Chapter 1882: No Evidence

Chapter 1882: No Evidence

Indeed, Chen Bing was just as County Princess Wen'an had described—a despicable person who repaid kindness with enmity. He truly was a vile scoundrel.

The onlookers pointed fingers at him, discussing and sneering. Derisive comments floated into the ears of both the Chen and Pan families, darkening their expressions further.

Qi Lie waved his hand, signaling the official to release Chen Bing and take the bucket of water away.

Chen Bing collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.

Qi Lie snorted coldly. "Chen Bing, you dare to spout lies in the court and show blatant disregard for this official and the laws of the Great Constellation. Someone, take him away for now, give him ten lashes for contempt of court."

Chen Bing was horrified. "Sir, I'm sorry, I won't dare again."

However, it was too late. Disregarding the court was not something that could be resolved by apologizing a few times. Setting an example and establishing authority was important, so others would continue to respect the court and the government.

These ten lashes silenced the entire crowd. No one dared to make a sound.

After the ten lashes, Chen Bing was dragged back to his position.

His body was covered in injuries, and he couldn't even kneel properly. Fortunately, Qi Lie didn't mind. He allowed Chen Bing to continue his testimony.

"Chen Bing, as you can see, if you don't confess honestly now and continue trying to scheme your way out of this, even if this official wants to show leniency, it won't be possible."

Chen Bing trembled and nodded, enduring the pain as he continued his story.

The more he confessed, the more repugnant his actions appeared to the listeners.

This person turned out to be truly wicked and dishonest—a heartless traitor. It was no wonder County Princess Wen'an was furious and had come with a group of people to confront him.

However, when Chen Bing reached the part about forging his in-laws' death certificates, he continued to insist that he had never done such a thing.

Other allegations might be believable, and at most, they spoke of his poor reputation, which was a matter of personal ethics and not criminal behavior.

However, if he admitted to forging official documents, he would truly be finished. Therefore, he firmly denied it.

"...At the time, Fang Caixia was seriously ill, and the doctor said her condition made her unable to conceive. If that were the case, wouldn't my Chen family's lineage end with me? How could I let that happen? I had the thought of abandoning her. So when Fang Caixia said she wanted to return to her parents' home, she missed them, I didn't dare to agree. If she returned to Dong'an Prefecture, not only would she have to financially support her poor relatives, but I also wouldn't be able to escape her. So, I deceived her, saying that her illness wasn't suitable for traveling and that I would send someone to inquire about her hometown's situation."

"But in reality, I didn't send anyone to inquire. After some time had passed, I told her that her parents had both passed away. Sir, I really didn't forge any death certificates. If I had, why would I have only forged my in-laws' death certificates? Why didn't I also claim that Fang Caixia's sister and brother-in-law had died?"

Shu Yu raised an eyebrow. Chen Bing's ability to endure psychological pressure was quite remarkable. Despite his current condition, he was still able to present such a clear defense.

Qi Lie listened attentively, then summoned Grandma Fang to question her, asking her to recount the events from that time.

Other details were consistent with what Chen Bing had said, but the matter of the forged documents remained a sticking point.

Qi Lie inquired, "Since that's the case, do you have any evidence?"

Grandma Fang pursed her lips and shook her head. She had none. After reading the document, she had been so traumatized that she fainted. After reading it again later, she felt extremely uncomfortable. Chen Bing had attributed her discomfort to her illness and took the document away. After that, she had never seen it again.