The Cannon Fodder and Villain’s Happy Ending
chapter-273-30041322

Chapter 273

The young man in the indigo robe waved his arm and said in a tone as if he wanted the whole world to be in chaos: “Go, let’s report to the official!”

At this time, Qin Zening’s right leg was already bandaged and stood up with the help of Zhang Chen.

Qin Jiu looked at Qin Zening and said, “Brother, what do you think?”

Qin Zening has always listened to his sister, and without thinking twice, he nodded and said, “Okay.”

Since they decided to report to the officials, they also ignored Su Xiyang’s gang. Pei Qi helped Qin Zening onto the carriage.

Afterwards, Pei Qi and the others got on their horses one after another while one of them put on the saddle that had been tampered with, and set off to their new destination, leaving Su Xiyang and his group without hesitation or waiting for their answer.

“Brother Su, then we….”

Su Xiyang’s face was extremely ugly as he gave him a supercilious look.

What else?!

“Go back to the capital!” Su Xiyang flung his sleeve and said.

Su Xiyang and his party also embarked on their journey back to the capital.

On the way to the public court, horses’ hooves were flying and dust was billowing.

More than half an hour later, Qin Jiu, Qin Zening, and others arrived at the public court which was located in the south of the capital.

Their horses and carriages had just stopped when Madam Su, who got the report of what happened arrived in a hurry.

“Ning’er, Jiu’er!”

With the help of the maidservant Madam Su got out of the carriage while sweating profusely as she tried to call Qin Zening and Qin Jiu, she said with a smile, “Let’s talk about what’s going on at home.”

“Naturally, not at home.” Qin Zeyu raised his chin as he replied for his brother and sister. With his chin and chest raised high, looking like a fox who exploits a tiger’s might. Hmph, his brother’s injury couldn’t be in vain!

Madam Su smiled politely, ignoring Qin Zeyu, and persuaded Qin Zening instead, “Ning’er, if there’s anything wrong with Yang’er, I’ll make amends for him. Later, when he comes, I’ll ask him to apologize!”

“Yang’er is your cousin, some discord between cousins is inevitable so why bother make trouble with the government?!”

Qin Jiu didn’t want to listen to Madam Su’s nonsense at all, “No, I still have to report to the official today!”

As she said that, Qin Jiu had already stridden towards the gate of the public court.

“…” Madam Su was almost driven mad by Qin Jiu.

How could there be such an extremely damned girl?

“Jiu’er!” Madam Su wanted to overtake her but Qin Zeyu blocked the way.

The veins in Madam Su’s forehead twitched and could only patiently say to Qin Zeyu: “Yu’er, you are a good boy, hurry up and persuade your third sister, this is all family affairs…”

“Dong! Dong! Dong!”

Mingyuan drum* sounded heavy, one after another until one of the guards ran in to inform the magistrate.

(*a drum to cry out grievances but no lawsuit can be brought directly to the court)

Many of the people passing around also heard the drums, they all looked at where the sound was which made some people gather in twos and threes.

At this time, Su Xiyang arrived on horseback, looking in disbelief at Qin Jiu, who was beating the drums and complaining about her grievances.

He never expected that she would dare to take this matter to public court.

“Dang! Dang! Dang!”

The sound of the grievance drum continued, it was also getting louder each time, declaring the determination of the drummer.

Since someone has sounded the drum of injustice, it was only natural that the capital magistrate opens the hall.

Qin Jiu went to strike the drum of injustice even louder in the public court, and amidst the “mighty” sound the officials couldn’t just stop nor ignore her plea.

Although the magistrate did not recognize Qin Jiu before handling the case, he could see that Qin Jiu should come from a good family background just from her clothes so he didn’t let her kneel down. He merely claps to stop her from striking the drum and asks, “Who are you, and why are you beating the drum of injustice?”

“Lord Hu,” Qin Jiu smiled at the magistrate as she curtsied, “I’m the third miss from the marquis’s residence, and I sounded the drum of injustice to avenge my eldest brother.”

Qin Jiu eloquently and fluently explained exactly what happened which made the magistrate a little dumbfounded and his head started to twinge.

The Qin family and Su family belonged to the marquis fu, the one in front of him belonged to the paternal side of the Qin family, and the two were in-laws. Sure, conflict was a common occurrence in the family but it was never a serious matter such as attempted murder. From what he understands, it was nothing more than two masters provoked into a fight. In short, there was no need to settle things in the public court, they could just talk it out between the two families ah!

There was a saying, even an honest and upright official would have difficulty resolving family disputes.

This kind of case was the most troublesome, it was because, at the end of the trial, he might have offended both families at the same time, which was not worth the loss!

The magistrate politely said, “Third Miss Qin, there must be some misunderstanding between your brother and Master Su…”

The magistrate was determined to be a peacemaker and make peace.

At this time, Madam Su finally caught up to Qin Jiu, not only her, so was Pei Qi and Gong Liu including Qin Zening who was carried in a sedan chair, not long, a dozen of them crowded the public hall.

These people present were all from honorable officials’ families, so everyone stood upright in the hall. It was a rare scene in the public.

This time the magistrate recognized Pei Qi and Gong Liu, and this made the corner of his eyes twitch, vaguely feeling that today’s hearing might be more troublesome than he expected.

Madam Su interjected as she was sweating more profusely, “What Lord Hu said is that this is just a private matter between two families.”

“Second Aunt, this is not a private matter.” Qin Jiu retorted forcefully and with justice.

“Your nephew, Su Xiyang, deliberately used such insidious means to cause my eldest brother to fall off his horse in order to lose his chance to compete for the post in the Fifth Military Battalion. If such a thing can be discussed “privately” because of this small trouble I cause, then why do we need the law for?!”

“Lord Hu, if in the future there is someone competing against you on an assignment, will you kill that person first?! Then why do we need the law for?!”

Qin Jiu speaks with a loud and impassioned voice.

The magistrate was once again dumbfounded by Qin Jiu’s words, it was nothing but a fight between two masters, so how could this third miss of the Qin family raise this issue into something big with her words alone?!

What she said clearly meant that if Su Xiyang was not severely punished, in the future, those officials and generals would cripple their competitors first whenever they get into an argument?

“…” Madam Su’s face on the other hand was livid and hated Qin Jiu to death.

The imperial court would select generals for the fifth military camp every three years, and only quite a few people knew about this position offered in the fifth military battalion. This time, it was necessary to select two top four commanders and two top five guerrilla generals for the middle military camp. For others, in particular, the position of commander was considered a lucrative position in the eyes of everyone as it would be much easier for the person to rise up in the army in the future. Generally, they could be promoted in three years.

Madam Su was also aware that her nephew Su Xiyang wanted to get the position, so the Su family already made some preparations, also Qin Xin offered to ask the second prince for help. Originally, it was to attack one problem from two angles at the same time and the position would be sure goes to him.

But Qin Zening actually stepped in and planned to fight for the same position.

Remembering this, a gleam of cruelty flashed across Madam Su’s eyes as she looked at Qin Zening.

Qin Zening obviously had already a position as a ranked fourth imperial bodyguard, it was good enough to serve the emperor but he still came to grab her nephew’s position.

The day before yesterday, Qin Zening placed first in the first round of assessment while her nephew was seventh, losing to him.

There were still two rounds of assessment, and they already have taken care of it. Her nephew would definitely be able to get good results in the next two rounds of assessment but because Qin Zening was here the variables of uncertainty only increases.

It was clear that as long as Qin Zening does not steal, this position would go to her nephew.

But just because Qin Zening lost in riding and shooting, and injured his leg—the injury was not even serious, couldn’t he just take care of it himself?!

And this Qin Jiu unexpectedly wanted to make a scene in the public court to disgrace the Qin and Su family, telling it was her nephew’s fault, which in fact and was clear that Qin Zening himself couldn’t do his job properly and had to drag her nephew into this mess, harming his reputation!

***