following basic procedure was necessary.

Han Xian knew this and promptly narrated the sequence of events and his demands.

“…Every word I speak is true. I implore you, your honor, to grant me justice!” Han Xian bowed deeply.

Lu Xuan nodded slightly and turned to Wang Pan. “Wang Pan, do you have any corrections to make to Han Xian’s statement?”

Wang Pan glanced at Han Xian with a snort of disdain. “His claims are utterly nonsensical! Losing a child at the Lantern Festival… How can one fail to take care of such a big child?”

He bowed to Lu Xuan: “Your honor, the child he claims as ‘his son’ is actually born to me and a concubine. Due to my son’s frail health, we dared not expose him to the outside world and kept him indoors. It was only a few days ago that a servant took him out, and this man accused us… I suspect he covets the Wang family’s wealth and is trying to extort money from us!”

“I’m extorting you?!” Han Xian glared as he spat, “Though the Han family is not as prominent as high-ranking families, we have sufficient wealth. Why would I covet your wealth?!”

“That’s debatable,” Wang Pan retorted with a scoff, hands in his sleeves: “Perhaps the wealth your family has accumulated comes from such deceptions and swindles…”

“You…” Han Xian’s face flushed with anger, pointing at Wang Pan, wanting to curse. But being in the court, he restrained himself.

“You both claim the child as your own. Do you have any evidence?” Lu Xuan asked.

“Your honor, my wives and concubines, as well as the servants in my household, can all testify on my behalf,” Wang Pan answered quickly.

“Likewise for me,” Han Xian interjected. “Although I fled here, I brought my household’s servants and wives with me. They all know that the child is mine.”

“Statements from family members and servants are not admissible as evidence,” Lu Xuan shook his head. “Li Ming, Lu Ping, where are you?” “Here,” they both responded, stepping forward.

“Li Ming, go to Wang Pan’s house and bring the child and his ‘birth mother’ here. Lu Ping, go to Han Xian’s house and bring the child’s ‘mother’ to the yamen. You both should also find a physician to come here. I want both parties to confront each other in court,” Lu Xuan instructed.

“Yes!” Li Ming and Lu Ping responded.

“Wait, there’s one more thing,” Lu Xuan called them back and whispered a few instructions. After hearing his orders, they nodded emphatically.

Half an hour later.

Two young women were brought into the courtroom, one of whom held an infant. The local physician had also arrived, not daring to delay upon receiving the summons from the yamen.

By this time, a crowd had gathered outside the court, all craning their necks and buzzing with discussion.

Some commented that Wang Pan was known to be miserly and cunning, not a good man. They speculated that as punishment from heaven, he was childless even approaching fifty. Perhaps he coveted Han Xian’s child, planning to raise it as his own for future support.

Others argued that Wang Pan wasn’t too old to father children, suggesting he could take more concubines and continue trying. Moreover, with the Wang family’s wealth, they could easily find a suitable child through adoption, making it unnecessary to steal someone else’s child.

Some suspected Han Xian, the newcomer, of targeting the Wang family’s wealth and trying to extort them.

There were even whispers that the child belonged to neither of them, that both men were thieves who had conspired to kidnap the child, and the real parents might have already been harmed by them.

This was Lu Xuan’s first case since assuming office, attracting much public interest. Everyone was curious to see how the new magistrate would handle the situation.

The two women and the physician bowed to Lu Xuan. The women were Wang Pan’s concubine, Zhang Shi, and Han Xian’s wife, Zhao Shi. The physician, Liu Huaiyuan, was from a nearby medical center. He brought his daughter along for the examination.

“Physician Liu, can you determine the infant’s age?” Lu Xuan inquired.

Liu Huaiyuan bowed to Lu Xuan, then approached Zhang Shi. After examining the sleeping infant, he mused, “No more than six months old.”

Lu Xuan nodded. “Can you determine if either of these women gave birth around six months ago?”

Liu Huaiyuan shook his head. “Your honor, with so much time passed, even if they had given birth, it’s impossible to determine the exact time.”

He paused, “However, I’ve brought my daughter along. She can take the women to a private room for a more thorough examination.”

“Agreed,” Lu Xuan consented.

He understood Liu Huaiyuan’s implication. While it was impossible to determine childbirth through pulse reading alone, they could check whether the women were still breastfeeding and examine for pregnancy stretch marks to ascertain recent childbirth.

Gender propriety required a woman to conduct this examination, hence Liu’s daughter’s involvement.

Under Lu Xuan’s direction, the yamen runners set up a thick cloth wall to shield the examination area from view. Zhang Shi, Zhao Shi, and Liu’s daughter entered the secluded area.

After the time it took to finish a cup of tea, the examination concluded.

The inspection, involving a check of the abdomen and breasts, was quick..