Liang Xiao paused, looking at Dugu Xiao with displeasure.
The others looked at Liang Xiao in confusion.
Did he really intend to do that?
"Dugu Xiao, do you hold any official position in the yamen?" Liang Xiao asked.
Dugu Xiao said proudly, "Heh heh, I don't fancy minor official posts. I am currently an ordinary citizen, but I will surely surpass you in the future!"
No one mocked Dugu Xiao's confidence.
Dugu Xiao's father was Dugu Qun, the Minister of War, and his uncle had also served as the Minister of Works. Both were high-ranking officials of the second rank.
The Dugu family had a history of monopolizing second-rank official posts, and some had even served as Prime Minister or Grand Chancellor.
As for Liang Xiao's Guanglu Daifu, it was a second-rank nominal position, one rank lower than a Minister of the Six Boards. It was a sinecure with far less real power than a Minister of the Six Boards, and even less than a third-rank Vice Minister of the Six Boards.
"Then please come here," Liang Xiao said with a smile.
Dugu Xiao stood up resolutely and walked towards Liang Xiao. "What do you want?"
"Slap! Slap!"
Before anyone could react, Liang Xiao had already slapped Dugu Xiao back and forth across the face.
Dugu Xiao covered his red face, shocked and furious. "How dare you hit me?!"
Liang Xiao said righteously, "You are an ordinary citizen, an outsider, and you are interfering with my case. It is already giving your Dugu family great face that I haven't thrown you into prison. How could I bear to see the Dugu family's reputation ruined by you? As a colleague, I reluctantly took it upon myself to discipline you on behalf of Minister Dugu."
Everyone was stunned.
Dugu Xiao trembled with rage, only then remembering that he had indeed broken the law. However, in the past, due to his family's immense power in the capital, such minor matters were usually overlooked by acquaintances. Interfering with a case without cause, according to the laws of Da Gan, was punishable by a beating.
But the crucial point was that this Liang Xiao was being so high-minded, claiming it was for the good of the Dugu family and his father, Dugu Qun!
This time, even Zhuo Zifang and Gongsun Ye had to admire Liang Xiao's shamelessness.
To be so shameless yet so righteous was unique to Liang Xiao.
However, having grown accustomed to the righteousness of powerful families like the Dugus and Gongyangs, seeing Liang Xiao turn their own tactics against them, they inexplicably felt a sense of relief!
Just as Dugu Xiao was about to erupt, he was called back by Gongyang He.
"Endure it," Gongyang He said with a dark expression.
Liang Xiao hitting his student's face was tantamount to hitting his own!
But he could do nothing, as Dugu Xiao was in the wrong first, and thousands of eyes were watching.
With Dugu Xiao as an example, no one from the Gongyang clan dared to speak up to Liang Xiao anymore. They all sat up straight.
Gu Hai, seeing Liang Xiao act so decisively, was also surprised. Then he collected himself and urged, "Marquis Anguo, please proceed. I cannot keep speaking myself, can I?"
The Wang and Liu ladies were still weeping, their cries irritating the surrounding spectators.
Liang Xiao placed the infant on his table, and the baby began to wail.
Hearing the baby's cries, the two women wept even harder.
"It seems this child is truly your heart's desire. I cannot say for sure whose child it is," Liang Xiao sighed.
Gongyang He burst into laughter, feeling extremely pleased.
However, Liang Xiao drew his sword and said, "Since that is the case, why don't we cut the child in half, and you can each take one half home to raise?"
As soon as he spoke, the entire hall was petrified!
"Are you mad?!" Gongyang He jumped up in anger, scolding him loudly and feigning righteous indignation.
This was a golden opportunity to incite public opinion and ruin Liang Xiao's reputation!
The two women were also startled, shaking their heads. "No, Your Lord!!"
"Marquis Anguo, is this your so-called 'rectifying what is crooked, and judging what is dark and unfair'?" Gu Hai finally lost his temper.
Zhuo Zifang and the others were also speechless.
Liang Xiao said sternly, "I will judge. You will all shut up now!"
Gu Hai was taken aback, snorted coldly, and said no more, though he had already made up his mind.
Liang Xiao returned to his seat, looking at the wailing infant, his sharp sword gleaming, his face ferocious.
"Liang Xiao..." Zhuo Zifang and the others' hearts were in their throats.
Was he really going to do it?
The entire audience was too shocked to stop him; only the two women pleaded for mercy.
Liang Xiao ignored them, shouted, "Chop!" and then raised his Fuyou Sword with all his might, as if about to strike.
Madam Liu and the midwife were so terrified they didn't know what to do.
Madam Wang cried heartbrokenly, "I don't want it anymore! I don't want the child! My Lord, please rule in her favor, give her the child, I beg you not to split the baby!!"
Saying this, Madam Wang kowtowed repeatedly in despair. Liang Xiao immediately put away his sword.
Madam Liu finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled with satisfaction. "Thank you, my Lord, for your discerning judgment!!"
Gu Hai was dumbfounded.
Liang Xiao, however, said with a stern face, "Even a tiger does not eat its cubs, let alone a woman. Which woman would bear to see her own child truly cut in half?"
The crowd snapped back to reality, observing the reactions of the two women, and mused.
Madam Liu and the midwife's faces turned ashen. "M-my Lord..."
Zhuo Zifang couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration. "So you intended to force out the true birth mother who genuinely cared for the child! Only Madam Wang chose to make a concession to save her child's life!"
Everyone suddenly understood.
Gu Hai, regaining his composure, sighed, "This move was very risky, but everyone has seen who the child's true mother is. It's clear as day..."
Gongyang He and Xiao Chang nearly choked, their faces filled with unwillingness!
This worked too?
When Madam Wang was woken up, she still kowtowed to Liang Xiao, begging him to spare the child.
Liang Xiao stared at the terrified Madam Liu and the midwife and said angrily, "Confess and be rewarded, resist and be punished! Although I respect the old and love the young, if one commits evil and incurs the wrath of heaven and man, they will be severely punished without hesitation, even their descendants will be affected!"
Madam Wang looked bewildered.
Madam Liu was speechless, kowtowing and begging for mercy.
The midwife was also terrified and lost her head. While kowtowing, she confessed.
"M-Madam Liu's child had died, and she bribed this old woman with twenty taels of silver. I thought that besides myself and Madam Wang, no one else had seen the two children yet, so I agreed to Madam Liu's request, swapped the children, and testified for her. P-please spare my life, my Lord..."
After a moment of shock, the entire crowd began to denounce the colluding pair.
"Fortunately, we have Marquis Anguo, otherwise this child would likely have been awarded to Madam Liu sooner or later!!"
Jian Qinwan, Yue Lian, and Zhuo Xun, having recovered from their shock, finally sighed in relief, their eyes full of pride.
Madam Wang was widowed and alone. Since Madam Liu could afford to bribe the midwife, she might later bribe the yamen runners and the clan leader Gongyang Teng. It was only a matter of time before the child was awarded to Madam Liu.
It was Liang Xiao's quick wit that prevented a tragedy!
Jian Nanfeng, watching from afar, chuckled as he came to his senses. "Good! Good son-in-law!"
Gongsun Ye glanced at the gleeful Jian Nanfeng and couldn't help but roll his eyes.
If he's a good son-in-law, why can't you be one too?
His daughter, Gongsun Jing, had remained chaste for Jian Nanfeng, almost leading to the extinction of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion. Gongsun Ye had always harbored resentment about this.
In his opinion, Jian Nanfeng was the type of person who would run away after getting what he wanted!
Gu Hai cupped his fists towards Liang Xiao and said, "It seems Marquis Anguo indeed has the ability to adjudicate cases. Please resolve the second murder case, which occurred last night!"